with my mouth and he was extolled with my tongue If I had inclin'd my heart to wickedness v. 18. the Lord would not have heard me v. 19. But now he has heard me and consider'd the voice of my Prayer v. 20. Let us therefore praise the Lord who has not cast away my Prayer nor turned his Mercy from me WHICH having said she then pray'd for the King in these words Psal 72.1 Give the King thy Judgments O God and thy Righteousness unto the King's Son v. 2. and grant that he may judge thy people according to Justice and defend them that are opprest with wrong Bless him and all the Royal Family with thy most exquisite Benedictions from Heaven above and on the Earth beneath And thou O Lord who hast the hearts of Kings in thy hands inspire the heart of thine Anointed with tender Mercy Pity and Compassion and incline him to be the Defender of thy poor distressed People that are his Majesty's faithful and loyal Subjects Psal 20.9 Save them O Lord and let the King hear them when they call WITH which she also recited that out of the 44th 74th and 102 Psalms which was proper in this place and at the same time earnestly pray'd for the church in general saying among other things O merciful God vouchsafe in thy tender compassions to look upon thy poor desolate Sion whom thou hast chosen for thy Spouse She is afflicted and grievously opprest Psal 102.13 It is time that thou have mercy upon her Psal 103.5 and renew her youth like that of an Eagle Psal 90.15 O Lord send thy children prosperity And comfort them again now after the time thou hast plagued them and for the years wherein they have suffer'd adversity Alas poor Church there is no constant rest for thee on Earth Here thou must like thy Saviour wear a Crown of Thorns but be of good chear this will not last always thy miseries shall have an end and thy Saviour will replenish thee with eternal Joy and Consolations which he has given me a taste of already and will further make us all partakers of one day in a more abundant manner according to the Riches of his infinite Goodness and mercy And particularly she pray'd for the Church of Nantes making it her humble suit to God that He who is the God of peace would be pleas'd always to be with her and keep Unity and Concord Love and Charity in the midst of her THEN she rehears'd the 133 Psalm Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell in unity And so on And after that this Exhortation of St. Paul Rom. 12.10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another Which having said she turn'd towards the Lady her Mother and spake to her thus Dear Mother give thanks and praise to God all your life long for his great goodness and bounty to you in giving you a Daughter whom though she be but a wretched Worm he has made the Temple of his Holy Spirit May He that good God bless you with his choicest Blessings may He also bless your Posterity and establish his Covenant with them for all Generations as long as the Sun and Moon shall endure Then she proceeded to give her Blessing to the young Ladies her Sisters whom she call'd to her and likewise to her Brothers Brothers-in-law Sister-in-law and Niece though they were absent And after this desiring they would all come near her who were in her Chamber and had in company with the Chaplain watch'd with her the night before she in a most tender manner embrac'd and bless'd them all speaking to every one of them according to their respective conditions and that so pertinently and properly that she was the admiration of all AND in a particular manner she shew'd a great deal of respect to Monsieur de la Colombrie who was Steward of the House expressing her acknowledgment to him for his great concern and affection for their Family desiring him to continue the same Then speaking to his Wife Mrs. de la Colombrie said to her Come and rejoyce with me and take your share of these delights I am filled with as feeling my self the most satisfi'd and happy Person in the World. And afterwards directing her Speech and Exhortation to the whole Company said My dear Friends leave off sinning I pray you You see what cruel disquiets mine have caus'd me Let us according to our Calling edifie the Church of God and shew good Examples in our Lives and Conversations Tit. 2.12 Let us as the Apostle advises live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Phil. 4.8 And Whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise let us think on these things O how great is my love for you my dear Friends I love every one of you alike in JESUS CHRIST for I have no more affection to my own Mother Brothers and Sisters than all other persons I know I am in charity with all the World and would e'en love my Enemies if I had any NOW she hearing some body weep about her Bed said Don't you mourn for me but mourn for your sins Then presently recalling her words she thus express'd her self Oh let us lament and bewail our sins And for a proof she was not mov'd at all with the tears they shed on her account added 2 Cor. 5.16 That now she knew no body after the flesh Which saying of the Apostle she had learn'd of Monsieur Royer to whom a pious Lady spoke it on her Death-bed Whereupon she calling him to mind wished him all happiness and gave him the character of a real good man saying He is a person whom I have always observ'd to be most piously and charitably inclined I pray God bless him and more and more increase his Gifts in him Would I could see him I know he would speak comfortable words to me and we would edifie one another Here she repeated her earnest wishes for a Blessing upon Monsieur de Malnoe whom she always call'd her good Pastor and her dear Pastor and embracing him heartily pray'd that he might ever live quietly and in peace with his Brothers and Prosperity never depart from his Family saying to him I heartily beg of God to bless you and your Ministry And she at the same time expressed also a great desire to see Monsieur de Brissac praying God likewise to bless both him and his Thus having spoken for a while to the Standers-by she began again to return her thanks to God with the same zeal and fervency as before saying with David O God the spring of all my joys Psal 42.1 Patr. for thee I long to thee I look No chased Hart does pant so much after the cooling water-brook
Blest be the Majesty above 41.13 Whom all true Worshippers adore Let every Age consent and say Amen till time shall be no more Which latter part of the 41st Psalm she often repeated in Verse And here remembring her Aunt the Lady de la Suse who had taught her the same she mightily long'd to see her saying over and over O my dear Aunt how much do I love you How great would my Joy be now had I you here with me for you would assist me in giving thanks to God for his Goodness to me O the great love I have for you who have so well taught me to praise him Psal 46.1 Praise the Lord therefore O my soul While I live I will praise the Lord yea as long as I have any being I will sing praises unto my God. Thy Name O Lord will I laud continually for thy great love who hast said to me Call upon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 and I will answer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 91.16 I will satisfie thee and shew thee my salvation Yea Lord thou hast heard me and comforted my Soul that did so much long for thee Thou hast I say in a most wonderful manner comforted me with thy holy Word and Spirit and rid me of all my fears And now Lord perfect thou the good work thou hast begun in me and crown me with eternal Bliss and Glory in Heaven Yea O my good God I have already obtain'd this great felicity I have seen thy salvation THUS she took great delight in the paraphrasing of the Scripture seeming as it were to have receiv'd a new Vocation from God and above all that of teaching every one their duty Neither was she wanting in the stirring up of her self to the performance of her own who often rehears'd these words of the Psalmist Psal 34.1 I will always give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth v. 2. My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad and so on Which Psalm she repeated every day both in Prose and Verse according to the New or Old Translation and had this place very frequently in her mouth Keep thy tongue from evil v. 13. and thy lips from speaking guile After which she added I will give continual thanks to my good God for his infinite Mercies to me I would the whole Church were here and all let in who have a mind to see me but above all I wish those of a contrary Religion were present that they might take notice how good my Religion is since it makes me die so well If any man love not the Lord JESVS CHRIST 1 Cor. 16.22 let him be Anathema Oh how vast is my Happiness How great my Joy How numberless are the Blessings I have receiv'd Praised praised for ever be the name of my Lord and Saviour for all his wonderful Mercies bestow'd upon me IN the mean time they that stood by looking on a Watch that was upon the Table and perceiving thereby it being now past Mid-night that she had been speaking above six hours were much astonished considering the vehement palpitation of her heart and the difficulty she had to fetch her breath Which made the Company desire her to leave off discoursing for fear of spending her self too much But this advice was so unwelcome to her that she presently with some indignation answered I cannot hold my tongue I must speak Psal 45.1 for My heart is inditing of a good matter O God Psal 108.1 my heart is ready my heart is ready I will sing and give praise with the best member that I have After which she remaining silent for a little while broke out immediately into these words O what pain do I suffer in holding my peace And indeed she had no sooner left off speaking but they heard a Ratling in her Throat that was very troublesome to her but she nevertheless continu'd still to entertain her self with God when the Company withdrawing the Lady her Mother laid down her self by her and both of them had a pretty good rest that night THE next morning being Thursday after she had had some discourse with the Lady her Mother she gave her hand to a Gentleman of the Neighbourhood that was come to visit her and observing him to weep said to him What Sir do you weep Is it because God has a love for me and will take me to himself Here she alledg'd the Example of Josiah King of Judah whom God took out of the World because he loved him that he might not see those calamities that were to befal the city of Jerusalem and the whole Jewish Nation Then she speaking to the Lady her Mother said O dear Mother how well compos'd am I at this time I feel no pains at all but am very easie and do perceive my Saviour has deliver'd me from all my fears and troubles Therefore I will give him eternal thanks and praise Whereupon she presently began to recite several Psalms both in Prose and Verse as the VI. XXV XXVII XXXII XXXIV LXVI CIII CXVIII CXLVI insisting particularly upon those places that were most proper for her condition and afforded her most comfort which she uttered with so much zeal and devotion that it made the Lady her Mother say to her Well dear Child thou art a going to make one in the Quire of Angels and Seraphims and shalt very suddenly sing the Song of the Lamb. Yes answered she I shall make sweet Melody and sing everlasting Hallelujahs to his Glory And perceiving the Lady her Mother was very attentive to what she said added Good Mother we must always endeavour to edifie our Neighbours by praising God and administer such Comfort to them as we would be glad to receive our selves at God's hand AFTER this a Gentlewoman asking her whether she would not take something she answered I have no will of my own bring me what you will and do what you please with me it will be all one to me Then she turn'd to another Gentlewoman that was just come into the Room who expressing her self to have been much edified by the good things she had heard her speak the night before this devout Patient reply'd My dear Friend don't you wonder at my speaking so long with so much boldness and freedom who was ever bashful and of few words These are Gifts of God not to be forgotten Which having said she look'd about and perceiving the Lady her Mother weep said to her 'T is not you dear Mother have cause to shed tears 't is Madam she meant a Gentlewoman who was Mother to one that was turn'd a Papist who has reason to bewail her Daughter But as for yours she is going to Him who is the Dispenser of true Glory and not of Vanities SOME hours after this the young Ladies her Sisters coming to sit upon her Bed the Lady their
Mother came and sate with them and as she was saying to God Isai 8.18 Behold Lord here am I and the Children thou hast given me the Patient answer'd Dear Mother let us yield thanks to God. Psal 116.12 But what shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits towards me Pray my dear Mother and Sisters afford me your assistance to bless my God and never mourn for me for I am too happy in that my good god calls me to himself How miserable alas should I have been in the World where we do nothing else but offend Him go through a great deal of trouble being our own Tormentors and in a word run after Vanities and mind nothing but Pride To which the Lady her Mother answered My dear Child thou wast very far from being worldly minded and have any vain or proud thoughts O Mother replied she you did not know the bottom of my heart Certainly I had pride in me and would fain have made a shew in the World and perhaps if I had remain'd longer in it it would have prov'd my undoing Pray God keep our Brethren who are expos'd to great trials Some of them she did name and added 1 Cor. 10.12 1 Joh. 2 17. Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest be fall The world passes away and the lust thereof but he that does the will of God abides for ever Then applying her self to the young Ladies her Sisters she said to them Dear Sisters keep always constantly to God's Word and store your selves well with it Psal 138.2 Lord thou hast magnified thy word above all thy Name And withal she charged them to learn the Psalms of the late Monsieur Conrart's Translation and Monsieur Gilbert's picking out first such as afforded most comfort As for her she had got twenty five of the former and twelve of the latter by heart at thirteen years of age and the whole Book of Psalms according to the Old Translation which she had learn'd at the late Lady Marchioness de Verac's that was both her Aunt and God-mother with whom she liv'd for a time She had also several of them in Prose by heart which she extreamly delighted in and though she was very perfect in sundry Chapters and most of the edifying places of the Scripture which she could say without Book yet she did oft complain of her want of memory AFTER a little pause she began afresh to speak and applying her self to one of the young Ladies her Sisters she exhorted her above all to learn a certain Prayer out of the forementioned Book called Comforts against the Terrours of Death for God's Assistance and Grace to die well and advised her to use the same daily intimating that God had granted to her self all the Petitions therein She was also wont to repeat every morning the 90th Psalm Lord thou hast been our Refuge from one generation to another and so on to the end A GENTLEWOMAN of the Neighbourhood having brought her two Daughters to her whom she had the night before desir'd to see she said to them My dear Friends have always the fear of God before your Eyes and never depart from that eternal truth which is in his Holy Scriptures Obey your Parents and Superiours 1 Joh. 2.15 And love not the World neither the things that are in the World for if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him AT the same time she remembred four or five other She-Friends of hers wishing them with her and one above the rest whom she ever had a great kindness for and recommended her to the Lady her Mother desiring her to take care of and provide for her And the Lady her Mother naming her some others she earnestly pray'd God to bless them all and in a particular manner implor'd his Divine help and assistance for one who lay under an extraordinary great affliction WHEN she was in health she was not more backward than she was forward and desirous to speak now she was sick delivering her self with a great deal of freedom and omitting nothing of what she knew to be edifying After which she fell into a little slumber and rested about an hour and then awaking one of her Physicians was surpriz'd to find her so well compos'd she neither speaking nor looking like one that was sick but on the contrary having a serene countenance and a free and undisturbed mind He did also wonder to hear her talk so well as she did of her condition but yet for all that he now began to despair of her Recovery considering her great shortness of breath and weakness of her Stomach that was not able to bear any thing Nevertheless she took whatever he gave her saying to him Sir I will do any thing you shall please to direct and prescribe for since you are called to look after me and give me relief it behoves me to follow your Directions THE Lady her Mother whose follow was greater than can be imagin'd and who had no other comfort than what she receiv'd from her observing the Holy and Blessed Frame she was in said to her O dear Child how edifying were thy Words to me last night and are still Aye surely replied she my mind was then much at liberty and I had a great deal more freedom in my utterance than ever before I was speaking very eloquently and freely of the wonderful works of God and my mouth did utter things I never knew before I then was made acquainted with the Mysteries of our Salvation which are not to be known here below I cannot express them to you for they are Things unspeakable and through Mercy I continue still in this heavenly condition THE rest of the day she was very still and felt almost no pains except when they gave her something for that did set her a coughing her slumbers were frequent and as she waked always address'd her self to the Chaplain and congratulating her happy condition rejoyced and triumph'd in the Grace she had receiv'd the day before The onely subject of her Entertainment was the HOLY SCRIPTURE from whence she drew all her Comfort and particularly she found much of it in the first of the Romans and often blessed God in several passages of the Psalms such as these Lord I will bless thee Psal 34.1 Woodf and thy praise Shall up to Heav'n my voice and numbers raise Of thee my soul all times shall boast Who sav'dst me when I gave my self for lost And with us shall the humble joyn Hoping thou wilt their refuge be as thou wert mine To thee my God Psal 138.3 I mourn'd in my distress My doleful groans thy heart did move Thou didst refresh me from above And answer gav'st of thine own faithfulness Lord Psal 18.16 thou didst send from above thou tookest and drewest me out of many waters Psal 85.5 Thou hast been favourable to me Rom. 5.20 For where my sins abounded