Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A26018
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Some remarks upon the life of that painful servant of God, Mr. Nathanael Heywood minister of the Gospel of Christ ... who died in the 44th year of his age ... / by Sir H. Ashurst.
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Ashurst, Henry, 1614?-1680.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing A3975; ESTC R35289
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38,076
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120
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or Gravel certainly it was exceeding acute and painful yet it is disputable whether his loss of Gospel-Liberties or his violent Bodily Distemper was the greater Affliction to him His Riding about Six or Seven Miles in the year 1675. rendered his pain in making Water scarce tolerable thus he writes I have now this last ill fit discovered more of the cause of it than ever before I am very confident it is not the Stone but Flegm or a Salt Humour or both that stops the Urine c. It 's not properly the Strangury saith he in another but a Coagulation of Humours through overmuch Acidity that sharpens and sometimes stops my Urine Want of Health and Liberty believe me are two sore evils I hope you will particularly help me with your Prayers for direction as to Health but more especially as to restoration of Liberty in my beloved work the loss of which is a greater grief than the want of Health and Ease In another Letter dated July 15. 1676. he saith I have endured extreame pain and torment a Month together all which time excepting two or three days I never make Water and that I was forced to do very often but the last drop came out with so much difficulty and excessive pain about the neck of the Bladder that it made me roar and tremble and had so shrunk my Flesh and weakened my Body that I did apprehend Death to be approaching The good Lord fit and prepare me for it and account me worthy to find Mercy in that time of need My pain was occasioned by the great heat and preaching that hot weather oftener and longer than I was well able I am sure I have greatest reason to submit to his holy Will yea and be thankful also that though he hath afflicted me very sore yet he hath not given me over to death whereas I hear of many that are dead of late of my distemper Bishop Wilkins Cousin John Crompton and several hereabouts within these two months I beg your prayers that if God spare my Life he would also give Health and Liberty to improve it in his service more publickly and fruitfully or if it be death which will be less unwelcome because of my restraints pangs and troubles in this world only my Wife and Children make the thoughts of it burthensome may God be glorified I hope it will be my advantage I wish neither you nor any faithful Minister that minds and loves his work may ever know what I have felt in the want of People and Work Other Afflictions are light compared to a dumb Mouth and silent Sabbaths c. Yet notwithstanding all this Affliction he had a wonderful great desire once again if it were the Will of God to visit his friends in Yorkshire and God was pleased to grant his request for he gave him some mitigation of his Pain which was an encouragement to undertake that Journey so himself his Wife and his Two Sons Travelled into Yorkshire April 20. 1677. there he preach'd the Sermons that are since Printed and another most excellent and pathetical Sermon upon Rom. 5. 8. From thence he sent his Eldest Son to be trained up in Academical Learning with Mr. Frankland at Natland in Westmorland But Oh! what affectionate parting was there as if they must never see one another's faces again and indeed so it proved they could not speak to each other for weeping and sobbing he desired another to pray for he could not refrain In that Journey he was carried out beyond himself in praying preaching discoursing to the admiration and edification of all his ancient Friends in those Parts though he had frequent returns of his wonted Pain He was as a man coming down from Heaven to tell what 's done there or as one ripe for Heaven too big for Earth upon the wing to take his flight into those Mansions above as indeed it proved After he had done his work in those Parts which he designed he left Yorkshire on May 1. 1677. but could reach that day but Ten Miles the next morning he went to Ratchdal he was forcibly detained by the importunity of Christian Friends and preached there that evening tho greatly to his prejudice as to Health the day following he reached Bolton yet saith he with great difficulty and hard hewing they got home on Friday night and it would have been great inconvenience to have staid one day longer upon several necessary accounts which he mentions Thus God carried him abroad in Mercy and brought him seasonably back to his own house in safety How much he was satisfied with this Journey though his pains were extreme several days after his return home his Letter May 14. 1677. doth testifie The great Mercy saith he in my late Journey to you comforts with you and safe return home where we found all well I hope I shall never forget pray help me to be thankful for them I do heartily thank you for all your Pulpit Table House and Countrey-kindness I am sorry and ashamed I made no better improvement of them not knowing that ever I shall enjoy such opportunities again of doing my self and others good in your parts but an indisposed Body and a bad heart marr Duties and waste Mercies His distemper still continued and prevailed upon him all that Summer in a Letter dated September 20. 1677. he saith I am far from being well and as the Church once complained she forgat prosperity so I health and am ready sometimes to add as She my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. This day Five Weeks I came from the Exercise at Toxtoth-Park where I had preached twice and oftener then I was well able a little before Since that day I never came on Horse-back nor preached but once near home but all this time God hath been preaching to me with a terrible thundring Voice Oh! that I could hear the Rod and who hath appointed it So sharp and so long a fit of Pain I never had since this distemper begun God alone knows what may be the issue of it but for my part though I find it no easy matter to look death in the face and to conquer the difficulties that precede and attend it yet I have no great reason to love life or to desire my long stay in this wicked weary world my pained days and wearisome nights make thoughts of death and grave less terrible and apprehensions of Rest with Christ most welcome and pleasant But I feel natural inclinations working towards life and to loving themselves with the fair glass of doing God more and better Service in his Church I am best resolved and most at Anchor when I can but oh how seldom how coldly do I say The Will of the Lord be done Dear Brother Pray for me as I would do for my self that to me to live may be Christ and to die gain Yesterday for some hours I was in extreme torment but am much easier I bless God to day
inamour'd with the love of God in sending Christ as appeared to the content profit and wonder of many by a Sermon he preached the same year he died upon Rom. 5. 8. This was the proper Element in which he moved And few dived that depth into that Eph. 3. 19. unfathomable Ocean of this Love that passeth knowledge as he did 15. He was a zealous Defender of Truth and Impugner of Errors he did strenuously contend for the Jude 3. faith once delivered to the saints He much delighted in the form of wholesome words and loved not new-coin'd phrases which are apt to amuse mens minds and instil into them poisonous Principles He loved and used sound speech that cannot be condemned as well as sound and orthodox Truth standing at an equal distance from Arminians on one hand and Antinomians on the other He had a strange sagacity in discerning Persons Things and Doctrines that swerved from or suited not the Scripture dialect He kept close to the Analogy of Faith yet was not against proficiency or a modest improvement of knowledge Yea he had well studied the Arminian Controversy and told some Friends That if the Lord should recover him and lengthen out his Life he had a design to write something upon that Subject which might perhaps have given further light into that Controversie For as his Genius led him that way so he had the advantage of many years intimate converse with that Ancient and Learned Divine Mr. Tho. Johnson Parson of Halsall a man of vast Parts and unwearied Studies and a non such Person in those points but told Mr. Heywood his intimate Friend that it much repented him that he had spent so much time in reading Books and studying Controversies that might have been more profitably improved in conversing with and instructing his ignorant and carnal Neighbours Let Ministers think of this for one Soul won to God by personal Conference will tend more to God's Glory and a Minister's Comfort than a thousand Notions got by reading Howbeit a due mixture of a contemplative and active Life must needs be the best 16. He was good in his Relative Condition He was an obedient Child an exceeding kind Husband an indulgent tender-hearted Father an affectionate Master a faithful Friend He maintained a Paternal awe authority gravity mixed with Fatherly Bowels of gentleness and lenity and both with incredible prudence that they had not occasion either to slight him or be discouraged by him He instructed them with faithfulness admonished them with tenderness prayed for them with faith and fervency and walkt before them with an holy exemplariness and sincerity As God had made him a Nathanael God-wards so a Joshuah resolving that Josh 24. 15. he and his house should serve the Lord. It 's a true Maxim That he who is not relatively good is not really good But he stood square for every Duty in every Relation He kept his Children much at home being very jealous lest they should meet with temptations abroad which occasioned many Cares and Prayers about their disposal 17. He had attained to a considerable measure of Assurance Tho Isa 50. 10. he had walked in darkness and saw no light in his first Convictions yet staying himself on the Lord his God at last shined upon his Soul with the light of his countenance and he walked many days with the Candle of God shining upon his head through much darkness How Job 29. 3. frequently in Prayer did he express his joy and gratitude for the everlasting consolation and good hopes through grace of his own salvation But the infinitely wise God after many sweet days he had enjoyed thought fit to withdraw his wonted Incomes and left him under some doubts and dissatisfaction For about two months before he died one Lord's day as he and his Family sate together he told his Wife with tears in his eyes that he had great troubles concerning his Spiritual State and some doubts about his Condition desiring her to pray for him Yet the Lord dispelled those dark Clouds and in due time did sweetly shine into his Soul with the sense of his Love Thus God is a free Agent and doth not always intail comfort upon sincerity but sometimes the best of God's Children suffer Eclipses but such sad days tend to self-searching and deeper humiliation and such shakings tend to better settlement Yea such discouragements are often attended with more inlargement such blots in a Christian's Evidences produce more clearing them up However God hereby hath more glory and Heaven will be sweeter 18. He had a strong persuasion of God's care of his numerous Family both in point of Education and Provision As God had graciously lookt after them in his life-time so he had conceived great hopes of their supply after his decease It 's true he had some temptations and sad thoughts of heart concerning them but at last Faith got the victory over Unbelief and having left his sad Widow with her better Husband and his fatherless Children with their heavenly Father he was quiet and these thoughts did not hinder his hearty welcome of his dearest Lord when he summoned him by death And therefore after he had by faith and prayer devolved the care of them upon the Lord he freely acquiesced in his good Providence about himself and them On Tuesday before he died getting into his Bed his Wind being very short his Wife broke out into sore weeping to whom he said Be not troubled God will provide necessaries for thee and thy Posterity for ever Which brings to mind the passage of Bucer who dying stretched out three Fingers with his eyes lift up to Heaven saying Ille ille regit moderatur omnia He he alone rules and governs all things And the Event hath abundantly answered this good man's Prediction and Expectation 19. It is very considerable that he had his desire in a leisurely lingring death He had often expressed his willingness if that were God's will that death might come on gradually and not surprize him yea he prayed that he might be long in his sickness and also that he might be sensible till the last the Lord did condescend to him in both these He had been long habitually prepared but he desired to be actually ready For it is an important concern to dye and go into another world a world of Spirits This good man had frequent warnings and continued strong in his Intellectuals all the time of his illness Upon Friday night his Brother-in-law coming to him asked him if he had made his Will he answered no he desired to have his Son Nathanael at home when he did that But he perceiving that he was weakning apace and that his time would not be long being urged again he willingly consented and sent for a Clerk and dispatcht that worldly concern that night then he was in perfect composedness of mind being but one night besides that till his death 20. As he was highly qualified