are not to rob spoil and take away the substance and estates of wicked men meerly quà wicked because the Israelites robbed the Aegyptians unless we had immediate Authority and command for it from him who is the absolute and Supream Lord of the Creature Psa 75.7 and may dispose of the whole Creation to whomsoever he please as they had We may not offer up our Sons and Daughters in sacrifice to God because God tempted Abraham to offer up his Isaac for tryal of his obedience and Self-denyal Nor yet again may any man or woman take a Wife or Husband of Whoredome as the Prophet did Hos 1.2 whether in vision only or in reality we enquire not here uness we had the same special dispensation and allowance from the Supream Law-giver Thus Negatively We are not to follow the Saints 2. Affirmatively Therefore we are to imitate the Saints in their graces only and in their holy Conversations in the world and in whatever they did in a way of obedience and conformity to the revealed will of God the standing rule of the word A more distinct and particular account whereof I shall give before I finish this discourse 3. 3 Qu. How we must imitate the Saints Querie How must we imitate the Saints of God Answer Here again our Negative Rule meets us scil We are not to follow the Saints Universally not all over And the reason is because all that is in the Saints is not Sanctity All that is in the Godly is not Godliness Saints have their infirmities and in them they are not to be imitated The best of men are but men at the best Affirmatively Therefore our imitation of the Saints it must be but With limitation 1. A limited Imitation And that Limitation one of the best of men that were but men the great Apostle hath given us in his own Person 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me How as I am of Christ If we find holy Paul not following Christ he doth not require us to follow him It was Jehosophat's honour that he made choice of the first wayes of David to walk in Indeed we have these intermediate Copies written for our learning God therein condescending to our infirmity lest our tender eies should be too much dazled in continual beholding the transcendent brightnesse of the Supream light 1 Joh. 1.5 But God and Christ and the Spirit are the Supream Original Standard of our Conformity The Father Mat. 5.48 Be you perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation The Holy Ghost Rom. 8.7.14 They that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit And again As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God Next to these the Saints and Angels in Heaven are our lights of a second magnitude Petit. 3d. Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven These are our exact and perfect Exemplars in which there is no defect or imperfection But all our Earthly Patterns be they never so excellent have their errours and deficiencies which may mislead us if we follow them without due limitation And therefore all these inferiâ—ur Patterns are to be reduced to the Original Standard and Exemplar and wherein they are found either erroneous or defective we are to correct and perfect them by the Original we must by faith eye the Pattern in the Mount we may imitate our terrestrial Copies but we must not terminate in them The Saints are good Leaders but not infallible useful Copies but such as have need to be corrected by the Original Our imitation of them therefore must be bounded by Scripture-limitation 2. Uniform Nemo agit unum nisi sapiens caeterimultiformes sunt Sen. Ep. Phil. 4.8 2. Our Imitation of the Saints must be exact and uniform though we are not to imitate the Saints in all their actions yet we are to imitate them in all their Graces and gracious conversation Whatsoever things are true whatsâ—ever things are just Whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise in the Saints and Servants of God these things we must think of and in these things we must labour to be like unto them We must take heed of Partiality in our following the Saints of preferring one before another one Saint before another or one Grace in the Saints before another unless it be such Saints and such Graces as God himself hath preferred by putting upon them more abundant honour some special remark of excellency we must take heed of picking and chusing taking what vve please and rejecting what we list according to our own private fancies and interest We must follow them in every path and in every step wherein they have fâ—llowed the Captain of their salvation Whether in their doing-work or in their suffering-work St. Paul's charge to Timothy will not in this case be improper for us I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 5.21 and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by Pa tiality To this end 3. Vigorous 3. Our Imitation of the Saints must be a vigorous and industrious Imitation Truly to follow the Saints fully and exactly is not a business of an easie and ordinary dispatch it will require a vigorous and industrious intention and contention of our spirits as a work that will take up all the faculties of our souls and parts of our bodies Our Judgments to discern according to the word what is to be chosen and what to be eschewed in the Patterns we propound to our selves Our Undeâ—standings to discover the beauty and amiableness of the Graces and Holiness that is in the Saints Our Memories to keep alwaies before our eyes these excellent Presidents lest at any time we let them slip we shall stand in need of such Looking-glasses continually to see our faces in we shall want our Guides at every turning to tell us the way when we are turning to the right hand or to the left Our Wills and Affection to love our Guides to take delight and complâ—cency in beholding these beautifull pieces if we see no beauty in the Saints why we should desire them we shall never be zealous imitators of their Persons Our Consciences we stand in need of the impartial Testimony of an awakened conscience to accuse or excuse us according to our fidelity or neglect in this duty of so great concernment Moreover it will cost us much prayer meditaâ—ion often reflection upon our selves watchfull observation self-denial mortification c. Yea much labour and pains even of the outward man much fasting striving wrestling and watchfulness to carry on this great important duty of imitating the Saints Surely a slothful lazy
Christ Her Temperance and Sobriety In Temperance and Sobriety she exceeded many not only of the ordinary rate of vvomen but even of such as not without cause have the repute of Religion In Apparel In her Habit she affected nothing of the pride and curiosity of the present generation Accounting it more honour to beautifie her Attire then to owe any beauty to it Nor was she in love with any fashion but that which the examples of the most pious and modest of her rank commended to her She was of great temperance in her diet Temperance she did as much disgust whatever might savor of delicacy and indulgence to the flesh as the delicate do what is mean and ordinary eating and drinking at such a rate as one whom not Nature only had dieted but Grace Provident she was without avarice frugal Providence not that she might get the more goods but that she might do the more good accounting that het best riches not which she laid up for her self but that which she laid out for God Her Charity was very extensive Charity not knowing any other limits but want of opportunity nor any other partiality but the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 Her Mercy refused not the lowest office Mercy to the lowest object her enquiry being not what the person was but what vvas the need She thought it no robbery to impoverish her self that she might make others rich Heroick spirit She had a tender and yet an Heroick Spirit she feared nothing but sin and could bear any thing but Gods dishonour and the reproach of Religion A Coward she was when Christ possibly might suffer by her but couragious when she was called to suffer any thing for Christ Her whole deportment was made up of Sweetness and Gravity Gravity which put such a Grace upon her that she Commenced a Matron in Religion before her time as if nature had over reckoned it self one age of her life at least and took the degree of old age before she was forty Her sincerity Lastly Her sincerity commended her to God and Man She vvas fully as much as she appeared to be to God without hipocrisie to Man without fraud a true Nathaniel in whose spirit there was no guile These Vertues as they were eminent in her so they deserve a larger share in her just Character but it is time to give you some account of her Death Her Death of which though much might be spoken worthy observation yet take the Epitome of it in a few words Three things she did upon her Death-Bed The first thing she did was to give a clear and full account of the work of Grace wrought in her soul both in the Methods and Progress of it The foundation whereof she acknowledged was laid in the Catechistical principles of her Parental education the rudiments of Religion were by their care and her diligence so distinctly imprinted in her understanding that they became a good foundation upon which the superstructure of more practical and spiritual truths of the Gospel were more prosperously and fruitfully raised After that by Precept and Pattern she had learned the necessity of secret duties instruction and experience soon taught her the insignificancy of them without regard to the manner as vvell as to the matter From thenceforth she began seriously to study a Duty-frame of spirit and to eye the Pattern in the Mount John 4.24 After this notwithstanding in the progress of the Ministry under which she lived during the time of her single state she found her self at a loss the Holy Ghost convincing her of a present absolute and indispensable need of Jesus Christ in point of Righteousness She well perceived her own Righteousness too short a garment to cover her nakedness from the all-piercing eye of Divine Justice From thenceforth with the Apostle she accounted all things even the best of her own Righteousness but loss and dung that she might win Christ and be found in him not having her own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith According to the Original Method asserted by our Lord Joh. 16.9 10 11. But the Conviction stayed not long there but soon was improved by the same spirit into a Conviction and discovery of the beauty and excellencies that is in Jesus Christ A Christ she must have as a fountain of Holiness as well as of Happiness for a Soveraign as well as for a Saviour for his Person as well as for his Portion A Christ for Himself as well as for Her self she was sick of Love But yet further Interest would not serve her turn without evidence Scripture evidence This she now made her business she was very diligent to bring her Hopes and Evidences to the Scripture and to compare them and the word together by the light whereof as she discovered any fault or defect in them or cause to be jealous of them She repaired to the judicious faithful Ministers of the Gospel for the help of their judgement especially that near and tender Relation whom she trusted above any with her spiritual concerns whom she acknowledged God had made of singular use and advantage to her in the doubts and difficulties of this nature But above all she constantly made her address to Him whose Name and Office is The searcher of Hearts and tryer of the Reins with holy Davids Petition Search me O God and know my Heart try me Psa 139.23 24. and know my Thoughts And see if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting From evidence at length she put in for assurance in the serious and vigorous pursuit whereof death met her as well in the midst of her work as of her dayes unexpectedly indeed but blessed be God not unpreparedly and though her sickness was not fraught with extraordinary joyes and ravishments Yet she was sustained with a sweet peace and serenity of Spirit which God did not permit Satan to interrupt all her sickness long and this was not the fruit of a blind unsensible security as in most that cry up a Lamb-like death for she was able to give answer to any one that asked her reason of the hope that was in her with meekness and judgement 1 Pet. 3.15 It was the account she her self gave why neither in her sickness nor health she had experienc't any great raptures or extraordinary joyes of the Spirit of Adoption as some do for said she neither was I brought in with any extraordinary terrors or tremblings of the spirit of bondage Nevertheless it pleased the Lord not to leave Himself nor his poor Handmaid without witness not only in giving her a sweet serenity of spirit insomuch that she suffered no Ecclipse of that Sun of Righteousness in all the time of her confinement to her Chamber who Himself upon the Cross suffered
woâ—â—â— not want one hour of the Communion withâ—â— innumerable company of Angels the general â—â—sembly of the first born which are written 〈◊〉 heaven Heb. 12.22 23 24. and with God the Judge of all 〈◊〉 with the spirits of just men made perfect 〈◊〉 with Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenaâ—â— I say she would not want one houres Comâ—â—nion in Heaven which she now possesseth 〈◊〉 a thousand of the best daies that ever she spâ—â—â— with us in the Land of the living And lastly This continual beholding 〈◊〉 example will dry up the stream of our sorroâ— while thereby we shall in Gods way seâ—â— to our selves a future fellowship with her glory God hath linked Grace and Glâ—â—â— together by an unseparable connexion that if we carefully mark every step of Saints holy feet of which they have left any print and endeavour to tread exactly in them It will infallibly bring us to their glory what God hath joyned together all the Powers of darkness shall never be able to put asunder Here is work Christians in finitely to bear its own charges and compensate your labour with unspeakable reward A fifth Motive 5. Motive The greatest honour we can do her Ea demum est vera religio imitari quem colis Lactant. An exact imitation of her eminent graces is the greatest honour we can lawfully put upon her As it is our truâ—st worshipping of God to labour to be like him so to imitate our gracious friends is the highest veneration they are capable of should we bring Oxen and Garlands to do sacrifice unto her as Jupiters Priests would have done to Barnabas and Paul Act. 14.13 Or should we pray unto her and worship her as the Papists do to their Saints and Images we pay her an honour not due which would be a fruitless piece of Idolatry as to her Sacrilegious as to God and pernicious as to our own souls Whereas conscientiously to insist in her steps and to set her up as a pattern for our religious imitation 6. Motive The greatest expression of our thankfulness to God will be a laudable Testimony before men that she was highly honourable in our eyes and a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased And this hints A Sixth Motive Carefully to follow her pious example is the best thankfulness we can render to God for her Two things are to be done if we would be thankful The first is to see God in those graces and qualifications wherewith she was beautified To commend her for her holiness meekness love to God and his Saints fellow-feeling with Gods suffering people her faith patience her wisdom temperance prudence mercy c. and no more were to magnifie Her but to neglect God as if she had made her self to differ or had shined by vertue of a self-born light She was thus and thus I but who made her so Here 's our thankfulness to acknowledge God the fountain whence all these streams of perfection did emanare and issue forth So it was with those they returned glorifying of God who had given such gifts unto men This is right to see God and to admire God in the gifts and graces of his servants to look upon all the excellencies of the Saints as so many Reflections of the divine nature in them To overlook God in the graces of the Saints is pride and ingratitude but to deny God were Atheism And as often as we call to mind the graces of our dear friend or friends let us contemplate and admire the infinite fulness that is in Jesus Christ of whose fulness they received and grace for grace and yet in comparison of whom her brightness was but darkness and her perfections pardon the word but small sparks of that â—un of Righteousness but little drops of that â—mmense Ocean of divine fulness that dwells in Him The second expression and testimony of our â—hankfulness after our owning of God and aâ—cribing all the glory to God I say the second â—hing is To write after her Copy to imiâ—ate those virtues for which we would be â—hankful while we labour to be like her we do â—eally bless God in expressing the true end and design of divine Grace in leaving such a piece of heaven so long in our Custody improvement of mercies is our best thankfulness for mercies while we do indeed make use of such living Directories for our better glorifying of God we do offer him praise and ordering our conversations aright we shall in the end see the salvation of God A Seventh Motive 7. Motive Hereby we shall entail Religion upon our Family A severe and constant imitation of her worthy example will be a blessed expedient of entailing Religion upon our family while each surviving Relation Oh that it might be out honour shall really endeavour in our persons to derive down a prâ—ctical memorial of her Piety we shall keep Religion alive in the Family and teach our posterity how to glorifie God Although Saints do not propagate Saints by natural Generation yet may even the barren womb and dry lâ—ynes thus propagate Saints bâ— spirâ—â—â—â— Imitation of the holy lives of them thaâ— have gone before us Thus the Fathers to the Children may make knowâ— Gods truth Isa 3â— 19 The Grandmother Lois to the Mother Eunice and the Mother Eunice to her Son Timothy 2 Tim. 1.5 propagate the Faith Certainly holiness may be transferred by Pattern as well as by Precept from one generation to â—nother and it is not education will do it withâ—â—â— example the eye is the more creditable Infâ—â—â—â—â— then the ear Teach we our Children and Eâ—â—â—â—â— so that they may see us If our practice câ—â—â—â—dict our â—â—â—â—epts we bid them as it were 〈◊〉 â—â—lieve â—s and take the next course to make thâ—â— Atheists Let us labour by both to leave an 〈◊〉 Seed in our Families of whom we may comfortably say when we come to die as our Lord 〈◊〉 upon the Cross My seed shall serve him it shall bâ— counted to the Lord for a Generation Ps 22.30 Eighthly and Lastly By this means throuâ—â— divine Grace We shall provide for Death 〈◊〉 Comfort As in reference to our dear Relation who is gone before us Her Graces and graciouâ— life testifieth comfortably concerning Her thâ—â— she is blessed in her death Heb. 1â— 23 she dyed in the Faith So our sincere and vigorous imitation of those graces will bear a Comfortable Death-Bed Testimony of our future blessedness also Conformity to her in Grace will by Scripture warrant conclude a future Conformity to her in Glory wâ— being followers of her in Faith and Patience as she was a follower of Abraham and other Believer in their several generations we shall together with them and her Vid. Motive 4.3 Branch inherit the promisâ—â— But this hath bin already hinted and thereforâ— we shall insist on it no further Soli Deo Gloris FINIS