said of himself Phil. 3. v. 20 21. Her Conversation or Trading and Commerce was in Heaven from whence also she look'd for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who will in the day of the Resurrection Change her vile Body or body of Vileness that it may be Fashioned like unto his Glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able to Subdue all things unto himself And where her Conversation was there her Commoration now is and will be so for ever What was once so delightful to her Soul during her abode on Earth She is now in the everlasting Possession of in Heaven in the New Jerusalem where she will be no more Tossed in the Tempestuous Sea vvhere the Waves and Billovvs of Temptation vvill no more pass over her for she novv dwells with God and God dwells with her and therefore all Tears are wiped from her eyes and she now will be no more Assaulted with the fear of Death Nor Rack'd with the Sense of Sorrow nor have any more cause of Crying out for ever For all these former things are passed away And she is seated and settled in that Kingdom which cannot be moved in that City which hath Foundations whose Builder and maker is God Novv Farevvel Farewel thou Triumphant Saint no more shall I be blessed with thy heart Reviving Company no more shall my Ears be charmed with thy heavenly Language no more vvill my Soul be delighted with thy divine Breathings thy Seraphick raptures no more will my study be perfumed with the Savour of that far richer that more Fragrant and Odoriferous Oyntment than thy elder Sister Mary brought to Anoynt her Saviours Body against his Burial no more shall thee and I go to Bethlehem to the mount of Vision no more shall I hear the Harmonious Melody of thy Sighs and Sobs when we were at the Throne of Grace together no more will my Frozen heart be warmed with the Sparkling Flame of thy ardent Zeal Oh! Wretch that I am that I minded no more that I Prized no more that I improved no more those invaluable hours I sometimes had with thee A Price was verily put into my Hands a rich Price a great Price an Unparellel'd Price to get and increase in true Wisdom to be throughly Spiritualized to be above all Carnalty to have before I was avvare my Soul even made like the Chariots of Aminadib by vievving the Transcript of Heaven by beholding that Ray of divine Beauty that Beam of Coelestial Glory vvonderfully displayed both in thy outvvard and in thy invvard Man But I like a Fool had no heart to it I vvas not intense upon it But novv Ah! too late my Eyes are opened as the Disciples vvere after their Lord vvas vvithdrawn novv I look back vvith Sadness novv I call to mind vvhat heart breaking Grief How more like an Angel than an humane Creature How more like one Inspir'd of God then Instructed by Man thou alvvays speakest of the things of Heaven How more like one in a glorified State than in a body of Clay thy vvhole Carriage and Demeanor vvas But now Oh! now thou art gone and the Eyes of we that have seen thee will see thee no more Thou in a Moment vvas taken out of our Sight and left no Mantle behind thee only the svveet Perfume of thy immortal Name But I must and vvill follow thee vvith Elisha's cry after Elijah My Sister Oh! my Precious Sister my heavenly Sister the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof Hovv do all the Children of the Bride-chamher take up a Wailing for thee How do the habitations of our Zion mourn Yea how do the top of our Carmels wither because thou the beauty of them art fallen and sunk into the pit of Corruption Because thy Eyes Oh thou delightful Creature thou admired Saint are closed in the Dust and thy mouth is filled with cold Clay As for me I cannot forbear breaking forth into David's Lamentation for his beloved Jonathan I am distressed for thee Oh! my Sister my Sister very pleasant hast thou been to me But woe Alas Alas Alas She that was once the Object of my Love and Delight is now and I think whilst I am on this side heaven will be for I shall never forget her the sad Subject of my Sighs and Tears I may Her Fathers house may The Town of Havant may The Church may Yea the whole Country may Write on all our Assemblies on all our Solemn meetings Ichabod Ichabod The glory is departed from our Israel But here the Pen is dropping out of my hand Loads of Grief do block up my way that I cannot go on an inâ—ndation of sorrovv quite overpovvers me this is such a renevving my grief that I am not able to bear it I can scarce Repress a Floud of Tears ready to break forth I Write vvith a Trembling hand vvith vvatry Eyes vvith a mourning Soul and therefore I must break off Considering vvith the Words which Solomon spake of Bathsheba as properly applicable to this young Triumphant I dare avouch it as to any of the Female-Sex in our Day or in the Age before it Prov. 31.29 Many Daughters have done Virtuously but thou Oh thou Virgin Angel excellest them all Rest blessed Saint within thy peaceful Grave Whilst I no Peace because of her can have For thy sweet Converse which was once so brave But Death ah too too soon did me of it bereave Too soon we parted were and neither farewel gave I have been exceedingly importun'd to Print the Sermon I Preach'd at the Funeral of this precious Lamb but for two Reasons I forbear The One is It would make this Tract too big which is already swell'd under my Hand beyond what I first Intended But if this Reason be not Cogent I have another which is this I do not for indeed I cannot Print it because I have it not to Print for so it is as soon as I had Preached the Funeral Sermon for another on the day this Saint Died as I before hinted I immediately fix'd my Thoughts on a Subject for her Funeral which I judg'd suitable and it was Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that Love him But the very Day she was Buried her Mother sent to desire me to Preach on these Words with which she clos'd her life Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth The warning being so short I had no time for Study but upon my Knees begging the Assistance of my heavenly Father who graciously vouchsafed it in such a way as I think no Sermon I ever Preach'd was more Acceptable to others though it was wholly lost as to me for through Grief and Disturbance of Mind I could not recall it only I remember the Two Generals I insisted on viz. The Excellency of the saving Knowledge of Christ as a Redeemer And The exceeding Vtility of this
Heaven she should not be found naked Yet again V. 8. Now 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 becamest mine Oh! verily Novv vvas the time of Love as to her Soul Novv vvas the Holy Jesus coming tovvards her his Face shining vvith the resplendent Beauty of Gospel-Grace and Love saying to her I am thy Saviour and thou art in the number of my Redeemed ones I vvill cover thee vvith the Glorious Robe of my Everlasting Righteousness and thou shalt appear therein without Spot or Wrinkle before my Father and before the Holy Angels Therefore cease thy Grief dry up thy Tears For though thou hast lien among the Pots yet now thou shalt be as the Wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold And novv thou shalt knovv that I have loved thee with an everlasting Love for with loving-kindness will I draw thee Mr. Robins as though he had been as I doubt not but he vvas specially directed from above preached that day from these vvords Luke 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Which he so managed through the assistance of God's Spirit and brought so many Gospel-Cordials and Comforts from it as gave abundant satisfaction to this languishing Mourner insomuch that her Sorrovvs like the Waters of the Flood apparently vvere abated and her long Captivity seem'd to be turning about as the Rivers of the South She vvas so sensible that this Holy Man vvas a Messenger sent of God to her an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto her the Ransom God has found and accepted for poor Sinners and for her in particular and to declare the glad Tidings of Salvation to her Soul resulting from therein that she immediately repaired to Chichester and attended upon the Word dropping from Mr. Robins his Lips during his stay there Mr. Robins after a little time planted a Church there such an amazing Change was wrought on many by the mighty Power of God accompanying his Ministerial Labours and this Plant God has since abundantly water'd with the Dew of his Blessing so that 't is now as the Garden of God the pleasant Field which the Lord of Hosts delights to bless Mrs. Mary Harrison after frequent Conferences with Mr. Robins and being enlightned by him in the Mystery of Gospel-Grace and Love joyn'd her self with the Church and sate down at the Table with them at their first Solemnity of breaking Bread yet on this Condition to be redismiss'd to the Church at Havant when they were Organically compleated and so in a Capacity to do it But before this could be effected she was translated to a better Church than either even To the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are in Possession of the Glorious Mansions of Heaven And to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect among whom she is and ever will be with her God In whose presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right-hand there are Pleasures for evermore Glad was I yea my very Soul rejoyced at my return from London to find such an amazing Change in her for now she could speak in the Language of Canaan now she could discourse in the Dialect of the new Jerusalem praising the Lord for his Redeeming Goodness Now she could tell her Lips being opened in a wonderful manner the delightful Stories of God's marvelous Dispensations towards her in a way of special Grace and Favour for now she saw in part and that part filled her with inexpressible Comfort The Good of God's Chosen Now in spite of all Satan's Suggestions and Hellish Machinations she could rejoyce in the Gladness of God's Nation And now notwithstanding the late Cloud that was upon her the late darkening Eclipse that quite overspread her she could Glory with God's Inheritance For now she heard the Voice of her Beloved speaking to her Cant. 2.10 11 12. Rise up my Love my fair one and come away For lo the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone The Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the singing of Birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land Oh! then Arise my Love my fair one and come away Again Verse 14. O my Dove that art in the Clefts of the Rock that is hid in the Eternal Electing Love of God in the secret places of the Stairs that is kept secretly from sinking though wofully tossed with the Waves and Billows of Temptation Let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely And therefore Now we that were mournfully bemoaning of her rejoyced with her yea with loud Peals of Joy blessed and praised God for her Yet she had her Ebbings as well as Flowings and Fears as well as Comforts after this And her Discourses were very often mixed with Mistrustings and Doubtings of her self She had now and then the dark side as well as the bright side of the Cloud to shew that she was not yet beyond the reach of Satan's Snarlings though above the force of his rampant Power Hence to her dying hour she serv'd the Lord with Fear and rejoyced before him with Trembling She always had a Dread upon her Spirit of miscarrying under which I laboured what I could to support her A little after Mr. Robins left Chichester came down that Sweet and most Spiritual Preacher Mr. Hammond to the new Meeting-house at which juncture of time I was confined to my Bed by a severe Fit of Sickness which I and so did others thought had been unto Death But my Gracious God in whose Hands our times are order'd it otherwise Now by reason I was wholly uncapable of Preaching most of my People that had Horses went to Chichester to hear Mr. Hammond among whom precious Mrs. Mary Harrison was none of the backwardest But Oh! with what wonderful Refreshing and enlivening in her Inward Man did she return She presently come to my Bed-side and told me what a rich Cordial she had that day which was so Comforting so Ravishing to her she was even ready to break forth into the Virgin Mary's Extasie My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For verily Jehovah regarded the low Estate of this Hand-maiden and he that is mighty did great things to her that day in putting such a Word of Comfort and Support in the Mouth of his dear Servant for her Oh! Holy is his Name Mr. Hammond was upon that Text Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying yea I have loved thee with an Everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee
to day Now was her Head anointed with the Oyl of Joy and Gladness above most of her Fellow-Saints in such a State Now she was made to lye down in green Pastures and led beside the still Waters And now Oh! now after so much Fearfulness and Trembling had come upon her after such great and dreadful Horror had so long overwhelmed her her Soul was fully and perfectly restored and she set at liberty and that not only from the Suggestions of Satan whereby she was plunged for a time into a Gulph of Misery but from all the Evils Perils and Dangers in the Regions of Mortality which she had been so long burthened and lamentably afflicted with For Now was given to her the Wings of a Dove wherewith in a wonderful Swiftness and Celerity she flew up into the Mansions of Everlasting Glory At night when the Room was clear'd her Relations departed leaving her to her Repose little thinking or imagining her end had been so near she said to a sober Maid that staid and watch'd with her in an Extasie of Joy though with a quivering Voice I see my Saviour I have him in my Arms I know that my Redeemer Lives With which words she sweetly closed her Life and so shall I the Account of it with this earnest and unfeigned Wish Sic mihi contingat vivere Sicque mori Lord lett me live in this Saints high degree And let my Death like hers Triumphant be I will now give you her Picture drawn according to my weak Ability with a Sacred regard to Truth as to every Feature in it and though Strangers may not I am sure all the Houshold of Faith hereabouts will believe me because they knew her and therefore know that every thing I say of her is really true First She was under a thorough and most effectual Conviction her Wound was not Skin-deep but reach'd and pierc'd her very Heart yea her whole Heart was deeply afflicted I have rational Grounds for my Confidence in a erting that the Gaoler when He called for a Light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Acts 16.29 Nor Mary Magdalen when she lay prostrate at her Saviour's Feet bitterly Weeping and Lamenting her self in the woful Sense of her Sinful State Luke 7.37 No nor Manasseh when his proud Heart was broken and his Soul bowed down with Pain and Anguish so that He humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33.12 Were either of them for surely they could not be more thoroughly more effectually struck than this young Maiden was I have been with many very many in my time under very sharp Convictions in dreadful Soul-pain and Anguish under the woful Apprehension of their Lost State But I must leave this Solemn Testimony upon Record I never saw the like of her before She was and that for many Months together in the same Passion of Sorrow as Peter was at his Master's looking upon him on the Cock's Crowing when he went out and wept bitterly Luke 22.62 That is Abundantly out of great Grief and Anguish of Spirit God's look like Lightning terrify'd as Thunder His Voice did roar and broke her Heart in sunder Temptations great a long time she lay under Till Grace that Conquest made which truly was a Wonder Secondly Her Conviction was Operative and very effective to the gracious end God design'd it She was in the Fire in the scorching flaming Fire but God for his Names-sake did defer his Anger yea for his Praise he did refrain for her that he might not cut her off but Behâ—ld he refined her but not with Silver he chose her in the Furnace of Affliction Isa 48.19 The heavy Rod upon her had a Voice laudable and intelligible to some round about her though not at present to her self And it spoke the Language we find V. 17. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go Oh! this way of Temptation of Soul tribulation was the way the very way she must go God had so appointed and determined for her and he wonderfully made her to profit in and by this way 'T is true she too often and too much whilst she was in this way spake in the despairing Language of Cain My Punishment is greater than I can bear Gen. 4.13 And as Judas I have sinned Matt. 27.4 And lamentably roaring out with Francis Spira that she was a lost Creature and must perish for ever Yet God secretly upheld her and kept her from sinking to the bottom Though her Pangs and Pains were very violent even beyond what most ever knew yet they were kindly and in the Judgment of the Judicious helping forward the Birth which was last happily effected to the Praise of God her Comfort and the exceeding Joy of all that knew her Ah happy Damsel though thy Pains were great Angels were waiting to whipe off the Sweat Whilst that their Greatness did the Cure compleat Thy wounded Soul was healing in the burning Heat Thirdly Her Conviction was lasting and abiding there was no occasion as to her of that Complaint which God made of Ephraim and of Judah Hos 6.4 5. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your Goodness is as a morning Cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Therefore have I hewed them by the words of my mouth and thy Judgments are as the light that goeth forth After her first Throws came upon her they never left her till she had passed the New Birth and therefore there was no need of the Prophets hewing No we vvere forced to use and apply all the Comforts and Cordials vve could to support her under her continued and uninterrupted Agonies She never like Lot's Wife gave one look back after her alarming call to come out of the Streets of Sodom Above tvventy Months she remained day and night vvithout Intermission in a very disconsolate and mournful Condition yet in all this time she never went to the Assyrian or sent to King Jareb for help though she saw her Sickness and her Wound vvas very smarting she never sought Comfort by any indirect vvays according to the Inclination of the Flesh But did patiently though vvofully lamenting her self vvith a broken Heart and vvounded Soul abide at the Pool of Bethesda John 5.2 That is attended upon God's Word discourse vvith God's People vvholly sequestring her self from the World and all vain Company till the blessed Angel vvas sent to stir the Waters for her Poor Mourning Dove thy Grief did never cease From Sorrow's Bondage thou hadst no release Till Heaven was pleas'd to speak effectual Peace Oh! then and not before thy tortur'd Soul had ease Fourthly As she was a constant Mourner under Conviction so she was a secret Mourner always bemoaning her self by her self She would not Sit in any
such Words I am going to Heaven but Ah! my poor Sister I hope it may have an Impression upon her and the Reading of this may be of Use unto her This lovely Saint who plainly did appear A Lamb of God possess'd with holy Fear For th' Souls of those that unto her were near Especially for all her own Relations Dear Thirteenthly After Conviction she was full very full of heavenly Discourse indeed her Discourse was nothing but Heavenly She was then only in her proper Element when she was speaking of the Things of God and the Wonders of Free-Grace I have sometimes to try her propounded some alien Subject to talk of but I could not forbear Smiling to observe what a Loss always she was at in speaking of any thing but Spiritual Matters She vvas as a Fish out of the Water or as a Man in the Water nothing but Dashing and Plunging every thing but Heaven vvas the Shibboleth which she could not frame her self to pronounce Judg. 12.6 And therefore after a little Faltring she must and would return to Heaven which only was the Sibboleth she could plainly and with freedom speak It was most clear and visible to all that she was of Christ and belonged to Christ for the continuedness and the unaffectedness of her Speech bewrayed her Mat. 26.73 She believed in Christ and out of her Belly daily flow'd forth Rivers of living Water Her Speech her whole Speech was always season'd with Salt and very Edifying I cannot but make this remark on the Substance of her most excellent and serious Discourses Though all she spake vvas not good for every thing yet really every thing she spake was good for something This Orient Star this most resplendent Jem A follower of Jesse's happy Stein Among the Saints and praising still with them She spoke the Language of the new Jerusalem Fourteenthly After Conviction she was of an exact and exemplary Conversation not one dead fly was ever discerned in this Box of precious Oyntment I do not say she was soluta Legibus in a perfect State absolutely freed from Sin but this I may say this I can say and therefore this I will say her excessive Love to and causeless Value for unworthy Me excepted in the Frame of her Spirit and in the vvhole Course of her short Life there was as little Defect as little Failure observable as in any of the Sons and Daughters of Men how powerfully soever under the Work of Grace And I will thank that Man or Woman who truly knew her that will shew me her Fellow in any part of England As for my own Experience I must and do solemnly declare She was the most Grave Serious Composed young Gentlewoman that in all my Travels which have not been small that in all my Converse which has not been little I ever saw or was acquainted with Like Zacharias and Elizabeth She was righteous before God and walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless Luke 1.6 And as Paul she always and in every thing exercis'd her self to have a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men Acts 24.16 Yea the setled Frame of her Spirit vvas bent to the exercising her self to Godliness and that in all the parts of it insomuch that I verily think and I am not alone in my thoughts the most eminent Christians the most famous Ministers in the Nation without any Disparagement to their Graces might have Learned something of her Every Step of her Life was Teaching And Oh! that She had had more Scholars and better Schollars than many of us and I especially that were daily with her When 'twixt her Soul and Sin Grace made a Breach She Shined in a manner to Impeach The best of Saints as well as Sinners teach How loudly unto both her Holy Life did Preach Fifteenthly After Conviction She did amazingly grow in Grace her mighty Progression Heaven-ward is beyond what I or any Mortal can express What David said of himself with respect to his Outward was eminently true with respect to her Inward Man She praised God yea in the Night she Sang his Praise for She was fearfully and wonderfully made a Saint of the highest Form a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of the Church Militant marvellous were God's Works in her whereby as the Kings Daughter she was all glorious within her Cloathing was of wrought Gold aad that her Soul knew right well Though none more Debased and Low in their own Esteem than She was Solomon tells us Prov. 4.18 The path of the Just is as the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day She shined in Grace even to the dazling the Eyes of all that beheld her here and now She is shining in the Perfection of Glory above Again we are told Psalm 92.12.13 14. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth Fruit in old Age they shall be Fat and Flourishing The Palm-tree as Naturalists observe grows and ascends Higher in spight of all Pressures and Weights So did She notwithstanding all her Afflictions and no Mortal could be under greater than She was She was planted in the House of the Lord and Wonderfully even to the Admiration of all flourish'd in the Courts of our God And tho she had not arriv'd to Old Age she brought forth fruit in abundance in her young Age in the very Prime and Flower of her Years She vvas a Young a very Young Maid but an Old and through-experienc'd Saint so that She went to the Grave in a full Age like a Shock of Corn cometh in in its Season She had tho in a very short time fought a good Fight She had in the compass of a few Days finish'd her Course She had and that in Spight of all the Devils Assaults kept the Faith and now Oh! now She is gone to receive the Crown of Righteousness She is gone to Heaven to the Mansions of Glory in her Father's House whither her dearest Saviour went before her to prepare a place for her and there She is sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of her Father They wanted her Company and could no longer be without it indeed She was fitter much fitter for them than for such sinful Creatures as we Ah! peerless Saint whilst others are so slow And how to creep along do scarcely know Thou like a winged Arrow from the Bow Mounted aloft by Grace thou up to Heav'n didst go Sixteenthly And Lastly In a Word After Conviction She was altogether Heavenly Heavenly in her Looks Heavenly in her Speech Heavenly in her Carriage yea Heavenly in all and every part of her Life Heaven possest her Soul long before her Soul possest Heaven I may without the least Hyperbole say of her what Paul
Knowledge in a dying Hour I was so long in opening those Two Heads that I had no time for Application only address'd my self to the Auditory which was then the most Numerous I ever before or since saw in Havant and I will because I can give you some brief Account of that for I took some Notes of it which are as followeth I shall instead of the several Uses that might be made of this Doctrine I have been discoursing of apply my self in a few Words 1st To Young Ones 2dly To the Relations of this deceased Person 3dly To this Society 4thly To all and every one of this great Congregation 1st To you that are Young You are come this Evening to the Funeral of a young Gentlewoman who was called away by Death in the Flower of her time She was fit to die and therefore she died to live But how is it with you I beseech you consider you may die even now in your youth as well as she Ay! But are you as well prepared for it as she was Oh! Dreadful dying without an Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ You had better never have been Born then die to go to Hell for ever which will most certainly be your Portion if you die in a Christless State Oh that you would take example by this blessed Virgin to Fly youthful Lusts To remember your Creatour in the days of your Youth And now Oh! now in the Morning of your Age to look Heaven-ward I may say of the deceased as Simeon said of the Lord Jesus in his Infant-state Luke 2.24 Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a Sign which shall he spoken against Oh! So verily this young Saint as a glorious Star was shining in this Horizon for the fall and rising of many that is both in Judgment and in Mercy to many in these parts In Judgment to be a greater and more Terrible Condemnation to those Obstinate young ones that will still keep on in their Lusts still continue in their Sins still slight and Contemn the Tenderness of Grace in the Gospel after so great and amazing an instance of the Riches of free Grace the fulness of divine Love extended unto her In Mercy to you who will be affected with what God did abundantly for her in a way of special Grace and therefore will be looking unto Christ as Believing there is the same Free-grace the same rich Love the same bottomless Ocean of Pardoning Healing and Soul-saving Mercy for you as she found as she tasted as she Ravishingly Experienc'd in the day of her Distress Oh! hear this dead Saint speaking to you in David's words Psal 66.16 17. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul I Cryed unto him with my Mouth and he was Extolled with my Tongue Oh! hear her thus speaking to every Soul of you You young Men and Maids that are yet in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity that are minding nothing but the satisfying your Lusts that have no sense of Heaven and Eternity or what will become of your Immortal Souls for ever I was once in the same condition and running on in the same excess of Riot I was once as dead as Carnal as Vain as Frothy as you are But God broke my heart and Melted my Soul with Trembling and Affrightning Shakings under the vvoful Apprehension of a lost Condition and a Flaming Hell that I look'd every Moment to be plung'd into And then he comforted and Reviv'd me with a Sensible Manifestation of redeeming Love then he made knovvn to me the Wonders of Soveraign Grace in fully Revealing and discovering Christ with the avail of his Pretensions Death and Sufferings to my Soul I Cryed to him in the day of Distress and he Graciously Vouchsaf'd his Ear He brought me up out of the Horrible Pit out of the Miry Clay and set my Feet upon a Rock even the Rock of Ages with whom I am now in Glory and shall be so for ever Oh! Therefore you my former Carnal Companions be intreated to seek the Lord whilst he may be found and to call upon him while he is yet near Do not let a Dalilah's Lap deprive you of an Abraham's Bosom Do not for the fading Pleasures of a Transitory Life Subject your precious Souls to eternal Ruin Oh! Let my Case the unexpressible Sorrows I have gone through for Sin and the true pleasures I have found in the ways of Grace and Holiness have a powerful convincing and perswading Effect upon you The good Lord help all you young ones to hear this dead Saint thus speaking to you 2dly My next word is to you that are the Relations of this blessed Person and 't is what our Saviour said to the Mourners about the Damsel we read of Matt. 9.24 The Maid is not dead but Sleepeth So your Daughter your Sister your Relation for vvhom you are in so much Bitterness and because of vvhom your hearts are ready to break vvith sorrovv Oh! She is not dead but Sleepeth Indeed as to you she is dead and you will see her no more with a mortal Eye but unto God she is alive and with him wâ—ll live for evermore Oh! Therefore Assuage your Grief dry up your Tears make no Bevvailing for her for she is better and in a far better State than you Oh! therefore turn your Lamentation for her into Imitation of her think not of her Immature death but of her holy and examplary Life and be ye followers of her who through the abundant increase of Faith and exercise of Patience was fitted for the Kingdom above and is now with the triumphant inheriting the Promises being in Possession of that Inheritance which is Incorruptible Vndefiled which fadeth not away And as to her outward Man she is but fallen asleep and will be awakened again at the joyful Morning of the Resurrection Though she be now with Job saying to Corruption thou art my Father and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister though after her Skin Worms will destroy her Body yet in her Flesh shall she see God I will therefore commend the Apostle's Words to your serious Consideration which I hope may afford you some matter of Consolation at least be a rational Ground for the alleviation of your present Sorrow on this sad Occasion 1 Thes 4.13.14 But I would not have you to be Ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye Sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Again v. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first On which sweet Conclusion and most comfortable truth I would ground my pressing Exhortation