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
thou didst give Friendship in others but a Name A mere Pretence an empty Sound In thee Reality became In thee and scarce in any else was sound Many of Wisdom's Daughters have done well But thou Great Heroine didst all excel V. By sharp and long continu'd Pains To thee this World embitter'd was That Chear with which God entertains Those whom he has appointed to a better Place Thither at length thou' rt gone allow'd to be One of that Heav'nly Royal Society Eight lovely Babes before thou sentst from hence To take Possession for thee of thy Bless'd Inheritance There dost thou shine in Robes of uncreated Light Whose dazling Lustre than the Sun 's more bright There dost thou with a tuneful Voice And more melodious Heart rejoice For ever love for ever sing The Praises of thy glorious King Yet give us leave though we congratulate Thy never-fading Happiness And Scenes of unpoluted Bliss Our own Loss to regret Thou wast so well belov'd Death's fatal Dart Wounded ten thousand others when it pierc'd thy Heart VI. Heaven knew thy Worth and call'd thee hence lest we Too ready to commit Idolatry At thy Vertues amaz'd should prostrate fall Court the Idea and contemn the great Original Let those aspiring Ones erect a Tomb And with a fruitless Cost adorn Some stately though decaying Urn Who only great by being buried would become Thy Fame by pure Desert is rais'd so high That ' spight of Time and Fate it shall not die But as it well deserves live to Eternity Sic raptim cecinit HEN. CUTTS Her EPITAPH HERE lies or rather lives a Saint whose Worth No Heraldry's able to blazon forth Perfectly fair as to her outward Form But greater Beauties did her Soul adorn Good to a Miracle in Temper even Always submissive to the Will of Heaven By her own Deeds she most her self commends The best of Wives of Mothers and of Friends Precious in ours but in her Maker's Eyes A Pearl of most inestimable Price Much too Angelick long on Earth to stay To Heaven her blessed Home she 's flow'n away There 's her immortal Part her frailer Dust Shall have the Resurrection of the Just. To sum up all her Vertues this is she That was what others should but cannot be HENRY CUTTS On the greatly lamented Death of Mrs. Ann Terry my most dear Aunt who departed this mortal Life on the 9th of November 1693. in the thirty eighth Year of her Age. A Pindarique Ode O faciles dare summa Deos eademque tueri Difficiles Lucan Stanza I. IN vain do Mortals court Eternity In vain do they attempt to baffle Fate And hope by Actions worthy Praise Themselves to Immortality to raise No they are all to Death predestinate For both the Vertuous and the Vitious must Fall alike undistingaish'd in the Dust Else thou bright Mirror of thy Sex Had been preserâ—'d aliâ—e To endless Ages but thy glorious Fame Thy fading Ahes shall survive And with Arabian Sweets persume thy fragrat Name II. O that my long since bed-rid Muse Cou'd somewhat worthy thee produce But how alas can she enfeebled sing The Praises of an earthly Cherabim How can she he prepar'd for such a losty Theme Or such rapturous Strains bring forth As may be adaequate to thy immensurable Worth He that unto thiue Altar comes Must bring no less than Hecatombs Thy Vertues do require a nobler Pen Vertues above the reach of mortal Verse And all that the sublimest Flights of Fancy can rehearse But yet methinks though not inspir'd I may be suffer'd to attend Unto her melancholy Urn So dear an Aunt so much esteem'd a Friend Thy Bed of Rest with briny Tears I 'le strow And on thy gloomy Hearse my Wreath of Cypress throw III. Thy outward Beauty was so exquisite It claim'd at once both Wonder and Delight Hadst thou but lived in Apelles time And thy corporeal Graces in their prime He had not pick'd up Features here and there To limn a Goddess all in thee collective were Nature thy Form thus elegant â—â—â—â—iv'd As if that yet more radiant Gem thy Mind Disdain'd in a less glorious Case to be confin'd But O! who can express Th' Immensity of thy ubounded Tenderness A Temper so for Obligations frram'd Requests were ever granted soon as nam'd A general Philanthropy thou hadst And so th' whole Universe thy Debtor mad't For thy surprining Goodness did extend Beyond the narrow Limits of a Relative or Friend Thus we in thee a Female Titus find Born to be the Delight of all Mankind IV. But still those had the best Pretence To thy distributive Benevolence As were afflicted tatter'd poor Who up and down the World by want were thrown And unjust Fortune's Langhing-stock become Rarely did they go unrelieved from thy Door Nor didst thou hereby aim at Praise The wise Man's Scorn though Pride of Fools Or strive vain-gloriously to gain Applause Thou wast too gen'rous such mean Ends to have Thy left Hand seldom knew what 't was thy right Hand gave Vertue that 's so transcendent wants a Name Exceeding Wonder and surpassing Fame Such was thy exemplary Piety So imaffected and so void of Art As made appear Sincerity Had Livery and Seisin of thy Heart What didst thou not attempt to be A Denizon of Immortality Whilst here on Earth in thee we might have seen A Citizen of New Jerusalem Thou couldst not with inglorious Sloth dispense But stormedst Heaven with a Holy Violence Inflamed with Seraphick Fire Thither thou didst from whence thou cam'st aspire Thither thou didst both Aims and Actions bend And to that blessed Port did all thy Steerage tend V. Knowledg the richest Boon that can be given To Earth's Possessor by indulgent Heaven Which others often labour for in vain And reap no Fruit to recompense their Pain Thou hadst without a stint Dispensed with such Liberality That t was not difficult to find A whole Encyclopaedia in thy Mind It came so swift we almost did believe 'T was not acquir'd by Study but intuitive Yet so transcendently immense was thy Not to be parallellâ—d Humility As is that vast illustrious Magazine of Worth That with so great a Splendor did shine sorth And unto all that knew thee was reveal'd Were only from thy modest self conceal'd Thus o're his radiant Face a Vail the God-like Moses drew And shrowded Glories much too bright for mortal Eyes to view VI. Yet so divinely great a Life Found not uninterrupted Ease Thy Conduct in full Lustre did appear When thou by Fate wast summoned to steet Thy fluctuating Bark in most tempestuous Seas Heaven saw it fit to exercise Thy passive Vertues that Afflictions should Imbitter a vain World to thee A World made up of Vanity And from its Ore refine such precious Gold This Blessing only didst thou want before Thou wast a Saint but now almost a Consessor At length too good for Earth thou' rt called hence A Member of the Church Triumphant to commence But why
cast into the Fire God will dash the Potter's Vessel Gen. 19. 22. Haste thee scape to Zoar for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither I cannot mark that Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone and I will make of thee a great People God offereth Moses Composition Acts 27. 24. The Lord hath given thee all them that sail with thee These are the Staff and the Stay therefore we have Reason to be sensible of their Removal from us Use 2. We have Reason also to be comforted 1st For the Glory that cometh to God by her sweet Departure Those that have envied her Life may wish for her Death even such Solace as she felt in the most bitter Agonie Numb 23. 10. Let me die the Death of the Righteous and let my latter End be like his It is a great Comfort that wicked Men have not wherewithal to blast Religion when they see how the Love of God can compose our Spirits in the greatest Extremities that befal us either in Life or Death 2dly That she hath left us for Glory It was indeed through many Throws and Pains and Sorrows but Death played the Midwife to help her into Glory It is the Apostle's Exhortation to the Thessalonians 1 Epist. chap. 4. ver 13. That they should not sorrow even as others which have no Hope concerning them which are asleep in Jesus but admonish them to comfort one another with these Words That at Christ's Coming they which survive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air And so shall we be ever with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these Words FINIS PAPER I. I Hope I have avouched the Lord to be my God and resolve to walk in his Ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and to hearken unto his Voice And I humbly implore that the Lord would avouch me to be one of his peculiar People and that he would enable me to keep all his Commandments I often question whether I have any Interest in the Eternal God or whether he will own me as one of his but Lord I humbly say I have and do avouch thee to be my only God and Saviour O cast me not off and I earnestly beg Grace to walk in thy Ways Help me to keep thy Statutes continually Let me not dare to offend thee O that I might never provoke thee my good God to be angry or displeased with me but let me O Lord be a Doer of thy Commandments that so I may have Right to the Tree of Life Lord I have no Right I can plead no Right I fall infinitely short of my Duty but have not I a blessed Saviour to plead for me who died for the Chief of Sinners and he hath promised that none that come to him he will in any wise cast out I know he is able to save to the utttermost all those that come to God through him in his prevailing Name and for his sake I implore Divine Assistance to enable me to persevere and hold out to the end that at the last I may enter in through the Gates into the City into the Heavenly Ierusalem where the Saints and Angels and Cherubims and Seraphims are continually singing Hallelujahs to their King Holy Holy Holy Lord. I acknowledg my Unfitness my Unworthiness for this great inexpressible inconceivable Privilege but though I am unworthy if thou my God wilt count me worthy through the Merits of my dear Saviour I shall have Cause for ever to bless thy Name in the highest Heavens World without End Though I have no Right if thou wilt give me Right to those Treasures and Pleasures which are at thy right Hand for evermore this will be Matter of Thankfulness to Eternity Give me some Hopes that I have an Interest in these invisible things by my Care to please thee and my Fear to offend thee by my unfeigned Respect to all thy Holy Righteous and Just Commandments and by my harkning to thy Voice the Voice of thy Word and the Voice of thy Rod. Thy Dealings are variously dispensed towards me I met with many contrary Winds O let them all blow me nearer to thy blessed Self Lord I humbly say I have avouched thee to be my only God my Salvation my Portion my Rock my Fortress O be thou my reconciled Father to whom I may continually resort and when my Flesh and Heart here fail me as frequently they do be thou the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever O God my God do not forsake me nor cast me utterly out of thy Sight The Things of this World they do not they cannot they will not content me O give me some comfortable Hopes that I am thine that thou hast adopted me and that thou wilt sanctify me and make me meet for thy blessed Self I would be every Day sitting and preparing my self for my last Day for my accounting Day when I must be summoned before thy Tribunal Seat to give a strict severe Account for all my Thoughts Words and Actions whereby I have offended thee my gracious and good God but I find my self unfit for any spiritual Duty Lord help me to mind the Work of Time while Time lasts furnish me with Divine Assistance to enable me to do my Duty without which I am utterly uncapable of serving or pleasing thy blessed Majesty Death is hastning Eternity approaching the particular Day of Judgment near and yet for all this how inconsiderate art thou O my Soul to neglect the things that belong to thy everlasting Peace I am often thoughtful what will become of me here and how Matters will go with me here in this Life Ah but when is the time to provide for Eternity to get my Title to Heaven cleared to get an undeniable Interest in Christ Jesus which will yield me Comfort in the greatest worldly Distresses Lord give me some Hopes that thou hast avouched me to be thine and that I have sincerely without Reservation or Power of Revocation avouched thee to be my God PAPER II. DO thou by a patient Continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality and Eternal Life Be not weary of Well-doing for in due time thou shalt reap if thou faint not Is there Glory Honour Immortality and Eternal Life set before me and yet shall I tire and wax weary Dare I be impatient and fret at any of the Lord's Dealings towards me If Heaven were oftner in my Eye and View I should be more calm and composed in the midst of all Trials Troubles and Afflictions that do or may overtake me during my Abode in this distracting and Sin-defiling World Is there Glory to be had hereafter and shall not I endeavour to be a Sharer therein Is there Honour to be conferr'd upon those that are true Worshippers of the Lamb and shall I be dull and dead and sluggish and unmindful of the Honour that
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