that should light upon her Children by the Stomachfulness that was in Rachel Jer. 31. 15. Weeping for her Children she would not be comforted Men have no Ear to hearken to what may be said for God and therefore are resolved to hold the Bitterness of their own Thoughts This stubborn Pettishness and wilful Grief may be sometimes in God's own Chosen it was in Iacob Gen. 37. 35. He refused to be comforted for he said I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning I will it was a stomached wilful Grief Christians by a perverse peevish justifying of their Passions they say of their Sorrows as Ionah did of his Anger Ionah 4. 9. I do well to be angry When Men take it for granted they do well in it they resolve then to shut their Ears against whatever might appease and quiet their Thoughts 3. Such as are impatient and discontented as if God had not dealt wisely or worthily with them When a full Vessel is shaken the Water will plash over And when there is such a Tumult in the Heart unseemly Expressions will drop from us as if God should not have dealt thus with us as to take away these Comforts in which were all our Solace the Staff and the Stay of the Family We that are Neighbours are apt very often in Discontent to say What a serviceable and useful Person hath God taken away and so many bad ones left as if God had not made a right choice Foolish Man would be accounted wiser than God But if a Man were well skilled in God's Attributes he would never murmur especially if he did but consider this cometh from a Wise God The Cause of all the Disorder in the Heart is the want of fearing God's Name we are not skilled in his Attributes Alphonsus blasphemously said Si in principio mundi ipse Deo adfuisset multa melius ornatiusque condenda essent things should have been ordered better if he had been of God's Council Many of you do not utter such Expressions but yet too often conceive such Thoughts in your Hearts you will not think so ay but what mean the bleating of the Sheep and the lowing of the Oxen such Expressions as these O! would to God I had died first as David 2 Sam. 18. 33. O Absalom my Son my Son would to God that I had died for thee And again would to God I had been dead a long time ago rather than to survive my Happiness all my Estate gone in an instant as Brethren in these empty trying Times it is many a Man's Case but remember foolish Man the All-wise God thought it fittest for thee Yet thus doth the Prophet Elijah when he was driven into the Wilderness by Jezebel 1 Kings 19. 4. in a Discontent requests for himself that he might die It is enough now O Lord take away my Life 4. Such as unfit for Duty Affections are no further lawful than they fit for Duty When Grief taketh off our Hearts from the Duties of our general or particular Calling it is an evil Grief See Gen. 35. 19 21. Rachel died and was buried and Israel journied and spread his Tent. Having lost so dear a Wife he doth not stand puling by the Tomb but Israel journied he went on about his Business We ought so far to be sensible of Providence as may serve to quicken us to Duty not to hinder us There is a great Question now whether we ought to fear or hope in our Misery some of one side cry down Fear some on the other side cry down Hope Why Brethren there is not much Matter in the Exercise of either of these Affections but according as they do more or less quicken you to Duty If you be the more earnest in Prayer because you hope Success is near truly that is a good Disposition of Heart if because Fear that is the most unchristian I confess Fear is good when it ends in Duty Iehosaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 20. 3. And Noah moved with Fear prepared an Ark Heb. 11. 7. Brethren the bare Exercise of Affections is but a natural and an indifferent thing the great Trial of them is when they fit you the more for the Service that God requires of you Therefore when Persons grieve so for the Loss of an Husband Wife Children or Estate that they have no mind to pray no mind to go about their Callings with any Comfort that is an evil Grief It is true that God winketh at some Omissions of Duties for a small while in such cases till we are able to manage our Thoughts and digest our Sorrow and the Letter of the Law giveth place to such great Necessities as Aaron's Excuse is but reasonable Levit. 10. 19. Such things have befallen me this Day that if I had eaten the Sin-offering should it be accepted with the Lord The Death of his two Sons though he held his Peace he could not tell how for the present to frame his Heart to a joyful Duty As if a Minister cannot tell how to bring his Heart to preach if God hath entered upon his Family taken away a Wife or Children thence I confess this cometh from Corruption but in such Cases God winketh at it for a short time The Reasons are 1. Because otherwise our Carriage would be very dishonourable and derogatory to Jesus Christ as if he were not better to us than all the Comforts that we lose 1 Sam. 1. 8. as Elkana said to Hannah Why weepest thou am not I better to thee than ten Sons So why weepest thou Is not Christ better to thee than ten Wives ten Children ten Parents a thousand times as much as thou hast lost If we had but Faith to see it Christ is to a Believer whatever he wanteth The People of God in the Wilderness wanted Houses Psal. 90. 1. Lord thou art our Habitation A Christian hath never more Comfort than when he seeth that particular thing made up in Christ which was taken from him by the Providence of God If a Believer has lost her Husband she seeth Christ her Husband So for any other Relation if a Parent seeth Christ his Parent if a Brother Christ's a Brother We are to Christ instead of all these Relations and therefore why should not Christ be so to us See Matth. 12. 50. Whosoever doth the Will of my Father the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Mark we are so to him and therefore why should we not account Christ to be so to us Certainly it is a great Dishonour and Disparagement to him if we do not see all our Losses abundantly made up in him 2. It would be a Dishonour to our Profession It is a Credit to Christianity that the Professors of it can be joyful in all Conditions Heb. 10. 34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though all they had were snatch'd from them by rude Hands yet they were joyful Let guilty
in some measure bethink my self and consider my latter End Lord I have reason to conclude that few Sands remain in my Glass to run With what Astonishment Anguish and Trouble may I review my Life past not one Thought Word or Action but needs a Pardon I blush to see how vile I have been and if I cannot bear the Scrutiny of my own Conscience how shall I abide thy severe Trial who hath kept an exact Account of all my Sins and Offences A numberless Number of Sins may be charged upon me which I confess I have been guilty of To whom shall I betake my self for Relief and Mercy but to thee O my gracious God for that I have heard that the God of Israel is a merciful God that he is slow to Anger and plenteous in Mercy that he doth abundantly pardon and forgive the Sins Offences and Provocations of his poor Creatures and therefore as I would not presume so I dare not despair Lord I fly from the Throne of thy Justice to the Throne of thy Mercy and humbly implore Pity Pardon and Compassion for thy Son's sake Magnify thy Grace in pardoning me though my Sins have abounded let thy free Grace superabound Blot out all my Sins out of the Book of thy Remembrance and let my Name be written in the Book of Life Let me be meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light when this earthly Cottage shall crumble to Dust. Let me be admitted to that Building an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens Let not me though unworthy be excluded from thy Presence Look on me in and through thy well-beloved Son in whom only thou art well pleased and for his sake be reconciled to me a vile Wretch By his Stripes let me be healed I have nothing to plead for my self only the Satisfaction of my Blessed Saviour on whom alone I rely for Pardon and Life Give me some undeniable Evidence that I do belong to the Election of Grace and that within a little while I shall be released from this Body of Sin and Death and shall be made perfectly blessed in a full Injoyment of thee to all Eternity Let me have some comfortable Hopes and Foretaste of a blessed Immortality to sweeten my Passage through and out of this World I am hastning and posting apace into an endless Eternity O that I were ready for my Appearance at thy Bar. Ah Lord if my Judg be not my Advocate with what Dread and Astonishment must I needs think of thy Tribunal where I must appear before a Heart-searching and a Sin-revenging God! There is not one Sin in my whole Life but is seen to thine all-seeing Eye and is all naked and open to thee Lord I would humbly beg that my Sins though many and great may all be pardoned and forgiven Many horrid Sinners have been received to Mercy and though my Sins are of a Crimson and Scarlet Dye yet the Blood of an All-sufficient Saviour can wash them white He is able and willing to save all those that come to God through him and he ever lives to make Intercession for them Help me by Faith to lay hold on this Redeemer who came into the World on this very Errand to save poor Sinners and reconcile them to God If so I dare not I will not despair yet Lord I beg I may not presume Help me humbly to cast my self prostrate at thy Feet and implore thy Heavenly Benediction Bless me even me in turning me away from all my Sins let them never separate between thee and my poor Soul Let them all be remitted and then it will be as if they had never been committed In my last and sorest Agonies let me see thou art reconciled to me Be with me till I die and when I die and when this World can yield me no Help Comfort or Support let me find it all in thee I know thy Presence can sweeten all the Troubles of this Life and Death it self Then let me not be dismayed at that last and great Enemy When I pass thorow the Valley and Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou wilt be with me O Lord I beg thou wouldst not then be a Terror to me Thou art my Hope in the Day of Evil Help me then to hold up my Head with Comfort hoping my Redemption draweth nigh Let not this World have such possession of my Heart and Affections as to make me unwilling to dislodg and go hence when thou callest me off the Stage of this Life Let the last Scene of my Life be the best part of my Days Let me honour thee by doing thy Will and submitting to whatever thou my God shalt think fit to lay on me Help me to bear patiently thy afflicting Hand either Sickness or worldly Crosses or Death it self Let me not dare to murmur grumble or complain when Death looks me in the Face Let me not be too much daunted startled and affrighted at its Approach Thousands and ten thousands have gone through that dark Passage and shot that Gulph and there is no escape for any of the Children of Adam they that have deserved Death Eternal have no cause to grumble at Death Temporal especially if it be unstung nay then there 's Cause of Triumph for it is an Entrance into Life and Messenger to Glory therefore I hope and firmly believe and trust that that God who hath conducted so many safe through those dark Regions will not leave my poor Soul in its last Conflicts PAPER X. I Sensibly find my outward Man perish and decay but how comfortable would it be to me if I could as easily perceive the inward Man to be renewed day by day This Earthly Tabernacle is tottering and e're long will tumble down but in what plight is the poor Soul that now inhabiteth this ruinated Cottage What Provision hath it made against that Day when it must be turned out hath it got an Interest in and a Title to an enduring Substance a House above eternal in the Heavens This Life of mine is but a Vapour it appeareth but for a little while and then vanisheth away Lord teach me to number my Days that I may know how frail I am This outward Man is daily consuming wasting perishing and decaying and shall I be careless negligent remiss and unconcerned about my future State how it will go with me hereafter in the other World Though my bodily Strength abate yet let the inward Man be renewed every Day and wax stronger and stronger When the Comforts of this Life are as Iob saith of the White of an Egg unsavory have no Relish and are no Satisfaction to me let me have Comforts and Cordials that this World knoweth not of even the Light of thy Countenance and that will put Gladness into my Heart more than all the Treasures and Pleasures of this vain World Whatever thou deniest me deny me not thy self to be my God and Portion and let me have an
hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor the Heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living Fountains of Water and God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes O what blessed Imployment are the Saints ingaged in in serving God Day and Night in his Temple where the everlasting JEHOVAH that sitteth on the Throne shall eternally dwell among them The Bliss of these Heavenly Inhabitants is inconceivable Well may the Apostle say Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard what God hath laid up for them that love him It is exceedingly above what we can think or imagine or conceive Who can tell what it is continually to injoy the comfortable Presence of the great God and the Lamb When God's People have had but some Glimpse of his Favour and Friendship and some Hopes of dwelling with him they have impatiently longed for a Dissolution They count this World as a Prison in which they are separated from their God their Christ and the Holy Angels which will be their everlasting Companions Those that God will admit into his everlasting Glory he hath told us they shall be exempted for all hurtful Evils never shall they hunger more nor thirst any more Lord too too many Thoughts do I spend about these outward Supplies of Meat and Drink and Raiment O when when wilt thou bring me to Heaven where these things will be of no Use nor Value to me Happy and only happy are they whom the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne will feed and lead to the Fountain of Living Water from whose Eyes all Tears shall be wip'd they shall know no more what Death meaneth In Heaven there is no Sorrow nor Crying nor shall there be any more Pain for all old things shall be done away the former things are passed away past and gone nothing remains but Joy and Gladness and praising of our Great Creator sounding out continual Halleluja's to the King of Kings Lord is it my Duty to be fitting and preparing my self for this blessed State and for my Approach before thy awful Tribunal and dare I still neglect it Help me to remember that I must work while it is Day the Night of Sickness Sorrow and Death are approaching and then I cannot work Lord Jesus make me meet make me fit for thy blessed self that when I come to leave this base World I may be admitted to the Heavenly Society of Saints and Angels Cherubims and Seraphims where are ten thousand times ten thousand saying with a loud Voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Every Creature in Heaven and Earth shall then say Blessing Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Amen and Amen PAPER XII I Am frequently assaulted with this sore Temptation that I shall never persevere and hold out to the end but shall tire and saint and grow weary so that every Trial shall master and overcome me so that I sometimes fear there is no Hopes for me of entring into Rest I fear I shall fail short of eternal Life which is a cutting Consideration to me and sometimes sinks me into the Depth of Misery But that I may not wholly despond I will here recite some Places of Scripture which consist of Precepts and Promises and which I hope may be of use to me and may make me stir up my self to do what in me lieth to lay hold on the Hope set before me and may cause me to look to thee O blessed Father for Grace and Strength to hold out to the End of my Days Let me not grow weary in Well-doing for in due time I shall reap if I faint not In Rev. 2. 10. it is said Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have Tribulation ten Days Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Doth God say Fear none of those things which ye shall suffer and yet shall I be overwhelmed and dejected and distracted for fear of Troubles and Calamities Here is mentioned the worst of Enemies the Devil he shall afflict some and cast them into Prison but at this we ought not to be terrified for sometimes God doth it to try his poor People and he doth permit them to be in Tribulation but God limits the time it is expressed here ten Days that is a certain for an uncertain time it implies but a short time were it at our Adversary's the Devil's Disposal we might be as many Years as here are mentioned Days yea all our Life-time in continual Sorrow but we are in the Hands of a merciful God and though he see meet sometimes to scourge and try us yet he will not let us be tempted beyond what he will enable us to bear and for our Incouragement he hath said If we be faithful to Death he will graciously reward us He that saith Be thou faithful make me faithful and then I need not doubt but he will give me this Crown of Life It is not nor cannot be merited by us it is the free Gift of God Here are several Promises he hath graciously made to those that hold out to the end as in ver 7. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Who would not strive to overcome that at last he may be admitted into the Paradise of God where he shall eat of the Tree of Life and then shall hunger and thirst no more but shall be happy in the Injoyment of God and the Lamb to all Eternity Ver. 11. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the Second Death What a comfortable Promise is this The First Death is nothing in comparison of the Second What 's Death Temporal if compared to Death Eternal When we die we are deprived of earthly Friends and earthly Comforts but if the Second Death hath Dominion over us then there is an eternal Banishment from the comfortable Presence of God and an eternal Separation between God and the poor Soul which is Hell it self O Lord give me Grace that I may so fight strive run and conquer and at last overcome that I may not be hurt of the Second Death Ver. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white Stone and in the Stone a new Name written which no Man knoweth saving he that receiveth it This is an unspeakable Privilege indeed to have the Bread of Life This hidden Manna it is hidden from the World and given only to those who through Faith and Patience lay hold on eternal Life How happy are those that
or less though with some Abatement to her dying Day by which her Life was many times a very Burden to her Her Doubts as to her Eternal State were sometimes very grievous but yet through the Goodness of God she still kept up this Resolution to venture her Soul in the Hands of her Redeemer Having one time ask'd very earnestly Will not Christ receive me if I come to him receiving some encouragement in this Matter she replied with Chearfulness Then will I come to him She took great Delight in reading her Father's Sermons especially those of the Life of Faith under our Affliction and very comfortable was the insuing Passage of one of them to her under her Doubts and Fears viz. The Question being propounded by poor doubting Souls thus How shall we know whether God be our God Answ. Why do you love him as your chiefest Good Do you seek his Glory as your utmost End Do you obey him as your highest Lord and Law-giver and do you depend on him as your Paymaster and Benefactor But if all this will not help you to judg your Hearts there are but two things will give you Comfort and those are your Choice and your Resignation Do you chuse God for your Portion Though you cannot say God has chosen you and that he is yours yet you will chuse him Do you by an Holy importunate Faith thus fasten your selves upon God and say Lord if thou wilt not honour me love me bless me as thine for I am resolved to be thine and if I perish one must perish that desires to be thine And this she would often repeat The Night before she died her Husband earnestly and humbly besought the Lord that he would graciously be pleased to give her some comfortable Manifestations of his Love to her poor Soul O let it never be forgotten the gracious Condescension of God to his unworthy Creature The next Morning her faithful and loving Servant who attended her in all her Ilness brought him Word that now the Case was altered with her Mistress she was now reconciled to the Thoughts of Death and was refreshed with the Sense of God's Love and desired to have no more Cordials given her she had better Comforts to refresh her Soul This was on the Lord's Day in the Morning She spake not much after but lay in a quiet composed Frame of Spirit softly groaning under the Pains of Death that made his nearer Approach to her every Hour but even then when she heard her Husband speak to her she would answer with a very pleasing and chearful Voice A dear Friend lay on the Bed by her a very little space of time before she expired and heard her utter distinctly though softly full of Comfort Soon after she ended her Life with the Sabbath and went to Rest on the 16th of March 1689. THE Person that succeeded her in this Relation was also the Daughter of that Reverend and worthy Divine Mr. Thomas Burroughs Minister at Cotsbrook in Northampton-shire till the Year 1662 when he with some hundreds more were turn'd out for Non-conformity After a convenient and decent Space of time of her continuing a Widow she chang'd her Condition into a married State though much against her own Inclination and Temper but purely out of her Respect and Kindness to Mr. Terry whom she knew intirely lov'd her But when once the Nuptial Knot was tied her Carriage as a Wife was with all imaginable Respect accompanied with most indearing Tenderness often expressing how much her Love was increased to her Husband much more than she thought it could have been though before as a Friend she equally preferr'd him to all others of that Rank Her Domestick Affairs she managed with great Prudence and in that Station she gain'd Love and Respect from all She had a most tender and compassionate Regard for the Souls of her dear Children She took great Care to instruct them in the Principles of Religion and incouraging them to read and learn the Holy Scriptures This her Care also did extend to her Servants whom she would on all occasions be ready either by her Advice or by reading some good Book to them her self when their Business would permit and endeavour to beget in them a true Sense of their Sin and Misery and the Worth of their precious Souls God who is the God of Nature as well as of Grace was pleased to endow her with a great Proportion both of Natural and Spiritual Excellencies She was a very beautiful and lovely Person in her younger Years few exceeding her and of most excellent Parts and of great Understanding yet of a very humble Spirit and very mean in her own Eyes though deservedly valued by those that knew her Such was the Sweetness of her Temper accompanied with true Godliness that she was an Ornament to her Profession To speak of her as a Christian would exceed the Limits of these Papers God had greatly adorn'd and beautified her Soul with the Graces of his Holy Spirit and agreable thereunto she lived in some Holy Proportion answerable to the Vows of her Consecration and to the Godly Education she received from her pious Relations She intirely devoted her self to God to be wholly his and at his Disposal She had a singular Value for the Holy Scriptures which she constantly made conscience of reading and would sometimes write them out with profitable Remarks on them for her own spiritual Use. Other good Books also had their due Esteem and Use but she would often say none of that kind yielded her more Comfort and Satisfaction than Dr. Manton's It was very usual in her own Bible and Books to give some little Mark at those Passages that were of particular Concern to her self under the Variety of the Dispensation that she passed through She had a most high Esteem for the Publick Worship and Service of God which she never or rarely omitted to frequent unless hindred by some unavoidable Occasion The Sabbath was a Day of Delight to her she made conscience as of seeing Religious Duties performed in the Family so also of redeeming Time for her private Converse with God and this was resolved and subscribed to under her own Hand many Years ago that she would spend some Time in Prayer and Meditation and herein followed the Method she received from the Directions of Worthy Mr. Daniel Burgess to help her in that Work viz. to go over the Creed the Lord's Prayer and Commandments all which she did perform with many other Portions of Scripture as appears from the many Papers left under her own Hand She was much pleased with what she heard a worthy Divine relate in pressing his Hearers to Private Prayer of a Holy Man that would never omit this Duty but when like to be hindred by any Company would make this honest Excuse I must take my leave of you for a while there 's a Friend above stays to speak with me meaning God that has commanded this
with me as to worldly Matters I was not a little comforted and refreshed also by the last Verse of that Psalm which saith Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the Days of my Life and I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever I am sure Goodness and Mercy have followed me to this very Day therefore I will not distrust the merciful Kindness of God to me to my Life's End But if I should be stripp'd of earthly Blessings I beg I may have the Liberty of God's House here and the Happiness of dwelling with him for ever hereafter If I should with Lazarus be clothed with Rags and fed with Crumbs all my Days if my Body should be full of Sores yet if God will own me and approve me and at Death receive me to himself I may with tolerable Patience bear the Inconveniencies of my Pilgrimage-state knowing that they will not last long And that I may with the more Confidence cast my poor fatherless Children upon God I will call to mind those Places that did quiet me under the Loss of my dear and loving and tender Father which were these that God was pleased to promise to be a Father to the Fatherless and that when Father and Mother forsake then the Lord would take them up God hath bidden poor Creatures to cast their Burden upon him assuring them that he takes Care of them and sustains them And the forementioned Place Isa. 41. 10. is a sufficient Cordial to keep any Soul from fainting and sinking under any Distress whatsoever therefore I hope and trust and believe that the good God who hath been so bountiful so merciful and so kind to me to extend so many Favours to me will also take pity of my fatherless Babes With him the Fatherless find Mercy Lord I therefore commit them into thy Hands as unto a faithful Creator and Redeemer and beg that thou wouldst here guide them with thy Counsel and afterwards receive them to Glory Sometimes when my Children have been taken very ill so that there was no room for hope of Life to outward Appearance yet even then hath my good God supported me by some comfortable Portion of his Holy Word Once one of my Children being given over I was in great Perplexity of Mind that Place came to my Thoughts Call on me in the day of Trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me I was extremely revived at the Consideration of that Place for that was then a Time of Trouble to me And then being incouraged that if I called upon God he would deliver me I did then with firm Hopes and Confidence rely upon my merciful God and Father whom I have found ready to help and deliver me out of many Distresses Blessed and for ever blessed be his Name who was pleased to hear the Cries and Groans of his poor unworthy undeserving ill-deserving and Hell-deserving Creature And seeing God was pleased to deliver me from my great Fears my next Inquiry should be how I may glorify this good God Lord help me to make it the Care and Business and Study of my Life how I may please thee and honour thee and serve thy Blessed Majesty the remaining part of my Days Amen Amen PAPER VII WHat a Cordial to the Godly is the first of Peter the first Chapter the second Verse and so on Where we find that God intends Heaven for them and is graciously pleased to reserve and preserve them for it it being a reviving Consideration to me sometimes to see how God deals with his poor Children and what Steps he takes to bring them to Glory I will for the Benefit of my too often desponding Soul ruminate on this Place of Scripture where I find these Words of Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ who writes to the Strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Elect according to the Fore-knowledg of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ Grace unto you and Peace be multiplied In this Verse I observe how the whole Trinity are imployed in the Salvation of Sinners God the Father he elects he fore-knoweth whom he will bring to himself then the Spirit sanctifieth those whom God hath elected and makes them obedient to their Heavenly Father and they are sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ their Sins for his sake are all done away therefore the Apostle may well say Grace unto you and Peace be multiplied for who can want Grace or Peace whom God the Father Son and Spirit are contriving how to bring them to Glory We may well go on with the Apostle blessing God for his unspeakable Mercies saying Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the Dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation O Blessed Blessed Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here in this Life we want Time and Hearts to bless the Lord for his abundant Mercy towards us Eternity will be little enough to sing forth the Praises of the King of Kings for giving us a lively Hope that one Day we shall be so happy to be admitted into the Heavenly Society that are continually viewing the Face of the Lamb and contemplating his Glory This inestimable Privilege is only procured and purchased by the Sufferings Death and Resurrection of our alone Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who hath provided an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away O the Emphasis of these Words an Inheritance What a poor Mortal to be an Heir of Heaven And this Inheritance is incorruptible not subject to Corruption Alteration or Change and it is undefiled The Things of this World are defiled with Sin they are vile contemptible and vain nay Vanity it self but this Heavenly Inheritance we see is incorruptible and undefiled And to compleat our Fruition it fadeth not away but continueth throughout all Successions of Ages There is no Probability nor Possibility of Decay or End for the Immutable and Eternal God hath assured us that they fade not away but are reserved in Heaven a secure Place beyond the reach of Men or Devils It is not in the power of Friend or Foe to dispossess the Children of God of this Heavenly Inheritance When I consider the Happiness the inconceivable Felicity of the Saints above that are now Possessors of this Inheritance that is incorruptible undefiled and that will never fade away I am apt to say with Austin's Mother when she had heard a Discourse of the Glory above What do I here then So am I reflecting What do I here in this defiling World sinning against and offending God when many are got safe beyond
ADVICE TO MOURNERS Under the Loss of Dear RELATIONS In a FUNERAL-SERMON long since preach'd by the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton D. D. And now occasionally published on the much lamented Death of Mrs. Ann Terry who died the 9th of November 1693. With a short Account of some Passages of her Life and Papers left under her own Hand LONDON Printed by I. D. for Ionathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1694. THE PREFACE READER THAT which occasioned this Discourse and Preface is a late Stroke of Providence in translating a Daughter of Abraham from hence to Abraham's Bosom where she now rests in the delightful Expectations of her full Resurrection unto Life Eternal She was a Person whom I well knew and greatly valued and that I did discern by free and frequent Conversation with her Treasures of Knowledg and Grace richly abiding in her and with great Iudgment and Savour pertinently brought forth by her in order to her fuller Satisfaction and Edification in what concern'd her Soul as to its Duty whilst embodied and its full Bliss when it was to be removed hence She ever was concern'd to know her Duty and the true Matter Grounds and Usefulness of her Christian Hope in order to the effectual influencing of her concerned Spirit in her determined Services and Station She ever was solicitous to know her VVork and to discharge her Trust as a Christian and answerably to her Relations and Family wherein she behaved her self not as without Law to God but as under Law to Christ and so deported her self with true and commendable Exemplariness as a VVife a Mother and a Mistress and as one full of Thoughts and Care therein to abide with God and to approve her self to him in his own solemn Day of Iudgment She was a Person of great Exercises through the tedious Urgencies of her long and many bodily Infirmities which she bore with Patience and providently improved unto the great Advantage of her better Part. She would not suffer Sense to sit in Iudgment upon Providence but fetch'd her Measures of God's dealing with her from that Faith and from those Thoughts which took their Directory from God's own Sacred Oracles She concealed her Resentments of her Troubles so far as I could see from all save only such as she judged able judiciously to minister to her Satisfaction Her Objections were not trivial but such as did require considerable Resolutions of which she was very apprehensive observant and I think tenacious of Her Troubles hindered not her Converse with God in Solitudes nor the fit Indearments and Improvements of both relative and friendly Converse She is now gone to the Felicity and Imployments for which she was through Grace and holy Industry considerably prepared And what her Spirit breath'd for and after may be discerned in part by these few Instances of her Closet-work which her sorrowful Husband hath thought fit to communicate to the World 'T is such a Wife as he has lost as that the Sense and unavoidable Remembrances of that Loss may well urge sorrowful Nature to its Tears and Groans And of these considerable Measures are needful and allowable but Provocations to excessive Grief through such a Stroak render it needful that Christian Bounds and Limits to such Sorrows be seasonably proposed and well considered And therefore this Funeral Text is fitly offered to the Mourners Thoughts by the Apostle that recorded it and by the Reverend Author who has fitly insisted upon that Clause The serious Perusal whereof and of these few Memoirs of the Deceased so devoutly contemplative for her own Good and for the Benefit of others is really judged worthy of due Consideration both by the Publisher and by thy true Friend in and for the great Disposer of Times and Lives whilst I am thine in all Christian Services Matthew Silvester It being thought necessary to make some particular though short mention of the Party on the account of whose Death this Sermon and Papers are published it naturally follows from a Principle of Gratitude Honour and Iustice that 's due to the dear and precious Memory of Mr. Terry's first VVife to take notice also of some of those indearing Qualifications that were very conspicuous in her The less indeed will be said of either because what is related of the one is so applicable in all respects to the other IT is no small part of the Honour that 's due to her Memory that she was a Daughter of that excellent Divine Dr. Thomas Manton and bestowed in Marriage to Mr. Terry by his peculiar Choice out of that most kind and cordial Respect that he had for him She was as to her Person very lovely of most curious and excellent Parts of a ready and quick Wit and good Understanding and such a transcendent Sweetness of Temper joined with true Religiousness that she was highly valued and esteemed by all that knew her In all relations she answered her pious Education as a Child a Mother and Wife never any went beyond her It hath been often said that she was made up of Love which Character she fully answered She had Love sufficient for ten good Wives it 's impossible for any in that Relation to express more than she did to her dear Husband who was as to her the Life of all her other Comforts and this express'd not with childish Fondness but with Prudence and Discretion To the Day of her Death she would say that her Love was still increasing and she found that every Day she lov'd him more and more She carried her self with all imaginable Duty and Respects to her Relations to whom she was very dear Great was her Prudence and Conduct in the Management of her Houshold-Affairs She had the Bowels of a tender Mother to the Souls as well as the Bodies of her dear Children and did endeavour by Counsel and Instruction to instil in them the Principles of true Godliness She had that true Piety towards God and Publickness of Spirit to do Good that she was beloved of all that knew her she was of that free and generous Temper that she thought no Pains too much to serve her Friends to the utmost of her Power as many can witness in the late publick Troubles She had a most indeared Respect to all the Ordinances of the Gospel which she frequently attended on and that many times when she was more sit to be confin'd to her Chamber She had many Mercies to bless God for for many Years together but not without her sore Troubles which did not apear to every one both outward and inward but under them all there was no Abatement or Decay in respect of her Duty either to God or Man The Death of several of her Children was the Beginning of her Sorrows and afterwards that of her dear Father whom she loved with a most passionate Love This bore hard on her tender Spirit and brought her into a great Melancholy Her Troubles continued more
Duty And indeed private Prayer conscientiously and constantly performed is a notable Sign of a gracious Heart for I think an Hypocrite can rarely be constant and uniform in this Duty for that of Iob may be very applicable to this Will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God I neither do nor dare I censure all those that make such a Bustle about their Ten and Three a Clock Devotions I hope and believe that many serious and godly Christians may in all Sincerity perform them but I think as they are now ordered they come not so near that Command of our Saviour When thou prayest enter into thy Closet Besides there 's too much Ground to fear they shut out both Private and Family-Prayer too in many Places and it 's too too common a Practice in this City to go from the Temple to the Play-house from the House of God to the House of Belial It 's very observable that such as are most zealous this way accompanied with the Neglect of Family and Private Prayer are generally very loose and irregular in their Conversation As to her Deportment under Afflictions which she was exercised withal both spiritual and temporal for God chastens every Son whom he receives it was accompanied with great Humility and Self-judging often expressing her Unworthiness of the least of the Mercies that God vouchsafed to her She was far from a querulous or murmuring Temper endeavouring after a humble submissive Frame of Spirit and under these Afflictions that sometimes did greatly depress her sweet and tender Spirit she would frequently express how much Comfort and Reviving she received from God's Holy Word and not only under her Troubles but also when freed from them in the most quiet and sedate Frame of Spirit She would bless God that this Life would not last always She had frequent Illness and was once thought by her Friends past Recovery but when restored again though thankful to God for his Favour to her she did seem to bewail her Infelicity I thought said she that I was going off the Stage of this evil World to the Place where I should sin and sorrow no more but I now see I must again be toss'd on the Waves and Billows thereof When it was told her that according to the Course of Nature she might yet live thirty or forty Years this was so far from pleasing her that Nature that usually abhors the Thought of Death did as it were shrink and recoil within her to think of being so long kept out of Heaven Under her last Ilness being with Child in which there were some more than ordinary Symptoms of her Danger at which she was not at all dismayed but said As to Application of Means I am willing to submit to any thing for the Satisfaction of my Friends but as for my self I am content without any This cutting Expression she utter'd to her dear Husband with great Chearfulness She was so far from desiring to live that she much rather desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Night before she died she had spent some time in secret and read one of Dr. Manton's Sermons but such was her humble and self-condemning Temper that she to her very last bewail'd her not Improvement of her last Days Mercies as she thought she ought Her Death was very surprizing to her Friends though not to her self She always believed her approaching Change was near though her Friends had some Hopes of her Recovery till by a sudden and surprizing Stroke they found her Desire accomplished and her Words true to their astonishing Grief and Trouble She died the 9th of November 1693. in the 38th Year of her Age. No more shall be here mentioned of her but refer you to the Perusal of some few amongst many of her Manuscripts in which you will perceive a Vein of Vertue and Piety running through all the Course of her Conversation an humble Avouchment of God to be her Portion and a thankful recounting of God's Mercy to her from her very Infancy her tender Regard to the Souls of her dear Children her humble and submissive Temper under her Afflictions her earnest Perswasion to others and her self to work the Work that God has given them to do with a Sense of the Sins and Judgments deserved and expected on the Nation her awful Sense of the Day of Death and Judgment with the happy State of glorified Souls with her Fear and Hopes in relation to these A Pindarique Ode to the ever glorious Memory of my honoured Aunt Mrs. Ann Terry who put on her Immortal Robes and Incorruptible Crown March the 16th 1689. in the 36th Year of her Age. Stat sua cuique dies Breve irreparabile tempus Omnibus est Vitae sed famam extendere factis Hoc Virtutis opus Virgil. Stanza I. MY melancholy Muse so ost imploy'd On the ungrateful Themes of Death Hop'd now a Vacancy to have injoy'd And for a while t' suspend her mournful Breath But lo a recent Scene of Grief appears Ponderous overwhelming Grief Without Allay without Relief Too great to be express'd by any Poets Tears For who amongst the Sons of Harmony Can give due Praises unto thee Or can sufficiently deplore The Loss of such in vulgar Excellence As took its Flight in thee from hence And will perhaps bless the unworthy World no more II. Ah! how unequally does Heaven bestow Its Favours on poor Mortals here below Sometimes it suffers us to be O'recharg'd with surfeiting Felicity Grown big with Ioy we think our selves secure Of the much-wish'd-for Blessing but alas We little know how soon from us 't will pass A sudden Metamorphosis Deprives us of our charming Bliss Bliss too Soul-ravishing long to endure Else had we not been summoned now by Fate With overflowing Eyes To sing thy much too early Obsequies And Godlike Vertues to commemorate III. From the Illustrious Manton sprung Too great a Theme for my mean Song And fit alone for his who David's glorious Actions so di In whom the Graces all conspir'd vinely sung To render him belov'd admir'd Who firmly has enroll'd his Name In the most durable Records of Fame Who with such wondrous Art conjoins Solidity and Sweetness in his Lines Great by thy Birth yet greater by thy Merit Thou didst more of his Worth than Wealth inherit Such was thy generous Stâ—â—k Nor didst thou any Lustre thence derive Thou didst not back again wich greater Intâ—rest give IV. Thy Spring with Beauties did abound With them thy riper Years were crown'd Thou all Perfections hadst and more Than any of thy Sex before The Composition of thy Heavenly Mind In which Iudgment Fancy and Wit Did every one enthroned sit Was fraâ—'d to Vertue and from Vice refin'd A kinder Wife no Husband e're cou'd boast A more indulgent Mother never Children lost Tender thou wast to an Hyperbole To all thou knew'st in Misery So very ready to relieve They scarce could ask faster than
invidious Death O why so soon Why must her Night come e're sh 'as ended Noon Well may those Wretches fear to die Whose ill-spent Life No Prospect but Eternal Wee does give Thou calmly didst surrender up thy Breath Unterrify'd at the Approach of Death Nor did emasculating Grons betray Thee emulous of any farther stay Or loth the gastly Summons to obey Thy Life was wondrous but its Exit is A Glorious Apotheosis Thus though with Splendor Phoebus gilds The Morning of his Race Yet are his brightest Beams reserv'd The setting Sun to grace Feb. 19. 1693 4. Sic moerens deflevit HEN. CUTTS The CONTENTS of the Papers Paper I. AN humble Avouchment of God to be her Portion pag. 34. Paper II. An earnest Expostulation with her self in reference to the great Concern of her Pretious and Immortal Soul p. 37. Paper III. Her most serious Thoughts on this Passage You will not come unto me that you may have Life p. 44. Paper IV. Her grave and godly Advice to her Children p. 47. Paper V. Her humble and chearful Deportment under Afflictions p. 53. Paper VI. A thankful recounting of many particular Mercies vouchsafed to her p. 55. Paper VII The Scriptures of great Use and Comfort p. 63. Paper VIII Serious Reflections on the late Earthquake p. 67. Paper IX X. An awful Sense of Death and her own approaching Dissolution p. 71 76. Paper XI A delightful Contemplation of the Blessedness of the Saints in Heaven p. 82. Paper XII Texts of Scripture that yielded great Comfort and Support under her desponding Thoughts p. 90. Paper XIII An earnest Desire to be fitted for and brought unto Heaven p. 99. A Funeral Sermon 1 COR. 7. 30. And they that weep as though they wept not I Shall insist upon that Clause at this time In it I shall observe 1. A Concession He grants them some kind of Sorrow and Grief 2. A Correction He moderateth it 1. He grants them some kind of Sorrow in that he puts Weeping for Adversity the Affection for the Condition the Effects for the Cause as allowing them an holy Sensibleness of their Misery they that weep Then he correcteth and moderateth this Sorrow as if they wept not because he will not trust such a dangerous Weapon in their own Hands and leave the Corinthians to the Vileness and Waywardness of their own Affections though I allow you to weep yet 't is as if you wept not The Points are two I. That God alloweth yea requireth of his People some Sorrow and Sensibleness of their Condition II. That the Heart must be so managed under this Sorrow that we may be said not to weep rather than to weep at the same time it must be with such Moderation Or thus Christians should so sorrow under the Sense of their Condition as if they did not sorrow I shall speak briefly of both these Doct. I. God requireth and alloweth some Sorrow They that weep I shall 1st shew you that God doth so 2dly Shew you what this Sorrow is 1. To prove that so it is I will not stand to instance Places of Scripture in a Point so familiar The Reasons are 1st This is the End why we have Affections that they may be exercised in their Season God hath planted in every Man Affections sutable to every Condition in which he placeth him It is said the Stars in their Order fought against Sisera so Affections We have Joy for Prosperity Sorrow for Adversity What did God mean to give us such contrary Affections if not that they should be acted in their Order and Time that these Affections should like the Spokes turn with the Wheel of Providence And therefore God complaineth much as if he were frustrated of his End when we do not answer Providence by an Exercise of those Affections that are sutable to it as Ier. 5. 3. I have smitten them and they have not grieved God wondereth they should be so unnatural as not to grieve when stricken by him So for Mercy Hos. 11. 3. I taught Ephraim to go taking them by their Arms but they knew not that I healed them that is they were not sensible of it did not take notice and were not sutably affected with the Love of God They are ranked among the rest of Men that are under their natural Condition who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural Affection to be flinted hornyhearted such as have no Smartness no Quickness of Affection especially when the Misery is of such a Nature that near Friends are taken from us is very displeasing to God 2dly Because that due Exercise of Sorrow under Affliction is very serviceable and beneficial to the Soul 1. To help spiritual Duties Anima nunquam melius agit quam ex impetu insignis alicujus affectus The Soul works best when it hath the Advantage of an Affection When the Soul is made better by the Bitterness of Grief we feel and the Soul maketh the Affection of Sorrow to be Vehiculum a kind of a Chariot to carry on the Work of Repentance Ier. 2. 19. Know and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God When the Iron is hot if you strike in you may get good take the Advantage of your Hearts under your Sorrows 3dly To make it serious Sorrows gather the Soul together and make it more it self A Man cometh to himself in his Grief Usually God taketh this Course with his People though they begin in the Flesh they end in the Spirit Sorrow maketh Reason to stand still Solomon speaketh of bethinking themselves in the Land of their Afflictions 1 Kings 8. 57. Jolly Persons are slight never think upon any thing Those that wallowed in Pleasures did put far away the Day of the Lord Amos 6. 3. Till the Prodigal was tamed by outward Grief and Want he never had Thoughts of returning They that did not grieve when God struck them Ier. 5. 3. refused to receive Correction The more sorrowful the Mind is the more serious Sorrow drieth up all those swimming Thoughts and pleasing Imaginations by which Men drive away their Time and divert their Care and therefore there is a great deal of Benefit comes by it it puts the Soul in an advantagious way of receiving Good 4thly This would double the Affliction not to grieve for such things as nearly touch us To break the Bent and Course of Nature is dangerous Affections when strongly stirred must have their Exercise for fear of greater Harms It is an Ease sometimes to mourn Strangled Grief choaks the Heart 1 Sam. 25. 37. Nabal's Heart became as a Stone within him when he heard Tidings that mightily affected him it had been better he had wept and mourned As Chirurgeons first let the Sore soften before they begin to draw it Iob 2. 13. Iob's Friends said not a Word to him the first seven Days for they saw that his Grief was great They let Sorrow have its Course for a
Interest in thy Son my only Saviour and Redeemer and do thou graciously give thy Holy Spirit to direct guide quicken counsel and comfort me the remaining part of my sojourning here How few Days may put a Period to my Life I know not In all probability it will not be long before I leave the Stage of this World and be summoned before the Bar of God to give a strict and impartial Account of my past Life O it is an awful thing to die and come to Judgment I beg O Lord I beg that I may be made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Sanctify me wholly let my whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the Coming of my Lord Jesus Christ. O be thou pleased to preserve me unto thy Heavenly Kingdom Many Fears and much Ground for Fears have I that I shall never enter into Rest But blessed Lord do not exclude me from thy comfortable Presence hereafter Do thou make me fit to be a Member of those blessed Inhabitants of the New Ierusalem Though I am altogether unworthy yet if thou O Lord please to account me worthy I may then be so happy as to stand before the Son of Man with Courage and Comfort Keep thou me by thy Almighty Power through Faith unto Salvation Let me be preserved from fainting sinking and desponding in my last Conflicts and Agonies Let me see thee who art invisible and with an Eye of Faith look within the Vail whence I look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ to change this vile Body of mine that it may be fashioned like to his glorious Body Let this Saviour be my Saviour and Redeemer even the Lord Jesus Christ and let me be assured that he is mine and I am indeed his and that this vile contemptible wretched Body shall be changed and made like to his glorious and blessed Body This is such an Honour and Privilege that I have hardly a Face to ask But I find a Warrant in thy Word to look long expect pant and wait for so happy a Day and Time as to be in a sinless State and Condition where we shall see our Saviour and be like him where earthly Troubles and Sorrows shall vanish and decay where the World the Flesh and the Devil shall have no Power to tempt molest or disturb those that thou O Lord God Almighty shalt admit into thy Heavenly Kingdom and Glory O blessed Souls that are here owned by thee approved by thee and shall at last be received by thee into those Eternal Mansions above Lord I humbly put in for a Share in these inestimable Mercies and Privileges Earthly things cannot content me without some Hopes some Prospect some Glimpse of thy Love and Favour If thou afford me this I may then bear the Inconveniencies the Hardships and ill Usage I meet with here in this howling Desart Let not my Unworthiness be a Bar and Hindrance to hinder good things from me Look not on me as in my self a vile polluted wretched undone Creature but behold me in and through thy well-beloved Son and for his sake alone be gracious and merciful to me I have been guilty of black and horrid Sins and Millions of Sins have I been committing daily without Sense Sorrow or Remorse O may such a Sinner as I find Mercy Lord I sometimes doubt and despair and conclude there is no Hopes for me I fear Heaven-Gate is shut against me and though I cry and knock it may all be in vain Lord I cannot bear such a Thought as to think I am rejected forsaken and cast off by thee I e'n cry out with the Jailor What shall I do to be saved What shall I do to obtain Eternal Life I find many comfortable Promises in thy Word to repenting and returning Sinners that those that come to thee thou wilt in no wise cast out and that the Blood of Jesus Christ thy Son cleanseth from all Sins Lord I desire to come to thee and come in a right manner and humbly beg thou wilt not cast me out nor cast me off as one whom thou no more canst love Let me have the Benefit of that healing cleansing Peace-speaking Blood of the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World I find in thy Word a black Catalogue of Sins and Sinners too who have been guilty of gross Offences whose Crimes would certainly exclude them Heaven unless thy unlimited Mercy and Compassion had inclined thee to look with Pity on them When the Apostle had mentioned those foul and horrid Sins that should deprive poor Souls of the Joys of Heaven he immediately for the Benefit of After-Ages and the Comfort of desponding Souls adds But such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Lord thou alone knowest what numberless Numbers of Sins I am guilty of and for which e're long I shall be summoned to give a strict and severe Account Lord I have nothing to plead for my self why I should not be condemned but I humbly cast my self at the Throne of thy Grace and implore Mercy Mercy Lord Mercy I need without this I cannot live comfortably nor die safely O let me even me be washed let me be sanctified let me be justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus let me be a Partaker of the Benefits of his Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession and let me be assured I am one of those that shall live and reign with him World without end In my sorest Distresses and last Agonies and Conflicts let me see thee a God in Covenant and reconciled to me Let not my Evidences for Heaven be then to get When I come to die let me have nothing to do but to die and surrender up my Soul into the Hands of that God who gave it me Let not the Foresight or Prospect of Death be so terrifying as to overwhelm me and cause me to fall from thee Be with me when I pass through the dark and dismal Passage of Death When Flesh Heart and all Creature-Comforts fail and forsake me O Blessed Lord be thou the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever-more PAPER XI WORK while it is Day the Night is coming in which none can work Now is the Day of God's Patience and Forbearance this is the only time that God hath allotted for Work and Service He that doth the Work for which he came into the World faithfully and carefully shall in the Evening of the Day receive a bountiful Reward but if he neglects his Opportunity and squanders away his Time in Idleness and Sloth the Night will surprise him and then it will be too late to begin that Work which before he would not be perswaded to set about This Counsel is serious and grave every one hath Work to do O that all would be convinced of this great Truth we have Souls to
save Heaven to secure an Interest in Christ to get and yet we are stupid and negligent as if this were a Matter of no great moment O my God give me Wisdom that I may see the Necessity of looking after my Soul that it may go well with that however it fare with the Body and worldly Concerns Now is the Day now is the Time to provide for a happy Eternity to Day if you will hear his Voice to Morrow may be too late therefore now set about this Work in good earnest see how it stands with thy poor Soul Is God and thy Soul Friends or are they still at a distance Is God dearer to thee than all the World Dost thou think thy self happier in being a Child of God an Heir of Heaven than if thou wert possessed of all the things of this lower World Dost thou not prize and value God as thy Chief Friend and rather have his Favour and Friendship than to have the greatest Monarchs on thy side Dost thou humbly resolve to be the Lord's and his only and that thy Time thy Heart and Strength thy Memory Understanding shall be all exercised in thy Maker's Service Study his Mind and Will and then readily comply with his Commands fear his Threatnings believe his Promises obey his Precepts and resolve with Iob that though he slay thee yet thou wilt trust in him Resolve to follow God through all Difficulties beg of him to own thee for his to avouch thee to be one of his peculiar People Secure a Title to Heaven this World is passing away apace the Day is spending and the Night approaching in which I cannot work I am sensible of the Greatness of my Work and know not how short my Time may be it may be shorter than I or the World imagine My Work is so great and difficult that in my own Strength I can do nothing Lord Jesus I implore thy Aid and Assistance for thy Merit sake let my Sins all be done away let me be sanctified justified pardoned and be made meet to be received into those blessed Mansions that are prepared for thy Redeemed Ones Let me have those Qualifications that are requisite in all those whom thou admittest to live and reign with thee for ever that Holiness of Life that Purity of Heart that Sincerity that Heavenly-mindedness that Weanedness from this World and worldly Injoyments which is required in all those that love and fear thee Let me have those Divine Qualities that may render me amiable in the Eyes of my Judg. O blessed Jesus let thy Righteousness be imputed unto me and my Sins washed away with thy precious Blood Deny me not an Interest in thy meritorious Death and Sufferings I cannot be happy here nor hereafter without some comfortable Hopes that I do belong to the Election of Grace Lord if it be thy Will let me know assuredly that I am one of them for whom Christ died seeing he died for Sinners let me never die in my Sins And as I trust Christ died for me so let thy Holy Spirit live and reign in me Let me be guided directed counselled comforted strengthned and supported the remaining part of my Days that whether they be few or many they may be so spent that when I come to lie upon a sick and Death-bed I may lift up my Head with Joy unspeakable hoping my Redemption draws nigh In my last Agonies be not thou far from me thou art now and I am sure wilt be then my only Hope therefore be not a Terror unto me Let me then find that the Eternal God is my Refuge and that underneath are his everlasting Arms. I do expect to have my Flesh and my Heart within a little while to fail me but Lord be thou the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Lord I hope I have chosen thee long ago for my Portion and am resolved by thy Grace enabling me to stick to my Choice therefore be thou pleased to be with me in my sorest Conflict at the Hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment Let me not then be left by thee or forsaken and rejected by thee the Great Judg of all the World whose irreversable dreadful Sentence will e'r long be pass'd upon all those that forget and neglect thee in which Number I beg I may not be found Seeing Time is posting away and Eternity appoaching and none knows how soon Death may arrest them it is highly necessary to be often considering what will do us most good and stand us most in stead at a dying Hour when this World and all its Injoyments will as Iob saith of the White of an Egg have no Relish nor 〈◊〉 in them When we come to the Brink of Eternity all our earthly Comforts will vanish and disappear our Friends and nearest and dearest Relations will bid as adieu they cannot help us nor hinder Death one Moment Our Riches though we had gained never so much cannot ease one Pain nor find one Remedy for our mortal Disease the Serjeant Death will not be bribed to stay till another Year or Day or Hour no they must be gone nill they will they they must into the other World Let me O Lord be in a Posture of Readiness that when thou shalt summons me to appear before thy dreadful Throne I may not be found naked but may be found in Christ and not in my Sins Let me by every Sabbath Sermon Prayer and Sacrament be brought nearer to thy self whose I am and whom I hope to serve here and injoy hereafter in thy Heavenly Kingdom where are an innumerable Company of Angels and the general Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven where is God the Judg of all and the Spirits of just Men made perfect and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Who can think of these glorious Inhabitants and not long to be with them O happy and blessed Souls are they that are safe got home and are now with God and his Angels and this Assembly and Church of the First-born whose Names were written in Heaven Who would not desire to be with the Spirits of the just Men who are made perfect O the Goodness of God to make Men perfect and then receive them to himself because they are so O what Thanks should be ascribed to our dear Lord Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant for purchasing at so dear a rate such inestimable Privileges and Blessings for such vile Worms as Men This Blood of Sprinkling cries louder for Mercy than the Blood of Abel did for Vengeance These holy Ones have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. The Lamb's Blood can wash the foulest Sinner white therefore are they brought before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them they shall
have the White Stone of Absolution and have in it a new Name written Once indeed they were Children of Darkness Children of this World but now through Grace they are made Children of Light they have the Image of God impress'd upon their Souls and though the World know it not yet the Persons that receive this inestimable Privilege find at least sometimes a Change in their Heart and can rejoice in their future Hopes that however it goes with them here yet they can be contented knowing it will not be long e're they be past the Inconveniencies of their present Pilgrimage and shall then be admitted into the Heavenly Canaan where all Troubles and Sorrows and Calamities shall be done away and they shall injoy God World without End Amen Chap. 3. v. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels How many Motives are here to Perseverance Just now a Promise of hidden Manna to eat now of white Raiment to clothe the Person that overcomes This white Raiment is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ in which poor Sinners must be clothed If they should have nothing but their own Righteousness to appear in they would not be able to stand in the Judgment How blessed and happy are all those for whom this white Raiment is prepared they are assured that their Name shall not be blotted out of the Book of Life It is an inestimable Privilege to have their Names register'd in Heaven for to them Christ saith that he will confess them before his Father and before his Angels to be owned approved and commended before Men and Angels and the great Assembly of the Just. This should excite us to be diligent and faithful to the end that at the last we may overcome and be Sharers of these great Benefits that are promised unto those who are clothed with this white Raiment Ver. 11. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no Man take thy Crown We not knowing how soon our Saviour may come ought to be watchful careful and diligent and hold fast Faith and a good Conscience that so we may hold out to the end that none may deprive us of our Crown Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name To be a Pillar in God's Temple is an high Honour it is a fixed Place no danger of being removed if once set there and God will write his Name upon it and own it for his own and ingrave the Name of the City Ierusalem which is above as a Token that they are Denisons and Inhabitants of the New Ierusalem and then the Lord will write upon him a new Name The Lord knows them that are his he distinguisheth them from the rest of the World Happy are those that be in such a Case Blessed are those whom God hath chosen to be a Pillar in his Temple To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I also overcame and am sat down with my Father on his Throne Who would grudg at a little Pains and Labour and Difficulties if at last he may overcome his Spiritual Enemies Here 's a gracious Promise that our blessed Saviour makes that if we do overcome though it must be by his Grace his Strength and Assistance he will grant us to sit with him on his Throne What an Honour is this to be conferr'd upon poor Mortals What to sit with Christ and his Holy Angels upon a Throne Well may we say with the Apostle Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard what God hath prepared for those that love him If we do overcome a few Difficulties and deny our selves some small things for Christ's sake will he thus amply reward us by admitting us to be Sharers with him in the Glories of Heaven He hath said it and his Word shall stand that if we overcome we shall sit with him even as he hath overcome and is set down with his Father Our Saviour indeed did the whole Will of his Father and overcame all the Hardships and Difficulties that he met with in accomplishing his Father's good Pleasure He was despised of Men he was spit upon he was mocked and buffeted and at last crucified and yet how meekly did he submit to all this We find him in his greatest Agonies saying Not my Will but thine be done and the Cup that my Father hath given me shall I not drink it And shall I dispute his Will and Pleasure Our Saviour he indured the Cross despised the Shame and is now set down at the right Hand of the Throne of God He bore all the various Difficulties he pass'd through here with an invincible Courage and Constancy and now we are assured that he is set down on the Throne of God and hath promised that those that are true Followers of him shall in due time inherit Eternal Life and shall sit down with him on the Throne of God as certainly as he is already set down with his Father Chap. 21. v. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son Here are several Particulars instanced in what those shall possess that overcome and here to conclude it is said he shall inherit all things all things necessary for this Life or a better all things conducing to this Life and the other But to compleat the Happiness of the Godly God hath promised to be his God and that he will own him as his Son And I am sure none can be miserable that have this God for their God and Portion Seeing here are so many comfortable Promises to those that overcome help me O my God that I may not seem to fall short of entering into thy Rest but help me to persevere and hold out to the End Do thou strengthen me against all needless Fears Thou that saidst Fear none of those things that thou shalt suffer give me an undaunted Spirit against all earthly Troubles What though thou meetest with many Troubles and Trials yet thy God hath told thee they shall not last long If thou sink under thy Burden thou art undone but if thou couragiously overcomest these Promises to thy Comfort thou mayst lay hold on Be faithful to the Death and then thy good God will give thee a Crown of Life which fadeth not away but is reserved in Heaven for these that love and fear him PAPER XIII O Lord I beg a Meetness for Heaven make me meet to be a Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light I am unmeet unfit unprepared unworthy to be a Partaker of those Privileges that are injoyed above at thy right Hand by thy redeemed Ones But Lord I humbly desire thou wouldst sit prepare and qualify me for Communion with thy self in Glory Help me to be getting Dispositions for Heaven to be meet to live above I often desire to be at home at my Father's House to be there where God and Christ is where the Saints and Angels and all the Host of Heaven are continually lauding blessing praising and magnifying thy Great and Holy Name O Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts shall ever such a poor Worm as I be admitted to dwell with thee in thy Heavenly Temple I that am so ill-deserving I that am so undeserving dare I presume Can I hope upon good Grounds that I shall be of the Number of those happy Ones who shall be called unto thy Kingdom and Glory there to live and reign with thee World without End Sometimes I am overwhelmed and utterly despair of this high Honour when I consider what a vile Wretch I am by Nature And when I reflect on the Sins of my Life that my whole Life hath been one continual Provocation against thy Divine Majesty I can hardly find Day or Hour wherein I have not offended thee Nay I fear my very Prayers are Sins and Abominations to thy pure Eyes And if my Condition be such how is it like to fare with me to all Eternity Who will be my Companions in the other World if I am cast off by thee and excluded from thy Presence which Lord I earnestly implore may never be my Portion Give me leave to plead with thee I find in thy Word that the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all Sins those of a Crimson and Scarlet Dye and also I read that he came to save the Chief of Sinners that are sensible of their lost and undone Condition and that fly to him for help He hath said those that come to him he will in no wise cast out Being incouraged by thy Holy Word to come to thee in thy Son's Name I humbly beg for his sake that all my Sins may be pardoned and done away that I may be sanctified washed and cleansed in the Laver of his Righteousness Let me have a Meetness and Fitness for Heaven where I long to be Help me to be laying up a good Foundation against the time to come that I may lay hold of Eternal Life Let me be kept by the mighty Power of God through Faith unto Salvation O keep me from falling and preserve me blameless to thy Heavenly Kingdom for Christ Jesus's sake Amen FINIS * Titus Vespasian the Roman Emperor * The Circle of Instruction * Taken up amongst the Blessed
while Stop Floods in their full Career and they rage and swell When the Death of a near Friend hath opened the Sluces let the Waters play a little in the Channel till it be calmer Passions spend and tire themselves in their Exercise Grief is sometimes eased by the Expression of it There is Reason too for it if that of Cardan be true that an heavy Heart is eased by nothing so much as by Sighs and Tears because Tears empty the Head of some Vapours with which it is surcharged and Sighs lighten the Heart of some fuliginous Damps that oppress it These are Nature's Offers for Ease You see the Reasons 2. What Grief and Sorrow this is that God alloweth and approveth What is sinful Grief I shall shew you in the next Point here what is lawful and required I answer Not every Sorrow For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a godly Sorrow and a worldly Sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of but the Sorrow of the World worketh Death In the general it must be a godly Sorrow In these Respects 1. You must see somewhat of God in the Affliction It is a Motive this on both Hands both to Sensibleness and Patience that it is from God Heb. 12. 5. My Son despise not thou the Chastening of the Lord because it is from God A Man slights every ordinary Chance but when it is from God then it worketh more effectual upon the Spirit As we see in the case of the Philistines 1 Sam. 6. 9. If that Stroke that happened upon them were a Chance they would trouble themselves no further about it but if it were from the God of Israel they would advise about sending home the Ark. 2. It must be serviceable Sorrow to set you the nearer to God Sorrow is of the Nature of those things that are required not for themselves but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for some farther thing You must not rest in your Sorrow but make use of it that it may work kindly employ it about the Work of the Sanctuary Do not cherish your Affections for their own sakes but so as they may be helpful to the Soul Do not go about to still the Affection to think that 's all that is required let it do the Soul Service and be glad you have your Hearts under such an Advantage You know how Ioshua served the Gibeonites he did not slay them but condemned them to be Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water for the Sanctuary Grief and Sorrow well managed will make a good Drawer of Water for the Sanctuary Make your Sorrow your Servant now to draw Water for you to make you smart and bleed for a good Use and Purpose There is a gracious Promise to them that sow in Tears Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in Tears shall reap in Ioy. Now we are in Tears but we do not sow Tears Tears are not Seed we have not the Crop But what shall we do to make them Seed spiritualize them make them spiritual Tears let the Water run in a holy Channel and then like the Waters of the Sanctuary they will be healing Waters The Death of a Friend though never so dear to us will never cause any but carnal Tears they minister a good occasion of Mourning but they do not minister a Cause and Ground of Mourning It is good to distinguish between the Cause and the Occasion At such a time God calleth for more than ordinary Sensibleness and Sorrow but not because he hath declared his Pleasure concerning our Friends that is Murmuring not Mourning We should take this occasion indeed but our Sorrow should work upon a spiritual Ground and Object 1st We should take this Occasion to mourn for our own Sins Miseries are but the Effects of Sin You should labour to make Sin bitter by your present Feeling There should be I say a special renewing of our Repentance by such Providences Experience teacheth best Now you see what Sorrow Sin bringeth If Men would but improve their Occasions of Sorrow thus their Hearts would be more keen against Sin It is a great Argument to make Men continue in a Course when it never proveth Evil to them Therefore God challengeth them Ier. 2. 5. What Iniquity have you found in me that you depart from me Just as a Martyr said I have served Jesus Christ thus many Years and should I deny him now But if Men would thus observe these Experiences Sin cannot make this Challenge We can say of Sin Thou hast killed my Husband or Wife at such a time my Daughter my Brother at such a time c. Consider and say Have not I provoked God to remove the Comfort of a Parent or near Relation from me It is said of Gideon Iudg. 8. 16. that with Briars and Thorns he taught the Men of Succoth So God many times teaches us 2dly We should take this Occasion to weep for the publick Abominations When Polus the Tragedian was to act a mournful Part he brought in the Urn or the Pot of Ashes of his own dead Son that drew real Tears from him We are all to act a mournful Part now even to mourn for our Abominations before the Lord. It may be your Grief is flat and low awaken it by these private Instances But take heed let it not stay there this is but to give the Occasion some other thing must be the Cause and the Object of it O pour out a little Water upon the publick Sins they are Sparks that we have kindled as the Prophet speaks Isa. 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a Fire and compass your selves about with Sparks It is meant of Sins not as it is wrongly expounded of walking in our own Duties Well pour out this Water upon these Sparks When a Town is on Fire every one will bring his Bucket Why when the whole Kingdom is compassed about with these Sparks God giveth you these private Occasions that you may bring your Bucket to quench the common Flame So Luke 23. 28. Weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your Children Alas who could choose but shed Tears to part with such a blessed Companion as our Saviour Yet not for me saith he but for the Survivors Weep for your Sins and Calamities that are coming upon you Let such an Occasion open the Flood-gates but then cut out a Passage for them that they may run this way 3dly For the publick Miseries Private Sorrows should be swallowed up in the publick Look as private Mercies are no Mercies unless it be well with Sion and therefore it is annexed as a special Blessing Psal. 128. 6. that they should see their Childrens Children and Peace upon Israel Descensive Love is strong always but in these times more strong because every one expected the Messiah to come of his Race but that is nothing without Peace upon Israel it is not a consummate Mercy
the reach of Sin and Sorrow and are now Possessors of this Blessed Inheritance We are told it is reserved but for whom For those who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Lord it is thy Work from first to last it is thou that preparest this Inheritance and thou alone canst make thy People meet to be Possessors of it Let me find the comfortable Effects of thy Almighty Power which may enable me through Faith to attain Salvation that at the end of my Days I may receive the Salvation of my poor precious and immortal Soul for his sake who I hope loved me and washed me and died for me and is now at thy right Hand interceding for poor penitent Sinners Let me have a share of those Benefits he hath purchased for his Elect People Do thou O Blessed Father prepare Heaven for me and make me meet for it and however thou dealest with me in this World do not deny me Heaven at last the Hopes of that alone doth sweeten my Pilgrimage and make my Passage through this World tolerable therefore I humbly beg that whatever I miss here I may not be excluded from thy comfortable Presence but may be of the Number of those blessed Ones for whom thou hast prepared an incorruptible and undefiled Inheritance which fadeth not away but is reserved in Heaven for all those that Infinite Grace qualifies for and makes meet to be Partakers of PAPER VIII WHen thy Iudgments O Lord are abroad in the Earth the Inhabitants should learn Righteousness What 's the Lesson that I and all Persons ought to learn by the late dreadful Earthquake Hath it not a Voice Doth it not cry aloud and tell us that our Sins have reached Heaven that God is angry and displeased with us and that except we repent we shall likewise perish We are as grievous Sinners as any therefore have just cause to think God hath a Controversy with us in this Kingdom In a neighbouring Nation God hath seen meet to lay his afflicting Hand in a tremendous manner he hath visited them with a sore amazing and dreadful Judgment in permitting thousands to be destroyed by a lamentable Earthquake and Inundation of Water And who or what are we that we should expect to be exempted from the same or worse Judgments We whose Sins have exceeded theirs may rationally look to drink the Dregs of their Cup for we in England have had more Means of Grace than they but we have not improved them we have had the Gospel but we have slighted it we have had the Offers of Salvation but we have rejected them we have had Sabbath upon Sabbath Sermon upon Sermon and yet have not made a due Improvement of these precious Opportunities So that it 's but just with God to destroy us and our Habitations in which we have too too often dishonoured our good God and brought a Scandal on that Holy Profession which we have made We have the Name of Christians but too many amongst us live like Devils Incarnate How much Swearing Lying Stealing Killing and filthy Lewdness is to be found in this Land and Nation and especially in this City O the horrid Oaths and Imprecations that are every Minute uttered is dreadful to consider What little Conscience is made of keeping the Sabbath that is as a Day of Recreation to most and those that spend it best do too much think their own Thoughts and speak their own Words and do their own Actions So that every one must lay their Hand upon their Mouth and cry Guilty Guilty Have not we in this Nation cause to expect great and amazing Judgments when in our Land those Sins are found that a moral Heathen would blush to commit Our Sins as well as the Ninivites have reached to Heaven O that our Repentance was as real universal and unfeigned as theirs and then there might be still some Hopes that God in Judgment would remember Mercy and would not stir up all his Wrath though we are an undeserving ill-deserving and Hell-deserving People Lord we are in the dark and know not what thou art adoing with us Thou hast lately let us see what thou canst do in a Minute thou hast shaken the Earth and it trembled and it was of thy infinite Mercy that we were not all destroyed and sent quick to the lowest Hell Thou art God and not Man therefore is it that we are not consumed It 's of the Lord's Mercy that we are yet spared Help us O Lord to make a good Use of this Reprieve for we are as Brands pluck'd out of the Burning What Jeopardy were we in when the Earth of late trembled under us and our Houses seemed to be tumbling about our Ears our Hearts failing us no Place left to run to for Shelter How dejected and astonished did People look one upon another What Fears possess'd the Breasts of many all in expectation of sorer Calamities than yet felt but God hath hitherto spared us we are yet in the Land of the Living on this side the Grave and everlasting Burnings God hath of late shook the Earth O that we poor Mortals could get a Title to those unshaken Regions above which are not obnoxious to those Vicissitudes and Changes that here in this lower World we are liable to We ought to make a good Use of the late Earthquake it should awaken every one in particular to see in what Posture of Readiness we are in to meet our God What if he should repeat this amazing Judgment and not only threaten but actually destroy us It were but just with God to deal with us as lately with Iamaica How insensible have we been of their Judgments and Calamities how unreform'd are we though we see how God deals with others of our Fellow-Creatures We in probability are as great Offenders as they we spared they consumed God gives us Space to repent O that he would not deny the Grace of true Repentance We may look upon this late Warning like Ionah's Message that within a little while this City and Inhabitants shall be utterly destroyed Without dispute our Sins have reached Heaven the Cry of them is very great and should God deal with us as we have deserved we might long since have been consumed our Bodies been sent to the Grave and our Souls to Hell But we have a God whose Compassions fail not therefore is it that we are not utterly forsaken He is God and not Man wherefore it is that we are not Monuments of his Justice But his Mercies are still extended to us a sinful rebellious Nation O that they may lead us to Repentance and that the Effects of his Goodness may be shewed in our thankful Lives for this and all other Mercies which the Bounty of his Providence still vouchsafeth us PAPER IX DEath seemeth to make its near Approach to me and I am of all Persons most inexcusable who have frequent Warnings of my Departure hence if I do not