proceeded I am going to my great God to my dear Father to my best Friend to him in whom I have believed His face I hope to see in his bosom I hope to lye down this day Oh! what unspeakable glory is it to see the glory of mine everlasting God O my Friends I must tell you the truth though sometimes there have been upon my phantasie strange black clouds which made me to speak somewhat inconsistent and were suddenly blown off again yet little doth any one know the reviving in-comes I had then even then from my God And the last Lords day at night the Lord gave me sweet turns with himself Oh! it was a pleasant night with me I was up with God and God was down with me Oh! it was to me as the going up to Paradice Oh! how sweet was it to me And now my friends I must tell you that through many tribulations you must enter into the Kingdom of God Some of you have told me your thoughts concerning me that I have walked in all good Conscience towards God and Mâ—â— Oh friends whatsoever things ye have seen in me that were honest whatsoever things were just whatsoever things were pure whatsoever things were lovely whatsoever things were of good report pursue those things Rely not upon the world for the world will leave you could and helpless And now friends I must go to see the Lord and this Body of mine must be laid in the dust and never arise more till the Resurrection-day And must many of you go from this place and come naked before the face of God though I hope better of some of you Oh friends if there be any hope if there be any love if there be any consolation in you think on these things You know I have When I came to this town some may think my design in coming was to fill an empty bagg and to get a livelihood amongst this people but God is my witness I had not this in my eye I sought not yours but you And now friends flesh and bloud will say It is hard to part with dear friends to part with a dear Wife to part with dear Children But as the Lord hath given them to me so I now leave them with the Lord. And I call you to witness that I leave this dear Wife of mine with the Lord and my dear Children with the Lord to be protected by him to be maintained by him to be kept blameless to the day of his appearance Though Men may prove unkind to them as I suppose they will yet I know the Lord will not I must into Eternity the Prophets cannot live for ever neither can they Prophesie for ever I have been but a young branch and you see the Lord is cutting me down this morning O blessed Lord God shall there not be a meeting in Paradice shall not thy servant see thee and love thee ond be embraced by thee O Lord give a good evidence to thy servant that he may know that he belongeth to thee Lord thou hast given him the working of an holy faith and of an heart-purifying spirit And are not these tokens of thy free grace and of thine eternal love in Christ Jesâ—s And now Lord God thy servant must away and be about other work thy servant must away to holy Angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect He must away to serve his Lord in the upper Chambers He must away Lord and never look on these earthy things more And now O friends one thing I tell you I shall come again with my Lord in most excellent Glory and you then must come before him But I fear I fear that some of you will be found then to be in a very low and poor and miserable condition Well I commend you to the love and grace of God the Eternal Father in Jesus Christ And I pray you to get your hearts full of love to God and of the grace of God and full of the holy Ghost And now think on these things that I have delivered to you in the name of the Lord. I must go and deliver up my accounts to God And on that I might deliver them up freely that I may be able to say I have run my race I have finished my course I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith and what remains but that I receive the Crown that the Lord Jesus the righteous Judge hath prepared for me And now I commit my self to the Lord and my Wife and Children to the Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Father of spirits I commit my soul to thee O dearest Lord Keep these that do believe on thee These words he spake with a more audible and plain voice than he was wont to do in his ordinary Preaching And about an hour and half after he had ended his speech he departed this life Jan. 18. An. 1670. SECT V. Mr. Tregosse's Character HAving given some story of Mr. Tregosse's Life and Death it may be not a little Useful to give some Character of his Person Spirit and Conversation Mr. Tregosse was of a middle stature his Hair black his Face palish not perfectly round His Natural capacity nor long His Spirit was Masculine Generous and Great agreeable to the condition of his Ancestors There was a sparkling Vivacity apparent in most of his intense Actions His natural humour was not moross but affable yet was he not without a tincture of darke melancholy which yet his grace improved to a great measure of seriousness He had also some sparks of choller which being spirited by warm affections for God brake forth into a pure flame of Divine zeal His natural Judgment seemed deep and solid his will firm and fixed his memory tenacious and faithful his Affections tender and active And the whole capacity of his soul fit for great exploits But the most Illustrious and bright part of his Character regardeth his gracious capacity and dispositions His universal Holiness His personal holiness was remarkable even unto great visibility And I think few in this age have for so short standing made a larger proficience in the School and service of Christ After Jan. 1664. from whence he dated his conversion he banisht from his heart and life many vanities he had been formerly adicted unto Neither did he gain his godliness at so cheap a rate as most professors do No his heart was first deeply wounded for sin and thence delivered from it He was for some while under many extremities from a Spirit of Bondage and these made way for a Spirit of Adoption He was soundly convinced of his spiritual death by sin and that opened to him a door of life by Christ And the entire change of his heart much appeared in the change of his life and last end Neither had some particular graces only a place in him but a combination and complexion of many amiable graces seemingly opposite seemed visible in him
this nothing to what must ensue I have been long waiting for this and do considently believe this not the dearest testimony that must be given to Gospel-truths and Duties A national overwhelming cluster of severe judgments I am sore afraid is at the door sharper then what formerly for some scores of years we have felt though I hope there will be a larger measure of God to sanctifie them for the reforming of his own and converting the Rebels then ever we yet experienced This I confess is some stay to me under what I am enforced to believe I have often begged if the Lord sees I am like to prove a dishonour to his Interest he would first shut me up in the dust Dear Brother Pray for me that I may do my work according to my convictions humbly and with success and that after my teachings of others and small sufferings I may not be a stranger to the Light Love and Life by which the Saints are quickned and so at last a Castaway The Lord make you useful and keep up your courage and grant you a deliverance from rude and unreasonable men which with desires of the like cequests from you on my behalf will be now all From your most affectionate and engaged Brother in the Faith T. T. Penryn September 16. 1670. My Dear Brother AT this Assize at Exon I was called to my Trial but no persecutor appearing to give evidence against me my jury acquitted me and a Verdict of not guilty was returned George Smith the Deputy major of Torrington when the Conventicle was surprized and the grand Enemy in this affair was at Lent Assize attending but the Trial being put off by this Assize God disabled him for such a journey he having received in a drunken voyage a fall from his Horse by which his shoulder-bone is dislocated and he rendred unable to dress or undress himself and so like to abide to the day of his death His Wife also that violent Woman died of a Timpany a fearful spectacle to all beholders she departed hence the night of that Lords day in which I exercised at Torrington in my journeying now to my home I suppose you heard of the bad end of another Persecutor there one Denys Smith Brother in Law who so much rejoyced when our meeting was broken up affirming the surprizal of the Conventicle did him more good and more rejoyced him then all his losses did sadden him his Wife also bitterly belch'd forth these words concerning me hang the Rogue hang him at the Sign-post or next Tree and never send him to Exon This poor wretch did hang himself in his own Study and thereby his Estate is forfeited to the Town Many much take notice how signally Gods hand hath been against them since that Meeting There are a very precious handful at Chinely Southmoulton and adjacent parts who gladly receive the word their ready submission to the truth in my former journey engaged my heart to visit them again and hope our seeing each other hath not been in vain Your memory is dear to sundry of them and your scatterings there I wish they might again see you A fruitful heavenly lip to improve truths imparted by corresponding pressing conferences is much wanting among us I pray beg it for me and your other Brethren now labouring My complaint will not Crucifie my unbelief pride and deadness pray labour for me with God with whom I leave you and am Your much obliged Brother in the Lord. T. T. Penryn October 7. 1670. My Dear Brother I am a Sympathizer with you in dear Mr. R's loss of so choice a mate but suppose his so exemplary living on God will do much to quiet him in the loss of the best injoyment not everlasting and the ground of hope she is safely hous'd from the storms we feel and fear will I believe and do more sweetly reconcile him to this ungrateful and flesh-disgusting stroke As for what God speaks to you in this providence I think its plain viz. That you more effectually daily dye to what is not God and Spirit and that you enure your Soul to more deep and fixed thoughts of your own dissolution I hear many very precious ones have been lately at London through a malignant distemper in the Bowels called â—ome the Lord more fully warn them who survive and us also of those black and tempting days which probably are near us My thoughts have been much of late setled I know not how on a conversing with the state of departed Saints Martyr'd for the testimony of Jesus I have observed in special two passages in Mr. Foxes Acts c. The one of Mr. Rogers the Protomartyr in Marys Reign who in his Prison had this passage to the Printer of Mr. Foxes book then in bonds with him Thou said he shalt live to see the alteration of this Religion and the Gospel freely preached again and therefore have me commended to my Brethren as well in Exile as others and bid them be circumspect in displacing the Papists and putting good Ministers into Churches or else their end will be worse then ours The Printer accordingly lived but what remains for us who have shamefully slighted his counsel time will evidence The other is from Mr. Holland who thus bespeaks Bonner after his sentence This I dare be bold in God to speak which by his Spirit I 〈◊〉 moved to say that God will shorten our hand of cruelty that for a time you shall not molest his Church and this shall you in short time well perceive my Brethren to be most true for after this day in this place there shall not be any by him put to the tryal of Fire and Faggot After which there was not one burned in Smithfield I principally consider that expression That for a time they should not molest his Church The Lord prepare me for a suffering day and if fair weather succeeds we shall be more watchful in its improvement As for our condition 't is full of threats and trouble Warrants are granted for the levying of 220 l. on me yet God hath kept them off but I am expecting daily to be stripp'd of all Our meeting place is taken from us through their threatnings on our Landlord we now meet at my house and once each Lords-day above the number but very few are free to attend unless with four I am also threatned to be persecuted on the corporation Law so that I am constantly expecting an imprisonment but I shall endeavour to turn into the strong hold as a Prisoner of hope I should very gladly understand more particularly how it is with you in this troublesome and sickly time however the Lord clear up your interest and grant you an open door if called hence into his presence with exceeding joy I shall commit you to God beseeching him to guid and use you and to preserve you blameless to his Kingdom I am yours most unfeignedly T. T. FINIS ERRATA P. 4. l. 1. r. others p. 6. l. 27. dele of them p. 7. l. 25. r. about p. 10. l. 24. for conversion r. conversation p. 11. l. 24 for convenant r. convert p. 12. l. 25. for ond r. and. p. 26. l. 21. for hoth r. hath p. 30. l. 3. dele you know I have p. 36. l. 20. r. related p. 42. l. 15. after in add understanding p. 43. l. 6. for refuse r. refuge p. 47. l. 28. after him r. in p. 52. l. 15. for some r. same
that Town depending much upon the Pilchard trade Mr. Tregosse advised them to joyn in a day of Prayer and Humiliation which being performed the next day appeared a great shole of Fish whereof a considerable quantity of them were taken The other accident which deserves a particular remarque was this the next Summer the Fisher-men taking a great number of Pilchards on a Saturday all that night was spent in saving of them and the Seamen were very intent in drying their Nets the Lords day This Mr. Tregrosse rebuked them for withal giving them to understand that they provoked the Lord deservedly to withdraw his blessings from them which happened accordingly For from that time to the end of the Fishing season they had not another opportunity of imploying their Nets He removed hence Octob. 1659. to the Vicarage of Milar and Mabe where he continued his constant course of study and preaching till he was silenced by the Act of Uniformity Aug. 24. 1662. Being prohibited the publick place of preaching he ceased not to preach in his own Family twice every Lords day Which being known in the neighbourhood divers who had tasted of his Ministry in publick could not but desire to partake thereof in private This being divulg'd notice was given thereof to the Lord Lieutenant who upon his refusal to take the Oath appointed for the Militia committed him to the custody of the Mareschal where he continued obout three Months space not ceasing to preach to his fellow prisoners besides others who came to hear him but at last he was released by order from the Deputy Lieutenants SECT II. Mr. Tregosse's Conversion and several Accidents that attended the same SEptember 1663. Mr. Tregosse removed his habitation to the Baron of Kigilliack in the Parish of Badock near Penryn where he kept up his Lords days meetings many flocking to him About the begining of October 1664. he and his Wife lying awake in their bed they felt a great Earth-quake which made the room to tremble and quake under them as they aphrehended and that which gave them the greater cause of admiration was that no one else felt the same But this was but a Prognostick and symbolick Image of that dreadful Tremblement or Earth-quake which not long after Mr. Tregosse felt in his Conscience For on the first of January following it being the Lords-day the Lord led him to preach on that Text Luke 12.47 And that Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes On which he shewed what a dangerous sin it is to sin against knowledge The duties of the day being finished his old sins were livelily presented to him especially one among the rest Hereupon he betook himself to his Duties but drove on very heavily yet the Lord by an omnipotent pull drew him on In one one Duty among the rest he was assaulted with that Scripture Heb 12.17 For ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected For he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears He frequently assayed to shake off the chains and cords of the Spirit grieving that he was bound up from the world his performance of duties was not without much deadness and unbelief But the Lord bound him fast to his work forcing him to follow on in a way of seeking Sometimes he feared God would leave him to run into his former courses yea that he should not persevere to the end of one day But the Lord magnifyed his power and grace above and beyond his fears Sometimes in reading the Lord would set home threatning then comforting Scriptures to keep him equally ballanced between hopes that he might not sink and fears that he might nor presume He was detained for about 5 weeks space under much bondage and afflictive terrours with little or no discoveries of Gods gracious disposition till about the beginning of February being under a resolution to reveal some sins which burdened his Conscience he met with a passage in an English Divine touching the greatness and freeness of Christs love and purchase which the Lord setting home he was a little quieted and refreshed by The next day being the Lords-day he had a sweet heart-melting consideration of his sins together with a lively contemplation of Christ pierced to whom he directed an eye of Faith And now he who thought it an hard matter to shed one tear drops many the Spirit of the Lord also bringing to his heart that promise I will pardon their iniquity and remember their sin no more and that of Christ to Thomas Jo. 20.27 Reach hither thy finger and behold mine hands and reach hither thine hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing and this was promoted by reading the history of Christs Passion Yet was he not without some doubtings still yea at times all these his encouragements signifyed no more than nothing After this he was carryed on in Duties with more enlargement and affectionate workings especially at times And from this time he dated his conversion For albeit his conversion for some considerable time before was irreproachable and his labours in the work of the Ministry indefatigable yea and his Zeal for Non conformity remarkable yet he judged the whole of his foregoing life zeal and labour in the Ministry to be no other then a continued series of Formality and hypocrisie And because some of his friends who knew his former conversation well could not but conceive that he had sincere Grace before this great turn A friend of his discoursing with him on this point he peremptorily affirmed That he assuredly knew that he had nothing of sincerity before this great work and withall he bewailed the Church of England in that generally men were made Ministers before they were made Christians Yea he was not without great fears that many who in humane estimation now pass for able and good Ministers will one day be found to be according to Divine estimation not so much as good or sincere Christians These fears we may presume he grounded on his own experience of himself besides other common observations who had the vogue of being a faithful Minister before he was a faithful Christian And that which yet adds further weight is this that though he was before this time a constant and faithful Preacher yet he could not say the Lord had given him any Covenant as the fruit of his Ministry though he received many Seals thereof afterward Some short while after these great which he strongly concluded were the first sincere turnings of his Soul to God being brought very low in his Body and Spirits he conjectured his death was near Then was that Scripture cast in Psal 118. I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. And being again under a return of strong perswasions and fear that he should die looking into his Bible