him Yea said he I bless God and rejoice that I have seen him and blessed him before I dye When he came near to him he stretched out his hand and received him kindly and then repeated to him what he had before said concerning his Brother affirming That he was a very good man and one furnished with Gifts that are rather solid and useful than conspicuous and ornamental now shall he be the Crown of my Fathers Family I bless God that there remains a man therein to Praise him both in word and work The Blessing of the God of our Father hath been eminently on that Branch of our Family from whence we are sprung there have been found therein many good Men who feared God As for these little Nazarens I recommend them to God And after a little stop he continued his Speech unto his Son My Son I now know thee no longer according to the Flesh my Carnal affections are mortified and swallowed up in the Love of God My love towards my Wife and Children is now wholly Spiritual I have Prayed unto God that he will Sanctifie make thee perfect and glorifie thee My Son Is not my happy departure joyful unto thee what could'st thou with more earnestness have desired for me than a glorious and happy end after a long and prosperous Life Bless God through whose bounty I am now filled with Joy and Peace Fear God my Son for this is the whole Duty of man In all thy Actions love Righteousness Sincerity Peace and Truth that my Blessing may remain effectually upon thee and thy Nephews § 20. This whole day was past over much to his ease and quiet none being admitted to disturb him with their Visits He lay still and was inclined to Sleep and when he observed us to look upon him as if he had been asleep I sleep said he but my heart waketh And when we asked him sometimes how he did Very well said he I feel no pain I am filled with the Grace of God I am not sensible of cold or heat I fear no more the inconveniencies of temporal Life the Spirit of God strengthens me and affords me abundant Consolations I have no doubt of my Salvation He hath set me on high He hath hid me in his hiding place He hath fenced me round about and hath perfected whatsoever concerns me I cannot be troubled any more I am like a Vessel filled with pure Water which no agitation troubles It is God that Justifies who shall Condemn it is Christ that dyed yea rather who is risen again The moments of my time are in his Power I am wholly taken up in the expectation of the decreed hour when he will say Come thou good and faithful Servant enter into the Joy of thy Lord O my God I thank thee that thou hast given me the Spirit of Humility Sincerity and Truth I have not been as a tinckling Cymbal O Lord thou hast known the secrets of my Soul and my in most Thoughts Thou hast taught me in the School of true Doctrine and I have above all sought the Glory of thy Name I have not thought any Virtue or Knowledge to be of my self knowing that all my Sufficiency is from thee alone I have slighted that Mystical Theology which is nothing but Canting and have adhered to that clear pure and saving Truth which is contained in the Holy Scriptures One word of the Son of God who requires the Heart is of more worth than all those humane Vanities which are good for nothing else but to trouble the Purity of the Divine Fountains Suffer not O Lord the improbity of men to obscure the Clearness of thy Word which hath been a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path yea it still affords a Light unto me and guideth me in the dark Paths of the Shadow of Death O Lord I have been jealous for thee and have mourned in secret for the Wickedness of some and the audacious Hypocrisie of others who have Assembled themselves to pull down what thou hadst built up by thy Mercies There yet remain Pious Souls who love the Peace of Zion and mourn under these Confusions hear their Prayers In particular have Mercy on those most flourishing Islands where so much of the Blood of thy Martyrs hath been shed turn the People in them to thy self and to their King give thy Judgments unto that poor Prince and make him worthy to have his just Prayers heard Give the Spirit of Moderation and Wisdom to his own Nation who have sent for him that they may require nothing of him but what is weighed in the Balance of Justice These Discourses being began towards Evening were continued till it was Night which he perceiving and wondring at himself said And am I yet alive and thus able to speak God hath done it he endues me with new Strength that I may glorifie him and extoll his holy Name O Lord I wait for the moment which thou hast determined I believe I persevere I am not troubled The Spirit of God witnesseth with my Spirit that I am a Child of God O Lord thou hast known me throughly I am thy Servant help all mine Infirmities perfect thy work in me Patience and Hope make not ashamed the Love of God is in me even that Love whereby I earnestly desire the Salvation of all yea of those which have offended me without Cause I forgive them and Pray for them There is no bitter Gall in me for God hath caused all bitterness to pass from me and hath given true Peace in me for I roll my self upon him § 21. On Thursday morning Thursday Jan. 5. turning his eyes towards the light he said It is day light Shortly I shall no more know the difference of Day and Night I am come to the Eve of that great and eternal day and am going unto that Place where the Sun shall no more give light God will be an everlasting Light unto me and already O Lord thou sendest the Rayes of that Light into my Soul and openest mine eyes that I may perceive them O how powerfully dost thou work in me while this Old man dyes and decayes thou puttest on me the New man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him who Createth it that is lively seeth heareth and walketh with enlarged steps it desires nothing more than an outlet into perfect Liberty Deliver me from this Prison that I may celebrate thy Name Yet neither do I so contemn this Body as not to think of its Restauration for I know thy dead shall live yea my dead Body It is sown in Corruption it shall be raised in Incorruption It is sown a vile body but it shall rise again in glory It is sown in weakness but it shall be raised again in power In a word It shall be conformed to the glorious boof our Lord Jesus Christ who is become the First-fruits of them that sleep I shall see him in my flesh My
little pause and breathing he renewed his prayer in these words Christ Jesus save me which were the last he uttered and then sweetly breathed forth his pious Soul into the bosom of his Redeemer He changed this Life for an Heavenly on the first day of December in the year 1531. And as Mr. Rollock professed upon his death-bed that he had laid up nothing of this World in his Life so it is observed of this good man That he made no Will because he had nothing to dispose of So far were these first Reformers from seeking great things for themselves Riches profit not in the day of wrath but Righteousness delivereth from death Pro. 11. 4. To be rich towards God to have Luk. 12. 21 an Heart filled with Grace and Spiritual Comfort and the testimony 2 Cor. 1. 12 of a good Conscience that with simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the World will prove the best portion when we come to dye and afford such ease to us upon a sick bed as all the Treasure under Heaven cannot procure the like § 11. The Jewish Writers from that Passage of the Psalmist Psa 41. 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness have a Proverbial saying in Tract Nedar to this sence Majestas divina sedet ad caput lecti aegrotantis i. e. The divine Majesty sitteth or abideth at the sick mans beds-head His sick bed is turned into a Sanctuary by the Gracious presence of God with him This we have seen verified in the former Examples and shall yet meet with a further Confirmation of in the experience of Joachimus Curaeus Curaeus a Learned and Pious Doctor of Physick in Germany and a Zealous Protestant who finished his course in the year 1573. being the Forty first currant of his age He was a person that esteemed Religion to be his greatest concern while he lived and continually exercised himself in a diligent and serious practice thereof And as he would by no means be diverted from working out his own Salvation with fear and trembling by fervent Prayer and all manner of Holy Conversation in the World so it pleased God when he called him out of the World to afford him such an abundant Enjoyment and sence of his love in Christ as carryed him through the Agonies of death with a more than ordinary Triumph and rejoycing In his last hours it was most convincingly manifest that Christ had given unto him a large draught of that water of Life which was in him a well of water springing up unto Eternal Life from which blessed Fountain he poured forth abundant Consolations to all that were with him in that Conflict if so happy a departure and so sweet a sleep as death was made to him may yet be called a Conflict When he found his sickness had prevailed over Nature so far as that his dissolution must needs be hastning on he wholly applyed himself to ardent Prayers and Supplications unto God making use of that exercise for the ease and support of his Soul in sickness which had been his delight and Comfort in his health And several times in one day causing his his Wife and Children to come to him he did with an inexpressible Zeal and Affection exhort them to Piety and Virtue and then in a solemn manner recommended both them and his last charge to them to the blessing of God who in this also heard the Prayers of his Servant and raised up two of his Sons after him to be eminent examples both of Piety Virtue and Learning in their Generation thereby making good his word That the Generation of the upright shall be blessed § 12. Being taken away in the midst of his years at that age which was the ripest for Service he would often repeat the mournful complaint of Hezekiah I have cut off like a Weaver my life c But then his perfect acquiescence in the will of God and rejoycing in his Salvation was as frequently exprest in the following words which are some of those holy sayings which plentifully issued from his pure Heart in this last sickness viz. I am broken O Lord but it satisfies me that thy hand hath done this not the Devil The Body indeed suffers because of Sin but thou Comfortest my Soul with a most sure Hope and expectation of eternal Life I believe O Lord I believe but do thou help mine unbelief I have received a Message of death but I will wrestle with thee O Lord Jesus after the Example of thy holy Pilgrim Jacob untill the Morning beams of thy light break up arise and shine upon me neither will I let thee go unless thou bless me and my Soul be saved Therefore O Jesus Christ thou wilt bless me and save my Soul giving unto me a Believer Remission of Sins Righteousness and Life Come Lord Jesus and let all that love thee say Come And he that loves thee not let him be Anathema Maranatha Thou knowest O Lord who art the searcher of Hearts That I love thee And thou lovest me yea thou lovest me in Truth and art my Redeemer by thy Merit and Efficacy Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit for thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of Truth And then reflecting upon the time of his sickness for he dyed January 21. he proceeded in further expressions of his assured Confidence in God and inward Joy through the lively hope and foretast of the blessings of that Kingdom he was going to after this manner I shall be with thee in the beginning of this new Year I shall be satiated with the sight of thee O Lord I shall drink with thee at thy Table the New Juice of Eternal Joy even in thy Fathers house where there are many Mansions there is a place for me also and there shall I sit at thy Table Refresh me O Son of God with thy Spirit and with thy quickening presence I come unto thee Jesus Christ Receive thou me according to thy Promise which is the only repast and Recreation of my Soul Iam meum pectus ardet conspectu vitae eternae cujus verè sentio in me initia i. e. Now doth my Heart burn through the sight of Eternal Life the Beginnings of which I truly feel in my self And this is Life Eternal to know thee the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Through thy goodness I have learned and I have taught others rightly to acknowledge thee Do thou again acknowledge me O Son of God and embrace me with thy Saving Grace even with thy Holy Spirit do thou present this Soul to thy Eternal Father who will readily receive it from thy hand My desire and rejoycing is to come unto him and because I am not yet come all delay seems long unto me O thou Sun of Righteousness light me into Eternal light and Righteousness I desire with thine Apostle to be
dissolved and to be with thee Loose me that I may be with thee I am greatly wearyed and I wait for the entertainment which thou hast shewn me As the Traveller in his Journey at Night time desires the Sun-rising so do I desire after the clear light even the sight of the Father Son and Holy Ghost When my voice and speech shall fail me Grant O Merciful Saviour that thy Holy Spirit may speak unto thee in my Heart and make intercession for me with groanings that cannot be uttered Let his motions spring up in my breast and move thy Heart unto Mercy towards me Lord Jesus Christ who sittest at the right hand of thy Eternal Father receive my Spirit § 13. These were the Meditations and this the exercise of this Holy man upon his dying bed He felt this Tabernacle to be falling but knew he had an house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens and his pious Soul was filled with Heavenly triumph in the certain expectation of a Glorious Resurrection of that same body of his which was now ready to be sown in corruption which with an admirable sweetness and comfort he thus express'd I shall see thee my Saviour in my flesh which thou hast exalted to the right hand of the Eternal Father and I will give thee thanks in the presence of thy Father for all the Good things which thou hast communicated unto me Yea thou wilt place thy Holy Angels to be the Guardians of my Body that they may keep my dust which hath been and to all Eternity shall be the dwelling place of thy Holy Spirit It is impossible that this flesh of mine which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost this Mass of my body which is quickened by the effusion and communication of the Spirit of Christ and so inserted into the flesh of Christ should be reduced unto nothing or abide in death and ever remain dust and ashes But thou who art the Author of Life will remand from the Earth this thine own Image even out of the smallest Crums of dust and ashes that are there By sending forth thy breath thou wilt again build up my body alive and Glorious which shall be the habitation of the whole Divinity dwelling therein to all Eternity There shall we follow the Lamb whithersoever he shall go O Guide truly fair and Divine There shall we sing a New Song Let us rejoyce Hallelujah O Come let us go forth to meet our Saviour Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right as Citizens is in Heaven but in this Life we must begin Eternal Life and follow the order which Christ hath appointed We shall be cloathed upon if so be that we be not found Naked That most lovely Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world will lead us unto the Fountains of living Waters and wipe away all Tears from our Eyes Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him This Earthly Life is Death but that Life which Christ begins in me is Life indeed Now it is no more I that live but Christ that liveth in me therefore let him be praised O happy Soul in which thou Jesus Christ sittest as the Guide and Rector of all its actions and Motions I see Heaven open unto me Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace O Lord for mine Eyes indeed have seen thy Salvation Thou O Christ art the Resurrection and Life How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord O Christ my Redeemer carefully watch my Soul that it suffer no detriment by the horrible and infernal Dragon the Devil Let my Soul be bound up in the bundle of Life and let this my passage hence be happy let it be to me the way to those that live an immortal and Heavenly Life § 14. After this he again most affectionately prayed for his Wife and Children but in terms arguing such a nearness to God and Holy Familiarity with him as if a man had been speaking to his Friend and devolving a care upon him that he knew most assuredly he would willingly take upon himself and see to He mightily Comforted himself with the thoughts of Christs sympathy and compassion who saith he will certainly hear me in all these things And when one exhorted him to be of good hope for God would help him he answered 'T is right The Lord will certainly help me by a final deliverance according to that Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord In the Lord then do I dye who is my Life I dye in the acknowledgment Faith and Confidence of Christ the Mediator who is my Shade of defence and my Brother who cloatheth me with the garment of his Righteousness I shall therefore be happy I shall be Righteous O sweet Blessedness sweet Righteousness O sweet change and Translation from Sin to Innocency from Darkness into Light from Death to Life Many Prayers also he put up for the Church of God especially that the pure Doctrine of the Gospel might be transmitted without corruption to Posterity and with Tears bewailed the wickedness of those who by their corrupt Notions were an hindrance to its course And once more a little before his Soul departed his Friends being about him he solemnly recommends himself to Christ and repeats the Confession of his Faith expressing great thankfulness to God for the Reformation and for those that he had used as Instruments therein I am now dying said he and dismist as that Servant of God holy Simeon I also being the Servant of God and Holy I dye in the Confession of the writings of the Prophets and Holy Apostles and of the Ancient Creeds and also adhering to the Augustane Confession I give thanks to God That of his Infinite goodness he hath dispell'd the darkness and restored to us the Light and Purity of his Gospel At length in the midst of his Prayers and earnest breathings after God he yielded up his Soul into the hands and bosom of his Redeemer where he rests from his Labours and his works follow him § 15. Another Instance worthy of our Remembrance and imitation I shall give you in Mr. Matthew Wesenbeck an eminent Civilian who after he had run the course of an Holy Life from his first Conversion to the fifty fifth year of his Age departed this Life at Wittenburg in the year 1586. The means by which God first awakened him to seek after and embrace the knowledge of the Truth was this While he was studying the Law at Lovane it fell out that there was a poor man in the City who being blind made it his business to visit the Sick and to instruct and comfort them as he could with Texts of Scripture in which he was well versed in recompence of which pious office those that were well disposed would relieve his Necessity with a piece of Bread and Cheese After some time this poor man was accused of
to him that we would suffer a man of so great merit who was yet strong and hearty to go out of the world without trying of any Remedies adding That he knew a person that was held with the same disease that was helped by Baths prescribed by a Chyrurgeon in the City who was indeed very skilful in his Art This person therefore was immediately sent for who when he came finding the sick man strong enough to abide the use of that Remedy without delay prepares a Bath by which he found himself much eased and his pains asswaged and that Monday Night he had a better Night of it than ordinary § 15. The next day in the Tuesday Jan. 3. Morning they repeated the Bath after which a Clyster was injected which seemed to have begun its work All that were about the sick man rejoyced and bad him be of good courage promising his recovery from his distemper And to say the truth himself began if not to hope yet at least to think it might be so In the following Evening the Bath was repeated again after which being had to bed he began to sleep sweetly but had scarcely rested half an hour before he was awaked by the pain of his side and a greater tention of his Belly than before and the access of a Feaver Nothing was left unattempted foâ— his relief by fomentations anâ— unctions but all was to â— purpose The complaint of thâ— sick man was increased anâ— he tired out and afflicted witâ— extraordinary restlesness Anâ— then his Niece perceived thaâ— there was something else troubled him more than the pain of his Body for he remaining silent groaned forth most bitter sighs whereas before the more he was tormented with pain the more ardently did he use to pour out his prayers to God It was Supper time when she was left with him alone and then with a mournful voice he asked Who is there is any Stranger present And when his Niece had told him No she asked him Whence doth this unusual disquietude proceed you seem to me to suffer something extraordinary what is become of that chearfulness through which you were wont to pass through your pains with the greatest Joy Alas said he He is departed from me that made glad my Heart I have grieved that Holy Spirit the Comforter who had filled my Soul with Peace and Joy I have been so wretched and unhappy as to give ear to those who spake unto me of my returning into this World I have been tickled with the desire of living And how could such a thing possibly be after the fruits of the Heavenly Canaan had been tasted by me and I had by faith taken hold of Supernatural good things What is now necessary to be done Whither shall I goâ— If I speak he answers not yeâ— he hath taken from me the power of speaking Ah sad change An holy fire had kindled my meditation but now vain thoughtâ— hurry me I cannot get out of my mind an old Satyr and sucâ— like trifles Thus while I am â— deaths door I go backwards And here casting his armâ— about her neck he thus proceeded My Dear Niece help â—e continue to discourse of Goâ—â— things with me Call upon thâ— Comforter to return and reneâ— that excellent work which hâ— had advanced in me O Return Return Confirm me witâ— thy strength before I go hence and be seen no more § 16. Then she suggested to him those places of Scripture which by the Divine aid were brought to her mind in answer to which every moment he interposed those words as made it evident that his Soul which before was sinking under its burthen began to gather strength Comfort again He had scarce been a quarter of an hour in that Conflict before he fell into a Swoon which occasioned the hasty calling in of his Son who was come to him but that Morning and when this sinking fit was over there appeared in him again the same Tranquility and Chearfulness of Countenance as formerly And seeing those of his own Houshold with some Friends that used to assist him and watch with him by turns in the next Room he attentively fixed his eyes upon each of them and first Addressing himself to his Wife Farewell said he my dearest Yoke-fellow We have lived together in Peace for thirty Years and I thank thee for thy help which hath been a great Comfort unto me for I did cast all Domestick cares upon thee Continue I beseech thee to †They were his Children by a former Wife for he had none by her love my Children with that Pious Affection which hitherto thou hast had for them Then turning his Speech to his Son he said And thou my Son Love and Honour this dearest Companion of my Life the Partner of all my Joys and Sorrows which hath done the Duty of a Mother toward thee this I desire of thee and this I command thee as thou expectest a blessing from God upon what I have gotten by my labour divide it between you without quarrelling or contention according to what is just and right Manage all thy Affairs with all Lenity and Christian Prudence especially pursue Peace O Frederick for that was his Sons Name to which he alluded Be rich in Peace Then taking hold of both their Hands and joyning them together Promise me saith he that you will maintain an holy and mutual friendship with each other Which when they had both most solemnly Promised to do I believe you said he for I have no cause to doubt of your Sincerity I know that you fear God and that my last Commands will be of great weight to you even as I pray God that he will make my Blessing effectual upon you Then turning to his Wife he said The Lord Bless thee my dear Love and strengthen thee he iâ— an Husband to the Widdow anâ— a Father of the Fatherless And to his Son The Almighty Father bless thee my Son guide thee in alâ— thy wayes enrich thee with all Christian Virtues and plentifully make thee to abound in all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings regard not thâ— world nor its deceitful hopes for the world passeth away and the Lust thereof place all thy Felicity in the Blessing of God be strong in Faith and prepared unto every good work Let the Peace of God dwell in thee and make thee Peaceable and kind Those Infants which I commend unto thee and commit to thy trust will be proper Subjects for thee to exercise thy Charity upon I appoint and set thee over not only that little Portion which I leave them but especially their Persons that thou mayest take care of their Instruction and Education in Piety and Virtue that they may be fitted for that Service of God which their Nature and Ingenie renders them capable of and especially may apply themselves to the Worship of God And then taking hold of the hand of the eldest of the Children he said Farewell dear Child the
own eyes shall see him I shall behold his face in righteousness and shall be satisfied with his likeness when I awake He loveth me with an intire affection he kisseth me with the Kisses of his Mouth He hath removed all fear far from me and hath filled me with Peace and Joy in Believing He often repeated that sentence Amor meus Crucifixus est that is My Love is Crucified adding O Love incomprehensible what I conceive of him is beyond all expression Blessed be the Lord who hath directed my heart into the Love of God and the patient waiting for Christ § 22. This whole day was spent in like holy discourses and the Prayers of Ministers that came to him with the Visits of other Friends Towards Evening he found himself very weak and had two or three fainting fits but his speech did not wholly fail in them sometimes he would say My strength is quite spent I am going hence Lord meet me do not tarry take thy Creature Towards the middle of the Night his strength being a little recovered he reached forth his hand to Mrs. Rivet his Wife and said Embrace me once more my dear Love I love thee no more after the flesh but after the Spirit as I have alwayes loved thy Better part I have lived with thee in holy Concord these thirty years Thou hast born mine Infirmities and hast been an help to me and God hath blessed us together I have taken notice of thy good Infirmities conjoyned with great Piety and thy Faith which is not perfect but sincere and true Thou knowest my Love that God is not a severe Judge but merciful and Gracious he chiefly requires from us a recumbence on his Mercy He is kind and full of Love Behold in me an Example of Mercy and Kindness and from thence gather Confidence that he will follow thee with the same Grace We have an Allyance in Heaven Thither the Lord takes me and he will take thee thither also and so we shall be together with the Lord for ever While thou art waiting for that blessed hour he will be thy Husband Father Comforter and Defender and finally will make thee to experience the soveraign Effects of his Love Rejoyce therefore my dearest Love I have prayed for thee Thy Faith shall not fail God will succour thy infirmities which savour of nothing but goodness It is that I love in the Children of God that they acknowledge themselves to be imperfect before him God will compleatly perfect thee doubt not Then turning to his Son My Son said he keep for thy self what is thine Call upon God as thy Father for he is the Father of Eternity Let his fear wholly possess thee for that is the principal thing Seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all other things shall be given in over and above unto thee Take care of my little Children see to their pious Education and Instruction in their tender years Let them not frequent evil Company My Son I put confidence in thee and assure my self thou wilt observe my commands with all thy power Let Truth be in thy Heart Equity and Sincerity in all thy Actions and cherish Peace and Friendship among Friends § 23. Then taking many Friends by the hand that stood by him he said I pray you love my Son And then turning to his Niece Farewell said he my dearest Niece God will bless thee yea he hath blessed thee already thou hast ministred to thy afflicted and sick Parent and in so doing thou hast served the Publick Let my blessing remain upon thee I know and am sure that thou shalt be with me in the Heavenly Paradise where God hath prepared places for us before the Foundation of the World was layd Thou hast helped me and God will help thee Fear not Persevere with me in the close of my last hours Then seeing Mr. Fayan le Coq Are you there saith he my dear Cousin The Lord bless you abundantly and grant that in the whole course of your life you may walk in his fear you belong to an honourable Family which have layd many Obligations upon me I pray you write to your honoured Mother an Account of my happy Departure and also to your Brethren whom I pray God abundantly to bless and give them Peace and that they may not trust in the perishing good things of this World As for my self it is long since I have turned from corruptible things and adhered to those that are prepared and laid up in Heaven Every good and perfect Gift comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning My God my desire is to thee My Soul thirsteth for thee as the parched ground When shall I enter in and present my self before the face of God! Come Lord Jesus Come I am in thy Bosom I am ready when it pleaseth thee My Heart is prepared my Soul is ready All delay seems long to me till Christ come for whom notwithstanding I wait without impatience You see thro' the Grace of God I am not tired I wait I believe I persevere Patience is much better than Knowledge tho' it delay my Joy yet it sets me in the way to it The sense of divine Favour increaseth in me every moment My pains are tolerable but my Joy is inestimable I am no more vexed with earthly cares I have now no desires but after heavenly things I remember when any new Book came out how earnestly I have longed after it till it came to my hands being alwayes desirous of learning something New But now all that is but as dust Thou art my All O Lord My good is to approach unto thee O what a Library have I in God! in whom is hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge I shall no more behold things afar off and darkly I shall no more know in part but I shall be filled with the Knowledge of God as the Sea is covered with waters Thou art the Teacher of Spirits I have learned more Divinity in these ten dayes that thou art come to visit me than I did in fifty years before Thou hast brought me to my self before I went astray and was in the world but now I am conversant in the School of my God and he teacheth me after another manner than all those Doctors in Reading whom I spent so much time What Obscurity is there and what Conjectures yea what Vanity in all those things that proceed from an humane Spirit What vast spaces must a man pass over before he find any fruit in them But thy Doctrine O my God is perfect and full of good fruits My Soul is filled as with marrow and fatness With my whole heart I renounce all other Knowledge and cleave to this alone Jesus Christ and him crucified I give thee thanks O Lord that thou hast hid these things from the haughty-wise and hast revealed them to the humble This Body is feeble but the
Spirit is strong and enriched § 24. Then turning again to his Son he said My Son God blesse thee more and more How greatly do I rejoyce when I behold in thee the Grace of God! It was my great desire to see thee from the first day of my sickness Thou art the youngest of my Sons and thou only art left alive to me upon the Earth Thou shalt be my Benjamin and God will bless the Charge I have committed to thee and will be present with thee for thy help therein The Almighty God give unto thee and thy Nephews blessings in Israel and especially spiritual Blessings for temporal Blessings follow upon Spiritual Praised be God that hath made thee a Spectator of my last Conflict It is a Conflict but yet sweet because of the Consolations of the Spirit of God which abound in me Thou hast strove enough O my Soul rest in God who is thy Saviour Then hearing the Clock strike he asked what hour it was which when he knew he said The Time passeth away and we pass away with the time howbeit we are confirmed and strengthened by the Grace of God every hour Then smiting upon his Breast he said There is Joy within by the habitation of the Spirit of God in me O Good God! who am I that thou shouldst vouchsafe to come and dwell under my poor roof So it hath pleased thee O Lord that thy Spirit should dwell in me to the end and therefore I have cause of rejoycing in earnest § 25. Thus was the Thursday Fryday Jan. 6. night passed over The poor sick man was wearyed and exceeding thirsty yet durst not drink He seemed to be breathing out his Soul every moment and panted for deliverance but the end of his Conflict was not yet come there remained still above twenty four hours to be undergone and those very sharp His Son had betaken himself to some rest in the morning and after a while coming into the Chamber again his Father said to him A good day to you Son I am glad you have taken some rest Help me a little Which being done he added My Son this duty will be pleasing to God I should have reckoned my self happy if in any thing I could have helped my Father he was a good and a pious man I had also an holy Mother which deserved very well of the whole Family there was in her an holy Ambition and ardent Charity My Son how do I rejoyce to see thee I have yet many things to say to thee Remember that thou speak to the Illustrious Princesses Dowagers and tell them that I dye devoted to them in all dutiful affection and that I recommend unto them the utmost I can the Institution of the illustrious Colledge in this Town which is indeed the honour of the house of Orange and of his memory who founded it unto whom in my own particular I am laid under very great Obligations That great Prince who first called me to his service in his house heaped his benefits upon me and without vanity I speak it honoured me with his friendship of which he could give no greater Testimony than by committing to me the first education of his only Son who indeed was snatcht away from us in the flower of his age when both his Fathers house and the Common-wealth had most need of him Truly he was a Prince adorned with many gifts and disposed to receive good things and to Piety I believe that God was merciful to him and that his goodness is not wholly withdrawn from this noble house to which he hath raised up a Son that may supply his Fathers place The Almighty God bless and Preserve that Branch and Bless his Education and make him to grow in Age and in Gifts and Graces that he may be an Instrument of promoting his Glory and an instance of his Grace and Favour I beseech him also to bless the Princesses his Mother and Grandmother that their Concord may turn to the Good of the Child and of the State The Lord guide them in all things with the Spirit of his Fear strengthen them in the Faith and incourage them unto every good work I hope they will keep in mind my service and Zealous Affection for the good of their noble Family But if not my trust is in God § 26. After half an hours silence or thereabouts he thus continued his discourse Hear the prayers which thy Servant offers unto thee O God for that Child let him be blessed and sanctified from his tender years that the corruption of the Age. may not pervert him Let him live before thee Let Integrity and Righteousness preserve him He also prayed for the Lady Electress of Brandenburg and her Sisters That God would adorn them with all Christian and moral Virtues and b◠with them to the end of thei◠Lives But now his oppression was so much increased that we could not take the texture of his Meditations only by his countenance and gesture we might see that he prayed continually and sometimes he uttered some words whereby we understood that others had preceded in his Meditation a◠for instance Yea Lord I believe thi◠is my joy God will perfect his work above all ◠have no more part in thos◠things that are done unde◠the Sun but I desire th◠Peace of the Church every where Then he repeated in French Metre the 18. verse of Psal 51. which is in English Metre Lord unto Zion turn thy Face Pour out thy mercies on thy Hill And on Jerusalem thy Grace Build up the Walls and love it still I am of that Zion have pity on me and deal graciously with me I am suffocated I can hardly breath The Lord brings me down but he calls my Spirit to himself The greatest thing by farr is I have no doubt of my Salvation the Lord upholds me miraculously to the end that I may edifie others by my example in this last close of my life I am well pleased O my God Far be it from me that I should murmure How small are these pains in comparison of that Grace through which I bear with a quiet mind whatsoever it pleaseth God to lay upon me Thou allayest these short bitternesses with inexpressible consolations Thou speakest unto my Soul with that sweet voice which ◠understand because I am of thy Sheep My sheep saith the chief Shepherd hear my voice I know them and they follow me To this purpose he began to recite the 23 Psalm in Hebrew The Lor◠is my Shepherd I shall not want and desired one that stood by to rehearse the rest of the Psalm And the last clause he pronounced himself from the Original viz I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And when he saw many attending him he said You have no cause to wonder I am able to do nothing of my self The Lord worketh all in all that we may be humbled This is the School of humility Look upon me
will rather open my sin before him in a most humble confession of it and pray that he will increase in me the Grace of true Repentance yea let him wear out this body with sorrow it matters not so he give to me a broken and a contrite Heart which is a sacrifice acceptable to himself As for my part I do most willingly offer up my self Accept O Lord this imperfect Sacrifice and supply the defects thereof by the perfect Righteousness of that great high Priest who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unto God without Spot Let me be accepted as a living Sacrifice holy and well-pleasing unto God which is our reasonable service Crucifie O Lord this old man that the body of sin may be utterly destroyed and I may rise again unto a new life The wages of Sin is death bu◠Rom. 6. ult the Gift of God is Eterna◠life by Jesus Christ our Lord Then repeating the word Gift he added It is meer Grace not of Works but of him that calleth Who shall la◠Rom. 8. 33. any thing to the charge of God elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth I◠is Christ that dyed yea rathe◠that is risen again who is eve◠at the right hand of God wh◠also maketh intercession for us Then after a little interruption of his discourse by a shor◠sleep he thus proceeded I am God's and he wil◠save me he hath honoure◠me with an holy Calling and hath not suffered his gif◠to be altogether useless in me as to the Edification of hi◠Church As to my self I can most truly affirm that I have not served him for filthy Lucre but with a sincere heart and that I was my self first perswaded of the truth of the Gospel and experienced the efficacy thereof before I preached it to others I tasted the good Word of God which by it's power pierceth even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Thou hast known my heart O Eternal God! thou knowest that I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ but have esteemed it my only honour to serve thee and that I have delighted my self in the pleasure of obeying thy will Such was thy goodness unto me I truly and humbly acknowledge that whatsoever good was in me flowed from thy Grace bu◠my defects ought to be ascribed to my inbred Corruption Alas I acknowledg◠this with humble and serious repentance how oft hav◠I sinned in so holy a Charge not only by omitting man◠things which I ought to hav◠done but also by doing many things amiss How of have I offended through negligence and slackness Long since had I been cast off wer◠it not that I had to do wit◠so good a Lord who hat◠born with me and hath bee◠so gracious to me as no◠to exact a severe account o◠my Words and Works Alas O Lord my God! Enter no◠into Judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Let me be found not having mine own Righteousness but the Righteousness of thy Son for the sake of which I beg thy favour Pardon O my God Pardon the Iniquity of thy Servant who is devoted to thy Fear I refuse not thy discipline I know it is necessary only this I earnestly beg that it may turn to my Salvation Chasten me O Lord but in measure lest thou bring me to nothing Let not my tryal exceed my strength lest I Sin through Impatience and become a Scandal to those I should edifie O let me never break out into a murmuring complaint O how light is this chastisement if compared with my fault What are these temporal pains in comparison with those Eternal torments from which I am redeemed by him that poured out hi◠Soul upon the Cross for me For Me This is the languag◠of Faith which makes a particular application of General Promises This is a faithful saying and worthy of a◠1 Tim. 1. 15. acceptation That Jesus Chris◠came into the World to sav◠sinners of whom I am Chief Lord I believe help tho◠mine unbelief Turn tho◠me and I shall be turned indeed Seal all thy Promise in my Soul Cause in the inmost of my heart a lively perception of those sweet word◠My Son be of good comfor◠thy sins are forgiven the◠With such holy Meditatio◠and speeches as these was th◠Thursday night passed over § 7. On Friday morning Dec. 30. Mrs. Rivet his Wife put him in mind of sending one to the Hague for his Son By all means said he that ought to have been done sooner and then gave order himself concerning it About Nine of the Clock he was visited by Renessius a Doctor of Divinity and Pastor of a Dutch Church who in the Latine Tongue saluted him after this manner Most excellent man how do you To whom he answered in the same Language I am yet strong neither doth my Speech fail me but that passage in my bowels is not yet opened and unless that be opened I see I must make my passage another way even that which the Eternal God hath set before me from my Infancy I should be the most ungratefull of men if I should not acknowledge the mercy of God towards me who hath so wonderfully preserved me even from my Cradle Then rehearsing his deliverance from a very dangerous * Viz. A fall whereby his life was in graet hazard accident that befell him in his Infancy through the negligence of the Maid he added From that time my Mothe◠consecrated me unto God and he abundantly blessed me all my life-time and the whole Family And therefore I place all my hope in the goodness of God being ready either to live or to dye I have alwayes thought tha◠either this disease would be my death or else the Stone for I have scarce ever been afflicted with any other distemper I pray you to testifie unto all men that I dye in that Faith and Doctrine which I have alwayes delivered both in Preaching and Writing And if perhaps in some things I have erred I pray God that he will make perfect all my Imperfections The rest of the day was filled up with the Visits of Friends for he would have none hindred from coming to him Let all that will saith he have access to visit me I ought to give an Example of dying to other men With such sayings as these he filled the by standers both with Consolation and with Wonder while he thus proceeded Come see a man who is an Example of the Great Mercy of God What shall I render unto him All his Benefits overwhelm me He hath so disposed my Life that in my whole Course I have had an healthful Body he hath heaped upon me both temporal and spiritual Blessings And now before I am rendred feeble or morose thro' Old age he comes unto me and prevents me he both
Lord make thee a good and a Pious man that thou mayest fill up the place of thy Father and Grandfather He bess thee abundantly and make thy Studies prosperous unto his Glory which he will do if thou diligently call upon him and if thou Study to be Diligent Sober Modest and humbly Obedient unto God and thy Superiours thy Unkle in particular which will be instead of a Father to thee Give due Obedience and Honour unto thy Mother Love thy Brother and Sister and withdraw thy self from the Company of young Persons who will entice thee unto Vice And unto his Niece he thus spake Farewell my dear Niece the Lord bless thee We have a Kindred in the Heavens which will endure for ever § 17. Now when we thought this night would be his last the principal of his Friends were called to him and amongst them Mr. Hulsius and as they stood about his Bed he attentively beheld them and discoursed of his Departure at hand and his disposition to give up himself to the Will of God with a joyful and free Soul He exhorted each of them according to their respective Condition in regard of Age Sex or Quality and blessed each of them and their Families Then again speaking to his Son he said My Friend Thou losest at the same time both a Master and a Father but if the Fear of God bear rule in thee God will supply the place of both Far be it from me to distrust his Grace for the future I cast all my Cares upon him and give up my self and mine my Life and affairs into his hands Then he uttered in French Metre the words of the Psalmist to this sence Vnto whom shall I go for help O Lord and in whom is my hope truly in thee I am full of dayes I desire to be Dissolved and to be with Christ It is enough O Lord Receive now my Soul I commit this Body to the Earth but I commit my Spirit into the hands of God who gave it And in a Paroxysme of Pain he said My God I know this Tabernacle cannot be dissolved without pain yet my heart is lively and I have still strength to bear my pains O Lord help mine Infirmities depart not far from me in the day of my Sorrow Say unto my Soul I am become thy Salvation This last he rehearsed in the French Metre and then repeated in Hebrew from Psal 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance § 18. From that Night forward it was observed when any one discoursed to him of Repentance and of the Grace of God in forgiving sins he was wont to answer As to this point I am assured that I am reconciled and cleansed from my sin by the precious blood of my Redeemer God hath spoken and made known to me already that my Sins are blotted out I now taste this blessedness Blessed is the man Psa 32. 1. to whom the Lord imputeth not Sin There is no Condemnation Rom. 8. 1. to them that are in Christ Jesus He is come unto me according to his great Mercies and draweth me and I willingly follow him He lessens my bodily Pains by increasing the joy of my Soul he satisfies my thirst for him with the dew of his Grace Behold I am satiated I am inriched Man lives not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God The Kingdom of God is not Rom. 14. 17. Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy through the Holy Ghost I am fed by my Saviour whose Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood is drink indeed and as he is the true quickening Bread which came down from Heaven so he that eateth him shall live by him And therefore I live It is now two dayes since I have lived not an Animal Life but I live that Life which I shall eternally Live in the Heavens That night he made a long and ardent Prayer the greatest part of which is slipt out of our Memory In general he Prayed for all men and bewailed the Corruption of Mankind Alas O Lord said he this is the last time there is scarce any Faith in the Earth Men of Veracity are hardly to be found One speaks to another yea to his Friend fraudulently and with a double heart Alas Wo is me that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar with those that hate Peace Thou hast made Peace in thy high places Thou givest Peace but not such as the World giveth Wherefore my Heart is not afraid The Spirit which thou hast given me is the Spirit of Power of Love and a sedate mind § 19. On the Wednesday Wednesday Jan. 4. morning he found himself much wearied and enfeebled partly by the Pains he had endured and partly by his much and earnest speaking Both we that were about him and himself were all of the mind that his last hour was approaching for which reason he spake as follows Again I bid you Farewell my Friends Observe me and continue to strengthen me with your Prayers and Exhortations when my speech shall fail I will endeavour by signs to let you know my Faith and Perseverance My mind cannot be shaken he that preserves me is in the Heavens When he had again blessed his Family and all that stood by him his Speech wholly failed him for a time so that we expected nothing less than to see him draw his last Breath but being recovered out of this sinking fit he began to speak again and when he saw the Chamber full of People he said How am I Tyred out will they allow me no time of repose wherefore is there such a Company about me have not I spoken enough why am I not allowed a little Relaxation and one moment o◠Solitude that I may Converse with my God Therefore every one withdrew according to his desire and we were afraid to com◠near to him lest we should molest him but when we heard his Groans his Niece went in softly to him and said Reverend Sir Would you be without my Company doth it not please you that I should any longer attend upon you Alas said he I desire nothing more do not go from me but be thou a Witness of my last hours continue with me even to the end It is a great comfort to me to enjoy quietness I cannot bear the sight of so great a Company especially of those that come out of meer Curiosity I have omitted nothing of what was incumbent on me to say or do I leave nothing behind me that is matter of regret to me I have Prayed for the Peace of mine after my departure and I believe Peace shall dwell among them and that thou wilt do thy endeavour that it may for I know thou art of a peaceable Spirit I am satisfied and at rest I have no more to do here below I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord. She asked if it would please him to have his Son come to
Zuinglius and others whose labours it pleased God to succeed for the accomplishing of an happy beginning of that great work in Basil and other of the Svisse Cantons He was a person very considerable both for his Learning and Piety but for nothing more to be commended than for his Peaceable temper and Christian Moderation in those controversies with which the reformed Churches were then exercised among themselves in the business of the Lords Supper For though he was both free in declaring and constant in asserting that truth which the Lord had made known to him yet his great care was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak the truth in love and to manage the defence thereof without bitterness towards or Provocation of those that did in that point dissent from him And as he was a man studious of Peace in his life so it pleased the Lord to guard his Soul with a Peace that passeth all understanding and to fill his Heart with Spiritual and Heavenly joy when he came to dye After he had for some considerable time laboured in the Ministry of the Word at Basil it pleased God there to visit him with his last sickness in the Forty ninth year of his Age which he presently apprehended would prove mortal to him and accordingly gave warning to his Friends that they should expect no other But so far was he from being terrifyed by the approach of death that on the contrary he exprest the greatest longings after that Heavenly light and Crown of Glory which he saw ready prepared for him so soon as the earthly house of this Tabernacle should be taken down He waited not for the Consolations of others in this last conflict but was ready to Minister Consolation to all that were about him insomuch that his most Christian and comfortable End was no less for the Confirmation and encouragement of the Godly in their Holy profession than his Doctrine and blameless Life had been He was an example of dying well as he had been before of living well of which abundant testimony is given by those worthy men that familiarly and almost constantly conversed with him in these his last hours Among whom Simon Grynaeus a man whose praise is in the Reformed Churches was one who hath left us the account of the following discourse that this pious Servant of Christ made to him and the rest of the Ministers of the Church a little before his departure which alone is sufficient to justifie all that hath been before said of the frame of his Spirit upon his dying bed It is as follows § 10. You see Brethren what the business is The Lord is at hand he cometh and is now about to take me hence and therefore I was desirous to call you first and with my dearest Friends to satiate this Soul of mine with a sincere Joy in the Lord and true consolation What shall we say then in this last Embrace O ye Servants of Christ whom the same Love to their Lord the same Study and the same Doctrine hath most closely knit together Salvation is obtained It is obtained I say by Christ and we have all Confidence of the Kingdom of God Our Doctrine is certain and light is prepared for our feet It is meet that all Sorrow all fears of Life or Death all doubting and error should be banisht far away Only this my Brethren this only remains that we constantly and faithfully persevere in those footsteps of Christ which we have already entred upon by maintaining Purity of Doctrine in the first place and then by a Life in all things conformed to the true Word of God Other things he will take care of who is Mighty and of his own accord watcheth his own even Christ our Lord He will defend his own Church Let us see to it therefore Brethren that our light so shine that God the Father may be glorified in us and the Name of Christ rendred illustrious through the light of your Sincerity and holy Life See that you love one another in Truth and lead your whole Life as under the Eye and in the sight of God 'T is to no purpose to press Piety with words only The light of Truth and Holiness in Life with the true and Heavenly Spirit of the Mind are necessary if we would vanquish Satan and convert the World to our Lord Christ For O my Brethren What clouds are there arising and what a tempest draws near what alienation of men and what impiety is at the door But Brethren It behoves you to stand fast and to abide it The Lord himself will be present with you in his Concerns O that my Lot were to undergo these dangers with you and that I could often spill this Life for the Truth But however Love is undivided and the bond in Christ indissoluble all things are common to the Godly among themselves These things he uttered with respect to the common Cause of Religion And as to what concern'd himself he told them I matter not the scandal which some have imputed to me as if I had corrupted the Truth Through the Grace of God I am now going to the Tribunal of Christ with a good Conscience There it will be manifest that the Church hath not been seduced by us And of this Solemn Protestation I leave you my Witnesses which I also confirm with my last breath The next day which was the fifteenth from his first sickness he caused his Children to be brought before him and first took them by the hand then stroaked each of them and calling them by their Names said Thou Eusebius thou Irene and thou Alethea my dear Children see that you love God And because by reason of their age they were not yet capable of attending to the Charge of their dying Father the Eldest being but about three years Old he turned him to his Wife and the rest of his Relations present and said It is you that I have bound by this charge to do your Endeavour that according to my desire and what they now hear my Children may be Pious Peaceable and Faithful This he spake with allusion to the signification of their Names And their Mother with the rest signifing their acceptance of this charge he desired them to take a way the Children again The Last night he lived here being come his inward Joy did no way abate but rather increase as death drew nearer to him One of his intimate friends coming in he asked him what News he had brought his Friend told him None Why then said he I will tell you news I shall in a little time be with the Lord Christ A while after when they asked If the light did not offend him touching his breast he said Abundé lucis est Here is abundance of Light The next morning his fatal hour came on before which he prayed with an ardent Affection for the Remission of Sin repeating the 51 Psalm from the beginning to the end And then after a