the alluring Ornaments of speech The Preaching of the Word consists in Holiness Humility and the powerful demonstration of the Spirit How great my esteem of it hath ever been God is Witness Then turning his discourse into Prayer he said Come Lord Jesus break asunder the Nerves of these Eyes and give me other Eyes I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee Hasten thy coming O Lord Jesus and deferre no longer Let this faint life go forth that the better Life of God may enter in Lord Jesus put forth thy hand into this body and take out this Soul unto thy self § 7. From that time till the Sabbath day morning he kept silence when again the longings he had after his Fathers House were breathed forth in these words Come Lord and tarry not I am wearyed with the loathing of day and night Come Lord Jesus that I may come to thee O sweet and happy divorce from this Life Come Lord who art my sweetness and set this Soul at liberty that it may enjoy thee it's Husband break this Heart of mine in two that it may fly to thee it's Head To this one replyed Hitherto Christ hath possessed your whole heart and he will take it whole unto himself To which he returned answer I desire the breaking in two of this Heart that this natural Life may be let out and it may be wholly replenisht with the Life of Christ Then one of the by-standers said Let no anxiety trouble you your Lord is now hastening Those said he are welcome tidings unto me I would my Funeral was to be to morrow Another said Happy is that Soul which is so near to the Lord as yours is To which he replyed There is nothing in me which I account not as dung that I may win Christ Christ is the only matter of my Comfort my own Righteousness is a menstruous cloth Being asked if he desired to speak with any of the Ministers he said he would not give them trouble now they were just preparing themselves to preach Let me said he chatter with my Lord like a Crane Being informed that Sermon was begun Lord said he grant that I may see what others now hear About noon when one comforted him with the remembrance of his unwearied pains and diligent endeavour to promote the Glory of God all his life time he replyed I have nothing to Glory in but the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus All other things I count but loss After a little rest a person of considerable rank visiting him he again took the occasion of an earnest recommendation of what might tend to the promoting of Religion to his care in his Station And in the following Night he was observed to say I have a peaceful mind in a sick body I am not perplex't with the fear of Death Sin or Satan they have no Dominion over me yet so great is the weight of my distemper that it is much beyond expectation that I subsist to this hour He bruises me as with a Pestle in the Mortar of Affliction that he may form me for his own Kingdom § 8. On the next day being Monday he said to those about him It may seem strange seeing I am so sorely handled with my disease that my life should be protracted thus long But with patience I wait for the good pleasure of the Lord Let him do with me what pleaseth him I will not dispute it with him What is man that he should dare to contend with God! yea though he should thrust him down to Hell he must obey and not reply upon God Be gracious unto me O Lord for Christ Jesus sake I am not ashamed to profess that I never before attained to so high a pitch of the Knowledge of God as I have done in this sickness O what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the Lord But Mercy is laid up for me in Christ Why art thou Sorrowful O my Soul why art thou cast down within me thou shalt by and by obtain a most pleasant sight and congress Towards evening he told his Friends that he experienced in himself the truth of the sixth Psalm and repeated some Passages therein as verse 2. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed To which he added Christ will bear my burthen and I will follow him being unheld by his Grace When those that were about him observing the bitterness and extremity of his disease brake out into Tears and Lamentation for him Lament not my case said he but weep for your own sins seeing none are free from sin none want occasion of weeping but as for me I shall quickly see the end and consummation of all The care of his Funeral he recommended to two of his intire Friends present and when he had finished his Directions about what he would have done therein he said Why should I not take care of this body seeing that also shall be glorified and made conformable to the glorious body of Christ and looking upon his hands These very hands shall shine with excellent Glory After this he was not able to speak much but to the very last what he did utter was with a wonderful savour still expressing the inward joy and peace of his Soul and a most assured Confidence of a compleat and glorious Victory in this last conflict and in a few hours he finished his course and sweetly slept in Jesus Before I pass to another Story I cannot but mention one thing more that happened a little before this holy man drew his last breath And it is this One of his kindred coming in to see him and perceiving that he was nigh to death being himself a Stranger to Religion and Piety yet convinced that it could not but be well with so holy a man as Mr. Rollock entreated of him That when he came to Heaven he would Mediate for him and the rest of his Friends here below But how grievous this ignorant and impious request was to the Soul of this blessed Saint will be easily guessed by those that as he did love the honour of Christ more than their own lives Though before he lay as one ready to give up the Ghost at the hearing of this his Zeal was so stirred in him that he raises himself upright and with a great fervency replyes I refuse that Office Christ is the only Mediator And so deep was the impression of trouble this made upon his Spirit that a while after when his elder Brother came to visit him he left this charge upon him Do you said he rebuke that Kinsman of ours and admonish him that he take another course otherwise there is no Salvation for him but most certain ruine § 9. The next instance I shall touch upon is that of Mr. John Oecolampadius Oecolampadius who while he lived was also an eminent Instrument in the Reformation of Religion and one of the first with
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
calleth me and causeth me willingly to follow him at his Call And now the end of my Life is within my view he still affords me the perfect use of my Reason that I may praise the Holy Name of God in the Land of the Living and instruct my Neighbour by my Example Pray for me my Friends that this Grace may be continued unto me till I draw my last breath that he will strengthen my Faith confirm my Patience and raise my Hope He hath already captivated all my affections to his will I have cast the care of me of mine of life and all my affairs upon him Let him do with my body as pleaseth him so it may but be well with my Soul There is no going hence without pains this Flesh must suffer and fall It matters not provided the Soul obtains new strength and I arrive at a better Mansion than that made with hands It is that I aspire to I lament not the World I have lived long enough and have had leisure to make tryal of all things and to know that they are vanity and vexation of Spirit One thing is necessary To fear God and keep his Commandments for that is the whole duty of man And now there is nothing that I am concern'd about neither is my life dear unto me so that I may finish my course with joy and fulfill the Ministry which I have received of the Lord which is best done at the last This is the end and this the mark which a Christian ought to aim at The end of this frail life is the beginning of Eternal life O happy change Truly I fear nothing Christ is gain both in life and death he forsakes me not If he make heavy my bodily pains yet he increaseth the joy of my Soul Come and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul I called upon him and he inclined his ear and heard me he hath blotted out my sins as a cloud And as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him His manner was to let no Minister part from him before he had prayed with him Pray unto God would he say now is the acceptable time § 8. Towards Evening when the Gentlewoman his wife could not be prevailed upon to withdraw and betake her self to some rest It troubles me said he to see so dear a person and one that I honour so much so far in years and of so weak a body to wear out her self at this rate But then giving way to her desire Seeing thou wilt have it so said he Tarry It is a pleasure to me to see thee The Lord strengthen thee The night before Saturday was spent in grievous pains and in most ardent Prayers for the Church of God for the Princes that were Defenders of it for the People that lived under their jurisdiction and for the Pastors to whom the care of Souls was committed Speaking particularly of the States viz of the Vnited Provinces he said O God withdraw not thy protection from these Provinces neither remove thy Candlestick away Let not thine anger burn against them because of that impiety and profaneness which hath made too great a progress Rather bow their hearts unto Repentance and convert men that they may prevent thy Judgements Let them coalesce in one body especially let them be joyned unto thee without whom all union is but conspiracy do thou praeside in that Assembly bend their hearts so that all their decrees may turn to the good of the Common-wealth and especially of the Church Grant unto them that with due equity nobleness and gratitude they may remember that Prince who only remains of the stock of his noble progenitors whom thou hast made use of to accomplish thy work in the midst of them Indue this child with the Spirit of thy Fear of Prudence Fortitude and Magnanimity and deliver him from profane men base flatterers and such servants as are enticers unto and the Instruments of Vices and infamous pleasures and grant to him such as are faithful incorrupt lovers of Truth and Equity that by their means he may learn to distinguish Vertue from Vice to shun the one and embrace the other It is time O Lord for thee to help When the night was spent he was exceedingly wearied and tyred out both with overmuch speaking and especially by means of abstinence from drink with which he was wont to be refreshed for when through the extremity of his thirst he was forced to take down a little immediately his stomach cast it back again being like a Vessel filled to the top that could receive no more The Physitians afflicted his body with the use of various Remedies but he bore all with an even temper of mind often saying I have told you before that the use of these things will be to no purpose but 't is no matter I must comply with you do what you please for your own Satisfaction § 9. That Saturday he was Dec. 31. mightily enfeebled and sometimes very drowzy he spake but little that forenoon Afternoon when divers friends visited him and were discoursing among themselves of the nature of his disease he heard all that passed between them in the Chamber for he was very quick of hearing and gathered both from their discourses and also from his own knowledge of the disease he labored under that his distemper was that which Physitians call Miserere mei which he was not likely to pass through without very grievous Symptoms such as a burning Fever Delirium and vomiting of his excrements And thereupon he began to be afflicted with much solicitude while his mind was intent upon the thoughts of the grievousness of these Symptoms and in frequent Ejaculations he sent up short and ardent Prayers to God about it My God said he have mercy upon me deliver me from the opprobry which I fear for thou art gracious And smiting his belly he said This is a bag of filth a sink and collection of griefs But thanks be to my God that he hath afflicted me in this more ignoble part my heart in the mean time remaining strong and my brain free and clear so that I might have liberty to meditate upon thy power and goodness This favour O Lord God which is invaluable reserve for me That my mouth may utter nothing but what breaths forth Charity Praises and Thanksgivings O that it may not be defiled with * Viz. The casting up of excrements this filthiness Let this building be brought down where its ruine began which let me behold as one set on high with a constant and peaceful mind even a mind elevated to spiritual things which with all earnestness I follow after knowing that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither can Corruption inherit Incorruption And in the insuing night he did often inculcate Who is mortal man that thou shouldst so magnifie him and think upon him He is like to vanity Flesh
holy ' Apostle To me to live is Christ to dye is Gain Phil. 1. 21. The holy Life of the Righteous is abundantly recommended to our imitation by their blessed Death The advantage of whose End made Balaam say Let me dye the Death of the Righteous and let my last End be like his And certainly it is no small Honour that God hath put upon the Profession of the Protestant Religion by affording to many of the most Zealous Assertors thereof such an abundant entrance into the everlasting 2 Pet. 1. 11. Kingdom of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ according to whose pure Word they have reformed themselves and in whose Merits alone they have Trusted Not only the constant and triumphant death of thousands who by the cursed Tyranny and Cruelty of Papists have been brought to Seal their Profession with their Blood but also the placid and most Christian End of others that have dyed in their Beds hath left great Convictions upon the Minds of Beholders tho' before Enemies to their Religion that there hath indeed been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heavenly Excellency in it which they knew not of This caused a Physitian of the Popish Religion that attended upon Dr. Ames in his last sickness at Rotterdam when he observed what an extraordinary spirit of Faith and Holiness breathed in him to the last to express himself after this manner Siccine moriuntur Reformati i. e. Do Protestants dye at this Rate And well indeed may they be surprized with wonder at such Examples because the Principles of that Religion which they profess afford no such Consolations or any firm ground for them to those that live and dye therein When they come to dye they find their Debaucheries to be more than Venial Sins and the Guilt of them such as will not be expiated by any of those Means which they have trusted to while living under the strength of Papal delusions and the most refined and Superstitious Devoto's in that Religion are in no better case when by Death summoned before the dreadful Tribunal of Divine Justice at whose Barre their own Righteousness tho' patcht up with a thousand humane Inventions will stand them in no stead To say nothing of those Idolatries which they are taught to practise as the most effectual means of meriting Heaven and which accordingly they principally place their Confidence in But O how sadly disappointed will they be when Death arrests them who have no better Antidote against its fatal Sting than Popery can furnish them with They must if their Consciences be awakened leave the World with trembling Horror and breathe out their last with a sad complaint of the wretched Cheat of that pretended Religion which fails them in their greatest Extremity Well may they then take up the dying words of * Joannes Semeca who about An Eminent Civilian in Germany the Year 1267. is reported to have left the World with this doleful Reflection In our Life-time we had those who would frequent the Quire for us who would till our Lands Melch. Adam who would say Mass and pray the Canonical Hours for us But where now shall we find any one that will descend into Hell for us and deliver us § 2. But it is time to return from this digression and to prosecute our purpose which is to present the Reader with some more eminent Instances of the Grace and Mercy of God towards and the Efficacy of a lively Faith in others of his Servants in their last Hours who have been zealous Professors and Propagators of the True Religion and Faith of Christ while they lived and have left this World with an holy Triumph in the full Assurance of Eternal Blessings when they dyed My design is only to single out a few Instances from many that might be with equal advantage pitcht upon were it not for swelling this little Tract beyond its due bounds And the first I shall mention Mr. Rollock is that memorable Example of a Christian and happy End which some account of the last Hours of Mr. Rollock may furnish us with who departed this Life at Edinburgh Feb. 8. Anno 1598. being the Forty third year of his Age. § 3. He was while living an eminent and very useful Instrument in the Reformation of the Church of Scotland which he sought to promote by Evangelical Means in the exercise of all Diligence in the Ministry of the Word by his Learned and pious Writings and most of all by a singular Example of Holiness and practical Religion in his Life and Conversation which rendred him a burning and a shining Light in his day Besides his extraordinary Labours on special Occasions he had for some years before his death the principal Charge and Presidency over the then newly erected Academy of Edinburgh committed to him which he administred to the great advantage of those under his care and indeed of the whole Church and in the faithful discharge of his duty in that great Trust his Lord found him when he came to call him from this evil world into his Heavenly Kingdom and Glory and how great his Affection was towards the service of his Lord and what his care for the peace of Jerusalem and the flourshing of true Religion when himself was leaving this World will be abundantly manifest in many passages during his last Sickness which shall be recited in their proper place and order When he found his distemper prevail according to his wonted Prudence he set in order what might concern his Family when he was gone and prepared himself for a ready and chearful submission to the Will of God And when two of his special Friends came to visit him that were Persons of some note and Eminency he besought them that they would go to the King who was then Young and exhort him as from him to abide constant and unmoveable in the Profession of the True Religion to the end and by no means suffer himself either by the hopes of enlarging his Kingdom or the secret arts of Wicked men to be moved therefrom The esteem and reverence he had for the Ministers of Christ he exprest after this manner This Ministry of Christ though mean and abject in the account of men shall at length shine with illustrious Glory § 4. Afterwards the Ministers of Edenburgh came to him and when they were set down he addrest himself to them in a copious and very solemn speech wherein he tells them That being worn out with his sickness he breathed after and hoped for the close and Period of this life And saith he I have not so learned or taught Christ but that in him I should feel comfort under these Sorrows The thred of my life will shortly be broken off and I must pass unto that countrey which I have long and earnestly desired after Then he proceeds to a Pathetical recommendation of the University to their care and makes a most solemn Protestation as in the presence