him that prayed could not containe himselfe but oftentimes with a cheerefull consent said Amen Amen unto the requests and supplications that were made for his good and comfort in Christ Jesus After this M. L. spake a word unto him to comfort him in the midst of all his sorrowes that hee knew that shortly hee should bee released and freed from all sinne and sorrow from Satan and this present evill world wherunto he answered most cheerfully and graciously I know I shall and bee with Christ which is best of all And now the messenger of death is upon me which he spoke of the hickock which had taken hold of him M. L. replyed I hope Sir that death is no scare nor terror unto you No indeed it is not I thanke God saith he for it is my way to life and I am now called of God unto it And thus he continued in great paine of body but yet in great peace of mind increasing still in consolations and enduring all his sicknesse with admirable patience not shewing any distemper nor discontent neither in word nor deed all the while in the troubles and sorrow of the same His care for prayer in the Family After this the same night he put it upon me to call his Family to Prayer and to performe the evening Sacrifice in the great parlour commading them to set open his little parlour doore adjoyning to it that he might heare us and joyne with us and partake of such mercies and meanes as the Lord should be pleased either to offer unto us or to accept at our hands The next morning though he did weare a way very much yet he called upon M. L. to pray with him Mindfull of M. L. being up very early to go a long journey to preach his ordinary Tewsday Lecture Of whom he was so very carefull that he caused some provision to be made for him especially a Posset that hee himselfe at their parting might drinke with him The same day I staid with him untill the afternoone A heavy Parting ministring such help and comfort as I could unto him And then mine owne occasions calling me home my wife being his former wives own sister and my selfe came to take leave with him which when hee heard and saw his very soule seemed to melt within him for both his and our hearts were full of griefe and our eyes full of teares and so mingling our sorrowes our teares and our prayers together be commended us to the grace and blessing of God as wee also did him And then falling upon his face and kissing his cheek we tooke our long leave with him leaving him yet in the hands of his heavenly Father that would never leave him CHAP. LXVIII Some ever ready to pray with him THe same afternoone he called for M. Lan. and M. Clerk his own Pastor to pray with him and was never at quiet unlesse hee were either Meditating and Praying himselfe or had some godly man or good Minister to pray with him and for him Divers desire a blessing from him Vpon Wednesday morning divers of those that were with him suspecting his death and dissolution to be neare tooke leave with him desiring at their parting a blessing from him Which he did willingly expresse by lifting up his hands and his heart unto Heaven for them Vttering also some words which they could not so well understand In the afternoone he overheard some making motion of blacks I wil have no blacks saith he I love not any proud or pompous Funerals neither is there any cause of mourning but of rejoycing rather in my particular After this he entreated a good Christian to pray with him which he did very willingly again and again to his good contentment And while they were in prayer in the Family they that were with him did imagine that he prayed himself silently and secretly He prayeth secretly himselfe by the pulling of his armes out of the bed and lifting up his hands and his eyes towards Heaven whence only he did looke for hearing and helping at Gods hands And now growing so weak that he was scarce able to speak a word those gracious people that were about him prayed him to lift up his hand if he understood them and would have them to pray for him Other gracious people pray with him which he did very willingly and readily and so he joyned with them and was heard to say Amen to the prayers that they made for him Afterward they perceived that he prayed himselfe again lifting up his hands and uttering these words with many other to the like effect The Lord is my portion His last Prayer my help and my trust his blessed son Jesus is my Saviour and Redeemer Amen Even so saith the Spirit unto my spirit Therefore come Lord Jesus and kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth and embrace me with the armes of thy love Into thy hands do I commend my spirit O come now and take me to thine own selfe O come Lord Jesus come quickly O come O come O come And so his spirit fainting His last end and his speech failing he lay quiet and still for a little season And then he meekly and graciously yeelded up his pretious soule into the hands of God his Father that gave it and into the armes of his Saviour that had bought it and redeemed it with his pretious bloud And thus having finished his course and run out his race the night of his death shutting up the dayes of his life Snaviter in Domino obdormivit He sweetly slept in the Lord. All Glory Thanksgiving and Praise bee unto our gracious God in and through his Son Christ lesus for ever and ever Amen Vae etiam laudabili vitae si remota misericordia discutias eam Aug. Conf. lib. 9. c. 19. Aug. Quisguis tibi enumerat vera merita sua Aug ibid. cap. 13. Quid tibi enumerat nisi muneratua FINIS Imprimatur JOH HANSLEY Jan. 16. 1640.
the next place commend themselves unto God in humble and hearty prayer making their requests knowne unto God 4. His humble and holy prayer with thanksgiving in all manner of supplications with thanksgiving which hee usually performed with that power and feeling fervency and sincerity faith and humility as the spirit of grace gave him understanding and utterance and their severall occasions and other necessities did require that hee was oftentimes much admired of them that heard him and by his holy petitions and gracious affections did much refresh the hearts and cheere the spirits of many of his neighbours and friends which joyned with him Gen. 32.26.27.28 Hos 12.4 Hee would so wrestle with God by prayers and teares like Jacob that hee would not let him go untill like an Israel he had by praying and weeping prevailed with him The fruits of which his holy desires and endeavours were so remarkable in that family whether hee prayed against sinnes or sorrowes or sought unto God for grace and good things that seldome did they meet againe to pray but they had some new and fresh cause of praise and thanksgiving unto him that had heard their prayers Having alwayes matter of praise as well as cause of prayer A godly and an holy course in prayer which I wish were as well performed as it is well worthy to bee observed Namely Not only to consider wisely what we ask in prayer but to observe carefully how wee speed after it for in so doing as we should still be stirred up and provoked to new praises so should wee be quickned and encouraged to seeke unto our God againe by continuing or renewing the same or the like prayers and requests unto him This was the practice of holy David that man after Gods owne heart who having called upon God Psal 41.1 did patiently wait upon him for hearing and diligently observed what successe he had and as hee found the fruit of his prayers did thereupon come againe into Gods presence with new and fresh praises Psal 66.17.19.20 I called unto the Lord saith he with my mouth and he was exalted with my tongue Verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer Blessed bee God which hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me CHAP. XXIV THus did he exercise himselfe and his family unto godlinesse every morning His evening exercise and after the duties of the day and their naturall refreshing and repast in the end thereof hee called them again to the like service and sacrifice in the evening which hee very religiously and constantly performed much after the same manner saving thaâ— then he tooke some more paines with them having more liberty In opening and applying the word and better opportunity so to doe for then he ordinarily instructed and taught his family out of that portion which hee tooke in the Chapter read at that time unto them propounding and applying some wholesome doctrine profitable for their godly edification as the tenor of the Scripture best served 2 Tim. 3.16.19 whether to convince any errour or to confirme the truth to rebuke any sin and to instruct in the way of righteousnesse to comfort the heart under hope in doing well and settle the soule by faith and patience in suffering ill This was his holy defire and delight to edifie his family in faith and love For the use of his Family and to traine them up in the true knowledge and feare of God so acquainting them with their duties towards God and man Tit. 2.10 11 12. that living soberly righteously and godly in this world they might beautifie their profession and adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour alwayes and in all things All which his godly paines and practices in the instructing of his family out of the Word of God as a pastor and teacher in his owne house Crowned with a blessing from God albeit they were through the blessing of God crowned with good successe at home yet were they much maligned reproached opposed and questioned abroad and that not only by the vulgar fort but even by some of our masters in Israel whose negligence was much rebuked by his diligence their prophannesse checked by his holy duties their government in their families not onely obscured but blemished Opposed much by some men of the world but blemished by the comely order and beautie of his government in his family which was so farre advanced above some of theirs as ever Bethell was above Bethaven Sion above Shilo or the Temple of God above the Temple of Idols Which malignity of the world His fortification against such assaults and enmity of godlesse persons against godly and good duties when he well observed and wisely considered of hee began to fortifie his building both for his judgement and practice as Nehemiah did the wales of Jerusalem against the assaults of Gods enemies which he did very faithfully and effectually by his painefull collections and observations which he made out of the Scriptures For justifying of his judgement and practice in thus teaching of his family and by the expositions testimonies and examples of godly and good men records of antiquity and evidences of worthy Writers and witnesses to the truth of God all sutable to the doctrine of our Church to justifie his course and stop the mouthes of all such as without any just cause did open them so wide against it I have seen and read what hee hath collected and set downe to this end and purpose under his owne hand which I approve of and like so well for his choice and paines in binding up together so many sweet and wholesome flowers of heavenly doctrine By his collections and observations out of godly and good authors for his owne confirmation and other mens satisfaction that I could have been well contented to have set downe these his collections and observations at large concerning this point of the masters duty in teaching and instructing his family in the feare of God and faith of Christ and in opening and applying some portion of the Scriptures to their mindes and hearts for that end but that I much feared lest my labour and paines herein at this time might be held not so needfull and lesse pertinent seeing many godly mens bookes are filled with the same or the like instructions since that time justifying the same point and practice and that the bulk and body of this little booke would swell too bigg if I should bring in another Treatise to stuffe up the bosome and brest of it CHAP. XXV And yet not usurping upon the Ministery Nor by aprivate spirit But by godly and good meanes Homines discunt prius quod doceant ab alâ—o accipiunt quod aliis tradant Amb. Coster us in eins Vita Amb lib. 1. de Offic. c. 1 NOw because some may mistake both him and me in this businesse as imagining
frowardnesse and fiercenesse with words of meeknesse and gentlenesse imitating herein the meeknesse of Moses against the bitter and insolent speeches of Aaron and Miriam when they rose up against him Iud. 8.1 2. And following the good example of Gideon who when the Ephraemites were very angry with him and did chide him most sharply did answer them againe with meeke and gentle words most courteously and wisely and so mitigated and asswaged the rage of their passions presently In mildnesse like his Master Christ Iohn 18 2â— 23. But above all remembring and expressing the mildnesse and meeknesse of his Master Christ who being checked and smitten on the face by an officer of the High Priest as having answered him otherwise than was meet never revenged the wrong but answered the party in great meeknesse of spirit and mildnesse of speech If I have spoken evill heare witnesse of the evill but if well why smitest thou me Many of a cruell and bloody dispostion O how farre short are all they of this his sweet behaviour and gentle carriage and conversation which usually carry with them and about them warre in their hearts strife in their tongues swords in their lips and blood in their hands 1 Ioh. 3.12 Gen. 4.23 24. Gen 49.7 Pro. 15.1 2 being as cruell as Cain as proud and fierce as Lamech as violent and raging as Simeon and Levi as churlish and foolish as Nabal who was so wicked that a man could not speak unto him 1 Sam. 25.17 A soft answer saith Solomon turneth away wrath but grievous words stirre up anger The tongue of the wise c. useth knowledge aright but the mouth of fooles powreth out foolishnesse CHAP. LIV. HE was also being taught and seasoned with the same wisedome which is from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easie to be intreated of an ingenuous facility Iam. 3 1â— 4 Easie to be intreated either to be perswaded to any thing that was good or to be disswaded from any thing that was evill He needed not many reasons to presse him to that which was reason nor many retractives to draw him backe from that which he saw was otherwise An honourable Judge in open Court Iudge W. his testimony of M. Bruen when complaint was made of some wrong which he did to a neighbour-Gentleman by a water-course about his Mills out of that good opinion which he had and held of him gave him this worthy testimony I cannot thinke but that you wrong M. Bruen I will undertake for him make him but sensible of any errour or wrong which he hath done you and he shall both willingly of himselfe acknowledge it and make you double amends for it Iob 31.13 14. He durst not despise the judgement of his man-servant nor the cause of his maidservant when they contended with him For what then should he doe when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall he auswer him Nay that which is more for such of his servants as were religious and wise he would give them good leave and liberty to advise with him as Abraham dealt with Eliezer and Cornelius with his servants to produce their reasons to perswade or disswade as occasion did require and. if there were cause would he rather follow their opinion than his owne and so suffer them easily to prevaile with him So did Naaman the Assyrian hearken willingly to the advice of his servants 2 King 5.12 perswading him with so reverent termes of honour and respect and upon so good reason to go and wash himselfe seven times in Iordan that he might be healed So did good David yeeld himselfe overcome by the seasonable and wholesome counsell of Abigail 1 Sam. 25 32 33. diffwading him by found reasons from shedding of blood so rashly without any great cause in so great a rage and passion against Naball who by his churlish answer and behaviour had provoked him to wrath against him And thus might this Gentlemans neighbours tenants friends adversaries finde him ensie to be intreated and so they did ingiving and forgiving bearing and forbearing borrowing and lending in doing any good or restraining any evill as they had occasion to make triall of him A good proofe hereof may be had in this one instance following There was a Portion of money a matter of forty shillings given to the use of the Parish and so put into the hands of some honest men to that end but through some neglect as the men failed the money melted away by little and little and was at last quite wasted and gone He easily intreated to his cost For redresse and repaire hereof M. Bruen was intreated to doe something by his owne or by some other means even as he thought good And here he shewed himself easie to be intreated for he made answer presently I meane not to presse upon any mans purse for this matter and so tooke to his owne purse and gave them forty shillings for supply of this want But some so hard they will give nothing A matter I confesse of no great moment yet such as if many of our Gentlemen of farre greater meanes were intreated unto A man might sooher wring forty pottles of water out of a flint or marble stone or draw forty pints of wine out of a Church-wall than get I say not forty shillings but forty pence from any of their hands for any Parish profit or Church uses Yea they are so stiffe and obstinate No nor pay their ovâ—ne 〈◊〉 tiâ—â— 2. that they will not be intreated to pay their owne layes and duties whereof they are convinced to their faces that they wrong the parish in detaining of them CHAP. LV. BUt now to proceed to some other graces and vertues of this worthy Gentleman which according to the properties of that wisedome from above which the Lord had given him hee expressed by his workes in a godly conversation Hee was as we have heard already first pure then peacable thirdly gentle fourthly easie to be intreated and fifthly as it now followeth full of mercy and of good fruits Full of Mercy and of good Fruits Iam. 3.17 Mat. 5.45 Luk. 6.36 He had learned this of his Heavenly Father to bee mercifull as he is mercifull and that not only in Affectu but in Effectu not only in Affection but in Action also A branch of the true vine Ioh. 15.1 2. Phil. 1.10.11 Num. 13.23 A tree of righte ousnesse Esay 61.3 Ier. 17.8 Psal 1 3. Ioh. 15.2.5.8 Psa 92.13 14. He was a Branch of that noble Uine Christ Jesus from whom he drew such sap of grace and vertue by the power of faith that hee was filled with the fruits of righteousnesse and holinesse to the praise and glory of God A Branch clogged with fruit like that which was cut downe at the Brooke Eshcol which was so loaden with one cluster of Grapes that it was enough for two men to bear it on a staffe betweene them
short time he was so well provided and furnished with honest and faithfull godly and gracious servants both men and women that he had now as Paul saith Philemon had once a Church in his house And no marvell seeing for continuall supply there were many that were religious who would willingly offer themselves and make meanes to be admitted into his house and to do him service untill they were like Davids host a great host like the host of God 1 Chron. 12.22 A full houshold and gracious family where Husband and wife parents and children governours and servants are all either truly religious or at least such as do orderly and duly submit themselves to all duties of religion in the family Now for the ordering and using of his servants he did reckon of such as most faithfull ever unto him as he found ever most faithfull unto God as did Constantius when hee purged his Court. And such he did much esteeme and entirely affect as his brethren and fellow servants in and under Christ Jesus 2. For the using of his servants Yea he made them somtimes as his companions in his familiar and kinde usage of them sometimes as his counsellours to advise conferre consult and resolve with them in matters of conscience or of other importance somtimes as his comforters in afflictions and tentations that he might so receive some comfort and refreshing from them Some of speciall note as Old Robert Among the reft he had one of speciall note an old disciple like Mnason as a father in his family to the rest of his servants his name Robert Pasfield but better knowne by the name of old Robert a man utterly unlearned being unable to read a sentence or write a syllable yet was he so well taught of God that by his own industry and Gods blessing upon his minde and memory he grew in grace as he did in yeeres and became ripe in understanding and mighty in the Scriptures Yea he was so well acquainted with the history of the Bible and the summe and substance of every Book and Chapter that hardly could any ask him where such a saying or sentence were but he would with very little adoe tell them in what Book and Chapter they might finde it Insomuch that he became as a very profitable Index to the family to call to minde what they had learned and to recover what they had lost by slip of memory and not onely so but a godly Instructor and Teacher of young professors also to acquaint them with the Word and to exercise their hearts unto godlinesse by the precepts and examples thereof which he constantly did both at home and abroad as he had leisure and liberty so to do Now if that which I have often heard be true that Bonus Textualis is Bonus Theologus A good Text-man is a good Divine then may Old Robert in our countrey proceedings be allowed for a Divine and a Doctor also He had many other good parts in him a good gift in prayer and praise very willing and well able to conferre of good things carefull to heare the Word read or preached and to help his own and his friends memories by repetitions and some other means as of a strange Girdle which as I shall shew you he had framed for himself to that purpose The Girdle was of leather long and large Old Robert his Girdle for help of his memory so that for compasse it would go twice about him This for the help of his memory he divided into severall portions and parts as a Carpenter doth his Rule and allotteth every Booke of the Bible in their order to some of those divisions As Genesis to the first Exodus to the second c. Then for the distinction of the Chapters of every Booke he annexed a long point or thong unto the severall divisions and made knots by fives or tens thereupon to distinguish the chapters of that book he had also other either points or rushes to divide the chapters into their particular contents or severall parts or verses as occasion did require This instrument of his owne invention hee framed and used as others do their pen and writing for the better helpe of his understanding and reliefe of his memory in his hearing of the Word preached which he did with so good effect and fruit in observing all the points and Scriptures alleadged in a Sermon and binding them upon the points and partitions of his Girdle as he heard them that in repeating of the Sermon afterwards he himselfe had great benefit and many other professors much comfort and helpe by his handling of his girdle and fingering the points and divisions of it A matter of such wonder unto all that ever saw it and heard him repeat a Sermon by it that his worthy Master thought the girdle worthy to bee kept and reserved in his Study as a monument of Gods mercy and old Roberts both piety and industry that he might bee known to have beene neither idle nor unprofitable in partaking of the blessing of the ministery A reb uke to mindlesse and carelesse persons This man and his girdle shall rise up in judgement against many of greater place than himselfe who being both mindlesse in observing and carelesse in retaining what they heare or have heard in the preaching of the Word will neither stirre up the graces of God which are in them nor exercise the naturall parts aright which God hath given them nor practise any artificiall helpes of their owne or other mens invention for reliefe of their owne weaknesse both in minde and memory and for supply of other mens wants according as their necessities may require Hence also may we raise a just rebuke of many of better parts who having many helps both by arts and tongues Logick and learning Art of memory writing by characters or otherwise And to such as use not their skil and other faculties aright doe not yet set themselves and their gifts a worke in any good course to make the best benefit of that which they heare for themselves that so they might be more profitable unto others according to the places and callings wherein the Lord hath set them CHAP. XIX His familiar conversing with old Robert THis old Robert though but a servant yet being rich in grace his Master did so much esteeme and affect that he would as often as conveniently he could have him neare unto him he would often goe to the Hop-yard or threshing-flore where commonly his businesse lay to talk and conferre with him and sometime for his owne exercise to take some part and portion in the labour with him also This he did for their mutuall comfort and contentment in provoking one another to holy duties and communicating such things as they had read or heard for increase of godlinesse and goodnesse one in another Such is the nature and temper of humility and sincerity The master never a whit the more abased
God think to be in heaven For in many things you were like him but now you are broken off and in many things differ from him 1 As first he loved the Assembly of Gods people on the holy Sabbath forenoone and afternoone But you doe not though his body were as unwildy as yours is 2 He loved often to communicate His good opinion and testimony of Thâ— wilb Esquire which you doe not 3 Hee loved and often desired the company of the godly into his house which you doe not but rather glory to have your house made a through-fare of profane persons 4 He would have his family publikely catechised by a godly Minister which you will not 5 He had every day a portion of holy Scripture read and prayer morning and evening and often singing of Psalmes which you have not 6 He abandoned and kept out of his house all roguish Players which you doe not 7 He was usually at the publike exercises of religion at Torperly and often at Northwich which you are not 8 He had a liberall disposition to releeve the godly in distresse which you have not 9 Although hee had the world at will as you have yet he gloried not in it but honoured God with his substance which you doe not 10 He did grow in knowledge and in holinesse with an hatred of sinne and love to Gods servants and children which you do not I feare Cosen you are in a Lethargie or that the Alarum Bell of your conscience is silenced Take heed It is a dangerous thing to grieve the Spirit of God by which you are sealed to the day of redemption Try your selfe for if the Spirit be not quenched it will checke your conscience of all the premisses and of many more secret sins which do accompany such open and grosse faults and offences If the Spirit have any life in you it will stirre up your heart often to pray and that with teares for the reformation of these things You were best to looke well about you that you may work outs your owne salvation with foare and trembling Bro. 9.8.9.10.12 His indignation against sinne This Letter is a good evidence of his holy indignation against grosse sinnes in great houses and of his good affection and godly care to draw his friends out of the danger and from the contagion of them His love and care to reclaim sinners His joy in such as were converted It is also a worthy and honourable testimony of the gifts and graces of the effectuall reformation and godly conversation of that worthily honoured Gentleman Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey Esquire whose name and memoriall he hath thus sprinkled and perfumed with so due and true praises And here O that the Lord would be pleased to grant me the prayer of my heart and the desire of my soule That the heires of this Gentlemans body would view their faces in their fathers glasse and diligently see and consider how neare they come unto him in the power and practice of Religion and that where they shall find themfelves to come short of him they would seriously addresse themselves to expresse the vertues of him that is gone before them Icr. 22.15 16 17. and carefully endeavour to follow the gracious patterne and president which he hath left unto them CHAP. LIX ANother one of the last Fruits of mercy towards his Tenants upon the least of those good fruits where with this goody Gentleman of whom we write was filled was his mercifull dealing with his Tenants towards whom hee did ever beare a very tender and compassionate respect and regard He did not grind the faces of the poore by great fines nor crush their bones by heary rents and rackes and sometimes three yeares rent together at the marriage of a daughter Amos 4.1 Mich. 2.2 Mich. 3.2 nor breake their backes with bundens of oppression in all manner of cruell services as the manner of many was round about him toyling the bodies and tyring out the beasts of their poore Tenants Hee did not use their labour without hire nor call for their worke without wages nor take the benefit of their travell without any allowance of necessary sastenance which is the sinne and shame of many Gentlemen amongst as But in all things concorning their profit their ease their peace their Christian comfort and contentment hee ever carried himselfe as a mercifull He was a mercifull Landlord and good Landlord towards them Yea it was the very joy of his heart to see his Tenants prosper and thrive in their estate under him and to entertaine them lovingly and use them kindly as they came unto him Hee was much of the fame minde towards his Tenants Sueton. in August as Augustus was towards his Subjects Hee would not have any to come in feare and trembling before him as if they came to an Elephant nor any to depart with a heavie heart of sad couritenance from him as if they had beene with a Tyrant How contrary to these mercifull courses are the rigorous and cruell dealings of some Land-lords with their Tenants who if they grow wealthly under them they are used and squrezed as spunges as Vespasian did his Officers Sueton on Vesp to wrest and wring what they can from them If their Leafes be expixed they will hardly renew them but upon such hard conditions as they shall never be able to live under them Nay it may be they will grant no Lease at all neither for yeares nor lives but thrust out the ancient Tenant and set his living upon a rack for the rack say they is the casiest pace and so pull downe other mens houses and families to build their owne nests on high impoverish others to inrich themselves thrust others into corners that they may enlarge their owne borders Mic. 2.2 and make other men their slaves and drudges Isa 5. that they may domineere and dwell alone as Lords of the land bound about them The woe that is denounced by the Prophet Isay and by others also as well as by him against such sins makes me to thinke that such cruell Land-lords will nor find in the end the racke to bee the easiest pace as they imagine nor the grinding of the poore to be their sweetest grist as some conceive No no I rather feare that all the ease of such a rack will be no other but to amble with the world to trot on with the wicked to gallop to the divel and to take up their lodging in hell where they have a place prepared for them But wee speake to them that have no eares to heare what the Spirit speakes unto the Churches but are rather like the deafe Adder Cassied in Psal 57. Lyva in Psal 57. of which Cassiodore reporteth that when she is likely to bee charmed shee makes her selfe deafe by stopping one eare with the earth and the other with her taile that shee may not heare the voice of the charmer
charme he never so wisely Thus have we made it manifest that this gracious and Godly Gentleman was in his holy conversation full of mercy and full of good fruits All of which do taste and relish so much the better because they were seasoned with two other gracious qualities of that wisedome which is from above namely Equity and Syncerity for hee was without partiality and without hypocrisie According to that of the Prophet Micha He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe justlie and to love mercy and to walk humbly and uprightly with thy God And thus have we according to our purpose and promise taken a more speciall view of some parts and passages of this Gentlemans life wherein the gifts of Gods grace the vertues of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit did more eminently appear As first in his conversing with God and secondly in his conversation in the world And so wee come from the course of his life in the world and draw towards the end of his life namely his departure out of the world which was the third and last of those 3. generall heads which were proposed to be handled CHAP. LX. COncerning his departure out of this world 3. General Head His departure out of the world 1. Prepar 2. His Resol 3 His confidence 4. His const Psa 90.12 we propole divers things to be considered and observed First his preparation for it Secondly his patient resolution to Beare all the sharpe occurrents of it Thirdly his gracious confidence of a blessed and happy exchange after it Fourthly his happy constancy in the faith of Christ unto the end and in the end untill hee was put in possession of it and so obtained the end of his faith the salvation of his lonle in Christ Jesus Now for the first as his whole life was a meditation of death so was it also a continuall preparation for it For the Lord had taught him so to number his dayes that he did apply his heart unto wisdome I say both to be wise unto salvation and so wise also as to consider Wisedom Deut. 32.29 Iob. 14.14 and often think too upon his latter end So that all the dayes of his appointed time he did wait as Iob did till his change should come Al his studies and labours all his holy duties and services all his prayers and tears all his watchings and fastings all his desires and endeavors were especially bent and directed unto this end next unto Gods glory that he might so run that he might obtaine and so fight His preparation for death that he might overcome and in the end be more than a conquerour in him that loved him that is in Christ Jesus It was therefore his care and confidence ever so to live that he might never be affraid to dye yea so to live that he might desire to dye and to bee with Christ which is best of all even where he is and as he is for over Phil 1.23 Paulm in vita Amb. Possidon in vita Aug. As Paulinus hath recorded of Ambrose that being ready to dye he uttered these comfortable words unto his friends about him Non sic vivi ut pude no me inter vos vivere nec mori timeo quiu bonum habemus Dominum I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live amongst you neither am I affraid to dye because we have a good Lord. His more especiall preparation for his latter end His more speciall preparation in ten speciall duties consisted in these holy duties and heavenly exercises 1. To deny himself his wit his will his reason and affection 2. To renounee the world and to we are himselfe from the love of it and from all the pleasures profits honours and favours of the fame 3. To set and settle his affections on the things which are above placing his heart where his head Christ is 4. To take all his decayes of nature his bodily infirmities want of vigour and strength abatement of naturall heate and moisture to be certeyne Impressions of his mortality and evident Summons to a dissolution 5. To make all his spirituall rejoycings and refreshings in the estate of grace to bee pledges and earnests as it were of heavenly and everlasting joy and happinesse in the estate of glory 6. To consider that unto the godly death is but a passage unto life a dissolution of soule and body for a season which afterwards shall bee restored again in greater beauty and glory at the resurrection 7. To observe that death puts an end to all sins and sorrows to all temptations and afflictions and brings us into the possession of an heavenly inheritance where the true treasure is in abundance where also there are rivers of pleasures and fulnesse of joy for ever more 8. To meditate that here we are but strangers and pilgrims having here no continuing city but seeking one to come that heaven is our home and that whiles we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord and that Ierusalem which is above is the city of the Saints and mother of us all 9. To conferre and talke with his godly friends of the day of death and time of his departure out of this world even in the middest of all other comforts as Christ himself did with Moses and Elias in the holy Mount of his departure that is of his death at Ierusalem and as Austin had much holy and heavenly communication with his mother Monica Aug Cons l. 9. t. 10. and shee with him to the like purpose 10. Lastly to watch and pray with oyle in our Lamps and our lights burning taking every day for our last day Mat. 25.4 2 Tim. 2.21 Mat. 25.23 and so bee ready and prepared for our Masters worke for our Masters comming and for our owne reckoning Thus much of the means which he used and duties which he performed to prepare himself for his departure out of this world Now for his patient resolution to beare all the sharp occurrents of it As hee had obtained mercy of the Lord to bee faithfull in doing his will So had he also to be patient and resolute in suffering and abiding his good pleasure both in life and death To which end the Lord had given him a great measure of spirituall strength Phil. 4.13 Eph. 6.13 that he was able to doe in a manner all things in Christ which strengthened him and hee had furnished him also with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole armour of God whereby he might be able to stand fast in the evill day whether of tentation or affliction against all adverse power that might assaile him We read of that faithfull servant of Christ Chrysostome when hee was grievously persecuted by Eudoxia the Empresse that the Lord did give him such courage and resolution that he feared nothing which she could doe unto him though shee did threaten never