deceased Gentlewoman she was a wise Rebecca and a faithful Sarah an amiable Rachel a fruitful Leah a discreet Abigal an obedient Hester a provident Martha and a prudent Mary a charitable Dorcas and a cheerfull Deborah in a word adevoute a pious Elizabeth endeavouring to walk in all the Commandements of God blameles and without reproofe Luke 1.6 The chiefe labour of her life was rightly to learne my Text So to number her dayes as to apply her heart unto wisedome and though she numbred but few to what she might have done in the ordinary course of nature had God so pleased yet she profited in this divine Arithmeticke so well that shee made up a mighty totall and attained to such a portion of heavenly Wisdome that the like is rarely to be found in either her sex or age But because we know it is the end which crownes the action and Vltima semper Expectanda dies homini diciq beatus Ante obitum nemo supremaq funera debet The last day is ever to be expected and happy can no man be said to be till death hath shewed how he departed saith the Philosopher Thereforefore I will leave you to judge more fully of the integrity and uprightnesse of her life by some remarkeable passages before her death the manner whereof I shall declare unto you more particularly She received the sentence of death within her selfe long before the execution thereof by meanes of a lingring Consumption sent from her heavenly Father with the same Message that the Prophet Isaiah brought to Hezekiah Set thy house in order 2 Kin. 20.1 for thou must dye whereby her strength daily decaying and notwithstanding the good use of all lawful meanes possible for prevention the glasse of her life being well nigh run out those motions of grace that were in her like those of nature became now In fine velociores more quicke and lively towards her end mounting up her soule on a swifter wing towards her happinesse the Spirit of God did now fill the sayles of her affections with more then an extraordinary desire of her wished-for heaven But Satan envying that so fure a vessell should arive at the Port without a storme raised a sudden tempest of doubts and distrustfull thoughts in her soule labouring thereby had it beene possible to wracke her faith upon the rocke of despaire and God willing to shew his strength in her weakenesse suffers for a time this Eclipse of his wonted presence being delighted to see her with the Disciples rowing and towing against the streames of Satans temptations whilst himselfe with our Saviour walkes by on the waves ready to succour her in the greatest necessity During which weakenesse both of mind and body her sorrowfull husband with other her choice friends who sincerely loved her being desirous to comply with any course which might be thought conducible to her welfare upon good advise her desire brought her on Tuesday the 14 day of Iuly last past from London towards Pluckley in Kent the residence of her husbands and truely also of her dearest and most tenderly affected kindred and friends Now as she was travelling upon the way there hapned unto her as to Iacob in his journey from Padan-Aram to Canaan a grievous wrestling Gen. 32.24 with a fore and heavy conflict which caused her for the time like him to halt very much not on her feet but in her affections beginning now extreamely to complaine of her want of faith and to doubt of the assurance of her salvation in both which before-time she lived fully confirmed and this tryall was so full of trouble to her selfe and griefe to her loving husband and friends then in company that they were necessitated for that to night lodge her and themselves short of that place whither they intended where having reposed her body with all sit accommodation their chiefe care was how to compose her doubts and to comfort her weake and feeble mind and to this end they requested my assistance the most unworthy pastor of that place where then she rested and considering the office required to be in it selfe both Christian and charitable and an essentiall part of my Ministeriall charge to support the weake And to bind up the broken hearted I was gladly entreated to assist with the best counsels that lay in me for the re-establishing of her peace Being come unto her she began to repeate unto me her former complaints accusing her selfe of a wonderfull dulnesse and deadnesse of heart of a marvellous want of faith that she could not apply the comsorts of God to her soule nor repent as she ought for her sins that she could not feele the comfortable presence of Gods Spirit as she was wont that she had no mind to sue unto him by prayer as before and thereupon concludes against her selfe that certainly the Lord had forsaken her and cast her off and would not restore her to the joy of his salvation which words she uttered with many sighs and groanes with strong cryings which argued truely the anguish and distresse of her soule Whereupon sorrowing to behold her in this extremity of affliction for as Solomon tells us the spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity But a wounded spirit who can beare Proverb 18.14 I addrest my selfe to apply unto her what comfort God should enable meto Minister Assuring her that these spirituall desertions for a time are familiar to the dearest of Gods Children instancing in David in Iob and in S. Paul with other Saints whose particular tryals I dilated unto her adding moreover that God like a wise Father is not alwayes kissing his sons but many times correcting of them and that his love in their humiliation is as much magnifyed towards them by the saving effects of it as is his mercy in their exaltation I told her farther that the sense of her weakenesse which she complained of was not weakenesse but strength for it comes not from our corruption that we feele our corruption but from Gods grace and that the detestation of sin with a desire to repent is true repentance indeed and a manifest worke of the spirit and though God find many things in us that he likes not yet he ever loves and likes this in us that we doe dislike and loath our selves for God respects not so much our state as our purpose nor regards so much what we are as what we desire to be For a desire to be good is a good step to yea a good part of goodnesse it self I prayd her therefore not to wrong her selfe so much as to imagine she could not repent while she profest she hated sin and desired to repent nor to offer that indignity to Gods mercy as to feare he should be unwilling to forgive and pardon what she was so willing to forgoe and part withall I shewed her also concerning her want of faith and spirituall feeling how that though God might suffer her faith to faint yet
which God had so lately shewed amongst them murmured against the Lord and against his servant Moses Whereupon the Lord sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his promised rest And from that time forth all of the age of twenty yeares and upwards except Caleb and Iosuah dyed in the wildernesse by the way During which mortality Moses composed this Psalme wherein having first layd downe the shortnesse and uncertainty of mans life he makes this application of it by way of prayer unto God on the behalfe of himselfe and the rest of Israel That though their dayes were few yet they might not bee evill since they could not live long yet that they might live well which to doe being impossible of themselves they beseech God to instruct them saying so teach us to number our dayes that c. This text is a prayer for instruction teach us First in this particular to number our dayes Secondly on this manner so to number our dayes Thirdly to this end that we may apply our hearts c. Now all sorts of prayers may bee reduced to these 4. heads First Petitory for mercies and blessings Secondly Deprecatory against sinnes and evills Thirdly Intercessory on the behalfe of others Fourthly Gratulatory in Thankfulnes for past received favors This prayer is of the first kind viz. a Petition wherein are considerable 4. things First Efficiens the teacher or instructor God O Lord teach us so some translators Secondly Materia the matter taught to number our dayes Thirdly Forma the manner how this numbering is to be done So Fourthly Finis the End why they would bee so taught to number c. viz. That they may apply their bearts c. Efficiens 1 I. To begin with the first Efficiens the teacher God to him Moses and Israel direct their prayers Object But here it may bee objected Moses was learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians Acts 7. The Secretaryes of Nature the most experienced in human knowledge of any nation then in the world and the rest of Israel having lived so long amongst them could not but have learn'd so much Arithmeticke as to number a few dayes why then doe they make it so great a sute unto God To which it may well bee answered Humane knowledge of Arts and Sciences may goe farre in the information of the understanding Sol. but they are all ignorant in teaching reformation of life they may teach us scientiam capitis how to apply our heads to wisdome but that which Moses would learne here is scientiam Cordis how to apply his heart to wisdom which none but God can teach Acts 10.1.6 The Centurion by his his owne Art had learn'd so well in Military discipline that hee became a Captaine over the Italian band but he was so ignorant in Gods warre that hee knew not how to serve there as a common souldier till Peter instructed him The Ethiopian Eunuch was so well versed in Courtship Acts 8.27 that he was chiefe favorite to Candace Queene of Ethiopia but could not become Gods favorite till he sent Philip to baptize him Paul that spake so many languages yet was unskilled in the language of Canaan the knowledge of Christ Acts 9.5 till Christ himselfe converted him Acts 18.26 Apollos an Eloquent man yet a Novice in Christianity till Aquila and Priscilla tooke him and taught him the way of God more perfectly Here is a divine kinde of Arithmeticke that none but God can teach for the numbering of the people we have David for an example 2 Sam. 24.2 for the numbering of our money our sheepe our Cattell we can doe it our selves the Poet could say Mille mei teneris errant in montibus agni and againe pauperis est numerare pecus Nay man can number the latitude of the Earth the altitude of the starres c. but for the numbering of his dayes to make up his account with God aright to see what arrerages hee hath and to summe up exactly his time to serve him None but he that is God can teach us this It is not to vilify humane learning that I speake this No I know Wisdome hath enemyes enough though she be justified by her owne children But rather to magnify God teaching above others and to shew that it is his priviledge alone who does all things Wisd 11. Psal 147.4 Math. 10.30 by number waight and measure who numbers the stars and calls them all by their names who numbers the hayres of our head and suffers not one to fall to the ground without his providence to teach us so to number our dayes as to apply our hearts to wisdome Here let all Moralls bee mute and all sciences bee silent let other teachers lay their hands on their mouthes and learne themselves Or if they will speake let them confesse that 1. Hee is the best Grammarian that lives with fewest incongruities in his faith and manners that keepes the best Concordance in his life to the rules of the Word that walks aequis passibus in Gods wayes that with Zachary and Elizabeth endevoureth Luke 1.6 to walke in all the Commandements of God blamelesse and without reproofâ— Luke 1. 2. He is the best Logician that knits his fist against sinne and impiety that makes the strongest Syllogismes against the temptations of Satan allurements of the world and lusts of the flesh that backes himselfe with arguments out of Gods Word wherewith as with the shield of Faith Helmet of Salvation and sword of the Spirit hee is able to repell all the fiery darts of Satan that can best divide the Word of truth best define the mysteries of Godlinesse and best discourse unto edification 3. Hee is the best Rethorician that with Apollos is mighty and eloquent in the Scriptures Acts 18. that with Esay rents his Rethoricke in sermons of Repentance and with David shewes his Poesy in divine Hymnes that with Paul can perswade Agrippa not onely almost Acts 26.28 but altogether to become a Christian and make Faelix tremble with his discourse while hee preacheth of Temperance Acts 24.25 Righteousnesse and Iudgement to come that studyes to deliver himselfe not so much in fine as fit and significant words Acts 2.37 that with Peter may pricke the hearts of the auditory and drive them to confession of sinnes and amendment of life 4. Hee is the best Geometrician whose Rule is the Word whose square is the will and whose line and levell are the glory of God that hath learnt with all Saints to comprehend what is the height and depth and breadth and length of the love of Christ Ephes 3.18 and can resolve with Saint Paul that neither height nor depth Rom 8. â—9 nor any other creature shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 5. Hee is the best Astronomer that can picke out of the hoasts of Heaven viz. The Sunne Moone
bare cipher which it properly resembles and cannot profit in the day of wrath for Christ tells us so much What will it profit a man to gaine the whole world Marke 8.36 and to lose his owne soule But place Christ before it and then every creature in it shall be avaylable for our good And Christ assures us this too Matth. 6.33 first seeke the Kingdom of God and the righteousnes thereof and all other things shall bee added unto you So then the way to be truely great is to bee truely good vertue is the best Nobility Christianity the greatest dignity and godlinesse the surest gaine Let it bee then our chiefe labour So to number our dayes since it will both supply our houses with wealth and apply our hearts to wisdome which brings me to the last particular viz. Finis Finis the End why wee desire to bee so taught That we may apply our hearts to wisdome Wherein observe first What kind of wisdome this is Secondly how our hearts are said to bee applyed unto it For the first there are two sorts of wisdome as Heady wisdome and Hearty wisdome Earthly wisdome and Heavenly wisdome Marthas wisdome and Maryes wisdome Now were wee ever to live in this world Marthas wisdome would be preferred but since our dayes are numbred with God Maryes choyce will best teach us so to number them our selves as to apply our hearts to heavenly wisdome Which may be distinguished from the earthly in 4. particulars 1. By the Object The Object of heavenly wisdome is Christ who is made unto us Wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Corinth 1.30 But of earthly wisdome vanity and sinne 2. By the Properties Heavenly wisdome is pure peaceable gentle and easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without Hypocrisy Iam. 3.17 But earthly wisdome is mixt with sin mudded with lust cruell crafty and quarelsome Iam. 3.15 3. By the Schoole where they are to bee learnt Heavenly wisdome is taught onely of God by his Spirit and in his Word but the other hath as many Masters as there are corrupt mindes 4. By the end at which they aime The one tends chiefely to the good of the soule howsoever it fare with the body But the other chiefely to satisfy and fulfill the lusts of the flesh without respect unto the soule Let an earthly wise man have Esaus blessing Gen. 27.39.28 the fatnesse of the earth and let who will take Iacobs blessing the dew of Heaven Psal 4.8 Let their corne and wine and oyle increase it is all they care for as for the light of Gods countenance they regard it not For the Second hee that beleeves what God affirmes applyes his heart to faith Hee that does what God commands applyes his heart to Obedidience and hee that makes use of both these in their benefits and effects to the good of his soule applyes his heart to wisdome Now hee that will so number his dayes as is before layd downe must thus apply his heart to a sixfold wisdome First to the Virgins Wisdome the wisdome of Preparation Math. 25.4 The wise Virgins tooke oyle in their Vessells Wee all know the Bridegroome Christ Iesus will come but when wee know not and therefore we ought alwayes to bee prepared with the oyle of grace in our lamps that when hee shall come we may be ready to enter with him into his everlasting glory I find no other difference betwixt the wise Virgins and the foolish but onely this the one did that in time which the other would faine have done when it was too late If thou bee wise then prepare in time least thou repent when it is too late Secondly to the serpents wisdome the wisdome of Preservation Matth. 10.16 Bee yee wise as serpents c. It is accounted a great part of wisdome in the Serpent to preserve his head with all the care that may be because all his life lyes in his head a little blow on the head quickly kills him but wound him never so much on the body his head being safe he will recover it againe Now the Apostle tels us that our life is hid with God in Christ our head Colos 3.3 in whom we must bee carefull to preserve and keepe our Faith though wee suffer never so many wounds in our persons goods or good names Resolving with the Apostle that neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution c. shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Rom. 8. ult Thirdly to the Stewards wisdome the wisdome of Prevention Luke 16.8 The Lord commended the unjust Steward because hee had done wisely c. The Steward we know being ready to bee put from his place to prevent poverty made himselse friends with his Masters goods which was reputed a point of wisdome in him Now wee are all but Stewards of what wee possesse and know not how soone we shall bee taken from them or they from us Here then is our wisdome in time to make us friends with these Mammons of unrighteousnes for so Christ calls these earthly riches in comparison of the true treasure that when they sayle us Luke 16.9 we may be received into everlasting habitations which may bee best done by our Charity to the poore members of Christ for Prov. 19.17 what we give to the poore we lend to the Lord saith Salomon and what is layd out he will repay us againe The poore mans hand is the rich mans reasury what hee layes up there he shall find in heaven hee that feeds the hungry puts bread into Christs owne mouth hee that clothes the naked puts a garment on Christs owne backe and hee that gives to the poore puts a penny in Christs owne hand himselfe hath said it Matth 25.45 Eccl. 11 7. whatsoever you doe unto any of these little ones yee doe it unto me Cast your bread then upon these waters and after many dayes you shall find it againe with a great reward Fourthly to the Ants wisdome the wisdome of Providence Proverb 6.6 Goe to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and bee wise It is observed of the Ant that she labours very painefully in the Summer to get provision together to keepe her in the Winter so should wee doe during the summer of health and prosperity and Sunne-shine of the Gospell of peace 1 Tim. 6.19 lay up for our selves a good foundation against the Winter of trouble need sorrow sicknesse or other adversity The Apostles Counsell is Gal. 6.10 while you have time doe good to all especially to those who are of the houshold of Faith and the Prophet renders you a reason of it because in death God is not remembred Psal 6.5 nor will any give him thanks in the grave while you have the light walk Iohn 11. Phil. 2.12 and while it is called to day worke out your salvation with feare and