for himself his singular care and exactness industry and discretion was soon taken notice of and he had more credit when he began than divers that had lived in pretty good repute before him every one was ready and even desirous to trust him and deal with him which great advantage he nevertheless used very soberly undertaking no more than he was well able to manage and minding what once he had undertaken with all the vigilancy and attendance such employments and the duty of his Calling did require and the blessing of God was evidently upon all his ways and affairs yet so that as he was not hasty to be rich he would often say hee was not hastily rich By Gods good providence and direction he was afterwards guided to Marry a party of like good and pious education and disposition and of a Stock likewise tried and grown up under Persecution Mistris Anne Tivelin whose Parents had sheltered themselves at Canterbury she was then the Widdow of Mr. David King Merchant of whom she had Mr. Ezekias King yet living the pious and learned Minister of Fulmore in Cambridgeshire with this Consort Mr. Lamotte lived well and comfortably many years and they had together several gracious Children eight in all whereof six two Sons and four Daughters dyed in their yonger years and only two Daughters most piously and vertuously educated lived to married estate the elder Hester being wedded first to John Manning Esq an eminent Merchant of this City by whom she had three Children but none surviving him and after his decease to Sir Thomas Honywood Knight of Markshall in Essex both living yet happily together beloved and honoured of all that know them farre and near together with their hopeful Issue two Sons and one Daughter the remainder of seven Children they have had together the younger Daughter Elizabeth was married to that worthy Gentleman Master Maurice Abbot Son to Sir Maurice Abbot once an Honourable Alderman and Lord Mayor of this City and Brother to those two famous Abbots George sometimes Arch bishop of Canterbury and learned Robert Bishop of Salisbury and by him she had that hopeful Son and studious Gentleman Mr. Maurice Abbot the present Coheir with his Aunt besides three others dying young as she also her self was not long enjoyed and dyed exceedingly bewailed for her singular parts piety and goodness Thus though Mr. Lamotte left but one only Daughter surviving and four Grand-children yet he saw 22 of his of-spring His first wife deceasing about the year 1626. he married again the year after Mâ—is Elizabeth Monk the widdow of Levinus Monk Esquire one of the six Clerks a Gentleman of rare parts trust and experience in stare-affaires in King James his time with her he lived eighteen years but had no issue by her During all this time as he advanced still in years piety experience and estate so he was through the mercy of God accordingly respected passing through and bearing all the eminent offices in his Parish Company and elsewhere in the City and Commonwealth until he was chosen Alderman besides the Eldership of the Dutch Church here wherein he served that Congregation neer thirty years together with that exemplarie integrity of zeal as will not easily be forgotten as also in all the rest he still demeaned himself unblameably equally desirous and zealous still to furher and advance godlinesse and honesty and to withstand and reform abuses and iniquity of all kinds The Love unto and constant attendance upon the Word of God in publick and private for the upholding and cherishing communion with God by hearing and reading the Scriptures and meditating therein had so possest and filled his soul that most of his discourses and Letters were most savourly seasoned with it and he would often expresse a great deal of heart-grief and astonishment at most mens heedlessenesse in duties so highly and neerly concerning their everlasting Welfare And how real his piety and acquaintance with God was appeared sufficiently as by many other discoveries so also by those streams of true Christian charity which uncessantly issued from him and which made him not only willing and ready to impart and communicate liberally in that kind himself but also to sollicite and stir up others perpetually setting all as it were on fire of compassion that came neer him especially where and whensoever any publick calamity befell the people and Church of God No care 〈◊〉 pains no cost charge or trouble was too much then unto him to testify his sympathizing bowells in and for their sorrows and afflictions whether at home or abroad whereof especially since the year 1620. the respective Persecutions and Troubles in France at Rochel in the Valtelin in Bohemia in Germany and more particularly in the lower and upper Palatinate and therein above other places the long continued distresses of the City of Frankendale besides many other cases nearer home in England Scotland Ireland all along even to the late cruell and barbarous massacre of the poor Waldenses in Piedmont could make up and shew forth in this One Member such a living Character and pattern of real Charity as alasse we see but few now a dayes to the no small discredit of our profession And God having given him such largenesse of heart and freenesse of hand he gave also unto him understanding to manage all his affaires with order and discretion that he knew both where and when to spare and to spend whereby he was enabled still to do the more good finding and acknowledging alwaies both the temporal and spirituall returns and comforts of doing the same and that made him alwaies as God blessed him to lay aside a proportion for charitable uses which he as carefully distributed afterward But if God was pleased at any time to exercise him with losses or crosses of any kind whereof he had his share too among other of Gods Children as well in his Trade and Estate now and then by severall casualties by Sea and Land at home and abroad in his severall functions and relations and especially in his body by diverse great infirmities and sicknesses principally toward and in the latter part of his life yet he alwaies shewed abundance of patience and quiet submission to the ever-good hand and pleasure of his heavenly Father and faithfull Redeemer comforting himself very much with the examples of Jacob Joseph Job David and others of Gods Saints and servants in all ages with whose histories he was exactly acquainted praysing God still that in respect of his outward man he so long vouchsafed him the benefit of his sight and hearing in that comfortable measure whereby he could partake still of his holy Ordinances both in publick and private and for his inner man that in all his troubles and afflictions God never long with-held his gracious and Fatherly countenance from him in Jesus Christ wherein he found comfort sufficient to allay all his grief and prevent all murmuring in his troubles he did not much vent
his death BEloved Daughter Dame Hester Honywood and beloved Grand-children Maurice Abbot and Elizabeth Thomas John Honywood I do wish you all the blessing and peace of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ his dear Son our Saviour and Redeemer and that his fear and love may be so rooted and grounded in you that it may knit and bind your hearts together in love and amity as my heart has been to every one of you ever praying for you all that God of his mercy would bless you all and plant his fear in your hearts and unfeigned faith in Christ Jesus in your souls I desire that no strife nor envie nor grudging arise about the dividing of the Estate which the Lord of his mercy hath lent me for I setled the Land after Prayer by the best counsels and advice I could and my personal estate I have by Will after Prayer to the best of my skill in all good Conscience as equally drawn it as I could so I would after I am dead have you receive it from God with a thankful and contented mind and pray to the Lord to bless it to you and every one of you to his own posterity I having been by Trade a Merchant and what by Gods blessing I have advanced I have endeavoured and laboured to gain it honestly and to keep faith a good Conscience always ever acknowledging that these following Parties had a share in my estate as in all other mens The Common-wealth the Service of God the Ministers and the poor Members of Christ of whom as I have endeavoured to be careful so would I have every one of you to be zealous for the Service of God heartily affectionate to the poor members of Christ and to give with the releef a comfortable word when occasion permits John Lamotte Errataes marring the sense PAge 3. l. 10 r. peece p. 4. in the margin r. excindi p. 7. l. last but one r. him p. 10. l. 10 r. an p. 11. l. 36. r. mire p. 14. l. v 9 r. the heart p. 15. l. 30. r. thou p. 25. l. 34. r. our p. 19. l. 36. r. naught p. 27. l. 1. r. through Omissions p. 4. l. 1. r. or adversitively but c. p. 25. l. 33. r. like as a shock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 1.3 Eccles. 7.2 Ubi lugetur mortuus Mercer Psal. 90. Josh. 1.5 Heb. 13. Id quidem Joshuae dicitur subesse vero generalem consolationem piorum Apostolus hâ—c allegatione docet Paraeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zehneâ—i Simil. p. 18. Q. Pezel Pareus in loc Leo Judae Junius Pareus 2 Chro. 34.28 Caesus fuit Josias 31. anno Regni aetatis 39. quoties ei moriendum fuisset si diutius vivendo vidisset veram religionem everti filios Captivos abduci regnum exscendi Lavat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.8 Psal. 189.136 Ezek. 9.4 â—ucholcer Chronol Gen. 19.28 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Possidonius O Heidelberga Heidelberga In vita Parei Ex. 9.20 Plato Rev 14.13 (a) Gen. 25.7 Josh. 24.2 Dan. Heb. 9.27 Deut. 34.5 Joh. 8.52 2 King 13.2 Rom 5.12 Psal 89 49 1 Cor. 15 Rev. 20.6 Rom. 8.2 Joh. 3.36 Lev. 14.43 44 45 Gen. 28.17 1 King 2 6 2 Chro. 84.28 Rom. 5.1 Joh. 8. Gen. 25.8 Privilegium est privata lex Privarum seu singulare jus contra jus commune indultum Hostien Reginald praxis â—ori praenit vol. prioris p. 547. * Job 18.14 Es. 57.20 21 Es. 57.1 2 Luke 2. Scheibler Meâ—aph lib. 2. c. 1 â— 15. transendunt praedicamenta Communitate effendi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio custodieâ— Beza Col. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 14 2â— Es. 9.6 Rom. 5. â— Psal. 85.9 Prov. 16.7 Job 5.23 1 Joh. 3 Maul 118 12â— Joh. 16.7 8 Act. 16.30 31 Luke 11.12 Mar. 4.39 Psal. 85.9 Deut. 29.19 Es. 28.15.18 Heb. 10.22 1 Thes 5.23 Psal. 51 Luke 18.13 Heb. 9.14 Zech. 1â— Rom. 5.1 Gal. 6.16 Psal. 37 37 Prov 15.15 Es. 38 1 2 3 Acts 24.16 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operuit terra humavit Psal. 79.2 Acts Mon. 2 Sam. 2.5 6 Eccles. 12.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 3.19 (a) Gen. 25.9 (b) Gen. 50. (c) Acts 8.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes. 4. Buxâ—orâ— Dan. 7.9 Numb 11 1â— Deut. 22 15 Levit. 19.22 Aelian Prov. 14.34 Quo minus restaâ— viae eo plus quaerunt viatici Cicero de senectute 1 Sam. 25.17 Es. 65.20 Josh. 14.10 11 Lib. de Senect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. Mat. 19.17 Prov. 16.31 Psal. 103.5 Zenor adag Rev. 12.1 Es. 40.31 2 King 5.14 2 Pet. 1.4 Eccles. 6.3.6 Psal 91. Gal. 5.22 Psal. 92.13 â—â— 15. 1 Chro. 29.14 Gal. 6.10 Prov. 3.9 Prov. 3.5 Acts 21.16 Rom. 16.7 Tit. 2. â— Euseb. l. 4. c. 15. Psal. 35.25 Gen 48.15 16. Phil. 2. 2 Pet. 1.10 Joh. 9.4 Joh. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1 Pet. 1.14 Mat. 27.60 2 Sam. 19.25.37 De morte magis quam de delitiis aulieis eogitat Lavater Luke 2 2â—.37 Erasmus de contemp mundi Job 5.26 Rev. 22.20 Luke 21.28 1 Thes. 4. Joh. 6.66.68 Es. 22.4 Jer. 9.1 Josh. 24. Prov. 22.6 Eccles 12. Exod. 20.12 1 Tim. 1 15 1 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 8.1 Prov. 3.1.2 Gal. 5.22 Psal. 71.5 6.17 18 Job 14.14 Luk. 2.26 Joh. â— 56 Acts 7.55 2 Tim. 4 8.9
John La Motte Esq Cittizen of London borne j. May 1577 and Deceased July 13 1655. Abrahams Interment OR The good Old-mans Buriall in a good Old Age. Opened in a Sermon At Bartholomews Exchange July 24. 1655. at the Funerall of the Worshipfull John Lamotte Esq Sometimes Alderman of the City of London By FULK BELLERS M.A. Preacher of the Gospell Unto which is added a short Narrative of his Life and Death 2 KIN. 20.1 Set thy house in order for thou shall dye and not live JOB 21.22 Acquaint thy self now with God and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee LONDON Printed by R. I. for Tho. Newberry and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the three Golden Lyons in Corn-hill 1656. TO THE Right VVorshipfull the truely Religious THE Lady Hester Honywood AND To her most hopefull Nephew Mr. Maurice Abbot of the Inner Temple Daughter Grand-son Co-heires of John Lamotte Esq c. Much honoured THe sweetnesse of Communion with God whereby Saints taste and see how good the Lord is is more clearly discerned by their own personall experience than can be declared by any verball expressions This was the highest pitch of Adams happinesse during his estate of concreated integrity that hee was admitted to the enjoyment of this grand priviledge what is it then for any of his fallen Off-spring to be restored to this great exaltation And yet we know that Beleevers by faith in Christ are reinstated in this advancement and are many times inabled to say and that feelingly truly our fellowshp or our Communion is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. This is the Heaven of Heavens to Saints Triumphant and Heaven here on this side Heaven to Saints Militant Expectants of Heaven hereafter Vnutterable is the Contentment that man finds sometimes in his Cordiall acquaintance with an Antient Fast and Religious Friend to whom he may freely and fully unbosome himself and from whom he may receive suitable and seasonable advice with all candor and faithfullnesse upon all occasions Now if words cannot to the life hold out that satisfaction that man findeth in his converse with man like unto himself is it any wonder if I am not able fully to display that heart-ravishing delight which the renewed soul meeteth withall whilest it nourisheth humble and holy Communion with God the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity It is agreed on by all that holy familiarity with him is full of spirituall solace though all my language be too short compleatly to describe before you how satisfactory and contentfull it is How sweet are those holy Parlies with God in praier and how pleasant their returns far pleasanter to a gracious than the returns of ships richly laden with rarest Commodities to a Carnall heart how delightfull are the droppings of the Sanctuary whereby the souls of Saints become as watered Gardens as so many Edens and whereby they come to hear of joy and gladnesse so that the bones which God at any time hath broken begin to rejoice How ensuring are the Incomes of the Spirit in that sealing Ordinance of the Lords Supper wherein the truely penitent and beleeving Soul looking up to Christ by the Eye of Faith whom hee hath peirced and being in heavinesse for him c. receives the pledge of the Remission of his sins and of all other Covenant-Mercies which more exhilerates him with heart reviving joy then the sight of a Pardon doth a condemned Malefactor It was upon this account that the heart of David was filled with such Pantings as the Hart after the water-brooks to come and appear before God in soul-reviving Ordinances and that Marquesse of Vico Galeatius that eminent Confessor when offered Golden Mountains of Honours and Riches how resolutely did he reply their mony perish with them that think all the honours of Italy c. to be worth one hours Communion with God at Geneva a place wherein Religion flourished Now how abundant that worthy and experimentall Christian was to whom you owe your extraction as branches to their root in nourishing communion with God and how sweet hee found it both in his life and at his death I need not relate to you in speciall who were full well acquainted with the manner of his holy Conversation in his Life and of his comfortable departure at his end My sute to you is Honoured Lady Who have made such Eminent progresse in Grace Labor yet more and more to imitate your deceased Father in walking in all the waies of holiest Communion with God treading dayly in his steps of Soul resignation Faith Patience Charity Zeal and all other Christian graces whereof he left an exemplary Copy to you and your hopefull Issue to write after I need not suggest that it is constancy which is the Crowning grace Honoured Sir Though you have attained as yet to a little more than a fourth of the days that your Indulgent Grand-Father arrived at yet hee hath left you as a Coheir of his Estate so I hope of his graces also strive therefore that hee may in all his soul-adorning endowments live in you that as hee and many others looked upon you with a hopefull eye whilest hee lived so the world may see you more and more to answer all those blooming hopes now he is removed from you To conclude my humble addresse to you both is that you would be mindfull of all the holy Counsells and savory advertisements wherein he abounded towards you and among others those that he communicated to you frequently by his letters and forget not that Letter added unto his life whereby being dead he yet speaketh to you and then doubt not but there will bee a full return into your bosomes of all the prayers which he so fervently and frequently darted up to Heaven in your behalfs which is the perswasion Of your Worships much Obliged in the Lord. FULK BELLERS Decemb. 24. 1655. ABRAHAMS Interment OR The good Old mans Burial in a good old Age. GEN 15.15 And thou shalt go unto thy Fathers in peace and bee buried in a good old age SOlomon tells us It is better to go into the house of Mourning than to go to the house of Feasting for that is the end of all men and the living the godly living will lay it to heart The Lord hath turned his own House into a House of Mourning unto us upon this sad account viz. the interment of him who as he was much esteemed of by the Citizens of this Renowned City in general so in special of this place whereof he hath been an ancient and worthy Parishioner and peculiarly by that great Congregation â—hereof he hath been a vigilant Elder near thirty years toâ—â—ther one aged in grace as well as years unto whom â—his personal Promise to the Father of the Faithful was made good though not for the number of years that Abraham lived up unto yet for that time that Moses reckons up as
death viz. sin and that entwisted even with his very Nature As by one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all c. The holiest may cry out as those Sons of the Prophets O thou man of God death is in the pot death is in the body Bodies of Sin will become bodies of Death because sin is in the Soul as a Canker at the root that will kill the Tree as the Worm that smote Jonahs Gourd that made it wither away this drew out that Emphatical Quere What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul himself from the hand of the grave A question that carries a Negative answer in the bowels of it q. d. no man even the most eminent beleeving or holiest for living can free himself from the tasting of death Vse Look not you now that are Beleevers to be freed from the common fare of all real Christians viz. Death count upon this Dye I must I know not how soon Q. But if my faith exempt me not from death what avails me to be a Beleever Sol. Much every way chiefly because by Beleeving though thou be not freed from the stroke yet sure thou art to be protected from the sting of death so that even in the very jaws of death a Beleever may 1. holily exult O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God that gives us victory through Christ Jesus our Lord 2. yea sure thou art to be delivered from the Second Death thy faith interesting of thee in the first Resurrection and implanting thee into Christ it frees thee from Condemnation He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life viz. even here someway in possession as well as hereafter fully in reversion Besides thou maist be certain the condition of death is altered to thee it being not now formally the wages of sin but turned into a part of those advantagious chattles that do belong unto thee 1 Cor. 3.23 All is thine even Death as well as other things Death to thee is only the final period to all thy miseries and the ready inlet to thy full and eternal happiness Now God permits his Decree to take hold upon thee for divers gracious ends and purposes viz. 1 To cast out perfectly the remainders of sin that even after our Conversion do still abide within us When the Priest under the Law had been to view the house infected with the Plague of the fretting Leprosie the house was to be broken down stones the timber and all the mortar of it Jesus Christ sees the fretting Leprosie of Sin to be in thee that will not be outed of its Habitation till that earthly Tabernacle of thine be pulled down 2 To put an end to all the perplexing miseries that do befall thee here Whilst Israel was in the Wilderness they were infested with fiery Serpents never totally freed from them till they came to Canaan so whilst thou art in the wilderness of the World thou art lyable to the stingings of many fiery Serpents the fiery Serpents of Sin and Misery Absolute immunity will be obtained by Death from them and not before 3 To be a gate for thy Admission or entrance into Heaven Death indeed to on unbeleever is the door of Hel but to a Beleever it is the entrance of Heaven this in eagered Paul with so much panting to be dissolved and to be with Christ what Jacob spake in another case is true here of the death of a Beleever this is the gate of heaven Vse 2. Yet know this for thy comfort though death be unavoydable dye thou must yet thou maist assure thy self thou shalt dye in peace which leads me to the manner how Abraham shall be gathered unto his Fathers which is the Elixir of the Promise He shall go in peace whence we may observe Doct. That it is a Beleevers transcendent Priviledge to go unto his Fathers or to dye in peace For the profitable handling of this truth 1 I le endeavour to shew you what is meant by going to his Fathers or dying in peace 2 I le study clearly to make it out 1 That it is a priviledge to dye in peace 2 A transcendent priviledge belonging to Beleevers 3 I le cast in something by way of improvement Q. 1. What is meant by going to his Fathers or dying in peace Sol. The Phrase is of different construction in different places of Scripture I finde it sometimes opposed to a violent immature or forcible kind of end Thus to Zedekiah as bad as he was it was promised Thou shalt not dye by the Sword viz. a violent but thou shalt dye in peace i. e. come unto a Natural death Jer. 34.4 5. so David advising Solomon to cut off Joab by a forcible death he useth almost a parallel expression not in a promissory but minatory way Let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace i. e. let him dye a violent death and be rolled to his grave in bloud But sometimes I finde it opposed to an uncomfortable end and then to dye in peace is to dye in the sense of inward peace or in an estate of reconciliation and this I look upon as the common priviledge of all beleevers Josiah had this in promise though hee dyed of his Wounds yet he dyed in a reconciled condition with God and this is the main of the Promise to Abraham here compared with vers 6. Abraham beleeved in the Lord and he accounted it to him for righteousness being now justified through faith he had peace with God And when he comes to dye he shall dye in peace being sensible of his standing in the grace and favour of God and resting on the invaluable merits of Jesus Christ whose day he saw and upon that account with a placid spirit he resigned up his Soul unto him Q. 2 How it may be made out that to dye in peace is a priviledge belonging to beleevers 1 We call that a Priviledge which is an Immunity granted to some of favour and denied to others of justice Wee all deserve as to dye so to dye with fear terrour and amazement but our God in mercy exempts Beleevers from the common Law of death as it is the King of Terrours and vouchsafeth them this favour to depart in peace when others depart with horror 2 This we say is the Beleevers priviledge for as for 1 Unbeleevers and all wicked men whatsoever there is no peace to the wicked saith my God they are as the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast out in reâ—aâ—d dirt an elegant Similitude whereby the Prophet setteth forth to the life the restlesness of wicked men though the Sea hath no Winds nor Tempests from without to infest it yet it is restless of its
in the days of thy youth remember to acquaint thy self with him and to make peace that so good may come unto thee in time of age get grace in youth and become obedient unto thy Parents which probably may prepare a way for thy Burial in a good old age 2 If Youth be elapsed or run out in vanity yet 1 Now presently repent repent of sins of Youth and set upon the ways of Holiness Paul had been in his youth a Persecutor injurious a Blasphemer yet after repentance what a foundation did hee lay of a good old age labouring more abundantly than others he had been zealous to draw others to Hell so now he was as forward to win others to Heaven for Augustine how vain vilde vicious sinful was his youth wallowing himself in all Licentiousness as his confessions speak where how doth he bewail himself yet after repentance what an useful Instrument was he in the Church of Christ many admire and that deservedly Chrysostoms golden Rollings Cyprians Martyr-like spirit running through all his Works but we may behold these nay more than these in Augustine after his repentance 2 Rest not till thou be implanted into Jesus Christ our ingrafting into him intitles us to dye in peace and to live not only long here but even to eternity hereafter as freeing us from Condemnation and ensuring us of admission into Heaven The Science ingrafted into the tree liveth as long as the tree and we ingrafted in Christ as long as Christ and that will be to eternity if our implantation qualifie us for eternity it cannot but qualifie us for the longest date of life here below 3 Live piously being implanted Piety not only hath the promises of this life but of that that is to come impiety cuts asunder the thread of our lives but Piety prolongs our days as Solomon witnesseth My Son let thine heart keep my Commandements for length of days and long life and peace shall they adde to thee 4 Live temperately lest thou diggest thy Grave with thine own teeth sobriety being the best natural means for the prolongation of life as is obvious to experience 3 If thou art a verging or inclining towards old age and art implanted into Christ. 1 Shew thy self to be a tree of Gods planting in all those fruits of the Spirit mentioned by the Apostle as God hath made thee good by Grace so be thou abundant in all gracious actings in all Christian duties Fruit-bearing trees are seldom cut down till they become fruitless 2 Let thy life be a life of Prayer and wrastling with God among other things that God would not cast thee off in the time of age nor forsake thee when thy strength faileth yea let thy life be a perpetual meditation of death and all the days of thy appointed time do thou wait upon God until thy change shall come 3 Get old Simeons light or his clear sight of Christ by faith when thou hast once obtained this thou wilt then be panting with him and crying Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace old Abraham was then happy when he saw the future day of Christ by the Prospective-glass of faith through the interval of two thousand years distance and no wonder that he rejoyced men go to Hell with their eyes shut but to Heaven with their eyes open 4 Wait then for old Pauls Crown if in sincerity thou art able to say The time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith thou maist then conclude henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto me at that day and to all that love his appearing if constantly thou perseverest and goest on in the ways of faith and love and holiness thou maist expect the accomplishment of this Promise unto thee to go to thy Fathers in peace and to be buried in a good old age if the Lord see it meet for thee A Short Narrative of the Life and Death OF JOHN LAMOTTE Esq JOhn Lamotte Esq sometimes Alderman of the City of London was born at Colchester in Essex May 1. 1577. his Father was Francis Lamotte Son of Baldwin Lamotte of Ypres in Flanders who in the time of the great Persecution in the Low Countries under Duke D' Alva was driven out of his Native Country and came together with his Wife Mary to shelter themselves and to enjoy the free profession of the true Religion for which they had abandoned all their Temporal very considerable goods and enjoyments under the protection of that famous Nursing-mother of Gods afflicted Children in those bloudy times Queen Elizabeth here in England in the fourth year of her Reign taking up their residence at Colchester where he lived many years in very good esteem and was very forward and industrious for the setting up and promoting of the great Manufacture there for the Publick good and God blessed him in the same and in a hopeful Issue untill he dyed in a good age at London Now as both these Parents had made Piety their greatest interest and the Freedome of Religion their best Purchase so they were ever exceeding sollicitous and diligent to season their Children and this their Son especially from the very Cradle with the fear and nurture of the Lord and that with such blessed success on him that having Piety instilled into him by their means and publick Ordinances through Gods Grace he never departed from it to his dying day but proved most exemplary therein through all the course and relations of his life so that even in his younger years he never was given to nor delighted with those vain and sinful Sports and Pastimes to which youth is ordinarily so prone to and so hard to be weaned from His Recreation was commonly to turn from one honest or pious employment unto another as from that of his Calling being brought up timely to Trade and Merchandize and in which he was always very careful and industrious to the reading of the Bible and other good Books Meditation and learning of Languages acquainting himself with several of the best Histories especially such as treated of the Persecutions and Deliverances of the Church of God and the Propagation of the Gospel all which he made in a manner his own such delight he took both in the perusal and rehearsal of the same on all occasions and yet omitting no publick opportunities whereby he might nourish communion with God at any time He would often bless God that according to his earnest prayers when he came first up to London hee had kept him from bad company and from all allurements and engaging occasions of haunting Taverns and the like places whereby so many hopeful young men come to be undone Being grown up to some greater maturity of years and Grace and acquaintance with God and beginning to Trade
himself by discourses but retired himself and unbosomed his heart and spread his condition before the Lord in prayer When but three weeks before his decease he was sore afflicted with extremity of head-ake and Colick that he began to find some impatience to seize on him he soon recollected and chekt himself saying How often and fervently have I besought the Lord that he would be pleased to fit and prepare mee for himself and his everlasting Kingdome and why then should I find fault and repine now when he thus really and effectually doth prepare me making mee by these very pains and torments loathe this wretched World so much the more and long for my happy change and dissolution and to be with my Redeemer and thus he continued for the most part even to his last hour which was July 13. 1655. in the seventy ninth year of his age looking death cheerfully in the face as of whom he was not afraid being implanted into Christ and thereby freed from the imbondaging fear of death alwaies almost speaking of the same and setting the remembrance of our latter end both before himself and others upon all occasions knowing there was no such effectuall means to make us apply our hearts to wisdome that is to say to the fear of God the only Antidote against all other fear And as in Troubles and Affliction hee shewed a great deal of filial submission and resignation to God so it was a comfort to all that conversed with him to see and observe his continuall thankfull remembrances of and chearfull rejoycing in Gods mercies and goodnesse both to the Church in generall and particular and to the Land and Nation wherein he lived as also to any of his dear friends and relations as well as to his own person loving both to hear and speak much of that Argument and ever and anon most feelingly exclaiming O what cause have wee to praise our good and mercifull God that yet preserveth yet affecteth yet delivers and favours us and passeth by and forgiveth our manifold infirmities transgressions and provocations aggravated with so much unthankfullness if yet we would love him and beleeve in him and yet walk in his fear obediently before him to our everlasting happinesse On Queen Elizabeths anniversarie Coronation day he would usually bid some friends and put them in mind of the great Mercy of God shewed to England on that day by quenching the fires in Smith field and continuing the Gospel ever since for so many years among us even beyond the number of years recorded in Scripture of an uninterrupted prosperous estate of the Church and then as also on his Birth-day and other joyfull occasions of friends meeting at his house he would often say he had desired their company to eat bread with him before the Lord as Jethro and Moses did in remembrance of such and such signal Mercies and Deliverances whereof his memory was a living Chronicle especially of those grand Deliverances both before and since the Reformation from under the great sufferings and bloody Persecutions in France and the low-Countries whereof he would often discourse in so punctuall and feeling a manner as if he had been an eye-witness yea a sharer in them taking many arguments thence of encouraging both himself and others to be still mindfull of them in bonds and miseries as being themselves in the body saying why their case might have been ours or may be yet who knows And instancing often in this particular with holy admiration and thankfullnesse that when his own Father for Religion sake being fain to flee for his life stood doubtfull whether like as many others did he should repair for shelter to the Palatinate and Frankendale or to England that yet God inclined his heart to chuse England for his place of refuge whereupon he would frequently inferre hee had great cause especially since their late sad condition in that place and Country in acknowledgement of that preserving mercie to have a fellow feeling of their Miseries wherein himself and his might have been involved together with them since God had not only kept and safeguarded him and his from the same but likewise abundantly blessed and protected him and them hitherto And therefore he was very mindfull to send relief to many of them from time to time Together with all these eminent graces God had likewise endued him with a large portion of Wisdome Judgement and Understanding in many things of moment and importance grounded on much experience observation and practise of his own for which he was deservedly much esteemed by men of no small place and account Hee brought still forth out of his Treasure old and new and knew so pertinently to produce compare and apply the same that it was great pleasure and no lesse profit and instruction to hear him The pious and indefatigable care and pains hee took in bringing up of his Children and governing his family in the fear and admonition of the Lord is hinted partly already His perpetual indeavour was to bring them into acquaintance and communion with God and to make them stand in filial awe and fear of him to read and meditate and take delight in the Word of God to be well grounded and setled in Religion and not shaken by every wind of Doctrin to avoid and flee all vain and idle courses companies and dalliances to be painfull carefull and diligent every one in his peculiar calling and imployment orderly and exact in all their affaires sober and frugal in the use of Gods good creatures full of bowels of compassion to the afflicted and distressed Members of Christ and to all that were in need and chearfully ready to communicate unto such loving and helpfull one to another obedient to all good orders submissive to the Magistrate respectfull to the Ministry Civil and upright towards all and watchful at all times to be in readiness when the Lord should call them hence to give an account of their Stewardship c. in all which he would say and exhort them to no more than himself continually endeavoured to practise before their eyes and that this his tender care towards them might yet extend beyond his life and he still speak to them and minde them of these sayings he left for them in writing by abundance of Letters to his nearest and dearest Relations from time to time especially in one of his last Papers written as it seems when he had set his House in order to be ready for the Lord a Copy whereof followeth after this Narrative such excellent instructions and admonitions as sheweth plainly as he took pains and care to leave them a comfortable Temporal estate so their Spiritual good estate was that he mainly wished their whole hearts possest of as his was for to enjoy communion with God and the abiding comfort thereof both in this life and that to come together with him A Letter of John Lamotte Esq to his Daughter and Grand-children written not long before