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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75270	The virgin saint, or, A brief narrative of the holy life and Christian death of Mary Wilson with some memorable passages, and occasional speeches a little before her death added thereunto ; to which is also adjoyned a sermon, preached at her funeral by Mr. Geo. Nicholson, together with several consolatory letters, written by divers ministers, to her mournful father, Mr. Richard Wilson of Crosfield in Cumberland.	S. A.; Nicholson, George, ca. 1637-1697. Sermon preached at the funeral of Mrs. Mary Wilson.	1673 (1673)	Wing A28A; ESTC R42607	83,061	185

of worth did rest Her comely Carriage to all men might claim A perfect right to a beloved Name Her actions were so just that they may tell She liv'd uprightly and she dy'd-as well Her Love and sweet Society did call ●en thoosand tears t' attend her Funeral And now she 's gone I hope her Soul 's aspir'd so Heavens high Ralace where she sits attir'd With glorious Immortality and sings ●●elodious Tunes unto the King of Kings Oh there she rests free from the rubs of earth Hugging no Shadow but a real Mirth Where still me thinks I hear her sweetly sing Grave where 's thy power Death where is thy sting Methinks I hear her warbling tongue declare How good her works how great her wonders are Methought I saw in what triumphing state Her soul was led to Heaven's refulgent Gate Where when she came disro'bd of all her Sin The Gates flew open and her Soul flew in There there the Alpha of her joys will never Know an Omega but endure for ever Perhaps some will conclude me wondrous bold When this Elegious Poem they behold It is an Error that my hasty Quill Too rashly stept into against my will I hope 't is venial for in former times Boldness in truths were pardonable crimes Her splendent vertues did importune me To calculate and write this Elegie Of her That now is taking sweet repose In Heaven's eternal bed where none but those Shall sleep that in their Life-times study'd still Their hungry Lamps with precious Oyl to fill Sith thus she liv'd sith thus she dy'd O then Let 's imitate so good a Life And when We hear the sweet Narration of her Death Let 's learn to die Let them that live by breath Examine her brave actions and they 'll find She had true zeal imprinted in her mind Reader As often as report shall send Unto thy ears the Death of such a Friend Wonder not that she 's dead that 's too much wrong But rather wonder that she liv'd so long For Life 's but like a Candle every wind May puff it out and leave a Snuff behind Liue we a Thousand years we do but run Indebt to Nature when those days are done This is most sure our earthen vessels must At last dissolve and turn again to Dust Sic voluere fata Her Epitaph Mortality may here survey A Grave within whose bosome lay Rare Vertue Zeal whilst she had breath Yet quickly was blockt up by death Wholesome streams of rare zeal did rest In the close Chamber of her Breast Like Dorcas she sought to fulfil Sound work for her Redeemer still O but Death came and said thou must Now go dissolve and turn to Dust She is the first that ever came Hither from Cross-field of that name Whose vertuoos Life none will deny Taught Death to live and Life to dye I hope the Alpha of her joys will never Omega know but last for ever Spes mihi magna subit By me Christopher Rickerby School-master of Lazonby For his invaluable Friend Mr. Richard Wilson at Crosfield My Dear and Well-beloved Brother IT shall not be my work at this time to set your wound a bleeding a fresh or to adde weight to your present Affliction But I hope I shall willingly endeavour to heal it and to bear a part of your burthen and to have you upon my heart when I make my Address to God for Mercy and Pardon for mine own Soul And shall beg of God to support your Soul and to be to you instead of all Relations and Comforts which this vain fading perishing and deceitful world can afford you and that Christ may be to you instead of ten Children and give you a Name better than that of Sons and Daughters yea That Christ may be your all in all And I hope the Lord hath taught you not to sorrow as one without hope for she whom you so dearly loved is gone to her dearly Beloved there to dwell for ever where she is freed from Satan Sin and Sorrow all tears being wipt away from her eyes yea she is gone to her Husband Lord and King where she reaps the fruit and comfort of all her Labours and is blessed for So are the dead that die in the Lord Yea She now enjoyes th●● sweet of all her private Retirements in Prayer and Meditation wherein she kept her communion with God in Christ whilst here And she w●● lately shined as a glor ous Star in this Church is now glorified in Heaven she is possessed o● those mansions of Glory purchased and prepared by Christ for her Joh. 14.2 and there she 〈◊〉 beholding the Face of God reconciled to he● Soul by Christ where she is singing Hallelujahs yea the pure Praises of God and this shall ●● her work yea rather her delight to all Eternity And then My dear Brother why should no● you with David the Child being dead arise and come into the House of the Lord to worship 2 Sam. 12.20 Brother Let me tell you in some sense if I may adventure to spea● it you have as much yea more reason to be contented and thankful than David had for your Daughters name was Mary who hath chosen th● better part which cannot be taken from her's And O that you were prevailed with willingly and thankfully to bear the indignation of th● Lord and to walk humbly with him who killeth and maketh alive who bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up Deut. 32.34 I believe Faith will teach you to kiss a striking Lord and to acknowledg the Soveraignty of a●● angry God in the Death of your only Daughter to be above the power of Mortals who ●lucks up a Flower in its prime and is not to be ●lamed by us for it Our Lord hathpluckt up ●ne of his Roses let us pray that his blessed Will may be done our Lord hath numbred man's months and set him his bounds which ●e cannot pass Job 14.5 I verily believe your Lord hath taught you to lay your hand upon your Mouth but I shall be far from desiring ●ny to make light of such great tryals and losses ●ut rather could wish that every cross were ●ook't in the face seven times and were read ●ver and over again It is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts and speaks something hath some ●●and and the man of understanding will learn ●o hear and fear the Rod and him that appointed it O try what is the taste of the Lord's Cup and drink the Lord sanctifie it to you ●hat you may grow thereby I trust in God ●hat whatever speech it utter that that is one word in it for you in Job 5.17 Behold blessed the man whom the Lord correcteth and that it is safe for you you are from home while here you are not of this world as your Redeemer was not of this world there is somthing a keeping for you that is worth the looking after All that is here is condemned to dye and to pass away as a

falling under many Pannick fear and griping pangs of trouble if you do not ●●riously mind the work of actual Preparation 〈◊〉 the coming of Christ even to you will death ●● as Bildad speaketh The King of Terre Job 18.14 2. Even such as are Godly in the main ●● run this hazard through their Defective-act●●● Readiness or want of actual Preparation They really for ought I know or can gather from ●he Scriptures lessen that glory that should otherwise be conferred upon them in Heaven And is not this a great hazard to run and danger ●o incur viz. to expose your selves to the loss of ●o many degrees of Glory Are you so careful ●o avoid hazards in your estates in this world and will you make nothing of losing such a measure of Glory Surely if a little of Heaven be ●etter than much of the world then the loss of a little of Heaven is greater than the loss of much ●f the world nay than all the world it self Now it is concluded by many worthy Divines That ●here are Degrees in Glory and if so Then it will strongly follow that where there is the least Grace there will be the least Glory And where there is the least of Actual Readiness for Heaven there is the least measure of Grace For ●● the Exercise of Grace be the means of encreaing of Grace as undoubtedly it is and this Actual Readiness lye in the exercise of it as ●ath been already shewed then it clearly follows That where there is the least of Actual Preparation for the coming of Christ there must ●eeds be the least measure of Grace because the ●ast exercise of Grace and so consequently the ●ast degree of Glory But let us see what the ●cripture saith in this point and for this consult that place in Luke 19.16 17 18 19. where we find the two Servants that had traded with their Masters money to have received a proportionable reward to their improvement of it The first that had made his Masters pound ten pounds is made Ruler over ten Cities And the second that had made his pound five pounds is made Ruler over five Cities The scope of the Parable seemeth to be this that according to the improvement of Grace received so answerably shall the reward be They that make the greatest improvement of Grace shall have the greatest reward of Glory and they that make a lesser improvement thereof shall have lesser degree of Glory See for this also 1 Cor. 15.41 42. So that from hence to me it is clear that there are different degrees of Glory as well as different degrees of Grace And those Saints that concern themselves the least about Actual Readiness to meet the Lord Jesus shall have the least share in Heavens Glory And is it a small thing my Brethren to deprive your selves through your remisness and negligence of the weight of Glory Would you do thus by your selves about the things of the world There are none of you that would hinder your external Prosperity through your neglect Be but as wise and careful for your Souls and you cannot then but be making ready for the Coming of Christ 3. They expose themselves to this hazard also of falling into an hour of desertion I grant the Almighty sometimes may and doth hide himself from his gracious ones that have made great Conscience of making Preparation for the Coming of their Lord. But ordinarily those Souls that are the most remiss and careless about the work of Actual Preparation for the meeting of the Lord Jesus are mostly left and forsaken of him as to actual favour in times of trial and especially in a dying hour And this is no more but a just Punishment upon them for their Neglect It being most equal that they that have not cared to fit themselves for Him should not find Him friendly to them when they stand in most need of his favour Then God sheweth them his back and not his face as he did to the Jews in their troubles I grant to dispense favours this way belongeth to the Divine Prerogative and therefore he both can and may deal them forth as he pleaseth and to whom he pleaseth And possibly sometimes he may let some Souls sip of this Cup that have not every way carried suitably to this favour Isa 57.18 I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners And this is done notwithstanding his going on frowardly in the way of his heart v. 17. Now this he doth when he seeth it will make for the advancement of his Grace and Glory But ordinarily he suffereth not these to see his Smiles that have not been fitting themselves for him But they must now be as if they were cast out of Favour and must apprehend his Frowns to make them sensible of the● great neglects about the concerns of their Souls And hence it is that many Souls though otherwise honest in the main do go mourning without the Sun as the Phrase is Job 30.28 through the black entry of death and perhaps never see Gods face in peace again till they find him to be their friend in the other world 4. They run the hazard also of entring into great Temptations Though Satan when let loose by the Almighty will trouble the best of Saints and fill their Spirits with great perplexing Fears especially in times of Trial and mostly in a Dying Hour when they are left to be tried by him yet most commonly the secure slothful and careless Saints are most perplexed with his Temptations at such times and seasons Now if ever he will endeavour to unsaint them And this he laboureth to do by setting before the eye of their Conscience and charging upon them all their former carelesness and remisness in and about their actual Preparation for the Coming of Christ as not consisting with a state of Grace Though before he did secretly yet strongly perswade them to the contrary when he did tempt them to slacken the reins and grow remiss in the Duties of Preparation yet now he appeareth openly to the Conscience and chargeth it home upon it as that which can no way comport with the spirit of a Saint Hence it is that so many when brought to their dying hour are ready to cast away all their hopes of the life to come though peradventure some time before they were groundedly persuaded that their state was good and that they had a Right through Faith in Christ to the purchased Inheritance You secure Saints that please your selves at present in your Remisness take heed lest the Devil have a field with you before you die Though you may have your quiet at present through his lulling you asleep yet you may come to be awakened and your Consciences filled with many black hellish fears And reckon you it nothing to fall into the hands of a merciless Devil that will not spare you a blow I warrant you O

habitual Readiness the grace of Regeneration being found within him yet may he sadly smart for his Relapses before ●e give up the Ghost Hast thou not heard before what hazards even the Godly do run for want of actual Preparation Is it a small thing in thine account to be under the Troun●ings of Satan the hidings of God's Face the ●remblings of Conscience and the terrors of Death Remember therefore from whence thou ●●rt fallen and repent and do the first works or ●●se the Lord Christ will come unto thee quickly ●nd remove thee out of thy place except thou re●ent Be watchful and strengthen the things ●hat are ready to die which yet remain for thy works are not found perfect before God Remem●er therefore how thou hast received and heard ●nd hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt ●ot watch the Lord Christ will come on thee as Thief and thou shalt not know what hour he will ●ome upon thee Rev. 2.5 and 3.2 3. Use 2. Secondly Is it the great concernment ●f all that look to be saved to make ready against the coming of Christ Then it is th● greatest Folly imaginable to neglect making ready for Christ's Coming That man lies a●● waies under the imputation of extreme Folly that neglecteth his principal Concerns Is 〈◊〉 not an arrant Fool that will not mind his mo●● necessary Concernments wherein his very l●●● and welfare is wrapt up Quae te dementia cepit That you may see the extreme folly and ma●ness of men herein I will shew you it a lit●●● more particularly and that very briefly First That man that neglecteth making re●dy for Christ's coming he hath no regard 〈◊〉 or care of his great Soul His Carelessness about making due Preparation to meet the L●●● Jesus doth plainly speak forth thus much That whether his Soul sink or swim be sa●● or damned he mattereth it not He will●●● so much as trouble either his Head or Heart about it And is not this the greatest piece●● Folly that can be What man more mad●● foolish than he that setteth his Soul aside 〈◊〉 forgetteth or else careth not to do any th●● about it that may tend to save it Our 〈◊〉 Jesus telleth us That the Soul of man is be●●●● than the whole world for so much his wo●●● do sound Math. 16.26 What is a man prof●●● ●f he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul ●r what shall he give in exchange for his soul Now is that man any other than a simple Fool that neglecteth his Soul which the whole world cannot equalize the worth of or repair the loss of if he could enjoy it all to himself Secondly That man that neglecteth Preparation for the Coming of Christ he doth but treasure up wrath unto himself against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgement of God And is not he a Fool that provideth Instruments of Cruelty for himself And thus doth every one though they think it not that neglecteth to make ready for Christ's appearance I speak to such as never mind the work of Repentance but go on in a course of Sin these of all others are the greatest Fools in that they do all the while store up plagues for themselves Rom. 2.4 5 6. Thirdly The Folly of him that mindeth not making ready for the coming of Christ appeares in this That he doth but harden himself against ●he coming of Christ And is he not a grand Fool think ye that thus setteth himself against Christ Whoever hardened himself against God and prospered I do not think that every one that mindeth not to make himself ready to meet ●he Lord Jesus doth intentionally and resolredly harden himself against Christ for these ●re only that Atheistical and debanched Crew that are void of all Fear and Conscience that bid open defiance against Heaven Psal 73 9● But my Friends after you have heard it to be your Duty to make ready against that time when you shall be called to appear before Christ i● you then neglect to do it it will be interpreted of Christ to be a hardening your selves against him Because you know it to be your Duty and yet will not do it And what a Madman 〈◊〉 he that will put himself into such a posture a● will bespeak him to be hardening himself against Christ Can their hearts endure or their hands be strong in the day that God shall deal with them Ezek. 22.14 Will ye provoke the Lord to jealousie are ye stronger than he Remember it was Israels overthrow in the Wilderness that they hardened themselves against God this made their Carkases fall there so that they never came to Canaan Psal 95.8 9 10 11. Heb. 3.8 9 10 11. I shall leave but that one place further with you and then consider of it Revel 6.14 15 16 17. And the Heaven departed at a Scroll when it is rolled together and every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great Men and the Rich men and the Chief Captains and the Mighty men and every Bondman and every Freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the Mountains And said to the mountains and Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand You see that Christ will make the stoutest of men to tremble that harden themselves against him Fourthly Their folly appeareth by this who neglect to prepare and make ready for Christ Jesus his Coming in that so doing they undervalue Heaven And is he not to be reckoned a prosane Fool that makes no reckoning of Heaven The poor Indians folly was seen in this That they were so willing to part with their Gold for some pieces of Brass or for other Toys and Trifles that were of no great value Now that man that taketh no care to make himself ready to come before the Lord Jesus his neglect doth plainly declare That Heaven beareth to price with him For there is no man that ●ometh within the sound of the Gospel ●ut he heareth That without Repentance no salvation and that without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. Now after the declaration ●● all this in the ears of such a person If he shall sive in the neglect of looking after Repentance ●r the work of Holiness he doth evidently ma●ifest That Heaven signifieth not much to him for he that will not carefully look after the heans and also use them that relate to such an ●nd his very neglecting of the means doth bespeak him to have no great regard to the end especially when he knoweth that it is not possible in an ordinary way to come to enjoy such an end without making use of such means And will not this prove a man to be a Fool Remember that Esau is called a profane person or as the

Use 5. Lastly Is it the great Concernment of all that would be saved to make ready for the Coming ●f Christ Then it would be needful to lay ●own some Directions how to get ready against ●he time of Christ's Coming But the time ●ow calleth me off and therefore I must desist only take this single Direction Think daily of ●he Day of thy Death and the uncertain time ●f Christ's certain Coming and this seriously ●hought on will spur thee on to get ready for is Coming Men too commonly cast off the thoughts of ●eath and of Christ's Coming to Judgment and this maketh them so remiss and careless as ●hat they mind not preparing for a dying Hour ●nd appearing before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account of all that they have done in the Body whether it be good 〈◊〉 whether it be evil FINIS In Obitum MARIAE WILSON Filiae Ricardi Wilson Generosi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEu dolor infandus cur mors saevissimè vitam Amputat innocuam quae sibi culpa fuit Rara fides hujus radiis pietatis amoenis Affulsit vitii nescia vana fugit Omnia sancta petit semper sua facta benigna Omnibus purâ numina mente colit Occubuit morti lacrymarum ex valle rev●lli Hei mihi virtutis flosculus hic moritur Quòd fecit † Anagram Marie Wilson Crosfie●d Flores Deus illos creamine constat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stat sine Morte decus ●mbre rigate genas abiit moriente Mariâ Ipsa arbusta dolent nunc dolor urget idem Dicere si fas est rupes fragore movêre Cùm Phoenix mundi desine Musa perit To Mr. R. W. depressed with grief for the loss of his so vertuous and only Daughter What Mourn excessively under your Cross O Sir Abandon Sorrow though you R Loss I grant be Reall And Of large extent Your only Child Yet know She was but lent A fruitful Plant she Was i' th Field of God But beeing Ripe In Grace now her abode God changed hath for Earth Ly dwellings given A Mansion Large among the Saints in Heaven And yet Do you think hardly Of your God For Sure there 's Mercy latent i N his Rod Then stay your Tears and David-like submit For he who sent the Cross will hallow it Ad pium Lectorem PArdon me Reader if thou judg't unmeet That my rude Muse with her decrepit feet Should thus intrude herself into the Press ' Mongst others to proclaim the worthiness Of this accomplish'd pious Virgin who While here did all her Age and Sex outgo In vertues race and now hath won the Goal Whilst we her friends with tears her loss condole ●hen God to th' world had shown this polisht ●tone ●soon for ends best known to mself alone ●●mov'd her hence and plac'd her among them ●hat do adorn the New Jerusalem ●e're thou didst converse with her I 've done ●er spiritual worth was obvious as the Sun ●anscendent Love she to the truth did bear ●o pains she spar'd Gods Sacred Word to hear ●nd if this Heavenborn Dorcas thou knewst not ●m all perfection up and she was that ●ut stay my Muse let her good works commend ●er whom I dare not praise because a Friend ●e mute no more with hobling Verses come ●th her blest Life 's her best Encomium Which th' foregoing Narratives exemplifie ●nd will perpetuate her Me mory ●o us who do survive Let 's imitate This Heavenly pattern then and always wait ●he Master's coming lest when 't is too late We cry Lord Lord open to us the Gate ● may we not like Goats at Christ's left hand ●e found oh dreadful but still ready stand With oyled lamps to meet the Lord for he Will surely come to judg both thee and me M. C. Upon the Death of Mrs. Mary Wilso● who was Buried August 4. 1672. HEre lies the first of that name from Cro field Lord grant that place may more such flow● yield Her early buds that place did so perfume As tho her Soul had brought it from the Womb. No pains she thought too hard Gods sacred Word hear And when she harrow'd it she water'd it with tear And yet she would complain of her unfruitful●● Tho she foretold her Death much like a Prophetess Her dying Breath was such as fill'd the eyes ● ears Of her Spectators all with Joys and yet w●● Tears As to her Natural parts her Genius still was such What Learning ere she saw to take 't in was ●● much Her works behind her left most amply have declar'd That not unlike she may to Dorcas be compar'd She she she was most singly set apart To be the Joy of her poor Parents heart But now she 's gone to her Eternal Rest Amongst the Saints for ever to be blest To all those that love vertue Reader WHen my serious thoughts had reflected upon the Death of so vertuous a Damsel I could not but deplore her Departure and being importuned by her vertues I gave my Pen the priviledg assisting it with the uttermost of my power to compose this Elegious Poem upon her Death which I cannot expect will be consonant to all humors but only to those that love vertue And Reader thou knowing that the tallest Cedars were but Twigs at first I desire thee to let the strength of thy goodness pardon the weakness of him who is thine in what he may Christopher Rickerby An Elegy upon the Death of a vertuous young Damsel Mrs. Mary Wilson late of Cross-field in Cumberland YE grief-supporting Muses here is that Will sublimate your Senses Ask not what But lend assistance soon do not deny For fear I make complaint to Mercury What Are your Heliconian waters spent Or do you stay t' expect a Complement Be not so slow for Sorrow hates delay Oh hear my hasty call and come away I crave your aid lest Melancholy I Ravish'd with what I speak should faint die Times full-mouth'd Herauld will exactly tell How Death hath rambled from his misty Cell And call'd her hence whose never-dying name Gives Golden feathers to the wings of Fame Whilst she enjoy'd the fullness of her breath Her Life was a Preparative for Death It was her whole Delight and Study still To prosecute her great Redeemers Will. Faith Hope and Charity did sweetly rest Within the Councel-Chamber of her Breast Nay in a word the Graces did agree ●o make one happy Soul and this was she Which was a Pattern sent that thou and I And others by her Life might learn to die ●s for her Moral Duties they were such That should I strive I could not speak too much ●er whole delight was alwaies to appear ●t any place where she God's word might hear ●om whence she suckt such wholsome streams that she ●ft got a plaudit for her Memory ●ay she in every thing did so excel That it was hard to find a parallel This same was she within whose tender breast A mighty Magazin

Death which is our burthen and which we groan under Rom. 7.24 She shall sin no more nor sorrow no more nor die no more though she be dissolved yet she is with Christ which is best of all she is perfectly holy and perfectly happy where she shall rest from her labours and her works shall follow her R●vel 14.13 There are three things that make Men and Women count themselves happy here below To have a good estate to have it in a good place and to have it by good Neighbours now all these three she and every one that dies in the Lord do eminently enjoy First Their Heavenly inheritance is exceeding great 2 Cor. 4.17 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard the like 1 Cor. 2.4 1 Pet. 1.4 Secondly 'T is in a good place Heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 which is an House and City made for them and builded by God and therefore must needs be good Heb. 11.10 Thirdly 'T is by good Neighbours God Christ the Holy Spirit Angels and Just Men made perfect Adam had a good inheritance and in a good place but he had an evil Neighbour of the Devil that troubled him and marr'd all but there are no ill Neighbours in Heaven whether she is gone and therefore perfectly happy You must not understand this as if I asserted that I had an absolute certainty and assurance of her happy state for its God's Prerogative alone to know certainly who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and therefore Grace is called the hidden man of the heart we cannot certainly know the good state of another 1. Because there is not any thing in Religion which can be exprest to another which may not flow from an Hypocritical as well as a sound and sincere Heart 2dly Peter was deceived in Simon Magus and calls Sylvanus a faithful Brother as he supposes 1 Pet. 5.12 Yet first the Scriptures speak of such marks of Grace whereby we may know that others belong to Christ John 13.35 whereby Christians are made manifest to others 1 Corin 11.19 and declared to be the Epistle of Christ 2 Cor. 3.2 3. Secondly There is such a sympathy and conformable working of God's Spirit in the Saints and their hearts answer each● other as Face answers Face in a glass that they are but as one Soul Acts 4.31 yet this amounts not to an absolute but to a charitative at most but to a moral certainty so far as its possible for a man to perceive the gracious estate of another such a certainty yea as great a certainty as is attainable by the forementioned ways from whence it comes touching her happy state ●hath been no stranger to me nor to your self ●either and therefore sith your loss is not comparable to her gain sorrow not immoderatly look through your loss and see her gain beyond it and sorrow not as if you were without hope For if you should this first would ●ewray your ignorance of the blessed estate of God's Children after this life Secondly Such Sorrow is rather for hopeless Heathens than for Christians for Egyptians than for Israelites or ●osephs Gen. 50 3-7 or for Davids when ●hey fear that their Absoloms are dead in an un●●generate estate Thirdly Her Death is no ●bolishing of Nature but a Sleep for a time and Resurrection and an awaking time to eternal Life to be satisfied with Gods likeness is certain wherefore comfort your self with these things ●ll these you have in 1 Thos 4.13 14 c. Psal 17. last Secondly Though your Loss be great yet his may lessen it and give some allay to it that it ● but a loss of her bodily presence for a time you have not lost your Friend but sent her a little before you praemittimus non amittimus saith one he is still your Daughter Abraham's wife is ●alled his wife though dead eight several times ●n the 23. Gen. to note saith Mr Calvin that ●he divorce of death is such that there remains nevertheless some conjunction and there i● other thing than the restoring to time t●● maintains and preserves the law of mutual c●● junction and neerness to note out saith Parus on the place that death makes not any s● divorce betwixt godly Couples and Friends 〈◊〉 that there remains still a blessed conjunction 〈◊〉 twixt them which is founded in the hope of happy Resurrection now is it not better have a Daughter in Heaven than upon Earth Thirdly How can you say that your Lo●● great When you have lost nothing that 〈◊〉 your own she was God's first and last b● by Creation Redemption Adoption c. 〈◊〉 was never yours only you had the loan of 〈◊〉 God lent you her so many years as she li●● and now He hath call'd for her and taken his own home again And will you be troub●● and grieve and sorrow because he hath sen● and taken his own home again If a man you any thing for a while will you grieve●vex and take on when he sends for it or 〈◊〉 it home again or will you be troubled that was made fitter for God when he call'd fo● by Death than when you received her 〈◊〉 God at her first breath She received o● natural being at her birth but after a spir●● being in the new Birth God making you i● mental herein that she might be meet for lowship with her Father in Heaven and partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in ●●ht Colos 1.12 And are you troubled that ●●d call'd for his own when fitted for him ●s she so good that she was too good for God ●●d will you aggravate and greaten your sorrow ●on this account O wonderful For a David 〈◊〉 mourn immoderatly for his Absalom who ●●bably feared that he was gone to a place of ●●ment was no wonder at all But for you 〈◊〉 sorrow inordinately for her that is gone to ●aven a place of Pleasure and endless Joy is ●●y strange and gone to her Father whose ●ughter she was and is none of yours For ●re is no earthly Comfort we enjoy that is our ●●n only lent us and we are Stewards be●sted with it for a while at length God calls 〈◊〉 it again when he pleaseth only Grace when ●en us is our own because its never taken from 〈◊〉 this Seed remains in us till it be perfected Glory Luke 16.12 1 John 3.4 Fourthly Consider that though she be dead ●●o you yet living even in her body as to God 〈◊〉 before him Luke 20.38 For though death ●●aks the union betwixt the Soul and Body 〈◊〉 it breaks not the bond of the Covenant be●●een God and her the Covenant is alive ●●ugh she be dead Matt. 22.31 32. The ●●tion of God to Abraham was as strong when was dead as when he was alive God is not God of the dead but of the living for all the Saints are alive to him though dead as to us yet they are alive to him as their Souls are alive so their bodies are as living bodies and though rotting in their