a fair Fruit of Arras of which tho' a shred may assure us of the fineness of the Collours and the richness of the Stuff yet the Hangings never appear to their true advantage but when they are display'd to their full Dimensions and seen together Be sure the Scriptures to which we do well to take heed as to a light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 will in this prospect clearly shew their Author and Original namely that they came from him who is the Light of Men and shineth in Darkness John 1.4 5.1 John 1.4 5. to the good satisfaction of the Consciences of the honest Beholders themselves whatever Objections may be made by carnal Reasonings to the contrary hereby being far more effectual to convert the Soul and rejoyce the Heart Psalm 19.7 8. than any appearances of prodigious Spectres giving some notice of what passes in the other World could ever do Sith the read Resurrection of Lazarus had no other Influence on some of the Jews than only to give them occasion of turning Informers to the Pharisees against Christ who had just before their Eyes wrought that most notable Miracle John 11.46 In the dispensation of the Word there is an Evidence of Divinity in it commending it self to the Consciences of unprejudiced Men. The ordinary means of Crace being mighty through God to the pulling down of the strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 5. yea every thing that exalteth is self against the knowledge of God from whom it came and unto whom it directs us Even great ones have been astonish'd at the Doctrine of the Lord Acts 13.12 Psal 119.111 drawn from vicious Courses into virtuous and holy Practices from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 when little good comparatively was done by Christ himself preaching at Capernaum Matt. 11. 23.13.58 The Magazine of his Miracles those extraordinary Discoveries of their Author in the use of the ordinary means of Grace even at one Sermon of Peter's we find three Thousand converted Acts 2.41 And afterwards upon hearing of the Word we meet with about five Thousand more that believed Acts 4.4 which may well evidence who was the Author of it and in whose Hand it was an Instrument Eph. 2.20 Many have been built upon this Foundation enlightned and directed by this Light Psal 119.105 fed with this Meat Heb. 5.13 14. regenerated by this Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 which as a grain of Mustard Seed in a matter of sixty six Years space after the sowing of it grew into a great Tree which Pliny †the Proconsul in Bythinia employed by Trajan to root up Christianity which they accounted a Crime did acknowledge Tertullian and others prove the spreading of it in the second and third Centuries So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed Acts 19.20 in the Primitive times ingenerating unconquer'd Constancy of Faith and Godliness in the minds of the Hearers and always victoriously triumphing over the Kingdom of Satan and false Religions In the beginning of the Reformation said Luther ‖ We do everywhere experience in the Church in the Commonwealth in the Family certain Fruits of the Word which as Leaven doth spread it self into all the parts of the Commonwealth the Offices and all the States * Mr. Boyl Stile of Scripture p. 72. †Plin Secund. l. 10. Epist mox ipso tractu us fieri solet diffundente se crimine c. Adversus gentes ipsa multitudine perturbatus ‖ Tom. 4.282 Vbique experimur in Templo in Rep. c. Afterwards we find hoe it did diffuse it self in England Scotland and Ireland c. * Notwithstanding they of the Antichristian state have laboured to keep up their Superstition and Idolatry by feigned Apparitions as may be seen in later Collections of Popish Miracles the History of Jetzer Thus far Mr. Adams See the fulfilling of Scriptures p. 401. Stand fast and fix'd says the Reverend Mr. Woodcock in his Sermon in the Casuistical Morning Exercise in the good Word of God which is settled for ever in Heaven Psal 119.89 as the Copy of the Divine Nature and Law Stand having your Loins girt about with Truth Ephes 6.14 and having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness This is the grand and perfect Rule of Faith Worship and Life Keep within these Trenches and you have an assurance of Protection I remember an Ear-witness told me he heard Dr. Hammond Preach before King Charles the First at Oxford when his Affairs were at a low ebb and he told him While God-dam-me led the Van and the Devil confound me brought up the Rear he would be routed in all his Designs And they are very unlikely to be good Subjects to Princes who are open Rebels to the Laws of God and Men and their own Reason Thus far Mr. Woodcock Many useful Sayings good Precepts and Rules may be fetched from Heathen Authors Plato Seneca Tully Plutarch c. But we need not says the Reverend Mr. Slater in his Sermon in the last Morning Exercise borrow Jewels of Egyptians blessed be God nor go down to the Philistines for the sharpening of our Mattocks It is the Gospel of Christ which is the Power of God to Salvation There is no need of quoting a Philosopher when we have a Paul What Examples can we produce and propound so exact and curious as is that of Christ who did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth He spake so as never Man spake and he walked so as never Man walked What Arguments can we find more convincing than those of the Scripture which are mighty for casting down the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imaginations Conceits Reasonings of a carnal vain and proud Mind What Motives more perswasive and alluring than those of the Gospel which are indeed the Cords of a Man What Thunder-claps can be thought of more terrible or what Terrors more amazing and affrighting then the Terrors of the Lord What Promises more inviting and encouraging than those he hath given us which are exceeding great and precious Where if any one can let him tell us where we shall see sin so clearly and fully in its Deformity and Ugliness in order to a real and thorough aversation from it or Religion Godliness and a Conversation ordered aright more in its Loveliness and enamouring Beauty in order to our setting our Hearts upon it than we do or at least may see it in the Gospel When all is said and done that can be it is the Grace of God Tit. 2.14 The Doctrine the Gospel of Grace which bringeth Salvation and hath appeareth to all men Jews and Gentiles Men of all sorts and ranks it is that yea it is that which teacheth us and all that sit under it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live seberly righteously and godly in this present World CHAP. LXVII Present Retribution to the Faithful BY Faithful I mean here such as dare trust in God whilst they faithfully discharge their Duties though they
Designs of it which it is capable of being interested in Nor is there any thing else worth speaking of that must be foregone except Health and the Momentaneousness of all Bodily Torments will make them very tolerable My Resolutions be That I will not expect by devoting myself unto the Fear of God to gain any thing as to my Body in this World That through the Grace of Christ I will use the Strength Ease Health of my Body yea my whole Body in subordination to my Soul in the Service of the Lord Jesus With such Meditations as these he kept mellowing of his own Soul and preparing it for the State wherein Faith is turned into Sight But there was yet a more delightful and surprizing way of Thinking after which he did aspire He considered that the whole Creation was full of God and that there was not a Leaf of Grass in the Field which might not make an Observer to be sensible of the Lord. He apprehended that the idle Minutes of our Lives were many more than a short Liver should allow that the very Filings of Gold and of Time were exceeding precious and that there were little Fragments of Hours intervening between our more stated Businesses wherein Thoughts of God might be no less pleasant than frequent with us Thus far Mr. Mather 17. A short Account of Mrs. Elizabeth Moore 's Evidences for Heaven as I find 'em in Mr. Calamy's Godly Mans Ark. I. Her Design in this Collection IN the Examination of myself I find that my Aims and Ends why I desire to gather together and clear up my Evidences for Heaven if my deceitful Heart doth not deceive me are these following 1. That hereby as a means I may be enabled to glorifie God in the great Work of Believing 2. My Aim is to strengthen that longed-for Grace of Assurance a Grace which though it be not of absolute necessity for the Being and Salvation yet is of absolute necessity for the Well-being and Consolation of a Christian without this Grace I can neither live nor die comfortably 3. My Aim is to obey God in his Word who hath commanded me by his Apostle To work out my own salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make my calling and election sure A brief Collection of her Evidences for Heaven I. Evidence BLessed be God who hath through his free Mercy begotten me to a hope that I am regenerated and born from above and converted unto God Reason Because the Lord hath gone the same usual way with me as with those he pleaseth to convert to himself and this I shall make to appear in five or six particulars 1. The Lord by his Spirit accompanying the Preaching of his Word caused the Scales to fall from my Eyes and opened them and set up a clear Light in my Understanding and made me to see Sin to be exceeding sinful 2. The Lord brought me to see the Misery that I was in by reason of my Sins I thought I was utterly forsaken of God and I thought that God would never accept of such a Wretch as I saw myself to be 3. The Lord brought me to a Spiritual Astonishment that I cried out What shall I do to be saved and said with Paul Lord What wouldst thou have me to do Do but make known to thy poor Creature what thy Will is and I thought I could do any thing or suffer any thing for the Lord. 4. The Lord took me off my own bottom off my own Righteousness and made me to see that that was but a sandy Foundation and would not hold out 5. The Lord brought me to see a Soul-sanctification in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and I think I should be as fully satisfied with Christ alone as my Heart can desire If I know my Heart it panteth after Christ and Christ alone None but Christ none but Christ. II. My Second Scripture-Evidence is taken from Mark 2.17 where Christ saith They that are whole have no need of the Physitian but they that are sick and he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Now through God's Mercy I can say I am a Sin-sick-Sinner III. From Mat. 11.28 29. I am weary and heavy laden Now Christ hath promised to give Ease to such IV. I can say with David That my Sins are a heavy Burden to me they are too heavy for me Psal 38.4 And I can say that I mourn because I can mourn no more for my Sins V. From Mat. 5.3 I think if my Heart do not deceive me I am poor in spirit now theirs is the kingdom of heaven saith Christ VI. From Mat. 12.20 I am a bruised reed and smeaking flax And therefore Christ hath promised he will not break such a Reed nor quench the Smoak of Grace if it be true Grace but he will increase it more and more VII From 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation saith Paul that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And so say I too it is worthy all acceptation that Christ should come from the Bosom of his Father who was infinitely glorious and happy that he should come into the World to save me me a sinner me the chief of sinners VIII I can say with Paul that I delight in the Law of God after the inward man and I am grieved that I cannot keep it I find that Spiritual War in me between Flesh and Spirit which Paul complains of and I can say that Paul doth confess over my Heart in his Confessions Rom. 7. IX I can say that the Lord hath in some measure put his fear into my Heart and I fear to offend him X. I can say with the Church to Christ Cant. 1.7 O thou whom my soul loveth And if I know any thing at all of mine own Heart Christ is altogether lovely and most desirable to my Soul I think I can truly say with David That I have none in heaven but thee and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides thee in comparison of thee in competition with thee XI I find my Heart much inflamed with Love to all the Children of God because they are God's Children and the more I see or find or hear of God in them the more I find my Heart cleaving to them and I think I can truly say with David That my delight is in the saints and those that excel in grace XII I do not only love God and the Children of God but I labour to keep his Commandments and they are not grievous to me XIII I find I am one that is very thirty after Jesus Christ and the Grace of Christ and I thirst to have his Image more and more stamped upon me and I would fain be assured by God's Spirit that I am transplanted into Christ and therefore I long and endeavour after a true and lively Faith XIV I am willing to confess and with all my Heart to
73. Ibid. p. 75 76. out of the Bishop of Kilmore 20. Mr. Bilney going to the Place of Execution comforted himself with this Consideration That he was then sailing upon the troubled Sea but e're long his Ship would be in a quiet Harbour and I doubt not saith he but through the Grace of God I shall endure the Storm only I would entreat you to help me with your Prayers As he wet along the Streets he gave much Alms to the Poor by the Hands of one of his Friends At the Stake he made a long Confession of his Faith in an excellent manner and gave many sweet Exhortations to the Pople and then earnestly called upon God by Prayer and at the end rehearsed the 143 Psalm Then turning to the Officers he ask'd if they were ready Whereupon the Fire was kindled he holding up his Hands and crying sometime Jesus and sometime Credo But the Wind blowing away the Flame from him and the Pain enduring the longer he was put to a longer exercise of Patience till at last he gave up the Ghost Ibid. p. 124. 21. William Tindal whilst he was tying to the Stake cried with a fervent and loud Voice Lord open the King of England 's Eyes And so he was first strangled by the Hangman and then burnt A. C. 1556. Ibid. p. 129. 22. Leo Judae a little before his Death sent for the Pastors and Professors of Tigure and made before them a Confession of his Faith concluding thus To this my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my Hope and my Salvation I wholly offer up my Soul and Body I cast my self wholly upon his Mercy and Grace c. Ibid. p. 137. 23. Cruciger after three Months illness calling his two young Daughters to repeat their Prayers before him and then himself praying with great fervency for himself the Church and those his Orphans concluded I call upon thee with a weak yet a true Faith I believe thy Promises which thou hast sealed with thy Blood and Resurrection c. Ibid. p. 145. 24. Martin Bucer in his Sickness to Mr Bradford coming to him and telling him that he would remember him in his Prayers being that Day to preach uttered these Words Ne abjicias me in tempore senectutis c. Forsake me not in the time of Age when my Strength fails me And being admonished in his Sickness that he should arm himself against the Assaults of the Devil he answered That he had nothing to do with the Devil because he was wholly in Christ And God forbid God forbid said he but that I should have some Experience of his Heavenly Comfort After Sermon Mr. Bradford coming again and declaring unto him the great Fear which the Physicians had to prescribe any thing unto him by reason of the Weakness of his Body with his Eyes fixed towards Heaven he uttered these Words I le ille regit moderatur omma He he it is that rules and governs all things And so in the midst of many pious Prayers he quietly yielded his Soul into the Hands of God Febr. 27. 1551. Ibid. p. 160. 25. George Prince of Anhalt falling sick of a most troublesome Disease was frequent in holy Prayer for himself for all the Princes of that Family for his Country and for Germany He had some portion of Holy Scriptures daily read to him He made his Will wherein he set down the Confession of his Faith and commended the Defence of the Churches to his Brother adding something to the Stipends of all the godly Ministers under his Charge often ruminated on those Texts God so loved the World that he gave c. No man shall take my sheep out of my hand Come uto me all ye that are weary c. And so in holy Meditations and Prayers he resigned up his Spirit unto God A. C. 1543. Ibid. p. 165. 26. John Rogers being degraded and excommunicated in Queen Mary's Reign was warned to prepare for Death before he arose If it be so said he I need not tye my Points Being afterwards brought to Smithfield and a Pardon offered him he refused to Recant His Wife with Nine small Children and the Tenth sucking at her Breast coming to him the sorrowful Sight nothing moved him But in the Flames he washed his Hands and with wonderful Patience took his Death He was the Protomartyr in Queen Mary's Reign The Sabbath before his Death he drank to Mr. Hooper who lodged in a Chamber beneath him bidding the Messenger to commend him to him and tell him That there was never a little Fellow that would better stick to a Man than he would to him Supposing they should be both burned together tho' it happened otherwise Ibid. p. 168. 27. Laurence Saunders being in Prison for a Year and three Months wrote thence in a Letter to his Wife I am merry and trust I shall be merry maugre the Teeth of the all the Devils in Hell Riches I have none to endow you with but that Treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry Consciences whereof I thank my Christ I do feel part that I bequeath unto you and to the rest of my beloved in Christ c. When he came near the Place of Execution at Coventry to be burned he went cheerfully to the Stake kissing of it and saying Welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Everlasting Life And the Fire being kindled he sweetly slept in the Lord. Ibid. p. 171. 28. Bishop Hooper being come to the Stake prayed about half an Hour and having a Box with a Pardon set before him he cried If you love my Soul away with it if you love my Soul away with it Three Irons being prepared to fasten him to the Stake he only put an iron Hoop about his middle bidding them to take away the rest saying I doubt not but God will give me strength to abide the extremity of the fire without binding When Reeds were cast to him he embraced and kissed them putting them under his Arm where he had Bags of Gun-powder also When Fire was first put to him the Faggots being green and the Wind blowing away the Flame he was but scorched More Faggots being laid to him the Fire was so suppress'd that his nether Parts were only burned his upper being scarce touched he prayed O Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon me and receive my Soul and wiping his Eyes with his Hands he said For God's Love let me have more Fire A third Fire being kindled it burned more violently yet was he alive a great while in it the last Words which he uttered being Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Ibid. p. 175. 29. Rowland Taylor going to the Stake at Hadley the Streets were full of People weeping and bewailing their Loss to whom he said I have preached to you God's Word and Truth and am come to seal it with my Blood He gave all his Money to the Poor for whom he was wont thus to provide formerly Coming to the Place of
sometime seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Grang. See this Passage under the Head of Discovery of Things secret or future by Impulses The next Day Knox gave Order for the making of his Coffin continuing all the Day in fervent Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being ask'd whether his Pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a Pain which would be to him the end of all Troubles and the beginning of Eternal Joys Oft after some deep Meditation he used to say Oh! serve the Lord in Fear and Death shall not be troublesome to you Blessed is the Death of those that have part in the Death of Jesus The Night before his Death he slept some Hours with great unquietness often sighing and groaning And being ask'd why he mourned so heavily he answered In my Life-time I have been assaulted with Temptations from Satan and he hath oft cast my Sins into my Teeth to drive me to Despair yet God gave me Strength to overcome all his Temptations But now the subtil Serpent takes another course seeking to perswade me that all my Labours in the Ministry and the Fidelity that I have shewed in that Service hath not merited Heaven and Immortality But blessed be God that brought to my Mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received And Not I but the Grace of God in me With which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more return And now I am sure that my Battle is at an end and that without pain of Body or trouble of Spirit I shall shortly change this Mortal and miserable Life with that Happy and Immortal Life that shall never have end After which one Praying by his Bed asked him after he had done If he heard the Prayer Yea said he and would to God all present had heard it with such an Ear and Heart as I. Adding Lord Jesus receive my Spirit With which words without any motion of Hands or Feet he fell asleep aged 62. A. C. 1572. The Earl of Murray when the Corpse was put into the Ground saying Here lies the Body of him who in his Life-time never feared the face of any Man Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 323 324. 41. Henry Bullinger in his last Sickness endured the sharpest Pains for four Months with an admirable Patience caused the Pastors and Professors of the City to come to him unto whom he delivered a large Oration wherein he thanked them for their Love opened to them his Faith freely forgave all his Enemies exhorted them to Constancy and Unity commended the Care of the Church and Publick School in Writing to the Senate desired that Rodolphus Gualterus might be his Successor c. And so in the midst of his Extremities sometimes repeating the 16 sometimes the 42 and sometimes the 51 Psalms sometimes the Lord's Prayer sometimes other Prayers at the last as one going to sleep he quietly yielded his Soul into the hands of God Sept. 18. 1575. aged 71. Ibid. p. 339. 42. Mr. Edw. Deering to his Friends on his Death-bed upon occasion of the Sun shining said There is but one Sun in the World nor but one Righteousness one Communion of Saints if I were the most Excellent of all Creatures in the World equal in Righteousness to Abraham Isaac and Jacob yet had I reason to confess my self to be a sinner and to expect Salvation only in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ for we all stand in need of the Grace of God As for my Death I bless God I feel so much inward Joy and Comfort that if put 〈◊〉 my choice whether to die or live I would a Thousand times rather chuse Death if it so stand with the Holy Will of God Ibid. p. 342. 43. Boquine in the Year 1582. on a Lord's-day preached twice and in the Evening heard another Sermon then supped chearfully and after Supper refreshed himself by walking abroad then went to visit a sick Friend and whilst he was comforting of him he found his own Spirits begin to sink and running to his Servant he said unto him Pray adding Lord receive my Soul and so departed in the Lord. Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 349. 44. Mr. Gilpin finding Death to approach him commanded the Poor to be called together unto whom he made a Speech and took his leave of them he did so likewise by others made many Exhortations to the Scholars and to divers others and so at last fell asleep in the Lord Anno 1583. aged 66. Ibid. p. 360. 45. Olevian in his Sickness made his Will and by Pious Meditations prepared for Death declared that he had learned by that Sickness to know the greatness of Sin and the greatness of God's Majesty more than ever he had done before To John Piscator coming to visit him he said that the day before for four hours together he had been filled with ineffable Joy for said he I thought I was in a most pleasant Meadow in which as I walked up and down I was besprinkled with a Heavenly Dew and that not sparingly but plentifully where both my Body and Soul were filled with unspeakable Joy To whom Piscator made answer That good Shepherd Jesus Christ lead thee into fresh Pastures yea said Olevian to the Springs of Living Waters Afterwards having repeated some Sentences full of Comfort out of Psal 42. Isa 9. and Mat. 11. he often said I would not have my Journey to God any longer deferred I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And so bidding Farewel to his Colleagues and Friends in the Agony of Death Alsted asking if he were sure of his Salvation in Christ He answered Most sure and so gave up the Ghost Anno 1587. aged 51. Ibid. p. 376. 47. George Sohnius of Fribourg in Wetteraw bore his last Sickness with much Patience and with fervent Prayer often repeating O Christ thou art my Redeemer and I know that thou hast redeemed me I wholly depend upon thy Providence and Mercy from the very bottom of my Heart I commend my Spirit into thy Hands And so he slept in the Lord Anno Christi 1589. aged 38 Ibid. p. 385. 48. James Andreas born in Waibling at Wittenberg falling sick sent for James Herbrand saying I expect that after my Death many Adversaries will rise up to asperse me and therefore I sent for thee to hear the Confession of my Faith that so thou mayest witness for me when I am dead and gone that I died in the True Faith The same Confession he made also before the Pastors and Deacons of Tubing The Night before his Death he slept partly upon his Bed and partly in his Chair When the Clock struck Six in the Morning he said My â—our draws near He gave Thanks to God for bestowing Christ for revealing his Will in his Word for giving him Faith and the like Benefits And when ready to depart he said Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit
and as those poor People did not know then where they stood he charged a Woman that was there to let Broussen know That a Man of Note was come into France about the Affairs of the Reformed and was very desirous to see him and he sent a Person on purpose to that same Woman every Week to know the News It would be too tedious to relate all that followed and the many Circumstances of this Business it 's enough to tell you that there was so clear a Discovery of this Wretches being a Minister of Satan that after he betray'd in Cevennes one of our Brethren who with him drank the Waters of Pommazet he was constrained to take off his Mask and to go at the Head of Soldiers to see for Brousson As he had made discovery of many Things the Intendant gave common Proof thereof by bestowing liberally upon him of the Goods of such as were accused by him But at the last as the End of these false Prophets is like their Works this new Judas being terrified one Day threw himself into a River between Vigan and Ganges where he was drowned tho the River was not deep There were a great many more of these perfidious Wretches that sold themselves to Satan for to destroy Brousson and who were paid for searching continually for an opportunity to seize him It was affirmed that the Intendant should boast after Vivens's Death That he had Eight hundred of them in the Cevennes or Lower Languedoc it 's most certain he had one in pay through all the Cities Towns and Villages there there were also Rewards bestowed upon all the Officers and Soldiers for all God's Servants taken by them and for other faithful Ones whom they took upon the Account of Religious Assemblies And as Brousson was at that time looked upon by the Government as the principal Author of those Assemblies and as the Person who fomented them which he could not do himself it was said Five or Six Months before he went last out of France that he had then cost the Province Eight hundred thousand Livres And tho' by the Order published against him there were no more than Five thousand Livres promised him who should discover him it was afterwards verbally given out that they would give Ten thousand Livres to whomsoever should deliver him up or take him And at last it was said they would give a much greater Sum which extreamly animated both Soldiers and false Brethren to look after him But that which Brousson in some sort had most reason to fear was the Zeal itself of the People for from the time that he came to any place the great desire which the poor People had to pray to God and hear his Holy Word was he Cause that those who knew of his Arrival could not forbear to communicate the same to other faithful Friends tho' under the restriction of concealing it These told it to others recommending also Secrecy to them 'till at last it came to be communicated also to some false Brethren whose evil Designs God alone could know all which put together made Brousson be in continual Dangers insomuch that he was ordinarily constrained to make his Sojourning in Desarts and Caves where for all that he was continually pursued by his Enemies He had Death continually before his Eyes and even the cruellest of Deaths for the Magistrates were much more incensed against him than against all the other Servants of God but God strengthned him always with his Grace It seemed to him a thousand times that the Way of Escape was fully precluded and the most inhumane Martyrdom did an infinity of times stare him in the Face and dispose him to prepare to suffer as if Sentence had been already pronounced upon him but yet God was pleased from time to time to shine with some Rays of Hope upon him and then he was perswaded that the Almighty would never suffer him to fall into the Hands of those cruel Oppressors who would prepare unheard of Torments and Punishments for him but in a little while after would he return again into Darkness and Alarms It happened also many times to him as it did of old to Job and David viz. That God scared him in Dreams and terrified him through Visions but then he said within himself My Life is in the Hands of God if he will have me die none can hinder it wherefore he went to preach the Gospel as he had engaged and then he exposed himself to great Dangers but God preserved him through his Wisdom and according to his great Mercy he was in the fiery Furnace which was heated seven times hotter than it used to be but God preserved him through â— continued Miracle of his Providence In the mean time he lived in a very sorrowful and wretched Captivity according to the World he had not the liberty for four Years and five Months to travel by Day and he was always forced to Journey in the Night unless it were upon some particular Occasions whereof the great Dangers he was exposed to made him travel by Day he hath been sometimes in the City of Nismes keeping Meetings when his Enemies at the same time knew he was there and made several Searches for him but his ordinary Dwelling was in the Woods upon Mountains in Caves and the Hollows of the Earth and he lay oftentimes upon Straw Dung Faggots under Trees in Bushes Clefts of Rocks and upon the Earth In the Summer he was wasted with the Heat of the Sun and in the Winter he suffered many times extream Cold upon Mountains covered with Snow and Ice having nothing wherewith to cover him in the Night and most commonly not daring to make a Fire in the Day-time for fear the Smoak might discover him and yet not adventuring to go out of his Hiding-place for to enjoy the Heat of the Sun for fear he should discover himself to his Enemies or false Friends he was also sometimes exposed to Hunger and Thirst and often to intolerable and even mortal Fatignes all which put together was the reason that in all the Pictures made of him which the Magistracy took care to scatter every-where that he might be known to the Soldiery and such as designed to betray him they represented him among all God's Servants as one much Sun-burnt and his Body very meager and spare but all these miseries were to him sweet when he considered that he suffered them for the Glory and Service of God and for the Consolation of his poor People and that same poor People also when they considered the Calamities and Dangers whereunto he was exposed continually in labouring for their Salvation and Consolation and that on the other hand he made Reflection upon the Innocence of his Conversation and upon the Grace which God gave him to preach his Word with Simplicity Purity and Evidence he could not withdraw from these Religious Assemblies but that they first threw themselves upon his Neck kissed him and wished
him a thousand Blessings and God at the same time made him also taste in his Mind ineffable Consolations but above all he knew not how to express those Comforts he felt in the Holy Assemblies and particularly in those where he administred the Lord's Supper In the mean time he had daily Experience of a very remarkable thing which the rest of God's Servants did doubtless experience as well as he and that is that thô he were surrounded with an Army of Enernies who ran about and made continual Search after him to take him yet while he was in these Religious Meetings and opened his Mouth to call upon the Name of the Lord to sing his Holy Praises and to preach his Word he had commonly as calm a Mind as if he had been in a free Country and the like Tranquility he also enjoyed when he took his Pen in Hand to labour for the Advancement of God's Kingdom and for the Consolation of his desolated Church and if God shall be pleased to favour him with Life and Means to publish some Works which he has composed in the midst of so many Dangers and which he sent to the Court for to vindicate the Doctrine which he preached the Reader will doubtless be surprized that amidst so many Troubles he could be possest with a Mind so calm as to write Things of that nature but God perfecteth his Strength in the Weakness of his Children On the other hand he had the Comfort to be a Witness of all the Wonders which God did for the Salvation of his poor People he could not but admire the Graces he bestowed on so many faithful Servants which he raised up daily in an extraordinary manner who were weak and contemptible in the Eyes of the Flesh but whom he strengthned by his Spirit whereby he accompanied at the same time his Word with a wonderful efficacy and of which many from time to time sealed the Truth by their own Blood with an unshaken Constancy thô they were pleased to Honour him so far as to look upon him as their Brother and Colleague in the Work of the Lord and that they esteemed him also as a Person to whom God was pleased to give greater Degrees of Light than to many others and that he edified then by his Conversation yet he never compared the Graces which they had received of the Lord with those which it pleased God to bestow upon him but that he found very great matter of Humiliation administred to him and that he esteemed those faithful Servants of God much more excellent than himself he saw plainly that God was pleased to lay up Treasures in Earthen Vessels that it was his Spirit which made those dumb Ones to speak which drew forth Praises from the Mouths of those little Babes and which made those mystical Stones to cry out One Night as he was going towards a place which he had appointed for a Meeting as he drew nigh unto it be heard the Voice of a Person who spake in the midst of the People whereupon he drew somewhat nigher and finding that he who spoke prayed to God he fell down upon his Knees as 't is a constant usage in the Religious Meetings of France and there be heard a long and excellent Prayer wherewith he was much edified when it was ended he drew nigh to the Person that pray'd and he found him to be a young Man and a poor Trades-man to whom he said Brother if you be disposed to make some Exhortation to the People you may proceed Alack replied that poor Trades-man how hould I do it I can neither Write nor Read Some time after this young Man as he went from place to place to pray for the Consolation of the People being taken with another young Man named Compan who together with him did what he could in that kind for the Peoples support they were both of them condemned to the Gallies and suffered their Punishment boldly confessing the Name of the Lord. I have noted before that Brousson had made choice of Henry Poutant for his Guide and Companion in the Work he was engaged in who was a young Man of about Five and twenty Years old full of Zeal and Piety and of unblamable Life and who having learnt to write in the Woods while he was with Brousson he put him upon Copying his Sermons as he had done himself and to disperse them in such Places where himself could not go to preach the Gospel But as he had Copied about a Dozen and that he saw that Brousson who had declined in his Health was then sick at Nismes he told him he was very desirous to go and visit their Brethren from place to place and read his Sermons unto them which Proposal being well liked of by Brousson he recommended him to the Grace of God and so Poutant went from place to place labouring every-where for the Instruction and Comfort of his Brethren when he had got together some faithful Ones he began with the Confession of Sin then sung a Psalm after which he pray'd again the second time to implore the Aid of the Holy Spirit in the succeeding Exercise then he read some Chapter in the Scripture and some Sermon the reading whereof was followed by a warm Exhortation which he made to those that were present upon the Things which they had heard and lastly he concluded the whole with an excellent Prayer which he made with admirable servour of Spirit as Brousson found that God bestowed a particular Blessing on his Labour he told him when he returned to him That he ought to continue his Work it was what himself greatly desired but finding Brousson somewhat re-established in his Health and that he was now in a Condition himself to go and preach the Gospel in Person as he had constantly done by Writing during the time of his Sickness by sending up and down Copies of his Sermons among the Faithful he had some regret to abandon Brousson knowing the need he had of his assistance for Poutant knew perfectly well all the Country whereas another faithful Friend whom Brousson had pitched upon for his Companion and who had already been some time with him did not know it near so well but Brousson told him he had rather want his assistance than that the People should be deprived of the Edification which they might receive by his Labours and that God who knew the sincerity of his Intentions would take care of him insomuch that being separated from him after that Brousson had again recommended him to the Grace of God God hath since that time done great things by his Ministry Brousson on his part set himself again to gather Meetings but as he found himself still very feâ—ble he could not from thence forward but every Eighth Day or thereabouts exercise his Function in the mean time he found the Zeal of the People much inflamed during his Sickness whether arising from the fear they had of being deprived of
called upon his Holy Name the also instructed edified comforted and strengthned her Brethren She had sometimes at Nismes four or five Meetings in a Day consisting of thirty forty and fifty Persons each 'till at last being surcharged with Labour for the People would never let her alone but followed her in the very Streets she was at last constrained to go elsewhere While Brousson wan at Nismes Monsieur Guâ—on an ancient Pastor of Cevennes and one who had Refugiated himself in Switzerland came into France again and had an Interview with Brousson in the Country not far off from the said place whither Brousson was retired because of the Noise made of his holding Meetings there as were also several others He was pleased to tell Brousson That it would have been more to purpose to go from Family to Family to instruct the People than to hold great Meetings To whom Brousson answered That he had divers times examined that matter that be had well weighed it that if be should content himself to go from Family to Family the thing would doubtless make less Noise and at the same time be performed with less Danger to himself and to the People and to all such as Preached the Gospel but that the Harvest was great and that the Number of Labourers was very few and that in the single Country of Cevennes and Lower Languedoc where God was pleased to Honour him and his Brethren to labour in his Vineyard that there there great Numbers of People who must perish for wane of Pastors that they could not edisie the Hundredth part of them if they contented themselves to go from Family to Family that it would be much better that those poor People should expose themselves to some Sufferings in this World for to be eternally happy in Heaven than to reserve the Repose and Advantages of this World and to be eternally miserable in Hell that in the mean time we should not be surprized that we are exposed to Persecutions when we would labour in the Work of our Salvation that all the Cospel does sufficiently prepare us for all that That moreover if the People exposed themselves to some Danger to go and hear the Word of God the Danger whereunto the Servants of God exposed themselves by Preaching the same was yet much more terrible but in the mean time they used all the Prudence they were capable of that when they were obliged to keep sometimes Meetings in the Cities they did it with much Caution and Circumspection but that ordinarily they kept them in the Country and in such places as were most remote from the Concourse of Men and finally that the holding of Religious Assemblies was expresly recommended to us in the Word of God to the end either that every one might give Glory to God in the Presence of his People or that the Religious Assemblies of the Faithful might be edisied supported and mutually comforted by the publick Testimonies they shall'd give of their Piety and Considence in God or that in these holy Assemblies they might partake of the Seals of God's favour and relation to them and of the Pledges of their Salvation or lastly because that was the Means whereby God was in a particular manner to be met with by the efficacy of his Spirit and wherein be communicated abundance of Grace and Consolation to the Faithful In the mean time this old Pastor would not savour of these Reasons and so would keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meetings but contented himself to see some Friends in particular But his Prudence proved to be no Fence to him for some few Days after his Arrival as he was walking in a Chamber a Roman Catholick Woman who lodged in the same House and who heard him walk having seen him through the Key-hole informed against him so as that he was taken and carried before the Intendant who after much Discourse with him presented him with a Letter of Apology which Brousson had writ to the Intendant some time before and wherein after having fully justified his Conduct by the Word of God he put before his Eyes the terrible Judgments he had reason to fear in a Kingdom where they had done such great Outrages to the Glory of God by abolishing every-where his holy Service and where they daily made his poor People suffer such great Evils when they would meet together in the Name of his holy Son Jesus Christ to meditate on his Word call upon his holy Name and sing his Praises The Intendant asked him If he approved of the said Letter Guion who was affected therewith told him Have a care that what is noted in that Letter do not befal you It was said that the Intendant asked him further Whether he did approve of Brousson 's Conduct And that he should answer He did approve of it and that if he were at liberty he would do the same himself They made him a tender of his Life if he would change his Religion But he made answer That he did not return into France to be unfaithful to his Master But they would not put him to Death publickly and therefore they carried him to the Cittadei of Mompellier and executed him by Beat of Drum to the end no-body might hear what he said before his Death And this Martyrdom happened in July 1693 and their Rage proceeded so far as to pull down the House in Nismes where he was taken which was a very good one About two Months after one Paul Colognac called Dauphine from a place near St. Hipolite a young Man about 〈◊〉 Years old began to preach the Gospel from place to place and from Desart to Desart 〈◊〉 Work he incessantly continued for three or four Years in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc But he was also taken at Nismes where he was discovered by a naughty Woman who was come from St. Giles and who having voluntarily abandoned the Truth a long time before the Desolation of the Protestant Churches in France did afterward give Tokens apparently of a sincere Repentance for her Fault It was pretended by them that this young Man was in Company when an Apostate Minister whose Name was Bagards was killed in Cevennes and who was become a notorious Persecutor leading and commanding himself the Soldiers when they searched after the Religious Assemblies and the Ministers of the Gospel for to take them dead or alive This same Apostate was an Execration to all the People The last time he had preached he pronounced an Anathema Maranacha against all such as should forsake the Profession of the Truth when for all that he did himself not many Days after become one of the first who abjured it for a Pension Wherefore all the People and even the Roman Catholicks themselves called him Maranatha it 's from a Shepherd he became a revenous Wolf who committed greater Ravage in the Sheep-fold of the Lord than his old Enemies which made some young Men transported with Zeal and Indignation as it was