state. The benefit of which faith all his children (none of which were in his life-time provided for) have since to admiration experienced. And it is scarce to be imagined how helpful this his precious son, John Janeway, was to his father by his heavenly discourse, humble advice, and prayers. After a four months' conflict with a painful consumption, and hectic fever, his honoured father sweetly slept in Jesus.

CHAP. VI.

His Care of his Mother, and other Relations, after his Father's Death.

AFTER the death of his father, he did what he could to supply his absence, doing the part of husband, son, brother: so that he was no small comfort to his poor mother in her disconsolate state, and all the rest of his relations that had any sense of God upon their spirits. To one of which he thus addressed himself, upon the death of a sweet child : ·

"Daily observation, and every man's experience, give sufficient testimony to it, that afflictions, of what kind soever, by how much the seldomer they are, the more grievous they seem. We have of a long time sailed in the rivers of blessings which God hath plentifully poured forth among us: now if we come where the waves of affliction do but a little more than ordinarily arise, we begin to have our souls almost carried down with fears and griefs; yea, the natural man, if not counter-powered by the spirit of God, will be ready to entertain murmuring and repining thoughts against God himself. Whereas, if all our life had been a pilgrimage full of sorrows and afflictions (as we deserved), and had but rarely been intermingled with comforts, we should have been more fitted to bear afflictions. Thus it is naturally but we ought to counter-work against the stream of nature, by a new principle wrought in us; and whatsoever nature doth err in, grace is to rectify. And they upon whom grace is bestowed, ought to set grace on work for wherefore is grace bestowed, unless

that it should act in us? It hath pleased the Lord to make a breach in your family-there were the knot is fastest tied when it is disunited the change becomes greatest, and the grief is the more enlarged. So that herein you who are most moved are most to be excused and comforted: the strength of a mother's affections, I believe, none but mothers know; and greatest affections, when they are disturbed, breed the greatest grief. But when afflictions come upon us, what will be our duty? shall we then give ourselves up to be carried away with the grieving passions? shall we, because of one affliction, cause our souls to walk in sadness all our days, and drive away all the light of comfort from our eyes, by causing our souls to be obscured under the shades of melancholy? shall we quarrel with our Maker, and call the wise righteous Judge to our bar? Doth he not punish us less than we deserve? Is there not mercy and truth in all his dispensations? Shall we, by continual sorrow, add affliction to affliction, and so become our own tormentors? are we not rather, under afflictions, to see if any way we may find a glimpse of God's love shining in towards us, and so to raise up our souls nearer God? Is there not enough in God and the Holy Scriptures, to bear up our spirits under any afflictions, let them be never so great? What do you say to that word: who is there among you that feareth the Lord, and that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and seeth no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God? Though all earthly comforts were fled away, and though you could see no light from any of these things below; yet if you look upward to God in Christ, there is comfort to be found-there is light to be espied: yea, a great and glorious light, which, if we can rightly discern, it would put out the light of all lower comforts, and cause them to be vilely accounted of. But, alas! alas! those heavenly comforts, though they are in themselves so precious, and, if really and sensibly felt, able to raise a man's soul from earth, yea from hell, to the foretaste of heaven itself; yet, for want of a spiritual sense, they are by most of the world under-valued, slighted, and thought to be but fancies. Nay, let me speak freely: Christians themselves, and those that we have cause to hope are men of another world, and truly born again, yet for want of a spiritual

loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. What son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.

"Let this serve as a remedy against excessive grief. Get your love to God increased; which, if you do, the love of all other things will wax cold. And if you have given God your heart, you will give him leave to take what he will that is yours; and what he hath you will judge rather well kept than lost.

"Remember that scripture, and let it have its due impression upon your spirit: He that loves father or mother, brother or sister, yea, or children, more than me, is not worthy of me.' Oh labour to have your affections, therefore, more raised up to him who is most worthy of them; let him have the uppermost and greatest room in your heart, and let your love to all other things be placed in subjection to your love of God, be ruled by it, and directed to it. Be our earthly afflictions never so great, yet let this love to God poise our souls so, that they may not be overweighed with grief on the one side, or stupidness on the other side. Again, let our souls be awed by that glorious power and omnipotency of God, who is able to do any thing, and who will do whatsoever pleaseth him, both in heaven and in earth at whose word, and for whose glory, all things that are were made. And what are we poor creatures, that we should dare to entertain any hard thought of this God? It is dangerous contending with God! Let us learn that great lesson of resigning up ourselves, and all we have, to God; let us put ourselves as instruments into the hands of the Lord, to do what he pleaseth with us; and let us remember, that it was our promise and covenant with God, to yield up ourselves to him, and to be wholly at his disposal. The soul is then in a sweet frame, when it can cordially say, 'It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth good in his eyes. Not my will, but thine be done.' Again, let us know, that though we cannot always see into the reasonableness of the ways of God (for his ways are often in the thick cloud, and our weak eyes cannot look into those depths in which he walketh) yet all the ways of God are just, holy, and good. Let us, therefore, have a care of so much as moving, much more of entertaining, any unworthy thoughts against God: but let us submit willingly to