and was rich in the knowledge of the Mysteries of Christ One that the Lord did much councell and direct in all her waies and kept her in all her straights and redeemed her with great deliverances her extremity often was Gods opportunity One that was raised up and elevated in his service fulfilling all his wils Great Saints have sometimes sore assaults from Satan as she had sometimes buffetings with Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 haply least she might have been exalted above measure through the abundance of incomes Pirats set upon the richest ships and trees are most threshed that be fullest of fruit Christians high in comforts are low in acts of mortification and self-denial How often did she fast and afflict her soul before the Lord and was sensible of her failings Luke 2.37 She departed not from the Temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day In all she did she went out of her self to the strength of Christ attributing all to him 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me 1 Tim. 1.15 Sinners of whom I am chief Trees with high tops have deep roots Such serve God truly that conscienciously serve him secretly Many days of fasts and seeking God weâ—e in secret by her self Mat. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy father which seeth in secret And vers 16 17. When thou fastest be not as the hypocrites c. But so vers 18. as that thou appear not to men to fast but unto thy father which is in secret It is a happy thing to be related to them that are truly godly How did she pray for her husband and children Nature helps grace and grace acts for nature Rom. 9.2 3. I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart and I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved When we cannot serve God so well as we ought we should serve him as well as we can and not omit duties She was troubled for being so unprepared yet came to Sacraments and found God very graciously 2 Chron. 30.18 c. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary and the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah an healed the people Cant. 6.12 c. I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of Aminadab It is good to come to God in Ordinances for particular mercies She made this and that her speciall errands and the Lord vouchsafed them unto her Job 22.28 Thou shalt also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee Psal 37.4 Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Mat. 21.22 and all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive 1 Sam. 1.27 For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him God oft cometh in seasonably to them that wait upon him in Ordinances as frequently to her in hearing with suitable and seâ—sonable words Isa 30.20 21. Thine eyes shall see thy teachers and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Prov. 8.34 Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Great enjoyments of God in Ordinances should not take us from them or make us live above them but carry us the more to God in and by them Thus it was with her the more she received the more she waited upon God in them Psal 63.2 To see thy power and thy beauty as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.23 And the whole Assembly took councell to keep other seven days and they kept other seven days with gladnesse Sacraments are not only sealing but exhibiting Ordinances of more grace and comfort to believers she received much encrease from God in and by them Mat. 3.16 And Jesus when he was â—â—pâ—ized went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and lightâ—â— upon him Acts 8.39 The Euâ—â—â—â— after Baptisme went away rejoycing The bread and wine which are the signes in the Lords Supper are nourishing The incomes from God in Ordinances are very various sometimes one sometimes another sometimes more and sometimes lesse sometimes sooner sometimes later sometimes she haâ— meltings at the Sacraments sometimes resolutions to serve God against sin giving up her self to the Lord sometimes meekning of her spirit sometimes desires to come again sometimes great assurance and comforts sometimeâ— at the time sometimes afterward 1 Cor. 3.5 6. Who then is Pâ—â— â—nd who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted Apollo watered but God gâ—ve the increase Isa 56.7 I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word 2 Chron. 1.6 Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings vers 7. In that night did God appear unto Solomon When we have performed duties to the Lord we are to expect his answers She would wait for returns when she had been a seeking of him Psal 5.3 I will direct my prayer to thee and will look up Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak The Lord sometimes withdraweth from Ordinances that we should not rest in them but in himself 2 Cor. 1.9 We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but 〈◊〉 God which raised the dead This use she made thereof when she had not altogether these incomes A gracious heart is as mindful of mercys received to return praises and answerable walkings to God as to pray for mercies wanted Exod. 17.14 And the Lord said to Moses write this for a memoriall in a book Psal 103.2 Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Psal 116.12 c. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of
breaking of our loines Ezek. 21.6 One choice Jewel among the rest God has of late gathered to his Cabinet namely pious precious Mistresse Scott Concerning whom because you desired my concurrent Testimony as being one so well known to me having been a member of my Congregation for divers years together till she came to be under your charge I have this to say She was a Gentlewoman of a choice spirit of a marvelous sweet temper and disposition of an amiable winning carriage and of a truly pious and Religious conversation She was one that made Religion her businesse her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She made it her constant course vigorously to drive a Trade for heaven and to be pressing towards the mark even the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus She was not like those that Austin speaks of qui utuntur Deo ut fruantur mundo But she made use of the world but as a foot-stool to raise up her soul to the enjoyment of God as her portion for ever She was not weary of Gods service like those hypocrites that said what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1.13 but duty was her delight and sin her greatest burden The world did not make her weary of duty but duty made her weary of the world Her constant frequenting of Ordi ances wherein she was both eminent and exemplary her closest retirements wherein she saw often a glimpse of that glory which she now enjoys in the bosom of Jesus Christ made her long earnestly to be at her fathers house and to breath out her Cupio desolvi Oh that I might be with him whom my soul loveth In brief she made haste to heaven lived much in a little time holding forth the Word of life by a holy and undaunted profession holding fast the Word of Truth by a constant and undaunted Resolution and so finished her course with joy Therefore I conceive that this Text which you sweetly opened at her Funeral was rightly and suitably applied to her Many daughters have done virtuously c. This Testimony I have given not for her sake that is dead but for the sake of those that are living The dead praise not the Lord saith David Psal 115.17 Look as the dead return no praises to the living God so neither do they regard any praises from living men Our commendations cannot help them our discōmendations cannot hurt them as our prayers cannot reach them so neither can our praises profit them But happy surely are they that can tread in the Steps of those blessed Saints that have gone before us whose faith follow saith the Apostle considering the end of their conversation Heb. 13.7 If we do as they did we shall speed as they sped The Lord of his infinite mercy help us to serve our generation faithfully as this eminent godly Gentlewoman did that we may do every days duty with Christian chearfulnesse and bear every days burden with Christian patience and in the midst of all changes straites and stormes hold out with Christian perseverance that in the end of our dayes we may receive the end of our hopes even the salvation of our souls It is and shall be the hearty prayer of Your affectionate loving Friend and Brother in the Lords Work JA. NALTON Mrs. SCOTS own writings which she hath left under her own hand A Little before her death she began to write in a book her experiences of Gods goodness to her and intended to have filled it up but she was taken away before she had done many leaves of it onely she had written before divers things in some papers In the Book she beginneth and proceedeth thus SOme notes to keep speciall things in my remembrance that I may be quickned to answer Gods ends in all his gracious dealings to me to whom all his ways have been mercy and truth and I desire my ways towards him may be constrained obedience from faith and love wrought by his spirit in my heart in all things How God did effectually call me at first to himself I was born a child of wrath and an heir of hell and in my youth was very vile and vain Yet I did duties in a formal way and was very confident God did love me and of my good estate Between sixteen and seventeen I was married and about nineteen year old as I was riding it being hunting time I fell down and put my leg out of joynt which was a great misery to me but in that affliction God did work on me with some convictions and resolutions if I were well again to walk in Gods wayes afterward inquiring his Providence brought Mr. Byfields Book to me the Marrow of Divinity and in reading of it God did convince me of my abundant abominable sins I made a catalogue of them I could remember and was in much trouble for them under the spirit of bondage I think some moneths but I have forgotten how long but God made sinne very bitter to me and broke my heart for my sinne and from my sinne and I know God broke my heart because his love did it many a tear of Love did I shed in the bosom of my God When the spirit of Adoption was come to me then how did I mourn for sinning against the Lord and dishonouring of his dear Name But when I was in the pangs of the Spirit of bondage and new birth I had great troubles of Conscience and grievous pangs and after that dreadfull basphemous thoughts and fain would I have run away from God looked upon his wayes as grievous and had hard thoughts of him but yet the Lord would not let me go but carried me through that I had no power to leave seeking of him and did unhook me and brought me to keep Fasts by my self and to humble my soul before him and shewed me how vile I was in a great measure and made me confesse my sinnes with shame and sorrow Then after this he made me close with Jesus Christ in a promise and gave me full assurance that all my sins were pardoned by the bloud of Jesus Christ fully and I gave up my self in Covenant to him and by his sweet influence and shining of his face and comforts of his spirit and grace he hath made me hate the most sweet and secret sin and my hatred of all sin appears because I desire the death of it and desire to be freed from the enjoyment of the sweetest pleasure of the most secret sin that I may enjoy communion with my God whose love is farre better than life and I desire so to esteem it God hath brought me to Christ and hath made me put on his righteousnesse and hath given me to Christ and given Christ to me and I know it certainly that God did choose me from all eternity because he hath made me to give up my self to Jesus Christ for these ends that Jesus Christ gave himself for me That by believing
salvation and call upon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes unto the Lord now in the presence of all the people Thus did she note down in a Book the gracious dealings of God towards her to quicken her to thankfulness and suitable improvements to the glory of God Temptations and buffetings are not to be given way unto but opposed to conquer them Her faith she said fought with them and they were subdued under her Jam. 4.7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you Afflictions and mercies when improved bring forth much fruit in the people of God as her sicknesse and deliverances did in her Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse after-word it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with songs of deliverance Gods gracious returns of prayer to his people do much engage them in affection to him and encourage them for the future to seek more unto them O blesse the God saith she that heareth prayers and follow God for further mercies And elsewhere I desire this great experience should be food for faith Psal 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver In whom we trust that he will yet deliver us True grace is permanent and growing the motion that is naturall is perpetuall My God saith she doth give me sweet experience of the growth of grace in my soul The longer she lived the more she acted Job 17.9 The righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Revelations 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more then the first Mr. Thorowgood's Letter to Mr. Case Reverend Sir I Understand you intend to print your Sermon preached at the funeral of our most honored friend Mrs. Scot that Saint of the Lord that eminent believer of the highest form and therewith some narrative concerning her It is not onely lawfull but sometimes very expedient to shew the Coates and Garments Dorcas made whilst living especially the excellencies of great believers whose memory is blessed and which may so much conduce to the advancing of the glory of Gods free grace and the good of others for which cause no doubt the severall graces and holy actings of Gods people are left on holy record I am willing to cast my mite into the treasury Her conversion she told me was occasioned by a fall from her horse in hunting time whereby one of her legs were put out of joynt which the Lord so sanctified to her as it brought her to the serious receiving of the immortall seed of the Word thereby forming Christ in her in whom the New-birth did most evidently shine ever after O happy fall that did so exalt her before she was very vain delighting in dancing and hunting But then God brought her to hear his rod and to receive instruction and to solace her self in the joys of the spirit and to pursue the ways of holinesse thus God did not take away her comforts but changed them and gave her better in the room He did not dry up the stream but diveried it and turned it into a better channel It was not long after her conversion from nature unto grace but she was likely to be perverced from truth unto error and was much troubled about the way of Separation some of which way lived near her and got accesse to her and so was in danger of loosing on the one side much of what she had gained on the other But the gracious God out of his continuing goodnesse as she told me proviced Mr. Elmestone that old disciple a skilfull Pilot to freer her coune again to rights who can relate more concerning this particular and ever since through grace hath she sailed with a full and steady gale in the ways of truth and holinesse and hath been a fired star in the Church of God no ways moved with the ermurs and fallings of many round about her wandring on the right hand and on the left after once God had caused her eares to hear that word behind her saying This is the way walk in it she shunned their books company and discourses tending that way as taking no pleasure therein and would not tempt God by going to the meetings of such as caused division being sully perswaded of the truth and way she practised thus trees by shaking become more firmely stoted She was converted in the height of Prelacy and was of the true old Puritane and right Nonconformist's Spirit unto her dying day accounting our Churches and Ministery essentially true though wanting in circumstantials she earnestly desired and in her place fervently endeavoured a through reformation without forsaking the Assemblies and leaving the work to others but would set to her helping hand also She went on to perfection but laid not again foundations she held what was good rejecting the ill being of quick and sound understanding to discern between good and bad She would mourn with the house of Cloe for what was beyond her sphere to amend and walked very comfortably with Christ her self in the middest of the golden Candlesticks having her own garments undesiled and others unworthinesse did no way prejudice her She was a very great and constant prizer of the faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ and rejoyced not in their light for a season she knew them that were over her in the Lord and esteemed them very highly in love for their works-sake and endeavoured peace and unity with the rest She walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless never missing any when able to go and much troubled when necessarily detained by illnesse she thought not they could be too often enjoyed when she could not go in her Coach in Winter time by reason of the deepnesse of the way between Congherst and the Church she would walk on foot in all the rainy and tempestuous weather that long and tedious up and down hill way to ride she alwayes dreaded since her fall and when in London often did she go from high Holbourn to Christs-Church to the morning Sermons on the Lords dayes before the reft began and then to them afterwards Constantly did she attend Lectures and Fasts publick and privare In Summer when she was at Congherst usually there in the Countrey she had a weekly Lecture at Howkherst and the Ministers still at her house Very often did she keep in secret whole dayes of fasting and seeking God by her self in prayer and humbling and afflicting her soul before the Lord. When I was forth