THE REMARKABLE LIFE & DEATH of the Lady APOLLINA HALL. Widow, deceased in the 21th year of her age.  
By William Typpin, Esquire.  PROV 12.11. 
A virtuous woman is a crown to her H●●band, but she that makes ashamed is a rottenness in hi● bones.  PROV 31.30. 
Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised  

Imprimatur  
EDM CALAMY   
LONDON, Printed by A. M. for Christopher Meredith, at the Crane in Paul's Churchyard, 1647.   

THE REMARKABLE LIFE & DEATH of the Lady APOLLINA HALL. Widow, deceased in the 21th year of her age.  
AS it is a work of charity to measure others by ourselves, and to look on others faults through the glass of our own infirmity; so is it likewise a ●atter of prudence and piety, to ●●gulate our lives by the line of others, and (next to the square 〈◊〉 God's word) to take our light, … m and direction from such person's, whose lives do hold … th' the 〈◊〉 uprightest conversations, and whose actions as well as their professions, do● speak them holy. I know its 〈◊〉 common complaint in th● world, and in truth not without just cause, that the generality of people do idolise examples, and study men too much but the fault is not in the action but in the object, because they make not a prudent choice; for did we carefully make choice of, as the word of God for ou● rule, so the most holy and experienced Saints of God for ou● directories, in our Christian way. Oh how much of heaven should we have in our lives, what gracious helps would these be to spiritualise and rectify our judgements, to warm our affections, resolve our doubts, to unbottome us many times from fancies and superstitious vanities, and settle our unstable ●●arts in the way of truth and ●●ace.  
Amongst many sweet example's and patterns of ho … esse, that yet through the ●ercy of God, have given ●●rth some lustre in these gloomy days, I have thought good 〈◊〉 present this one to public ●●ew, not to be contemned because of sex, for God's graces ●●e to be honoured wherever we ●●nde them. Her remarkable … e, and blessed and sweet de … ture out of the same, do ren●●r her a pattern of imitation, I ●ight have said, of admiration 〈◊〉 all posterity. I should but ●●ifle in a serious business, to ●●t forth in this place, those outward accommodations wherewith God and nature had a●orn'd her, in her person, parts and parentage, for all these are but as rubbish to true worth, and to inscribe such trifles 〈◊〉 any matter of her praise, were but to lay her honour in t●● dust: but that which is to be commended in her, is her goodness, sweetness in her disposition, humility in her carriage, holiness in her life, cheerfulness in her christian way, stability in her principles which she held, from the which, when once she had found their footing in the word of God (for that was her constant touchstone) nothing could make her to decline. These with many others, are the sweet odours which preserve her as a living monument amongst us, and keep in fresh memory her name on earth, as I doubt not but the Lord hath honoured her with a crown in heaven.  
In the declaration of this La●●es short life, for truly she li●●ed but like the sun flower, ●●ept into the world, and then ●●osed up again: I shall take my ●●se only from the time she first ●●gan to give up her name to Christ, accounting of her till ●●en, but in a dead and lost con●●tion; for before we are in ●●me measure acquainted with 〈◊〉 ways of Christ, before that ●●y dawn, and that daystar ●ise in our hearts, we may be ●●id to be in life, but we live ●ot; our very being is little better than death and darkness.  
Her education from her very childhood was in a religious ●ay, but in truth, through the ●●ult and frailty of an over-in●●gent Guardian too soft and ●●ee, for this indulgency to her ●●clination in her blossom years (a caveat to fond Grandmothers) did but serve to advance and strengthen corrupt nature in her against her better self, and to blow the coal of her corruptions into a greater flame. But when it pleased God to call her by his grace, and to reveal himself in her, oh then her former infirmities had an influence on her spirit for her greater good, (see how the Lord draws an antidote out of poison,) and they quicken her endeavours in her gracious way.  
About some three years before her dissolution, in the eighteenth year of her age, the Lord began to remove the scales of ignorance from her eyes, and to give her a more through sense and apprehension of the power of sin and Satan upon her soul; and now the high mountain is abased, and the stubborn heart ●s laid low, and she is become 〈◊〉 lamb in her conversation; ●ow she gins to enter into a ●ore sad and serious consideration of her former course. Now however God had dispensed the comforts of this life to her with ●very free and liberal hand, yet ●e cares not for man's day, the ●ream of her affections are car●●ed into another channel: now ●●l the golden vanities of this ●●fe, and what ever the world ●efore presented as precious in ●●r eye, she lays them as despicable things under her foot; ●er thoughts are now transcen●●ent and heavenward, and both ●●…e and heart are bound for e●●●ity: There is nothing now ●●unds pleasing in her ears, but ●hat hath the stamp of everlastingness upon it. An everlasting Christ as her way, an everlasting heaven as her end, an everlasting glory as her crown. These and the like are the subject of her meditations, and take up all her joy. She set apart four hours in the day for divine duties (these were her souls repast) and every night before she laid her to her rest, she called her soul to a reckoning, (taking the same in writing) what errors or frailties she had fallen into the day past, what incursions sin and Satan had made upon her soul; wherein God had been dishonoured, and her profession scandalised in her Christian walk. And here I cannot but commend and admire her care and cautious circumspection in discharge of this duty; for I am credibly informed, that if at night when she was to sequester herself to this soul examination, some extraordinary occurrences had cast her upon a later hour then usual, so that through heaviness of body, and indisposedness of mind, she found herself dispirited and unfit for that task, her practice then was, to stir up, quicken and enliven her spirits, by such means as she saw most conducible to that end, that so she might come before the Lord with life, love and cheerfulness, and not present her sacrifice of prayer before his glorious throne, with a dull and fluggish soul; for she knew well, that the exercises of God's worship, how constant soever for time and place, yet are never carried on to the true comfort of the soul, unless the heart be quickened, and carefully reduced into a praying condition. It's further observable in this Lady, that she had always a most loving heart, and free, affable, courteous deportment towards all, both rich and poor, that had any thing of Christ in them, especially godly Ministers: and for her charity otherwise to the poor, her religious heart was so affectionately disposed to them, that she could have straitened her own bowels to do them good; as she did fully evidence by her holy repining at that cost and charge which the necessity of her sickness enforced her to, saying, she had spent that cost upon a rotten carcase (that was her own expression) which might have comforted many a poor christian. The wearisome condition of this life, but I believe, much more the joyful expectation of a better, made her exceeding willing to die: yet with an humble submission to Gods will, praying, that whether it were life or death, that condition might befall her, whereby God might have most glory. As it was the surest, so was it also the greatest comfort her heart did joy in, that God had spoken peace to her troubled soul, and had graciously vouchsafed her some inward assurance of her salvation, which cost her, she said, many a sweat, and much striving, before she attained thereunto. Being in conference with an intimate friend of hers about the state of her soul; she broke forth into a holy admiration of God's abundant grace and favour, and of the overflowing streams of his loving kindness to her soul: Oh that God should look upon me, such a poor creature as I am! but all is free grace, saith she, all is free grace: When I enter, saith she, into a sad and serious consideration of my sins, I am exceedingly amazed and cast down; but when again I recollect myself, and looking out of myself, call to mind the free grace of God to me in Christ, Oh then, this comfort refresheth my soul.  
She took exceeding great delight in the promises of God, set forth in the new Testament, most whereof (as very credible information gives me) she writ out with her own hand in time of health. Above the rest, that place of St John, chap. 11.13. did more especially affect her; If ye shall ask any thing in my Name, I will do it. She was exceeding solicitous and fearful over herself, lest any created comforts, (the Dalilaes' of corrupt flesh) should creep into, and take possession of her heart, as appeared by this; that being moved by a certain person about her, to send for her child, in which she was much delighted; she durst not, she answered, trust her deceitful heart, lest it should be immoderately let out upon her child, as formerly it had been upon her dear husband; not that she condemned that measure of affection which God and nature requires to husband and children,; for as for her husband, it was conceived by her Physician, that her extreme endeavours to preserve his life, was the loss of her own: but to intimate how ready and prone our hearts are to break the bounds of moderation in the things of this life, and to live more in the creatures then in God that gave them. It was her ordinary custom, after the decease of her dear husband, so long as health and strength did permit, to perform the duties of reading and prayer in her family, in her own person, so far was she from the total neglect thereof; A fault that lies heavy upon this Nation, & I fear, one special provocation of God's judgements against us at this time, and a prevalent cause that our streets have streamed with blood. One would think it impossible, that in these Gospel days, there should be so much atheism in the hearts of any professing the name of Christians, as that they should with boldness and confidence, every day partake of God's blessings, (yea, cannot subsist without them) and yet never return so much as a morning and evening sacrifice in the family, in a thankful acknowledgement of such bounty. Truly God is extremely slighted in the world, and therefore no marvel if we be slighted and rejected by him. It's a sad omen, that they have not much of God in their hearts, that have so little of his Name in their lips. I say no more but this, it's an infinite mercy of God to men of this constitution, that God's mercies prove not snares to them, and their meat their poison. The Lord put their spirits into a more thankful frame, and make them more sensible of Gods due, and their own duty. I know I have stepped out of my road, but ●t was to bring these negligent wanderers into the way. Now to return to my dear friend. In her ordinary civil communication and converse amongst those she lived withal, she did ever demean herself, to the honour of her profession, in an humble, sweet and winning way: but yet if any controversy did chance to arise in point of Religion, she was passionately zealous in defence of truth: she would through the weakness of her spirits then, pant in her eager discourse, and yet contend still, till necessity did enforce her silence. Her heart was extremely averse both to them and their ways, who any way held of superstitious vanities. In a word, she was a sincere, single-hearted, downright Christian, nothing acquainted with the art of guile. She was that which she did seem to be, and did seem to be that which she ought.  
And now I draw on towards her last breathing. The morning in which she died, finding death to approach; This is the joyfullest day (saith she) that ever mine eyes beheld. Being recovered out of one of her fits (for she had extreme convulsions) she breathed out these sweet, though imperfect expressions: I thought I should have been with my Saviour before this time— Then abruptly as breath would bear; My joys are unspeakable. Falling into another grievous fit, she now desired, if the Lord so pleased, that might be her last: and herein she was heard in her request: being in this her last and extreme struggling with death, she often cried out, Come Lord, come Lord, when Lord, how long Lord? and at last, He is come, he is come; and with that speech she expressed so much comfort, that she often smiled in this extremity. Lastly, she closed in her breath with this short ejaculation; Lord I desire to breath out my soul unto thee.  
Thus she lived, and thus she died; how said I, died! not so, it was a change, not death, a change of place, a change of comforts, a change of inheritance, a change from a goodly earthly promotion here, to a glorious one for ever: In a word, it was but a pinch, that did lead to a Paradise; it was but a daybreak to eternal brightness. And here, I wish from my heart, it were within the strength and compass of my weak endeavours, to fasten this precious example upon the thoughts and consciences of the soft and delicate Ladies of our age, who seek for nothing more, (as many of their lives do speak) then to take out a heaven here on earth, crumbling out their days on glorious vanities, and feeding their hearts and eyes, with fading, frivolous, fruitless contentments. Oh that ●hey would but sadly consider, ●et a little, a very little while, and then comes death, and then comes judgement, and then comes eternity, that long day that will never see an evening; ●hat deep gulf, that hath in ●ruth neither bounds nor bottom; and what a melancholy ●ntrance will they find into this ●verlasting condition, when their ●●te improvidence shall enforce ●hem to cry out, in their deathbed lamentation; Once were ●ur joys as full as our desires, our heads were crowned with rose buds, our faces shined with,— I tremble to speak it in these reforming days: but now, oh now, whither away all our glory; our delights are perished, yea vanished, sunk and gone, (and see their deceitfulness) they have left us nothing behind them but our sins, as so many serpents to sting us for all eternity; oh this is a long and deadly word, for all eternity. These or the like will one day be their doleful complaints, (and if a deep repentance intervene not) this will be the issue of all their joy. Truly it makes my heart bleed in me, to see and consider that in this juncture of time, when the land hath been so long in 〈◊〉 mourning garment, and after so much blood, and fire, and famine, and pestilence, & dreadful desolation in the several quar●ers of this Kingdom, the daughters of our Zion are no more sensible of these judgements which ●ave broken in upon us, then ●he stones in the streets; they ●●gge on in their old way, they 〈◊〉 the fat, and drink the sweet, ●elt in pleasures, and  themselves as gloriously as if ●hey meant to vie with the Sun ●t noon day, when it exalts it ●elf in its greatest brightness: ●hey walk with their stretched out ●ecks, and wanton eyes, and made complexions; should the Lord in the natural composure of their faces, have engraven ●●ch black spots in them, as now their fancies add, surely they would have looked on themselves as monsters, and have thought nature had been a stepmother, and dealt unkindly with them: but now (silly souls) because these vain toys are the imps of their own sick brains, and their own hands have fashioned them, therefore they hug the work of their own inventions, and the beauty which God vouchsafes them, seems despicable in their eyes. Surely our age is worse than heathenish in this sinful liberty; for it's reported by a faithful hand, that the very Indians, (amongst whom the Lord hath lately vouchsafed some dawning of the Gospel) do so abhor the naked breasts of women, and hair hanging lose, or cut as men's hair is, that they have made some Laws against them. Oh that our English Ladies should grow so bold, as to practise that which Indians abhor, which miserable heathens count ●heir shame. Alas, alas, however their deluded hearts may flatter them for a time, into a self complacency in this their pleasurable way, yet as sure as their souls do live, it will be bitterness in the latter end. For, tell me, tell me ●e shining gallantry, how will ●e endure it, when ye shall hear that terrible voice scunding in your ears, Arise ye dead and come 〈◊〉 judgement? when ye shall behold upon your first peeping out of your graves, the world … n a light fire round about your ●●ars, the elements melting with heat, the frame of the heavens dissolved, hideous cry of the creatures on every side; when ye shall find nothing but flames and confusion ready to welcome you into the world again? how will your hearts melt, your hands quiver, your minds faint, your knees fall away like water, when this gloomy day appears! how will ye then, when all your golden opportunities of grace are lost and gone, in the sense of your future sufferings, even vex yourselves for your former abominations? These are the eyes which shot forth so many envious, amorous, lascivious glances, now they are a terror to myself; these are the ears which have harkened to so many base, scurrilous, profane, lust provoking songs, and now they present nothing but everlasting woe and sorrow to my soul; and now, when all these things come to pass, which way will you turn in the midst of these perplexities, whence will ye look for secure? will you now address yourself to the fountain of mercy, supplicate grace from Christ: why, with what confidence and comfort canst thou expect grace from him, to whom thou hast been a stranger all thy days? here is horror enough to confound thee, that he hath a fullness of mercy in him, but none for thee; that he hath healing in his wings, but none for thy refreshment; he is a gracious intercessor for others, but in relation to thyself, a judge to design thee to everlasting torments. And what a sad thing is ●t, that love itself, mercy itself, sweetness itself; the Lamb must condemn thee? He that ●ath washed away the sins of thousands in his blood, who have believed in him, and hath also made many, and many tenders of grace to thy soul, must now for thy stubborn refusals, separate thee for ever by an irreversible sentence from the glory of the Lord, and face of the Lamb. Oh think on this, think on this, whosoever you are whom this counsel may concern; lay it seriously to heart: betimes whilst your breasts are full of milk, and bones are full of marrow, before the evil days come, wherein ye shall say, I have no pleasure in them.  
Seemeth it a light thing in your eyes, that the wrath and indignation of the Lord hath broken forth so furiously against this Land? your sex speaks tenderness and compassion; why where is the sounding of your bowels, where is your pity to this distracted Kingdom? will ye not cease to provoke the Lord against his Church, till ye have improved your pride to her utter desolation? This is the time of jacob's trouble, and shall it be your day of triumph? Oh let the threaten of the Lord prevail upon you: himself hath spoken it, Isa. 22. that he will have even the life of those that let out their affections to unseasonable jollity, when his judgements call for tears: Believe his word and tremble. I bessech you be content to lose a lust to save a Land, if you will not for your own sakes, yet for the kingdom's sake forbear.  
Away with your base and lustful baits, those black and infamous patches in your faces, which render you odious and scandalous in the world, and in every wise man's eye disfigure you, and lay it close to your hearts what the Lord hath done for you. Hath he not in this common spoil and calamity, when he hath swept away thousands, (I believe) far more innocent than yourselves, graciously provided you places of refuge, and given you your lives for a prey, and will ye now so unkindly requite him, as to turn his grace into wantonness, abuse his long-suffering, and trample on his love? What, hath the Lord, think ye, preserved you all along through these bloody times, that you should live to dishonour him? Or can ye possibly imagine, that he hath placed you in the earth, as the Leviathan in the sea, to take your pastime in it? or created you to enjoy a Paradise of pleasures here, and when you have filled up your generation, a heaven full of glory hereafter? No, no, believe it, the Lord hath no pleasure in your vanities, your inside beauty is his delight; the King's daughter was all glorious within: a life of lust and pleasure, is but the life of a beast, it's a life of folly, not of faith; in a word, it's the ●hame of Religion, and every good man's scorn. God expects ye should up and be doing in your several vocations, and not ●ive like unprofitable members of the earth, to waste and consume the good creatures of God: certainly it will be your truest glory here, and your crown of rejoicing hereafter, under this light of the Gospel, to lead a gospel life.  
Now if any of this sex to whom I direct this discourse, ●hall reply hereto and say, I will ●alk in the ways of my heart, and ●ight of my eyes; I will rejoice in my youth, and my heart shall cheer me in my youth: I say no more but this; Thou that art filthy, be thou filthy still; thou that art profane, be profane still; thou that slightest Gods Ordinances, the means of thy salvation, neglect them still; but take the close, hear thy doom, know thou assuredly, that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement. But on the contrary, art thou in the number of those that fear the Lord, and walkest in his way? is the joy of the Lord thy strength, and the word of the Lord thy joy? is thy affection set on thy treasure, and thy treasure set on high? Oh then well is thee, and happy shalt thou be; however it shall far with this sinful Nation, thou art sure for one: yea, though the earth should move, and the hills be carried into the midst of the sea, yet because thy life is hid in Jesus Christ, thou art as safe as Noah in his Ark, when storms and waves surrounded him; thou art above the malice of men, the fury of devils, the power of corruptions; the rock of ages is thy fortress, thy sun, thy shield, thy sure repose here, thy sweet repose hereafter; for in his presence is fullness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.   
FINIS.