The last conflicts and death of Mr. Thomas Peacock, bachelor of divinity, and fellow…The last conflicts and death of Mr. Thomas Peacock, batchelour of divinity, and fellow…

THE PREFACE TO the READER.

Christian Reader, I Had not performed a trust, had not I published this ensuing Narrative; and I had not paid a debt which I do and shall ever owe to the Public, had not I made it common. Mr Bolton (a man of precious memory, and famous in his generation) desired me upon his death-bed, to publish such of his papers as I thought fit for the Press, which I have already done. This copy being found amongst them, (though ⟨image 3⟩penned by another hand) I durst not withhold, being to my knowledge intended by him for the press, in memory of his familiar friend, and spiritual father, Mr Thomas Peacock; who was a very Godly Minister of Christ, and of rare example for humility and holiness of life; for a Religious care in educating his scholars, and for exceeding charity to the bodies and souls of poor distressed Christians. And yet this godly man, that for piety had in him the root of an Oak, when God cast him upon his bed of sickness, and suffered Satan to winnow him, he was no more in his hands then a leaf tossed too and fro with the wind. Gods dealings with him in these his last conflicts, are of singular use in these present times, in which the ends of the world, and the dregs of schism and sin are come upon us at once. ⟨image 3⟩First, for caution to the true servants of God, to take heed of small sins; for from the lesser sins and infirmities of Mr Peacock, the Devil did thence take a rise to cast him into the most bitter spiritual desertion that we shall lightly read of: under which he had sunk, had not God wonderfully pat to his hand, by making the issue of his afflictions more glorious and comfortable, then the combat was grievous and terrible. It was a memorable saying of Francis Spira, which he spake to his mournful children and friends, beholding that sad spectacle of his final despair, earnestly wishing them to take heed of committing the smallest sins against conscience; By this means, saith he, I fell into greater sins, till I came to deny the Gospel of Christ, and after that to renounce it in writing, and deliberately to subscribe