that Town depending much upon the Pilchard trade Mr. Tregosse advised them to joyn in a day of Prayer and Humiliation which being performed the next day appeared a great shole of Fish whereof a considerable quantity of them were taken The other accident which deserves a particular remarque was this the next Summer the Fisher-men taking a great number of Pilchards on a Saturday all that night was spent in saving of them and the Seamen were very intent in drying their Nets the Lords day This Mr. Tregrosse rebuked them for withal giving them to understand that they provoked the Lord deservedly to withdraw his blessings from them which happened accordingly For from that time to the end of the Fishing season they had not another opportunity of imploying their Nets He removed hence Octob. 1659. to the Vicarage of Milar and Mabe where he continued his constant course of study and preaching till he was silenced by the Act of Uniformity Aug. 24. 1662. Being prohibited the publick place of preaching he ceased not to preach in his own Family twice every Lords day Which being known in the neighbourhood divers who had tasted of his Ministry in publick could not but desire to partake thereof in private This being divulg'd notice was given thereof to the Lord Lieutenant who upon his refusal to take the Oath appointed for the Militia committed him to the custody of the Mareschal where he continued obout three Months space not ceasing to preach to his fellow prisoners besides others who came to hear him but at last he was released by order from the Deputy Lieutenants SECT II. Mr. Tregosse's Conversion and several Accidents that attended the same SEptember 1663. Mr. Tregosse removed his habitation to the Baron of Kigilliack in the Parish of Badock near Penryn where he kept up his Lords days meetings many flocking to him About the begining of October 1664. he and his Wife lying awake in their bed they felt a great Earth-quake which made the room to tremble and quake under them as they aphrehended and that which gave them the greater cause of admiration was that no one else felt the same But this was but a Prognostick and symbolick Image of that dreadful Tremblement or Earth-quake which not long after Mr. Tregosse felt in his Conscience For on the first of January following it being the Lords-day the Lord led him to preach on that Text Luke 12.47 And that Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes On which he shewed what a dangerous sin it is to sin against knowledge The duties of the day being finished his old sins were livelily presented to him especially one among the rest Hereupon he betook himself to his Duties but drove on very heavily yet the Lord by an omnipotent pull drew him on In one one Duty among the rest he was assaulted with that Scripture Heb 12.17 For ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected For he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears He frequently assayed to shake off the chains and cords of the Spirit grieving that he was bound up from the world his performance of duties was not without much deadness and unbelief But the Lord bound him fast to his work forcing him to follow on in a way of seeking Sometimes he feared God would leave him to run into his former courses yea that he should not persevere to the end of one day But the Lord magnifyed his power and grace above and beyond his fears Sometimes in reading the Lord would set home threatning then comforting Scriptures to keep him equally ballanced between hopes that he might not sink and fears that he might nor presume He was detained for about 5 weeks space under much bondage and afflictive terrours with little or no discoveries of Gods gracious disposition till about the beginning of February being under a resolution to reveal some sins which burdened his Conscience he met with a passage in an English Divine touching the greatness and freeness of Christs love and purchase which the Lord setting home he was a little quieted and refreshed by The next day being the Lords-day he had a sweet heart-melting consideration of his sins together with a lively contemplation of Christ pierced to whom he directed an eye of Faith And now he who thought it an hard matter to shed one tear drops many the Spirit of the Lord also bringing to his heart that promise I will pardon their iniquity and remember their sin no more and that of Christ to Thomas Jo. 20.27 Reach hither thy finger and behold mine hands and reach hither thine hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing and this was promoted by reading the history of Christs Passion Yet was he not without some doubtings still yea at times all these his encouragements signifyed no more than nothing After this he was carryed on in Duties with more enlargement and affectionate workings especially at times And from this time he dated his conversion For albeit his conversion for some considerable time before was irreproachable and his labours in the work of the Ministry indefatigable yea and his Zeal for Non conformity remarkable yet he judged the whole of his foregoing life zeal and labour in the Ministry to be no other then a continued series of Formality and hypocrisie And because some of his friends who knew his former conversation well could not but conceive that he had sincere Grace before this great turn A friend of his discoursing with him on this point he peremptorily affirmed That he assuredly knew that he had nothing of sincerity before this great work and withall he bewailed the Church of England in that generally men were made Ministers before they were made Christians Yea he was not without great fears that many who in humane estimation now pass for able and good Ministers will one day be found to be according to Divine estimation not so much as good or sincere Christians These fears we may presume he grounded on his own experience of himself besides other common observations who had the vogue of being a faithful Minister before he was a faithful Christian And that which yet adds further weight is this that though he was before this time a constant and faithful Preacher yet he could not say the Lord had given him any Covenant as the fruit of his Ministry though he received many Seals thereof afterward Some short while after these great which he strongly concluded were the first sincere turnings of his Soul to God being brought very low in his Body and Spirits he conjectured his death was near Then was that Scripture cast in Psal 118. I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. And being again under a return of strong perswasions and fear that he should die looking into his Bible
whilst under this confinement he enjoyed many Divine Suavities and spiritual refreshments in Duties with many gracions returns of Prayer and some prophetick intimations of future Providences As Octob. 2. he praying for opportunities of service c. After the Duty was ended he firmly believed he should be released of this restraint and be no more imprisoned in that place which proved true notwithstanding several attempts to the contrary October 7. being much enlarged in praying for patience and submission to the will of God he grew very confident that shortly God would farther try him So Octob. 23. God seemed sundry ways to intimate to him that some great affliction was near but that he should be delivered from it all of which proved true as it will be shewn Again Octob. 27. being earnest in Prayer for the Nation he was strongly induced to believe that some great judgement was not far off About which time there was oft cast into his thought that Scripture Isa 21.16 Thus saith the Lord unto me within a year according to the years of an hireling and all the glory of Kedar shall fall He oft mentioned to some of his intimate friends the strong Impression this Scripture made on his thoughts much wondring what it should mean but a little before the year expired the Conflagration of London happened which fully interpreted his former Impression Decem. 14. he was delivered out of Prison and upon his return home he kept a day of Thanksgiving and shortly after he did set apart every Tuesday as a Faâ—â—ing or Thanksgiving day which he kept either in private or with his Family or with others more pubâ—ickly Jan. 8th being the Lords day he went to Mabe where he preached both parts of the day without interruption which was attended with this remarkable Providence that whilst he was there the Constable with an Officer from Pendennis Castle came to his house but missed of him Jan. 12. he began a journey towards the East of Cornwal and from thence into Devon The Lords day and the Wednesday after his house was searched In this journey he went forth on the South of Cornwal and returned on the North exercising in all places where he came and receiving great encouragements as to the fruits of his labours At his return Febr. 4th going to preach at Mabe the Constable served him with a Warrant to carry him under the Custody of the Mareschal as a dangerous and seditious person which indeed he was so far from being guilty of that he never so much as medled in his preaching or private Conferences with the present Discipline or Liturgy of the Church much less with matters of State Nay he perswaded others to be obedient to the higher powers and in his daily exercises he did put up many fervent petitions for the King Being under the custody of the Mareschal at Bodmin this imprisonment brought him to the acquaintance of several persons who reaped much benefit by his Ministry The Mareschal was civil to him yet he met with more difficulties then in his former confinement but the Lord honoured him with the conversion of several souls He continued in this prison till about the midst of September 1667. Being at a certain time earnest in Prayer for enlargement a Scripture was presented to his thoughts which made so deep impression on him as that he was filled with a great confidence that if he were delivered it would be by order from the Kings Majesty Not long after whilst he was under various afflictions touching his Family the Mareschal received a special order from the Kings Majesty for his enlargement Feb. 1668. coming to Penryn to preach his Monday-Lecture he fell sick of a Fever which held him all that week On the Lords day morning the sense of his own weakness did somewhat affect him because the people who attended on his Ministry had none to supply his place Whereupon he had that Scripture impressed on his thoughts Esa 40.31 They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength c. This wrought so much upon him that he resolved to arise All about him were very pressing to divert his resolution knowing how exceeding weak he was but they could not prevail He having got on his cloaths cast himself on the Lords work As he went on strength was gradually given in so that he preached thrice that day choosing that Text before cited Isai 40.31 for his subject and to the great admiration of himself and his auditory was well at night neither did he feel any reliques of his distemper afterward In the beginning of the year 1669 the number of the Auditors was so much augmented as that the rooms they usually met in would not contain them which occasioned the removal of the Meeting into a large Barn until being summoned by the Proprietor of that Barn to quit his hired House he took up his habitation in the Town of Penryn Before his remove a Mittimus came from the Seffions grounded upon as information of the Bishop to send him to the Goal at Lanceston for publick preaching The Constables coming to serve the Warrant one of them more furious then his fellow whilst he reason'd with Mr. Tregosse with the Mittimus in his hand sunk down in the place for the present as it were dead but being by the diligent endeavours of those who were present brought to himself again he departed without executing the Warrant That which makes this the more remarkable is that this Constable was a strong man and never fainted in all his life before And though they câ—me again some days after to execute their Warrant yet had they not power to carry him to Prison For which as it was said the other Constable was fined the next Sessions At Lammas Assize 1669. Mr Tregosse having some affairs which called him to â—anceston he was invited to visit some part of the North-west of Devon whence for preaching at a private house in the Parison of great Torrington he was sent to Exeter Goal with several others of that Town and Bideford who being all Bailed had for that time no other trouble then to traverse a Bill for Riot preferred against them In his return from Exon he spent some few dayes at Crediton where he contracted an intimate friendship with a person who was providentially cast there at the same time to whom he unbosomed many of the choicest accidents of his life and secrets of his heart And albeit they never saw each other afterward yet this friendship was preserved inviolable and improved by Paper-conversation till death made a dis-union or rather a present suspension This trouble which befell Mr. Tregosse in Devon was the occasion of much good to many souls in those parts for it opened a door to many hundreds in Devon who resorted to him in his Travels and so became partakers of his Ministerial gifts which were very effectual through the concurrence of Divine Grace This made him lay out himself day
and night to the utmost allowing his body no more then extreme necessity required that so he might follow all advantages for the advance of his Masters service The Bill preferred against him at Exeter necessitated him to attend the two following Assizes where he was at last freed by Proclamation but mean while his return into those parts was of no small advantage for the propagation of the Gospel Some of those persons who discovered their malice against Mr. Tregosse for preaching at Torrington were shortly taken away by unnatural deaths not without signal marks of Gods displeasure against them as it appears by his following Letter Sept. 16. 1670. Not long before his death he was strangely he knew not how taken up in conversing with the state of departed Saints martyred for the Testimony of Jesus as he himself acquaints you in his following Letter to his friend Octob. 7th 1670. Which indeed was a prophetick intimation of the nearness of his Dissolution and entrance on that life which he was immediately more fully to partake of Which brings to my remembrance an old observation which I had from a great * Padre Paul Histor Trent Master of Wisdom That it is natural for men near their grave from some intrinsick cause unknown to themselves to be distasted with humane affairs c. What this wise man observed of men in general I think is most true of many holy Christians who a little before their dissolution are frequently called off and seperated from humane affairs to a fiducial converse with coming Glories and the Life of just men made perfect which was the frame of Mr. Tregosse's Spirit not long before his death though he himself was not apprehensive that his change was so near SECT IV. Mr Tregosse's last Tryals and dying Speech to his Friends AFter Mr. Tregoss came to reside at Penryn he hired a House for a Meeting on the Lords day in the Parish of Mabe where he exercised without interruption from Midsomer 1669 to the 10th of May 1670. After which day there were two debauch'd persons turned Informers hoping thereby to get fuel for their lusts who having obtained a Warrant required the Officers to attend them every Lords-day and made oath against Mr. Tregosse and others for a breach of the Statute then in force against Conventicles This sacred away most of his Hearers especially those who had any considerable Estates Though there were divers Fines laid on him which amounted to 220 l. yet the Lord so ordered things as nothing he had was seized upon This Meeting being thus broken he resolved to drive the nail that would go and to preach the oftner unto a Statute number herein his labours were so many and great as if his body were of Steel he could not hold out long He preached five times every Lords-day and in the evening made repetition of some part He also continued the Tuesday and Thursday duties besides other Exercises He was often advised by his friends to favour himself and moderate his pains but the great zeal he had for the keeping on and advancing the work of God did stop his ears against all dissusives of this kind Having at last worn out himself and exhausted his Spirits he fell into a griping of the Bowels occasioned by a Flatus hypochondriacus as his Physician affirmed which brought him so weak as his friends suspected him to be past recovery and he himself expressed a longing desire to be dissolved But the Lord was pleased to reprieve him a little longer and put him once more upon his feet though he took not the air As soon as he perceived a small recruit of strength he began to fall upon his work again this continued but a very short time till a Fever seized on him and in a few days did set and end to all his Labours and troubles His his deportment during both his sicknesses was like his life very sweet and heavenly Upon the 18th of January observing the hour of his dissolution at hand he took his farewell of his friends in a long speech whereof you have a part as followeth I though I should have had some more turns with my Lord in his Gallery but he hoth turned his back and is gone and calls me to come after him Indeed though I had some distemper of Body yet I did not think death was so nigh till putting my hand on my brow I felt the tokens thereof Think think not therefore 't is a foolish phantasie that moves me to speak for I know it to be right reason And seeing the Lord hath left with me a few mouthfuls of breath Let me who am your faithful Pastor at the taking my farewell of you drop a few words among you before he calls away this breath of mine and say breath no more through that body but lay it in the dust O my friends my friends you know that I have often warned you of an evil day and now I must once more tell you that there is a dead day a dark day coming O! what will this poor people do O my Friends did we think that after so many Fasting and Humiliation days after so many Thanksgiving days after so many Sacrament days we should see such a day as this O but it may be you will ask me this question Do you really believe that you shall dye Indeed friends there is nothing but Omnipotence can bear me up And if you ask me what I think of my self Truly friends I can say that I have walked among you by the pure copy of the Holy Scriptures and Life of Christ and through the Grace of God in Christ Jesus I shall be presented spotless to the Father Indeed when I was young I had my youthful vanities but in the year 1664 upon a New-years day the Lord was pleased to meet with me and then even then did he set all my sins in order before me And theose very sins which were small to me before were by the Spirit of the Lord in that Rod made as bitter as death it self My sleight childhood-sins my slender youthful sins were to me very hainous and abominable Wherefore my friends I charge you to make a conscience of those sins yea of the least of them which I have warned you of Some may think me passionate and some may think me severe and uncharitable but now I repent that I had not dealt more plainly with you However in the truth of the Lord according to mine ability I have walked among you and I hope you will not think it tedious if I drop a few words upon my grave before I dy Then the Physician steeping to him with an intent to desire him to leave off speaking lest he should spend his spirits too much M. Tregosse said Give me leave to speak for I am upon the borders of eternity and I think you all look upon me as a dying man therefore may suffer me to speak as much as I can Then he
How affable and courteous was he and yet how severe againâ—â— sin What meekness and humility in his own cause and yet what courage and magnanimity in the cause of God shone in him How much holy fear and self-jealousie and yet how much Christian boldness and confidence was he possessed with What an inflexible and strong bent of heart for God against sin seemed he to have and yet how flexible and complying with others for their good was he He did not as some take Christ to ease himself of his work or to secure his lusts His Sincerity but to kill them and to quicken him to dutie His peace of Conscience was maintaned not by peace but war with Sin it was not only from but also in God He had not only form of Christ in his life and Picture of him in his fancy but also the Image of Union with and love for Christ in his heart He affected not so much to entangle his thoughts in disputes about the controversies of Religion as to get the power of it stamped on his soul His faith did not lye level with worldly Interest but oppositie thereto He climbed not as some â—o the top of an high profession without â—â—â—ing a deep foundation in self-denial He borrowed not as to many the Mask of Relâ—gâ—on to conceal a rotten heart but was unsâ—tisfied in his heart-inquiries after grace till he arrived to such a full measure thereof as is 〈◊〉 â—ttainable by any hypocrite Hâ—â— dâ—yly progress in mortification of sin seemed very remarkable His mortification and conspicuous He knew full well that one reigning lust would darken and harden his heart yea bring all into captivity and therefore durst not gratify any lust in the least He was content to give up his lusts to death for Christ who gave up his soul to death for him He thought it not much to part with a beloved sin for a beloved Saviour Yea he seemed to take more pleasure in subduing his unlawful desires then others do in the fulfilling of them And lest his flesh should impose on his more noble part he innured himself to many bodily severities and deprived himself of such natural refreshments which others too much indulge themselves in Yet did he not content himself with external mortification but maintained a daily conflict with the whole body of sin in corrupt nature yea he would oft blame himself much for spiritual sins as Infidelity pride c. Which others could least blame him for His Crucifixion to the world was not less visible His Crucifixion to the world He seemed to have acquired a great indifference of Spirit for things indifferent to give perishing things but perishing affections As our blessed Lord gave his Heaven for him so he thought it not much to give his earth for his Lord He could not part with Christ for any worldly good and therefore was willing to part with all for Christ The believing views he had of future Glories darkned the world glories to him so that he seemed to admire nothing but approching glory or what related thereto Poverty in Christs way was greater riches to him then a flourishing state in the ways of sin He knew how to abound in his wants by contentedly wanting what the Lord thought not fit for him and thereby crucifying his desires he made the Cross of Christ easy to him His desires were low and therefore his spirit high above the frowns and smiles of this lower world He seemed better pleased in his mean condition then worldlings are in the highest His mind was too great to put a great value on the nothings of this life He brought his natural desires into a narrow compass and thence gained a great inlargement of Spirit By his long sufferings he gained a great dexterity and skill in bearing the Cross By starving sin His Art in bearing the Cross and crucifying his heart to the world he took out the stings of his sufferings He knew that the Divine will was more Eligible then his own and therefore he endeavoured to conform unto it as well by passive as active obedience He knew he could not glorifie God more then by being content that Gods Glory should gain by his private losses He durst not make sin a shelter against sufferings or bear false witness against God by repining under the Cross He was not so well pleased with sin as to prefer it before sufferings Or so ill-pleased with sufferings as to fly from them when called thereto He innured himself to the yoke of Christ and so gained the Art of bearing his Cross His Conscience continued under a lively sense of sin and that made him dead and in a measure senseless as to suffering His Will was so far broken as that it could chearfully bend and submit to the Cross yea welcome crosses when in Gods way When God brought him into any affliction or suffering he waited there till God brought him out He knew himself to be nothing and that made him bear any thing from God with contentment And by knowing his own vileness he learnt to justify God in every cross His spirit was generous and noble like that of the Eagle which is not clamorous when it wants food He studied passive obedience as well as active to be well-pleased with what God did as well as to do what was well-pleasing to God He had a fit disposition for the Cross which made that easy to him which seemed into llerable to others As he durst not make men Lords of his faith so neither of his happiness by doting on their smiles or fearing their frowns but as worldly men content themselves with the world without God so he endeavoured to content himself with God without the World He had his present wants supplied by ordinary or extraordinary means and therefore conceived lit his duty to trust God for the future He knew he had more of the creature than he deserved and therefore was not anxious about having more He was much taken up about the weighty things of Eternity and therefore little concerned about these lower things He had many generous and noble dispositions but no one appeared more illustrious and visible in him His zeal for God after his conversion than zeal for his Masters service and the good of Souls Oh! what a rare and excellent Quality is a publick Spirit for God And how much was this holy man invested herewith How little did his flamin zeal care to live when the honour of his great Lord seemed to bleed and die What a meek and patient Spirit had he as to injury done unto himself and yet how impatient and zealous was he as to injury done unto his Lord How modest and backward was he in his own cause and yet how magnanimous and forward in the cause of God How little was it in the power of the greatest men to frown him out of duty or flatter him into Sin What a masculine courage