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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13561	Three treatises The pearle of the gospell, The pilgrims profession: and A glasse for gentlewomen to dress themselues by. To which is added A short introduction to the worthy receiuing of the Lords supper. By Thomas Taylor, Doctor of Diuinity, and late preacher of Aldermanbury Church in London.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Pearle of the gospell. aut; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Pilgrims profession. aut; Gunter, H.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Glasse for gentlewomen to dresse themselves by. aut; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Short introduction to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper. aut	1633 (1633)	STC 23856; ESTC S113869	74,858	266

with obstinate malice against God or his Truth which when shee was most superstitiously devoted shee desired to finde out it pleased God to quiet her mind for that and so led her ouer that temptation But Satan that departed from our head Jesus Christ onely for a seaon was not long away from the molestation of this his member but returned and brought seuen worse spirits were it possible than before and now his name may be Legion for now hee would confound and oppresse her with multitudes of blasphemous thoughts and doubts Now must shee beleeve there is no God That the Scriptures are not his Word but a Pollicie or if it were his Word who must interpret it or how could shee a silly woman get the vnderstanding of such deepe mysteries as are contained in the same Besides as shee was of mind that she was gottē out of one error so she knew nothing but that shee was mis-led into another for how could shee be sure that this was the truth which she now professed seeing there are as many or more learned men of the one opinion as of the other and all of them maintaine their opinions by the Scriptures Thus was shee vexed and exercised with Armies of roving and unsetled conceits for five or six yeares together till God whom shee often sollicited for direction and assistance in the combat brought her to this resolution that she would hold these conclusions whatsoever disputes Satan might weary her withall That there was not onely a God in himselfe but a God that was her God and whatsoever opinions there were in the world that there was but one Truth and that was to bee learned out of the Scriptures and though there were much in the Bible which shee did not understand yet shee was perswaded that if shee would diligently read and search the Scriptures with earnest prayer to God for a good understanding in them shee should attaine thence a measure of knowledge s●fficient to bring her to heaven and holding strongly these grounds shee found the temptations waste away by degrees and her selfe daily more strongly setled upon the foundation Neither was shee onely by the grace of God a Conquerour in these temptations but I may say with the Apostle in a manner more than a Conquerour by them for God who bringeth light out of darkenesse made these temptations a sweet seasoning of her whole life By occasion of which shee tyed her selfe to a strict course of godlinesse and a constant practice of Christian Duties which shee religiously observed even till her dying day For first that shee might be stablished in the Truth and confirmed against those former waverings and weakenesses shee vowed that God assisting her shee would every yeare read over the whole Bible in an ordinary course which course shee constantly observed for the space of fifteene yeares together beginning her taske upon her birth-day and reading every day so many Chapters as to bring it about iust with the yeare By which exercise shee gained a great increase of knowledge and no lesse strengthening of her faith for she did not read carelesly or negligently but alwayes kept a note of what places she did not vnderstand and would still bee inquiring the meaning of them as shee met either with Ministers or such as she thought were able to informe her in the same And her custome was euer before shee opened her Bible to send vp a short prayer vnto God for the opening of her blinde eyes to the vnderstanding of those sacred mysteries that so they might bee as a Lanthorne to guide her feet in the wayes of holinesse vntill shee had attained her desired happinesse And not herewith contented as a good Mary she pondered the Word of God in her heart for by her great industry in the Scriptures shee had gotten by heart many select Chapters and speciall Psalmes and of euery Booke of the Scripture one choyce verse all which shee weekly repeated in an order which shee propounded to her selfe and being asked why shee was so laborious in getting and retaining those Scriptures in memory Her answer was that shee knew not what daies of triall or persecution might come wherein shee might be depriued of her Bible and other good bookes and helpes but so much of the Scriptures as she could get into her heart shee knew no Tyrants or Enemies could bereaue or rob her of God make thee that readest and me that writeth this so Christianly prouident as in these dayes of plenty to lay vp somewhat for the dayes of straitnesse and famine Secondly from that time of her trouble shee resolued vpon Daniels practice wherein shee was also constant namely besides the family duties which were twice a day performed by the Chaplin in that Religious house in which shee liued till within one yeere of her death And besides the priuate Prayers that shee daily read in her Ladies Bed-chamber shee was thrice every day on her knees before God in secret like a true worshipper whose delight was to bee in Gods presence By meanes of which daily exercise besides all other comfortable fruits shee attained a singular sweet gift in prayer whereby she could both strongly wrastle and happily prevaile with God whose grace suffereth himselfe to be ouercome with the prayers of his weake servants And because she knew that Religious fasting is the whet-stone of Prayer shee tyed her selfe to set apart six dayes in every yeare wherein shee was extraordinarily humbled in fasting and prayer for her owne sinnes and the sinnes of the times At all which times shee was in speciall manner earnest with the Lord that he would bee pleased further to reveale vnto her his whole Truth needfull for her salvation and keepe her constant in the obedience thereof vnto the end And because shee knew that the right and worthy Receiuing of the Sacraments affordeth a Christian speciall strength and much stabilitie in the course of godlinesse as shee diligently apprehended that comfort when shee could conueniently receiue that Sacrament so for many yeares shee had laid a band vpon her selfe neuer to receiue it but the day before to fit and examine her selfe seriously deeply humbling her selfe before the Lord in fasting and prayer all the day long Thirdly the trouble of her conscience made her ever of a tender conscience fearefull shee was of offending God and her owne conscience and watched her selfe narrowly and to keepe her selfe in awe for the space of fiue yeares before her death shee kept a Catalogue of her daily slips and set downe euen the naughty thoughts which shee obserued in her selfe that one day in euery weeke shee might extraordinarily humble her selfe for all the failings of that weeke and this with such moderate abstinence as might best fit her weake body to humble and feruent prayer And all these priuate Religious duties she performed so secretly that none but her bosome friend knew of their performance As shee was thus fearefull of sinnes

present and to come so her conscience was tender in respect of sinnes past as may appeare by this memorable instance Whilest shee was a childe bred vp in the chamber of that old Lady shee was entised by lewd servants who fed her with figges and other such toyes fit to please children withall to steale money out of the Ladies Cabinet which often stood open in her Chamber and which they knew shee had the fittest opportunity to doe of all other whereunto her childishnesse giving way shee found it not missed and so continued it for seven yeares or thereabouts without any great checke of Conscience But when the light of God came in and made a priuy search in the heart and made her able to take her selfe with the fact now shee was ashamed and confounded in her selfe and her stirred conscience gaue her no rest nor could shee conceiue any hope of quiet because shee saw shee had done that which shee could no way vndoe If shee looked at the summe of mony taken and giuen away she conceiued that by continuing in that course seuen yeares together shee might haue wronged that Lady thirty or forty pound If she thought of restitution she was no way able Thus shee carried the burthen of this sinne a long time easing it as wel as she could with a resolute purpose if ever God pleased to make her able to make restitution to the heires of the deceased Lady And accordingly so she did For when that honourable and bountifull Lady whom shee long serued gave her a large portion when shee bestowed her in marriage she forthwith made choyce of a Reverend Minister whom shee employed therein enjoyning him secrecie and because shee would be sure to make full restitution shee delivered him sixty pounds to tender vnto this Ladies heire as from a concealed servant of the Ladies who had vniustly taken it away from her And when the Gentleman returned tenne pounds of it againe such was the tendernesse of her conscience that she would receive none of it to her owne vse but gave it away to poore and pious persons and vses And this childish errour God turned to her good for in all the two and twenty yeares of her service unto that honourable Lady she never durst make vse of any thing that was vnder her charge were it small or great but set it downe in writing and once every yeare did make it good either in the kinde or in some other thing which she bought for her Ladiships vse Fourthly the sense of her owne weaknesses and wants made her of a pittifull and charitable disposition towards the wants and miseries of others Shee had ever a large heart to the poore especially the godly poore shee neuer did see or heare of any that were in want but her heart did mourne if shee had not to releeve them neither was her hand shut for she did yearely lay aside a portion of money to the vttermost of her ability if not beyond for their releefe Thus she lived holily happily and desiredly Neither could so gracious a life be shut vp but by an answerable that is an happy death and dissolution whereof I will adde but a few words and so leaue her to her happinesse til we meet happily againe True it is that the life of a Christian should be a continuall meditation of death as it is a continuall motion to death and such was the latter part especially of the life of this Christian woman who was of weake and sickly constitution many yeares before her death which made her so much the more prepared for her last combat and sicknesse which lasted ten weekes in all which time she certainely apprehended and expected her dissolution it being the principall and almost onely subject of her discourse sixe moneths before it came But thirty dayes before her departure she finding her paines increasing and growing very sharpe and tedious shee spent an houres talke with me concerning her desire for the things of this life and hauing said what she purposed shee thus concluded her speech Now sweet Heart no more words betweene you and me of any worldly thing onely let me earnestly request and charge you that as you see my weaknesse increase you will not faile to assist me and call on me to follow the Lord with prayer and patience For now I know that Satan will shew all his malice because his time is but short against me and hee will easily espy my weaknesse and make his aduantage of it and therefore now especially help me with your counsell comfort and prayers In all the time of her sickenesse our gracious God who as a fast friend standeth closest to his servants when they haue most need of him shewed his gracious presence with her as in all other comfortable supplies answerable to that depth of distresse so especially in hearing and answering her prayers and desires of her heart There were foure requests which we observed shee especially preferred vnto God in her sicknesse and in none of them was denied The first that she might be armed with strength against Satans assaults which she expected would bee fierce and frequent from whom shee was mercifully freed for onely three dayes before her death she began to be dejected in the sense of her owne dulnesse and thereby began to call in question Gods love towards her and the truth of Gods grace in her for said shee were I the Lords why should not I lift vp my head now seeing the time of my dissolution draweth on so neare But these complaints continued not above six houres but she had much chearefulnesse and comfort againe which she expressed both in earnest and excellent Prayers wherein her gift was more then ordinary for her sexe as also in many chearefull thankes and prayses to God for his great mercy for that he had now so chained Satan at this time of her great weaknesse that having beene formerly molested and daily vexed with his assaults for the space of above six yeares together now he would not suffer him to rest on her with his malice above six houres Her second request was that the Lord would strengthen her with patience to endure all her paines to the end and herein she was as graciously heard as in the former for although she was full of paines and assaulted with many strong fits in which no part was exempt from deadly paynes and every of these fits of many houres continuance yet was she never heard to vtter any word of impatience in her selfe or discontent to any that were about her and much lesse to charge God foolishly in whose hands she was as the clay in the hand of the Potter Her third request to God was that she might in all her sorrowes be still supported with some sense of his love and with the assurance of the pardon of all her sinnes And that God was comfortably found of her in this request was very apparant in her joyfull

Diognetum LONDON Printed by I. B. for Iohn Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup in Cheap-side 1633. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lady LEITICE Countesse of Leicester all encrease of Honour and Happinesse MADAM HAuing importuned and prevailed with that Reuerend Preacher who performed that last office for your LADISHIPS late Seruant to afford mee a perfect Coppy of his Sermon which for the fitnesse and worthinesse of the matter I thought much pittie to be buryed with her and purposing to adde a short Relation of the happie Life and Death of my deare Wife both which I thought were very exemplary I emboldned my selfe to present the same to your HONOVR not onely as a thankfull testification of my humble dutie and seruice for all those gracious endowment which I so happily enioyed in her of all which vnder God your Honour was a chiefe instrument but also because I know that your Honour who gladly apprehended al the meanes of her comfort through her life would as gladly receiue the true Narration of her assured Comforts and Conquest in h●r so Christian death and dissolution Neither is the Sermon vnfit for your Hunours perusall whom God hath honoured with so many daies yeares taught not to feare either the end of your Pilgrimage out of this strange Countrey or the neere approach to your owne home Thus humbly praying your Honours acceptance of that which is most properly yours I pray the Father of mercie to adde to all your noble Vertues the continuance of your true prosperitie Your HONOVRS in all humble seruice H. G. THE PILGRIMS PROFESSION PSAL. 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a soiourner as all my Fathers THis holy Prophet being by great distresse of mind and disease of bodie brought very low as appeareth in the whole Psalme and so low as he was ready to breake patience and to offend with his tongne yet after a doubtfull combat betweene faith and frailty his Faith steps aboue flesh and leads him out of himselfe to wait vpon God with holy silence and lifteth him vp to God in feruent and earnest Prayers which are the breath of Faith both for pardon of sin the cause and for release from the affliction and plague the effect of it And because the sense of misery was deepe hee striues with God with great vehement and earnestnesse of spirit ingeminating his petition in this twelfth vers Rising vp in his requests by degrees as one that meaneth to preuaile with God as another Iacob and not let him goe till he haue blessed him and therefore first he desireth the Lord to heare his Prayer But because the prayers of the Saints are often faint and feeble and without any strong motion he desires the Lord to hearken to his cry the sense of his need vrged strong cryes feruency and importunity And further because euery strong cry is not heard vnlesse it proceed from a broken and contrite spirit He prayeth the LORD not to keepe silence at his teares well hee knew that prayers of faith watered with teares of godly sorrow are eloquent perswaders to dray a comfortable answer from God they cannot suffer him to sit silent long who hath prepared both a bottle to reserue them in and an handkerchiefe to wipe them away from the eyes of his children Try it after holy Dauid who will or can make euery day a spring to sowe● thy prayers in heauen and water them sometimes with an Aprill showre of mournfull teares for thy sinne and misery and ●hon hast preuailed aganist Gods silence thou shalt heare a sweete and comfortable Answere in due season Now the words read are a reason of his earnest request drawne from the acknowledgement of the frailty vanity and breuity of his life laid downe by a comparison taken from strangers or Pilgrims of which number he professeth himselfe to be and may well be called The Pilgrims profession In tying which words with the former it may be asked first what force can there bee in this reason to moue or incline God to mercy because he was a stranger with him it might rather imply that God should the more estrange himselfe from him and stand further from his helpe I answer 1. The Hebrew phrase I am a stranger with thee signifieth as much as to say I am a stranger before thee or in thy sight And not that he was a stranger in affection or conuersation from God as the wicked who are said to be strange childred and strangers from the wombe For how could Dauid be such a stranger who set the Lord euer before him and at his right hand that hee might not sinne against him 2. As it is a confession and testimony of his owne humility and sense of his misery it is a motiue to mercy as if he had said I am a stranger and need helpe because as a stranger I lye open to many iniuries and inconueniences but thou art the God of the abiect thy property is as to cast down the proud so to raise vp such deiected soules as I am and therefore heare my prayers cryes and teares 3. As it ascribeth vnto the Lord the honour of mercy it is a motiue to mercy for holy Dauid puts the Lord in mind of his own gracious inclination and affection to strangers for he hath commanded vs to be kinde to strangers and hath in speciall manner vndertaken the protection of strangers Ps. 146. 6. The Lord keepeth the strangers and therefore his faith binding God after a sort to his owne law and promise assureth himselfe of Gods mercy because he is a stranger 4. As it is an acknowledgement of his own impotency and the misery of his life it pleadeth strongly for mercy as if hee had said Thou knowest Lord that I am a stranger here and so long as I am so I cannot but carry a burden of flesh and a body of sinne and daily thereby deserue thy most heauy displeasure and therefore I beseech thee be not so extreame against me as in iustice thou mayest but considering my frailty mingle my corrections with mercy And wheras I discerne also by my bodily weaknesse and infirmity that I am a stranger here and of short continuance I pray thee remoue thy hand and let not all my life be miserable but stay thine anger from me that I may recouer my strength before I goe hence and bee no more And vpon the same ground Iob makes the same request Let him cease and leaue off from mee that I may take a little comfort before I goe and shall not returne c. Secondly it may bee asked How can Dauid vse this as a reason for his recouery which hee vsed before vers 4. for the hastening of his death for because his life was short and miserable therefore he desires he might die in all haste To which I snswer That great difference there is between Dauid foiled by flesh and Dauid

I haue chosen you out of the world 2. Christ interdiction 1 Joh. 2. 15. Loue not the world nor the things of the world 3. Christs operation Gal. 6. 14. The world is crucified to me and I vnto the world The very light of nature saw and said that nature hath afforded vs in this world only an Inne and not a dwelling and should not grace much more acquaint vs with Gods decree and ordinance which is that man should be a while in the world as in a way to passe him vnto his finall estate elsewhere or at most but a traueller in an Inne which hee is ready to leaue the next morrow Secondly in their owne account and confession they are strangers Heb. 11. 13. All these confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims vpon earth And in the account of the world also they are strangers which vseth them strangely coursly as Dauid was a stranger to his brethren Ps. 69. 8. And wheras were they of the world it would know them loue them and hug them in their lap they being strangers it is another Egypt to Gods first borne and knoweth them not but to vexe and oppresse them Thirdly in respect of the short time of thier continuance for as a stranger abides not in a strange place as the natiues do but hastneth through his way and so with his time cutteth shortneth his iourney so the godly haue here no abiding city neither is this their resting place For this cause the whole militant Church is called a Tabernacle the Saints cal the time of their life for the shortnesse discontinuance of it but a being in this tabernacle because first as a tabernacle is but a soiorning place set vp for a shift to hide our selues for a small while as the souldier hides himselfe in a sconce or tent onely for the time of a siege at the longest so is it with the tabernacle of the body set vp for a small time not so much for it self as for the inmate the soule which is contained in it Secondly as a tabernacle is a moueable tent pitched for a day ouer night is set vp and perhaps the next day the stakes are pulled vp and the cords are slacked and the conering is folded vp no otherwise is it with the tabernacle of the body which no man knoweth whether it shall stand vnmoued till the next morrow no nor till the next houre Thirdly as a Tabernacle is only a couering but hath no foundation to settle vpon● so Iob speaketh of our bodies as houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust that if God did not fasten the siluer cords of them to his appointed time euery blast would ouerthrow them euery moment Fourthly the godly are strangers here below in respect of their businesse imployment a stranger is vnacquainted with the affairs of the place where he takes vp his Inne he meddles not with the gouernment the offices the passages of causes in the towne where he lyeth as a stranger but intendeth his iourney only careth how he may passe through and if he haue any busines there it is only to aduance his estate at home in his own country And so it is with the godly they estrange themselues as much as may bee from the world the common courses of it their callings they cast not off because they are cōmanded to abide in them with moderate care to prouide for themselues and theirs And for earthly things they cannot bee without them while they haue a life to maintain by them but yet they meddle no more with them than needs must and in the midst of their earthly businesse are not earthly minded They are Burgesses of another Corporation all their trading and traffick here is to make themselues a rich and sure estate there They haue a chiefe businesse to doe which they principally intend namely to seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes of it to repent of their sinnes to beleeue in the Son of God to make their election sure whereto they giue all diligence as they are exhorted 2 Pet. 1. 10. Fiftly the godly are strangers in respect of their affection for as strangers long after home and where euer their bodies be their hearts and mindes are not there but at home where their deare friends and estates are So is it with the Saints whose mindes and meditations and conuersation are in heauen before-hand for there is their Fathers house and there is their inheritance there is Iesus Christ their treasure and no maruel if their hearts be there where their treasure is The worldling hath his whole portion in this life and therefore hee bestowes all his heart his thoughts his cares his desires aud indeuors vpon the world he runs after it with a full desire But it cannot be so with the godly man who is minded as was good Nehemiah 2. 3. Who although his person was in the King of Persia his Court and was a neere attendant at the Kings Table yet his heart was at Jerusalem And as Daniel who while he was in the land of his captiuity yet he opened his windowes euery day towards Ierusalem Quest. But are not wicked men strangers here vpon earth as well as the godly Ans. Wicked men and worldlings are indeed strangers here if we looke towards God they are strangers with him strangers from the Couenant of God and stranhers from the life and waies of God Or if wee consider the time of their continuance here they haue no more continuance here than others they haue no Leases of their liues nor no surer holds of their estates than others haue The rich Glutton heard Thon foole this night shall they take away thy soule and all Or if we consider the place in which they liue they are strangers for the East winde takes away and hurls them out of their place as easily as any other And the mighty dye suddenly are taken away without hand And their houses possessions which knew them once shall know them no more but take in other strangers for a terme of dayes as they took in them But wicked men are not strangers as the godly are in 4 respects 1. In their owne account or conceit for though their estate be as vnstable as any others yet haue they a strong cōceit of continuance and of taking their rest for many yeares They are described to be such as put off the euill day make leagues with death are hardly brought to confesse themselues to bee pilgrims and strangers 2. In the worlds account they be not strangers but neighbors Towne-dwellers The world knowes them loueth them as her own yea ●ulleth them in her lap as her children shee graceth them enricheth them aduanceth them as men of best deserts In a word she thinketh nothing she hath too good for such fast friends and diligent seruants 3. In their owne affection they

and reuenge of the Lord in whose Country he soiourneth bu● frame himselfe to please him by whose leaue he trauelleth through his Countrey How carefull and digent were Josephs brethren to please their vnknowne brother the Lord of that strange Countrey Much more ought we to please our brother Jesus Christ the Lord of this strange countrey through which we passe to our owne Canaan 3 Cast thy care vpon God and I depend vpon him for al needfull supplies so did holy Dauid here because he was stranger in Gods Countrey he therefore casteth his burden vpon the Lord desiring him to heare his prayer and to hearken to his cry and not to be silent at his teares A stranger ouer-loadeth nor himselfe with cares and carriages but carrying a competent viaunce with him dependeth for all necessaries vpon them where he soiourneth so a Christian stranger need be in nothing carefull but in all things let his request be shwed vnto God the King of the Countrey in prayer All 〈…〉 exexcessiue carefulnesse is to bee auoyded of a Christian yea suppose the care bee about things lawfull if it be excessiue it is sinfull and vnseemely in a Christian Pilgrim Let thy chiefe care be to commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in him and he shal bring it to passe Psal. 55. 22. Cast thy care vpon the Lord and hee shall nourish thee 4. Bee much in thankfulnesse vnto God for all the comfortable blessings thou receiuest in thy Pilgrimage a stranger thankfully accepteth all the fauors shewed him in a strange Countrey and so did holy Dauid when God had enabled him to prepare abundantly for the building of the Temple breake out into abundant praises We thanke thee our God and prayse thy glorious name But who am I or what is my people that we should offer vnto thee for all is thine and of thine owne haue we giuen thee for wee are strangers before thee and soiourners as all our Fathers were And surely it well beseemeth the iust to be thankfull seeing they are strangers in the Lords land and all the comforts they enioy are his by right and possession and theirs onely by leaue and thankfull acceptation 5. Be contented and patient if this great Lord deny thee any thing thou wouldst haue whilest thou passest through his Countrey so was Israel when Edom out of a churlish and hurtfull mind denied them peaceable passage But the Lord of this Countrey knoweth what is fit for vs and neuer denieth any thing out of a churlish minde neither can deny any thing good in it selfe and good to vs and if he withhold any hurtfull things we must be not only patient but thankfull Vse 3. In that we are strangers and trauelling to our country as all our Fathers haue done before vs it appeareth that our wisedome will be to resolue of paines and trauell all the daies of our life and not to expect rest till the night of death come when dying in the Lord we shall rest from our labours and because this is not our rest we must arise and depart hence And seeing we can no more auoid this weary iourney than any of our Fathers could do we must rather bestow wise and carefull thoughts in fitting our selues to our iourney and in behauing our selues through our way than to expect to auoid the tediousnesse and difficulties of it Quest. How may we fit our selues for our iourney home into our owne Countrey Ans. A traueller fitteth himselfe to his iourney two 〈◊〉 specially 1. By casting off 〈…〉 behinde him 〈…〉 burden or 〈…〉 2. By prouiding for himselfe things fit for his iourney Of the former sort there be three especiall encumbrances that the Christian Pilgrim must lighten himselfe of The first of them is sinne which as an intollerable burden presseth vs downe and hangeth fast on and therefore the Apostle counselleth to cast it off if we meane to run the race before vs. Now the way to lighten our selues of this weight is to exercise eueryday the grace of repentance and mortification and daily to take some sinne or other in hand and at least to slake and abate the power of it that if we cannot be rid of the sinne in respect of the presence of it yet we may be rid of the reigne and command of it The second are earthly cares profits and pleasures which are as heauie stones tyed vnto vs and pressing vs from heauen to earth making heauie and sadde the soule and vnweldy in her motions The way for vs to lighten our selues of these encumbrances is daily and continually to eleuate raise our thoughts homeward and heauenward and exercise our selues in holy meditations praiers and praises sundry times through the day For as he that would keepe a Clocke in true motion must euery day sundry times windevp the plummets which are still drawing downward euen so must we doe with our hearts the cares and pleasures of the world are as plummets of Lead pressing down the soule incessantly in her motion towards heauen and he that would continue his motion must daily winde vp his heart towards God and by maine strength of grace fetch it vp from earth that it may be firmly setled on heauenly things delighting it selfe with the riches of heauen and with contemplation of those pleasures that are at the right hand of God for euermore The third encumbrance is the feare of death which presseth vs all our life and the Christian must lighten himselfe of this burden by looking beyond it to his owne home by longing after the liuing God whom none can see in the body and liue by considering that the neerer he is to death he is so much neerer home and what stranger feareth to goe home or is sorry when after a long absence he is entring into his owne Citie Secondly A wise Christian will furnish and prouide himself with necessaries and needfull supplies to helpe him through his iournie There be fiue things especially which a traueller must fit himselfe withal that his iourney may be lesse tedious and more prosperous to himselfe 1. The knowledge of the direct way Now whereas no man knowes the way to the heauenly countrey without Gods teaching euery one must go to God himselfe first and then to such as God hath appointed to be the directors and instructors in this way The former we see in holy Dauid Psalme 119. 19. I am a stranger vpon earth therefore hide not thy Commandements from me He knew well how hardly a blinde man could performe a farre and dangerous iourney and thus it is onely th● Commandement that shews the way to this heauenly Countrie Why was Dauid a blinde man or did he not know the ten Commandements Euen Dauid who was not stone blinde but much enlightned was blinde in part and still earnest that the LORD would further open his eyes to see the way more plainly and clearely than yet he did And though he knew

sinnefull men estrange thy selfe from their courses walke as one deliuered from this euill world if not yet in respect of place yet in respect of new qualities thou shalt haue GODS protection and see the sa●uation of the LORD when all the wicked Inhabitants of the earth shal● call for the hils to couer them and the mountaines to fall vpon them to hide them from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand FINIS A PROFITABLE MEMORIALL OF the Conuersion Life and Death of Mistris MARIE GVNTER set vp as a Monument to be looked vpon both by Protestants and Papists I Could not better spend some part of the dais of my mourning for the losse of my deare Wife then in setting downe briefly some Passages of her course and Pilgrimage that the happy memory of her graces and vertuous life might euer liue with me both for incitation and imitation And if my desires were strong to make them more publike for the direction of some others I hope it will rather be charitably ascribed to the working and stirring of my affection towards her Ashes than to any vanitie of minde or ostentation in her Besides I am sure that if a Protestant had beene seduced from vs as shee was called out of Popery and had liued and dyed so zealous in that Religion as shee did in this the aduersaries would haue made their aduantage of it and published the same as one of the miracles of their Church And I see not but it may be as lawfull for me as it may proue profitable for others to set downe the known Truth concerning her that as shee was in her life so also she may happily continue now after her death an happy instrument of Gods glory in earth as I am assured shee is a vessell before him filled with his glory of heauen THis gracious Woman was for birth a Gentlewoman but descended of Popish Parents who dying in her infancy shee was committed vnto the tuition of an old Lady honourable for her place but a strong Papist who nousled and mis-led this Orphan in Popery till shee came about foureteene yeeres of age at which time this Lady died Upon which occasion God hauing a mercifull purpose towards her conuersion by his good Prouidence brought her to the seruice of that Religious and truly honourable Lady the Countesse of Leicester who entertained her with more than ordinary respect both because of her young yeares as also because shee was allied to Sir Christopher Blunt then husband to the honourable Countesse at whose request his Lady had taken her into her care To this Honourable Countesse shee came a most zealous Papist and resolute as soone as possibly shee could apprehend a fit opportunity to conuey her selfe beyond the Seas and become a Nunne for she then thought that that was the surest and likeliest way to get Heauen which as shee had an earnest desire to attaine so would shee take the nearest way which shee thought would bring her thither But shee could not so closely carry her secret deuotions and intentions but that by the carefull eye of her Honourable Lady they were soone discouered and not sooner discouered then wisely preuented for presently her Lady tooke from her all her Popish bookes Beades and Images and all such trumpery and set a narrow watch ouer her that shee might bee kept from her Popish Prayers and not absent her selfe from the daily Prayers of the Family which were religiously obserued further requiring her to reade those Prayers that her honour daily vsed to have in her private chamber with her women Her Ladiship also carefully preuented her from her Popish company and counsel by word or writing for neither might shee write nor receive any letter without the view and consent of her Honour Shee also constrained her to be countable for the Sermons which shee heard in the house which were constantly two euery Sabbath day for the increase of the sound knowledge of God which is the onely Hammer of Popery And hereby shee in short time obtayned great ability to communicate to others the substance of those Sermons which shee heard the rather because it was constantly obserued by all the women in that honourable Family to come together after the last Sermon and make repetition of both And this shee did as yet for feare but still with this reseruation that shee would keepe her heart for Popery and trusted that God would bee merciful vnto her as Naaman in this which shee did onely through feare and constraint But God who in his owne time worketh in his owne meanes beganne to worke in her first a staggering in her old way For when she saw the holy conuersation of that Reverend Preacher Master I. W. who was then Chaplin to the Countesse shee began to perswade her selfe that surely this mans godlinesse must needs bring him to Heaven And then the reverend respect of the man made her begin to give some better eare to his Doctrine to examine his proofes and to reverence his Ministry whereby in short time it pleased God that shee was won to beleeve the Truth and renounce her former superstition and ignorance And as it is the property of a true Convert being converted her selfe she endeuoured the conversion of others and was a great helpe and furtherance to the publique Ministery that way For this was a thing which that honourable Familie tooke speciall knowledge of and there were many that had great cause to blesse God for her in that respect Now presently Satan that Dragon that watcheth to deuoure every man-child which shall be borne unto God begins to rage and reach at her with strong and violent temptations and first hee terrified her in that shee had sinned the sinne against the holy Ghost for shee had played the deepe dissembler and being in heart a Papist yet joyned with the Protestants whom shee held for Heretickes and all this against her knowledge and conscience and so fiercely and incessantly hee followed this temptation as that shee was perswaded it was impossible that euer this sinne should or could be pardoned And this temptation was pointed and sharpened with that dreadfull and foule suggestion of selfe murder as if the remedy of the sin against the holy Ghost were to destroy ones selfe While shee was thus long tossed tumbled in these waues and billowes of Satanicall suggestions wherein she was so low cast and dejected still concealing her griefe as shee almost despaired of recovery It pleased God to direct that Reverend Preacher who was her Father in Christ whom shee ever after embraced with the most entire love of the most naturall Childe to entreat of this sinne and to shew what it was and by whom and in what manner it was committed To which Doctrine shee diligently harkening and by examination of it and her selfe finding that shee had not so sinned after illumination nor