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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	death_n	die_v	life_n	17,942	5	5.0592	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19515	The life and death of the Reuerend Father, and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. William Cowper, Bishop of Galloway who departed this life at Edenburgh, the 15. of February. 1619. Whereunto is added a resolution penned by himselfe, some few dayes before his death, touching the Articles concluded in the late generall Assembly holden at Perth. 1618.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1619 (1619)	STC 5945; ESTC S109006	14,789	34

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE REVEREND FATHER and faithfull Seruant of GOD Mr. WILLIAM COWPER Bishop of Galloway who departed this life at Edenburgh the 15 of February 1619. WHEREVNTO IS ADDED A RESOLVTION penned by himselfe some few dayes before his death touching the Articles concluded in the late generall Assembly holden at PERTH 1618. LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Iohn Budge and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon 1619. THE PREFACE IT is profitable and considering the times we now liue in very necessarie that the liues deaths of Gods faithfull seruants such as was this worthy Person be registred and commended to Posteritie as well for examples to the liuing that they may know how to walke in a good Conscience before God as to preserue the fame of the righteous after their death from the reprochful detractions of the wicked And this last charitie towards our Brethren departed requires of vs then especially when the wrong done vnto their memories tends to the discrediting of the seruice wherein they were by God imployed in the time of their life For though it be true that lyes and calumnies can neuer long preuaile and that Truth by some rightly called the Daughter of Time will at last breake forth as the light and shine as the noone day to the iustifying of them that haue feared the Lord and beene carefull to approue their courses vnto him yet in the meane while preiudices may possesse the minds of many not euill affected and while they lacke better information by mis-reports they may be made to thinke and speake of persons and matters otherwise then they should Neither can we be excused if wee shall keepe silence and forbeare to giue witnesse vnto the Truth when peruerse men take such libertie as we see to vent lies both by speech and writing onely to confirme others in wicked and rebelli●us courses This respect albeit there had been no other is a sufficient reason for the publishing of this Discourse written by that faithfull Seruant of God of himselfe some two yeeres before his departing and since found amongst his papers for as in his life there wanted not enemies to charge him with many false imputations whereof himselfe did often complaine so yet after his death when humanitie it selfe might teach them not to disquiet the ashes of the dead they forbeare not to lay vpon him and the manner of his death false and foule aspersions albeit no man while he liued did walk in all his wayes with a b●tter conscience nor any of the Saints of God did euer conclude his dayes more peaceably and with better Resolution Concerning his life which was not idle or fruitlesse as his writings already come forth and others that shortly will see the light may sufficiently witnesse wee remit you to this Discourse penned by himselfe as it seemes when he found his sicknes beginning which put an end to his dayes And for his death whereof there were many witnesses the forme and manner thereof we haue annexed to stop the mouthes of vngodly men and giue all that feare the Lord an example of dying and occasion of thankefulnes to Almighty God who vouchsafed so mercifully to rid his seruant of the miseries of this life and receiue him to his ioy and that place of felicitie where we are perswaded now he rests THE LIFE AND DEATH OF W. COWPER BISHOP OF GALLOWAY This Discourse was penned by himselfe on the first of Ianuary 1616. MY life hath not beene such that I am ashamed to liue longer if my gracious God haue any further seruice to employ mee withall in his Church Neither am I so desirous to liue but yet I am willing and heartily content to remoue out of this body that I may be with my Lord freed from these restlesse tentations which on euery side haue sore pressed but through his grace neuer oppressed me In my younger yeeres I was trained vp with the wrestlings of God from my youth I haue borne his yoke exercised with his terrours yet so that many a time his sweet consolations haue refreshed my soule In my old days men haue risen against me but without a cause betwixt these two my dayes are spent my Witnesse is in heauen Hee knoweth that in euery state of life my heart was euer toward the Lord it was my ioy to serue him and my griefe when I sinned against him Being of the age of eight yeere old about Martimas I was carried by my father from Edenborough to Dunbar Schoole I could not write nor read any Latine then I tarried there till my twelft yeere euen then did the Lord beginne to acquaint my heart to seek him we went two two to the Church he put then this prayer in my heart euery day in the way Lord bow mine care that I may heare thy Word In the Schoole many a time haue I turned on my face seeking from God knowledge and vnderstanding In the space of foure yeeres and lesse I learned the whole course of Grammar wherein God made me to prosper not inferiour to others in the company with me From thence I was called by my Parents to Edenborugh and in the entry of my 13. yeere sent ouer to S. Andrewes and passed in course of Philosophy there in the 16. yeere there made I not such progresse in knowledge as I had done before in my other Studies either mine age not being capable of it or my wise and mercifull Father not thinking it expedient for me yet euen there was the seede of grace still working in me inclining me to a carefull hearing and penning of Sermons and Theologicall lessons as I could haue occasion to heare them And heere Satan working in corrupt nature sought many a time to trap mee in his snares intending in my young yeeres to giue mee that wound that night haue beene a marke of shame to me in my old age when the Lord should call mee to doe his Worke but as on the one part I felt my weakenesse compared with the strength of corrupt nature so though then I could not discerne it afterward I had proofe it was the Lords preuenting mercy that kept me from being an offence vnto his Church It is his mercy that he pardoned the vanities and ignorances of my youth and his mercy also that he preserued me in all my life from any that could make me a shame to his Saints or a scorne and reproach to his enemies Hauing passed my course in S. Andrewes at the age of sixteene yeeres I returned to my Parents in Edenborough I was pressed by them to enter into sundry sorts of life I liked not for my heart still inclined to the study of holy Scriptures wherevpon I resolued to goe into England where I euidently perceiued the Lord going before mee and prouiding for me at Hoddesdon within eighteene mile of London my meane portion which I had being all spent I speake it to his glory that

cared for me in that same place that same day was I desired by our kind countriman Master Guthrie to helpe him in the teaching of a Schoole with whom I remained some three quarters of a yeere but after did the Lord lead me further for hauing occasion to goe to London without my knowledge or any suite of mine I was called to the seruice of a learned Diuine Mr. Broughton vnto the which with good will of Mr. Guthrie I entred and there remained about a yeere and a halfe dayly exercised vnder him in the studie of Theologie To him vnder God and some other learned Diuines of that City do I acknowledge my selfe bound for these beginnings of knowledge I then receiued In the nineteenth yeere of my life I returned againe to Edenborough where hauing the commodious occasion to bee with my elder Brother then one of the Ministers of Edenborough I still continued in the same study and at length was required to giue a proofe of my gift priuately which I did in the new Church in presence of Mr. Robert Pont and Mr. Robert Rollock with sundry others of the Ministery then after that I was required to teach publikely in the new Church on a Sabbath in the afternoone And the next weeke I was command●d to teach publikely in the great Church in time o● a Fast on a Thursday in the afternoone Thus did the Lord traine me vp and these were the beginnings of my Ministery which I recount to the praise of his grace who counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice A little after that in the beginning of my twentieth yeere there ensued a generall Assembly of the Church at Edenborough by their authority wa● I sent out and appointed Pastor of Bothkenner in Stirling Shire for that Church had beene desolate euer since the reformation and the people had giuen in their supplication to the Assembly for a Pastor This calling of God and his Church I imbraced and went vnto them where I found the desolation so great that except the walls which were ruinous also neither dore nor window nor seat nor Pulpit nor any part of a roofe was there at all yet pleased it God to giue such a blessing to the Ministry of his Word that their hearts thereby were stirred vp cheerefully to build the Lords House which most willingly they fully resolued within halfe a yeere not content to build their own part of the House but the Quire also which of due should haue beene done by the Parson there needed heere no letters of homing nor other compulsitories neither content to haue built it onely they adorned it within and without it not inferiour to any other Church of such quality round about it This was my first externall seale and confirmation of my calling to the Ministery In this seruice I remained seuen or eight yeeres subiect to great bodily infirmities by reason of the weakenesse of the Soyle in Winter and the vnwholesome waters thereof And heere did the Lord first begin to acquaint me with his terrours and the inward exercises of sundry sorts of tentations so that betweene these two my life was almost wasted with heauinesse yet I blesse the Lord for it it was vnto me like the wildernesse of Midian to Moses a Schoole of tentation whereby I learned dayly more and more to know Christ Iesus gathering some store of knowledge thereby inward exercises and outward studies which the Lord afterward called me to giue out in more publik places in his Church for the necessity of increasing disease forcing me to bethinke of a transportation the purpose of my mind was to another Church vnplanted in the South some 8. mile from Edenborough but the Lord still continued his calling and drew mee another way Northward for at the same time there interuented a generall Assembly of the Church at Perth there was I nominated and with consent of the Assembly and people was I written for to that Ministery as the letters of both sent to me out of Perth with my deare Brother Mr. Patrick Simson yet extant do beare Thus did the Lord cleare my way before me and leade me there where I thought neuer to haue gone yet two or three dayes before did the Lord giue me some signification of it but I vnderstood it not till the euent did teach me for in my thoughts in the night there seemed a man to lead me by the hand to a little pleasant City in a plaine valley on a riuers side hauing some bankes lying at the shoare thereof as indeede it had the first time that after this I was brought to it such a sight got I of it in that vision as afterward I saw with my eyes hee led me a long time vp and downe the streetes of that Towne from one to another at length carried me ouer the water to an hill and led me vp vnto it by many turnings and windings from one earth to another very neere vnto the top thereof Then did I awake my face looking to the South-west This made such an impression in my minde as after that I could neuer get forgotten Let no mā heere impute to me the superstition either of Papists or Anabaptists I know there is no reuelation now of doctrine or new article of faith to be sought out in dreames The Lord hath spoken once for all now vnto vs by his Sonne in the Word but that the liuing Lord who sleepes not can giue warnings to the soules of his seruants when their bodies are sleeping no man acquainted with his working I trust will deny it After this three or foure dayes as I said returned Mr. Patrick Simson from the generall Assembly at Perth to Sterling and deliuered me Letters from the Assembly and the towne containing my calling to that Ministerie The towne shortly after sent their Commissioners to transport my selfe and my Family There I continued doing the worke of God for the full space of nineteene yeeres How I did carry my selfe in my open conuersation liuing amongst them not as one separate from them but mixed my selfe in all their fellowships as a comfort to the best and a wound to the worst inclined sort this Age will not want louing witnesse to record it My diligence in like manner in the Ministerie not onely on the ordinarie dayes but on others which I voluntarily chose thrice a weeke in the euening to wit Wednesday Friday and Saturday for a preparation to the Sabbath for these dayes they had no preaching in the morning It would haue done a Christian heart good to haue seene those glorious and ioyfull Assemblies to haue heard the zealous cryings to God among that people with sighings teares melting hearts and mourning eyes I speake the truth in modestie and not all the truth It is not vaine-glorying I abhorre that not I but his grace in me Why shall it offend any man that I eate the fruit of my labour and that my conscience this day enioyes the comfort

their charge I go to my Father wish his blessing to them to rectifie their iudgements moderate their affections with true pietie from faith loue AMONGST THE SAME Papers wee found three short Meditations whereby he comforted himselfe whilest he found his death approching written also with his owne hand and bearing date the seuenth of December 1618. NOw my soule be glad at all parts of this prison the Lord hath set to his Pioners to loose thee Head Feet Milt Liuer are fast failing yea the middle strength of the whole body the stomake is weakened long agoe Arise make ready shake off thy setters mount vp from the body and goe thy way Let me tell you that which I know yea foreknow yet I after others haue foretasted before you Death is somewhat drieric the streames of that Iordan betweene vs and our Canaan runne furiously but they stand still when the Arke commeth Let your Author be cast within the vaile and fastned on the Rocke Iesus Let the end of the three-fold cord bee buckled to the heart so shall yee goe thorow what threds the cord is made of I cannot now tarrie to tell you who knowes but if ye aske God will teach you I saw not my children when they were in the wombe there the Lord fed them without my knowledge I shall not see them when I goe out of the body yet shall they not vvant a Father This faithfull Seruant of God who from the time of his entrie into the Ministerie had alwayes shewed himselfe diligent and painefull in his Calling notwithstanding that his Sicknes grew dayly vpon him was no way deficient in his duties of ordinarie preaching taking great paines also to perfit his Worke vpon the Reuelation which he had begunne and desired greatly to finish it before his dying Besides which studies the griefe he conceiued for the backwardnes of vnruly spirits in giuing obedience to the Articles concluded in the late Assembly and ratified by authoritie to the great disturbance of the Peace of the Church which hee laboured carefully in all his life to procure did hasten him not a little to his end So as in the beginning of Ianuary 1619. his infirmitie increasing hee was compelled to keepe at home and not to goe any more abroad yet as his weaknesse did permit hee gaue himselfe to reuise his writings and dispose of his worldly affaires that hee might bee ready for his passage which euery day hee expected And some ten dayes before his departure hauing his minde freed of all earthly businesse to those that visited him hee manifested a great contentment hee had in his approching death The Wednesday before which was the tenth of February The Bishops some other Brethren beeing assembled at Edenborough for certaine affaires of the Church tooke occasion to meete at his house because of his Sicknesse which hee tooke most kindly and continued with them that whole afternoone giuing very wholesome aduice in matters propounded and shewing himselfe as pleasant and iocund in speeches as euer before Howbeit euen then hee signified to them that his death was drawing neere and declared his minde somewhat disposedly concerning his Successor The dayes following hee kept with all that came to visit him in most holy and Diuine conferences expressing a great willingnes of exchanging this life with that better And vpon Munday which was the fifteenth of February at one of the clocke in the afternoone feeling his strength and spirits to decay after hee had conceiued a most heauenly prayer in the company of those that were by him he desired to be laid in bed for the dayes before he arose alwayes and either walked or sate in his Chamber which being done after he had againe commended himselfe most deuoutly vnto Almightie God he tooke some quiet rest after which he spake not many words but those that hee vttered shew his memory and other senses to haue beene perfect his tongue onely failing him and in this sort about seuen of the clocke at night he rendred his soule to God in a most quiet and peaceable manner His body the seuenteenth of February was interred according to his owne direction in the Churchyard called the Blacke-Friers at Edenborough in the South-side of the new Church and was conueyed to the place by the Earl of Dumsermeline Chancellor and the rest of the Honourable Lords of Councell with the Magistrates of the Citie and many others The Funerall Sermon being preached by the most Reuerend Father in God the Arch-bishop of St. Andrewes THE BISHOP OF GALLOWAY HIS answers to such as desire a resolution of their scruples against the Acts of the last Assembly holden at Perth in the month of August 1618. Mercy grace and peace be vnto all them that loue the Lord Iesus WEe are commanded by S. Peter to giue a reason of that faith which is in vs and so will I No good Christian differs one from another in any Article of faith for our beliefe is a short compend of the Scripture and I haue preached all the Articles thereof I beleeue all As for Papists where they differ from vs see what I haue professed in my writings published in Print and I am resolued to dye in the same minde what that is they may perceiue by the seuen dayes conference betwixt a Catholike Christian and a Catholike Roman By that threefold Treatise vpon the 8. to the Romans By that Anatomy of a Christian. By that Alphabet for Sious Schollers By that Treatise of Iacobs wrastling with God And that of Christs Genealogie And another of his Baptisme And the third of his combate with Satan in the Wildernesse By that which I intituled A defiance to Death By that Preparatiue to the new Passeouer By the Treatises of good newes from Canaan on the 51. Psalme By the Heauenly Mansions and the Praise of Patience By the Conuersion of the Prodigall Sonne By that comfortable Dialogue betwixt God and a troubled Soule And that begun Commentary vpon the Apocalyps beside many others These haue done good to many good Christians and I hope shall doe when I am gone And as for these needelesse controucrsies that make diuers voyces among vs I say some conscientious with little knowledge these I loue others contentious with lesse knowledge these I pitty willing them alwayes to remember that to them who are countentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Rom. 2. 1. yet wishing to them mercy and light to illuminate their mindes OF DAYES IN my minde no King on earth no Church may make an Holy-day only the Lord who made the day hath that prerogatiue and he hath sanctified the seuenth Day yet either a Christian King or a Church may separate a day by preaching and that either ordinary as we haue Tuesday or extraordinary for fasting and humiliation or then for solemne ioy and thanksgiuing This is and hath been euer the lawfull practice of our Church and continuall who at