A SERMON PREACHED IN THE Cathedral Church of Worcester the second of Febr. last being Candlemas day, at the funeral of Mris ALICE TOMKINS wife unto Mr Thomas Tomkins one of the Gentlemen of his Majesty's Chapel Royal.  
BY JOHN TOY Master of Arts and one of the Petty Canons of the said Cathedral Church.  
London, Printed in the year 1642.   

A Sermon preached in the Cathedral Church of Worcester at the funeral of Mris ALICE TOMKINS.  JOB 14. part of the 14. verse. 
All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come.  
NOt to deduce this Text by long descent from precedent verses, this whole Chapter is a short discourse of the course of man's life, how full of misery! how miserably short! which holy Job considering arms himself with devout resolve, All the days of my appointed time, etc.  
Which resolve may be resolved into these six heads: 

1. First, we have but our time.  
2. Secondly, this time is but of days, very short.  
3. Thirdly, this time nor comes, nor goes by chance, but by Divine appointment.  
4. Fourthly, after this time comes a change, death.  
5. Fifthly, this change is not terrible, but by all good men to be desired and expected.  
6. Sixthly, this expectation by Job's example should remain with us all our days, All the days, etc.    
1. Yea indeed? he that is the Map, masterpiece, and wonder of the world, hath man but this time? Why did God make his chiefest vessel for use and honour of such brittle stuff, which would serve him but for a season? why did he build so gloriously to throw it down again so soon? wherefore would he print his image in common clay? and adorn with such art a piece of mouldering earth? O the pity, that worms should pull in pieces so Divine a Form, or that an immortal soul should be married to worms meat, a rotten carcase; the stars above far beneath man in dignity hold still their place and splendour, and shine as clear as when fresh from the hand of the Creator; man like a bearded Comet blazeth a while with troubled flame, and anon consumes to nothing; or rather like the sparkle flies up with heat, and haste, as if it meant to visit the Celestial fires, and vanisheth by the way within few yards of the earth: If any thing of the vast creation were worthy an immortal being, man more: yet alas nothing more frail and mutable than he.  
Why? and who may be thank? himself and his sins. Had he kept that Righteousness with which God invested him in Paradise, he had equalled the days of heaven; though this building were of clay, in the calm air, & sunshine of God's favour it might have stood for ever; our sin turned his favour into fury and tempest, and so our Cottage cannot abide the blasting of the breath of his displeasure; the spark deserves to die that in pride flies away from the fuel that did feed it, so did man; the comet merits darkness that bearded the stars, blazeth with pride and terror, fills the world with blood and fears, so did man; what is the clay fit for but abjection? that hath lost the stamp and image that ennobled it above common dirt. Why should not worms have justice, if man trespass on their kingdom? why may they not avenge it? they have little reason to spare him; not only these Creepers, but even the whole Creatures groan under a curse for him; that God form so glorious a Creature out of clay, teacheth us his power, who ex omni ebore can work wonders out of mean materials; that he made us of clay, kin to the dunghill and dirt in the kennels, was to teach man humility, nor hath he wronged the celestial part the soul, by clothing her in clay, would she keep it clean from sin: God himself desires no better dwelling, the Son of God Christ Jesus did not disdain to become man.  
Yea, and we may thank the mercy of God that we are thus confined to time; sin so adheres to our tainted nature, that we can never cease to commit, till we be committed to the earth; death doth enlarge us from the slavery of sin, since the earth is cursed with thorns, our hearts hedged with cares, since nature is become our stepmother, and the good which should satisfy our soul, withdrawn; it is an happiness that we shall once die, and cease from our labours; yea periissemus nisi periissemus, we had lost by our righteousness, we got by our sin; the goodness and wisdom of our God hath wrought a greater weight of Salvation for us, out of our ruins; if the first Adam had stood we had enjoyed but an earthly Paradise, the second Adam hath made us heirs of a celestial Inheritance.  
2. As this life is but for a time, so this time is but of days, very short. The sum is but short, where all the figures are but pence, the journey not long that may be measured by Inches; the lease may well be termed little, whose date is but for days. Were the life of man reckoned by Olympiads, decades, lustres, ages, or years, we might expect a spacious being betwixt the Cradle and the Grave; but there needs no such large Arithmetic, no puzzling composition of numbers to fathom the life of man, minutes multiplied will make hours, a small passage of ours will dispatch a day, and a few days will measure the life of man: many do but just look upon the world, disdain, and die: many rather commit patricide, and kill their mothers in the womb, than they will deign to look on such a world. How many come only to suck a Bib, or shake a Ratle, and return again to earth? I dare say the third part of mankind do not attain to a month.  
Our common phrase is, All the days of our life, the same phrase is most frequent in holy Scripture, Jacob had lived an hundred and thirty years ere he descended into Egypt, yet he calls them but days, Few and evil have my days been. Adam's time was called but days, though 830. years, Gen. 5.5. They whose possession is but for their natural life are allowed in Law to set but from three years to three years, and truly the taker doth presume, and sometimes suffers for it: well than may we reckon humane life by days, when our whole was casual and incertain, and every piece of a day a several mercy; hence it is (I think) that day is declined with the doubtful Gender. But indeed days is a large expression, if you will consider it more narrowly; all is but a day, yesterday was as to day, and to morrow will not much differ, all days are sisters, so like, that there is little or nothing more than a numerical distinction between them; he that sees but one day hath seen the Sun arise and set, he that lingers to an hundred years hath seen but little more. It is true the year like a Gentlewoman varies oft her attire; but the person and substance is always the same, and each day the Epitome of our whole life; but me thinks a day is too much to attribute to man: that is his which he enjoys, what is that? the time past? no, that is dead and gone; the time to come? no, that may never come: the present? yea, but what's that? an instant point, an individuum, an ens rationis, a conceit of our brain, indeed almost nothing: but stay, I should go beyond my Text, if I do, I do not go beyond Scripture. David saith, Mine age is nothing unto thee. Indeed that is half a nothing which hath an end, man hath two, our whole space is even just nothing in respect of the days of Eternity: for between finite and infinite is no proportion, look back on all the time past, all the days, years, and hours are measured with one sudden thought, which is next to nothing.  
The generations of men, saith the Poet, are like the succession of leaves, which no sooner are green, but already turning yellow, and ready to fall. Hark to the Prophets cry; what will he cry? that All flesh is grass, and the glory thereof as the flower of the field: rising, withering, flourishing, fading, growing, declining, living, dying, as it were all in an instant. David calls man's life, a span, a dream, a vapour, a bubble. Solomon saith less, all things sublunary are vanity, that is the appearance of nothing.  
Till thou canst enjoy life, 'tis not a life but a being, or at most, but as the life of trees, which is without sense of itself. We have perhaps seventy years before us, but little of this do we enjoy, minimum est quod vivitur. Infancy and Childhood is but the portal through which we enter into life, all that while we are not come to ourselves: in youth we are so sublimed with pride; or so vehemently forced with headlong passion, that all that while we live like madmen, beside ourselves, we cannot well be said to live till we arrive at grey hairs, and no sooner do we arrive at that Meridian, but we are mellow and ripe for the grave, and indeed senectus ipsa morbus, age is nothing but a long disease, a lingering death.  
Again, of that space we live, how little do we live to ourselves? half of all is consumed in sleep, the sister of death (thanks to nature so long we are innocent,) of the rest, much is worn out in business for others, much lost and lavished on our pleasures, some slips idly through our fingers, little bestowed on God, or goodness, almost all expended on business that least concerns us, diù fuit, non diù vixit, so much we have lived, as we have lived well, and alas how ridiculously short are our lives, if measured by our goodness?  
O how much are they too blame, that haunt company, and hunt after pastime? (that's the world) beguiling themselves of those precious hours which God hath given them to study and procure Eternity; alas are the wings of time so leaden and lazy that we should add and imp more feathers to it? time lackeys with the motions of the heavens; and they are as swift as thought, the Sun one of the lower and slower Planets, moves not less than four thousand miles every minute; if you are sure of heaven, spur on, delude time as you list: but if not, O why should you hasten your misery.  
O how much to blame is the covetous man, he not considering how short his time is, rakes and toils to heap up a miskin of wealth, as if he meant to live for ever; what doth he think to continue still? why? there is a statute of mortality against him, Statutum est semel mori. Doth he think to bribe death? it will not be, Mors aquo pede pulsat pauperum tabernas, Regúmque turres. The rich man died also; doth he think to carry it with him? no, we must not allow transportation of our money to hell, nudus venit, naked he came, naked he must return. What, will he lay it up for his children? I think he that truly loves money little thinks of that: if he did (marry) he would do them a great pleasure to leave them cursed wealth to undo them; he will lay it up for his old age, and then enjoy it, least of all; quo minus via, eo plus viatici, covetousness is fiercest in the close, he will rather choke himself with cares, or starve himself, not daring to diminish his mouldy god, his treasure.  
Since our time is so short a Calendar of a day, O how much too blame is the intemperate glutton, and drunkard, that drink away their health, and fill their body with diseases; every intemperate draught is but a sweet poison, the glutton eats his knife, and God may justly challenge them of self murder, that thus will eat and drink in spite of health and nature, and so shorten that precious time, which God indulged for better purpose.  
Is life so short at utmost extension, O cursed condition of men that delight in blood, that like Atropos make a trade of killing, butchers of their brethren, traitors to nature, why should we cut that thread which another will shortly cut? why should we envy our Brethren a little light? why shouldest thou envy light to thyself? thy thread (murderer) is twist with his whom thou slayest, just vengeance hath decreed, the bloody minded man shall not live out half his days.  
Is life so short? why then being mortal do we nourish immortal hatred against our Brother? hath he done thee wrong? forbear the fault, the sentence of death is upon him; anon the worms will pull him all to pieces, what greater revenge canst thou desire? dum luctamur, aderit immortalitas; spite of all thy spite death will disarm the, & make thee lie quietly in the grave with thy contemned Brother. If life be so short? why do we post off repentance, and make so little care to prepare for the presence of the Judge and hazard our salvation to the extremest minutes? how many that long since might have been raked up in the grave, are but beginning to live? nay 'tis not so well, they do but say they will begin, but let him that means to go to heaven, set out betimes, lest like the foolish boy we game out the candle which should light us to bed; time past will not be recalled, and we have a spacious distance to dispatch in a few minutes, how short and uncertain soever our days are to us, with God they are determined and appointed: so saith my Text, All the days of my appointed time.  
3. God Almighty hath set up bounds which we cannot pass, and until that hour which he hath determined do approach, we cannot die: this paper body of ours is proof against all violence; to this agrees that of Job (above) thou hast made my days, as the days of an hireling; the hireling is but for a certain time. That of Solomon, There is a time to be borne, and a time to die, this appears by this, that many amongst us are Prophets, and have with certain prediction pointed out the time of their departure, if their departure were not definite and certain, how could they foresee when they should expire?  
This more especially appears by our many hairebredths escapes of death and danger, who is alive to day, that hath not been often at the gates of death? Joseph was thrown into the pit, the pit did not shut her mouth upon him; Daniel to the Lions, the Lions did not open their mouth to hurt him; Moses tottered in an Ark of sedge, that simple boat brought him a shore, and landed him in the arms of a Princess; the three children were thrown into the furnace, the fire could not sing them; Jonah in the tempestuous sea, all the waters would not drown him; Paul was in perils oft, in death oft, yet still reserved a sacrifice for Rome; how oft stood Caesar in the face of death amongst his enemies to be at last slain in the Capitol by his friends; how many deaths did that Roman avoid to be at last choked with a hair; how many come safe from battle over the dead bodies of those that stood round about them; behold how the pestilence that walks in darkness, picks, and chooseth out of some frequent families but one; out of others all but one. Who would not admire how those float upon the deep three or four years within three or four inches of death, where every wind and wave threatens death, yet return with safety to the shore; yea in a common shipwreck how many have the broken pieces of the vessel saved, when the whole one could not? what was all this, chance? let Atheists and Heathens say so, we Christians must explode it, certainly it appears to me by this that God Almighty hath allotted each man his fate, which no danger how great, or near can alter.  
That to every man is an appointed time, appears also in part by this, that the shadow of death flies him that pursues it, and follows him that would fly it, death hovers over him that delights in life, and declines him that despiseth it. It seems death dare not strike, but like the Clock, till the just numbers of minutes be accomplished. Why else should he not come, when called and importuned? I have heard some disdain, and call death partial, that they cannot die; I have seen him hit others in the height and vigour of strength, and beauty, with unexpected and most unwelcome stroke; the young and frolic bullock falls for the shambles, the old ox reserved to groan in the accustomed yoke.  
Nor seems it any wonder to me, that man should be appointed his time, he was not born at his own appointment, much less is it fit that he should die at his own discretion. The keys of life and death belong to God. If it be in my power to grant the lease, it is also of my right to limit the time. 'Tis not man alone, that hath his time appointed, but even every creature; the sparrow falls not to the ground but by God's decree: yea, the whole creature, there is a day and hour set down, when the whole world shall determine, when the Elements shall melt, the Moon be turned to blood, the Sun eclipsed for ever, and the great Machine of the world shaken and dissolved. From the consideration of this point, we may make to ourselves these wholesome uses.  
First not to love life too much, not to be too anxious, and solicitous to produce and extend it; nor to trust in diet, herbs, air, or art; as if length of days were to be had from hence. Let us not like Asa, seek to a second; first the physician rather than the Lord, Let us look up to Jehovah, submit ourselves to his pleasure, and appointment. Let us not presume of that which is not in our power, but refer ourselves to God, and accept of every day as a new life, and mercy; Grata superveniet quae non sperabitur hora.  
A second use is of patience to wait the Lords leisure and salvation; not like the fresh bullock to shake the yoke of affliction, & make it worse by our anger, bear thine affliction patiently, 'tis by his appointment. Wilt thou not suffer a little for the Lords sake? the Lord Jesus suffered all afflictions for thee; nay, but it is appointed for thy sake, out of this furnace thou wilt come like gold refined, this fire was but to purge thy dross, and burnish thee for heaven. Shall we receive of God good and not evil? Shall we not welcome the evil that comes for our good? be patiented a while, anon thy pain will cease; 'tis our a finite evil our days have their date, our life anon determines, this heavy night may have a cheerful morn. Dabit Deus his quoque finem.  
A third use is against too much mourning for the dead, this is our great fault, we mortals love mortal things, as if the fruition and use were immortal. Me thoughts it was a brave voice of that Roman, that at report of his son's death, said, Scio me mortalem genuisse, I knew I did not beget a God, that could not die. Thy friend is dead, what hath he lost? his lease is expired, he had his time appointed; thou deservedst to lose, that wouldst build on lease-hold as tenure free for ever. Cadant lacrymae, non fluant, let tears fall not flow. Can the hot waters of thy tears recover him? the voice of thy groans awake him? Thy friend is dead, couldst help? canst recall him? that grief is to no purpose which will do no good. I will allow you to shed a few tears over the hearse, as a ceremony of your friend's funeral, and a monument of your love, that you are not flint, or iron, but men sensible of others evils, endued with natural affection; no farther. But why should we mourn? our friend is not lost, but gone before, anon thou must go the same way: if he did thee wrong to die before thee, forgive him, he will never do so any more; thou wilt anon show others the same trick, kick up the heels, and lead others mourning after thy hearse. Thy friend is not dead, but sleeps, disturb not his rest with thy noise. Thy friend is not dead, but divided, and like a foul watch taken asunder, his materials remain. Thy friend is not dead, but changed, so my Text calls death, All the days of mine appointed time will I wait till my change come.  
4. Mutability and mortality like ice and water beget each other; man was at first perfect but mutable; his mutability made him mortal, and his mortality makes him again mutable; by this change Job must needs understand death. 'Tis true, man, as if he had been the son of the Moon is full of change, no one man is two days alike: the weather varies oft, the face of Heaven is sometimes lowering, sometime serene, sometime masked with clouds, sometimes bathed in mists; man varies with the weather, yea and more than the weather, now he is calm and temperate, anon he is clouded with cares, one while he is gladsome and cheerful, than the Sun shines; another time chafed and angry, than it thunders; another while he weeps, than it reins; but this change of the Text follows all our appointed days, which is only death. Death is a great change indeed. First we change from health to sickness, than our cheerful looks are changed into ghastly paleness, our strength into pain and weakness, the whole man into another man, happy if into a new man. The next change is from sickness to death, a great change indeed: our handsome habits are changed into a shroud, our habitation into a Coffin, our Lands into a Grave, nay we into our Lands; our lively heat into an everlasting cold, our mirth into sable mourning, Man goes unto his long home, and the mour ners walk about the streets, the Bells ring of these changes; by this the Family changeth too, the Wife is become a Widow, the son fatherless, the master without a servant, the servant masterless; these changes once in fifty years renew the face of the world. Death doth change a marriage into a divorce; life is the union of the soul and body, death the separation; the soul is sent back to her heavenly Father, the body to her Mother, the Earth; this is a great change indeed, that two that lived so long, and so lovingly should be separated so long, and into places so remote.  
Death is a change of a compounded body into his native principles; the Air receives our breath, the Sun our heat, the Sea our moisture, the Earth that which we had of her, our dust; these Elements which were ere while knit in one common building are now destructed into all the world; where will you look for the parcels of your dead friend, his breath perhaps helps to drive a ship in some remote Sea, his moisture perhaps went up into the grass which grew on the grave, and the Horse hath eat it, you must look quickly for the rest of his carcase, ere the worms have eat it, perhaps the fisher hath baited his weels with the worms that fed on your friend; here is a change indeed.  
Death is a change from variety of form and condition into all alike; among the living there is much difference, one is noble, another base; in death Diogenes as great as Mansolus, Menippus as good a man as great Alexander; In this life some are rich, the rest poor; In death there is not respect of riches, the carcase of Irus may boldly stink by Croesus without any offence; Among the living some are fair, some ill-favoured, among the dead there is not a pin to choose between Sapph and Helen, Thersites and Aeneas, all are bald pate, hollow-eyed, flat nosed, chap fallen, and grim alike; Amongst us there is difference of wits, one is sharp and subtle, another blunt and simple, let them lie a little in the grave together, and you will not discern the wise man from the fool, the grave Politician from the canting beggar. If that this change were much in our mind, who then would be proud of wealth, that anon must be stripped of all; of wit, whose fine head must be filled with musty mould; of birth, that must descend into the bowels of the earth; of beauty, which will whither into deformity; of his person, which louse and worms must eat; of any thing, since anon all will be alike; the worst in the world as good as he.  
5. But yet Beloved, this change is no robbery, although we suffer a little, we shall not lose by it; we are not less men with God, he numbers and reckons the dead, he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We cannot lose by this dissolution, it is impossible that any thing should perish into nothing, else there would be vacuity, and God must create a new to repair the loss; no, the earth will give back our dust, the Sun our heat, the air our breath, the water our moisture; each part of the world each part of every man, and the dead shall live again. Observe Jobs blessed confidence, I shall see God in my flesh, not with other but with these same eyes: how possible is it to presume a resurrection, when God Almighty that so made us at first out of nothing, hath now all the former materials, and the soul entire, ready and disposed for the work? Nay we are so far from losing by this change, that we get much by it; to change labour for ease and rest, is a good bargain; life is torn and distracted with many cares, in the grave is no noise or disturbance, Blessed are the dead, they rest from their labours; to change corruption for incorruption is a great bargain, the lying in the Grave doth drain away our poison and corruption, and returns it pure and perfect; to change a lease of few years into a free, and perpetual tenure is great gain, by dying we turn our Copyhold for life into life immortal; to change the world for Christ is a glorious advantage, all things compared to Christ are loss and dung, by being dissolved we come to Christ; In a word, if glorious and crowned liberty be better than continual bondage, if a state triumphant be better than a militant, if fullness be better than famine, and substance than shadow, heaven than the dunghill earth, and eternity than doubtful time; then are we much better, and more happy by this change of death; Hence it is that holy Job looks and longs for this change, as he saith in my Text, All the days of my appointed time, etc. Of this one word.  
6. If Job waits for the salvation of God, then hath he faith towards him, for we do not wait for that which we think will not come; If we will make this change of death happy and beneficial unto us, we must like Job expect the mercy of God, believe that he is, and that he is a faithful rewarder of them that seek him; that this God hath salvation in his hand for them that will stretch forth the hand of faith to receive it from him.  
If Job wait, then hath he hope to receive, all expectation is mixed with hope, if heaven be not hoped for, it cannot happen to us; if we want this anchor, we may oft try to land, and be as often driven back in the troubles of the labouring deep.  
This expectation cannot be without contented patience; He that is impatient will not wait, You have heard of the patience of Job, you know the passion and patience of the Lamb Christ Jesus. If we will follow him, we must take up our cross, if we will reign, we must suffer, it is fit we should suffer somewhat, for glory in heaven were cheap and contemptible, if we might attain it easily.  
This waiting and expectation supposeth preparation, every one that hath this hope, faith the Apostle, purgeth himself, as he is pure. How do we wash, and comb, and trim ourselves, when called to some honourable Feast; and think we that the King of Heaven will accept into his glorious Palace, and immortal Dainties, them which have not washed their hands in innocence? and made them fit for such a Feast? the Feast is worth the waiting for, 'tis Immortality; the Author of the Feast hath long waited for us, we had need to wait with oil in our Lamp; we know not when the Bridegroom will knock, we cannot do better than to wait, this glorious Expectation will swallow up, or sweeten all our present calamity, we have nothing else to do but to wait; indeed we should do nothing else, and Blessed are they whom the Lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  
The sum of all amounts to this, God with his glorious Angels is coming to us, he sends his Ambassadors before him, to tell and warn us of his coming, He tarries a while to try our Faith and Patience, He tarries a while to give us time to prepare for his coming, that coming and finding us prepared he may crown us with immortal glory.  
Thus beloved have I hastened through a spacious Text, and 'twas fit I should, Brevity was the main subject thereof, and he that is coming might for aught we know have come ere I had dispatched it; Please you now to wait while I speak a word or two to this sad occasion of our meeting, and so I will dismiss you.  
We are met here to do the last honour to our departed Sister, and in her name I thank this worthy Assembly that come to wait on her deserved Obsequies; would she had a better Orator, this presence, especially this subject deserved it; my happiness is the goodness of the subject will help out my imperfect Oratory. I know by her no infirmities that I should need to hid or colour; I need not rack, or torture my invention to force her a praise; I need not strain or dissemble a syllable; she hath filled my mouth with true and real honour.  
This Text is true in her, we have our time, she had hers, God be thanked a time of peace and plenty; our time is short, 'tis true, hers was near fourscore, almost two lustres beyond the age of man, if we reckon the number of days, and innumerable grievances of life; she lived long I must confess, but if we measure her life by the affection of her friends, and neighbours, they will I know confess with me, that hers was too too short, she died much too soon. Our time is appointed, so was hers; she was not cut off by untimely chance, she shortened not her days by intemperate diet, she long enjoyed a quiet and entire old age, and like an undisturbed taper burnt out to the last week, yea a good while since with prophetic prediction she points out the time of her departure. We shall have our change, she hath wained some few weeks and now hath hers, from corruptible to incorruption, from mortal life to life immortal, from the light of this world, by which we see a world of misery, to the light of Heaven, and Righteousness, which shall never be changed, obscured, nor eclipsed.  
This for her we may well presume, for my own part I desire from my soul my last end may be like unto hers, with firm faith, cheerful hope, settled patience, and perpetual preparation, she waited, expected, called, and invited Christ. So fare with my Text, but I should wrong her much to say no more, she was an excellent neighbour, I speak it before them that know it, and have most ingeniously confessed it, she was grateful to the best, gracious to the poor, peaceable, officious and affable to all.  
She was an excellent wife, witness the many tears her husband shed, truer tears I dare say never fell at funeral; witness his charge, and charity to bring her home with honour. She like that Emblem of a good Housewife was seldom fare from home, at home most neatly industrious, but especially so loving to her husband, that where to pattern such sweet conjugal Society I profess I know not; Let us learn it, (beloved,) believe it, it is a great advantage for heaven to be well skilled in the duty of marriage; this marriage is but for a time, death will divorce it, the second time we should be married to Christ, and will he wed them to himself whom he knew froward and unchaste to a former Spouse? This true good tree hath borne good fruit to the honour and good of this Church, they that have tasted it truly, have praised it for a fragrant and gracious savour, not many Orchards afford the like; she was happy in it to the last.  
But which is above all, she was a very good Christian, witness her meekness, one of the truest marks of a Christian, meek she was as appeared by her Matron-like plainness; so meek, that she scorned not to hold discourse with a Child that could scarce speak again to her, an argument of that childish innocency by which we attain heaven.  
A good Christian she was, witness that great Example of her devotion, she lived like Anna as it were continually in the Temple, twice a day for many decades of years, she attended the worship of God Almighty in this Church, nor would she leave that holy use, for age and weakness, but spite of sickness, as if she meant to sacrifice her life to God, she came still, till the heavy weight of death detained her in her bed.  
For her Charity, a main part of the essence of a Christian; I must say for that part of Charity that pertains to the tongue, in judging and censuring, she did excel, she loved not to hear, she abhorred to speak evil of any, she would give fair and candid constructions to all actions, loving and reverend counsel to all that came near her. As for the Charity of her purse, I know not what it was, nor indeed was it her desire that any should know; but this know, she bred up Orphans, sent often meat, and money to her sick neighbours, her servant hath been seen to distribute good pieces of money to many poor families from year to year, from house to house, I am sure if it were known who sent it, it was the servants fault, for she charged her the contrary; she loved (happy woman) to hid her treasure, and keep the left hand ignorant of what the right had done. I am fain to glean and guess at her Charity, surely if all were known, it would amount to a great sum, and her great glory, she rather desired that God might have the glory, to whom of due it belongs. Go to the earth blessed Earth, and sleep there sweetly, till the Resurrection, thy other part is ere this safe arrived to the bosom of Abraham: Blessed Lord, give us grace so to follow her holy example, that we may at last come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for all them that unfeignedly love thee, and expect thy coming. Even so come Lord Jesus.  
Amen. Soli Deo gloria.  
FINIS.