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

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⟩made me to Possess the Iniquities of my Youth, in such a manner that my Heart sometimes was even Sinking and Dying at the sight of it. I resolved, that I would Afflict my Soul, and seek unto GOD, by Fasting as well as by Praying, that He would Pardon all the Sins that were brought unto my Remembrance, and all the other Sins that I had been Guilty of. This course I took, [at Dorchester, shutting myself up in my Fathers Study, when he was gone abroad upon a Public Occasion, and not to Return for a Day or Two:]