we rest not in any thing wrought in us or by us as meritorious Paul is this sense looks it all as drâ—ss and dung and at the last day when perfect desires only to be found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the Law hut that which is of Faith by Jesus Christ Philip. 3.9 And as when a man gives possession to another of an house he turns all out no quiâ—â— thing must be there so all Sin and all confidence iâ— our own righteousness turn out that Christ alâ—nâ— may take possession of the Soul which he hath purchased long ago at so dear a rate 4. Fourthly It s necessary that we he regenerate and born from above John 3.3 5. Jesus said 〈◊〉 Niâ—â—dâ—mns except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Old things are past away and all things become now Wâ— muâ—t have new thoughts new desires new seaâ—â— new sorrows new Joys new speeches new company new objects a new conversation in a word that 〈◊〉 live frâ—m Christ according to Christ and for Christ ends and not contend with Christ any more abâ—â—â— the preâ—eminence of the first cause and the last end but make Christ the Alpha and Omega in all things 5. Fifthly That we close with Christ by faith as our Lord and Saviour John 1.12 But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in his name The soul being first sensible of its lâ—st estate and secondly seeing a necessity of a Saviour Acts 4.12 And thirdly being taken with the beauty and excellency of Christ then faith closeth with Christ as Lord and Saviour takes Christ as a Prophet to instruct him and as a Priest to save him and as a King to rule over him And afterward the soul attaines to assurance of his Love 1 John 5.13 These things have I written to you that you believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life by a holy walking with God for in that sense good works justifie Faith declaratively as faith doth the sinner 6. Sixthly and lastly that we be sincere that is first to hate all sin and loth it Secondly perform or endeavour to perform all known duties Psal 119.6 I shall not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Thirdly to walk as in the sight of God Esa 48 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Fourthly That though we do but little yet what we do we do for Gods ends that he may be glorified 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God O then let us be sincere else we shall lose the things that we have wrought 2. John 8. Look to your selves that we lose not these things which we have wrought but that you receive a full reward For this heaven of hypocrisie spreads swells and sowres all we do and so maâ—â—s all It spreads and sowrs then it puffs up the Soul with spiritual pride and no sin more dangerous than this Hypocrisie makes all we do but as shining sins as the gilded Mice of the Philistins that were sightly in the eyes of men but of no value with God Jehu did many glorious things but all was nothing because his heart was not upright with God or before God These are the things that accompany Salvation which whoever attains unto shall certainly be Saved without which the Lord according to Scripture rule will not Save you if they be not really and effectually wrought in you by the holy spirit Oh! then let me beseech you to whom these lines shall come Strive to enter in at the straight gate be sure you build not upon a sandy foundation Mat. 7.26 But upon the rock Jesus Christ Mat. 7.24 Rest not in any thing short of Christ Take heed you perish not near the City of refuge but consider that saying of Christ Mat. 7.22 Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy name open to us to whom Christ will say depart from me I never knew you Now to attain to what is here said is daily to seek to the Lord who turns the hearts as rivers of Waters Prov. 21.1 And hath Promised to take away the hearts of Stone and give hearts of Flesh and to put his spirit in us and cause us to walk in his wayes Ezek. 36.26 27. We must attend in all holy ordinances as constant prayer in secret and with others In hearing and daily reading the holy Scriptures some part of them Also the Sacraments must not be neglected Christ is a Prince and a Saviour He gives Repentance and remission of sins Acts 5.31 He is a God hearing Prayers to him must all flesh come saith the Psalmist and those that come unto him he will in no wise cast off John 6.37 Christ will forgive iniquities transgressions and sins For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you and you shall find rest to your Souls Mat. 11.28 Christ is our Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 A Letter written by Doctor Winter to a Gentlewoman who was under great Trouble of mind My dear Friend and Sister in Christ I Received your welcome Letter and return you many thanks for your dear affections and fervent Prayers for me an unworthy Instrument in the hands of Christ But am very sorry that you are relapsed into your former doubting thoughts which I entreat you to wave and lay aside lest Christ upbraid you as he did his Disciples Mark 16. with your unbelief and hardness of heart When Christ was risen from the dead and his work was done he doth not go to Heaven but staies on Earth a place not fit for a glorified Body and conversâ—a with his Disciples and that not so much for his 〈◊〉 Honour to prove himself not to be held by the hâ—â—â—s of death as to strengthen our Faith and in the day of his Resurrection he appeared five times like one that cannot endure to be out of our company though he ever finds something among us that might justly make him withdraw as he did among them therefore the Lord upbraids them for want 1 of clearness of faith Luke 24.26 2 of fulness of faith ver 25. Slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken 3 of comfort of faith ver 17. And are sad 4 Of not owning their faith ver 21. We trusted that it had been he that should have delivered Israel 5 Of readiness of faith Ver. 25. O fools and slow of heart to believe He had expressed abundance of love in satisfying
so with much earnestness of spirit looking up towards Heaven he begged of God that the words of a dying man might make a deep impression upon the hearts of his Hearers And that as God had made him an Instrument of converting many Souls unto him in his Life so he would bless what he had now spoken that some one Soul might be brought to Jesus Christ by this his last Sermon Then he proceeded to further Heavenly discourses and Instructions quoting sundry Texts of Scripture for the proof of what he spake naming the Chapters Verses and words of the Texts which he opened and explained out of the Originals with that acuteness and strength of words with that zeal and fervency of spirit as was admirable so that he drew tears from the eyes of all that were present whether young or old And left any there present should think that his understanding and memory were grown weak oâ— that he was overcome through the abundance of Revelation which he had the night before to let them know that he had spoken to them the words of truth and soberness and that with a perfect understanding of what he spake he made this Narrative following He told them the manner of his education in Religion from his childhood and of the vanity which did attend his youthful daies and where and how God did appear to him for his Conversion at twelve years of his age and of the assurance which God had given him as is before related that he should be an Instrument of converting many Souls to God As also of his proficiency in learning from that very time He farther declared with tears trickling down his cheeks that he had many and many a time A faithfull Pastor in private before he went to Preach put God in mind of that Promise so made unto him and earnestly besought him to make good that Promise by giving a blessing to that Word of his which he was then going to deliver that some Glory might redound to his holy Name thereby To which his Prayers God had often been pleased to give a gracious Answer and to let him know it by the Conversion of some by those Sermons One of his Relations then present fearing that his Spirits would be weakened and spent by that his continued discourse desired him to repose himself for a while To whom he replyed with much earnestness and strength of voice No His Zeal were I sure that this should be my last night as indeed it proved and the last Sermon that I should Preach I would continue it two hours longer Adding that he was not afraid of Death And turning his Head backward he said Death is a Coward he comes behind me His Triumph He dares not look me in the Face And farther he said The Devil hath oft assaulted me in my Life time But God stoâ—d by me and give me strength to resist him so that he could never hurt me All that day following he lay in Heavenly Contemplation and Raptares His Raptures often breaking forth in Praises unto God for Jesus Christ And would sometimes desire his Wife and other Friends to tell him whether he were in the Body or out of the Body for he could not tell And a Minister being the in the House he desired that he might be called in and when he was come he propounded the same Question unto him who answered That he was in Life and among his Friends on Earth and therefore in the Body To this he replyed It is true and therewith rested satisfred and desired the Minister to pray with him which he did accordingly His Wife told him that some Friends present hoped that he might yet live To which he answered Can a Dead man live Will God work Miracles Shortly after he said God is doing great things in the world and he much bewailed the sad condition of the Church of Christ c. In the afternoon The power of Death finding Death to approach he often cryed out O the power of Death Not that he feared it for it shrunk from him but he found such a Power in Death as none could know but those that were under it He wished that his Sons had been present that they might see what the Power of Death was and what it was to die He desired also that some Neighbours of the Town might be called in that he might Preach his last Sermon to them And indeed to this very time his spirits speech and memory continued very active and strong About four a clock in the afternoon his Wife and his Wives Brother and Sister standing by his bedside asked him how he did He answered Very Weak Adding That he was going to Jesus Christ Death not to be feared Bid them not be afraid of Death with which words he put forth his hand and said Brother Sister Take Death by the Hand Be not afraid Death is a coward He flies from 〈◊〉 They found that his Hands were cold and Clammy whereby they perceived that he grew near to his end And himself not long after feeling that the dissolution of this earthly Tabernacle was now approaching lifting up his eyes towards Heaven he cryed out Câ—me Lâ—rd Jesus His blessed Death And presently with a smiling countenance he added Art thou Câ—me And so he breathed out his laâ—â— Thus Reader 〈…〉 through the more considerable passages of this blessed mans Life and Death Pause here a while and take a view 〈◊〉 all again and then surely thou canst nâ—â— but wish though it is desired for thee that it may be from a better Principle than was in Balaam Let me die the Death of this blessed man and let my last end be like his But in vain shak thou wish for this if the pattern of his Holy and Exemplary Life be neglected by thee It is Storied that a person of a loose Life that hearing what a comfortable end St. Bernard made said to his companions I would willingly die like St. Bernard but I would live like you It s too certain that many are of the same mind but as it is impossible but that an holy Life should have a blessed and happy Death Mark the perfect man and behold the Vpright For the end of that man is Peace Psalm 37.37 So it is as impossible in an ordinary way that a loose and wicked Life should have any other than a miserable and uncomfortable Death though some delusive fadeing flashes of seeming comfort they may sometimes have yet are but as a blaze of Thorns that is suddenly extinct For God himself hath said it There is no Peace to the wicked Isa 48.22 And again The wicked are driven away in their wickedness But the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Impius dum spirat sperat Sed Justus cum exspirat sperat The wicked Hope while they live with a vain ungrounded Hope But the Righteous hope when they die with a lively and well-grounded Hope that never
certainly there was in this our old Doctor such warmth of affections as is seldom seen in so antient a man and yet was it mannaged with such Christian Prudence that he exercised it not about light and trivial matters but about the greater and more substantial points of Religion and that through the whole course of his Life Whether he Preached Prayed or discoursed about Divine things all was performed with much zeal and heat of affections He was fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 How glad was he of an opportunity of Preaching and if his liberty could have been purchased with money what would he not have given for it He was very affectionate in Prayer His Prudence and yet were his affections so tempered with Prudence and Judgement that though upon extraordinary occasions he would dâ—â—â—large himself therein yet in his Family Prayers he was usually short that so he might not make Religious duties a burthen to those that joyned with him And as his Prayers were fervent so he had this honour from God that he had many signal returns and answers to his Prayers as we shall hear afterwards and as can be attested by many who received benefit by them both for Soul and Bodily distempers and affections He was conscienciously strict in the observation of the Lords Daies The Sabbath Sanctified not permitting any discourses in his presence but such as were suitable to the Day and to the Duties thereof Rebuking and reproving such as would take liberty to discourse about their worldly businesses upon Gods Day Fourthly His liberality and bounty were as eminent His bounty and charity and exemplary as any of his other Graces God gave him a good Estate so a large heart which was a double mercy He was rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for himself a good Foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.18 19. He hath been often heard to say That he could fare hardly and go meanly that he might be the better enabled thereby to be charitable unto others that were in want And it is believed that few of his estate and rank exceeded him herein Seldom did any necessitous Persons come to him seldom did he hear of the necessitiâ—s of others though at a distance from him but they tasted of his Bounty He gave large summs of money every year for divers years together to pious and charitable uses as his Wife can testifie who kept an account in writing of the several summs so disbursed by him Towards the relief of the poor persecuted Protestants in Piâ—mont he gave thirty pounds and as much the same year to another charitable use He gave also several considerable summs yearly for the support and encouragement of some poor Schollars in the University of Dublin besides a large summ of money disbursed out of his own purse towards furnishing the Library there with Books And as he had thus sundry waies exercised his Bounty whilst he lived so at his Death he gave large Legacies to pious and charitable uses and God made good that Promise to him Isa 58.10 If thou draw out thy Soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted Soul Then shall thy Light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the Noon-day 5. To this Grace of Charity may be added his Candour His Candour and courteous deportment which gave a lustre to his Bounty according to that of the Poet Dat benè dat multum Qui dat cum munere vultum He was not apt to be offended with others much less apt to offend others His Meekness He alwaies interpreted to the best sense that which might seemingly have ministred occasion of offence by which excellent temper he drew love and respect to himself wheresoever he came and with whomsoever he conversed whether in private Families or in his more publick imployments Sixthly In the last place his Faith His Faith and Patience and Patience calls for our consideration of which as he had given good proof in the whole course of his Life so they eminently shon forth when he came to die In the time of his sickness he shewed an holy humble and chearful resignation of himself to the wife and merciful disposal of God his Heavenly Father Not one repining word was heard to proceed out of his mouth He was dumb and opened not his mouth because it was the Lord that did it Psalm 39.9 There was not any impatient or uncomly motion seen in him but being full of Faith of Christian Patience and courage he feared not Death but was well prepared and resolved against that stroke of it And would often say O how happy a thing is it by Death to be about a possibility of Sinning The Heathen Philosophers called Death The most terrible of all terribles and the Sacred Scripture calls it The King of terrours It is Storied that one hearing a person highly commended for his excellent Virtues said Let us stay till his Death and then we shall be the better able to judge of all these things which make such a glittering shew in him for the present And certainly to be able to look the King of Terrouâ—s in the Face without consternation and to meet the last enemy Death with Joy and consolation His Perseverance is no small evidence of a true and strong Faith and this was evidently seen and discerned in this worthy Doctor at the time of his Death He often declared in his health that in his younger daies he had been sorely vexed and pestered with Satans Temptations but at last meeting with a plain honest Christian such an other probably as the Shepherd was with whom Junius met to whom complaining of his fears he first rebuked him and then instructed him Good Counsel saying You look at the reward without minding and intending the Work in that you desire and expect Assurance before you have well resolved upon doing your Duty My advice therefore is to mind what God requires of you in your present station and be serious and diligent therein and the other will come in Gods due time This advice he professed was of great use to him all his Life after so that after that time he was not troubled with such perplexing thoughts as formerly he had been but lived and dyed in Peace both with God and man in the great Climacterical year of his Age October 22. 1666. Examples of his power and prevalency in Prayer The wise Solomon tells us Prov. 12.2 That a good man obtaineth favour of the Lord That is He hath what he will of God Id quod vult à Domino impetrat quia eius voluntas est ipsissima Dei voluntas nec aliud vult As Mercer hath it out of Rabâ—i Levi. It is written of Luther â—â—e vir potuit à Deo quicquid voluit That by his Prayers he could prevail with God at his pleasure Melancthon and Myconius being sick of desperate
recovery of his health But in the close of the day when Doctor Winter came to pray he shewed much confidence that he was yet alive and that he should live and recover to the amazement of all that were present But his Sister who knew his manner and had experience of the successfulness of his Prayers between hope and fear could not contain herself from crying out When the Doctor had done and was risen from his knees he went to her and took her by the hand saying Be of good comfort for your Husband is alive and shall recover and you shall see him again with comfort She crying out aloud said Ah Brother I fear he is dead Do you think he is alive I know said he that he is and repeated over his former words And accordingly in their next letters they heard of his amendment VIII At another time Mrs. Winters Sister who was with them in Ireland fell into a relaps after a Feaver being great with Child and within two months of her time at which time she fell into a great bleeding at the Nose She had three Doctors and Surgeons which used all their Art and yet could not stop it At length she fell into Travel and two Midwives were sent for to her She was fain to sit upright in her Bed and could not lie down because of her violent bleeding Her Midwives and Doctors gave her up for dead And she grew so weak that Mrs. Winter not being able to see her die left her and went to her own lodgeing where she found that her Sisters Husband had caused her Husband to 〈◊〉 and pray for his Wife which he did with much earnestness and it pleased God that presently after news was brought them that she was safely delivered of a dead Child Hereupon Doctor Winter and his Wife went to see her and found her still bleeding and the Doctors and Surgeons were sent for again who agreed to open a Vein and let her blood The Surgeon struck her right arm but no blood came The Doctors bid him try the other arm he answered that it was to no purpose for she had no Pulse for some hours before yet the Doctors made him do it and then some few drops of blood came but most of this time Doctor Winter was praying for her in the next room and she sometimes over-heard him but could not speak Afterwards she told them that these thoughts were in her Head Yonder good man would have me live but is will not be 〈◊〉 one of her Midwives bid her 〈…〉 Death for she could not live To which one of the Doctors said that sure she had forgotten Lazarus No replyed the Midwife I have not forgotten him but God must work as great a Miracle now as he did then if she recovers Yet it pleased God that she did recover and afterwards one of the Doctors told Mrs. Winter that he never saw one so near unto death to live and that to him it was a Miracle Here was another sweet return to Doctor Winters Prayers and his Sister would often acknowledge that it was by the power of his Prayers that she was restored to life and so others thought also IX The last time that the Soldiery pulled the English Parliament in pieces Doctor Winter and his friends in Dublin were in great fears of the confusions which were like to follow For which cause Doctor Winter kept Fasts Weekly with his Congregation for a great while together One time as he was praying in imitation of Abrahams Intercession for Sodom he used such like expressions Lord wilt thou also destroy the Righteous with the wicked Peradventure there be fifty thousand Righteous within these three Kingdoms wilt thou also destroy and not spare these Nations for fifty thousand Righteous that are therein c. And when he came to the last number of ten Thousand as he kneeled against a Post in the room he saw a great shining Light about him and heard perfectly a voice saying The Nations shall be spared for ten thousand Righteous Persons sake Upon this gracious answer he turned his prayers into praises and Thanksgiving unto God for this speedy answer to his â—â—rnest requests insomuch as all the company could not but take notice of it thought none of them heard the voice but himself only Mrs. Winter upon some occasion was from home at this time Yet a Gentlewoman that was presenâ— told her afterwards that her Husband that day was so â—levated in prayer that he exceeded himself and she never heard him better and that he was answered in his Petitions before he â—ose from his knees Mrs. Winter asked her how the knew that She answered By his large thanksgivings after he had done pleading with the Lord Also a while after a Gentlâ—man coming to see him that had been present that day embraced him saying That he was a man greatly beloved of the Lord for that he could no sooner ask but he was answered and his Petitions granted And the week after they heard that the pride of the souldiery had met with a great check Doctor Winter afterwards told his Wife that he now perceived that a voice might be spoken to one in a Room and none else hear it When he lay upon his death-bed his Wife again asked him about it and he said he did as plainly hear the Voice as he heard her speak She asked him If the Voice was like to hers He said No it was another kind of Voice Thus we read Acts 22.9 That the men that went with Saul to Damascus Saw indeed the Light and were afraid but they heard not the Voice that spake to him X. At Dublin there was one Mrs Smith a Merchants Wife which had been many daies in labour Her Child was dead within her She had good experienced Midwives and one Man-Midwife and yet she could not be delivered At last one morning they sent for Doctor Winter to pray with her saying that she could not live till night being so far spent But it fell out that he was out of Town At night he came home and then they sent an other messenger for him her Husband saying that she was not yet dead but very near unto it Doctor Winter though very weary went to the house and prayed very earnestly unto God for her When his prayer was ended he spake to the good women about her to raise her up and to use all good means for her help saying that she should live But they being hopeless of her Life and delivery desired that she might be no more tortured but that she might die in peace Yet Doctor Winter perswaded them to make one further tryall which at last they assented to and had good success for in a short time she was safely delivered of her dead Child This Mrs. Smith proving afterwards with Child again a Friend said to her She hoped it would be now better with her than it was the time before No said she Doctor Winter is gone