Man to whom the Lord imputeth not Sin Ephe. 2.8 For by Grace you are saved through Faith and that not of your selves It is the Gift of God Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you For you are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Psa 73.26 Though our Hearts may fail us and our Flesh may fail us yet the Lord will never fail us Jer. 31.3 For he hath loved us with an everlasting Love Isa 26.3 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust in the Lord for ever For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting Strength Promises of Protection Assistance Comfort and deliverance whereby our Hearts may be upheld in the evil Day Ezek. 9.4 Go through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the Foreheads of them that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof Psal 34.6 This Poor man cried and the Lord heard and saved him out of all his troubles v. 19. Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous But the Lord delivereth them ouâ— of them all Psal 46 1. God is our refuge and strength A very present help in trouble v. 2. Therefore will not we fear c. Psa 42.11 My Soul why art thou cast down and disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Isa 3.10 Say ye unto the Righteous it shall be well with him Prov. 3.25 26. Be not afraid of sudden Fear neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh For the Lord shall be thy Confidence and shall keep thy Foot from being taken Psa 3.8 Salvation belongeth to the Lord Thy Blessing is upon thy People Psa 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself The Lord will hear when I call unto him v. 8. I will both lay me down in Peace and Sleep For thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good A strong hold in the Day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him 2. Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed And I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that Day For Gen. 17.2 He is God Alsufficient Promises made to Gods People in the most dangerous Times What confidence we should have in God Psa 27.1 2 3. The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid When the Wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my Flesh they stumbled and fell Though an Host should encamp against me my Heart shall not fear Though War should rise against me in this will I be confidenr v. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after That I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the daies of my life v. 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion In the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me He shall set me up upon a Rock Therefore v. 9. Hide not thy Face from me Put not away thy Servant in Anger Thou hast been my Help Leave me not neither forsake me O God of my Salvation v. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living v. 14. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy Heart Wait I say on the Lord. Psal 40.4 Blessed is the Man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the Proud nor such as turn aside to Lyes Psal 32.1 In thee O Lord do I put my trust Let me never be ashamed V 3. For thou art my Rock and my Fortress therefore for thy Name sake lead me and guide me v. 23. O love the Lord all ye Saints For the Lord preserveth the Faithful v. 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your Heart all ye that hope in the Lord. Psa 91.2 I will say of the Lord He is my Refuge and my Fortress My God in him will I trust Psa 94.14 For the Lord will not cast off his People neither will he forsake his Inheritance v. 19. In the multitude of my Thoughts within me thy Comforts delighted my Soul Psa 102.2 Hide not thy Face from me in the Day when I am ln trouble incline thine Ear unto me In the Day when I call answer me speedily Psa 115.11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord. He is their Help and their Shield Psa 112.7 He shall not be affraid of evil tidings His Heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Psa 118.5 I called upon the Lord in distress The Lord answered me and set me in a large place v. 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what can man do unto me 1. Pet. 4.17 The time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of God And if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God v. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in wel-doing as unto a faithfu Creator â— Thes 1.6 7. It is a Righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven c. 2. Thes 3.3 The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil These I have thought fit to tâ—â—nscribe hoping that by Gods blessing they may prove Useful and Comfortable to many others as they were to her But besides she had collected many others whereof to prevent tediousness I shall only give you the Heads As Promises to strengthen our Faith For Deliverance from all evil For assistance in times of trouble For the Resurrection of our Bodies For Eternal Glory with Christ That God will preserve his Children from Afflictions so far as it is good for them That God will qualify and moderate their Afflictions when they do come And proportion them to their Strength That Afflictions are soveraign Medicines to kill Lusts and to cure spiritual Diseases Promises made to such as suffer in a Good Cause for the Truth Promises of Deliverances from the Evil World Of Comfort to such as fall through Infirmity Promises made to such as are Ignorant Comforts against doubts and fears of loosing the Love of God Comforts against forgetfulness of Good things Comforts against fears of falling from God Comforts against dismayedness under many and strong Corruptions Comforts against troubles arising fom the want of the means of Grace either in the whole or in the Power of
alwayes a Gainer by her Afflictions Afflictions sanctified God making good that Promise to her Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God To them who are Called according to his purpose For after those fits she walked more humbly holily fruitfully and faithfully both in her General and particular Calling as one that waited daily for the appearing of her Lord and Master The Winter before her Death she enjoyed better Health then she had done for some Winters before May the 25th Anno Christi 1675. Some Friends came from London to dine with her and that morning according to her usual custom in such Cases She was careful and busy in providing for their kind intertainment Her last Sickness But it pleased God whilst they were at Dinner to strike her with a kind of Shivering which made her look paler then ordinary and after Dinner her Distemper continued so that she was soon confined to her Chamber and not long after for the most part to her Bed But herein God shewed her great mercy and had respect to her weakness in that during all the time of her languishing she was free from Sickness and pain only sometimes she was troubled with some Stitches Gods Mercy which yet were tollerable not violent She was also troubled with some Vapours which made her Breath very short Yet had she a pretty good Stomach and she relished her Food well till about two Days before her Death But then though she did eat yet she sound little tast in her Meat Her sleep was pretty good and alwayes very quiet She was never ill either after Food or Sleep Only two Dayes before her Departure she slept little by reason of the continual rutling of Flegm in her Throat when she wanted strength to expectorate As for the State of her Soul during all the time of her sickness she enjoyed constant Peace and Serenity and had through Gods Mercy much Joy and Peace by believing Satan that Roaring Lion who uses to be most strong when we are most weak being so chained up by God that he had no power to molest her She often cryed out Hold out Faith and Patience She told her nearest Relation when she saw him mourning over her that she was going to be joyned to a Better Husband Her youngest Son taking his leave of her the Day before her Death she gave him much Heavenly counsel for the good of his Soul and Blessed him and all his as she did the rest of her Children and Grand-Children She earnestly desired to be Dissolved and breathed after a fuller enjoyment of Jesus Christ which she accounted best of all She would somtimes say that it was a hard thing to Dye And This is a hard work Her Understanding Memory and Speech continued till within two Minutes of Death And a little before her Daughter speaking to her of Jesus Christ She replyed My God and my Lord And so June the 21 about five a Clock in the morning She fell asleep exchanging this Life for a better without any alteration in her Countenance but only that her colour was gone She closed up her Eyes her self as who should say Death It is but winking and I shall be in Heaven She changed her Place but not her Company She sickned May the 25th Anno Christi 1675. She concluded her Dayes June the Twenty First being Munday about five a Clock in the Morning when having ended her last Sabbath upon Earth she began to celebrate an Everlasting Sabbath in Heaven She was Aged Seventy three years and about four Months and had been married almost Fifty years Thus did this Holy Woman wear out not rust out Burn out was not blown out Yea she flamed not smothered out she served God in her Generation and then retired into that Place where is Health without Sickness Day without Night Plenty without Famine Riches without Poverty Mirth without mourning Singing without sighing Life without Death And these with infinite more to all Eternity There is unspotted Chastity Unstained Honor Unparalled Beauty There is the Tree of life in the midst of this Paradise There is the River that waters the Garden There is the Vine flourishing and the Pomgranate budding There is the Banqueting-House where are all those Delicacies and Rarities wherewith God himself is delighted There shall the Saints be adorned as a Bride with rare Pearls and sparkling Diamonds of Glory A Glory fitter to be Believed then possible to be Discoursed An Exceeding Excessive Eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Even such a weight as if the Body were not upheld by the Power of God it were impossible but that it should faint under it as an eminent Divine speaketh After Mrs. Clarkes Decease their was found in her Cabinet a Paper which by frequent using was almost worn out Promises to strengthen her Faith It contained a Collection of these several Texts of Scripture which she had recourse unto in times of Temptation or Desertion Who is among you that feareth the Lord That obeyeth the Voice of his Servant That walketh in darkness and hath no Light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50.10 For the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower The Righteous run unto it and are safe Prov. 18.10 Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose Mind is staied on thee because he trusteth in thee Isa 26.3 Blessed is the Man that maketh the Lord his trust Psa 40.4 Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not Sin Psal 32.2 Though our Hearts may fail us and our Flesh may fail us yet God will never fail us Psa 73.26 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 And again I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins Isa 44.25 My Grace is sufficient for thee For my strength is made perfect in weakness 2. Cor. 12.9 By Grace you are saved through Faith and that not of your selves Ephe. 2.8 I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall not perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Hand Joh. 10.28 Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1. Pet. 1.5 The Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim. 2.19 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 4 10. It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8.33.34 The promise is to you and to your Children and to all that are afar off Even as many as the Lord our God shall call Act. 2.39 The Gifts and Calling of
troublesome The consideration of these things made me the more to prize Health To be very thankful for it and the more careful to imploy and improve Health and strength to Gods Glory and the furtherance of mine own Salvation In regard of Publick Dangers I have had a great deal of Experience of Gods goodness towards me and mine several wayes and at several times For First When in the beginning of our Civil Wars and distractions I was sometimes overwhelmed with base and distrustful Fears occasioned by my not acting Faith upon the Promises and not remembring my former Experiences nor considering Gods love power and fidelity to his Children in performing his so many gracious Promises made unto them in all estates and conditions and to me among the rest Here upon I resolved by Gods Grace and assistance not to give way to this distrust and diffidence praying God to assist me therein and found more courage then formerly so far as I know mine own Heart though truly the Heart is very deceitful as I have found by sad experience The Lord teach and enable me to rely upon him with more courage and constancy and more to live by Faith upon his Promises then formerly I have done Indeed I have been apt to fall into new fears upon approaching dangers Yet upon successes and glorious Deliverances I have oft resolved never to distrust God again and yet my naughty Heart hath deceived me and made me ready to faint But this I found by Experience to the Praise of my Gods Free Grace that as troubles have abounded my consolations have much more abounded For God brought seasonably into my mind many pretious Promises which were as so many sweet Cordials which much supported and comforted my Heart and upheld my Spirit when also new storms have arisen and unexpected Deliverances have followed I have and do resolve by Gods Grace not to distrust him any more Yea though more and greater dangers shall arise yet will I trust in and stay my self upon him though as Job said he should slay me The good Lord establish my Heart in this good and holy resolution who is able to keep us to the end and hath Promised that he will preserve us by his Power through Faith to the Salvation of our Souls In regard of Satans Temptations Especially concerning my coming to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper my Experiences have been these Finding often that I was very unable to fit and prepare my self for a comfortable approach to that Sacred Ordinance I used to desire the Prayers of the Congregation unto God in my behalf and I used the best endeavours I could in private as God enabled me though I came far short of what was required and of what I desired So that I did trust and hope through Gods mercy to find a comfortable Day of it and to have it a Sealing Ordinance to my Soul But on the contrary I found much deadness and little spiritual tast relish and comfort in the use of it So that my Spirit was oft much troubled and cast down in me fearing lest I had some secret Sin undiscovered and unrepented of which caused the Lord thus to hide his Face from me But then my gracious God brought this into my mind that the Lord doth sometimes afflict us for the exercise and improvement of our Graces as well as to humble us for our Sins I also considered that as the Lord doth tender great Mercies to us in this Sacrament renewing his Covenant of Grace and Sealing unto us the Pardon of our Sins in the Blood of Christ So he gives us leave to engage our selves by renewing our Covenant with him to believe in him and to trust upon Christ for Life and Salvation And it pleased God to give me Faith to apply this in perticular to my own Soul And a while after to shew me and to make good to my Soul that pretious and comfortable Promise That though he hide his Face from us for a little moment yet with Mercy and loving kindness he will return to us again This was a wonderful comfort and support to my dejected Heart Blessed be the Lord for ever I desire to treasure up these Experiences that for the future I may resolve in the like case to put my whole trust and confidence in him that so Satan may not entrap me in his Snares through unbelief but that I may resist him steadfast in the Faith for I am not altogether ignorant of his Devices Gods Promise is that in all these things we shall be more then Conquerour through him that hath loved us And hath said that this is the Victory which overcomes the World even our Faith 1. Joh. 5.4 In the year 1669 there came to us the sad news of the Death of my second Son Mr. John Clarke a godly faithful and painful Minister sometimes before ejected out of the Rectory of Cotgrave in Nottingham-Shire who died the 18th of September Thus as the Waves of the Sea follow one another so God is pleased to exercise his Children with one Affliction after another He sees that whilst we carry about with us this Body of Sin we have need of manifold Trials and Temptations as saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 1.6 now for a season ye are in heaviness if need be through manifold Temptations to keep us under and to make us the better to remember our selves Indeed it hath been the Lords course and dealing with me ever since he stopped me in the way as I was posting to Hell to raise up one Affliction or other either inward or outward either from Satan the World or from mine own corrupt Heart and nature not having Grace and Wisdom to behave and carry my self as I ought under his various Dispensations and Providences as appeared at this time by his laying so great and grievous an Affliction upon me in taking away so dear a Son from whom I had much Soul-comfort and ardent Affections which he manifested by his fervent Prayers for me and by his spiritual Letters and Writings to me wherein he applyed himself sutably to my Comfort in those inward troubles of Heart and Spirit which lay upon me This caused my Grief and Sorrows to take the greater hold on me upon the loss of one who was so useful to me Yet hereby I do not derogate from my Elder Son from whom I have the like help and Comfort Upon this sad occasion my Grief grew so great that I took no pleasure of any thing in the World But was so overwhelmed with Melancholy and my natural strength was so abated that little Food served my turn and I judged that I could not live long in such a condition Hereupon I began to examin my Heart why it should be so with me and whether carnal and imoderate Affections were not the great Cause of my trouble which I much feared And having used many Arguments and laid down many reasons to my self to quiet and moderate my Passions
and yet nothing prevailed to quiet and calm my Heart and to bow me to the Obedience of his revealed Will And withal considering that it was God only that could quiet the Heart and set our unruly and carnal Affections into an holy frame and order and That he was a present Help in times of trouble I often and earnestly sought unto the Lord with many Prayers and Tears beseeching him to quiet my Heart and to over power and tame my unruly Affections so as to be willing to submit unto him and to bear his Afflicting Hand patiently and fruitfully and to be ready and willing to submit either in doing or suffering to whatsoever he pleased to impose upon me And to be ready to part with the best outward Comfort I enjoyed whensoever he should please to call for the same And it pleased God seasonably to hear my Prayer to regard my Tears and to grant my Requests by calming and quieting my Heart and Spirit and by giving me much more contentedness to submit to his Holy Will and good Pleasure who is a God of judgment and knows the fittest times and seasons to come in with refreshing comforts and who waits to be gracious unto those that trust in him Yet surely I was not without many Temptations in this Hour of Darkness from that subtile Adversary who always stands at watch to insinuate and frame his Temptations answerable to our Conditions and like a Roaring Lyon walks about continually seeking to devour poor yet pretious Souls Then I called upon the Lord in my distress and he answered me and delivered me Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise his Holy Name For he hath remembred me in my low and troubled estate because his Mercy endureth for ever Having thus had new experience of Gods readiness to hear and help when I called upon him And having found that it is not in vain to seek to and to depend upon God in all our Straits I could not but record these things that so Every one that is Godly may seek unto him in a time wherein he may be found who is a present help in times of trouble and who doth for us abundantly above what we can ask or think The Lord knows that I write these things for no other end but that God may have the Glory and that others especially my Relations may be encouraged to seek God in their Straits and to trust in him at all times Amen After her Decease there was also found in her Cabinet a Paper with this Superscrip My Will and desire is with the leave of my Husband to bestow upon my Children these things as tokens of my Motherly Affections and that I may be remembred by them She began with her Husband and what she gave to him and all the rest were all wrapped up in several Papers and each Name endorsed on the outside to whom it did belong And then concludes all thus But above all my Prayers unto God are that he would especially bestow upon you all needful Saving Graces whereby yâ—u may be enabled to Glorifie his Great Name in those several places and callings wherein he hath set you Amen Amen She left also Legacies to some Poor Neighbours As also ten shillings to Mr. W. the Minister of the place to buy him a mourning Ring Concluding thus If God shall please to bring me to my Grave in Peace let this be the Text at my Funeral Ephes 2.8 For by Grace ye are saved through Faith This Scripture I was oft put upon to have recourse to in times of Temptations and Desertion In an other little Book she had collected sundry Texts of Scripture which might minister grounds of great Comfort against Satans Temptations whereby he labours by setting before us a black Bill of our Sins and daily Infirmities and our great inabilities to every Good Duty to blot out our Evidences to stagger our Faith and to make us go heavily and drooping in our way to Heaven Isa 1.17.18 Cease to do Evil Learn to do well And then Though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Though they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wool Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins Ezek. 16.6 When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy Blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood Live Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood Live V. 8. When I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold Thy time was the time of Love And I spread my Skirt over thee and covered thy Nakedness Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamst mine V. 9. Then washed I thee with Water Yea I throughly washed away thy Blood from thee and anointed thee with Oyl Ezek. 36.26 27. A New Heart will I give you and a New Spirit will I put within you And I will take away the Stony Heart out of your Flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Lam. 3.31 The Lord will not cast off for ever Joel 3.16 The Lord will be the Hope of his People 1. Joh. 1 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness He that believes shall be saved Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that Justifies Who is he that Condemneth 2. Tim. 2.13 If we believe not that is If sometimes we are not able to act Faith yet God is faithful He cannot deny himself Ephe. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World V. 5. Having Predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Chrisi to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will V. 6. To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved v. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of Sins through the riches of his Grace 2. Thes 5.9 For God hath not appointed us unto Wrath But to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord. Joh. 10.28.29.30 I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any Man pluck them out of my Hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no Man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers Hand I and my Father are one Isa 50.10 Who is among you that searcheth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant That walketh in darkness and hath no Light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Psa 32.1 2. Blessed is the Man whose iniquity is forgiven Whose Sin is covered Blessâ—d is the