The life and death of that old disciple of Jesus Christ and eminent minister…

And albeit my natural Affections caused me to weep often, and the sense of Gods Hand & Rod upon me, caused me to mourn very much in secret; yet the Almighty by his Rod and Staff did so comfort me, that I walked through this Valley also of the shadow of Death without fear of Evil, and was assisted and enabled to perform the Work of my Ministry in the Congregation ⟨p. 40⟩without any omission or interruption. And that very Night my only Son dyed, the Lord brought to my mind that Scripture, Mic. 7.14. Feed thy people with thy Rod; which was made a seasonable, suitable, and powerful Word by the Teachings of the holy Spirit unto my Soul, in my solitary Condition: Who thus administered Food, yea and a Feast also to my Soul. For by this Rod of God, I had served into my Soul a Dish of sour or bitter Herbs, I mean sorrow for my sins; but I fed also on the Paschal Lamb, in whole blood I saw all my sins washed away: And the Spirit of God witnessed with my Spirit, that I was the Child of God, and one of those Children, with whom God will keep Covenant, and not take away his Love from me, though he visited my Transgressions with the Rod, and mine iniquities with stripes, Psal. 89.28—34. which Scripture was then brought again with power upon my Heart. The next Dish of spiritual Food under this Rod which God brought me, or sent me by his Spirit in his Word to feed upon, was full of Love; Then that holy Scripture came to me, not in word only, Rev. 3.19, 20. but in Power and in the Spirit, and in much Assurance; wherein ⟨p. 41⟩in he showed me his Face, and I saw my Fathers Face in that Glass of the Gospel, Heb. 12.6, 7. which the holy Spirit held forth to me by this Rod, and shed abroad in my heart the Love of the Father in his Son Jesus Christ. After this the next day God gave me a Dish of spiritual Fruits by this Rod to feed upon, served up in that holy Scripture, No affliction at the present is joyous, but grievous; but the fruit thereof shall be peace and righteousness to them that have been exercised therein. And after God had thus fed me, feasted me several days and nights together with this his Rod, he very graciously pronounced his Blessing upon me by his Rod, in these words; Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest out of thy Law or Word, unto which I was helped heartily to say Amen: It's good for me to be, and that I have been afflicted, &c.