The Fathers Tears over his Daughters Remains, Title page 2 – Letter 3
MEMOIRS OF THE Life and Death Of the Pious and Ingenious Mrs. JANE TURELL, Who Expir'd at MEDFORD, March 26th. 1735. Aetat. 27. Chiefly collected from her own Manuſcripts.
Prov. xxxi. 28.
Her Husband alſo and He praiſeth her.
BOSTON: N. E. Printed in the Year, MDDCCXXXV.
Some MEMOIRS Of the Life and Death of Mrs. Jane Turell, Who Deceas'd at Medford, March 26. 1735. Aetat. 27. Chiefly collected from her own Manuſcripts.
THERE is a Paſſage in Tully the Roman Orator to this purpoſe, "That if Virtue were incorporate, and to be ſeen with our bodily Eyes in a ſubſtantial Form, ſhe would carry ſuch Charms along with her as to raviſh her Beholders; and command the Love and Admiration of all that ſaw her.— Alike beautiful and engaging (and more ſo) ſhould the holy Life and ſhining Example of the Chriſtian be, to all that are bleſt with the Sight and Knowlege of it; for herein we not only behold the godlike Image of it, but learn the Practicableneſs of the thing, and have our natural Ambition and Imitation mightily fir'd and excited.
That my Readers may be charm'd into a Love and Admiration of Virtue and Holineſs, I now place before their Eyes the Picture of my Dear Deceaſed: The Lines and Lineaments, Colours and Shades laid and drawn by her own lovely Hand, guided by the Spirit of Grace and Truth.
And I preſent it particularly and in the firſt Place to her dear & only ſurviving Siſter; and then to her neareſt Relatives and Acquaintance, and to all the riſing Daughters of New-England, that they may underſtand what true Beauty is, and what the brighteſt Ornaments of their Sex are, and ſeek them with their whole Deſire; even the hidden Man of the Heart, in that which is not corruptible, the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, which is in the ſight of God of great Price. For Favour is deceitful, & Beauty is vain: but a Woman that feareth the Lord, ſhe ſhall be praiſed.— And ſuch an one (with ſome additional Excellencies and Accompliſhments) was Mrs. Jane Turell born in Boſton, New-England, Feb. 25. A. D. 1708. of Parents Honourable and Religious.
Her Father the Reverend Dr. Benjamin Colman (thro' the gracious Favour of God) is ſtill living among us, one univerſally acknowleg'd to be even from his younger Times (at Home and Abroad) a bright Ornament and Honour to his Country, and an Inſtrument in God's Hand of bringing much Good to it.
Her Mother Mrs. Jane Colman was a truly gracious Woman, Daughter of Mr. Thomas Clark Gentleman.
Mrs. Turell was their third Child, graciouſly given them after they had mourn'd the Loſs of the two former; and for ſeven Years their only one. Her Conſtitution from her early Infancy was wonderful weak and tender, yet the Organs of her Body ſo form'd as not to obſtruct the free Operations of the active and capacious Spirit within. The Buddings of Reaſon and Religion appear'd on her ſooner than uſual. — Before her ſecond Year was compleated ſhe could ſpeak diſtinctly, knew her Letters, and could relate many Stories out of the Scriptures to the Satisfaction and Pleaſure of the moſt Judicious. I have heard that Governour Dudley, with other Wiſe and Polite Gentlemen, have plac'd her on a Table and ſetting round it own'd themſelves diverted with her Stories. — Before ſhe was four Years old (ſo ſtrong and tenacious was her Memory) ſhe could ſay the greater Part of the Aſſembly's Catechiſm, many of the Pſalms, ſome hundred Lines of the beſt Poetry, read diſtinctly, and make pertinent Remarks on many things ſhe read.—
She grew in Knowlege (the moſt uſeful) day by day, and had the Fear of God before her Eyes.
She pray'd to God ſometimes by excellent Forms (recommended to her by her Father and ſuited to her Age & Circumſtances) and at other times ex corde, the Spirit of God helping her Infirmities. When her Father upon a Time enquir'd of her what Words ſhe uſed in Prayer to God, ſhe anſwer'd him,— "That when ſhe was upon her Knees God gave her Expreſſions.
Even at the Age of four, five, & ſix ſhe ask'd many aſtoniſhing Queſtions about divine Myſteries, and carefully laid up and hid the Anſwers ſhe received to them, in her Heart.
Throughout her Childhood ſhe diſcover'd a very ſerious Spirit. Her Heart was tender, and her Conſcience a well-inform'd faithful Guide, and Monitor.
The moſt that I am able to collect of her Life from ſix to ten is general (and from her) viz. That her Father daily inſtructed her, and inrich'd her Mind with the beſt Knowlege; and excited her to the due Performance of all Duty. And that her tender gracious Mother (who dy'd about four years before her) often pray'd for, and over her, and gave her the wiſeſt Counſels, and moſt faithful Warnings; and that ſhe was thankful and grew in Knowlege and (ſhe hoped) in Grace under them.— That ſhe lov'd the School and the Exerciſes of it, and made a laudable Progreſs in the various Kinds of Learning proper to her Age and Sex.
At nine or ten (if not before) ſhe was able to write; for in the Year 1718, I find a Letter of her honour'd Father's to her wrote in Anſwer to one of her's, Dated Brookline—Which he expreſſes himſelf well pleaſed with. A Copy of it follows.
Boſton, Aug. 4th. 1718. My Dear Child,
I Have this Morning your Letter, which pleaſes me very well, and gives me hopes of many a pleaſant Line from you in Time to come; it God ſpare you to me, and me to you.
I very much long to ſee your Mother, but doubt whether the Weather will permit me to Day. I pray God to bleſs you, and make you one of his Children. I charge you to pray daily, and read your Bible, and fear to ſin. Be very dutiful to your Mother, and reſpectful to every Body.— Be very humble and modeſt, womanly and diſcreet. Take care of your Health, and as you love me do not eat green Apples. Drink ſparingly of the Waters except the Day be warm. When I laſt ſaw you you were too ſhame-fac'd; Look People in the Face, ſpeak freely and behave decently. I hope to bring Nabby in her Grand-Father's Chariot to ſee you. The mean while I kiſs your dear Mother, and commend her Health to the gracious Care of God, and you with her to his Grace.—Give my Service to Mr. A— and Family: alſo to Mr. S— and Madam; and be ſure you never forget the Reſpect they have honoured you with.
Your loving Father, —
In this her Eleventh Year I find an Hymn fairly written by her, dated January 4. 1718. Which I give you Verbatim.
I Fear the Great Eternal One above,
The God of Grace the God of Love:
He to whom Seraphims Hallelujah's ſing,
And Angels do their Songs and Praiſes bring.
Happy the Soul that does in Heaven reſt,
Where with his Saviour he is ever bleſt;
With heavenly Joys and Rapture is poſſeſt,
No Tho'ts but of his God inſpire his Breaſt.
Happy are they that walk in Wiſdom Ways,
That tread her Paths, and ſhine in all her Rays.
Her Father was pleas'd to encourage her in this feeble Eſſay ſhe made at Verſe: He condeſcended to return her Rhymes like her own, level to her preſent Capacity, with a ſpecial Aim to keep and fix her Mind on God and heavenly Things, with which ſhe had begun. He therefore wrote and gave her the following Lines, which he permits me to inſert.
JOY of my Life! is this thy lovely Voice?
Sing on, and a fond Father's Heart rejoyce.
'Twas nobly dar'd, my charming Child! a Song
From a Babes Mouth of right to Heaven belong.
Pleaſant thy Wit, but more the ſacred Theme,
Such as thy Name and all my Cares beſeem.
Already you repay the Pains I took
To form you for your Maker and your Book.
Sing on my Bird! and let thy early Days
Be Sacred to thy God and to his Praiſe:
Thy Infant Wit devote to things Divine,
And like ſome beauteous Infant Angel ſhine.
But doſt thou truly fear the Eternal One?
Be ſure you do, for he is God alone.
And would you join with Angels in their Songs?
Thy earlieſt and thy beſt to Him belongs.
And doſt thou count them bleſt that reſt above,
In Jeſus Preſence, Image and his Love?
Now ſeek a Name among his Saints, and let
Thy Heart on heavenly Things be early ſet.
Then happy thou, my Child, in Wiſdom's Ways
Shining in thy transfigur'd Saviour's Rays.
Theſe Condeſcentions of her Father were no doubt of great Uſe to her, and had in ſome meaſure the Effect propos'd, to put her on thinking and writing more and better, and to gain more of his Eſteem for Ingenuity and Piety, which ſhe was wiſely ambitious of; but above all to approve her Heart before God, her Heavenly Father who ſees in ſecret.
And accordingly ſhe early began a ſort of Diary without the knowlege of any one, wherein in her fourteenth Year I find enter'd ſolemn and pertinent Prayers to God to deliver her and the Town from the Small Pox then threatning it; or to prepare her and his People for the Viſitation: Alſo a Meditation and Prayers occaſioned by the Death of a Friend, her Companion and Acquaintance‡Mrs. Kilby., a few Months after of that Diſtemper; fill'd with ſuch Sentences as theſe —
"Gracious and merciful God and Father, pardon my Sins for Chriſt's ſake. Let my Soul be precious in thy ſight. I fly to thee for Protection. Give me an entire Reſignation to thy Will and Preparation for Death; and let me be found among thy Children at the Great Day.
"I this Day follow'd to the Grave a true and faithful Friend. Lord ſanctify her Death to me: Awaken in me proper tho'ts of my own Frailty and Mortality. I might have been taken away and ſhe ſpar'd.— Lord let me ſee thy great Mercy in ſparing me, and be fitted to live to Thee and to die to Thee. Spare and heal thoſe that are viſited in the Town, and bleſs it, and thy Churches in it, and all the Rulers of it; and forgive mine Enemies for Chriſt's ſake.
In the ſame Book Octob. 25. 1721, I find her praiſing God, and exto…ing his Goodneſs, in ſparing her when ſo many Hundreds were ſwept away by this Judgment.— Alſo a particular Record of Dr. Noyes's Death, with ſome Remarks and Prayers, entred March 29. 1721.—
"On the 11th. Inſtant died here Dr Noyes in the midſt of his Days and Uſefulneſs, one of the Ornaments of his Country; whilſt God is ſparing me a worthleſs & ſinful Creature, who am unable to do him any Service. Lord affect my Heart with this and other ſuch Diſpenſations of thine, and fit & prepare me for my great Change. Pour out of thy good Spirit upon me, and Seal my Pardon with thy Son's Blood, and make me thine for ever. Amen.
Between theſe and her Eighteenth Year there are to be ſeen among her Compoſures many things conſiderable both in Verſe and Proſe.
(1) In Poetry, (among others) there are the following,
To her Honoured Father, on his being choſen Preſident of Harvard College, a Poem of thirty Lines, Dated December 27. 1724. which begins thus,—
Sir,
AN Infant Muſe begs leave beneath your Feet,
To lay the firſt Eſſays of her poetic Wit;
That under your Protection ſhe may raiſe
Her Song to ſome exalted Pitch of Praiſe.
You who among the Bards are found the Chief, &c.
But I am not allow'd to inſert the other Lines, and but a ſmall part of the next Poem to her Friend, on her return to Boſton, which begins after this manner—
THrice welcome Home thou Glory of our Iſle,
On whom indulgent Heaven delights to ſmile:
Whoſe Face the Graces make their choſen Seat,
In whom the Charms of Wit and Beauty meet.
O with what wond'ring Eyes I on you gaze,
And can't recover from the ſweet amaze!
This Lovely Form, thoſe ſweet but ſparkling Eyes
Have made the noble Polydore their Prize. &c.
Her Father now a ſecond time took notice of her Poetic Genius, and wrote her the following Lines, which I found in her Cabinet.
My Dear,
YOu have now ſhown … three Poems, on three well choſen Su…jects, the firſt a Song of Praiſe to your Great Creator, the ſecond of Reverence to your Father, the laſt a Song of Love to your Friend: Now to encourage and reward your Ingenuity your Father ſays to you,—
THrice I have heard your tuneful Voice,
And thrice I praiſe your worthy Choice.
The noble Order of your Theme
Deſerves my Praiſe and high Eſteem.
With Heaven your Infant Muſe begun,
Then ſang of things below the Sun;
In a right Line your Songs deſcend,
Your GOD, your Father and your Friend.
Your Heavenly Father made your Tongue,
And firſt his Glories ſhould be ſung.
Your Earthly Parent next may claim
Your Filial Praiſe; a dearer Name
You know nor yet on Earth; and then
Your Friend ſhould have your Heart and Pen.
So conſecrate thy tender Muſe
To Virtuous and Religious uſe;
And let your choſen Subjects be,
Devotion, Friendſhip, Piety.
But moſt the Firſt; to Heaven your Voice,
Your Maker's Praiſes make your Choice:
To Heaven your Heart and gazing Eyes,
Nor ſing of things below the Skies.
Of GOD ſing in your early Days,
Your Infant Muſe may liſp his Praiſe.
Your green Ear Offerings He approves,
Your filial Reverence He loves.
This humble Tribute therefore bring,
Your firſt Fruits to your Heavenly King,
Who form'd your Mind to think, your Mouth to Sing.
June 7. 1725.