This very extraordinary individual was born at Lilley in Hertford on October 27, 1633. He had the early part of his education at Paul’s School in London, under the care of Mr Langley, where he made great progress in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Mathematics, and Astronomy. He was afterwards sent to Eton College, where he was accounted the glory of the school, and the wonder of the age. At seventeen, he entered King’s College, Cambridge, where the electors contended for the patronage of so promising a youth. Here he afterwards became a Fellow. In addition to his astonishing proficiency in literature, he possessed many other endearing qualifications. He was candid and agreeable, courteous and ever obliging, without the least appearance of vanity. His great learning was attended with great modesty and prudence and such a command of his passions, as preserved him from the follies and the vices of youth; but still he had no relish for religion. The concerns of an eternal world, as yet, gave him no uneasiness.
But God, who had chosen him to shine like the morning star in His Church, in the good pleasure of His goodness, wrought in his soul the work of faith with power, and Mr Baxter’s “Saints Everlasting Rest” was the principal means of his conversion to God. This important change in his life and character was soon made manifest to all. His time and talents were now less employed in the contemplation of the stars, the rectitude and rapidity of their motions, and all the glory of their arrangement, seeing the Day Star from on High had visited his benighted soul, and the Sun of Righteousness had arisen upon him with healing under His wings. His great concern now was to learn the will of God in His Word, and to please and enjoy Him for ever. For this he laboured with indefatigable pains and industry in studying the Scriptures, which are able to make men wise unto salvation. He began to pity those who were curious in their inquiries after almost every thing but Christ; and though he accounted human learning exceedingly profitable, and even praiseworthy, when wisely conducted, yet, when fixed on any thing short of Christ and Him crucified, he accounted it all but loss; and when not employed for His glory, a sword put into the hand of a madman, wherewith to destroy himself and all that came in his way. In this state of mind, he was exceedingly concerned he might express his gratitude to God, who had called him from darkness into His marvellous light; and for this purpose, opened a correspondence with his relations, his friends, and many of his acquaintances, to whom he addressed many letters on divine subjects, so judiciously written, that they seemed more like the productions of age and long Christian experience, than that of a youth. He could not help announcing to others what he himself had seen and heard, felt and experienced, of the grace and condescending goodness of God. To exalt the glory of his dear Redeemer, and persuade perishing sinners to shelter themselves from the wrath to come, under the immaculate covering of His righteousness and atoning sacrifice, was the great object of his solicitude. But the gravity of his manner, the striking majesty and pathos of his expressions, the vehemence of his expostulations, and the pressing power of his applications, can only be seen in his own language.
Before he had reached the age of nineteen, in writing to his father, who was in great distress of mind, he thus addressed him: “The causes of your despondency, and the dejection and melancholy that overshadows your soul, give me leave to guess. The first, I think, arises from your reflecting on your entering on the work of the ministry, without that reverence of God, love to Christ, and compassion for the souls of perishing men, which are requisite in all who undertake this holy office. It may be there was also a greater regard to your living in the world, than your living to God and the spiritual interest of His people. Be it thus, the remedy is still the same. These reflections have in them a heart-corroding power when felt unaccompanied by the light of a pardoning grace. But bad thoughts and continual sorrow keep the wound open too long, and are not, therefore, available in removing the disease. Wounds indeed must be opened in order to be cleansed; they must be opened that their filth may be discovered; but no sooner has the balm of Gilead been applied, than they ought to be bound up that the balsam may have its undisturbed efficacy and operation in removing the symptoms, and closing up the wound.
A second cause of your heaviness may arise from a sense of the untoward disposition, and unimproving state of the people committed to your care; and, indeed, who can help mourning over a people who have no pity, no charity, nor compassion for themselves?
I have often wrestled with God that He might guide your steps in the way of duty concerning them, which I am persuaded is also your humble request at the throne of mercy. Now, after seriously examining your own heart as to the necessary steps to be taken, whatever your conscience points out as the present duty, that do; and having done so, leave the result to God, who works in us both to will and also to perform.
You may perhaps have, besides these, some uneasy thoughts respecting your family when you are gone, but let faith and former experience teach you to drive away all such thoughts. Our good God is the Father of the fatherless, and the widow’s strength and support. Your constitution and solitary habits may likewise contribute to your present melancholy; but there is a duty which, if properly performed, will remove then all and that is, heavenly meditation, and the contemplation of the glory yet to be revealed. Would we walk with God in this duty but one hour in the day, what a powerful influence it would have on the whole day! And were it duly performed during the whole life, the happy and comfortable consequences are not to be calculated. I knew the nature and utility of this duty in some measure before; but Mr Baxter’s “Saint’s Everlasting Rest” has given it a more deep and lasting impression on my heart, for which I have great cause ever to bless God. It is a bitter sweet; bitter to corrupt nature, but sweet and ravishing to the regenerate part. I entreat you, therefore, yea, charge you, with all humility and tender affection, that you spare at least half-an-hour for God every day, in the delightful exercise of heavenly contemplation, in this most precious soul-reviving, soul-ravishing, soul perfecting duty. Take this from your dear friend, as spoken in reverence, faithfulness, and filial affection.”
Having arived at the age of twenty years, he became Fellow of his College, and wrote many letters to his brothers, accompanied with his earnest prayers and tears for their spiritual benefit, who, together with many of his many acquaintances, will have cause to bless God for ever that they received his pious instructions. He spoke to them all in the language of the Apostle, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved.” Distance of place, says he, cannot dissolve the natural bond by which we are one blood; neither can it cool our affections for one another, where true love exists in the heart. I can only say for myself, that I feel the power of this amiable affection better than I can express. But love felt, and not expressed, loses much of its use and influence in our own lives and the lives of others. I am therefore anxious to make my love and regard for you all manifest in the best way I can.
Let us look on one another, not only as brethren by blood, but also as being members of the same body whereof Christ is the Head; and happy, thrice happy, will that day be, when Christ shall discover this union. Let this therefore be the object of our greatest regard, of our strongest desires, of our unceasing endeavours, to meet together in Christ; for if we be in Christ, and Christ in us, then shall we be one in each other.
You cannot complain of the want of instruction. God hath not been to us as the dry and barren wilderness. He has given us line upon line, and precept upon precept. He hath planted us by the rivers of water; and though the Lord alone giveth the increase, we are not to stand by and do nothing. The ground must be cultivated if we are to look for an abundant harvest; our corruptions must be overcome, and all our spiritual enemies discomfited before we receive the crown. These are subjects worthy of our best efforts, and our most exalted ambition. Seek them by earnest prayer and daily meditation. Keep our hearts always in a praying frame. These are not only necessary duties, but privileges, unspeakable privileges. If you can say nothing, oh! lay yourselves in the dust before the Lord. You will find more sweetness, more internal pleasure and satisfaction, in one glimpse of the love of God, than all the empty glories and grandeur the world could ever communicate. O try the experiment! O taste, taste and be satisfied how good our God is! Say unto God, let me be any thing in this world, but let me have Christ in me the hope of eternal glory; and wrestle with Him in prayer till He has in some measure satisfied your longing soul with His goodness. Oh! my brothers, how my heart works, how my bowels yearn towards you! O that ye but knew with what affection I now write you, and with what prayers and tears these lines have mingled. The Lord send these things home to your hearts, and give you grace to consider and apply them to yourselves.
Give me leave, my dear brothers, to deal plainly with you; I love you so well, that I cannot endure the thought of your souls being lost. Know, then, that there is such a thing as the new birth; and that except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. This new birth begins in a sense of sin, and proceeds with a sorrowing for sin, and with a resolution to strive against it; and at last with a hatred, an irreconcilable hatred of sin, and a love of holiness without which no man can see the Lord. Without this there can be no salvation. May the Lord deliver us from a secure heart, crying, peace, peace, while there is no peace; for unless we are brought to relinquish our own righteousness, as well as our sins, there is no hope of our salvation. We must see our absolute need of Christ, and give ourselves up to Him to be covered by His righteousness, atoned by His blood, and governed by His law. Upon our faith and repentance we are justified, and the Spirit of Christ, dwelling in us, subdues our corruptions and invigorates the new man; so that we are enabled to make progress in a life of true holiness.
It is unworthy of a Christian not to act for Christ in the face of every opposition. Be not ashamed of Christ, nor the doctrines of His Word, nor afraid of the frowns of a wicked world; but be careful always to keep a conscience void of offence, and by no means yield to any known sin. Read the Scriptures daily; these are they that testify of Christ and His salvation; and, O pray, pray without ceasing; and my greatest desire on earth is, that you may be all found in Christ, not having your own righteousness.”
Mr Janeway was a man of prayer, and some times so transported in that devout exercise, that he scarcely knew whether he was in or out of the body. His conversation was in Heaven, and the consolations of his soul, when engaged in this duty, were such, that he frequently found it difficult to leave off; and by happy experience, he could subscribe to the declaration of the wise man, “That wisdom’s ways are pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Like Jacob, when engaged in this holy exercise, he wrestled with God for the blessing, and was ever unwilling to return from his knees without some gracious manifestation of His love and favour; and his requests were heard and often remarkably answered, as appears in the following instance. His father, when on his deathbed, was deeply exercised with doubts and apprehensions as to the state of his soul; and in this perplexity of mind, disclosed his heart to his son, saying, “O son, the passing of an immortal spirit into eternity is a momentous concern. Dying is a most solemn business, oh! a fearful business, for one who has not his pardon sealed, and his evidence clear for Heaven. I am under no small apprehension respecting my own state for another world. O that God would clear up His love, that I might be enabled, with cheerful composure of spirit, to say, I can die, I can look death, with all his terrors, in the face, and venture on an invisible eternity with well-grounded peace and comfort of soul.” Mr Janeway observing the desponding spirit of his dear father, retired to wrestle with God in prayer, that He would lift upon him the light of His countenance, restore him the joy of His salvation, and the comfortable assurance of the love and pardoning mercy of his God and Saviour. On returning to the bedside of his dying father, he asked how he did; but for some time received no answer, his father being unable to speak, though he wept exceedingly. Recovering himself at last, he burst out in these expressions: “O son, now He is come, now He is come, blessed be God He is come, and now I can die. The spirit of God hath witnessed with my spirit that I am one of His children; and now I can look up to God as my father, and Christ as my Redeemer. My heart is full of consolation, it is brim full, I can hold no more. Now! now, I know what is meant by ‘the peace of God that passeth all understanding.’ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me magnify His holy Name, who hath forgiven all mine iniquities, and sealed my pardon. Blessed be God, I can now die, and my desire is to depart and be with Christ. Now, O Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. When I walk through the vale and shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. When one is dying, O how pleasant and transporting it is to behold the smiling countenance of his Redeemer. How refreshing the consideration, that, when heart and flesh, and all fail, to have God for the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever.”
In this happy frame of spirit the old man departed this shifting scene of showers and sunshine.