Harris had the happiness to live with and near this man of God and that in such a conjunction as greater could not be During the time of their converse they studied together and daily read a Chapter in the Original together And after Mr. Dod was restored to the liberty of his Ministry in another Diocess he would not expound a Text preach a Sermon answer a case of Conscience whereof many were daily brought to him without the concurrence of Mr. Harris with him so highly did that eminent Divine prize him and would often blame him for his reservedness and unwillingness to put forth himself Mr. Dod being as was said before removed into Northamptonshire to Fausley God was pleased to supply his want by the resort of sundry young Students from Oxford to Hanwell so that Mr. Harris his house was a little Academy and amongst others he took much comfort in Mr. Pemble who would do nothing especially in Divinity without his advice as also Mr. Capel who oft resorted to him in his grievous conflicts and temptations for advice and succour and also in his well known Treatise of Temptations Whilst he was at Hanwell he had frequent calls to London sometimes to Pauls Cross sometimes to preach before Parliaments and other sometimes at Country-Feasts which occasioned many invitations to places there But of all the Auditories that of Saviours in Southwark was most grateful to him and there he could have spent the remainder of his dayes if his voyce would have reached so great an Assembly From thence he was invited to some lesser Churches but God had not yet finished his work by him at Hanwell and therefore something or other still interposed Probably he had closed with Aldermanbury had not the then Bishop of London Land complemented him out of it commending his Conscio ad Clerum at Oxford and promising him better preferment than he thought he should merit Some other offers were made to him but still he met with some cross Providence which made him come to a resolution to end where he began At Hanwell he went over many Scriptures but his people found least good from that which cost him most pains viz. his Sermons upon the Colossians which Epistle he preached throughout Indeed at that time he thought he could not speak too highly to a people who had been so taught but upon further trial he found that he could not go too low so that as some of his hearers after told him his pains upon that Epistle was wholly lost as to them His Sermons upon Historical Scriptures best pleased most of his auditors but with himself and the more spiritual sort his labours upon the Book of the Canticles prevailed most the Notes whereof he was often pressed to make publick which he refused upon a double account 1. Because a great part of them were lost and dyed with Dr. Preston to whom he had lent them and whom he used to call A needlese engrosser of other mens Notes 2. He less satisfied himself in his elder years in divers passages of that mysterious Book Yet if the world were at leasure to hear old men speak it might be very useful to collect those dispersed Papers and it is hoped that some of his near Relations who best know his hand and method in writing may take some pains therein for the publick good At Hanwell Mr. Harris continued preaching for about forty years a constant painâ—ul and faithfull Preacher both upon the â—abbaths and other occasions which fell out often for when he came thither he found that there had been an accustomed course of preaching upon such Festival dayes then so called which might not enterâ—ere with the Lecture or Market at Banbury which he also kept up especially on Easter and Whitson Mundayes unto which multitudes of Christians resorted far and near as the Doves to the windows yet without any superstition And on the morrow they were entertained with the like Feast at Banbury by Mr. Wheatley O what a Faire of souls was then held at Hanwell and Banbury by these two Brothers How did Religion then flourish and Professors thrive like the Calves in their stalls The truth is these Preachers carved out sound and wholesome food and their hearers came with good stomacks expecting what they found viz. Milk for Babes and strong meat for strong men and accordingly did grow thereby In those dayes godly Preachers stuffed not their Sermons with aiery notions and curious speculations but sought out profitable matter which they delivered in sound words and in plain method of Doctrine Reason and Use accommodating themselves to every mans capacity and God gave them a plentifull Harvest in that Country These his imployments at home together with his natural Bookishness made him less forward to engage in Lectures abroad onely he was one in a combination at Dedington in Oxfordshire and for sometime he kept a Lecture alone at Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire every other week unto which there was a great resort both of the chief Gentry and choisest Preachers and Professors in those parts and amongst them that Noble and Learned Knight Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlcot had alwayes a great respect for him About this time a great Living in the Country was offered him about which he was very indifferent and indeed was but very indifferently dealt with in it which occasioned him to say That he never bore any thing more impatiently than the abuse of Religion to base and private ends and that carnal policy would render Profession despicable at least whilst some men took such a liberty to themselves in equivocating and dawbing and the reason of such mens success was not because they had more wit than others but more boldness to say and do what others durst not All this while he continued at Hanwell in much prosperity and the Neighbours thereabouts frequented his Sermons amongst whom he received the greatest seals of his Ministry But though he found so much encouragement from abroad yet we must not forget his people at home who were so far brought into a conformity that at sometimes there was not a Family in the Town where Gods Name was not in some measure called upon nor a person that refused to be prepared by him for the Lords Supper And as the Lord was thus pleased to bless and succeed his labours so he caused him to thrive in his outward estate likewise which himself could not but take notice of for though his means was not great and his children many for whose sakes he kept a Schoolmaster and the resort of Friends to his house not small both on Sabbath dayes and Lecture dayes yet was he in a thriving condition which occasioned him to say That there was a secret blessing attending on house-keeping For said he I am not able to give an account of my expences and of Gods supplies But now began those cloudy times and his sadder dayes when Troops and Armies
God he afterwards found not only to be beneficiall unto him in preparing his heart for his work but also that it became an effectual means of his more peaceable and comfortable settlement in that place where the people were divided amongst themselves by reason of a potent man in the Town who adhered to another Cambridge man whom he would faign have brought in But when he saw Mr. Cotton wholly taken up with his own exercises of spirit he was free from all suspition of his being Pragmatical or addicted to siding with this or that party and so both he and his party began to close more fully with him Secondly Whereas there was an Arminian party in that Town some of whom were witty and troubled others with Disputes about those points by Gods blessing upon his Labours in holding forth positively such truths as undermined the foundations of Arminianism those Disputes ceased and the Tenets of Arminianism were no more pleaded for Thus God disposeth of the hearts of hearers as that generally they are all open and loving to their Preachers at their first entrance For three or four years he lived and preached amongst them without opposition They accounted themselves happy as well they might in the enjoyment of him both the Town and Country thereabouts being much bettered and reformed by his Labours But after he was not able to bear the Ceremonies imposed his Non-Conformity occasioned his trouble in the Bishops Court at Lincoln from whence he was advised to appeal to an higher Court and imploying Mr. Leveret who afterwards was one of the Ruling Elders of the Church of Boston in New England to deal in that business and he like Jacob being a plain man yet piously subtile to get such a spiritual blessing so far insinuated himself into one of the Proctors of that high-Court that Mr. Cotton was treated by them as if he were a Conformable man and so was restored unto Boston After this time he was blessed with a successfull Ministry unto the end of twenty years In which space he on the Lords Dayes in the afternoons went over the whole Body of Divinity in a Catechistical way thrice and gave the heads of his Discourse to those that were yong Scholars others in the Town to answer his questions in publick in that great congregation and after their Answers he opened those heads of Divinity and finally applied all to the edification of his people and of such strangers as came to hear him In the morning of the Lords Dayes he preached over the first six Chapters of the Gospel of St. John the whole Book of Ecclesiastes the Prophesie of Zachariah and many other Scriptures and when the Lords Supper was administred which was usual every monâ—th he preached upon 1 Corinth 11. 2 Chron. 30. the whole Chapter besides some other Scriptures concerning that subject On his Lecture days he preached through the whole first and second Epistles of John the whole Book of Solomons Song the Parables of our Saviour set forth in Matthews Gospel to the end of Chapter the 16th comparing them with Mark and Luke He took much pains in private and read to sundry young Scholars that were in his House and to some that came out of Germany and had his house full of Auditors Afterwards seeing some inconvenience in the Peoples flocking to his House besides his ordinary Lecture on the Thursdays he preached thrice more in publick on the week days viz. on Wednesdays and Thursdays early in the morning and on Saturdays at three a clock in the afternoon Only these three last Lectures were performed by him but some few years before he had another famous Colleague He was frequent in Duties of Humiliation and Thanksgiving Sometimes he continued five or six hours in Prayer and opening the Word So indefatigable was he in the Lords Work so willing to spend and be spent therein Besides he answered many Letters that were sent him far and near wherein were handled many difficult Cases of Conscience and many doubts cleared to great satisfaction He was a man exceedingly beloved and admired of the best and reverenced of the worst of his Hearers He was in great favour with Dr. Williams the then Bishop of Lincoln who much esteemed him for his Learning and when he was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal he went to King James and speaking of Mr. Cottons great Learning and worth the King was willing notwithstanding his Non-conformity to give way that he should have his Liberty in his Ministry without interruption which was the more remarkable considering how that Kings Spirit was carried out against such wayes Also the Earl of Dorchester being at Old Boston and hearing Mr. Cotton preaching about Civil Government he was so affected with the wisdom of his words and spirit that he did ever after highly account of him and put himself forth what he could in the time of Mr. Cottons troubles to deliver him out of them that so his Boston might still enjoy him as formerly but his desires were too strongly opposed to be accomplished About this time he married his second Wife Mistriss Sarah Story then a Widow He was blessed above many in his Marriages both his Wives being pious Matâ—ons grave sober and faithfull By the first he had no children the last God made a fruitfull Vine unto him His first-born was brought forth far off upon the Sea in his passage to New England So that he being childless when he left Europe arrived a joyfull Father in America In memorial whereof he called his name Sea-born to keep alive said he in me and to teach my Son if he live a remembrance of Sea-mercies from the hand of a gracious God He is yet living and entred into the Work of the Ministry A Son of many Prayers and of great expectation The corruption of the times being now such that he could not continue in the exercise of his Ministery without sin and the envy of his maligners having now procured Letters Missive to convent him before the High Commission Court which Letters a debauched Inhabitant of that Town undertook to serve upon him who shortly after died of the Plague Mr. Cotton having intelligence thereof and well-knowing that nothing but scorns and imprisonment were to be expected from them according to the advice of many able heads and upright hearts amongst whom that holy man of God Mr. Dod of blessed memory had a singular influence he kept himself close for a time in and about London as Luther sometime did at Wittenberg and Paraeus since at Anvilla Yet was not that season of his recess unprofitable For addresses during that time were made unto him privately by divers persons of worth and piety who received satisfaction from him in their Cases of Conscience of greatest concernment And when he went into New England it was not a flight from duty but from evident danger and unto duty Not from the
his Family he was very exemplary His house was another Bethel for he did not onely constantly upon conscientious principles use morning and evening Prayer and reading the sacred Scriptures in his Family but also he catechized his children and servants wherein God gave him a singular gift for their edification for in teaching them he used not any set form but so as that he brought them whom he instructed to express the principles taught them in their own words so that his children as Gregory Nazianzen saith of his Father found him as well a spiritual as a natural Father Yea never any servant came to his house but gained a great deal of knowledge therein So likewise did diverse others who at the request of their Parents were instructed by him He was in a special manner a strict and conscionable sanctifier of the Lords day and that not onely in the exercise of publick duties incumbent upon his Office but also in the private sanctification of it in the duties of piety in and with his Family and secret in his Closet and for this end as he did forbear providing of Suppers the Eve before the Sabbath that servants might not be occasioned thereby to sit up late so neither would he suffer any servant to stay at home for dressing any meat upon the Lords day for the entertainment of friends whether they were great or mean few or many On the Sabbaths after his publick labours were ended divers Neighbours wanting helps in their own Families came to his house where he repeated his Sermons after so familiar a manner that many have professed that they were much more benefited by them in that his repetition than they were in the first hearing of them for he did not use word by word to read out of Notes what he had preached but would by Questions and Answers draw from those of his own houshold such points as were delivered and this Exercise being ended his constant course was to visit such of his Parish as were sick or by pain and weakness were dis-inabled to go to the publick Ordinances with each of whom he would discourse of some spiritual and heavenly subject suitable to their condition and after that he prayed with them wherein he had a more than ordinary gift being able in apt words and expressions to commend their several cases unto God and to put up Petitions suitable to their several needs His usual course was to pray eight times in the publick Congregation on the Lords dayes for as he prayed before and after each Sermon so also before and after his reading and expounding the Scriptures which he performed both in the forenoon and afternoon And in his Family his constant course was to pray thrice every Lords day and that in a solemn manner viz. in the morning and evening and after his repetition of the Sermons He was ordained Minister in the two and thirtieth year of his age and about a year after which was in June 1608. he was called to the exercise of his Ministry in the Parish of Black-Friars London where he continued to his dying day which was about five and forty years and six months never accepting of any other Ministerial imployment though he had the proffers of many great places His manner of coming to Black-Friars was thus That Parish being destitute of a preaching Minister Mr. Hildersam a famous pious powerful Preacher being in company with some of the better sort of the Inhabitants of Black-Friars who complained of their want he told them that there was one living in Stratford-Bow who was out of imployment whom he judged very fit for them Hereupon divers of them went thither on the Lords day where he frequently preached gratis to help the Minister that then was there and upon hearing of him they liked him so well that making report thereof to their neighbours he was by an un animous consent nemine contradicente chosen to be their Minister which election being made known to him he accepted of it and ever after shewed a great respect to the Inhabitants of that place Before Mr. Gouge came to them they had not so much as a Church of their own to meet and hear the word of God in nor any place wherein to bury their dead but by such means as he used the Church and Church-porch together with the Ministers house and Church-yard all which they enjoyed before but upon curtesie were bought in so as now they all as their proper Inheritance do belong to the Parish of Black-Friars And five years after his coming thither the old Church being found too little to entertain those multitudes that flocked thither from all parts of the City to hear him he was an instrument of purchasing in certain rooms adjoyning whereby the Church was enlarged almost as big again as it was before The sum of purchasing new building and beautifying of which Church amounted to above one thousand five hundred pounds all which was procured partly by Collections at his Lectures and partly by the voluntaâ—y contributions of his Parishoners without any publick Collections in other places After this there being divers rooms under the said Church belonging to several Land-lords he used such means as to purchase them also for the benefit of the Parish which he did the rather to prevent all dangers that by wicked minded persons might have befaln Gods people in that Church by any contrivance in the rooms under the same Thus they who had nothing of their own at his first coming have now through his procurement the whole Church the Church-porch a Church-yard a Vault to bury their dead in a very fair Vestry with other adjacent rooms besides the house wherein he himself dwelt so long as he lived all which they hold as a perpetual Inheritance They have also a Lease of certain Tenements of a considerable value for three hundred years all which were procured by his Prudence Interest and Industry Such was his love and respect to this Parish as though he was oft proffered places of far greater value yet he refused them all oft saying That the height of his ambition was to go from Black-Friers to Heaven At his first coming to Black-Friers being in the thirty third year of his age he preached constantly besides twice every Lords day a weekly Lecture viz. on the Wednesdayes in the forenoon which for the space of about thirty five years was very much frequented and that not only by his Parishioners but by divers City Ministers and by sundry pious and judicious Gentlemen of the Innes of Court besides many other well-disposed Citizens who in multitudes flocked to hear his heavenly Doctrine yea such was the fame of Dr. Gouge his Ministry that when any Country Ministers and godly Christians came to London about their affairs they thought not their business fully ended unless they had been at Black-Friers Lecture And it pleased God to give such a
he handsomely fish out the business from the Bishop wherefore he went another way to work and indeed the surest way by seeking counsel from God communicating the matter to Dean Hill a very godly man whom he requested that with some others they would seek unto God for his assistance for he believed that something was in brewing that he might not know of Herein imitating the practise of wise Daniel Chap. 2. 17 18. This done he studied the Rights of the Irish Church some fruits whereof we have in that Learned Piece of his called The Religion professed by the ancient Irish and Britains Yet he heard nothing till the Assembly was summoned and himself the next day was to be present at it then went he to the Lord Deputy to know the occasion of their meeting The Lord Deputy would not believe at first that he could be a stranger to it but afterwards when Mr. Usher had assured him that he had no information from the Bishops about it he was much displeased and told him that without him all the the rest were but Cyphers for that the King had referred the whole business to his judgement whether the power of the Hierarchy should be established there as it was in England The next day the Kings Commission and Letters were read in the Assembly and Speeches were made concerning the excellency of the Kings intention to reduce that Kingdome to one uniformity with England in Ecclesiastical Government they also told him what honour the King had put upon him whose esteem learning and judgement the King so much depended upon for the promoting so great and good a work Mr. Usher replied that he believed that in a business of so great concernment wherein he was so far interested the Kings intentions were that he should have convenient time to consider of it before he delivered his opinion which he also humbly desired The Bishops answered that his judgement was sufficiently known by his practise and that they expected no more from him but his consent and concurrence with them He replied that the matter concerned more than himself For said he if I had all mens consciences in my keeping I could in these disputable cases give Laws unto them as well as unto my self but it s one thing what I can do and another thing what all other men must do Then they asked of him if he had any thing to say why they should not satisfie the Kings desire He after a short pause wherein he lifted up his heart unto God for direction told them that if they would grant him no longer time he would as well as he was able give them his judgement if that Honourable Assembly would grant him three Requests 1. A free hearing without interruption 2. Liberty for him to answer any man that should be unsatisfied 3. That there might be a final determination of the business at that meeting These being all granted Mr. Usher undertook to prove that such a Jurisdiction could not be introduced into that Kingdome neither by the Laws of God nor by the Civil or Ecclesiastical Constitutions of that Kingdome nor yet without the violation of the Kings Prerogative in that Nation All which he performed to admiration But before he descended to particulars he shewed the difference between Conformity as it was set up in England and as it would be if it were set up in Ireland The Kings saith he and Queen of England imposed those Ceremonies that thereby they might decline the charge of Schismaticks wherewith the Church of Rome laboured to brand them seeing it did appear hereby that they left them only in such Doctrinal points wherein they left the truth Again hereby they would testifie how far they would willingly stoop to win and gain them by yeelding to meet them as far as they might in their own way But saith he the experience of many years hath shewed that this condescention hath rather hardened them in their errours than brought them to a liking of our Religion This being their usual saying If our Flesh be not good why doe you drinke of our Broth As for Ireland wherein the English Canons were never yet received and the generality of the Inabitans were Popish Recusants and even in Popish Kings times there was no receptions of the Popes Ecclesiastical Constitutions because he encroached upon their temporals if such Laws now should be set up under so Religious a Protestant King this would be to set the Pope on Horse-back amongst them which needed not The Lord Deputy when he had finished his Speech and answered what was objected against it told him that he was much affected with every part of his learned speech but that he was more especially concerned in that which touched upon the Kings Prerogative part wherein he had discovered such hidden flowers of the Crown as he thought the King himself knew not and therefore he said as he would endeavour to preserve his Majesties right therein whilst he was his Deputy so he would present them to the King and take care that it should be very hard for any that came after him to rob him of them By this we may easily see that he was then so far from a Prelatical spirit that on the contrary he was an Advocate for and Patione of godly and conscientious Non-Conformists Anno Christi 1612 he proceeded Dr. of Divinity being created by Archbishop Hampton his Predecessor one of his Lectures for his Degree was upon the seventy weeks to the slaying of the Messias mentioned Dan. 9. 24. the other out of Rev. 20. 4. concerning the meaning of the Prophesie that the Saints should reign with Crist a thousand years which in these times would be very seasonable but it s lost Dr. Hoyle who died Professor of Divinity in Oxford after he had many years been the like in Dublin said that when he went out Dr. of Divinity he thought Tully himself could not have excelled him in Eloquence had he been alive not only in his composed speeches but in those which occasionally fell from him upon the by Anno Christi 1613 He published his Book De Ecclesiaram Christianarum successione statu magnified so much by Causabon and Scultetus in their Greek and Latine verses before it It was solemnly presented by Archbishop Abbot to King James as the eminent first fruits of that College at Dublin Indeed its imperfect for about three hundred years from Gregory the 11 to Leo the 10 viz. from the year 1371 to 1513 and from thence to this last Century which he intended after the finishing of a Book which he was now about to have compleated But the Lord prevented him Anno Christi 1615 there was a Parliament in Dublin and consequently a Convocation of the Clergy at which time those learned Articles of Ireland were composed and published and Dr. Usher being a member of that Synod was appointed to draw them up they were highly approved of the
was offered with strength of Argument against gain-sayers She was eminent for the grace of Humility and when I have said that she was of an humble spirit what can be said more This the Apostle would have us to be cloathed withall 1 Pet. 5. 7. Humility is the ornament of all Graces It s that Salt that seasons the best parts and graces So humble was the spirit of this excellent Gentlewoman that the poorest might have free access unto her and receive curteous language from her mouth and liberal almes from her heart and hand both being opened wide for their relief The observation of this humble deportment from her child-hood gained the heart of her dear Husband unto her long before she was ripe for her Marriage Her humble spirit evidently appeared by her condescending to them of low estate the servants in her Family the poorest and meanest in the Parish where she lived will bear witness to the truth of this particular She was of a meek and quiet spirit which as the Apostle saith 1. Pet. 3. 3. is in the sight of God of great price All her Relations will attest her meek deportment and how much she hated brawls and contentions Her very enemies if they would speak their consicences can testifie her readiness to pass by injuries So far she was from rendring reviling for revilings that she endeavoured to recâ—mpence â—vil with good and prayed for such as despitefully used her professing that it was the desire of her â—â—ul to do her very enemies all the Christian offices of love which lay in her power Special notice ought also to be taken of her Wisdome and Gravity in the ordering of her conversation Her discourses were savoury administring Grace to the hearers and tending to edification Her behaviour was modest and grave though she was of a cheerfull spirit yet it was without levity She was no tatler busie-body no medler in the affairs of others She was no gadder up and down from house to house hearing and telling of news as too many do to the wounding of the reputations of others The vain and frivolous discourse of some who came to visit her was an heavy burden and affliction to her spirit The dicourses of such as tended to the defaming and blasting others reputation were a great grief and trouble unto her and when she heard such discourses she would endeavour to turn the stream another way and move such discourse as might be profitable for the souâ—s good Her Love was very eminent towards all those that feared God she was with David a Companion to such a lover of their acquaintance who were the Saints the excellent ones Psal. 16. 3. Insomuch as when she apprehended any thing of God though in persons inclining to separation and of a contrary judgement from her she was so compassionate as to labour with much sweetness and candour to convince them of their errours and to wâ—n them to the truth imitating herein the holy practice of learned Musculus who gained some Anabaptists and Sectaries by kindness and benefits and 〈◊〉 them as much by love as by arguments Her holy Courage deserves special notice for though she was humble meek and loving yet she was stout and couragious in declaring her judgement upon just occasions before those whom she knew to be contrary minded hating compliance against conscience and doubting alwayes the soundness and sincerity of those who duâ—st not own their opinions She was much of her worthy Fathers temper in that particular who hath been often heard to say that a Coward can hardly be an honest man and much of Esters resolution desiring rather to suffer her self than sluggishly and silently to see the truths of God to suffer She was a praying Christian She was much in prayers and tears much in a sacred acquaintance and holy communion with God Her gift in prayer was very great She was much in her Closet alone and there much upon her knees An excellent patern for womens imitation which by no means should suffer that great duty to be omitted It was a Character of Paul when converted Act. 9. 11. Behold he prayes Praying Christians are the best Christians they are prevailing Christians and as Reverend and holy Mr. Dod was used to say Never dâ—spair of that person who can but pray She was â—ixed and 〈◊〉 in Religion having frequently read the Scriptures 〈◊〉 many â—ound orthodox and practical Divines she became settled rooted and grounded in the truth She was one that held fast her profession without wavâ—ing She was not 〈◊〉 about with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4. 14. neither was she of their humours who for politick ends comply with all companies in their opinions She kept close to the publick Ministry where she lived there she heard the word faithfully dispensed She neither was of their opinion nor practice who out of I know not what kinde of singularity separate from the Ministry of a godly Pastor and Husband Her delight was very great in Gods Ordinances and she was glad when they said Let us go to the house of the Lord in company She had such an high esteem of and longing desire unto the house of God that when her strength failed her she would be carried thither by reason of lameness the feet of her body were weak but the feet of her soul her affections were strong nimble and vigorous Look upon her in her Relations as a Wife a Mother and Mistress and you shall see she was mindefull of her duty to God in them all Her great care and endeavour was to set up God in her Family in order whereunto she bestowed great pains in Catechising of her children and other near Relations committed unto her charge Her great design was to bring them all up in the fear and admonition of the Lord and to inculcate again and again that main and needfull lesson of Remembring their Creator in the dayes of their youth Much pains she took in Catechising and instructing her servants especially before they were to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper She used to examine them of the Sermons they heard and she customarily read over those Sermon Notes to them which she had taken â—t Church that so they might be the better prepared to give an account thereof to her Husband God was pleased to give her several Olive branches round about her Table well bred well Catechised and well governed and of very great hopes As Eunice and Lois instructed young Timothy so she instructed those hopefull little ones in the holy Scriptures and acquainted them with the knowledge of God in their tender years Thus according to Solomons counsel they were trained up in the way wherein they should walk Prov. 21. 6. and that even from their childhood insomuch as one of them though very young hearing a neighbour using the name of the Lord upon a sleight occasion reproved him for it alleadging the Commandement
the rest of the Chapter all those places the Lord often made a stay unto my soul And afterwards the Lord so blessed one means or other unto me insomuch as I was kept from sinking and falling into such horrour as many of the people of God sometimes fell into But yet my fears and doubts were so many as that my comfort never lasted long If the Lord did but hide his face I was troubled No longer could I beleeve then I found new strength given in that the Lord would ever have mercy upon my soul. The sense of Original sin and Actual transgressions in their filthiness and guiltiness caused my fears yet to remain upon my spirit my faith then seemed very small if I had any which I much questioned I durst not then say Lord encrease my faith but I could cry earnestly Lord work faith in me I found much dulness and deadness manifold distractions in duties so that God might justly have withdrawn himself from me for ever yet notwithstanding all my uneven walking with God he was graciously pleased to manifest his mercy unto my soul. When I was stricken with such weaknesses as I apprehended might quickly have ended my life I fell into a great fear At the first finding my heart to sink the Lord was pleased to gâ—ive me so much respite as to pour out my soul before him desiring strength and support from him to keep up my spirit and to make me willing to submit to his dispensations and the Lord graciously answered my prayers in that he removed all my former doubtings and fears all the time of that sickness which was long and so dangerous that neither I nor others expected my life The Lord then cleared up my evidences for Heaven and gave me in so much comfort against the apprehension of death as I never had in all my life before Other like trials of the Lords love I found still when I was in the greatest extremity and stood most in need of help from him insomuch as at such times I have hoped that I should never again have questioned the love of God to my soul But I have found it otherwise by sad experience For when these impressions were worn of I have been ready to call all in question again concerning my poor soul. It made me oft to think of that which was laid to Solomons charge that he forgat the Lord that had appeared to him twice I found it the hardest thing to believe that ever I went about But this wavering condition could not satisfie my soul for the Lord giving me sometimes a glimpse of his love made me long after fuller enjoyments of it so that I was carried out with a restless impatience to beg that the Lord would take away the heart of unbelief from me which did both dishonour him and hinder me from that peace which the Lord was willing that his people should enjoy My heart then being brought unto that frame I was more willing than ever I was before to impart my condition unto some spiritual Friends whom I desired to deal impartially with me acquainting them with the whole condition of my soul how far the Lord had carried me on and at what I stuck and still as new objections did arise I laboured to get satisfaction Being convinced that I had too much prejudiced my self in that I had not sooner made my condition known to some who were able to give me advice This way of communicating my condition I found the Lord blessed unto my soul insomuch that my hopes were more confirmed my fears more removed my faith more strengthned and by the hearing of such Sermons and reading such Books as came closest unto the conscience and were most for trial of ones spiritual condition I found the greatest benefit by and received the most comfort from them Formerly I had many fears that I was not one of them who had an interest in the Election of Grace But the Lord afterwards put into my heart to enquire whether I had those Graces of his Spirit wrought in me which none but his own elect people could have Upon the strictest searching into mine own heart the Lord was pleased after many years of fear at last to evidence unto my soul that there was a change wrought in my heart will and affections notwithstanding the remainders of sin and corruption which still encompassed me about being confident that he that had begun this good work would not leave it unfinished unto the day of Jesus Christ and the Lord was pleased to set home divers Promises for the strengthning of my faith to wit those which set down the Everlasting Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. The Everlasting love of God Jer. 31. 3. Joh. 11. 13. The certainty of the Foundation 2 Tim. 2. 19. The certainty of the Promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. They are all in Christ Yea and Amen and that the children of God have eternal life promised unto them and that none shall be ever able to pluck them out of Christs hands Joh. 10. 28. Then for divers years the Lord was pleased to stay me to lead and guide me till he had set my feet upon that Rock which is higher than I from whence I trust that I shall never be removed And now my hearts desire is to ascribe that measure of hope and comfort which the Lord hath given me at any time onely unto the praise of the glory of his Grace who hath made me accepted in his Beloved which is so great a mercy as I can never be thankfull enough for nor walk answerable thereunto I know when I look into my heart there is matter of fear that the Lord will withdraw the influences of his comforts from me But that which I rest upon is the free mercy of God in Christ expecting performance of his Promises made Rom. 6. 16. Sin shall not have dominion over you because you are not under the Law but under Grace And Ezek. 36. 25. that he will sprinkle clean water upon me and that he will give me a new heart and put a new spirit within me that he will take away my stony heart and give me an heart of flesh being perswaded that the Lord will keep me by his own Power through faith unto salvation And now that I may have all the Graces of the Spirit strengthened and encreased in me which I finde that I stand in continual need of It is the desire of my soul to be a partaker of the Lords Supper which through the blood of Christ onely I have right unto This is the particular account of Gods gracious dealing with this godly Gentlewoman considering there was no administration of the Sacrament in that Parochial Congregation where she lived and used formerly to receive it nor any Pastor at all to officiate there she being desirous to enjoy that great Ordinance and that after a pure way of administration sent this aforementioned Narrative
great admirer of that man of God Mr. William Perkins and a Reverend Observer of all the most eminent men of that Time who were famous in their Generation carefully and safely laying up in the faithfull Treasury of his Memory what he heard from them which was an evident presage of his future abilities and that he was likely to become a skilfull Master Builder in the House of God and an excellent Instrument of winning many souls unto Christ. He was acute in the Greek and well skilled in the Hebrew and Arabick Tongues which he sparingly made use of only upon necessary occasions not for ostentation to amuse such hearers as seem to be most pleased with what they least understand but for the more full and clear opening of the Text and giving the genuine interpretation thereof from its Divine Oâ—lginals whose full sense and native Elegancies proper to every Language cannot always be expressed to the life without recourse to the Fountains For as St Austin saith Habet omnis Lingua sua quaeque propria genera locutionum quae cum in aliam linguam transferuntur videntur absurda Every Lnnguage hath its proper kind of speeches which being translated into another Tongue seem to be absurd He very well understood and spake the Italian French and Spanish Tongues and had read very many grave and witty Authors in each of them whereof by the excellency of his wit he made admirable use even in Divinity which now a days many illiterate persons most audaciously and presumptuously defile with unhallowed hearts and unwashed hands he being able by an holy Alchimy as was said of Virgil Aurum de stircore he could draw gold out of a Dunghil to make every thing serve to his powerfull perswasions wherein he excelled He likewise studied History Politicks and Physick of all which he made excellent use in his amplifications illustrations and insinuations of more Divine Subjects Every thing furnished him with more moving expressions of his sweet notions in Prayer and Preaching which made him a burning as well as a shining Light with greater brightness and lustâ—e While he was yet a Fellow in Emanuel College in a due compliance with the pious Statutes of that House he entred into the Office of the Ministry Sept. the 24th Anno Christi 1601 which he took not upon him as a shelter to save a Fellowship but to gain souls unto God For which purpose he immediatly betook himself to that Evangelicall work of Preaching for the most part at a place called Coxton not far from Cambridg and in some other places thereabouts where besides the prosecution of his other studies and performance of sundry exercises in the College he had preached twenty eight Sermons within the space of eleven moneths which was a rare thing in those times when the Fellows of Houses were rather hinderers than furtherers of so good a work if undertaken by younger men After he was transplanted from that Nursery and setled in a Pastorall chargâ— many miles distant from that University to shew his thankfull acknowledgment of the honorary supports of his breeding received from those famous Seminaries he gave to the Library of Pembroke-Hall Great Basils Works Greek and Latine in two Volumes in Folio with these Verses written in them which discovered a specimen of his happy strain and Genius of purer Poëtry as well as his gratefull minde Quae mihi formasti teneros impuberis annos Grandaeva at gravida ingeniis foelicibus Aula Pembrochiae Fas sit minimo veneranda tuorum Ingentis tenuem officii deponere partem And to Emanuel College Library he gave all the Councils in Greek and Latine of Binius Edition in Folio in five Volumes with these verses Sacra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 studiis Domus hospita sacris Emanuel mihi quae juvenilibus arbitra caeptis Culturam comites victum gratissima Musis Otia porrexâ—i sic te nascentia porrò Faecundam claris mirentur saecula naâ—is Donato ut liceat tantillum reddere tantis And to the University Library he gave all Gregory Nazianzens and Gregory Nissens Works Greek and Latine in four Volumes in Folio with these Verses Accipe parva tui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mater Alumni Sic te perpetuâ florentem pube Nepotum Sera Manus Sophiae lumen morumque Magistram Artis Praesidium Britonum decus Orbis amorem Delicias Regum fidei venerentur Alylum Having thus traced his wayes and procedure in the University we must now follow him into the Country For in September Anno Christi 1602 he was by the cleer and good providence of God without the concurrence of the plottings and contrivances of cunning or insinuating friends fairly and freely called to the Pastorall charg of a great Flock at Wrington a Market-Town in the County of Sommerset being presented thereunto by that Honourable and famous Knight St Arthur Capel of Little Hadam in Hertford shire Great Grandfather to the Lord Capel now living There did he in obedience to his Call forthwith settle himself and immediatly he set upon the work for which he was sent viz. to instruct and turn unto righteousness that great people who had never before enjoyed the blessing of a Preaching Minister or Ministry amongst them which therefore required the greater skill and industry of the spirituall Husbandman to manure and manage such an incultured plot so that he was to them if not to the whole Country adjacent the first that by preaching the Gospell brought Religion into credit and discovered to them the Heavenly Canaan which before was to most of them a Terra incognita as an unknown land and thereby left them much richer both in spirituals and temporals than he found them Insomuch that he might at length in a proportion say of that place as Augustus the Emperour did of Rome Lateritiam reperi marmoream reliqui I found it built of bricks but I left it built of marble Mr. Crook having thus pitched and fixed his Pastorall staff as he never sought higher or other earthly preferments though his capacity and credit was well known to be such as made him capable of and opened a ready way for it so he never accepted of any additions or accessions of maintenance or honour though they were Honourably profered by such Persons as were able to have advanced him As for the course of his Ministry and deportment his progress was answerable to his beginings yea his works were most and best at the last For as he Preached so he practised his whole life being but one continued Commentary upon his Doctrine and an exemplary Sermon consisting of living words or of words translated into works as will further appear in its due place Few men ever came into a place with greater expectation which yet he not only satisfied but exceeded it Few men could draw after them those affections and admiration which he did which also were
University being a means to set up Lectures in many of them and very often assisting in them and as our Savior is observed by some Divines to have preached more frequently the nearer he was to his departure so this his faithful servant as it were presaging that his day would be but short towards his evening he made the more haste and speed in his journy towards his end and yet more abounded in this work of the Lord and now findes That his labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Thus of him as a Minister And lastly as he was a Christian he was active for God as his Saviour Act. 10. 38. Going up and down and doing good and though otherwise modest yet when the case required it bold in a good cause He was spiritual in communion and a quickner of those with whom he conversed Fruitful in discourse by which the frame of his spirit might easily be discovered Frequent in asking questions which was both his humility and Christian good husbandry thereby to improve himselfe his time and company Affable he was to others of much humility and low thoughts of himself and of great integrity and singleness of heart towards God his Truth Ordinances wayes and servants of a very publick spirit and much affected with the various conditions of the State but especially of the Church and people of God He was a most loving Husband to his wife and a dutiful son to his Parents and in his life time very helpful to his other Relations Many poor both of the University and Town do now feel the want of his bounty which they tasted of in his life time and both they and others had done more at his death as appeared by his intentions of it in the draught of his Will had not the suddenness of his change prevented it In a long continued Quartan God had knocked at his door which in the interim of his recovery awakened him to get all within ready against the coming of his Lord which though to his friends was unexpected yet found not him unprepared In his short sickness he expressed to an intimate Friend his great comfort and joy in Gods discriminating electing-love and to a Reverend Doctor about half an hour before his departure who enquired of him about the setling of his outward estate and inward peace he readily and without the least hesitancy answered that throâ—gh the mercy of God in Christ his peace was made and that he quietly rested in it whereby it seems as was said by one he had his Faith at his fingers ends and having before given all diligence to make his calling and election sure though he was somewhat suddenly called out of this life yet had he an abundant entrance set open to him into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ departing quietly in the Lord Decem. 18. 1653. As to himself he had lived a fruitful and gracious life and therefore as Clemens Romanus speaks of some of the first and best Bishops he closed up all with a happy and blessed death and as to others he lived approved and dyed desired and very much lamented He was a great Friend to the publication of the lives of godly and eminent Ministers and Christians and assisting to me in procuring information concerning the Lives of some of those Worthies whom I have formerly printed Dr. WILLIAM GOUGE The Life and Death of Dr. Gouge who dyed Anno Christi 1653. WIlliam Gouge was born in Stratford-Bow in the County of Middlesex Novem. 1. Anno 1575. His Father Mr. Thomas Gouge was a godly Gentleman His Mother was the vertuous and pious Daughter of Mr. Nicholas Culverel a Merchant in London and she was sister to those two famous Preachers Mr. Samuel and Mr. Ezekiel Culverel she had also two sisters who were married to those two famous and learned Divines Dr. Chaderton the Master of Emanuel College in Cambridge and Dr. Whitaker the Regius Professor of Divinity in the same University so that by the Mothers side he came of a stock of eminent Preachers Our William Gouge in his younger years was first trained up in Pauls School London and was afterwards sent to a Free-school at Felsted in Essex where he was trained up three years under the publick Ministry of his Uncle Mr. Ezekiel Culverel by whose labours he was much wrought upon and if not first begotten yet much built up in his holy Faith as himself often expressed From thence he was sent to Eaton where he was educated other six years during all which time he was more than ordinarily studious and industrious for when other boyes upon play-dayes took liverty for their sports and pastimes he would be at his book wherein he took more delight than others could finde in their Recreations whereby he profited beyond many his equals At this time whilst he was a Schollar at Eaton he was possessed with an holy fear of God was conscionable in secret prayer and in sanctifying the Sabbaths and was much grieved at the ordinary prophanation thereof by sports and pastimes which were then and there too much allowed as he did oft-times in his life with much thankfulness unto God express From the School at Eaton he was chosen to Kings College in Cambridge whither he went Anno Christi 1595. and at the first entrance of his studies he applied himself to P. Ramus his Logick and grew so expert therein that in the publick Schools he maintained and defended him insomuch as when on a time divers Sophisters set themselves to vilifie Ramus for which end the Respondent had given this question Nunquam erit magnus cui Ramus est magnus which some of the Sophisters hearing and knowing the said William Gouge to be an accute disputant and a stiff defender of Ramus they went to the Divinity Schools where he was then hearing an Act and told him how in the other Schools they were abusing Ramus he thereupon went into the Sophisters Schooles and upon the Moderators calling for another Opponent he stepped up and brought such an argument as stumbled the Respondent whereupon the Moderator took upon him to answer it but could not satisfie the doubt This occasioned a Sophister that stood by to say with a loud voice Do you come to vilifie Ramus and cannot answer the Argument of a Ramist Whereupon the Moderator rose up and gave him a box on the ear then the School was all on an uproar but the said William Gouge was safely conveyed out from amongst them When he was Senior Sophister he was chosen Moderator of the Sophisters Acts in the publick Schools which was a place of great credit and he began every Act with a solemn speech in Latine which was not usual in those dayes and it added much grace to the Act. The said William Gouge took his degrees in order performing for every one of them all those
blessing to his Ministry that many of his Auditors though living in other Parishes upon Trial before sundry Elderships have confessed that the first seeds of Grace sown in their hearts were by the blessing upon Dr. Gouges Ministry And indeed herein God wonderfully honoured his labours by making him an aged Father in Christ to beget many Sons and Daughters unto God and to nourish up others in the wayes of righteousnesse thousands having been converted and built up by his Ministry He used also every month to preach a preparation Sermon before the Communion on the Eve before each monthly Sacrament He was eminently laborious and faithful in the work of his Ministry even to his dying day preaching so long as he was able to creep up into the Pulpit As a tree planted in the House of the Lord he was fruitful even in his old age Psal. 92. 13 14. He often used to say in his latter dayes that he could preach with more ease than he could get up into the Pulpit the reason whereof doubtlesse was this because as the encrease of his Asthma dis-inabled him to go so the encrease of his Intellectuals enabled him to preach with more ease than in his younger dayes His preacing was alwaes very distinct First he opened his Text giving the true and proper sense of it then gave he the Logical Analysis of it and then gathered such proper observations as naturally flowed from it and properly and pertinently improved and applied the same by which method his Ministry proved very profitable to his hearers Many have acknowledged that in regard of the Logical resolution of his Text he went beyond all that ever they heard as also in clearing difficult and doubtful places of Scripture as they came in his way And as his method was clear so were his expressions plain alwayes delivering the solid points of Divinity in a familiar stile to the capacity of the meanest As for his life and conversation it was holy and exemplary himself practising what he preached unto others and living over his own Sermons his Doctrine and his practice concurred and went hand in hand together Before these times of Examination of persons before their admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper he used to go to the houses of the better sort in his Parish where he appointed a time for them and their whole Families to meet together that he might examine how fit they were to be admitted to that Ordinance yea he appointed sundry small Families to meet together on a certain day that he might make trial of their fitness also and then his manner was not to admit any of the younger sort to the Sacrament till in his judgement he found them fitted for it Though he addicted himself much to his studies and carried himself peaceably yet wanted he not those that did envy and malign him and that took all occasions to do him what mischief they could As in the case of Serjeant Finch his book about the Calling of the Jews which Dr. Gouge only published and the author himself owned it yet for his publication of it he was committed to prison and kept there for the space of nine weeks together King James being informed that the Serjeant had in that Book declared and endeavoured to prove that the Jews should have a visible Kingdome which should be above all other Kingdoms which Doctrin he abhorred he thereupon grew extream impatient Bishop Neal also with others provoked him against the publisher of the Book which so incensed him that he would admit of no Apology Yet after a while Dr. Gouge was moved distinctly to declare his judgement and opinion about that point of the calling and conversion of the Jews which he did in these ensuing Propositions All that I can gather out of the holy Scriptures about this point is 1. That the Calling of the Jews importeth more than a spiritual Calling to beleeve in Jesus Christ and to imbrace the Gospel 2. This their spiritual Calling may be called an outward glorious Calling in regard of the visibility and generallity of it to put a difference betwixt the promised Calling of the Nation and the continual Calling of some few persons For in all ages since the rejection of the Jews some few here and there have been called Thus the Calling of the Gentiles in the Apostles time when Christians had no pompous Civil Government was an outward glorious Calling by reason of the visible famous Church which they had 3. It is probable that at or after their Calling they shall not be scattered as now they are but shall be gathered together into Churches and be freed from the bondage and slavery wherein they have been many years together 4. To give them a Soveraignty over all the whole Church seemeth to me to be derogatory to that absolute Sovereignty which Christ the head of his Church hath in whom the promises of the perpetuity of Davids Scepter of the extent of his Dominion of the subjection of all Nations are accomplished 5. To set down the distinct time place and other like circumstances of their Calling needeth more than an ordinary spirit and implies too much curiosity 6. The point of the Calling of the Jews being no fundamental point of Christian Religion to be over stiff in holding one thing or other therein to the disturbance of the peace of the Church comes near to Schisme Upon which being examined by Archbishop Abbot and his answer approved he was released from his imprisonment Ordinarily in the Summer Vacation he was with his Family in the Country but not so much for his own ease as for the further service of Gods Church for besides his preaching every Lords day in the place where he resided he improved his time for the publication of those his Treatises which are now in Print viz. The whole Armour of God Domestical duties An Explanation of the Lords Prayer Gods three Arrows of the Plaâ—ue Famine Sword upon occasion of those Judgments then raging The Saints Sacrifice of Thanksgiving upon his recovery from a dangerous sickness To which is now added his Commentary upon the whole Epistle to the Hebrews which was the subject of his Wednesdayes Lectures for many years While he was setled at Black-Friers he Commenced Batchelour of Divinity Anno Christi 1611. which was the eighth year after he had taken the Degree of Master of Arts. Anno Christi 1628 he proceeded Dr. of Divinity at which time eight London Ministers proceeded Doctors upon which occasion Dr. Collins the then Regius Professor put up Mr. Gouges Degree and procured it to pass in the Regent-house before he had any notice thereof and without his consent whereby he did in a manner force him to take his Degree yet so as when he heard what was done he readily went to Cambridge and performed all his Acts according to the Statutes of the University as he had done at the taking of
is given to those who in their life-time were Governours of the Hospital of Bridewell one of which number this worthy Doctor was yea and a Benefactor too to that House As also that he should not affixe any Escocheons to his Herse though he was a Gentleman of an ancient Descent as if he had thought that the poverty of Christ was his Patrimony and Coat of Arms and his interest in him his greatest and best atchievement or as if both living and dead he would be as the Apostle speaks cloathed with Humility He was much in Communion with God and contented not himself only with his constant daily and ordinary holy duties but was also frequent in extraordinary exercises In the Bishops times when it was not permitted to keep Fasts in the publick Congregations he was one of those Ministers who frequently holp private Christians in their more retired Humiliations In times of fears and dangers he with divers others had sometimes monthly yea sometimes weekly Fasts whereof many were kept in his own house and others of them in his Vestry which he was observed to perform with extraordinary reverence awfulness of spirit His Confessions were accompanied with much sense of and sorrow for sin brokenness of heart self-abhorrency judging of the creature and justifying of God His petitions were pertinent judicious spiritual seasonable accompanied with faith and fervency like a true son of Jacob he wrestled with supplications and tears as resolving not to depart out of Gods presence without a blessing But there was none like him in Thanksgiving when a man would have thought that he had spent the last drop of his spirits and strength in Confession and Prayer O! how would he recollect is spirits when he came to the work of Thanksgiving wherein he would be so large particular warm and vigorous that in the end of the day when mens affections grew flat he would so revive and quicken them as if the work had been then but newly begun and as if that had been the onely work of the day and herein indeed he may be a pattern to all his surviving Brethren in the Ministry He was very inquisitive after the state and condition of the Church of Christ both at home and abroad that he might accordingly order his prayers in their behalf of whom he was never unmindful in his addresses unto God And when he heard that it went ill with the Church of God in any place like another Nehemiah he sate him down and wept and mourned and fasted and prayed unto the God of Heaven in their behalf His study was as great to advance Christ as to debase himself He used frequently to say When I look upon my self I see nothing but emptiness and weakness but when I look upon Christ I see nothing but fulness and sufficiency When the hand of his body was weak and shaking that of his soul his faith was strong and steddy When he could not hold the Cup at the Sacrament nor scarce carry it to his own mouth by reason of his Palsie hand yet then with a firme anâ— fixed affiance did he lay hold upon Christ and with a strong and eager appetite applied his blood to his soul and his manner was sweetly to breathe forth joyful Thanksgivings for his refreshment by the blood of Christ when he was returned to his house after the Lords Supper yea when he could hardly creep with his body to the place where it was celebrated and was forced many times to make use of the help of others to support him in his passage thither even then did his faith run swiftly and was upon the wing to carry him to Christ. When worldly suports failed him when health and strength forsook him he made Jesus Christ the staff of his old age often professing as his great misery and impotency without him so his holy and humble recumbency upon him Great was his patience under the visiting hand of God especially in his old age when God exercised him with painful maladies Though by reason of the sharpness and bitterness of his pains occasioned by the stone and acuteness of his urine and that Lethalis arundo as he oft called it that deadly arrow in his side which he knew could never be plucked out but by death I mean his Asthma which he got by an excessive cold in attending upon publick imployments Notwithstanding I say by reason of these he was often heard to groan yet never did he once grumble against the dispensations of God Never did he complain of God for his sufferings though oft of himself for sinning He never cryed out A great sufferer but oft A great sinner and yet he would overtake that expression again with the discoursing of and comforting himself in A great Saviour and in the depth of his torments he would say Well yet in all these there is nothing of Hell or of Gods wrath His sufferings were never so deep but he could see the bottome of them and would say Soul be silent soul be patient It is thy God and Father that thus ordereth thy estate Thou art his clay he may tread and trample on thee as pleaseth him Thou hast deserved much more It is enough that thou art kept out of Hell Though thy pain be grievous yet it is tollerable Thy God affords some intermissions he will turn it to thy good and at length put an end to all none of these can be expected in Hell He used often to make mention of the extent of obedience which he said was not onely to endeavour to do what God requireth but also patiently to bear what Gods will is to lay upon his creature as Christ himself though he were the Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered In his greatest pangs he oft used this speech of holy Job Shall we receive good from the hands of God and not evil He often commended his soul unto Christ and used to say I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day When any of his Friends went about to comfort him in those gifts which God had bestowed on him and works which he had wrought by him he would answer I dare not think of any such thing for comfort Jesus Christ and what he hath done and endured is the only ground of my sure comfort Many that came to visit him in his weakness professed that they went away better than they came by reason of those savoury and gracious speeches and expressions that proceeded from him Though towards his latter end his fits of the stone were frequent and sharp having sometimes four or five of them in an hour yet such was his desire to finish that his so much desired Commentary upon the Epistle to the Hebrews that so soon as the bitter pain of his fit was over he still returned to his work making some further progress therein And thus he
spoken came to him in private and asked him whether he meant this of the Ministry of England as now constituted He returned him this answer Although I will not justifie the calling of every individual Minister in the Church of England as you dare not justifie the Saintship of every member in your Independent Congregations yet I will be ready when and where you please to maintain the Office and Calling of Englands Ministry at this day And that he continued unmoved and unchanged in his judgement and esteem of the Ministerial Calling to the last may be manifested by this passage in his last Will and Testament which is here set down in his own words and written with his own hand For my Son Jeremiah my desire is that he be bred a Scholar and that the Lord would spiritually incline his heart freely to give up himself to the Lord to serve him in the work of the Ministry which Calling and Imployment though now despised I do esteem above all others in the world and do commend it to all mine that if the Lord bless them with Sons they would commend this Calling to their Posterity And truly this deserves seriously to be considered whether there be not herein much to credit and encourage the Ministry of the Gospel that a learned man and so eminent for piety who also had throughly studied the Controversie of the times and had heard and read what could be said against the Ministry should yet upon his Death-bed give such a Testimony unto it when he daily expected to make up his account before God and also give such great encouragement to his Posterity to addict themselves to this calling now even now when such disgrace is cast upon it and when the Ministers setled maintenance is threatned to be taken from them And may not those men who knew Mr. Whitakers worth be hereby awed and moved to take heed how they oppose or slight that Calling of men whom he living and dying judged to be so highly honoured by God himself To this also adde that it was an Ordained Ministry which he thus valued which appears by these two lively Testimonies 1. In that he joyned with that Classis whereof he was a member in Ordaining of Ministers 2. In that he had an hand in the Book not long since published by the Province of London in the defence of such a Ministry not onely by his assent to it but also by his assistance in drawing it up As Mr. Whitaker loved God dearly so God loved him which he manifested by those grace wherewithall he enriched him and truly love tokens are real Messengers of his love that sendeth them and what surer signs can we have of Gods love then when he bestows upon us the Graces of his Holy Spirit Now of these the Lord had given him a more than ordinary measure and besides what hath been said before there were five Graces more which were very Orient and shining in his Crown 1. His tenderness of heart Who ever knew a man of a more melting frame of heart before God whether in Confessions Petitions or Thanksgivings Is there any one living that can say that I have at sometimes joyned with him in Prayer and he shed no tears How did his own sinfulness though it was no more than the ordinary imperfections of the fairest Saint upon earth the evils of the times and the testimonies of Gods displeasure breaking out upon us break his heart into pieces We may truly believe that for the space many years he did never come off from the serious consideration of these things with dry eyes and how many thousands be there of Gods children that would account it a sign of much love from Christ if they could finde such thawings in their frozen breasts 2. His meekness of spirit with which precious Jewel he was richly adorned Who ever saw him transported by passion on a fire through foolish anger or disgused by discontent Though his zeal would waxe hot and burn in him for God and his Glory yet he was a man of a cool spirit and meek like Moses in all his own concernments and this he hath often manifested in a remarkable manner when disputing with men of dissenting Principles and opinions yet his spirit was so even that their unhandsome provocations could not discompose him and drive him into passion 3. For his Patience he may well be called a second Job Many who saw him under those racking pains in his last sickness so frequently reiterated and so long continued were confident that God did put him and keep him in his Furnace to be a pattern of patience unto Posterity It is confessed that he did roar many times till his throat was dry but who ever heard him speak any one word of murmuring or discontent because of Gods afflicting Providence He himself indeed would sometimes through tenderness of conscience charge himself of impatiency because he made a noise in his extremity but that expressed onely Natures sensibleness not sinful frowardnes and when accusing himself causelesly he was minded of Christs roarings yet free from all sin he would be silent I confess indeed that in his desires to be dissolved he would take up Jobs complaint Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soul which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures c. For my sighing cometh before I eat and my roarings are powred out like waters Job 3. 20 24. But he alwayes concluded with submission to the good pleasure of God When he had been asked how he did this was frequently his answer The Bush alwayes burning but not consumed and though my pains be above the strength of nature yet they are not above the supports of Grace 4. The Lord was pleased to vouchsafe him such a measure of the Spirit of Grace and Supplications that his soul was never out of tune for that service Most of his words when he was under torment were holy complaints and prayers to God It will not be impertinent or unprofitable if I here set down some of them O my God help Father of mercies pity Do not contend for ever Consider my frame that I am but dust My God that hath made Heaven and earth help me Oh give me patience and inflict what thou wiâ—t If my patience was more my pain would be less Dear Saviour where are thy bowels why dost thou make me an astonishment to my self and others Why dost thou cover thy self with a thick cloud that our prayers cannot pass Blessed is the man that endureth temptation Lord this is a sad temptation stand by me and say It is enough Am I not thy servant Consider Lord that I am thy servant O these bitter waters of Marah Lord drop sweet comfort into these bitter water of Marah O the blood of sprinkling Lord the blood of sprinkling Lord That
Cambridge and proved a prudent and learned man He was afterwards Arch-Deacon of Dublin at which time he was first sent over into England to Queen Elizabeth and the Council with a Petition for preserving the Cathedral of St. Patricks Dublin from being dissolved wherein he prevailed the fruits whereof this his Nephew reaped afterwards being made Chancellor of it and receiving his subsistence from it for many years The second time he was sent over by the Council of Ireland to Queen Elizabeth to procure her Patent for the founding of a College and University in Dublin wherein he prevailed also So that the College of which this worthy person was the first fruits had its being from his Grandfathers motion and his Uncles industry He had a brother named Ambrose Usher who though he dyed young yet was a man of excellent parts very skilful in the Oriental Languages who had translated the Old Testament from the beginning to the Book of Job out of the Hebrew into English which is still preserved under his own hand but upon the coming forth of the New Translation in King James his time he desisted from making any further progress therein Our James was taught first to read by two of his Aunts who were blinde from their Cradles and so never saw letters yet were they admirably versed in the sacred Scriptures being able suddenly to have given a good account of any part of the Bible At eight years old he was sent to the Grammar School where he had the happiness to meet with two excellent Schoolmasters Sir James Fullerton afterwards Leger Ambassador in France and Sir James Hamilton afterwards Lord Viscount Clandeboise who was Usher of the School These two learned men were sent over by King James out of Scotland upon an other design though they were disguised in this imployment And indeed they came very opportunely by the good hand of Gods Providence for this youths founding in learning at such a time when there was a great defect of learned Schoolmasters which he often acknowledged as a special mercy of God to him therein At ten years old was the first time that he could remember to have found in himself any evidences of his saving conversion unto God which was instrumentally wrought by a Sermon which he heard preached upon Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God c. About the same time also meeting with some notes taken from famous Mr. Perkins his Works being not then printed concerning the sanctification of the Lords day proved through Gods blessing so effectual with him that ever after he was the more strict in the observing of it About the same time also he read over St. Augustines Meditations which so affected him that he wept often in the reading of them This young yet hopeful plant thus inuring and accustoming himself to secret duties in his tender years the Devil that grand enemy of our salvation thinking to nip him in the bud assaulted him with divers terrours and affrightments both sleeping and waking hoping thereby to discourage and take him off from the same But he with St. Paul betook himself to prayer with earnestness to be delivered from these Satanical delusions and assaults and at last was heard in that which he feared by being freed from them and strengthened against them with more than ordinary courage and comfort which made such an impression in him as that he could not forget it to his old age The Devil now finding that he could not be affrighted out of his course of godliness made use of another engine which was to allure him with the bait of pleasure some of his friends teaching him to play at Cards wherewith he was so much delighted that it began to prevail over his love to his book yea it came in competition with his love to God and care to serve him which being seasonably by Gods Spirit discovered to him he presently gave it over and never played afterwards At twelve years old he was so affected with the study of Chronology and Antiquity that reading over Sleidans Book of the four Empires and some other Authors he drew forth an exact Series of the times wherein each eminent person lived and during the time of his abode at School which was five years he was throughly instructed in Grammar Rhetorick and Poetry wherein he so excelled and with which he was so delighted that he was fain to take himself off lest it should have hindred him from more serious studies At thirteen years of age he was admitted into the College of Dublin being the first Student that was initiated into it and as it seems it was so ordered upon design by the Governours thereof upon their observation of his pregnancy and rare parts that it might be a future honour to the College to have his name recorded in the Frontispiece of their Admission Book and so accordingly he was the first Graduate the first Fellow the first Proctor c. At the same time Sir James Hamilton hitherto Usher of the School was chosen Fellow of the College and thereby became his Tutor who oft-times admired his accuteness and proficiency whereby in a short time he equalized his Instructers Here he first began to study the Greek and Hebrew Languages in both which he afterwards excelled and made himself in a little time Master of the Arts most of which he modelled in a method of his own especially that of Musick At this time the education and helps which that College afforded were very eminent For though at first there were but four Fellows yet the Tongues and Arts were very exactly taught to all the Students who were divided into several Classes Each Tutor read Aristotles Text in Greek to his Pupils yea each Fellow read three Lectures a day at each of which there was a Disputation maintained either upon the present or the precedent Lecture and sometimes they were ordered to dispute More Socratico On Saturdayes in the afternoon each Tutor read a Divinity Lecture in Latine to his Pupils dictating it as they did all other their Lectures so deliberately that they might easily write after them to their great benefit and advantage At fourteen years old he was judged fit and admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and his usual custome was the afternoon before to retire himself in private and to spend it in a strict self-examination and deep humiliation for all his sins wherein he had such enlargements of heart that a stream of tears flowed from his eyes which afterwards he oft recalled to minde both as a provocation and censure of himself When he was of elder years there was a certain plâ—ce by a water side whither he oft resorted sorrowfully to survey his sins and with floods of tears to confess and bewail them wherein he found so much sweetness and communion with God that he thirsted for such comfortable
Protestants also must have born some share To consider hereof a great Assembly of Papists and Protestants of the whole Nation was appointed in the Lord Deputy Faulklands time The place of their meeting was in the Hall of the Castle in Dublin At which time the Bishops by our Lord Primates invitation met at his house where he and they drew up and unanimously subscribed a Protestation against the Toleration of Popery A Copy whereof because it deserves perpetual remembrance is here inserted The Judgement of the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland concerning the Toleration of Popery which is applicable also against the Toleration of other Heresies The Religion of the Papists is Superstitious and Idolatrous their Faith and Doctrine erroneous and Heretical their Church in respect of both Apostatical To give them therefore a Toleration or to consent that they may freely exercise their Religion and profess their Faith and Doctrine is a grievous sin and that in two respects For 1. It is to make our selves accessary not onely to their Superstitions Idolatries Heresies and in a word to all the abominations of Popery but also which is a consequent of the former to the perdition of the seduced people which perish in the Deluge of the Catholick Apostacy 2. To grant them a Toleration in respect of any money to be given or contribution to be made by them is to set Religion to sale and with it the souls of the People whom Christ our Saviour hath redeemed with his most precious blood And as it is a great sin so also a matter of most dangerous consequence the consideration whereof we commend to the Wise and Juditious Beseeching the Zealous God of Truth to make them who are in Authority zealous or Gods glory and of the advancement of true Religion zealous resolute and couragious against all Popery Superstition and Idolatry Amen Ja. Armachanus Mal. Cashlen Anth. Medensis Tho. Hernes Laghlin Ro. Dunensis c. Georg. Derens. Rich. Cork Cloyne Rosses Andr. Alachadens Tho. Kilmore Ardagh Theo. Dromore Mic. Waterford Lysm Fran. Lymerick This Judgement of the Bishops Dr. George Downham Bishop of Derry at the next meeting of the Assembly which was April the 23 1627 published at Christ Church before the Lord Deputy and Council in the middest of his Sermon with this preamble viz. Are not many amongst us for gain and outward respects willing and ready to consent to a Toleration of false Religions thereby making themselves guilty of a great offence in putting to sale not onely their own souls but also the souls of others But what is to be thought of Toleration of Religion I will not deliver my own private opinion but the judgement of the Archbishops and Bishops of this Kingdome which I think good to publish unto you that whasoever shall happen the world may know that we were far from consenting to those favours which the Papists expect After he had published it the people gave their votes with a generall acclamation crying Amen The judgements of the Bishops prevailed so much with the Protestants that now the Proposals drove on very heavily and after much debate of things the L. Deputy finding the discontents of both parties encreasing desired our Lord Primate as the fittest person both in regard of his esteem in the Assembly and being a member of the Council and therefore concerned in promoting of the Kings business to sum up the state of things and to move them to an absolute grant of some competency that might comply with the Kings necessities without any such conditions with which upon their answer he would cease moving any further which upon very little warning he did with much prudence according to his double capacity of a Privy Counsellour and a Bishop A copy of which Speech desired of him by the Lord Deputy was immediately transmitted into England But it not being prevalent with the Assembly to induce them to supply the Kings wants it was dissolved Not long after the Lord Deputy Falkland being called back into England when he was to take Boat at the water side he reserved our Lord Primate as the last person to take his leave of and fell upon his knees on the sands and begged his blessing which reverend respect shewed to him gained a greater reputation to himself both in Ireland and England and indeed from his younger years the several Lord Deputies had alwayes a great esteem of him It was no small labour to him to answer those many Letters which came to him from forreign parts and our own Nations upon several occasions some for resolution of difficulties in Divinity others about Cases of Conscience and practical subjects Twelve of the most eminent Divines in London who at his being here were wont to apply themselves to him as to a Father as Dr. Sibbs Dr. Preston c. between whom and him there were most entire affections wrote to him for his directions about a Body of practical Divinity which he returned them accordingly He much endeavoured the augmentation of the maintenance of the Ministery in Ireland and for that end he had obtained a Patent for Impropriations to be passed in his name for their use as they should fall but it was too much neglected by themselves whereby his desires were frustrated He preached every Lords day in the forenoon never failing unless he was disabled by sickness in which he spent himself very much In the afternoons his directions to Dr. Bernard his assistant were that before publick Prayers he should Catechize the youth and that after the first and second Lesson he should spend half an hour in a brief and plain opening the Principles of Religion in the publick Catichisme and therein he directed him to go first through the Creed at once giving but the sum of each Article the next time to go through it at thrice and afterwards to take each time one Article as they might be more able to bear it and to observe the like proportionably in the Ten Commandements the Lords Prayer and the Doctrine of the Sacraments The good fruit of which was apparent in the common people upon their coming to the Communion at which time by ordeâ— the receivers were to send in their names and some account was constantly taken of their fitness for it His order throughout his Diocess to the Ministers was that they should go through the Body of Divinity once a year which he had accordingly drawn out into fifty heads When any publick Fast was enjoyned he kept it very strictly preaching alwayes first himself and therein continuing at least two hours in a more than ordinary manner enlarging himself in prayer the like was done by those that assisted him in the duty His expences for Books was very great especially whilst he enjoyed the revenues of his Archbishoprick a certain part whereof he laid aside yearly for that end but especially for the purchasing of Manuscripts and other Rarities
Parliament Anno Christi 1639 he preached before the same Auditory on Deut. 33. 4 5. And Moses commanded us a Law even the Inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob and he was a King in Jesurun when the heads of the people and the Tribes of Israel were gathered together Both which Texts as they were pertiment so were they handled with rare Judgement and eminent Learning The Lord was pleased to make his Labours very successfull some few instances whereof I shall here set down some of which I had from my Reverend Friend Mr. Stanly Gower the last from my own knowledge A Lords eldest son who from his cradle had been trained up in Popery but was of excellent parts and learning was at last prevailed with by his Father to sojourn for a while with this learned Prelate in Drogheda The prudent Prelate studied nothing more than how he might take him by craft as the Apostle did the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 16. and therefore did not presently fall into discourse with him about his Religion but recreated himself for a time in discoursing with him about some Philosophical questions and Schol-points in which studies he perceived the Gentleman was well versed and took much delight in them This he continued till at last he gained so far upon his affections that of his own accord he moved some discourse about matters of Religion and then finding him studious he did not presently go about to instruct him in the Truth but sought to puzzle him with doubts about his own Religion By this means the Gentlemans conscience began to be awakened nor were his scruples removed though he had recourse to a Monastery hard by where they were debated so that at last he came with tears to the Learned Primate for satisfaction and he promised to deal faithfully with him but saith he those whom you trust do not so for they will not suffer you to see with your own eyes nor to understand the Scripture but according to their Churches Commentaries Then did he advise him to go amongst them and to ask them whether he that understood the Originals might examine their Interpretations and to bring him word what they said Accordingly he did so and brought him word that they were divided in their judgements Then did the learned Prelate wish him no longer to trust to their implicit Faith and he would demonstrate to him how much they perverted the sense of the Scriptures and abused the writings of the Antient Fathers whilst they sought to make the world believe that the Fathers and Councils were wholly for them and against us And if saith he you distrust your own learâ—ing and reading and will make choice of anyother who you think can say more I will make this good which I have said before the best of them all This was an introduction to much confidence which the Gentleman had in him and it pleased God after much temptation which he had to the contrary as he confessed to direct him to betake himself to prayer after which time he acknowledged that he understood more of the way of truth both when he conferred with the Primate and when he meditated apart than ever he could attain to before and the issue was that he came into the Church unlooked for of the Primate and after Sermon made a confession of his Faith offering to seal the truth of it if they pleased to admit him by receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which was then to be administred The Papists especially the Priests were so enraged hereat for losing such an one of whom they conceived so great hopes that they made much disturbance insomuch as the Gentleman for safety was sent over into England to Oxford that he might decline their fury and the forces of the City were raised to prevent the present danger and the Lord Deputy hearing of it sent a Troop of Horse and as it was said thereupon dissolved one of their Monasteries Another was this The Lady Falkland about the time of the late Queens coming out of France to be married to King Charles turned Recusant and on a time was gotten into the company of Father Fisher Father Sweet and Father Swetnam in Drury Lane and by some means or other Dr. Featly and Mr. Gataker were procured to meet them there the Lord Savil brother to this Lady as he also was going that way accidentally met with Dr. Usher and intreated him to go along with him to this meeting the Bishop consented and by the way requested the Lord Savil at their first entrance privately to give notice to his Sister the Lady Falkland that she should take no notice of him and saith he I will do the like to the Ministers and as for the Jesuits I beleeve they know me not at all At their first entrance they found them engaged about Image-worship the Jesuits denied that they gave them Divine worship the Ministers were proving that they were no fit mediums to worship God by After they had tugged at it and were wearied and ready to give over that Question Bishop Usher said But Gentlemen pray you tell me do not you give them Divine worship they answered no How then said he will you be tryed they answered By the Council of Trent Indeed said the Bishop that Council doth require the giving of worship to them but who shall expound what that honour and worship is and assure us that it is not Divine Will you be determined by Thomas Aquinas they said Yes Then was the Book sent for and he turned presently to that place where he concludes that the same reverence is to be given to the Image of Christ as to Christ himself and by consequence seeing Christ is adored with the worship of Latria his Image also is to be adored with the same worship Now said the Bishop have you any higher worship than the Latria that you give to God Upon this one of the Jesuits whispered to the Lady Falkland to know his name that thus disputed she answered that he was a Country Minister No quoth the Jesuit there is more in him than in both the other Try him said she further That Question being laid aside that of Free-will was taken up the Bishop sate silent as before whilst the state of the Question was canvassed between the Ministers and Jesuits and much ado there was about it so that they had like to have broken off without coming to any issue the Bishop seeing that said Gentlemen if you will give me leave I will bring you to the point in difference presently by this similitude If you make Free-will to be the Horse I will make Grace to be his Rider Now true it is my Horse can go of himself but he knows not whither I intend to go Besides he is dull and tyred and I spur him on my spur doth not properly go but it makes my Horse to go You may easily apply it But the Jesuits had enough
and listed not to encounter him any farther pretending a necessity to be gone and so left the place So mightily it pleased God by him to convince them Another was this A Protestant Knight in Ireland had prevailed so far with his Lady who was then a Papist as to admit of a Parley about their Religion and she made choice of one for her that was called amongst them the Rock of Learning The Knight made choice of this our Primate to encounter him and upon the day appointed many persons of note were there assembled the learned and prudent Primate before the Disputation began spake thus to the Lady Madam said he let us know the end of our meeting Is it that this Gentleman and I should try our strength before you If so then it is like that we can speak Languages and quote Authors which you do not understand how then will you know who gets the better Therefore this is not our end If this Gentleman desires to shew his learning and reading that way if he please to come to the College of Dublin where there are men that will understand us both and can judge between us I shall willingly deal with him at those weapons but now our business is something else It is supposed that we two whom your Husband and you have chosen can speak more for the defence of our Religion than you that chose us and your desire is to know by hearing our discourse in your own Language how to rectifie your judgements Now therefore I will give you a rule which if you please to remember you shall be able to discern which of us two have the truth on our side and it is this The Points we will discourse of shall be such without some knowledge whereof no man may in an ordinary way attain to the end of his Faith the salvation of his soul. In these you may easily lose your selves not onely by Heresie which is a flat denying of them but by Ignorance also by a bare not know of them The word of truth contained in the Scriptures is the rule both of Faith and Life common to small and great concerning these things Now whilst we keep to the true sense of the Scriptures in these points you may understand us both but when we shall fly to subtle distinctions to evade plain Texts or flye from the Scriptures to take sanctuary in Authors which you know not assure your selves that we are at a loss and seek victory rather than truth Keep this Rule Madam in you minde for this Gentleman dares not deny it to be a true one and then you will be the better for our meeting And now Sir said he to the Jesuit her Champion I am ready to engage with you in any such points The Dispute was begun and after a short encounter the Jesuit was driven to those shifts whereupon the Primate said Madam do you understand my Argument that I propounded to this Gentleman She answered Yes and do you said he understand this Gentlemans answer She answered No indeed It is too high for me But said the Primate I do and can answer him in his own way but then you would not understand me neither Therefore Sir said he to the Jesuit I pray you help the Lady to understand your answer as she doth my Argument then I will further reply But it pleased God within a while so to disable the Jesuit from proceeding that he left the place with shame and the Lady by this and some further endeavours became not only a good Protestant but a very gracious woman The last instance I shall give of the successfulness of his labors is this About twelve or thirteen years ago we had an Ordination of Ministers in our seventh Classis at which time according to our custome we called in the young men that were to be Ordained one after an other and examining of them about the work of Gods Grace in their hearts three of them acknowledged that they were converted by Gods blessing upon the labours of this our Lord Primate whilst he preached at Oxford where they then were Students about the beginning of the long Parliament Anno Christi 1640 He came out of Ireland into England being invited thereto by some eminent persons wherein the special providence of God did manifest it self for his preservation it being the year before the Rebellion brake out in Ireland as if according to the Angels speech to Lot nothing could be done there till he was come hither and escaped to this his Zoar. His Library which was very great in the first year of the Rebellion viz. 1641 was in Drogheda which place was besieged four moneths by the Irish Rebels and they made no question of taking it and some of their Priests and Friers talked much what a prize they should gain by that Library but the barbarous multitude spake of burning it But it pleased God to hear the Fastings and Prayers of his people within and in a wonderful manner to deliver them and so all his Books and Manuscripts were sent him that Summer to Chester and from thence were brought safe to London The sufferings he now lay under were many and great All his personal estate was lost and that which belonged to his Primacy in Ireland was destroyed only for the present he was preacher in Covent Garden Anno Christi 1641 The great business of the Earle of Strafford came in agitation upon which a scandal was raised of him by a rash if not a malicious Pen in his Vocal Forrest as if he had made use of a pretended distinction of a personal and Political conscience to satisfie the late King that he might consent to the beheading of the said Earle telling him that though the first resisted yet he might do it by the second but to clear him of this a person of quality affirmed under his hand that some years agone a rumour being spread of the death of this Reverend Prelate whose loss was much lamented at Oxford when this concerning the Earle was then by one objected against him the late King answered that person in very great passion and with an oath Protested his innocency therein Besides he left under his owne hand a relation of that whole business a true Copy whereof followeth That Sunday morning wherein the King consulted with the four Bishops viz. of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle the Archbishop of Armagh was not present being then preaching as he then accustomed to do every Sabbath in the Church of Covent Garden where a message coming to him from his Majesty he descended from the Pulpit and told the Messenger that he was then as he saw imployed in Gods business which as soon as he had done he would attend upon the King to understand his pleasure But the King spending the whole afternoon in the serious debate of the Lord Straffords Case with the Lords of his Council and the Judges
and her husband who had been a happy instrument of satisfying many others could give her no satisfaction One day as she was complaining that she could finde no comfort O saith he What an Idol do some make of comfort as if their comfort were their Christ In the middest of these trials he yet took notice of these comforts and mercies 1. That she was kept from blaspheming the Highest for so she stiled God and from hurting her self and others 2. That this affliction awakened him and his children for they esteemed her the most conscientious and innocent amongst them all 3. It put him upon more work than his age could well bear that so he might call out his thoughts upon business and not eat up his own heart with grief and care And lastly it wrought in him an holy despair of all creature-comforts for now he could neither enjoy childe nor friend nor food nor sleep having her continually before him in his eye ear and heart and all friends fearâ—ng to come in sight lest they should wound themselves or trouble her onely continual pâ—ayers were offered up for her upon all occasions which gave hopes that the Lord might yet make her end comfortable and conquest glorious However her Husband would often say That the difference was not great whether comfort came at death or an hour after since comfort would come assuredly But leaving her under a general expectation of a blessed issue in the best time we return once more to her Husband now ready to enter into his Haven of rest After a long and laborious life which could not but be painful to him that underwent it we come at length to his last long and painful sickness which is the usual Harbinger of Death In the Summer he began to droop and finding his decay he sent for two Physitians Dr. Bathurst and Dr. Willis who were well known to him and his by former experiences and eminently known in the University to whom he professed that he used means meerly in obedience to God but for his own part he could live and durst dye His â—hysitians as himself confessed had proceeded so far as Art and Learning could carry them but herein they would lose of their worth that they had to deal with complicated diseases which were seldome removed but most of all with old age a disease which was never cured His first encounter was with a vehement Pleuâ—itical pain in his left side which was attended with a Feavor as also with a great defluxion of Rheume and oppression of his lungs with Flegme and when after divers weeks all these his Assailants seemed well-nigh vanquished through the tender care of his skilful Physitians yet then that enemy which had so long lodged in his bosome brake forth into an Empyema which he expectorated daily in so great a measure for the space of two moneths or more that hereby together with some fits of his old diseases the Stone and Strangury he was not able to speak much to those that visited him And herein indeed it fell out according to what he had often foretold in his best strength viz. That little was to be expected from him on his death-bed which occasioned him to write fearing that his tongue might not then be able to utter it his advice and counsel to his Family many years before his death The truth is he the rather forbore to speak because he perceived that some had a design to make his speeches publick which he was utterly averse to neither would he consent that any thing of his Life or Death should be written Nay he could never be perswaded at any time to fit that his Picture might be drawn so desirous he was that all of him might be buried with him And albeit he spit up those Lungs which he had wasted in the Pulpit yet could not that light of Grace be so smothered under a Bushel but that oft-times the beams thereof would shine forth and himself would breathe forth himself in pithy speeches and savoury discourses In the beginning of his sickness being desired to admit of company he answered I am alone in company it s all one to me to be left alone or to have Friends with me my work is now to arm my self for Death which assaults me and I apply my self as I am able for that great encounter And accordingly he spent his whole time in meditation prayer and reading the holy Scriptures especially the Book of Psalmes the Prophesie of Isaiah and St. Johns Gospel taking exceeding delight in the 10 14 15 16 and 17 Chapters of that Evangelist After which time his nights were long and sleeps short and when he could neither sleep nor sit up in his bed to read his manner was to command others to read to him and then himself would collect the most useful things that were contained in the Chapter explaining such things as were difficult and sweetly feeding upon the rest His constant practice was to exhort such as either visited or attended upon him above all things to get Faith It is saith he your victory your peace your life your Crown and your chief piece of spiritual Armour Howbeit get on all the other pieces and then go forth in the Lords might stand to the fight and the issue shall be glorious onely forget not to call in the help of your General Do all from him and under him On the Lords dayes he would not hinder any from the publick Ordinances for any thing that was to be done about him till Sermons were ended and then he would say Come what have you for me meaning something of Repetition unto which he would attend with such diligence as that he would summe up the heads of every Sermon and say O what excellent truths are these lay them up charily you will have need of them When Friends came to visit him he used to say I cannot speak but I can hear And when he was asked where his comfort lay His answer was In Christ and in the free Grace of God One telling him Sir you may take much comfort in your labours you have done much good c. His answer was All is nothing without a Saviour without him my best works would condemn me Oh I am ashamed of them being mixed with so much sin Oh I am an unprofitable servant I have not done any thing for God as I ought loss of time sits heavy upon my spirit Work work apace assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when you come to dye than that you have done no more for God who hath done so much for you Sometimes he used thus to breathe out himself I never in all my life saw the worth of a Christ nor tasted the sweetness of Gods love in that measure as now I do When he was asked what should be done for him His answer was Do not onely pray for me but praise God for his unspeakable mercy
Thus whilst he condescended to them and they submitted to him both parties were gratified Though he had a numerous issue yet through Gods blessing upon his estate he disposed of them to no mean imployments Many he sent to the Universities some to Merchandise c. To his Sons whom he bred in the University his Rule was Study work more than wages To those whom he bred in the City he would say Do not waste a halfpenny and you will not want a penny And truly so well did they all improve as his advice so their own time and parts that they became Masters of their particular Callings which ministred unto him no small comfort He acknowledged it a great mercy to his dying day that none of his children were blemished either in their bodies or in their reputations He was one of them in whose children that Popish slander concerning the ungraciousness of the children of the married Clergy received a real confutation Many of his Sons he buried in their prime some at home others in forreign parts and some dyed shortly after himself yet all of them gave comfortable hopes to conclude upon a rational charity both by the pious Letters of those which dyed abroad and from that particular account which they gave of themselves who dyed at home that they all meet in Heaven they which survive need not this attestation Amongst the dead there was Mr. Tho. Harris of Magdalen College in Oxford who was eminently learned beyond his age an Ornament to that Noble Foundation whereof he was a member once the joy of his friends and still their sorrow and probably this arrow from Gods hand stuck deep in the Fathers heart to his dying day For his servants there are some yet living that served him in his younger dayes who still bless God that ever they came under his roof where they received the beginnings of Grace and such a measure of knowledge as kept them from warping in the late giddy times Whilst he remained with his antient Flock his constant manner was to keep a Religious Fast before his administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And after he came to his small College he so prudently managed all his affairs that he was both feared and loved Indeed his government there was such as caused a wonder For whereas that College before was famous for factions during his time there was never any complaint made to any Visitors and no marvel for the Foundation there honoured him as a Father and he looked upon and loved them as his Children and accordingly he scaled up his love to them in his last Will and Testament He called Gifts Bribery and hated the very shadow of it Examples are known in the College of Gratuities refused long after faire and free Elections But look upon him as a Schollar and there we have him in his proper Element Though he left the University early and preached constantly yet being of a retired disposition a constant student and endowed with great parts he became Master of all manner of Learning to qualifie a Divine In the sacred Languages especially in the Hebrew he was very exact His Conciones ad Clerum declare him to have been a pure and Polite Latinist His first which was preached and printed long since hath undergone the test and gained the approbation of all knowing men in that Language the younger by full forty years is of as good a complexion and of as vigorous a constitution as its elder brother and it s hoped that in due time it may be made as publick What his abilities in Disputation were hath upon several occasions been made to appear in that College Exercises in the Chappel where oft-times in the unexpected absence of the Opponents himself would ex tempore take up the Cudgels and make good their ground In which Exercises he approved himself a subtle clear and ready Disputant without any grains of allowance either for his age or discontinuance Indeed his chiefest Learning lay where he made least shew of it in publick viz. in Chronology Church-History Councils Case-Divinity and his insight into the Fathers But his parts were best seen in the pulpit His gifts in Prayer were much more than ordinary wherein his affections were warm and fervent his Petitions pithy and substantial his language pertinent unaffected and without Tautologies Oh how would he raise up a dull and sinking spirit How would he warm a cold and frozen heart How would he carry a man out of himself and by degrees mount the soul heaven-ward His Sermons in Print are well known to the world and his works praise him in the Gates The particular excellencies of Nazianzen Basil Chrysostome Austin Ambrose Bernard seemed all to conâ—enter in him He taught Rhetorick to speak in our Mother-tongue and without falshood or flattery he may be stiled The English Orator His Doctrines carried light with them and his Uses heat His Reproofes were weighty and his Exhortations powerful But enough of this lest we hear as he did who spake much in commendation of Hercules Quis unquam vituperavit who ever dispraised him yea what either Christian or Schollar but approved or commended him If you would know the worth of his Sermons read them though read they come short of what they were when preached yea read them again and again and endeavour to read them with the same spirit they were preached and you cannot but acknowledge an excellency in them Amongst other his excellencies in preaching which were many these were not the least that he could so cook his meat that he could make it relish to every pallate He could dress a plain discourse so as that all sorts should be delighted with it He could preach with a learned plaineness and had learned to conceal his Art He had clear Notions of high Mysteries and proper language to make them stoop to the meanest capacity His way in contriving and penning his Sermons was this 1. He so contrived the parts of his Text and points of Doctrine as might afford him most scope in his Application wherein his and indeed a Sermons excellency doth consist and therefore he used to say That in a Sermon he contrived the Uses first He did often handle the same Texts and the same Points and yet still would pen new Applications which might be most suitable to the quallity and condition of the Auditory 2. In penning when he once began he would never take Pen from paper nor turn to any Book till he had written all All his younger dayes for about twenty years together he wroâ—ght all and could without much difficulty preach the same verbatim He was wont to say That he had a fluid and waterish memory I can said he quickly remember any thing of my own and as quickly fâ—rget it again Yet questionless his memory was vast and tenacious for though sometimes he had but short Notes in his Bible and that
tears put her Prayers to a pause When the heart is full of love the mouth is filled with praise of a person most deservedly and most dearly beloved whereof we have an example in this vertuous Gentlewoman who when time company and occasion did invite her to communicate to others the good matter which her heart had indited of God she used her Tongue as the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45. 1. And when she had that great King for the subject of her speech she spake of him with such hearty and savoury relishes of sacred delight and reverence and with such an affectionate force as if her soul were ready to leap out at her lips into the ears of others to kindle the same holy fire in their hearts who heard her which burned in her own bosome longing as David did that others might taste and see the goodnâ—ss of the Lord Psal. 34. 8. that they might be Rivals with her in her Religious love and glad she was when any sinner was converted or any already called better enabled to promote the glory of God and that was the end which she principally aimed at in her godly discourse of him In giving vent to her heart in this duty she could spend her spirits with great delight both to her self and to those choice friends who had opportunity to hear her when just occasion was ministred unto her and yet when she had spoken best she found matter of complaint in her own expressions as being too faint and too flat and so far below that which was meet for the Majesty of the great God insomuch as all the acceptation which she desired of him was but to pardon her presumption as the errour of her love for taking upon her to speak of his Excellency and the weakness of her spirit and speech which made her fall infinitely short of doing him right in the publication of his praise Another evidence of her dear affection unto God was the great love which for his sake she bore to whom or whatsoever had any near relation to him according to that 1 Joh. 4. 21. He that loves God must love his brother also and he must love him rather in a direct than in a collateral line as Gods childe rather than as his brother more for Gods sake than for his own The dearest degree of love belongs to those persons and things which are nearest to him and to such she bore a sincere and singular good will As to his Saints with David Psal. 16. 3. and to his true Religion and worship both at home and abroad the happy progress and prosperity whereof was with her as Jerusalem with David preferred above her chiefest joy Psal. 137. 6. and it was a great affliction to her heart to hear any ill tidings of any good man or any good cause She highly prized Gods word and in the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper she felt such a sweet refreshing as might make amends for the severity of her frequent fasting so that for her part and portion of it in respect of the common sort of Communicants she might say I have meat that ye know not of Joh. 4. 32. Dainties which infinitely exceed whatsoever delighteth or pleaseth a sensual pallate For the house of God she shewed her self just of Davids minde when she said I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where thine honour dwelleth Psal. 26. 8. and How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord Psal. 84. 1 2. If by any imperious impediment she were kept from the Church as by sickness in her body c. her soul was love-sick by her longings to be there and whereas many women take a little occasion to absent themselves from it she would many times force her feeble body to carry her soul to the Sanctuary though the day before she were confined not only to her chamber but to her bed whereby though she hazarded her health yet it pleased God so graciously to accept of her zeal to his House that she was never the worse for those pious adventures She kept a great distance from doting on the world which St. James condemns as enmity to God Jam. 4. 4. Though while she lived she could not choose but be in the world yet did she so love her dear Lord Jesus Christ that for his sake she was exceedingly estranged from the world which appeared 1. By her estrangement from sensual delights which she shewed by her frequent fasting from meats and drinks By her abstinence from such sports and pastimes as before her conversion she had been too immoderately addicted unto and by her fiâ—m resolution to forbear Marriage after her widowhood and to rest in that condition wherein she might best attend upon the service of God Indeed her love and delight in communion with God made her mindeless of meat and careless of provision for the flesh Well she knew that though fasting makes the body weak as David saith My knees are weak through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatness Psal. 109. 20. yet it strengthneth the spirit and maketh it vigorous in conflict and victorious in the event yea fasting and prayer make a potent combination which is able to drive the strongest Devil out of his usurped possession as Matth. 17. 21. These two she used not onely as weapons against the Devil but as wings to elevate her soul God-ward and heaven-ward yet herein was she observant of our Saviours rule Mat. 17. 18. that she fasted without an appearance of fasting onely the next day it might be discerned by her faintness she having spent her spirits in spiritual exercises the day before For those sports and pastimes wherein formerly she had taken too much contentment she not onely abstained from them but much complained of her vanity in them Her eyes which before were used to behold them with delight now shed tears of shame and sorrow that formerly she had set her minde so much upon them and now she imployed them in the more frequent and affectionate reading of the holy Scriptures wherein she took more delight than she had done before in the most pompous Spectacles set out to take the eyes with gazing and the minde with wonder And as for Marriage her heart was so devoted to her Lord Christ that though she had divers fair invitations to it by such as both for profit and credit and other considerable respects were worthy rather to be desired than denied yet she resolved not to change her condition in that kinde and that not onely in love and loyalty to her former Husband but that she might be more free to serve God according to that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 7. 34. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and spirit but she that is married careth for the things
the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace And bid her serve God and pray duly to him both morning and evening and fear his Name and then said she I doubt not but God will bless you as he hath blessed me In the evening of the same day she commanded her younger Daughter to be brought her and to be put upon the bed in a kneeling posture and then putting her hand on her shoulder she gave her also the same blessing as she had given to her sister Four dayes before her death she grew a little better which put her Friends in some hope of her recovery but the day following her sickness seized on her again and so continued upon her that she slept no more till she slept the sleep of death and together with her sickness her Piety Devotions and comforts encreased in her In the last night of her life presently after midnight feeling death now approaching she sent for her Husband and Family out of their beds and told him when he came to her that she was now leaving the world and him and expressed in many words her great devotion faith and assurance of that everlasting life which she now was shortly to enjoy and desired that they might now all pray together which they did she still expressing much devotion and comfort and after an hour spent in those passages she desired that the Bell might be tolled for her and some Gentlewomen of her neighbours coming to her before them she expressed her comforts and assurances of everlasting life as before and with increase and therein and in prayers they continued till near the rising of the Sun After this she seemed for a wh'le willing to slumber and closed her eyes and so lay for a little while but then turned her head to the other side of the Pillow and after a few restless turnings she said what the Prophet Micha had said before her Mich. 2. 10. There is no rest in this world and then opening her eyes after some expressions of the comfort which she felt distinctly knowing all that were present and speaking to them all she seemed to slumber again and after a little time spake these words Come let us go let us go repeating those words several times which she spake not in a slumber but being awake and as perfect in her understanding and memory as at any time in her life And it is a comforttable opinion that Divines teach from Luke 16. 22. that the Angels do attend on Gods children especially at the time of their dissolution to conduct their souls from earth to heaven which opinion she sometimes in her sickness related to her Husband and added that she had heard it from the Pulpit and had read it in some Books and she believed it to be true and comforted her self with it After a little time she called for some drink and having taken it it began to alter her as it seems she felt in her self for she presently laid her self back on her Pillow and lifting up her eyes towards Heaven she said Lord have mercy upon me Lord Jesus receive my soul and so continued moving her lips and her tongue but her words were not heard and then held up one hand and then joyned both her hands together holding them up with her eyes still heaven-ward till her strength failing her she laid down her hands by her and stretched her self in the bed without any help and sweetly fell asleep about seven a clock in the morning August the 15. Anno Christi 1646. And August the 24. she was decently and solemnly laid in her bed of rest the house as Job saith appointed for all the living Job 30. 23. where the weary are at rest where the wicked cease from troubling and hear not the voyce of the oppressor Job 3. 17 18. The Life and Death of Mrs. Margaret Corbet who dyed Anno Christi 1656. IF we enquire into the Relations of this Gentlewoman either by Affinity or Consanguinity or both sides the Families are ancient of renown and good reputation Concerning the Family from whence she was descended her Father was Sir Nathaniel Brent late Warden of Merton College a learned Knight whose great pains and dangerous adventures to procure the History of the Councel of Trent which he translated into English are to be remembred with an honourable mention and for his faithful discovery of Jesuitical juglings his name will be had in honour when the names of the Popish party will rot Her Mother the Lady Martha Brent was a Lady of a Gracious spirit abounding in love meekness humility love to Gods Ordinances and Gods Children Her delight with David was in the society of Saints She imitated her worthy Father in the sweetness of disposition who was Dr. Robert Abbot that learned and godly Bishop of Sarum who was Malleus Baptismi Armianismi the Hammer of Popery and Arminianisme His excellent Works or Monuments of his Honourable memory To be born of a godly Family and to be well descended is a mercy not to be neglected Mr. Philpot a zealous Martyr being a Kings Son and an Archdeacon told his adversaries that he was a Gentleman Anabapâ—istical parity and Levelling designs are worthily to be abhorred and looked upon as a ready way to confusion rapine and violence So then we see that she was a Gentlewoman every way well descended Her Ancestors were persons of Honour and from them she had the benefit of an ingenuous and liberal Education This is much but it s more when I say that she came of a godly stock and of praying Relations and indeed this is that which ennobles Nobility it self God in mercy began with this Gentlewoman betimes even about the fourteenth year of her age Then God gave her a willing minde and purpose of heart to serve him in the dayes of her youth Insomuch as she was swift to hear the word of God she waited diligently at the posts of Wisdomes Gate She wrote the Sermons which she heard a practice used by King Edward the sixth that rare English Josiah and she left many volumes of Sermons of her own hand-writing taken with great dexterity and these are as so many choise Monuments of her Industry She was much conversant in reading of the holy Scriptures which can make us wise unto salvation and she joyned with her reading prayer and meditation Her delight was in the word of God It was as with Jeremy the joy and rejoycing of her soul and with the reading of Scriptures she searched Expositors and Practical Divines and attained thereby to such a measure of Divine knowledge as enabled her to state some Questions of controversie for her better use and help of her memory and to discourse very soundly upon the most material points of Religion and even above her age and sexe to maintain the truth as occasion
to the Reverend Dr. Harris living then in the University who admitted her to the participation of the Lords Supper in that publick Assembly where he administred it Now let us see also a Letter written by Dr. Harris concerning this godly Gentlewoman whom he highly honoured upon the occasion of his communicating the aforesaid Letter of hers to a friend Do not saith he think it lost time to read over this Narrative It was penned by this gracious woman upon a serious occasion what time she was to give an account of her self at her admission to the Lords Supper The discourse is plain but pregnant of instruction I alter nothing in the thing I onely take notice of the persons therein mentioned As 1. God 2. Satan 3. The parties self All which offer matter worthy thy thoughts First in Satan thou seest his most ordinary way and method in tempting His first attempt is to blow out all light left in the soul and to quell all thoughts of a Deity if possibly he can that so no room at all may be left for God If that cannot be but the conscience will be sometimes talking then his next work is to question and argue the case whether indeed there be such a person as God such a thing as the soul such a book as the Bible such a place as an Heaven or Hell and if he cannot gain such a conclusion from the soul then in the third place the Question is What manner a one this supposed God is And first whilst thou art in thy natural state he represents God made all of mercy and when thou art under mercy all of vengeance and fury there was no place for fear and here none for hope There sin was an inconsiderable thing and beneath Gods cognisance here sin is unpardonable and beyond Gods mercy In both estates he labours the destruction of Faith now in the threats then in the Promises In the first estate you must never yeeld to self-despair no spit in his face that shall once question thy belief in God without the least doubting What not believe my Maker with all my soul What once doubt or suspect him I defie him and the foul fiend that shall say so On the other side when once converted what hast thou to do with the Covenant of Grace and Peace That is bread for Children not for Dogs Hypocrites for such as have sinned against the Holy Ghost as thou hast done and at this bay he holds the soul for some space and eftsoon recruits his forces and renews his Interrogatories thus Thou within the Promise Thou a believer Canst thou say darest thou say that thou hast faith It may be thou darest not deny it but what is that to the point Thou darest not affirm it though partial enough to thy self Be advised by me who loves plain dealing and let not thy false heart and these fawning Preachers befool thee unto destruction Thus the Devil up and down first and last thus he proceeded with man at the first and though sometimes he shifts hands and findes out new wayes yet here lyes his road for the most part and this is the first party here named Now in the second place what doth God It must be granted that he permitteth these Hellish Scullions to scour his Plate and to fit the vessels of honour for their Masters use and they as glad of the office bestir themselves they dawb their vessels and render them as foul and ugly as they can but when they have done their work God takes his Plate out of their hand to their no small grief and in the mean while God goes along with the temptations and in them all supports his poor servants now more immediately by his own hand prompting their Petitions darting into their souls some glimpses of comfort minding them of some Promise to be sure yeelding them some secret hope something or other which draws them along still more or less 2. Now more immediately by men and other means sometimes he directs them to some special Book or Treatise which fits their case and holds soul and life together at present sometimes he sends an Interpreter one of a thousand that shall rip up their misery and shew them their misery and shew them their remedy and at last fetches off his Captives even then when Satan began to crow and cry victory that extremity being Gods opportunity and this is usually though not ever Gods way Now look upon the third concerned the party tempted what doth he He sticks often in the birth fool as he is his first work is to keep the Devils counsel confess and be shamed for ever the Devil is true to him and he will be as true and never peach he travels with a wofull burden of sin guilt horrour but if thou lovest thy self saith the Devil keep thy own counsel trust not God nor man But if the Preacher doth force him to a confession and he can hold no longer then he makes forth but fair and softly First he makes many offers goes and comes and something he would say but is loath he begins afar off and then stops begins again and then stops again takes another day and then comes again with a purpose of uttering all and when he comes to his friend either all is quiet for the present and the pang over or else if he hangs still on the rack then he drops out somewhat but reserves the worst and so is little the better because he comes not to the bottome quickly or if he speaks out all yet there is another rub in the way how can I tell whether this parties testimony be true or no his judgement and affection being right He shews me promises but knows he or I whether those promises do belong to me He speaks of a Christ but what is that to me if he be none of mine He talks of believing seeing is believing It is a senseless thing to trust to anothers goodness when I have nothing of mine own to believe mercy whâ—n I feel wrath shall I not believe mine own eyes And thus after a world of Sermons Sacraments Conferences the poor soul hovers and findes no rest or satisfaction till God be pleased to work him to these things 1. To a resolution of imparting himself to some godly friend and of speaking his whole heart to some one or other 2. Of resting in Gods bare word without the assurance of sense 3. Of accepting of Jesus Christ without any Ifs and And 's notwithstanding his own unworthiness 4. Of waiting upon God and hearkning when he will speak peace and when he is brought thus far that he will be beholden to a Commuinon of Saints and will take Gods word without any farther surety and owe all to Christ though he can contribute nothing and in despight of all suggestions and discouragements will stick to the peace of Christ and look for all his peace in that way saying Though he kill me