be thought their nature is made capable of greater glory than mans He said he was of another mind and his reason was because Angles were Servants and Saints are Children and that Christ never took upon him the nature of Angels but he took upon him the nature of Saints and by his being man he hath advanced human nature above the nature of Angels 15. By this you may perceive the greatness of his parts and the bent of his thoughts and thus he continued for several years together labouring to get more and more spiritual knowledge and to prepare for an endless life 16. He was a Child of an excellent sweet temper wonderful dutiful to his Parents ready and joyful to do what he was bid and by no means would do any thing to displease them and if they were at any time seemingly angry he would not stir from them till they were thorowly reconciled to him 17. He was not only good himself but would do what he could to make others so too especially those that were nearest to him he was very watchful over his brethren and Sisters and would not suffer them to use any unhandsome words or to do any unhandsome action but he would be putting them upon that which was Good and when he did at any time rebuke them it was not Childishly and slightly but with great gravity and seriousness as one that was not a little concerned for Gods honour and the eternal welfare of their Souls 18. He would go to his Father and Mother with great tenderness and compassion being far from telling of tales and beg of them to take more care of the Souls of his brethren and Sisters and to take heed least they should go on in a sinful Christless state and prove their sorrow and shame and go to Hell when they die and be ruined for ever 19. He was exceedingly affected with hearing of the Word of God preached and could not be satisfied except he could carry home much of the substance of what he heard to this end he quickly got to learn Short-hand and would give a very pretty account of any sermon that he heard 20. He was much engaged in secret Duty and in reading the Scriptures to be sure morning and evening he would be by himself and was no question wrestling with God 21. He would get choice Scriptures by heart and was very perfect at his Catechism 22. The Providences of God were not passed by without considerable observation by him 23. In the time of the Plague he was exceedingly concerned about his Soul and Everlasting State very much by himself upon his knees This Prayer was found written in Short-hand after his Death O Lord God and merciful Father take pitie upon me a miserable Sinner and strengthen me O Lord in thy faith and make me one of thy glorious Saints in Heaven O Lord keep me from this poisonous Infection however not my will but thy will be done O Lord on earth as it is in heaven but O Lord if thou hast appointed printed me to die by it O Lord fit me for death and give me a good heart to bear up under my afflictions O Lord God and merciful Father take pity on me thy child teach me O Lord thy Word make me strong in faith O Lord I have sinned against thee Lord pardon my sins I had been in hell long ago if it had not been for thy mercy O Lord I pray thee to keep my Parents in thy truth and save them from this Infection if it be thy will that they may live to bring me up in the truth O Lord I pray thee stay this Infection that rageth in this City and pardon their sins and try them once more and see if they will turn unto thee Save me O Lord from this Infection that I may live to praise and glorifie thy name but O Lord if thou hast appointed me to die of it fit me for death that I may die with comfort and O Lord I pray thee to help me to bear up under all afflictions for Christ his sake Amen 24. He was not a little concerned for the whole nation and begged that God would pardon the sins of the Land and bring it nearer to himself 25. About the beginning of November 1665. this sweet Child was smote with the Distemper but he carried it with admirable patience under the hand of God 26. These are some of his dying Expressions The Lord shall be my Physician for he will cure both Soul and body Heaven is the best Hospital It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good in his eyes Again it is the Lord that taketh away my health but I will say as Job did Blessed be the name of the Lord. If I should live longer I should but sin against God Looking upon his Father he said If the Lord would but lend me the least finger of his hand to lead me through the dark entry of Death I will rejoice in him 27. When a Minister came to him amongst other things he spake somewhat of life He said This is a wicked world yet it is good to live with my Parents but it is better to live in heaven 28. And hour and an half before his Death the same Minister came again to visit him and asked him John art thou not afraid to die He answered No if the Lord will but comfort me in that hour But said the Minister How canst thou expect Comfort seeing we deserve none He answered No if I had my deserts I had been in hell long ago But replied the Minister which way dost thou expect Comfort and Salvation seeing thou art a Sinner He answered In Christ alone In whom about an hour and an half after he fell asleep saying he would take a long sleep charging them that were about him not to wake him He dyed when he was twelve years three weeks and a day old Example IX Of a Child that was very eminent when she was between 5 and 6 years old with some memorable passages of her life who died about 1640. 1. ANne Lane was born of honest Parents in Colebrook in the County of Bucks who was no sooner able to speak plain and express any thing considerable of reason but she began to act as if she was sanctified from the very womb 2. She was very solicitous about her Soul what would become of it when she should die and where she should live for ever and what she should do to be saved when she was about five years old 3. She was wont to be oft ingaged in secret Prayer and pouring out of her Soul in such a manner as is rarely to be heard of from one of her years 4. I having occasion to lie at Colebrook sent for her Father an old Disciple an Israelite indeed and desired him to give me some account of his Experiences and how the Lord first wrought upon him 5. He gave me this answer that he was of a child somewhat civil
Ministers of the place to be publickly instructed and catechised 2. It pleased the Lord to bless holy education the good example of her Parents and catechising to the good of her Soul so that she soon had a true savour and relish of what she was taught and made an admirable use of it in a time of need as you shall hear afterwards 3. She was a Child of great dutifulness to her Parents and of a very sweet humble spiritual nature and not only the truth but the power and eminency of Religion did shine in her so clearly that she did not only comfort the hearts of her Parents but drew the admiration of all that were witnesses of Gods works of love upon her and may well be proposed as a pattern not only to Children but to persons of riper years 4. She continued in a course of Religious Duties for some considerable time so that her life was more excellent than most Christians but in her last sickness she excelled her self and her deportment was so admirable that partly through wonder and astonishment and partly through sorrow many observable things were past by without committing to paper which deserved to have been written in letters of gold But take these which follow as some of many which were taken from her dying lips and first published by religious and judicious Christians in Dutch afterward translated into Scotch and with a little alteration of the stile for the benefit of English Children brought into this form by me 5. In the month of August 1664. When the Pestilence raged so much in Holland this sweet Child was smitten and as soon as she felt herself very ill she was said to break forth with abundance of sense and feeling in these following words If thy Law were not my delight I should perish in my affliction 6. Her Father coming to her to encourage her in her sickness said to her be of good comfort my Child for the Lord will be near to thee and us under this heavy and sore Trial he will not forsake us though he chasten us Yea father said she our heavenly Father doth Chasten us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness no chastisement seemeth for the present to be joyous but grievous but afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby The Lord is now chastening of me upon this sick bed but I hope he will bless it so to me as to cause it to yield to me that blessed fruit according to the riches of his mercies which fail not 7. After this she spake to God with her eyes lift up to Heaven saying Be merciful to me O Father be merciful to me a sinner according to thy word 8. Then looking upon her sorrowful Parents she said It is said Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee and he will never suffer the righteous to be moved Therefore my dear father and mother cast all your care upon him who causes all things to go well that do concern you 9. Her mother said unto her O my dear child I have no small comfort from the Lord in thee and the fruit of his grace whereby thou hast been so much exercised unto godliness in reading the Word in Prayer and gracious Discourse to the edification of thy self and us The Lord himself who gave thee to us make up this loss if it be his pleasure to take thee away from us 10. Dear mother said she though I leave you and you me yet God will never leave us for it is 〈◊〉 Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands O comfortable words both for mother and children Mark dear Mother how fast the Lord keepes and holdeth his people that he doth even grave them upon the palms of his hands Though I must part with you and you with me yet blessed be God he will never part either from you or me 11. Being weary with much speaking she desired to rest a while but after a little time awaking again her father asked her how it was with her She made no direct answer but asked what day it was her father said it was the Lords day Well then said she have you given up my name to be remembred in the publick Prayers of the Church Her father told her he had I have learnt said she that the effectual fervent Prayer of the righteous availeth much 12. She had a very high esteem for the faithful Ministers of Christ and much desired their company where she was but knowing the hazards that such a visit might expose them and the Church to she would by no means suffer that the Ministers should come near her person but chose rather to throw her self upon the armes of the Lord and to improve that knowledge she had in the Word and her former experience and the visits of private Christians and those which the Church had appointed in such cases to visit and comfort the sick 13. One of those which came to visit her was of very great use to her to comfort her and lift her up in some measure above the fears of death 14. Though young she was very much concerned for the interest of God and Religion for Gospel Ministers and for the Sins and the Decay of the power of Godliness in her own Countrey which will further appear by what may follow 15. Her father coming in to her found her in an extraordinary passion of weeping and askt her what was the cause of her great sorrow She answered have I not cause to weep when I hear that Domine de Wit was taken sick this day in his Pulpit and went home very ill Is not this a sad sign of Gods displeasure to our Countrey when God smiteth such a faithful Pastor 16. She had a high valuation of God and could speak in David's language whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I can desire in comparison of thee She was much lifted up above the fears of Death what else was the meaning of such expressions as these O how do I long even as the Heart panteth after the water brooks so my soul panteth after thee O God for God the living God when shall I come and appear before God 17. She was a great hater of sin and did with much grief and self-abhorrency reflect upon it but that which lay most upon her heart was the Corruption of her Nature and Original Sin How oft would she cry out in the words of the Psalmist Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me and I was altogether born in sin She could never lay her self low enough under a sense of that Original Sin which she brought with her into the world 18. She spake many things very judiciously of the
much above the vanities of the world and took no pleasure at all in those things which usually take up the heart and time of young ones She would say that she was grieved and ashamed both for young and old to see how glad and mad they were upon vanity and how foolishly they spent their time 30. She was not forgetful of the care and love of her Master and Mistress which taught her to read and work but she desired that thanks might also be particularly given to them Indeed she thought she could never be thankful enough both to God and man for that kindness that she had experience of But again and again she desired to be sure to thank the Ministers that instructed her either by catechising or preaching 31. After some rest her Father askt her again how she did and began to express somewhat of that satisfaction and joy that he had taken in her former diligence in her reading the Scriptures and writing and her dutifulness and that great progress that she had made in the things of God upon which she humbly and sweetly desired to own God and his kindess in her godly education and said that she esteemed her holy education under such Parents and Ministers as a greater portion than ten thousand Gilders for thereby I have learned to comfort my self out of the Word of God which the World besides could never have afforded 32. Her Father perceiving her to grow very weak said I perceive Child thou art very weak It is true Sir said she I feel my weakness increaseth and I see your sorrow increasing too which is a piece of my affliction be content I pray you it is the Lord which doth it and let you and I say with David Let us fall into the Lords hands for his mercies are great 33. She laid a great charge upon her Parents not to be over-grieved for her after her death urging that of David upon them while the Child was sick he fasted and wept but when it died he washed his face and sat up and eat and said Can I bring him back again from death I shall go to him but he shall not return to me So ought you to say after my death our Child is well for we know it shall be well with them that trust in the Lord. She did lay a more particular and streight charge upon her mother saying to her dear mother who have done so much for me you must promise me one thing before I die and that is that you will not sorrow over-much for me I speak thus to you because I am afraid of your great affection consider others Losses what they have been Remember Job forget not what Christ foretold In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer in me you shall have peace and must the Apostles suffer so great tribulation and must we suffer none Did not Jesus Christ my only Life and Saviour sweat drops of blood Was he not in a bitter agony mocked spit at nailed to the Cross and a Spear thrust thorow his blessed side and all this for my sake for my stinking sins sake did not he cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Did not Christ hang naked upon the Cross to purchase for me the garments of salvation and to cloth me with his righteousness for there is Salvation in no other name 34. Being very feeble and weak she said O if I might quietly sleep in the bosome of Jesus and that till then he would strengthen me O that he would take me into his arms as he did those little ones where he said Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven and he took them into his arms and laid his hands on them and blessed them I lie here as a child O Lord I am thy Child receive me into thy gracious arms O Lord grace grace and not justice for if thou shouldest enter into judgment with me I cannot stand yea none living should be just in thy sight 35. After this she cryed out O how faint am I but fearing least she should dishearten her mother she said while there is life there is hope If it should please the Lord to recover me how careful would I be to please you in my work and learning and whatsoever you should require of me 36. After this the Lord did again send her strength and she laboured to spend it all for Christ in the awakening edifying and comforting of those that were about her but her chiefest endeavour was to support her dear Parents from extraordinary sorrow and to comfort them out of the Scriptures telling them that she knew that all things did work together for the good of them that did love God even to those which are called according to his purpose O God establish me with thy free Spirit Who shall separate us from the love of Christ I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall separate us from the love of God which is towards us in Christ Jesus our Lord. My sheep saith Christ hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish and no man shall pluck them out of my hands My Father who gave them me is greater than all and none shall pull them out of my Fathers hands Thus she seemed to attain a holy confidence in God and an assurance of her state as to another world 37. When she had a little refreshed her self with rest she burst forth with abundance of joy and gladness of heart with a holy triumph of faith saying out Death is swallowed up of victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 38. That she might the better support her friends she still insisted upon that which might take off some of their burden by urging the necessity of death We are from the earth and to the earth we must return is the mother of us all the dust shall Dust turn to dust from whence it is and the Spirit to God which gave it 39. The She discoursed of the shortness of mans life O what is the life of man the days of man upon the earth are as the grass and the flowers of the field so he flourisheth the wind passeth over it and it is no more and his place knows him no more 40. She further urged the sin and sorrow that did attend us in this life and the longer we live the more we sin now the Lord will free me from that sin and sorrow We know not the thoughts of God yet we do know so much that they are mercy