The Life and Death of Vavasor Powell, Account 3
Of his Sickneſs and Death.
THe 25 of the 7th monethmonth, being the firſt day of the week, he preached forenoon and afternoon, many being admitted to hear him, and that with much life and zeal. Firſt, from thoſe words John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me ſhall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out. And in the afternoon from Hoſea 14. latter part of the 8. verſe. I am like a green Firr Tree, from me is thy fruit found. Theſe were the laſt Sermons he ever preached. At night, he was weary as he uſed to be, and took ſome refreſhing after his exerciſe, and reſted well that night: But in the morning after he was up found himſelf not well, his Stomack oppreſſed with inclinations to vomit and purge, and as his manner was did by drinking plain poſſet, provoke himſelf to Vomit, and ſo went to his Study as aforetime. In the afternoon came a friend who deſired he would meet him at London the 5th day after about ſome buſineſs of concernment, which he promiſed to do: The next day and day following his diſtemper increaſing, ſome friends judged it inconvenient for him to go to London as he promiſed, and therefore diſſwaded him what they could but in as much as it was to do ſome ſervice for ſome of the Lords people, he ſaid he would truſt God with his preſervation; and upon the 5th day went accordingly by water to the Temple ſtairs wrapped warm, but upon landing found ſtimſelf unable well to go, which conſtrained him to take Coach, & that ſhook him very much, but came to his friends houſe and diſpatched his buſineſs. That night he took one of Mathews pills, and ſlept very well, but in the morning after he was up, and had brohe his faſt, fell very ſick and vomited, yet afterwards ſomewhat better again. He then wrote a Letter to a friend in Wales, telling him he was not well, and that that might be the laſt Letter he ſhould ever write to him, and ſo it was. He returned that evening to his priſon, and upon his going to bed found his diſtemper to grow upon him, which ſo continued the next day as to cauſe him to keep his bed the next morning being the Lords day ſeveral friends came to ſee him, and would needs ſend for a Doctor, hough he was not very free thereto. When the Dr. came he appoints him ſeveral things and read his bill to him, which he approved on, but told the Doctor that he had no medicine for Mortality, ſaying his days were accompliſhed, his Gripes and Bloody Flux encreaſed violently upon him, notwithſtanding all admi…oſtrations to him, and very little check for ten days uſuld be given to it, though variety of means were uſed, and that ſuch as had been bleſſed to help others in his Caſe. Afterwards the Blood ſtaid, but his Flux remained, and was for ſome time ſo moderate, that there was great hopes of his recovery, though himſelf ſaid otherwiſe all along, the Dr. ordered he ſhould be kept from ſpeaking much, but ſo zealouſly was he affected for the glory of God, and with the love of Chriſt, that neither his pains, bodily weakneſs, tender advice of friends, could poſſibly reſtrain him; but would notwithſtanding all, brake forth into high and heavenly praiſes, ſometimes by prayer, ſometimes by ſinging. His patience under all his pains was very great, when there came one of his greateſt gripes he would bleſs God, and ſay he would not entertain one bad thought of God for all the World. The ſight of the pardon of ſin and reconciliation with God was ſo clear and without interruption, even to the laſt, that it was as a fire in his boſom till he ſpake of it, and very hardly would he be reſtrained at any time, and when he had ſpent his ſtrength in ſpeaking, then would he compoſe himſelf to get a little more ſtrength, that he might go on to ſpeak further of the Grace of God towards him, and to give ſeaſonable advice to all about him, and ſo continued till God took away his ſtrength and ſpeech from him. The Thruſh growing ſo ſore in his mouth, that he could ſpeak no more to be underſtood, and yet then by ſigns would ſignifie that all was well within. He enjoyed his underſtanding to the laſt, which he ſaid he had begged of God. His remembrance of Gods people and prayers for them was very frequent, and particularly his Chriſtian friends in Wales, earneſtly deſired the Saints to be of one mind. Some that were frequent with him in his ſickneſs, ſay that ſuch an earneſt of glory their eyes and ears never heard nor ſaw before. He kept his bed a monethmonth within one day, and ſo finiſhed his courſe ſervice and ſuffering at four of the clock in the afternoon, upon the 27 of the 8 monethmonth, called October, 1670. at Karoone houſe the then Fleet Priſon in Lambeth.