How affable and courteous was he and yet how severe againâ—â— sin What meekness and humility in his own cause and yet what courage and magnanimity in the cause of God shone in him How much holy fear and self-jealousie and yet how much Christian boldness and confidence was he possessed with What an inflexible and strong bent of heart for God against sin seemed he to have and yet how flexible and complying with others for their good was he He did not as some take Christ to ease himself of his work or to secure his lusts His Sincerity but to kill them and to quicken him to dutie His peace of Conscience was maintaned not by peace but war with Sin it was not only from but also in God He had not only form of Christ in his life and Picture of him in his fancy but also the Image of Union with and love for Christ in his heart He affected not so much to entangle his thoughts in disputes about the controversies of Religion as to get the power of it stamped on his soul His faith did not lye level with worldly Interest but oppositie thereto He climbed not as some â—o the top of an high profession without â—â—â—ing a deep foundation in self-denial He borrowed not as to many the Mask of Relâ—gâ—on to conceal a rotten heart but was unsâ—tisfied in his heart-inquiries after grace till he arrived to such a full measure thereof as is 〈◊〉 â—ttainable by any hypocrite Hâ—â— dâ—yly progress in mortification of sin seemed very remarkable His mortification and conspicuous He knew full well that one reigning lust would darken and harden his heart yea bring all into captivity and therefore durst not gratify any lust in the least He was content to give up his lusts to death for Christ who gave up his soul to death for him He thought it not much to part with a beloved sin for a beloved Saviour Yea he seemed to take more pleasure in subduing his unlawful desires then others do in the fulfilling of them And lest his flesh should impose on his more noble part he innured himself to many bodily severities and deprived himself of such natural refreshments which others too much indulge themselves in Yet did he not content himself with external mortification but maintained a daily conflict with the whole body of sin in corrupt nature yea he would oft blame himself much for spiritual sins as Infidelity pride c. Which others could least blame him for His Crucifixion to the world was not less visible His Crucifixion to the world He seemed to have acquired a great indifference of Spirit for things indifferent to give perishing things but perishing affections As our blessed Lord gave his Heaven for him so he thought it not much to give his earth for his Lord He could not part with Christ for any worldly good and therefore was willing to part with all for Christ The believing views he had of future Glories darkned the world glories to him so that he seemed to admire nothing but approching glory or what related thereto Poverty in Christs way was greater riches to him then a flourishing state in the ways of sin He knew how to abound in his wants by contentedly wanting what the Lord thought not fit for him and thereby crucifying his desires he made the Cross of Christ easy to him His desires were low and therefore his spirit high above the frowns and smiles of this lower world He seemed better pleased in his mean condition then worldlings are in the highest His mind was too great to put a great value on the nothings of this life He brought his natural desires into a narrow compass and thence gained a great inlargement of Spirit By his long sufferings he gained a great dexterity and skill in bearing the Cross By starving sin His Art in bearing the Cross and crucifying his heart to the world he took out the stings of his sufferings He knew that the Divine will was more Eligible then his own and therefore he endeavoured to conform unto it as well by passive as active obedience He knew he could not glorifie God more then by being content that Gods Glory should gain by his private losses He durst not make sin a shelter against sufferings or bear false witness against God by repining under the Cross He was not so well pleased with sin as to prefer it before sufferings Or so ill-pleased with sufferings as to fly from them when called thereto He innured himself to the yoke of Christ and so gained the Art of bearing his Cross His Conscience continued under a lively sense of sin and that made him dead and in a measure senseless as to suffering His Will was so far broken as that it could chearfully bend and submit to the Cross yea welcome crosses when in Gods way When God brought him into any affliction or suffering he waited there till God brought him out He knew himself to be nothing and that made him bear any thing from God with contentment And by knowing his own vileness he learnt to justify God in every cross His spirit was generous and noble like that of the Eagle which is not clamorous when it wants food He studied passive obedience as well as active to be well-pleased with what God did as well as to do what was well-pleasing to God He had a fit disposition for the Cross which made that easy to him which seemed into llerable to others As he durst not make men Lords of his faith so neither of his happiness by doting on their smiles or fearing their frowns but as worldly men content themselves with the world without God so he endeavoured to content himself with God without the World He had his present wants supplied by ordinary or extraordinary means and therefore conceived lit his duty to trust God for the future He knew he had more of the creature than he deserved and therefore was not anxious about having more He was much taken up about the weighty things of Eternity and therefore little concerned about these lower things He had many generous and noble dispositions but no one appeared more illustrious and visible in him His zeal for God after his conversion than zeal for his Masters service and the good of Souls Oh! what a rare and excellent Quality is a publick Spirit for God And how much was this holy man invested herewith How little did his flamin zeal care to live when the honour of his great Lord seemed to bleed and die What a meek and patient Spirit had he as to injury done unto himself and yet how impatient and zealous was he as to injury done unto his Lord How modest and backward was he in his own cause and yet how magnanimous and forward in the cause of God How little was it in the power of the greatest men to frown him out of duty or flatter him into Sin What a masculine courage
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THOMAS TREGOSSE Late Minister of the Gospel At Milar and Mabe in Cornwal With his Character and some Letters of his not long before his Death LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXI THE LIFE and DEATH OF THOMAS TREGOS c. SECT I. Mr. Tregosse's Life unto the time of his Conversion THe Lives of Virtuous and Heroick Spirits have been in all ages esteemed of great use and efficacy for the promoting of the like dispositions in those who are of more awakened and raised Souls For Man of all Creatures being most under the power of Imitation he is usually more moved by Examples than Precepts Examples are Lessons to the Eye and Table◠wherein the Theory is demonstrated in the Practice Things Intelligible which are more obscure in the Idea and notion are rendred as it were sensible and so more familiar and practicable by examples which give a kind of Body Life and Motion to general Doctrines and Instructions As the beams of the Sun gain force by Reflection so do Doctrines and Precepts reflected from the examples of holy men Notions and Precepts give us only a general Idea of what we ought to do But the Lives of holy men tell us what by grace we may do and withal they offer unto us efficacious Motives for the provoking of us by an holy emulation to our duty Thence the poor Pagan adviseth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stob. Sec. 3. de prud To set before us the fairest Copy of Virtue and then to imitate the same These with some other private considerations have induced me to commend to the world the ensuing story of Thomas Tregosse late Minister of the Gospel who was born at St. Ives near the Lands-end in Cornwal The Family of Tregosse whereof he was a branch was not without noble blood lodged in its veins Some conceive it to be more ancient than the Norman conquest a relique of the old Britains seated in those parts though the title seem to be of French notation Our English History acquaints us that William the Conqueror created John Tregosse a Baron who though he died without issue yet Henry Tregosse sate as a Baron in the Parliament held An. 35. of Edw. the I. And Robert de Tregosse was one of those Lords that sided with Simon Monfort Earl of Leicester against K. Henry the third As for the ruines of this Family the principal cause thereof deserves a particular remarque One Mr. Roscadden going in Pilgrimage his Wife had in his absence a child or more whereupon at his return John Tregosse advised him to settle his Estate on some Friend for the use of his Wife and Children lest after his death the Heir at Common Law should turn his Wife and Children out of doors Mr. Roscadden embracing his advice desired him to accept of this trust which accordingly he did but instead of a Deed in trust he made it absolute to himself and his Heirs As soon as Mr. Roscadden wad dead the said John Tregosse entred on the Lands and turned his Wife and children out of doors who for some time lay in a Hogstie and every morning went forth on the dunghil there on their knees imprecating the vengeance of God on Tregosse and his Heirs After this time the Judgements of God signally appeared against this Family Walter his Son falling from his horse in a fair way broke his neck others of his issue came to an untimely death and a curse hath remained on the estate ever since This Mr. Thomas Tregosse whose Life we now relate was so greatly sensible of as that it cost him many Prayers for the removing of this curse as he himself assured me Notwithstanding the Judgements of God on this Family yet the Parents of Mr. Thomas Tregosse were godly and reputed among the number of the old Puritans This was much seen in the pious education they gave this their Son whose tender years they took care to have seasoned with the Principles of Religion and good Literature At first his capacity seemed dull till about the age of seven years or after his diligence gave some notices of a quick apprehension and tenacious memory Indeed he had from his youth a natural inclination to the work of the Ministry and would oft when but a child mount up a stool or bench and there in his manner preach to his companions When he had attained a competent measure of Grammar Learning he was sent to Oxford and placed in Exeter Colledge under the Tuition of Mr. Francis Howel then Fellow of the said Colledge who perceived in him an awakened Spirit full of Vivacity and Intention insomuch that he made good the character which Aristotle gives of a young man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to act vigorously in what ever exercises he was engaged in He did not as too many abuse the expectations of his Friends by squandring away those precious opportunities and encouragements vouchsafed him for the elevating his natural capacity by the acquirement of Liberal Arts and Philosophick Sciences wherein he made a good progress Neither was he without a good interest in the esteem of pious persons as it appears by the admittance which Reverend Dr. Conant gave him as a Member into his Church Also whiles he continued in Oxon he began to feel some wounds of Conscience One day hearing Dr. Conant on Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do to thee c. Some passages of that Sermon made so deep impression on him as that his conscience was filled with no small terrour when he went to his bed he was not without fears he should never see day when in his study that he should never come out alive So long as these awakening terrours of Conscience and sick nights for sin continued he could not endure to hear a vain word or to behold what had but the appearance of sin But these lights and heats of Conscience did by degrees die away Neither did they at that time determine in a thorow Conversion as it will hereafter appear Sect. 2. Having spent some time in the University he returned to S. Ives the place of his Nativity where having made some tryal of his Ministerial gifts the Inhabitants invited him to be their Minister This he at first modestly refus'd but being at last overcome by their importunity he agreed to spend some time among them Whereupon he was Aug. 17. 1657 in that Church set apart for the work of the Ministry He continued there two years a close Student all the week and constant Preacher twice every Lords day Before his departure from this place he took to him for Wife Margaret Sparnan who proved a gracious meek humble affectionate and meet help to him Whilst he continued in this Town there were two accidents which deserve a particular remarque The first was this The Summer after his sitting down among them much of the fishing season was expired and no Pilchards appeared the sence whereof greatly afflicted their Spirits
had he with a fixed resolution not to displease God to please men Yea how much vigor and strength did his zeal gain by opposition He seemed indeed naturally to have a Heroick spirit But how much did Grace transform this natural quality into a Divine zeal How much of divine flame and how little of wildfire or carnal wrath was there in his zele Notwithstanding his ardent zeal for God yet was he of a very peaceable and quiet spirit His Catholick Charity He did not Salamander-like delight to live in the fire of contention but was of an uniting healing spirit He was not only a Patient but also an Agent in seeking after peace He judged our Church divisions one of our greatest plagues He had a Catholick universal charity and love for all and albeit he hated the vices of wicked men yet he loved their persons But he had a particular affection for all Saints and that as Saints making their graces not their opinions the measure of his love His spirit and principles were so peaceable as that he desired to avoid all needless disputes that might breed strife But when he was called to dispute or confer with those of different judgements he evidenced much modesty and meekness arguing not for glory and victory but to inquire into truth Wherein he affirmed nothing but what he endeavoured to prove out of the Scriptures And when he could not fully comply with other mens perswasions yet he would not impose his own on them as the rule of their faith or communion And although he could forbear and bear with all for their good yet could he not bear with sin in any His dexterity in Admonitions and reproofs but was a severe Admonitor and Reprover thereof Yea his very presence was a powerful and perswasive Admonition to such as he reproved for there was so much gravity and sweetness mixed in his countenance that one word from him would oft effect more then many from some others Especially by his holy conversation exemplifying what he urged on others from the word of God he much convinced such as were defective and subdued their wills to the will of God I my self once heard him in the presence of several Ministers sharply reproving the sin of Ministers in mispending their time whiles together in frothy or unprofitable conference Which reproof he managed with so much majesty and yet with so much humility and submission confirming all that he pressed from the word of God that I must confess I could not but conclude that there was much of God in his so seasonable Admonition and Reproof Neither did his severity extend to the sins of others only His vigilance and heart examens but also to his own He was a curious observer of his own spirit its ends intentions inclinations motions risings and fallings as to Sin or Grace He always kept a vigilant eye on his heart and every night made particular reflexions on the passages of the day past with a strict examen how it had been spent what his conversation had been towards others and how he had demeaned himself in his private duties towards God He examined not only what he had done but also from what principles he had done it and thus by the knowledge of what he had done he came the better to know what he was to do by studdying well the book of his own heart and life he became a good student and proficient in the mystery of godliness and of sin He was a man of great observation and of nothing more than of his own spirit its various vicissitudes turnings and windings c. Thus he came to have an intimate and deep acquaintance with his own heart and an experimental sense of the holy spirits working in him Hence also he came to know what sins he had to confess and humble himself for what mercies to bless God or petition for what burdens to grone under At some times he found himself under great deadnesses and distractions at other times under sweet inspiration of the holy Spirit and enlargements Sometimes he sighed under sinking despondences black unbelief and hase fears at other times he was on the wing of faith and full of courage He had his stated times for private and family duties Faith and prayr were his chief refuse in his troubles His private duties And indeed he seemed to drive a great trade with Heaven by prayer wherein he was very powerful and prevalent He had a very strngling wrestling spirit in Prayer bottomed on a deep sense of his own need large desires and lively workings of faith What strength he gained by prayer he lost not by neglects after prayer but improved for God His Spirit seemed unsatisfied in duties till he had met with God or something from God Sometimes he was dull and indisposed in the beginning of a duty but before he came off he oft found great Assistances when he found weaknesses the Lord gave in unexpected supplies of strength when he was cast down under any perplexing disturbing fears or difficulties from within or without he had recourse to his Bible and thence received frequently such sweet and encouraging promises set home by the spirit of God as afforded abundance of refreshing relief to him His Family Exercises and Discipline deserve a particular Remark He gave no Toleration to any known sin His Family Discipline or omission of Duty He was very diligent in preventing or reproving the Prophanation of the Lords day even to idle words Neither was he less careful for the pious Education and Instruction of those under his domestick charge Every morning and evening for the most part he read and expounded a part of the Scriptures sung a Psalm and prayed with them Every Friday night he examined their proficience in the Assemblies lesser Catechisme explaining some part thereof to them Every Lords day at night besides other Duties he repeated the substance of what was delivered that day in the Sermons Preached And after such Exercises he examined his Servants and such Children as were capable what they remembred not suffering any to live under his Charge who would not give account of their Faith When he did not read a Chapter his course was to examine and instruct his Servants concerning the Fundamentals of Religion which was a great means for the improving their knowledge Besides his private Retirements and Family-duties he had his set times every day to spend with his Wife in private prayer Neither was this his religious care for instructing Souls confined onely to his Family His holy Conserence but extended unto others He was invested with a singular Gist of Personal Conference which Talent he employed for the good of Souls being ready to take yea to seek all convenient opportun ties to treat with them about their eternal state He was much in pressing men to Holiness He was wont to propose questions to those he conversed with and desired the like of them