Spirit is strong and enriched § 24. Then turning again to his Son he said My Son God blesse thee more and more How greatly do I rejoyce when I behold in thee the Grace of God! It was my great desire to see thee from the first day of my sickness Thou art the youngest of my Sons and thou only art left alive to me upon the Earth Thou shalt be my Benjamin and God will bless the Charge I have committed to thee and will be present with thee for thy help therein The Almighty God give unto thee and thy Nephews blessings in Israel and especially spiritual Blessings for temporal Blessings follow upon Spiritual Praised be God that hath made thee a Spectator of my last Conflict It is a Conflict but yet sweet because of the Consolations of the Spirit of God which abound in me Thou hast strove enough O my Soul rest in God who is thy Saviour Then hearing the Clock strike he asked what hour it was which when he knew he said The Time passeth away and we pass away with the time howbeit we are confirmed and strengthened by the Grace of God every hour Then smiting upon his Breast he said There is Joy within by the habitation of the Spirit of God in me O Good God! who am I that thou shouldst vouchsafe to come and dwell under my poor roof So it hath pleased thee O Lord that thy Spirit should dwell in me to the end and therefore I have cause of rejoycing in earnest § 25. Thus was the Thursday Fryday Jan. 6. night passed over The poor sick man was wearyed and exceeding thirsty yet durst not drink He seemed to be breathing out his Soul every moment and panted for deliverance but the end of his Conflict was not yet come there remained still above twenty four hours to be undergone and those very sharp His Son had betaken himself to some rest in the morning and after a while coming into the Chamber again his Father said to him A good day to you Son I am glad you have taken some rest Help me a little Which being done he added My Son this duty will be pleasing to God I should have reckoned my self happy if in any thing I could have helped my Father he was a good and a pious man I had also an holy Mother which deserved very well of the whole Family there was in her an holy Ambition and ardent Charity My Son how do I rejoyce to see thee I have yet many things to say to thee Remember that thou speak to the Illustrious Princesses Dowagers and tell them that I dye devoted to them in all dutiful affection and that I recommend unto them the utmost I can the Institution of the illustrious Colledge in this Town which is indeed the honour of the house of Orange and of his memory who founded it unto whom in my own particular I am laid under very great Obligations That great Prince who first called me to his service in his house heaped his benefits upon me and without vanity I speak it honoured me with his friendship of which he could give no greater Testimony than by committing to me the first education of his only Son who indeed was snatcht away from us in the flower of his age when both his Fathers house and the Common-wealth had most need of him Truly he was a Prince adorned with many gifts and disposed to receive good things and to Piety I believe that God was merciful to him and that his goodness is not wholly withdrawn from this noble house to which he hath raised up a Son that may supply his Fathers place The Almighty God bless and Preserve that Branch and Bless his Education and make him to grow in Age and in Gifts and Graces that he may be an Instrument of promoting his Glory and an instance of his Grace and Favour I beseech him also to bless the Princesses his Mother and Grandmother that their Concord may turn to the Good of the Child and of the State The Lord guide them in all things with the Spirit of his Fear strengthen them in the Faith and incourage them unto every good work I hope they will keep in mind my service and Zealous Affection for the good of their noble Family But if not my trust is in God § 26. After half an hours silence or thereabouts he thus continued his discourse Hear the prayers which thy Servant offers unto thee O God for that Child let him be blessed and sanctified from his tender years that the corruption of the Age. may not pervert him Let him live before thee Let Integrity and Righteousness preserve him He also prayed for the Lady Electress of Brandenburg and her Sisters That God would adorn them with all Christian and moral Virtues and b◠with them to the end of thei◠Lives But now his oppression was so much increased that we could not take the texture of his Meditations only by his countenance and gesture we might see that he prayed continually and sometimes he uttered some words whereby we understood that others had preceded in his Meditation a◠for instance Yea Lord I believe thi◠is my joy God will perfect his work above all ◠have no more part in thos◠things that are done unde◠the Sun but I desire th◠Peace of the Church every where Then he repeated in French Metre the 18. verse of Psal 51. which is in English Metre Lord unto Zion turn thy Face Pour out thy mercies on thy Hill And on Jerusalem thy Grace Build up the Walls and love it still I am of that Zion have pity on me and deal graciously with me I am suffocated I can hardly breath The Lord brings me down but he calls my Spirit to himself The greatest thing by farr is I have no doubt of my Salvation the Lord upholds me miraculously to the end that I may edifie others by my example in this last close of my life I am well pleased O my God Far be it from me that I should murmure How small are these pains in comparison of that Grace through which I bear with a quiet mind whatsoever it pleaseth God to lay upon me Thou allayest these short bitternesses with inexpressible consolations Thou speakest unto my Soul with that sweet voice which ◠understand because I am of thy Sheep My sheep saith the chief Shepherd hear my voice I know them and they follow me To this purpose he began to recite the 23 Psalm in Hebrew The Lor◠is my Shepherd I shall not want and desired one that stood by to rehearse the rest of the Psalm And the last clause he pronounced himself from the Original viz I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And when he saw many attending him he said You have no cause to wonder I am able to do nothing of my self The Lord worketh all in all that we may be humbled This is the School of humility Look upon me
him Yea said he I bless God and rejoice that I have seen him and blessed him before I dye When he came near to him he stretched out his hand and received him kindly and then repeated to him what he had before said concerning his Brother affirming That he was a very good man and one furnished with Gifts that are rather solid and useful than conspicuous and ornamental now shall he be the Crown of my Fathers Family I bless God that there remains a man therein to Praise him both in word and work The Blessing of the God of our Father hath been eminently on that Branch of our Family from whence we are sprung there have been found therein many good Men who feared God As for these little Nazarens I recommend them to God And after a little stop he continued his Speech unto his Son My Son I now know thee no longer according to the Flesh my Carnal affections are mortified and swallowed up in the Love of God My love towards my Wife and Children is now wholly Spiritual I have Prayed unto God that he will Sanctifie make thee perfect and glorifie thee My Son Is not my happy departure joyful unto thee what could'st thou with more earnestness have desired for me than a glorious and happy end after a long and prosperous Life Bless God through whose bounty I am now filled with Joy and Peace Fear God my Son for this is the whole Duty of man In all thy Actions love Righteousness Sincerity Peace and Truth that my Blessing may remain effectually upon thee and thy Nephews § 20. This whole day was past over much to his ease and quiet none being admitted to disturb him with their Visits He lay still and was inclined to Sleep and when he observed us to look upon him as if he had been asleep I sleep said he but my heart waketh And when we asked him sometimes how he did Very well said he I feel no pain I am filled with the Grace of God I am not sensible of cold or heat I fear no more the inconveniencies of temporal Life the Spirit of God strengthens me and affords me abundant Consolations I have no doubt of my Salvation He hath set me on high He hath hid me in his hiding place He hath fenced me round about and hath perfected whatsoever concerns me I cannot be troubled any more I am like a Vessel filled with pure Water which no agitation troubles It is God that Justifies who shall Condemn it is Christ that dyed yea rather who is risen again The moments of my time are in his Power I am wholly taken up in the expectation of the decreed hour when he will say Come thou good and faithful Servant enter into the Joy of thy Lord O my God I thank thee that thou hast given me the Spirit of Humility Sincerity and Truth I have not been as a tinckling Cymbal O Lord thou hast known the secrets of my Soul and my in most Thoughts Thou hast taught me in the School of true Doctrine and I have above all sought the Glory of thy Name I have not thought any Virtue or Knowledge to be of my self knowing that all my Sufficiency is from thee alone I have slighted that Mystical Theology which is nothing but Canting and have adhered to that clear pure and saving Truth which is contained in the Holy Scriptures One word of the Son of God who requires the Heart is of more worth than all those humane Vanities which are good for nothing else but to trouble the Purity of the Divine Fountains Suffer not O Lord the improbity of men to obscure the Clearness of thy Word which hath been a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path yea it still affords a Light unto me and guideth me in the dark Paths of the Shadow of Death O Lord I have been jealous for thee and have mourned in secret for the Wickedness of some and the audacious Hypocrisie of others who have Assembled themselves to pull down what thou hadst built up by thy Mercies There yet remain Pious Souls who love the Peace of Zion and mourn under these Confusions hear their Prayers In particular have Mercy on those most flourishing Islands where so much of the Blood of thy Martyrs hath been shed turn the People in them to thy self and to their King give thy Judgments unto that poor Prince and make him worthy to have his just Prayers heard Give the Spirit of Moderation and Wisdom to his own Nation who have sent for him that they may require nothing of him but what is weighed in the Balance of Justice These Discourses being began towards Evening were continued till it was Night which he perceiving and wondring at himself said And am I yet alive and thus able to speak God hath done it he endues me with new Strength that I may glorifie him and extoll his holy Name O Lord I wait for the moment which thou hast determined I believe I persevere I am not troubled The Spirit of God witnesseth with my Spirit that I am a Child of God O Lord thou hast known me throughly I am thy Servant help all mine Infirmities perfect thy work in me Patience and Hope make not ashamed the Love of God is in me even that Love whereby I earnestly desire the Salvation of all yea of those which have offended me without Cause I forgive them and Pray for them There is no bitter Gall in me for God hath caused all bitterness to pass from me and hath given true Peace in me for I roll my self upon him § 21. On Thursday morning Thursday Jan. 5. turning his eyes towards the light he said It is day light Shortly I shall no more know the difference of Day and Night I am come to the Eve of that great and eternal day and am going unto that Place where the Sun shall no more give light God will be an everlasting Light unto me and already O Lord thou sendest the Rayes of that Light into my Soul and openest mine eyes that I may perceive them O how powerfully dost thou work in me while this Old man dyes and decayes thou puttest on me the New man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him who Createth it that is lively seeth heareth and walketh with enlarged steps it desires nothing more than an outlet into perfect Liberty Deliver me from this Prison that I may celebrate thy Name Yet neither do I so contemn this Body as not to think of its Restauration for I know thy dead shall live yea my dead Body It is sown in Corruption it shall be raised in Incorruption It is sown a vile body but it shall rise again in glory It is sown in weakness but it shall be raised again in power In a word It shall be conformed to the glorious boof our Lord Jesus Christ who is become the First-fruits of them that sleep I shall see him in my flesh My
and remember the Grace of God in me Consider how he brings me down by his mighty hand that he may exalt and Glorifie me in due time The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us This is my joy to glorifie God in my death sweet Death that is a passage unto life eternal O God strengthen the Soul of thy Servant that he may abide constant and invincible unto death I hope the Combat will not continue long Bring to pass O Lord that the End may Crown the Work § 27. Amongst the many Physitians that had attended on him there was one Dr. Crucius a Roman Catholick who came this Morning to visit him and asked him if he still continued to be of good courage Yea verily said he for I am in God and God is in me The Cross which God hath sent is small Every one must bear his Cross that he may follow Christ who hath suffered so great things for me though he deserved no such suffering This Cross increaseth my hope The Lord is Gracious who entreth not into Judgment with his poor Servant Christ hath dyed for my Sins and is risen again for my Justification A while after Mr. Wickelmans a Dutch Minister came and spake to him in the Latine tongue to whom he answered in the same Language God Strengthens me and he will preserve me from all evil I give thanks unto my God for that unspeakable goodness which he hath poured upon me he succours me in this work he hath been alwaies present with me even to this Extremity Then the Minister repeated to him the words of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness At which words he cryed out O welcome Crown there is nothing else that I wait for God dwells in me by his holy Spirit which shall never be taken away from me Grant O Lord that I may keep thy Commands Again when beholding hiâ— pains he exhorted him to patience he answered We cannot we ought noâ— to resist the will of God O Eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I give theâ— thanks for thy exceeding greaâ— benefits That it hath pleaseâ— thee that I should declare thy Praise even unto very Old Age and that thou makest me able to persist therein unto the last breath of my life § 28. At another hour when the same Minister visited him again and said You are still fighting the Good fight he answered In hope and patience I am wholly Gods and Jesus Christ's my Saviour I believe that he will keep what I have committed to him against that day Even so come Lord Jesus And when this Minister had prayed with him he returned him thanks in these words I give you thanks for your holy Prayers I doubt not but God will hear them God bless you I beseech him to make you a very powerful Instrument of his Glory He also added God hath fulfilled all his Promises in me I have seen them afar off I have believed them I have embraced them I wait for nothing more but to breathe forth my last breath God possesseth me already I feel that there is nothing wanting but that he will give me the wings of an Eagle that I may fly to the Carkass Immediately he subjoyned a verse or two out of one of Beza's French Poems to this sence O Holy Word With all my Heart To thee I flye § 29. Towards Evening the Pangs of death increased upon him The extreme Pains of his bowels his suddain fainting aâ—â— and other grievous Symptoms were the indications of approaching death But in this state and utter decay of thâ— strength of nature his exercisâ— of Faith was strengthened sâ— much the more and his patience confirmed Mourn noâ— for me said he These last hours have nothing terrible in them The body indeed suffers but the Soul is Comforted and filled abundantly The Lord is my Shepherd I shall want nothing His Rod and his Staff shall lead me safely through this short valley of the Shadow of death This little cloud hinders me not from beholding that Heavenly Light which already enlightens my Soul O Lord thou givest me light thou warmest me thou liftest me on high and I gladly follow thee being carried aloft upon the wings of Faith The sharper my pains are the nearer I am to deliverance My wound is grievous but I was silent because thou didst it Have mercy on me O Lord O my God deliver me I am impatient of delay I know that God is faithful and with the temptation he will give a way of escape that I may be able to bear it When he looked towards his Wife she thus addressed her self to him My dear I bless God and rejoyce for thee that I have seen so much of the Grace of God in thee To which he replyed Thou doest well my dear Love The Lord confirm and strengthen thy joy Mine is solid I rejoyce that thou seest the end of my Conversation Thou hast known me and thou knowest that I hate Ostentation and that more hath been attributed to me by others than I have believed of my self for I have been conscious of mine own infirmities and that whatsoever good might be in me was not of my self The Glory is to be ascribed to God alone he hath done the work Perfect O Lord and Crown thine own work I complain not of my pains I have not flattered my self in my disease for when I was first seized by it I was aware that God called for me Is it not time my dearest love Afflict not thy self I go before thou shalt follow e're long Thou hast afforded me help and hast kindly succour'd me God will bless thee and save thee doubt it not It hath been grateful to me and I most kindly accept it that thou hast had so great a Love for this little Boy pointing to his Grand-son make proof of thy love to me by loving him it is a Child void of malice and I have good hope of him if he be well guided Then calling the Child he said Give me thy hand my Son See thy Grandfather upon his death-bed Thou hast already lost thy Grandfather by Mothers side who was a pious and upright man Now thou losest thy Grandfather by Fathers side but thou hast a Grandfather in Heaven on both sides that will never be wanting to thee I hope my blessing will redound upon thee Then taking him between his hands My little Child said he Pray to God! If thou do this diligently thou shalt be like a tall and beautiful Tree planted by the Rivers of waters Have thou fair branches and be fruitful that is Fear God Then shalt thou bring forth Wisdom Prudence and Understanding Be thou Good and Beneficent shunning evil company and God will bless thee thou shalt not be