Hell it self in as much as the cause doth eminently contain all and more evil than the effect This is the spiritual death whereby we are dead in sin the fruit of the first curse Thou shalt die the death The souls life in this world is its being in God and living to God and injoyment of God and the souls eternal life will be so to know God as to be formed into his likeness and to be received into a full participation of and communion with God The souls death here is its being fallen off from God and its being carried into its self and its eternal death will be an utter separation from him Now mankind being thus fallen from God Christ is sent for this very end to bring man back again to God and then man is brought unto God when he is brought out of that state of self-love into that state whereby he gives up himself wholly to God Thus the soul being quickened by the spirit of God leaveth off living to its self which was its death and lives to God which is its life Here comes in the great duty of denying of our selves for Christs sake which indeed were no duty if there were nothing in us contrary to God This then is our duty not to seek our own things before the things of God to lay Gods glory as the foundation of all our actions and if there be any thing in us contrary to that to give it no leave to stand in competition with God Now were this deeply rooted in our hearts how would contention anger wrath and heart-burning and all things of this nature cease Such influence would the taking Gods part against self have into the quiet and peace of men that it cannot be without it We see how wisely God hath ordered things that the very act of mans being off from God should be the cause of confusion war and misery and what can be more just and equal than this that God who is the author of our being should be the end of our being O then that once our minds were again reduced to this frame To live wholly to God! O that we were wrought into a through prejudice against self which stands between us and true peace I beg of you to spare some time from the world and retire into privacie where you may apply this to your own soul My prayer to God for you out of the strong yearnings of my soul towards you is that he would make this effectual to its intended end for the inward peace of your soul for your comfortable walking with God in this life and that condition wherein the wisdom of God hath placed you I writ these lines with the strength of affection I feel fear grief compassion working strongly O pity me in the midst of all these whilest I cannot call to remembrance the cause of these without a flood of tears Fulfill therefore my joy in being of one mind yea if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort in love if any-fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fulfill ye my joy and be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Phil. 2. 1 2. I leave you to the love and mercy of God and to the working of his spirit which alone is able to put life and power into these words Which that he would do is the earnest request and servent prayer of yours John Janeway Now upon a faithful perusal of this Letter it pleased the Lord to give a meek and more complying spirit and in a great measure it wrought its intended effect The noble design of this sweet peace-maker took so far as to produce an ingenious acknowledgement and sorrowful bewailing of the want of that self-denial humility meekness and love which doth so much become our sacred profession Upon the hearing of this good news how strangely was this good man transported Upon the receipt of a letter from the former friend which gave no small satisfaction hopes that his former indeavours were not in vain And that he might drive the nail to the head he speedily backs his for former Letter with a second which speaks these words Dear Friend MY soul is inlarged towards you and my affections work within me and yet give me leave now to lay aside those weak flames of natural affection and to kindle my soul with divine love Here there is no fear of running out too far while all is in Christ and for Christ O that now I could let out the strength of my soul not as to your self but as to God! O that my heart were more inlarged that it may be comprehensive of a more full true Christian love God is altogether lovely and to be loved for himself and we are so far dark ignorant and blind as we do not see and account him most amiable O let me have such discoveries of his excellency that my heart may pant thirst and break for its earnest longings after the richest participations of him that I may for ever be swallowed up of his love O that I may love him a thousand times more than I do That I may rejoyce in him and take the sweetest complacencie delight in him alone that I could let out my affections most where I see any thing of himself any beams of the image of his holiness and that beareth the impression of his spirit Had you visited me from the dead could my affections have moved more strongly or my rejoycings have been greater than they were at the receipt of those lines which I had from you wherein so much of Christ in you and the goodness of Christ to me did appear Fulfil my joy in the Lord refresh my bowels and let not my rejoycing be in vain If it hath pleased the Lord to make the imperfect weak indeavours of his unworthy servant any way subservient to his own glory in you it is that which I account my self unworthy of desire to receive it from him as a manifestation of the riches of his free goodness to my self knowing my self to be unworthy to be his instrument in the meanest service much more in so great a one as this is Hoping and perswading my self of the effectual vvork of my former letter I am incouraged to write again both because of my promise and your expectation and the vveighty nature of the subject that I vvas then upon vvhich vvas Love True Christian love which is a thing so comly so beautiful and sweet and of such vveighty power in all actions to make them divine excellent that there is no labour lost in indeavouring to get more of it even in those in vvhom it most aboundeth The Apostle 1 Thes 4. 9 10. Though he knew that they vvere taught of God to love one another and that they did it towards all the Brethren yet even them he beseeched to abound more and more in that grace of love The former principal
have its proper effect upon us to make us to desire earnestly to be like our beloved When shall we put on his beauty O how lovely should we then look Let us put off that deformity that is upon our Souls which makes us so unlike to Christ yea which makes us loathsome in his Eyes Pride Passions Worldliness are those Soul-deformities which keep Christ at such a distance from us and which hinder his more sweet frequent and intimate converse with us It is only that of Himself which Christ seeth in us which he delighteth in For in Him is the perfection of all Beauty and excellency and whatsoever loveliness is in any thing else comes from him is like him and leads to him Would we know how much we are beloved of him let us see how much we are like him for He cannot but love that which is like himself and if we would be like him we must put on love for God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and god in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. Thirdly If we ought to walk towards one another as members of the same body whereof Christ is the Head what can speak a closer union than commembership No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it But we do not feel the power of this oneness as we ought to do We are many and where there is division there will be dissention that we may therefore be more one let us be more in putting off our self and going into Christ Here let us look into the loathsomness of our natures whilest off from God which is the cause of all this confusion and if we cannot see its deformity in its self let us see it in reflection in its bitter effects and when we see our own deformity we shall see less cause to love our selves and more cause to love others Let us look upon our oneness in Christ and see if we can thence become one in affections Christ saith I and the children which thou hast given me we have one spiritual Father we are brethren let us love as brethren The cause of this union is our being made partakers of Christs nature and baptized into the same spirit with him and if we have at any time experienced the more lively and full incomes of this spirit of Christ how did it set the heart on fire The soul is then too narrow to contain its own affections how dearly then could we look upon a Saint How did pride and wrath vanish and melt down into meekness humility and love Did we never experience what this meaneth Then let the remembrance of the sweetness of it renew it in us O a life of spiritual love is a life indeed a Heaven upon earth This is a good rule when vve find our selves in a spiritual temper let us examine our selves then and inquire how vve like such a frame Let us remember the Voice of the spirit in us and labour to have our judgment and affections always after so ballanced Fourthly Are vve members of Christ vve do not say vve do not love Christ If vve do indeed love Christ let us love him vvherever vve find Him Christ is in all those that are His. Let us fear offending Christ in his for vvhat is done to them He vvill take as done to himself It vvill be said in that great Day In as much as ye did it unto these ye did it unto me Let us think vvhat vve vvill of it at present the vvorld vvill find this true to their cost And if vve act as in Christ vve shall find our selves as much concerned for him as for our selves and more too Oh the vvrongs that are done to him vve shall reckon done to us If vve are Christs Christs interest vvill be ours and his injuries ours If vve are Christs vve vvill be as fearful of offending of any of his as of vvronging of our selves Christ himself is above the reach of our vvrongs to be touched by them in himself but in his Members he suffers to this very day If then Christ and vve are one and Christ and all his are one let us love Christ in his let us rejoice in Christ in his members let us indeavour to requite Christ in his members let us fear grieving the spirit of Christ in grieving the spirits of any of his dear ones Wound not Christ in vvounding the heart of his beloved O the pretiousness pleasure and profit of this love I beg of God to give you a full injoyment of that sweetness and the joyful fruits of it the Lord refresh you vvith a quick and constant sence and sight of his eternal love towards your soul to vvhich the assurance of true Christian love by the effectual vvork of the Comforter may bring you By this vve know that vve are passed from Death to Life because vve love the Brethren If it shall please the Lord to give me leave to see you again I shall come vvith strong expectations and earnest desires of seeing a sweet alteration for the better in you in your deportment and carriage towards one that did deserve better at your hands And vvhat an effect hopes of this nature frustrated vvill produce I beseech you to judge I pray God fill you vvith peace and joy My hand is vveary vvith vvriting but my mind still runs forth in desires and prayers for you I hope the Lord vvill take away all cause of vvriting any more of this subject unto you Your Letter gave me hopes of a good beginning I beseech the Lord to carry on vvhat he hath begun to the glory of his goodness that I may at every sight of you see more of the image of Christ in you and more of the power and beauty of this grace of love and that I may find you drawn nearer to Heaven and see you vvith Christ in Heaven vvhen time shall be no more I leave you in the Arms of Love John Janeway By all this you may easily perceive what spirit acted him and how much he was troubled for any divisions amongst the people of God Indeed he was of so loving and lovely a disposition that he even commanded the affections of most that knew him and so humble he was that he was ashamed to be loved for his own sake I can never forget a strang expression that I have heard from him concerning one that had a very ardent love for him I know this saith he that I love no love but what is purely for Christs sake would Christ might have all the love He alone deserves it for my part I am afraid and ashamed of the love and respects of Christians He saw so much pride peevishness and division amongst Professors that it did not a little vex his righteous Soul and made him think long to be in a sweeter Air where there should be nothing but union joy and love He could not indure to hear Christians speak reproachfully one of
foretold that Doomsday should be upon such a day although he blamed their daring folly that would pretend to know that which was hid from the Angels themselves and that the Devil could not acquaint them with yet granting their supposition to be true what then said he What if the day of Judgmennt were come as it will most certainly come shortly If I were sure the day of Judgment were to begin within an hour I should be glad with all my heart If at this very instant I should hear such thunderings and see such lightnings as Israel did at Mount Sinai I am perswaded my very heart would leap for joy But this I am confident of through infinite mercy that the very meditation of that day hath even ravished my soul and the thought of the certainty and nearness of it is more refreshing to me than the comforts of the whole world Surely nothing can more revive my Spirits than to behold the blessed Jesus the joy life and beauty of my soul Would it not more rejoyce me than Josephs wagons did old Jacob I lately dreamed that the day of Judgment was come Methought I heard terrible cracks of thunder and saw dreadful lightnings the foundations of the earth did shake and the Heavens were roled together as a garment yea all things visible were in a flame methought I saw the graves opened and the earth and Sea giving up their dead methought I saw millions of Angels and Christ comming in the clouds Methought I beheld the antient of days sitting upon his Throne and all other Thrones cast down Methought I beheld him whose Garments were white as Snow and the hair of his head like pure Wool His Throne was like the firely flame and his wheels as burning fire a firey stream issued and came forth from him thousands of thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him and the Judgment was set and the books were opened O but with what an extasie of joy was I surprized Methought it was the most heart-raising and soul-ravishing sight that ever my eyes beheld and then I cried out I have waited for thy salvation O God and so I mounted into the Air to meet my Lord in the Clouds This I record only to shew how far he was from being daunted at the thoughts of death or Judgement and to let other Christians know what is attainable in this life and what folly it is for us to take up with so little when our Lord is pleased to make such noble provisions for us and by a wise and diligent improvement of those means which God hath offered us we may have an entrance administred to us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ O how comfortable how honourable and how profitable is this state These are your men that quit themselves like Christians This is true gallantry noble manhood real valour This was the condition of Mr. Janeway for about three years before he died I will not deny but that he had some clouds but he usually walked in a sweet even humble serenity of spirit and his refreshing joys were more considerable than his dispondings and though he daily questioned many actions yet did not question his state but had his heart fixed upon that rock that neither waves nor winds could shake His senses were still so spiritually exercised as that he could look up to Heaven as his Country and Inheritance and to God as his Father and to Christ as his Redeemer and that which is scarce to be heard of he counted it the highest act of patience to be willing to die and a very great pitch of self-denial to be contented to be in this world and to dwell on this side a full and eternal injoyment of that royal glorious One whom his soul was so much in love with In a word he had the most earnest desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ that I ever saw read or heard of since the Apostles times CHAP. XVII His last Sickness and Death AND now the time draws nigh wherein his longings shall be satisfied he is called to his last work and truly his deportment in it was honourable his carriage so eminently gracious so meek patient fruitful joyful and thankful that it made all his friends stand and wonder as being abundantly above their experience and reading and those Christians that saw him could not but admire God in him look upon him as one of the most singular instances of rich grace and even bless God that their eyes ever saw or their ears ever heard such things and had such a sensible demonstration of the reality of invisibles He falls into a deep Consumption His body is now shaken again and he falls into a deep Consumption but this messenger of God did not in the least damp him Spitting of blood was no ghastly thing to one that had his eye upon the blood of Jesus faint sweats did not daunt him that had always such reviving cordials at hand It 's matter of joy to him that he was now in some hopes of having his earnest desires satisfied After he had been a while sick a sudden dimness seized upon his eyes by and by his sight quite failed and there was such a visible alteration in him that he and others judged these things to be the symptoms of death approaching But when he was thus taken he was not in the least surprized but was lifted up with joy to think what a life he was going to looking upon death it self as one of his Fathers servants and his friend that was sent as a messenger to conduct him safely to his glorious palace When he felt his body ready to faint he called to his Mother and said Dear Mother I am dying but I beseech you be not troubled for I am through mercy quite above the fears of death it 's no great matter I have nothing troubles me but the apprehensions of your grief I am going to Him whom I love above life But it pleased the Lord to raise him again a little out of this fainting fit for his master had yet more work for him to do before he must receive his wages Although his outward man decayed apace yet he is renewed in the inward man day by day His graces were never more active and his experiences were never greater When one would have thought he should have been taken up with his distemper and that it had been enough for him to grapple with his pains then he quite forgets his weakness and is so swallowed up of the life to come that he had scarce leisure to think of his sickness For several weeks together I never heard the least word that savoured of any complaint or weariness under the hand of God except his eager desire to be with Christ be counted complaining and his haste to be in Heaven be called impatience Now 's the time when one might have seen Heaven and
Time made no furrowes in the face you see He died young yet few did more then he He spent himselfe for God and now is blesst After hard labour with Eternal Rest Invisibles Realities Demonstrated in the HOLY LIFE AND Triumphant Death OF M r. JOHN JANEWAY Fellow of Kings Collegde in CAMBRIDGE By JAMES JANEWAY Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst and are to be sold at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside neer Mercers Chappel and at the Bible on London Bridge under the Gate 1674. Christian Reader THE Love of Christ in his holy ones and the great usefulness of such History command me to take it as a pleasing office to commend this real description of a Saint to thy serious perusal and imitation The good acceptance and success of the late published Life and Death of Mr. Joseph Alleine the more encourageth me to serve thee in this As to the credit of the Narrative let it be enough to tell thee that his worthy Brother Mr. James Janeway intimately acquainted with his most secret life is the writer of it I have no hand in it my self And if thou live in or neer London where he is now well known I will not be beholden to thee to believe it especially if you also know the other most credible attestors I know that many such Histories shew more what the writer could say than what the Person was or did But here both He and his Relations and those whom he lived with were all so neer us and are many of them yet so intimately known to me and others that there is no place for doubting left us I confess such instances are very sad to my thoughts while I am desiring the welfare of mankind on earth To hear of the death of an Infant who might have proved we know not what or of an useless person or of an aged Christian who hath profitably run out the course of nature is nothing so sad to me as to hear of the removal of such excellent young men when they are prepared for their work and just beginning it But God is infinitely Wise and Just and more Merciful too than we can be He knoweth what he doth and why and is accountable to none about the measure of his benefits nor the reasons of his various disposals But the great Judgments which since his death have befallen these Kingdomss do partly tell us that it is no wonder if such men were taken from the evil to come of whom the world hath so notoriously declared it self unworthy It is fitter for such lights to shine in Heaven than to be put under a bushel here on earth And for himself he hath run long enough who hath toucht the prize He hath sailed long enough who is come safe to the harbour And he hath lived long enough who is readiest to die Though I wonder at the lengthning of my own life which hath been threatned by God and Man these thirty three years or more yet alas how much less have I lived than this man did who am yet far short of his heavenly preparations I am ashamed to read that any thing of mine was a help to his attainments and to find that at almost sixty years of age I am much below what he was raised to at twenty three O that God would give my frozen age such warm reflections from these his remains that according to my need I may receive more from him that is dead than ever he did from me alive If his own Reverend Father received so much from him why may not I also have some quickning even by the dead through the fruits of the spirit left behind him and the same spirits quickning influx upon me And may I but so Die how harmless how welcome will Death be We think it great pity that he lived to preach but two Sermons in the world That same poor ignorant dull Congregation had not been instructed and awakened by his Doctrine and his spiritual servour had not by dispersed writings enflamed the souls of thousands with the same Heavenly Love and Zeal But who knoweth yet but that this one Narrative of his Holy exemplary Life and Death may do as much as more numerous or Voluminous writings The many Volumes of holy Lives of antient Docters Martyrs and later Divines Philosophers and others in Germany England and other Lands have done much good and are still very useful and a pleasant and profittable recreation O how much better than play-Books and Romances But experience tells us that God still poureth forth as large measures of his spirit as heretofore he did If holy Augustines life after so much pollution and holy Hieroms life qui fatetur se non fuisse virginem were so laudible and examplary O how much praise do I owe to God for his grace upon his Servants who am yet acquainted with so great a number of holy laborious faithful ministers who I have great reason to believe not only to have all their lives been free from all gross heynous sins but also to have laid out their zeal their time their labours so sincerely and self-denyingly for God and the good of souls as that I cannot but hope that if those who are against their Preaching of the Gospel were but as well acquainted with them as I am they would be their friend and forward to promote their work I know one Temptation the Reader is like to meet with to hinder his profiting by this example Even to think that Mr. Alleine and Mr. Janeway by Overdoing did but cut short their own Lives and that their excessive lobours in meditation prayer and other duties did deprive the Church of the benefit of much more which they might have lived to do and therefore that such examples are not to be imitated but stand as warnings to us not to over do and destroy our bodies as they did To which I answer 1. I am one my self that wish both of them had done somewhot less in that part of duty which hurt the body and overmatched their strength And I am not perswading you that every man must needs Preach as oft as Mr. Allen or study aud meditate as long as Mr. Janeway and he did Men have their various capacities and oportunities and works 2. But yet I dare not charge either of them with sin because I know not their particular motives 3. And perhaps their lives had been as short if they had done less as are the lives of many hundred Students who favour themselves more than any wise men would wish And it was Gods mercy that they who had but a short life to live should do more than any that live to the period of natures course And Methusalems life and theirs is equalled now Whom have you known that by longer living hath got more holy readiness to die 4. But I beseech you distinguish well between that part of their work which was really like to overthrow their
natures and the rest which had no such tendency and do not make the avoiding of the former a pretence against your imitating of the latter It is not studying meditating praying preaching according to the measures of natures strength that much shortnerh life I think that Learned man wrote not foolishly who maintaineth that studies tend to long life For my own part I was seeble before I was a hard Student And studies have been a constant pleasure to me And let any man judge whether constant pleasure tend to shorten any mans life Indeed that which destroyeth the health of Students is 1. The sedentariness of their lives 2. And want of temperance or due care of their diet 3. And want of sufficient cheerfulness 4. And taking colds Could Students but more imitate the labouring-man and take just hours and opportunities for bodily labour not playful walks and exercises that never warm and purge the blood and did they eat and drink wisely and live joyfully and avoid colds they might bestow the rest of their time in the hardest studies with little hurt except here and there a melanchly or diseased man I doubt not but such narratives as this will tempt many a slothful sensual Scholar to indulge his sensuality as the wiser way but at a dying hour he will find the difference O what a comfort then is the review of a Holy Heavenly well-spent life I have oft thought what the Reason is that among the Papists if the lives of their Saints be described in the highest strain or their books have even unreasonable pretensions of devotion even to the laying by of our understandings or to a kind of Deification like Barbansons Benedictus de Benedictis and divers others it doth not offend men but the vulger themselves do glory in the sancity of them Whereas if with us a man rise higher in holiness and in devote contemplation yea or action than others he is presently the great eye-sore and obloquy of the world I mean of the envious and ungodly part which is too great But the reason I perceive is that among the Papists to be a Religious man is to be a Perfectest who doth more than is commanded him or is neccesary to salvation and so the people being taught that they may be saved without being such themselves their spleen is not stirred up against them as the troubles of their Consciences peace but they are intressed in their honour and being the honour of their way and Church But with us men are taught that they must be Religious themselves in sincerity if ever they will be saved and that without Holiness none shall see God and that they are not sincere if they desire not to be perfect And so they that will not be godly themselves do think that the lives of the godly do condemn them I write not this to cast any disgrace on the true History of any holy mens lives Nor shall it ever be my employment to reproach or hide Gods Graces in any nor to make men believe that they are worse than they are Whoever revile me for it I will magnifie and love that of God which appeareth in any of his servants of any sect or party whatsover When I read such writings as old Gerson Guil. Parisinesies and divers others and such as Jos Accosta and some other Jesuits and such lives as Nerius's and Mr. de Reuti's c. I cannot but think that they had the spirit of God and the more do I hate all those mischievous engines additions and singularities which divide so many Christians in the world who have the same Spirit and will not suffer us to hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of of peace O unhappy pretended Wisdom and Oxthodoxness in the holding of our several opinions is the knowledge that puffeth up and hath bred the pernicious tympanite of the Church when it is Charity that edifieth it And the more men glory in their dogmatical knowledge to the contempt and hurt of such as differ from them the less they know as they ought to know And if any man have knowledge enough to kindle in his soul the Love of God the same is known and loved of God and then he will prove that wise man indeed at death and to Eternity 1 Cor. 8. 1 2 3. Reader Learn by this History to place thy Religion in love and praise and a heavenly life Learn to keep such communion with God and to find such employment with thy heart by meditation as thy strength and opertunity and other duties will allow thee for I urge thee to no more Learn hence to thirst after the good of souls and to fill up thy hours with fruitful duty And O that we could here learn the hardest lesson to get above the love of life and to overcome the fears of death and to long to see the glory of Christ and triumphantly to pass by Joy to Joy O blessed world of holy spirits whose nature and work and happiness is Love not Love of Carnal-self and Interest and Parties which here maketh those seek our destruction most who have the highest esteem of our knowledge and sincerity as thinking our dissent will most effectually cross their partial Interest But the Love of God in Himself and in his Saints checked by no sin hindred by no distance darkness deadness or disaffection diverted by no carnal worldly baits tempted by no persecutions or afflictions damped by no fears of death nor of any decaies or cessation through Eternity To teach me better how to live and die in Faith Hope ane Love is that for which I read this narrarive and that thou maist learn the same is the end of my commending it to thee The Lord teach it effectual to thee and me Amen RICHARD BAXTER August 28. 1672. To the Relations of Mr. James Janeway and the Survivors of his Associates in Kings Colledge in Cambridge Beloved Friends MY own mean esteem of the single weight of that Testimony expected from me concerning my dear Brother on the account of my intimacy with him in Kings Colledge the known me morable passages of whose exemplary life and death are now happily compiled and published for your special perusal moves me to call in a twofold recommendation thereof from you to those that knew him not who being confirmed in the truth of this Narrative may thereby be won to believe admire and emulate the signal grace of God in him 1. That remembring so much thereof your selves and what opportnity I had of knowing the certainty of all you would assure those who may enquire of you That the impartial compiler hath kept within the bounds of truth and sobriety in prosecution of his honest aims to advance the glory of Gods rich mercy to this chosen vessel and by reviving what remains he could collect of this burning as well as shining light alass how soon extinct to awaken and quicken the formal professors if he may not induce the
Samuel Borfet The Testimony of Mr. Marmaduke Tennant sometimes Minister of Tharfield in Hartfordshire an intimate acquaintance of Mr. John Janeways and one that was a constant visitor of him in his sickness and an eye and ear witness of the most substantial things in this insuing Narrative Christian Reader I Can assure thee from my own knowledge that this Mr. John Janeway was an excellent person in respect of his natural parts acquired gifts and divine graces wherewith his heavenly Father adorned him considering his age even far above the ordinary rate of the best sort of Scholars and Christians All which he exceedingly improved for the good of others especially in his neer Relations both in health and sickness even to the last hour of his life And when the immediate forerunners of death was upon him he so acted faith and composedly without the least shew of humane frailty as if with bodily eyes he saw the holy Angels standing before him ready to receive and carry his pretious soul into his Fathers glory Verily he was most lovely in his life and yet more lovely at his death the like I never beheld neither before nor since And I doubt not but the serious consideration of this narrative of his life and death will through Gods blessing beget a zealous imitation of this Saint indeed in every good Christian which reads the same which that it may do is the hearty prayer of thy friend in the Lord Jesus Marmaduke Tennant Minister of the Gospel Christian Reader WHen I seriously consider how much Atheism and impiety abounds and see how sensual delights are pursued and Religion in its power is rejected as a dull sad aud unpleasant thing when I see zeal decried as unnecessary and few acting in the things of God as if they were indeed matters of the highest consequence reality and substance the greatest profit and sweetest pleasure I could not but do what in me lies to rectifie these dismal mistakes and justifie wisdom from the imputation of folly and demonstrate even to sense the transcendent excellency and reality of Invisibles The prosecution of which design I could not more effectnally manage than by the presenting this insuing narrative to the world As for the truth of it if the solemn testimony of several Ministers which were eye and ear witnesses of the most substantial things here presented may be credited here thou hast three of them As for my self I think I had as great an advantage to acquaint my self with the secret practices of this pretious Saint as any one could well have besides my dearest intimacy and special observation and perusal of his papers I had a long account from his own mouth upon his death-bed of his secret and constant practice and his experiences And let me tell you the half is not told you For the treachery of my memory hath not a little injured thee and him Had this work been done exactly I am perswaded it might have been so singular use to the world In some places I could not justly word it in his phrase but I assure thee thou hast the matter and substance The weakness of the Relator is no small disadvantage to the subject but I might a little excuse this by telling thee that I think that none living had the same opportunity in all things to do this work as I had I might also tell you that some Reverend Learned and Holy men whose authority and request I could not deny put me upon it And I was not altogether without some hopes of drawing some to the love and liking of Religion that had not only been strangers to the life and power of it but it may be had entertained deep prejudices against it And of quickning of others that had lost their former vigour and encouraging some that were too ready to go on heavily and disponding If I may succeed in this I shall adore the goodness of God and praise him with the strength of my soul That I may be snbservient to the Lord in promoting the true intrest of Religion I beg thy fervant and constant prayers and that every one that readeth may imitate and experience all and so be filled with grace and peace is the prayer of yours in his dearest Lord James Janeway The CONTENTS Chap. 1. AN account of him from his Childhood to the seventeenth year of his Age. pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of his Conversion with visible proofs thereof p. 6. Chap. 3. His Carriage when Fellow of the Colledge at twenty years of Age. p. 16. Chap. 4. His particular addresses to his brethren for their souls good and the success thereof p. 21. Chap. 5. His great love to and frequency in the duty of prayers with rmarkable success p. 24. Chap. 6. His care of his Mother and other Relations after his Fathers death p. 29. Chap. 7. His return to Kings Colledge after his Fathers death His holy projects for Christ and Souls p. 37. Chap. 8. His departure from the Colledge to live in Dr. Cox's Family p. 38. Chap. 9. His retire into the Country and his first sickness p. 39. Chap. 10. His Exhortations to some of his friends p. 43. Chap. 11. His Temptations from Satan p. 45. Chap. 12. Ministers not to carry on low designs p. 60. Chap. 13. His Love and Compassion to Souls p. 67. Chap. 14. His trouble at the barrenness of Christians p. 71. Chap. 15. Two Letters to Cement Differences and cause Love among Christians p. 74. Chap. 16. An account of the latter part of his Life p. 91. Chap. 17. His last Sickness and Death p. 98. IF the Chapters appear not to be well divided nor their contents well collected let the Reader know that a friend of Mr. Janeway's not himself made the division of them T. P. Invisible Realities demonstrated in the Holy Life and Triumphant Death of Master John Janeway sometimes Fellow of Kings-Colledge Cambridge CHAP. I. An Account of him from his Childhood to the seventeenth year of his Age. MR. John Janeway was born Anno 1633. Octob. 27. of Religious Parents in Lylly in the County of Hertford He soon gave his Parents the hope of much comfort and the symptoms of something more than ordinary quickly appeared in him fo that some which saw this Child much feared that his life would be but short others hoped that God had some rare piece of work to do by or for this Child before he died he shewed that neither of them were much mistaken in their conjecture concerning him He soon out-ran his superiours for age in learning And it was thought by no incompetent Judges that for pregnacy of wit solidity of judgment the vastness of his intellectuals and the greatness of his memory that he had no superiours few equals considering his age and education He was initiated in the Latine tongue by his own Father afterward he was brought up for some time at Pauls School in London where he made a considerable proficiencie in Latine and
himself He was an excellent Example to his younger brethren and his wise instructions and holy practices did not a little influence them He was a prudent Counsellor and an assistant that could not well be spared to his eldest Brother who was not a little sensible of that personal worth that was in his younger Brother whom he would prefer before himself as one whom he judged God had honoured with far greater parts graces and experiences than himself The younger also did as humbly and heartily respect and honour him as a serious Christian a Minister and his elder Brother who had obliged him with more than ordinary kindness When he was but young yet he began to be taken notice of by antient Ministers and Christians though his modesty was so great that his huge parts were not a little obscured thereby and his vast worth was so ballasted with humility that he made no great noise in the world and most were ignorant of his singular worth A wise man that was intimately acquainted with him would say of him that he was like deep waters that were most still a man of hidden excellency There were few that knew how close he walked with God and at what a high rate he lived and how great a trade he drave for the riches of that other world All which he laboured as much as might be to conceal CHAP. VII His return to Kings Colledge after his Fathers Death His holy projects for Christ and Souls WHen his Father was dead he returned again to Kings Colledge and was a member of a secret Cabal which began to carry on notable projects for Christ and souls and to plot how they might best improve their gifts and graces so as that they might be most serviceable to God and their generation Their custom was frequently to meet together to pray and to communicate studies and experiences and to handle some question of Divinity or in some Scholastick way to exercise the gifts which God had given them Some of this company did degenerate but others lived to let the world understand that what they did was from a vital principal Amongst whom this young man was none of the least who had a design upon some of the juniors to ingage them if possible before they were insnared by wicked company when they came fresh from School After some time most of his dear companions were transplanted either into Gentlemens families or Livings and this Mr. Janeway being one of the youngest was for a while left alone in the Colledge But he wanting the comfortable diversion of suitable godly society fixed so intensely upon his studies that he soon gave such a wound to his Bodily-constitution that it could never be throughly healed CHAP. VIII His departure from the Colledge to live in Dr. Cox's Family AFter a while Dr. Cox wanting a Tutor for his Son in his house sent to the Provost of the Colledge to make choiâ—e of a man of true worth for him In answer to whose request the Provost was pleased to send Mr. Janeway who did neither shame him that preferred him nor disappointed the expectations of him that entertained him but by his diligence profound learning and success in his undertakeing did not a little obligâ— the relations of his Pupil But his pains were so great and his body so weak that it could not long bear up under such work so that he was forced to ask leave of the Doctor to try whether the change of the Air might not contribute somewhat to the mending the temper of his Body which now began sensibly to decay Whilest he was in that family his carriage was so sweet and obliging and his conversation so spiritual that it did not a little endear his presence to them so that I question not but some of that Family will carry a sweet remembrance of him along with them to their Graves and I oft heard him owning the goodness of God to him in the benefit that he got by the graces and experiences of some Christians in and relating to that Family whose tender love to him he did gratefully resent upon his Death-bed CHAP. IX His Retire into the Country and His first Sickness HE now leaves the Doctors house and retires himself into the Country to his Mother and eldest Brother who did not spare to use their utmost diligence and tenderness to recruit the decays of nature but hard study frequent and earnest prayers and long and intense meditations had so ruinated this frail Tabernacle that it could not be fully repaired yet by Gods blessing upon care and art it was under-propped for some time Whilst he was in this declining condition in which he could have little hopes of life he was so far from being affrighted that he received the sentence of death in himself with great joy and wrote to his dearest relations to dispose them to a patient compliance with such a dispensation as might separate him and them for a while And to wean their affections from him he solemnly professed that as for himself he was ashamed to desire and pray for life O saith he Is there any thing here more desirable than the injoyment of Christ Can I expect any thing below comparable to that blessed Vision O that Crown that Rest which remains for the people of God! and blessed be God I can say I know it is mine I know that when this Tabernacle of Clay shall be dissolved that I have a house not made with hands and therefore I groan not to be uncloathed but to be cloathed upon with Christ To me to live is Christ and to die is gain I can now through infinite Mercy speak in the Apostles Language I have fought the good fight henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown incorruptible that fadeth not away When he perceived one of his nearest Relations distressed at the apprehensions of his Death he charged him not to pray for his Life except it were purely with a respect to the Glory of God I wish said he I beg you to keep your minds in a submissive frame to the will of God concerning me The Lord take you nearer to himself that you may walk with Him to Whom if I go before I hope you will follow after Yet after this he was through mercy finely recovered and his friends were not without some hopes of his living to be eminently instrumental for Gods glory in his generation After he was recovered in some measure he fell again to his former practice of ingaging deeply in the secret great duties of Religion which he constantly practised except when God discharged him by sickness secret prayer at least three times a day somtimes seven times yeamore besides family and Colledge-duties which were before hinted he set a part an hour every day for set and solemn meditation which duty he found unspeakably to improve his graces to make no small addition to his comforts His time for that duty was most commonly in
great Events of his Word or a second part of the fulfilling of the Scripture The immortality of the Soul explained and proved by Scripture and Reason to which is added Faiths-triumph over the fears of death by Tho. Wadsworth A Treatise of the incomparableness of God in his Being Attributes Works and Word by George Swinnock M. A. A discourse of the original c. of the Cossacks The generation of Seekers or the right manner of the Saints addresses to the throne of Grace with an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer The administration of Cardinal Ximones A discourse of Family-instruction by Owen Stockton with directions for those that have suffered by the Fire An Essay to facilltate the Education of Youth by bringing down the rudiments of Grammar to the sense of seeing which ought to be improved by Syncresis by M. Lewis of Totenham An Artificial Vestibulum wherein the sense of Janua Linguarum is contained compiled into plain and short sentences in English for the great case of Masters and Expeditious progress of Scholars by M. Lewis Speculum Sherlockianum ot a Looking glass in which the admirers of Mr. Sherlock may behold the man as to his Acuracy Judgment Orthodoxy A discourse of Sins of Omission wherein is discovered their Nature Causes and Cure by George Swinnock Mr. Baxter's Reformed Pastor His Majesties Propriety in the British Seas vindicated Quakerism no Christianity or a through-Quaker no Christian proved by their Principles and confirmed by Scripture by J. Faldo Differences about Water-baptism no bar to Communion by Jo. Bunian The Dutch-dispensatory shewing the vertues qualities and properties of Simples the vertue and use of Compounds whereto is added the Compleat Herbalist Judg Dodaridge's laws of Nobility and Peerage Dinglys Spiritual Fast Solitude improved by Divine Meditation by Matth. Ranew A Murderer punished and pardoned or Tho. Savage his life and death with his Funeral sermon Small 8vo A defence against the fear of death by Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed by William Gearing The godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors evidences for Heaven by Edmund Calamy The Almost-Christian discovered or the false-Professor tried and cast by M. Mead. The true bounds of Christian-freedom or a discourse shewing the extent and restraints of Christian-liberty by S. Bolton D. D. The sinfulness of Sin and fulness of Christ in two Sermons by Will. Bridg. A Plea for the godly or the Righteous mans Excellency The holy Eucharist or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A Treatise of Self-denial All three by Tho. Watson The life and death of Tho. Wilson of Maidstone in Kent The life and death of Doctor Samuel Winter A Covert from the Storm or the fearful encouraged in the day of Trouble Worthy-walking press'd upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel The Spirit of Prayer All three by Nath. Vincent The inseparable union between Christ and a Believer by Tho. Peck A discourse of Excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them the sin and misery brought in by them by John Sheffield Invisible reality demonstrated in the holy life and triumphant death of Mr. J. Janeway The Saints encouragement to diligence in Christs service both by Mr. James Janeway A discourse concerning the Education of Children Convivium Coeleste a plain and familiar discourse concerning the Lords Supper both by R. Kidder The Saints perseverance asserted in its Positive-ground against Mr. Ives by Tho. Danson A Wedding-ring fit for the Finger by Will. Secker The Young-mans Call and Duty by Nich. Lockyer An Explanation of the shorter-Catechism of the Assembly of Divines by Tho. Lye The Childs Delight with Pictures by Tho. Lye The life and death of Tho Hall A Plea for the Non-Conformists tending to vindicate them from Schism by a Doctor in Divinity The flat opposition of Poperty to Scripture by J. N. Chaplain to a Person of Honour The Weavers Pocket-book or Weaving spiritualiz'd by J. C. D. D. Two disputations of Original-sin by Richard Baxter The History of Moderation The welcome Cominunicant The ready way to prevent sin by William Bagshaw The Little-peace-maker discovering foolish Pride the Make-bate Philadelphia or a Treatise of Brotherly-love by Mr. Gearing Reformation or Ruine being certain Sermons on Levit. 26. 23 24. by Tho. Hotchkis The Riches of Grace displayed to which is added the priviledg of Passive Obedience and 52 proposals in order to help on Heart-humiliation by Will. Bagshaw The parable of the great Supper opened in 17 Sermons by Jo. Crump A present for Teeming-women by J. Oliver Non-conformity without Controversie by Benj. Baxter The Christians daily Monitor by Josh Church A Treatise of Closet-prayer by Richard Mayo The Religious Family by Philip Lamb. A sober inquiry or Christs Reign with Saints a thousand years A discourse of the prodigious Abstinence of Martha Taylor A Memento to young and old by John Maynard The priviledg of the Saints on Earth above those in Heaven by William Hook Index biblicus multijugus or a Table of the holy Scripture wherein each of its Books Chapters and particular matters are distinguished and Epitomized The day of Grace with the conversion of a Sinner by Nath. Vencent The Greek Testament in 8 vo An easie and useful Grammar for the learning of the French tongue by Mr. Gosthead Gentleman Mr. Raworths work and reward of a Christian The Miners Monitor or advice to those that are employed about the Mines A Protestant Catechism for little Children A Scripture Catechism by Samuel Petto A Catechism according to the Church of England Grotius Catechism Brief of the Bibles-History The Fountain sealed by Dr. Sibbs Nero Tragidea Cottons None but Christ Cornelianum dolium The Christians earnest longing for Christs appearing preached at the Funeral of Mr. Noah Webb by Dan. Burgess Wilsons Catechism Elenchus motuum nuperorum in Anglia Cocains Poems Poor Robins Jests Croftons Foelix Scelus or Prospering-prophaneness provoking holy conference by Zech. Crofton Gramaticus Analyticus by the same Author Alexanders advice to his Son Artificial Embelishments H. Excellency of Christ set forth Gods Soveraignty displayed by Mr. William Gearing In small 12 s. The duty of Parents towards their Children A little Book for little Children A method and instruction for the Art of divine Meditation All three by Tho. White The considerations of Drexelius on Eternity The shadow of the Tree of Life by M. M. The Psalms of David newly translated more plain smooth and agreeable to the Text than any heretofore The Prisoners Prayers Mr. Henry Lakin's Life of Faith Awakening Call to Sinners Crumbs of Comfort or the Lord Bacons Prayers FINIS