if so I may be thought â—â— any measure fit for such a Communion A brief Narrative of the occasional Discourse and memorable Passages that Mary Wilson expressed a little before her Death ON Tuesday July 23. She began to be not Well yet not very Sick but was in a weet frame of Spirit and much in her private Retirements with God But on the Lords Day â—â— night when her Father came home from the Exercise she began to be much worse And upon his going to her and asking her how she â—id She replied O my dear Father I feel â—undance of Coldness and Deadness upon my eart to every Duty which makes me to mourn 〈◊〉 my spirit that I have not had so sweet Conâ—â—erse with my God as I was wont to have with such more melting language to that purpose Whereupon he took occasion to offer her what â—e Lord was pleased to give in unto him for â—er satisfaction viz. That at such a time she â—as an incompetent Judg of her self because her â—stemper was enough then for her to grapple withal â—t then pleased the All-gracious God to give her Comfort and she earnestly with much arâ—ency of spirit implored the Lord for his Divine Assistance to carry her through that Dâ—stemper so as she might be fit either to live oâ—dye On Munday she passed on still in a very sweet frame not seemingly sick On Tuesday about two of the Clock she begun to be very sick and said Father I would entreat you to be found in the use of means for me for if this that lies in my Breast cannot be remeved I cannot long subsist Whereupon with trembling heart he went for a Doctor and before he could return the Lord had opened he Mouth and given her the Tongue of the Learned so that her Lips uttered many divine Sentences which is well hoped will never be forgotten of them that heard her In the Evening she seeing their Man-servanâ— Andrew called him to come to her and shaked hands with him for she well knowing him to be zealously affected desired him to pray for her saying I have a cold Heart of miâ—â— own and many a frozen duty I have performed I desire you to pray for me and pray that â—â— Passage may be easie And further she said unto him What have you seen by me have not I been proud and haughty and have not I taken notice of many thingh that a gracious humble Heart would have passeâ— over To which he replied That if God should have marked his Iniquities he might have see much more in him than ever he saw in her Then she rose up and fetched Mr. Brooke's Apples of Gold And when she came to read these Motives to move Young ones to be good petimes she kissed the Book many a time For those Motives had been sweetly useful to her in the work of her Conversion and now much more in her Dying Condition Then she began to speak about her Temptations she had at her first closing with Christ How Satan would have persuaded her to have rested in Civil Education being from a Child never addicted to any Vice But the Lord was then graciously pleased to let me see said she that there was more in the Power of Godliness than civil Education when once I had experience of Christ's Love to my Soul Though now I have suffered some Coldness to come upon it But if I live I will watch over this cold Heart of mine and if I do return I pray you all to watch over me For Mr. Nicholson lately told us when he â—aught from John 5. latter part of the 14 v. Behold thou art made whole Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee It was observed that Christ's Salvation was intended that after-sinning might be prevented Oh that we could all take heed of after-sinning To that purpose she spent a considerable time in exhorting all aboutâ—er to improve their time This was spoken and pressed with so much Earnestness and Seriousness as was exceeding taking upon the hearts of all those that heard her still ending with much Self-abasement desiring some about her if she should recover to watch over her The next Day two of their Maids coming into the Room She called them to her and kissed them and said Be good Lasses I have been in the School of Christ and have learned many things And if I live through Christ's strength I will teach you Soon after her Father came to her and asked her how she did She then told him She was travelling for another world And further said My dear Father If ever I have offended you in all my life I pray you for give me His sorrowful heart being almost overwhelmed with grief he told her She rarely offended him in all her Life nor could he say he had any just cause to give her a Reproof For if sometimes which yet was very seldom occasion of both were given through infirmity not wilfully her ready and right sence thereof ministred such satisfaction as easily removed the offence and prevented the Reproof Judge then what deep Impression their parting must needs have She then seeing him filled with anguish of heart and not able to discourse with her which I am confident did lose many Divine things he might have had had he been able to have kept up Discourse with her said My dear Father as for you and my dear Mother my Life might be desireable and if it were the Will of the Lord I could be willing to live that I might pay that Debt I owe to you But what God will have done is best of all and that I freely submit to Then pausing a while she said I bless the Lord that will presently deliver me from two great fears in seeing my Father and my Mother dye On Thursday Night She got little or no Rest For the Silver cord was loosed and the golden Bowl was almost broken And on Friday Morning her Father being gone but a little from her She sent for him with speed At whose first coming she chearfully said My Dear Father Let now who will be heir of Cross-field For I am going to be an Heir with Jesus Christ She then taking notice of the sad impression it had upon him said Father Give me up freely He then told her he had fallen down before the Lord that morning and given her up to him whether to live or dy But my Father said she I pray you go again and mind the Lord of that Covenant between you and him But she again taking notice of his â—nability to answer her because of Anguish of heart said My Dear Father Why can you not give me up freely Abraham had but one Son and he was the Seed of the Promise for it was said in him should all Nations be blessed and yet how freely could he offer him up My Dear Father give me up freely and Jesus Christ will be more to you than many Children Father said she you
have been earnest with you and with whom I have been earnest for you that the match may be really made up between you which being effected my labour is recompensed my Errand is accomplished my Desire is satisfied my Joy is fulfilled And now that I have this unexpected opportunity of making publick some hints only of some of the choice desires of my Soul to you and to the Lord for you Know ye therefore that they are such as these First That none of you all who are taught and do believe and profess the absolute necessity of Regeneration in order to eternal Salvation rest satisfied in your Spiritual conditions Mat. 18.3 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.15 Rom. 8.9 10. without some hopeful evidences that you are born again and truly converted that ye are in the Faith new creatures in Christ Jesus And that Christ is in you and abideth in you And that you have the Spirit of Christ Oh! rest not in uncertainties about your Spiritual and Eternal Felicities as you would not about your Temporal but give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Secondly Look that you make good the ground you have got through Grace against the World the Flesh and the Devil by a dayly progress in both the parts of Sanctification viz. Mortification and Vivification And beware that you be not again entangled and overcome 2 Pet. 2.20 and so your last end be worse than your beginning Luk. 9.62 Having put your hand to the Plough look not back much less be ye of them that draw back unto perdition But be ye of them that believe Heb. 10.39 to the saving of the Soul And need I bid you beware of Popery Rev. 13.3 Iniquitas sed mistica pietatis fidelitatis nomine palliata 1 Cor. 10.12 which is the most Catholick Apostacy the Mystery of Iniquity yet palliated with the name only of Piety Antiquity Universality c. yea I say Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall as too many have done It 's operative and strong though but a Delusion and a Lie yea it is the Energy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess 2.9 11. or strong working of Satan through the just judgment of God with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Popish Seducers are subtile Artists that have †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sleight of me * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cunning crafâ—iness and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.14 2 Pet. 2.19 the method of Errour or Deâ—usion The Ignorant and Sensual are in greatest jeopardie they promise others liberty whilst themselves are the servants of corruption The prime piece of their Worship is palpable Idolatry the whole complex of their common Devotion is Will. worship Superstition and Formality One would think that no serious Professors of Christianity were in any peril of Popery yet Quakers are an Artificial â—roduct of it though they know it not Love God the Gespel and your Souls better than the World and your Bellies Phil. 3.18 19. and you are out of the danger of it Thirdly Phil. 1.10 See to it that ye be sincere Converts sincere Saints that your Faith Love Repentance Obedience c. be sincere For if you be sincere you shall persevere But Hypocrifie will end in Apostasie What is sound is strong and invincible what is sound is special and not common Grace Though common Grace may make a great show cast a great blaze yet like the Comet it consumes of it self till it be extinguished 1 Joh. 3.9 Mat. 13.31 32. True Grace is the Seed of God and though it be little and weak yet its nature is to grow in stature and strength or though it may decay yet it cannot die For its the life of God a Well of living water springing up unto Eternal Life But let its Counterfeit †i. e. comon grace which resembles it so much in all things make you the ofâ—ner and exacter in the use of the Touchstone Fourthly Let your Communion with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ be frequent and full Omit no opportunities nor means thereof Redeem time from your worldly affairs for converse with your God in the Duties of his more solemn Service Knowing that the Holiness Comfort and Happiness of your lives consists in such communion Use and improve the means for the end Read hear pray confer and meditate much And be loth to leave any duty till you attain some sensible enjoyment of his Grace and Love And till your hearts be warmed your graces excited your Affections engaged and your Souls even make you like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6.12 And prize and treasure up your experiences of this kind Neh. 8.10 Retain a lively sense of Divine impressions upon your spirits And let the joy of the Lord be your strength Zech. 10.12 to walk up and down in his Name And lament your loss when you came off from your Duties without success Take heed of Formality in them Fifthly And you that are heads of Families Take heed to your Families over which the Holy Ghost even in your private Capacities hath also made you Overseers That you should watch for their Souls as they that must give account that ye may do it with joy and not with grief Deal particularly and closely with them about the estates of their Souls Labour to convince them of their exceeding sinfulness and misery by Nature And that they are under the Law and so under the wrath and curse of God while they continue therein That they are utterly blind lame deaf Isa 35.5 6 dumb and dead spiritually and under the power of Satan immediatly That their natural Light is spiritual Darkness their sweet is bitter their good is evil Their Moral Civil and Religious works are all Sins in Gods sight Prom. 8.8 for being in the flesh they cannot please God in any thing but displease him altogether though they please themselves and others never so much That they are liable to all Judgments Temporal and to Death and Damnation Eternal every moment Yet all this notwithstanding They are to be persuaded That the Lord Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God is become an All-sufficient Saviour of all men even the worst of Sinners That he hath purchased Salvation for them offers Salvation to them and is willing to enter into a Covenant of Salvation with them if they will but accept him and be ruled by him according to the terms of the Gospel That he hath redeemed them and will justifie them freely Pardon them fully Sanctifie them throughly Adopt them graciously Keep them powerfully and save them gloriously That he hath confirmed his Covenant of Salvation with his Oath and with the Seals of his Blood Spirit and Sacraments That he hath ever been mindful of it
taken you into it who were as they are and is especially engaged to your Children by the tenour of his Covenant with you That nothing but their own willful refusal final impenitency obstinacy and infidelity can deprive them of his Salvation Bewail the Sins of any in your Family as if they were your own resist them by Instruction Admonition Reproof and Correction as the case requires and pray earnestly against them Especially teach all under your charge to eschew evil and do good by your own daily Practice and Examples And be sure you engage them and train them up in the constant Duties of Gods sacred Worship and Service Sixthly As Religion is your signal Profession so let your whole Lives in all the natural and civil actions thereof be influenced animated and as it were fermented by it Eat drink work walk â—ake sleep speak and be silent mourn and be merry by the Rules of Religion And let the lustre of it be conspicuous in all â—our civil Converses of Buying Selling Borrowing Lending Giving and Reâ—eiving Let your Principles Grounds Motives â—nd Ends be really religious not carnal â—nd selfish Be true and faithful Just and Upright Sober and Temperate Chast and Modest Courteous and Affable Compassionate and Charitable Meek and Peaceable Innocent and Patient Kind and Helpful Look that your relative Duties to Superiors Inferiors and Equals both in Church and State Rom. 13. 1 to 7. 1 Tim. 2.12 Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13 to v. 18. be religiously discharged and performed Honour the higher Powers Pray for them fervently pay Tribute willingly And be conscientiously subject in all true Loyalty Let his Majestie 's Eminent Clemency evident so signally in our precious Gospel-Liberty attract and ingage your Affections to him Let your Church-communion be glorious in all the holy Effects of mutual Love Watchfulness and Tenderness And keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 Let the Splendour of Religion in your Conversations evince the Purity 1 Pet. 2.12 and Power of Religion in your Consciences that God may be glorified and men may be edified by you Let none you live neer or meet with lack your possible and seasonable Help for the good of their Souls that need it and will but accept it And Finally Rom. 2.4 my Brethen whilst others despise the Riches of God's Goodness Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth them to Repentance But after their Hardness and impenitent Hearts treasure up unto themselves Wrath against the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Who will render to every man according to his Deeds See that you by patient Continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality And he will render unto you eternal Life at the End of this temporal Life The least glimps and foretaste whereof how glorious and ravishing it is they can best tell you that have had the Experience Oh! Let Christ and all of Christ his Natures Person Attributes Offices Obedience active Passive Conflicts Conquests Triumphs and Purchases and all of God in Christ be precious unto you for all are yours if you be his Let him be the fat and the sweet the hope and the help and the happiness of your whole life and death whether you live Rom. 14.8 live to him or whether you die die to him which only by holy living and dying you shall do and then whether you live or die you are his Though you can but dye once naturally yet you may dye dayly spiritually i.e. in (a) Phil. 1.21 23. Affection (b) Job 14 14. Expectation (c) Deut. 32.29 Preparation (d) Matth. 26.39 Submission and (e) Ps 31.5 Act. 20.22 23 24. Resignation I leave you to pick out the matter which I have couched in words for you use as concisely as I could that I might not too far transcend the bounds of an Epistle The ensuing Narratives present you with a worthy Example of a dear deceased Viâ—gin-Saint once a Member of your Fellowship now translated into the Celestia-Chore Early living and timely dying iâ— the Lord and to the Lord. Not permitteâ— by him to have other Husband than Himself in greatest mercy doubtless to herself Whilst others sought her He senâ— for her and unexpectedly but not unpreparedly took her from all her Relations and Lovers to marry her in Glory whom Hâ— had espoused in Grace Whose Piety Prudence Gravity Modesty with other Gifâ—â— and Ornaments natural and supernatural were illustrious in her above most of her Age and Sex But I 'le detain you no longer from the Natratives themselves And the seasonable and useful Sermon preached at her Funeral with some prom and Consolatory Letters from several Godly Ministers to her disconsolate Father upon the sad occasion of her Death All which I commend to your diligent perusal and to Gods Blessing thereupon for your Spiritual and Eternal Good I am A servent well-wisher oft your Souls prosperity and your Servant in the Lord for that end The Introduction THe Saints of God most Christian Reader are to be honoured both living dying and after death though not with the honour of Invocation which finds no letter of Command or Direction no letter of Promise or Acceptation no letter of Example or Practice in the whole Word of God but is a reproach to the Saints and a dishonour to God whose Name and incommunicable Title is The God hearing Prayers and therefore to him shall the desires of all flesh come and if all to him then none to Saints yet with the honour of benediction and imitation of their Vertues and Graces They they only are the most magnificent illustrious noble excellent ones in the world Psal 16.3 They are more noble than others Acts 17.11 They are Kings and Priests Rev. 1.6 They are more excellent than their neighbours Prov. 12.26 More excellent in regard of their Descent and Stock as having God for their Father In regard of their Inheritance Heirs of Heaven and Earth 1 Cor. 3.20 21. In regard of their Food they are fed with heavenly Manna they eat Angels food eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ and in regard of their Cloathing their Cloathing being of imbroidered Gold Psal 45.13 They have put on the Wedding-Garment the Garments of Salvation the white Robes of Christs Righteousness the white linnen yea Christ himself Whereas the unjust are men of no name vile persons though never so great Dan. 11.21 To be contemned and despised Psal 15.4 They deserve not the name of men Jerem. 5.1 They are not to be honoured in some Cases so much as with a Look or with a Word or with a Bow 2 King 3 14. Luk. 23.9 Esth 3.2 But the Godly are men of renown they want nothing that can make any truly honorable and noble they are admitted into the King of Heavens Service Servants of the great King Gods Attendants and Courtiers employed in
are but a weak man and I am persuaded that another Winter will set my Mother hard to it And as for you my Grand mother it will not be long till you will be with me Therefore make ready and settle your Concerments in the world assoon as you can that you may not be toyled in the world and then table your selves with Mr. Nicholson Then she calling to mind that Mr. Nicholson was sent for asked If he was come But he being gone upon a Visit of the like nature three Messengers were sent for him before he came which made her think the time exceeding long for his coming and often prayed and desired others to pray that she might live to see his face his precious face that had been so Instrumental for the good of her Soul Then she cried again This Death is hard to abide Pray pray that my Passage may be easy Then she called to their man Andrew saying Where is that Promise I even I will blot one thine iniquities for my Names sake and will not remember thy Sins Then he turned to the place Isa 43.25 And many a time did she go over these words I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my names sake and will not remember thy Sins Then pausing a little said Here will I rest for I have nothing else to rely upon but Christ in a Promise As for all my best Duties that ever I performed in all my life I quit them all as Physicians of no value and do freely cast my self at the feet of Christ And if I perish I 'le perish there This was unspeakable satisfaction to her Father that now those Sermons that sometimes with difficulty she had heard and those Duties she had performed and which had cost her many a Tear should now be all disowned by her as to Justification when she was going to look grim Death in the Face And this her father affirms of his own knowledg she was of such a broken frame of Spirit that seldom or never did she come from her private Retirements but with red Eyes and watery Cheeks And sometime upon particular occasion he hath joyned with her in Prayer when she would have poured out her Soul in such a melting frame of Spirit Heavenly language and powerful Arguments as would have caused him to have groaned in his Spirit and blessed the Lord for those eminent Endowments of Gifts and Graces he had endued her withal Presently she cries again Oh my Father this Death is hard to abide Pray pray that my Passage may be easie Then suddenly with much ardency of Spirit with Hands and Eyes lift up to Heaven said Lord Jesus put forth thine Arm and take me by the Hand and say Come up hither Then she enquiring again for Mr. Nicholson she was told he was not come She prayed again That if the Lord will she might live to see him Then beholding her Father she said How comes it that my Father is without a Cap Then she called for one and sat up and opened it with her own hands and then put it upon his Head who said It was the last that ever his dear would put him on Then she desired to be remembred to all her natural Relations leaving a word of Exhorto them all namely That they should come off from the world and make sure of Christ Then she desired to be remembred to all Christian Friends and named some of them saying Oh the Society of the Saints the Society of the Saints Were I to live again I would more highly value the Society of the Saints the least of Saints Then she asked her Father What day it was He told her Friday Then she said It will not be long till I shall be in Eternity of Felicity and I shall be interred upon the Lords day Then she asked If she might give them out her Grave-dress Which being referred to her liberty she called for her Desk and sat up and opened it with her own hand and laid aside her Shift and the rest of her Cloaths that she would carry with her to her Grave being all plain She desired her Aunt to put her Fore-headcloath low upon her Brow Then perceiving that this enflamed her Fatherwith Sorrow with the rest of her Relations she said Father Whether shall the Saints know one another in Heaven Who then gave her that satisfaction he could on the Affirmative and further called to mind that Mr. Bolton in his Joys of Heaven doth positively affirm the same by many Arguments as first That all Knowledg is desirable but to know one another in Heaven is most desireable 1 Corin 13.12 But then shall I know even as I am known Secondly The Disciples in the Transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they never saw before Ergo we shall know one another in Heaven with many more Arguments to that purpose which were so satisfactory to her that â—he blessed the Lord for that knowledg especially that she should know her dear Father again in Heaven She further enquired Whether the Sins of Saints should come into the Judgment of Discussion at the great Day of the Lord She then remembring Mr. Brooks in his Apples of Gold did speak fully to it and desired it might be read to her which accordingly was done And when she heard it she then blessed the Lord saying whom he loves once he loves to the end A Friend coming in and asking her how she did she said She was taking flight into another world Pray pray that my Passage may be easu Then said Come Lord Jesus take me to thy self hold me fast in thine Arms and let me not go Then she enquired again for Mr. Nicholson who presently came and after Salutation he fell down before the Lord to beg Mercy for her Soul After Prayer was done she desired that the Room might be spared that she might have a little private Converse with him He spent about half an hour with her which as he after told was mostly about some Doubts she had about the strength of her Corruptions and want of Assurance In the close of their Discourse she was still of that mind that she would die He told her others were fitter to judg in that Case than she And asked her how she knew it She then said She felt that that he did not feel So in the close of the Day she fell into a hoâ— Feaver and was violently in it for a season Dâ—ring which time the Tempter waited his opportunity knowing well he had but a little time tâ— do his work in so that through his Temptations and the violency of the Feaver for a smaâ—â— time she was under a damp Then in the close of the Evening the Doctoâ— came again who gave her some things that presently did loosen her Flegm and not looâ— after she fell upon a sweet sleep as the Doctoâ— and Mr. Wilkinson and others that sat with her said it was about two Hours she
habitual Readiness the grace of Regeneration being found within him yet may he sadly smart for his Relapses before â—e give up the Ghost Hast thou not heard before what hazards even the Godly do run for want of actual Preparation Is it a small thing in thine account to be under the Trounâ—ings of Satan the hidings of God's Face the â—remblings of Conscience and the terrors of Death Remember therefore from whence thou â—â—rt fallen and repent and do the first works or â—â—se the Lord Christ will come unto thee quickly â—nd remove thee out of thy place except thou reâ—ent Be watchful and strengthen the things â—hat are ready to die which yet remain for thy works are not found perfect before God Rememâ—er therefore how thou hast received and heard â—nd hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt â—ot watch the Lord Christ will come on thee as Thief and thou shalt not know what hour he will â—ome upon thee Rev. 2.5 and 3.2 3. Use 2. Secondly Is it the great concernment â—f all that look to be saved to make ready against the coming of Christ Then it is thâ— greatest Folly imaginable to neglect making ready for Christ's Coming That man lies aâ—â— waies under the imputation of extreme Folly that neglecteth his principal Concerns Is 〈◊〉 not an arrant Fool that will not mind his moâ—â— necessary Concernments wherein his very lâ—â—â— and welfare is wrapt up Quae te dementia cepit That you may see the extreme folly and maâ—ness of men herein I will shew you it a litâ—â—â— more particularly and that very briefly First That man that neglecteth making reâ—dy for Christ's coming he hath no regard 〈◊〉 or care of his great Soul His Carelessness about making due Preparation to meet the Lâ—â—â— Jesus doth plainly speak forth thus much That whether his Soul sink or swim be saâ—â— or damned he mattereth it not He willâ—â—â— so much as trouble either his Head or Heart about it And is not this the greatest pieceâ—â— Folly that can be What man more madâ—â— foolish than he that setteth his Soul aside 〈◊〉 forgetteth or else careth not to do any thâ—â— about it that may tend to save it Our 〈◊〉 Jesus telleth us That the Soul of man is beâ—â—â—â— than the whole world for so much his woâ—â—â— do sound Math. 16.26 What is a man profâ—â—â— â—f he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul â—r what shall he give in exchange for his soul Now is that man any other than a simple Fool that neglecteth his Soul which the whole world cannot equalize the worth of or repair the loss of if he could enjoy it all to himself Secondly That man that neglecteth Preparation for the Coming of Christ he doth but treasure up wrath unto himself against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgement of God And is not he a Fool that provideth Instruments of Cruelty for himself And thus doth every one though they think it not that neglecteth to make ready for Christ's appearance I speak to such as never mind the work of Repentance but go on in a course of Sin these of all others are the greatest Fools in that they do all the while store up plagues for themselves Rom. 2.4 5 6. Thirdly The Folly of him that mindeth not making ready for the coming of Christ appeares in this That he doth but harden himself against â—he coming of Christ And is he not a grand Fool think ye that thus setteth himself against Christ Whoever hardened himself against God and prospered I do not think that every one that mindeth not to make himself ready to meet â—he Lord Jesus doth intentionally and resolredly harden himself against Christ for these â—re only that Atheistical and debanched Crew that are void of all Fear and Conscience that bid open defiance against Heaven Psal 73 9â— But my Friends after you have heard it to be your Duty to make ready against that time when you shall be called to appear before Christ iâ— you then neglect to do it it will be interpreted of Christ to be a hardening your selves against him Because you know it to be your Duty and yet will not do it And what a Madman 〈◊〉 he that will put himself into such a posture aâ— will bespeak him to be hardening himself against Christ Can their hearts endure or their hands be strong in the day that God shall deal with them Ezek. 22.14 Will ye provoke the Lord to jealousie are ye stronger than he Remember it was Israels overthrow in the Wilderness that they hardened themselves against God this made their Carkases fall there so that they never came to Canaan Psal 95.8 9 10 11. Heb. 3.8 9 10 11. I shall leave but that one place further with you and then consider of it Revel 6.14 15 16 17. And the Heaven departed at a Scroll when it is rolled together and every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great Men and the Rich men and the Chief Captains and the Mighty men and every Bondman and every Freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the Mountains And said to the mountains and Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand You see that Christ will make the stoutest of men to tremble that harden themselves against him Fourthly Their folly appeareth by this who neglect to prepare and make ready for Christ Jesus his Coming in that so doing they undervalue Heaven And is he not to be reckoned a prosane Fool that makes no reckoning of Heaven The poor Indians folly was seen in this That they were so willing to part with their Gold for some pieces of Brass or for other Toys and Trifles that were of no great value Now that man that taketh no care to make himself ready to come before the Lord Jesus his neglect doth plainly declare That Heaven beareth to price with him For there is no man that â—ometh within the sound of the Gospel â—ut he heareth That without Repentance no salvation and that without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. Now after the declaration â—â— all this in the ears of such a person If he shall sive in the neglect of looking after Repentance â—r the work of Holiness he doth evidently maâ—ifest That Heaven signifieth not much to him for he that will not carefully look after the heans and also use them that relate to such an â—nd his very neglecting of the means doth bespeak him to have no great regard to the end especially when he knoweth that it is not possible in an ordinary way to come to enjoy such an end without making use of such means And will not this prove a man to be a Fool Remember that Esau is called a profane person or as the
snow-ball before a Summers Sun And since Death took possession of somthing of yours it hath been and dayly is creeping neare your self Howbeit with no noise of feet your Husbandman and Lord hath lopped off one branch already the tree it self is to be removed into the higher Garden the Lord fit you for your change and help you to bear these crosses for indeed they are great and many and give you a sanctified use of them and to make you white and ripe for the Lord's Harvest-hook by them I have seen the Lord weaning you from this world and its vanities it was never his mind that it should be your portion and let the Lord be praised that it is so you look the liker one of the Heirs of Glory let the moveables go why not They are not yours but fasthold on the Heritage Even our Lord Christ make your interest sure and give you to grow as a Palm tree upon Mount Zion howbeit shaken with winds and many sore blasts yet the root is fast I pray Him whose you are to supply your wants another way for though we cannot see the Lords design in this his wise Providence who ruleth all yet I verily believe this is not only good but best of all For wise Solomon saith Better is the end of a thing than the begiuning Yea Christ calls from Heaven and bids Write Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their works follow them And after Paul had seriously debated the Case whether to live or dye was better for him he concludes that of the two To die and to be with Christ was best of all And therefore my dear Brother this should teach us and work in us a careful Preparation for Death and vehement longings after it and chearfulness in entertaining it and moderation in our sorrowing for her that 's dead Mourning only for our own loss and that especially because the Death and removal of the Godly is a sad if not a sure presage of ensuing Evil. When Noah was entered into the Ark then the Flood came Gen. 7.12 When Lot was gone out of Sodome then it must be burnt When the Lord resolved to destroy Jeroboam house he took away the Child in whom there was some good thing found 1 Kin. 14.10 11 13. Thus when the Lord in ended to bring evil upon Jerusalem good Josiah must first be brought to his grave in peace Because his heart was tender and he humbled himelf at the hearing of the Law of God 2 Kin. 22.16 17 18 19 20. Wo is me therefore considering that even amongst us the righteous are taken away that in four or five Months time almost the tenth man on this side Hartside should be removed yet not considering at least not as they ought to do That The righteous are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57. When our Jacob for wrestling our Caleb and Joshuah for following the Lord and our Nathaniel and besides our Mary is removed How should this awaken us and the very thoughts of it make us tremble and our knees to smite one against another It s true they are beyond the Storm But the presence of the Godly in all Ages hath drawn the love and favour of God to the places where they were For they are dear to God As the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 And he will be a wall of ire round about the place where they are v. 5. Yea many a time doth God spare the wicked for the godly as the husbandman doth the tares for the wheat 's sake Matth. 13. As God would have spared Sodome and Gomorrah if there had been but ten nay five righteous persons Gen. 18.32 Act. 27.24 Besides the Prayers of the Godly in all Ages have been mighty prevalent with God both for the obtaining Mercies and also for the preventing miseries and keeping of judgments from the places where they liveâ— Psal 106.23 He would saith the Psalmist have destroyed them had not Moses his Servant stoeâ— before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Besides they are 〈◊〉 great force for the vanquishing and overcoming of Enemies Moses prevailed more by hâ—â— Prayers than Joshua with all his Soldiers againt the Amalekites Exod. 17.11 One godly man Prayers saith one can do more than a great soâ— of Sinners 〈◊〉 do with fighting So that as Nâ—hal's servants said of David's men so we may â—y of our dear friends that are removed from us they have been very good to us and we have had no hurt whilst we have been conversant with them They have been a wall unto us both by day and by night What cause have we then to fear that may follow the removal of them And then alas What have we lost that have lost â—uch good Examples as most of them were and 〈◊〉 particular your Daughter she one of a thouâ—â—d Her counsel her wisdome her blameless talking was of great use to restrain some from â—in and to allure and draw others at least to be outward performance of many good Duties â—â—d I think I may say that she exceeded most â—â—at ever I knew except Mrs. Catherine Rea of â—â—â—ma in her constant care to please God and â—qual respect to the keeping of all Gods Commandments and in her holy diligence to imâ—ove all opportunities for her Souls profit as 〈◊〉 Meditating Praying Reading Hearing and Conferring And then her Seriousness in Duties and great delight in both First and Second Table Duties What shall I say Her â—â—avity Chastity and Humility and her orâ—ering her self every way so holily so meekly â—â—d blamelesly So that to my knowledg it was a great Conviction to those that were in a great measure strangers to Godliness or any â—trictness and I 'le assure you I often wished that her Conversation had been better known to some and that it might have so been I did fully purpose to have sued for your Consent having gotten hers that we might have had heâ— a while amongst us That our Professors chieflâ— of her Sex whose Carriages and Conversation were not so answerable to the Gospel as they should be might have been convinced of thâ— evil of them and by her Gospel-conversation might have become more wise solid sober serious grave and more careful to provide so their eternal Welfare But alas it 's now to late the time is past and gone which maâ— make us mourn upon our own account But uâ— on their account this may not only reason 〈◊〉 into a Moderation of Sorrow but also cause 〈◊〉 to rejoice in that they are landed safe in Heaâ—ven where she also is even with Christ which is best of all she is now set at liberty and freâ— dome Who is not comforted to see and know that his Friend is brought out of Prison to 〈◊〉 his Friend set free from all Persecutions Siâ— Sorrow and Death and to live and rejoice wiâ—â— Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. And may