according to their worth but the precious sons of Sion yet esteemed as earthen pitchers where they have been hated and hooted at Behold I and the children whom thou hast given me are for signes and wonders Esa 8.18 they shall go now where they are known honour'd priz'd shining forth in the glory of their Father As a Kings Son and Heir to a Crown travelling in a strange countrey under a disguise no more set by then an ordinary man but coming home to his Fathers Court there he is honoured why thus will it fare with the Saints if once death be sent for them and in that respect gain by dying in reference to the place they change for And lastly they change a valley of tears and waters of Marah for a place that knowes not what a tear means how often is it the voice of a Saint while be lives here my tears have been my meat day and night you know what the Psalmist sayes Psal 126.5 They that sow in tears c. and he that goeth forth weeping intimating that our seed time is very watery what is this world but a Bochim a place of weeping to have a gracious heart and not wet cheeks are almost inconsistent so many occasions of weeping meet the Saints withall that they can't long keep dry eyes tears for offending God tears for present and frequent losses of their beloved tears for the sins of others whereby God is dishonoured Rivers of tears gush out of mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Psal 119.136 tears for the sufferings and oppressions of the Church and people of God By the waters of Babylon we sate down and wept when wee remembred Sion Psal 137.1 Some occasion or other still furnishing them with matter of new and fresh sorrows yea but now comes death and that carryes them from this weeping countrey and sets them in a place where tears and sorrows are not known Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe away all tears there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain Oh what a change is here And thus you see that in all these particulars believers gain by dying in the change of their place Then secondly as they better themselves by dying in respect of the place so also in respect of their estate and condition in this respect also Death makes them great gainers and this I shall hold out unto you in these five particulars They change labour and travel for rest and peace what is a mans life while here but labour sorrow and sweat All things are full of labour Eccles 1.8 God sent no man hither to be idle this life is for working if he will have his hands full though but of earth it shall be with travel and vexation of spirit Eccles 4.6 Yea sore travel hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith Eccles 1.13 wouldst thou have blessings temporal or wouldst thou have blessings spiritual neither will come with sitting still the man in pursuite of the former he is up early a bed late and eats the bread of carefulness and the Christian that pursues the latter he carryes them not with a few yawning wishing no he must digg and delve for these too if thou cryest after knowledge If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures Prov. 2.3 4. Would he have salvation Phil. 2.12 Luke 13.24 2 Pet. 1.10 Luke 12.19 Matth. 8.11 he must work for it work out your salvation strive to enter in at the strait gate give diligence to make your calling and election sure what blessings soever you look at t is the diligent hand that maketh rich and while life lasteth mans labour and travel will not end to be sure not the Saints whoever take their ease they must not their work is too great to sit down and sing the fools requiem Soul take thyne ease Yea but now death finishes all their labour and travel and puts them to rest though they could not have a sitting time on earth yet now they shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of God Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord they rest from their labours and Heb. 4.4 there remains a rest for the people of God though they have it not here they shall have it it remains for them what ever travel or trouble awaites their life their end is peace Psal 37.37 Mark the upright man behold the just the end of that man is peace if once death comes then they rest bodies rest and souls rest bodyes rest Isa 57.2 They enter into peace and rest in their beds yea and souls rest too if Abrahams bosome be a resting place Well that 's the first thing I think you 'l call this a gain by dying their condition is much bettered from labour and travel to rest and peace but then They change corruption and mortality for incorruption and immortality Heb. 2.15 1 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality while here they are alwayes in fear of death which is a bondage as the Apostle calls it at least in expectation of it yea but then mortality shall be swallowed up of life and no more dying fears 1 Cor. 15.54 When this corruption shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass that saying which is written death is swallowed up in victory while here what crazy bodyes do we carry about us alwayes a dying and drawing on yea but when we come above they shall have impotentiam moriendi be under an impossibility of dying though as the learned observe not absolutam naturalem for so God only immortal he only hath an absolute and natural impossibility of dying but ex gratia doni by the free gift and good pleasure of God our bodies put under an impossibility of dying any more and in this respect better with us then it should have been had we stood with Adam in his innocency for then our bodyes had had only (a) Potâ—ntiam non moriendi er Hypoth si a conditional power of not dying but now a certain impossibility of dying any more Now will not our estate be much bettered till we have once got this dying work over we have cause every moment and in every corner where we come to look for him bed and board at home and abroad nescis quo loco c. (b) Nâ—scis quo loco mors te expectat 90 omni locuto mortem expectes thou knowest not where death will look for thee therefore every where look thou for it sometimes its approach is so suddain that the same day yea hour finds thee in the ruff and leaves a cold and breathless carcass (c) Quem dies vidit veniens superbum hunc dies vidit fugienâ— jatentem this same death watching us every where t is our trouble but when once
but this as you would not have your Sun set in a Cloud I mean Dye uncheerfully for your selves as you would not sadden the hearts of your surviving Godly friends as you would not bring up an evil report upon the Protestant Faith which you profess which teacheth Christians that assurance of Salvation may be had as you would not open the mouths of the wicked to cast dirt upon holyness when they see the professours of it go to death with Reluctancies as you would prevent all this make Religion your great business that so when your dying hours come your Souls may be full of sweet peace and comfort live as strangers in this world and persons belonging to another that you may be willing and ready to remove and go home when God shall send for you which that you may be shall be the earnest Desire and Prayer of him who is Your Soul Friend and Servant in CHRIST Chr. Scott From My Study in Milton Hamlet this 3d January 1672. Philippians 1.21 Latter part of the Verse And to dye gain The whole verse runs thus For me to live is Christ and to dye gain THe Particle causal for which stands in the front of the verse bids us to look back to something that went before to make the sense perfect and some Expositors lead us a good way back for the cohaerence of the words But I shall not go any farther then the words immediately preceding wherein the Apostle had declared his willingness either for life or death so Christ might in either be glorified by him And now as a reason of that profession or resolution he comes in with these words For me to live is Christ and to dye gain In the whole Verse observe these two parts 1. The Christians duty in these words To me to live is Christ. 2. The Christians priveledge in the last words and to dye gain Or thus 1. Here is the believers aim and scope while he lives and that is Christ either 1. The glory of Christ or 2. The enjoyment of Christ. 2. It is blessedness when he dyes he that liveth with Christ or unto Christ while he lived he can't be a loser when he dyes many have lost for Christ but never any lost by Christ no sooner or later living or dying Christ will make up all his losses to such a one to dye is gain Or yet again if you please I shall resolve the words into three general parts thus and there rest 1. You have a great and gracious priveledge and that is gain by dying t is not the lott of all to have death an advantage and therefore I call it a priveledge and a great one 2 You have the Apostles confidence of it in particular to himself in this particle me to me to dye is gain as he sayes 2 Tim. 4.8 there is layd up for me a Crown so to me to dye is gain it would be little advantage to know that others shall gain by dying except I can affirm it of my self to me to dye is gain 3. You have this probation as I may so call it of his right to this priveledge that it was not a thread-bare hope as the confidence of most is in these words to me to live is Christ and if to me to live be Christ then to me to dye must be gain to me to live is Christ and to dye gain There is nothing of difficulty in the words only I confess I meet with various readings of them amongst Expositers though no very great or material difference as for example Beza reads the words thus Mihi enim est Christus in vita in morte lucrum Christ is to me gain both in life and in death and sayes that as in the former words v. 20. so in these which are a reason of them Christ is the (a) Christus est utriusque membri subjectum subject of each part and gain the praedicate thus Christ is my gain in life and Christ is my gain in death Gualt to the same purpose to me in life and death Christ is gain that is sayes he (b) Haec est vita mea si Christum videam glorificari c. this is my life If I may but see Christ glorified whether I live or whether I dye Tremellius reads the words thus (d) Vita mea Christus si moriar lucrum est mihi Christ is my life and if I dye my gain Piscator reads it wholly according to the vulgar Translation the words saies he are ratio distributionis propositae a reason of the distribution foregoing and that is plain by the particle causal for and saies 't is as if the Apostle had said Christ shall be glorified in my body if I live for to me to live is Christ that is all the actions of my life and sufferings of it too do and shall tend to his glory but if otherwise that I dye and be killed for his sake even my death also shall not only redound to his glory but to my own gain and advantage Zanch. his gloss the same with this in effect which reading soever you follow the doctrine that I shall lay down will naturally flow from the Text. I intend onely to speak to the latter part of the verse namely to these words and to dye gain and there are two points that I might commend unto you from the same the first more general which is this Doctr. 1 Even those that are most dear to Christ must yet dye a natural death good or bad if sons of Adams the Statutum est is gone forth they cannot be exempted 't is appointed to man once to dye Man that is every man indefinite propositions are aequivolent to universal 't is true in respect of deaths consequences the Saints have advantage of the wicked as I hope to your comfort and their awakening to make good but in respect of deaths passage they are equally sharers Eccles 2.16 how dyeth the wise man even as the fool But that is not the point intended again 2dly the Doctrine I intend is this Doct. 2 All those that belong to Christ they gain by dying all such to whom to live is Christ to them to dye shall be gain if you please take it thus Doctr. The Saints of God whenever or however they dye they still change for the better they gain by their change those that have made Christ their aim the glory of Christ living to him the enjoyment of Christ he living in them to all these death shall be a gain Believers gain by dying that 's the point I have to make good How full are the Scriptures of pertinent testimonies for the asserting of this comfortable truth Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth How perisheth God forbid their is terrour in that expression the words following are a correction a sweetning of that seemingly bitter expression t is a good perishing they are taken away from the evil to come enter into peace rest
in their beds c. so 2. Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved if it be does the Apostle make a Scruple of that no for down it must nothing more certain but if it be that is when it shall be dissolved what then we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens these mud-wall houses whose foundation is in the dust which we keep such a do to patch up and all our patching will not long serve neither they must they will down well and let them down we shall get by it our dwelling will be well mended we shall have a beter house c. Hence Eccles 7.1 the day of death is better then the day of birth The one the out-let from the other the inlet to a world of little ease less comfort St. Paul knew there was good by dying else so wise a man would never have desired it I desire to be dissolved And saies one upon the place A good man (a) Vitam in patientia mortem in desiderio hath life in patience but death in desire well pleased to live but better pleased to dye Surely were there not some advantage to be made by dying it would not be matter of choice and option But for the prosecuting this point I shall do but these two things 1. Shew in what respects beleivers gain by the change of death And 2. Apply it for our own advantage present and future For the first thing and that is to shew in what respects beleivers gain by this change of death and this I shall hold out unto you but in these three particulars 1. In the change of their place 2. In the change of their estate 3. In the change of their company Look upon them in any or all these respects and death makes the Saints of Christ great gainers First they gain in the change of their place and this I shall hold out unto you in these four things First they change Earth for Heaven is not that a gain John 17.26 Father I will that they whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory You know where Christ is he is in Heaven Acts 3.21 why then dying they must be there too for they must be where he is he told his Disciples when he left them he went but to prepare a place for them in those mansions in his Fathers house and when he had done that he would come again and receive them to himself that where he was they might be also John 14.2.3 Now what a change is here is not this gain beloved only here is the mischief we know what Earth is we don't yet know what Heaven is as St. John sayes it does not yet appear what we shall be 1 John 3.2 otherwise I am perswaded we would not care how soon death did us that happy and good turn but so long as we live here on earth look as it fared with Christ's Disciples when they stood looking upon their Lords ascending Acts 1.9 While they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight there was a cloud that parted him above and them below so there are clouds between our heaven and us we can't see into it and therefore know not how good 't is being in it all we can get sight of it but a few glimpses and sparklings and that but now and then of that Royal City if the Coelestial excellencies and surpassing joyes of that glorious bliss and blissful glory Matt. 7.14 were but apparent we should quickly cry as Peter in the transfiguration oh good being there come death if thy gain be such even when thou wilt that 's the first thing they change Earth for Heaven place well amended They change a bloody field for a place of triumph what is this life but a continual combate this world but a place of blood wars and rumours of wars are the dayly tidings of the poor christian scarrs and wounds the frequent badges of christianity look into the Scriptures and you frequently read of warring fighting striving christians resembled to souldiers and bid alwayes to go harnest will you see a few expressions to this purpose 1 Tim. 1.18 I charge thee Son Timothy that thou war a good warfare 2 Tim. 2.3 Endure hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith yea as if they were never to be out of the field so long as here they are bidden Eph. 6.12.13 14. To put on the whole armour of God and with their loyns girt c. T is true wicked men they know not what a conflict means what a conflict with the world means they are of the world Joh. 15.19 and therfore the world loves its own what a conflict with Satan means they are his John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and though I cannot say he loves them yet he is quiet with them so long as he keeps the house rules the roast all is peace Luke 11.21 what a conflict with their lusts means their lusts and they are agreed what a war between flesh and spirit means they consist but of a single principle yea but God's people can't be thus quiet no the world is to them a right warfar but now comes death and that puts an end to all these bloody battles takes them away from this bloody field and whither but to a place of triumph see 2 Tim. 4.7.8 I have fought my fight I have finisht my course and henceforth is laid up for me a crown no more fights now c. And that 's a second peice of their gain in reference to the place this is a good change a feild of blood for a place of triumph They change a place of banishment for their own countrey a place where they are but strangers and pilgrims for their fathers house I am a sojourner and stranger before thee as all my fathers were sayes the Prophet speaking of this life t is true Psal 39.12 they have a countrey of their own where they have a rich and glorious inheritance there is a kingdome they belong to but it s above no sight of it but what the eye of faith gives them 2 Cor. 5.7 we walk by faith and not by sight in my fathers house are many Mansions yea but they are held from them hid from them for the present the saints here are far from home from their countrey their friends kindred and alliance they are above but now comes death and that carryes them home into their countrey to their fathers house that inheritance of the Saints in light Coll. 1.12 while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord but now they shall go home to their Father from a strange countrey where they have met with nothing but injuries and oppressions where they have been neither known nor valued
Crowns put on shall be cloathed with their Robes have their palms in their hands and be set upon their Thrones and seats Royal Matth. 19.28 Christ told them before Ye that have walked with me in regeneration shall sit upon Thrones and now will make good his word to them therefore there inheritance is called a Kingdome Luk. 12.32 Yea a glorious kingdome a kingdome incorruptible that fadeth not away now 't is come it was long since prepared for them and now they being prepared for it shall have it Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father receive the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world oh little thought the world when time was what honour awaited this poor despised handful yea but now to the grief of their hearts and gnashing their teeth they shall see to what honour God designed them their life was hid before though Kings children yet they were in their nonage oh with what a scornful eye did the worldly gallant look upon a poor Saint too low companions for his worship yea but now death comes and the Saint hath the better of him he is for higher company than ever he was the King of Kings admits him to himself and to a participation of that glory in comparison of which the highest earthly honour was but a Glow-worms shine where Angels and crowned persons are his everlasting associates himself crowned with the same glory and that 's a second peice of their gain by death in respect of their company but then And Lastly in the loss of friends themselves yea their dearest and best beloved they gain yet dearer and more desirable 't is true they are dear friends and dear relations that death deprives them of rending the wife from the tender embraces of her beloved husband in comparison of whose society all other worldly friends are not esteemed rending the husband from the bosome of the wife the flower and crown of all her earthly delights and sublunary contentments rending the children from the parents bosomes who would if God had so pleased redeemed their lives though with the loss of their own 2 Sam. 18.33 O Absalom Absalom would God I had dyed for thee my son my son Absalom and how much more piercing the loss of children gracious were it not for the hopes of the one above the other these are huge and sore losses Iob stood under the reports of a lost estate pretty couragiously but when this messenger of death came Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking in their elder brothers house and the house is fallen upon them and the young men are dead them Iob arose and rent his mantle cap. 1.10 Yea but yet even here the Saint by death becomes a gainer for it carryes them to friends far better and dearer to God their best friend and father to Jesus Christ like whom is no beloved 1 Thess 4.17 We shall be ever with the Lord comfort one another with these words it was the saying of one Carpenter a Martyr My wife and children are so dear to me that all the riches of the greatest Duke could not buy them from me but for the love of my Lord I willingly forsake them all and holy Bernard was wont to say Lord Jesus I love thee plus quam mea plus quam meos plusquam me more than all my goods and possessions more than all my friends and relations more than my self to this love loving and beloved friend death carryes them I hope you will not think they leave any so desirable behind them It was a most brave speech of Socrates when his friend Crito perswaded him Vt si vitam suam c. (a) Ut si vitam suam ipso negligeret liberis tamen parvulis amicis ab ipso pendentibus servaret incolumem Liberi illi qui mihi eos dedit curae sunt amicos hic discedens inveniam aut vobis similes aut meliores nec vestra societate diu cariturus that if he did not regard his life for his own sake yet for his childrens sake and the sake of his friends that depended on him he should do what he could to preserve it to whom he made this worthy answer As for my children he takes care of them who gave them me and as for my friends when I am gone hence I shall find friends either such as you are or better and however I do look not to be long without your company too you will shortly follow me he was an Heathen but I am sure his speech sounds most Christian does the dying Saint lose dear friends it is their loss but not his he is going to dearer and that 's the third thing wherein in point of the company he is a gainer by dying And thus I hope I have cleared my Doctrine and made it good that Gods people gain by dying They gain by the change of their place They gain by the change of their estate and condition They gain by the change of their company We come now to see what improvement we can make of this comfortable truth to our own benefit and advantage and the uses shall be these Vse 1 First learn hence the great difference between the death of Gods people and the deaths of wicked and prophane wretches there is not the thousandth part so much difference in point of desirableness between the seeming excellencies and flourishing pompe of the worlds greatest darlings and the low sad afflicted weather-beaten estate of Gods poor Saints in reference to their lives as there is reall difference in their deaths and latter ends we say death is a gain to the Saints yea but non sic impiis not so to the wicked to them no let them try if death will advantage them you make a gain by dying yes dye and try death to the Saints t is a rest and refreshing but to these as one sayes well 't is like the distracted slumber of a condemned person who anticipates his next mornings execution in a frightful dream The Saints may say to death as David to Ahimaaz come in thou bringest good tidings but the wicked may say to him as Ahab to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy beloved by the rule of contraryes if there be gain in the death of the righteous then there is loss in the death of the wicked and poor hearts there is indeed Shall I shew you in a few particulars what loss there is in the death of the wicked man why thus then First he loseth all the hopes that ever he had and in the room of them succeeds black despair we cannot deny but there is a vain hope in wicked men of happiness a foolish hope that it shall go well with them hereafter how ever they live here we would fain beat them from it but we cannot we tell them 't is a good believing hope t is a holiness reproaching hope 't is an Heaven debasing hope t is a Devil pleasing
into his mind that within an hundred years not one of that goodly Company would be found alive to whom he answered thus I would quoth he that were the worst for we endure more sorrow by retaining life neither is there any one of these or of all men living besides so happy upon Earth that he does not often cast in his mind how much more pleasure there is in dying then there is in living I am sure the Saints of God may truly say so dost weep to think of death I tell thee my friend thou wilt get more by dying then ever thou shall get by living I have read of Trophonius and Agamedes (a) Venerantes Deum petieâ—unt mercedem operis laboris sui nihil certi sed quod ess toptinum homini who having built a Temple to Apollo as they were worshipping god in the same they beg'd a reward of their labour and pains and they would not ask any certain or particular good thing but only asked quod optimum esset homini that which should be best for man and sayes the Author presently upon the request mortui sunt reperti they were both found dead beloved for Gods Saints it were the greatest good indeed I desire sayes the Apostle to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multo magis melius much more better or best of bests Phill. 1.23 and that 's the first branch of your comfort namely against your own death 2. Then Secondly here is matter of comfort and support against the loss of your godly relations 't is true 't is hard to flesh and blood to part with near and dear relations and not to express immoderate sorrow truly but that we are inconsiderate at such a time if we would set their gain against our loss it would be matter of great support I am not against the sending our gracious friends to the graves with tears and grief next to tears for Gods dishonour and the Churches sufferings I know no better use tears can be put to then to lament the departures hence of good men and good women to let the world know its great loss by their removal wither related to us or not and if nature somewhat exceed for relation sake I think it either no offence or very pardonable I plead not against our sorrowing but excess of it as (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturales irrreprehensibiles Turbari lonum est sed non perturbari i. e. nimiopere turbari Maerori succumubere animum despondere one sayes these passions of grief and sorrow they are natural and unreproveable but when they break their bounds and become inordinate then sinful therefore Bernard distinguisheth between turbationem perturbationem 't is good sayes he to be troubled but not over-troubled when we give way to the excessive breaking out of those passions sitting down and sinking in our sorrowes and leâ—ting our greifs so swallow us up that with Rachel we refuse to be comforted this I condemn and would strengthen you against I pray thee friend what is the cause of those thy excessive greifs at the departure of thy gracious friends is it thy own loss or their loss thy own be quiet man he that took away one might have taken away more nay all had he pleased is it their loss nay there thou art mistaken they have lost nothing but every way gained Oh could our dead husbands dead wives dead Parents dead friends I mean dead in Christ that have changed a poor earthly Tabernacle for a Princely Pallace Sorrows for Joyes Earth for Heaven Travel for Rest behold us here lying in tears for them they would say to us as sometimes Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem weep not for us but for your selves we are well never so well nay till now never well oh the gain that the Saints have by death may bear up the spirits of their dearest friends at their parting with them that 's a second branch of comfort 3. And lastly here is comfort against all deaths Harbingers your Crosses Afflictions Persecutions and tryals that on this side Heaven you meet withall all changes and chances all troubles and losses wherewith this life is laden from the womb to the tomb from the Cradle to the Grave man is born to trouble as the sparks flye upward and if the Saints should scape them that were strange indeed I hope while you live in your enemies countrey you do not expect it but be of good chear none of them all can harm thee how prove you that Sir why thus if the King of terrours cannot harm thee none of his petty underlings shall do it if death be thy gain these shall not be thy loss run therefore your race though afflicted with hope and patience thou mayest say of the worst of troubles or troublers as he of that Tyrant He may kill me but he cannot hurt me It was a bâ—ave speech of Damindas when some told him now Phillip was broke into their Country they were afraid of suffering grievious things (b) O Semi vir inquit quid nobis poterit acerbe accidere qui mortem contemnimus O you half spirited men what need we fear suffering who have learned to despise even death it self why so here death shall be your advantage therefore none of these shall be your prejudice that 's a third Use then Vse 4 4. Fourthly and lastly I have only a word of Exhortation and Councell wherewith I wil shut up all that 's too fold 1. To all that hear me and my Councell to you is as ever you expect to have death do you a kindness so look you be found of this Saints number of this same poor scorned company of Saints believe it those be they that can hold up their heads in death when others have cause to tremble and look ruefully these be they shall get by death when others shall loose all and whatever your opinion of them be now you 'l wish to be of them one day I know not that ever I met with that man that would not have dyed a Saint though he lived a very Devil then with Baalam Oh that my Soul might dye the death of the Righteous and my last end be like His but don't cozen your selves holiness in Life hope in Death and happiness of death follow each other If not of this number as sure as the Lord lives death will not pleasure you but ruine you That 's the first 2. To the Saints themselves and my councell is that you would endeavour after a full assurance that your death shall be thus benefiâ—â—â—â— to you to know in your selves as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10.34 not only by Guess Conjecture or Hear-say but be able to say as the Apostle here to me to dye is gain without which you 'l never be able to dye like your selves but timerously and doubtfully which though we cannot say but may be sometime the case of
heart I am sure in the unblame ableness of life she was an Israelitess indeed in whom was no guil one of the ornaments of her Sex well reported of by all yea of the truth it self free from the crimes of sinful Age Non sine peccato sed sine querela I say not without sin but without complaint and no marvel for she set the Lord alwayes before her therrfore she did not fall the grace of God that appeared to her wrought so effectually in her that it taught her and inabled her to deny all ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and Godly in this present evil World 10. Shall I leave her in this respect and speak of her as a Wife she was her husbands Crown Prov. 12.4 A vertuous woman is the crown of her Husband a rich Portion of the Lords own bestowing Prov. 19.14 House and riches are the Inheritance of Faâ—hers but a prudent Wife is of the Lord. She was one of Salomons wives mentioned Prov. 31.11 12. One that the heart of her Husband might safely trust in so that he shall have no need of spoyl She will do him good and not evil all the dayes of her life Oh the teares she shed for him while absent beyond the Seas and the many prayers she put up for his prosperous and safe return besides her earnest desires to her Friends that in their Prayers they would still remember her dear Husband Her desire was exceeding great in this her last sickness if the Will of God might be so that she might live but till his return once more to see him and speak with him but God was pleased to deny her as he did his Servant Moses going over into the land of Canaan though both to their great gain taking him up to the land of Canaan above instead of that below and her to a far dearer husband and head namely Christ Jesus where this beloved Disciple now resteth in the bosome of her best love as I nothing question 11. Shall I mention her as a Mother how tender and affectionate a parent winning by love not ruling by rigor indeed she had but one Child of her own a young Daughter and was Mother in Law to one more of her last dear husbands who I dare to say will ever testify that she had not a mother in Law of a Mother in Law but an indulgent affectionate kind and endearing mother indeed and if she had travailed in pain of her she would not have been more willing to travail in pain for her in what had lain in her power to have done her good 12. Shall I mention her as a kinswoman friend sister relation those dear and mutual kindnesses that I have both seen and heard of between her and you her dear relations and that great love between you tells me that I shall but revive your gre fs Peradventure add to them which I am loath to do and therefore will make an end and set your patience at liberty which I should think and fear I had greatly tyred but only for your great love that I am perswaded you all bear to the memory of your choice and dear friend 13. For her death I can say little and therefore will say nothing she removed from us to the City where I had not the happiness of being one of her visitants but I question not but she whose life had been so exemplary could not but finish that well spent life as comfortably To conclude therefore I have read of Apelles that he was used to say that to draw the compleat picture of a beautyful woman he must take one part from one another from another a third from a third c. and put them altogether methinks this Christian Gentlewoman had followed this course in vertues and spiritual excellencies one Christian excels in one vertue another in another but I scarce know any one necessary thing that tended to make up a compleat Christian but in some measure it was in her Well she is gone we following and in the prime of her dayes and flower of her years she is sent for hence but the loss ours not hers Life is compared to a Comedy (a) Ut fabula sic vita non quam dâ—u sâ—d quaâ— ben abbâ— râ—fert no matter how short if well acted which how hers was you have heard I know her loss is much lamented by all neighbours that knew her more by all her friends that knew her better and most of all by her dear relations that enjoyed her but shew your selves Christians that are nearlyest concerned bearing Gods hand as quietly and patiently in her death as she bare it in her life Your loss is great confest but her gain greater nay you have not lost her praemaâ—stis no amisistis she is but stept before not lost you 'l see her again them that sleep in Jesus God will bring with him 1 Thess 4.14 Follow you her example make ready Let your loynes be girt your lights burning and be your selves like them that wait for their Lord when he returnes from the Wedding that when he comes and knocks you may open to him Luke 12.35 36. And then you 'l see her again see your wife again your sister again your friend and kinswoman again yea where all sorrow and mourning shall fly away and everlasting joy shall be upon all your heads Where youth shall never wax old where your life shall fear no ending where there shall be no more sickness to wast and make pale no more death to seperate dear friends no more greif felt no more signs heard as Aust most sweetly (a) Ubi juveâ—tus nunquam sen sâ—it ubi vita terminum nescit ubi amor nunquam tep scit ubi sâ—nitas nunquam marcescit ubi gaudium nuâ—quam decrescit ubi dolor nunquâ—m sâ—ntitur ubi genitus nunquam audi ur c. c. For the which place and time the Lord in Mercy fit and prepa o us All and unto which in his due time bring us as our Hope is he hath done this our dear Sister Amen Amen FINIS