they have, while I am living, can without me provide for them when I am dead. My God will be their God, if they are his; and if they are not, what comfort would it be for me to live? My life would be exceeding bitter to me if I should see them dishonour God whom I so much love."

The reasons why she did not fear death were as follow:

"I fear not death, because it is but the separation of the body from the soul; and that is but a shadow of the body of death. Whereas the separation of the soul from God by sin', is death indeed.

"I fear not death, because death is such an enemy as hath been often vanquished, and because I am armed for it, and the weapons of my warfare are mighty through God, and I am assured of victory.

"I do not fear death for the pain of it; for I am persuaded I have endured as great pains in life as I shall find in death, and death will be the cure of all my pains-and because Christ died a terrible and cursed death, any kind of death may be blessed to me and because that God, who hath greatly loved me in life, will not neglect me in death, but his Spirit will strengthen and comfort me, all the time of the combat. I do not fear death for any loss, for I shall only lose my body by it, and that is but a prison to my soul, or an old rotten house or tattered garment. Nay, I shall not lose that neither, for I shall have it restored at my Saviour's second coming much better than now it is; for this vile body shall be like the body of Christ, and by death I shall obtain far better life."

4. Rom. vii. 24.

5 Isa. lix. 2.

To promote divine love in her soul she prepared a breviate of God's principal benefits to herself, for meditation upon her death, and as the materials of thanksgivings to Him, which are as follow :

"How shall I praise God? 1. For my conversion. 2. For His word, both in my affections to it, and the wonderful comforts I have received by it. 3. For hearing my prayers. 4. For godly sorrow. 5. For fellowship with the godly. 6. For joy in the Holy Ghost. 7. For the desire towards death. 8. For contempt of the world. 9. For private helps and comforts. 10. For giving me some strength against my sin. 11. For preserving me from gross evils both before and after my calling, &c."

By these means she made further advances in holiness and sanctification, and preserved a greater distance from great offences; for he who is afraid of a small sin, will not easily grow bold to commit a greater one. Her love to God was strong as death, and indeed much stronger; so that death could not dismay her, for she desired daily to look death in the face, nor could he hurt her more, than what she was contented to endure; for though it was not likely that she should pass through the narrow straits of death without some tossings, and difficulties, yet she was well satisfied to venture into them, as they were the ready passage to come to God, whom she so much longed to see. If news came to her of any losses in her estate, as sometimes there did of great ones, yet she was never put out of temper with these ill tidings, having these considerations ready at hand to compose her spirit. "It is that God who gave all who now takes away some, why should I take it ill? He would not have me be in love with,

and trust in uncertain riches, which were never true to any one who trusted them, but to trust upon Himself, and I willingly renounce them to rest upon Him. He can, if He see it good, recompense the loss in the like, or some better kind. If He takes more from me, there will yet be many poorer than myself; and if He takes away all my goods, He can give me contentment without them, for He is all sufficient, and so, though I have nothing, yet I may be as possessing all things". The world and I must part, and whether we be loosened from each other by degrees, or torn asunder all at once, all is one to me. What God chooses, is best for both of us, for his glory, and my good, if I murmur not against Him, but willingly, as is my prayer, give way to His will."

Her path was indeed the path of the just shining more and more unto the perfect day. During her sickness, as she had the free use of all faculties, her soul no doubt was employed in holy meditations, for which she had kept in store many particulars of importance to be remembered by her at the time of her departure out of this world. Her desires were strong for a speedy dissolution, so that she adopted the requests of David, "Make haste to help me, O Lord of my salvation";" and, "Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me." The springs of her vehement desires were that she might attain to the beatific vision and enjoyment of Him after whom her soul longed. And now the hour came when her desires were to be granted in the very kind she wished, by the gate of death to pass to the Author of life, which she did in

6 2 Cor. vi. 10.

7 Ps. xxxviii. 22.

8 Ps. xl. 13.

such a calm manner, that when she was thought to be asleep, she was found to be dead'.

PRECEPT. In all our trials and troubles, let us put our trust in God: His power and goodness will support us in the time of need.

"Who place on Zion's God their trust,

Like Zion's rock shall stand;
Like her, immoveably be fix'd
By His Almighty hand."

SIR HENRY WOTTON was an individual of great piety and learning, who was frequently commissioned by his country as ambassador to foreign nations; and finally, was appointed Provost of Eton

9 Life and death of Mrs. Jane Ratcliffe, by the Rev. John Ley, Vicar of Great Budworth, and Prebendary of Chester Cathedral. Ed. 1610, p. 85, et seq.

College. About five months before his death, he became much more retired and contemplative than before; in which time he was often visited by Mr. John Hales, then a Fellow of that College, to whom, upon an occasion, he spake to this purpose:

"I have in my passage to my grave met with most of those joys of which a discursive soul is capable, and been entertained with more inferior pleasures than the sons of men are usually partakers of: nevertheless in this voyage I have not always floated on the calm sea of content, but have often met with cross winds and storms, and with many troubles of mind, and temptations to evil; and yet though I have been and am a man compassed about with human frailties, Almighty God hath by his grace prevented me from making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, the thought of which is now the joy of my heart, and I most humbly praise Him for it; and I humbly acknowledge that it was not myself, but He, that hath kept me to this great age; and let him take the glory of his great mercy. And my dear friend, I now see that I draw near my harbour of death, that will secure me from all the future storms and waves of this world: and I praise God, I am willing to leave it, and expect a better world, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and I long for it."

The beginning of December following, he was seized violently with a quotidian fever, in the tenth fit of which fever his better part, that part of Sir Henry Wotton which could not die, put off mortality with as much content and cheerfulness as human frailty is capable of; being then in great tranquillity of mind, and in perfect peace with God and man.

Of his poems, one entitled, "A Hymn to God, in a night of my latter sickness," is said to be

G