sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehojada's Instructing him But fell off at his Death you must expect Temptations as Joash had But pray that you may resist and overcome them Sixth Advice Long for that Blessed day when you and your Dear Mr. Hieron and your good Neighbours and whole Society shall meet again and part no more have and keep an Eternal Sabbath eat Bread and drink Wine in your Fathers Kingdom of which your Sacraments here were but an Antepast have the Harvest of your first fruits the whole sum of which here be but earnests when all you that received him as a Prophet of God shall share with him in his reward even a Prophets reward as I told you upon the occasion of his death You have not my word for it but Christs word for it who is the Amen the true and faithfl witness Matth. 10. 41. and so I come to my closing Corollary COROLLARY 6. Sect. 7. And now my Pen is expressing my sad thoughts about our great loss of Mr. Hieron let me lead my Reader a little further on to weep upon the Graves of some other Derbyshire Ministers Oh my Derbyshire Friends bear with me if I go on and give my mind a little vent upon this doleful Subject Derbyshire is a beloved Country to me I am no Native of it but it being the Country wherein I began and ended my Publick Ministry I am as it were Naturalized of it By my great affections to it my heart points towards it And when I can breathe in that Air and breathe out my self amongst them I am refreshed and in my Element I desire my Limbs that I might get over to them and help them Besides unworthy I am survivor to divers of my Brethren there their memory is precious to me I cannot but build some little Monuments for them and set them about this larger Monument of Mr. John Hieron they wrought the work of God as he did they were his Companions in labour his fellow Souldiers They were driven into corners lived in obscurity dyed in obscurity so far as men could cloud them they were lights put under bushels but they were lights These Candles were not extinguished when men put them into dark Lanthorns as the Blessed Jesus in his state of Humiliation his Deity in its Glorious Rayes did dart forth So these Holy Servants of God did as they had opportunity manifest their graces and gifts though covered with a cloud by the just anger of God Adored be his Justice and by the causeless displeasure of men Cursed be their Wrath These I think I am bound to give some short account of To awaken my Derbyshire Friends to bethink themselves what a Ministry God hath blessed them with and hath bereaved them off it well becomes you Oh my Friends to reflect whether you be Vines so flourishing so fruitful as answers such Vine-dressers Whether you were a Crown to them that were a Crown to you The staple Commodities of your Country are Wooll and Lead You are Traders in these many of you and are grown up to great considerableness Let me tell you the Ministry of Derbyshire was a more advantageous price than them Your Shepherds were far beyond your Sheep And those Earthen Vessels your Ministers had such an excellency of treasure as is of more value then your rich Mines Oh have you traded with them You have cause to suspect it because these Shepherds are smitten these Vessels are broken these Mines fail these Crowns are fallen from your heads Again I do it to enlarge those short hints in Mr. Hierons Life wherein I have said that we have not only him a single Minister to produce but we have many like him in Parts like him in Fidelity like him in Laboriousness like him though few equals to him to shame the contemners and to silence the silencers of them And lastly to preserve their Names and Memories and to provoke the Ministers that yet are in the Vineyard to quit themselves like Ministers to play the men for the Congregations of God to emulate their gifts and graces that so people may not be straitened in their Ministers that the loss of such Worthies may be lessened that the decay of the bearers of burdens may not wholly discourage nor make the work to cease Let no offence be taken if I do not mention all It is not disrespect to any good man but only forgetfulness and the want of some good Remembrancer at my Elbow For I am in the stocks shut up cannot go out to others and few have the kindness to come at me 1. After the killing Uniformity Act had disseized Mr. Thomas Shelmerdine Death followed he was Lancashire born bred in Christs Colledge Cambridge served God in the Gospel of his Son was a diligent Preacher at Criche divers yeaâ—s where he was encompassed with many good old Puritans that lived in that Parish and about it who did strengthen his hands much in his work he was a man very chearful in converse He was a kind Husband to an holy but very melancholly Wife From Crich he removed to Matlock where he did the work of his place lived peaceably with his Neighbours and found more benefit by his peace than his successor found by his contention From Matlock after Aug. 24. 1662. he removed to a dwelling in Wicâ—sworth where he lived not long but fell sick of the sickness of which he dyed In his sickness he would say to his very Friends that he was going to his Preferment and some few dayes before his death he said to an Honest Soul that informed me that next to my hopes of Heaven I rejoyce that I turned out of Matlock He lived not to have any more removes by renewed violence but was housed and laid in his bed of rest at Wicksworth a place that he had laboured much in being one of them that kept a Weekly Lecture there and lives in his Son Mr. Daniel Shelmerdine who is an active spirited man in the Ministry and goes about doing good 2. After him went Mr. Stanley of Eyam A man of worth and had been long a painful Minister in the â—eake After he was outed the Plague siezed that place and there if I do not mistake he continued and though not then a Minister of that place yet he shewed himself both a Minister and did many good offices to that place during that â—ore and very mortal Visitation My acquaintance was slender with him but they that knew him spake very well of his Praying and Preaching I am not certain what year he dyed 3. Mr. John Oldfield or Oâ—efield born near Chesterfield brought up at Dronfield School at that time famous He was outed from Carsington A general Schollar a great Master in the Tongues and Mathematicks He had a Mechanical Head and Hand capable of any thing he had opportnity to get insight into I mention not his University Education For what some would reflect upon him as a
many worthy Men. It was an excellent Seminary and here Mr. John Hieron got that true foundation of School-Learning that bore a very great Superstructure of Divinity History and Philosophy He was a very great Critick Oh! the mercy of a good School and Schoolmaster where the first Elements are well learnt they give great capacity and are an happy introduction to all kind of Learning Let the World speak as contemptibly as they please a good School-Master is one of the fundamentals of the Learned World A good School-Master makes all his Schollers his Debtors and I do not know who can be thankful enough for them CHAP. III. Of his going to the Vniversity and continuance there HE went to Cambridge and was admitted into Christ's Colledge May 2. 1625. under the Tuition of Mr. William Chappel afterwards Bishop of Cork and Ross in the Kingdom of Ireland for whom he had an high veneration to the day of his death and never mentioned him without honour as being a Learned Painful Careful Tutor and very faithful to his Trust and constant Expounder of Scripture in his Chamber at Night when his Pupils came to Prayer shewing them the Logick of their Bibles which Mr. Hieron alwayes accounted very advantageous and beneficial On the Lords-days Sermons were repeated and an account taken of his Pupils how they spent that day And if any of them walked disorderly and persisted under Admonitions he would acquaint their Friends and send them home resolving to keep none who answered not the ends of their being sent thither In this Colledge he was chosen Schollar of the House and in the Colledge he continued without ever absenting himself except once three Weeks until Jan. 1628 when he commenced Bachelour of Arts. About March 25th following he went to Dis in Norfolk to teach School The profits of the place he found might have been considerable but some other things not so well suiting At the Commencement he returned to Cambridge and continued in the Colledge until September when he went into York-shire to an Acquaintance of his Tutors Mr. Thurscrosse a Prebendary of York At which place called Kirkby-Moor-side he had his Table in Mr. Thurscross's House and some other small matters Reading Prayers for him and teaching School in the Town Thus that Colledge famous for Worthy Men of old and of late Mr. Mede and Dr. Hen. More received no small honour from Mr. John Hieron an honourer of his Colledge and Tutor and an honour to them He brought from thence Gold and Ivory but no Apes and Peacocks solid no useless Learning CHAP. IV. Of his entrance into the Ministry at the Door of Ordination BEing devoted by his Parents to God and Educated for the Ministry and God having given him an heart to improve the Advantages of his Education into a preparation for that great tremendous work he was willing to consecrate and dedicate himself and desiring that good work he a lover of Order and sensible that no advised Man dare take that honour to himself did address himself to Dr. Morton a Learned Man then Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield who upon Examination found his worth which he readily did about Baptismal Regeneration which he so strongly argued out of the passages in the Service-Book that the Bishop was put to his distinctions shewed himself much pleased with him and wished he had known him sooner that so he might have bestowed on him something that he had lately disposed to another His Ordination proceeded and on Trinity-Sunday 1630 he was ordained both Deacon and Presbyter Thus this good Man entred regularly put his hand to the Plough and never looked back This his Ordination he was well satisfied in and so well that when some run into Errors would speak of renouncing it he did with much abhorrency reject such a motion And yet on the other hand he was far from thinking Ordination by Presbyters invalid or a nullity either in the Reformed Churches or in England His Acquaintance were most of them Presbyterians and he ever embraced them as the Ministers of Christ He needed no Reordination because he had Episcopal He never open'd his mouth to encourage any of his Brethren to seek Reordination which Laws made as hard as uncharitableness could make them required of the Presbyterians CHAP. V. Of the places where he exercised his Ministry and some few Occurrences mentioned that betided him in those places MR. Thurscrosse was very desirous of his stay and gave him some prospect of preferment by or from him yet that place being at so great a distance from his Father he would not bear his stay there but after he had continued about a year and half called him home to him Sect. 1. His next place was Eggington where he was Houshold Chaplain to Sir H. Leigh and did preach at Newton-Sulney which was very near him where Sir Henry was to procure a Minister for which he had his Table and the keeping of an Horse and Ten pounds per Annum Sir Henry was a discursive Man and sometimes detained this studious Man too long at Dinner who yet a little against his temper concealed his uneasiness and wrote thus in his Almanack against the day of his coming to Eggington Accessus ad Prosopopaeiam Apr. 29th 1631. By which he meant he must now personate another Man and not act like himself nor follow his own Genius He was not for meals to be devourers of time nor converse to swallow up study His Study was his Paradise and the swallowing of Books his most delightful Meat and Drink Sometimes when long sitting at Table was wearysom to him he took the liberty to leave them and to walk into the Garden or to go into his Chamber Sir Henry valued him much and was ready to testifie it and now 1632 his time of Commencing Master in Arts being come he went to take his Degree and Sir Henry by Interest procured him a Buck to be sent to him to entertain his Friends which the Lord â—â—â—tague did out of a Park of his near Cambridge and sent it by his own Servant to prevent further charge And Sir Simon Every who marryed Sir Henry's Daughter gave him something towards his Charges Upon his return he was sought to by the good Lady Heyrick to whom he went and paid his respects but would not leave Sir Henry though he had the offer of a double Salary who was a noble generous spirited Gentleman and had obliged Mr. Hieron by manifold Conveniences giving him much liberty and all the respect that might be About this time Catharine Countess of Chesterfield a Religious Lady of Noble Extraction sent to him to preach her a Fryday Lecture though I think the Countess kept it as a Fast upon account of the Death of her Eldest Son the Lord Stanhope every Week which was preached either in the Hall or in the Chappel at Bratby which he accepted She gave him great respect allowed him to use Ministerial freedom which he took being no
but not sordid she was a Restorer of his Life and nourisher of his Age So that two great and Singular things may be said of her that never Man had so great a loss in a Wife made up in a tender prudeut provident Daughter in Law she did the Duties of a Wife a Mother and yet lived and dyed a Virgin Oh this many a time warmed this good Mans heart and he would mention as a great and good Act of Providence Again all this she did for his Works sake for Gods sake for the Gospels sake in my apprehension what she did is a good gloss upon that Text Philip. 4. 3. Where Paul mentions Women that laboured with him in the Gospel not in preaching which is forbidden but in good Offices in ministrations and services proper for that Sex Such an one was Mrs. Anne Taylor a Phebe a Priscilla a Mary She out-lived her Father but I am apt to think a great part of her Life dyed with him because it was so much bound up in his Sect. 5. His next Tryal was his divorce from his beloved People Place and Work in publick August 24. 1662. Bartholomew-day was black by the destruction of the Temple by the Chaldeans about that time of the year It was black by the Massacre in Paris commencing that day called Clades Bartholomaea It is further black by the expulsion of Ministers stopping their Mouths stripping them of their Livelyhoods turning them into the wide world without any thirds or visible way of subsistance This day Mercy forsook the Earth sure when so many of liberal Education must be put to dig beg or Starve Hear O Heaven be astonisht O Earth Matth. 23. 37. CHAP. VIII Of his Behaviour when and while an outed Minister which he was to the day of his Death of his Removes of his Way and Work and of the various Providences that betided him in that part of his Life Sect. 1. HE supplicated Bishop Hacket whose visitation was not long after that he might have liberty to preach gratis at Dale Abby He pressed him to conforme he answered his place was disposed off and could I have been satisfied to conforme I should not have left my own People but the place I mention having no Maintenance is like to have no Minister unless some body be suffered whose Charity will send him out at his own Charge the care of that saith the Bishop must lye upon me which if it did he hath given account of it for of any Minister sent thither I can give none account Sect. 2. At Michaelmas after August 24th he removed to Little Eaton a Town contiguous to Breadsall Being loath to go far away he took up in a place where he conflicted with some difficulties but bare them and under some offers of greater Conveniencies pitched his Tent there and enjoying peace and quietness abode there three Years and an half doing good according to his opportunities till a new publick storm arose even a rough Wind in a day of the East-Wind wherein man did not imitate God who stayeth his rough Wind in the day of the East-wind Isa 27. 8. Sect. 3. And now comes the hurricane of the Oxford Act to scatter them whom the Vniformity Act had removed violently to toss and turn them like a ball to make them like Chaff before the Wind and as a rolling thing before the Whirlwind Thus did Revenge pursue without any new crime or provocation smiting with a rage that reached Heaven And thus they that were quiet in the Land must have no quiet in it but must be made as Vagabonds in the Earth and be like Dogs that have a twitch set upon their Tails that câ—n rest no where but must to their sorrow be put to find out the perpetual motion Under this Act Mr. Hieron fell was not like to swear what he could not durst not say So upon March 24. 166â— he withdrew leaving his desirable Neighbourhood and his beloved Family and sojourned at Ashby-de-la-Zouch and in other places amongst his Friends till Midsummer Then removed his Family and with them went to Newthorp in Nottinghamshire June 29. 1666. that House had inconveniencies but the opportunities of Service over-ballanced and there had some Souls it s hoped cause to bless God for his coming thither But the House not being Healthful he made another remove back again into Derbyshire taking an House at Losco after which remove he made none till carried to his long home Sect. 4. April 29. 1668. He came to Losco and there sat down and fell to his work He had some substantial sound good men in this Neighbourhood who did prize him and whom he prized Now upon this Section I must dwell a little and here 1 I find him at Little-Eaton Newthorp Losco c. preaching the Gospel as he had opportunity yet oft joyning in publick Worship He could be satisfied to be present at that Mode of Worship wherein he could not officiate He made his Moderation known his Sufferings did not exasperate him 2. When May 10. 1670. was come which made Conventicles a great crime and any number above Five besides the Family a Conventicle he Preached twice a day in the bigest Families and Four Persons with as many under Sixteen Years of Age as would come and then Repeated at home at night 3. In the Year 1671 2. the Declaration for the short lived Indulgence came out he was then set free and had full Meetings 4. When that Declaration was recall'd he held on doing but with the Caution which the Times forced him to and his Prudence directed in apparent danger forbearing but yet never desisting nor giving out and by this means he kept work on wheels and exposed not his Hearers 5. About those times he Printed his first Book or Sermons being urged to Print something And his latter Book he Printed because many Christians acquainted him with their troubles whom he always comforted and wrote that Book to chear the Hearts and lighten the Countenances of them that walked droopingly He himself would be chearful in Company to wipe off the slander cast upon Religion that it makes men sour morose and spoils good Company 6. Here he did many good Offices and was ready to do Civil and much more Spiritual Kindnesses though to his own trouble 7. He was Temperate in all things in Meat Drink Sleep Eat competently at Noon sparingly at Night Used not to Drink betwixt Meals nor after Supper A very close Student a great observer of what he read and a careful collector of most material passages which he could readily repair to and would upon occasion of Speech impart to his Friends He abridged Mr. Pools Criticks and added his own Excellent Collections and under his hand are there two Volumns upon the whole Scripture in which I doubt not but there are things that entred not into the heads of Criticks Rare things out of our best practical Divines Spiritual Glosses and most pertinent â—â—ferences for they
themselves under Judgments and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil wayes I will hear from Heaven I will forgive their sin I will heal their Land Job 33. 27. If any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not he will deliver his Soul from going into the pit And this is the use you and every one in your circumstances should make of Gods Correction to humble your self under his mighty hand To say as Job 34. 31. I have born chastisement I will not offend any more Ver. 32. That which I see not teach me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Commune with your own heart Psal 4. 4. Ask your Soul how it doth Am I in Christ Am I born again Is there a work of Grace wrought upon my heart That will appear by your walking Do you walk as becometh the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. Do you live soberly righteously godly Is this your constant walking Do you pray continually in your Family In your Closet Do you sanctifie the Lords day duely Do you teach your Children the knowledge and fear of God Do you Catechise them Do you set them a good Example Do you fill up every Relation with Duty Have you not sat with vain persons Psal 26. 4. Are you a companion to all that fear God Psal 119. 63. Do you honour such above others Psal 15. 4. Do you delight in their company Psal 16. 3. This is that we are commanded to do to bethink our selves 2 Chron. 6. 37. To consider our wayes Hag. 5. 7. To judge our selves 1 Cor. 11. 31. To examine our selves whether we be in the Faith or no. 2 Cor. 13 5. Now let Conscience speak deal faithfully and truly with your self and where you find Duty neglected Sin committed confess your faults to God freely bewail them with a broken and contrite heart pray earnestly for Grace and a new heart for power over your corruptions resolve on a new course of life to become a new man by the assistance of Gods Grace Abandon ill Company and all occasions of sin for the time to come run not into temptation but watch and pray and keep your self from your own iniquity Psal 18. 23. If I regard iniquity in my heart i. e. allow my self in any one sin God will not hear my prayer Psal 66. 18. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in one point i. e. wittingly knowingly he is guilty of all is obnoxious to condemnation as if he had broken the whole Law Jam. 2. 10. Let your future practice and reformation speak the truth of your Repentance And if you thus turn to God with your whole heart make application to Christ by Faith and his Bloud shall cleanse you from all sin So God will receive you to Mercy as the Father received the Prodigal Son with all expression of Love He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy Prov. 22. 13. If you dare not set up a Judgment-seat in your own Heart and keep a privy Sessions in your own Conscience how will you appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ and give an account of all your Thoughts Words and Actions at the great day For then must every one of us give account of himself to God Then blessed are they whose sins are forgiven They may lift up their faces at that day with boldness when impenitent sinners shall be confounded and call to the Rocks and Mountains to fall on them They who live in sin are in danger to dye in sin and to be damned eternally for sin Sin will be sure to find them out to punishment who will not now search and find and cast it out by Repentance and amendment of Life Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Ezek. 18. 31. Thus I have shewed you the good and right way to improve this present cross and to prevent worse things Joh. 5. 14. Sin no more lest a worse thing come to you If God give you an heart to imbrace and hearken to this advice you will have cause to say with David Psal 119. 67 71. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word And it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes And I beseech you do not reject the Counsel of God against your own Soul Put it in practice without delay Break off your sins by Righteousness forthwith to day while it is called to day lest your heart â—e hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3. 13. All flesh is grass And no man knoweth the day of his death But it may be said to any of us This night shall thy Soul be required of thee You seem to have a crazy Body You have had divers warnings of late to mind you of your frailty And it is an high point of wisdom to consider of a Mans latter end Deut. 32. 29. What if Death should come like a Thief suddenly and give no warning Then happy are all they who with the wise Virgins have got Oyl in their Lamps saving Grace and Sincerity If a Flood come happy are they who with Noah have prepared an Ark for the saving of their Souls Make sure of Christ keep Conscience pure so it will be peaceable keep integrity and uprightness so you may look Death in the face without fear I will conclude with the words of Solomon Prov. 19. 20. Hear counsel receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end Tender Love and Compassion to your Soul was the only motive which set my Pen on writing these Lines Take them in good part and pass a favourable construction on them peruse them ponder them for they are of weight of worth the very Word of God useful and necessary to be followed nearly conducing to the Salvation of your Immortal Soul Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2. 7. To his Grace I commend you being Your Servant for the salvation of your Soul BEcause my former Letter found so good acceptance with you I am incouraged once again to write to you to let you know how welcome and joyful a thing it is to your Friends to understand that you are become a new man that you have put off your former Conversation and abandoned all vain Company that you keep much at home and take delight in your Wife and Children as you have just cause for they are sweet Children Dutiful and Obedient also that you pray constantly with them and frequent the most lively and powerful and Soul-saving Preaching of Gods Word on the Lords dayes Oh how good and how pleasant a thing it is to all that love you that love your Soul to hear these things of you Now I pray you suffer a word of further Exhortation and give me leave to beseech you as
I am certain there is in this case You know August saying which is good divinity The sin is not forgiven except restitution be made of that which is taken away And now I have done only let me give you an account why I take on me this boldness to be thus plain with you Surely it is because I honour you as not only a Gentleman but a Christian one who have good things in you and a Conscience bearing witness to the truth and will not rebel against the light when it shines out but will yield an obedient ear as David speaks Psal 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me c. Prov. 28. 23. He that rebuketh c. Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother c. By warrant of these and other Scriptures I have adventured to deal plainly with you in this matter assuring you that my hearts desire and Prayer to God for you is that you may be saved And if it please God to open your eyes and touch your heart then it will never repent you that you hearkened to the counsel of a poor Minister but you will bless God for it as David did for Abigails advice 1 Sam. 25. 32. that you may make reparation for what is past and be kept for the future from work of this sort Let the Devils Servants do their Masters drudgery for such it is Rev. 2. 10. but keep you your self pure To conclude in the words of a wise Man but no Christian i. e. of Gamaliel Acts 5. 38 39. I say refrain from these men and let them alone for if this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought But if it be of God you cannot overthrow it lest haply you be found even to fight against God Now craving pardon for this tediousness and prolixity and your candid interpretation I take leave and commend you to God resting Your Worships to be commanded John Hieron Losco Cozen IT is now a long time since I saw you But to me no little grief I hear an evil report of your lewd and ungodly course of life that you lead to the great dishonour of God the grief of your Friends the danger of your Immortal Soul and the ruine of your Family whom by wasting and your unthrifty courses you must needs bring to Poverty here and hazard their Eternal Salvation hereafter by your ill example and neglect of honouring and worshiping of God in your Family as every Christian is bound to do Now I pray you consider your wayes whether is Alehouse haunting keeping company with Drunkards casting off Prayer and all Family Duties the way to Heaven or Hell Is this to walk as the Gospel teacheth Soberly Righteously Godly in this present evil World Is this to follow the Example and Godly Education of your pious Friends who brought you up in the fear of God Is this to walk according to the Vow of your Baptism in which you were dedicated to the service of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and in which you promised to forsake the Devil and all his works the vanities of the World and the lusts of the Flesh Pray think how great a sin Perjury is to be forsworn by breaking a solemn Vow made to God in the face of a Congregation which God will require at your hands And how fearful a sin is Apostacy to fall away from your holy profession which sometime you made Read and tremble at those Scriptures Prov. 14. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 21. Heb. 10. 29. Will the pleasure of sin for a season make you amends for the loss of Heaven and Eternal Happiness Can your good fellows and companions in wickedness save you from the wrath of God and the vengeance of eternal fire Will they or can they comfort you in Sickness at the hour of Death or day of Judgment Did the rich man Luk. 16. 28. think that his Brethrens company would be any solace to him in Hell Why then doth he request so earnestly that a Preacher might be sent to warn them that they might turn and escape the place of torment Lay these things to heart and remember your self in time before it be too late And as with the prodigal Son you have run away from your Fathers house and from your Duty so return with him to your Obedience Confess and bewail your sins to God as he did and forsake them and you shall find mercy as he did But do it betime without delay defer it not lest your heart be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin or least death come upon you unawares And if you dye in your sins Hell follows after Abandon the Alehouse and all wicked company set up Religion in your Family pray not only once on a Sabbath day I marvel where you learnt that but every day morning and night and break off all your sins by Repentance and pray for a new heart for why will ye dye Ezek. 18. 31. Despise not this Counsel but receive it as sent from God least it witness against you in the great day when every one must give an account of himself to God And it may very well be the last which you may ever receive from Your Vncle which pityeth your poor Soul and all yours Octob. 20. 1680. BEcause I pity your Conditions I thought good to give you some directions in Writing which you may read and consider and have them ready by you and your Son may ponder them as Mary kept the sayings of Christ and pondered them in her Heart because words of Advice only spoken in the Ear are soon forgotten and become as water spilt on the ground And what I write shall be words of Truth and Soberness taken out of the Scripture of Truth or agreeable thereunto And therefore you ought to give the more diligent heed to them In the first place I shall direct my words to you and your Wife and pray you to consider your waves and search and try your Hearts and see whether God hath not laid this affliction on your Child for the Parents sin◠for though it become not others to judge uncharitably of them who suffer such things according to our Saviours caution Suppose ye that those Galileans were greater sinners than all the Galileans I tell you Nay Luk. 13. 3 5. Yet it is our Duty to humble our selvés under the mighty hand of God to judge our selves to commune with our own hearts to see Gods name written upon his Rod Micah 6. 9. To hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Gods Rod hath a voice it calleth to us if we were wise enough to know the meaning of it to understand its errand Job 3◠31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Imitate Rebekah Why am I thus And she went to enquire of the Lord. Gen. 25.
a Conscience sprinkled with Christs Blood a Life full of good Works and Almsdeeds will be more comfortable in the review than Lands and Lordships and bags full of Money â—et us be wise in time Let us make to our selves friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when these things fail we may be received into everlasting habitations There be dead at London within twelve Moneths twelve worthy Ministers of the Gospel and Judge Hales that upright Judge that scorned to take a bribe the Honour and oracle of the law is dead also pray that these deaths of righteous men â—resage not evil to come Thus with due respects to you both I commend you to God resting Yours J. H. Losco February 15. 1676. Because I have nothing to write to you about worldly matters I would give you a word of spiritual advice which as it is not to me any trouble so I would hope it is neither unprofitable nor unaceptable to you That which I have thought fit at this time to impart to you is the sinfulness of sin the danger and damnation that accompanieth every sin every disobedience which without true and sincere repentance and amendment of life will be the eternal ruin of the Soul One actual sin is enough to destroy a man as is apparent in Adam Lots Wife Ananias and Saphir a And many others in scripture and how much more then will a course of sin a way of wickedness as the love of the world a form of godliness hypocrisie an unregenerate estate if continued in undo a man everlastingly Yet how little is this laid to heart What favourable thoughts do most people entertain of sin As if it were at light matter not to be so much dreaded since Christ died for sin what need we so much fear to live in it Seeing God is merciful why may not we take liberty to live as we list As if the Son of God came down from Heaven not destroy the works of the Devil but to establish the Empire of sin as if God were not as just as merciful whose most pure and holy nature can never be reconciled to sin Sin is the transgression of law And the great Lawgiver who is able to save or destroy will never suffer sinners to trample on his authority and cast his Commandments at their heels and hold them guiltless Sin provoketh God the God of patience to anger And the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against sin in all ages What strange confusion and horrid destruction hath sin introduced into the world it cast thousands of lapsed Angels out of Heaven into the dreadful Tophet where they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day This viper stung our sirst Parents outed them of Paradise brought in sorrow sickness a thousand diseases and death into the world drowned all the Earth with a flood turned Sodom to ashes brought on Jerusalem such calamities as were not inflicted on any Nation under heaven And which is more what is it but sin that kindles the flames of Hell fire and which yet further declareth the hatefulness of sin it crucified the Lord Jesus Christ without shedding whose blood no remission How much then is every one concerned to get out of a state of sin to commune with our hearts and trye if we be converted And to see that no iniquity have Dominion over us Let us Judge our selves that we be not â—udged Make sure our eternal estate live we not in sin lest we dye in sin and be damned for sin let 's follow holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. We are all in good health blessed be God to whom I commit you and with all due repescts to you both rest Yours c. J. H. Losco July 24. 1677. WE are all well praised be God I have nothing of outward matters to present you with which makes me fill my paper with better things The going out of the old year should minde us of puting off the old man and the coming in of the new year that we put on the new man that we purge out the old leaven of corruption that we may be renewed in sincerity and true holiness We are one year nearer to our grave and eternity then we are the fast year at this time have we got one years growth in grace What progress have we made in sanctification in mortification this year What corruptions have we subdued Have we put off our worldly mindness lukewarmness formality in worship Are we become more holy humble heavenly have we added one Cubit to our spiritual stature It is not unlikely but we can tell whether we decline and go backward or whether we go forward and increase in riches and our outward estate And the Soul is more excellent then the body and grace then gold Let us take a view of the state of our Souls and observe what mercies we have received this year from how many evils and calamities we have been preserved and sad breaches which have been made upon other families which we and ours have been freed from that so we may be thankful and give to God his praise Let us review our sins of the year past how many ways we have miscarried and offended God that so we may be humbled and renew our repentance How oft have we received the sacrament of the Lords supper So many obligations we lye under the vowes of God are upon us and tyes to better obedience Thus oft reflecting on our selves is a good way to know our spiritual estates A Christian should be no stranger to his own heart and state in reference to eternity self-judging discovers our selves to our selves encreaseth grace inlargeth comfort weakeneth corruption keepeth peace with God and our own consciences casteth out sin prevents mistakes which are dangerous in soul-affairs prepareth to every good work If we were as the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 14. Crucified 〈…〉 of the earth would affect and afflict us less and our hearts would be more above where our treasure is or should be So wishing you a good new year especially that your souls may prosper I commit you to God and with all due respects to you both remembered I am Yours Truely J. Hieron Decem. 28. 1676. My very good friend I Understand that you and your whole family are in great sorrow and heaviness through your Wises miscarriage of a child and truly I and our family do grieve with you for so we are commanded to weep with them that weep and be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love But I pray be wise and take heed lest you over-grieve and so offend God by immoderate sorrow which you may easily do and so provoke his wrath against you and bring a heavier cross upon you Let them that weep be as if they wept not 1 Cor. 7. 30. If it should please God to make a greater breach among us by taking from any of us a dear friend we
ought to submit to Gods will with patience and silence As we see in Job who beside the loss of all his cattle had all his Children at mans estate taken from him by a violent stroak yet how religiously he behaved himself under the hand of God you may read in his story So let us humble our selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt us in due time 1 Pet. 5. 6. What said the prophet to the King of Judah asking how shall we do for the hundred Talents The Lord is able to give the much more then this 2 Chron. 2. 25. 9. Gods hand is not shortened He can abundantly recompence a greater loss then this But I would not have you too earnestly set your hearts upon any outward blessing nor too eagerly desire issue but with submission to Gods will so far as may be for his glory and your good and comfort For though Children are an heritage from the Lord as it is Psal 127. 3. that is when God giveth them in love and blesseth them not when he giveth them in anger as he gave Israel quails Psal 78. 30 31 and gave to Ephraim Children Hos 9 13. for the murtherer Better it is to be barren then fruitful in Children that may be crosses to fathers and heart breakings to Mothers by their wickedness Prov. 17. 25. or by the evil of the times If Popery should come in or the sword of war should rage in the land we know not what evil may be in the earth But such times have been and we know not what may be when it shall be said Blessed are the barren that never bare and the paps which never gave suck Luk. 23. 29. Let me give you wholsome counsel which if God give you hearts to embrace it will be to your comfort And it is that which you find Lam 3. â—9â— 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaint a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord. Leave off grieving for the affliction and inquire into the cause of it as Rebekah did being with child she inquired of the Lord why am I thus Gen. 25. 22. Go you and do likewise pray to God as Job 10. 2. Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Search your hearts and ways Have you wrastled with God in prayer for the fruit of the womb and for a blessing on it Have you set up prayer in your family or neglected it If not then have you robbed God of his due and no marvel if he deceive you of your expected comfort You know or may know that family prayer is a duty commanded of God and put in practise by all Gods people And those are no Christian families that do not call upon God nay the wrath of God hangs over them Jer. 10. 25. pray turn to all these scriptures and weigh them well Eph. 6. 18. Luk. 18. 1. Jos. 24. 15. Job 1. 5. Act. 10. 2. Gen. 18. 19. And mark this one Instance Jsaac had a promise that his seed should be as the Stars of Heaven for multitude yet his wife was barren and without issue Twenty years until he prayed more earnestly and then Rebekah conceived and bare twins Gen. 25. 22 As blessings are obtained by prayer so are they sanctified to become blessings indeed by prayer 1 Tim. 4. 5. It is sanctified by the word and prayer Every creature is so our meat our labours our enjoyments our relations are sanctified to us by prayer Otherwise the curse abides on them Prov. 3. 33. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure These things I pray lay to heart and resolve to reform and amend whatsoever is amiss as you would have Gods blessing and favour both here and hereafter And consider whether this neglect of family-prayer he not the thing which troubles M. and the grief of it be not the cause of her miscarriage For I really believe she hath in all other things as much content as her heart can wish a loving Husband a loving relation and fulness of all things that the earth affords but she cannot be satisfied to live in a family where God is not worshiped she with Mary in the gospel having chosen the good part which shall not be taken from her Therefore I earnestly desire she may be gratified in this one request if you think I speak reason resolve to put this advise in practise and begin presently and continue to the end They that call on the name of the Lord shall be saved pray let this Letter be read to or by your whole family So praying God to open your ears and heaâ—ts to hearken to the counsel of the word I leave it and you all to the blessing of God and with my love to you all I rest Your faithful friend I. Hieron Losco Feb. 21. 1679. THis is to let you know that your Aunt W. dyed yesterday after about ten dayes lying sick Thus we part with our loving Neighbours and Friends one after another till Death at length knocketh at our door And what better use can we make of every such occasion than to consider our selves and seriously to mind our own latter end Let us put this question to our Souls Soul art thou ready to depart Art thou in such a posture as thou wouldst be to appear befoâ—e the Tribunal of the great Judge Hast thou on the Wedding garment Take heed thou be not found naked to thy shame O put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Righteousness by Faith to Justification his Holiness to Sanctification Every one would have comfort and hope in Death but then we must lay up a good foundation of it in Life No man is like to find that treasure at or after Death which he never laid up in his Life time For what a man soweth that shall he certainly reap He that soweth to the flesh or to the world shall reap corruption damnation eternal O that we were wise O that we would consider the end of our wayes Whither are we going Heaven or Hell is before us To which of these doth my present way lead Resolve this Question ere you sleep because Time tarries for no Man Life is uncertain and upon this moment depends Eternity Time is irrevocable When once it is past it cannot be recalled not if you would give thousands of Gold and Silver for one day or hour longer Let every passing peal you hear ring every Grave you see opened preach to you this Doctrine Be ye also ready Those to whom those Skulls and Bones you see turned up belong were in their time as good Men as you perhaps What we see them to be now others will see us to be shortly The fashion of this World passeth away but Godliness Grace Holiness endureth for ever Choose with Mary that good part which shall