have its proper effect upon us to make us to desire earnestly to be like our beloved When shall we put on his beauty O how lovely should we then look Let us put off that deformity that is upon our Souls which makes us so unlike to Christ yea which makes us loathsome in his Eyes Pride Passions Worldliness are those Soul-deformities which keep Christ at such a distance from us and which hinder his more sweet frequent and intimate converse with us It is only that of Himself which Christ seeth in us which he delighteth in For in Him is the perfection of all Beauty and excellency and whatsoever loveliness is in any thing else comes from him is like him and leads to him Would we know how much we are beloved of him let us see how much we are like him for He cannot but love that which is like himself and if we would be like him we must put on love for God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and god in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. Thirdly If we ought to walk towards one another as members of the same body whereof Christ is the Head what can speak a closer union than commembership No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it But we do not feel the power of this oneness as we ought to do We are many and where there is division there will be dissention that we may therefore be more one let us be more in putting off our self and going into Christ Here let us look into the loathsomness of our natures whilest off from God which is the cause of all this confusion and if we cannot see its deformity in its self let us see it in reflection in its bitter effects and when we see our own deformity we shall see less cause to love our selves and more cause to love others Let us look upon our oneness in Christ and see if we can thence become one in affections Christ saith I and the children which thou hast given me we have one spiritual Father we are brethren let us love as brethren The cause of this union is our being made partakers of Christs nature and baptized into the same spirit with him and if we have at any time experienced the more lively and full incomes of this spirit of Christ how did it set the heart on fire The soul is then too narrow to contain its own affections how dearly then could we look upon a Saint How did pride and wrath vanish and melt down into meekness humility and love Did we never experience what this meaneth Then let the remembrance of the sweetness of it renew it in us O a life of spiritual love is a life indeed a Heaven upon earth This is a good rule when vve find our selves in a spiritual temper let us examine our selves then and inquire how vve like such a frame Let us remember the Voice of the spirit in us and labour to have our judgment and affections always after so ballanced Fourthly Are vve members of Christ vve do not say vve do not love Christ If vve do indeed love Christ let us love him vvherever vve find Him Christ is in all those that are His. Let us fear offending Christ in his for vvhat is done to them He vvill take as done to himself It vvill be said in that great Day In as much as ye did it unto these ye did it unto me Let us think vvhat vve vvill of it at present the vvorld vvill find this true to their cost And if vve act as in Christ vve shall find our selves as much concerned for him as for our selves and more too Oh the vvrongs that are done to him vve shall reckon done to us If vve are Christs Christs interest vvill be ours and his injuries ours If vve are Christs vve vvill be as fearful of offending of any of his as of vvronging of our selves Christ himself is above the reach of our vvrongs to be touched by them in himself but in his Members he suffers to this very day If then Christ and vve are one and Christ and all his are one let us love Christ in his let us rejoice in Christ in his members let us indeavour to requite Christ in his members let us fear grieving the spirit of Christ in grieving the spirits of any of his dear ones Wound not Christ in vvounding the heart of his beloved O the pretiousness pleasure and profit of this love I beg of God to give you a full injoyment of that sweetness and the joyful fruits of it the Lord refresh you vvith a quick and constant sence and sight of his eternal love towards your soul to vvhich the assurance of true Christian love by the effectual vvork of the Comforter may bring you By this vve know that vve are passed from Death to Life because vve love the Brethren If it shall please the Lord to give me leave to see you again I shall come vvith strong expectations and earnest desires of seeing a sweet alteration for the better in you in your deportment and carriage towards one that did deserve better at your hands And vvhat an effect hopes of this nature frustrated vvill produce I beseech you to judge I pray God fill you vvith peace and joy My hand is vveary vvith vvriting but my mind still runs forth in desires and prayers for you I hope the Lord vvill take away all cause of vvriting any more of this subject unto you Your Letter gave me hopes of a good beginning I beseech the Lord to carry on vvhat he hath begun to the glory of his goodness that I may at every sight of you see more of the image of Christ in you and more of the power and beauty of this grace of love and that I may find you drawn nearer to Heaven and see you vvith Christ in Heaven vvhen time shall be no more I leave you in the Arms of Love John Janeway By all this you may easily perceive what spirit acted him and how much he was troubled for any divisions amongst the people of God Indeed he was of so loving and lovely a disposition that he even commanded the affections of most that knew him and so humble he was that he was ashamed to be loved for his own sake I can never forget a strang expression that I have heard from him concerning one that had a very ardent love for him I know this saith he that I love no love but what is purely for Christs sake would Christ might have all the love He alone deserves it for my part I am afraid and ashamed of the love and respects of Christians He saw so much pride peevishness and division amongst Professors that it did not a little vex his righteous Soul and made him think long to be in a sweeter Air where there should be nothing but union joy and love He could not indure to hear Christians speak reproachfully one of
humility of spirit is no way inconsistent with this peace of God A second cause of your heaviness may be a sense of the state of the people which God hath committed to you and indeed who can but mourn over people in such a condition objects of pity they are and the more because they pity not themselves I have often wrestled with God that he would direct you in what is your duty concerning them which I perswade my self is your earnest request Now if after your serious examining of your self what your Conscience doth conclude to be your duty you do it and see you do it you are then to rest upon God for his effectual working Let not any think to be nore merciful than God for wherein he doth he goes beyond his bounds and this is no more cause of heaviness to you than the opposition that the Apostles found at any time was who notwithstanding rejoyced in tribulation Another cause of heaviness may be what divisions are between your self and some of your Relations O that a spirit of meekness and wisdom might remove all cause of sorrow for that But were the power of Godliness more in hearts and Families all the causes of such trouble would soon be removed there would be less that would deserve reprehension and there would be a fittedness of spirit to give and bear reproof to give in meekness and tenderness and to bear in humility patience and thankfulness Some cares and thoughts you may have concerning your Family when you are gone But let Faith and former experience teach you to drive away all such thoughts Your constitution and solitaryness may also be some cause of melancholy but there is a duty which if it were exercised would dispel all which is heavenly meditation and contemplation of the things which true Christian Religion tends to If we did but walk closely with God one hour in a day in this duty O what influence would it have into the whole day besides and duly performed into the whole life This duty with the usefulness manner and direction c. I knew in seme measure before but had it more pressed upon me by Mr. Baxters Saints Everlasting Rest that can scarce be overvalued for which I have cause for ever to bless God As for your dear Wife I fear the cares and troubles of the world take off her mind too much from walking with God so closely as she ought to do and from that earnest indeavour after higher degrees of grace I commend therefore to her all this excellent Duty of Meditation It is a bitter sweet Duty bitter to corrupt nature but sweet to the Regenerate part if performed I intreat her and your self yea I charge it upon you with humility and tenderness that God have at least half an hour allowed him in a day for this exercise O this most precious Soul-raising Soul-ravishing Soul-perfecting duty Take this from your dear Friend as spoke with reverence and real love and faithfulness My fear and jealousie left I should speak in vain maketh me say again I or God by me doth charge this upon you One more direction let me give that none in your family satisfie themselves in family prayer But let every one twice a day if it may be possible draw near to God in secret duty Here secret wants may be laid open here great mercies may be begged with great earnestness here what wandrings and coldness was in family-duty may be repented of and mended This is the way to get seriousness reality sincerity chearfulness in Religion and thus the joy of the Lord may be your strength Let those which know their duty do it if any think it not a necessary duty let them fear lest they lose the most excellent help for a holy useful joyful life under the assistance of Gods Spirit whilst they neglect that which they think unnecessary Take some of these directions from sincere affection some from my own experience and all from a real and compassionate desire of your joy and comfort The Lord teach you in this and in the rest I intreat you never to rest labouring till you have attained to true spiritual joy and peace in the Lord. The God of Peace give you his direction and the foretasts of his comforts in this life and perfection in eternal life in the enjoying of infinite holiness purity and excellencie through Christ Thus praying I rest In another Letter to a Reverend Friend that had the care of many Children he thus adviseth Sir YOVR Charge is great upon a Temporal Account but greater upon a Spiritual many Souls being committed to your charge Out of an earnest desire of the good of Souls and your own joy and peace I importunately request that you would have a great care of your children and be often dropping in some wholesome admonitions and this I humbly with submission to your judgment in it commend to you not to admonish them always altogether but likewise privately one by one not letting the rest know of it Wherein you may please to press upon them their natural corruption their necessity of Regeneration the Excellency of Christ and how unspeakably lovely it is to see young ones setting out for Heaven This way I think may do most good having had experience of it my self in some small measure God grant that all may work for the edifying of those which are committed to you I leave you under the protection of him that hath loved us and given himself for us Thus you see how he seemed swallowed up with the affairs of another world CHAP. III. His Carriage when Fellow of the Colledge at twenty years of Age. WHen he was about twenty years old he was made Fellow of the Colledge which did not a little advance those noble projects which he had in his head for the promoting of the interest of the Lord Christ Then how sweetly would he insinuate into the young ones desiring to carry as many of them as possibly he could along with him to Heaven Many attempts he made upon some of the same house that he might season them with Grace and animate and incourage those which were looking towards Heaven And as for his own Relations never was there a more compassionate and tender-hearted Brother How many pathetical Letters did he send to them and how did he follow them with prayers and tears that they might prove successful how frequently would he address himself to them in private and how ready to improve providences and visits that he might set them home upon them How excellent would he set forth the beauty of Christ He earnestly would perswade them to inquire into the state of their souls How would he indeavour to bring them off from sandy foundations and resting upon their own righteousness In a word he was scarce content to go to Heaven without and through mercy he was very successful among his own Relations and the whole family soon savoured of his spirit
foretold that Doomsday should be upon such a day although he blamed their daring folly that would pretend to know that which was hid from the Angels themselves and that the Devil could not acquaint them with yet granting their supposition to be true what then said he What if the day of Judgmennt were come as it will most certainly come shortly If I were sure the day of Judgment were to begin within an hour I should be glad with all my heart If at this very instant I should hear such thunderings and see such lightnings as Israel did at Mount Sinai I am perswaded my very heart would leap for joy But this I am confident of through infinite mercy that the very meditation of that day hath even ravished my soul and the thought of the certainty and nearness of it is more refreshing to me than the comforts of the whole world Surely nothing can more revive my Spirits than to behold the blessed Jesus the joy life and beauty of my soul Would it not more rejoyce me than Josephs wagons did old Jacob I lately dreamed that the day of Judgment was come Methought I heard terrible cracks of thunder and saw dreadful lightnings the foundations of the earth did shake and the Heavens were roled together as a garment yea all things visible were in a flame methought I saw the graves opened and the earth and Sea giving up their dead methought I saw millions of Angels and Christ comming in the clouds Methought I beheld the antient of days sitting upon his Throne and all other Thrones cast down Methought I beheld him whose Garments were white as Snow and the hair of his head like pure Wool His Throne was like the firely flame and his wheels as burning fire a firey stream issued and came forth from him thousands of thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him and the Judgment was set and the books were opened O but with what an extasie of joy was I surprized Methought it was the most heart-raising and soul-ravishing sight that ever my eyes beheld and then I cried out I have waited for thy salvation O God and so I mounted into the Air to meet my Lord in the Clouds This I record only to shew how far he was from being daunted at the thoughts of death or Judgement and to let other Christians know what is attainable in this life and what folly it is for us to take up with so little when our Lord is pleased to make such noble provisions for us and by a wise and diligent improvement of those means which God hath offered us we may have an entrance administred to us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ O how comfortable how honourable and how profitable is this state These are your men that quit themselves like Christians This is true gallantry noble manhood real valour This was the condition of Mr. Janeway for about three years before he died I will not deny but that he had some clouds but he usually walked in a sweet even humble serenity of spirit and his refreshing joys were more considerable than his dispondings and though he daily questioned many actions yet did not question his state but had his heart fixed upon that rock that neither waves nor winds could shake His senses were still so spiritually exercised as that he could look up to Heaven as his Country and Inheritance and to God as his Father and to Christ as his Redeemer and that which is scarce to be heard of he counted it the highest act of patience to be willing to die and a very great pitch of self-denial to be contented to be in this world and to dwell on this side a full and eternal injoyment of that royal glorious One whom his soul was so much in love with In a word he had the most earnest desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ that I ever saw read or heard of since the Apostles times CHAP. XVII His last Sickness and Death AND now the time draws nigh wherein his longings shall be satisfied he is called to his last work and truly his deportment in it was honourable his carriage so eminently gracious so meek patient fruitful joyful and thankful that it made all his friends stand and wonder as being abundantly above their experience and reading and those Christians that saw him could not but admire God in him look upon him as one of the most singular instances of rich grace and even bless God that their eyes ever saw or their ears ever heard such things and had such a sensible demonstration of the reality of invisibles He falls into a deep Consumption His body is now shaken again and he falls into a deep Consumption but this messenger of God did not in the least damp him Spitting of blood was no ghastly thing to one that had his eye upon the blood of Jesus faint sweats did not daunt him that had always such reviving cordials at hand It 's matter of joy to him that he was now in some hopes of having his earnest desires satisfied After he had been a while sick a sudden dimness seized upon his eyes by and by his sight quite failed and there was such a visible alteration in him that he and others judged these things to be the symptoms of death approaching But when he was thus taken he was not in the least surprized but was lifted up with joy to think what a life he was going to looking upon death it self as one of his Fathers servants and his friend that was sent as a messenger to conduct him safely to his glorious palace When he felt his body ready to faint he called to his Mother and said Dear Mother I am dying but I beseech you be not troubled for I am through mercy quite above the fears of death it 's no great matter I have nothing troubles me but the apprehensions of your grief I am going to Him whom I love above life But it pleased the Lord to raise him again a little out of this fainting fit for his master had yet more work for him to do before he must receive his wages Although his outward man decayed apace yet he is renewed in the inward man day by day His graces were never more active and his experiences were never greater When one would have thought he should have been taken up with his distemper and that it had been enough for him to grapple with his pains then he quite forgets his weakness and is so swallowed up of the life to come that he had scarce leisure to think of his sickness For several weeks together I never heard the least word that savoured of any complaint or weariness under the hand of God except his eager desire to be with Christ be counted complaining and his haste to be in Heaven be called impatience Now 's the time when one might have seen Heaven and
great Events of his Word or a second part of the fulfilling of the Scripture The immortality of the Soul explained and proved by Scripture and Reason to which is added Faiths-triumph over the fears of death by Tho. Wadsworth A Treatise of the incomparableness of God in his Being Attributes Works and Word by George Swinnock M. A. A discourse of the original c. of the Cossacks The generation of Seekers or the right manner of the Saints addresses to the throne of Grace with an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer The administration of Cardinal Ximones A discourse of Family-instruction by Owen Stockton with directions for those that have suffered by the Fire An Essay to facilltate the Education of Youth by bringing down the rudiments of Grammar to the sense of seeing which ought to be improved by Syncresis by M. Lewis of Totenham An Artificial Vestibulum wherein the sense of Janua Linguarum is contained compiled into plain and short sentences in English for the great case of Masters and Expeditious progress of Scholars by M. Lewis Speculum Sherlockianum ot a Looking glass in which the admirers of Mr. Sherlock may behold the man as to his Acuracy Judgment Orthodoxy A discourse of Sins of Omission wherein is discovered their Nature Causes and Cure by George Swinnock Mr. Baxter's Reformed Pastor His Majesties Propriety in the British Seas vindicated Quakerism no Christianity or a through-Quaker no Christian proved by their Principles and confirmed by Scripture by J. Faldo Differences about Water-baptism no bar to Communion by Jo. Bunian The Dutch-dispensatory shewing the vertues qualities and properties of Simples the vertue and use of Compounds whereto is added the Compleat Herbalist Judg Dodaridge's laws of Nobility and Peerage Dinglys Spiritual Fast Solitude improved by Divine Meditation by Matth. Ranew A Murderer punished and pardoned or Tho. Savage his life and death with his Funeral sermon Small 8vo A defence against the fear of death by Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed by William Gearing The godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors evidences for Heaven by Edmund Calamy The Almost-Christian discovered or the false-Professor tried and cast by M. Mead. The true bounds of Christian-freedom or a discourse shewing the extent and restraints of Christian-liberty by S. Bolton D. D. The sinfulness of Sin and fulness of Christ in two Sermons by Will. Bridg. A Plea for the godly or the Righteous mans Excellency The holy Eucharist or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A Treatise of Self-denial All three by Tho. Watson The life and death of Tho. Wilson of Maidstone in Kent The life and death of Doctor Samuel Winter A Covert from the Storm or the fearful encouraged in the day of Trouble Worthy-walking press'd upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel The Spirit of Prayer All three by Nath. Vincent The inseparable union between Christ and a Believer by Tho. Peck A discourse of Excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them the sin and misery brought in by them by John Sheffield Invisible reality demonstrated in the holy life and triumphant death of Mr. J. Janeway The Saints encouragement to diligence in Christs service both by Mr. James Janeway A discourse concerning the Education of Children Convivium Coeleste a plain and familiar discourse concerning the Lords Supper both by R. Kidder The Saints perseverance asserted in its Positive-ground against Mr. Ives by Tho. Danson A Wedding-ring fit for the Finger by Will. Secker The Young-mans Call and Duty by Nich. Lockyer An Explanation of the shorter-Catechism of the Assembly of Divines by Tho. Lye The Childs Delight with Pictures by Tho. Lye The life and death of Tho Hall A Plea for the Non-Conformists tending to vindicate them from Schism by a Doctor in Divinity The flat opposition of Poperty to Scripture by J. N. Chaplain to a Person of Honour The Weavers Pocket-book or Weaving spiritualiz'd by J. C. D. D. Two disputations of Original-sin by Richard Baxter The History of Moderation The welcome Cominunicant The ready way to prevent sin by William Bagshaw The Little-peace-maker discovering foolish Pride the Make-bate Philadelphia or a Treatise of Brotherly-love by Mr. Gearing Reformation or Ruine being certain Sermons on Levit. 26. 23 24. by Tho. Hotchkis The Riches of Grace displayed to which is added the priviledg of Passive Obedience and 52 proposals in order to help on Heart-humiliation by Will. Bagshaw The parable of the great Supper opened in 17 Sermons by Jo. Crump A present for Teeming-women by J. Oliver Non-conformity without Controversie by Benj. Baxter The Christians daily Monitor by Josh Church A Treatise of Closet-prayer by Richard Mayo The Religious Family by Philip Lamb. A sober inquiry or Christs Reign with Saints a thousand years A discourse of the prodigious Abstinence of Martha Taylor A Memento to young and old by John Maynard The priviledg of the Saints on Earth above those in Heaven by William Hook Index biblicus multijugus or a Table of the holy Scripture wherein each of its Books Chapters and particular matters are distinguished and Epitomized The day of Grace with the conversion of a Sinner by Nath. Vencent The Greek Testament in 8 vo An easie and useful Grammar for the learning of the French tongue by Mr. Gosthead Gentleman Mr. Raworths work and reward of a Christian The Miners Monitor or advice to those that are employed about the Mines A Protestant Catechism for little Children A Scripture Catechism by Samuel Petto A Catechism according to the Church of England Grotius Catechism Brief of the Bibles-History The Fountain sealed by Dr. Sibbs Nero Tragidea Cottons None but Christ Cornelianum dolium The Christians earnest longing for Christs appearing preached at the Funeral of Mr. Noah Webb by Dan. Burgess Wilsons Catechism Elenchus motuum nuperorum in Anglia Cocains Poems Poor Robins Jests Croftons Foelix Scelus or Prospering-prophaneness provoking holy conference by Zech. Crofton Gramaticus Analyticus by the same Author Alexanders advice to his Son Artificial Embelishments H. Excellency of Christ set forth Gods Soveraignty displayed by Mr. William Gearing In small 12 s. The duty of Parents towards their Children A little Book for little Children A method and instruction for the Art of divine Meditation All three by Tho. White The considerations of Drexelius on Eternity The shadow of the Tree of Life by M. M. The Psalms of David newly translated more plain smooth and agreeable to the Text than any heretofore The Prisoners Prayers Mr. Henry Lakin's Life of Faith Awakening Call to Sinners Crumbs of Comfort or the Lord Bacons Prayers FINIS
natures and the rest which had no such tendency and do not make the avoiding of the former a pretence against your imitating of the latter It is not studying meditating praying preaching according to the measures of natures strength that much shortnerh life I think that Learned man wrote not foolishly who maintaineth that studies tend to long life For my own part I was seeble before I was a hard Student And studies have been a constant pleasure to me And let any man judge whether constant pleasure tend to shorten any mans life Indeed that which destroyeth the health of Students is 1. The sedentariness of their lives 2. And want of temperance or due care of their diet 3. And want of sufficient cheerfulness 4. And taking colds Could Students but more imitate the labouring-man and take just hours and opportunities for bodily labour not playful walks and exercises that never warm and purge the blood and did they eat and drink wisely and live joyfully and avoid colds they might bestow the rest of their time in the hardest studies with little hurt except here and there a melanchly or diseased man I doubt not but such narratives as this will tempt many a slothful sensual Scholar to indulge his sensuality as the wiser way but at a dying hour he will find the difference O what a comfort then is the review of a Holy Heavenly well-spent life I have oft thought what the Reason is that among the Papists if the lives of their Saints be described in the highest strain or their books have even unreasonable pretensions of devotion even to the laying by of our understandings or to a kind of Deification like Barbansons Benedictus de Benedictis and divers others it doth not offend men but the vulger themselves do glory in the sancity of them Whereas if with us a man rise higher in holiness and in devote contemplation yea or action than others he is presently the great eye-sore and obloquy of the world I mean of the envious and ungodly part which is too great But the reason I perceive is that among the Papists to be a Religious man is to be a Perfectest who doth more than is commanded him or is neccesary to salvation and so the people being taught that they may be saved without being such themselves their spleen is not stirred up against them as the troubles of their Consciences peace but they are intressed in their honour and being the honour of their way and Church But with us men are taught that they must be Religious themselves in sincerity if ever they will be saved and that without Holiness none shall see God and that they are not sincere if they desire not to be perfect And so they that will not be godly themselves do think that the lives of the godly do condemn them I write not this to cast any disgrace on the true History of any holy mens lives Nor shall it ever be my employment to reproach or hide Gods Graces in any nor to make men believe that they are worse than they are Whoever revile me for it I will magnifie and love that of God which appeareth in any of his servants of any sect or party whatsover When I read such writings as old Gerson Guil. Parisinesies and divers others and such as Jos Accosta and some other Jesuits and such lives as Nerius's and Mr. de Reuti's c. I cannot but think that they had the spirit of God and the more do I hate all those mischievous engines additions and singularities which divide so many Christians in the world who have the same Spirit and will not suffer us to hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of of peace O unhappy pretended Wisdom and Oxthodoxness in the holding of our several opinions is the knowledge that puffeth up and hath bred the pernicious tympanite of the Church when it is Charity that edifieth it And the more men glory in their dogmatical knowledge to the contempt and hurt of such as differ from them the less they know as they ought to know And if any man have knowledge enough to kindle in his soul the Love of God the same is known and loved of God and then he will prove that wise man indeed at death and to Eternity 1 Cor. 8. 1 2 3. Reader Learn by this History to place thy Religion in love and praise and a heavenly life Learn to keep such communion with God and to find such employment with thy heart by meditation as thy strength and opertunity and other duties will allow thee for I urge thee to no more Learn hence to thirst after the good of souls and to fill up thy hours with fruitful duty And O that we could here learn the hardest lesson to get above the love of life and to overcome the fears of death and to long to see the glory of Christ and triumphantly to pass by Joy to Joy O blessed world of holy spirits whose nature and work and happiness is Love not Love of Carnal-self and Interest and Parties which here maketh those seek our destruction most who have the highest esteem of our knowledge and sincerity as thinking our dissent will most effectually cross their partial Interest But the Love of God in Himself and in his Saints checked by no sin hindred by no distance darkness deadness or disaffection diverted by no carnal worldly baits tempted by no persecutions or afflictions damped by no fears of death nor of any decaies or cessation through Eternity To teach me better how to live and die in Faith Hope ane Love is that for which I read this narrarive and that thou maist learn the same is the end of my commending it to thee The Lord teach it effectual to thee and me Amen RICHARD BAXTER August 28. 1672. To the Relations of Mr. James Janeway and the Survivors of his Associates in Kings Colledge in Cambridge Beloved Friends MY own mean esteem of the single weight of that Testimony expected from me concerning my dear Brother on the account of my intimacy with him in Kings Colledge the known me morable passages of whose exemplary life and death are now happily compiled and published for your special perusal moves me to call in a twofold recommendation thereof from you to those that knew him not who being confirmed in the truth of this Narrative may thereby be won to believe admire and emulate the signal grace of God in him 1. That remembring so much thereof your selves and what opportnity I had of knowing the certainty of all you would assure those who may enquire of you That the impartial compiler hath kept within the bounds of truth and sobriety in prosecution of his honest aims to advance the glory of Gods rich mercy to this chosen vessel and by reviving what remains he could collect of this burning as well as shining light alass how soon extinct to awaken and quicken the formal professors if he may not induce the
Samuel Borfet The Testimony of Mr. Marmaduke Tennant sometimes Minister of Tharfield in Hartfordshire an intimate acquaintance of Mr. John Janeways and one that was a constant visitor of him in his sickness and an eye and ear witness of the most substantial things in this insuing Narrative Christian Reader I Can assure thee from my own knowledge that this Mr. John Janeway was an excellent person in respect of his natural parts acquired gifts and divine graces wherewith his heavenly Father adorned him considering his age even far above the ordinary rate of the best sort of Scholars and Christians All which he exceedingly improved for the good of others especially in his neer Relations both in health and sickness even to the last hour of his life And when the immediate forerunners of death was upon him he so acted faith and composedly without the least shew of humane frailty as if with bodily eyes he saw the holy Angels standing before him ready to receive and carry his pretious soul into his Fathers glory Verily he was most lovely in his life and yet more lovely at his death the like I never beheld neither before nor since And I doubt not but the serious consideration of this narrative of his life and death will through Gods blessing beget a zealous imitation of this Saint indeed in every good Christian which reads the same which that it may do is the hearty prayer of thy friend in the Lord Jesus Marmaduke Tennant Minister of the Gospel Christian Reader WHen I seriously consider how much Atheism and impiety abounds and see how sensual delights are pursued and Religion in its power is rejected as a dull sad aud unpleasant thing when I see zeal decried as unnecessary and few acting in the things of God as if they were indeed matters of the highest consequence reality and substance the greatest profit and sweetest pleasure I could not but do what in me lies to rectifie these dismal mistakes and justifie wisdom from the imputation of folly and demonstrate even to sense the transcendent excellency and reality of Invisibles The prosecution of which design I could not more effectnally manage than by the presenting this insuing narrative to the world As for the truth of it if the solemn testimony of several Ministers which were eye and ear witnesses of the most substantial things here presented may be credited here thou hast three of them As for my self I think I had as great an advantage to acquaint my self with the secret practices of this pretious Saint as any one could well have besides my dearest intimacy and special observation and perusal of his papers I had a long account from his own mouth upon his death-bed of his secret and constant practice and his experiences And let me tell you the half is not told you For the treachery of my memory hath not a little injured thee and him Had this work been done exactly I am perswaded it might have been so singular use to the world In some places I could not justly word it in his phrase but I assure thee thou hast the matter and substance The weakness of the Relator is no small disadvantage to the subject but I might a little excuse this by telling thee that I think that none living had the same opportunity in all things to do this work as I had I might also tell you that some Reverend Learned and Holy men whose authority and request I could not deny put me upon it And I was not altogether without some hopes of drawing some to the love and liking of Religion that had not only been strangers to the life and power of it but it may be had entertained deep prejudices against it And of quickning of others that had lost their former vigour and encouraging some that were too ready to go on heavily and disponding If I may succeed in this I shall adore the goodness of God and praise him with the strength of my soul That I may be snbservient to the Lord in promoting the true intrest of Religion I beg thy fervant and constant prayers and that every one that readeth may imitate and experience all and so be filled with grace and peace is the prayer of yours in his dearest Lord James Janeway The CONTENTS Chap. 1. AN account of him from his Childhood to the seventeenth year of his Age. pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of his Conversion with visible proofs thereof p. 6. Chap. 3. His Carriage when Fellow of the Colledge at twenty years of Age. p. 16. Chap. 4. His particular addresses to his brethren for their souls good and the success thereof p. 21. Chap. 5. His great love to and frequency in the duty of prayers with rmarkable success p. 24. Chap. 6. His care of his Mother and other Relations after his Fathers death p. 29. Chap. 7. His return to Kings Colledge after his Fathers death His holy projects for Christ and Souls p. 37. Chap. 8. His departure from the Colledge to live in Dr. Cox's Family p. 38. Chap. 9. His retire into the Country and his first sickness p. 39. Chap. 10. His Exhortations to some of his friends p. 43. Chap. 11. His Temptations from Satan p. 45. Chap. 12. Ministers not to carry on low designs p. 60. Chap. 13. His Love and Compassion to Souls p. 67. Chap. 14. His trouble at the barrenness of Christians p. 71. Chap. 15. Two Letters to Cement Differences and cause Love among Christians p. 74. Chap. 16. An account of the latter part of his Life p. 91. Chap. 17. His last Sickness and Death p. 98. IF the Chapters appear not to be well divided nor their contents well collected let the Reader know that a friend of Mr. Janeway's not himself made the division of them T. P. Invisible Realities demonstrated in the Holy Life and Triumphant Death of Master John Janeway sometimes Fellow of Kings-Colledge Cambridge CHAP. I. An Account of him from his Childhood to the seventeenth year of his Age. MR. John Janeway was born Anno 1633. Octob. 27. of Religious Parents in Lylly in the County of Hertford He soon gave his Parents the hope of much comfort and the symptoms of something more than ordinary quickly appeared in him fo that some which saw this Child much feared that his life would be but short others hoped that God had some rare piece of work to do by or for this Child before he died he shewed that neither of them were much mistaken in their conjecture concerning him He soon out-ran his superiours for age in learning And it was thought by no incompetent Judges that for pregnacy of wit solidity of judgment the vastness of his intellectuals and the greatness of his memory that he had no superiours few equals considering his age and education He was initiated in the Latine tongue by his own Father afterward he was brought up for some time at Pauls School in London where he made a considerable proficiencie in Latine and
Greek under the care of Mr. Langly When he was about eleven years old he took a great fancy to Arithmetick and the Hebrew tongue About this time his Parents removing into a little Village called Aspoden had the opportunity of having this their Son instructed by a learned neighbour who was pleased to count it a pleasant diversion to read Mathematicks to him being then about twelve years old and he made such progress in those profound studies that he read Oughthred with understanding before he was thirteen years old A person of quality hearing of the admirable proficiency of this Boy sent for him up to London and kept him with him for some time to Read Mathematicks to him that which made him the more to be admired was that he did what he did with the greatest facility He had no small skill in Musick and other concomitants of Mathematicks In the year 1646. he was chosen by that Learned Gentleman Mr. Rous the Provost of Eton Colledge one of the foundation of that Shool being examined by provost and posiers in the Hebrew tongue which was thought was beyond president Where he gave no unsuitable returns to the high expectations that were conceived of him After a little continuance at Eton he obtained leave of his Master to go to Oxford to perfect himself in the study of Mathematicks where being owned by that great Scholar Dr. Ward one of the Professors of the University he attained to a strange exactness in that study nothing being within the reach of a man but he would undertake and grasp That great Doctor gave him great help and incouragement and looked upon him as one of the wonders of his age loved him dearly and could for some time after his death scarce mention his name without tears When he had spent about a quarter of a year with Dr. Ward at Oxford he was commanded to return again to Eton where he soon gave proof of his great improvement of his time while he was absent by making an Almanack and calculating of the Eclipses for many years before hand so that by this time he had many eyes upon him as the glory of the School That which put an accent upon his real worth was that he did not discover the least affectation or self-conceit neither did any discernable pride attend these excelencies So that every one took more notice of his parts than himself At about seventeen years old he was chosen to Kings Colledge in Camebridge at which time the Electioners did even contend for the patronage of this Scholar He was chosed first that year and an elder brother of his in the sixth place but he was very willing to change places with his elder brother letting him have the first and thankfully accepting of the sixth place Besides his great learning and many other ornaments of nature his deportment was so sweet and lovely his demeanour so courteous and obliging even when he seemed unconverted that he must be vile with a witness that did not love him Yea many of them which had little kindness for morality much less for grace could not but speak well of him His great wisdom and learning did even command respect where they did not find it he had an excellent power over his passions and was in a great measure free from the vices which usually attend such an age and place But all this while it is to be feared that he understood little of the worth of Christ and his own soul he studied indeed the heavens and knew the motion of the Sun Moon and Stars but that was his highest he thought yet but little of God which made all these things he pried but little into the motions of his own heart he did not as yet much busie himself in the serious observation of the wandring of his spirit the Creature had not yet led him to the Creator but he was still too ready to take up with meer speculation but God who from all eternity had chosen him to be one of those who should shine as the Sun in the Firmament for ever in glory did when he was about eighteen years old shine in upon his soul with power and did convince him what a poor thing it was to know so much of the heavens and never come there And that the greatest knowledge in the world without Christ was but an empty dry business He now thought Mr. Bolten had some reason on his side when he said Give me the most magnificent glorious worldling that ever trod upon earthly mould richly crowned with all the Ornaments and excellencies of nature art policy preferment or what heart can wish besides yet without the life of grace to animate and ennoble them he were to the eye of heavenly wisdom but as a rotten carcase stuck over with flowers magnified dung guilded rottenness golden damnation He began now to be of Anaxagoras's mind that his work upon earth it was to study Heaven and to get thither and that except a man might be admitted to greater preferment than this world can bestow upon her favorites it were scarce worth while to be born CHAP. II. Of his Conversion with visible proofs thereof THE great work of Conversion it was not carried on upon his soul in that dreadful manner that it is upon some that God intends to communicate much to and make great use of but the Lord was pleased sweetly to unlock his heart by the exemplary life and Heavenly and powerful discourse of a young man in the Colledge whose heart God had inflamed with love to his soul he quickly made an attempt upon this hopeful young man and the spirit of God did set home his counsels with such power that they proved effectual for his awakening being accompanied with the Preaching of these two famous worthies Dr. Hill and Dr. Arrowsmith together with the reading several parts of Mr. Baxters Saints Everlasting Rest Now a mighty alteration might easily be descerned in him he quickly looks quite like another man He is now so much taken up with things above the Moon and Stars that he had little leisure to think of these things only as they pointed higher He began now not to tast so much sweetness in those kind of studies which he did so greedily imploy himself in formerly He now began to pity them which were curious in their inquiries after every thing but that which is most needful to be known Christ and Themselves and that which sometimes was his gain he now counted loss for Christ yea doubtless he esteemed all things but as dung and dross in comparison of Christ and desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Not that he looked upon humane learning as useless but when fixed below Christ and not improved for Christ he looked upon wisdom as folly and learning as madness and that which would make one more like the Devil more fit for his service and put a greater accent upon their misery in another world
himself He was an excellent Example to his younger brethren and his wise instructions and holy practices did not a little influence them He was a prudent Counsellor and an assistant that could not well be spared to his eldest Brother who was not a little sensible of that personal worth that was in his younger Brother whom he would prefer before himself as one whom he judged God had honoured with far greater parts graces and experiences than himself The younger also did as humbly and heartily respect and honour him as a serious Christian a Minister and his elder Brother who had obliged him with more than ordinary kindness When he was but young yet he began to be taken notice of by antient Ministers and Christians though his modesty was so great that his huge parts were not a little obscured thereby and his vast worth was so ballasted with humility that he made no great noise in the world and most were ignorant of his singular worth A wise man that was intimately acquainted with him would say of him that he was like deep waters that were most still a man of hidden excellency There were few that knew how close he walked with God and at what a high rate he lived and how great a trade he drave for the riches of that other world All which he laboured as much as might be to conceal CHAP. VII His return to Kings Colledge after his Fathers Death His holy projects for Christ and Souls WHen his Father was dead he returned again to Kings Colledge and was a member of a secret Cabal which began to carry on notable projects for Christ and souls and to plot how they might best improve their gifts and graces so as that they might be most serviceable to God and their generation Their custom was frequently to meet together to pray and to communicate studies and experiences and to handle some question of Divinity or in some Scholastick way to exercise the gifts which God had given them Some of this company did degenerate but others lived to let the world understand that what they did was from a vital principal Amongst whom this young man was none of the least who had a design upon some of the juniors to ingage them if possible before they were insnared by wicked company when they came fresh from School After some time most of his dear companions were transplanted either into Gentlemens families or Livings and this Mr. Janeway being one of the youngest was for a while left alone in the Colledge But he wanting the comfortable diversion of suitable godly society fixed so intensely upon his studies that he soon gave such a wound to his Bodily-constitution that it could never be throughly healed CHAP. VIII His departure from the Colledge to live in Dr. Cox's Family AFter a while Dr. Cox wanting a Tutor for his Son in his house sent to the Provost of the Colledge to make choiâ—e of a man of true worth for him In answer to whose request the Provost was pleased to send Mr. Janeway who did neither shame him that preferred him nor disappointed the expectations of him that entertained him but by his diligence profound learning and success in his undertakeing did not a little obligâ— the relations of his Pupil But his pains were so great and his body so weak that it could not long bear up under such work so that he was forced to ask leave of the Doctor to try whether the change of the Air might not contribute somewhat to the mending the temper of his Body which now began sensibly to decay Whilest he was in that family his carriage was so sweet and obliging and his conversation so spiritual that it did not a little endear his presence to them so that I question not but some of that Family will carry a sweet remembrance of him along with them to their Graves and I oft heard him owning the goodness of God to him in the benefit that he got by the graces and experiences of some Christians in and relating to that Family whose tender love to him he did gratefully resent upon his Death-bed CHAP. IX His Retire into the Country and His first Sickness HE now leaves the Doctors house and retires himself into the Country to his Mother and eldest Brother who did not spare to use their utmost diligence and tenderness to recruit the decays of nature but hard study frequent and earnest prayers and long and intense meditations had so ruinated this frail Tabernacle that it could not be fully repaired yet by Gods blessing upon care and art it was under-propped for some time Whilst he was in this declining condition in which he could have little hopes of life he was so far from being affrighted that he received the sentence of death in himself with great joy and wrote to his dearest relations to dispose them to a patient compliance with such a dispensation as might separate him and them for a while And to wean their affections from him he solemnly professed that as for himself he was ashamed to desire and pray for life O saith he Is there any thing here more desirable than the injoyment of Christ Can I expect any thing below comparable to that blessed Vision O that Crown that Rest which remains for the people of God! and blessed be God I can say I know it is mine I know that when this Tabernacle of Clay shall be dissolved that I have a house not made with hands and therefore I groan not to be uncloathed but to be cloathed upon with Christ To me to live is Christ and to die is gain I can now through infinite Mercy speak in the Apostles Language I have fought the good fight henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown incorruptible that fadeth not away When he perceived one of his nearest Relations distressed at the apprehensions of his Death he charged him not to pray for his Life except it were purely with a respect to the Glory of God I wish said he I beg you to keep your minds in a submissive frame to the will of God concerning me The Lord take you nearer to himself that you may walk with Him to Whom if I go before I hope you will follow after Yet after this he was through mercy finely recovered and his friends were not without some hopes of his living to be eminently instrumental for Gods glory in his generation After he was recovered in some measure he fell again to his former practice of ingaging deeply in the secret great duties of Religion which he constantly practised except when God discharged him by sickness secret prayer at least three times a day somtimes seven times yeamore besides family and Colledge-duties which were before hinted he set a part an hour every day for set and solemn meditation which duty he found unspeakably to improve his graces to make no small addition to his comforts His time for that duty was most commonly in
another because they were of different judgments and perswasions There where he saw most holiness humility and love there he let out most of his affections And he was of that holy mans mind that it were pity that the very name of division were not buried and that the time would come that we might all dearly pay for our unbrotherly nay unchristian Animosities CHAP. XVI An account of the latter part of his Life FOR the latter part of his Life he lived liked a man that was quite weary of the world and that looked upon himself as a stranger here and that lived in the constant sight of a better world He plainly declared himself but a Pilgrim that looked for a better Country a City that had foundations whose builder and maker was God His habit his language his deportment all spoke him one of another world His meditations were so intense long and frequent that they ripened him apace for Heaven but somewhat weakned his body Few Christians attain to such a holy contempt of the world and to such clear believing joyful constant apprehensions of the transcendent glories of the unseen world He made it his whole business to keep up sensible communion with God and to grow into a humble familiarity with God and to maintain it And if by reason of company or any necessary diversions this was in any measure interrupted he would complain like one out of his element till his spirit was recovered into a delightful more unmixed free intercourse with God He was never so well satisfied as when he was more immediately ingaged in what brought him nearer to God and by this he injoyed those comforts frequently which other Christians rarely meet with His graces and experiences toward his end grew to astonishment His faith got up to a full assurance his desires into a kind of injoyment and delight He was oft brought into the banqueting house and there Christs Banner over him was love and he sate down under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit was pleasant unto his tast His Eyes beheld the King in his Beauty and while he sate at his Table his spicknard did spend forth its pleasant smell he had frequent visions of Glory and this John lay in the bosom of his Master and was sure a very beloved Disciple and highly favored His Lord oft called him up to the Mount to him and let him see his excellent Glory O the sweet foretasts that he had of those pleasures that are at the right Hand of God How oft was he feasted with the feast of fat things those wines on the lees well refined and sometimes he was like a Giant refresht with new wine rejoycing to run the race that was set before him whether of doing or of suffering He was even sick of love and he could say to the poor unexperienced World O tast and see and to Christians come and I well tell you what God hath done for my Soul O what do Christians mean that they do no more labour to get their sences spiritually exercised O why do they not make Religion the very business of their lives O why is the Soul Christ and Glory thus dispised Is there nothing in communion with God Are all those comforts of Christians that follow hard after him worth nothing Is it not worth the while to make ones calling and Election sure O why do men and women jest and dally in the great matters of Eternity Little do people think what they slight when they are seldom and formal in secret duties and when they neglect that great duty of Meditation which I have through rich mercy found so sweet and refreshing O what do Christians mean that they keep at such a distance from Christ Did they but know the thousandth part of that sweetness that is in him they could not choose but follow him hard they would run and not be weary and walk and not be faint He could sensibly and experimentally commend the ways of God to the poor unexperienced world and say His ways are pleasantness and justifie wisdom and say her paths were peace He could take off those aspersions which the Devil and the atheistical frantick sots do cast upon Godliness in the power of it Here is one that could challenge all the Atheists in the world to dispute here is one could bring sensible demonstrations to prove a deity the reality and excellency of invisibles which these ignorant fools and mad men make the subject of their scorn Here is one that would not change delights with the greatest epicures living and vie pleasure with all the sensual rich gallants of the world Which of them all could in the midst of their jollity say This is the pleasure that shall last for ever Which of them can say among their Cups and Whores I can now look Death in the Face and this very Moment I can be content yea glad to leave these delights as knowing I shall injoy better And this he could do when he fared deliciously in spiritual banquets every day He could upon better reason than he did say Soul thou hast goods laid up for many years He knew full well that what he did here injoy was but a little to what he should have shortly In his presence there is fulness of joy at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore Where is the Belshazzar that would not quake in the midst of his Cups whilst he is quaffing and carouzing in bowls of the richest Wine if he should see a hand upon the Wall writing bitter things against him telling him that his joys are at an end and that this night his soul must be required of him that now he must come away and give an account of all his ungodly pleasures before the mighty God Where is the sinner that could be contented to hear the Lord roaring out of Zion whilest he is roaring in the Tavern Which of them would be glad to hear the trumpet sound and to hear that voice Arise you dead and come to judgment Which of them would rejoyce to see the Mountains quaking the Elements melting with fervent heat and the Earth consumed with flames the Lord Christ whom they despised coming in the clouds with Millions of his Saints and Angels to be avenged upon those that knew not God and obeyed not his Gospel Is not that a blessed state when a man can lift up his head with joy when others tremble with fear and sink with sorrow And this was the condition of this holy young man In the midst of all worldly comforts he longed for death the thought of the day of Judgment made all his injoyments sweeter O how did he long for the coming of Christ Whilst some have been discoursing by him of that great and terrible day of the Lord he would smile and humbly express his delight in the forethought of that approaching hour I remember once there was a great talk that one had
and desired that she might be in travail to see Christ formed in the souls of the rest of her Children and see of the travail of her soul and meet them with joy in that great day Then He charged all his Brethren and Sisters in general as they would answer it before God that they should carry it dutiful to their dear Mother As for his eldest Brother William at whose house he lay sick his prayer vvas that he might be swallowed up of Christ and Love to souls and be more and more exemplary in his life and successful in his Ministry and finish his course vvith joy His next Brothers name vvas Andrew a Citizen of London who was with him and saw him in this triumphing state but his necessary business calling him away he could not then be by yet he vvas not forgot but he was thus blessed The God of Heaven remember my poor Brother at London The Lord make him truly rich in giving him the Pearl of great price and make him a Fellow-Citizen with the Saints and of the House-hold of God the Lord deliver him from the sins of that City may the world be kept out of his heart and Christ dwell there O that he may be as his name is a strong man and that I may meet him with Joy Then he called his next Brother whose name was James whom he hoped God had made him a spiritual Father to to whom he thus addressed himself Brother James I hope the Lord hath given thee a goodly heritage the lines are fallen to thee in pleasant places the Lord is thy portion I hope the Lord hath shewed thee the worth of a Christ Hold on dear Brother Christ Heaven and Glory are worth striving for The Lord give thee more abundance of his grace Then His next Brother Abraham was called to whom he spake to this purpose The blessing of the God of Abraham rest upon thee the Lord make thee a Father of many spiritual Children His fifth Brother was Joseph whom he blessed in this manner Let him bless thee O Joseph that blessed him that was separated from his Brothren O that his everlasting Arms may take hold on thee It is enough if yet thou mayest live in his sight My heart hath been working towards thee poor Joseph and I am not without hopes that the Arms of the Almighty will mbrace thee The God of thy Father bless thee with the blessings of Heaven above The next was his Sister Mary to whom he spoke thus Poor Sister Mary thy body is weak and thy daies will be filled with bitterness thy name is Marah the Lord sweeten all with his Grace and Peace and give thee health in thy Soul Be patient and make sure of Christ and all is well Then His other Sister whose name was Sarah was called whom he thus blessed Sister Sarah thy body is strong and healthful O that thy Soul may be so too The Lord make thee first a wise Virgin and then a Mother in Israel a pattren of Modesty Humility and Holiness Then another Brother Jacob was called whom he blessed after this manner The Lord make thee an Israelite indeed in whom there in no guile O that thou maist learn to wrestle with God and like a Prince maist prevail and not go without the blessing Then he prayed for his youngest Brother Benjamin who was then but an Infant Poor little Benjamin O that the Father of the Fatherless would take care of thee poor Child that thou which never sawest thy Father upon Earth maiest see him with joy in Heaven the Lord be thy Father and Portion maist thou prove the Son of thy Mothers right Hand and the joy of her Age O that none of us all may be found amongst the unconverted in the day of Judgment O that every one of us may appear with our Honoured Father and dear Mother before Christ with joy that they may say Lord here are we and the Children which thou hast gratiously given us O that we may live to God here and live with him hereafter And now my dear Mother Brethren and Sisters Farewel I leave you for a while and I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified And now dear Lord my work is done I have finished my Course I have fought the good Fight and henceforth there remaineth for me a Crown of Righteousness Now come dear Lord Jesus come quickly Then that Godly Minister came to give him his last visit and to do the office of an inferiour Angel to help to convey this blessed soul to Glory who was now even upon Mount Pisga and had a full sight of that goodly Land at a little distance When this Minister spake to him his heart was in a mighty flame of Love and Joy which drew tears of Joy from that pretious Minister being almost amazed to hear a man just a dying talk as if he had been with Jesus and came from the immediate presence of God ` O the smiles that were then in his Face and the unspeakable Joy that was in his Heart one might have read Grace and Glory in such a mans Countenance O the praise the triumphant praises that he put up And every one must speak praise about him or else they did make some jar in his Harmony And indeed most did as well as they could help him in praise So that I never heard nor knew more praises given to God in one Room than in his Chamber A little before he died in the Prayer or rather Praises he was so wrapped up with admiration and joy that he could scarce forbear shouting for joy In the conclusion of the Duty with abundance of Faith and fervency he said aloud Amen Amen! And now his desires shall soon be satisfied He seeth Death coming apace to do his office his jaws are loosened more and more and quiver greatly his Hands and Feet are as cold as clay and a cold sweat is upon him but O how glad was he when he felt his Spirit just agoing Never was Death more welcom to any mortal I think Though the pangs of Death where strong yet that far-more-exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory made him indure those bitter paines with much patience and courage In the extremity of his pains he desired his eldest Brother to lay him a little lower and to take away one Pillow from him that he might die with the more ease His Brother replied that he durst not for a world do any thing that might hasten his Death a moment Then he was vvell satisfied and did sweetly resign himself up vvholly to Gods disposal and after a few minutes vvith a sudden motion gathering up all his strength he gave himself a little turne on one side and in the twinkling of an eye departed to the Lord sleeping in Jesus And now blessed soul thy longings are satisfied and thou
seest and feelest a thousand times more than thou didst upon Earth and yet thou canst bear it vvith delight thou art now vvelcomed to thy Fathers house by Christ the beloved of thy Soul now thou hast heard him say Come thou blessed of my Father and Well done good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of the Lord and vvear that Crown vvhich vvas prepared for thee before the foundation of the World O that all the Relations vvhich thou hast left behind thee may live thy Life and die thy Death and live vvith Christ and thee for ever and ever Amen Amen He Dyed June 1657. Aged 23. 24. and was Buried in Kelshall Church in Hartfordshire FINIS Books printed for and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside SERMONS on the whole Epistle of Saint Paul to the Colossians by Mr. J. Daille translated into English by F. S. with Dr. Tho. Goodwin's and Dr. John Owens Epistles Recommendatory An Exposition of Christs Temptation on Matth. 4. and Peters Sermon to Cornelius and circumspect walking By Dr. Tho. Taylor A practical Exposition on the 3d Chapter of the first Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly mans choice on Psalm 4. v. 6 7 8. by Anthony Burgess Christianographia or a description of the multitudes and sundry sorts of Christians in the world not subject to the Pope by Eph. Pagit Dr. Donns 4 to Sermons being his 3 Volumes Pareus Exposition on the Revelations Choice and practical Expositions on 4 select Psalms viz. The fourth Psalm in eight Sermons The forty second Psalm in ten Sermons The fifty first Psalm in twenty Sermons The sixty third Psalm in seven Sermons Forty six Sermons npon the whole eighth Chapter of the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans Both by Tho. Horton D. D. late Minister of Saint Hellens An Analytical Exposition of Genesis and of twenty three Chapters of Exodus by George Hughes D. D. Books 4to The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration by George Swinnock M. A. An Antidote against Quakerism by Steph. Scandret An Exposition on the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with useful observations thereupon by William Greenhil The Gospel Covenant opened by Pet. Bulkley Gods holy-Mind touching matters moral which he uttered in ten Commandments Also an Exposition on the Lords Prayer by Edward Eston B. D. The Fiery-Jesuit or an Historical-Collection of the rise encrease doctrines and deeds of the Jesuits exposed to view for the sake of London Horologiographia optica Dyaling universal and particular speculative and practical together with a description of the Court of Arts by a new Method by Sylvanus Morgan Regimen sanitatis salemi or the Regiment of Health containing directions and instructions for the guide and government of mans life A seasonable Apology for Religion by Matthew Pool Separation no Schism in answer to a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor by J. S. The practical Divinity of the Papist discovered to be destructive to true Religion and Mens souls by J. Clarkson An Exercitation on a question in Divinity and Case of Conscience viz. Whether it be lawful for any person to act contrary to the opinion of his own Conscience formed from arguments that to him appears very probable though not necessary or demonstrative The Creatures goodness as they came out of Gods hand and the good-mans mercy to the bruit-creatures in two Sermons by Tho. Hodges B. D Certain considerations tending to promote Peace and Unity amongst Protestants Mediocria or the most plain and natural apprehensions which the Scripture offers concerning the great Doctrines of the Christian Religion of Election Redemption the Covenant the Law and Gospel and Perfection The Saints triumph over the last enemy in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway by Nath. Vincent The vanity of man in his best estate in a discourse on Psal 39. 5. at the Funeral of the Lady Susanna Keate by Richard Kidder M. A. The Morning-Lecture against Popery or the principal errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning-Lecture preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London Four useful discourses 1 The art of improving a full and prosperous condition for the glory of God being an appendix to the art of Contentment in three Sermons on Philip. 4. 12. 2 Christian submission on 1 Sam. 3. 18. 3 Christ a Christians life and death is gain on Philip. 1. 21. 4 The Gospel of peace sent to the sons of peace in six Sermons on Luke 10. 5 6. by Jeremiah Barroughs Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks and Poems A new Copy-Book of all sorts of useful hands The Saints priviledg by dying by Mr. Scot. The new World or new-reformed Church by Doctor Homes The Vertuous Daughter a Funeral-Sermon by Mr. Brian The Miracle of Miracles or Christ in our Nature by Dr. Rich. Sibbs The unity and essence of the Catholick Church-visible by Mr. Hudson Dr. Prideaux ' s Fasciculus controversiarum Theologicum Brightman on Revelations Canticles and Daniel Seamans-Companion Canaans Calamity The intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church or the particular Believing soul in several Lectures on the whole second Chap. of Cant. by John Collins D. D. Large 8vo Heart-Treasure or a Treatise tending to fill and furnish the head and heart of every Christian with Soul-enriching-treasure of truths graces experiences and comforts The sure mercies of David or a second part of Heart-treasure Heaven or Hell here in a Good or Bad Conscience by Nath. Vincent Closet-prayer a Christians duty all three by O. Hâ—yword A practical discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the nature and duty of Prayer by Tho. Cobbet Of quenching the Spirit the evil of it in respect both of its causes and effects discovered by Theophilus Polwheile The re-building of London encouraged and improved in everal meditations by Samuel Rolls The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints mystical Union with Christ by Richard Stedman M. A. Sober Singularity by the same Author Heaven taken by Storm The mischief of sin both by Tho. Watson The Childs Delight together with an English Grammar Reading and Spelling made easie both by Tho. Lye Aesop's Fables with morals thereupon in English-Verse The Young-mans Instructor and the Old-mans Remembrancer being an Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Captives bound in Chains made free by Christ their Surety both by Tho. Doolittle Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture by William Whitaker The Saints care for Church-Communion declared in sundry Sermons preached at St. James Dukes-place by Zech. Crofton The life and death of Edmund Stanton D. D. To which is added a Treatise of Christian-conference and a Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger Sin the Plague of plagues or sinful sin the worst of Evils by Ralph Venning M. A. Cases of Conscience practically resolved by J. Norman The faithfulness of God considered and cleared in the
carry on the work that he had some hopes was well begun he laboured to build sure and build up that he might be rooted and grounded in the faith stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. Wherefore he followed him not only with private warnings and frequent patheticall counsels and directions but with letters one of which spoke in this language Another of his Letters of Private warning and Pathetical Counsel YOU live in a place where strict and close walking with God hath few or no examples and most are apt to be 〈◊〉 their company and Gods own children are too apt to forget their first love our hearts are apt to be careless and to neglect our watch we are ready to grow formal in duty or less spiritual and then it may be less frequent and Conscience is put off with some poor excuse and thus Religion withers and one that seemed once a zealot may come to be Laodicean and some that looked once as if they were eminent saints may fall to just nothing It 's too common to have a name to be alive and yet to be dead Read this and tremble lest it should be your case When we are lazy and asleep our adversary is awake when we are sloathful and negligent then he is diligent I consider your age I know where you dwell I am not unacquainted with your temptations Wherefore I cannot but be afraid of you lest by both inward and outward fire the bush be singed Though if God be in it it cannot be burnt up Give me leave to be in some measure fearful of you and jealous over you and to mind you of what you know already Principles of civility will be but as broken reeds to stay our souls upon without those higher principles which are planted in the soul by the working of the spirit of God O remember what meltings sometimes you have had remember how solicitously you did inquire after Christ how earnestly you seemed to ask the way to Zion with your face thitherward Oh take heed of losing those impressions you once had take not up with a sleight work True conversion is a great thing and another kind of business than most of the world take it to be O therefore be not satisfied with some convictions taking them for conversion much less with resting in a formal lifeless profession There is such a thing as being almost a Christian nay as drawing back unto perdition and some that are not far from the kingdom of Heaven may never come there Beware lest you lose the reward the promise is made to him that holdeth fast and holdeth out unto the end and overcometh Labour to forget what is behind and to press forward towards things that are before He that is contented with just grace enough to get to Heaven and escape Hell and desires no more may be sure he hath none at all is far from being made partaker of the divine nature Labour to know what it is To converse with God strive to do every thing as in His presence design Him in all act as one that stands within sight of the Grave and Eternity I say again do what you do as if you were sure God stood by and looked upon you and exactly observed and recorded every thought word and action and you may very well suppose that which cannot be otherwise Let 's awake and fall to our work in good earnest Heaven or Hell are before us and death behind us What do we mean to sleep dulness in Gods service is very uncomfortable and at the best will cost us dear and to be contented with such a frame is a certain symptom of a hypocrite O How will such tremble when God shall call them to give an account of their stewardship and tell them They may no longer be stewards Should they fall sick and the Devil and Conscience fall upon them what inconceivable perplexity would they then be in O live more upon invisibles and let the thoughts of their excellency put life into your performances You must be contented to be laughed at for preciseness and singularity A Christians walking is not with men but with God and he hath great cause to suspect his love to God who doth not delight more in conversing with God and being conformed to Him than in conversing with the world and being conformed to it How can the love of God dwell in that man who liveth without God in the world without both continual vvalking vvith him in his whole conversation and those more peculiar visits of him in prayer meditation spiritual ejaculations and other duties of Religion and the workings of faith love holy desires delight joy and spiritual sorrow in them Think not that our vvalking vvith God cannot consist vvith vvorldly business yes but Religion makes us spiritual in common actions and there is not any action in a mans life in vvhich a man is not to labour to make it a religious act by a looking to the Rule in it and eying of Gods glory and thus he may be said to vvalk vvith God To this vve must indeavour to rise and never be content till vve reach to it and if this seem tedious as to degenerate nature it vvill vve must know that vve have so much of enmity against God still remaining and are under depravation and darkness know not our true happiness Such a soul is sick and it hath lost its taste vvhich doth not perceive an incomparable sweetness in vvalking vvith God without whom all things else under Heaven are gall and bitterness and to be little valued by very true Christian But We are all apt even at the worst to say that we prefer God above all things But we must know that we have very deceitful hearts And those who being inlightned know for vvhat high ends they should act and vvhat a fearful condition even a hazard in our case is these I say will not believe their own hearts without diligent search and good grounds Rest not in any condition in which your security is not founded upon that sure bottom the Lord Jesus Christ Labour to attain to this to love God for himself and to have your heart naturalized suited to spiritual things O for a heart to rejoyce and work righteousness O that we could do the will of God with more activity delight and constancy If we did know more of God we should love him more and then God would still reveal more of Himself to us and then we should see more and more cause to love him and wonder that we love him no more O this this is our happiness To have a fuller sight of God to be wrapped up and filled with the love of Christ O let my soul for ever be thus imployed Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I can desire in comparison of Thee You hear what kind of language he spake and you may easily
perceive what it was that swallowed up his heart and where his delight treasure and life was O How much do most of us who go for Christians fall short of these things and How vast a distance between his experience and ours and what reason have we to read these lines with blushing and to blot the paper with tears and to lay aside this book a while and to fall upon our faces before the Lord bemoan the cursed unsuitableness of our hearts unto God and to bewail that we do so little understand what this walking with God living by faith means O at what a rate do some Christians live and how low flat and dull are others His love to Christ and souls made him very desirous to spend and be spent in the work of the Ministry accordingly he did comply with the first loud and clear Call to preach the everlasting Gospel and though he was but about two and twenty years old yet he came to that work like one that understood what kind of employment Preaching was He was a workman that needed not to be ashamed that was throughly furnished for every good word and work one that was able to answer gainsayers one in whom the Word of God dwelt richly one full of the spirit and power one that hated sin with a perfect hatred and loved holiness with all his soul in whom Religion in its beauty did shine one that knew the terrors of the Lord and knew how to beseech sinners in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God One that was a Son of thunder and a Son of consolation In a word I may speak that of him which Paul spake of Timothy that I know none like-minded that did naturally care for souls And had he lived to have preached often O what use might such a man have been of in his generation one in whom learning and holiness did as it were strive which should excel He never preached publickly but twice and then he came to it as if he had been used to that work forty years delivering the Word of God with that power and Majesty with that tenderness and compassion with that readiness and freedom that it made his hearers almost amazed He was led into the Mysterie of the Gospel and he spoke nothing to others but what was the language of his heart and the fruit of great experience and which one might easily perceive had no small impression first upon his own spirit His first and last Sermons they were upon Communion and intimate converse with God out of Job 22. 21. A subject that few Christians under Heaven were better able to manage than himself and that scarce any could handle so feelingly as he for he did for some considerable time maintain such an intimate familiarity with God that he seemed to converse with Him as one friend doth converse with another This text he made some entrance into whilst he was here but the perfecting of his acquaintance with God was a work fitter for another world He was one that kept an exact watch over his thoughts words and actions and made a review of all that passed him at least once a day in a solemn manner He kept a Diary in which he did write down every evening what the frame of his spirit had been all the day long especially in every duty He took notice what incomes and profit he received in his spiritual traffique what returns from that far-country what answers of prayer what deadness and flatness and what observable providences did present themselves and the substance of what he had been doing and any wandrings of thoughts inordinancy in any passion which though the world could not discern he could It cannot be conceived by them which do not practise the same to what a good account did this return This made him to retain a grateful remembrance of mercy and to live in a constant admiring adoring of divine goodness this brought him to a very intimate acquaintance with his own heart this kept his spirit low and fitted him for freer communications from God this made him more lively and active this helped him to walk humbly with God this made him speak more affectionately experimentally to others of the things of God and in a word this left a sweet calm upon his spirits because he every night made even his accounts and if his sheets should prove his widing-sheet it had been all one for he could say his work was done so that death could not surprize him Could this book of his experiences and register of his actions have been read it might have contributed much to the compleating of this discourse the quickning of some and the comforting of others But these things being written in characters the world hath lost that jewel He studied the Scriptures much and they were sweeter to him than his food and he had an excellent faculty in opening the mind of God in dark places In the latter part of his life he seemed quite swallowed up with the thoughts of Christ Heaven and eternity and the neerer he came to this the more swift his motion was to it and the more unmixed his designs for it and he would much perswade others to an universal free respect to the glory of God in all things and making Religion ones business and not to mind these great things by the by CHAP. XII Ministers are not to carry on low designs HE was not a little concerned about Ministers that above all men They should take heed lest they carried on poor low designs instead of wholly-eying of the interest of God and souls He judged that to take up Preaching as a trade was altogether inconsistent with the high spirit of a true Gospel-Minister He desired that those which seemed to be devoted to the Ministry would be such first heartily to devote their All to God and then that they should indeavour to have a dear love to immortal souls He was very ready to debase himself and humbly to acknowledge what he found amiss in himself and laboured to amend himself and others This saith he I must seriously confess that I must needs reproach my self for deficiency in a Christian spiritual remembrance of you speaking to a dear friend and for a decay in a quick tender touch as of other things so of what relates to your self in the spirituality of it Not that I think not of you or of God but that my thoughts of you and spiritual things are not so frequent savoury and affectionate as they ought to be By this reflection you may easily perceive that I see further in duty than I do in practice The truth of it is I grudge that thoughts and affections should run out any whither freely but to God And what I now desire for my self I desire for you likewise that God would sweeten the fountain our natures I mean that every drop flowing from thence may savour of something of God within