thou to escape more then any other art thou any iote the more safe because of thy securitie No verily For when thou shalt say Peace and safetie then shall there come upon thee sodaine destruction As Paul saith 1. Thess 5. Secondly this may serue to reproue such as immoderately do seeke after wealth being as vnsatiable in secking riches as if they and their children were not mortall but immortall as if indeed they were to liue here alwayes and were to make prouision for an earthly eternitie O foolish and filthy couetousnesse when wilt thou say It is enough O vaine man thou prouidest with the danger of thy soule for many yeares when it may be this night thy soule shall be taken from thee and then whose shal these riches be which thou hast vniustly gathered Thirdly it may make for the iust reproofe of them which labour to perswade others that they shall liue long These are like vnto them which promise others libertie and are themselues the bondslaues of corruption And in this many Physitians are too much to blame which will make such large promises to their patients as though it were in them to recouer health at their pleasure when as in the meane time the poore patient dieth vnder their hands The second vse is an vse of Instruction ction for considering that mans life is thus fraile therefore hence we should learne to be humbled in our selues We must remember we are but dust and ashes and therefore we must not haue high conceits of our selues neither must we affect the too much pampering and pranking of the body Alas it may be thou art feeding nicely and curiously to day it may be thou art now pranking thy selfe in pride and in strange attire or painting thy face with Iesabel and before to morrow thou mayest be dead O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord humble thy selfe before the Lord in consideration of thy mortalitie If thou wilt not humble thy selfe thou hast iust cause to feare that the Lord will humble thee and bring thee low Secondly the consideration of our frailtie must teach vs not to deferre or put off our repentance but whilest it is called to day to call our selues to a secret examination of our wayes and courses to humble our selues for them to renew our couenants with God of our obedience and to turne from the power of Sathan to God Thou thinkest thou mayest do this soone enough when thou art old but how doest thou know whether thou shalt liue to be old or no Or suppose thou liue to be old how doest thou know that God will giue thee repentance at the last when thou hast hardened thine heart against him by thy sins Therefore whilest it is called to day either now turne or neuer either now repent or perish Either seeke the Lord in time whilest he may be found or else neuer seâ—ke him Thirdly the consideration of our frailtie must teach vs first to seeke Gods kingdome and righteousnesse and to lay vp for our selues a good foundation against the time to come We must labour to be rich in faith that when death comes vpon vs we may not slauishly feare it but rather chearefully embrace it as a most welcome messenger It is lamentable to see what paines men take to go to hell how they labour for the obtaining of their lusts and vnsatiable desires and in the meane time remaine altogether voide of care how they might attaine heauen O awake awake remember out abode here it is but for a short time but that estate which is to come whether it be for happinesse or woe it is eternall and whithout end Therefore striue and take paines to enter in by the straire gate We find by experience things of value in the world to wit riches and honours and high places they are not attained without great meaneâ— vsed and shall we thinke that sauing grace Gods kingdome will be obtained without great striuing Let no man or woman deceiue themselues for if the righteous which labour hard in the vse of meanes as in hearing in reading meditating in the vse of the Sacrament in conference in keeping â—aith a good conscience in prayer and such like if such I say shall scarceâ—y be saued notwithstanding all their â—are and striuing then what shall beâ—ome of such as striue not at all or if â—hey do striue it is very coldly and negligently Surely such vnlesse they â—end their pace they can neuer each their iourneys end which is the glorious kingdome of heauen They will be found like trauellers dead in â—he way before they halfe reach â—ome The third and last vse is for comâ—ort and consolation For considering â—hat mans life is so fraile therfore first â—t may be a comfort to such as enâ—ure exile or banishment or imprisonment or hard vsage or pouertie or sicknesse or the like they may remember that their afflictions here cannot be long because their liues are but short Peace shall come and they shall rest in their beds Esay 57. 2. and Blessed are they which die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit they rest from their labours Reuel 14. 13. Secondly the consideration oâ— shortnesse of life may be matter oâ— consolation and comfort vnto such aâ— beleeue for now their saluation iâ— nearer then when they began to beleeue What knowest thou but thaâ— there is but a step betweene thee anâ— heauen Thou art here this yere thoâ— mayest be in heauen before the next thou art here this moneth thoâ— mayest be with Christ before thâ— next Yea thou art here to day thoâ— mayest be in blisse before to morrow O thrise happie estate how woulâ— men admire the happinesse of such begger as were in possibility euery houre to be aduanced to a kingdome And how much more admirable is the estate of euery true Christian who standes in continuall possibilitie to be aduanced to such an estate as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither can it sufficiently enter into the heart of man to conceiue 1. Cor. 2. 9. Thirdly the consideration of our shortnesse of life may comfort all such faithfull Christians as do desire to be freed from sinne Though Satan and the world and their owne corruptions do disquiet them for a time yet they shall not alwayes disquiet them Death will come and that quickly and then thou shalt sinne no more neither shalt thou be tempted â—o sinne any more but thou shalt be â—ike vnto an elect Angell yea like vnto Iesus Christ in perfect holinesse righâ—eousnesse Which estate Gods children more affect then they affect the very happinesse or ioyes of heauen And thus much for the first doctrine Moneths of vanity Hence obserue we in the next place That afflictions sanstified are an especiall meanes â— bring a man or woman to a cleare sight of the vanitie of earthly things Iob being greatly afflicted and hauing his affliction sanctified vnto him was enabled
the sense of their paines My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thirdly is it so that afflictions may be thus tedious vnto Gods children Therefore this must teach all Christians to endeuour and that betimes to lay the foundation of a comfortable death and for this end we must obserue these rules First we must take away the sting of death which is sinne There is nothing which makes death terrible or troublesome vnto Gods child but sinne as for the pangs many Christians haue comfortably endured them especially being assured of Gods fauour and also priuie to themselues of a well spent life But as for such which would not be ruled but would still retaine a felfewill their end hath bene coÌ„monly vncomfortable Therefore my deare brother and sister whosoeuer thou art let my counsell be auailable with thee cast away all thy transgressions whereby thou hast transgressed Spare not thy bosome sins For I say vnto thee euery sinne which thou keepest vnmortified doth threaten to make thy death vncomfortable Wherefore let vs euery day be lessening the sorrowes of death by our daily practise of mortification Hast thou mortified lust mortifie also couetousnesse hast thou mortified couetousnesse mortifie also pride hast thou mortified pride mortifie also rash anger in a word hast thou mortified some sinne striue to mortifie all sin For assure thy selfe if thou keepe any one sinne aliue it will be bitternesse in the end Secondly if we desire to make a comfortable end we must walke faithfully and labor to glorifie God in our particular calling How came Paul to finish his dayes with comfort but by this that he had finished his course 2. Tim. 4. that is he had bene carefull to accomplish the worke whereunto he was sent For it is not sufficient my welbeloued that we obserue with diligence the workes of pietie and that we walke faithfully in our generall calling as we are Christians but we must also walk faithfully in our particular callings It is not sufficient to seeme to be a good Christian but we must be good Magistrats or good maisters or good husbands or good wiues or good seruants or good children c. We must glorifie God in the ranke wherein God hath set vs if euer we meane to die with sound comfort Thirdly if we desire to make a comfortable end we must be carefull to thinke of our end betimes When sicknes and death come vnexpected they are the more vnwelcome they come as vnbidden guests but if we haue seriously thought of these things before hand and made them part of our daily meditation then they are the lesse troublesome and the more easily borne Euen as a heauie burden if it be throwne vpon a mans shoulders at vnawares it is ready to breake his backe but if he be aware of his burden and fit himselfe to receiue it iâ— is farre more tollerable So it is with death and sicknesse if thou thinke of these things before hand they will be farre more easie but if thou put this euil day farre from thee thou shalt find by wofull experience that vnexpected death is the most bitter and terrible Therefore let thy bed put thee dayly in minde of thy graue and thy sleepe of thy death let the putting off thy garments put thee in minde of laying downe this tabernacle of thy body yea let thy sheetes put thee in minde of thy winding sheete and the clothes which couer thee in thy bed put thee in minde of the earth which shall couer thee in thy graue Thus thou shalt imitate Iob who waited all the dayes of his appointed time vntil his changing came Iob 14. 14. And thus thou shalt imitate many deare children of God which are taught of God thus to thinke of their mortalitie Thus thou shalt be more and more mortified to the world and thus no doubt thou shalt make thy end comfortable Fourthly if we desire to make a comfortable end we must endeuour betimes to make our calling and election sure Thus Simeon departed in peace because his eyes had seene Gods saluation And indeed how can we expect to die with comfort while we are vnresolued what shall become of our soules in the world to come And that we may make our calling and election sure we must obserue these rules First we must be diligent hearers of Gods word for Faith comes by hearing as the Apostle speaketh What is the reason that so many wauer Is it not because they are idle and because they will not take the paines to heare so diligently as their case requireth Secondly that wee may make our calling and election sure we must frequently receiue the Lords Supper What experienced Christian is there but he is able to tell you that the Sacrament by Gods blessing hath a notable confirming and establishing power And therefore those negligent Ministers are guiltie of the weaknesse of the faith of the people in that they do not so frequently as they ought administer the holy Sacrament Thirdly if we desire our calling and election to be made sure then we must pray vnto God as the Apostles did that the Lord would increase our faith For vnlesse Gods Spirit do testifie together with our spirit we can neuer come to any full assurance Paul may plant and Apollos may water but it must be God alone which must giue the increase of sauing grace Fourthly if we would make our calling and election sure wee must meditate often of Gods promises and we must trie our estate by the maâ—kes which are peculiar vnto Gods elect Fifthly if we would make our calling and election sure we must be plentifull in good workes For whom hath God promised to strengthen vpon the bed of languishing in Psal 41. 3. but such as consider wisely of the poore And who are they which lay vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come laying hold of eternall life but such as are rich in good workes 1. Tim 6. 19. Thus we see the way to a comfortable departure God almightie giue euery one of vs grace to take this way that so by our death we may glorifie God bring comfort good example to our brethren and eternall benefit to our owne soules and that for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the blessed Father and the holy Spirit three most glorious persons and one God be ascribed as is most due all honour praise and glorie all true feare reuerence and obedience from this time forth for euermore Amen The occasion of this Sermon as you know was for the celebration of the funerall of that excellent seruant of God Mistris Elizabeth Iuxon the late faithful wife of Maister Iohn Iuxon Citizen of this famous Citie of London And the reason which moued me to make choice of this Text rather then of any other was the request of our deare sister deceassed who vpon her death-bed called for her Bible and turned to this portion
THE MONVMENT OR TOMBE-STONE OR A SERMON PREACHED at Laurence Pountnies Church in London Nouemb. 21. 16 19. at the funerall of M rs Elizabeth Iuxon the late wife of M r. Iohn Iuxon By STEPHEN DENISON Minister of Gods word at Kree-Church in the honourable Citie of London Pro. 10. 7. The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Math. 26. 13. Wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her The third impression LONDON Printed by Richard Field dwelling in Great Wood-streete 1620. TO M r. IOHN IVXON CITIZEN OF THE FAMOVS CITIE OF London and his fiue children whom I loue in the truth STEPHEN DENISON wisheth increase of all true happinesse and prosperitie DEare friend it hath bene my purpose a long time to giue some publicke testimonie before I die of your loue and kindnesse shewed vnto me and considering that God hath offered such an opportunitie as this I thought I could not do lesse â—…hen to testifie my thankfulnesse vnto you and to â—iue Gods Church an occasion both to blesse God for you and to remember you yours in their prayers I do acknowledge that you haue bene and so vnto this day you do remaine the most faithfull friend and bountifull benefactor which hitherto I haue found vpon the earth You and your worthie wife now deceassed were the good Shunemites which gaue me the first constant entertainement in this Citie Your care ouer me hath bene great your saithfulnesse true and your bountie to me not little I am perswaded God will blesse you for it and that Gods deare people will loue you for it and for mine owne part I shall still remaine in your debt to pray for you and to do you the best spirituall good that I can God hath depriued you of a vertuous wife and me of a deare friend but the will of the Lord is good and he knoweth what is best Comfort your selfe concerning her death by the sound experience which you had of her godly and vertuous life and remember with ioy that which drew teares from you at her death to wit what a great care she had of your soule whilest she liued Remember also with comfort those excellent marks which were in her which you saw in her and knew in her as well as my selfe I confesse you haue a great misse of her many wayes but the consideration of her vndoubted happinesse must comfort you concerning that misse Labour you to make a good vse of her visitation and death let it moue you to renew your couenant with God and to be mindfull of your owne mortalitie to prepare for it in due time to worke out your owne saluation with feare and trembling Get oyle into your vessell whilest you haue time that so you may be ready when the Bridegroome cometh to enter in with him And now giue me leaue to speake a word or two to your beloued children You M. Iohn Iuxon the first borne let me exhort you to flie the lusts and vanities of youth and giue your mind vnto goodnesse remember your Creator now in the dayes of your youth Learne with Timothy to know the Scriptures of a child as you are the first borne in age so be you the first borne in grace be an example vnto the rest of the children in vertue and stayednesse fulfill the prophesies which go of you Your tender father reioyceth in you and hopeth that grace is in some measure begunne in you and for my owne part I hope good of you therefore be you good Aâ—d you M. Thomas Iuxon let me admonish you not to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse vse that capacity which God hath giuen vnto you for the glory of God be carefull to giue your minde vnto learning and to know God be obedient to your parents feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole duty of man as Salomon saith Eccles 12. And otherwise if you will not hearken vnto this then must I say with the same Salomon Reiòyce â— yong man in thy youth and let thine bea rt cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement Eccles 11. 9. And you Mistris Elizabeth Iuxon let me put you in mind that as you beare the name of your vertuous mother so you would be carefull to follow her godly steps be you diligent to heare Gods word preached and to reade the same in priuate euery day meditate that which you heare and reade and be carefull to practise that which you learne both in your generall and particular calling For these were the stops of your worthy mother And you Mistris Sarah Iuxon remember also after whom you are named to wit after Sarah the wife of Abraham Be diligent to reade the story of Sarah in the booke of Genesis and follow her in all things that are good and imitable And remember the words of the Apostle that women are the daughters of Sarah so long as they do well 1. Pet. 3. And lastly you mistris Marie Iuxon if God shall giue you life to liue to come to yeares of discretion and vnderstanding consider what I say vnto you You are named after the blessed virgine Marie As she therefore conceiued Christ in her wombe so do you conceiue him in your heart As she pondered the words of the sh epheards in her heart so do you meditate of the word of God day and night Yea consider what graces were in her and labour for the same Yea let me say vnto all you three pure virgins beware you of the sinnes of the times take heed of following the vaine fashions of the world take heed of pride take heed of whoredome and all manner of vncleannesse haue a care with whom you consort your selues marrie not without the consent of your parents or gouernours and be sure that you marrie in the Lord. In a word be carefull to reade and consider the marks which were in your mother and labour to find the like in your selues And thus you shall leade a blessed life and accomplish a happie death and at the last shall come to that heauenly kingdome whither your deare mother is gone before Vnto the which heauenly kingdome the Lord of his mercie bring vs all for Iesus Christ his sake Amen Yours in all Christian dutie STEPHEN DENISON TO THE READER COurteous Reader I haue bene exceedingly importuned and that by many worthy Christians for the markes which our worthy sister deceassed left behind her I could not tell how so well to satisfie the religious request of my brethren in this thing as by making publike for the common good both the Sermon and the Markes Here therefore I offer them to thy Christian consideratioâ— reade them with a single eye
well to be angrie Yea he may come to curse the day of his birth with Iob and Ieremiah Yea he may come to haue his words swallowed vp that he cannot pray Iob 6. 3. Thirdly the very elect may possibly be comfortlesse in their affliction according to that in Esay 54. 11. O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted Yea they may die mourning their gray haires may go with mourning to the graue as Iacâ—b speakes of himselfe Gen. 42. 38. And there be great reasons why afflictions are thus irksome to Gods children as first because our nature is traile and weake our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh of brasse as Iob speaketh Iob 6. 12. but we are flâ—shie bodies and therefore very sensible of the least paines Secondly the diuell doth especially tempt vnto impatiencie in the time of our affliction we haue then of all other times the strongest temptations When did Satan most tempt Iob to curse God but in the depth of his miserie and calamitie And therefore it is not much to be maruelled at if we descrie naturall frailtie and weaknesse in our brethren and sisters at such a time God deliuers his children to much frailtie that in their weaknesse his power might be seene For how admirable is the power of God in the preseruing of such a man or woman to eternall life which oftentimes neither know what they do nor what they say It is a great worke of God to bring any to heauen though they pray though they call for mercie though they giue euidences of faith and repentance but to bring such to heauen which for the present cannot pray it is a woâ—ke rather to be admired then conceiued God also suffers his deare children to die vncomfortably for their cause which stand by as either for the warning of his Saints standing by to teach them to take heede of nourishing corruption lest it trouble them at the last and to forewarne them also to prepare great strength against the needfull time Or else the Lord doth it in his iustice to be a stumbling blocke to the wicked that stand by that they may depart and say Lo these are the Professours these are the holy people these are the runners to Sermons and yet you see what ends they make God blesse me from their profession c. A iust iudgment of God that forasmuch as the wicked will not receiue any good by Gods people in their life time either by their good counsell or good example that therefore they should receiue hurt and bane by their death But here some may possibly obiect Doth not Christ himselfe say that The Comforter shall remaine for euer with his Elect Iohn 14. 16. Yea doth he not say further that No man shall take away their ioy Iohn 16. 22. Which being true how can it possibly be that the child of God hauing had at any time sound ioy should die vncomfortably To this I answer that indeed it is true soundioy shall neuer vtterly be taken away from any elect vessell but it is not to be denied but the sense feeling of that ioy may be taken away Though Christ was alwaies the Sonne of Gods loue and remained for euer in his fauour yet he was not alwayes sensible of that loue which caused him to crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If any shall obiect further and say Do we not reade that the Apostles reioyced In that they were thought wothie to suffer rebuke for Christ Acts 5. 41. And do we not heare of those holy Martyrs in Hebr. 10. 34. who suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods Yea do we not behold with our eyes many Christians which depart out of this life with much heauenly ioy Therefore it may seeme that the end of Gods children is a ioyfull end I answer it is true that many Christians yea I hope the most of Gods children depart with ioy But this is not the condition of all There be some that go weeping to heauen as well as there be others which go triumphing There be some that are carried in fiery chariots with Elias and as it were in a whirle-wind when others are carried in a more mild manner or as it were in a horselitter If any shall obiect yet and say Do we not reade in Psal 37. Marke the vpright man behold the iust the end of that man is peace Therefore how is it possible that the end of the child of God should be vncomfortable It is most true that the end of Gods children is peace but this peace is especially obtained in the world to come for so saith the Prophet Peace shall come and they shall rest in their beds Esay 57. 2. Yea what saith our blessed Sauiour In the world ye shall haue assliction but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world Iohn 16. 33. But to come to the vse and application of this point Is it so that afflictions may be thus troublesome and tedious to the very children of God Then this must teach vs not rashly to censure all such as in whom we discouer much weakenesse and signes of impatiency For in so doing we might quickly come to condemne the generation of the righteous Shall we iudge Iob to be an hypocrite if we heare him cursing the day of his birth God forbid Theresore iudge not that ye be not iudged For with what iudgement ye iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe Matth. 7. 2. In stead of iudging and censuring other in this case rather learne to iudge thy selfe thinke thus with thy selfe when thou seest signes of impatiencie in good people first that surely their pangs paines are exceeding great for otherwise they would not thus complaine and secondly suspect thy selfe that if thou were in their case and didst endure that which they endure thou thy selfe wouldst be farre more impatient Secondly is it so that afflictions may be thus tedious vnto the children of God Therefore this must teach vs to be thankfull to God when our brethren and sisters make a comfortable end How great cause had the sriends and kindred of holy Martyrs to praise God when they beheld with their eyes the stedfast faith the vndaunted courage the maruellous patience which appeared in those worthy seâ—uants of God And so when we behold our friends vpon their death-bed iustifying God condemning themselues laying hold of saluation by Christ giuing good instruction vnto others and commending their spirits into the hand of their Lord which hath bought them surely I lay in this case we haue great and iust cause to glorifie God And so much the rather are we bound to be thankfull for this because it is not giuen to all the Saints to haue this comfort at the last but some vpon their death-beds are coÌ„strained with Christ Iesus to cry in
charge and calling in which I am and to discharge it in the conscionable feare of God This our sister was not onely faithfull in her generall calling but also in her particular For first she was a very faithfull wife her very desire was subiect to her husband I am perswaded that if her husband had commanded her to dothe vilest drudgerie about the house she durst not haue refused in verie conscience of Gods Law And moreouer whereas in her carnal estate it was her common practise to put forth her children to be nursed abroad according to the practise of the proud women in our times when the Law of God beganne to be written in her heart she durst no longer nurse her children abroad but tooke paines to nurse them with her owne breasts Againe she did most diligently ouersee the wayes of her family and she eate not the bread of idlenesse but still she employed her selfe in some commendable employment And as for her children and seruants she did diligently instruct them in good wayes She was grieued at any prophanenesse found in them she mourned for them she prayed for them she pitied their estate and as for the soule of her louing and kind husband she had an especiall care Now it is an especiall maâ—ke of a true conuert to be found faithfull in the particular calling As we see it is giuen by Paul as an euidence of the truth of the conuersion of Onesimus that now he was become profitable vnto his maister Philem. 11. The sixteenth Marke I desire to glorifie God by a fruitfull profession The faith of this our sister was no dead faith To my knowledge she was exceeding fruitfull in good workes What money she had of her owne in the time of her health she distributed it freely partly to poore Preachers about this Citie partly also to poore Christians She was like vnto Dorcas she made garments and that both woollen and linnen gaue them vnto poore Christians and to their children She was a friend of the fatherlesse and of the widow and what she had not of her owne to releeue Gods poore she intreated her husband to supply Yea she was a very patronesse for such as were in distresse she was a blessed instrument to stirre vp her willing husband to many secret gifts and bountifull almes-deedes especially vnto them which were of the houshold of faith To my knowledge she hath giuen gold and siluer plentifully to some more and to some lesse And amongst the rest of her charitable workes I remember that she gaue to the Minister which was the means vnder God of her conuersion as she supposed She gaue I say vnto him by the consent of her husband the summe of fiftie pounds besides a large portion which she begged of her husband to be distributed after her death vnto charitable vses The sicke had cause to blesse God for her in her health for she visited them with meate with bodily presence with necessarie helpe both by her selfe and by her maides And many that enioy health haue great cause to blesse God for her in her death in respect of her liberall gifts And for mine owne part I haue especiall cause to blesse God in her life and in her death for a most kind mother and nurse she was vnto me Now this fruitfulnesse did argue the goodnesse of the Tree for how doth a Christian shew his faith but by his workes And the Lord as you know promiseth a Prophets reward vnto such as do good vnto his members Matth. 10. 42. Yea at the day of iudgement Christ will say vnto all such fruitfull ones Come vnto me ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me in naked and ye clothed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me The seuenteenth Marke I find a daily holy strife to preserue graces giuen vnto me and to preuent falling away She continued faithfull to the end in the most substantiall graces For howsoeuer shee mourned for the want of that degree of ioy which she had felt in former times yet she continued in repentance in the practise of holinesse and righteousnesse in a tender loue to God and to his word and children in holy zeale and fruitfulnesse euen to the last period of her dayes And indeed her want of full ioy was so sanctified vnto her that it was a furtherance to a better grace namely to repentance and selfe-deniall and base esteeme of her selfe And I call repentance a better grace then ioy because howsoeuer ioy is a most excellent gift of the Spirit yet vnto vs repentance is more profitable For I make no doubt but that a mourning Christian may be saued without rauishing ioy that Christ may wipe away his teares in heauen but no Christian shall be saued without repentance and selfe deniall Now constancie and perseuerance in a good and holy course is an vndoubted argument of a blessed and happie estate as doth appeare by the words of our blessed Sauiour himselfe Marth 10. 22. He that endureth to the end shall be saued and Reuel 2. 10. Be thou faithfull to the death and I will giue thee a crowne of life The eighteenth Marke I find an vniuersall change in my selfe from that which I â—â—ue bene in former times This marke and the two following I propounded vnto her vpon her death-bed which I mention now because they are as vseful for the church as the former markes which I found nâ—ted in her paper And that this signe was in our sister as well as the former it was euident For there was a maruellous change wrought in her mind and vnderstanding She that before knew not the right hand from the left in religion she was growne to a very great vnderstanding in so much that she was able both to speak diuinely to instruct her seruants and children and to write letters in the very language of Canaan with great sufficiency Secondly she found a change in her will and affections For she that was dead before vnto any sound pietie now she was reuiued aboue all things to affect and to seeke Gods kingdome Thirdly there was an euident change in her life and conuersation this we all knew which knew her and can testifie Now wheresoeuer this vniuersall change is from darknesse to light from euill to good from the power of Satan to God it is an euident signe of effectuall calling and effectuall calling is an vndoubted signe of election 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new The nineteenth Marke I find an vtter deniall of myselfe I know that in me that is in myflesh abideth nothing which is good This blessed seruant of God had attained a