AS it is a work of charity to mea­sure others by our selves, and to look on others faults through the glasse of our own [...]firmities; so is it likewise a [...]atter of prudence and piety, to [...]gulate our lives by the line of [...]thers, and (next to the square [...] Gods word) to take our light, [...]m and direction from such [...]ersons, whose lives do hold [...]th the [...] uprightest con­versations, [Page 2]and whose actions as well as their professions, do [...] speak them holy. I know it's [...] common complaint in th [...] world, and in truth not with­out just cause, that the genera­lity of people doe idolize exam­ples, and study men too much but the fault is not in the action but in the object, because they make not a prudent choice; for did we carefully make choic [...] of, as the word of God for ou [...] rule, so the most holy and experienced Saints of God for ou [...] directories, in our Christian way. Oh how much of heaven should we have in our lives, what gra­cious helps would these be to spiritualize and rectifie our judgements, to warm our affe­ctions, resolve our doubts, to unbottome us many times from fancies and superstitious vani­ties, [Page 3]and settle our unstable [...]arts in the way of truth and [...]ace.

Amongst many sweet ex­ [...]ples and paterns of ho­ [...]esse, that yet through the [...]ercy of God, have given [...]rth some luster in these gloo­ [...]y daies, I have thought good [...] present this one to publike [...]ew, not to be contemned be­ [...]use of sex, for Gods graces [...]e to be honoured wherever we [...]nde them. Her remarkable [...]e, and blessed and sweet de­ [...]ture out of the same, doe ren­ [...]r her a patern of imitation, I [...]ight have said, of admiration [...] all posterity. I should but [...]ifle in a serious businesse, to [...]t forth in this place, those out­ward accommodations where­with God and nature had a­ [...]orn'd her, in her person, parts [Page 4]and parentage, for all these are but as rubbish to true worth, and to inscribe such trifles [...] any matter of her praise, were but to lay her honour in t [...] dust: but that which is to be commended in her, is her good­nesse, sweetnesse in her disposi­tion, humility in her carriage, holinesse in her life, chearfull­nesse in her christian way, stabi­lity in her principles which she held, from the which, when once she had found their footing in the word of God (for that was her constant touchstone) nothing could make her to de­cline. These with many others, are the sweet odours which pre­serve her as a living monument amongst us, and keep in fresh memory her name on earth, as I doubt not but the Lord hath honoured her with a crown in heaven.

In the declaration of this La­ [...]es short life, for truly she li­ [...]ed but like the sunne flower, [...]ept into the world, and then [...]osed up again: I shall take my [...]se only from the time she first [...]gan to give up her name to Christ, accounting of her till [...]en, but in a dead and lost con­ [...]tion; for before we are in [...]me measure acquainted with [...] wayes of Christ, before that [...]y dawn, and that day-starre [...]ise in our hearts, we may be [...]id to be in life, but we live [...]ot; our very being is little bet­ter then death and darknesse.

Her education from her very [...]ildhood was in a religious [...]ay, but in truth, through the [...]ult and frailty of an over-in­ [...]gent Guardian too soft and [...]ee, for this indulgency to her [...]clination in her blossome [Page 6]years (a caveat to fond Grand­mothers) did but serve to ad­vance and strengthen corrupt na­ture in her against her better self, and to blow the coal of her corruptions into a greater flame. But when it pleased God to call her by his grace, and to reveal himself in her, oh then her for­mer infirmities had an influence on her spirit for her greater good, (see how the Lord draws an antidote out of poison,) and they quicken her indeavours in her gracious way.

About some three years be­fore her dissolution, in the eigh­teenth year of her age, the Lord began to remove the scales of ignorance from her eyes, and to give her a more through sense and apprehension of the power of sin and Satan upon her soul; and now the high mountain is [Page 7]abased, and the stubborn heart [...]s layed low, and she is become [...] lambe in her conversation; [...]ow she begins to enter into a [...]ore sad and serious considera­tion of her former course. Now [...]owever God had dispensed the [...]omforts of this life to her with [...]very free and liberall hand, yet [...]e cares not for mans day, the [...]ream of her affections are car­ [...]ed into another channell: now [...]l the golden vanities of this [...]fe, and what ever the world [...]efore presented as precious in [...]r eye, she layes them as de­ [...]icable things under her foot; [...]er thoughts are now transcen­ [...]ent and heavenward, and both [...]e and heart are bound for e­ [...]ity: There is nothing now [...]unds pleasing in her ears, but [...]hat hath the stamp of everla­stingnesse upon it. An everla­sting [Page 8]Christ as her way, an e­verlasting heaven as her end, an everlasting glory as her crown. These and the like are the sub­ject of her meditations, and take up all her joy. She set apart four hours in the day for divine duties (these were her souls repast) and every night before she laid her to her rest, she call'd her soul to a reckoning, (taking the same in writing) what er­rours or frailties she had fallen into the day past, what incur­sions sin and Satan had made upon her soul; wherein God had been dishonoured, and her profession scandalized in her Christian walk. And here I cannot but commend and ad­mire her care and cautious cir­cumspection in discharge of this duty; for I am credibly in­formed, that if at night when [Page 9]she was to sequester her self to this soul examination, some ex­traordinary occurrences had cast her upon a later hour then usuall, so that through heavi­nesse of body, and indisposed­nesse of minde, she found her self dispirited and unfitted for that task, her practice then was, to stirre up, quicken and enliven her spirits, by such means as she saw most conducible to that end, that so she might come be­fore the Lord with life, love and chearfullnesse, and not present her sacrifice of prayer before his glorious throne, with a dull and fluggish soul; for she knew well, that the exercises of Gods wor­ship, how constant soever for time and place, yet are never carried on to the true comfort of the soul, unlesse the heart be quickned, and carefully reduced [Page 10]into a praying condition. Its further observable in this Lady, that she had alwaies a most lo­ving heart, and free, affable, courteous deportment towards all, both rich and poor, that had any thing of Christ in them, especially godly Ministers: and for her charity otherwise to the poor, her religious heart was so affectionately disposed to them, that she could have strait­ned her own bowels to doe them good; as she did fully evidence by her holy repining at that cost and charge which the ne­cessity of her sicknesse inforced her to, saying, she had spent that cost upon a rotten carkase (that was her own expression) which might have comforted many a poor christian. The wearisome condition of this life, but I be­leeve, much more the joyfull [Page 11]expectation of a better, made her exceeding willing to die: yet with an humble submission to Gods will, praying, that whe­ther it were life or death, that condition might befall her, whereby God might have most glory. As it was the surest, so was it also the greatest comfort her heart did joy in, that God had spoken peace to her trou­bled soul, and had graciously vouchsafed her some inward as­surance of her salvation, which cost her, she said, many a sweat, and much striving, before she attained thereunto. Being in conference with an intimate friend of hers about the state of her soul; she brake forth into a holy admiration of Gods abun­dant grace and favour, and of the overflowing streams of his loving kindnesse to her soul: Oh [Page 12]that God should look upon me, such a poor creature as I am! but all is free grace, saith she, all is free grace: When I enter, saith she, into a sad and serious consideration of my sins, I am exceedingly amazed and cast down; but when again I re­collect my self, and looking out of my self, call to minde the free grace of God to me in Christ, Oh then, this comfort refresheth my soul.

She took exceeding great de­light in the promises of God, set forth in the new Testament, most whereof (as very credible information gives me) she writ out with her own hand in time of health. Above the rest, that place of S ^t John, chap. 11.13. did more especially affect her; If ye shall aske any thing in my Name, I will doe it. She was exceeding sollicitous and fearfull over her self, least any created comforts, [Page 13](the Dalilaes of corrupt flesh) should creep into, and take pos­session of her heart, as appeared by this; that being moved by a certain person about her, to send for her childe, in which she was much delighted; she durst not, she answered, trust her de­ceitfull heart, lest it should be immoderately let out upon her childe, as formerly it had been upon her dear husband; not that she condemned that mea­sure of affection which God and nature requires to husband and children,; for as for her hus­band, it was conceived by her Physician, that her extream en­deavours to preserve his life, was the losse of her own: but to in­timate how ready and prone our hearts are to break the bounds of moderation in the things of this life, and to live more in the [Page 14]creatures then in God that gave them. It was her ordinary cu­stome, after the decease of her dear husband, so long as health and strength did permit, to per­form the duties of reading and prayer in her family, in her own person, so far was she from the totall neglect thereof; A fault that lies heavy upon this Nation, & I fear, one speciall provocation of Gods judgements against us at this time, and a prevalent cause that our streets have stream'd with blood. One would think it impossible, that in these Gospel daies, there should be so much atheisme in the hearts of any professing the name of Christians, as that they should with boldnesse and confidence, every day partake of Gods bles­sings, (yea, cannot subsist with­out them) and yet never return [Page 15]so much as a morning and even­ing sacrifice in the family, in a thankfull acknowledgement of such bounty. Truly God is ex­tremely sleighted in the world, and therefore no marvell if we be sleighted and rejected by him. Its a sad omen, that they have not much of God in their hearts, that have so little of his Name in their lips. I say no more but this, its an infinite mercy of God to men of this constitution, that Gods mercies prove not snares to them, and their meat their poison. The Lord put their spirits into a more thankfull frame, and make them more sensible of Gods due, and their own duty. I know I have stept out of my road, but [...]t was to bring these negligent wanderers into the way. Now to return to my dear friend. [Page 16]In her ordinary civill commu­nication and converse amongst those she lived withall, she did ever demean her self, to the ho­nour of her profession, in an humble, sweet and winning way: but yet if any controversie did chance to arise in point of Re­ligion, she was passionately zea­lous in defence of truth: she would through the weaknesse of her spirits then, pant in her eager discourse, and yet contend still, till necessity did inforce her silence. Her heart was ex­treamly averse both to them and their waies, who any way held of superstitious vanities. In a word, she was a sincere, single-hearted, downright Christian, nothing acquainted with the art of guile. She was that which she did seem to be, and did seem to be that which she ought.

And now I draw on towards her last breathing. The morn­ing in which she died, finding death to approach; This is the joyfullest day (saith she) that ever mine eyes beheld. Being recovered out of one of her fits (for she had extream convul­sions) she breathed out these swee, though imperfect expres­sions: I thought I should have been with my Saviour before this time—Then abruptly as breath would bear; My joyes are unspeakable. Falling into another grievous fit, she now desired, if the Lord so pleased, that might be her last: and here­in she was heard in her request: being in this her last and ex­tream strugling with death, she often cried out, Come Lord, come Lord, when Lord, how long Lord? and at last, He is [Page 19]come, he is come; and with that speech she expressed so much comfort, that she often smiled in this extremity. Lastly, she clo­sed in her breath with this short ejaculation; Lord I desire to breath out my soul unto thee.

Thus she lived, and thus she died; how said I, died! not so, it was a change, not death, a change of place, a change of comforts, a change of inheri­tance, a change from a goodly earthly promotion here, to a glorious one for ever: In a word, it was but a pinch, that did lead to a Paradise; it was but a day-break to eternall brightnesse. And here, I wish from my heart, it were within the strength and compasse of my weak indeavours, to fasten this precious example upon the thoughts and consciences of the [Page 18]soft and delicate Ladies of our age, who seek for nothing more, (as many of their lives doe speak) then to take out a hea­ven here on earth, crumbling out their daies on glorious vanities, and feeding their hearts and eyes, with fading, frivolous, [...]ruitlesse contentments. Oh that [...]hey would but sadly consider, [...]et a little, a very little while, and then comes death, and then comes judgement, and then comes eternity, that long day that will never see an evening; [...]hat deep gulph, that hath in [...]ruth neither bounds nor bot­ [...]om; and what a melancholly [...]ntrance will they finde into this [...]verlasting condition, when their [...]te improvidence shall inforce [...]hem to cry out, in their death­ [...]ed lamentation; Once were [...]ur joyes as full as our desires, [Page 20]our heads were crown'd with rose buds, our faces shin'd with, — I tremble to speak it in these reforming daies: but now, oh now, whither away all our glory; our delights are perished, yea vanished, sunk and gone, (and see their deceit­fullnesse) they have left us no­thing behinde them but our sins, as so many serpents to sting us for all eternity; oh this is a long and deadly word, for all eternity. These or the like will one day be their dolefull com­plaints, (and if a deep repen­tance intervene not) this will be the issue of all their joy. Tru­ly it makes my heart bleed in me, to see and consider that in this juncture of time, when the land hath been so long in [...] mourning garment, and after so much bloud, and fire, and fa­mine, [Page 21]and pestilence, & dreadfull desolation in the severall quar­ [...]ers of this Kingdom, the daugh­ters of our Sion are no more sen­sible of these judgements which [...]ave broken in upon us, then [...]he stones in the streets; they [...]gge on in their old way, they [...] the fat, and drink the sweet, [...]elt in pleasures, and cloath themselves as gloriously as if [...]hey meant to vie with the Sunne [...]t noon day, when it exalts it [...]elf in its greatest brightnesse: [...]hey walk with their stretcht out [...]ecks, and wanton eyes, and made complexions; should the Lord in the naturall composure of their faces, have ingraven [...]ch black spots in them, as now their fancies adde, surely they would have looked on them­selves as monsters, and have [...]hought nature had been a step­mother, [Page 22]and dealt unkindly with them: but now (silly souls) because these vain toyes are the imps of their own sick brains, and their own hands have fa­shioned them, therefore they hugge the work of their own inventions, and the beauty which God vouchsafes them, seems despicable in their eyes. Surely our age is worse then heathenish in this sinfull liberty; for its reported by a faithfull hand, that the very Indians, (a­mongst whom the Lord hath lately vouchsafed some daw­ning of the Gospel) do so ab­hor the naked brests of women, and hair hanging loose, or cut as mens hair is, that they have made some Laws against them. Oh that our English Ladies should grow so bold, as to pra­ctise that which Indians abhor, [Page 23]which miserable heathens count [...]heir shame. Alas, alas, however their deluded hearts may flatter them for a time, into a self com­ [...]lacency in this their pleasurable way, yet as sure as their souls do live, it will be bitternesse in the latter end. For, tell me, tell me [...]e shining gallantry, how will [...]e indure it, when ye shall hear that terrible voice scunding in your ears, Arise ye dead and come [...] judgement? when ye shall be­hold upon your first peeping out of your graves, the world [...]n a light fire round about your [...]ars, the elements melting with heat, the frame of the heavens dissolved, hideous cryings of the creatures on every side; when ye shall finde nothing but flames and confusion ready to welcome you into the world again? how will your hearts [Page 24]melt, your hands quiver, your mindes faint, your knees fall a­way like water, when this gloo­my day appears! how will ye then, when all your golden op­portunities of grace are lost and gone, in the sense of your future sufferings, even vex your selves for your former abominations? These are the eyes which shot forth so many envious, amarous, lascivious glaunces, now they are a terrour to my self; these are the ears which have heark­ned to so many base, scurrilous, profane, lust provoking songs, and now they present nothing but everlasting woe and sorrow to my soul; and now, when all these things come to passe, which way will you turn in the midst of these perplexities, whence will ye look for succour? will you now addresse your self to [Page 25]the fountain of mercy, supplicate grace from Christ: why, with what confidence and comfort canst thou expect grace from him, to whom thou hast been a stranger all thy dayes? here is horrour enough to confound thee, that he hath a fullnesse of mercy in him, but none for thee; that he hath healing in his wings, but none for thy re­freshment; he is a gracious in­tercessor for others, but in rela­tion to thy self, a judge to de­signe thee to everlasting tor­ments. And what a sad thing is [...]t, that love it self, mercy it self, sweetnesse it self; the Lambe must condemn thee? He that [...]ath washed away the sins of thousands in his bloud, who have beleeved in him, and hath also made many, and many ten­ders of grace to thy soul, must [Page 26]now for thy stubborn refusals, separate thee for ever by an irre­versible sentence from the glory of the Lord, and face of the Lamb. Oh think on this, think on this, whosoever you are whom this counsell may con­cern; lay it seriously to heart: betimes whilest your breasts are full of milk, and bones are full of marrow, before the evil daies come, wherein ye shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

Seemeth it a light thing in your eyes, that the wrath and indignation of the Lord hath broken forth so furiously against this Land? your sex speaks ten­dernesse and compassion; why where is the sounding of your bowels, where is your pitty to this distracted Kingdom? will ye not cease to provoke the Lord against his Church, till ye have [Page 27]improved your pride to her utter desolation? This is the time of Jacobs trouble, and shall it be your day of triumph? Oh let the threatnings of the Lord pre­vail upon you: himself hath spoken it, Isa. 22. that he will have even the life of those that let out their affections to unsea­sonable jollity, when his judge­ments call for tears: Beleeve his word and tremble. I bessech you be content to lose a lust to save a Land, if you will not for your own sakes, yet for the king­domes sake forbear.

Away with your base and lustfull baits, those black and in­famous patches in your faces, which render you odious and scandalous in the world, and in every wise mans eye disfigure you, and lay it close to your hearts what the Lord hath done [Page 28]for you. Hath he not in this common spoil and calamity, when he hath swept away thou­sands, (I believe) far more in­nocent then your selves, graci­ously provided you places of re­fuge, and given you your lives for a prey, and will ye now so unkindly requite him, as to turn his grace into wantonnesse, abuse his long-suffering, and trample on his love? What, hath the Lord, think ye, preserved you all along through these bloody times, that you should live to dishonour him? Or can ye pos­sibly imagin, that he hath placed you in the earth, as the Levia­than in the sea, to take your pa­stime in it? or created you to en­joy a Paradise of pleasures here, and when you have fill'd up your generation, a heaven full of glo­ry hereafter? No, no, beleeve [Page 29]it, the Lord hath no pleasure in your vanities, your inside beauty is his delight; the Kings daugh­ter was all glorious within: a life of lust and pleasure, is but the life of a beast, its a life of fol­ly, not of faith; in a word, its the [...]hame of Religion, and every good mans scorn. God expects ye should up and be doing in your severall vocations, and not [...]ive like unprofitable members of the earth, to waste and con­sume the good creatures of God: certainly it will be your truest glory here, and your crown of rejoycing hereafter, under this light of the Gospel, to lead a gospel life.

Now if any of this sex to whom I direct this discourse, [...]hall reply hereto and say, I will [...]alk in the wayes of my heart, and [...]ight of my eyes; I will rejoyce in [Page 30]my youth, and my heart shall chear me in my youth: I say no more but this; Thou that art filthy, be thou filthy still; thou that art profane, be profane still; thou that slightest Gods Ordinances, the means of thy salvation, neg­lect them still; but take the close, hear thy doom, know thou assu­redly, that for all these things God will bring thee to judge­ment. But on the contrary, art thou in the number of those that fear the Lord, and walkest in his way? is the joy of the Lord thy strength, and the word of the Lord thy joy? is thy affection set on thy treasure, and thy trea­sure set on high? Oh then well is thee, and happy shalt thou be; however it shall fare with this sinfull Nation, thou art sure for one: yea, though the earth should move, and the hills be carried [Page 31]into the midst of the sea, yet be­cause thy life is hid in Jesus Christ, thou art as safe as Noah in his Ark, when storms and waves surrounded him; thou art above the malice of men, the fury of devils, the power of cor­ruptions; the rock of ages is thy fortresse, thy sunne, thy shield, thy sure repose here, thy sweet repose hereafter; for in his presence is fullnesse of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.