The Fathers Tears over his Daughters Remains, Diary 2
(2) Her Reſentments of the Sickneſſes & Deaths of others, and God's Mercies to them.
I find her recording her Parents Sickneſſes and Recoveries with Prayers and Thankſgivings.
The ſudden Death of her Mother very much ſurpriz'd and affected her, and ſhe his written much upon it. She looks back upon all her Carriages towards her from her early Childhood; calls to Mind her Prayers, Counſels, Charges and good Example; and earneſtly begs of God to make up the Loſs of her in Himſelf, and to take her up in the Arms of his Providence & Grace, and long continue her Fathers Life and Uſefulneſs, and that the Prayers of both her Parents may be anſwer'd for her and her Offspring.
There is alſo a ſhort Funeral filial Tranſport written by her on this Occaſion.
SHe's gone! ſhe's gone! I ſaw her riſe
And quickly gain the diſtant Skies.
Sudden from Heaven a ſacred Mandate came,
Bro't by a Convoy of coeleſtial Flame.
She was prepar'd, the Summons did obey,
And joyful left her tottering Houſe of Clay.
Her Pains, her Tears, her Fears, are all now paſt
In Joys unſpeakable which ever laſt.
Her Soul in Jeſus Arms remain,
The Grave her Body does detain.
Parted a while, her Joys will be compleat,
When in the Reſurrection Morn they'l meet.
Ah deareſt, tendereſt Parent! muſt I mourn,
My heavy Loſs, and bathe with Tears your Urn!
Since now no more to me you muſt return.
O Quickening Spirit! now perform thy Part,
Set up thy Glorious Kingdom in my Heart;
That when thoſe Sands which in my Glaſs do run
Are ſpent and all my Work below is done,
I the dear Saint may then in Glory meet
Where Sin and Death lye vanquiſh'd at our Feet:
Where Jeſus ever will improve
Our Souls with heavenly Grace and Love.
Her Father at this Period in Honour to his moſt dutiful and affectionate Child, directs me to inſert her Letter to Madam Clark, upon the firſt notice ſhe had of his Addreſſes to her.
Medford, Feb. 5th. 1731. Madam,
THis waits on you to teſtify how much I always honour'd & reverenc'd you. And ſince it has pleaſed God in his holy Providence to take my dear Mother from me, I do aſſure you, Madam, there is no Gentlewoman in the World but your Self that I ſhould deſire to ſee in her Place. Therefore as ſoon as my Father's Inclinations were made known to me, I could not but rejoyce in it, as a Smile of Heaven, that all our Affections centre in the ſame Perſon. — I entreat you Madam, not to think this a Piece of Complaiſance or Conſtraint, but my real and ſincere Sentiment. — I add my Prayers to God to continue you a Bleſſing, as you have always been to many.
Your obliged, humble Dutiful &c.
Her Father covered it in the following Words,
Madam,
The Incloſed came to me laſt Night from your dear Daughter Turell. As ſhe is to Me, I hope ſhe will always be to You, one of the beſt of Children. You have long ago cheriſh'd her with your Eſteem, and long ſince ſhe has honour'd you with a dutiful Reverence. But let her ſpeak for her Self, and may her Letter be as acceptable to you, as it is to her delighted Father, &c.—
I go on to remark her religious noticing the Deaths of others. She takes notice of her Friend Mrs. Clark's Deceaſe, and admires the Patience and Long-ſuffering of God in ſparing her. In giving me (ſhe writes) a Space to repent, and I hope Grace to repent alſo.
She records the Death of her Friend Mrs. Wiggleſworth, with earneſt Prayers to be prepar'd for her own, Lord, ſays ſhe, let me be reconciled unto Thee by the Death of thy Son, and then the King of Terrors cannot harm me. Let me no longer fear Death, ſince Chriſt has conquer'd it, and the Grave. Into thy Hands I commit my Self, living and dying let me be thine.
June 12. 1729. She writes thus, This Day a moſt awful Providence happen'd before my Door. A Boy of about Twelve Years old was kill'd in a Moment by a Cart overſetting and falling on him. I was the firſt that ſaw it; and earneſtly pray it may be ſancrif… to me and my Houſhold. May I never forget it, but as often as I look towards the Spot, remember the Shortneſs and Uncertainty of Life; and how ſuddenly, and unexpectedly Death may fall on us.
April 5. 1732. She writes thus upon a dangerous Fall of her little Son. O my Soul! why was I ſo overcome and fill'd with Diſtreſs and Terror at this Providence? Where is thy Faith and Reſignation to God's holy Will? It may be I have made this Child too much of an Idol, and my Heavenly Father has ſent this Rebuke to let me ſee how ſoon I might be depriv'd of my deareſt Enjoyments, if I doat too much on them.— The Uſe I would make of it is, to be more weaned from my Child, and dead to the World, and looſed from all Creatures.
Feb. 4. 1728. She writes on the Deaths of ſeveral worthy Miniſters of the Goſpel; the Reverend Meſſieurs Thacher, Danforth, Waldron, and particularly Dr. Cotton Mather; marks their Virtues and Graces, and excites her Soul to an Imitation of them.