the excellencie as well as the need of this Pearle and God hath let them see in some measure the worth of it Why are men so earnestly caried to seeke Pearles farre and neere swallowing insensibly all toiles dangers and charges but because they know their worth and price and that if they can light on them they shall be well paid for all their labour Euen so such as to whom God hath made knowne in some measure the worth of this inestimable lewell are quickned daily to the vnweariable inquisition after it Paul knew that one graine of grace would weigh downe all the world and therefore would procure it through all perils and dangers through good reports or euill through wants and losses euen of the dearest things and most desirous in all the world whereas Ignoti nulla cupido none will seeke that he knoweth not or not any goodnesse in it Reas 3 3. They only know that without painfull seeking they shall neuer attaine the Pearle for as Pearles doe not lie on the face of the ground but are hid in the bowels of the earth or in the sands so the mysteries of the Kingdome lie not abroad for euery one to stumble vpon vnawares but they are a hidden treasure not discerned by the naturall man nay hated by the wisdome of the flesh and scorned by the wisest of the world Besides that this is the condition vpon which the Lord bestoweth his best blessings Pro. 2.4 if we dig for wisdome as for treasures which words implie that it is not easie to come by he knoweth our nature that wee lightly set by what wee lightly come by and if Pearles were as common as pibbles wee should as lightly set by them as we doe by the other Reas 4 4. The godly alone see that without the Pearle they cannot by any thing else be satisfied for so seeking implieth a discontent in the want of the thing sought for Common men if they finde health wealth friends pleasures and the like outward things are well contented corne wine oile to cheere their hearts But these wise Merchants seeking grace no other thing contenteth them but grace one glimpse of Gods countenance through Iesus Christ is sweet aboue all And as hee that seeketh a Iewell doth looke still after it a thousand things come in his way and eye but he passeth slightly ouer them and seeth them not nor seeketh hee them euen so doth the Christian Merchant and as the ciuill Merchant attaining Pearles doth rest ioyfull in them as in such commodities as will helpe his happinesse in the world So the godly Merchant finding this one Pearle of the Gospel which is the grace of life goeth away reioycing and resteth well appaid for all his labours and sufferings He was before hee light vpon this Pearle the most vnhappie man in the world but now hee cannot hide his ioy but as the poore widow which called in her neighbors to reioyce with her because she had found the lost groat Luk. 15.9 so can he neither wholly hide nor yet expresse halfe the ioy hee conceiueth in his new commoditie and purchase Ob. But many seeke and that with reares that faile of grace as Esan and many shall striue to enter saith Christ and shall not bee able and Rom. 9.31 32. Israel sought right nusnesse but obtained it not Sol. Answ Many seeke but amisse Fiue conditions of right seeking the Pearle and therefore faile so Israel sought but not by faith Now the true condition of seeking as the wise Merchant and as the word directeth standeth in fiue things 1. 1. Affectionately With an earnest and true loue desire and estimation of the thing sought this will make a man seeke diligently and as a thirsty person not coldly carelesly remisly slightly or negligently for such seeking shall neuer finde for why did the Church seeke Christ so laboriously till she found him but because it was hee whom her soule loued Cant. 3.3 The watchmen that went about the Citie found mee to whom I said Haue yee seene him whom my soule loueth And why did Mary seeke Christ hauing lost him three dayes Because she loued him and reioyced in his person and presence which made her heart so heauie in his absence Luk. 2.42 Behold thy father and I haue sought thee with heauie hearts The Merchant because hee loueth and esteemeth of siluer doth seeke it carefully and earnestly Pro. 2.4 and the heauenly Merchant shall finde grace vndoubtedly if he seeke it as the other doth siluer Loue is laborious he that loueth Christ and his grace will neuer cease to seeke him nor faile to finde him See the promise in Ier. 29.12 13. Then shall you crie vnto mee and you shall goe and pray vnto me and I will heare you and you shall seeke mee and finde mee because you shall seeke mee with all your heart Whosoeuer then euer meaneth to finde God and his sauing grace must vnfainedly and heartily seeke after him 2. Wisely in the likely place of finding Secondly it must be sought in the likely place and meanes of finding the ordinary place where this Pearle is to be found is the assemblies of the Saints there God holdeth forth his scepter and maketh offer of the grace of life Cant 1.7 Where was the Church to find Christ with his graces at noone in her thirst but in the steps of the shepherds And these assemblies are the Suburbs of heauen called therfore the Kingdome of grace and hee that refuseth the good offers of grace in the word sacraments praier hearing reading conferring the like shall neuer finde it No wise Merchant will slacke any good opportunity of aduancing his estate now the likely meanes in wise seeking are diligently to be vsed as 1. To search the euidence of the Pearle this euidence is contained in the Scriptures Iohn 5. Search the Scriptures for they witnesse of me Secondly the grant of it is from heauen by prayer Let vs therefore goe boldly to the Throne of grace that we may find mercy and grace to helpe in time of need Heb. 4.16 Thirdly the couenant is by the application of these meanes signed and deliuered yea and witnessed by the blessed Spirit of GOD by a blessed change in the beleeuing heart by mortification and subduing the corruption of nature by heauenly motions heauenly mindednes and gracious conuersation standing not in a shell a forme or shew but in the kernil power and substance of sound godlinesse Thirdly 3. Principally it must be sought first and principally yea onely sought and that for it selfe it must be sought first in time As Psalme 63.3 Early in the morning wil I seeke thee The Israelites must seeke Manna the first thing they doe in the morning Esau seeketh but too late the foolish Virgins doe knocke but the doore is shut 2. It must be sought in the first place Matth. 6.33 Seeke yee first the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof Seeke neither
All these and a thousand more vertues hath this Hearbe-Grace wrought in thee in some measure if thou hast found it and so aboundantly recompenseth all thy labour He went sold all that he had and bought it The third action of the Merchant Our Sauiour continueth the allegory of the wise Merchant who 1. hath sought 2. found the Pearle and then sitteth not downe 1. Vadit ad forum spiritualium per effectum but thirdly maketh purchase In the words are three things 2. Vendit omnia per affectum contimptum terrenorum 1. He goeth away to the Mart and meanes where it is to be had 3. Emit per conatum desiderium aternorum 2. Hee selleth all in affection to it and contempt of earthlythings 3. He buyeth it by a carefull desire and endeuour after heauenly things For the meaning 1. he goeth away Selfe-denial is the first lesson in Christs schoole Whosoeuer will saue his life Mat. 16.25 shall loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his life for my sake shall find it hee that forsaketh not his own will reason affections and euill habits and doth not crosse his owne desires shall neuer prize or purchase this Pearle 2. And selleth all That is in comparison hee contemneth all earthly things setteth them at a low rate and value in respect of the Pearle and doth not care much who haue them so hee may enioy the Pearle let others get the wealth of the world he will be rich in grace let others get corne wine and oile if he can get naked Christ hee hath enough Obiect But is it necessarie to sell all to haue eternall life It may seeme so Matth. 19.22 Iesus said vnto him if thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me Sol. Ans The Papists build a state of perfection vpō voluntary pouerty and hold it a counsell onely fit for perfect Christians and farre more meritorious than the keeping of the whole Law But 1. to answer them and then the question 1. It is a friuolous conceit to thinke that any man may come to an higher estate of happinesse by some other meanes than by keeping the Law Secondly it is absurd to thinke that any worke can be acceptably done toward saluation which is without the walke and compasse of the law which is so perfect that cursed is he that doth dare to adde to it or detract any thing from it 3. Christ desired no more of the young man than he did of his Disciples who said verse 27. wee haue left all to follow thee and yet Peter had an house still and Iohn to which hee tooke the Virgin Mary And therefore Christ would haue the young man to part with all which hee could not hold with his loue and affection to Christ himselfe and the Gospell Fourthly that which Christ required of this Iustitiarie is not any deuised Euangelicall counsel aboue the law but a dutie contained in the law the summe of which is Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and whereas hee had boasted that hee had kept all the law Christ doth send him backe againe to the law to let him see his want of loue both to God and his neighbour to God if the loue of his friends hinder him from following him whom he confesseth a teacher from God And want of loue to man if at Christs word hee will not part with his money especially if not at Christ his especiall commandement So as this is not a counsell to some perfect recluses or orders of wilfull men but a commandement to all Christians that must striue to perfection 1. Cor. 2.6 And we speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect who must not onely leaue goods and lands and houses for Christ and the Gospell but must hate father mother wife and children brethren sisters and their owne life if they cānot hold them with Christ So much to answer the Papists Now to the question 1. Who can denie wealth to be the gift of God if it be held without couetousnes confidence pride and subordinate to heauen and heauenly things Or who can denie but riches may become helps to heauenly Tabernacles who can denic but good men may both haue them and vse them Abraham was a man of great possessions and Iob and Dauid men of most great wealth and yet godly men and poore of spirit goods therefore in themselues are not to be cast away but first in comparison Wealth in foure cases to be renounced rather than we will not attaine and retaine the Pearle of the Gospell we must abandon all we haue Secondly when they proue an impediment to our calling and holy profession we must renounce them Heb. 11.25 as Moses in this case refused to be the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and to suffer with Gods people a traueller may carrie a staffe to helpe him in his iourney but not to ouer-load himselfe and he may beare some money in his purse for his charges but not burthen himselfe with it Thirdly in affection alwaies wee must renounce them and hold them retiredly and weignedly vsing the world as not vsing it 1 Cor. 7.3 Let them be in our hands not in our hearts to lay downe or lay out not to lay vp or lay vp our hearts with them Fourthly actually but not vncalled wee must leaue them not of our owne accord but called by God nō sponte sed vocati let vs alwayes see wee haue a good ground as if tyrants or persecutors keepe vs from inioying either Christ or our own estate then in this choyse we must prefer a poore estate in Christ before a rich estate in the world And buyeth it Our sauiour vseth this word buying not to signifie that we can make any recompence payment or merit to purchase eternal life for first that is infinite we finite and betweene these is no proportion Secondly it is a free gift of God Rom. 6.23 Thirdly it is a buying Esay 55.1 but without money money worth And the poore are called to buy it who haue no money to lay out for it Fourthly this Pearle is such a commoditie as neither men nor Angels can giue any due price for Fiftly we can giue God nothing but his owne But Christ here speaketh figuratiuely namely that this wise Merchant dealeth as a buyer The Christian man resembleth a buyer in 4. things first hee seeth the want of Gods grace Christs merits the thirsty are called to buy Esay 55.1 Secondly as a buyer he priseth valueth and casteth the worth esteemeth Christ at the hiest rate and all things else in comparison of him losse and dung Phil. 3.13 Thirdly as a buyer he maketh an exchange not of money nor money worth but vseth all good indeuour and labour by prayer and diligence and the vse of all good meanes to obtaine
the grace of the Gospell Which price God doth set vpon grace and on which condition an 〈◊〉 is made The 〈◊〉 putteth ouer his sinnes to Christ and receiueth righteousnes from Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sinne for vs that knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him Fourthly the bargain made is earnested so the beleeuer able to giue nothing to God taketh from God the earnest of his Spirit in some sauing graces by which the whole bargaine of eternall life is assured vnto him Doct. 1 From this selling all A wise Christian will part with all before he part with Christ and buying the Pearle learne That a wise Christian must and will part with all hee hath before hee will part with Christ Prou. 4.7 Aboue all thy possessions get wisdom and vnderstanding The godly follow Christ out of Ierusalem and out of the campe Heb. 13.13 they sold their liues loued them not to the death for Christ Pauls possessions and his life was not deere Acts 20. so hee might finish his course with ioy And why Reas 1 1. Such sound iudgement is restored vnto euery sound Christian as he thinketh nothing so deere to him as Christ and his grace and doth suppose himselfe rich indeed if hee attaine naked Christ and the deerest things are base in this comparison The Church of Laodicea will neuer buy gold white rayment so long as her iudgement is blinded till shee annoint her eyes with eye-salue to see and seeing once the worth she is content to be at any paines for it The text implieth that no lesse paines bee made for wisdom than that of most industrious Merchants who take long and dangerous iournies and voyages by sea land for Pearles and swallow all paines and perils in hope of attaining them Secondly the Christian knoweth that hee shall bee no loser by the bargaine other Merchāts buying great commodities know not whether they shall be gainers or no and many seeke Pearles with infinite losses and finde them not But here is a certaine and an vndoubted gaine for whosoeuer forsaketh house wife lands liberty children and life for Christs sake and the Gospell shall receiue an hundred-fold in this life with tribulation and in the world to come life euerlasting here is vsury enough not ten in the hundred but an hundred for tenne haue this Pearle and want nothing want this Pearle and haue nothing Thirdly this putteth a difference betweene soundnesse and hypocrisie the hypocrite can sell much for Gods fauour Mic. 6.6 they will giue thousands of rammes and ten thousand of riuers of oyle and their first borne but will not part with their sinnes Ananias and Sapphira can part with three parts of their portion but soundnesse esteemeth the Pearle better than the whole were it the whole world Fourthly because it seeth Christ forsaking all liberty life wealth heauen and happinesse for it in the way of thankfulnesse grace in the heart doth hold it selfe bound to forsake all for Christ Vse 1 This condemneth foolish Merchants who make a base reckoning of the Pearle esteeming the Gospell worth nothing The Gadarens accounted euery pig and base profit better than Christ and his Sermons Prophane Esau despised the blessing in respect of pottage There are other scornefull Merchants who scoffe at such simplicity as to forgo profits and delights for vaine conceits as to strip ones selfe of the pleasures of life to runne many miles to Sermons where is none at home Others would buy the Pearle if by it they might gaine ease reputation and wealth like the Swallowes that will take their Summer with vs but in Winter take their leaue of vs these measure religion by their gettings and say with the old Iewes What profit is there in seruing God Mal. 3.14 Vse 2 2. Many who thinke they haue the Pearle deceiued We may see it is not so easy a matter to haue part in the Gospell as most men thinke that vtterly deceiue themselues in this commoditie and this is the cause why so few respect it 1. Some men thinke they haue it because they haue heard of it but there is as much difference betweene finding and buying as betweene calling and answering 2. Some heare and like and wish and praise it but as in a faire they see many rich commodities but they passe by them and bargaine for none so many approue of Doctrines in general but lay out nothing nor lay aside any lust they can commend a good Sermon but will be sure it shal doe them no good Thirdly there are others that come neerer cheapen loue and bid somewhat but as hard chapmen nothing neere the matter rich men can cast some of their superfluity sometimes to good vses but not as the widow that had but two mites and cast in all this were too hard a bargaine Fourthly some would exchange some of their sinnes but not all others will doe some duties as come to Church heare pray sometimes reade at home and reprocue sinne but come to chargeable or dangerous duties to shew loue to Christ in time of danger or disgrace they are backward and draw in the tender horne for feare they be losers by him Vse 3 Let vs therfore learne to hold Christ and the Gospell as the only iewell or pearle worth hauing and to thinke our selues rich if we sell our selues out of all to purchase the Pearle let vs thus aduance our religion and shut the mouthes of our aduersaries that say we will leaue nothing for our religion while they giue all they haue to the Church and pious vses Notes of a man that hath purchased the Pearle Obj. How shall I know a man that purchaseth the Pearle Sol. 1. He changeth his own merits for Christs merits apprehended in the Gospell and casteth them away like dung and with Paul who laieth his birth kindred righteousnesse ciuill vertues good works and holinesse in the scoale but all is too light and found losse weighed with Christ So bring Wealth libertie friends life it selfe into the sight of a sound bele euer and if he must leaue these or Christ his Gospell farewell they he soone maketh his choyse As in the danger of life Act. 27.18 the Mariners cast out their wares with their owne hands and the tacklings out of the ship so we must cast away all in comparison of Christ our Lord and our life Where note that the Papist that cannot disclaime his owne merits shall misse of Christs 2. Hee goeth away reioycing all his affections are on it his chiefe ioy is Luke 10.20 that his Name is written in heauen no affliction can remoue this ioy 3. Hee desireth nothing in comparison beyond or besides it Simeon was content with Christ in his arms Iacob had enough that Ioseph liued so the beleeuer hath enough that Christ liueth in heauen and in his owne heart 4. He retaineth his confidence to it euery
husband to the honourable Countesse at whose request his Lady had taken her into her care To this Honourable Countesse shee came a most zealous Papist and resolute as soone as possibly shee could apprehend a fit opportunitie to conuey her selfe beyond the Seas and become a Nun for she then thought that that was the surest and likeliest way to get Heauen which as shee had an earnest desire to attaine so would shee take the neerest way which shee thought would bring her thither This religious care of the honourable Countesse as shee did all her life thankfully acknowledge it so is it very obseruable both for the high commendation of her honor and for the imitation of others of her honourable ranke But shee could not so closely carry her secret deuotions and intentions but that by the carefull eye of her Honourable Lady they were soone discouered and not sooner discouered than wisely preuented for presently her Lady tooke from her all her Popish books Beades and Images and all such trumpery and set a narrow watch ouer her that shee might bee kept from her Popish Prayers and not absent her selfe from the daily Prayers of the Family which were religiously obserued further requiring her to reade those Praiers that her honour daily vsed to haue in her priuate chamber with her women Her Ladiship also carefully preuented her from her Popish company and counsell by word or writing for neither might shee write nor receiue any letter without the view and consent of her Honour Shee also constrained her to bee countable for the Sermons which shee heard in the house which were constantly two euery Sabboth day for the increase of the sound knowledge of God which is the onely Hammer of Popery And heereby shee in short time obtained great ability to communicate to others the substance of those Sermons which shee heard the rather because it was constantly obserued by all the women in that honorable Family to come together after the last Sermon and make repetition of both And this shee did as yet for feare but still with this reseruation that shee would keepe her heart for Popery and trusted that God would bee mercifull vnto her as Naaman in this which shee did onely through feare and constraint But God who in his owne time worketh in his owne meanes began to worke in her first a staggering in her old way For when shee saw the holy conuersation of that Reuerend Preacher Master I. W. who was then Chaplin to the Countesse she began to perswade her selfe that surely this mans godlinesse must needs bring him to Heauen And then the reuerend respect of the man made her begin to giue some better care to his Doctrine to examine his proofes and to reuerence his Ministry whereby in short time Her new birth it pleased God that shee was wonne to beleeue the Truth and renounce her former superstition and ignorance And as it is the property of a true Conuert Iohn 1.45 being conuerted her selfe shee endeauoured the conuersion of others and was a great helpe and furtherance to the publique Ministery that way For this was a thing which that honourable Familie tooke speciall knowledge of and there were many that had great cause to blesse God for her in that respect Reuel 12. Now presently Satan that Dragon that watcheth to deuoure euery man-childe which shall bee borne vnto God begins to rage Her long and strong temptations and reach at her with strong and violent temptations and first hee terrified her in that shee had sinned the sinne against the holy Ghost for shee had played the deepe dissembler and being in heart a Papist yet ioyned with the Protestants whom shee held for Heretickes and all this against her knowledge and conscience and so fiercely and incessantly hee followed this temptation as that shee was perswaded it was impossible that euer this sinne should or could bee pardoned And this temptation was pointed and sharpened with that dreadfull and fowle suggestion of selfe murder as if the remedy of the sinne against the holy Ghost were to destroy ones selfe While shee was thus long tossed and tumbled in these waues and billowes of Satanicall suggestions wherein shee was so low cast and deiected still concealing her griefe as shee almost despaired of recouery It pleased God to direct that Reuerend Preacher who was her Father in Christ and whom shee euer after embraced with the most entyre loue of the most naturall Childe to entreat of this sinne and to shew what it was and by whom and in what manner it was committed To which Doctrine shee diligently hearkening and by examination of it and her selfe finding that shee had not so sinned after illumination nor with obstinate malice against God or his Truth which when shee was most superstitiously deuoted shee desired to finde out it pleased God to quiet her minde for that and so led her ouer that temptation But Satan that departed from our head Iesus Christ onely for a season was not long away from the molestation of this his member but returned and brought leuen worse spirits were it possible than before and now his name may be Legion for now hee would confound and oppresse her with multitudes of blasphemous thoughts and doubts Now must shee beleeue there is no God That the Scriptures are not his word but a Pollicie or if it were his word who must interpret it or how could shee a silly woman get the vnderstanding of such deepe mysteries as are contained in the same Besides as she was of minde that shee was gotten out of one errour so shee knew nothing but that shee was misled into another for how could shee bee sure that this was the truth which shee now professed seeing there are as many or more learned men of the one opinion as of the other and all of them maintaine their opinions by the Scriptures Thus was shee vexed and exercised with Armies of rouing and vnsetled conceits for fiue or sixe yeeres together till God whom she often sollicited for direction and assistance in the combat brought her to this resolution that shee would hold these conclusions whatsoeuer disputes Satan might weary her withall That there was not onely a God in himselfe but a God that was her God and whatsoeuer opinions there were in the world that there was but one Truth and that was to bee learned out of the Scriptures and though there were much in the Bible which shee did not vnderstand yet shee was perswaded that if shee would diligently reade and search the Scriptures with earnest Prayer to God for a good vnderstanding in them shee should attaine thence a measure of knowledge sufficient to bring her to heauen and holding strongly these groundes shee found the temptations waste away by degrees and her selfe daily more strongly setled vpon the foundation Neither was shee onely by the grace of God a Conquerour in these temptations but I may say with the Apostle in a
errour God turned to her good for in all the two and twenty yeeres of her seruice vnto that honourable Lady shee neuer durst make vse of any thing that was vnder her charge were it small or great but set it downe in writing and once euery yeere did make it good either in the kinde or in some other thing which shee bought for her Ladiships vse Fourthly Her charitable disposition the sense of her owne weaknesses and wants made her of a pittifull and charitable disposition towards the wants and miseries of others Shee had euer a large heart to the poore especially the godly poore she neuer did see or heare of any that were in want but her heart did mourne if shee had not to releeue them neither was her hand shut for shee did yeerely lay aside a portion of money to the vttermost of her ability if not beyond for their releefe Thus shee liued holily happily and desiredly Neither could so gracious a life be shut vp but by an answerable that is an happy death and dissolution wherof I will adde but a few wordes and so leaue her to her happinesse till wee meet happily againe True it is Her Imgring sicknesse that the life of a Christian should bee a continuall meditation of death as it is a continuall motion to death and such was the latter part especially of the life of this Christian woman who was of weake and sickly constitution many yeeres before her death which made her so much the more prepared for her last combate and sicknesse which lasted ten weekes in all which time shee certainly apprehended and expected her dissolution it being the principall and almost onely subiect of her discourse six moneths before it came But thirty dayes before her departure she finding her paines increasing and growing very sharpe and tedious she spent an houres talke with mee concerning her desire for the things of this life and hauing said what shee purposed shee thus concluded her speech Now sweet Heart no more wordes betweene you and mee of any worldly thing onely let me earnestly request and charge you that as you see my weaknes increase you will not faile to assist me and call on mee to follow the Lord with prayer and patience For now I know that Satan will shew all his malice because his time is but short against me and he will easily espie my weaknesse and make his aduantage of it and therefore now especially helpe mee with your counsell comfort and praiers In all the time of her sicknesse our gracious God who as a fast friend standeth closest to his seruants when they haue most need of him shewed his gracious presence with her as in all other comfortable supplies answerable to that depth of distresse so especially in hearing and answering her prayers and desires of her heart There were foure requests which wee â—bsâ—rued shee especiâ—â—â—â— preferred vnto God in her sicknesse Foure requests 〈…〉 them all and in none of them was denyed The first that shee might be armed with strength against Satans assaults which shee expected would be fierce frequent from whom she was mercifully freed for onely three dayes before her death shee began to bee deiected in the sense of her owne dulnesse and thereby began to call in question Gods loue towards her and the truth of Gods grace in her for said shee were I the Lords why should not I lift vp my head now seeing the time of my dissolution draweth on so neere But these complaints continued not aboue sixe houres but shee had much cheerefulnesse and comfort againe which shee expressed both in earnest and excellent Prayers wherein her gift was more than ordinary for her sex as also in many cheerful thanks and praises to God for his great mercy for that hee had now so chained Satan at this time of her great weaknesse that hauing beene formerly molested and daily vexed with his assaults for the space of aboue six yeeres together now hee would not suffer him to rest on her with his malice aboue six houres Her second request was that the Lord would strengthen her with patience to endure all her paines to the end and herein she was as graciously heard as in the former for although she was full of paines and assaulted with many strong fits in which no part was exempt from deadly paines and euery of these sits of many houres continuance yet was shee neuer heard to vtter any word of impatieÌ„ce in her selfe or discontent to any that were about her and much lesse to charge God foolishly in whose hands she was as the clay in the haÌ„d of the Potter Her third request to God was that shee might in all her sorrowes be still supported with some sense of his loue and with the assurance of the pardon of all her sins And that God was comfortably found of her in this request was very apparent in her ioyfull expectation of death the time whereof shee truly foretold fiue dayes before it came and as this time approached her ioy increased so as shee was able to comfort her mournfull husband and friends saying Mourne not for mee but for your selues for I shall very shortly be more happy than the wishes of your hearts can make me and therefore cease your mourning and helpe mee thither by your praiers as fast as you can Her fourth request was that shee might haue her memory continued vnto the last that so by no idle or light speech she might dishonour God or bring scandall on her profession for she said If I through paine or want of sleepe which shee much wanted should haue any foolish or idle talke I know what the speech of the world vseth to bee This is the end of all your precise folke they die madde or not themselues c. And as she praied God gaue her her memory to the last gasp Her happy departure that she died praying for a little before her departure she called vs that were about her and hasted to Praier for now said she I shall bee gone presently which words wee then beleeued not but Praier being ended she said with more strength than shee had spoken any thing foure houres before Amen amen Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit Lord Iesus haue mercy on mee and receiue my soule And thus with her last breath and words her soule was carried into Abrahams bosome in the Heauens to which her eyes and hands were lifted This was the life and death of this sweet Saint as it was obserued and now faithfully witnessed by her mournfull husband who wisheth both his life and latter end like vnto hers FINIS A GLASSE for Gentle women to dresse themselves by By THOMAS TAYLOR Preacher of Gods word to the Towne of REDING LONDON Printed by I.H. for Iohn Bartlet at the gilt Cup in Cheape-side 1624. A GLASSE for Gentlewomen to dresse themselues by BEcause I know that sundrie women fearing God faile in the matter of