heads burning the corn of the Philistims whilest Israels sheaues staÌ„d vpright I meane consuming themselues whilest they cauill with vs about a birth of no being for if they could but agree at home ere they warre abroade 1. where the place is 2. when it began 3. how long it shall continue 4. who is there punished 5. what is the paine 6. and lastly who be the tormentors happily it might make vs to sound a retreate and moue a parley But when in all or most of these they are at ods with themselues I trust by the grace of God they shall neuer be at euen with vs or with any that feare the Lord in truth It would require a longer discourse then now I can stand vpon to descend into each of these particulars beeing limited with the time mine owne weakenes and your wearines yet if any man doubt let him demurre with mee vpon a further tryall and conference when I shall if God will satisfie him to the full that in all these seuerall points they doe nothing else but agree to disagree in the meane time I dare auouch as first I did that purgatorie is not at all 1 That is was neuer knowne in the Church of Israel or a doctrine sprinkled vpon that people with the blood of the old couenant by Moses who was faithfull in Gods house and deliuered all hee saw vpon the mount 2 That purgatorie hath no foundation in the new testament and that the blood of Christ neuer taught it in that couenant but was of it selfe sufficient to purge and preserue tam à poena quam à culpa though our aduersaries say contrarie 3 That neither the Primitiue Church nor the Fathers of the same for the space of manie ages did euer acknowledge the purgatorie of the Church of Rome I say God neuer ordained Scripture neuer taught spirit neuer guided father neuer agreed vpon such a doctrine but as they that were conuerted to Christ at the first whether from Iudaisme or froÌ„ Paganisme did bring with them eyther their ceremonies or their opinions so in this errour as in others Plato taught it in his schooles Virgil in his rythmes both Pagans Papising Bonauenture at all aâ—enture and Durand not dangerous of the doctrine haue taken it vp both Papists Paganising To iustifie what hath bin said of old Pictoribus atque poetis quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas To Painters to Poâ—ts to Papists of skill Hath euer bâ—â— graunted to same what the will For the proofe of al these assertions I referre you to the worthie writings of that noble Berrean Lord Phillip of Mornay lumen Galliae maâ—tix Romae in his treatise of purgatorie laid downe in his third booke of the sacrifice pretended in the Masse And now for conclusion of this point in clearing of the truth pitifullie dearned with these clouds of errour let these few Scriptures and Fathers dispell the fogge so as the sunne of righteousnes may shine in your hearts and beget you to a better hope A voice from heauen hath said it you may beleeue it Blessed are the deaâ— that die in the Lord Amodo euen now for they rest from their labours In blessednes is no pain in rest is no toyle if this happinesse be Amodo Euen straight vpon the dissolution there is no daunger by the way there is no delay by purgatorie Paul hath said it you may beleeue it Christ is to me both in life and in death aduantage desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of al as if he should say neuer can I lose by Christ in life hee is my grace in death he is my glorie when I am gone I shall bee where he is not in paine but in blis where no fire shall purge nor water wash hauing alreadie dipt my stole in the blood of the lamb Christ hath said it you may beleeue it his word is a warrant to your wearie souls Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen me It is his will and who dares wrest it the head will haue his members the bridegroome his spouse God his elect and Christ his redeemed and where will he haue them but where he is and that is in heauen Popish purgatory is no Palace for Christ his abode ergo no place for Christians to behold his glorie Nor hath Christ said it but sworne it to in supplementum fidei to help faith that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie First promise and Secondlie oth wee might haue strong consolation His oth is this neuer to be reuersed Verilie verilie I say vnto you he that heareth my words and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life O happie hearers but thrise happie beleeuers for whose cause the Lord hath sworne in certaintie of your saluation and speedie passage from death to life without tuch of fire meede of merit or need of Popish indulgence One saith well velox est sermo dei velocem desiderat habere sequentem The word of God is swift and it requireth a speedie follower if speed in following much more in attaining if speed in the bodie much more when it hath put it off if vnder the crosse we grone and goe forward with how much more speede shall wee haste to the crowne when teares shall bee wiped from our eyes and wee shall be translated out of this world to raigne with God for euer And if it bee true of a glorified bodie that Augustine hath corpus est vbi volet animus The bodie is straight where the minde will how much rather shall a sanctified soule disburdened of the bodie passe with speed to him that gaue it Lazarus died and was straight waies caried into Abrahams bosome The theefe vpon the crosse died was that verie day in Paradise Stephen called and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and shall we doubt of his desire euen then answered Christ cryed vpon the tree father into thy hands I commend my spirit and gaue vp the Ghost not downe the ghost speedily and without delay yea and I am perswaded that it is with euerie Saint of God in his particular death as it shall be at the generall doome all shal be chaunged at the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpe for the trumpet shal blow and the dead shall rise so all shall be changed at the last gaspe euen in the twinkling of an eye shall the bodie turne to earth from whence it came and the soule to God that gaue it Nescit tarda moliâ—â—â—a spiritus dei gratia The gifts and graces of God are without delay no delay in the creation no delay in the redemtion no delay in
yet was he heard in that which he feared God deliuered him After this he read vnto her the 22. Psalme wherein Dauid complained partly of his owne but principally of the most bitter anguith which our Sauiour Christ indured and suffered in bodie and soule putting her in minde that her case was not so bad as Dauids nor much vnlike our Sauiours who indured all that and more for her therefore she had no cause to feare seeing Christ had obtained victory and would vndoubtedly be with her deliuer her eternally glorifie her with himselfe for euermore and so continually hee propounded to her such comfortable places of scripture as might meete with her infirmities This greatly refreshed her and gaue her occasion many times to call vpon God for increase of grace and deliuerance from her grieuous temptations The which God of his accustomed goodnes vouchsafed on Tuesday about three a clock in the afternoone what time shee felt herselfe in very good measure deliuered from all her former feares and afflictions But on Saterday next after which was the day before her death she was wholy released and filled with such inward comfort that it greatly affected vs that saw it This is the summe of that temptation which she had wherein what can any man see that might giue iust occasion to report our religion comfortles or the Gentlewoman dyed despairing This wee are sure of that to bee without temptation is the greatest temptation as also that nothing befell her which hath not befallen the holyest of the children of God And she that considered her owne corruption which how great it is in the best of Gods Saints I neede not say and bethought her selfe of the punishment due thereto if God in iustice should reward her no maruell if shee brake out sometime into heauie complaints I make no question it was the worke of God in her to suffer Satan to accuse her and afflict her for her sinnes that so she might the better see them and consider the haynousnes of them and before her departure repent her of them and betake her wholy to Christ for the sauing of her soule And if it pleased God thus to make her possesse her sinnes before she dyed let those which neuer yet knew the waight of their sinnes be wise in time and remember that hee shall neuer haue his sinne forgiuen which first or last doth not vndergo a holy despaire for it and acknowledge nothing to remayne in himselfe but matter of iudgement and condemnation and comfort and eternall life to flow alone from Iesus Christ. And as for those which haue learned to scoffe at the terrors of Gods children to censure such as aâ—e at somtimes cast down with feeling the anger of God against sin let them consider the blessed â—sâ—ue that God gaue to the troubles of this Gentlewoman and let them acknowledge his worke in her And if they will not do this but proceede to traduce the dead then let them call to minde those of the Popish crue and persons of greater note among them then this Gentlewoman was which haue dyed most fearefully indeede Cardinall Sadelot Iacobus Latomus the Diuinitie Reader at Lâ—uâ—â—ne Hoâ—meâ—ler the Frier Guardacus Boâ—elius Crescentâ—â—â— the Cardinall Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and diuers the bloudy persecutors in Queene Maries time and some of the Popes themselues as namely Pope Sixtus Quintus of late yeers all which died most fearefully miserably and shewed manifest signes at their death that their popish superstition was the condemnation of their soules And if they will iudge of my religion by my death let them acknowledge their religion is the doctrine of desperation and that the truth faith which was able to fill the heart and tongue of this blessed Gentlewoman at her death with such heaueÌ„ly comforts is the doctrine of Christ reuealed from heauen that wee might liue and dye in it From Tuesday till Whitson-eeuen her comfort still increased and temptations vanished away See would theÌ„ very cheerfully ioyne with the company in prayer and singing Psalmes as occasion offered and performed all such duties as was meete for her in that estate One day her brother Master Iohn Bruen of Bruenstapleford came from his house in Cheshyre to visit her and after some kind salutation passed betweene them he said vnto her Sister be not dismaid at your troubles but remember what the Apostle saith that iudgement must begin at the house of God To whom the answered as one that was also very ready in the scriptures with the very next words following True it is and if it begin at vs the righteous shall scarce be saued where shall the sinners and vngodly appeare After that she praied with him sung a Psalme with him as one that receiued great comfort by him acknowledged in him a hart set to seeke the things belonging to the kingdome of Christ. During this time in the night with such as waked with her she would pray and rehearse for her comfort many texts of Scripture and namely the 8. to the Romanes many times coÌ„cluding and closing vp yâ— she read or repeated with prayer and most comfortable vses and applications thereof to her selfe with shew of such ioy and comfort that the hearers reioyced at it When she receiued any meate she prayed God not only to sanctifie those creatures for her bodily sustenance but also to fill her soule with the waters of life often repeating that of the Reuelation To him that thirsâ—eth will I giue of the waters of life freely One true she tooke her bible in her hand and ioyfully kissing it and looking vp toward heauen she sayd that of the Psalme O Lord it is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer Another time she called her Husband to her and said O Husband beware of Papistry keepe your selfe holy before the Lord. Yeeld not to the abominations of the wicked least they reioyce and so you dishonor God and destroy your owne soule Againe she said Let my little child be brought vp among the children of God and in the true feare and knowledge of his Maiesty so shall I meete her in heauen whom now I must leaue behinde me on earth Againe sometime she would pray with a low voyce to her selfe and that saying of Paule We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare any more but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father was much in her mouth and the last words Abba father shee would double oftentimes ouer She would sing to herselfe the last verse of the 13. Psalme I will giue than â—â— unto the Lord and praises to him sing Because he hath heard my request graÌ„ted my wishing Finally in these and such like exercises and meditations did she spend the whole time
portion of mine inheritaâ—â—â— The place where I now am is sweet and pleasant oh how pleasant is the sweete perfume of the place where I lye It is sweeter then Aarons composed perfume of principall spices how comfortable is the sweetnes I feele It is like that odour that proceedes from the golden censor that delights my soule The taste is precious do you not feele it Oh so sweete it is yea sweeter then mirrh the hony or the hony combe Let me therefore sing againe and againe vnto my Lord and my God Then she did sing the 19. Psalme beginning at the 7. verse how perfect is the law of God c. and so on to the end of the same And after yâ— spirituall reioysing in singing of Psalmes she then prayed vnto God faithfully and praised the Lord againe ioyfully And being still full of these and such like heauenly consolations she did sing againe most hartily vnto the praise of God the 136. Psalm Praise ye the Lord for he is good for his mercy indureth for euer c. In which Psalme for his mercie indureth for euer is 26. times repeated A christian friend comming in at the same time which was about sixe of the clock in the euening marueiling to see her exceeding ioyes and heauenly harmonie wherein she continued with such words and phrases that were so spirituall prayed for the continuance of the same vnto the end whereupon she then burst out relating further of her ioyes saying Oh the ioyes the ioyes the ioyes that I feele in my soule oh they be wonderfull they be wonderfull they be wonderfull And after that she prayed for increase of faith and that God would strengtheÌ„ her against temptations with continuall crauing of remission of sinnes euer meditating of heauenly matters as by her sudden and often breaking out into heauenly speeches and praises did appeare for the same euening she lying still and silent for a while one prayed her to remember the Lord Iesus and that she would in her heart pray for constancie in her ioyfull course whereunto she answered with a delightsome cheerefull countenance and comfortable voyce Oh said she so I doe for the Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare Though an host pitch against me yet my heart shall not be afraid for the Lord hath said I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Indeede I should verily haue fainted but that I beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing And now my heart is readit my heart is readie and prepared yea it panteth after thee O God as the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When Lord when shall I come and appeare before thy presence c. Saying then further Lord sith it hath pleased thee to prepare my heart whether to life or death thy will be done dispose of me to thine owne glory I am thine Lord worke thy blessed pleasure and good will vpon me And after this she fell into a short slumber awaking said as the spouse said vnto Christ in the Canticles Oh come kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth for thy loue is better then â—ine Oh how sweet the kisses of my Sauiour be Then one said vnto her alluding to that place of S. Iohn Reuel 3. 8. and praying that the Lord would annoint her with the eye-salue of his grace that she might see and behold his glorie To whom she answered Mine eyes are opened mine eyes are opened though for a while they were closed vp and shut yet now I thank my God mine eyes are opened and I do feele and see the euerliuing mercies of my Christ saying then further as it is in the 27. Psalme Thou saidst seeke my face my heart answered to thee O Lord I will seeke thy face O hide not therefore thy face from me nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast been my succour leaue me not nor forsake me O God of my saluation And being willed to commit her soule into the hands of Christ she said O Lord Iesus thou hast redeemed me pleade thou my cause for into thy hands alone doe I commit my spirit O thou God of truth And then feeling more ioy to abound one praising God with her for his great mercies shewed toward her she further said I giue thee thankes O father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto me thy poore handmaid which am but dust and ashes O how mercifull and marueilous gracious arâ— thou vnto me yea Lord I feele thy mercie and I am assured of thy loue and so certaine am I thereof as thou art that God of truth euen so sure doe I know my selfe to be thine O Lord my God and this my soule knoweth right well and this my soule knoweth right well which speech of her assuraÌ„ce she ofteÌ„ repeated Presently after this sitting vp in her chaire she sung the fourth Psalme and then being laide downe againe in her bed she confidently spake these words I am sure that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see him at the last day whom I shall see and mine eyes shall behold and though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh with these eyes and none other Then came in to see her toward euening Master William Harrison the Preacher praising God for her continuance in that her ioyfull and most happy course and perswading her to an holie perseuerance in the same she thanked him and desired him to reioyce in Christ with her and to praise God for his mercies to her and said Oh Master Harrison my soule hath been compassed about with terrors of death feare within and feare without the sorrowes of hell were vpon me knots and knorres were vpon my soule which twice or thrice she repeated and a roring wildernesse of woe was within me but blessed blessed blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me cofortles but like a good shepheard hath he brought me into a place of rest euen to the sweete running waters of life that flowe out of the sanctuarie of God and he hath lead me into the greene pastures where I am fed and exceedingly comforted yea he hath restored my soule and lead me into the plaine and easie paths of righteousnes The way that now I goe in is a sweete and easie way strowed with flowers and as a fine sandie way yea it is more easie and soft then the sand for I goe and tread vpon wheate euen vpon the finest flower of wheate Oh blessed be the Lord O blessed be the Lord that hath thus coforted me hath brought me now to a place more sweeter vnto
they cannot tell Men heape vp riches and cannot tell who shall enioy them they bequeath them to some and others goe away with them We had neede to thinke of this before hand that we may vse this world as if we vsed it not and when we haue foode and rayment to be therewith content and to be more willing to leaue these things when death approcheth If a man doe not in his heart deeply and seriously consider of these things a long time and often before death he shall be as vnwilling to leaue all these things at the howre of death as the young man was to sell his goods and giue them to the poore when he was commaunded by Christ. In things that be of waight and importance and yet very difficult it is needful to vse preparation before hand for without it we shal be vnfit when we come to the pinch Souldiers which be chosen and appointed for the wars do exercise themselues with their weapons before hand and are content to be trained by others which haue better skill experience that so they may learne in time of peace how to behaue themselues in time of war So had we need in time of our life to learne how to die and to be taught by others which die before vs what we must do at the howre of death 3 Thirdly we must coÌ„sider the cause or end of their death Some of the righteous are taken away in iudgement and some in mercie In iudgemeÌ„t when God in displeasure doth strike them with death to correct them for their sinnes Thus was the man of God taken away which came out of Iudah and cried out against the Altar in Bethel that Ieroboam had set vp because he beleeued the lie of an old prophet in Bethel and did eate and drinke with him there contrarie to Gods commandement a Lyon met him by the way and slew him Thus also were many of the Corinthians taken away for abusing the Lords supper For this cause many were sicke and weake and many did sleepe yet they were righteous persons as Paul before had testified of them Ye are washed yee are sanctified yee are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God afterward he reputeth them which were sicke and did so sleep to be iudged of the Lord because they should not be condemned with the world The Lord is sometimes so sharp with his owne children that for the example of others hee will inflict a bodily death vpon theÌ„ as a correction for their sinnes That should be regarded of all others that their harmes may make them wise moue them to speedie repentance least they be more sharpely dealt withall For as Christ saith If these things be done to a greene tree what shall be done to the dry And as Peter saith If iudgement first begin at the house of God what shall the end be of theÌ„ which obey not the Gospell of God If the maister of a family do sharpely correct his owne children for their faults let not the seruants thinke that they shal escape vnpunished if they coÌ„mit the like faults If any one which sitteth at table with vs by eating of some dish or drinking of some cup do surfet or fall sick or into a swoune or die presently it will greatly moue vs and we cannot bee perswaded by anie to tast of that dish or drinke of that cup for feare of the like Euen so when we see Gods children that liue amongst vs to bee taken away by death for practising of some sinne it should greatly moue vs and wee should so abhorre that sinne that nothing in the world could perswade vs to practise it Againe others are taken away in mercy for their benefite and for a reward of their righteousnes to free theÌ„ from those iudgements which the Lord intendeth to bring vpon the world and thus were these righteous men taken away which here are mentioned Their death should be considered as a warning giuen vnto men of some fearfull iudgement to come therfore should cal theÌ„ to repentance that they might preuent the iudgement but of this I wil speake more afterward in the last circumstance 4 Lastly we must consider the manner of their death for thereby we may learne how to die it may be as a patterne or example to direct vs in our death The wicked die either sottishly or impatiently or else desperatly Sottishly like blocks idiots hauing neither penitent feeling of their sins nor comfortable assurance of saluation Being like vnto Nabal whose heart ten daies before his death died within him and he was like a stone Such men die like lambes and yet shall be a pray for the deuouring Lion they go quietly like fooles to the stocks for correction Others dye impatiently who doe not willingly beare the Lords correction deserued by their sinnes but rage fret and murmure as if God dealt too rigorously with them and through impatiencie will vse vnlawfull meanes for their recouery as Ahaziah did who being sicke sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron if he should recouer of his disease Others dye desperately their consciences accusing them most terribly for their sins without any hope of pardon as Caine who said my sinne is greater then can be forgiuen or Iudas who despairing of pardon for his sin in betraying our Sauiour went and hanged himselfe The consciences of many wicked men lye quietly and neuer trouble them all their life time but are stirred vp at their death and then rage and torment them like a mad dog which is lately awaked out of sleep But the righteous die most comfortably they beleeuing in Christ and hauing repented of their sinnes are assured in their owne soules that all their sins are pardoned in Christ they will make confession of their faith and giue testimonies of their repentance vnto others for their comfort and example They will patiently indure all the paines of their sicknes â—s Iob did knowing that al comes from the Lord and that it is his fatherly correction and a signe of his loue because he chasteneth whom he loueth yea they receiue their sicknesse as the Lords messenger speaking to their soules as the Prophet Isaiah did to Hezekiah Put thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not liue and therefore they prepare themselues for another world Yea further in their sicknes they can pray most feruently as king Hezekiah did Isai 38. and then they will giue most fruitfull and comfortable instructions to those which they leaue behinde As the Swan sings most sweetly a little before his death so the righteous speake most diuinely a little before their end Whosoeuer searcheth the scriptures may reade the diuine prophecy of Iacob vnto the twelue Patriarches Gen. 49. the holy blessing of Moses vpon the twelue tribes Deut. 33. the godly exhortation of Ioshua to the people of Israel placed by him
As for sodaine death it is euill to them which lead an euill life because it findes them vnprepared it carries them away â—odainelie vnto torment but it is not euill to them which liue well because it finds them prepared it frees them from much paine which others endure through long sicknes and carries them forth-with to the place where they desire to be The righteous doe so dispose of themselues in the morning as if they might dy before night and at night as if they might die before morning and therefore whensoeuer death comes it finds them prepared and is a benefit vnto them 2 Againe if the righteous a little before death be dangerouslie tempted by Sathan and shew their infirmitie by vttering some speeches which tend to doubting or desperation though after ward they get victory and triumph ouer the diuell carnall people think there is no peace of conscience and therefore no saluation to bee had by that religion and so speake euill of it Let such consider the estate of Iob in his miserie who cursed the day of his birth saide that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in him the venome whereof had drunke vp his spirit that the terrours of God did fight against him that the Lord was his enimie did write bitter things against him and did set him as a butte to shoote at As also the estate of Dauid through terrour of conscience while hee concealed his sinne His bones consumed he rored all the day long his moysture was turned into the drought of sommer Againe let him know that the diuell doth most tempt the best He then tempted Christ when he was baptized and filled with the holie Ghost so will hee most tempt Christians when they haue receiued greatest gifts of Gods spirit As theeues labour to breakedowne and rob those houses onlie where great store of treasure or wealth is laid vp and as Pyrats desire to take that ship which is best loden with the dearest merchandise so the diuell doth most seeke to make a pray of them which are endued with the greatest measure of spirituall graces When the strong man armed keepeth the house the things that he possesseth are in peace but when a stronger then he ouercommeth him then hee gathereth greater forces and makes a new assault to enter againe In any commotion whom doe rebels kill and spoile not those which submit themselues vnto them and ioyne with them in their rebellion but those which are faithfull to their Prince fight for their Prince against them as hath appeared of late in the rebell of Ireland Now the diuell is as a rebell in the Lords kingdome whome then will he most trouble and assault not the wicked which submit themselues vnto him and ioyne with him in rebellion against God but the godlie which abide faithfull and fight vnder the Lords banners against him Whosoeuer would raigne with Christ in heauen must ouercome the diuell on earth for he promiseth To him that ouercommeth will I graunt to sit with mee in my throne euen as I ouercame and sit with my father in his throne How can there be a victorie wherothere is no battaile And how can there be any battaile where there is not assaulting and resisting And no meruaile though the diuell do most assault the righteous at their death for hee taketh the opportunitie of the time his wrath is theÌ„ great knowing that he hath but a short time He must either ouercome theÌ„ at that instant or els not at all yea hee takes the aduantage of their present weakenesse and those sinnes which before hee perswaded people to bee small and light at the time of death he maketh great and heauie Euen as a tree or peece of wood while it swims in a riuer seemeth to bee light and one may easilie draw it but when it comes to the shore and is laid vpon drie ground can scarcelie be drawne by ten men so sin is made light by the diuell so long as men liue that so hee may still encourage them to practise it but when it comes to the shore of death then he makes it heauie and begins most to trouble their consciences with it that if it were possible they might by it bee brought to desperation In the midst of the temptation when the godlie seeme most to be ouercome they are but like to a man in a traunce who lies as though he were dead yet he hath life in him and therfore as Paul saw that life was in Eutiches embraced him and deliuered him aliue when the people tooke him vp for dead so God seeth life in the righteous being tempted when men take them for dead and hee will at last so restore them as that they shall liue for euer with him 3 Lastlie others beholding them which were reputed righteous to die very stranglie to raue to blaspheme to vtter many idle and impious speeches to be vnrulie and behaue themselues verie foolishlieâ— they begin to suspect their profession but let them know that these things may arise from the extremitie of their disease For in hote feuers and burning agues the choler ascending into the braine will hinder the vse of their vnderstanding and so cause theÌ„ thus to misbehaue themselues rather like madmen then Christians And therefore as Paule said of himselfe after regeneration it is no more I that doe it but the sinne that dwelleth in me so may I say of them it is not they which doe it but the disease which is vpon them All sinnes committed by the righteous in those extremities are but sins of ignorance because they want the vse of reason to iudge of sinne they are also sins of infirmitie arising from the frailtie of their flesh and for them they will afterward repent if they recouer the vse of reason and be able to know them to be sins or if they doe not they are freelie pardoned in the death of Christ as well as other such sins be Wherefore I say to those which censure them vncharitablie for that their end as Christ said to the Iewes fontheir carnall censure of him Iudge not according to the appearante but iudge righteous iudgment yea iudge not that yee be not iudged 5 In the last place the finall cause and end of their death is to bee considered They be taken away from euill to come The speciall euils from which these righteous persons were taken are mentioned in the former Chapter to be deuoured in a cruell manner by the wilde beasts of the forrest But we must further vnderstand that the euils from which the righteous are taken are either ordinarie or extraordinarie The ordinarie euils are those which eyther all men or most men doe suffer And these are eyther corporall or spirituall corporall as sicknes and diseases aches and paines in their bodies griefe and sorrow toyle and labour crosses and losses outward troubles and persecution Gods children so long as they
the Scriptures speaking haue not I said ye are Gods As and if the authour should say out of the familiaritie we haue with God wee are made partakers of the diuine nature according as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse thorough the knowledge of him that hath called vs vnto glorie and vertue Good Ignatius confirmed this doctrine as in life so in death for qualis vita finis ita Of whom it is reported that being opened they found in his heart the fruit of his faith and daylie meditation written in letters of gold to this effect Amor mens crucifixus est my loue is crucified Learned Cruciger confirmed the same when dying he said Inuoco tâ— Deus fiducia filii tui licet languida tamen aliqua fide Oh God I call vpoÌ„ thee in confideÌ„ce of thy son thogh with a faint faith yet with some faith and I am encouraged so to doe for I see him in glorie whom I haue followed in grace Nor can I passe in silence what fel out in experience not long sithence at the memorable death of a memorable Saint in this our countrie a Gentleman Scholler and Preacher rarelie qualified both in life and death Oxford will witnes the one and Heaton hall the other where it pleased God to call to his mercie that worthie man and powerfull preacher maister Iohn Holland batchelor of diuinitie a burning lampe consuming it selfe to lighten others for God in mercie called him by a lingring sicknes which staid till hee was readie and pared him to such an end as seldome I haue heard but yet neuer saw the like in any To passe the course of his sicknes in much patience yet with great passion and to come to his end when he put in practise the fruit of his godly life It pleased him the day before he dyed as formerly often so then more egerly to call for the holy Bible with these very words Come O come death approcheth let vs gather some flowres to comfort this howre and turning with his owne hands to the 8. Chapter of Paules Epistle to the Romaines he gaue me the booke and bade me reade at the end of euery verse he made a Selah or pause and gaue the sence in such sort and feeling as was much wee saw to his owne comfort but more to our ioy wonder Pity it were those speeches with other his writings should bee buried with him and kept in priuate from the publicke good of many Hauing thus continued his meditation exposition for the space of two howres or more on the sodain hee sayd O stay your reading what brightnes is this I see Haue you light vp any candles To which I answered no it is the Sunne-shine for it was about 5. a clock in a cleere Summers euening Sunne-shine sayth he nay my Sauior shine now farewell world welcome heauen the day-starre from an high hath visited my hart O speake it when I am gone and preach it at my Funerall God dealeth familiarly with man I feele his mercy I see his maiesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God he knoweth but I see things that are vnutterable So rainshed in spirit he roamed towards heauen with a chearefull looke and soft sweete voice but what he said we could not conceiue At last shrinking downe againe he gaue a sigh with these words Ah yet it wil not be my sins keepe me from my God Thus that euening twise rising and twise falling with the Sunne in the morning following he rise then neuer to fall when againe raysing himselfe as Iacob did vpon his staffe hee shut vp his blessed life with these blessed words O what an happy change shall I make from night to day from darkenes to light from death to life from sorrow to solace from a factious world to a heauenly being O my deare brethren sisters friends it pitteth me to leaue you behinde yet remember my death when I am gone and what I now feele I hope you shall â—â—idâ—ere you dye that God doth and will do â—â—â— familiarly with men And now thou firy Chariot that came donne to fetch vp Eliah carry me to my happy hold and all ye blessed Angels who attended the soule of Lazarus to bring it vp to heauen beare me O beare me into the bosonâ— of my best beloued Amen Amen come Lord Iesus come quickly and so he fell a slâ—ope I say the truth my brethren I lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost with an appeale from my own credit to the right worshipfull his brother and all the standers by to iustifie what I haue sayd in comfort of their owne soules and warrantie of the doctrine â—ayme at which is to proue That God neuer suffereth his elect to depart this life comfortlesse nor wil I am perswaded call them hence till they haue seene with Simeon the Lords Christ either in soule spirit body or both The life of this perswasion is the death of sinne and such hope of eternity is the reuenge of iniquity Fie vpon sinne whilst I behold my Sauiour fie vpon shame whilst I behold my glory Heauen is my hope the visions of my hart are the imprâ—â—sions of my ioy and reuelations are expâ—ations to all Gods children they haue bin they are and they will be neuer wanting in supplementum fidei to helpe faith And for conclusion of this point remember Lots wife was Christ his aduertisement to inure vs with a forgetfulnes of our owne people and our fathers house that the Lord might haue pleasure in our beawty But so to looke vpon Zoar and flee thither was Lots sanctuary O it is but a little one and my soule shall liue What is Sodome other then this sinfull world And what is Zoar other then that heauenly being O let me take you by the hand bring you out and say with the Angell Escape for thy life looke not behind thee neither tarry thou in all the plaine escape into the mountaine least thou be destroyed And let this suffice for the first circumstance of my text as balme from heauen to sweeten our miseries in this life and to bury our iniquities in the graue Now passe we from the peace of the soule to the rest of the bodie and quiet of both vrged by the spirit in the second place as an Antidote to preuent a poyson much infecting all flesh who without all comfort of future blessednes do to the hazard of their soules stand doubtfull of the resurrection as also of the rest of their soules after they be departed The one sort are the Atheists the other are the Papists of these dayes times But the text is powrefull to put back both Iordans that the Israel of God may enter Canaan without crosse or feare For if the Lords elect shal rest in their beds they shal rise from their beds Rest implyeth
or seruant saint or sinner if he beleeue hee shall haue life if hee walke before him Peace shall come Nescit Religio nostra personas nec conditiones hominum respicit Our religioÌ„ taketh no knowledge of persons nor respecteth the coÌ„ditions of men Old Simeon in the temple yong Iohn in the wombe poore Bartimeus begging rich Zacheus climing the hard hearted Centurion standing by the tree the theefe hanging vpon the crosse confessing the trueth and walking in the sunneshine of their Christ all indifferentlie receiue his die gaine peace and finde rest This Peter sawe in vision from heauen and this he preached powerfully on earth when vpon the sight he opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceiue now that God is no respecter of persons but in euery nation he that seareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him Againe I gather out of the text that as God is generall in his gifts so must we be particular in our receite Euery one shall be saued but by his owne faith Euery one shall haue peace and finde rest but by his owne walking Anothers faith though neuer so pretious is not sufficient anothers walking though neuer so righteous is not auaileable to my rest The iust man shall liue by his owne faith so saith Habacucke 2. 4. Euery one shall heare his owne burden and euery one shal haue his owne honour And as we sow so shall we reape not anothers mouth to kisse not anothers teares to wash not anothers haires to wipe the feete of thy Christ but thine owne mouth thine own teares thine own haires must kisse wash and wipe with Marie the feete of thy Sauiour All that thine hand shall finde to doe doc it with all thy power thine hand not anothers hand â—â—y prayers not anothers prayers thine hearing not anothers hearing thy feete not anothers feete shodde to the preparation of the Gospell of peace yea and thy communicating of Christ with all the benefits of his passion not anothers shall benefit thee to thine euerlasting saluation Quid tibi de alterius dono si tu non dederis why art thou proude of another mans gift and thou giue nothing Anothers clothes will not warme me anothers meate will not feede me anothers golde will not enrich me anothers heart will not cheere me no more say I can anothers faith saue me Onely my faith in my Christ whom I haue put on my walking mine obedience must warme me must feede me must cheere me must enrich me and therefore I say with Thomas vpon mine owne tuch My God my Lord. Not God in generall but my God in particular mine by promise mine by stipulation mine by oth mine by free gift mine by purchase mine by participation of giftes and graces my Shilo mine Emmanuel my Iesus Of this particular faith and application spake Isaiah the Prophet when he said Razili Razili Secretum meum mihi Secretum meum mihi My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe And this is the spirit of application by which the children of God both can and doe applie the medicine to the maladie for what is the sweetest balme if it be not broken The best receite if it be not taken Or the soueraigndst plaister that can be deuised by arte or cunning if it bee not applied to the wound or sore From this spirit of application spake Dauid when he said O God thou art my God as Mary also in the garden when she said Rabboni my master yea and Iohn too whose head lay neere his masters heart euen the Disciple whom the Lord loued when hee sayd We know that wee are of God though all the world lie in wickednes But the sonnes of Beliall and the reprobate from God if you mark them well you shall find that they are seared with a brand and so as neither they caÌ„ nor do apply the mercies of God vnto themselues Caine could make no vse of it when he said My sinne is greater then can be pardoned Nay saith Augustine not so Mentiris Caine mentiris maior est dei misericordia quà m omnium peccatorum miseria Thou lyest Caine thou liest the mercies of God are aboue all mans miseries Pharoah was â—bdurate and could make no vse of God either in maiesty or mercie when he said Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce let Israel goe I know not the Lord. Iudas that sonne of perdition when he cast in the â—0 pence a goodly price whereat he was valued though he mourned much yet had he no helpe for that he was hopelesse when he could not applie mercie vnto his miserie but said I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud The innocent bloud not mine as if he had no portion in his Christ. And for the Diuels they are so farre from challenging any good by Christ that they disclaime his mercies person all whilest they say Ah what haue wee to doe with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs Such disclaime be farre from you my brethren and from all the Saints of God both in life and death nay rather clamate prore vestra claime your due and say with blessed Paul Christ is become vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption Yea and be bold to say yet more his bodie is in heauen there shall I finde it mine his diuinitie is on earth there do I feele it mine his word is in mine eares to beget him mine his sacrament is in mine eyes to confirme him mine his spirit is in my heart to assure him mine Angels mine to camp for me Prince mine to rule for me Church mine to pray for me Pastor mine to preach for me All mine whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are mine I am Christs and Christ is Gods Of all this I inferre and conclude with my text that euery one must walke if he wil haue peace and who wil be cured must care to apply his sweete Sauior vnto his sinfull soule Thine owne gaine must buy balme to bury thy Christ nor must thou send it but bring it with the deuout Maryes to the sepulcher The Queene of Saba though a Queene yet she sent not but came her selfe to heare the wisedome of Salomon And the wisemen of the East herein shewed their wit that after they had seene his starre they turned not but hasted to the place of the babes abode with this inquiry Where is he which is borne King of the Iewes vidimus stellam eius in oriente we haue seene his star in the East and are come to worship him venimus personaliter we come our selues we acknowledge our misery venimus adorare humiliter we adore him our selues we acknowledge his maiestie and we worship eum singulariter him alone
way he hath trode the wine-presse alone and there was none is helpe The cup of bitter affliction whereof he tasted agonizing in the garden for no intreatie with his Father could passe from him to any other Oye Papists at last in the name of God be wise and warned leaue off your mixtures away with your medleys and if you desire either peace to your soules or rest to your bodies only walke before him Meddle with no merit of man pardon of Pope meede of Martyrs or pride of your owne workes vnwisely wrought Make no mixtures of the sacred water and bloud which flowed froÌ„ the side of Christ with the bloud of Hales and Becket or with the inchanted holy water of an vnhallowed Priest Neuer match your triple crowne of gold and diamonds glittering with the single crowne of thorne piercing And neuer thinke the puriâ—ie of the word will abide the mixtures of your traditions the text your glosses the Church your Idols the arke of God your Dagon nor the poore priesthood of Christ your papall pride and Popedome Looke for none other but that the bodie and soule of your religion like the image Nebuchadnezzar saw pâ—tcht together of gold siluer brasse iron and clay will and shall â—inner when the stone cut out without hands shall smite the same Your coate is of â—iâ—â—ie woolâ—ie not for our wearing Your familie like Micha of mount Ephraim and not for our dwelling for as he had so haue you an house of gods an Ephod and a Teraphim he would serue both God and Idols and so doe you And as for vs who beleeue and looke after better things we say with the poore Paralyticke in disclaime of all others helpe it is Iesus that made vs whole And we say with Abraham when we go to sacrifice thou seruant stay here I and the childe will walke alone And now for conclusion by the Lords commaund that wee are for Bethel we haue with Iacobs familie put away the strange gods that were among vs we haue clensed our selues and chaunged our garmeÌ„ts pluckt off our earings and put all into the hand of our Iacob our Elizabeth who faithfully for her God and graciously for her people hath buryed Popâ—rie with it execrable things vnder an oke at Shechem neuer to be reuiued neuer to be found out Amen Amen Lastly for an end sith the time is past and I feare much I haue wearied your patience ouer-long From the proper obiect of our faith walking come we to the progresse and increase of both contayned in this word walketh Where you may see as in a glasse chrystaline that a christian life is not a standing still but a walking on and growth in the doctrine of faith and practice of godlines The first blessing that euer God gaue after the creation was increase and multiplie which tooke it effect not only in the creatures by propagation of kinde but also in his gifts graces by renouation of minds new birth growth in knowledge true faith and godlines All the trees in Paradise did grow and all the floods in Paradise did flow to teach vs that we must not staÌ„d still at a stay lest either wee be fruitles and so accursed or become puddle water and so vnprofitable The finest cloath will weare if it be not vsed the purest gold will rust if it be not handled the sweetest balme will corrupt if it be not broken and the cleerest fountaine will stincke if it runne not So are the graces of God and doctrines of the beginnings of Christ though of themselues pure as gold sweete as balme cleere as a fountaine yet in respect of vs vnprofitable if we proceed not further but there stand still Foundations they are I graunt for the scripture hath said it Hebr. 6. 1. But what of that and what is the foundation be it of Beryll Topaze or Chrisolite if you build not vpon it proceed no further in the work In the first of Ezechiel where the vision of gifts and graces are described it is said that the beasts winds and wheeles went as the spirit lead them and they returned not when they went foorth and if at any time they stood they let downe their wings as vnprofitable then vntill the Lord had put power in them of further proceeding And in the same Prophet againe where the like gifts are described by another vision you may finde that from vnder the threshold of Gods sanctuary the waters issue out and they runne East West North and South Theâ—maÌ„ with the line measured a thousand â—ubiâ—s and the waters were to the anckles Againe he measured a thousand and they were to the knâ—os he measured againe and they were to the loynes after he measured againe and it was a riuer impossible signifying that the graces of God should neuer decrease but euer abound in his Church The fishers should spread out their nets froÌ„ En-gedi to En-eglâ—um The trees shuld grow vpon the brinke of the riuer on this side and on that side with leaues not fading fruit not failing leaues for medicine fruite for meate and fruite euer new according to his moueths As for the miry places thereof saith the Prophet and the marisâ—ies which stand still they shall not be holesome but they shall be made â—alt pits You may remember when Aarons Priesthood should be confirmed all the tribes with their names cast their rods into the mercie-â—eate and none blossomed but Aarons You are a kingly people and a royall Priesthood ò bud bloome blossome and bring foorth fruit worthy amendment and newnes of life Dauid said of his Saints Ibant de virtute in virtutem they went from strength to strength and from faith to faith as it is written from the faith of the promise to the faith of the performance from the faith of the letter that killeth to the faith of the spirit that giueth life from the faith of Christ his humiliation in misery to the faith of his exaltation in glorie from the faith of the first resurrection from sinne to the faith of the second resurrectioÌ„ from death from the faith of the law wounding to the faith of the Gospell curing from the faith of the Prophets â—owing to that faith of the Apostles reaping from the faith of the old sacrifice giuing to God to the faith of the new sacraments receiuing from God in a word from the faith of the old couenant wherein God speaketh to the faith of the new restament wherein Christ bleedeth Of al which I may conclude with Haymo Ex side qua coÌ„cipitur corde profertur ore exhibetur opere iustus viuit By faith conceiued in the hart professed with the mouth practised with the hand the righteous man liueth Paul is plentifull in this doctrine and hauing once laid the ground of faith hee vrgeth nothing more then the increase of faith He tels the Romanes That by the Gospell
and vncharitable tongues of the Papists abiding in our countrey who since her death haue not ceased to giue it out that she died despairing and by her comfortles end shewed that she professed a coÌ„fortles Religion Wherein they bewray their malice madnes and shew themselues of what generatioÌ„ they are euen a people as the Prophet Ieremy saith which bend their tongues like bowes for lyes and as Dauid saith make readie their arrowes to shoote at them which are vpright in heart And lastly when I remembred the censure giuen by our Sauiour Christ of the woman that poured costly ointment on his head a little before his Passion though some of his Disciples vniustly blamed her for the same saying What needed this wast yet he himselfe did not only excuse her for that fact saying she did it to bury him but also commaunded that wheresoeuer the Gospell should bee preached throughout the worlde there also that which she had done should be spoken of for a memoriall of her Euen so seeing this vertuous Gentlewoman hath bin vniustly accused by some popish persons I thought it sit that she should not onely be iustly excused and cleered from their false and slaunderous reports but also that a true historie of her holie life and christian death should be annexed to those learned Sermons which were preached at her Funerall by two godly Preachers and are now published in print that where soeuer they going before as the Gospell preached there also this briefe historie may follow after to be seene and read for a memoriall of her These reasons moued me both to collect and publish this treatise the doing whereof I trust as it will be acceptable to many so can it bee hurtfull to none vnlesse possible it be to the kingdome of darknes If there be any vnsatisfied and yet desire any other reasons I tell them further it is to burie her and the last balme that euer I can powre vpon her head it is my farewell and the last duty which I can performe vnto her and therefore I hope both excusable in me and also profitable to others because many things here spoken of her deserue imitation And this I assure the Reader that howsoeuer I may sometimes misse the for me of words which possibly the Gentlewoman vsed in her speech yet haue I faithfully set downe the substance of the matter and for the most part also faithfully related the words themselues and reported nothing but that which is most true and testified by persons of good and honest report as they are named in the margent out of whose fresh memories the substance of that which I publish was presentlie set downe This I humbly desire thee good Christian Reader to accept I had no other odours wherewith to imbalme her I am but the pen-man the thing it selfe was her owne wrought in her by Gods spirit and therefore not costly to me though more comfortable to me and all that heard it then I can now expresse and I doubt not but it shall yeeld thee also the same comfort and giue thee occasion both to praise God and imitate her wel-doing which the Lord graunt Amen A Post-script to Papists PEace and truth to as many of you as pertaine to God I am moued in conscience to deale with you by this manner of writing because of the false and slanderous reports which I heare some of your faction haue blazed and diuulged abroade concerning the death of Mistresse Katherin Brettergh a Christian Gentlewoman whose life indeed was holy and death most comfortable It is no noueltie or new thing to heare a lye from a Papist but rather a principle of your religion Therefore if you pleade antiquitie as a marke infallible to know your Church by for that point tak 't you you haue it from the Diuell your father by tradition diabolicall holding the same still in these succeeding ages so succinctly that for ought I know you will not leaue it till you be shut foorth of the heauenly Ierusalem and cast into Tophet which is prepared of old for liers and inchanters Yet it pities me to thinke of some of your poore sillie seduced soules how simple they be in Gods causes and yet malicious for the most of my popish neighbors what others be I know not flye but a very low pitch being people altogether void of learning wit and ciuilitie The furthest drift of their religion is to say the Pope is a good man to say it is safest to doe in religion as most doe to thump hard their breasts when they pray to crosse them when they meete a Protestant and to spit out when they name the Diuell to gallop ouer a Pater noster or Ladies Psalter vpon their beades and to say it was a good world when Masse was vp for then all things were cheape finallie some of them will say I beleeue as my father beleeued God baue mercie on his sweete soule and I hope to go to him when I die This is the very length broadth and depth of most part of Popery where I dwell euery one can reach this marke and few can goe beyond it Another opinion of these sottish people is to say If a man dye like a lambe and passe out of the world like a bird in a shell he is certainely saued although neither holines were in his life nor God in his mouth grace in heart nor yet repentaÌ„ce faith or feeling at his death Such blockish ends a reuerend man doth count fearefull saying such men excepting their fetherbeds and pillowes dye liker beasts then Christians Againe if the violence of any disease stirre vp impatience in a muÌ„ at his death straight say our country-Papists there is a iudgement of God seruing either to discouer an hypocrite or plague a wicked man especially if they proteste the truth of Iesus Christ as this Gentlewoman did then they cry and shout see the effect of this religion see the end of these men where as indeede the truth is farre otherwise as a learned writer doth notably determine It seemeth you Papists or who els so euer doe iudge thus are little acquainted with Scripturos nor yet were euer of Salomons minde who speaking of outward things happening to man doth say The same condition is to the iust and to the wicked both one to the pure and polluted Dauid saw the wicked without bands in their death noitâ—er were they troubled like other men and yet were they ropnobates and the children of Satan But if you Bapists had Dauids spirit which the Diuell would not that you had for Dauids kingdome you would iudge more charitably of Christians deaths especiallie such whose liues were holy notwithstanding any outward accident that might happen at the least you ought rather to mourne and conceale it then to laugh and deride the same for when Saul was dead in mount Gilboa who was a notorious wicked man and his death fearefull indeede
had plentifull gifts and continually vsed the same at such times as were fitting for her state sex and calling At the exercises of Religion as prayer and instruction in her familie she would not be wanting besides priuate prayer and meditation which she omitted not but vsed daily both in her chamber as also abroad secretly and solitarily in the orchard garden or fields as Isaacs manner was In reading the Scriptures she vsed euermore to taske her selfe eight chapters a day at the least and for the time which she saw euill or idlely spent without doing some good she vsed to call the time of temptation Many times also she would reade some godly writer or expositer of Scripture or in the booke of Martyrs and was seene to weepe most bitterly when either shee had read of that which touched her affections neere or of the cruell matyrdome which the deere children of God were put vnto by the cruell and wicked tyrants of former daiâ—s For Poperie she saâ— it â—o grosse and foolish that shee would not one name it except it were to argue against â—â— but neuer for it so zealous was she of Gods glorie and loued the truth so intirely that shee would not once open her mouth to pleade for Baal Sinne aboue all things was hatefull vnto her for there at she would haue grieued as well when shee had seene it in others as in her selfe O 〈…〉 or two examples I cannot omit wherein she bewrayed a worthie spirit sanctified by the spirit of God and prepared for all the assaults of Satan On a time as her husband and shee were riding toward the Church he was angry with his man Alas husband quoth she feare your heart is not right towards God that can bâ— thus angry for a trifle And weâ—ping she said further you must pray against this your affection and alwaies bee sure your anger be of God 〈…〉 else how dare you appeare this day before his minister And offer vp your prayers in the publike congregation of the saints of God Another time a tenant of her husbands being behinde with his rent she desired him to beare yet with him a quarter of a yeere which he did and when the man brought his money with teares she said to her husband I feare you doe not well to take it of him though it bee your right for I doubt he is not well able to pay it and then you oppresse the poore So great a compassion had she of other mens wants that all things being duly considered and rightly weighed mee thinkes I may say of her as Paul said of Timothie I know none like minded Thus after she was maried she continued in the things she had learned and held her profession with such sinceritie that the common enemies to our religion the verie Papists had nothing to say against her but confessed her life was vnreproouable And as for the godly that knew her they alwaies acknowledged that modestie and vertuous carriage in her ioyned with knowledge and practise of all the duties of religion that they had iust cause to report of her as of a sound and faithfull professor of the Gospell Two yeeres and something more she liued with her husband till about Whitâ—ontide it pleased God to send her that sicknes whereof on Whitsunday 1601 she died Her sicknes tooke her in the manner of a hot burning Ague which made her according to the nature of such diseases now and then to talke somewhat idly and through the tempters subtiltie which abused the infirmitie of her bodie to that end as he oftentimes vseth to do in many from idle words to descend into a heauie conflict with the infirmitie of her owne spirit from the which yet the Lord presently and wonderfully deliuered her giuing so ioyfull an issue to the temptation that shee might well vse the words of the Prophet as afterwards shee did For a moment O Lord thou diddest hide thy face from me for a little season but with euerlasting mercie thou hadst compassion on me On Saturday seuenight before Whitsunday what time she sickened she began to feele some little infirmitie and weaknes of faith more then she had wont to shew but shee soone ouercame it On Munday night it increased vpon her and the assault of the enemie began to be sharp and so continued till the next day at afternoone what time God deliuered her and sent her peace and comfort of conscience and so increased the same in her continually till she died The manner of her affliction was this First the seueritie of Gods iustice and the greatnes of her sinnes began to come into her minde which much afflicted her and she would often speake of it Then shee accused her selfe of pride that she had delighted too much in her selfe and her beautie Afterwards shee thought shee had no faith but was full of hypocrisie and had not imbraced religion so earnestly nor glorified God so worthily especially with her tongue which oft she repeated nor loued him so sincerely as she ought to haue done Sometime she would â—ast her Bible from her and say It was indeede the booke of life but she had read the same vnprofitably and therefore feared it was become to her the booke of death Sometime she would say her sinnes had made her a pray to Satan a spectacle to the world a disgrace to religion and a shame to her husband kinred and all true Christians and here shee would weep bitterly Sometime the originall corruption wherein shee was borne troubled her and the sinnes of her parents and the common parents of all the eaters of the forbidden fruite as if that had made her vnworthie of God and were then laid to her charge Many times she accused her selfe of impatience bewailing the want of feeling Gods spirit and making doubt of her election and such like infirmities She wished that she had neuer been borne or that shee had beene made any other creature rather then a woman She cried out oftentimes Woe woe woe c. a weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman and such like pitifull complaints against her selfe with teares continually trickling from her eyes She complained of grieuous thirst such as all the water in the sea could not quench and yet when drinke was giuen her sometimes refused it sometimes tooke a very little of it Sweate burst out vpon her exceedingly and sometime her bodie burned extreamely So it seemed the sorrowes of death hemmed her in and the griefes of hell laid hold vpon her Sometimes she was very dull in prayer and once when she should haue said Leade vs not into temptation shee made a stop saying I may not pray I may not pray being interrupted as she said by Satan so shewed much discoÌ„fort howbeit she was not left till she could both pray and make confession of her faith with speciall application to her self Besides these firie darts of Satan