Selected quad for the lemma: rest_n
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A34759
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The tomb-stone, and A rare sight
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Carter, John, d. 1655.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing C656A; ESTC R36272
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81,644
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218
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hee spake was an Oracle to her and her will ever closed with his Judgment He lived to eighty yeares of age When I the youngest of nine and the unworthiest of all was born he was forty years of age He called me the Son of his age yet lived to see me forty yeares old before he dyed He was much and frequent in secret fasting And when he kept a day hee told none of the house of it save my Mother onely who would not eate that day that he fasted but oft-times she was with him in his retyring Chamber to joyn with him in prayer yet all the Family knew it because at night hee supped not but onely had a Toste and a draught of ordinary Beer to sustaine nature On the Sabbath day he never had any thing rost to Dinner because hee would have none detained at home from the publique Ordinances The Pot was hung on and a peice of Beefe and a Pudding in it that was their constant Lords-day Dinner for well-nigh sixty years His Church at Belssed stood in a very solitary place He alwayes kept a Key of it and would often resort thither all alone A Gentleman once espying him going to the Church-ward on a private day hid himselfe till my Father was past and in the Church then hee came close up to the Church wall desirous to peep in at some Window to see what he did and to listen him if he sayd any thing And the Gentleman told me the last time I was at Belsted that he prayed then read a Chapter and after that prayed largely and very heavenly as if he had been in his Family or in the publique Congregation He vigorously held on the course of his Ministry to the last It may be said of him as of Caleb and Joshua he was as fit for Service in Gods Harvest-field at fourescore as he was at forty Some abatement of bodily strength there was as old Age did steale upon him After his after-noon Sermon on the Sabbath he would be something faint and commonly when he came home he would call for some comfortable Draught and when he had lifted up his eyes to Heaven and taken it he would say to them about him these are Crutches to shore up a ruinous house But in his Intellectuals and Spirituall strength there was no failing I cannot but here intersert a Passage that now comes in my minde Old Mr. Benton of Wramplingham in Norffolke a holy man of God being upon occasion in Suffolke in those parts could not but give a visite to his old friend Mr. Carter of Belsted Being with him he heard him discourse with holy Gravity a mixture of all kind of Learning Solidity and Wit he stood amazed and said Mr. Carter I see you are like the Palm and Cedar that bring forth more Fruit in your Age. I thank you said my Father for telling of me what I should be And now the time of his departure was at hand Some fortnight or three weeks before his translation there appeared some decaies in his Body and his memory did a little faile He would sometimes but very rarely call to go to Sea and to his better Country Yet he sat up from morning to night and walked commonly up and down the Room and never failed the performance of Prayer and other Family duties and so as none could discern any considerable defect in his spirituall or naturall strength Onely this when he had done he would presently call to begin again and say Daughter Eunice for my Mother being dead about two yeares before she was the stay of his house and staff of his Age shall we not go to Prayer and when she should answer him you have been at Prayer already and you are weary he would answer I feare we have not done what we should do It was an ordinary yea a constant passage in every Prayer that God would vouchsafe a mercifull and easie passage out of this life And most graciously did the Lord answer it Febr. 21. 1634. being the day before the Sabbath in the Evening he calls very earnestly for Paper Ink and two Pens for by Gods grace saith he to morrow I will Preach twice But God knowes he was not in a fit condition for Study yet with that resolution he went to Bed and God gave him some rest that night In the morning upon the Sabbath-day he did rise out of his Bed as he used to do came out of his Bed-chamber into the Hall and after Prayer he called for his ordinary Breakfast before he went to the Church for still he held his resolution of Preaching which was an Egge he took it in his hand but alas it would not down Eunice saith he I am not able to go to Church yet I prethee lead me to my Bed I will lye down a little and rest me So he arose up out of his Chaire and walked she supporting of him And when he came to the Parlour-door before he put his foot over the Threshold Oh Eunice sayes he what shall I do Put your trust saith she in that God of whom you have had so much experience who never yet did leave you nor forsake you He said The Lord be thanked So he gather'd up himselfe went to the Beds-side sate downe upon it and immediately composed himselfe to lye down He lifted up one of his Legs upon the Bed without any great difficulty laid down his Body and rested his head upon the Pillow My poor Sister stood by expecting still when he should lift up his other leg she thought he had been fallen asleep And she was not mistaken so it was it proved his last sleep and before she could discern any change in him his Soule had taken its flight to Heaven even into the Armes and Embraces of his blessed Saviour whom he had faithfully served Hee intended a Sabbaths Labour for Christ and Christ gave him rest from his Labour even the rest of an eternall Sabbath When my Sister began to speak to him and lift him she found that his breath was departed and yet no change in his Countenance at all his eyes and his mouth continuing in the same posture they used to be in his sweetest sleeps Thus the Lord gave unto his faithfull Servant the desire of his Soule such an easie passage that his death could not be discerned from a sweet naturall sleep Not many daies before he dyed he called my Sister Daughter saith he remember my Love to my Son John I shall see him no more in this life and remember me to the rest of my Children and Family and deliver this message to them all from me Stand fast in the Faith and love one another This was the last message that ever he sent Hee ended his life with a Doxology breathing out his last with these words The Lord be thanked When he had thus yeelded up his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father my Sister Eunice dispatched a Messenger to me to
In their absence a Beare entred their Den tore and killed the young Lyons not able to defend themselves soon after the old Lyon with the Lyonesse returned to their Den and finding their young ones slaine they were filled with bitter grief and great rage out they go together to finde out the Enemy and be revenged they quickly espyed the Beare yet bloody and pursued it The Bear to escape their fury climbed up into a tree and so got out of their reach for the present The Lyonnesse stood still at the root of the tree the other Lyon went away and ranged up and downe in the Mountaines till at last he came where a man was hewing of wood He makes to the man the poore man in feare let fall his Hatchet and began to run away after hastens the Lyon gets to him casts his tayle round about him like a Girdle embraced him and licked him and by the strength of his tayle pulled him led him sayes my Author whither hee would or no First he brought him to his Hatchet and pointed to it with his foot to have the man take it up he understood not the Lyons language the Lyon then took up the Hatchet in his owne mouth and so carryed it leading the man into his Den. There he layd downe the Hatchet a while looked upon the man and then looked upon his murdered Whelps made piteous moane and then wound his tayle about the man againe tooke up the Hatchet in his mouth and having shewed him that dolefull sight led him directly to the tree where the Bear was on the top and the Lyonesse standing at the root The Lyon looks up shewed him the Bear and then the man began to suspect that it was the Beare that had done the wrong to the Lyon He takes his Axe heweth the tree downe falls the Beare and the Lyon and his mate fall upon him and tare him to peices that done the Lyon carryed the man with the Hatchet just to the place where he found him and there left him unhurt to hew wood againe This is credibly related I will not warrant the Story to be Gospel but I will warrant the application to be no lesse Tyrants and Persecutors that murder the Whelps of the Lyon of the tribe of Judah that massacre the Saints of Christ are usually called Bears in holy Writ For their security and safety they climbe up their tree and their towre is the arme of flesh their greatnesse their multitudes their amunitions their military skill their riches their freinds The rich mans wealth is his strong City and as a high wall in his owne conceite Prov 18. 11. They think in their ruffe and gallantry that none can pluck them down they vaunt who shall us controule How soon can the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah fetch Hewers out of the Mountaines and hew down their Tree wherein they trusted and teare them in peices when there shall be none to help Jesus Christ can soon call in Carpenters to cut and saw of the hornes which have scattered Judah Israell and Jerusalem And he will certainly do it I will passe their doom yet not I but the Lord and so leave them Therefore the Lord will bee unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way he will observe them He will meet them as a Beare that is bereaved of her Whelps and will rent the Caule of their heart and there will he devoure them like a Lyon the wild Beast shall teare them Hos 13. 7. 8. From hence I shall slip to the third Use viz. Exhortation And here I sound the Trumpet again Behold Christo Duce Sequimini Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Lyon couchant was the Ensigne of Judahs Tribe and Family And the Lord Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah is the Ensigne of his Church And in that day there shal be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke Isa 11. 10. Behold this Child the Child Jesus is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Signe or Banner for many in Israel for the Church Then follow follow your Captain your Ensigne Eye him by knowledge by faith walk after him tread in his steps imitate him Christ is now lift up here he stands as Gideon and saith to you all Looke upon me and do likewise Or as Abimelech what you have seen me do make hast and do as I have done And here I must crave liberty to branch out my Exhortation and that I may as a faithfull Steward divide to every one in Gods house their part and portion I shall direct my Exhortation 1. To the New-elect and the other Magistrates 2. To the Ministers of the Gospell 3. And lastly to all promiscuously My first addresse is to the New-elect whose Inauguration we celebrate and who this day enters upon the chief place of Magistracy in this City and also to the rest of the Magistrates present whether of the City or Country that in his charge they may heare theirs Worthy Praetor you are ascending this day to the highest place of Government in this place where God hath laid out the bounds of your Habitation Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Behold your King the Lord Jesus Christ and follow him step after step Be you a Lyon also Judah the Prince and Governour was a Lyon Judas Macchabeus that Worthy hee in all his acts was like a Lyon and like a Lyons whelp roaring for his Prey The Roman Emperours and Bishops were called Leones Lyons Many Kings and Common-Wealths have the Lyon for their Armes This was symbolized by the steps of Solomons Throne The King made a great Throne of Ivory and over-laid it with pure Gold And there were six steps to the Throne and staies on each side of the sitting place and two Lyons standing by the staies and twelve Lyons stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps And even you also give for you City Armes a Lyon with your Castle Matth. 8. 34. The Lyon is a rare Creature not bred in many places neither shall we see in the Common-wealth many Lyons indeed many beare in their Banners and Escoucheons the Lyon but in their Administration they perform none of those things which are propounded in the Lyon Be you a Lyon let the rest be Lyons carry your selves like Lyons Let me speak to you as the Prophet did to the Altar Isa 29. 1. O Ariel Ariel that is Leo Dei the Lyon of God so was the Altar called because fire came down from Heaven suddenly as a Lyon out of his Den and consumed the Sacrifice Let fire come down from Heaven upon your heart even the fire of true love to God and zeale for God Aristotle attributes to the Lyon a round face and makes it to represent the Sun the shaggy haire not being unlike the glorious rayes