admire God in his Saints as David did in the workmanship of the Creation and cry out in that admiration Psal 8.3 4. Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him they should Praise and glorifie God which giveth such gifts and graces unto men And by daily comparing themselves with these Patterns strive to correct their errors and to come up to further degrees of holiness and perfection 2. To be sure this was one great Reason 2 Ground Gods desiceing siaung the lives of the Saints to be Recorded why God took such order by the Pen-men of the Holy Ghost to have the lives and Graces of the Saints so exactly Regigistred in the Scriptures and kept upon publick record That they might be for Patterns and Presidents to future Generations So Octavius Augustus erected the Statues of the Roman Hero's triumphali effigie That illorum veluti ad exemplar Ipse dum viveret in sequentium aetatum principes exigerentur à Civibus Rom. 15.4 Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Even the sins and failings of the Saints are recorded in Scripture upon this very account 1 Cor. 106 11. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Types and ensamples not indeed for our imitation but for our caution They be our Take-heeds not our Patterns to the intent we should not lust after evill things as they also lusted v. 6. But now their Gracious and Holy Gonversations they are properly Registred for our imitation to the intent we should tread in their steps 1 Cor. 4.17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus c. who shall bring you into remembrance of my waies which be in Christ and might be taught by Pattern as well as by Precept Thus Abraham stands in Scripture as a pattern for our faith and self-denyal David for a pattern of our sincerity a man after Gods own heart Encch of our walking with God c. VVhy now if we mind them not and care not to imitate them we sin against the design of the Scripture and bid God as it were keep his Copies to himself we need them not or we desire not to fâ—llow them 3. Reason Patterns make any worke more easie 3. Reason To be followers of the Saints is a marvelous help and furtherance in our work His work is half done that hath a president before him the precept possibly may be dark and obscure but precept exemplified into a pattern and example is plain and facile he that runs may read Patterns are the commands of God made legible in the lives of the Saints Holiness made exemplary by which we may see how the Saints believed how the Saints denyed â—hemselves how they loved God and how they contemned the world c. If you would know what such graces are look upon the Saints and they will serve as so many Coments and Interpreters to you Besides Presidents do put 〈◊〉 kind of life into men the very bruit creatures are animated and quickned by their fellow-creatures their companions in labours and travel 4. Reason To prevent mistake 4. Reason It is a notable means to prevent mistakes of our own estates and to undeceive us of false opinions of our selves We are very prone to think well of our selves till we bring our selves and our wayes to the pattern and exemplar of the Saints and servants of God then we begin to say to our selves Are we like the Saints in Scripture or the Saints living Do I live as they lived Do I deny my self as they did Doth my zeal for God eat me up Is my faith and patience like theirs that have inherited the Promises Have I a Pauls spirit Oh how unlike what Dwarfs and Pigmies are we in comparison of them Surely either these were more then Saints or we are none by comparing we come to see a wide and manifest difference between them and us 5 Ground God is successively glorified in the world 5. Reason By imitating the Saints God is successively glorified in the world Abraham glorified God in his Generation and they that walk in the steps of faithful Abraham they glorifie him successively in their Generations Though Abraham be gone and the Saints be not Imitation makes them live still Imitation is the multiplication of the Saints As the Kings Picture is multiplied by taking Copies so that when the King is dead his Effigies will be known in future Generations This is the Generation of them that seek thy face O Jacob. The followers of Jacob are his Geceration he begot them by his example and Imitation makes them his Genuine Posterity They stand up as wrestlers with God as he was And thus Bâ—lievers the Children of Abraham his spiritual seed his lively Pictures and Effigies in the world Et sic in caet 6 Ground Imitation is the way to prevent slothfulnesse 6. Reason Imitation is the way to cure us of sluggishness and torpor which is in out natures that ye be nâ—t slothful but followers of them c. so in the text The slothfulness here disswaded is directly contrary to the forementioned diligence And mention is therefore made of it to shew us that for the more prosperous flourishing of any Grace the contrary sin is very carefully to be shunned The Trophie of Miltiades awaâ—lâ—â—â—ed Tâ—â—â—â— stoâ—les Plâ—â—arch If we would be diligent we must take heed of sloth and if we would take heed of the sluggishness to which our corrupt natures are so marvellously propense we must eye the Saints imitate them follow them and be slothfull if you can Consider what pains the Saints have taken in their several Generations Jacob wrestled with the Angel till break of day Christ prayed till he sweat again All he Saints in the Old and New-Testament â—hey did much and endured much take the â—reat Apostle it would even tire one of â—s to read the Catalogue of his active and â—assive travells in the Gospel 2 Cor. 11. â—3 to the end Oh what have the Saints 〈◊〉 one and suffered in their several ages How may such Presidents both shame â—nd quicken us Oh their labour of love â—heir work of faith their patience of hope How steadfast How unmoveable How aboundant in the work of the â—ord The keeping of such patterns still in â—ur eyes will marvellously quicken us to â—se all diligence in our Christian raceâ—â— Did they run after the rate that we do Did they pray after the same rate that â—â—ve pray Did they please themselves O â—ny sluggish heart this pace will never â—ring thee to heaven 7. Reason Imitation will prevent Apostacy 7. Reason The close following of the â—aints will prevent Apostacy Joash did â—ell all the dayes of Jehoiadâ—h Christians look about you ye are in great â—anger of falling away from your own â—tedfastness Your temptations are many â—nd great and the danger is dreadfull
hasten In the second place take a view of her in her Personal Capacity And there we shall find these six Graces which were eminently in her to the observation of all that know her sc Holiness Meekness Love Sympathy with the afflicted people of God Faith Patience 1. Her Holiness she was a Christian of a most unstained Holiness she wore the garment of her Christian profession without any visible spot The commoâ— Holiness of the world would not serve heâ—turn Modesty Civility Moral-righteousness an Inoffensive Conversation these go far amongh the commonsort of professors and I wish many that would paâ—â— for Saints did not fall short of these Though it is a very sad thing to fall sheâ—â— of them that fall short of Heaven unsess your Righteousness exceed this Riâ—hieousness you cannot enter c. Mat. 5.20 Blessed be God the Righteousness of this precious servant of Christ was of another make a purity she contended after of a peculiar strain zealous of good works an Holiness that containeth all those excellencies which God sets any store by Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 2.9 an Holiness conversant about the whole will of God proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 She made Religion her business Her one onely necessary thing She pursued an Holiness that comes up to its Pattern the Pattern in the Mount As he that called you is Holy 1 Pet. 1.14 15. Mat. 5.6 so be you Holy in all manner of conversation and again Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect She was in all things as becometh women professing the Gospel adorned with good works 1 Tim. 2.10 And to this end with the Holy Apostle She forgot the things that were behind and pressed toward the Mark for the prize of the High-calling of God in Christ Jesus Let the same mind be in you my beloved that was in this handmaid of Jesus Christ and do ye follow her as she followed the blessed Apostle A Second grace wherein she did excell and indeed excell was the grace of Meekness Num. 12.3 she was of a Moses-like spirit meek to a None-such She was rarely angry never in her own Cause and when in Gods she exprest it in grief rather then in passion sin could provoke her zeal but not transport her into any undecent excess In her own concerns she had that absolute dominion over her own spirit that as she knew not how to give offence so she could not easily take any or if any at any time were worth taking it was sooner forgot then acknowledged she was of so serene a temper that an angry word was hardly ever heard from her lips or an angry look ever seen in her face 1 Pet. 3.4 Oh how aimable did the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit render her in the eyes of God and Man She was a rich Cabinet of heavenly Jewels but she knew it not She was of as mean esteem in her own eyeâ— as she was honourable in the eyes of all beholders Taliter pigmentatae Deum habebitis Amatorem Tert. de cul faem You that are of her Sex and Relation Oh that you would strive to imitate her in this grace also beautified with this Complexion God and Angels and men cannot chuse but be in love with you 3. The Grace of Love was transcendently in her 1. Her Love to God she loved him exceedingly whom she couldnot love excessively 2. Her Love to Jesus Christ who had loved her so passionately that he died for love of her Rev. 1.6 and washed her from her sins in his own blood But because he loves Christ too little Minus to amat Domine qui aliquid amat quod nonpropter te amat Aug. Psa 45.2 Cant. 3. Cant. 5.10 that loveth him for any thing but for himself This precious Christian loved Him not only for what he did but for what he was His Person as well as his Portion She loved him for his Loveliness as well as for his Love she looked upon Christ with the Spouses eyes fairer then the Children of men c. The chiefest of ten Thousand The only precious one of her Soul Her love to Christ had marvelously consumed her love to the World She was in a great degree with the Holy Apostle Crucified to the world and the world to her God had given a competent portion of the world to her but she blessed be God made it not her portion She gave but very little of her Love to the vvorld but possest the vvorld as if she possest it not In this only she vvas holily proud that she thought her love too good for the world Her love to Christ had vvonderfully vvasted and vveakned Self-love Self vvas a very small concern to her None had less interest in her self then her self 3. Her Love to the Publick Assemblies and Publick Ordinances Her word was that of Holy David Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House Psa 26.8 and the place where thine honour dwelleth 4. Love to the Saints All her delight was in them that excel in vertue A vile person was contemned in her eyes Psal 16.2.3 15.4 but she honoured them that fear the Lord. She chose not her Company by their greatness but by their goodness a poor Saint was a more welcome guest to her then a proud sinner she loved Saints for their Sanctity the more holy the more her heart was knit unto them 5. Her love to the faithful Ministers of the Gospel was very eminent the very feet of them that bring good tidings that publish pâ—acâ— that bring good tidings of good that publish salvation were very beautiful in her eyes their Persons and Converse was honourable to her above many A fourth eminent was Sympathy with the afflicted Churches and servants of Jesus Christ In all their afflictions she was afflicted her bowels were troubled for them Yea she was in pain like a woman in travel who was weak and she was not weak who was afflicted and she burnt not she was read in that Chapter of Remembrance as one calls it Heb. 13.3 She remembred them that are in bonds as bound with them and them who suffer adversity as her self also in the made body Surely this fellow-feeling with the afflicted people of God was not more her duty then her Character she was a Christian up of bowels It is verily thought the Churches sickness was her death Queen Mary said upon her death-bed that if they opened her when she was dead they would find Calais written upon her heart If this precious Creature had been opened when she was dead you might have found Sion written upon her heart So true a Mourner she was in Sion and for Sion that she even mourned her self to death Oh imitate her in this grace all ye that love the Lord Jesus Behold she whom your Lord loveth is sick sick not of Love only but of persecution
Christ Her Temperance and Sobriety In Temperance and Sobriety she exceeded many not only of the ordinary rate of vvomen but even of such as not without cause have the repute of Religion In Apparel In her Habit she affected nothing of the pride and curiosity of the present generation Accounting it more honour to beautifie her Attire then to owe any beauty to it Nor was she in love with any fashion but that which the examples of the most pious and modest of her rank commended to her She was of great temperance in her diet Temperance she did as much disgust whatever might savor of delicacy and indulgence to the flesh as the delicate do what is mean and ordinary eating and drinking at such a rate as one whom not Nature only had dieted but Grace Provident she was without avarice frugal Providence not that she might get the more goods but that she might do the more good accounting that het best riches not which she laid up for her self but that which she laid out for God Her Charity was very extensive Charity not knowing any other limits but want of opportunity nor any other partiality but the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 Her Mercy refused not the lowest office Mercy to the lowest object her enquiry being not what the person was but what vvas the need She thought it no robbery to impoverish her self that she might make others rich Heroick spirit She had a tender and yet an Heroick Spirit she feared nothing but sin and could bear any thing but Gods dishonour and the reproach of Religion A Coward she was when Christ possibly might suffer by her but couragious when she was called to suffer any thing for Christ Her whole deportment was made up of Sweetness and Gravity Gravity which put such a Grace upon her that she Commenced a Matron in Religion before her time as if nature had over reckoned it self one age of her life at least and took the degree of old age before she was forty Her sincerity Lastly Her sincerity commended her to God and Man She vvas fully as much as she appeared to be to God without hipocrisie to Man without fraud a true Nathaniel in whose spirit there was no guile These Vertues as they were eminent in her so they deserve a larger share in her just Character but it is time to give you some account of her Death Her Death of which though much might be spoken worthy observation yet take the Epitome of it in a few words Three things she did upon her Death-Bed The first thing she did was to give a clear and full account of the work of Grace wrought in her soul both in the Methods and Progress of it The foundation whereof she acknowledged was laid in the Catechistical principles of her Parental education the rudiments of Religion were by their care and her diligence so distinctly imprinted in her understanding that they became a good foundation upon which the superstructure of more practical and spiritual truths of the Gospel were more prosperously and fruitfully raised After that by Precept and Pattern she had learned the necessity of secret duties instruction and experience soon taught her the insignificancy of them without regard to the manner as vvell as to the matter From thenceforth she began seriously to study a Duty-frame of spirit and to eye the Pattern in the Mount John 4.24 After this notwithstanding in the progress of the Ministry under which she lived during the time of her single state she found her self at a loss the Holy Ghost convincing her of a present absolute and indispensable need of Jesus Christ in point of Righteousness She well perceived her own Righteousness too short a garment to cover her nakedness from the all-piercing eye of Divine Justice From thenceforth with the Apostle she accounted all things even the best of her own Righteousness but loss and dung that she might win Christ and be found in him not having her own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith According to the Original Method asserted by our Lord Joh. 16.9 10 11. But the Conviction stayed not long there but soon was improved by the same spirit into a Conviction and discovery of the beauty and excellencies that is in Jesus Christ A Christ she must have as a fountain of Holiness as well as of Happiness for a Soveraign as well as for a Saviour for his Person as well as for his Portion A Christ for Himself as well as for Her self she was sick of Love But yet further Interest would not serve her turn without evidence Scripture evidence This she now made her business she was very diligent to bring her Hopes and Evidences to the Scripture and to compare them and the word together by the light whereof as she discovered any fault or defect in them or cause to be jealous of them She repaired to the judicious faithful Ministers of the Gospel for the help of their judgement especially that near and tender Relation whom she trusted above any with her spiritual concerns whom she acknowledged God had made of singular use and advantage to her in the doubts and difficulties of this nature But above all she constantly made her address to Him whose Name and Office is The searcher of Hearts and tryer of the Reins with holy Davids Petition Search me O God and know my Heart try me Psa 139.23 24. and know my Thoughts And see if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting From evidence at length she put in for assurance in the serious and vigorous pursuit whereof death met her as well in the midst of her work as of her dayes unexpectedly indeed but blessed be God not unpreparedly and though her sickness was not fraught with extraordinary joyes and ravishments Yet she was sustained with a sweet peace and serenity of Spirit which God did not permit Satan to interrupt all her sickness long and this was not the fruit of a blind unsensible security as in most that cry up a Lamb-like death for she was able to give answer to any one that asked her reason of the hope that was in her with meekness and judgement 1 Pet. 3.15 It was the account she her self gave why neither in her sickness nor health she had experienc't any great raptures or extraordinary joyes of the Spirit of Adoption as some do for said she neither was I brought in with any extraordinary terrors or tremblings of the spirit of bondage Nevertheless it pleased the Lord not to leave Himself nor his poor Handmaid without witness not only in giving her a sweet serenity of spirit insomuch that she suffered no Ecclipse of that Sun of Righteousness in all the time of her confinement to her Chamber who Himself upon the Cross suffered