might get it without borrowing This motion at first put him into a trembling nevertheless knowing where his Masters Cash used to lie he went to the place but yet came back again before he had taken any as doubting what to do But the Tempter putting him forward he went to the place again where having broke open a lock he took out some bags of money which afterwards he hid in the ground not far from the House Having now yielded to the Devil thus far he still pusheth him forward and tempts him to conceive mischief against the poor Maid and murder her that in so doing his Robbery might be concealed Then going forth with a bloody mind he finds the Maid in the Corn-close and coming to her trips up her heels she saying no more but what do you make account to do with me and forthwith with her own knife cuts her throat and then throws away the knife Having committed this barbarous cruelty he was soon under such horrour that he thought to have done the like to himself had the knife been in his hand I thought saith he I could have laid violent hands upon my self praised be God he did restrain me from so doing But I continued as he writes under so great terrour that I thought would have thanked any man to have knockt me on the head and thus it was with me till I came to Prison Afterwards going homeward by the way he cut his Fingers on purpose that the blood which stain'd his clothes might be thought to proceed from thence The report of this murder soon flying abroad of some his relations desired him to go to his Masters-House and see how things were He pretends a willingness to go and make enquiry but having gone a little way he turns aside went not thither at all His not going caused suspicion upon which some ten days after he was apprehended and carried before 2 Justices of Peace * Justice Matthews and then Sir Nevil Catlin who after examination made his Mittimus and sent him to Norwich Castle Here his sorrow for a time was somewhat allayed yet he repented and bewail'd his Sins in secret to God tho' he was unwilling to discover them to the world Here being no evil company he did as others did altho' his Conscience troubled him for so doing In this frame he continued till the time of his escape with another Prisoner to Yarmouth This Prisoner being minded to get away tells Gymer of two men that were to assist him so that he also was desirous to go with him I did saith he Promise my self if I got away and were not taken again I would spend the rest of my days in some Forreign place and there work for my Living and bewail my self for my Sins But if I were taken I was resolved to confess my Sins to the World and take the shame belonging to me Gymer and his Fellow-Prisoner upon request obtained the liberty of going to the Jailors-House to spend some mony in Drink but upon their return to the Castle it being in the evening somewhat dark they both slipt down the Hill undiscerned deceiving their Keeper that went before and so travelled to Yarmouth But being soon pursued they were both there apprehended his Heart now smites him and unlooseth his tongue freely to confess his Sins of Lying and Swearing and the Theft and Murder he had committed These he oft acknowledged to Ministers and others that visited him and being arraigned the last Assizes in Court he pleaded guilty three times one after another His Conscience being awakened and wounded he hath given Glory to God in confessing his wickedness and ever since hath been diligent in seeking the Lord for the life of his Soul and greatly desirous of the Prayers and Assistance of Ministers and of all serious and Pious Christians His ingenuity manifested in his frequent Confessions his humble and meek behaviour in the place and condition his iniquities had brought him into his patient accepting of the punishment deserved his readiness to hearken to and follow good Counsel and the diligence he gave both day and night in making his Calling and Election sure were remarkable and gained him so great an interest in the prayers and affections of all serious Christians of what persuasion soever who had any acquaintance with him or did believe the good report that was given of him as is not ordinary By these and such like good fruit he obtained a good report and it could not well be judged otherwise but that the Tree must be made good which brought forth such good fruit After his apprehension at Yarmouth and being brought again to prison the poor Prodigal came to himself And when I began saith he in writing to consider of my sins and that for ought I knew I had sent a Soul to Hell the thoughts thereof made me tremble and almost conclude there could be no mercy for so vile a wretch And in this condition I was for some time But in reading the Scripture I found a place where 't is said Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wooll Isa 1.18 These words so affected my heart that I cannot express the comfort I found by them But some time after I fell into doubts again because I was in Fetters God would not hear my cries in this place But reading of Manasseh's finding mercy in Prâ—son 2 Cron. 33.12 13. after he had spent a great deal of time in wickedness and had committed great sins This put me in hope it was not too late for me And that comfortable saying of Christ Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 1â— 28 And many places in Ezek. 18. have been my comfort By these promises I found there was a door of hope open for me which brought me to so great a change in the thoughts of my heart that I have thought I would not exchange them for the whole World and so I continued in such a delightful frame that I thought my heart was almost ravished But at times my affections grew cold again which I have endeavoured to raise again And in reading the first of John's Epistles chap. 2. v. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous That and other places of Scripture have been my comfort to this present moment I have such comfort in my heart that I can willingly yield up the Ghost These are his expressions which I find in some of his Papers he sent to me In one of my Visits which I made to him I advised him he speaking but little to set down in writing the Experiences he had of Gods dealings with his Soul and seeing he was not like to live long here I desired him to shew his Friends the Ground or Reasons of his
hope of a better life He harkened to this motion and declared his willingness in doing what I requested and at last sent me some Manuscripts written with his own hand Having given the Reader this brief Account of some passages of this poor Malefactor's Life I shall in the next place from his example make some observations more particular which I heartily desire we may wisely improve to our spiritual Benefit There is no trust to be put in the best Nature or Natural Disposition Obs 1 Gymer had a good Report in this respect and was as I have heard commended as a person of sobriety and meekness and readiness to do for any that stood in need of his help yet he proved at last a Thief and Murderer Let a man have never so good a Nature 't is still a nature tainted with sin and being void of true Grace in time of temptation hath no inclination or power to resist the Devil A good nature is easily inticed and led into evil practices 'T is a nature not renewed by the Holy Spirit attended with a hard heart as a Peach under a smooth skin hath a hard stone 'T is a nature like the Sea very calm at times but rageth when the wind and storms arise 'T is said the tame Fox doth more mischief than any other when he gets away and runs wild David was a good man and of an excellent Spirit yet in time of temptation he defiles Bathsheba and killeth Uriah her Husband with the Sword 2 Sam. 11.4 2 Sam. 12.9 If a good nature sanctified thus wickedly plays its part and acts so strangely and cruelly too what confidence can we put in a nature not seasoned with grace O Christian hear and give ear your Lord hath spoken it Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Mat. 26.41 And again What I say unto you I say unto all watch Mark 13.47 Be not high minded but fear Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Consider seriously there are many Adversaries 1. Many Devils this lower Region is full of such Monsters that are great in power exceeding subtle and make it their business to deceive and destroy immortal Souls 2. Your own heart is deceitful above measure and desperately wicked very prone to turn aside and comply with the Enemy And 3. Very wise and holy persons have fallen down wounded in Conscience before this Enemy and hardly recovered their peace with God a long time after Keep thy heart therefore with all diligence study the frame and constitution of thy own mind and labour to understand where thy weakness most lies and where the Tempter is most likely to prevail Watch against the occasions and first sproutings of sin and pray in good earnest Lord lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil A man may pray and do many commendable good things Obs 2 and yet afterwards fall into very vile and abominable ways and practices This poor Wretch for some years together did use to call upon God and walk blameless comparatively with many others yet at last he became a Lyar a Swearer a Sabbath-breaker he coveted an evil Covetousness and then violently spilt the blood of an innocent person one that had done him no harm Herod heard John the Baptist gladly and did many things and yet put him to death tho' against his own Conscience Mark 6.20 26 27. Judas was receiver of the Contributions that came in and. Steward to lay out upon occasion Vines on the Sacrament p. 59 60. but being not faithful to his trust he is called a Thief John 12.6 And tho' he retained to such a Master and was a Teacher and Preacher of heavenly Doctrine yet he proceeds higher and of a Thief be comes a Traytor Luke 22.4 6. He conceived this sin and travelled with it and with no better preparation comes to the Passover After the Sop Satan enters into him John 13.27 And now as the Devil would have it he sells that Blood saith that Reverend Minister of Christ which should have been sprinkled on his Door-posts This is a fearful Example saith he to all that after such a President dare venture upon a Sacracrament to which they come with purpose to go on in those sins they bring to it I question not but there are who daily say their prayers and yet the Devil puts them upon hating those ways which their Conscience tells them are the best and to do evil to those persons that would willingly do them good and help them forward in the way of Life And tho' they pray for grace to walk in the ways of God yet their prayers being without Faith unfeigned and seriousness Satan still prevails and puts them upon chusing those ways the end whereof is death and damnation Gymer told me he prayed that Lord's-day morning tho' but coldly as he afterwards observed before he went forth Yet neither the consideration of the God he prayed to nor of the day he commanded to be kept holy did restrain him from the committing of those hainous crimes Reader if thou truly desirest to profit by this Example make conscience of praying continually but take heed of resting in formal cold and lazy prayers Prayer is but one means and as 't is to be followed with care and diligence in order to the preservation of the inward man so it is to be joyned with the use of other means of Christ's appointment We must watch as well as pray and put our trust in the Lord as well as offer the Sacrifices of righteousness Psal 4.5 The total forbearance of food in a few days doth ordinarily bring forth death and the giving Nature less than it requires weakens but if you give it its due yet other means are to be used as apparel exercise rest fire air water for the maintaining of the Body in health and well-being Thus we must pray and read the Word of God and hear it Preacht and put on Christ by Faith for the strengthening of our Soul and put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil Ephes 6.11 Temptations to vilest and most detestable deeds beset unwary sinners on a sudden yet usually they prevail by degrees Obser 3 Gymer little thought of being led into such Temptations or of yielding to them when he went forth to his Masters House Nay if you will believe him he thought nothing had no design of Committing those crimes for which he dyed half an hour before he was guilty of them But one sin made way for another He had yielded for some time to the sin of Lying and sometimes Swearing and then to Sabbath-breaking and having not truly repented of these sins the Devil gets ground and grows stronger and stronger upon him and evil motions suggested being not resisted but admitted and dallied withal overcome him Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust then when lust hath conceived it
bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Jam. 1.14 15. If we provide for the flesh our prayers will but little avail and help us against the fulfilling of the lusts of it Remember Friend into whose hands these papers come while thou warrest against that wicked one thou standest on slippery ground thou fightest as it were with a burden upon thy Back and thy Enemy hath this Advantage against thee in that he is invisible and hath also a party within thee whom he too easily persuades and inticeth to joyn with him against thy Soul Be sober be vigilant and pray without ceasing and when he shoots in his fiery-darts hold up the Sword of the Spirit and the shield of Faith and lift up a cry to him who is the hope and help of his Israel and never yield consent if thou consent not he may disturb thee a while but cannot conquer 'T is written for thy encouragement Submit your selves therefore to God who giveth grace to the humble Resist the Devil and he shall flee from you Jam. 4.6 7. God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy Obser 4 and such as have much forgiven do love much and do more than others So did that wicked Woman call'd a sinner Luk. 7.37 who forsaking all other Lovers Luke 7.47 inquires after Christ and knowing where he was makes bold to enter in without the Pharissee Invitation She expresseth her love in washing his feet with her tears and wiping them with the hair of her head her heart runs out at her eyes as it were saying Alas my Lord that ever I should do as I have done O wonderful that ever thou shouldst admit such a wretch as I am to come into thy presence Sinners notorious for lewdness and vile practices have come to themselves and returned unto their Heavenly Father and have proved wonders to themselves and others and Eminent examples of redeeming time and glorifying the Lord in bringing forth much fruit and much more than many hundred that make some profession of Religion do O what a difference doth grace make between a bare Professor and a real Convert What a glorious change is made in the Heart and Life of a true Penitent What difference was there between Gymer when first imprisoned and the same man after at his apprehension at Yarmouth At first his heart is shut up and he openeth not his mouth to give glory to God in Confession and then he play'd at Cards and complied with his Fellow-Prisoners in doing as they did tho' his Conscience grumbled at it and rebuked him for it afterward he ingeniously confesseth his wickedness and all comes out freely he humbles himself greatly as Manitassch did in his affliction 2 Chron. 33.12 He is a man of sorrow and is solicitous about the state of his Soul Now his eyes being open his heart is affected and he is thankful to God that he was taken and did not escape the hand of the pursuers Now he is much taken with the wisdom and goodness of God in bringing him to Repentance in such a way and giving him a space of repentance He now sets upon the work in good earnest and help comes in and he blesseth the Divine Majesty of Heaven for exciting and stirring up the spirit of divers of his Servants both Ministers and others to assist him by their prayers and instructions Sinners that have gone on with an high hand in bloody and deceitful ways tho' the Lord give pardon upon repentance Obser 5 yet he usually takes vengeance on their inventions I read of one Wasoraw a Gentleman See fulfilling of Scripture p. 488. who was one who took delight in making difference between men and he stirr'd up a Neighbour Gentleman to kill another and finding him troubled in mind about the murder committed he told him more of that practice would be the best cure For he himself had killed six and at first he was much disquieted but the longer it continued it became the more easy But one day he riding to a place where two were to decide a quarrel by fighting his Horse stumbles on the side of a steep Rock and he falls a great way down his Sword falling out before him yet without any hurt Upon this the Lord brake in upon his conscience so that he turns home with great trouble and remorse and a most kindly change follows thereupon and for some years after he manifested much tenderness and repentance He spent much time alone in mourning before his de ath and that day he dyed he was heard in his Chamber wrastling in prayer and after long continuance they of the house knocking at the door and getting no answer brake it open and find him dead upon his knees and the whole blood of his body which from every passage had issued out swimming about him on the floor Tho' men may neglect doing of justice yet Divine Justice will not spare the murderer tho' upon his repentance God will remember his Soul in mercy The shedder of man's blood sometimes escapes the Justice of man but the righteous Lord of Heaven and earth will not let him go unpunished tho' he pardon the truly penitent sinner yet he declares to the world the abhorrency of his sin And thus he did deal with David 2 Sam. 12.9 10.13 14. And thus he dealt also with this poor Malefactor we treat of he set his sins in array against him which as a Lyon did sorely bruise and wound his Conscience He tells us in writing of tumultuous thoughts that he had in secret about his condition without Christ and considering saith he how Satan hath betrayed me and led me from one sin to another God was pleased to make me sensible of my sins and I was ready to despair of any mercy But in reading those words of Isaiah chap. 1.8 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord tho' your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow tho' they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool And upon the thoughts of Mary Magdalen whose wickedness was great yet upon her repentance she obtained pardon I had comfort But many other times I have been almost distracted for fear God would not accept of such a vile wretch as I am But then I thought of the Thief on the Cross and put up many prayers and have been again refreshed And as he was under deep dejection of Spirit Obser 6 so afterwards he was sweetly lifted up As his afflictions abounded so did his Consolations in the free and preciouspromises His comfort arising from his hope in the word was so strong and steady that for some Months before he dyed he feared not death no not that kind of death he expected to die but rather greatly desired it O saith he Psal 55.6 that I had the wings of a Dove The time seemed long to him till he came to his rest He declined not in the least the