DORCAS:  
A TRUE PATTERN of a goodly life, and good end.  
WITH. A PITHY EXHORTATION to the practice of faith and good works.  
In a Sermon preached at Totnes in Devon, january 14. 1630 At the Funeral of Mrs. Marry Bab, Widow.  
By THOMAS SALTERN, sometimes Lecturer there; And Preacher of the Word at Bradford.  
And now published, at the request of sundry godly persons.  Prou. 31.30. 
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised.  
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for Roger jackson, and are to be sold at his Shop near the Conduit in Fleetstreet. 1631.   

DORCAS, A PATTERN OF a godly life, and good end.  Act. 9 vers. 36, 37. 
Now there was at joppa a certain Disciple, named Tabytha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: This woman was full of good works, and almsdeeds which she did.  
And it came to pass in those days that she was sick, and died.  
THis whole Chapter may well be divided into two parts: the one concerning Saint Paul, the other touching Saint Peter: the one the Apostle of the Gentiles, the other of the jews. The once wonderful conversion, the others miraculous operation: the conversion of the one from a Wolf into a Lamb, from a Bear into a Sheep, from plaiing the Lion of the Tribe of Benjamin, into following the Lion of the Tribe of judah: from Saul into Paul: from a persecutor, into a Preacher of Christianity. The others miraculous operation in healing a sick man at Lydda, in raising a dead Woman at joppa: both works 〈…〉, but the latter more, by how much more harder it is to give life to one that is dead, then to restore health ●n one that is sick. In this later story, besides many other circumstances that may be noted, I observe unto you these three: First, the person raised to life, Tabytha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas. Secondly, the instrument which God used in the raising of her, viz. Saint Peter. Thirdly, the effect of the miracle, which v. 42, is intimated to be twofold, fame brought to the ears, and faith bred in the hearts of many people; for it was known throughout all joppa, and many believed in the Lord. I will speak only of the person raised, for my text stretcheth itself no further, concerning whom the story records three things, her life, her death, her being raised again. Of the third point nothing at all at this time, for it cometh not within the bounds and limits of my text: only of the two former, her life, and death; whereof you have a Sermon in print so entitled, The Life and Death of DORCAS; to which I will refer you for many good notes; which, because there so fully handled, by me shall be omitted.  
In speaking of her life I will entreat of two things, first, of her name, Tabytha, by interpretation Dorcas: and secondly, of her profession; her profession in the form of it, she was a Disciple, and her profession in the fruit of it, she was full of good works and alms which she did. In entreating of her death, I will speak of two things, the forerunner of her death, which was her sickness, and the event of her sickness, which was her death.  
The first thing then to be spoken of is her name, Tabytha, and that is Dorcas, which names do signify a Roe or a Buck, and are both of them derived from such roots in their several languages, as do betoken to see. I will say nothing of that observation that might here be made, how that God knoweth his children by name, as he said to Moses, Exod. 33.17. Thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name: to show that particular and peculiar knowledge of approbation, whereby God knoweth the elect above others; nor any thing of the discreet choice that should be used in the naming of children; in which point, as I commend not the nicety of some, who like no other names, but such as have their good signification in holy Scripture, so I much rather condemn their absurd folly, who out of wit as they think, I am sure without any dram of discretion, give ridiculous and unseemly names to the children they come to be sureties for. The note I do gather out of her name, and I will but touch upon it, is in a word this, as her name was, so was she: Tabytha, or Dorcas was her name, and she was, and we ought to be clear-sighted, and with our eyes open, to the things that concern our soul's health. In things of the world we are Eagles, but beetles and moles in divine matters: curious inquisitors into the lives of other, careless neglecters of our own estates, and of what belongs to our Christian duties; whereas if we would search the Scriptures as we are commanded, we should in them be taught what the objects are, which God would have us chief to fix the eyes of our cares and endeavours on. See that you keep my Sabbaths, Exod. 31. See (said old Tobit to his Son) that thou never do that to any man, which thou wouldst not that another should do to thee. Why seest thou the more in thy brother's eye, and dost not see the beam in thine own eye, Mat. 7. See that no man deceive you; See and take heed how you hear; See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Ephes. 5.15. See that none recompense evil for evil unto any man, etc. 1 Thes. 5.15. And in many other places of holy Scripture we are taught, that if we will be true Dorcasses indeed, we must cast our eyes, the eyes of our affections, not on things below, but on the things that are above, Collos. 3.2. Therefore did David pray unto God, saying, Turn away mine eyes that they behold not vanity. But I have seen (saith Solomon) and considered all the works that are done under the Sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, Eccles. 1.14.  
The next thing to be spoken of in the life of this Dorcas, is her profession, which was not in show only, and for formalities sake; but in deed, and in truth: She was a Disciple, and full of good works & alms which she did. A disciple in profession, & in practice too, a disciple in confession and conversation too; the one by her faith, and the other by her works, the one is as the root, the other as the fruit of Christian profession. They met together in her, and must in all that will be true disciples: Without faith it is impossible to please God, Heb. 11.6. and without holiness, impossible to see God, Heb. 12.14. Faith without works is dead, and works without faith, are sins, not in the substance, and because they are done; but in a main circumstance, because done without faith.  
Moral honesty, without profession of the true faith, is blind, and wanteth an eye to direct it; and profession, without practice, on the other side, is lame, and wants a foot to carry it in the way to heaven. Therefore saith Saint Paul, I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, Ephes. 4.1. And, let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ, Phi. 1.27. that the Gospel of Christ, the profession of Christianity, the name of disciples, the truth of God be not ill spoken of, as the Apostle telleth the jews, saying, The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, Rom. 2.24. and willeth Titus to teach all degrees so to behave themselves, that the word of God be not blasphemed, Tit. 2.5. for if we play the foolish painter's part, and humane capiti ceruicem adiungere equinam, put a man's head on an horse's neck, look like disciples, and live like Devils, confess God in our mouths, and deny him in our works, shall it not be said of us in scorn and derision, as it was of the jews by the Heathen, Ezek. 36.20. These are the people of the Lord, these are the Protestants of our times, these are the Professors of our days, these are they that call themselves disciples, and are not; But as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God, Gal. 6.16.  
O beloved, when the doctrines and deeds, the words and works, the profession and practice of Christians, of Disciples, of Professors, shall not agree together, but be at odds and at jar with one another, consider and think on it in the fear of God, what advantage you give to any the enemies of God and his Truth, of Christ and his Religion, of goodness and good men, to speak evil of your God, to lay a blemish on your Religion, to condemn your profession, because they will not easily be made to think that there can be any good root or foundation there, where they see no better fruit, so bad a building. This holiness of life, (I mean not that alone which the Philosophers speak of, and we call it moral honesty, which yet commends us unto the world, is good in itself, is necessary to salvation, but is not sufficient) when it is the fruit and effect of a lively faith in Christ jesus, and a right affection to Godward, is a token and testimony of our union with Christ, of our state in grace, of our being as we would be taken for, true disciples indeed: a testimony I say, and a token, not to our own consciences only, but to other men's hearts also; whereas to profess well, and live ill, or to make a shift to live morally civil, and not care of what profession we be, is to bear false witness against God, whose servants we boast ourselves, and would be taken for, and yet have not on his livery: God's livery is a good life, and the badge or cognizance thereof, is a right profession; this jointly is it which should, this is it which doth, this is it which will declare, when words shall prove but wind, and shows shall be but shadows, whose servants we are in deed. We all desire, and are glad to be accounted good Christians, honest men, true professors, the children of God, faithful brethren, and the like; but let us strive to be what we desire to be accounted; godly names will never justify godless men, nay, pium nomen est reatus impij, saith Saluianus, we are but openly mocked and upbraided, secretly accused and convicted, when we are honoured with names and titles, whereto our lives and manners are not suitable. Therefore try yourselves, beloved, what measure of righteousness is in you, let not the names of honest men, and good Christians, and such other, puff any of you up; try and examine your own hearts, with what love you hear the word, with what care you are fitted to do thereafter, what conscience you make of sin, what joy you conceive in the works of righteousness, what grief you feel when your frailty doth make you to fall; thus try, and so like or dislike of yourselves. Certainly a Christian, though he cannot be sine peccato & culpa, without sin; yet he should labour to be sine crimine & quaerela, without being scandalous and offensive. No man shall ever be able to say absolutely as Christ did, john 8.46. Which of you can convince me of sin? for in many things we offend all, jam. 3.2. And, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the the truth is not in us, 1 john 1.8. And therefore we pray with David, Psal. 143.2. Enter not into judgement with thy servants: Yet in respect of men, and of the world, we ought all of us to labour and endeavour, to strive with might and main, to be able to say as Moses did to God, Numb. 16.15. I have not taken so much as an Ass from them, neither have I hurt any of them; as Samuel did to the people, 1 Sam. 12.3. Beheld, here I am, bear record of me before the Lord, and before his Anointed, Whose Ox have I taken? or whose Ass have I taken? or whom have I done wrong to? or whom have I hurt? etc. As Saint Paul did to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by myself. So to live in sincerity of heart, that we may be able to say with job, We have our witness in heaven, and a witness in our own consciences; and outwardly to follow such integrity and righteousness, as that we dare challenge either common fame to accuse us, or our very enemies to condemn us if they can. And in thus doing, we shall bring glory to God, comfort to our own consciences, and benefit unto others. God shall be glorified; and therefore saith S. Peter, Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speak evil of you as of evil doers, may by your good works which they shall see, glorify God in the day of the visitation. 1 Pet. 2.12. Others shall be ashamed having nothing concerning you to speak evil of, Tit. 2.8. and by this good shame won unto the word through the conversation of the rest; and above all, our own consciences shall receive that peace and quiet which the world cannot give, nor the understanding of man comprehend. And so I come to speak more particularly of the fruit of this woman's profession, out of those words, she was full of good works, and alms which she did.  
In which words the fruit of her profession is commended, from the matter of it, from the measure of it, from the quality, from the quantity of it; the matter or quality twofold, in general good works, in special almsdeeds; the measure and quantity, in the word full, full of good works, and full of alms. First, full of good works. Now when I speak of good works, I will not bound and impale them within the too narrow compass of the works of mercy only, and charity towards men; nor do I think my text enforceth me so to do: neither will I speak in the language of Gentilism, that knoweth no other good works then those which we call moral virtues; no, the several fruits of faith, the many branches growing out of the tree of holiness and righteousness, the several Commandments of the two Tables, are not more wide than the name of good works is. Whatsoever is commanded in any of those precepts (faith itself alone excepted, which is included in the first Commandment, is comprehended under the name and title of good works: even as the proper branches of our faith do spread themselves as far as the Articles of our Creed do; the sum of that which a Christian ought to believe to his soul's health.  
Let no man therefore think it enough for him to be careful and zealous in performing the Commandments of the first Table, while those of the second Table are neglected by him, if not by his open or actual transgression of the letter, yet by too ordinary violating the sense of them, in his truly disobeying under an untrue pretence of greater obedience, by his pride, and malice, and covetousness, breach of charity, of Christian, yea of natural affection, hypocrisy, double-dealing, and deceitfulness: (into which crimes many I fear, that think well of themselves, and would be so thought of others, do yet run headlong and do not heed it) nor on the other side will it serve our turns to abstain in some good measure from violating the precepts of the second Table, (which fear or worldly shame, or other temporal respects may make us careful in) while we make no conscience of the Commandments of the first: perning our Religion with the Weathercockes' of the time, dividing our affections between God and Baal, allowing Dagon a room as well as the Ark, gracing (as we think) our speeches with oaths and blasphemies, making ourselves Gentiles on God's Sabbaths for fear of being jews. God hath joined these two tables together, the first he calls the great Commandment (and we make least account of it) and of the second he saith, that it is like unto it, and no man must, (if he will be a true Disciple) sever the things which God hath joined; they may be distinguished in our books and learning, they must not be divided in our practice and living.  
Now, works are then good, when, first, the ground of them is good, and that is the word of God, the touchstone by which we must try, the compass by which we must direct, the square by which we must frame, and the rule whereby we must order all our actions, if we will bring them within the compass of religious good works. Secondly, when the root of them is good, and that is faith, without which, whatsoever hath the name of a good work, hath yet as our Church speaks (art. 13.) seeing not done as God hath willed, the nature of sin in it; and all such things though they appear specious and beautiful in the eyes of men, yet are (as S. Austin speaks) but splendida peccata, they are not gold though they do glister. And thirdly, when the end of them is good, & that is God's glory: therefore saith our Saviour Christ, Mat. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. And the Apostle, Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10.31. And from good works thus understood and thus qualified, none are exempted, all have their pieces of money, all have their talents given them, Luk. 19 to some in one measure, and to other some in another, but to all to employ according to the Law of their Master, and all to give an account for their use of them; every man hath his burden, and he must bear it himself, Gal. 6.5. Works of supererogation are works of supererogation, and he that wanting righteousness himself hopeth to be saved by another man's, doth but mock himself as Pope Symmachus did when he said, and as the Canonists do the Pope in saying so too (as it is dist. 40. c. non nos.) that, In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum, etc. If the Pope have none or little goodness of his own (as it seemeth by this it may be in that most holy Father himself) he shall have enough derived unto him from his Predecessor; if none in possession, enough by succession; if little by purchase, enough by inheritance: no, no, the Saints in heaven though they have Crowns to wear, yet they have none to spare: And, God shall reward every man according to his (not according to another's) works. Every man is a tree, and should be a good tree, whose root is faith, whose sap is hope, whose branches, the several branches of God's Commandments, and of every tree (without exception) that bringeth not forth good fruit, it is said, Mat. 3.10. it is cut down and cast into the fire. And, upon every soul of man that doth evil, shall be tribulation and anguish, Rom. 2.9. O now, if I would look about the world for a Dorcas, and in the troop of Disciples too, should I not need with the Cynic Philosopher to light a candle, and yet should not find? not many. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, etc. Gal. 5.22. These are fruits of faith, these are works of righteousness. But where are these? And in stead of these, what are the too common fruits of faith? is your swearing and blasphemy a fruit of faith? is your lying and perjury a fruit of faith? and what say you to your riot and drunkenness, to your chambering and wantonness, to covetousness and oppression, to usury and extortion, to strife and contention, to envy and malice in one towards another, and the like to these? If these were the signs of Christian profession, if these were the badges of Christ's Disciples, if these were the works that God did look for, God might come when he would, he should find these things amongst us, & find us full of them. O judge with yourselves (B.) is this the way to make your calling and election sure? as S. Peter willeth you: or is it not the way rather to seal unto your souls the assurance of your condemnation in the day of judgement? No, no, if you will, as all good Christians ought to do, strive to attain to a certainty of your future blessedness, these things ought not to be so among you; the works of darkness are not the way to heaven, the works of righteousness are, though no meritorious cause of our coming thither. You must give diligence, saith the Apostle, 2 Pet. 1.5, etc. and all diligence, (for all will be little enough) to add to your faith virtue, (for faith without works is dead) to virtue knowledge, (or else you may do that which is good, but you shall not do it well) to knowledge temperance, (otherwise your knowledge will puff you up rather than edify you) to temperance patience, (for as you must do, so you shall suffer for your welldoing) to patience godliness, (for you may else give your bodies to be burnt in the fire, and it shall profit you nothing) to godliness brotherly kindness, (for how can he that loveth not his brother say truly that he loveth God?) and to brotherly kindness charity, or love: (not only brotherly kindness to them that are of the household of faith, but charity also towards all men, friends and enemies, as Christ stretched out his arms on the Cross to both the malefactors;) the first named of these things is faith, the last is love, in the middle are other good works, the sum of all is that, Gal. 5.6. Faith working by love, if this be in you, if these things be in you, saith the Apostle, and abound, they will make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord jesus Christ: neither inwardly barren, nor outwardly unfruitful. And thus much concerning good works in general, for which this Matron in my Text is here commended; she is commended in the next place in particular for her almsdeeds, an excellent species and member of those good works, to which we are enjoined. We have precept for it, and example for it, and reasons for it, in the holy Scriptures: Cast thy bread upon the waters, saith the Preacher, Eccles 11.1. First he saith, cast, do not crumb it, do not do it lazily as if loathly, but give it with a cheerful mind: Secondly, Cast bread, what is necessary for the sustenance of them that need; and bread, not a a bone, that is for dogs; not a bastinado, that's for rogues; nor panem lapidosum, as Seneca speaks, bread full of gravel, such as the hungry soul must needs eat, but it goeth down heavily, because it is given grudgingly: Thirdly, panem tuum, thy bread, that which thou hast gotten with a good and an honest conscience; for to rob a Church, and then build a Spittle, or to defraud or oppress by the pound, and then deal a dole by the penny, is but (according to the well known proverb) to steal away the goose, and stick down a feather; And he, saith the son of Sirach, that bringeth an offering of the goods of the poor, doth as one that killeth the son before his father's eyes, Ecclus 34.20. And lastly, it is said, upon the waters. First, there distributed where there is no more hope of recompense, then of regaining that which is thrown into the Sea. Again, saith God in the mouth of the Prophet Esay c. 58.7. Is not this the fast, first, this is the fast that I have chosen, to deal thy bread to the hungry, when thou seest the naked to cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh: In which last words a reason is given why the rich should not turn away their eyes from the poor in contempt and disdain, as too commonly they do, even because, they all are of the same mould & flesh, and among themselves one another's members. And lastly the Apostle, 2 Cor. 8.7. Therefore saith he, as ye abound in every thing, in faith & utterance, etc. see that ye abound in this grace also, viz. a liberal contribution to the necessities of the poor, by the example of Abraham, Gen. 18. of Lot, Gen. 19 of job, who protested for himself, that he did not eat his morsels alone, but the fatherless together with him, job 31.17. and by the example of Zacheus, Luk. 19.8. Nor are examples so many, but the benefit is as great. After many days thou shalt find it. Eccles 11.1. And, The merciful man doth good to his own soul, Pro. 11.17. And, He that giveth to the poor, dareth to the Lord, and what he hath given he will pay him again, Pro. 19.17. And, Blessed is he, (saith David) that considereth the poor and needy, the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble, Psal. 41.1 And lastly, Charge them that are rich (saith S. Paul to Timothy,) that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, etc. 1 Tim. 6.18. I speak not this by way of tax, or as condemning you, I know how the poor in this place are in very good measure provided for: but I speak you see to a great many of the Country, as well as to you of the town, and all are not alike minded neither among them or you. I pray God there be not among both sorts of you (though I know none here) some such as in the world there are too many, who are humani in belluas, & in homines belluini, prodigal in their expenses on hawks or horses, or hounds, or worse, & yet close fisted the whil, & squinteyed when they should look on and secure their poor needy brethren: for them that are as in this case they should be, what I have spoken tends to their commendation and encouragement, and to the exhortation and stirring up of others who are not alike well minded, not alike as others, not alike as Dorcas in my text, of whom out of the words themselves it may be truly affirmed, that even while she lived, she was full of alms which she did. She knew that in heaven she should meet with none that did none her help, and therefore she would help them that needed before she was going thither. I have no reason to condemn men's leaving to the poor by way of legacy in their last wills, yet ye know there is an old saying, that bis dat qui citò, that man doth give double, that giveth seasonably; and on the contrary, the Heathen man could say, tantum gratiae demitur, quantum mora adijcitur: a good turn that is deferred and put off, doth lose a great deal of that grace and thankes which otherwise it would have, and a suspicion is left in the minds of men, that we give therefore then, because we cannot keep it: non bona ta● pausat, quam benefacta Deus, God more respects the welldoing of a thing, than the deed done: and indeed (Beloved) if no thing else did, the hardness of these times, hard times for the poor certainly, do even force us to open our hands as God hath enabled us, for their relief and succour; O let us not persecute them whom God hath smitten, nor vex them whom he hath wounded; let not their affliction be forgotten in the midst of our feasting. Plead not that the times are hard for others also, as well as for the poor: who will believe it that shall but think on this, that scarce was there ever more spent in pride and gallantry, in riot and gluttony, in quassing and carousing, in sports and gaming? and what a great deal of good might be done to the poor, if they had what may well be spared out of the costliness of our apparel, out of the superfluity of our diet, nay out of that that is bestowed upon the Devil; for who else but he gaineth by what is cast away in riot and drunkenness, in lusts and filthiness, in games & sportfulness, in needless quarrels and contentions? do not misapply my words, I speak in general terms, and to foreigners from abroad, as well as to the inhabitants of this place; all whom I would have to examine their own souls; who take exception at what I speak, do but bewray their own guiltiness, and think a great deal worse of themselves then of me they can. O consider (and so I will conclude this point) that it is panis esurientium quem tu divoras, etc. the bread of the hungry which is devoured in gluttony, the drink of the thirsty that is swilled in intemperately; the garments of the naked that men strut in so flauntingly (who some of them as St. Ambrose speaks, parietes vestiunt auro, & pauperes nudant vestimento, do array their walls with cloth of Arras, of silk, of silver, of gold, and leave bare, if not make bare also the backs and arms of the needy) and the money of the poor peaceable ones which is cast away in malicious sures and controversies. Let every thing be placed in his due place, cause not the lean checks to become lanker yet, make not the needy eyes to wait long, and be even ready to fall out of their sockets with waiting; defraud not the poor of their due alms? though it be given unto them, it is but lent unto God, and he will repay it, and in due proportion too, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 9.6. He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully: as of this godly matron in my Text it is said, that she sowed bountifully, for she was full of good works and alms which she did. Concerning which words, it is noted, that fullness here doth commend her good works and alms, for three good qualities; sincerity, generality, constancy; sincerity in respect of the root and fountain, generality in respect of the streams and branches, and constancy in respect of the growth and current, her goodness proceeded from her heart, did spread itself fare and wide, and did continue and last unto her end.  
And now (Beloved) that in the midst of our fullness in other kinds, fullness of pride, fullness of idleness, fullness of knowledge, and fullness of good words, we would be full of good works also as she was: If we do good, is it not grudgingly, or for worldly and temporal respects? where is our fullness of sincerity then? Is it not mincingly, and with that great personages limitation, in the book of the Kings, God be merciful unto us in these and these cases? where is our fullness of generality then? Or is it not wearisomely and with great fainting? where is our fullness of constancy and perseverance? It is this being full of goodness that bringeth glory unto God, for herein is my Father glorified, saith our Saviour Christ, that you bear much fruit, joh. 15.8. It bringeth assurance to our consciences of our happy estate here, for he that abideth in me and I in him, saith Christ, the same bringeth forth much fruit, joh. 15.5. and of the reward of blessedness laid up for us in heaven, therefore saith the Apostle, Gal. 6.9. Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due time we shall reap if we faint not: if not now while we live, (and indeed their case is the worst of all of whom it may be said, they have their reward) yet assuredly when death cometh, as it did to this good woman in my text, and is the second general thing I must speak of concerning her, the death of Dorcas, with the immediate forerunner thereof her sickness.  
And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died. Now the word that is here read it came to pass, is sometimes read, it fortuned or happened, both well in diverse respects, the one in respect of God, unto whose providence all things being subject, and governed by it, it is said in regard thereof, that things come to p●sse; and yet to chance or happen in respect of us unto whom God thinks not fit to reveal and open those future events, which he mindeth to keep in his own hands. Whence the point collected is that which you all know, that there is nothing can befall man in this world, be it cloudy weather or clear, sunshine, or full of storms, but it is all subject and subordinate to the wisdom and providence of Almighty God. There be other names used among men, as fate and destiny, and the like; but hear what St. Austin saith, (the civet. Dei, l. 5. c. 1) Qua si propterea quisque fato tribuit, etc. If any man attribute the things that come to pass unto fate or destiny, and say that by it he means the will and providence of God, Sententiam teneat, linguam corrigat, let him keep his opinion, but let him alter his phrase of speech, because many when they hear these words, fate, destiny, and the like, are moved to believe the some thing inferior unto God's providence is meant, as the cause or procurer of the things that happen: and the lesson hence arising is in a word this, that in all the changes and chances of this present life, we lay up our rest upon God's providence, and next after our honest and lawful endeavours refer the success of all to him: in time of health and prosperity, not lifted up with pride and presumption; nor murmuring and repining when we see the hand of God upon us, (though we see the hand of men, or the Devil there also) in case of cross and adversity; but always resolving as old Ely did, 1 Sam. 3.18. It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. It came to pass that she was sick, yea sickness is the suburbs through which ordinarily we do enter into the gates of death: and for this purpose hath God placed in man's body death's armoury, his fort of munition, wherein hang a thousand shields, wherewith the Lieutenant and his Captain, the messenger and his master, morbus and mors, sickness and death, do but come and then overcome man. Man's head and heart, and stomach, and liver, and lights, and lungs, and other parts of his body, what are they, but so many several cells wherein sickness and death have several swords to wound and kill man with when God will have it so. Nay, man saith Bernard is always sick of one disease or other, generally of three above other, the one in his beginning and entrance into the world, and that is full of infirmity and uncleanness: the second in his progress through the world, and that is full of iniquity and perverseness: the third in his going out of the world, not without pain and peril: and nasci in corpore mortali aegrotare est, to be born into the world, is to be thrust out into a Spittlehouse. And if we consider almost the whole course of a man's life, how it is spent, we shall find it composed of nothing else, but infirmities & remedies, maladies and medicines, sicknesses and their physic, and the physic and remedies many times more troublesome than the diseases themselves; when a man is hungry he is not well till he eat, & labour killeth without rest after it; the comfort of the one to cure the pain of the other, and yet ofttimes eating makes as sick as hunger did, the rest of the body yields no rest to the mind, and the time of quiet proves the most unquiet time of all. It came to pass that she was sick; What, this godly and charitable matron? yea, and no marvel at it, the Lord chasteneth whom he loveth, and afflicteth with some kind of cross or other every son whom he doth receive, and qui excipitur è numero flagellatorum, excipitur è numero filiorum, They that are altogether without correction, are bastards and not sons, Heb. 12.8. But it proves in God's children, though harsh to flesh and blood, as the clay by our Saviour Christ's power, did to the blind man, joh. 9 an excellent means to open those eyes which were shut by sin, and make a man see both God's power, and his own weakness, which in time of ease and freedom he did not so well discern: for the fruit of wisdom groweth on the tree of trouble, and the schoolhouse of affliction is the schoolhouse of instruction. But if judgement be executed on the house of God, where shall the wicked and sinners appear? the one are corrected in the world, that they may not be condemned with the world; and the other let alone ofttimes to spend their days as oxen in fat pastures, of purpose to be reserved for a more grievous slaughter. O then, if you will that death shall not be terrible when it comes (though the Philosopher calls it of all terrible things the worst) learn first to bid the forerunners of death welcome; learn to entertain, as ye ought sicknesses patiently, the sicknesses of the body; and crosses patiently, the crosses of the mind; and losses patiently, loss of goods, loss of friends, loss of liberty; if God do so order it, these are anteambulones, the prodromi, the footposts, the messengers, the harbingers of death; bid (I say) these welcome and death shall come well unto you when it comes, as come it will, perhaps as near to the heels of sickness, as the words in my text do come close together, she was sick, and died. Or if not, as not always, yet are there two worms, the two daughters of Time, Day and Night, which continually bite and gnaw at the root of the tree; our very life and hartblood, while we, prodigal of that whereof to be covetous is the only covetousness that is honest, viz. our time, do so long feed on the honeycombs that hang over out heads, desiring to satiate ourselves with the pleasures of this life, till this tree of our life be bitten through by those two worms, and we fall into that pit whence there is no redemption. She was sick and died. Yea, this is the ordinary effect of sickness, that sooner or later it will end in death; she was sick and died: and man is sick, and dyeth, saith job, c. 14.10. but what means job so immediately to the former words man is sick, to adjoin those other, and man dyeth, why doth he so? Is it to aggravate the miseries to which poor man in this world is subject? by the whole scope of the text it should seem it is, and yet how can it be so? for man is sick and dyeth, is no more than man hath gone a long and a wearisome pilgrimage, and hath finished his course, or man hath laboured and wearied himself all the day long, and is set him down to rest; or man hath overwatcht himself and is fall'n asleep: this is man is sick, and dyeth: death indeed, the remembrance of death is bitter to the man that is at rest in his possessions, that hath nothing to vex him, but hath prosperity in all things, whose breasts are yet full of milk, and his bones of marrow, who may wash his plants with butter, and whose rocks pour him out rivers of oil; O how would the news of death make him startle, and his knees smite each other with trembling, as it fared with Foelix when Paul reasoned of the judgement to come. Act. 24.25. But when a man shall long for death, as a servant doth for the shadow, an hireling for the end of his work, and a woman in travel for her delivery: when he would seek for death if he knew where, as a man would seek for treasures, and rejoice if he could find the grave: whose cheeks are gummy with weeping, and the picture of death sits in his eyes, who never eats morsel with pleasure, but is still dying in the bitterness of his soul: to such a man how acceptable would the judgement of death be, and to dye after sickness no degree of misery? Indeed if we consider death as adjoined to that world of miseries which in this world of misery we are subject to, then is death a more excellent medicine than all the Art of man can prescribe, to cure all diseases: but if in the cause of it which was sin, and in the nature of it, even the dissolution of nature; then doth flesh bid away to death, though it be the ordinance of the Lord over all flesh; yea all. The words of job do show the Pedigree of all mankind, I have said to corruption, thou art my father, and to the worms, thou art my mother, and my sister, job 17.14. And if King David said personally of himself, prophetically of his Lord and ours, I am a worm and no man, what man is there that is not a worm also? This we know well enough all of us, even so well that the Devil himself cannot make us believe the contrary, he dares not say to us as he did to our first parents, ye shall not dye, they had seen none dye before them, we have had millions, yet see how easily he makes fools of us, he chokes us with the same bait as he did them, but with this difference, he gave them the bait whole and they swallowed it, he gives it us by pieces, as that we shall not dye yet, not this day, or this week, or this month, or perhaps not this year; and so quickly persuades us so to live, as if we were immortal, never dreaming either of death's certainty, or hell's misery, or heaven's felicity.  
The due consideration of which things, even of death alone, would serve to humble us, as it did those Ancients, who made their often casting ashes on their heads, a monument and memorial of their mortality: it would serve to work repentance in us as it did in the Ninivites; and that excellent resolution which it did in job, when he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; (living as well as life, and life as well as living) blessed be the name of the Lord for all, job 1.21. It would be available against the lust of the eyes, covetousness, for he might easily be persuaded not to love the world, that would duly consider how soon he might leave the world, and the things of it: against pride of life it would be available, for what should make him lift up his heart above his brethren, whose head he may hap to trample under his feet that now kneels before him? O if a man would but think on it, how vile Christ became for him, & what himself is in himself, weakness in his birth, wickedness in his life, the subject of rottenness in his end: in his coming into the world miserable, in his living in the world sinful, in his going out of the world the heir of corruption, if not the child of perdition too, this would make to stoop the neck of pride as white as ivory which must shortly be as the clay in the streets. And lastly, against the lusts of the flesh which though never so much doted on, and even made an Idol of, must first breed a multitude of worms, then be devoured of them; nay, there are three things that wait to share us and what we have between them, the worms to have our flesh, the world to have our wealth, and the Devil to have our souls; and every of these so well contented with his own part, that he will not leave it for both the other: the world will not care for our souls, or for our bodies, so it may have our goods; the worms will not care for our goods or for our souls, so they may have our bodies; and the Devil will not care for our bodies or for our goods, so he may have our souls: but let us therefore care more than we do, if not for our bodies, (let death make his best of them that he can) yet for our substance and for our souls, to put both our houses in order before we die; our outward and our inward house, the one for settling of peace both our own and theirs whom we leave behind us, and the other for our souls eternal happiness; and both these, because it may be said to any of us thou shalt dye and not live, before it can be said put thine house in order, that so the houses especially of our hearts may be in order always.  

Conclusion.  And thus we have followed Dorcas as fare as my text did lead us; Is there now ever another Dorcas for me to speak of? sure this town had, and habuisse decus, 
The memorial of the graces and godly end of Mistress Mary Bab.  it is a credit to them that they had, for she was a credit to them while they had her, in a good degree such another Dorcas: Concerning whom though I should be silent, and shall be sparing, yet this Church which she duly frequented, those poor whom she continually relieved, this town which she always loved, nay not joppa only, and this her dwelling place, but all that knew her by acquaintance, and many other that did not know her but by the ear, will yet say, (and it will be said hereafter perhaps with more feeling than now) that this place hath lost a Dorcas, who was, as the name I told you signified in the root of it, clear-sighted, to bethink herself how she should, and to provide in some measure that she might so lead her life here, that she might afterwards live eternally with God, as her good life, and right Christian end do assure us that she now doth. Why, is she dead then? what else means our meeting here at this time? what this great concourse of people? in all whose faces a man may easily read the love and grief, that brought you hither: and shall I not think you thought her worthy of love? I am sure you had reason so to do; you the poor of this place, to whom I cannot say, as David to the Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul that clothed you in Scarlet, but weep for Dorcas who was always ready, and to her end, and at her end, to secure and relieve in great measure your wants and necessities; wherein if other women did well, yet she surmounted them. Yet do not weep for her, weep for yourselves, and for your sins; serve God in holiness and godliness of living; express so your thankes to God for blessing her a●●●●ntinuing her so long among you, (till she was aged fourscore years and five) for your good, and then doubt not but if ye serve God as ye ought, he will provide for you as you need: or else fear that God will take away more Dorcasses from you (if at least there be more) and it far worse with you yet then now it doth. But our Dorcas did not dye till she was sick first, and in her sickness, O how did God show that whom he loveth, he loveth to the end, and toward the end expresseth it more abundantly, as he did to her, who, as if she knew that this sickness should be her last, and because she knew that the least thought of worldly things is of force to withdraw the mind from necessary meditations, left presently the care of these things to others, whom by her Will many years before made, she had trusted with these things; & spent even all the rest of her time (as I am and you may be informed by those to whose report you can make no scruple to give credit) in a right Christian preparation for her last end, by an often confession of her trust in God, sorrowful acknowledgement of her own wretchedness, admirable patience in the midst of her pains, earnest desires to be with her Saviour, yet with Christian submission of her will to Gods, to the great comfort of them that came to comfort her, till even at her last moment, as if she saw heaven open, and her Saviour ready to receive her into his arms, she desired to be heaved up into the arms of her Saviour, who did not stay long from her, nor would let her stay long from him, but received her soul into his heavenly Kingdom, leaving her body to be by us brought unto it long home, there to sleep in its bed of rest, till at the last day it rise again, and be made partaker of that endless happiness which her soul in the mean while doth alone enjoy; and whereto God in his due time bring us all, for his great mercy's sake, and the merits of his Son and our Saviour jesus Christ. To whom, etc.   

Her Epitaph.  
Dear is the death, saith David, in God● 〈◊〉  
OF all his Saints: of her among the re●●,  
RIch in good works, and alms, and day and night,  
Careful to serve God, loved of the best:  
AGed in years, in goodness, mercy, love:  
She sickened, died: and now doth live above.  
FINIS.