yet more occurred in every one well worth observing To begin with the first day of the Week or the Lord's Day the Queen of days the first-born of all the Children of time in her esteem to which she accounted a double Portion to be due of religious observance and most raised Devotion and always paid it She was scrupulously sollicitous both of the Negative and Positive Duties she judged to be required on that day both to prevent the violation of that holy Rest and to sanctifie it I might subjoin a short Treatise of that Subject if I should collect and put together what I meet with from her own Pen concerning it in several places For the first as she gave it the full dimensions in early rising so she would not suffer it to be intrench'd upon by any works but of absolute Necessity and Mercy ordered things so that her Maids must never make a Cheese that day and would seldom use the Coach to carry her to Church except in extremity of way and weather and though none gave freer welcome on other days would forbear inviting any on that day to prevent diversions and if Friends sometimes came in would as soon as it was possible without uncivil rudeness withdraw into her Chamber After Dinner at which she especially eat sparingly on that day to prevent drowsiness at Church She constantly called all the Family together to hear them read the Scriptures and if any Neighbour were sick within such distance as would not hinder her timely attending publick Worship would not fail to visit them and all the day she practised her self what she oft advised others Isa 58.13 She turned away her foot from the Sabbath from doing her pleasure on God's Holy Day and called the Sabbath her delight the holy of the Lord honourable and honoured him not doing her own ways nor finding her own pleasure nor speaking her own words but delighted herself in the Lord and in his Service For the positive Duties Being early up she spent as much time in dressing her Soul to meet God and as little as was possible in adorning her Body to the Eyes of Men though always with a grave and decent neatness She always retained a profound Reverence for the Name and Presence of God so that she was always attentively devout at Prayers and Sermons to which she brought all her Servants with her that they might not stay loitering idly at home or by the way and her Eye and Example would awe the ruder youth into becoming Carriage for which end she would sometimes rise up and look about her with good effect After publick Worship finished she would retire for a considerable time to recollect and pray over the Sermons and after finishing what was her custom on other days to doe Besides the Servants reading every one a Chapter when my weariness would not allow me to repeat the Sermons she would desire my Curate to read some good Book and oft would she do it her self She read in the Family the Lord's Day the seven night before she died good part of Dr. Sherlock's Treatise of Death and I must say I remember not I ever heard Man or Woman exceed her in this kind I confess with shame I could not doe it so well for tho' she altered not a Syllable of the Author's words her Reading might be called a Reading and giving of the Sense for tho' she read quick she did it so smoothly and distinctly and would place the Emphasis upon some word in every Sentence so intelligently without any affected tone or vehement alteration of her Voice that the change was scarce perceptible not so much as betwixt what we call flat and sharp in Musick and yet would strangely facilitate the understanding of the Sense to low Capacities an infallible evidence of her clear understanding it herself After Family Prayer spending some little time more than on other nights in committing her self to God she went to Bed and adding to her usual Ejaculations Praises for the liberty of another Sabbath Prayers for acceptance of the days Services and pardon for the Iniquities of her holy things she went to rest and such were every Week's First-fruits On Monday Morning awaking with God and having blown off the Ashes which veil'd the Embers kindled by the ardent Fervour of the preceding days Devotions she kindled them into an holy Flame with which having offered up the daily Morning-Sacrifice she next brought her Peace-offerings for the whole House of Israel She had a very publick Spirit and enlarged Heart on which she always bore the concerns of Zion and preferred Jerusalem above her chief Joy She stretched out her craving hands over the World as you 'll find her express her self that the mighty God who calleth the Earth from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof would shine out of Zion the perfection of Beauty that he would pity them who sit in darkness and the region and shadow of Death that he would destroy Satan's Kingdom and set free those who are in bondage to it that he would exalt the Kingdom of his dear Son till the little Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands might become a great Mountain and fill the whole World and all the corners of it might see the Salvation of God that he would effectually call out of Babylon his captivated People that yet are detained in it that he would water abundantly with the fruitful Showers of his Grace all the Churches which his own Right-hand hath planted and that he with whom is plenty of Spirit would pour it out abundantly and furnish himself with fit Instruments to carry on the work of his own Glory and Salvation of Souls that he would give Pastors after his own Heart who might feed his People with Knowledge and Vnderstanding that they may be delivered from Ignorance Error Heresie and all Ungodliness that they may adorn the Gospel with such a Conversation as becomes it that all over whom the Name of Christ is called might depart from Iniquity Beseeching the Lord to pour out abundantly the true Spirit of the Gospel on all who made profession of it with all its Operations and Graces as a Spirit of Wisdom Knowledge and the Fear of God of Faith and Holiness Repentance and universal unreserved new Obedience especially as an healing Spirit of Unity and Peace mutual Forbearance true Christian Charity and Brotherly-Love and as a mighty Spirit of Grace and Supplication to obtain these Blessings for themselves and one another for the Churches of the neighbouring Nations round about by name that God would give them one Heart and one way that the nick-names of Lutherans and Calvinists might be forgotten and Ephraim and Judah might be one Stick in the Lord's Hand especially for the distressed Protestants of France that God would turn his Anger from them cause them to be pitied by their Brethren and effectually relieved that God would shew them why he contended with them help
that Nature indicated thereby what must relieve and rising up in my Bed I stretched out my left Arm and humbly committing my self and the Success to God said I would Bleed again The Physicians then consented and proceeded to the Operation and opening a Vein in my Left Arm the Blood sprang out so abundantly that they drew at least ten Ounces After the closing the Orifice being laid down again My Dearest Dear who had been all my Sickness my tenderest Nurse my wakefull Watcher and all yea more than could be wished or expected or possibly performed without a spring of so strong and endearing Affection to give and guide the Motion became my Chaplain if I may have leave to use such an Expression and before the Symptoms she hath mentioned arrived at their height kneeled down by my Bed-side and wrestled with God in Prayer with such spiritual Fervency and expressed herself so appositely so pertinently so suitably and with such holy Ardour poured out her Soul to God as I never knew exceeded if equalled by the ablest Christian or Minister in all my Life Surely if ever the promise of pouring out a Spirit of Grace and Supplication was signally made good it was then made good to her and the effects of it to me for as she was a true Daughter of Abraham an Israelitess indeed she rose from her Knees a Female Israel she prevailed with God I fell into so great a Sweat as was scarce ever known and though the Night was full of the Symptoms she names which so afflicted and affrighted her yet she retained her Presence of Mind to assist me with holiest Words and kindest Deeds In the Morning Symptoms abated and when Dr. Needham came and had felt my Pulse He told me he came directly from Dr. Willis who dyed that day at Eleven a Clock of my Disease but added with a Smile he would not have told me so but that my danger was past and said That under God my last night's Bleeding and Sweating saved my Life without which humanely speaking I could not have escaped blessed be God who put that Resolution into my Mind and heard her earnest Prayers Now to return to her Pious gratefull Words I desire to bless God for every Circumstance of his Mercy in my Dear Husband's Sickness The helps and love of Friends the use of Physick with other means the constant and frequent Visits of Neighbour-Ministers their Prayers for us and of many other Friends and good People in our behalf to which I ascribe a great share of indulgent Mercy in sparing to me a little longer my Dear Husband God did not cast out the Prayer of the Afflicted but in my Distress when I cryed unto him he graciously inclined his Ear unto me and helped me Good Lord enable me with my yet continued Mercy mutually to acknowledge thy Kindness and by an exemplary holy Life to declare thy great Goodness to us Building up each other in our most Holy Faith as Heirs together of the Grace of Life And this Mercy wherewith thou yet intrusts me Lord help me more to improve to my Spiritual Advantage and continue him to length of Days with the abundant Gifts and Graces of thy Holy Spirit a choice and signal Instrument of thy Glory I bless thee for thy supporting Mercy in my Relative Duty in my many sorrowfull Nights and Watchings that when my Sleep departed from me I still might make my Addresses to thee who never slumberest nor sleepest for thou always seest the afflictions of thy People and knowest their Sorrows and wilt not despise them that seek thee thou hast restored Comfort to me and to my Mourners praised be thy Mercy 'T is hard to pass-by her tenderness to me of so recent Date as my last Year's Visitation which held me so many Months and brought me so low and at length settled in my Right-hand with such swelling and lameness as took away its use and under God I owe the recovery of it to her Skill and Pains and Kindness by her frequent bathing fomenting and annointing of it and preparing other both inward and outward Medicines so far to use my Pen to pay this small tribute to her happy Memory SECT X. Of her Lyings-Inn in Child-bearing GOD was pleased to give her strength to go out her full time of eleven Children six Sons and five Daughters besides some abortive or untimely Births And if ever Children were Baptized in their Mothers Belly excuse the Expression doubtless hers were so I mean solemnly Consecrated to God with fervent frequent Prayers and wash'd in a Jordan of her Tears who bore them as truly in her Heart as Womb. I find all their Births recorded with most savory and devout Reflections tho' some with more Enlargement as attended with more signal Circumstances I might transcribe them all that the sweet Spirit of Praise which breaths so fragrantly in every of them might kindle and excite the like Temper in others no Incense being more gratefull to the Nostrils of that God who saith He that offereth Praise glorifieth me but I must contract The twelfth of July 1651 God mercifully Deliver'd me of my first Child In 1652 I being big with-Child had an high Fever and was after a great and very hot fit delivered of a Daughter Aug. 29. Being Lord's Day between four and five in the Morning my Fever turned to an Ague and held me ten Weeks and brought me very low yet God in his Mercy graciously spared me and restored my Health I bless him for it Feb. 5. 54. God delivered me of a third Child our first Son God gave me a fourth Deliverance of a Daughter still-born Dec. 23. 55. I went my full time and might have been ever big Blessed be God that spared his unworthy Creature God gave me a gracious Deliverance of a fifth a Son May 15. 57. God gave me a Mercifull Deliverance of a sixth Child a Daughter June 8. 58. After a long and hard Labour continued three days and three nights in great Extremity all about me despairing of Life God mercifully Delivered me of a seventh Child a Son October 22. 59. which Mercy much affected my Dear Husband and for which my Deliverance I most humbly Bless God I confess I never knew to what degree I loved her till that time and never experienced such Raptures of Joy and Thankfullness for any worldly Matter as on that occasion the Impression of which was so deep that the remembrance of it hath a pleasing relish even to this Day God gave me a gracious Deliverance of an eighth Child a Son still-born after an hard Labour December the 11. 1660. In this Lying-in I fell into Melancholy which much disturbed me with Vapours and was very ill It pleased God to suffer my old Enemy very impetuously to assault me c. But more of this when I touch the return of her Temptation God gave me Deliverance of a ninth Child a Son October 9. 1662. God graciously gave me a
Advantage her much bewailed Death to prepare for which had been her daily work for many Years which happened February the 23d this present Year 1690. Her Sickness was short but blessed be God her great Work was not then to do She began to complain Wednesday Noon but dined with me took her Bed that Afternoon with design to sweat with a Dose of the Lady Kent's Powder but could not sweat I sent for Dr. Yardly early Thursday Morning a Vein was opened other Administrations ordered which seemed to succeed so well that we had scarce any apprehensions of Danger She sate up four hours Saturday till seven at Night and thought herself and so did we refreshed and better by it but a complicated Disease a Rheumatism Erysipelas and Peripneumonia by God's Wise and Holy Righteous Ordering prevailed against her Strength and our Hopes And on the Lord's Day she passed to her dearest Lord and the well-beloved Bridegroom of her Soul to begin that Eternal Sabbath which shall never be interrupted nor cease She spake not much in her Sickness hindred by the shortness of her Breath and swelling of her Face What she did was suitable to her Holy Life and I believe God hid from her as well as us the near approach of her Death in Mercy to us all One of the last Words she spake to me was before my going to Church A short Prayer my Dear before thou goest She was Buried February the 27th following with that decency which is fitter for others to relate than my self and now she sleeps in Jesus who by his Burial perfumed and warmed that Bed of the Grave for all his Members where we leave her in hopes of a Glorious Resurrection when her Dust shall rise to praise him AN APPENDIX Containing some few of the Directions she wrote for her Childrens Instruction mentioned Sect. 12. And some few Letters written by her I Desire it may be remembred she wrote these not for grown and experienced Christians who might be fitter to instruct her than be assisted by her much less with the least Prospect they should ever be published or seen by many Eyes my own never saw them till hers were closed but I hope may be useful for young ones and Beginners and as such I recommend them to her Friends to communicate to their Children if they think good and have not given them better of their own and therefore it is not just to measure her Abilities by the scantling of this Performance but to consider the End to which it was designed to suit the Capacities and assist the tender Minds of those for whom they were written when I guess they might be about twelve or fourteen years of Age for one of them died at sixteen and with this equitable Allowance I hope they may be very passable if not commendable and usefull For my Dear Children Mrs. Margaret and Elizabeth Walker IT is the duty of Christians to Pray fervently and frequently with Faith with Humility with Sincerity with Constancy with watchfulness in the Spirit with Warmth and Life Prayer is a means whereby we give Worship to God giving him the Glory of all his adorable Perfections Prayer is the Soul's Motion to God Desire and Expectation are the Soul of Prayer Prayer is a knocking at the Door of God's Grace and Mercy in Christ for all manner of Supplies you stand in need of Prayer is a Wrestling with God the Lord is willing to forgive ready to hear and help yet he delighteth to have his Strength tryed Gen. 32.24 25. The work of Prayer is not so much to lift up the Hands and Eyes and Voice as to lift up the Heart and Soul In Prayer is required extensiveness and intensiveness of Mind and Heart with Importunity which consisteth in a frequent renewing of our Suits to God notwithstanding all discouragements with a patient waiting for returns of Grace Prayer must be a Premeditated Work as to the Sins to be confessed the Wants expressed the Mercies acknowledged but especially to have right apprehensions of the Purity Majesty Immensity All-sufficiency Fidelity and Bounty of the Lord to whom you Pray with Faith in his Promises and Providences and his Almightiness to supply your Wants in the things of this Life and the Life to come Be much with God in Secret Prayer and let not the fire of the Spirit and Holy Zeal be wanting in any Duty which in the Hearts of God's People send out Holy Vapours of fragrant spiritual Desires and Requests to God Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 compared to sweet Incense Mal. 1.11 How near are the Saints thus exercised to Jesus Christ There is but a step as it were between them and Heaven What precious answers of Grace receive they oftentimes from the Oracle of God You will do well to observe the fittest Season for Secret Prayer though a Christian is to Pray at all times yet at sometimes more especially when we meet with any new Occurrence of Providence every fresh dispensation of Providence is a prompt to Prayer as when any Affliction befalls us Jam. 5.13 So when any fresh Mercy is received it is a fit season to go aside and to acknowledge God's Goodness and our own Vnworthiness 2 Sam. 7.18 When you find the Spirit of God moving upon your Soul exciting you to the Duty Cant. 2.10 your Hearts should answer again Thy Face Lord will I seek Psal 27.5 When you find your Heart in a settled and composed Frame then also is a fit season for secret Prayer When as David's your Heart is fixed not disturbed with any Secular Business The Morning also is a fit Season for Secret Prayer the Mind is most composed and troubled with fewest Diversions See her Practise Sect. 5. pag. 33. It were well to be with God as soon as you awake to offer up to him the first-Fruits of every Day this was with others David's manner Psal 5.3.139.3 The Evening also is a fit Season for Secret Prayer Psal 55.17 not only to begin but to conclude the Day with God Sleep not till you have begged his Pardon for your Sins committed and Praised him for the Mercies received that Day When you go about any Holy Duty set by all Worldly Occasions say to them as Abraham did to his Young-men Stay you here while I go aside and Worship God Gen. 22.5 Do not ordinarily go to Prayer when your Anger is stirred and your Mind full of Perturbation 1 Tim. 2.8 lest you offer up the Sacrifice of a Fool 1 Kings 19.11 12. and speak unadvisedly with your Lips Do not actually engage in Prayer when you are inclined to Sleep and Drowsiness you must be wakefull when you Pray if you would watch unto Prayer Also allot and set out a due Proportion of Time for the Duty of Prayer a slighty huddled Prayer is a blind Sacrifice carlessness in Prayer breedeth and feedeth Inconstancy and Instability in Prayer Slightiness in Prayer is an
inlet to delusive Fancies and is a fore-runner of Apostacy if not seasonably reduced Such Religious Performances go out like the Snuff of a Candle It is not enough to chuse a fit time but you must allow sufficient time to Pray If you are straitned in your Time you will be straitned in your Prayer Also a great help in the well-performance of the Duty of Secret Prayer is to take Pains with your Heart by Meditation As the offering of sweet Incense was prepared and compounded of many costly Materials Exod. 30.34 so is a Spiritual Prayer not rudely and confusedly but deliberately advisedly preparedly and very particularly presented before the Lord. It is usually from want of preparation you find such deadness and indisposedness in Prayer a heedfull and deliberate reading of the Holy Scriptures before Prayer is also a great help for the well-performing of the Duty A farther help in the duty of Prayer is to have right conceptions of God conceive of him as he is and as he hath revealed himself in his Word to be an Omnipresent God Psal 139. that he is really though not visibly present in all Places and in that Place where you are Praying that he sees your Heart Whenever you set about this or any Holy Duty set God before your Eyes and represent him under the Notion of an Omnipresent all-seeing God Conceive of God as one full of Majesty and Greatness infinitely above any of his Creatures This Apprehension may much both quicken us and awe us in Prayer Conceive of God as one that is exceeding Gracious and Plenteous in Mercy to all that call upon him To apprehend God in his Greatness doth stir up Fear and Godly Reverence to apprehend God in his Goodness doth stir up Faith and Holy Boldness Conceive of God in Prayer as one God not divided in Essence yet distinguished into three Persons the Father the Son and Spirit all concurring to the Prayers of Believers and have a different office about them there is the Father Hearing the Son Interceeding the Spirit helping our Infirmities Conceive of God not absolutely but in Christ God in himself is a consuming Fire Heb. 12. But in Christ he is a Mercifull Father there is no coming unto God but by Jesus Christ Heb. 7.25 Entertain and maintain very honourable Thoughts of the Duty of Prayer it self this will both move you to the Duty and much quicken you in the Duty What the Psalmist says of the City of God Psal 87.3 that may be said of the duty of Prayer Great and Glorious things are spoken of it You may read of wonderfull effects of Faith the effects and fruits of Prayer are as many and great Heb. 11. It hath obtained Promises subdued Kingdoms turned away Enemies it hath raised the Dead stopp'd the Sun's Course yea made it go back it hath opened Prison-Doors and unlocked Secrets it hath opened Heaven and shut it again with much Reverence be it spoken it hath laid hold upon God himself and put him to a mercifull Retreat when he hath been marching in Anger against Persons or People God speaks as if his Hands were held and tied up by Prayer Let me go saith he to Jacob and Let me alone saith he to Moses as if the Lord would indent with Moses and offer him a Composition to hold his Peace Exod. 32.10 Wonderfull is that passage Isa 45.11 if read right God says Concerning the Works of my Hands command ye me The prevalency of fervent Prayer is very great it prevails much with God Jam. 5.15 16. Keep your Hearts close to the duty and suffer them not to stray or wander a straying Heart must needs be a straitned Heart in Prayer If you would have your Heart enlivened and enlarged in Prayer remember to repell every vain Thought that comes in to your disturbance resist it and call in help from Heaven against it Let the guilt of no one Sin lie upon your Conscience that will clog disquiet and check your Spirit in Prayer It is not amiss to observe a method in Prayer especially when you Pray with others as she would sometimes do when both my self and Curate were absent rather than Family-Worship should be wholly omitted though not tyed to Words but confused Repetitions and disorderly Digressions dis-affect those that join with you Though some prophane Scorners may mock and snear at this what real Evil scorn-worthy is there in it for a serious holy Mother to instruct her Daughters aforehand to Pray with their Maids and Children if God had spared them and given them those Relations I wish no Mothers would give their Children Counsels or Examples more liable to Exception Chuse such a Place to Pray in as is most convenient where you may not be disturbed by noise in your Ears nor be diverted by any Object before your Eyes shut also the Door lest the Wind of Vain-glory get in thereat Mat. 6.5 6. Be much in the use of Ejaculatory Prayer which is a short yet serious lifting up the Soul in desires to God Gen. 43.14 49.18 Neh. 2.4 2 Sam. 15.31 Luk. 23.42 John 12.27 Ejaculatory Prayer is a special means to keep our Hearts very Spiritual and Savoury when often in Heaven it is a special means to fit them for more solemn and continued Prayer You may find this way of Praying very famâ—â—â—â—r with the best of Men yea with Christ himself Also remember to set their Examples before your Eyes who have performed the Duty of Prayer with life-enlargement and importunity See Gen. 32.24 Matth. 26.26.39 Heb. 5.7 Hos 12.3 Examples sway us sometimes more than any Rules or Precepts For farther Encouragement to this Duty of Prayer consult with many other Promises That of our Saviour's where he saith Matth. 21.22 Whatever you ask in prayer believing you shall receive And in John 14.13 14. Whatsoever you shall ask in my Name I will doe it If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will doe it And Matth. 7.7 8. Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Call upon me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he hath committed sins they shall be forgiven him The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.3 If any man want Wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him But let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the Wind and tossed Thus she concludes it may seem somewhat abruptly I can give no reason and will not guess only the
Sheep and his Lambs You have put your hand to God's Plough good Mr. Ph. let not the flattery or fear of Men make you warp from the streight Rule of God's Word You know the most and worst that they can doe and with the same resolution make the Apostles choice Acts 20.24 He that will put the evil day from him may soonest fall by the evil of the day and instead of finding may loose this and eternal Life The evil of Sin will produce much worse than present Sufferings If God call you forth as he did the Martyrs with their Flood to give testimony to the Truth even those Sufferings they esteemed light for the Hope set before them an Eternal Weight of Glory at the greatest length our Lives are not long in this Word Death spares none not the greatest Monarchs a great Man is fallen in our Israel our late Sovereign I have very valuable Thoughts of you you will not despise small things which gives me this Presumption I know you have greater Motives from God's Exiting Grace in you to quicken you to and assist you in your Master's Work than my narrow Scantling can afford happy they that so do they shall neither be ashamed nor affraid when their Reckoning-day comes of which happy number Lord grant you to be I am good Mr. Ph. Your Assured Well-wishing Friend Elizabeth Walker March 15. 84. I publish the following Letter because I intend to give the Book to my plain Parishoners most of whom stand upon the same Level with him to whom it was written Persons of higher Rank may pass it by or give it to their plain Country Tenants I thought to have given an account how one of her Sister's Daughters came to be in so low a Condition whose Father might have given every Child more than a Thousand Pound had he continued the Diligence which he used for several Years after his Marriage with her Sister and the fair Portion he had with her but as she was not ashamed of her Condition no more am I and as things were 't is well she had an Aunt to assist her to match with a sober industrious Man and their joint Stock enable them to manage a Farm of about Fifty Pounds a Year on which they hitherto have and I hope will continue to live comfortably and contentedly Cousin Robert Glassock YOU have not a Friend that more truly desires your Welfare than my self and shall be most affectionately glad of your well-being in this present World but I hope I should much more rejoyce in your certain and assured Interest in a better Life I desire you may obtain both of God who is the giver of all good I beseech you that you may to apply your self to that direct Rule and guidance of God's Word which counsels you to seek the Kingdom of God with his Righteousness in the first place and then you have the Promise of him that is both faithfull and able to perform his Word That the things of this life shall be added unto you as an additional to your future Happiness to which if you could gain the Wealth of the whole World 't would be but like picking up of Straws and Pebbles compared to that Blessed Estate for any thing in Exchange he will make a bad Bargain that ventures the loss of his Soul It was the saying of a good Man that gave a right Judgment That the whole Turkish Empire was but a Crust the Master of the House threw to the Dog How then shall not God the Lord of the whole Universe provide for them of his own Family that are Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven I request you let it appear to whom you belong shew it by your Christian Profession in the whole Course of your Life to which your Baptism hath engaged you with the Inscription of God's Law which get writ with an indelible Character by the Finger of his Spirit upon your Heart by the use of God's Word you may acquaint your self in your Bible There God gave his Commandments in few and plain words that the meanest Capacity might understand and remember them A great part of the Bible is an Exposition of them You can read it is your Mercy improve that Talent to your Master's use You cannot doe his Will except you know it Therefore as God's Word directs you so observe to doe his Will that you may have regard unto all his Commandments in keeping of them there is great reward Therefore mind the Precepts and put them into practice heed the threatnings against whom and for what that they may deterr and affright you from the way of Sin that you may avoid the end of Punishment Take notice of the Promises and value them as they are worth make them yours by fervent and frequent Prayer and fulfilling the Conditions of them This I do earnestly request of you and the same of your Wife and that you will Pray together and a-part that you may be Heirs together of eternal Life Set up religious Worship in your little Family the smalness of your Family will not excuse the neglect God as he doth require it he will regard where there is but Two or Three he hath promised to be with them I beseech you do not deferr in any known Duty least disuse give you more difficulty to future performance Habitual Customs are most prevalent But to quicken you to this Duty consider for the default of it God's threatning Jeremiah 10. the last I pray you take that Counsel 1 Chron. 28.9 Not to be so bad as others is a step to a good Life But he that goes no farther will fall short of eternal Life I have so good thoughts of you your disposition is not to the Debaucheries and Vices of some but negative Righteousness is not enough With other religious Duties I have already mentioned I most earnestly press you to a strict Observation of the Lord's Day Sanctifie God's Seventh Day and he will Bless your Six Days Labour It will also be a good Hedge not onely to secure your eternal State but all that God may bless you with in this World See the two last Verses of the 58. Isa Read the whole Chapter it may be very profitable to excite you but I beseech you do not violate that Holy Rest by unnecessary Employments in worldly Affairs nor spend that Day in Idleness or Sleeping more than you would in the other Six Days Do not sacrilegiously rob God of his Worship in any part of his Day do not divert by vain talk but give every proportion of time the Duties it requires Be not like those that were weary of the Sabboth Amos 8.5 See likewise Malachi 1st and 3d. Mark the extent of the Fourth Commandment it doth not only require Masters of Families but reacheth all under their Charge their care is required as well for their Souls as their Bodies or else there is no difference made of them from their Cattle therefore you must
writ upon the two Tables of thy Heart and Practice with his own Finger the Holy Spirit that thou mayst receive the Truth in the Love of it being renewed in the spirit of thy mind He that is in Christ is a new Creature and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his It is the one thing necessary to serve God and save thy Soul chuse that good part that may never be taken from thee Dear Johnny Let no day pass if in health without reading the Scriptures one or two Chapters in the Old-Testament the like in the New-Testament read with intention of Mind and so hear the good Word of God in publick and as God hath commanded keep Holy the Sabbath-Day do not violate that Holy Rest with Play Recreation vain Talk Sleep or Idleness or omitting any Duty it requires Eat moderately that Fumes from a full Stomach may not cloud thy Intellectual Performances withdraw from that Company and those Objects which may hinder thee from thinking on the Sermons or any other Religious Duty in them exercise thy self and if God ever give thee opportunity be helpfull unto others in the like for their Spiritual Advantage that all within thy Power may serve the Lord hearing the good Word of God reading it Meditation Prayer and Praises to God are the Duties of the Sabbath-Day spend no part of that in Visiting except to the Sick and Afflicted and allow it not to be done to thee by others sequester thy self from them and all Worldly Discourse but endeavour to keep that one Day in seven like the Angels and Saints in Heaven who serve and do not cease The Seventh Day is God's Tribute out of the Week he hath allowed thee Six for thy secular Concerns out of them bring thy free-will Offering sometime for thy Spiritual Advantage for which the Sabbath affords much and upon the due observation of it is assured from God to his People a communication not only of Spiritual Blessings but of Temporal Blessings also Read the latter part of Isa 58. Let no part of the Sabbath day slip without some Improvement for thy best concern for which also every day must be accounted for The Sabbath is an Hedge and Fence to all Religion if that be broken down there will enter all disorders of Life which Men are prone to to prevent which God seems to guard the fourth Commandment with the Authority of the three foregoing placing it in the midst and the fifth Commandment next on the other side bearing the Sword of the Civil Magistrate and by God's own appointment Numb 15.35 Moses caused the Man gathering Sticks on the Sabbath-Day to be put to Death Dear Johnny be affraid of the Powers though Men be remiss to punish the Breakers of God's Laws yet himself beareth not the Sword in vain Do not gather the Sticks of a mis-spent Sabbath a Day on which God hath set a special Remark a Remember to keep it Holy the great neglect and contempt of this Duty makes it more necessary to be prest more earnestly Keep all God's Commandments to break one link of the Ten violates the whole Chain Jam. 2.10 Keep it intire have respect to all God's Precepts in the latitude of them do not wander from them in the by-paths of a sinfull Life they are better than thousands of Gold and Silver they were of such a concern to David that he begs of God an Holy Compulsion make me to know thy Precepts Statutes and Commandments And Moses useth this Excitation to the Children of Israel for their observing God's Law Thou shalt keep the Commandments of the Lord thy God for they are for thy good Deut. 10.13 and 11.18 Therefore shalt thou lay them up in thy Heart and in thy Soul and doe and teach them Dear Johnny this doe thy self and as far as it may be in thy Power excite others in the same Duty that thou and they with Joshua's Resolution may serve the Lord Jos 24.15 Own God in this World as thou wouldst have him own thee hereafter Some glory in their Shame be not thou ashamed of thy Glory be not ashamed of the Profession of Religion Christ hath said He that is ashamed of me before Men of him will I be ashamed before my Father and his Holy Angels Dear Johnny God hath been very good to thee thou hast lacked nothing good for thee but God hath provided well for thee do not ill requite the Lord by the neglect of any known Duty or doing any thing contrary to the Law of God Sin is a very ungrateful thing do not provoke him to withdraw his Loving Kindness from thee for Soul or Body Woe if God depart What is said of a Tale-bearer That he separates near Friends the same will Sin do if not watched against it will separate between God and thy Soul and will bring an Evil Report to God with worse Effect than Joseph of his Brethren to their Father and will be of worse Consequence than stripping Joseph of his Coat not only the external Blessings of this Life but it will deprive thee of all Internal Comforts God's favourable Countenance which is better than Life and exclude from his Comfortable Presence for ever Sin put the Flaming Sword into the Angel's Hand to debarr our first Parents from the Tree of Life divested and stripped them and all their Posterity of their Original Righteousness and left them and their sinfull Off-spring naked exposed to all the Afflictions and Miseries of this Life and under God's Displeasure to their Eternal Ruine had not Free Grace recovered that lapsed Estate Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ Dear Johnny That thou mayest know that thou art one of those whom he so loved manifest thy Love to him by that Test that Christ put to his Disciples If ye love me keep my Commandments Love is a reflective Act if thou lovest God according to this Discrimination thou mayest know that he loveth thee and gave himself for thee and hath chosen thee one of his peculiar People zealous of good Works therefore if Sinners intice thee consent thou not go not with them lest thou learn their ways and get a blot unto thy Soul Let God's Law be the prohibition of every Evil Way set it with its drawn Sword against all Irregularities of Life that it may be unto thee as the Angel in Paradise to defend in thee the Tree of Life that no ill Practice with the evil Consequences of it may touch thee Dear Johnny Shew thy Love to God by thy Love to his People and poor Members of Christ Christ saith Hereby shall Men know that ye are my Disciples that ye love one another God requires the duties of the second Table of the Law as well as the first and Christ gives a concise and full account of both he being asked which was the first and great Commandment saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Mind with all
reading the Life of holy Mr. Robert Bolton more than forty years ago and oh that these Papers might be blest to induce any to follow an Example set to me and them by so famous and so good a Man To conclude and shut up this I will transcribe and allusively apply the words wherewith devout Bishop Hall concludes his Art of Divine Meditation Give me leave to complain with just Sorrow and Shame that if there be any Christian Duty whose omission is notoriously shameful and prejudicial to the Souls of Professors it is this of Meditation This is the end God hath given us our Souls for we mispend them if we use them not thus How lamentable is it that we so imploy them as if our faculty of discourse served for nothing but our Earthly Provision as if our reasonable and Christian Minds were appointed for the slaves and drudges of this Body only to be the Caterers and Cooks of our Appetite The World filleth us yea cloyeth us we find our selves work enough to think What have I got What may I get more What must I lay out What must I leave for Posterity How may I prevent the wrong of my Adversary How may I return it What answers shall I make to such Allegations What entertainment shall I give to such Friends What courses shall I take in such Suits In what Pastime shall I spâ—nd this Day In what the next What advantage shall I reap by this Practice what loss What was said answered replied done followed Goodly thoughts and fit for spiritual Minds Say there were no other World how could we spend our Cares otherwise Unto this only Neglect let me ascribe the commonness of that Laodicean temper of Men or if that be worse of the dead coldness which hath stricken the hearts of many having left them nothing but the Bodies of Men and Visors of Christians to this only they have not Meditated It is not more impossible to live without an Heart than to be devout without Meditation Would God therefore my words could be in this as the wise Man saith the words of the wise are like unto Goads in the sides of every Reader to quicken him up out of this dull and lazy Security to a chearful practice of this Divine Meditation Let him curse me upon his Death-bed if looking back to the bestowing of his former times he acknowledg not these Hours placed the most happily in his whole Life if he then wish not he had worn out more days in so profitable a Work Let me have leave without offence to draw a Parallel and make a short Application of this Passage though 't is hard not to write a Satyr and inlarge on such an occasion What is the reason why the Married state which a Gracious God appointed that Man and Wife might be meet helps to one another not only in Sickness and in Health and the joint concerns of this present life but also yea chiefly to help each other to Heaven by building up each other in their most holy Faith as Heirs together of the Grace of Life as St. Peter speaks and training their Children up in the nurture and fear of God as both the Scripture and our Liturgy direct we should What I say is the reason that this holy State so oft falls short of attaining this designed Blessing and rather proves a Cross yea a Curse Is it not from the neglect of the fore intimated Practice and Duty Whence comes uneasiness in mutual Society Discontents Jealousies Brawlings Weariness of one another to name no worse Come they not hence from the neglect of God and each others Souls and Spiritual Good And because Men enterprize and take in hand that honourable State unadvisedly wantonly and lightly to satisfie their carnal Lusts and Appetites as brute Beasts that have no understanding not soberly advisedly and in the Fear of God against which our Liturgy so gravely and Piously gives warning and continue in it as bad or worse than they entred upon it or at most respecting their secular concerns void of any serious Care of promoting God's Glory in the Eternal Salvation of each others Souls If hundreds censure me for this I am content to bear it if but one couple in every Hundred will vouchsafe to imitate our Custom intimated above And if upon performing it with Sincerity and Seriousness themselves repent it or God impute it to them as mispending time let it be charged against me for seducing them from using it better at the Day of Judgment She always allowed her Maids time to Pray alone and would mind them of it till they were accustomed to it But to proceed to the finishing the Day She would then eat a small piece of white Bread with a draught of houshold Beer and because we had long dis-used set Suppers when we were alone she would always herself bring me up some small matter and would not be intreated to send it by a Servant because she would not lose the Pleasure and Satisfaction of expressing her tender and endear'd Affection the kind and thankful remembrance of which is the only cause of my mentioning so small a matter Then for an hour before Family Duty she would Catechize the ignorant Servants and teach them to read which could not for often hiring Servants out of places where there wanted opportunity to teach the poor Children and Catechize them 't is scarce to be believed how Ignorant many came and yet I remember not any who stayed any time with us who could not read competently well and say both a Catechism which I find amongst her Papers with this Title A short and easie Catechism which I used to teach my Children when they were very Young suited to their Capacity And also the Church Catechism which she taught them when they had learnt the former and she used to hire them to their own good giving them Sixpence to accomplish the first Task then a Shilling and so on promising them a Bible when they could use it of which she gave many and always new and good ones of double the Price she might have bought for After Family Prayers when she went up into her Chamber whilst she undrest herself one of her Maids and if one read not so well as the other she that needed most to be perfected read a Chapter after which committing her self to God she went to Bed and after short Ejaculatory Prayers for the Mercies of the Day and Petitions for Protection from the Sins Temptations and Dangers of the Night she betook herself to rest And this is the shortest Epitome of her Life which at the lowest size was a constant revolution of days thus spent with the fewest idle vacant spaces that humane frailty can keep free from not to say none at all SECT VII How she spent a Week THE next abbreviation of her Life is to give an account how she improved a Week for though every Week contained seven so well managed Days
Papers if desired which I omit at present for fear of swelling this into too great a Bulk though I am sure several of them equal or rather exceed any thing I have now Published of hers MARKS OF A Regenerate Estate I add this because it is concise and will not take up much Room or Time Giving her Children Directions how to examine and try the Estate of their Souls towards God DO you consent to the Law of God that it is true and Righteous Have you perceived your self Sentenced to Death by it being condemned and convinced of your natural undone Condition Have you seen the utter Insufficiency of every Creature either to be in its self your Happiness or the means of curing this your Misery and making you happy again in God Have you been convinced that your Happiness is only in God as the End and in Christ as the way to him and the End also as he is one with the Father and perceivest thou that thou must be brought to God by Christ or Eternally Perish Have you seen hereupon an absolute necessity of your enjoying Christ and the full sufficiency that is in him to do for you whatsoever your Condition requireth by reason of the fullness of his Satisfaction the greatness of his Power and Dignity of his Person and the freeness and Indefiniteness of his Promises Have you discovered the excellency of this Pearl to be worth the selling all to buy it Hath this been joined with some Sensibility as the Conviction of a Man that thirsteth of the worth of Drink and not been only a change in Opinion produced by Reading or Education as a bare notion in the Understanding Is there an abhorring of all Sin though your Flesh do tempt you to it Have both your Sin and Misery been a Burthen to your Soul and if you could not weep yet could you heartily groan under the unsupportable weight of both Have you renounced the hidden and unfruitfull works of Darkness having no fellowship with them but with Courage and Zeal for God reprove them Do you labour to be Holy in all parts of your Conversation watching over your ways at all times and in all Companies Do you make Conscience of the least of God's Commands as well as the greatest avoiding idle Words and vain Jesting abhorring all reproachfull Speeches as well as violent Actions Do you love and esteem and labour for the powerfull Preaching of the Word above all Earthly Treasures Do you Honour and highly account of the truly Godly and delight in the Company of such as sincerely fear God above all others esteeming them the excellent of the Earth Are you carefull of the Sanctification of the Sabbath neither daring to violate that Holy Rest by Labour nor to neglect the Holy Duties belonging to God's Service publick or private Do you not love the World neither the things of the World but heartily desire and love the things that concern a better Life and so do in some measure love the Appearance of Jesus Christ Can you forgive your Enemies are you easily entreated desirous of Peace and to do good to them that despitefully use you Do you set up a daily course of serving God and that with your Family too if you have any and renouncing your own Righteousness trust only to the Merits of Jesus Christ Have you turned all your Idols out of your Heart so that the Creature hath no more the Sovereignty but is now a Servant to God and Jesus Christ Do you accept of Christ as your only Saviour and expect your Justification Recovery and Everlasting Happiness from him alone Do you also take him for your Lord and King and are his Laws the most powerfull Commanders of your Life and Soul Do his Laws prevail against the Commands of the Flesh of Satan and the greatest on Earth that shall countermand And against the greatest Interest of your Credit Profit Pleasure or Life so that your Conscience Soul Body Life is directly subject to Christ alone Hath he the Highest Room in your Heart and Affections so that though you cannot love him as you would yet nothing else is loved so much Have you made an Hearty Covenant with him and delivered up your self accordingly to him to be his for Ever without Reserve Do you take your self for his and not your own is it your utmost Care and watchfull Endeavour that you may be found faithfull in his Covenant and though you fall into Sin you would not renounce your Bargain nor change your Lord nor give up your self to any other Government for all the World And if this be truly your Case you are one of God's Children and People and as sure as God's Promises are true there is an happy and blessed Estate for you only see that you abide in Christ and continue to the End for if any draw back his Soul will have no pleasure in them Then she concludes with the Prayer set down above page 81. For the Right Honourable Isabella Countess of Radnor This was written to her Ladiship as a Consolatory Letter upon the surprizing Death of her dearly-beloved Daughter the Lady Essex Specot Ever Honoured good Madam I Do truly Sympathize with your Ladiship in your great Sorrows under God's afflicting Hand taking from your Ladiship a very dearly Beloved and desirable Child She was very deservedly so and to all acquainted with her she was a very sweet amicable Friend she lived very desired and she hath died lamented She was not affected with distant Pride a Spirit hated of God and all good People Dear Lady Essex She was of a sweet courteous affable disposition very winning in her loving condescention I am sensible of my own loss who had a share of her favour much more of your Ladiship 's to whom she was so near and dear Good Madam would I could help to alleviate your Sorrows I would put to my Shoulder to help bear your burthen which is to fulfill the Law of Christ But it is not in created Beings farther than God will use them Instrumentally But above in the great Creator in Him is all supply of Grace and Comfort God is a present help in the needfull time of trouble an approved Friend that will not fail you in what you go unto him for agreeable to his Will which assuredly is the best Therefore Good Madam retain kind thoughts of God he hath not cast away your Prayers nor rejected the Prayers of Friends for you though God did not see it good dear Lady Essex should stay longer with you in this World he hath done better for her and you God hath granted to a higher end he hath taken her to himself in Heaven from thence Good Madam you would not have her to return into a troublesom World it is fit to acquiesce in God's most wise Dispose He knew what was best for her and you and to keep silence before the Lord because he hath done it whatever second cause he might use as
Defence God is called a Refuge a hiding-place a strong Tower but for whom the Righteous they run unto it and are safe great Peace have they that love God's Law and nothing shall offend them the direction of God's Word will not only be your safety in troublesome times but your Counsellor also in common Calamities and you may as Luther used read the 46 Psalm and bid your Enemies doe their worst if God give them leave to kill the Body it is the most they can doe no more if you are not on Earth you may be in Heaven be not affraid of a Man that shall dye but take our Saviour's Counsel fear him that can cast Soul and Body into Hell seek Righteousness it may be you shall be hid in the Day of the Lord 's fierce Anger which we have cause to fear is hastning to this sinfull Nation God's Law writ on your Heart and Life may be as the Scarlet Thread that was bound in the Window of Rahab's House which preserved her from Destruction or as the Blood of the Paschal Lamb which marked the Houses of the Children of Israel that the destroying Angel touched not their Dwellings with any of the Plagues of Egypt however for your greatest safety take heed and avoid any indirect or unlawfull means to obtain or preserve a Momentary Life which is as uncertain as short and so provoke God to lead you forth with the workers of Iniquity and so your Redemption may cease for ever and then a great Ransome cannot recover you therefore at any rate purchase the Truth and fell it not to which choice the Lord grant you Wisdom and Preserve you both by his Grace under his Protection unto his Heavenly Kingdom giving you the Blessings of this Life also and prepare you both for that good Life to come that when this shall be no more he may receive you with that happy Saying Well done and reward you with Eternal Glory I am sensible of the length of my Letter but hope it will not be tedious to you something more I would say though of a much less Concern but as a true Friend I would not omit any thing that might render me so but would caution you with better Arguments than mine you may have from undeniable Wisdom which is not to be despised and warn you of what some have smarted for being Sureties for other Men. I would sooner pay a Debt than be bound for any See Prov. 6.1 2. Also Chap. 11.15 the same Author tells you That he that hateth Suretyship is sure on these Considerations I request you you will not be in Bonds to any but to me by Promise that you will never be bound for any Man In all I have requested of you if you have not from your self or some other Friend better Advice let this Letter be my Substitute review it sometimes and afford it a kind Reception of Friendship from me who am your well-wishing Friend ready in any Kindness to express my self Your truly Loving Aunt Elizabeth Walker 1685. A Letter of prudent pious Counsels written to her dear Grand-child then at Felsted-School about two Months before she Dyed which I publish to preserve it for his use and because I hope it may be also usefull to some other Youths of the like Age and Quality This was the last large Letter she ever wrote Dear Johnny I Have some time since received a Letter from Mrs. Bribrist much to my Satisfaction and I hope is thy due Commendation she hath been pleased to give me of thee do not forfeit the same by neglect to perform in thy commendable good Behaviour as hitherto but always render suitable to any good thoughts of thee from herself or others and as helps thereto be guided by the advice and counsel of thy Friends Never forget thy Dear Grandfather's oft Counsels when thou wast at home and since in several good Letters with them make good use of this also Dear Johnny I would not be wanting to thee as far as I am able to express I advise in these following Counsels Be modest humble and obedient to thy Governours and Superiours in that Place be always advised by them that are able and wish thee well it is better more ease and safety to be governed than to govern Lean not to thine own Vnderstanding The Wise Man saith Seest thou a Man Wise in his own Eyes there is more hope of a Fool than of him Dear Johnny Thou art not destitute of good Friends where thou art ready to shew thee Kindness thy Master Glascock of whom be very respective and observant performing all Exercises he gives thee as may be Praise-worthy also Mrs. Woodroof Mrs. Boteler they are thine and our kind Friends I do not exclude Mrs. Robarts Dear Johnny Let none have cause with shame for or of thee to retract their Commendations of thee make the Word of God the Rule of thy Life let it be thy chief Counsellor let thy Reputation have a good Bottom an honest Heart free from guile and hypocrisie being founded on the Scriptures fixed on the the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus that by the winds of Worldly Prosperity Honour or Applause it may never overturn neither by Adversity Affliction or any trouble thou mayest fall into Dear Johnny All things but God are mutable and full of change there is the day of Adversity as well as Prosperity God hath set the one over against the other make sure thy best and unalterable Estate in which will be no change nor alteration but happy once and for ever to that higher End make thy Learning and all other things subservient Improve all opportunities for thy well-being in this World but most for thy Spiritual best Advantage give all dilligence attend at Wisdom's Posts Wisdom is the principal thing its Price is far above Rubies fine Gold cannot equal it nothing can be compared to it search for it as for hid Treasure in the holy Scriptures there thou mayest find the Pearl of so great Price that the World cannot purchase it and it is worth the selling all to have it Let not this Price be put into thy Hand and thou have no Heart to it but let it be said of thee as St. Paul said of Timothy That from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures they will make thee Wise unto Salvation and will help thee in all Relative Duties in well discharging of which consists much of the Power and Honour of Religion Mind the Precepts let them be the guide of all thy Thoughts and Words and Actions doe all God's Commandments in keeping of them there is great Reward Take notice of all the Threatnings that thou mayest avoid the evil of Sin and the Punishment due to the Commission of it Heed the Promises they are full of the Love of God in Christ let them constrain thee to a circumspect watchfull holy Life in performing the conditions of them Dear Johnny get God's Just and Righteous Law
kept this Trouble to her half a Year only her Sister knew it and oft see her sit and Weep most bitterly but I humbly hope God gave her strength against the Temptation and quieted her Mind After she revealed this Affliction and better understood the nature of these Troubles which as God enabled me I informed her and strove to Comfort her In the time of this last Sickness she oft asked me to Pray with her which when I performed I was too absolute with God for her Life all the time of her Sickness without express Submission to his Will The Lord pardon the Extremity of my Affection In this Sickness she was very tender-hearted expressed herself very Understandingly and Piously in Prayer with other sweet and gracious Requests to God she begged of the Lord that the Infection of her Disease might spread no farther in the Family which Desires of hers the Lord heard and granted For which Preservation I do desire to be thankfull to the God of our Mercies which in the midst of his just Judgments for my Sins in this heavy stroak shewed us much Compassion in preventing our farther Calamity in that Disease The dear sweet Child oft said She should die yet saying If the Lord pleased to spare her she would labour with watchfulness to serve him better and to amend all she had found amiss desiring me to be her faithfull remembrancer She was troubled that sometimes she had lain in bed too long in the morning especially for being straitened for time on the Sabbath Day which caused her to slubber over those Duties which should have been better performed bewail'd her unprofitableness and promised if she recovered this sickness better to observe the Lord's Day To the Physician that attended her in her sickness she said That he had many opportunities in going to sick and death Beds to mind him of Mortality and though none should be excusable before God yet they should be most inexcusable that had such frequent warnings Said That in health was the fittest time to prepare for death for in sickness she could do little more than consult her ease Dear Child she one Morning desired to see her Father and that she might see his Face saying She had now taken her leave of her dear Father's Face But the Lord spared her a little longer and she did see him again and now I humbly hope she sees the face of her Father in Heaven Dear Child she desired her Father and my self to forgive her in what she had at any time offended us saying If the Lord saw it good to spare her she hoped she should double her Diligence in her Care that she should never grieve us in any thing But this testimony I bless God I can give of her Few Children exceeded her in dutiful loving Obedience to her Parents She express'd her self very affectionately and honourably of her Sister and that she was sorry she had sometimes diverted her by staying in her Closet when she would have been better employed Sweet Child she was very tender spirited and was troubled for several little things which were very small or no Offence and if she had done any thing amiss would ask forgiveness She would sometimes say to me my dear Mother you cannot conceive what passes through my poor head nor what your poor Child endures And then she would bless God that what she suffered was not Hell where the Damned had not a drop of water to cool their Tongue And said What is that I feel compared to the sufferings of my Saviour who under-went such torments to save Sinners Dear Lamb she desired that what Money she had might be given in the Parish to some poor people whom she named and that her dear Father would extend his Charity out of what he would have bestowed at her Burial Which was performed In the whole time of her sickness I was not from her but one night not being well the last night but one before she departed this Life neither was I from her at any time but when the pressing necessities of my frail Nature urged it for a little rest and she was very glad when she saw me again and would express her loving Affections and Thankfulness to me for my Care of her I had many sweet endearing expressions from her of her Love and Duty She said If the Lord spare me I hope I shall do thus as I have promised But if I die my dear Mother you will remember what I now said to you and I could be content to be a little Child again that I might lie at your Breast and Bosom I have transcribed this long account hoping it may be usefull to some young Gentlewomen Daughters of my dear Wife's Christian Friends or others into whose hands their kindness or God's Providence may put it Now follows her exemplary Submission and Improvement She was exceeding desirable to us for the loveliness of her Person sweetness of her Disposition readiness of her Obedience quickness of her Parts serious Inclination to the ways of God and many sweet and winning Qualities which rendered her exceeding amiable and very pleasant to all that knew her But it was the Lord the sovereign Lord of us and her and all the world whose she was much more than ours God doth all things well wisely righteously gratiously and most faithfully The Lord was pleased to stir up great sympathy and tender Compassion in his People with many Prayers for her in her sickness and for us since and though it pleased God to deny them for her longer continuance in this World yet blessed be God we have great cause to hope in his Mercies that those Prayers are not lost but for the Sake Merits and Mediation of her Redeemer and Saviour Jesus Christ are granted to an higher end in eternal Bliss Good Lord sanctifie all our Afflictions to us that we may bear them with meekness and submission that they may not only be the Effects of thy Displeasure but of thy adopting Love Good Lord sanctifie this heavy Affliction to us and shew me in particular why thou contendest with me Therefore besides thy Holy Righteous and Wise Providence and Immutable Decree which had determined her time and the measure of her Days which I desire humbly and with all Submission to Adore and Acquisce in Good Lord give me to know and lay to heart the forfeiting Cause on my part which mov'd thee to smite with so severe a stroke in bereaving us of so desirable a Child and so great a peace of the comfort of my Life in this World Lord pardon my Ingratitude for Mercies injoyed that I have not so improved them to thy glory by a more carefull circumspect exemplary holy Life I beseech thee forgive my slackness in seasonable reproofs admonitions advice and counsels to my Children or others Although thou seest good to cut short my opportunities yet help me better to improve what thou wilt still intrust me with and forgive me
all my neglects of my relative Duty I desire to own thy Righteousness and that thou hast punished me less than my Iniquities deserve I bless thee that thou hast spared to me my dear Husband I beseech thee mightily to furnish him with the Gifts and Graces of thy Spirit and give him a long continuance in this Life very instrumental to thy glory the benefit and great advantage of thy Church and People and at last full fruition of thy self in eternal Glory Lord I bless thee that thou still intrusts us Parents to a Child I beseech thee bless this onely one and inable us with much Wisdom and Diligence to exhort instruct and train up for thee her thou hast yet spared to us Good Lord bless her and she shall be blessed Bless her in Soul with the plentifull Effusions of thy Holy Spirit and all the Graces of it Bless her Body with an healthfull Constitution and Honour her with long Life in the ways of Righteousness Suffer not her heart to be set on the gilded Vanities of this World but grant her of the things of this Life what thou thinkest good for her and be thou her God and Portion and when thou shalt conclude her days on Earth I beseech thee receive her to thy heavenly Kingdom Amen Amen I am sensible of the length of the preceding Section and will not make it longer by a needless and useless Apology needless to those who are acquainted with the actings of that sweet Spirit that breathed so fragrantly in her on such occasions and useless to those who are not only Strangers but Enemies to such a temper of Mind and had it contained but twenty lines would have esteemed it too long by fifteen of them I shall endeavour brevity in those which follow SECT XVII Renewed Assaults of her Enemy by Temptation THis was her almost constant trouble for many Years which she used to call emphatically Her Affliction For 't was with her one of his living Members as with our Blessed Lord her and our Head of whom I noted above When the Devil had finished all his present Temptations he departed from him for a season which clearly intimates his returning to renew his Assaults She sometimes had a breathing time vouchsafed her by the gratious Restraints God laid upon her Enemy but usually not very long for using to afford her the best Assistance that I could I sometimes for some Weeks or Months have refrained to mention them that I might not awaken the sleeping Lion and she taking no notice of them I have often said I hope my Dear thou hast been now some good space free from thy Affliction Alas my Dear would she reply with a deep sigh I have kept silence because I would not weary thee with my continual complaints And other whiles would gratefully acknowledge God's goodness in yielding her some Respite some Calms and quiet Intervals Yet after the Day God so strongly comforted her by Habakkuk i. 12. though I cannot say she was wholly free I do not remember she ever complained of her Temptations being either too fierce or frequent as they had been before nor did she once mention them in her last Sickness Blessed be God's goodness to her This cruel but cowardly Enemy usually made his fiercest Onsets when she was exercised with Indisposition of Mind or Body I will give one Instance of each First Under Indisposition of Mind with great Sorrow In the beginning of May 1680. an Affliction befel me my former Troubles returned upon me A wound not healed brake forth with deep Trouble of Mind much Afflicted with blasphemous Suggestions The good Lord rebuke them and with his All-sufficient Grace cast out of my Soul whatever may offend and provoke him to so severe a Scourge which in my own strength I am not able to stand under so unsupportable is the burthen But the good Lord give me to see that by the supporting Grace of his former Compassions I am preserved from the poisonous infection of them Satan taking advantage of my melancholy Disposition growing upon me after the Death of my dearly beloved Child Mrs. Margaret Cox renewed these Assaults And as in such Cases the subtile malitious Enemy will follow his blow home as far as he is suffered and multiply every Molehill into a Mountain as we speak Proverbially so he endeavoured to increase her disquiet by another very small Circumstance For she proceeds in her Complaint I had also a great damp and check on my earnest Endeavours to teach my little Boy his Book He at little more than three Years old would read well in his Primmer on a sudden he forsook it not through any evil Disposition in him I am not able to give an acccount of it but it occasioned me much grief and trouble But I bless God for his Mercy to me Half a Year after I began a-new with him and he hath with greater readiness to it and love of it learned much better than before So indulgently condescending was the divine Goodness to relieve her suitably and prevent the occasions her Enemy catch'd at to disturb her by Secondly Under Indisposition of Body by a long Sickness It pleased God to suffer my old Enemy impetuously to assault me This Visitation was very cloudy which then I could not see through nor apprehend God's Goodness though he vouchsafed many discoveries of his Favour to me I shall not multiply Passages of the same import nor pursue all the Methods her Christian Prudence made use of for her support as frequent Conference with my self and some few choice Christian Friends whom she much esteemed for their great Piety experience in spiritual Matters and prevalence with God in Prayer She made no noise with her Troubles revealed them but to few and to those whom she judged fittest to counsel and comfort her and sympathize with her in her Temptations as having had Experience of the like or been oft consulted by them who had But her best Defence was to take to her self the whole Armour of God and her chief Refuge was to the Throne of Grace to appeal to God who comforteth them who are cast down and to wrestle with God for help in time of need whom she used to importune to teach her hands to war and her fingers to fight in her spiritual Warfare and to carry on the War at his own Charge because the Quarrel was his and managed against the grand Enemy of his Glory as much as of her Peace I shall transcribe a Paper which I find Endorsed thus In time of Temptation writ by me Elizabeth Walker O Most holy wise powerfull gratious faithfull unchangeable and eternal God I thy poor afflicted Creature tossed on Waves and Billows of Sin and Temptation fly unto thee for Refuge in this Storm begging of thee thy supporting Grace helping me against the Assaults of my spiritual Enemies by what wile soever they invade my Soul with abhorr'd impure Motions vile and detestable Suggestions which