Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A48069
|
The life and death of Monsieur Claude, the famous minister of Charenton in France done out of French by G.P.; Abrégé de la vie de Mr. Claude. English
|
Ladevèze, Abel-Rodolphe de.; G. P.
|
1688
(1688)
|
Wing L149; ESTC R3073
|
50,310
|
77
|
insisted a pretty while upon this point his grief and zeal excited likewise the grief and zeal of the Congregation which dissolv'd into tears At nine a Clock Monsieur Du Vivie came to see him as soon as he drew near his Bed Monsieur Claude gave him his blessing you have prevented my wishes said Monsieur Du Vivie to him I had a design to ask you your blessing God confirm it to you Monsieur Claude made him answer Some time after Monsieur Du Vivie told him that it became him to think of a perfect Justice that may serve before the Tribunal of God where he was going to appear and that he knew very well that this Justice was onely to be found in our Lord Jesus Christ who was made to us by God Wisedom Justice Sanctification and Redemption that 's all my hopes answered Monsieur Claude he added this passage at length I know in whom I have believed c. After which Monsieur Du Vivie said Prayers which the sick-man lissen'd to with great attention Half an hour after Monsieur Du Vivie askt him whether he did not find that his Condition had some affinity with the 73 Psalm My flesh faileth and mine heart also but God is the strength of mine heart and my Portion for ever Monsieur Claude rais'd up his Voice and said twice Amen Amen he gave his blessing to some persons of his acquaintance that askt it of him there was especially a deserving young Lady who askt him whether he would impart his blessing to her as well as to the rest why should I not give it you he answered her I have seen evident instances of your discretion and piety I pray God to bless you Monsieur Claude falling into a Slumber his Son wakt him from time to time to give him Consolation 't was done in few words he being too weak to prosecute a long discourse he askt him if he did not place all his confidence in the death of his Saviour yes Son replied he our Lord Jesus Christ is my onely Justice I need no other he is all-sufficient I askt him whether he was not much pleas'd in being thus comforted by his Son I am very well satisfied he replied let him continue I said Prayers and staid with him till eleven a Clock On Monday the 13th of January a sad day for us I was call'd up at five a Clock in the Morning to go see Monsieur Claude who was become extraordinary weak I spoke to him but little he being in great Agonies occasion'd by pains in his Stomach At ten a Clock I drew near his Bed and seeing him in a quieter condition I askt him whether he knew me yes said he to me with a voice pretty strong you are my Pastour my whole recourse is to the mercy of God I expect a better life than this help me to fortifie me in the exercise of meditation and Prayer Notwithstanding his pains finding him constant in his pious inclinations I took upon me the right of his Pastour that he had conferr'd upon me I spoke to him of the sinfulness of mankind and of the riches of the grace of God that have appear'd in the Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ and I exhorted him to place his whole confidence in the Death of that good Saviour These few words excited his piety he gave us most sensible testimonies of his Repentance and of the stedfast Faith he had in our Saviour Jesus Christ and in this happy moment did I also apply that so precious Balm which our Saviour Jesus Christ has put into our hands for the consolation of repenting Sinners Be assur'd said I to him Brother that your Sins are forgiven you through the mercy of God I declare it to you in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ who has given us a Commission for so doing and I beseech him that he wou'd ratifie it to you by the sentiment of your own Conscience this Declaration which he lissen'd to attentively afforded him mighty Joy I am persuaded said he to me that God will hear the sighs of my Soul and your discourses let us beseech him so to doe by the Prayers I beg you would make in my behalf accordingly we fell upon our knees and I pray'd God for him At two a Clock in the Afternoon there was no longer any connexion in Monsieur Claude's discourse nay and we avoided engaging him to speak for fear of augmenting his Delirium We pray'd often for him in that interval At five a Clock he had somewhat a violent Potion given him for to rouse his Spirits but all ineffectually At seven a Clock he became still much weaker yet did he still hear but was become speechless I bid him give me a sign whether he understood me and that he should give me his hand accordingly he reach't it to me I took his hand and said these words of the 31. Psalm to him Into thine hand I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth at these words he prest my hand and strugl'd to raise his head I continued to exhort him and said Prayers Monsieur Arbusse came to see him and pray'd by him for he was so weak and his senses so spent that Prayer was the onely assistance he could receive from us This exercise lasted till half an hour past Eleven at Night On the 13th of January 1687 Monsieur Menard and I did not stir from his Bed-side till his last gasp when we saw him calmly expire at that time and restored his Soul into the hands of God. Thus Lived and thus Died John Claude in his 68 year after having so worthily perform'd his Office for the space of forty two years or there abouts he was by nature quick and lively but submissive to reason and faith he was Civil Modest Illuminated wise in his Councells a true Friend officious without being troublesome charitable but with choice and much concern'd for the evils the Church labour'd under He understood the World shrifted into intreagues and improv'd all these lights to the repose of the Flocks of the Lord. He had a sagacious Wit a vast Imagination a nice Judgment a just Choice his expression was clear sprightly and strong his knowledge had past the test of Meditation he had fram'd an easie platform of all matters of his Profession each object came in its due place as soon as he spoke or writ and all this was maintain'd with an exact method and mighty beauty of Language He was a learned Divine a great Preacher an able and zealous defender of the Reformation a rigid observer of our confession of Faith an enemy of all such sentiments as might have disturb'd the peace of the Church and the purity of Religion and to the regulations of our Discipline He was of easie access of frank and fluent Conversation and all these great qualities were season'd with such profound humility that when he spoke he seem'd to forget what he was to fit
we must renew in this place There was no regular exercise for preaching in the Walloon Church at the Hague he nevertheless Preach't there now and then with so much edification that in ending his Sermon he excited in the minds of his Auditours a passionate longing to hear him again and it was to gratifie that desire that he resolv'd to Preach on Christmas day the 25th of December 1686. His Son was gone abroad that day he supplied his place the circumstance of the season determin'd him upon the choice of the matter 't was requisite to speak of the Saviour of the Worlds Nativity for that purpose did he chuse these words of the Gospel according to St. Luke Chapter the 1. verse the 30 31 c. And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great he shall be call'd the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end This Sermon was very Learned passages it had of extraordinary perfection his fancy ever fruitfull and happy appear'd as much in this occasion as in any other of his Life It afforded that turn so fine and so natural which he knew how to give to the matters he explain'd flashes there were that did in no wise betray the driness and heaviness of old Age and we may say in short that there was throughout observ'd that grandeur of Spirit which influences all his works that so lively penetration that so wise so judicious a choice which made the ruling Character of that incomparable Genius He utter'd this Sermon with great eagerness was heated and inflamed and in all probability this was the first point of that fatal sickness which bereft the World of him His whole Auditory was charm'd with his action Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange who is no less Illustrious for the vast extent of her understanding and a solid piety and without pomp than through the bloud of so many Kings whence she derives her extraction lissen'd to this Preacher with a most steady application of mind and was extreamly well satisfied with this his performance It were to be wisht that this Sermon was Publish'd Monsieur Claude told us he had writ the greatest part of it I am persuaded his Son wou'd oblige many people if he caused it to be Printed as it is being a fragment that wou'd doe much honour to his Father's memory Monsieur Claude was no sooner at home but that he found himself extraordinary weary he was seiz'd that Evening with a most violent Rhume spent the Night with some uneasiness and on the Morrow would have gone and heard the Sermon whatever endeavours were used by his Family to hinder him from stirring abroad in that condition That Night he had a Fever with pains throughout his whole Body his Distemper was thought to be a Rhumatism upon this principle did they prescribe for his Recovery but the humours were in so very great a ferment that there was no moderating the course of them by any Remedy On the 6th of January he was prest by most sensible pains he was sensible of the decay of his Senses and as if he had had a full knowledge that he shou'd not ever have the liberty of expressing his thoughts he told his Son that he desir'd to speak with me I repair'd immediately to his House and in the presence of his Family he told me his mind in these terms I was desirous said he to me to see you and make my Declaration before you I am added he a miserable sinner before God I most heartily beseech him to shew me mercy for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and I hope he will hear my Prayer being the promise he made to repenting Sinners I have reason to praise him for the blessing he has laid upon my Ministry which has not been fruitless in his Church which is an effect of his grace for which I adore his Providence He took a little breath and it was to tell us that he had with great application examin'd all Religions but had found none worthy of the Wisedom of God and capable to lead a man to true happiness save the Christian Religion He then added that among the divers sentiments which divide Christians upon the Subject of Religion which he had carefully Studied he had found that the Reformed Religion was the onely good Religion which was to be followed that it was entirely found in the word of God that this was the Fountain from whence it was to be deriv'd and that this Religion was as it were the Trunk and Body of the Tree to which it became us to keep steady without ever forsaking it This is my opinion said he to me and I was willing to declare it to you I wou'd have told him that I was not surpriz'd to hear him discourse in these terms towards the end of his days after what he had taught the publick by his Books which had been of so great an Edification to the Church Let us break off there said he to me and let us not speak of praises at a time when moments are so precious and when they ought to be employed to a better use Here we let fall the Conversation for that I perceiv'd his pains prest him and that he askt to be put to Bed. A very worthy person and one of his intimate and ancient Friends wou'd needs pass that Night being Monday the 6th of January in his Chamber that he might do him some small Services His pains were most advantageously rewarded he had the opportunity of hearing him discourse of the happiness of those that had left France for Religion He made the application of it to him he besought him he exhorted him as a Pastour and as a Friend to enjoy that Privilege as a blessing which cannot be sufficiently valued The following days nature seem'd to make an utmost effort to bring him off He complain'd of a great pain in the Arm that was free 't was thought to be a spice of the Gout he was a pretty while in this pain and we in hopes through this new Distemper which in all likelyhood wou'd save his Life But his Strength decaying through the raging of the Fever and the length of the Disease did not help nature in that indication it shew'd us I often saw him and began to despair of his recovery on Friday because I perceiv'd he was threatned with a Delirium which was a thing we most dreaded His Wife askt him if he was not sorry to leave her no answered he because I am going to my God and I leave you in his hands in a free Countrey what can I desire more either for you or for my self On