meet again Resign thy will up to Gods Will be willing to part with me that is the way still to have me c. I am in a streight this was many years since willing to leave a world of sin and a body of sin and willing to be in Heaven where I may sin no more nor sorrow no more but sorrow no more that 's the least where I may serve God without distraction and always be in his presence and among the spirits of just men made perfect O it is sweet being there and yet I am willing to stay knowing the need my dear Husband and Children will have of me c. Indeed I have been able to do little for them but my earnest prayers have been for them and my tender affections towards them especially for their eternal wellfare and happiness and though I have not done so much as I would have done and desired to do yet this is my comsort I did what I could yea more many times than this poor carcass could well indure and this is my comfort I bless God Before ever I first came to thee I sought God to direct me and desired it might not be if it was not for his glory and both our comforts and that which made me willing to enter into that condition it was because God would have it so otherwise I considered what might have discouraged me from it as hindrances in the service of God losses and crosses care to bring up Children and then grief to part with them c. The first time I went to speak with her I found she was at prayer as to that great concern to that God who makes all meetings and relations happy by the enjoyment of himself The Lord will provide for thee and will not leave thee nor forsake thee in nothing be careful with any distracting care faith leaves Christian nothing to do but to pray and give thanks if I leave thee God will not leave thee but visit thee with his loving-kindness if he take away a crazy broken Cistern he will be a fountain of living waters Fear not but God will tread down thy spiritual enemies and therefore cease not to wrestle and strive and watch and pray O that we could always remember we are born Soldiers the good Lord help us to fight the good fight of faith that we may lay hold on eternal life c. God hath blessed thy ministry to me and what thou didst Preach as concerning the loving-kindness of God as being better than life it was very sweet in the Preaching of it and it is so now in my own experience and it was not in vain that God put thee also upon that subject Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever For when is a time to make use of God as our portion but in a time of affliction then to trust in his all sufficiency to submit to his will c I love thee dearly I love thy soul and pray for the good of it as much as my own I can say more than my own God is thy God and will be thy God and the God of thy seed I trust my dear Children and Husband with him he will take care of them and provide for them I am going home going home to my Fathers house I must go c. Where are my dear Children will they not follow after me to Heaven Wait on God God is good to them that wait for him c. he is a God at hand c. he will make thy Children blessings to thee labour to bear up thy spirits the Lord help thee so to do and cast thy self and thy affairs upon the Lord. c. The Lord counsel comfort support and direct thee in all thy ways The Lord do thee and thine good and multiply on you his blessings spiritual and temporal and give thee to submit to his will The Lord help thee in thy work and make it prosperous and successful and prepare us for the doing and suffering of his most holy will whatever it be The Lord prepare thee to part with me and me to resign my self up to him as into the hand of a faithful Creator The Lord make our souls prosperous the outward man is but for a little while Lord keep my dear Husband by thy power c. and my dear Children that they may walk uprightly before thee and do thy pleasure and submit to thy will and whatever they do here Heaven will be enough hereafter The Lord recompence all thy labour of love to me c. The good Lord bless you and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and give you inward joy and peace the light of his countenance which is better than any thing here c. And Lord keep thy Ministers hold them fast in thy hand and tread their enemies down as mire preserve the Gospel O the Gospel for my poor Childrens sake that though I go that may continue still to mine c. O that we may be kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation The good Lord still follow thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies all thy days c. 20. Some of her Speeches and Prayers very lately and a little before her Death MY Dear I have but a few days now to be with thee and when by reason of thy being abroad I cannot see thee nor injoy thy Company so much as I would I comfort my self with this I shall one day injoy thee again and we shall ever be together I must declare this That thou hast been a dear loving faithful Husband to me and I have received much comfort by thy Preaching Praying and what thou hast spoken to me and God hath a blessing in store for thee for many are blessing God for thee c. And I bless God for thee but can't speak much now the Lord hath made thy ministry abundantly comfortable to me abundantly abundantly and I have come home full of joy and I have told thee one shove more would have put me into Heaven c. But since I came to London and could not have the opportunity to hear thee as formerly God hath made others ministry especially Dr. Jacombs very comfortable to me Why art thou so sad thou shouldest rejoyce count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations cast thy care upon God and in nothing be troubled he will provide he will not leave thee c. wouldest have me continue still in this misery and pain We came together to part and therefore let us part comfortably we shall meet again where we shall never part I go a little before thou lovest me and wilt thou not let me go to my first Husband I have another Husband and if he send a Messenger for me I must go though I leave never such dear Relations here Do as much work as thou canst for God but do not over
do that thou maist hold out the longer The loss and hindrance I have been to my family she meant by reason of her long sickness the Lord will make it up to thee and thy Children do but trust in him c. The Lord will direct thee what to do do not trouble thy self beforehand he will make thy way plain before thee She spake to those about her as followeth Make Religion your business walk with God get a Covenant-interest in Christ do not neglect secret prayer I have found much comfort in it prize the Word by which you may be saved hear it as often as possibly you can and hear it and do it Live comfortably and contentedly together It is good to store up Cordials and make provision against times of affliction To give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and we had need in times of health to provide for sickness and death and all little enough It is one thing to talk of death and another thing to be willing to dye c. I would have you all bless God when I am gone that I shall sin no more sorrow no more c. She said to one of her Grandchildren about four years old poor Child the Lord give thee a Covenant-interest in himself If I live I purpose to do my endeavour to teach thee to know God and love God and Jesus Christ but if I dye Sirs do you take care and let him not play on Sabbath-days let all his play-things behind c. To her Daughters Maid she said be instructing these poor Children learn them good things c. the Lord has a blessing in store for my Children and the little ones One of her Daughters being out of the Town and supposing she should see her no more Tell her says she I hope God will carry on the work he has begun and give her grace to fear him c. I would have her labour to get that good work finished and to eye God in all his dealings and to do his will to ask counsel of God for body and soul for temporal and spiritual affairs and let her trust in God Take heed c. God expects we should follow some employment here and not to fall upon business causes to grow melancholly and discontented there are many snares in living out of a calling An idle life is pleasing to the flesh to take no care nor pains but it will be sad afterward c. my dear Husband my dear Children but I can't speak now c. She prayed earnestly for her Husband Children little ones and for Gods Ministers c. I pray all the blessings of Heaven may be upon thee upon soul and body and that he would make up the want of all Relations by himself The Lord bless thee the Lord bless thee out of Sion and recompence all thy love to me a thousand-fold with his tender compassions The Lord prosper thee in the work of thy Ministry that thou maist win many souls to him The Lord make my Children truly gracious and comforts to thee The Lord give them grace and the shinings of his face and that will be better than the life of a Mother The Lord carry my Daughter Shayter who was then near her time through her great work and bless thee my Son and make my Daughter a blessing to thee and the Lord bless the little one and make it an Heir of Heaven one of Christs Lambs I leave my blessing and prayers for the little ones and you all One of her Grandchildren coming to her she said to him Farwell my Lamb my dear Lamb farwell farwell the Lord make thee a comfort to thy Mother And one of her Daughters being near her she prayed the Lord bless thee out of Sion and give thee an everlasting Covenant-interest in himself c. She prayed for Gods Ministers That he would spare their lives incourage them and bless their labours c. More particularly for Dr. Jacomb That God would bless him and his ministry and recompence all the good he had done her she much desired to see him once again who coming to her and praying with her his praiers and presence were very refreshing to her Towards her end she grew somewhat light-headed but still had excellent expressions and spake sensibly of God and the things of God she often cryed O my God O my God pity me O my God help me for thy mercies and compassious sake Remember me O my God how long yet O my God have mercy on me c. The day of my redemption draws nigh and I am now near home my God help me help faith c. The fear of death is taken away blessed be God and the Lord does comfort me and I am comforted within and am glad I am going home c. She spake a great deal more but we could not now well understand what she said Now the doors began to be shut in the streets as Solomon speaks how good is it to open them to purpose whiles we may and the daughters of musick to be brought low and those that look out of the windows to be darkned because she was near to her long home but blessed be God not an everlasting home December 13. she was under great pains and groan'd much and spake little neither could what she spake be understood but she often fixed her eyes stedfastly towards Heaven for some time together Afterward going to prayer by her and begging of God if he saw it good to release her c. she lift up her eyes and one of her hands toward Heaven and the other hand being in one of her Daughters hands she pluck'd it out and lift up that also both eyes and hands with great earnestness and intenseness unto Heaven where her soul was now near entring I was with her that night till about twelve or one of the Clock and not knowing how to bear it to stay with her any longer I then went with a sad heart away from her not expecting to see her here any more alive but blessed be God I enjoyed her so long so truly pious prudent loving tender careful saithful and dearly affectionate Wife but though I departed from her I left her with him whose Angels were now waiting ready to transport her soul into the bosom of her blessed Redeemer But one of her Daughters remained still with her to the last which was not long after I was gone away her Daughter could not get her spirit willing at first to promise to bless God if he would take her to himself But when God had once brought her to be willing she soon after about two a Clock in the morning December 14 1678 expired and went triumphingly to Heaven an entrance being ministred to her abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of her dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And thus she is now entred into peace and is taken away and secured from the evil to come she is passed from
AN ACCOUNT Of Several Observable SPEECHES OF Mrs. Luce Perrot THE Late Wife of Mr. ROBERT PERROT of LONDON Minister Spoken by her chiefly in the time of her sickness and a little before her Death and taken immediately from her own mouth though unknown to her And now Published for the Comfort and Benefit of her near Relations and some other of her Friends Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue c. Cant. 4.11 She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness Prov. 30.26 And by it he being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 Beata lingua quae velut favus distillat velur ubera lacte distenditur quae mel distillar lac fluit Bernard super Cantica LONDON Printed for R. P. 1679. The PREFACE THESE Sayings here published were the Sayings of a dear and precious Saint now with God not premeditated but extemporary uttered by her chiefly in the times of her sickness and weakness and a little before her death and taken immediately word for word as near as could be as they dropt from her own mouth but being promiscuously spoken they are thus ordered and reduced to several heads for the better fitting of them to be subservient for the benefit and comfort of those who shall peruse them It was so far from being any way designed or desired by her to have them made publick that she did not so much as know of their being taken for had she such was her modesty and humility that it might I suppose have hinder'd the speaking of them What they be they are mainly and chiefly design'd for the comfort and benefit of her near and dear Relations and some other friends which were of her acquaintance but if others shall occasionally reap any comfort or benefit by them let them bless God and thankfully own his Providence therein It is probable that what is here done will not escape the censure of some nor the slight and contempt of others and indeed what almost in these times does not undergo that fate But however the good assurance how acceptable what is here done will be to those for whom it is chiefly intended as also how profitable it may through the blessing of God prove to them hath encouraged to what is done It is not here design'd to give an account of the Life of the deceased but only of some of those speeches which dropt from her lips chiefly in her sickness and near her death But yet this I shall say That by what is here set forth such as peruse the same may take a measure of themselves and see as in a Mirrour what they are there being therein drawn forth to the life the true characters and lineaments of a sound and real Christian indeed And besides these speeches are and may be several other ways very instructive and useful as to let us see what a powerful influence a holy gracious life hath to a comfortable and happy death and truly meer shews and semblances of Piety will no more comfort then than a painted sun give light or a painted fire warmth now As also here we are taught how good it is and how comfortable it will prove afterward to set out for Heaven betimes and to begin to seek after God and chuse him for our portion while young and to be then taken off from the vain delights here below This as Abigail said to David in another case shall be no grief of heart hereafter but such as is said of the virtuous woman Prov. 31.25 shall rejoice in time to come when God shall remember the kindness of their youth It is observ'd Christ lov'd his youngest Disciple best c. Here also you are taught what it is that most troubles and burdens a gracious soul and that the dearest of Gods Saints are sometimes exposed to Satans fiercest onsets and what a choice Cordial in times of trial the loving-kindness of God is better than wine yea better than life yea and what it is that does and will comfort and support at such times and upon the approaches of death and how far many times the Saints are carried above the fears even of that King of terrors c. These and several other ways what is here published through the blessing of God may be useful and instructive in the perusal thereof if such as peruse the same be not wanting to themselves Which that it may be as it was the design so it is the desire and shall be the prayer of the Publisher thereof The CONTENTS of the several Speeches following As concerning 1. Gods beginning with her betimes c. 2. Her sense of Sin c. 3. Satans Temptations c. 4. Her quiet Submission under Gods hand c. 5. Her zeal for the glory of God c. 6. Her thankfulness c. 7. Her weanedness from the World c. 8. Her Humility Charity c. 9. Her firm affiance in God c 10. Her whole reliance on Jesus Christ alone for Salvation c. 11. Her earnest desires of the good of the Souls of her Children c. 12. Her care to prepare for the Sabbath and great love to Gods Ministers c. 13. Some further evidences for Heaven c. 14. What it was which comforted her in all her afflictions c. Viz. 1 Her interest in God 2 The favour of God 3 The word and promises of God 4 Prayer Meditation and former experiences 5 Heaven and the future happiness and glory c. 15. Her earnest desires to be dissolved c. 16. The Ends and Reasons thereof c. 17. Her being above the fears of death c. 18. Some few of her breathings as in reference to her self c. 19. Some of her Speeches to and Prayers for her Husband as in reference to himself and Children formerly 20. Some of her Speeches and Prayers very lately and a little before her Death An Account of several Observable Speeches of Mrs. Luce Perrot the late Wife of Mr. Robert Perrot of London Minister c. Her Speeches 1. As concerning Gods beginning with her betimes which she thankfully acknowledged and much rejoyced in I Would not for ten thousand worlds but have begun to seek God betimes the Lord put me upon it he then took me off from other delights and made me to delight in his Word c. He began with me betimes and carried me on step by step I could then see nothing in the World to delight in I thought then Holy-days as they called them a wearisomness unto me I would sometimes sit and see others play but took no delight therein for which they would laugh at me and tell me I studied Divinity c. But my delight was then this was when she was about thirteen Years of age to search the Scriptures and to get by my self and pray O that pleased me and very much was I troubled when hindered c. God wrought in
me betimes an hatred of what was evil and a love of what was good and I then dearly loved those that feared the Lord and spake of what was good but I could not delight in vain Company I was fearful to offend God c. It is good to set out and begin with God betimes I chose God when I was young and then my endeavour was to do what he commanded me and I was grieved when I slipped my greatest sorrow was for sin and nothing troubles me more now than that I ran no swifter then in the ways of God If my work was now to do and my evidences to seek what a sad condition was I in And if I had not spent more time for Heaven when I had time and health and strength it would even sink me now Thus this blessed Saint Remembred her Creatour in the days of her Youth Eccles 12.1 he had her golden age the prime of her Years the chief and choice of her days and who indeed should have these but God who is the best and chiefest of all And there was in her whilst a Child found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel 1 Kings 14.13 and then even while young and tender she began to seek after the God of her godly Parents 2 Chron. 34.3 whose care it was to train her up betimes in the way she should go and she bare the yoke in her youth and so did not bear the reproach of her youth Lam. 3.27 Jer. 3.19 in neglecting then to do God service and to mind her everlasting concerns when was the chief time for it but had the comfort of her youth And this is Gods due the chief and choice of our days The first of the first fruits were to be offered to God Exod. 23.19 repeated 34 26. and youth is the time which of all times God does chiefly require and most delight in his Soul desires the first ripe fruit Micah 7.1 and early fruits are very acceptable c. God prizes the services of young ones and it exceedingly pleases him to see plants grown up even in their youth Psal 144.12 and he especially bespeaks young ones to give him the heart my Son give me thine heart c. Proverbs 23.26 So my Daughter you young ones c. and this is given as one Reason why that title my Son is so often used in the Book of Proverbs because God does there especially speak to young ones c. and we while young experiencing bounty and kindness from God there 's all the reason he should have duty and service from us Can we while we are young live without him And why therefore should we not then live unto him and as he is the guide of our youth so make him the God of our youth and truly our whole time is so short all our days so few but as an hands breadth Psal 39.5 that God may well have all and a poor pittance too for him who intends an eternity of felicity for us O how many have repented they began no sooner but who ever repented for beginning so soon And is it not safest to begin betimes is not youth the seasonning age And does not the vessel retain longest the savour of what it is first seasoned with When Children grow crooked at first while young they are hardly ever set straight again afterwards Few instances of old ones converted c. Besides old age says one is the time to spend grace Youth to get it old age to reap the fruit of Holiness youth to sow the seed of it and are not young ones in their youth dedicated and consecrated to God by virtue of their Baptism and is it not Sacriledg to impropriate the service of that to sin and Satan that is dedicated to God And do not young ones die as well as old and are there not Skulls in Golgotha of all sizes How many are taken away in the very prime of their days and flower of their age And young ones must appear before God at the great day of judgment as well as elder I saw the dead says John both small and great stand before God Rev. 20.12 they were all there c. And how well was it therefore for this precious Soul she began so soon 2. As concerning her sense of sin and sorrow for her soul-distempers THE distempers of my body trouble me and I am ready to complain because of pain but they do not sad me but the distempers of my soul they much sad me yea even sink me I am very much troubled with this body of sin and death and that I can do and receive no more good When I pray for health and the removing of the distempers of my Body then methinks I pray but slenderly in comparison but when I pray for the removing of the distempers of my Soul then I pray most earnestly so that when I have begun I know not how as it were to make an end yea I am so earnest in desiring God to cure the one that I am ready to forget to beg of him the cure of the other Sorrow for other things makes me sleep the more but when it is for sin I cannot sleep but the night is as the day Going once to a Lecture and hearing a Minister speaking of the signs of a Child of God and he answering a Christians complaint as concerning his sins But how says he dost thou wear them as a Gold chain or ornament or as an Iron chain and as Fetters that manacle thee and as that thou would'st fain be rid of c This though very sad and much troubled before so that she was loath to have gone What should such a one as I do going I shall but fill up room and do no good c. Yet this so comforted her that said she I even laughed for joy and though going late I stood all the while yet after that I was not weary I am much troubled at my unbelief impatiency And she being once in a special manner but tempted to a sin she had such an abhorrency thereof that it eaus'd her as she told me to shed a Thousand tears and it was as if a Sword had been run into her c. And how often did she complain not of her sikness but sius c 3. As concerning Satans temptations and his fierce onsets formerly WHen I was very young I had sometimes neglected prayer and I dream'd one night the Devil was pulling me to Hell and I trembled and quak'd and methoughts I was even at the Pits brink but some Scriptures comforted me and afterward to prevent the same I would get Scriptures by heart when I went to bed Satan hath often formerly much troubled me and I have been afraid of that roaring Lyon that when I went to sleep he would devour me but the Lord methoughts told me though he was mine enemy yet he was in Chains and so I have found him me thought I saw him at
have not felt the ground I have gone upon When my pains are greatest I have usually most peace and that upholds me Not long before her death she told one of her relations that she was so ravished with the contemplation of the love of God in Christ that it did even swallow her up so as that she was not able to bear it nor contain it but was forced to remit and let go her present thoughts thereof And the ground of my comfort is the assurance of the love of God which he hath given me And what is the assurance of Gods love worth It is more worth than a thousand worlds and I will not let it go it makes me for joy as it were to fly up and down Thus Gods Love was better to her than Wine yea than Life and the Love of God and the assurance thereof is indeed a Cordial that will revive when none other can nor will none to that This is the very life of our lives the light of our day the â—un of our firmament the spring of our year the joy of our hearts the solace of our souls the strength comfort and support of our spirits the mercy of mercies the blessing of blessings so much better than life that life it self without it is no better than death But this is life even in death and hence the Prophet David prays for this for his Cordial and comfort Psal 119.76 Let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort c. And this was the cordial and comfort of this blessed Saint now in Heaven in all her tryals and afflictions while here 3. The word and promises of God These were to her as a banqueting or house of wine as staying flagons and comforting apples as green pastures and still waters c. Cant. 2.4 5. Psal 23.2 As that word Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten And Heb. 12.10 But he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness And Rom. 8.28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God c. One night she repeated over to her self several promises which she said God brought to her mind and were a very sweet cordial to her Such as Psal 34.22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Vers 10. The young lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Isa 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom c. Vers 29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength c. I am much comforted with that promise Isa 43.25 and I would even live upon it I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins c. There were two places of Scripture which did more especially much run in her mind of late and were very comforting to her one was 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory c Vers 57 But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ The other Job 19.25 26 27 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my Reins be consumed within me These words were very refreshing to her and were the words discoursed of by Dr. Jacomb at her Funeral though it being propounded to her she acknowledged her great unworthiness that any such thing should be done for her but it might she said do good to the living Those words especially Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another she often repeated and was much comsorted by For my self for my self And blessed be God now she sees God for her self even for her self and is in the actual possession of that blessedness of which the contemplation was so sweet to her here She is now seeing God in Heaven in her soul and though after her skin worms destroy her body yet she also shall in due time her body being rais'd see God in her flesh for her self and her eyes shall behold and not another though her reins be consumed within her But her soul is now at present injoying that vision indeed she beholds man no more here with the inhabitants of the world as Hezekiah spake Isa 38 11 neither sees she any more her near and dear relations but she sees a far better sight she sees and injoys God and shall do so for ever and so is now in the participation of the comfort wrapt up in that Scripture and knows experimentally what it is to see God which she had been so long praying and waiting for and to see him for her self for her self and not another as she repeated it Asking her once what it was that comforted her This said she that God hath brought home his promises to my soul and applied them to me he hath said this promise belongs to thee Isa 54.7 8 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindress will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer O how full and sweet is this promise c. Thus Gods Word and Promises were very comforting and refreshing to her very sweet yea sweeter than honey and the honey-comb they were her songs in the house of her pilgrimage better to her than thousands of gold and silver and she rejoyced thereat as one that findeth great spoil Psal 119 54 72 162 111. And by those things as Hezekiah said She lived and in all these things was the life of her spirit Isa 38.16 and she might well say as once the Prophet David and as a precious Saint and dear sister of hers long since formerly said Vnless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in my affliction Psal 119.2 And the Word of God is the best Cordial in the world Thus that which supported them both was the Word of God and indeed in several respects * Mrs. Elizabeth Moor sometimes of Aldermanbury London who dyed now many years since and at whose funeral Mr. Calamy preached as she desired on those words Psal 119.92 Which Scrmon with several others on the same Text were long since extant And to them we annexed her evidences for Heaven both these dear Sisters and their cases were much a-like both examples of great affliction as also of extraordinary patience in which they possessed their souls both brought to such a sweet humble submissive frame as to be willing to undergo whatever the Lord was pleas'd to