CErtain it is , that man of himself without the Divine Assistance , is altogether unable to struggle with the sundry Temptations , wherewith the Tempter , strives to prevail against him , nor can it be imagined , if we neglect and slight those opportunities , wherein Life and Salvation is freely offered , but that we give the ●… oly Spirit , and as it were constrain him to withdraw himself ; and then , what creature is 〈…〉 miserable as he , who was created to partake of unconceivable felicity , the sad effects of ●… hich , has in all ages been manifested , yet not to detain the Reader longer , from the sub●… ct matter ; I shall proceed to instance , the unfortunate end , of one Mr. John Child ; who ●… ter a long indispondency of mind , laid violent hands upon himself , which may serve to ●… ter others , from giving way to the wiles , and subtil temptations of the grand Enemy of ●… ankind , the impartial account of which , take as followeth .

In Brick-lane in the Hamlet of Spittle-fields , lived one Mr. John Child by trade a Slopsel●… r , having formerly kept the same trade near Ratcliffe-cross , being then a Man of some e●… inency , especially amongst the Anabaptists , of whose Congregation he professed himself 〈…〉 Member , often holding forth in their publick Assemblies , contending strongly against such 〈…〉 opposed their Tenents , having been highly concerned in many disputes , especia●ly a●… ainst the deluded People called Quakers , and a great assertor of the power and prevalency , 〈…〉 the misimployed Excommunication used amongst them : But whether falling under their ●… nsure , or the frowns of the World occasioned it ; certain it is , that for some years past , 〈…〉 appeared much dejected , still giving way to the tempter to prevail against him , by neg●… cting or rejecting the saving advice given him , by such of his Neighbours , and others that ●… ame to visit him ; whose importunities could not rest from him the cause of his disorder , but he ●… stead of applying himself to sacred matters , whereby to attain that grace , which might be sufficient for him , grew careless of himself , as also of his imployment , seldom appearing abroad , and as much as he could shunning the conversation of Mankind , delighting in his melancholly recess , nor could the tears and intreaties of his Wife and Children , oblige him to alter his purpose , who importuned him to be sociable , and strive for mirth by frequenting the Company of his Neighbours , to banish those heavy thoughts , that clogged and oppressed his mind , but his answers were for the most part in sighs and groans , thereby expressing the disorder of his mind , and the war within him ; whereupon several Persons prayed by him , intreating the God of mercies not to withdraw the light of his countenance from him , nor press him under the weight of his heavy displeasure , but that he out of his Infinite mercy , would give him power to prevail against his temptations , that had insnared him , and that Satan might not have dominion over him , but he seemed little affected , whilst these , and other the like supplications were put up to Almighty God for him , but rather inclined to intimate , that he despaired of recovery from his desperate state , and still growing worse , he fell as it were into a kind of a distraction , many extravagant expressions frequently coming from him , and his Wife fearing by the wildness of his looks , that he being wearied out with the heavy sense of his misery , would lay violent hands upon himself ; she watched him as narrowly as possible , hiding or conveying out of the House all mischievous instruments , sending for sundry Ministers to pray with him , who willingly and our of a Christian charity came , putting up their Prayers to Almighty God on his behalf , and then expostulated with him , telling him , that Gods mercy is above all the works of his Creation , and that though our sins are as Scarlet , yet he can make us as white as Snow , intreating him to consider , that Christ dyed for sinners , and that he freely offered the Water of Life without price or money , inviting all that were weary and heavy laden , to come unto him and he would give them rest , and that God had declared , that he delighted not in the death of a sinner , but rather that he would rep●●● and live , that if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father , even Jesus Christ the righteous , and he is the propitiati●n f●r the remission of sins , that it was not yet too late to lay hold of his mercy by faith , for he that came into the Vineyard at the Eleventh hour , had equal wages with the first , that the Thief on the Cross , who had past doubt been a sinner all his life long , upon his sincere repentance , was received into mercies and favour , that Peter who denyed his Lord in his greatest extremity , had upon his unfeigned repentance his pardon , and remission of his sins , that God will not lay upon us more than we are able to bear , if we trust in him for that , his grace is sufficient for us , that he never leaves nor forsakes us , till we leave him , by grieving his Holy Spirit . To these and many the like saving promises and offers of life and salvation , freely tendered in the Gospel , he made little answer to the purpose , but rather expressed his case to be desperate , and himself not inclinable to pray or beg for mercy , or at least not to do it sincerely as he ought , whereupon after divers Prayers put up for him , that God out of his infinite mercy , would take compassion on him , and not suffer the Tempter to prevail against him , but that he might be rescued from the jaws of ruine , and remain as a living Monument of his Fatherly compassion , towards the disobedient Sons of Men , who had slighted his grace , and cast his mercies behind their backs . The Ministers left him , desiring his Wife to be careful of him , least he should mischief himself , but notwithstanding her utmost diligence he attempted soon after to Strangle himself , having for that purpose gotten the Rope on his Neck , and about to fasten it to a hook , but by her care was timely prevented upon which he expressed great dissatisfaction saying , his burthen was so grievous that his Soul chose strangling rather than life , which rash expression , drew a Flood of tears from the Eyes of his disconsolate Wife , who with a bleeding heart , begged on him that if not for her nor his own sake , yet for the sake of his poor helpless Children , he would live and strive to resist the Temptation of the Devil , telling him , that he only pressed upon such as gave way to his Temptations , still slying from those that resisted him , and thereupon she brought his Children about him , being four in number , who joyning with her in tears , somewhat moved him to relent , insomuch , that after divers groans , tears were observed to fall from his Eyes , yet he not seeking by a sincere repentance , as by the sequal may probably be conjectured , he found the disorder of his mind little abated , still expressing himself more desirous to dye than to live , talking often to himself , and expressing his anguish in abrupt murmurs , saying , that no creature was so m●serable as himself , since he was fallen under the sense of God's heavy displeasure , refusing sometimes to eat or drink for a considerable time , and now his sad condition being spread abroad , divers from distant places came to visit him , to try if peradventure their charitable and pious admonitions could work upon him : The Ministers who often visited him , earnestly labouring therein , till in the end they had some hopes of his recovery he appearing , more moderate and rational in his answers , praying though with some abrupt stammerings , yet they no sooner left him , but he again found himself oppressed with wounding thoughts , and made it from that time his study , how he might destroy himself , till at last , his Wife wearied with continual Watchings , and his servant and Children absent , he whilst she slept stole out of the Room , and going down stairs fastened a small cord to hook or staple on the Celler stair-case , and there strangled himself ; committing that violence on the 13th of October 1684. about 7 or 8 in the Evening : The Wife waking and missing him , run about the House in search of him , and soon found to be unspeakable grief , what his unhappy hands had done , whereat shrieking aloud , some of the Neighbours came in , and cut him down , endeavouring to bring him to life , but in vain , for although it appeared to most impossible , how he could at all , or at least so soon dispatch himself , by reason of the lowness of the place , yet they found him quite dead , whereupon his Wife through grief , and out of a sence , that by her drousiness , he had miscarried , fell into a distraction , under which she yet labours , and from which God of his infinite mercy deliver her .

On the 15th instant the Coroner sat upon the Corps , after and much inquiry , found that through disorder of mind , he had layed violent hands upon himself .