Parentator. Memoirs of remarkables in the life and the death of the ever-memorable Dr.…

I shall choose to give his own Relation of it.

I shall chuse to give his own Relation of it.

The great Care of my Godly Parents, was to bring me up in the Nurture and the Admonition of the Lord; Whence I was kept from many Visible out-breakings of Sin, which else I had been Guilty of; and whence it was, that I had many good Impressions of the Spirit of GOD upon me; even from my Infancy. Nevertheless, I swam quietly in a Stream of Impiety and Carnal ⟨p. 8⟩Security for many Years together, till it Pleased the Lord in the Year 1654. in Mercy to Visit me with a sore Disease, ¹which was Apprehended to be the Stone: out of which (perhaps the Strangury) I was quickly Recovered. For this Happy Sickness I have many a time blessed the Lord; and I hope, I shall Bless him forever. For He made it the Means of the first Saving Awakenings to my Soul. I was brought now to have Real Thoughts of Death, and see Eternity before my Eyes; And then I could Remember what I had many a time heard from the Word of GOD, concerning such Sins as I had not yet thoroughly Repented of. After I was Recovered, the Arrows of GOD still stuck fast in my Heart, and I was followed with sore and grievous Troubles in my Mind for several Months together; that what in the World to do with myself I knew not: But the Terrors of GOD were so heavy upon me, that I Resolved I would no more Live in any known Sin; and Examining my own Heart, I could not find any Sin, which I was not Heartily willing to part with: And I set upon the Practice of Duty, and that Constantly, and that in Secret Devotions too, which before these Distresses of my Soul, I had not made Conscience of. Nevertheless my Wounded Conscience Remained with me; and GOD set my Sins in Order before me, and brought unto my Remembrance many Sins that I had forgotten, with all their Circumstances and Aggravations. He showed me the Vanities of my Childhood, and ⟨p. 9⟩