Memorials of early piety. Occurring in the holy life & joyful death of Mrs.…

MEMOIRS OF Mrs. Jerusha Oliver, Who Died, 30. d. 10. m. 1710.

§ 1. ABOUT the middle of the former Century, there died at Norwich in Great Britain, one of the Female Sex, & of no very considerable Quality, in the Thirtieth Year of her Age; who left behind her a Confession of her Faith, and a Relation of her Experience, with some other grateful & useful Remembrances of her Piety. The famous Dr. John Collings, thought it worth his while, to Publish those Memorials, with a Sermon of his own, which he Entitles; The Life and Death of a true Christian; deciphered ⟨p. 2⟩in a Sermon, at the Burial of Mary Simpson, a Religious Young Maid, lately Living in the City of Norwich.

There has lately Died in Boston, one of the Female Sex, as considerably Circumstanced; who had not attained unto that Age by several Years; but who has left behind her, as Memorable Testimonies of her Piety, which may prove as Grateful and Useful to many Survivors; and I am desired by many, to make a brief Collection of them. Tho' the Collector should be supposed never so nearly Related unto the Person Deceased, yet while he forbears every thing that looks like Flourish and Applause upon her Character, and gives but a bare Transcript, and Extract of those Memoirs, which her own Pen had provided, it is to be hoped, that many, especially Young Persons, and of the Female Sex, may Enjoy the Benefit of these things, without any Invidious Reproaches upon the offer of them. Nazianzen began his Funeral Oration upon his Deceased Sister Gorgonia, with a short Answer to all Cavil against so Domestic ⟨p. 3⟩a Performance; [Greek or Hebrew], They being things that I am so nearly Related unto, they are not the less True, but the more known, for That; and it is but the more Just for me to give an Account concerning them. What was Good Reason Twelve Hundred Years ago, should still be so!