the Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness if the Absoluteness of the Covenant of Grace if believing Justification to be an immanent and instaneous Act if the excluding Works and all other Concauses whatever with the Merits of Christ in the matter of our Justification be Antinomianism the Lord keep me an Antinomian whilst I live for in the firm Truth of these great Points I desire to be found believing when I dye Oh! my Dear Friends and Brethren hold fast the Form of sound Words keep close to the Blessed and Glorious Truths of the Gospel do not give heed to the Seducing Fables of Men who cry up Inherent Righteousness and previous Qualifications in order to a Regenerate State making an Idol of them Singing Songs of Triumph to them as Israel did about the Golden Calf These be thy Gods O Israel that brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt 'T is the Honour of your Pulpit that no other Sound but that of Aaron's Golden Bells no other Melody but Grace Grace has as yet been heard there No Trash of Legal Righteousness or Humane Glittering Performances as Antecedaneous to a closing with Christ have been bellow'd forth within your Virgin-Walls that are yet undefiled and God of his Mercy still keep them so with the Language of the Beast For though you have had many Preachers yet they have been all acted by the same Spirit spoke the same thing borne Witness to the same Truth even Salvation by the Blood of Jesus without any Hay or Stubble of Man's Endeavours And if the Opposers of the everlasting Gospel gratifie their Luxuriant Fancies by Nick-naming it Antinomianism Oh! let not that discourage or disturb you Fourthly My last Advice to you is That you would have a special care of your Walking you have the Light Oh! Walk as Children of the Light You are Foundation Stones I heartily with none of you may prove rotten or unsound ones for that will prove very pernicious to your future Building and most dreadful to your own Souls in a dying Hour Remember Oh! Remember Holiness becomes the House of our God for ever Holiness is the Crown of the Church-Militant and it will be for ever the Glory of the Church-Triumphant You have many Eyes upon you many envious ones that are impatiently watching for your halting Oh! therefore I beseech you I most humbly and earnestly beg you for the Lord's sake for your Souls sake for the Gospel's sake for your Friends sake take special heed to your Steps and that in every respect Oh! do not fill Gath with Joy or the Streets of Askelon with Triumph put no occasion of insulting in the Mouths of the Uncircumcised by any Failing or Miscarriage Grieve not the Spirits of your Friends by giving your Enemies any just cause to upbraid you But walk in all things in all cases according to the Rule of the Gospel Loath Sin and leave it yea hate the very Appearance of Evil Remember the Son of God walks up and down among you to observe you with his Eyes as Flames of Fire you are not now in the wide World but in the Sacred Boundaries of Mount Zion and therefore you cannot Sin at so cheap a Rate as you did before Oh! that you would follow the Footsteps of your Dear and Precious Sister She has left you a Copy Oh! that you would Write after it Oh! that you may so live Oh! that you may so dye as she did Then comfortable will it be for you here and happy will it be with you hereafter As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the Faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with Thanksgiving And we will not cease to Pray for you and incessantly to desire That ye might be all filled with the Knowledge of the Will of God in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing being Fruitful in every good Work and increasing in the Knowledge of God Strengthned with all Might according to his Glorious Power unto all Patience and Long-suffering with Joyfulness Giving Thanks to the Father who hath made you meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Who hath delivered you from the Powers of Darkness and hath translated you into the Kingdom of his Dear Son My Dear Friends Excuse my Plainness bear with my Earnestness for my Soul loves you and you are very near my Heart I would not have you in the least miscarry or fall short in any thing of the Hopes we have of you for the whole World But as you have begun so hold out hold on and you will certainly Reap at last if you faint not It is but a little while and you shall he where your Heavenly Sister is gone before you even in the Mansions of Eternal Glory with the ever-blessed God In whose Presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right-hand there are Pleasures for ever-more Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead the Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen And I beseech you Brethren suffer the Word of Exhortation for I have written a Letter unto you in few words with which I bid you heartily Farewel in the Lord Sincerely Subscribing my self Your Truly Affectionate Servant and Brother in our Dearest Jesus C. Nicholetts TO HIS Worthy and much valued Friend Mr. R. W. SIR I Received yours wherein you pressingly desire an Account of that young Gentlewoman Mrs. Mary Harrison who lately went to Heaven from amongst us whose Fame I perceive has reached your Ears Really Sir the Person you enquire after deserves to be known by the whole World For I sincerely think considering every thing and all Circumstances as to the manner of her Conversion and the Fruitful Consequence of it together with the Agonies of her Soul in yearning after Christ and her prodigious aspiring Heaven-ward she has hardly left her Fellow behind her 'T is pitty the Pencil was not in an abler Artist's Hand that her Picture might be drawn to the best Advantage according to the Truth of those lively Colours the many Passages of her Life would afford to set it off for then I am sure it would be as valuable at least in the Eyes of the Serious as any Life whose History has pass'd the Press these many Years and so universally satisfactory that the Censures of the severest Criticks would be turned into Astonishment and Admiration You are pleased to tell me I am the fittest Person to write the Narrative of her Case I confess in respect of my intimate Knowledge of her and frequent Converse both day and night with her and as one to whom
to you that are now Mourning To you that are now Weeping To you that are now so full of Sadness for this great and irreparable loss and that in the words of the same Apostle in the same Chapter verse 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words 3dly To you also of this Society my Brethren and Sisters of this Church I would next address my self on this awful Occasion And it is to beg you to have a deep sense of the Lords hand upon us in diminishing our number in Housing our little Flock apace But the last night we were in this place Solemnizing the Funeral of a precious and beloved Sister and now we are here at the Funeral of this triumphant Damsel 'T is true she was not actually a Member of ours but virtually and intentionally she was she walk'd with us sate down vvith us and really design'd if the Lord had spared her life to be dismiss'd to us and so to be wholly ours She extreamly delighted in this Society and dearly loved every one of you But we have now left her with several others of emminent use and worth which calls for no small Lamentation and therefore I may here justly make use of the Prophets words by way of Exhortation to you Jerem. 9. v. 17 18. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider ye and call for the Mourning-women that they may come and send for Cunning Women that they may come And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us that our Eyes may run down with Tears and our Eye-lids gush out with Waters Why what 's the matter What is it that calls for so much Mourning verse 21. For death is come up into our Windows and is entred into our palaces to cut off the Children from without and the young Men in the Streets Oh! How many lovely Children of God have of late been cut off in this place and now this young Flourishing Branch is so suddenly and so unexpectedly cut down from amongst us and we shall never see her more Oh How then for this sad and irreparable loss should we lament with Tears how should our Eyes be gushing out with Water for the Immature fading of so sweet a Flower Oh! Therefore from the sense of Gods displeasure in taking such Unvaluable Jewels from us Be afflicted mourn and Weep let your Laughter be turned into Mourning and your Joy into heaviness Though as to this Saint her self there is no need of it death is to her an unspeakable Gain And therefore Christs words to the Bewailing Women are applicable unto you Ye daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for me but for your selves and the Miseries that are coming upon You. Oh Methinks I hear her speaking aloud to all and every one of us in Davids Language Psal 34. v. 2.3.4 My Soul shall make her Boast in the Lord The humble shall hear thereof and be glad O Magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my Fears But for our own sakes there 's cause enough of Mourning especially from this awful consideration Accession to us does not answer the decession from us 4thly and lastly A word to all of you in this Congregation the Inhabitants of this Town and the parts adjacent And I will Preface what I have to say to you in the Words of Jotham to the Men of Shechem Judg. 9.7 Hearken I beseech you unto me that God may hearken unto you Some of you have seen all of you have heard what this deceased young Gentlewoman underwent for Heaven What Oceans of Troubles she vvas plunged in and what Fires of Soul-tribulations she was a long time burning in Now as Christ said to his Disciples Math. 18.2.3 And Jesus called a little Child unto him and set him in the midst of them And said verily I say unto you except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So say I to all and every one here Old and Young Rich and Poor High and Low except ye go thorough the Pangs of the New-birth as this young Damsel did I do not say in that same degree of Horror and Agony for that few do but except you be as really Converted Changed Renewed and Born again as she was you will not nay you cannot enter into the Joys of Heaven when you Die for they are our Lord 's own Words and spoke as plain as plain can be Joh. 3.3 Except a Man any Man every Man be Born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this deserves your most deep and serious Consideration for there is a Kingdom of God to be enjoyed and a kingdom of darkness to be avoided And believe it Sirs Heaven is no Feigned Elizium Hell and Eternty is no dream the worm that never dies is no fond Conceit And you will shortly know what the one or the other means You will er'e long be summon'd to spend the Ages of Eternity amongst the blessed or damned and that in a very little time And so I shall close the whole alluding to the words of my Lord and Master with an earnest Exhortation to and fervent Supplication for each and every Soul of you here present Oh! That you would therefore know even you in this your day the things that belong to your everlasting peace before even before they be hid from your eyes And that for ever Two Hymns composed for her Funeral the former of which was publickly sung at the close of her Funeral I Sought the Lord and him I found He did regard my Tears When I lay prostrate on the Ground He freed me from my fears I wept with Sorrow Grief and Woe 'T is God that Mercy gives God made me cry out Oh! I know That my Redeemer Lives And lives to comfort my poor Heart Who did my State condole As finding such an horrid smart Within my wounded Soul But now I 'm eas'd I feel no pain Oh! then rejoyce with me That have found Death so sweet a Gain My Saviour now I see When I through Weakness pin'd away And fetch'd my latest Groan Christ sent his Angels to convey My Soul unto his Throne Oh! Halelujah Lord I am Ravish'd with Joy and Love In Bosome of blest Abraham With all the Saints above The other A Person young late dwelt among Vs Militants below Oppress'd with Fears immerg'd in Tears Which from her Eyes did flow Her Spirit sad with Sable clad To think upon her Soul The Storm was great the Billows beat And Deeps did on her roul So fierce the Stroke her Heart was broke Her inward Man deprest Both Night and Day she pin'd away And had not any Rest. Till God did please t' afford her ease 'T is he that Comfort gives Then in her Woe she cry'd I know My dear Redeemer Lives With this sweet Breath in view of Death She did her Life resign Now wrapt in Love with those above She gloriously does shine Rest holy Saint where no complaint Shall vex thee any more Possess that Peace which ne'er will cease On Canaan's blessed shore Oh! Halelu-Jah he is true At length he 'll surely come He 'll come away without delay And take his Mourners home FINIS
blessing God for you You had the Satisfaction to see her in her latest Hours the very night she died which was a great Comfort to her Friends and though she was under a Cloud at that Moment yet a little after you left her the Cloud was dispell'd and she was in a Transport of Glory and went to Heaven in a Chariot of Triumph She had Beauty for Ashes the Oil of Joy for Mourning the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness and she is now a Tree of Righteousness the Planting of the Lord that he may be for ever Glorified in the aboundant Riches of his Grace and Mercy towards her and with whom she is and ever will be glorified to all Eternity And now my Dear my very Dear Brother I hope your Candid Eye will overlook the many Imperfections of these Scribbling Lines and cover with the Mantle of Charity what you see amiss in the subsequent Tract And I hope also none will be so unjust to entitle you to the Weaknesses and Impertinencies appearing therein because your Name is inscribed to it The good Lord increase your eminent Gifts add to your Matchless Zeal inflame your ardent Love that you may Shine more and more in Doctrine and Conversation till you are call'd to Shine in the Celestial Constellation above and till after all your Pious Endeavours and Faithful Labours in your Lord's Vineyard you hear that Blessed Sound from your Lord's Lips whose Mouth is most comfortably Sweet in the day of Grace and will be ravishingly so in the day of Glory Well done Good and Faithful Servant thou hast been Faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into thy Master's Joy Go on as you have begun through the good Hand of your God upon you in the Power and Spirit of Elias to turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children that is to inflame the Hearts of Parents with a Desire and Longing after the Salvation of their Children And the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just that is Those who have stood out against Gospel-Light and Truth Now to see that closing with Christ in a Gospel-way and to seek to be made Righteous by an imputed Righteousness is the only Spiritual Wisdom And to make ready a People prepared for the Lord that is To Convince People that they are Lost and Undone in themselves and to perswade them without looking for any previous Qualifications to cast their naked Souls before the Lord Jesus to be cloathed upon with his Righteousness which only must be their Happiness if ever they are made Happy So committing you to the Protection of our Dear Redeemer in whom I desire to be esteemed as unfeignedly I am Your most Affectionate though unworthy Brother C. Nicholetts TO THE New-gather'd Church of Christ according to the Gospel-Order in Chichester Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Beloved Friends AS I with all the People of God in these Parts did Rejoyce in and heartily Congratulate your Associating together in the Bond and Fellowship of the Gospel so we fervently Pray this lively Beginning with such ardent Zeal Courage and Faithfulness to the Interest of your and our Lord and Master may have a Prosperous Progression in your building up in the way of Holiness and Righteousness that you may abound more and more in every Good Work and be to the Praise of his Grace who has called you out of Darkness into this marvelous Light It was very delightful to us to hear that you the Children of Judah did go in good earnest Weeping as you went to seek the Lord your God with your whole Heart and with your whole Soul and that you did ask the way to Zion with your Faces thither-ward and did unanimously say one to another Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten And accordingly did enter into a Solemn Covenant to live and walk together as Brethren in the Rule and Order of the Gospel and that under the strictest Obligation to obey all the Precepts and to rely upon all the Promises thereof You gave your selves first unto the Lord and then to one another by the Will of God which Coalition I think was of God Did I say I think so Pray give me that word back again and I will give you a better in the room of it I know and am well assured it was of God and have stronger Reasons to produce when called thereunto for my Confidence than the fiercest of your Opposers how Learned soever they may think themselves can answer One reason is this and it is such an one as all but Atheists will acknowledge to have weight in it God so far owning you and so signally honouring you in your first waiting upon the Lord at his Table in a Church-State as to shine down from between the Cherubims amongst you on this Precious I had almost said Peerless Saint this young Daughter of Abraham whose Life is under review who was one of you giving up her self to God in the same Covenant with you at the very time of which she saw that Light she never beheld before It was on your Shoar this fluttering Dove first found a place to rest the Sole of her Foot it was from the Mount of your Moriah this abject Daughter of Zion first pluck'd an Olive-branch of Peace and brought it in her Mouth She departed from us to you a Mara she came back from you to us a Naomi she went out empty but returned full and at her return she had Peace in the inward and Joy did shine in the Face of her outward Man whilst she was with us she was Sowing in Tears with you was her Harvest of Comfort and she returned with great Rejoycing bringing her Sheaves with her Now as Manoah's Wife argued in another Case If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a Burnt-offering and a Meat-offering at our Hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would as at this time have told us such things as these So I may argue in this If God was displeased with you or if you were out of God's way If the Fervor of your Zeal was mingled with the Leaven of Spleen and Prejudice if you were influenced to this Imbodying by Church-dividing Principles I say if any of these things much more if all these things were so as your Adversaries with more Spite than Reason with more Malice than shew of Truth do alledge against you Would God have so filled your first Assembling with the Glory of his Presence as to bruise Satan under the Feet of this dejected Damsel that had been so long Rampant in her and to speak effectual Peace to her down-cast Soul who since the hour of her first Conviction never knew what a Moments Peace was before Now he that can infer a wrong way or God's
Watchmen of our Israel and that in the Words sounding in Paul's Ears Come over to Macedonia and help us Though you appealed to the Reverend Fund in London and they own'd your Cause some of them at least very heartily too to my Knowledge and frequently some from among them came to your Assistance yet I know not by what means there was an unaccountable Delay in sending one to be constant with you which was like to have been of pernitious Consequence Oh! how like the Troops of Tema you look'd How like the Companies of Sheba you waited for them you were Confounded because you had Hoped you Sent and Went you Wrote and Begg'd till at last by repeated Frustrations you were Ashamed And now after all that God alone may have the Glory of the whole Work and that nothing of Man may be in it He the Great and Mighty Jehovah and none but he has sent you a Man of his own providing whom he has made strong for himself and richly stor'd with the precious Gifts and Graces of his Holy Spirit whereby he abounds with all the necessary Qualifications of a Gospel-Minister and whom I unfeignedly think since you could not get him who first broke the Ice amongst you I mean the Excellent Mr. Robbins to be every way the fittest Man for you the Nation does afford And will you not now again look up and behold the Wonders great Elohim has wrought for you and be affected therewith so as to Praise him who remembred you in your low State in your desolate State for his Mercy endures for Ever When you as a poor forsaken cast off People were seeking for Water even the running Streams of the Sanctuary but could find none and your Tongues were ready to fail for Thirst he the Lord did hear you yea he the God of Israel did not forsake you but did open Rivers in high Places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleys and made the Wilderness Pools of Water and the dry Land Springs of Water for you Yea When you were ready to conclude your selves Destitute and indeed when we were ready to say bemoaningly of you We have a little Sister but she has no Breasts God brought an help-meet for you as he did Eve to Adam and a mighty Voice as from the Lord cryed in all your Ears Behold the Man And your Hearts were presently inclin'd to him and his to you so that there was an immediate Closing Now the Lord of his abundant Mercy Bless you together that he may go in and out before you as a Shepherd and lead you beside the still Waters That he may take the Two Staves one called Beauty the Word of Life the Gospel of Salvation the other called Bands Church-discipline in the Truth and Purity of it and with them may plentifully feed the Flock of God over which the Holy-Ghost hath made him Overseer That he may at last give up his Account with Joy saying Lord Here am I and the Children thou hast given me and those not Dead but Alive And the Lord help you to know him who has the Oversight over you and to Esteem him highly for his Works sake That you may have Everlasting Consolation and Good Hope through Grace and be Comforted in your Hearts and Stablished in every good Word and Work by his Fruitful and Holy Ministry Secondly My Second Advice to you is That as you are fixed upon a Congregational Bottom so you would acquaint your selves by Studying and Reading with the true Notion of the Congregational Way for the more you know of it the better you will like it and the more you will be in Love with it I am past doubt after long search and enquiring it comes nearest to the Rule of any other Way And this as Learned a Prelate as ever England Bred lately Deceas'd did Ingeniously confess I am sure whoever Reads the Scriptures with a single and unprejudic'd Eye cannot but see it Christ never design'd his People in a Church-state should be under the Lordly Government or Domineering of any one Man whatsoever No his People as they are are a Redeemed so they are a Free People and have the Right of Government in themselves The other way does but puff up Ministers who are naturally Proud enough every such Minister Fancies he is Papa alterius orbis hence he Struts and Vapours as a little King none must Preach in his Pulpit but whom he pleases his Word is a Law and no Body must controul him in any thing he does But Blessed be God your Eyes are Open'd you see a better Way a Way that makes Religion more Amiable and the Paths of it more Delightful to the Sons and Daughters of Men. 'T is a strange Complaint God made of Old and yet 't is too much Verify'd in our Days The Prophets Prophecy Falsly and the Priests bear Rule by their Means and my People Love to have it so and what will you do in the end thereof Ah! Priests Tyranny is the worst sort of Tyranny but I hope 't is near at an End the good Lord hasten the total Overthrow of it I am sure Religion will never kindly Thrive till then When Christ alone sits King at his Table or as the Hebrew is Round Table then the Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof 'T is the Congregational Way that shews the Beauty and Glory of Religion to the World for when a Church is so fixedand so Principled then is She Beautiful as Tizzah Comely as Jerusalem and Terrible as an Army with Banners Where are the most Spiritual-minded Christians where are the most Heavenly Saints where are the most Visible Children of the Living God whose Hearts are most Yearning after Christ whose Lives are most Shining in Holiness and Gospel-Righteousness but in the Walls of the Congregational Churches I know some of you have not Time to Read and perhaps some of you have not Money to Buy many Books I would therefore commend to you that little yet excellent Book as Instar omnium of the Reverend Dr. Chancy's lately Publish'd which will give you considerable Light and establish you in the Congregational Way Thirdly My Third Advice to you is That you would not be frightned with the Bug-bear Term of Antinomianism of which the Blades of this Generation do Brand the Asserters and Propugnators of the Doctrine of Free-Grace 'T is true Antinomianism in its proper and true Notion is as Odious to me as to any Man alive but in that way which our high-flown Sparks call Antinomianism so have I and so I hope shall I Worship the God of my Fathers believing all things which are Written in the Law and in the Prophets What Antinomianism truly is is little known by most And I am perswaded the Generality especially the young Fry of Levites who bawl and yawl most against it do no more know what it is than I know what Person the next Pope of Rome will be If the Eternal Love of God if
wrought out by and made most secure in the Lord Jesus Christ might be the more precious and valuable to them when they are made to see it and have a joyful Sense of it by the enlightning Efficacy of God's Spirit which she was now believingly to be expecting of for I assured her in the Name of the Great God it was not far from her urging for her Support under the Burthen of her present Calamity that sweet Promise Hab. 2.3 For the Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie Though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry By Vision here I told her is meant the Manifestation of the Light of God's Countenance and the Glory of his Presence and there is a secret appointed time in the Breast of the Father for reviving the drooping Spirit and ravishing the sadned Heart of every Elect Son and Daughter of Adam with this great and glorious Mercy But she must patiently wait this appointed time for it and this plain Word of God assures her she would not be deceived in her Expectation I also for her Incouragement instanced the bitter Passion of Sorrow poor Mary Magdalen was in from the Sense of her horrid Sins and most vile and filthy Pollutions And the great and Soul-amazing Shakings the Gaoler had from the dreadful Apprehensions of his miserable State and the doleful Agonies of his Soul in the Sense of Hell and Damnation And yet what Comfort both of them met with what abundant Satisfaction both of them had by the Lord 's speaking effectual Peace to their Souls But whatever I could say and much more through the good Hand of my God upon me to this purpose I did say she still continued in a lamentable manner under the Power of Despair hideously crying out she was sure there was no Mercy for her By which I perceiving that no words how right soever were at present forcible so as to have any Effect upon her It growing late and I much wearied with travelling and speaking after solemn seeking the Lord for her I at that time left her I cannot tell you whether with more Joy or Sorrow Joy that there was so eminent a Work begun in her which plainly appear'd to me to be of God for I saw a thorough Work of Conviction wrought by the mighty Power of Jehovah in her Soul and I doubted not but design'd by him who brings forth Meat out of the Eater and Sweet out of the Strong for her Eternal Good though the Tempter for the present had such an ascendant upon her Or Sorrow that she was groveling in such hideous Darkness and left to struggle with the Horrors of a wounded Spirit which as the wise Man implicitly tells us is far more deplorable and much less tolerable than any Sickness or Infirmity how great or sore soever of the Body can be It was not long before I gave her another Visit and then found her under dreadful Consternation of Mind through the violent and malicious Assaults of Satan who as a roaring Lyon was seeking to devour or rather swallow up this distressed Damsel by the multitude of vain wicked yea blasphemous Thoughts he cast into her whereof she wofully complained and that in a lamentable and heart-melting Accent to me Oh Sir says she with dismal black Clouds in the Horizon of her Countenance you little think what a prodigious vile wicked and abominable Wretch I am my Heart is full of most horrid blasphemous Thoughts against God my Mind is running upon nothing but what is Evil and that of the deepest dye Surely there is none there can be no such grosly wicked Person as I in the World as there is no Sorrow so there is no Wickedness like mine To which I replied Mrs. Mary As for the Thoughts you complain of with so much Bitterness of Heart they are not yours neither are you chargeable with them God will not impute them to you they are thrown into you by the evil one who is doing you all the spite he can and trying all means to make your Life every way uncomfortable and therefore I would have you and Oh! that you would harken unto me to cast Satan's Brats with an Holy Scorn at his own Door bidding Defiance to him and all his Cursed Suggestions For I tell you as from the Lord what is your Grief or Burthen now will not be charg'd upon you as your Sin hereafter Then I commended to her Serious Consideration that pathetical Scripture 1 Joâ—n 3.20 For if our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things From whence I told her yea thus argued with her Though your trembling Heart does indeed condemn you and your very Soul is perplexed in the abhorring Sense of these horrid Thoughts and you are in extream Bitterness and Sorrow therefore yet God who is greater than your Heart and who knows all things very well knows the Source and Spring from whence these abominable evil Thoughts flow and the Power by which they are injected into you and though you are laying your self so low even as Hell abhorring your self in Dust and Ashes and condemning your self so grievously for them this Righteous this All-seeing this All-knowing God is so far from Condemning you that he is pittying you in this great Distress and Anguish you are You in this your deep Affliction Jehovah the Lord of your Righteousness is afflicted and the Angel of his Presence shall save you And in his Love and in his Pitty he will I question not in his own way which you must submit to and in his own time which you must wait for redeem you from the Snares of the Deceiver and he will bare you and carry you as he did all his Tempted ones in the Days of Old even as upon Eagles Wings above the reach of this or any other Delusion whatsoever But whatever I said of this nature took no hold upon her so as to administer any Comfort or Satisfaction to her for the Ephah of her Sorrow was not yet filled up No she was to be plunged yet deeper in the Furnace of Tribulation she was yet to pass thorough hotter and more scorching Fiery Tryals she was yet to drink a much larger Draught of that bitter Cup her Redeemer drank of before her and in a more dolorous manner to be Baptized with that Baptism he was Baptized with She was yet to be more dreadfully and terribly shaken and to be exempted from Vessel to Vessel that she might at last know the Righteousness of the Lord And therefore after a little more Conference with her and going to the Throne of Grace for her I again took leave of her with an akeing Heart for her and yearning Bowels towards her By this time her Fame began to spread abroad and she was talk'd of far and near the general Subject of most Peoples Discourse and their Discourse about her was
other Voice but that of Wo Lamentation and bitter Bewailing was day and night to be heard Insomuch that she was an Heart-breaking Grief to her Friends a Burthen to her self and an amazing Spectacle of Astonishment to all that look'd upon her The Lord Pardon the Hardness of my Heart that having these things under review I am no more affected Never did I see such a Mournful Sight never did I hear such a doleful Sound and I think never was there a Creature more exactly like in Sorrow to her Redeemer in the day of his Humiliation when he said of himself My Soul is exceeding Sorrowful and heavy unto Death I had great Thoughts and Akeings of Heart about her what the Issue of these things would be my very Soul travelled in Birth till Christ was formed in her till she was made through the up-lifting of the Spirit to arise and shine as seeing Light to be come and the Glory of the Lord to be risen upon her I pray'd for her I pray'd with her I cry'd day and night to the mighty God of Jacob in her behalf I wept I sigh'd I sobb'd my Heart was ready to break my Soul mourn'd in secret places because the Chariot-wheels of Deliverance drove so heavily on I chose suitable Subjects as I thought for her Condition to Preach upon in publick and did many times apply what I delivered particularly to her She sate just against me in the next Pew to the Pulpit Her Eyes were continually fixed on me but with so ghastly and pittiful a look which had such an Impression on me that I could scarce refrain Tears whenever I cast my Eyes upon her She always repair'd after Evening Sermon to the Repetition Lecture in the middle of the Town carried on by a Godly Zealous Brother of our Church who never failed to pour out his Soul in Prayer to God for her and that in a most affectionate melting manner I was many times as oft as my Weakness would permit there my self and when all was over I used to take her by the Hand and smilingly ask her Come Dear Mrs. Mary how is it with you has God spoken any thing to your Soul to day Have you relish'd and savor'd any thing you have heard Her answer I very well remember was always the same No my Heart is too hard I have not been in the least sensible of any thing you have deliver'd this day you had as good have Preach'd to a Stone as to me And then pulling her Hood over her Eyes to hide her Tears would pensively go away for she could never bear to be long in any Company This Oh! this filled my Heart with unexpressible Sadness that no word how suitable soever would fasten that no Truth how Pertinent soever would take hold on her that one Sabbath came successively after another but she never the better her Soul was not at all refresh'd by any Waters flowing from the Sanctuary I want words to tell you how my wounded Spirit was upon the Rack how my disturbed Mind was in a Flame for this young disconsolate Gentlewoman who was so miserably walking in Darkness that she could see no Light who was so wofully under the Gripings of Satan that she could by no means be perswaded to trust in the Name of the Lord or stay her self upon her God In this deplorable State lying among the Pots she continued many Weeks without any sensible Alteration unless for the worse That she was in a lost undone Condition having an hard unbelieving Heart without any Interest in Christ or like to have any was the Versus intercularis or the Burthen of the Song in her continued uninterrupted dolorous Complaint At last in the midst of some serious Discourse she desired me to keep a day with her to seek the Lord for her to which I willingly consented as very glad of the Motion she desired some other Minister might be also assistant in the Work to which I freely gave way She then ask'd me what Minister would be most acceptable to me I answered I was very indifferent and desired her to please her self and she would not nor could not displease me She propounded Mr. Earl of Gospert who I think was some Relation to her I told her with all my Heart Accordingly we met at a Private House in the Town with several Christian Friends Mr. Earl began with Prayer and I with Preaching from these words Psal 43.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul And why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the Health of my Countenance and my God I directed my Discourse wholly to her and spake all as far as God help'd me that I could judge proper for her to hear under the Circumstances she at that time was she sate at the Table just against me fixing her Eyes constantly on me with a doleful and pitty-commanding look But nothing I said as I could by after-discourse perceive made any Impression on her After I concluded with Prayer Mr. Earl then Preach'd his Text was John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you She was in appearance a great deal worse after this day than she was before Her Temptations were more rampant her Breakings-out in bitter and dismal Complaints were more violent and her Sorrow great enough before did every way more abundantly increase which made my Soul mourn in secret breathing forth the sad words of the Church O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the Prayer of thy People Thou feedest this poor Creature with the Bread of Tears and givest her Tears to drink in great measure One night very late I cannot forget it I was sent for in all haste to her when I came I found her in the most dreadful Agonies under the most horrible Consternation of Spirit as 't was possible for any of the Children of Men on this side the Lake of Burning to be possessed with She cry'd she roar'd out in a most terrible manner even beyond an humane Accent as if she had been at the brink of Hell ready to be swallowed up in the bottomless Gulf The Sorows of Death compassed her and the Pains of Hell took hold upon her yea she found Trouble and to the Amazement and Sorrow even to the Astonishment of all that were in the Chamber with her I was at my Wits end what to do to speak any thing I too evidently saw was but in vain and yet I could not I dar'd not be silent She took no notice of any words upon what Topick soever enforced nor in the least minded the Sluces of Consolation how Sweet and Pleasant soever that were opened to her I pray'd and intreated her I begg'd and beseeched her I spoke to her in the most moving and melting Language I was capable to utter and that with Tears in my Eyes with Contrition in my
Mind about her sad Condition I at last called to mind the words of our Lord Jesus This kind of Devil goeth not out but by Prayer and Fasting It came therefore into my Thoughts to try once more that way that never-failing way when manag'd rightly and in good earnest And being not very well satisfied with the manner of keeping the First day upon several Accounts not proper here to mention I resolved to take another and as I judg'd a more effectual course that is to desire the Church to set a-part a Solemn day of Humiliation to cry mightily unto God on her behalf And I was mightily encouraged to this way by what I found recorded in Sacred Writ in which there was an overflowing Fulness as to me and a very Incentive to a Proceeding in my intended Design In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion There brake he the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword And the Battle Selah And a little farther we find these words When God arose to Judgment to save all the Meek of the Earth Surely the Wrath of Man shall Praise thee the remainder of Wrath shalt thou restrain Now thought I musing on this Sweet Portion of Scripture as the Wrath of Man so the Wrath of Satan shall Praise God and the ramainder of that Wrath how fierce or boisterous soever God will most certainly restrain And this restraining is chiefly to be expected and looked for in the Sacred Boundaries of Zion For there he breaks the Shield that is the Carnal yet Obstinate Defence poor tempted ones make through the cunning Delusions of the Devil against the Saving Comforts of the Gospel when tendred to them in the day of their Conflicts There he breaks the Sword that is the Arguments poor tempted ones according to the Logick they have learn'd of Satan do form as it were in Mood and Figure to wound and gall themselves with Horror and Despair There he breaks the Battle that is the long and tedious War poor tempted ones are ingaged in with Satan in the fatal Course of which they are spoil'd of all their precious and pleasant things and by Satan's too prosperous Success they are miserably held down under the Hatches and cannot help themselves and pittifully a long time kept in horrid Darkness and can-see no manner of Light and lamentably made to walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death and cannot in the least find any Comfort Oh! but when Prayers are made in and by a Gospel-Church for such tempted worried Persons God will in answer to those Prayers Arise to Judgment to save such meek ones of the Earth And then and there he will Graciously break the Shield and the Sword and the Battle My Thoughts ripening upon this comfortable Subject I forthwith repair'd to Mrs. Mary and acquainted her with what was upon my Spirit and what I had in my Thoughts resolved upon as to the calling my Church together to keep a Solemn day of Wrestling with God for her and ask'd her if she was willing to it She answered I might if I pleased but was something cold in the matter seeming to suggest it would be of little avail as to her nothing being likely to do her any good for she look'd upon her Disease as past Cure and her self as past Remedy I replied God had among other his Glorious Attributes entitled himself A God hearing Prayer And therefore upon this account and for this most Gracious Manifestation of himself Praise always waits for him in Zion and there the Vow shall be performed And there Prayers shall be answered and seasonable Mercies shall be bestowed Moreover as I farther alledg'd we are told The effectual or working Prayer of the Righteous avail much And if the Prayers of God's People solemnly met together would so far reach the Ears of God which I doubted not but they would according to his own word Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And had such Prevalency with him to awake for her and to visit her with the special Favour he beareth unto all his Her despairing Language would soon be turned into another Tone for then She would see the Good of God's Chosen then she would rejoyce in the Gladness of God's Nation yea then she would Glory with God's Inheritance And then a new Song would be put into her mouth even of Praise unto her God So leaving her pretty well satisfied I took the first Opportunity of propounding it to my People who very willingly and readily embraced the Motion We agreed upon Friday the twentieth of May 1698. and accordingly met in the Morning at a Private House in the Town after a little while being together Mrs. Mary Harrison come to us with a mournful dejected Countenance her Hood over her Face she sat down over against me at the Table I then address'd my self to the Company in a few words declaring the cause of our meeting at that time and opening as well as I could Mrs. Maries Case to them begging their assistance and concurrence with me in laying close siege to the Throne of Grace for her I began in Prayer and then called forth some of the Brethren who prayed very meltingly and affectionately for her Indeed the Lord opened their mouths and mightily help'd them with apt suitable and pathetical Expressions which was no small Comfort and Refreshing to me for I plainly perceived the Cause was the Lord's and he would own it since he enabled his Servants to plead it so notably with him And I could not but comfortably infer a pleasing Presage that God was not far from appearing since the Grace of Prayer and Supplication was so eminently poured forth by himself for it For thought I with a Transport of Joy little below an Assurance of the thing he never did yet say to the House of Jacob and surely he will not now assist any of the House of Jacob to seek his Face in vain After the Brethren had concluded I spoke from those words of Jonah Chap. 2.4 Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple I took notice of the first Verse Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the Fishes Belly And I began with the word Then as noting the time From whence I remark'd these things First It was a time of very great and amazing Surprize to Jonah to be in the State he was poor Creatures are often plunged into those Soul-troubles they never dream'd of But notwithstanding the Greatness and Amazingness of their Sorrows it is then an especial time of going to God as Jonah here did and of crying out with David Psalm 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee Ah! God should be the Object of hope in never so hopeless a Condition Secondly It was a
and severest Affliction And it is more than imply'd that Jonah apprehended this when he thus cried to him The Israelites were to eat no Leavened Bread with the Sacrifice of their Passover but the unleavened Bread of Affliction Deut. 16.3 That they might remember what they were once in Egypt and the gracious Design God had towards them even in that Bondage State Oh! a Belief of this glorious Truth would allay the tempestuous Sea of Sorrow when our Souls are bowed down with Anguish Fourthly God will appear as answering of Prayer in the greatest Affliction When Jonah was crying he heard by an Ear of Faith God answering And so we find Israel acknowledging Deut. 26.7 And when we cryed unto the Lord God of our Fathers the Lord heard our voice and looked on our Affliction and our Labour and our Oppression He is a Prayer-hearing God and then especially when Prayer comes from the Anguish and Bitterness of the Soul And we have not only the Experience of his afflicted People in all Ages to witness this Truth but his own express word for it Psalm 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Oh! who would not beg hard for a Praying Heart and a Crying Tongue when the blessed God has such an hearing Ear. Secondly The other word that Jonah here sets forth the Misery of his Condition by is Hell Out of the belly of Hell cryed I From whence I remark'd these Observations First Poor Creatures and yet Elect Vessels may be in very dreadful Torments their Souls may be in very doleful Agonies Hell is a place of Torment 't is said of the rich Man Luke 16.23 In Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments Hence great and grievous Soul-troubles are Metaphorically called Hell David speaks in the same Language Psalm 18.5 The Sorrows of Hell compassed me about Now then when Jonah said here Out of the belly of Helâ— cryed I It is as if he had said In the midst of dreadful Torments and anguish of Soul I cryed to my God Secondly Poor Creatures may be surrounded with Sorrows every way from above from below from without from within thus David speaks of his case Psalm 116.3 The Sorrows of Death compassed me and the Pains of Hell gat hold upon me I found Trouble and Sorrow That is he was compassed about every way with Woe and Misery As Job's Messengers came from every Corner sinking his Spirits with ill News and piercing his Soul with the Darts of disconsolate Tidings Job 1.16 So many chosen Vessels of the Lord may be beset with Troubles and Sorrows of every kind which may make them roar and cry out as those without hope Thirdly Poor Creatures may be worried and hurried by the Temptations of the Devil which is a Species of Hells Torture As the Tongue is said to be set on Fire of Hell James 3.6 So the Spirits of tempted ones may be and too often are borne down and kept under the Hatches by the Tyranny of Hells Monarch We find Paul complaining of a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan buffeting him 2 Cor. 12.7 Oh! it is an Hell upon Earth to be in the Claws of Hells roaring Lyon Fourthly Poor Creatures may be for a time conquered and overcome by Hells Sorrows though The Gates of Hell shall not absolutely prevail Matt. 16.18 yet they may a great while and in a great measure prevail over many precious Children of Zion though God's chosen ones shall not be left to remain always in Hell as David personating Christ spake with respect to the Grave Psalm 16.10 Yet they may be left a long time under the power of Hell to be crying out as though they were for ever lost Then I took notice of the Dolefulness of Jonah's Complaint as we have it in the third Verse For thou hadst cast me into the Deep in the midst of the Seas and the Floods compassed me about all thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me Wherein there is Metaphorically set forth First The Sense he had of Sin as the deserving Cause of what he now so lamentably groaned under Thou hadst cast me into the Deep and that deservedly for my horrid and crying Sin of Disobedience of which mention is made Chap. 1.1 2 3. Now the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the Son of Amittai saying Arise go to Nineveh that great City and cry against it for their Wickedness is come up before me But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Here we find him shamefully turning his Back upon the Commands of his God and now in the Deep he is sadly sensible of it and broken in Heart for it So in like manner we find the Church acknowledging and that in a Soul-humbled and debased way Lam. 5.15 16. The Joy of our Heart is ceased our Dance is turned into Mourning The Crown is fallen from our head Woe unto us that we have sinned Ah! happy if under the weight of Grief we have a Sense of the Evil of Sin Secondly He was under Terrors of Conscience and miserable Confusion in his Spirit this is imply'd in the vvord Seas In the midst of the Seas That he vvas literally cast into the Seas vve read Chap. 1.15 So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the Sea But besides this he vvas in a mystical Sense in the Sea that is under the Rackings of a vvounded Spirit under the Bitings of a stinging Conscience So that he vvas as the Prophet told Pashur he should be Jer. 20.3 Magor Missabib even a Terror to himself Oh! Terrors of Conscience are the vvorst of Sea-storms Thirdly He was over-whelmed with Sorrow and this is imply'd in the word Floods And the Floods compassed me about So that his Spirit as well as his Body sunk as Lead in the mighty Waters As it was said of Pharaoh and his Host when they were drowned in the Red Sea Exod. 15.10 Our Saviour thus expresses the Misery that shall come upon all incorrigible Sinners Matt. 18.6 It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Oh! who can be sensible of the Troubles and Miseries wherewith poor Jonah was overwhelmed when he was in the Sea Fourthly He was closely confined not only as to his Body but narrowly pent up as to his Spirit This is included in the word Billows All thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me We read indeed of his being in the Whales Belly Chap. 1.17 And as that miserably confin'd his Body so his Spirit was worse restrain'd through the awful Sense of Divine Displeasure As David's once was Psalm 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy Water-spouts All thy Waves and thy Billows are gone over me Ah! how sad 't is when the Soul is depressed groveling in the Dust and cannot look up for want of Strength and Faith
And so I came to the words of the Text Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple Which after I had open'd by shewing in what Sense Jonah was cast out of God's â—ight and what was the meaning of his looking again toward the holy Temple I â—hewed what may befal many that God may yet be working Grace in and have designs of eminent Good unto First They may be in a State of Blindness and Darkness yea thick and gross Darkness may be a great while upon them We read in the Gospel of a Man that was stark Blind that was born so and liv'd so all his days yet by the Povver of Jesus he immediately receiv'd his sight Mark 10.51 52. Ah! present Darkness is no ground of Despair you may see vvhat God in his Word says to such Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that â—eyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh 〈◊〉 Darkness and hath no light Let him â—ust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon â—…s God Here is a certain Remedy for nose that are in Darkness to stay upon their God and here is a Duty that God requires even in a dark State to trust in his Name Secondly They may be as to their own Apprehension in a very hopeless and helpless Condition but yet even then there is both Hope and Help for them by looking toward the holy Temple that is by looking to Christ and believing what he is and what he says Oh! hear that sweet word flowing from his Lips Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach Deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are bruised Oh! What can be more fully and plainly expressed What can Christ speak more comfortably and more encouragingly to poor wounded Souls to look unto him Thus the Church by Faith look'd to God in a sad State Lam. 3.55 I called upon thy Name O Lord out of the low Dungeon And did she call or believe in vain Oh! No. Pray mark the next words Verse 56 57 58. Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine Ear at my breathing at my Cry Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee Thou saidst Fear not O Lord thou hast pleaded the cause of my Soul thou hast Redeemed my Life And what the Church did here experience all afflicted ones in like manner shall experience to their unspeakable Joy if they take the same course of looking to the Lord in the day of Trouble Thirdly They may have no Sense of God's Work in their Hearts which yet for all that may be really carrying on We read of the Peoples smiting their Breasts upon the doleful sight of Christ's Agony on the Cross Luke 23.48 But many poor Souls are smiting their Breasts with Sorrow because they can find no effect of Christ's Death in their Hearts They have not yet Taâ—ed that the Lord is Gracious 1 Pet. 2.8 And therefore they are breaking forth into hideous Lamentations and giving up themselves as lost Creatures Oh! but this is through a great Mistake there may be a blessed Work a glorious Work begun and yet you not at present sensible of it Fourthly They may be in their own Thoughts without the inâ—â—…ential Motion of God's Spirit And hence they are day and night â—ourning though still preserved and not consumed as the built was Exod. 3.3 Oh! how many do look upon themselves in no better a Condition than those dry Bones which God shewed the Prophet and ask'd him whether they could live Ezek. 37.3 4. But as these Bones the forsaken Jews will live when the Spirit of the Lord blows upon them so those Creatures that are at present dry and vvithout Sap and therefore are mourning in secret and crying out bitterly because of their desolate State shall most certainly if they look toward the holy Temple as Jonah here did find and feel after a little time the vivifying Influences of God's Spirit to their exceeding Joy and Comfort I then drew some Inferences from all this which I will make a brief Rehearsal of and so proceed First Then even in such a State we are not really out of God's sight Jonah was obvious to God when he was shut up in the Whales Belly and so is every Mourning Soul though under the blackest Circumstances Hear the Apostle as to this Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Not a Tear flows from our Eyes not a Sigh or Sob comes from our Hearts though in never so secret a manner in never so retired a place but is naked and open unto God Christ told Nathaniel John 1.48 When thou wast under the Fig-tree I saw thee Ah! When any poor Creature is Weeping Lamenting and Bemoaning himself in Holes and Corners even then and there God sees him Secondly Oh! Then this State is the Will of God which must be submitted to Is there any Evil in the City and the Lord has not done it Jonah being in the Whales Belly was the Act of God God put him there So whatever Mourning State thou art in it is the Lord 's doing As Christ speaking of God's Gracious Revelation of Gospel-Light and Knowledge rather to Babes than to the Wise and Learned resolves it into God's Free-Will and distinguishing Goodness as the only moving cause thereof Matt. 11.26 Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight So should every poor Creature under the pressure of Temptation under Spiritual Conflict and Soul-trouble say Even so Father it is thy Will it should be so It hath seemed good unto thee thus to lay thy hand upon me and therefore come to this â—â—sult under such a Dispensation with 〈◊〉 dear Redeemer John 18.11 The Cap which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it So this stroak that my Father has laid upon me shall I not bear it Thirdly Then such a State is very dreadful to poor Creatures To be under the hiding of God's Face and left to the Hurries of the Tempter is sadly terrifying and affrightning The Spirit of a Man may sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear If it was a grievous thing to Abraham to send away his Son and the Bond-woman out of his House Gen. 21.11 12. Oh! How much more grievous is it to poor Creatures when their Rest is gone Peace is gone and all Quietness is gone from them In such a Perplexity was Jonah here in the Whales Belly And thus David mournfully complain'd Psalm 30.7 Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled 'T is not a small but a very sore great tormenting Trouble when a Soul is left in the Dark
and cannot see any Rays of Divine Light Fourthly Oh! Then even in such a State God is with poor Creatures though they may not know it As he was with Jonah in the Whales Belly Joseph was in a sad Condition and without doubt not a little dejected in Spirit when he was put in Prison in a strange Land among a strange People far from his Father's House But the Lord was with Joseph Gen. 39.21 And so he is with all his Suffering ones He is with them to uphold them that they may not be wholly crush'd by Satan's Assaults and to help them to quench all the fiery Darts of the evil one which he will most certainly do in his own time We have his positive word for it Isa 41.14 Fear not thou Worm Jacob and ye Men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel Though you find no help at present yet God will help you if you look to him according to his Promise for he is with you Fifthly Then God can open a Door of Comfort even in such a State as he did to Jonah here in the Whales Belly For his looking toward the Holy Temple implies no less As it was said of Ezra Neh. 8.5 And Ezra opened the Book in the sight of all the People for he was above all the People and when he opened it all the People stood up So when the blessed God who is over all and above all shall open a Door of Hope and such a Door he will open to every Mourner in Zion all his dejected ones that are now groveling in the Dust shall stand up yea they shall lift up their languishing Eyes as knowing and plainly seeing their Redemption draweth nigh See Oh! see what an overflowing Fulness there is in the Promise as to this Hâ—s 2.14 15. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her And I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there as in the days of her Youth and as in the day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt You see what God has promised to do and he has promised no more than he can do than he has done than he will do to all that are in Bitterness of Soul and do with patience wait for him Sixthly Oh! Then such a State may be in order to the fitting us more for God more for his Will and Pleasure as Jonah's being in the Whales Belly was in order to a better fitting and disposing him to deliver that Message he at first declined We are told Psalm 5.5 The Foolish shall not stand in thy sight We are all Fools by Nature and we cannot stand in God's sight nor do him any Service till our Folly be purged out by the Fire of some Spiritual Tryal We have a famous Story in the Gospel of a Woman of Canaan Matt. 5.22 c. who was frown'd upon in her approach to Jesus called Dog put off a great while with many other Discouragements and kept in the dark without being taken notice of to the Wonder of the Disciples But 't was all the more to fit her for that Mercy our Lord Jesus design'd to bestow upon her Oh! that all in Spiritual Trouble would believe that God is in and by that Trouble the more preparing them for himself and the Reception of his special Grace and Favour Seventhly Then in such a State God may be working for us even whilst he is laying his heavy Hand upon us As God was working Deliverance for Jonah even then when he cast him into the Whales Belly God was with David whithersoever he went 2 Sam. 7.9 and was working for him in the lowest Ebb of his Affairs yea when he was crying out I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul So in like manner he was working for Jacob when the good old Man thought his Condition most deplorable Gen. 42.36 And Jocob their Father said unto them me have ye bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin away Ad these things are against me Whereas the Event shews that every one of these things did wonderfully make for him Ah! How much would the Belief of this Truth lighten the Load of Spiritual Trouble how heavy soever it seems to be Eighthly and lastly Oh! Then such a State may be and yet no real Anger in God towards the Creature It was in Love not Anger that God put Jonah in the Whales Belly God was not angry with Abraham when he took away his Wife from him Gen. 23.4 No more is he with those many poor Souls under the Oppression of Spiritual Grief whom he wounds with the Wounds of an Enemy and with the Chastisements of a cruel one hedâ—ing up their way with Thorns and filling them for a time with Woe and Bitterness And he sufficiently manifests that he is not angry by the Conclusion of his Work upon all such which is excellently set forth in Zech. 13.9 And I will bring the third part through the Fire and will refine 〈◊〉 as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will heâ—r them I will say it is my People and they shall say the Lord is my God Tho' you are in the Fire if the Lord will as nothing more sure than that he will refine you by the Fire Though you are in Darkness and walk as in the Shadow of Death for the present And if the Lord will as most certainly he will e'er long say Thou art my Child And if God will make you as all that you now endure is in order to it e'er long say The Lord is my God yea The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my Song he also is become my Salvation Then there is no Anger in the present Dispensation how grievous and lamentable soever it may seem to be And this I verily believe and that upon good grounds even Scripture-grounds will be the Event Wait but a little have Patience for a while and you will joyfully find it so to be Amen and Amen Thus I have given you a brief Account of what was that day more largely insisted upon and more particularly applied to her for whose sake it was studied and to whom in a more especial manner it was delivered After all was over I had some private Discourse with her much longing to know how it was with her whither any thing had affected her And to my no little refreshing I found her in a more calm composed Frame than I had ever seen her before since the beginning of her Troubles And at that time or a very little after she told me with some Pleasingness of Aspect which I observ'd in her Countenance Sâ—e believ'd she should believe though she could not yet I do not remember she had any
Heaven she should not be found naked Yet again V. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of Love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Oh! verily Novv vvas the time of Love as to her Soul Novv vvas the Holy Jesus coming tovvards her his Face shining vvith the resplendent Beauty of Gospel-Grace and Love saying to her I am thy Saviour and thou art in the number of my Redeemed ones I vvill cover thee vvith the Glorious Robe of my Everlasting Righteousness and thou shalt appear therein without Spot or Wrinkle before my Father and before the Holy Angels Therefore cease thy Grief dry up thy Tears For though thou hast lien among the Pots yet now thou shalt be as the Wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold And novv thou shalt knovv that I have loved thee with an everlasting Love for with loving-kindness will I draw thee Mr. Robins as though he had been as I doubt not but he vvas specially directed from above preached that day from these vvords Luke 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Which he so managed through the assistance of God's Spirit and brought so many Gospel-Cordials and Comforts from it as gave abundant satisfaction to this languishing Mourner insomuch that her Sorrovvs like the Waters of the Flood apparently vvere abated and her long Captivity seem'd to be turning about as the Rivers of the South She vvas so sensible that this Holy Man vvas a Messenger sent of God to her an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto her the Ransom God has found and accepted for poor Sinners and for her in particular and to declare the glad Tidings of Salvation to her Soul resulting from therein that she immediately repaired to Chichester and attended upon the Word dropping from Mr. Robins his Lips during his stay there Mr. Robins after a little time planted a Church there such an amazing Change was wrought on many by the mighty Power of God accompanying his Ministerial Labours and this Plant God has since abundantly water'd with the Dew of his Blessing so that 't is now as the Garden of God the pleasant Field which the Lord of Hosts delights to bless Mrs. Mary Harrison after frequent Conferences with Mr. Robins and being enlightned by him in the Mystery of Gospel-Grace and Love joyn'd her self with the Church and sate down at the Table with them at their first Solemnity of breaking Bread yet on this Condition to be redismiss'd to the Church at Havant when they were Organically compleated and so in a Capacity to do it But before this could be effected she was translated to a better Church than either even To the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are in Possession of the Glorious Mansions of Heaven And to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect among whom she is and ever will be with her God In whose presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right-hand there are Pleasures for evermore Glad was I yea my very Soul rejoyced at my return from London to find such an amazing Change in her for now she could speak in the Language of Canaan now she could discourse in the Dialect of the new Jerusalem praising the Lord for his Redeeming Goodness Now she could tell her Lips being opened in a wonderful manner the delightful Stories of God's marvelous Dispensations towards her in a way of special Grace and Favour for now she saw in part and that part filled her with inexpressible Comfort The Good of God's Chosen Now in spite of all Satan's Suggestions and Hellish Machinations she could rejoyce in the Gladness of God's Nation And now notwithstanding the late Cloud that was upon her the late darkening Eclipse that quite overspread her she could Glory with God's Inheritance For now she heard the Voice of her Beloved speaking to her Cant. 2.10 11 12. Rise up my Love my fair one and come away For lo the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone The Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the singing of Birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land Oh! then Arise my Love my fair one and come away Again Verse 14. O my Dove that art in the Clefts of the Rock that is hid in the Eternal Electing Love of God in the secret places of the Stairs that is kept secretly from sinking though wofully tossed with the Waves and Billows of Temptation Let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely And therefore Now we that were mournfully bemoaning of her rejoyced with her yea with loud Peals of Joy blessed and praised God for her Yet she had her Ebbings as well as Flowings and Fears as well as Comforts after this And her Discourses were very often mixed with Mistrustings and Doubtings of her self She had now and then the dark side as well as the bright side of the Cloud to shew that she was not yet beyond the reach of Satan's Snarlings though above the force of his rampant Power Hence to her dying hour she serv'd the Lord with Fear and rejoyced before him with Trembling She always had a Dread upon her Spirit of miscarrying under which I laboured what I could to support her A little after Mr. Robins left Chichester came down that Sweet and most Spiritual Preacher Mr. Hammond to the new Meeting-house at which juncture of time I was confined to my Bed by a severe Fit of Sickness which I and so did others thought had been unto Death But my Gracious God in whose Hands our times are order'd it otherwise Now by reason I was wholly uncapable of Preaching most of my People that had Horses went to Chichester to hear Mr. Hammond among whom precious Mrs. Mary Harrison was none of the backwardest But Oh! with what wonderful Refreshing and enlivening in her Inward Man did she return She presently come to my Bed-side and told me what a rich Cordial she had that day which was so Comforting so Ravishing to her she was even ready to break forth into the Virgin Mary's Extasie My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For verily Jehovah regarded the low Estate of this Hand-maiden and he that is mighty did great things to her that day in putting such a Word of Comfort and Support in the Mouth of his dear Servant for her Oh! Holy is his Name Mr. Hammond was upon that Text Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying yea I have loved thee with an Everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee
to day Now was her Head anointed with the Oyl of Joy and Gladness above most of her Fellow-Saints in such a State Now she was made to lye down in green Pastures and led beside the still Waters And now Oh! now after so much Fearfulness and Trembling had come upon her after such great and dreadful Horror had so long overwhelmed her her Soul was fully and perfectly restored and she set at liberty and that not only from the Suggestions of Satan whereby she was plunged for a time into a Gulph of Misery but from all the Evils Perils and Dangers in the Regions of Mortality which she had been so long burthened and lamentably afflicted with For Now was given to her the Wings of a Dove wherewith in a wonderful Swiftness and Celerity she flew up into the Mansions of Everlasting Glory At night when the Room was clear'd her Relations departed leaving her to her Repose little thinking or imagining her end had been so near she said to a sober Maid that staid and watch'd with her in an Extasie of Joy though with a quivering Voice I see my Saviour I have him in my Arms I know that my Redeemer Lives With which words she sweetly closed her Life and so shall I the Account of it with this earnest and unfeigned Wish Sic mihi contingat vivere Sicque mori Lord lett me live in this Saints high degree And let my Death like hers Triumphant be I will now give you her Picture drawn according to my weak Ability with a Sacred regard to Truth as to every Feature in it and though Strangers may not I am sure all the Houshold of Faith hereabouts will believe me because they knew her and therefore know that every thing I say of her is really true First She was under a thorough and most effectual Conviction her Wound was not Skin-deep but reach'd and pierc'd her very Heart yea her whole Heart was deeply afflicted I have rational Grounds for my Confidence in a erting that the Gaoler when He called for a Light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Acts 16.29 Nor Mary Magdalen when she lay prostrate at her Saviour's Feet bitterly Weeping and Lamenting her self in the woful Sense of her Sinful State Luke 7.37 No nor Manasseh when his proud Heart was broken and his Soul bowed down with Pain and Anguish so that He humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33.12 Were either of them for surely they could not be more thoroughly more effectually struck than this young Maiden was I have been with many very many in my time under very sharp Convictions in dreadful Soul-pain and Anguish under the woful Apprehension of their Lost State But I must leave this Solemn Testimony upon Record I never saw the like of her before She was and that for many Months together in the same Passion of Sorrow as Peter was at his Master's looking upon him on the Cock's Crowing when he went out and wept bitterly Luke 22.62 That is Abundantly out of great Grief and Anguish of Spirit God's look like Lightning terrify'd as Thunder His Voice did roar and broke her Heart in sunder Temptations great a long time she lay under Till Grace that Conquest made which truly was a Wonder Secondly Her Conviction was Operative and very effective to the gracious end God design'd it She was in the Fire in the scorching flaming Fire but God for his Names-sake did defer his Anger yea for his Praise he did refrain for her that he might not cut her off but Behâ—ld he refined her but not with Silver he chose her in the Furnace of Affliction Isa 48.19 The heavy Rod upon her had a Voice laudable and intelligible to some round about her though not at present to her self And it spoke the Language we find V. 17. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go Oh! this way of Temptation of Soul tribulation was the way the very way she must go God had so appointed and determined for her and he wonderfully made her to profit in and by this way 'T is true she too often and too much whilst she was in this way spake in the despairing Language of Cain My Punishment is greater than I can bear Gen. 4.13 And as Judas I have sinned Matt. 27.4 And lamentably roaring out with Francis Spira that she was a lost Creature and must perish for ever Yet God secretly upheld her and kept her from sinking to the bottom Though her Pangs and Pains were very violent even beyond what most ever knew yet they were kindly and in the Judgment of the Judicious helping forward the Birth which was last happily effected to the Praise of God her Comfort and the exceeding Joy of all that knew her Ah happy Damsel though thy Pains were great Angels were waiting to whipe off the Sweat Whilst that their Greatness did the Cure compleat Thy wounded Soul was healing in the burning Heat Thirdly Her Conviction was lasting and abiding there was no occasion as to her of that Complaint which God made of Ephraim and of Judah Hos 6.4 5. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your Goodness is as a morning Cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Therefore have I hewed them by the words of my mouth and thy Judgments are as the light that goeth forth After her first Throws came upon her they never left her till she had passed the New Birth and therefore there was no need of the Prophets hewing No we vvere forced to use and apply all the Comforts and Cordials vve could to support her under her continued and uninterrupted Agonies She never like Lot's Wife gave one look back after her alarming call to come out of the Streets of Sodom Above tvventy Months she remained day and night vvithout Intermission in a very disconsolate and mournful Condition yet in all this time she never went to the Assyrian or sent to King Jareb for help though she saw her Sickness and her Wound vvas very smarting she never sought Comfort by any indirect vvays according to the Inclination of the Flesh But did patiently though vvofully lamenting her self vvith a broken Heart and vvounded Soul abide at the Pool of Bethesda John 5.2 That is attended upon God's Word discourse vvith God's People vvholly sequestring her self from the World and all vain Company till the blessed Angel vvas sent to stir the Waters for her Poor Mourning Dove thy Grief did never cease From Sorrow's Bondage thou hadst no release Till Heaven was pleas'd to speak effectual Peace Oh! then and not before thy tortur'd Soul had ease Fourthly As she was a constant Mourner under Conviction so she was a secret Mourner always bemoaning her self by her self She would not Sit in any
such Words I am going to Heaven but Ah! my poor Sister I hope it may have an Impression upon her and the Reading of this may be of Use unto her This lovely Saint who plainly did appear A Lamb of God possess'd with holy Fear For th' Souls of those that unto her were near Especially for all her own Relations Dear Thirteenthly After Conviction she was full very full of heavenly Discourse indeed her Discourse was nothing but Heavenly She was then only in her proper Element when she was speaking of the Things of God and the Wonders of Free-Grace I have sometimes to try her propounded some alien Subject to talk of but I could not forbear Smiling to observe what a Loss always she was at in speaking of any thing but Spiritual Matters She vvas as a Fish out of the Water or as a Man in the Water nothing but Dashing and Plunging every thing but Heaven vvas the Shibboleth which she could not frame her self to pronounce Judg. 12.6 And therefore after a little Faltring she must and would return to Heaven which only was the Sibboleth she could plainly and with freedom speak It was most clear and visible to all that she was of Christ and belonged to Christ for the continuedness and the unaffectedness of her Speech bewrayed her Mat. 26.73 She believed in Christ and out of her Belly daily flow'd forth Rivers of living Water Her Speech her whole Speech was always season'd with Salt and very Edifying I cannot but make this remark on the Substance of her most excellent and serious Discourses Though all she spake vvas not good for every thing yet really every thing she spake was good for something This Orient Star this most resplendent Jem A follower of Jesse's happy Stein Among the Saints and praising still with them She spoke the Language of the new Jerusalem Fourteenthly After Conviction she was of an exact and exemplary Conversation not one dead fly was ever discerned in this Box of precious Oyntment I do not say she was soluta Legibus in a perfect State absolutely freed from Sin but this I may say this I can say and therefore this I will say her excessive Love to and causeless Value for unworthy Me excepted in the Frame of her Spirit and in the vvhole Course of her short Life there was as little Defect as little Failure observable as in any of the Sons and Daughters of Men how powerfully soever under the Work of Grace And I will thank that Man or Woman who truly knew her that will shew me her Fellow in any part of England As for my own Experience I must and do solemnly declare She was the most Grave Serious Composed young Gentlewoman that in all my Travels which have not been small that in all my Converse which has not been little I ever saw or was acquainted with Like Zacharias and Elizabeth She was righteous before God and walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless Luke 1.6 And as Paul she always and in every thing exercis'd her self to have a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men Acts 24.16 Yea the setled Frame of her Spirit vvas bent to the exercising her self to Godliness and that in all the parts of it insomuch that I verily think and I am not alone in my thoughts the most eminent Christians the most famous Ministers in the Nation without any Disparagement to their Graces might have Learned something of her Every Step of her Life was Teaching And Oh! that She had had more Scholars and better Schollars than many of us and I especially that were daily with her When 'twixt her Soul and Sin Grace made a Breach She Shined in a manner to Impeach The best of Saints as well as Sinners teach How loudly unto both her Holy Life did Preach Fifteenthly After Conviction She did amazingly grow in Grace her mighty Progression Heaven-ward is beyond what I or any Mortal can express What David said of himself with respect to his Outward was eminently true with respect to her Inward Man She praised God yea in the Night she Sang his Praise for She was fearfully and wonderfully made a Saint of the highest Form a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of the Church Militant marvellous were God's Works in her whereby as the Kings Daughter she was all glorious within her Cloathing was of wrought Gold aad that her Soul knew right well Though none more Debased and Low in their own Esteem than She was Solomon tells us Prov. 4.18 The path of the Just is as the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day She shined in Grace even to the dazling the Eyes of all that beheld her here and now She is shining in the Perfection of Glory above Again we are told Psalm 92.12.13 14. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth Fruit in old Age they shall be Fat and Flourishing The Palm-tree as Naturalists observe grows and ascends Higher in spight of all Pressures and Weights So did She notwithstanding all her Afflictions and no Mortal could be under greater than She was She was planted in the House of the Lord and Wonderfully even to the Admiration of all flourish'd in the Courts of our God And tho she had not arriv'd to Old Age she brought forth fruit in abundance in her young Age in the very Prime and Flower of her Years She vvas a Young a very Young Maid but an Old and through-experienc'd Saint so that She went to the Grave in a full Age like a Shock of Corn cometh in in its Season She had tho in a very short time fought a good Fight She had in the compass of a few Days finish'd her Course She had and that in Spight of all the Devils Assaults kept the Faith and now Oh! now She is gone to receive the Crown of Righteousness She is gone to Heaven to the Mansions of Glory in her Father's House whither her dearest Saviour went before her to prepare a place for her and there She is sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of her Father They wanted her Company and could no longer be without it indeed She was fitter much fitter for them than for such sinful Creatures as we Ah! peerless Saint whilst others are so slow And how to creep along do scarcely know Thou like a winged Arrow from the Bow Mounted aloft by Grace thou up to Heav'n didst go Sixteenthly And Lastly In a Word After Conviction She was altogether Heavenly Heavenly in her Looks Heavenly in her Speech Heavenly in her Carriage yea Heavenly in all and every part of her Life Heaven possest her Soul long before her Soul possest Heaven I may without the least Hyperbole say of her what Paul
Knowledge in a dying Hour I was so long in opening those Two Heads that I had no time for Application only address'd my self to the Auditory which was then the most Numerous I ever before or since saw in Havant and I will because I can give you some brief Account of that for I took some Notes of it which are as followeth I shall instead of the several Uses that might be made of this Doctrine I have been discoursing of apply my self in a few Words 1st To Young Ones 2dly To the Relations of this deceased Person 3dly To this Society 4thly To all and every one of this great Congregation 1st To you that are Young You are come this Evening to the Funeral of a young Gentlewoman who was called away by Death in the Flower of her time She was fit to die and therefore she died to live But how is it with you I beseech you consider you may die even now in your youth as well as she Ay! But are you as well prepared for it as she was Oh! Dreadful dying without an Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ You had better never have been Born then die to go to Hell for ever which will most certainly be your Portion if you die in a Christless State Oh that you would take example by this blessed Virgin to Fly youthful Lusts To remember your Creatour in the days of your Youth And now Oh! now in the Morning of your Age to look Heaven-ward I may say of the deceased as Simeon said of the Lord Jesus in his Infant-state Luke 2.24 Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a Sign which shall he spoken against Oh! So verily this young Saint as a glorious Star was shining in this Horizon for the fall and rising of many that is both in Judgment and in Mercy to many in these parts In Judgment to be a greater and more Terrible Condemnation to those Obstinate young ones that will still keep on in their Lusts still continue in their Sins still slight and Contemn the Tenderness of Grace in the Gospel after so great and amazing an instance of the Riches of free Grace the fulness of divine Love extended unto her In Mercy to you who will be affected with what God did abundantly for her in a way of special Grace and therefore will be looking unto Christ as Believing there is the same Free-grace the same rich Love the same bottomless Ocean of Pardoning Healing and Soul-saving Mercy for you as she found as she tasted as she Ravishingly Experienc'd in the day of her Distress Oh! hear this dead Saint speaking to you in David's words Psal 66.16 17. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul I Cryed unto him with my Mouth and he was Extolled with my Tongue Oh! hear her thus speaking to every Soul of you You young Men and Maids that are yet in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity that are minding nothing but the satisfying your Lusts that have no sense of Heaven and Eternity or what will become of your Immortal Souls for ever I was once in the same condition and running on in the same excess of Riot I was once as dead as Carnal as Vain as Frothy as you are But God broke my heart and Melted my Soul with Trembling and Affrightning Shakings under the vvoful Apprehension of a lost Condition and a Flaming Hell that I look'd every Moment to be plung'd into And then he comforted and Reviv'd me with a Sensible Manifestation of redeeming Love then he made knovvn to me the Wonders of Soveraign Grace in fully Revealing and discovering Christ with the avail of his Pretensions Death and Sufferings to my Soul I Cryed to him in the day of Distress and he Graciously Vouchsaf'd his Ear He brought me up out of the Horrible Pit out of the Miry Clay and set my Feet upon a Rock even the Rock of Ages with whom I am now in Glory and shall be so for ever Oh! Therefore you my former Carnal Companions be intreated to seek the Lord whilst he may be found and to call upon him while he is yet near Do not let a Dalilah's Lap deprive you of an Abraham's Bosom Do not for the fading Pleasures of a Transitory Life Subject your precious Souls to eternal Ruin Oh! Let my Case the unexpressible Sorrows I have gone through for Sin and the true pleasures I have found in the ways of Grace and Holiness have a powerful convincing and perswading Effect upon you The good Lord help all you young ones to hear this dead Saint thus speaking to you 2dly My next word is to you that are the Relations of this blessed Person and 't is what our Saviour said to the Mourners about the Damsel we read of Matt. 9.24 The Maid is not dead but Sleepeth So your Daughter your Sister your Relation for vvhom you are in so much Bitterness and because of vvhom your hearts are ready to break vvith sorrovv Oh! She is not dead but Sleepeth Indeed as to you she is dead and you will see her no more with a mortal Eye but unto God she is alive and with him wâ—ll live for evermore Oh! Therefore Assuage your Grief dry up your Tears make no Bevvailing for her for she is better and in a far better State than you Oh! therefore turn your Lamentation for her into Imitation of her think not of her Immature death but of her holy and examplary Life and be ye followers of her who through the abundant increase of Faith and exercise of Patience was fitted for the Kingdom above and is now with the triumphant inheriting the Promises being in Possession of that Inheritance which is Incorruptible Vndefiled which fadeth not away And as to her outward Man she is but fallen asleep and will be awakened again at the joyful Morning of the Resurrection Though she be now with Job saying to Corruption thou art my Father and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister though after her Skin Worms will destroy her Body yet in her Flesh shall she see God I will therefore commend the Apostle's Words to your serious Consideration which I hope may afford you some matter of Consolation at least be a rational Ground for the alleviation of your present Sorrow on this sad Occasion 1 Thes 4.13.14 But I would not have you to be Ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye Sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Again v. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first On which sweet Conclusion and most comfortable truth I would ground my pressing Exhortation