to the Sacrament That is well said she but I cannot go Childe be sure to go in the strength of Christ and do all your duties in his strength and the Lord go with you She would often say That she did never put on her best attire but she had thoughts of cloathing her self with the rich robe of Christs righteousness and decking her self with the jewels of his heavenly graces When her Steward came to ask her any domestick question she would say Oh do not trouble me with these things on the Sabbath day Such was her happy mistake she thought all the time of her sickness was a Sabbath and indeed so it was the Law of the Sabbath was written upon her heart every day was more and more a Sabbath with her as she drew neerer her end as she drew neerer to that rest which remains for ever into which she expired and in which she now triumpheth with him whom her soul loved and with the spirits of just men made perfect and with the Angels of God to all eternity Dec. 1658. Thanks be to God for his mercy The Preacher at her Funeral from Prov. 31.29 speaking of her unparalleld goodness did number up 10 several excellencies that did shine in her 1. Was her knowledge as being eminently verst in the methods of grace and in the mysteries of godliness 2. Was her wisdom by which she brought down all her heavenly principles into practice 3. Was her humility her knowledge did not puff her up her head was not so high but her heart lay as low 4. Was her meekness she would not provoke any nor easily be provoked by any she was most fearful to give offence most free to forgive it 5. Was her mercy the love of Christ to her had melted her all into compassion compassion to the bodies of poor creatures and compassion to the souls of all 6. Was her conscientious attending on the Ordinances the Word the Sacraments Fasts Prayer c. 7. Was her stability in judgement being a well-bottomed Christian 8. She was not a censorious Christian 9. She was of a sweet and cheerful spirit among crosses and tryals 10. She was very good in her relations never Mother had a better childe never child had a better Mother never servants had a better governour never friends a better friend she did fill all her relations with wisdom and fidelity So with gladness and rejoycing was she carried to enter into the Kings Palace into the joy of her Lord where there is fulness of that joy and pleasures for evermore Amen IX Monsieur du Moulins Life and Death HE was Minister of Gods Word and Professor of Divinity at Sedan in France and being 90 years old died there March 10. 1658. During his whole life he was much given to devotion but about 3 years and an half since he had a fall from a horse after which he had no health and yet performed his charge constantly in the Church and in the Schools or else privately in Meditation or in Prayer Feb. 26. 1658. he awaked in the morning very ill but being helped into the Pulpit he from Psal 16.9 preached as it were his own Funeral Sermon and giving an account to his Hearers of his faith and hope he took his leave of them as if he knew that to be the last time as it was that he should preach to them 28. It being also a Sermon-day he desired his Colleagues to remember him in the Prayers of the Church After the Sermon much company came to him to bid him farewel and to receive his blessing some had encouragement from him and some had admonition Taking his leave of his Colleagues for he was thought to be near his end he said Fare ye well my Masters I do not doubt but ye will carefully look to the conduct of the Flock that is committed to you One of them said The Lord grant that we may imitate you you have done good service and your labours will live when you are gone He replied Ah Sir you know not how much you grieve me by saying so I am conscious to my self that I have neglected my duty in many things that I have many wayes offended my God yet I must say that I have loved his holy truth and do hope in his mercy he is my Father and my God and Jesus Christ is my Saviour whosoever believes on him shall not perish Then he added Thou hast led me and taught me from my youth O Lord forsake me not in the last period of my life have mercy upon me O God O my Father have mercy upon me O Lord hear me help me and save me O my God He said I have been grieved for the afflictions of the Church O Lord purge and purifie her from all kinde of scandal let her be blessed and let not the adversaries of the truth triumph over her for ever Once coming out of a strong and sore fit being a burning Feaver he said O my God how weary how tyred am I When shall I rest in thy bosome in thy everlasting arms when shall I be filled with thy hid treasures when shall I drink of the rivers of thy pleasures I am unworthy of it I confess O Lord but thou art glorified by doing good to the unworthy It is not for them that are whole but for them that are sick that thy beloved Son the great Physician of souls was sent into the world whosoever believe in him are passed from death to life Being asked by one of the many friends that were about him Whether he did not perfectly hope in the grace of God that was presented to him he said I do hope not perfectly yet as much as I am able The first four dayes of his sickness he was both day and night with little intermission either in good discourse or in praying but the six last dayes he was much in a deep slumber though he did strive earnestly against it and sometimes would say Stir me prick me for I should now watch it is not a time now to sleep but to die O great God abandon me not to my infirmities but so preserve and keep up my spirit that I may glorifie thee even when I am dying For a whole day he was ever and anon saying The Word was made flesh Being well awake a friend asked if he did lift up his heart to God O yes said he I do it incessantly and God is gracious to me Sometimes he feeling of his pulse would say O what a grief is this I cannot die O good God have mercy upon me set my soul free shorten the dayes of my combat if it be thy blessed will The two last dayes did add to his burning Feaver and to his deadly slumber contracting of the sinews and convulsions every hour was thought to be his last but about midnight he opened his eyes saying I shall soon be eased I am going to my Father and to my God he hath heard me
what excellent truths are these lay them up charily ye will have need of them Being asked where his comfort lay he said In Christ and in the free-grace of God and then added Work work apace dear friends assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when ye come to die then that ye have done no more for God who hath done so much for you Being again asked what they should do for him he said Do not only pray for me but praise God also for his unspeakable mercy to me especially that in this my weakness he hath kept Satan from me and that I see the worth of a Christ and do taste of the sweetness of Gods love more then ever Again O how good is God! entertain good thoughts of him So he concluded all prayers for him with a loud Amen Upon Saturday-evening he began to set himself to die forbad all Cordials gave his dying-blessing to his Son that was present and calling for the 8th to the Romans he entertained no more disdiscourse with the sons of men Herein God was exceeding good to him as a return of prayer his breathings were easie and even and his soul without the least motion or resistance of the body did enter into rest while we below were entring upon the day of rest for then did he begin a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven when we begin ours on earth that is before one a clock on Sunday morning 12 of Decem. 1658. In all the Wills that he made this Legacy was ever renewed Item I bequeath to all my children and my childrens children to each of them a Bible with this Inscription None but Christ VIII Mrs. Scots Life and Death SHe was Daughter and Heir to Sir Matthew Howland also Heir to her Uncle Sir John Howland She was first married to the Son and Heir of Sir Walter Roberts of Kent when she was not 17 years old and afterwards to Mr. Scot a worthy Justice of Peace in the same County She had Sir Howland Roberts and two other Sons with two Daughters she was one of a choice spirit of a marvellous sweet temper and disposition of an amiable and a winning carriage and of a religious and charitable conversation About 19 years of age as she was riding on Hunting she had a fall from her horse and put her leg out of joynt which was the happy occasion of her conversion after this time she never hunted scarce ever came on horse-back and she writ it down in a book among other experiences of Gods goodness especially to her soul resolving for the time to come to walk constantly in Gods ways which she made good Once going to the Sacrament she had grievous temptations as if she might live without Ordinances and as if there were no necessity of them but her faith fought against it and she found sweet comfort and strength in the Sacrament she received Christ and gave her self up to him She writ in the foresaid book the comforts she found in frequent Fasts and Sacraments concluding with such words as these My God doth give me sweet experiences of the growth of grace in my soul and all from the vertue of Christ's blood Again This day I was at a Fast and God came graciously in and melted my heart and made good his promise to me They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength Again she writ thus This day I did receive Jesus Christ in the Sacrament and so came home rejoycing and fully assured that all my sins are pardoned and that Christ may as well be pulled out of Heaven as I be pulled from Christ Again out of the same book I kept a Fast by my self to seek help from God in a great straight that I was in for no power but his could help me out and deliver me the Lord did in great mercy assist me Afterward I kept a Fast in private with others about the same thing my heart at first was out of frame very heavy and perplexed but God at length came in and melted it and made the duty very sweet to me Now she thought the Ordinances could not be too often enjoyed and when in Winter-time she could not use the Coach to her Country-Church she would usually walk on foot in all the rainy and tempestuous weather that long and tedious up-hill and down-hill way In London she would be often by seven of the clock in the morning at the Lecture at Christ-Church from High-Holborn and there stay till the second Sermon was ended She had the grace as well as the gift of Praying which was both to admiration and to satisfaction Every day she had constantly in the Family morning and evening Prayer with something also of the Word and part of a Psalm sung on the Lords day morning-duties after dinner singing and praying and at evening repeating singing and praying She was indeed a true sanctifier and a spiritual observer of the Lords day even to a thought and would often bewail the liberty which too many Professors did take on those dayes to talk of civil and sometimes of worldly things without any remorse She never went abroad but she first withdrew her self into her Closet for some time to prayer and the like when she returned home Such exceeding in-comes she had at the Table of the Lord the Lord so blessing that Ordinance to her that she would often say She could there fetch from the Lord any mercy that she wanted as direction in straights support in troubles power against sin conquest over self and grace to carry her on in the wayes of God Whilst her Father Sir Matthew Howland and her Uncle Sir John Howland lived she would often say foreseeing the same as being their only Heir She was afraid of too much of the world to come upon her and to be an incumbrance to her As her life so her death was full of grace and comfort The Lord did graciously strengthen her upon her bed of languishing though she was walking thorow the valley of death she feared no evil her God was with her the Lord sustained her Though her pains and tortures were very great there being applied to her Cupping-glasses with lancings yet did the Lord put gladness in her heart so as she would say God hath been very good to me Oh how good is God! there hath not the least cloud interposed between God and my soul all this sickness so as I shall go to my gracious God triumphing She would often say O friends how sweet and precious is Jesus Christ And again O friends get an interest in Christ and try your faith To the servants and keepers that helped to turn her in her bed for in a few dayes from Wednesday to Munday she was by much pain become helpless she said I am very weak but my God is very strong and there is my comfort he will lift me up Oh praise the Lord for his goodness Her eldest Daughter saying Mother I am going to Church and
THE King of Terrors SILENCED BY Meditations Examples OF HOLY LIVING AND HEAVENLY DYING As the same was Recollected and Recommended By Sir John Thorowgood of Kensington Knight To be distributed among his Kindred and his Friends at his Funeral Contra vim mortis Non est medicamen in hortis LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXV To such Friends as shall be invited to accompany my CORPSE to the Earth THere be many useful Treatises set forth upon this subject the Lord be blessed concerning Mans mortality and for the Preparation and the Consolation of all such as do minde their frail condition and their souls salvation This that I do here offer to you as it hath been for many years in my thoughts and for the most part prepared so now upon daily expectation of leaving this evil world do I intend it only for the use of some particular Friends who I presume will prize it before the best Marchpane and prefer it before those frequent entertainments by Gloves or Rings or Ribbons In our Health we have profitable Sermons and godly Ministers and Christian Company and holy mens Books to repair unto for soul-refreshment but in a retired languishing painful sickness we may perhaps be deprived of most of these For this cause I have here gathered into as small a Volume as may be much of it from other mens heavenly Meditations that which takes in the four several seasons of decaying man relating 1. To the time of his present health 2. To his first sickning 3. To the keeping his Chamber 4. To certain signes of approaching Death 5. To these is added for the welcoming of it some remarkable Examples of holy mens cheerful deportment in their Christianly departing out of this mortal Life To hold you too long in an Epistle is not proper for such an occasion as this and therefore I shall draw to a conclusion and only recommend it and all you my good Friends to the great Lord and Master of us all the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Propitiation for our sins and by whom we are reconciled to the Father in humble assurance whereof I remain Your supported Friend JOHN THOROWGOOD Kensington May 1. 1664. A Friendly CAUTION TO you my Friends that I shall leave behinde Do I bequeath this Gift where you may finde Some helps to use when you most helpless are So to make it hath been my earnest care Peruse it then in Health that so ye may Be ready and preparing every day To welcome him that 's call'd the King of Fears That with him endless pain or comfort bears Then take it in good part and read and pray That it may profit till your dying day Take heed betimes of customary sin If ever ye intend Heavens joys to win Let not your bosome-sin have any rest Let it not lodge one night within your brest Take heed I say no evil do prevail If 't do be sure that it you do bewail With sighs and tears with sorrow and with care Of thoughts and words and actions to beware Here pray again with faith and godly fear That God your suit most graciously will hear That you may conquer self and live and die And fix the safety of your soul on high Thus do I pray thus will I pray so long So long as I have breath or life or tongue Now farewel Friends good Lord I come to thee Who ever wert a Saviour unto me Receive me to thy self and let me bring A soul full ser Halleluja's to sing In that blest Quire and with that heavenly Host Glory to Father Son and holy Ghost Amen Your revived Friend J. T. The CONTENTS PART I. Meditations in time of Health I. SHort Sentences to minde us of our Mortality Page 1 II. A Prayer in Health preparing for Death Page 2 III. Meditations of Gods mercies Page 5 IV. Of the danger and evil of Sin Page 8 V. Health the fittest time for Repentance Page 11 VI. Holy resolutions in time of Health Page 14 VII Meditations concerning Sickness Page 16 VIII Remedies against Sin Page 20 IX Meditations of Death Page 21 X. Resolutions against the vexations and the vanities of the World Page 25 PART II. Meditations at first Sickning I. A Prayer in time of Sickness Page 28 II. Concerning Prayer Page 33 III. Meditations at first sickning Page 36 IV. Directions and consolations in time of Sickness and Death Page 39 V. A Prayer before taking of Physick Page 42 VI. A Prayer before Physick is working Page 44 VII Six Meditations to cure the fear of Death Page 45 VIII Rules to make our Calling and Election sure Page 50 IX Against doubtings of Gods mercy Page 52 X. Reading of Chapters or portions of Scripture Page 55 PART III. Meditations at growing Weak I. A Prayer upon danger of Death Page 56 II. Consolations concerning death Page 60 III. Against impatience in Sickness Page 63 IV. Consolations in the Lord Christ c. Page 67 V. Reading of Scripture or part of Chap. Page 69 VI. A Prayer where friends are to joyn ibid. VII Meditations upon the dayes of Death and of Doom Page 72 VIII Short Prayers upon any release of pain Page 75 IX Consolations against pain and fear of dying Page 77 X. Ejaculations to Father Son and holy Ghost Page 79 PART IV. Meditations upon certain signes of Death I. SHort Prayers upon any intermission of Pain Page 81 II. A Prayer to be used by Friends Page 82 III. Questions with Answers upon any signe of Dying Page 85 IV. Portions of Scripture to be read Page 87 V. More Questions and Answers ibid. VI. Short Prayers upon any abating of pain Page 90 VII Friends to help with short Ejaculations Page 91 VIII More of these short Ejaculations Page 92 IX A Prayer by Friends at leaving this Life Page 93 X. Another by Friends at yielding up the Ghost Page 95 PART V. Being ten blessed Examples of holy Persons relating to a happy passage out of this Life to a better I. THe Sickness and Death of the Earle of Hanaw Page 97 II. The last words of Mr. John Meautys Page 113 III. Mrs. Juxons Life and Death Page 114 IV. Archbishop of Armagh's Life and Death Page 118 V. Mr. Rhodes his Life and Death Page 123 VI. Mrs. Rhodes her Life and Death Page 128 VII Dr. Harris his Life and Death Page 133 VIII Mrs. Scot's Life and Death Page 141 IX Monsieur du Moulins Life and Death Page 149 X. Mr. Crook's Life and Death Page 156 PART I. Meditations in time of Health I. Short sentences to minde us of our Mortality NUllum momentum sine motu ad mortem Quotidie morimur quotidie enim demitur pars vitae tunc quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit Mille modis morimur mortales nascimur uno Sunt hominum morbi mille sed una salus Non est malum in morte nisi post mortem Ossa arida sepulchra sunt praeceprores nostri Qui moritur vitiis antequam
him a joyful resurrection at the great and last day O holy Father in Jesus Christ hear us for him who cannot now speak for himself and hear thy dearly beloved Son our only Mediator both for him and for us all It is in his Name and for his sake that we seek unto thee in the behalf of the precious soul of this thy weak servant to him with thy blessed self and holy Spirit we do render all service honour and praise now and for ever Amen X. Another Prayer at yielding up the Ghost O Most gracious and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ be pleased to cast a compassionate eye upon the immortal soul of this thy languishing creature Lord hear our prayers for him and thy Christ our blessed Mediator for us all the snares of death do encompass him he is sore bruised and broken and brought very low the pangs that are upon him are unspeakable O Lord pour the oyl of gladness into his fainting soul assure him that thou hast cast all his sins behinde thy back and that there is a sweet peace wrought between him and thee by him who is the Prince of peace Oh give him that inward joy and such comfortable taste of eternal happiness that he may rejoyce in thee and forget his present anguish and patiently undergo the same for that endless joy that is set before him and though these faint and these consuming fits have now deprived him of speech yet good Lord let the Comforter that is the blessed Spirit within him make requests for him with prevailing sighs and groans that cannot be expressed ever crying out Lord Jesu receive my soul Lord Jesu receive my spirit so let death be to him none other then a joyful messenger sent from thee the father of all consolation to call and convey him from this valley of tears to everlasting bliss And let the blessed and glorious Name of JESUS be still the chief and the only anchor of his precious soul the sole foundation of his faith and the sacred staff and sure supporter even to the last gasp Hear us O Lord O thou that art the preserver of men hear us for this thy poor servant and have mercy upon him and embrace him in thine own most gracious arms and all for thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ his sake that he may now come and be with thee for ever to sing with thy holy Saints and blessed Angels Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Hallelujah Amen PART V. Being ten blessed Examples of holy Persons relating to a happy passage out of this Life to a better I. Philippus Lodovicus Earle of Hanaw Reinek c. a German Prince He stickned July 29. 1612. and departed this life upon Sunday the 9th of August being not long after his return as Ambassador out of England JUly 29. 1612. His Excellency as his custom was went in his Coach to the Woods with some of his Council and Court-servants feeling himself somewhat ill in the heat he did take some rest in the fields The next day he went to the weekly Sermon and the publick Prayers at the Church in the old City but at his return he found himself worse and went to take some rest upon his bed Aug. 2. Sunday he was let blood and did take some Physick and was so well upon it as to rise and visit his Lady who was then in childe-bed After that he called to one of his Counsellors to confer with him about serious matters and chiefly concerning the Church of Hanaw 3. He was ill again so as he began to prepare for a Christianly departure out of this life he called for his Lady and children in their presence and hearing he gave an account of his faith and that with singular zeal and holy courage His Lady and children being retired he conferred with his Council upon what did concern the Church the School the Country and the Subjects and then took his leave of them in a most friendly and Christianly manner 4. Came divers Courtiers upon his request and after some discourse with tears he parted with them they taking their dear Lord by the hand Then divers of the Citizens came and had very comfortable words from him after which they with much sadness took their leaves of him Lastly the Preachers both of the old and of the new City being called for he told them that his desire was once more before his end with his Houshold to receive the holy Supper of the Lord Jesus Christ declaring withal that this was not grounded upon any superstition or that Ex opere operato it is meritorious but that it is chiefly for the strengthening of his weak faith and for the testifying of his profession yet once again before God and the world and this did the Ministers accordingly perform This night he could not sleep almost at all so he caused several Psalms to be sung and sometimes he sang himself Aug. 5. He called for his Will and after some alteration he did deliver it to his Chamberlain with charge to deliver it in due time to his Council 6. Came to him his Lady-sister the Lady Emilia of Orange from Heydelberg whom he cheerfully received with these words Madam many of my friends have stood weeping about my bed but none could break my heart and provoke my tears but your Ladiship Divers of his servants coming from the monthly Sermon he did call to hear from every one of them some good Doctrine that they had heard He had a very ill night and was earnest to have some of the penitential Psalms to be sung he sometimes bearing a part After that some of the Divines did mention to him those places of Scripture as Mat. 11.28 Joh. 6.37 to which he gave sweet and spiritual replies and said Oh now do I finde and feel the free remission of all my sins that I am a childe of God and an heir of eternal life yea I do feel the vertue of my Saviour Christs blood refreshing of my soul The Lady Emilia being now come again to him he said Ah my loving and vertuous Lady I am a sick man rehearse to me I pray some comfortable sentence out of the Scripture She said She was a poor weak creature but she did see that the Spirit of God blessed be his Name did greatly comfort him He still urging it she did recite that place Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world c. At which he cheerfully uttered these words Well said my noble Sister This is the greatest and the surest comfort of all Gods faithful people with this comfort will I die happily I beseech and pray from my heart to my gracious God for such a blessed departure through the vertue of the satisfaction of my Lord Jesus Christ O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into thy hands I commit my soul both now and for ever After this his Excellency