The History of the Christian People Called Quakers

1699

Having thus again made mention of John Crook, of whom I have spoken several times in this history, I proceed now to mention somewhat concerning his decease, since he departed this life in the year 1699. He left behind in writing an exhortation or advice to his children and grand-children, written scarce two months before his death, and of this tenor:

‘Dear Children,

‘I must leave you in a wicked age, but commend you to the measure of the grace of God in your inward parts, which you have received by Jesus Christ; and as you love it, and mind the teachings of it, you will find it a counsellor to instruct you in the way everlasting, and preserve you out of the ways of the ungodly.

‘I have seen much in my days, and I always observed that the fear of the Lord God proved the best portion: and those that walked in it were the only happy people, both in this life, while they continued faithful, and when they come to die, though they meet with many hardships in their passage. By experience I can speak it, that the ways of holiness afford more true comfort and peace to the upright soul than the greatest pleasures this world can afford; the former reaches the heart and soul, while the delights of this world are but a show, and appearance only, vanishing like a dream; and whoever believes otherwise of them, will certainly find them to be but lying vanities; therefore the apostle, Rom. vi. 21, might boldly put the question to the converted Romans, viz. “What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.”

‘Therefore, dear children, be in love with holiness; make it your companion, and those that walk in it; you may find buddings of it from an holy seed in your hearts; as you mind the inner man, the light will manifest the stirrings of it after God, which I felt from my tender years; although I understood them not so plainly till I heard the truth declared.

‘I advise you to keep a pure conscience, both towards God and man: for if that be defiled, hypocrisy and formality will deprive you of all comfortable feeling of God’s presence; and then deadness and dryness will be your miserable portion.

‘Be careful how you spend your precious time, for an account must be given of every idle word, though but few regard it; but foolish jesting and vain talking are said to grieve the spirit of God; read Eph. iv. 29, 30. But improve your time in prayer and religious exercises, &c. and be diligent in your lawful callings; for, “The desire of the slothful man killeth him.” Prov. xxi. 25.

‘Be careful what company you frequent; for a man is commonly known by the company he keeps, as much as by any one outward thing: and of your behaviour in company; for I have found that a wise and sober deportment, adds much to a man’s reputation and credit in the world.

‘Watch to the light, and its discoveries of good and evil, that you may not be ignorant of Satan’s devices; so the net will be spread in vain in the sight of the bird, for watchfulness will make you in love with a retired estate; and the more truly and perfectly any man knows and understands himself, the better discerning will such have of other men; as in the beginning, when deep silence of all flesh was more in use, the spirit of discerning was more common and quicker, than since it hath been neglected; therefore be sure you spend some time, at convenient seasons, in waiting upon God in silence, though it be displeasing to flesh; for I have had more comfort and confirmation in the truth, in my inward retiring in silence, than from all words I have heard from others, though I have often been refreshed by them also.

‘Love the Holy Scriptures, preferring them to all other books whatsoever; and be careful to read them with an holy awe upon your spirits, lest your imaginations put constructions upon them to your hurt; but exercise faith in the promise of Christ, who hath said, “My spirit shall take of mine, and show them unto you.”

‘Keep constantly to religious meetings amongst friends; but look to your affections, that you respect not persons, but the power and life of truth from whomsoever it comes; not minding the tickling of your affections, but the demonstration of the truth to your understandings and consciences; for that will abide, when flashes of affections will fade and come to nothing, after the words are ended.

‘Love one another truly, manifesting your love by good counsel, and being helpful to each other upon all occasions; being good examples to all you converse with, especially to your children, and those of your own families; that pride and vanity may not be countenanced by you, but rather reproved; remembering while they are under your government, you must give an account of the discharge of your duty to God towards them.

‘Lastly, Be always mindful of your latter end, and live as you would die, not knowing how soon your days may be finished in this world: and while you do live in it despise not the chastenings of the Lord, whatever they be he is pleased to visit you withal. I have been afflicted from my youth up, both inwardly and outwardly, but the God whom I served provided for me, when all my outward relations forsook me, none of them giving me any portion to begin the world withal. This I speak, to let you know, I shall leave more outwardly, even to the least of you than was left me by all my relations, &c. I need not mention this sharp affliction, beyond expression, in my old age, because, in some measure, you know it; but I could not have been without it, as the Lord hath showed me, or I have seen his wonders in the deeps; therefore I say again, despise not afflictions, but embrace them as messengers of peace to your souls, though displeasing to the flesh.

‘These things I commend unto you, out of true love to your souls, knowing how the vain mind of man little regards such advice as this I leave behind me; but by this advice I show my true love to you all, desiring God’s blessing upon it; to whom I commit you all, my dear children, and end my days

Your loving father and grandfather,
JOHN CROOK.’

Hertford, the first of the First month, 1698-99.

The sharp affliction he speaks of in this writing was more than one distemper, for the stone, gout, and cholic, attacked him sometimes sorely; and though this had been for a long time, yet he always behaved himself patiently, though his pain was sometimes so violent, that he was often heard to say, that did he not feel and witness inward power from the Lord, he could not subsist under his great pains. That of the stone was the greatest, which continued with him to his end; and yet he was not heard to utter any unsavoury word, or to cry out impatiently; but when the extremity of his fits were over, then he expressed his inward joy and peace, and so praised the Lord. He had an excellent gift in opening the mysteries of the holy Scriptures, so that he was like Apollos, of whom we find upon record, that he was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures. And by his zealous and effectual preaching, when he was in his strength of life, many were convinced of the truth. In his latter days he said sometimes that the furnace of affliction was of good use to purge away the dross and earthly part in us. And under the sorrow and grief he had concerning some of his offspring, he would sometimes comfort himself with the words of David, “Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure.” In his old age he was many times heard to say, ‘Many of the ancients are gone to their long home, and we are making haste after them: they step away before me, and I, that would go, cannot. Well, it will be my turn soon also.’ And then he seemed to rejoice in the consideration, that the time of his dissolution, to be freed from his sore distempers, approached apace. Yet in the latter part of his life he often appeared so strong in the spiritual warfare, that some judged that in some respect he might have said with Caleb, “As yet I am as strong this day, as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.” About three weeks before his death, though he was weak in body, yet he said powerfully, and after a prophetical manner, ‘Truth must prosper, truth shall prosper, but a trying time must first come, and afterwards the glory of the Lord shall more and more appear.’ He continued in a sedate and truly Christian frame of mind to the last period of his life, and departed the 26th of the month called April, in the eighty-second year of his age, in his house at Hertford, where he had lived many years. I knew him in England, and he hath also been in Holland, so that I do not speak of one that was unknown to me.