A Believers Triumph Over Death, Pages 51-101

A Believers Triumph Over Death · Pages 51-101

p. 51And for this laſt office he rendred unto them his thanks, and to the Council of the City in general; and in particular bleſſed each of them and their Families. And when they were departed, he went to his bed again; and ſeeing no body ſtand about him but his little Family, he ſaid to his Niece,

My Daughter, do not depart from me, but perſiſt with me in the duty of Prayer: do not fear to rehearſe all thoſe words to me which God ſhall ſuggeſt unto thy heart or mouth; this ſweet and pleaſing communication ſhall help to paſs over this night with the more eaſe: And God will be with us, and aſſiſt our good intentions: p. 52He will help our weakneſſes, and afford us matter of ſupplications, and thankſgivings: ſuch diſcourſes are pleaſing unto him; he attends unto them that fear him, when they talk together of thoſe things that belong to the Salvation of their Souls.

And then as one in a Rapture, he ſaid, My God! thou haſt drawn me, and I was drawn! thou haſt known me from my Mothers womb, with a Merciful and Efficacious knowledge: thou haſ… called me by Name: thou haſt bored mine Ears, and I was attentive: I have declared thy meſſage in the Congregation, and thy word was ſweeter than Honey in my mouth. Who am I! O God, but duſt and aſhes, an earthen and a frail Veſſel, into p. 53which notwithſtanding thou haſt been pleaſed to pour an holy liquor, and ſeed of immortality: Thou liveſt, and thou makeſt me to live; I ſhall not dye, but live for ever, with that life which is Col. 3. 3.Col 3:3hid with Chriſt in God: Bleſſed and holy is he which hath a part in the firſt Reſurrection: over him Rev. 20. 6.Rev 20:6the ſecond death ſhall have no power. Behold I am dead; and alſo raiſed from the dead: I live not in my ſelf, but in the life of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himſelf for me. What ſhould I mention more? I can make no return of thy faithfulneſs to me, or of the benefits thou haſt beſtowed on me: Thou hadſt choſen me, before thou gaveſt me a being; and it pleaſed thee that I ſhould be born of believing p. 54Parents, and eſpecially of a Mother eminent in Holineſs, who dedicated me to thy ſervice from my tender years: With how many prayers did ſhe ſtir me up to that holy purpoſe! With what care and affection did ſhe inſtill the ſeeds of Piety into me! And the Almighty God who worketh all in all, gave his bleſſing to this diligent nurture, and heard her ardent prayers; and my Miniſtry hath been accepted of him; I am thy ſervant, O my God, thou haſt taught me from my youth; and I have taught thy wonderful works, and thy grace unto this day; for thy gifts have not been without fruit in me: Thou uſeſt weak inſtruments for the accompliſhing of thy work: Thou haſt pardoned, thou p. 55haſt helped me; thou haſt accepted the truth and ſincerity of my heart: And now, O my God, ſeeing it is evident thou wilt have me retire from this valley of Miſeries, do not thou forſake me in this laſt and important act: If it be thy will that I dye; that alſo is my will: I am ready, my heart is prepared: I give thee my heart, for that is it which thou requireſt; Let this gift be approved by thee; Receive this gift which is thine own, from him to whom thou haſt given all things, who gives himſelf to thee. O Lord, I give thee thanks; thou inſtructeſt me, thou inlighteneſt me, thou talkeſt with my Soul: O Lord thou imbraceſt me in the arms of thy mercy! Grant alſo that I may p. 56embrace thee by a lively Faith, and that I may apply unto my ſelf the Promiſes of the Goſpel, which I have propoſed unto others: let them be Effectual in me, that by them I may be ſupported againſt all pains, yea death it ſelf.

§. 12. Then turning his ſpeech to his Niece, he ſaid: That I may not tire thee with long diſcourſes, Admire thou the Grace of God towards me, and bleſs him who fortifies me with patience: Obſerve my words unto my laſt breath, and commit them to writing as fully as thou canſt, that thereby my deareſt Brother, with others of my near kindred and affinity, as alſo my friends, may be Comforted and Refreſhed: To which when ſhe returned anſwer; That ſhe was unable p. 57to retain, and commit to wriing ſuch an abundance of holy ſpeeches as flowed from him, he Replyed;

Fear not; only do thine endeavour, and God will help thee: If God give me ſtrength, I will write a ſhort Epiſtle, which ſhall be for a teſtimony that Credit is to be given to thy Relation. (And he was alwaies wont upon the mention of any thing of this nature, to adde,)

Not that I would hereby procure praiſe to my ſelf; But I would have it known unto all, That the Religion which I have profeſſed, and taught in the name of God, is the true Religion, and that alone which leads men unto Salvation: And particularly, I would have my brother informed of that ineſtimable Grace which I have received p. 58of God, that he may be abundantly comforted and ſtrengthened in his expectation of a better life, which I already enjoy: O with how great love have I loved him, and eſteemed him! yea I have loved the gifts of God in him, and ſhal… love them to the laſt: I pray God who is the giver of every good gift, that he will fullfill, ſtrengthen and make perfect his own work in him; that he will guide him with his Counſel, and at length ſave and receive him to his Reſt: The ſame prayers I make for my Nephew his Son Stephen, that he may be an uſeful Inſtrument for the promoting of Gods Glory, a diligent workman that needs not to be aſhamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth. O Lord my God, I pray not p. 59onelyonly for my Brother, but for all thoſe in France, to whom thou haſt committed the conduct and Rule of the Churches: Bleſs their Perſons; pardon their defects; Sanctifie their Gifts: Grant unto them that they may ſeriouſly return unto the ſimplicitly which is in Chriſt; and that they detract not from the Glory of God, to aſcribe unto man what belongs to his Salvation; He is ſtrong and Jealous. If in my writings I have ſeemed to deal a little warmly with ſome of my brethren about their new notions, I proteſt before God, I was never moved by envy or wrath againſt any one in particular, but on the contrary alwayes accounted the men that favoured thoſe novelties, among my friends; And the p. 60more I loved both their Perſons and Gifts, the more it grieved me that I could not reconcile their Maxims with the Word of God: I do moſt earneſtly beſeech God, that he will give them the Spirit of Peace, that they may be of the ſame Judgment, and ſpeak the ſame things: And that the love of God may conſtrain them, and gather them into one in Chriſt; …ph. 4. 13.Till we all come unto the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt; That following the Truth in love, we may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Chriſt.

I would have thee without delay write unto thy Father; p. 61he is my Brother in a double bond, I have alwaies eſteemed, and loved him; he hath been an uſeful Inſtrument for the Glory of God, and I doubt not but he will throughly accompliſh his work in him, to the Glory of his own Name, and his eternal Salvation: I go before him, in a little time he will follow after me: he is almoſt come to the end of his courſe, and there remains but a little time before God will Crown his labours with an Eternal Reward.

And here again in an extraordinary tranſport he brake out into theſe expreſſions: O great and Immenſe Mercy! who can but be rapt into admiration! He gives both being, and well-being; He beſtowes his gifts, he ſupporteth, he p. 62pardoneth, he worketh in us both to will and to do according to his good pleaſure: and when himſelf hath given and wrought all this, yet he gives to us an Eternal Reward! Amen, Amen. Be it unto me according to thy word, even according to the faithfulneſs and ſtability of thy Promiſes.

Then turning his diſcourſe to his Niece again; Write alſo (ſaid he) to thy Brethren, That I love them, and that I pray for their Salvation. And thou my dear Niece! I love thee, not becauſe of that near affinity which thou haſt to me, but rather becauſe we both have one God, and one Hope. Thou knoweſt the love and affection which I have had for thee, which hath been a Paternal love indeed, p. 63for a token of which, take thou the Bible which thou ſhalt find in my Study: In ſpecicial I recommend to thee my Wife, thy very good Aunt: To thy power Comfort and aſſiſt her: Be unto her inſtead of a Daughter, and help her to digeſt the Sorrow ſhe will have for my abſence.

§. 13. On Monday Morning Monday, Jan. 2.he deſired to ariſe out of his bed, that he might write thoſe Letters which he had made mention of in the Night: and alſo that he might adde ſomething to the Codicil which was annexed to his Will the Evening before: His Strength was ſufficient to admit the putting on of his cloaths, and alſo his walking into his Study; where he took the Bible deſigned for p. 64his Niece, and gave it to her himſelf: And to Mr Dauber who was then with him, he gave an Arabick new Teſtament, and laid by another Book for Mr. Hulſius; and one for his Brother Rivet, to be immediately ſent unto him to Champuer non in France; unto whom (being returned into his Chamber) he wrote this letter.

My Dear Brother!

I Now write my laſt to you, with a trembling and dying hand: After the preaching of a Sermon on Chriſtmas day in perfect health: it is now eight daies ſince I have been afflicted with a Stubborn Conſtipation; and the expulſive faculty is wholly exſtinct in me: Wherefore I am determined by the Grace of God to dye with courage and conſtancy: By the obſtinate continuance, and p. 65pains of my diſtemper, I am quite worn out; and the day of my diſſolution draws near. My Niece Mary Mouline ſhall write unto you an account of my laſt Hours, and of that tranquility of mind which God affords to me: I expect the coming of my Son, to whom I may commit my Nephews and affairs; He ſhall give you an account of all. Farewel my deareſt Brother! But keep me in remembrance the reſidue of thy life, who have loved thee and thine with a great Charity; Love mine again, as thou doeſt: I pray God to bleſſe thee, and all thine: Once again Farewel!

Dated at Breda, Jan. 2. 1651.

He wrote alſo to Mr. Mouline, his brother by Affinity, in theſe words.

p. 66My Deareſt Brother,

IT ſo pleaſeth God, that yo… ſhould remain alive after me▪ I now write being upon the borders between life and death, after a Sermon preached on Chriſtmas day, which was followed with … pertinacious retention, faecium in alvo induratarum, and of the retaining of that load, the Diſſolution of the body with grievous pains is the neceſſary conſequent. Your Daughter which miniſtreth to me in this agony, hath undertaken to write to you of my conſtancy, and the Grace which God affordeth to me. Live unto the Glory of his Name, remembring me and mine, who dye

Your moſt Affectionate, &c.

§. 14. When he had written theſe Letters, he found himſelf p. 67exceedingly wearied, and deſired to be had to bed again. All this day was ſpent in receiving his Friends, eſpecially the Paſtors who were of divers Nations: unto whom he diſcourſed largely of ſurrendring up himſelf into the hands of God, and recited to them a Confeſſion of his Faith, and exhorted them to proceed chearfully in that work which the Lord had committed to them: He gladly received thoſe conſolations whereby they endeavoured to aſſwage his pains, and heard their Prayers for him with like joy, alwaies adding, That he was much refreſhed by them. All this day the time ſeemed very long to him, while he expected the coming of his Son.

How fraid am I (ſaid he) that I ſhall not ſee my Son! It is the only thing I deſire in this life.

p. 68When he was wholly given up by the Phyſitians, and now for many daies had neither received nor voided any thing, a little after Noon, a good man that was touched with our Affliction ſaid unto us, That it ſeemed a very wonderful and ſtrange thing to him, that we would ſuffer a man of ſo great merit, who was yet ſtrong and hearty, to go out of the world without trying of any Remedies: adding, That he knew a perſon that was held with the ſame diſeaſe, that was helped by Baths preſcribed by a Chyrurgeon in the City, who was indeed very skilful in his Art. This perſon therefore was immediately ſent for, who when he came, finding the ſick man ſtrong enough to abide the uſe of that Remedy, without delay prepares a Bath, by which he p. 69found himſelf much eaſed, and his pains aſſwaged; and that Monday Night, he had a better Night of it than ordinary.

§ 15. The next day in the Tueſday. Jan. 3.Morning they repeated the Bath, after which a Clyſter was injected, which ſeemed to have begun its work: All that were about the ſick man rejoyced, and bad him be of good courage, promiſing his recovery from his diſtemper; And, to ſay the truth, himſelf began, if not to hope, yet at leaſt to think, it might be ſo. In the following Evening the Bath was repeated again, after which being had to bed, he began to ſleep ſweetly: but had ſcarcely reſted half an hour, before he was awaked by the pain of his ſide, and a greater tention of his Belly than before, p. 70and the acceſs of a Feaver. Nothing was left unattempted fo… his relief, by fomentations an… unctions; but all was to … purpoſe: The complaint of th… ſick man was increaſed, an… he tired out and afflicted wit… extraordinary reſtleſneſs. An… then his Niece perceived tha… there was ſomething elſe troubled him more than the pain of his Body; for he remaining ſilent, groaned forth moſt bitter ſighs, whereas before the more he was tormented with pain, the more ardently did he uſe to pour out his prayers to God: It was Supper time when ſhe was left with him alone, and then with a mournful voice he asked,

Who is there, is any Stranger preſent?

And when his Niece had told him, No: ſhe asked him, p. 71Whence doth this unuſual diſquietude proceed? you ſeem to me to ſuffer ſomething extraordinary; what is become of that chearfulneſs through which you were wont to paſs through your pains with the greateſt Joy?

Alas! (ſaid he) He is departed from me that made glad my Heart: I have grieved that Holy Spirit the Comforter, who had filled my Soul with Peace and Joy; I have been ſo wretched and unhappy as to give ear to thoſe who ſpake unto me of my returning into this World: I have been tickled with the deſire of living: And how could ſuch a thing poſſibly be, after the fruits of the Heavenly Canaan had been taſted by me, and I had by faith taken hold of Supernatural good things? What is now neceſſary p. 72to be done? Whither ſhall I go… If I ſpeak, he anſwers not; ye… he hath taken from me the power of ſpeaking: Ah, ſad change! An holy fire had kindled my meditation, but now vain thought… hurry me: I cannot get out of my mind an old Satyr, and ſuc… like trifles. Thus while I am … deaths door, I go backwards.

And here caſting his arm… about her neck, he thus proceeded:

My Dear Niece, help …e continue to diſcourſe of Go… things with me: Call upon th… Comforter to return, and rene… that excellent work which h… had advanced in me. O Return! Return! Confirm me wit… thy ſtrength, before I go hence, and be ſeen no more.

p. 73§. 16. Then ſhe ſuggeſted to him thoſe places of Scripture which by the Divine aid were brought to her mind; in anſwer to which, every moment he interpoſed thoſe words, as made it evident that his Soul which before was ſinking under its burthen, began to gather ſtrength & Comfort again. He had ſcarce been a quarter of an hour in that Conflict, before he fell into a Swoon; which occaſioned the haſty calling in of his Son, who was come to him but that Morning; and when this ſinking fit was over, there appeared in him again the ſame Tranquility and Chearfulneſs of Countenance as formerly: And ſeeing thoſe of his own Houſhold, with ſome Friends that uſed to aſſiſt him, and watch with him by turns, in p. 74the next Room, he attentively fixed his eyes upon each of them; and firſt Addreſſing himſelf to his Wife:

Farewell (ſaid he) my deareſt Yoke-fellow! We have lived together in Peace for thirty Years; and I thank thee for thy help, which hath been a great Comfort unto me; for I did caſt all Domeſtick cares upon thee: Continue I beſeech thee to ††They were his Children by a former Wife, for he had none by her.love my Children with that Pious Affection which hitherto thou haſt had for them.

Then turning his Speech to his Son, he ſaid, And thou my Son! Love and Honour this deareſt Companion of my Life, the Partner of all my Joys and Sorrows, which hath done the Duty of a Mother toward thee; this I deſire of thee, and this I command thee, p. 75as thou expecteſt a bleſſing from God upon what I have gotten by my labour, divide it between you without quarrelling or contention, according to what is juſt and right; Manage all thy Affairs with all Lenity and Chriſtian Prudence; eſpecially purſue Peace, O Frederick! (for that was his Sons Name, to which he alluded) Be rich in Peace.

Then taking hold of both their Hands, and joyning them together:

Promiſe me, (ſaith he) that you will maintain an holy and mutual friendſhip with each other.

Which when they had both moſt ſolemnly Promiſed to do.

I believe you (ſaid he) for I have no cauſe to doubt of your Sincerity; I know that you fear God, and that my laſt Commands will be p. 76of great weight to you; even as I pray God that he will make my Bleſſing effectual upon you:

Then turning to his Wife, he ſaid:

The Lord Bleſs thee my dear Love, and ſtrengthen thee; he i… an Husband to the Widdow, an… a Father of the Fatherleſs.

And to his Son,

The Almighty Father bleſs thee, my Son, guide thee in al… thy wayes, enrich thee with all Chriſtian Virtues, and plentifully make thee to abound in all Spiritual and Temporal Bleſſings; regard not th… world nor its deceitful hopes for the world paſſeth away, and the Luſt thereof; place all thy Felicity in the Bleſſing of God: be ſtrong in Faith, and prepared unto every good work. Let the p. 77Peace of God dwell in thee, and make thee Peaceable and kind: Thoſe Infants which I commend unto thee, and commit to thy truſt, will be proper Subjects for thee to exerciſe thy Charity upon. I appoint and ſet thee over not only that little Portion which I leave them, but eſpecially their Perſons, that thou mayeſt take care of their Inſtruction and Education in Piety and Virtue; that they may be fitted for that Service of God, which their Nature and Ingenie renders them capable of, and eſpecially may apply themſelves to the Worſhip of God.

And then taking hold of the hand of the eldeſt of the Children, he ſaid,

Farewell dear Child, the Lord make thee a good and p. 78a Pious man, that thou mayeſt fill up the place of thy Father and Grandfather: He beſs thee abundantly, and make thy Studies proſperous unto his Glory; which he will do if thou diligently call upon him, and if thou Study to be Diligent, Sober, Modeſt, and humbly Obedient unto God and thy Superiours, thy Unkle in particular, which will be inſtead of a Father to thee. Give due Obedience and Honour unto thy Mother; Love thy Brother and Siſter, and withdraw thy ſelf from the Company of young Perſons who will entice thee unto Vice.

And unto his Niece he thus ſpake:

Farewell my dear Niece, the Lord bleſs thee! We have a p. 79Kindred in the Heavens which will endure for ever.

§. 17. Now when we thought this night would be his laſt, the principal of his Friends were called to him, and amongſt them Mr. Hulſius, and as they ſtood about his Bed, he attentively beheld them, and diſcourſed of his Departure at hand, and his diſpoſition to give up himſelf to the Will of God, with a joyful and free Soul. He exhorted each of them according to their reſpective Condition in regard of Age, Sex, or Quality, and bleſſed each of them and their Families.

Then again ſpeaking to his Son, he ſaid,

My Friend! Thou loſeſt at the ſame time both a Maſter and a Father; but if the Fear p. 80of God bear rule in thee, God will ſupply the place of both: Far be it from me to diſtruſt his Grace for the future: I caſt all my Cares upon him, and give up my ſelf and mine, my Life and affairs into his hands.

Then he uttered in French Metre the words of the Pſalmiſt to this ſence.

Ʋnto whom ſhall I go for help, O Lord, and in whom is my hope? truly in thee.

I am full of dayes: I deſire to be Diſſolved and to be with Chriſt. It is enough, O Lord! Receive now my Soul: I commit this Body to the Earth, but I commit my Spirit into the hands of God who gave it.

And in a Paroxyſme of Pain he ſaid,

My God, I know this Tabernacle cannot be diſſolved without p. 81pain, yet my heart is lively, and I have ſtill ſtrength to bear my pains. O Lord, help mine Infirmities; depart not far from me in the day of my Sorrow: Say unto my Soul, I am become thy Salvation.

This laſt he rehearſed in the French Metre, and then repeated in Hebrew, from Pſal. 16. 5.

The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance.

§. 18. From that Night forward it was obſerved, when any one diſcourſed to him of Repentance, and of the Grace of God in forgiving ſins, he was wont to anſwer:

As to this point, I am aſſured that I am reconciled, and cleanſed from my ſin, by the precious blood of my Redeemer; God hath ſpoken, and made known to me already p. 82that my Sins are blotted out; I now taſte this bleſſedneſs, Bleſſed is the man Pſa. 32. 1.Ps 32:1to whom the Lord imputeth not Sin: There is no Condemnation Rom. 8. 1.Rom 8:1to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus: He is come unto me according to his great Mercies, and draweth me, and I willingly follow him; He leſſens my bodily Pains, by increaſing the joy of my Soul; he ſatisfies my thirſt for him with the dew of his Grace: Behold I am ſatiated, I am inriched; Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God: The Kingdom of God is not Rom. 14. 17.Rom 14:17Meat and Drink, but Righteouſneſs and Peace and Joy through the Holy Ghoſt: I am fed by my Saviour, whoſe Fleſh is Meat indeed, and his p. 83Blood is drink indeed; and as he is the true quickening Bread which came down from Heaven, ſo he that eateth him, ſhall live by him: And therefore I live: It is now two dayes ſince I have lived not an Animal Life, but I live that Life which I ſhall eternally Live in the Heavens.

That night he made a long and ardent Prayer, the greateſt part of which is ſlipt out of our Memory: In general he Prayed for all men, and bewailed the Corruption of Mankind.

Alas! O Lord (ſaid he) this is the laſt time; there is ſcarce any Faith in the Earth; Men of Veracity are hardly to be found: One ſpeaks to another, yea to his Friend, fraudulently and with a double heart. Alas! Wo p. 84is me, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar, with thoſe that hate Peace. Thou haſt made Peace in thy high places; Thou giveſt Peace, but not ſuch as the World giveth; Wherefore my Heart is not afraid: The Spirit which thou haſt given me, is the Spirit of Power, of Love, and a ſedate mind.

§. 19. On the Wedneſday Wedneſday, Jan. 4.morning he found himſelf much wearied and enfeebled, partly by the Pains he had endured, and partly by his much and earneſt ſpeaking. Both we that were about him, and himſelf, were all of the mind that his laſt hour was approaching; for which reaſon he ſpake as follows.

Again I bid you Farewell, my Friends; Obſerve me, and p. 85continue to ſtrengthen me with your Prayers and Exhortations; when my ſpeech ſhall fail, I will endeavour by ſigns to let you know my Faith and Perſeverance; My mind cannot be ſhaken, he that preſerves me is in the Heavens.

When he had again bleſſed his Family and all that ſtood by him, his Speech wholly failed him for a time, ſo that we expected nothing leſs than to ſee him draw his laſt Breath; but being recovered out of this ſinking fit, he began to ſpeak again, and when he ſaw the Chamber full of People, he ſaid:

How am I Tyred out! will they allow me no time of repoſe? wherefore is there ſuch a Company about me? have not I ſpoken enough? why am I not allowed a little Relaxation, p. 86and one moment o… Solitude, that I may Converſe with my God?

Therefore every one withdrew according to his deſire, and we were afraid to com… near to him, leſt we ſhould moleſt him; but when we heard his Groans, his Niece went in ſoftly to him, and ſaid, Reverend Sir, Would you be without my Company, doth it not pleaſe you that I ſhould any longer attend upon you.

Alas (ſaid he) I deſire nothing more; do not go from me, but be thou a Witneſs of my laſt hours: continue with me even to the end. It is a great comfort to me to enjoy quietneſs; I cannot bear the ſight of ſo great a Company, eſpecially of thoſe that come out of meer Curioſity: I have omitted p. 87nothing of what was incumbent on me to ſay or do: I leave nothing behind me that is matter of regret to me; I have Prayed for the Peace of mine after my departure, and I believe Peace ſhall dwell among them, and that thou wilt do thy endeavour that it may, for I know thou art of a peaceable Spirit: I am ſatisfied and at reſt: I have no more to do here below, I have waited for thy Salvation, O Lord.

She asked if it would pleaſe him to have his Son come to him?

Yea, (ſaid he) I bleſs God, and rejoice that I have ſeen him and bleſſed him before I dye.

When he came near to him, he ſtretched out his hand and received him kindly, and then p. 88repeated to him what he had before ſaid concerning his Brother, affirming,

That he was a very good man, and one furniſhed with Gifts that are rather ſolid and uſeful, than conſpicuous and ornamental; now ſhall he be the Crown of my Fathers Family: I bleſs God that there remains a man therein to Praiſe him both in word and work. The Bleſſing of the God of our Father hath been eminently on that Branch of our Family from whence we are ſprung; there have been found therein many good Men who feared God: As for theſe little Nazarens, I recommend them to God.

And after a little ſtop, he continued his Speech unto his Son:

My Son, I now know thee p. 89no longer according to the Fleſh; my Carnal affections are mortified and ſwallowed up in the Love of God: My love towards my Wife and Children is now wholly Spiritual; I have Prayed unto God that he will Sanctifie, make thee perfect and glorifie thee: My Son! Is not my happy departure joyful unto thee? what could'ſt thou with more earneſtneſs have deſired for me than a glorious and happy end after a long and proſperous Life? Bleſs God, through whoſe bounty I am now filled with Joy and Peace. Fear God my Son, for this is the whole Duty of man. In all thy Actions love Righteouſneſs, Sincerity, Peace, and Truth, that my Bleſſing may remain effectually upon thee and thy Nephews.

p. 90§. 20. This whole day was paſt over much to his eaſe and quiet, none being admitted to diſturb him with their Viſits: He lay ſtill, and was inclined to Sleep; and when he obſerved us to look upon him as if he had been aſleep; I ſleep (ſaid he) but my heart waketh. And when we asked him ſometimes how he did, Very well (ſaid he) I feel no pain; I am filled with the Grace of God; I am not ſenſible of cold or heat; I fear no more the inconveniencies of temporal Life; the Spirit of God ſtrengthens me, and affords me abundant Conſolations; I have no doubt of my Salvation; He hath ſet me on high: He hath hid me in his hiding place: He hath fenced me round about, and hath perfected whatſoever concerns p. 91me: I cannot be troubled any more; I am like a Veſſel filled with pure Water, which no agitation troubles. It is God that Juſtifies; who ſhall Condemn? it is Chriſt that dyed, yea rather who is riſen again: The moments of my time are in his Power. I am wholly taken up in the expectation of the decreed hour, when he will ſay, Come thou good and faithful Servant, enter into the Joy of thy Lord! O my God, I thank thee that thou haſt given me the Spirit of Humility, Sincerity and Truth! I have not been as a tinckling Cymbal: O Lord thou haſt known the ſecrets of my Soul, and my in moſt Thoughts! Thou haſt taught me in the School of true Doctrine, and I have above all ſought the Glory of thy Name: I have p. 92not thought any Virtue or Knowledge to be of my ſelf, knowing that all my Sufficiency is from thee alone: I have ſlighted that Myſtical Theology which is nothing but Canting, and have adhered to that clear, pure and ſaving Truth which is contained in the Holy Scriptures. One word of the Son of God who requires the Heart, is of more worth than all thoſe humane Vanities, which are good for nothing elſe but to trouble the Purity of the Divine Fountains. Suffer not, O Lord, the improbity of men to obſcure the Clearneſs of thy Word, which hath been a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path; yea, it ſtill affords a Light unto me, and guideth me in the dark Paths of the Shadow p. 93of Death. O Lord, I have been jealous for thee, and have mourned in ſecret for the Wickedneſs of ſome, and the audacious Hypocriſie of others, who have Aſſembled themſelves to pull down what thou hadſt built up by thy Mercies. There yet remain Pious Souls who love the Peace of Zion, and mourn under theſe Confuſions; hear their Prayers: In particular have Mercy on thoſe moſt flouriſhing Iſlands where ſo much of the Blood of thy Martyrs hath been ſhed; turn the People in them to thy ſelf, and to their King; give thy Judgments unto that poor Prince, and make him worthy to have his juſt Prayers heard; Give the Spirit of Moderation and Wiſdom to his own Nation, who have ſent p. 94for him, that they may require nothing of him, but what is weighed in the Balance of Juſtice.

Theſe Diſcourſes being began towards Evening, were continued till it was Night; which he perceiving and wondring at himſelf, ſaid,

And am I yet alive, and thus able to ſpeak? God hath done it, he endues me with new Strength that I may glorifie him, and extoll his holy Name. O Lord, I wait for the moment which thou haſt determined, I believe, I perſevere; I am not troubled: The Spirit of God witneſſeth with my Spirit that I am a Child of God: O Lord thou haſt known me throughly; I am thy Servant; help all mine Infirmities; perfect thy work in me: Patience and p. 95Hope make not aſhamed; the Love of God is in me, even that Love whereby I earneſtly deſire the Salvation of all, yea of thoſe which have offended me without Cauſe; I forgive them, and Pray for them; There is no bitter Gall in me, for God hath cauſed all bitterneſs to paſs from me, and hath given true Peace in me; for I roll my ſelf upon him.

§. 21. On Thurſday morning Thurſday, Jan. 5.turning his eyes towards the light, he ſaid,

It is day light: Shortly I ſhall no more know the difference of Day and Night; I am come to the Eve of that great and eternal day, and am going unto that Place where the Sun ſhall no more give light: God will be an p. 96everlaſting Light unto me and already O Lord thou ſendeſt the Rayes of that Light into my Soul, and openeſt mine eyes that I may perceive them. O how powerfully doſt thou work in me! while this Old man dyes and decayes, thou putteſt on me the New man, which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him who Createth it; that is lively, ſeeth, heareth and walketh with enlarged ſteps; it deſires nothing more than an outlet into perfect Liberty: Deliver me from this Priſon, that I may celebrate thy Name; Yet neither do I ſo contemn this Body, as not to think of its Reſtauration; for I know thy dead ſhall live, yea, my dead Body: It is ſown in Corruption, it ſhall be raiſed in Incorruption; It p. 97is ſown a vile body, but it ſhall riſe again in glory; It is ſown in weakneſs, but it ſhall be raiſed again in power: In a word, It ſhall be conformed to the glorious boof our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is become the Firſt-fruits of them that ſleep: I ſhall ſee him in my fleſh: My own eyes ſhall ſee him; I ſhall behold his face in righteouſneſs, and ſhall be ſatisfied with his likeneſs when I awake. He loveth me with an intire affection; he kiſſeth me with the Kiſſes of his Mouth: He hath removed all fear far from me, and hath filled me with Peace and Joy in Believing. He often repeated that ſentence, Amor meus Crucifixus eſt; that is, My Love is Crucified; adding,

O Love incomprehenſible! p. 98what I conceive of him is beyond all expreſſion. Bleſſed be the Lord, who hath directed my heart into the Love of God, and the patient waiting for Chriſt.

§. 22. This whole day was ſpent in like holy diſcourſes, and the Prayers of Miniſters that came to him, with the Viſits of other Friends. Towards Evening he found himſelf very weak, and had two or three fainting fits, but his ſpeech did not wholly fail in them; ſometimes he would ſay,

My ſtrength is quite ſpent: I am going hence, Lord meet me; do not tarry; take thy Creature.

Towards the middle of the Night, his ſtrength being a little recovered, he reached p. 99forth his hand to Mrs. Rivet his Wife, and ſaid,

Embrace me once more, my dear Love! I love thee no more after the fleſh, but after the Spirit; as I have alwayes loved thy Better part: I have lived with thee in holy Concord theſe thirty years: Thou haſt born mine Infirmities, and haſt been an help to me; and God hath bleſſed us together: I have taken notice of thy good Infirmities, conjoyned with great Piety; and thy Faith, which is not perfect, but ſincere and true. Thou knoweſt (my Love) that God is not a ſevere Judge, but merciful and Gracious; he chiefly requires from us, a recumbence on his Mercy: He is kind and full of Love. Behold in me an Example of Mercy and Kindneſs, and from p. 100thence gather Confidence that he will follow thee with the ſame Grace; We have an Allyance in Heaven; Thither the Lord takes me, and he will take thee thither alſo, and ſo we ſhall be together with the Lord for ever. While thou art waiting for that bleſſed hour, he will be thy Husband, Father, Comforter and Defender; and finally will make thee to experience the ſoveraign Effects of his Love. Rejoyce therefore (my deareſt Love) I have prayed for thee. Thy Faith ſhall not fail; God will ſuccour thy infirmities, which ſavour of nothing but goodneſs. It is that I love in the Children of God, that they acknowledge themſelves to be imperfect before him: God will compleatly perfect p. 101thee, doubt not.