Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	write_n	write_v	year_n	179	3	4.4498	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70718	A faithful narrative of the life and death of that holy and laborious preacher Mr. John Machin late of Astbury in the county of Chester. With a præfatory epistle thereunto; written by that excellent person Sir Charles Wolseley Baronet. Published for the furtherance of real piety in ministers and others.	Newcome, Henry, 1627-1695.; Wolseley, Charles, Sir, 1630?-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing N896; ESTC R30742	27,053	108

I know not but its motion was directly towards his face coming up the steps in the Garden-walk and the visible means of prevention in Gods hand was another stone that turn'd it out of the Path-way within a few steps of him This was an awakening Providence to me and my Wife that day and sent us to our God on our knees partly for Humiliation partly for Gratulation And this stone he kept in his Study and without Superstition made it his remembrancer to continue his thankfulness to God for this great Deliverance And O that Parents would in this sort transmit to their Children an account of Gods dealings with them when they knew him not what obligations would it lay upon them to love and serve the Lord when grown to age and understanding That the Generation to come might know them even the Children that should be born who should arise and declare them to their Children That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his Commandements Psal 78.6 7. Of his second Child he thus saith My Daughter Lydia so called for that good womans sake Acts 16.14 was born at Astbury March 29. 1656. and there baptized Apr. 6. c. My second Son John was born Sept. 1. 1658. about six in the morning at which time Mr. R.M. a dear Brother and Fellow-labourer and J might be at Prayer for my wife as I understood at my return And he was no less a Son of Prayers The Lord make him a Son of his blessings taking him with the rest into that Everlasting Covenant Jerem. 32.40 John was baptized at Astbury Sept. 12. when I gave him this name John and prayed The Lord be gracious to him Our second Daughter Sarah was born Octob. 8. 1660. and I baptized her at Astbury Octob. 23. by the token of that word then and there Joh. 3.5 c. When this Winter was past this Holy man removed to Whitley May 17. 1661. of whose success there he himself gives this account After some time I found that God was with me in Ordinances to make Conversion work and in Providences to prevent evils and to reach good things to us Let it be remembred to his praise that Octob. 23. 1661. my Son John was within a step of drowning and Providence ordered me within fight at that time though I had been from home the fortnight before And not an hour after my Daughter Sarah was almost choaked with a thread to our great affrightment but we saw the Lords hand very notable in her preservation as we had done the Spring before from sickness in answer to Prayers Psal 103.4 Another merciful preservation of his Son John he subjoyns in these words Memorandum That our Son John had a notable escape and preservation from drowning as he and his Brother were coming from School Jun. 18. 1664. but blessed be God who is present when Parents are absent Here he continued labouring in the Lords Vineyard unto Aug. 24. 1662. at which time he took his Civil Death with many of his Brethren being unsatisfied to Conform as the Act of Uniformity then required But no man took his Death with less reflection upon Superiours or more grief for that affliction But yet there he continued labouring for the peoples advantage with all his strength and was a singular blessing to the Neighbourhood round about having his heart uncessantly bent towards the good of Souls And the Neighbouring Gentry though of a different Perswasion yet offered him not the least molestation in his honest indeavours as being convinced of the Innocence and Peaceableness of his Spirit and uprightness of his ends therein After this his youngest Child was born which he thus records My Daughter Esther was born Jan. 28. 1663. and baptized at Whitley Jan. 31. and called Esther because hidden Hidden as to Conception until time of life and hid as to the time of Travel It was then prayed Lord give her the hid treasure of his fear Isa 33.6 and make her a hid treasure to his house and ours also And having thus made use of these his Memorials we shall add what himself said of the writing of them in these words The occasion of making and writing this Book was a thought I had what was become of all my Fore-fathers and what price I should set upon one of their Manuscripts concerning the State of our Family Nation or Church of God in it 500 years since Whereupon I resolved this Work for my Sons sake and Posterities imitation when it may be said of us in this Generation as of Israel once in that Exod. 1.6 And Joseph dyed and all his Brethren and all that Generation I John Machin called by him who separated me from the Womb Gal. 1.15 to the hope of having my name in the Book of Life and likewise to be an Embassador of my Lord Christ Jesus was in my great Masters work at Astbury in Cheshire Anno 1655. when I first set Pen hereunto And so he continued it observing things remarkable towards him and his Family to the last year of his life which we have made use of in divers places of this Narrative And now having brought him within the view of his Fathers house before we give an account of the last part wherein he took possession of his expected Crown we shall give you his just Character 1. In his Personal 2. his Relative Capacity I. In himself 1 he was of an excellent Spirit in the sense of Pro. 17.27 as dispassionate as most we ever knew One that lived with him for some time sayes truly of him That he knew not that ever he saw him transported with passion but angry he would be at Sin yet still exactly after his Lord and Masters passion being grieved for the hardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 yet his Reproofs were alwayes so moderated with Love and Compassion that the Offendor could not but see that he intended them for his good 2. He had good natural Parts and was no Novice in all that learning which was necessary for his work For though he was more abundant in publick Preaching than most others which must needs hinder his Studies yet what time of vacancy he had from this work he diligently redeemed for his Book and took in Philosophy the Tongues History Positive and Practical Divinity in his course of Study being never well unless in Study or in immediate Duties or holy Conference though as it was once said of Plato's Houshold-stuff it was truly said of all his Studies There was nihil in pompam omne in usum And like one of the Architects in Plutarch who when the other had made an artificial discourse of his skill to contrive a new building before those that were to make their choice of them He only said All that this man hath said I can do So this Holy Man had the Knowledge of Doing what others could learnedly Dispute and Discourse of he could learnedly live in

of the mouth that first spake them Psal 27.14 And say in faith as you may in his own language Psal 138.8 It is to me a great sign of what the Lord hath done for you that you are so willing to part with your I know dear Husband for the Lords sake and his works sake but He is and It is worthy Think still it is to the Lord and should a Husband be between a gracious heart and Christ our Lord God forbid we should think so who have had already in hand for every step word and thought for him from him more weight and worth than a wedge of Ophirs Gold besides those thousands of years in glory that are yet in reversion and wherein I cannot thank you or him my Lord shall my Lord shall my Lord shall else his word failes and I le complain Heb. 6.18 2 Chron. 25.9 After two years spent at Ashburne he sayes he saw nothing to contradict his resolutions to part from them and that the Lord cut out work for him elsewherere judging his reasons sufficient for removal he proceeds I was called thence to Atherston in Warwickshhire where I spent one year in a Lecturers place and the Lord did abundantly crown my poor pains on a sudden with conversion-work which made me say Cant. 6.12 Or ever I was aware my soule made me like the Chariots of Amminadib But I saw not the Lords mind and will to continue me there in which I saw the Lords hand and for the time was content for I wanted nothing having a Seabridge-home for supply And I had my hearts desire in opportunities to extend my labours to Staffordshire and otherwise some Lords-dayes and many week-dayes no one gainsaying which I saw was for the destruction of the Devils work and an aking-tooth he carried against me but two things stay'd my thoughts in my travels from place to place and house to house My Saviours leading the way Acts 10.38 And this The more the Devil hates me the more my God loves me This year was his time to have Commenced Mr. in Arts which he inclined to doe chiefly to give testimony of his respect to Learning and the Schools thereof in a time when too many were bent against them but his Estate being enough to make him a Compounder whereby some extraordinary charges would be expected from him more than he could well spare he sate down with this consideration that he thought he might lay out that money more to the Honour of the Gospel than to part with it for the Honour of a Degree though the single charge he could willingly have born upon the other account His removal thence to Astbury he thus records himself I was ordered and called to Astbury in Cheshire about Novem. 17. 1652. but exprest not my full consent until the Spring following Then I left Atherston About this time his Father dyed of which he saith thus He dyed on March 12. 1652. being the Sabbath day about ten of the clock at night about the 55th year of his Age with these words in his mouth Psal 39.5 Behold thou hast made my days as an hand breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity And said to his Mother and Sisters standing by weeping why do you so you have a God that will be better than ten thousand Husbands and Fathers He wisely observed when such an unthought of loss befel him how he was imployed at that instant saying At the time he dyed I was at prayer and that with the most remarkable impressions that I ever had both in pleading for mercy for him and on a sudden submitted to the Lords determination Many observable warnings he had from the Lord of this Event before it came to pass His serious and solemn exposition and application of Job 21.23 24. in the Family before any sickness appeared March 9.2 His earnestness to know his Fathers Soul-estate before they parted the next morning and also to thank his love and care in his behalfe and to understand his mind and will concerning himself and outward estate while he yet continued in perfect health 3. The day following having occasion to send home he recommended by the messenger that Scripture Isa 38.1 2 3. to his Father These with several other notable passages and pious improvements he made hereof gave him hope that this sad providence was in love to him and in mercy to his Father whom he could not reach to see in the land of the living Not long after he removed to Astbury and changed his condition whereof he saith thus himself The good hand of my everliving Father so disposing I had some Christian acquaintance in Darbyshire especially I observed one forward in the Profession at Mickleover neer Darby who might be to me as Rebecca to Isaac by name Jane Butler Daughter to John Butler on whom my thoughts much setled with submission to my heavenly Fathers will and she became my Wife Sept. 29. 1653. at Vttoxeter whom God gave to me and with her what I expected in an humble and gracious woman Prov. 31.11 12. 29.30 31. her price was above Rubies her Portion of outward Estate very considerable His managing that affaire was in such an holy and heavenly manner that all their meetings on that account were improveed to the utmost advantage of both their soules and their very marriage fixt on one of his Lecture-dayes where two of his Brethren preached and joyn'd in the Solemnization thereof and after two dayes stay with his Wife went a long journey to the work of the Lord for many dayes following whereby he made it evident how much the greatest worldly comforts were made subordinate to the joy of the Lord and wore so far from hindring that they rather inlarged and fitted him up in the wayes of God His first contrivance of a Lecture was some moneths before his Fathers death and no sooner was the Estate his own but he resolves a share of it for God and will not serve the Lord with that which costs him nothing Take his intentions in his own words out of his own papers thus I intend a monethly Lecture to be preached at these following towns of greatest concourse viZ. Newcastle Leeke Vttoxeter Lichfield Tamworth Walsall Wolverhampton Penkridge Stafford Eccleshall Stone Muckleston in the County of Stafford the last Friday in each month allowing of the Lords fulness in my hands thirteen shillings and four pence to the Ministers that preach to convert soules and one Shilling to be given to twelve of the poorest people in the Church In all Eight pounds and twelve shillings in the year This was the resolution of an heart ingaged to him one that would honour the Lord with his Substance is J.M. July 31. 1652. And presently after his Fathers Burial he wrote this following Paper about this thing I believed the Lord could give more dayes but yet do will that 8 l.