eternal welfare and salvation of souls did depend. And as one that loved religion, and judged it her greatest friend, she conversed most with it in private, in her secret retirements twice a day, wherein she did not pray and read the Scriptures or other books of piety merely to satisfy herself or others that she had done them, but took an account of herself of her improvement by them; and no occasion or company, though otherwise never so pleasing to her, were thought a sufficient excuse by her for neglecting the great matters of her soul. She was very inquisitive after the matters of her soul and future state, and her preparations were according to her inquiries. She lived in an expectation of dying, and therefore made provision beforehand for her departure out of this world. Her most intimate friends she discoursed withal most freely about the great affairs of eternity, and thought no time spent so well improved as that which was spent in order to them. Her zeal for religion was proportionable to the weight of things, thinking some things as much beneath it, either in being for or against them, as for men to be eternally disputing about the colours of the rainbow, or the figure of the motes which fly in the air.

2. Her great humility and mean apprehension of herself. I scarce ever met with one who had a truer understanding of the matters of greatest consequence, joined with a greater diffidence of herself, than she always expressed. This made her not so much known as otherwise she might have been, but it made her so much the more valued by all that knew her. She used her judgment most where she expressed it least; and

in those discourses, in which she would sit by as one unconcerned, she was a careful observer, and a severe judge of the things, though not of the persons.

3. Her great contempt of the world. It may be a greater instance of this nature cannot be met with, of one that did less value the things that others hazard their souls for than she did; often declaring, herself, that she knew no other considerable use of an estate but to do good by it: and this she would frequently attribute, as one of the good effects of it, to the long sickness she formerly had, which she told me in her last sickness she had yet cause to bless God for, because by that she understood the world much better, and consequently valued it much less, than ever she did before and although she had great contentments in this world in her near friends and relations, yet her mind was still kept above them; and consequently, she declared to me in her health, with what contentment of mind she could part with all the things in this world; and if there was nothing more, she said, to be feared in death than only that, she wondered that any should be afraid of it: which discovered her great convictions of the vanity of this life, and the great things of it, and of the certainty of that to come. But while she was in this world, she hated to be unuseful in it, and therefore was very exemplary; for,

4. Her charity and readiness to do good; expressing that upon all occasions, where she knew or could find out objects fit to express her kindness upon; having, as I have heard, before she came to the enjoyment of that

plentiful estate she lived in before her death, laid aside considerable sums to be disposed of that way. If she heard of any poor that were sick, she would first understand what it was they most wanted, and that she was sure to provide for them, without being asked. Thus she showed her religion to be "pure and undefiled," by not only "keeping herself from" the least suspicion of "the pollution of the world," but by "visiting the fatherless and widows in their afflictions." Thus she lived in the world as one that will be missed now she is gone, and yet as one who prepared herself for her going out of it; and, some time before her last sickness, she would often let fall expressions, while she went with her last child, that the time was coming when an end would be put to all her troubles here; and this, upon her first illness after her delivery, she was very apprehensive of, and expressed it to those about her. Although, at first, she had some fears and strugglings in her nature from the apprehension of death; yet, when her fits seized upon her with more than ordinary violence, she lay with the greatest willingness to die, and not only so, but rejoicing in the hopes of it, and praying earnestly that it might come to pass; and when, in her last convulsion fits, we were praying for her life, she, during the intermissions she had, prayed as earnestly for her departure out of the world; and God was pleased by the sad event to declare that her prayers were more agreeable to his will than ours were, by taking her out of this vain and sinful world, which she despised so much, to the happiness she valued, the eternal enjoyments of God in a better life. More, grief

and the time fail me to add: and, though we have reason to lament our loss of her, and did heartily pray that "this cup might pass from her," yet, since God hath declared his will, let us submit ours to his, and never murmur at this, however sad, dispensation of his providence, but let us follow our Saviour, not only in his words, but in the inward temper of his mind, when he said, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt."

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ON OUR PUTTING OFF THESE BODIES.

[WILLIAM SHERLOCK, D.D.]

THE SECOND NOTION OF DEATH, THAT IT IS OUR PUTTING OFF THESE BODIES.

LET us now consider death, as it is our putting off these bodies; for this is the proper notion of death, the separation of soul and body, that the body returns to dust, the soul or spirit unto God who gave it. When we die, we do not cease to be, nor cease to live, but only cease to live in these earthly bodies. The vital union between soul and body is dissolved; we are no longer encloistered in a tabernacle of flesh, we no longer feel the impressions of it; neither the pains nor pleasures of the body can affect us; it can charm, it can tempt no longer. This needs no proof, but very well deserves our most serious meditations.

For, 1. This teaches us the difference and distinction between soul and body, which men who are sunk into flesh and sense are apt to forget; nay, to lose the very notion and belief of it. All their delights are fleshly; they know no other pleasures but what their five senses furnish them with; they cannot raise their thoughts above this body, nor entertain any noble designs; and therefore they imagine that they are nothing but flesh