Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A34724
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A Narration of the grievous visitation and dreadfull desertion of Mr. Peacock, in his last sicknesse together with the sweet and gracious issue, in his comfortable restauration, to the joy of Gods salvation, before his most blessed end and heavenly death, Decemb. 4, 1611.
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escape safe to that land of righteousnesse (r) Psal 143.10 And thither also must we arrive through the streights of death and therefore that we may looke that King of terrours (Å¿) Iob 18 14. undauntedly in the face it stands us all in hand to watch Here wee may see the Lords champion this blessed servant of God in the lists resisting (t) Heb. 12.4 unto blood combating and encountering with most dreadfull temptations whose turne may be the next wee know not God may call any of us out unto the duell and turne Satan loose upon us hand to hand we had need therefore before hand learne the use of all our spirituall armour (u) Eph. 6. as Saul taught Iudah the use of the bowe * 2 Sam. 1.18 The strength we must stand and withstand by is not our owne not from nature no nor grace it selfe it is God that must teach (w) Psal 144.1 our fingers to fight he must cover our head in the day of battell (x) Psal 140.7 We are here all militant and must bid battell and abide it or else no victorie Satan reserves his most dangerous ambushments and desperate assaults to the last Here thou maist perceive how where and when he useth most mortally to strike and so stand upon thy guard To keep thy conscience safe shot-free and unwounded is the maine-service Herein I exercise my self (z) Acts 24.16 to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men If that bird of the bosome sing sweetly in our brest it makes no matter what dirdams and stirres be from the world Therefore make much of conscience it must stand us in stead and be our best friend another day Walke in the light thereof It is a blessed thing to keep it tender But alas how doe men muzzle stifle and choke it up how doe they noise and drum in its eares that the cries thereof may not be heard 2 King 23.10 Ier. 19.2 as the Idolatrous Jewes in the burning of their children to their Idols O Brethren saith Francis Spira take a diligent heed to your life Relation of Francis Spira pag. 112. make more account of the gifts of Gods Spirit than I have done learne to beware my misery thinke not you are assured Christians because you understand something of the Gospell take heed you grow not secure on that ground be constant and immoveable in the maintaining of your profession confesse even untill death if you be called thereto he that loveth father mother brothers sisters sons Luk. 14.26 daughters kindred houses lands more than Christ is not worthy of him pag. 104 105. And in another place Take heed to your selves it is no light or easie matter to be a Christian it is not baptisme or reading of the Scriptures or boasting of faith in Christ though even these are good that can prove one to be an absolute Christian There must be a conformity in life a Christian must be strong unconquerable not carrying an obscure profession but resolute expressing the image of Christ and holding out against all opposition to the last breath he must give all diligence by righteousnesse and holinesse to make his calling and election sure Many there are that snatch at the promises in the Gospel as if they undoubtedly did belong to them and yet they remain sluggish and carelesse and being flattered by the things of this present world they passe their course in quietnesse and security as if they were the only happy men whom neverthelesse the Lord in his providence hath ordained to eternal wrath as you may see in S. Lukes rich man Luke 16. thus it was with me therfore take heed Thus he And that I may keep thee no longer from this so fruitfull a Treatise Reade advisedly this following Narration and thou shalt reape much good thereby To which end it is now published and presented to thy view by thy wel-wisher in the Lord I. C. MASTER PEACOCKS Visitation MAster Peacock the servant of God in the beginning of his Visitation for the space of two weekes and foure daies was full of most heavenly consolations shewing by sweet meditations and gracious ejaculations the entertainment he found with his God in his sicknesse with whom he so much desired to be acquainted in his health We are saith one comming to visit him miserable comforters Iob 16.2 Nay saith he you are good for this is ever the priviledge of Gods children that their very presence affords comfort Sometimes hee craved pardon for his actions and for the circumstances of them badly observed Otherwhile he desired to have some matter given him to meditate on Finally hee said his hope was firmly setled on the rocke Christ Jesus he hoped that the Lord would give him a place though it were in the lowest roome of his Saints and he thanked God that hee had no trouble of Conscience The Lord did not suffer Satan to vexe him insomuch that one seeing his great comfort feared lest hee would be overtaken with sorrow before his death He much rejoyced that the Lord had so disposed of him that he had seene his friends in the Countrey Here first was his yeelding unto death suspected and his hoped recovery doubted I thought said he I had been in a good estate but I see it now far otherwise for these things my Conscience laies against me 1. I brought up my Schollers in gluttony This some endeavoured to pull out by putting him in minde of 1. The preventing of many inconveniences 2. His well knowne moderation 3. The great care hee tooke for good conference when they were at Table with him But saith he while I was talking they did undoe themselves and further I did unadvisedly expound places of Scripture at the table many times and for these now I feele a hell in my conscience 4. Againe I have procured my own death by eating and drinking often like a beast when I was joysting up and downe to my friends in the countrey and now I see before my face those dishes of meate wherewith I clogged my stomack Well saith one to him if all these things that you accuse your selfe of were undone would you doe them againe Nay then doubt not but a reprobate would desire to be saved if a desire would serve the turn Indeed he may have a desire but of bare willingnesse not with an intent and purpose in using the meanes Another time a worthy friend of his asking him how he did he cryed out Sin Sin Sin What doth any lie on your conscience Yea. What My inconsideratenesse I did eat too much of such meat at breaking my fast such a morning my selfe being witnesse of his great abstinence could not but admire the tendernesse of his selfe-accusing conscience well said he God be thanked there is no greater as we must not extenuate our sins so neither must we too much aggravate them Let drunkards and gluttons have those most
hot fiery furnace wherein the Lord tries his mettal whether it be good or reprobate And by the way Suppose he had dyed at the worst as in the Lords justice he might to the hardning of those that will not be foftned as no man should rather judge him by the inch of his death than the length of his life so I for my part neither did in him nor doe in my selfe so much feare his death as I did and doe desire his life Gods course in visiting his children is diverse You may observe the courses which God takes in visiting his children to be diverse Some are comfortable and without any great admixture of discomfort Others heavy without horror Others horrible yet all in the end gracious But to leave any further digression and to come agaâ—ne to the matter in hand When one came unto him he brake out into these words Oh how sinfull wofull and miserable is mine estate that thus must converse with hell-hounds He being with those words straightway moved went to call some of his best able friends to comfort him to them he complained that the Lord had cursed him Being demanded how he knew it he answered Why the event shewes it It being replyed how such and such were cursed he answered I have no grace how doe you know then that once you had none I was a foolish vain-glorious hypocrite it is against the course of Gods proceedings to save me he hath otherwise decreed he cannot Put your trust in God I can no more then a horse Doe you desire to believe No more then a post then a horse-shoo I know you cannot deny but you have sought Gods glory Not sincerely There is a secret mixture of pride and hypocrisie in the best I have no more sense of grace than those curtaines than a goose than that block Let the testimony of your life past comfort you especially in the calling of a Tutour I did the businesse thereof perfunctorily when I handled hard authors I came often unprepared and read shamefully Be of good courage and the Lord will comfort your soule It is ended there is no such matter Why doe you thinke so You shall see the event God will bring it to passe Tush tush trifles What doe you thinke of your former doctrine Very good Let it comfort you It cannot You desire it could If it might There is nothing unpossible to God Which stands with his decree Oh oh Miserable and wofull the burden of my sin lyeth heavy upon me I doubt it will breake my soule Behold your comforts Nothing to me I pray you hold your peace doe not trouble your selfe idly you vex me your words are as daggers to my soule Another time some of the yonger sort said remember Sir what good counsell you have given us heretofore These were ordinary You may see many others in the like estate Not such as mine See David What doe you speake to me of David Good Sir endeavour to settle your minde Yes to play with hell-bounds Will you pray I cannot You were wont heretofore Yes by a custome and for vain-glory Suffer us to pray for you Take not the name of God in vaine in praying for a reprobate There you may see the glory of God preferred before his owne salvation rather willing to have the meanes of his owne salvation neglected than the Lord dishonoured Suffer us to pray for our selves Looke to it You would now shew your faculty in praying Can you say Amen No but in a certaine generall fashion One prayed and in the meane time he rested most quietly and when prayer was ended I pray you saith he goe hence to bed trouble not your selves in vaine Let not the devill delude you abusing your minde and tongue I know you speak not these words I wonder that intelligent Schollers should speake this We are perswaded you are in as good estate as our selves One that watched with him asked him Sir how can you discerne this change by the absence of God if you never enjoyed his presence I thought I had once but now I see it far otherwise But God deales with you as he did with the Church Isa 54.8 hee forsooke it a while and hid his face but he returned to it againe and so no doubt the case stands with you Never adde moe afflictions to the afflicted Oh me wretch groaning pittifully Hope no worse of your selfe saith one then we doe of you All of us have seene clearely which way your carriage was still set after the Spirit and we are assured you will come to the Spirit howsoever you seeme to have lost your way To all particulars he would answer generally I doe desire grace I did good outwardly but all hypocritically One asked him Doe you love such a one his most deare and worthy to bee deare friend Yes Why Because of his goodnesse Why then you are Gods childe 1 Ioh. 3.14 for by this marke we know we are translated from death c. Many like forcible proofes he would put off with his former evasions and afterward grew more wary against himselfe either loath to grant any thing or granting it staggeringly or what then fearing he should be pressed He wished that some were put in minde 1. For their great care for buildings and too small care for Schollers in them 2. Their giving so long leave of absence from the Colledge and desired amendment After noone came a worthy Governour of a Colledge in our Vniversity He requested him to be of good comfort and to pluck up his spirit I cannot Why can you not Because I have no grace no more then a stake Why thinke you so By this affliction Doe you desire grace I cannot he spake most strangely I can as well leap over a Church But are you not sorry you cannot desire it I cannot Would you not be in heaven I would not One standing by said the devill would if he could By the way you shall have the opinion of a much respected Minister opposite hereto which he gave in private A proud man saith he will thinke scorne to seeke any good from his enemies so the devils pride will not let him thinke himselfe beholding to God for heaven if he might get it You have saith one the testimony of faith you love the brethren I did not Doe you not love us No. The devill now saith he should be cast into his streights if you should grant this What is it that doth most trouble you I undertooke too much upon me foolishly I had gotten a little Logick and Greek and meanly instructed in the Rules did set my selfe to reade to Schollers and afterward undertooke often businesse which distracted my minde and body from them I have destroyed a thousand soules You may see the falshood of him that suggesteth this unto you you never had a thousand he puts a false glasse before you the good effects of your paines appeares in many of your Scholters Oh they