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<DATE>2007-06-21</DATE>
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<NAME>Jonathan Blaney</NAME>
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<P>IMITATION AND CAUTION FOR CHRISTIAN WOMEN: OR, The life and death of that Excellent Gentlewoman, Mrs. <HI>MARY BEWLEY;</HI> Who departed this life (her only &s;on ha|ving fini&s;hed his cour&s;e the 9^t^h. of <HI>De|cember</HI> before) on the fir&s;t of <HI>Febr.</HI> 1658/9.</P>
<P>Recommended to the Reader, by the Reverend and Eminently learned Doctor REYNOLDS.</P>
<Q>But a woman that feareth the Lord, &s;he &s;hall be prai&s;ed, <BIBL>Prov. 31. 30.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>But he <HI>(Jacob)</HI> refu&s;ed to be comforted, and he &s;aid, For I will go down into the grave unto my &s;on mourning, <BIBL>Gen. 37. 35.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>O my &s;onne <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> my &s;onne, my &s;onne <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> would God I had died for thee, O <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> my &s;onne, my &s;onne, <BIBL>2 Sam. 18. 33.</BIBL></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed by <HI>E. M.</HI> for <HI>George Calvert,</HI> at the Half Moon in Pauls Church-yard, neer the little North-door, 1659.</P>
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<HEAD>THE EPISTLE TO THE Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_THough I had not the happine&s;&s;e to be acquainted with that excellent wo|man, who&s;e character is here pub|li&s;hed for an example unto others; yet having been de&s;ired to peru&s;e this breviate of her life and death, I could not but judge it fit for publick view, in regard of the great benefit which many may reap by reading of it; for examples have a &s;pecial efficacy to provoke and extimulate others to be <HI>followers of tho&s;e who through faith and patience do inherit the Promi&s;es.</HI> The Apo|&s;tle among&s;t that <HI>cloud of witne&s;&s;es</HI> by who&s;e faith he doth per&s;wade others to <HI>run with patience un|to</HI>
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<HI>the race which is &s;et before them,</HI> hath recor|ded the examples of <HI>Sarah, Rahab, Mo&s;es</HI> his mo|ther, and other women, as an encouragement unto un|weariedne&s;&s;e in that <HI>race.</HI> And maketh honourable mention of <HI>Phebe, Pri&s;cilla, Mary, Per&s;is,</HI> and o|ther holy women, who&s;e graces are not only crown|ed in heaven, but are left as a &s;weet perfume in the Church on earth, to quicken the imitation of all good women in all after-ages: Nor was this way of cele|brating the memory of gracious women out of u&s;e af|terwards. <HI>Gregory Nazianzen</HI> hath a Pane|gyrical Oration on his Si&s;ter <HI>Gorgonia; Ba&s;il</HI> up|on the Martyr <HI>Julitta; Ny&s;&s;en</HI> upon <HI>Pulcheria</HI> and <HI>Placilla; Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> upon <HI>Bernice, Pro&s;dole, Pelagia; Hierom</HI> is copious in the prai&s;es of <HI>Lea, Marcella, A&s;ella, Ble&s;illa, Paula, Fabiola, &amp;c.</HI> Nor do women of eminent graces now le&s;&s;e de|&s;erve honour, nor others of inferiour note le&s;&s;e need helps for their encouragement, than they did in for|mer Ages. I commend both the work and the Rea|ders to Gods ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Edward Reynolds.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<HEAD><HI>IMITATION</HI> and <HI>CA&V;TION</HI> FOR CHRISTIAN WOMEN; Or the life and death of that Eminent Gen|tlewoman, Mrs. <HI>MARY BEWLEY.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_WHo</HI> <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Prov. 31. 10.</NOTE> <HI>can finde a vertuous woman?</HI> &s;aid the wi&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI> (who to his own proper &s;hare had no fewer than <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 King. 11. 3.</NOTE> a <HI>thou&s;and</HI> of them to make <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Eccl. 7. 27, 28</NOTE> <HI>tryal</HI> of) being &s;o <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Prov. 31. 1.</NOTE> <HI>taught</HI> by his mo|ther, who by her communion with the &s;ex, might have larger acquaintance with, and by reflecting on her &s;elf, deeper experience of the weakne&s;&s;e and vanity of the generality of the female world: but when <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Prov. 18. 22.</NOTE> <HI>that good thing,</HI> that <HI>fav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ur,</HI> that <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Prov. 12. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Crown</HI> is found and <HI>obtained of the Lord,</HI> then is her <HI>price above rubies,</HI> and &s;he to be <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Prov. 31. 28, 29, 30, 31.</NOTE> <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> and <HI>prai&s;ed</HI> by her relations, and the chief of the peo|ple meeting in the <HI>gates</HI> while alive, lamented over when <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Act. 9. 36, 39. Gen. 23&punc; 2.</NOTE> dead, and kept in memory after <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Gen. 35. 20, 48, 7. Mat. 26. 12, 13. Luke 1. 48.</NOTE> death: And it is by rea&s;on of the &s;carcity of &s;uch vertuous women, that in Scri|pture &s;uch &s;pecial notice is taken of an <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3. 6..</NOTE> obedient <HI>Sarah,</HI> a prudent, di&s;creet <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 25.</NOTE> <HI>Abigal,</HI> a <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 20. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">2</NOTE> wi&s;e woman of <HI>A|bel,</HI> a <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">E&s;ther 4. 10.</NOTE> publick-&s;pirited <HI>He&s;ter,</HI> a <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">1 Sam 1, ch. 2. Luke 1.</NOTE> devout <HI>Hannah</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth;</HI> <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1, ch. 2.</NOTE> the humble, yet mo&s;t high woman, the Mother of our Lord, <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Luke 2. 38.</NOTE> and that excellent Go&s;pel-news publi&s;her <HI>Anna;</HI> <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Acts 16. 14.</NOTE> the tender-hearted <HI>Lydia,</HI> <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">2 Kings 4. 10</NOTE> that liberal <HI>Shunamite,</HI> and tho&s;e other charitable <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Luke 8. 2, 3. 21. 2.</NOTE> women in the New Te&s;tament: <HI>Phebe</HI> Rom. 16. 12. <HI>Mary, ver.</HI> 6. and <HI>Dorcas,</HI> Acts 9. 36. of the <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3. 5. Gen. 24. 65.</NOTE> <HI>mode&s;tly</HI> adorned <HI>holy women of old;</HI> of that private in&s;tructrix, <NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Act. 18. 23, 26 Rom. 16 3.</NOTE> <HI>Pri&s;|cilla</HI> the Tent-maker, together with <HI>Tryphena</HI> and <HI>Trypho&s;a,</HI>
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Rom. 16. 12. <HI>Lois</HI> and <HI>Eunice,</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 5. with 3. 15. of <HI>that repentant &s;inner, Luke</HI> 7. 37. that importunately bold be|lieving <HI>Syrophoenician,</HI> Mark 7. 24, 25, &amp;c. and of the <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Luk. 10. 38. John 11. 5.</NOTE> loving and beloved <HI>Martha</HI> and <HI>Mary.</HI> And for the &s;ame rea|&s;on did the Ancients and others record and celebrate women of &s;pecial note in all Ages; as may be &s;een in the writings of <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Ludovicus Vi|des de in&s;tituti|onae Chri&s;tiana foeminae. <HI>En|gli&s;hed</HI> Anno 1547. Cor|nelius Agrippa&punc; de nobilitate &amp; praecellentia foeminei &s;exus: <HI>in Engli&s;h al&s;o</HI> Theatrum vita humanae&punc; Bezer|liuck. vol. 8 lib M. Zwingeri. Theatrum vi|tae humana. <HI>The general Hi&s;to|ry of women, by</HI> Heywod. <HI>Mr.</HI> Clarks <HI>Examples, and &s;econd vol. of lives. The womans glory by Mr.</HI> Tor&s;hel. <HI>The Engli&s;h Gentlewoman by Mr.</HI> Braithwait. Opera Annae Mariae A&s;churman. <HI>And who li&s;t may &s;ee more in</HI> Draudii Bibliotheca Tit. mulierum Commendati|ones Hi&s;toric<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">; &amp; T<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">t. vita Heroinarum. <HI>The Ladies vindication by Mr.</HI> Gerbier.</NOTE> tho&s;e who have thought it worth the while to draw them toge|ther under one view: yea, and in this Nation, <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Mrs. <HI>Br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="4 letters">rghs</HI> life and death &s;ubjoyned to the two Funeral Sermons preached at her burial, by Mr. <HI>Harri&s;on,</HI> and Mr. <HI>Leigh.</HI> The holy life and Chri&s;tian death of Mrs. <HI>Stubs:</HI> Two Funeral Sermons of Mr <HI>Gataker;</HI> the one at the Funeral of Mrs. <HI>Rebecca Cri&s;p;</HI> the other at the Funeral of Dr. <HI>Featlies</HI> wife. Mr. <HI>Nicholas Guy,</HI> his Narration of the life and death of Dr. <HI>Gouges</HI> wife. Dr. <HI>Doune,</HI> D. of Saint <HI>Pauls,</HI> Sermon of Comme|moration of the Lady <HI>Danvers.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Drake</HI> revived, &s;hewing her &s;trange ca&s;e and cure; printed, 1647. Mr. <HI>Jo&s;&s;elin</HI> at the Funeral of Mrs. <HI>Harlakendin.</HI> The life and death of Mrs <HI>Ratcliffe</HI> of <HI>Che&s;ter,</HI> by Mr. <HI>Ley</HI> one of the A&s;&s;embly. Mr. <HI>Robin&s;ons</HI> Sermon at Mrs. <HI>Barnidi&s;tons</HI> Funeral. Mr. <HI>Mantons,</HI> at Mrs. <HI>Blackwels.</HI> Dr. <HI>Spur&s;tows</HI> at the Lady <HI>Honor Viners.</HI> Mr. <HI>Calamies</HI> at Mrs. <HI>Moors.</HI> Mr. <HI>Roberts</HI> at Mrs. <HI>Jack&s;ons</HI> of <HI>Bri&s;tol.</HI> Mr. <HI>Shawes</HI> Narrative of his wifes life and death, recommended to the Reader by the Epi&s;tles of Mr. <HI>Manton,</HI> Mr. <HI>Heath-coat,</HI> Mr. <HI>Pool,</HI> and the con&s;olatory ver&s;es of Mr <HI>Jenkin.</HI> Mr. <HI>Thomas Goodwins</HI> Sermon at the Funeral of the Lady <HI>Barrington;</HI> Mr <HI>Greenhill</HI> on <HI>Ezekiel</HI> vol. fir&s;t, his Epi&s;tle Dedicatory to the late Prince&s;&s;e <HI>Elizabeth.</HI> And the many E|pi&s;tles Dedicatory to Ladies and Gentlewomen:</NOTE> Reve|rend Divines have judged it expedient and u&s;eful to propo&s;e &s;ome women as patterns to others; not as if they were the on|ly eminent, (for many dye, and their excellency goes away with|out any regarding it) but that in &s;uch a &s;carcity all may not be lo&s;t; for though holy women in educating their children, and go|verning their family, may yield a &s;weet favour to tho&s;e about them; <HI>yet the lives</HI> (as Mr. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">In his Epi&s;tle before Mrs. <HI>Shawes</HI> l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">e.</NOTE> <HI>Manton</HI> hath well ob&s;erved) <HI>of Gods precious Saints (how private &s;oever their &s;tation be) are ve|ry well worthy of record and publick notice, exhibiting not only a pattern and lively Tran&s;cript of Religion, (and truly now and then 'tis good to look upon Chri&s;ts living Epi&s;tles) but al&s;o of much provocation and encouragement to holine&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="3" REF="4">Therefore it is al&s;o judged convenient to repre&s;ent briefly, plainly and truly, the latter part of the life, and the de&s;erved|ly lamented death of this, though not generally known, yet eminent Gentlewoman, Mrs. <HI>MARY BEWLEY;</HI> and that not &s;o much out of private affection to her, (an object of pure&s;t and choice&s;t love) or to pre&s;erve her memory, together with her &s;ons among us, (for to whom of their relations, will they not <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Prov. 10. 7. P&s;al. 112 6.</NOTE> always &s;mell fragrantly?) but chiefly to illu&s;trate the glory of God, and to edifie the living; e&s;pecially her kindred, friends and acquaintance, yea, &s;o many of her &s;ex as &s;hall find lei&s;ure to read his &s;hort Narrative, in which they may finde &s;ome things worthy of <HI>imitation, ob&s;ervation</HI> and <HI>caution,</HI> and that both in her <HI>life, prosperous</HI> and <HI>afflicted,</HI> and in her <HI>&s;ick|ne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>death.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Her life,</HI> not to in&s;i&s;t on her mode&s;t and holy deportment while a <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7. 34. 2 Cor. 11. 2. Gen. 24. 65.</NOTE> Virgin; it &s;ufficeth for a proof hereof, that &s;he was much e&s;teemed by Doctor <HI>Stoughton,</HI> and by him <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 16. 1.</NOTE> recom|mended to her now de&s;olate husband, as a godly and meet con|&s;ort for him: And that in her latter years it was a ground of fear to her, that &s;he could not remember the time and manner of her conver&s;ion; though &s;he had the te&s;timony of her con&s;ci|ence, that through the whole cour&s;e of her pilgrimage &s;he had <HI>lo|ved</HI> and <HI>feared</HI> God, and had <HI>walked</HI> in all holy duties <HI>before him;</HI> a &s;cruple &s;ufficient to trouble a tender &s;oul, but abundantly an&s;wered <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Eccl. 11. 5. &amp; P&s;. 139. 15, 16. with John 3. 8. Mark 4. 26, 27. Luk. 15. 13. - 17. with v. 31.</NOTE> from the holy Scriptures in the Writings and Ser|mons of our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Divines: Take therefore a pro&s;pect and view of her as a <HI>woman;</HI> in all her <HI>relations,</HI> in her <HI>holine&s;&s;e,</HI> and in her <HI>behaviour</HI> under her late <HI>affliction;</HI> &s;he was then,</P>
<P>A <HI>Gentlewoman</HI> docile, of quick apprehen&s;ion, not like tho&s;e <HI>&s;illy women,</HI> who <HI>are ever learning,</HI> and &s;till ignorant; She hath been ob&s;erved to di&s;pute with her &s;on <HI>&s;yllogi&s;tically,</HI> and to enlarge her di&s;cour&s;e with him by the help of the <HI>Predi|caments,</HI> and to reply upon him in witty extemporary <HI>ver&s;e;</HI> &s;he had a good under&s;tanding, and &s;olid judgment, could both give (as &s;undry have experimented) and take coun&s;el; &s;he was prudent in her behaviour, far from lightne&s;&s;e or moro|&s;ity, but &s;tately affable; <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 5. 13. Prov. 19. 3. 27. 15. Prov. 31 26. Eccle&s;. 3. 7.</NOTE> &s;he was no <HI>tatler,</HI> no <HI>continu|al dropping, but opened her mouth with wi&s;dome,</HI> and &s;hut it
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with di&s;cretion, both when and where her judgment prompted her; &s;he delighted not to tyre her hearers with an impertinent flux of words, or to <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Prov. 11. 13. 20. 19. 25. 9, 10.</NOTE> reveal <HI>tho&s;e &s;ecrets</HI> which were com|mitted to her, but had <HI>a faithful &s;pirit;</HI> and needed no &s;eal for her lips to keep her &s;elf from <HI>&s;haeme,</HI> and others from trouble; and yet to give her her due, as a woman &s;he was too much over|ruled with love and &s;orrow, care and fear about her near relations.</P>
<P><HI>In all her relations; as,</HI></P>
<P>A <HI>Childe.</HI> <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Prov. 4. 3.</NOTE> Her fathers darling while he lived, and her mothers delight &s;ince his death, alwayes loving and <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Prov. 23. 22. Ezek. 22. 7.</NOTE> dutiful to her, both in her behaviour, words and actions; who though &s;he was elde&s;t of all her mothers children, yet was mo&s;t <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Luke 2. 51.</NOTE> obedient to her; comforting, cheri&s;hing and entertaining her, with her &s;elf, in her own home; and when &s;he died, <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">John 19. 27.</NOTE> recom|mended her in a &s;pecial manner to her husband; &s;o that now the reverend good mother, laments for her daughter as her emi|nently gracious childe, and one that never offended her, but fought God betimes.</P>
<P>A <HI>Wife.</HI> Known to be &s;urpa&s;&s;ing kind and loving to her hu&s;|band, &s;olicitous for <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Job 19. 17.</NOTE> his health, neglecting her own for to take care of his; <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 25. Prov. 31.</NOTE> a wi&s;e manager of what part of his e&s;tate he committed to her: So that <HI>his heart tru&s;ted &s;afely in her; for &s;he did him good, and not evil, all the dayes of her life;</HI> coun&s;elling and a&s;&s;i&s;ting him both by pen and tongue; yea, with <HI>Abigail,</HI> &s;ometimes <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">1 Sam 25. 36, 37.</NOTE> &s;ea&s;onably and di&s;creetly admo|ni&s;hing him; comforting and chearing him up, <HI>for the law of kindne&s;&s;e was in her mouth;</HI> keeping in her grief before him, though to her own prejudice, le&s;t he &s;hould be grieved; wi&s;e|ly compliant with his will, and that in &s;ome things wherein many wives will have their will; loyal to him, <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">See examples in <HI>Lewis Vives</HI> in Engli&s;h, Gen. 20. 16. Prov. 5. 19.</NOTE> delighting mo&s;t in his company, and never taking plea&s;ure to walk a|broad without him; <HI>being to him as the loving Hinde and plea|&s;ant Roe;</HI> for all which her husband <HI>prai&s;ed her,</HI> all commen|ded her, and &s;ome imitate her.</P>
<P>A <HI>Mother.</HI> Who her own &s;elf <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Other ex|amples &s;ee in the Authours already cited.</NOTE> in&s;tructed her only &s;on to read even his <HI>Accidents,</HI> and like another <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1. 5. with 3. 15. Prov. 1. 8, 31, 1, 2, &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>Eunice,</HI> to know the Scriptures from a childe; framing and propound|ing &s;uch que&s;tions to him, as made him give a good account of
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the chief <HI>Hi&s;tories</HI> in the Bible, &s;he was in pain till &s;he &s;aw Chri&s;t formed in him; prayed daily for him, followed him with her whole&s;ome coun&s;el and wi&s;e reproofs, not conniving at the lea&s;t imperfection or appearance of evil in him; ambitious to have him eminent and u&s;eful in that employment which he in|tended, often per&s;wading him to be diligent, and therefore &s;et|ting before him the deteltablene&s;&s;e of the life of an idle Gen|tleman. What her true love to him was, and that though it was great, yet not fooli&s;h and &s;inful, may appear by this following letter, written to him foure months before his death. <Q><HI>Dearly</HI> beloved Childe, I rejoyce exceedingly to hear of the welfare of thy body, and that thy outward man pro&s;pers; but the <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 4. 16. Epi&s;t. 3. of Joh. ver. 2.</NOTE> flou|ri&s;hing of thy <HI>inward man,</HI> and the pro&s;perity <HI>of thy &s;oul,</HI> thy thriving in grace, how much this will adde both to the inward joy and outward contentment of her that bare thee, I want both time and words to expre&s;&s;e? And as God in his wi&s;e providence hath &s;een it good to give me but one to build my hopes upon, I hope the Lord Je&s;us hath both pur|cha&s;ed and pray'd that this one <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Joh. 17. 21.</NOTE> <HI>may be one</HI> with him&s;elf, which ever hath been, and I hope &s;hall be the prayer of thy mo&s;t affectionate and endeared mother.</Q> As al&s;o this pa&s;|&s;age in a letter of hers to his friend. <Q><HI>Sir,</HI> one reque&s;t more in the behalf of my Childe, to beg your earne&s;t prayers that what you have endeavoured <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3. 7.</NOTE> <HI>to plant,</HI> God would <HI>water</HI> with the heavenly dew of his Spirit, that his &s;oul may flouri&s;h, and you &s;ee of the <HI>travel of yours and be &s;atisfied.</HI></Q> And<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 53. 11.</NOTE> for this, her &s;on mo&s;t ardently loved her, mo&s;t dutifully obeyed her, and <HI>aro&s;e up and ble&s;&s;ed her:</HI> yet herein was &s;he to be bla|med, that &s;he was over-careful about him while he liv'd, and over-&s;orrowful when he dyed.</P>
<P>A <HI>Si&s;ter,</HI>] who as &s;he had got the fir&s;t-borns portion of parts, (as her &s;on u&s;ed to &s;peak) &s;o &s;he did faithfully improve them for the good of her brethren and &s;i&s;ters, being a &s;tay and &s;up|port to them all, advi&s;ing them by word and letter, admo|ni&s;hing, and mildly reproving when need required; keeping them in the hou&s;e with her, while unmarried, and together with her husband, (who is and hath engaged him&s;elf &s;till to be kinde to all her relations) di&s;po&s;ing of them in marriage; &s;et|ting them a copy of obedience to their mother, love to their
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husbands, and of piety toward God, &s;o that every one of them in particular are &s;en&s;ible of her death, before which al&s;o &s;he expre&s;&s;ed her love to them, in recommending them to her hu&s;|band.</P>
<P>A <HI>Governe&s;s</HI> of family] <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Prov. 31. 27. 1 Tim. 5. 14. 1 Cor. 7. 34.</NOTE> that <HI>look't well to the wayes of her hou&s;e,</HI> and that chiefly out of con&s;cience, often com|plaining that her hou&s;hold encumbrances required &s;o many of her thoughts, and &s;o much of her time; her delight was to a|bide <HI>at home,</HI> not &s;pending her time on needle&s;&s;e and com|plemental<NOTE PLACE="marg">Titus 2. 5. 1 Tim. 5. 13.</NOTE> vi&s;its, or in going about <HI>from hou&s;e to hou&s;e,</HI> being mode&s;t and re&s;erved; the mo&s;t of her conver&s;e being with her relations, and &s;ome few friends; which made her liable to be cen&s;ured by &s;ome as proud, and loving to keep at di&s;tance, from which &s;he was free in a good mea&s;ure.</P>
<P>A <HI>Friend that</HI> <NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Pov. 18. 24. 17. 17. 1 Joh. 3. 18.</NOTE> <HI>&s;tuck clo&s;er than a brother, that lov'd at all times,</HI> e&s;pecially <HI>when mo&s;t need of her help, that loved not in word and in tongue only, but in deed and in truth;</HI> a friend courteous, &s;incere, affable, grateful, intimate, and another <HI>Jonathan</HI> to a <HI>David</HI> in her life and death; and<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 18. 1.</NOTE> therefore may her friend weep over her as <HI>David</HI> did for <HI>Jona|than,</HI> 2 Sam. 1. 25.</P>
<P><HI>Her holine&s;&s;e did appear</HI></P>
<P><HI>In her</HI> <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Phil. 2. 15. 1 Pet. 3. 4. 1 Tim. 2. 9, 10.</NOTE> <HI>Conver&s;ation</HI>] which was <HI>blamele&s;&s;e and harm|le&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;he being of a <HI>meek</HI> and <HI>quiet spirit, adorning her &s;elf</HI> as a woman <HI>profe&s;&s;ing godline&s;s,</HI> not exceeding her husbands ranck, and profe&s;&s;ing that if it had not been for her husbands credit, (men now adayes being judged penurious if their Dames go not fine) &s;he would not have put on &s;ome of her apparel; and was &s;o far from <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Jer. 2. 32. I&s;a. 3. 18, 19, &amp;c.</NOTE> priding her &s;elf in her cloaths, that &s;he was often heard to &s;ay, <HI>What a burden and expence of time is this dre&s;&s;ing and undre&s;&s;ing?</HI> how hard is it to di&s;tingui&s;h women profe&s;&s;ing godline&s;&s;e, from the pro|fane, by their outward garb! The fault is acknowledged, but how few reforme it?</P>
<P><HI>In her delight in the Word preached</HI>] for &s;he had an high e&s;teem of, and &s;pecial love to <HI>Scriptural preaching,</HI> and to tho&s;e Sermons which by <HI>clear, full</HI> and <HI>pertinent Scripture|light,</HI> not only <HI>moved her affections,</HI> (wherewith mo&s;t wo|men are &s;atisfied) <HI>but &s;olidly &s;etled her judgment, increa&s;ed</HI>
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<HI>her knowledge, and rai&s;ed her &s;oul.</HI> She heard with a <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Acts 17. 11 16. 14. Luke 8. 15. Jam. 1. 23, 24, 25. Heb. 2. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Berean &s;pirit,</HI> and <HI>Lydias heart;</HI> did faithfully retain, and promptly repeat what &s;he thus heard, and con&s;cionably pra|cti&s;e what &s;he thus embraced. Sometime &s;he refrained from writing in the Church, that &s;he might exerci&s;e her memory, and be the more affected with what &s;he heard, which after &s;he came home &s;he committed to writing.</P>
<P><HI>In her great reverence and due re&s;pect</HI> to that great Ordi|nance of the <HI>Lords Supper,</HI> through godly jealou&s;ie <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11. 29.</NOTE> fea|ring to approach it, and &s;olemnly preparing for it; and was hardly per&s;waded to go to it, the Sabbath day before &s;he &s;ick|ned, for fear le&s;t her &s;orrow had indi&s;po&s;ed, and made her actu|ally for the pre&s;ent unfit to partake of it; and yet &s;aid &s;he, <HI>Why &s;hould I not go and remember the death of the Sonne of God, &s;eeing I &s;o &s;adly remember the death of my own &s;onne? and this it may be &s;hall be the la&s;t I go to.</HI> And &s;uch was her e&s;teem of this Ordinance, and &s;uch her tenderne&s;&s;e of &s;pi|rit, that it troubled her in her &s;ickne&s;&s;e that &s;he had been pre|vailed with to receive, though at length by the di&s;cour&s;e of a Reverend Divine &s;he was &s;atisfied; and this may <HI>be a warning to all ra&s;h intruder's on, and undue preparers for that Ordi|nance.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In her care to &s;anctifie the Lords day,</HI> which &s;he <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Exod. 20. 8. Nehem. 12. 19 I&s;a. 56. 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> re|membred the night before it came, and accordingly prepared for it; and when it came &s;he &s;anctified it throughout; for be|&s;ides publick and family duties, &s;he u&s;ed to retire oftner that day than on any other day; &s;ometimes neglecting to eat that &s;he might gain the more time to be private, either repeating what &s;he heard that day, or que&s;tioning with her &s;on about what he had read and heard; choo&s;ing rather to keep &s;ilence at table, than &s;peak what was not <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 58. 13.</NOTE> &s;utable to the day; <HI>and did not curtilate the day by lying too long in the morning, or going too &s;oon to bed at night;</HI> <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Amos 8. 5.</NOTE> or being wearied with it.</P>
<P><HI>In the joy &s;he took in spiritual conference, and the</HI> <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 11, 12 Col. 3. 16.</NOTE> <HI>commu|nion of Saints;</HI> delighting to hear of the experiences of others, and <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 66. 16.</NOTE> freely communicating her own to tho&s;e in whom &s;he confided, often <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Acts 8. 34.</NOTE> asking direction how to read the Scri|pture with mo&s;t advantage, and how to walk comfortably with God; <HI>often speaking of the love of God and Chri&s;t with tears</HI>
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<HI>in her eyes, and joy in her countenance; bewailing her not walking up to her knowledge, and the wandring of her thoughts in duty; talking with an holy di&s;dain of the vanities of this life, and of the excellency of that to come;</HI> evidencing in her Chri&s;tian conferences, knowledge of divine things in a Scri|tural &s;traine, with holy affections.</P>
<P><HI>In her valuing much Chri&s;tians</HI> <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Rom. 15. 14. Gal. 6. 1. Gen. 4. 9.</NOTE> <HI>watching one over ano|ther,</HI> and therefore &s;he could receive <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 141. 5. Prov. 27. 6. Prov. 25. 12. 1 Sam. 25. 32, 33.</NOTE> an <HI>admonition</HI> (e|ven for that in which &s;he was mo&s;t faulty, her di&s;tru&s;tful fears and over-much pa&s;&s;ion) with <HI>meekne&s;&s;e, thankfulne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>re|formation,</HI> evident to beholders; and profe&s;&s;ed often that <HI>free and faithful admonition, was a mo&s;t real</HI> <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Rev. 3. 19.</NOTE> <HI>token and endearment of love:</HI> And &s;he al&s;o manife&s;ted her love to others in this kinde, yet with much wi&s;dome, as &s;uting her words, and timing the admonition &s;o, that the offender without &s;hame hath known his fault, and admired her ma&s;culine prudence; and yet even in this &s;he hath bewailed her <HI>&s;inful ba&s;hfulne&s;&s;e,</HI> that when in the company of other Gentlewomen, &s;he hath not had the confidence to interrupt their poor, low di&s;cour&s;e, and bring in more profitable and edifying. And indeed <HI>wo|men profe&s;&s;ing godline&s;&s;e &s;hould &s;pend their time better when they meet, rather di&s;cour&s;ing of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the Robe of his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, than cen&s;uring, prai&s;ing or disprai&s;ing &s;uch a per&s;on, or &s;uch a garb;</HI> and &s;hould &s;tudy how <HI>to remedy their</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Read the con|ference betwixt <HI>Elizabeth</HI> and the Virgin <HI>Mary.</HI> Luke 1.</NOTE> <HI>own folly, than fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">li&s;hly talk of the folly of others.</HI> And as thus &s;he manife&s;ted her piety and walking with God in the&s;e <HI>publick Ordinances,</HI> and <HI>private duties,</HI> &s;o al&s;o in <HI>&s;ecret</HI> (where there is le&s;&s;e temptation to hypocri&s;ie) &s;he kept up communion with God.</P>
<P><HI>In her Clo&s;et duties.</HI>] She was ob&s;erved to be <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 6. Dan. 6. 10. Mark 1. 35. Acts 10. 9. Zach. 12. 12, 13 1 Cor. 7. 5.</NOTE> frequent (not &s;atisfying her &s;elf with Morning and Evening) every day in her Clo&s;et, and hath profe&s;&s;ed that &s;he found great|e&s;t &s;atisfaction when mo&s;t there; and therefore was thought to neglect that &s;ometime, which bu&s;ie <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Luk. 10. 41, 42.</NOTE> hou&s;e-wives keep a &s;tir about; her weeping red eyes have manife&s;ted her <HI>ardent holy prayers:</HI> <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 3. 14.</NOTE> &s;he was careful to know to whom to <HI>direct her prayers,</HI> that &s;he might not wor&s;hip an <HI>unknown God;</HI> and after prayer &s;he <HI>look't up for an an&s;wer, and with joy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 5. 3. P&s;al. 34. 3, 4.</NOTE> <HI>hath taken &s;pecial notice of the return of her prayers, looking on</HI>
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<HI>that duty not as a task, but as her priviledge, and the way of keeping up intercour&s;e with heaven:</HI> and &s;o much and ear|ne&s;t was &s;he in this duty, that &s;he hath not hudled up or abbreviated her reque&s;ts to God, upon the pretence of o|ther bu&s;ine&s;&s;es: Hence it was no &s;mall trouble to her in her &s;ickne&s;&s;e, (for the Divel can mole&s;t us with &s;mall matters) that in her health, one day begging hard &s;omething from God, one knocking at her Clo&s;et door, &s;he (to avoid o&s;tentation, and &s;uppo&s;ing earne&s;t bu&s;ine&s;&s;e) broke off her di&s;cour&s;e with <HI>the God of heaven,</HI> to &s;peak with a <HI>fellow-creature;</HI> (for &s;o &s;he charg'd her &s;elf) How may this &s;hame the &s;hort &s;uperficial prayers of many, <HI>who are glad of di&s;tractions to &s;atisfie their con&s;ciences in dispen&s;ing with Clo&s;et-duties!</HI> And as &s;he <HI>thus poured out her &s;oul before God,</HI> &s;o &s;he greatly delighted to <HI>read &s;earch, under&s;tand</HI> and <HI>meditate on the holy Scriptures, in which</HI> (for a woman) <HI>&s;he was mighty;</HI> for &s;he daily read, them, could not endure to read and not under&s;tand, and there|fore often <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Acts 8. 28, 29, &amp;c.</NOTE> propounded the difficult pa&s;&s;ages &s;he under|&s;tood not, and craved others judgments to a&s;&s;i&s;t her; not neglecting her own <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">P&s;. 1. &amp; 119.</NOTE> <HI>pondering</HI> and <HI>meditation,</HI> which &s;he begun the la&s;t half year of her life to commit to writing, and which after much importunity &s;he hath read to her husband and friend, to their great &s;atisfaction; <HI>for therein &s;he di&s;co|vered her gifts and graces, knowledge and affection, excellent matter, hand&s;omely compo&s;ed, and all in Scripture-language,</HI> which being in &s;hort-hand writing can hardly be read, &s;ome of the Characters being of her own invention; but &s;ome of the Scriptures which were the &s;ubject of her meditation, are the&s;e, P&s;al. 73. 25, 26. P&s;al. 42. 11. Ephe&s;. 5. 14. Heb. 9. 27. Gal. 2. 20. P&s;al. 77. 3. James 4. 6.</P>
<P>She hath al&s;o left in writing a collection out of the <HI>P&s;almes.</HI> 1. Of the <HI>troubles</HI> inward and outward of the righ|teous. 2. Their good or bad <HI>deportment</HI> under them. 3. Their pre&s;ent <HI>&s;upport</HI> by faith and experience. 4. And the <HI>i&s;&s;ue,</HI> and their happy deliverance out of them. She begun al&s;o to draw forth all the commendable <HI>vertues</HI> and noted <HI>vices</HI> of the women recorded in Scripture, that &s;he might have the one for a <HI>pattern,</HI> the other for a <HI>beacon.</HI> Al&s;o &s;he intended, and did begin to read over the whole Bible, that
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thence &s;he might finde &s;ome mitigation of her &s;orrow by collecting all the <HI>pre&s;idents</HI> and <HI>promi&s;es</HI> which were &s;uta|ble to her condition; and &s;undry other Manu&s;cripts &s;he hath left, which could they be read, might be propo&s;ed as a &s;purre to Gentlewomen, how to improve their much &s;pare time.</P>
<P><HI>In her inward graces] For the Kings daughter is chiefly</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 45. 13. Rom. 2, 28, 29 1 John 3. 9. Gal. 5. 22.</NOTE> <HI>glorious within.</HI> She had not only <HI>leafes</HI> and <HI>blo&s;&s;omes,</HI> but had the <HI>&s;eed of God abiding in her,</HI> and was <HI>filled</HI> with the <HI>fruits</HI> of the Spirit. She had a godly <HI>fear</HI> and <HI>&s;olicitude</HI> concerning the &s;tate of her &s;oul, <HI>working out her &s;alvation</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 16. 30. Phil. 2. 12.</NOTE> <HI>with fear and trembling,</HI> and <HI>giving all diligence to make her calling and election &s;ure.</HI> She was ble&s;&s;ed with a large mea|&s;ure of &s;piritual knowledge of God and Chri&s;t, and the Covenant of grace, and had good in&s;ight in the wayes of her own heart, and the vanity of the world. She had melting affections, <HI>&s;orrowing</HI> for &s;inne, and that &s;he was<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 7. 10.</NOTE> not more heavenly and fruitful, <HI>fearing</HI> to &s;inne again&s;t God, <HI>&s;erving him with reverence and godly fear:</HI> had an<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 28.</NOTE> inten&s;e and prevailing love to the <HI>Lord Je&s;us</HI> Chri&s;t, her heart leaping within her, to think on his love and under|taking,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7. 47.</NOTE> and to &s;peak of his prai&s;es; and of this love of God in Chri&s;t, (which is wonderful) &s;he hath left a meditation, as by &s;ome words may be conjectured, but cannot all be read: And hence her love flowed out to the <HI>Saints, (tho&s;e ex|cellent in the earth, in whom was her delight</HI>) without re|&s;pect<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 16. 3. 1 Tim. 5. 10.</NOTE> of per&s;ons, <HI>doing very mean offices to &s;ome of them:</HI> And of this love of the Saints, &s;he hath left in <HI>Italian</HI> hand, this meditation following; <HI>This Chri&s;tian and well|grounded love, as it is a fruit of the Spirtt, for love is of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 22. 1 John 4. 17.</NOTE> <HI>God; and as it proceeds from him, &s;o is it injoyned by him; this is my Commandment that ye love one another; nay, he</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 15. 12.</NOTE> <HI>&s;tiles it a new Commandment: It is not &s;o much a Legal, as Evangelical Commandment, backed with a most tran&s;cendent</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 13. 34.</NOTE> <HI>pattern, I have given you an example; and hereby perceive we</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 13. 15. 1 John 4. 16.</NOTE> <HI>the love of God, that he laid down his life for us; yea, it bears the &s;imilitude of God, for God is love; and though its re&s;idence be in heaven, yet it hath an habitation in and with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 4 8, 16</NOTE> <HI>the &s;onnes of men; for he that dwells in love, dwells in God,</HI>
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<HI>and God in him; and when Chri&s;tians walk in this prai&s;e|worthy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 2. 42, 46. Rom. 12. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Heb. 6. 10. Gal. 5. 13. Heb. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 3. 8. Philem. 9. Heb. 10. 24. 1 Cor. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 8. Phil, 2. 3. Gal. 5. 26.</NOTE> <HI>Palace, then do they behold mo&s;t of God. This love then is &s;incere, fervent, pure, &s;erviceable, con&s;tant; and under the mantle thereof lie, teaching, free admonition, meekne&s;s, kindne&s;&s;e, faith, and with this garment a multitude of &s;innes are covered.</HI> She had <HI>zeal</HI> for God, witne&s;&s;e her not &s;pa|ring her dear &s;onne, but reproving him for the lea&s;t ari&s;ing of the lea&s;t evil in him; and hath been heard to &s;ay, <HI>that &s;he would not care for the enjoyment of him, if &s;he had not &s;een &s;omething of God, and a tender con&s;cience in him.</HI> She was <HI>humble,</HI> though naturally of a high &s;pirit; often con|cealed her parts, and <HI>preferred others in love,</HI> neither <HI>pro|voking</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6 3.</NOTE> <HI>nor envying others,</HI> nor thinking her &s;elf to be <HI>&s;ome|thing when &s;he was nothing;</HI> and of this grace of humility, take this her own meditation written at large; <HI>Humility is a rare and &s;ingular grace, doth admirably adorn a Chri&s;ti|an;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3 4. Eccle&s;. 8. 1. with Prov. 11. 2. 1 Pet&punc; 5. 5.</NOTE> <HI>for if wi&s;dome make the face to &s;hine, then with the low|ly there is wi&s;dome; it is like the gold and enamel about the pre|cious Diamond, &s;ets it off with a magnificent lu&s;tre; it hath the promi&s;e of addition; an humble &s;oul is an habitation for a holy God; and the Creator delights to dwell with the humble</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 57. 15. Job 22. 29. Luke 23. 27. 14. 11. Prov. 29. 23. Prov. 16. 18. 15. 33. 18. 12. P&s;al. 10. 17. 9. 12. 25. 9. P&s;al. 138. 6. 147. 6. P&s;al. 37. 11. I&s;a. 61. 1. I&s;a. 29. 19. P&s;al. 149. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 5.</NOTE> <HI>creature, and the Redeemer will &s;ave the humble per&s;on; for he humbled him&s;elf that &s;inners may be exalted; and if they humble them&s;elves, he hath promi&s;ed to exalt them; for ho|nour &s;hall uphold the humble in spirit; as pride is an harbin|ger to de&s;truction, &s;o humility is a conduct to honour; great are the in-comes of an humble &s;oul, riches, honour and life; and excellent their priviledges; for the Lord hears the de|&s;ire of the humble, and forgets not their cry; they &s;hall be taught the way of God, and guided by him in judgment; for the Lord hath re&s;pect to the lowly, and he lifteth up the meek, and they &s;hall inherit the earth; good tydings &s;hall be preached to them, and they &s;hall increa&s;e their joy among men; for the Lord will beautifie them with &s;alvation; therefore who would not be cloathed with that &s;hining garment of humility?</HI> Ac|cording to the ability of a wife, &s;he was not wanting in Almes-deeds, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Kings 4. 9, 10.</NOTE> prompting and encouraging her husband to lay out &s;ome of his E&s;tate on pious u&s;es, (e&s;pecially &s;ince the death of her &s;onne) and <HI>per&s;wading him not &s;o much to</HI>
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<HI>look after an heir to keep up his name, as to do &s;omething</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 49. 11, 12. Job 29. 13. Luke 16. 9.</NOTE> <HI>that might cau&s;e the ble&s;&s;ing of the poor to come upon him.</HI> She often profe&s;&s;ed that if &s;he had more children, &s;he would never be &s;o &s;aving and &s;paring to lay up for them, but would liberally do good; for God (&s;aid &s;he) hath taught us the vanity of <HI>di&s;quieting our &s;elves in laying up riches,</HI> now not<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 39. 6. Eccle&s;. 2. 18, 19</NOTE> knowing whether he &s;hall be <HI>a wi&s;e man or a fool that &s;hall enjoy them.</HI> Let good women remember that all this is for their imitation. Now to proceed to the la&s;t thing in her life.</P>
<P><HI>Her behaviour under her late tryal and affliction] Her &s;harp tryal and &s;tinging affliction indeed,</HI> was the death of her only &s;onne, eighteen years old, who on the ninth of <HI>De|cember</HI> la&s;t, after eight dayes &s;ickne&s;&s;e dyed of the &s;mall pox; &s;uddenly unlook't for by her, (being put in hopes by tho&s;e who had more skill in that di&s;ea&s;e than her &s;elf, that there was no apparent danger) and &s;he a &s;pectator of the a&s;|&s;aults of death. What Parent is not filled with &s;orrow for the lo&s;&s;e of one &s;on? even a Prince that prevailed with<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 12. 3.</NOTE> God, yet cannot overcome his &s;orrow, for the ab&s;ence of one <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> though more than ten &s;ons ro&s;e up to comfort<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 28. with Gen. 37. 34, 35.</NOTE> him; did not Chri&s;ts bowels yearn toward that weeping mo|ther who had lo&s;t her only childe? <HI>Luke</HI> 7. 12. And doth not the Scripture hold it forth to be the greate&s;t of &s;orrows, <HI>Jer. 6. 26. Amos 8. 10. Zech.</HI> 12. 10. if <HI>Naomi</HI> change her name into <HI>Marah, Ruth</HI> 1. 20. for &s;uch a lo&s;&s;e; if that noble and good <HI>Shunamites</HI> &s;oul be vexed in her, 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 4. 20, 27. for her lads death; and if <HI>Rachel</HI> weep for her children, and won't be comforted, becau&s;e they are not, <HI>Matth.</HI> 2. 18. if a gallant King <HI>David</HI> lie in the du&s;t for a new-born childe, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12. 16. and womani&s;hly lament for his rebellious &s;onne, 2 <HI>Sam. 18. 33. What indul+gence, pity and compa&s;&s;ion mu&s;t be &s;hewed to this Gentlewoman, who lo&s;t her childe, her only childe, her &s;onne, her only &s;onne, at &s;uch an age in &s;uch a way, the &s;onne of her vowes, of her prayers, of her cares, the object of her love, her hope and ex|pectation; a loving, obedient, indu&s;trious, ingenious, holy &s;on; (as was in the w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">rds of truth and &s;oberne&s;s repre&s;ented in his Funeral Sermon by the Reverend Mr.</HI> Clarke) <HI>not any more</HI>
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<HI>to conver&s;e with him in the Land of the living, or &s;ee his face any more; put but your &s;oul in her &s;ouls &s;tead, (as &s;he u&s;ed to &s;ay) and then blame her if you can.</HI> This lo&s;&s;e in|deed &s;truck her to the heart, &s;o that <HI>&s;he wanted tears to ex|pre&s;s her grief;</HI> and though her pa&s;&s;ion ro&s;e high, yet had &s;he no &s;uch impatient expre&s;&s;ions as even good men and wo|men have let go from them; for the&s;e following were her &s;harpe&s;t, the day and night after her &s;ons death; <HI>O is he gone! &s;hall I &s;ee him no more! a plea&s;ant childe, O my &s;onne, my &s;onne, of whom I was not worthy, whom I have &s;inned away with my cares and fears! a bitter potion, a a bitter potion; but its my God, my Father that hath done it! O what have I done that hath procured this? I mu&s;t be &s;ome great &s;inner, (but here &s;he &s;top't, when &s;he re|membred Dr.</HI> Spur&s;towe <HI>and Mr.</HI> A&s;h, <HI>who had lo&s;t their only &s;ons) O God, tell me why thou ha&s;t thus &s;mitten me? Could no other rod but this do me good?</HI> not my will, but thine be done, <HI>wi&s;e and ju&s;t God? Would you have thought (&s;aid &s;he to &s;tanders by) that I had lov'd a creature &s;o much? I have had a deceitful heart, I am &s;ure I did not love him better than Chri&s;t; for I have abhorred the lea&s;t &s;in in him, and would not commit the lea&s;t &s;in to have him alive again. Oh</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Let us in time improve one anothers &s;ocie|ty; <HI>for here we have no abi|ding,</HI> Joh. 9..4.</NOTE> <HI>that I had been worthy to have known this his &s;o &s;udden de|parture; how &s;hould I have conver&s;ed with him the&s;e months pa&s;t; what &s;piritual and heavenly di&s;cour&s;es &s;hould we have had: and how &s;hould I have ripened him for heaven! but now he is gone; and mu&s;t it be &s;o? O God make me &s;ubmi&s;&s;ive to thy will: O &s;tubborn heart yield, yield, O God bring down this &s;tubborn heart; pray tell me (&s;aid &s;he to a friend) if I speak unadvi&s;edly</HI> with my lips; <HI>my grief is great, Lord keep me from di&s;honouring him.</HI> And as thus &s;he entertained the affliction at the fir&s;t, &s;o her heavine&s;&s;e till the &s;eventeenth of <HI>January</HI> (the night of her &s;ickne&s;&s;e) was continual, &s;el|dome did abate, except when &s;he had been at <HI>prayer alone,</HI> or <HI>reading the Scripture,</HI> or <HI>hearing</HI> &s;ome <HI>comforts</HI> admini&s;tred to her, which in her judgment &s;he clo&s;ed with, but could not becalme her pa&s;&s;ions by them. Some Scriptures brought her ea&s;e by holding forth her condition, as <HI>P&s;almes 38. 102. 77. 88. Job</HI> 1. 2. and 3. <HI>chapt. Job</HI> 6. 2, 3. - 7. 3, 4.
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<HI>Job</HI> 10. 15. - 19. 21. The con&s;ideration of holy men, their &s;ad afflictions, and di&s;temper of &s;pirit under them, did keep her from thinking too badly of her &s;elf. Other Scri|ptures quieted her &s;pirit &s;ometimes, as holding forth argu|ments for &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion and patience, as <HI>Rom. 9. 20. Job</HI> 11. 6, 7. - 12. 14. - 13. 15, 16. - 33. 13. - 34. 13, 14, 15, 29, 33. <HI>P&s;al. 46. 10. Dan. 4. 35. P&s;al. 55. 22. Nahum</HI> from <HI>ver. 1.</HI> to 10. <HI>Rom. 11. 34. I&s;a. 40. 13, 14. Matth. 26. 42. Jer. 44. 28. Lev. 26. 41, 42. Lam. 3. 29. 30. Jer. 18. 1, - 6. Job 23. 13. - 9. 4. - 38. 2. Nehem. 9. 33. Ezek. 18. 25. Exod. 3. 17. Judg.</HI> 10. 16. and the&s;e ex|amples in <HI>Lev. 10. 3. 1 Sam. 3. 17. 2 Sam. 12. 26. Gen. 23. 2, 3. I&s;a.</HI> 39. 7, 8. and other Scriptures diverted her thoughts for the time, as <HI>Col. 1. Heb. 12. John 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. chapt.</HI> 1 Pet. 1. <HI>Rom. 5. 1, - 12. Rom. 8. chap. Mat.</HI> 11. 25. to the end. <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 4, - 9. the 2. and 3. <HI>chapters</HI> of the <HI>Revelations,</HI> and <HI>chap.</HI> 5. from 9. to the end; and <HI>chap.</HI> 7. from the 13. to the end; and the 22. 17, 20. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. &amp; 2. And the Hi&s;tory of Chri&s;ts pa&s;&s;ion recorded in the foure Evangeli&s;ts; (<HI>which al&s;o &s;he u&s;ually read and meditated on before &s;he went to the Sacrament</HI>) and truly, <HI>a lively di|&s;cour&s;e of Je&s;us Christ did more quiet her, than direct &s;torm|ing her pa&s;&s;ion;</HI> for then &s;he could &s;hed tears, and then &s;he could chide her &s;elf for &s;o much grieving for a creature, and then forbear to &s;peak of her &s;on: <HI>for either God or her &s;on was the &s;ubject of her talk and thoughts.</HI></P>
<P><HI>That wherein this holy woman failed,</HI> and for which her friends <HI>blamed</HI> her, (<HI>which may be a warning to Chri|&s;tian mothers</HI>) was, &s;he did not <HI>&s;peedily</HI> and <HI>chearfully &s;ub|mit</HI> to the <HI>will</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> and acquie&s;ce in his declared good plea&s;ure; bur pored too much on her &s;ons death, and the &s;mall circum&s;tances thereof, imputing his death one while to this, another while to that omi&s;&s;ion, and &s;o did create more trouble to her &s;elf, by putting her thoughts on the rack; and though <HI>in her judgment &s;he condemned the&s;e her thoughts, and called them her burden, and wi&s;h't to be gone from them;</HI> yet could &s;he not with&s;tand them: the &s;ubtle and cruel Adver&s;ary no doubt play'd his game by his <HI>injections</HI> and <HI>phanta&s;mes,</HI> which &s;he &s;u&s;pected and bemoaned; and
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<HI>indeed otherwi&s;e &s;uch an under&s;tanding woman could not have been pe&s;tered with &s;uch petty trivial thoughts.</HI> She lo&s;t ap|petite to her food, and &s;leep departed from her eyes, and by day &s;he neither could nor would u&s;e any diver&s;ions, and took but too little comfort in the mercies God had left her; was full of thoughts, and had few words, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Dr. <HI>Reynolds</HI> Treati&s;e of the pa&s;&s;ions, <HI>chap.</HI> 22. of &s;orrow. <HI>Charron</HI> of wi&s;|dome <HI>chap.</HI> 31. of heavine&s;&s;e of heart.</NOTE> all which made way for her &s;ickne&s;&s;e and death, which was a <HI>malig|nant feaver, and vapours of the mother, followed with convul|&s;ion fits:</HI> The la&s;t thing then to be &s;poken to, is,</P>
<P><HI>Her &s;ickne&s;&s;e and death;</HI></P>
<P>On the fir&s;t a&s;&s;ault of her &s;ickne&s;&s;e &s;he apprehended death would follow, and that which &s;he had more than once (too ha|&s;tily) de&s;ired, would now in earne&s;t make &s;peed: Therefore her fir&s;t and greate&s;t care was (<HI>&s;etting now a&s;ide all thoughts of her &s;on; for God will whip his own out of their &s;ins</HI>) to &s;ettle the affairs of her everla&s;ting peace, and to &s;ecure all things 'twixt God and her &s;oul: Her nexr work was to review her five weeks carriage under her affliction, upon which &s;he <HI>&s;or|rowed</HI> mo&s;t of all that &s;he had <HI>not glorified God more in her &s;uffering, that &s;he, wearied of life, had been &s;o thought|ful about her &s;ons death, and that the con&s;olations which were admini&s;tred to her, had done her no more good, and that by neglect of her body and lawful diver&s;ions, &s;he had made way for this her painful &s;ickne&s;s:</HI> wherein &s;he &s;aw the vanity of her former anxiety concerning her &s;ons death; for tho&s;e medicines which (prudently) were omitted to him, were admini&s;tred to her &s;elf; and did only help her to dye the more &s;en&s;ibly, and with the more pain: <HI>&s;he exhorted others to learn by her example, to beware of &s;etting their hearts on any crea|ture, and that they would &s;trive to glorifie God while they live, that they would redeem their time, and make their ac|quaintance and peace with God before they lye down on their death-bed.</HI> During her &s;ickne&s;&s;e, &s;he had great bodily pain, (&s;o that &s;he &s;eldome &s;lept) and no &s;mall trouble of mind concerning her future e&s;tate, being a&s;&s;aulted in her weak|ne&s;&s;e by that &s;lie, roaring and cowardly Divel, whom &s;he o|vercame by the <HI>Lamb of God</HI> (in which expre&s;&s;ion &s;he de|lighted) <HI>that taketh away the &s;ins of the world;</HI> and though<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 1. 29.</NOTE> &s;he complained for want of a&s;&s;urance, and the comfort that
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doth attend it, yet &s;he did <HI>receive, look</HI> to, <HI>embrace</HI> and<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 1. 12. 3. 14. Heb. 11. 13. Heb. 6. 19, 20. Mat. 22. 37. Acts 11. 23. Luke 1. 75. P&s;al. 63. 3. Phil. 33. Heb. 2. 17. 1 John 3. 8.</NOTE> <HI>anchor her hope</HI> on Chri&s;t, and dur&s;t appeal from Satan un|to God, <HI>that &s;he had lov'd him with all her heart, and had endeavoured (through much weakne&s;&s;e &s;aid &s;he) to walk before him in righteou&s;ne&s;s and holine&s;s, and that &s;he had prized his favour before life, and would not adventure on the lea&s;t &s;inne for all imaginable contentment;</HI> &s;he &s;atisfied her &s;elf in the &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t, and in that he was a <HI>merciful</HI> and <HI>faithful high Prie&s;t,</HI> that came to <HI>de&s;troy the works of the Divel. And if in the height of her bodily di&s;temper, (the vapours fuming up to her head) &s;he &s;pake any thing ami&s;&s;e of her &s;elf</HI> (which is no <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See P&s;al. 22. 38. 77. 88. Job. I&s;a. 49. 14. Mat. 27. 46. <HI>Perkins</HI> vol. 1. page 290. 491. 492. vol. 3. pag. 407. <HI>Greenham,</HI> page 9. 81. Mrs. <HI>Bret|terghs</HI> life, and her Fune|ral Sermons, in 8. Mr. <HI>Boltons</HI> in|&s;tructions for troubled con|&s;etences. p. 232. 236, &amp;c. Dr. <HI>Spur&s;towe</HI> on the Promi|&s;es, <HI>chap.</HI> 15.</NOTE> new thing, and its better to go out of the world, troubled, than lulled by Satan; in a holy &s;ollicitude, than in a carnal &s;ecurity) &s;he afterward <HI>remem|bred</HI> and <HI>bemoaned it; and acknowledged that God was a holy and just Soveraign, in letting her finde he had &s;harper rods for his people than the death of a &s;onne, and that it is folly to &s;tand it out again&s;t God.</HI> All Sabbath night &s;he put away &s;leep, and <HI>prepared to launch into that boundle&s;&s;e Oce|an, eternity;</HI> and therefore <HI>propo&s;ed</HI> all her <HI>objections, fears</HI> and <HI>doubts,</HI> that &s;he might have <HI>re&s;olution; laid open</HI> the <HI>temptations</HI> of the <HI>Divel,</HI> that &s;he might know how to <HI>re|pel</HI> them; and freely <HI>confe&s;&s;ed all her &s;innes,</HI> (in &s;ome of which mo&s;t live without taking much notice of them) which her tender con&s;cience <HI>aggravated</HI> to the full; and when &s;he could not remember any moe, &s;he begg'd a friend to help her in this her &s;earch, and when he could not, then &s;he turned her &s;peech to God, &s;aying, <HI>O thou God &s;earch me, and try me, and let me not dye in one unrepented for &s;in, let me not deceive my &s;elf, O gracious God what &s;hall I do? I will anchor my faith on Je&s;us, who hath been favourable to others, and why not to me?</HI> She prayed earne&s;tly for <HI>pardon of &s;inne, and that &s;he might have her &s;oul for a prey:</HI> And of this &s;he expre&s;&s;ed her hope, hoping that &s;he had all her hell in this life, (meaning that nights agony) and that <HI>notwith|&s;tanding all her fears, &s;he &s;hould go to heaven,</HI> comforting her &s;elf in the remembrance of <HI>a mo&s;t holy upright old Di&s;ciple,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>Trench.</HI></NOTE> <HI>who had gone to heaven without a&s;&s;urance;</HI> (what a joy doth &s;he now finde in being delivered from all her fears, and
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how greatly doth it &s;et off heaven, to travel to it through the Suburbs of hell!) and now all her doubts and temptations be|ing an&s;wered, and &s;he &s;ilenc't, &s;he did re&s;t all Monday <HI>&s;atisfied in great calmne&s;&s;e of minde,</HI> giving directions concerning her body after death, and other affairs, and was not heard after that nights conflict, <HI>to speak doubtfully or fearfully of her eternal &s;alvation.</HI> About &s;even of the clock at night, finding her con|vul&s;ion fit to &s;eize on her, &s;he de&s;ired one to pray with her, and after being asked if &s;he heard, and had joyned in &s;pirit? an&s;wered yea; And I <HI>thank God I have delighted in prayer.</HI> One de&s;iring her to &s;peak &s;omething of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>&s;he knowingly and affectionately spake of his natures and offi|ces;</HI> and afterward taking a draught of cordial jullep, &s;he pau&s;ed, and &s;hut her eyes, (as &s;he was wont to do) to beg a ble&s;&s;ing on it, and being asked her thoughts, an&s;we|red feelingly, <HI>giving thanks unto the Father who hath made</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1. 12.</NOTE> <HI>us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light.</HI> And &s;o the convul&s;ion fit encrea&s;ing, and the pangs of death catching hold of her, and &s;he talking a little of her dear &s;onne and husband, betwixt one and two of the clock became &s;peechle&s;&s;e, and then one asking her whether her thoughts were not now on God and Chri&s;t, &s;he lifted up her eyes and hands, and offered to &s;peak, but could not, and &s;o &s;lept quietly in the Lord, the fir&s;t of <HI>February,</HI> 1658/9. and the thirty &s;ixth year of her age; the &s;eventh week after her &s;ons death, and was with honour laid in the &s;ame grave with him: Mr. <HI>Ley</HI> preaching her Funeral Sermon.</P>
<P>And thus this true relation is left to the application of every tender-hearted mother, and wi&s;e woman. May it prove &s;erviceable to tho&s;e ends, for which this precious Gentlewoman only de&s;ired life, even to publi&s;h the Sovereignty, Wi&s;dome, Equity, Power and Love of her God: Who though when &s;he died, de&s;ired that nothing might be &s;poken at her Funeral, (&s;uch was her &s;elf-denial) and though now &s;he be ince&s;&s;antly night and day prai&s;ing, adoring, and admiring God without imperfection; yet if &s;he have any lei&s;ure to look off Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and have any knowledge of what is done here below; it will &s;atisfie her greatly that God is glorified by her memory on earth, in &s;tirring up women to
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imitate what was prai&s;e-worthy in her, and in warning them to moderate their love, fear and &s;orrow, and to pitch their affections on never fading objects. <HI>He that te&s;tifyeth the&s;e things, knoweth that he &s;aith true, and would not willingly (through grace) make a lye, to uphold the reputation, or pre|&s;erve the lives of the be&s;t, and mo&s;t de&s;erving women in the world.</HI></P>
<Q><LG>
<HEAD>On her Tomb-&s;tone.</HEAD>
<L>Inclo&s;ed here, in love do lie together;</L>
<L><HI>BENONI, MARAH;</HI> th' only &s;on and mother:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 35. 18. Ruth 1. 20, 21. 2 Sam. 1. 23.</NOTE></L>
<L>Who in their lives, <HI>lovely</HI> and <HI>plea&s;ant</HI> were;</L>
<L>In <HI>death</HI> and <HI>grave</HI> they <HI>undivided are.</HI></L>
</LG></Q>
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<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>Page 2. marg. for <HI>in&s;titutionae</HI> and <HI>in&s;titutione.</HI> for <HI>Bezerliuck.</HI> r. <HI>Beyerlinck.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<P>Mr. <HI>Clarkes</HI> Sermon at the Funeral of the only &s;on of this Gentlewoman, (wherein is a &s;hort Narrative of his life) is &s;old by <HI>George Calvert</HI> at the Half-moon in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church|yard, near the little North-door.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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