MRS. SARAH PERRY. 



195 



DIED AT EAST -WINDSOR, 



The 28th of August, 1778, in the 47th Year of her Age, 



Mrs. SARAH PERRY, 



The amiable Confort of the Rev. JOSEPH PERRY, 

 Paftor of the Firft Church in that Town. 



SHE was born in Groton in the Maf- 

 fachufetts-Bay. Her father was the 

 honorable Colonel William Laurence of 

 that place, and her mother belonged to the 

 ancient and honorable Prefcot family. She 

 was married, about twenty-three years ago, 

 to Mr. Perry, with whom fhe ever after 

 lived in the clofeft mutual friendfliip, and 

 mofb endearing conjugal affei^tion. She 

 was excellently well calculated for the 

 ftation in life, which providence allotted 

 her. The piety and virtue, the great 

 fhare of wifdom and prudence, with which 

 (lie was endued, the remarkably good ce- 

 conomy which fhe obferved in the manage- 

 ment of her domeftic affairs, the cheerful- 

 nefs and generofity with which fhe ever 

 entertained the many ftrangers and nu- 

 merous acquaintance, which the well 

 known hofpitality of the family invited to 

 call upon them, rendered her a crown to 

 her hufband, an honor and bleffing to her 

 children, and an object of the efleem of 

 all to whom fhe was known. Her charity 

 to the poor, and compaffion for the fick, 

 forrowful and diflrefled were a confpicu- 

 ous part of her character, which greatly 

 endeared her to the people amongfi; whom 

 fhe refided, who manifefled their regard 

 for her, in the feafon of her weaknefs and 

 diftrefs, in a manner that was exceeding 

 refrefhing and comforting to her and the 

 family, and honorable to themfelves. Her laft 

 ficknefs, which was of long continuance and 



very diftreffmg, it being of the heftic kind, 

 and attended with peculiar difficulties, 

 fhe endured with exemplary chriftian pa- 

 tience and fortitude. During the whole 

 of her ficknefs fhe manifefled a firm be- 

 lief in the divine perfections, and the all- 

 fufficiency of the power and grace of the 

 Redeemer, and was fupported by a com- 

 fortable hope of falvation thro' the atone- 

 ment and mediation of Jefus Chrift ; 

 though fenfible of her many imperfe6ti- 

 ons, and the great deceitfulnefs of the 

 human heart, fhe expreffed herfelf with 

 becoming caution, fear and modefty, with 

 refpect to the fincerity of her faith and 

 repentance. But as her diffolution ap- 

 proached her doubts diminifhed ; and for 

 feveral days before fhe died, being in the 

 clear and full exercife of her reafon and 

 underftanding, with which fhe was fa- 

 voured from firfl to lafl, it pleafed GoD to 

 increafe her faith and hope to fuch a degree 

 of afTurance, and flrong trufl and confidence 

 in Him through the Saviour, as not only 

 raifed her above the fear of death, but 

 produced in her an entire willingnefs to 

 leave her neareft earthly friends, who were 

 exceedingly dear to her, in the hands of 

 God, to whom with alacrity flie commit- 

 ted them, and caufed her earneflly to long 

 for the time of her departure. She left 

 to mourn her death, befides a very affec- 

 tionate hufband, fix children, and a babe 

 but three weeks old. 



