PROV. 31.29, 30, 31.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her own hands, let her own works praise her in the gates.
THat hard question which
Solomon propounds in the tenth Verse of this Chapter,
Who can find a virtuous woman? I could have answered with an
[...], more
rapturous and
quick, and
[Page 2]
brisk, than that of
Archimed
[...]
[...]en he had solv'd the posing Problem; had not her sudden loss surprised and overballanced the joy of finding her, and sunk it into a gulf of inexpressible grief, which might justly strike me dumb with astonishing amazement, into the deepest silence,
Prooem. in Eccl. as S.
Jerome tells his
Paula and
Eustochium, it happened to himself, upon the unexpected death of the holy
Blaesilla.
And this might excuse our measuring, and wearing out, this solemn saddest hour, not by sliding
Sands, but as they used of old, by distilling drops of
Water,
[...]. our bitterest and saltest
Tears, or rather, if our
Blood can circulate and flow in such a consternation, and be not chilled and stagnant, with Streams of that, both from our Veins and Hearts. But though the Laws of Nature might indulge such gratifying of our passions,
Lev. 10.3.
Aaron held his peace. as we are Men, the Law of Grace will not allow it, as we are Christians: to whom a sullen silence is as much forbidden as a submissive holding of our peace is changed on us.
For we must not sorrow,
1
Thess. 4.14. as Men without hope, for them who leep in
[Page 3]Jesus, as without any hesitance, we may conclude she doth, who lived so entirely to him; and it would be too rank a selfishness, and unkind a Sacrilege, to rob her, but in our wishes, of the enjoyment of God, and the inheritance of Saints in Light, that we might again enjoy her kind, obliging,
Col. 1.12 holy conversation, in this vale of Banishment and Darkness.
If therefore, she being dead, yet speaketh, as doubtless she doth,
Heb. 13.4. and will do to all that had the honour and happiness to know her, either to our comfort or conviction; let me force a passage through my obstinate and stupifying sorrows, and partly be her
Eccho, partly represent her in
effigie, that by this innocent and useful way, she who is gone to live with God in
Heaven, may still live with us on
Earth, in our grateful remembrance of her virtuous perfections, in our serious practice of her wise and holy counsels, and in a ready imitation of her exemplary Piety.
But because the most usual and useful method of instructing, is, by giving rules first, and then illustrating those rules with apposite and fit examples,
[Page 4]which prove them practicable, and possible at least, if not easie also, to be observed, I shall pursue that order, and give you the
rule and measure, from the
wisest of Men in his Generation, and the
example from the best of Women in her own; the first from the Pen of the Royal Preacher, the second from the Hearse of a noble Lady, both Epithetes which carry grandeur in their sound, and may awaken, yea, command attention.
The whole Chapter contains a Dialogue betwixt
Bathsheba and her Son
Solomon, under the well disguised name of
Lemuel, wherein she, after her scandalous fall (to shew the mighty power of Divine Grace and sincere Repentance) now consecrated to be a Prophetess,
The Prophecy which his Mother taught him. by a divine
afflatus, instructs and catechises him in things of greatest importance, and nearest concernment, which she performs with a strong
Pathos, and most winning insinuation, and hath the honour to have her prudent, holy counsels recorded in the Sacred
Canon. And this fills up the nine first Verses, and from thence he reciprocates, and in a lofty strain approveth and applauds his Mother.
This latter part presents us with the
Icon and
Character of an excellent and Heroick Woman, which is laid down in two and twenty Verses, according to the number, and in the order of the Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet; every Letter in due sequence, beginning a several Verse,
Psalm 25.34.111.119.
Lament. and divers other. to intimate there's somewhat signal in it, which is composed with so much art, as we find many other eminent portions of the Holy Scriptures are.
Some Interpreters
allegorize these words, and make the Virtuous Woman the Figure of the true Church. Others refer them to the Holy and ever Blessed Virgin-Mother. Others suppose them to describe an holy and devout Soul, that consecrates it self entirely to God in the practice of all divine and truly ennobling Virtues. Others will have them to be, by a
Prosopopoeia, the Idea of Spiritual Wisdom, and Heroical Virtue in the Abstract. But the most, and I think the best Expositors, esteem them the Icon, Idea, Character and Picture of a truly
Wise, Religious, Godly, Gracious Woman, drawn by the Holy Ghosts own Pencil, in the hand of the most exquisite Master and Artist,
Solomon.
He begins with an inquest after her,
Who can find a virtuous Woman? implying, she's a rare creature, and hardly found, but to encourage your search, he assures you, she's worth looking for, her value being inestimable, for her price is far above
Pearls and
Rubies, and all
Precious Stones. And then descends to draw her Pourtraicture and Beauty, with comely and due proportions, with bright and orient colours, and sets her in the most advantageous Light, in eighteen Verses. And finally crowns her with this Wreath of Laurels, with this golden Coronet, with this Diadem of costly Jewels, which make my present Text.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but the woman which feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands: let her own works praise her in the gates.
The words are a Royal Garland, set on the Temples of the Virtuous Woman, by the hands of
Solomon and God. I may not give the scent of every single Flower, the sense of every severa word.
[Page 7]Such solemn trifling would look like fulsome Pedantry, and ill become the mournful gravity of this occasion.
The mixed and compound fragrancy resulting from the whole, wreathed and bound up together, is this;
That solid and true praise is only and superlatively due to the sincerely, godly, and gracious woman, who may claim it by the fruits her virtue hath been pregnant with: or Goodness in good earnest, substantial Religion which hath fruitful hands, deserves, and shall obtain, an honourable testimony both of God and Men.
But as too minute a niceness is unmanly, and obraids the Auditory, so too general a procedure is confused and cloudy, acts the Dictator, and arbitrarily imposeth both on Text and Hearers, rather than deduceth fairly, and convinceth clearly: I shall therefore use that method which is free from both extremes, taking for granted what is obvious, and rendring so, by additional Light, the rest which needs it.
I may call this Text the Porch to the Temple of Honour, and it hath two Doors, one to shut out the bold Intruders, and false Pretenders: the
[Page 8]other to admit the true and rightful claimers. Plainly it shews;
1.
Negatively, who doth not deserve.
2.
Positively, who doth deserve true praise.
1.
Negatively, no Woman deserves true praise.
1. For
Favour.
2. For
Beauty.
2.
Positively, every Woman deserves true praise.
1.
Who feareth the Lord.
2.
Who is fruitful in good works.
First,
per remotionem, negatively, because the Gates of this Temple are thronged with Worshippers, and Praise hath many Candidates and Votaries, and many run for this prize, but only one obtains it. I shall briefly shew how
Solomon thrusts back, and shuts the Door against, nonsuits the Plea of most Pretenders, under two instances, of
Favour and
Beauty, and by parity of reason shocks the bold confidence of all others, who can shew no better Charter for their claim: as if he had said, whatsoever is
false and
vain can produce nothing that is
true and
lasting:
[Page 9]but Favour is
false, deceitful, a lye. And Beauty is a
vanishing, a
fading, fleeting thing; therefore all the praise you affect, or can obtain by these, is like the Seed from whence it springs:
false and
deceiving, perishing and
vain, and she who sows such
wind, may expect nothing but a crop of
Whirlwind,
Hos. 8.7.
Vide Cora. a Lapide in locum. a blasting and a cold return.
By Favour is meant a comely presence, a graceful deportment, a winning carriage, decent gesture, handsome motions, a ready wit, and good expression, and a decorous conversation, made up of all these and such like Ingredients, which is most taking, and renders Women desirable and acceptable, and procures Favour in the Eyes and Hearts of Men.
By Beauty he understands a goodly proportion of members, a just Symmetry, and due situation of parts with the fit mixture of the Rose and Lilly,
Pulchritudo est Gypsum sepulchro inductum, i. phlegma sanguine commi
[...]tum pulcbre per pellem pellucens. S. Chrys. the best Varnish of a clear well coloured skin, and whatever else composes an harmonious Air. Or, if you please, Beauty, whether natural or artificial, whether the mixture of Blood and Flegm shining through a good skin, as S.
Chrysostom defines it, or Ceruss
[Page 10]and Vermilion daubed on, to hide a bad one: whether a Gift wherewith God hath blessed them, or a Theft for which God will blast them; whether the Benefit of the Author of Nature, or the Artifice of him who delights to disguise and destroy his Workmanship.
Both these are
vain and
inconstant, false and
deceitful, adventitious, or external, the
best no effect of our choice, as every thing must be which is praiseworthy.
The worst proceeding from a corrupt and sinful will, therefore blameworthy, and reproachable, not excusable,
Temporis & morbi ludibrium. G. Naz. Can. 1.6. much less commendable. Not
Ague-proof, nor
tenable against the first assaults of age or sickness, nor dare be looked upon by Wind or Sun.
And not only
empty, vain, and destitute of good; but
fallacious and
deceiving, and full of evils, snares and bands, and nets, and great temptations.
Fastus inest pulchris, siquiturque superbia formam. First, to the Women themselves, who have them, or who make them; too often rendring them proud, disdainful, wanton, lascivious, despisers of others, wasters of their time, Idolizers of their own reflections in a Glass,
[Page 11]and careless, or afraid to behold the image of their impurer Souls in the Crystal of God's Law, and more afraid of being sick, or dying, than of a thousand Sins or Hells.
Secondly, deceiving and destroying silly Men, through whose Livers,
Prov. 7.23. the seats of Lust, those mortal Darts do strike, which an invisible Bow shoots from their wanton Glances, and bewitching Smiles and Arts.
And by parity of reason, the like may be said of all the other perishing, empty, lying vanities: honours, riches, strength, the wisdom of the flesh, and learning meerly humane, which are but adventitious Goods at best, and seldom make Men
better, often
worse. What shall I say, shall I praise you for these? I praise you not: nor will God ever praise you, or reward you for them.
Nay, I must rather drive such false Hucsters for true praise, out of the Temple of lasting Honour, with such a Scourge as the Prophet
Jeremiah long since prepared for that purpose;
Let not the wise man glory in wisdom:
Jer. 9.23. nor the witty woman in her wit.
Let not the strong man glory in his strength:
[Page 12]nor the fair woman glory in her Beauty.
Let not the rich man glory in his riches: nor the fine woman glory in her dress. Let not the honourable Man glory in his Honour, nor the courted Mistress glory in her Favour. Let not the learned Man glory in his being Natures Secretary; nor the wanton woman in being skilled in the depths of Satan. But let him and her that would
glory, and not be ashamed, or glory in their shame, glory in this that they know the Lord, and love and fear him in sincerity and truth. Which brings me to the positive part, and is the foundation which
Solomon lays, whereon to build a
Pyramid of lasting Fame.
Not the
graceful,
Pulchritudinem existima animi ornatum non in corporis forma, sed in moribus pulchritudo sita est. Corn. a Lapide ex Chrys. but the
gracious woman, not she who
glories in her face, but she who like the
King's Daughter is all glorious within, even the woman that
feareth the Lord she shall be praised.
In which positive part we have the good Womans
Character, and
Crown.
1. Her
Character, which hath two parts, for the new creature also consists of Soul and Body, an inside, and an outside.
[Page 13]1. She
fears the Lord, there's the Soul of her Virtue, the root of the matter within ground, Grace in the Heart.
2. She hath
fruitful hands, there's the Body of her Virtue, the good Tree above ground, works in her life.
2. Her
Crown, Praise and
Renown. Which is,
1.
Promised to her:
She shall be praised.
2.
Commanded for her:
Give her of the fruit of her hands, let her own works praise her in the gates.
3.
Performed concerning her:
Thou excellest them all.
As briefly as may be concerning these Particulars: and first let us view both
Pages on which her
Character is written.
1. A woman that
feareth the Lord, that is, who is sincerely religious, good in good earnest. Nothing is more frequent or obvious in Scripture than such
Synechdoches, as put one eminent Grace for all the Chain of Graces. So sometimes the
Love of God, sometimes
Trust in God, and most commonly the
[Page 14]
Fear of God is put for being truly religious, or is made the Periphrasis of a godly Man. As in that signal promise of the New Covenant,
Jer. 32.38, 39, 40.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God, and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and their Children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Job 1.1.
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil: so
vers. 8.
Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil. vers. 9.
Doth Job fear God for nought? Eccl. 12.13.
Fear. God, and keep his Commandments, that is the whole of Man:
Psal. 15.4. He honoureth them that
fear the Lord; where the godly Man is under this Denomination of one that
feareth the Lord, opposed to the wicked, called there a vile person. 'Tis also an infallible sign
[Page 15]of the presence of all other Graces, in the exercise of which true Godliness consists; for as the
Law is copulative, so are the
Graces by which we obey it, and as where the
Soul is discovering it self by one vital act, all its faculties and powers are; so where the
Spirit of God is working one Grace in truth, the Spirit of all Grace is, for the
Spirit can no more be without its
Graces, than the
Soul without its
Faculties: yea, the fear of God contains all Graces in it, therefore when
Abraham offered up his Son
Isaac, which was a mighty act of
Faith and
Love: God saith,
Now I know thou fearest me, Gen. 22.12. And as 'tis so frequent, it would be
endless to cite all, so 'tis so obvious, 'tis needless to cite more.
2. The other
Page hath this Inscription,
Fruitful hands: the good Woman is like
Dorcas full of good works.
1.
Hands, two Hands to hold the two Tables of the Law,
Deut. 9.15. as
Moses came down from the Mount with the two Tables in his
two hands, in each
hand one, neither empty nor idle.
The first in the
Right Hand, there's Religion towards God. The second Table in the
Left Hand, there's Righteousness
[Page 16]and Charity towards Men.
2. These Hands bear
Fruit, good works spring, and grow naturally, freely, seasonably, easily, maturely as
fruits from a prolifique Tree, planted in a good soil, and by the Waters side, as the godly Man is described in the first Psalm: called
Fruits of Righteousness,
Fruits of the Spirit,
Gal. 5. where S.
Paul hath a signal
Antithesis betwixt
Graces and
Vices, calling the first
Fruits, the other
Works; the
Works of the Flesh:
vers. 19. There's servile drudgery in them:
Fruits of the Spirit:
vers. 22. There's a spiritual easiness in the production of them by the new Nature.
3. They are
Fruits, in the
plural, for variety of kinds, for number in every kind. First, various acts of Devotion,
Prayers, Prayses, Reading, Hearing, Meditation, Conference, Preparing, Communicating, and all these reiterated, the Morning and the Evening Sacrifice, the weekly Sabbaths, solemn Fasts and Festivals, secret, private, publick Devotions, Morning, Evening, and at Noon day:
Psal. 119. yea, at Midnight, seven times a day: yea, in a sober sense, all the day long, nay, all day, and all night
[Page 17]too, as it is testified of
Anna, Luk. 2.37.
That she departed not from the Temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.
1
Thes 5.
Rom. 12.12.
Pray without ceasing, continuing instant in prayer, giving thanks continually, and in all things.
And the
Left Hand, though it grow on another
Arm, draws Sap and Virtue from the same
Tree and
Root, to make it fruitful in variety and multitude of Acts of
Justice and
Charity.
1. Of
Justice, thinking, speaking no evil of any Man, but dealing honestly with all Men, Superiors, Equals, Inferiours, in all
natural, moral, civil Actions, in all concernments of
Body, Goods and
Name, wronging no Man, defrauding no Man, but doing to others as they would others should do to them; and observing this rule constantly, and in all occasions and occurrences, and so
doing righteousness at all times.
2. In
Charity,
Matth. 25. relieving the distressed, feeding the hungry, cloathing the naked, visiting the afflicted by sickness, prison, or any other pressures, instructing the ignorant, comforting the feeble-minded, and supporting
[Page 18]them who are cast down under any temptation,
Eccl. 12.6.
[...]. and this not once or twice, or to
one or
two, but sowing this seed in the
Morning, and not withholding in the
Evening, giving this portion to seven, and also to eight, casting Bread upon the waters, yea,
scattering by all waters. This briefly of the good Womans character.
2. Her
Crown, Praise: Praise is the shadow which attends the Body of Virtue. The
Eccho which sounds an honorary Testimony.
1. From the
Consciences of all Men, even those who will not practise it themselves, cannot but approve it and applaud it in them that do;
if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, the
Apostle of the
Gentiles, nay, the
Consciences of the very
Gentiles hath annexed them so close together,
Se Judice nemo nocens absolvitur. they cannot be parted: for as no vicious and guilty person can be absolved, though he were to be his own Judge: so no virtuous person can be condemned,
Rom. 2. though to be judged by his Enemies.
That law written in the heart cannot but approve the Transcript, and Counter-part, and Copy of it self where ere it meets it.
[Page 19]2. From the
Mouths of all good Men, and those especially who have found and felt its beneficial influence.
Beloved, thou dost faithfully whatever thou dost to the Brethren,
3
Joh. 5.6.
and to Strangers, which have born witness of thy
Charity before the
Church: S.
Paul even boasted of the
forward zeal of them of
Achaia,
2
Cor. 9.12, 13. 2
Cor. 8.3 and God was
glorified for their
liberal distribution to all Men. And of the
Churches of
Macedonia he bears record,
That to their power, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.
Job 31.20.
The Loyns of the poor blessed Job
who were warmed by the sleece of his Sheep: Her children rise up and call her blessed, for the care of their tender and pious education, and
her husband for her chaste conversation and faithful industry, of which he is not only a witness, but reaps the benefit of it, and for those
he praiseth her.
3. From the whole Chorus of the Heavenly
Hierarchy, the Angels
Joy in Heaven, is the most
landative acclamation to her Virtues.
4. From God and Christ, whose
Euge, Well done, good and faithful servants, whose,
Come ye blessed of my Father, whose testimony,
I was hungry,
Matth. 25.
[Page 20]and ye fed me; naked, and ye cloathed me; is the highest praise imaginable, or possible.
Now this praise is first
promised, She shall be praised: God leaves us not without encouragements to make us good. Promises and Threats, Rewards and Punishments, are the great instruments of Government, both with God and Men; and all Rewards include Praise, and are the
silent, yet the
loudest commendations.
A Crown of Righteousness,
2
Tim. 4.7, 8. and Life, is provided, and fore-promised, to them that fight the good Fight, that keep the Faith, that are faithful unto death. Great and precious promises,
2
Cor. 6.7. that
God will receive us, be our Father and our God, to provoke us to
cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God.
1
Pet. An Inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven: Rivers of pleasure, fulness of joy, an eternal Kingdom, and everlasting life. And in the Letter, the highest praise,
Rom. 2.28. for he that is
circumcised in heart and spirit, that is a Christian within,
his praise shall be of God, and he is approved indeed whom
[Page 21]
God commendeth;
Ps. 11.26. and we have God's word for it, that
the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
2. 'Tis commanded and given in charge concerning her to others.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; let her works praise her in the Gates. Let them be spoken of and mentioned to her honour in the Assemblies of the great Men, and in the concourse of the people, which use to be most frequent in the Gates; God gives not only
leave, but
charge; and 'tis not only an allowable
courtesie, but a just
debt and
tribute due to virtuous persons, to declare and celebrate their famous Acts. 'Tis an Apostolical precept to the
Philippians concerning
Epaphroditus, who for the work of Christ was near unto death;
hold him, and not him only, but such as he,
in reputation.
Phil. 2.29. Yea, our Lord himself concerning
Mary, who anointed him, and wrought a good work upon him:
Mat. 26.13.
Praedicendo praecepit, Verily, I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this that this woman hath done be told, for a memorial of her. And God will have the Virtues and the Victories of his Saints
[Page 22]recorded,
to provoke our imitation of them, and encourage our weakness to war against vice, saith S.
Gregory.
3. It's
performed concerning her,
thou excellest them all;
1
Cor. 14.12. we should labour to excel in
Duty. Seek that you may excel. What do you more than others? See that ye abound more and more,
so run, out-run others,
that ye may obtain; and praise shall be proportionable:
Thou excellest them all. We find such Encomiums frequent in Scripture. Thus of
Hezekiah, 2 King. 18.5.
He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him of all the kings of Israel, nor any that was before him, that is, for strength of Faith. So of
Josiah, 2
King. 23.25.
And like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to the Law of Moses, neither after him arose any like him. So God's testimony of
Job, Job 1.8. is,
That there was not a Man like him in all the earth. So S.
Paul testifies of
Timothy, Phil. 2.20.
I have no man like minded, who will naturally care for your estate.
Thus have I lightly shaken the principal Branches of this goodly Tree: and the ripe and pleasant Fruit which is fallen from them all, I shall pick up and serve in one Dish.
To be sincerely religious, to be a vertuous, gracious, godly woman is the highest accomplishment, and deserves the greatest praise: nay, 'tis the most honourable testimony can be given to any, to say of her in truth, she was
godly, and feared the Lord.
There seems to be a great agreement and likeness betwixt the hundred and forty fourth Psalm, in point of
happiness, and this Chapter in matter of
Duty; and
Praise resulting from it. And therefore the transcribing those words, may give much light and illustration to what lies before us.
David therefore to shew,
populum quae faciunt beatiorem, What will make a people happy, proceeds thus,
v. 12.
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. Vers. 13.
That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store, that our Sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our
[Page 24]Streets. Vers. 14.
That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no breaking in, nor going out, that there be no complaining in our Streets. Vers. 15.
Happy is that people that is in such a case. Every one will be ready to acknowledge and admire the happiness of such a People. But saith
David, I'll tell you who are infinitely and more truly
happy, yea, who are only so indeed;
yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. So
Solomon in this Chapter, to describe the Woman who deserveth praise, she that is so good a
wife, that the heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her, that will do him good, and not evil all the days of his life, that is a Crown to him, and renders him honourable
in the gates. She that is so good an
Houswife, that she
worketh willingly with her hands, stays at home, riseth early, is industrious, planteth, purchaseth, increaseth her estate, she that is so good a Mother, as to educate her children well, and so good a Mistress as to provide most carefully for all her servants, that they are so far from wanting cloaths, that their Liveries are Scarlet. She
that is so good a Neighbour that she
treats the rich, and
relieves the
[Page 25]poor and needy,
Super omni
[...] a vultus accessere boni. and obliges all by the law of kindness in her tongue, sweetning all by kindest words, and kinder looks. This Woman certainly deserves to be admired; yea, is almost adored as a
terrestrial Goddess. But after all this, saith
Solomon, yet shew I you a more excellent way to obtain true and lasting praise; the godly Woman, the Woman that
feareth the Lord, she, she deserves to be praised above all others.
Most Men and Women affect to be praised, but 'tis for the most part for vain and deceitful things, which deserve no praise at all; and if they attain any, 'tis a poor and empty praise which may sound and make a noise in the world, amongst the foolish
heard, but signifies little with wise Men, and nothing at all with God, who designs
Glory and
Honour for none but those who seek it by
patient continuance in well doing, and working good, Rom. 2.7, 10. But to
fear the Lord, that is, to be godly, this deserves
praise indeed. A truth so evident, and clear by its own light, 'tis hard to add any thing to it for proof or illustration, to make it clearer, nature hath printed it in our
[Page 26]hearts, and the
new nature in a second and fairer edition, as a common principle. And first notions are indemonstrable.
To praise is to bear witness, or give an honourable testimony, of a Man or Womans having such a Virtue, Grace, Perfection, Excellency in them, and the very acknowledging and testifying that they have them, is a praising of them highly: as
Acts 11.24.
Barnabas is abundantly praised, in that testimony that he was
a good man, full of the Holy Ghost, and of
faith, without adding other encomiastick Words. So when God himself vouchsafes to write
Job's Panegyrick,
Job 1.1. he calls him his
servant, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.
Acts 13.22. And S.
Paul expresly saith, that God gave testimony to
David, when he said of him,
I have found David a man after mine own heart, who shall fulfil my will. For as we say for
reproach, call a man ungrateful, and you can say no worse, you have stigmatized him with the foulest brand. So for
Praise, call a Woman Godly, you need say no more, there's praise enough in that. So that if you
[Page 27]confine me strictly, I must stick in the Center, and draw no lines from it, but all will return upon it self, and be the
Epha never so full, it will settle upon its own Base: I may say
aliud, but not
amplius, none can be commended highlyer, than to have this Character imprest,
they fear the Lord.
Again if I should compare
the fear of the Lord with other things to give it its due preference, or let my self loose into an enumeration of its causes, properties, effects, signs, consequents, advantages, and unseasonably common-place upon it, I should lanch into an Ocean, in which I should lose my self and your patience, and despair to kenn a shore in more than an hours sailing: I shall therefore confine my self, or rather willingly submit to be confined by the straits of time, to very narrow measures, which shall be these two:
1. To point in general at the objects of
Praise, and shew what interest
Religion or
the Fear of God hath in them.
2. To shew what usually acquires praise to men, in reference to
God, their
Neighbours and
themselves, and
[Page 28]declare how being sincerely religious, will intitle us to it on those Accounts.
1. As to the Objects of true Praise. 'The first and grand object of
Praise is
God, and the
divine perfections, which is so evident through all the Scriptures, and to the light of Reason, that I'll not waste time to prove it; and consequently, what is next to them, and likest to them, is the
next, and
first in the order of the
secondary objects of Praise. Now that is the Image of God reflected and imprinted on the Soul of Man; and this, Religion and the Fear of God produceth:
Eph. 4.24.
The new man is created after God's image in righteousness and true holiness: And
Coloss. 3.10.
The new man is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
And they that sincerely embrace the great and precious promises of the Gospel, are thereby made
partakers of the divine nature: A God-like temper and disposition. For
Godliness is
Godlikeness. Therefore 'tis enjoyned in such language,
Be ye holy, for I am holy: or,
as I am holy, saith the Lord.
[Page 29]1
Pet. 1.16. and
Luk. 6.36.
Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful; and
be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect, Matth. 5.48. They therefore that approach so near the most praise-worthy object, deserve great praise.
2. The object of
Praise is some
excellent good, it must be
good, or it deserves reproach; but it must be also
excellent, or no notice is taken of it. Now
the fear of God is excellent, Psal. 19. The Saints are the
excellent of the earth;
Psal. 16.3.
The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour, Prov. 12.26.
Wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness, Eccles. 2.13.
And the things of God's law, wherein good men exercise themselves, are said to be more excellent, Rom. 2.18. The
godly therefore are to be praised, for they are excellent.
3. It must be a
chosen good, for it would be no praise for any Man (if that were possible) to be good without, or against his will.
If I do this thing willingly I have a reward: 1 Cor. 9.17. Now this good woman
chuseth. Mary
[Page 30]hath chosen the good part: Luk. 10.42. (And so did our honourable
Mary, if ever any) and it is implyed in the reproach cast upon Sinners:
Prov. 1.29.
That they did not chuse the fear of the Lord: that the Saints do chuse it:
Psal. 119.30.
I have chosen the way of truth, thy judgments have I laid before me: and
vers. 137.
I have chosen thy precepts. Isa. 56.4.
The eunuchs which chuse the things which please me. And it's the high commendation of
Moses, Heb. 11.25, 26.
That he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, and esteemed the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt.
4. It must be some permanent and abiding good, not fading, not
like the morning cloud and early dew: now the
fear of the Lord endureth for ever:
Psal. 19.9. and where it is in truth it will both
continue and
grow. The righteous is an everlasting foundation: Prov. 10.25.
The good part they chuse shall not be taken away.
They repent not of their repentance, and Christ hath
prayed that their faith fail not.
They go from strength to strength till they appear before God perfect in Zion, and bring forth more fruit in their age.
The path way of the just is as the shining light:
Pov. 4.18.
which shineth more unto the perfect day.
2. I shall consider the object of
Praise more specially, and what men are esteemed to merit praise for, with respect to
God, their
Neighbours and
themselves.
1. Men are
praised for their well performing of their duty to God, as
good servants.
2. For their
Beneficence to men in all relations, as useful, just, kind, charitable amongst and towards all men.
3. For their
wisdom to themselves, as being prudent, discreet, and wise in their own concerns.
Now
Religion, the
Fear of the Lord, is productive of all these in an eminent degree; and therefore are they greatly to be praised in whom it is.
[Page 32]1. This
fear will make
good servants to God. This is a principal part of a servants duty.
Mal. 1.6.
If I be a Master where is my fear? Now this fear is the root of universal obedience: he that fears God will not, dare not offend him:
Fear God and keep his Commandments, this is the whole duty of man: Eccles. 12.13. Only
fear the Lord, and serve him; if you fear him, you will not fail to serve him.
What doth the Lord require of thee,
Deut. 10.12.
but to fear him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul: serve the Lord with fear, Psal. 2.
Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: Heb. 12.28. Yea, the
fear of God will help to clean from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness: 2
Cor. 7.1. So that if it be praise-worthy to be
a dutiful child and
obedient servant to God, as certainly nothing deserves it better; the woman that
feareth the Lord hath a just claim to
Praise.
2.
The fear of the Lord will make fruitful in all good offices to our Neighbour, humble and obedient to Superiours, careful of, and tender to Inferiours,
[Page 33]just and kind to all, and munificent and liberal to those that are in want. This good woman in the Text,
who feareth the Lord in her heart, had fruitful hands, and works of her own to praise her in the gates.
'Tis the excellency of Religion to make good in all relations.
Good Magistrates, 'tis the first qualification of
Jethro's Justice:
Able men that fear God: Exod. 18.21.
So
Nehemiah of himself,
Neh. 5.15.
The former Governours which were before me, had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread, and wine, and forty shekels of silver, yea, even their servants had rule over the people, but so did not I because of the fear of God, and good Subjects:
Fear thou the Lord, and the King; Prov. 24.21.
Fear God, and honour the King: 1 Pet. 2.17. One will enforce the other, and will make
subject for conscience sake: Rom. 13.5.
It will make loving and
good Husbands, and it will make
good and
obedient Wives, like
Sarah; for
holy women who trust in God are in subjection to their own husbands: 1 Pet. 3. And this made this Virtuous Woman so excellent a
[Page 34]Wife. It will make good Family-Governours,
who will walk in their house with a perfect heart, and will neither provoke their Children, nor deny what's equal to their servants, whilst they remember themselves have a
Father, and
a Master in heaven; Col. 4.1. It will make dutiful children, and faithful servants.
Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God: Col. 3.22. In a word, it will make honest and righteous in our whole conversation:
S. Peter puts together
Acts 10.35.
Fearing God and working righteousness.
It renders also
charitable and
bountiful to them in need; this good Woman,
vers. 20.
Stretcheth out her hands to the poor; yea, she reacheth out her hands to the needy. The good man is ever merciful, and lendeth; yea, liberal, and giveth.
Cornelius is described,
Acts 10.1.
A devout man that feared God, and gave much alms to the people; and S.
James tells us, that
true Religion and undefiled is to visit the fatherless, and widows in their affliction, that is to relieve them.
So that if to be good in all relations, and to be a Benefactor and common good to mankind, deserves
praise, the
fear of God deserves it, which makes men such.
Thirdly and lastly, the fear of the Lord will make a man
wise for himself, to do himself good:
And men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self; Psal. 49.18. And nothing is more praiseworthy in
man's account, than to be
wise, nor in the account of
God, than to be
wise to salvation. Now the
fear of the Lord not only makes wise, but is wisdom it self.
The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding: Job 28.28.
Wisdom and
Godliness are synonymous words in the Holy Ghost's Language, the wise man is the good man, (
wise virgins, Matth. 25.) and the
wicked man the
fool. The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; the head, the chief of wisdom;
a good understanding have all they that keep his commandments. The
praise of every one of them who do so
endureth for ever: Psal. 111,
ult.
I am loth, notwithstanding the straits of time, to dismiss this great truth without some short improvement, let me therefore take advantage from the desire of fame and praise, which nature hath planted in us all.
1. To reprove the blindness and folly of Men who will not see, or seeing, not pursue the only true and safe, and sure method of attaining it, by labouring to be
soundly and
sincerely godly, but build upon the sand, that hollow, sinking ground, which will not bear this triumphal Arch, this Royal Pillar; their natural, fortuitous, acquired accomplishments, their
strength, beauty, riches, honour, fleshly wisdom, all which are perishing and vain, false and deceiving, and will crown them at last but with fading flowers, and withering garlands, with the praise of foolish men, like themselves; never with that praise which comes from God: for
the Lord taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man,
Psal. 147.10.
nor in the face of a woman: in the strength of the one, nor in the beauty of the other; but the
[Page 37]Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, and hope in his mercy. I beseech you therefore, and adjure you by all the obligations of
duty to God, and
wisdom for your selves, devote your selves to the
fear of God entirely. Resolve to be
good in very good earnest; to be Christians indeed, and Christians within,
circumcised in heart and spirit,
Rom. 2.28.
that your praise may be of God,
1
Pet. 1.7. and not of men: and found in the faith, that it may be found to praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearance of Jesus Christ.
And to encourage you, lift up your eyes, bestow one steddy, wishful glance upon the goodly fruit, with which this tree of life is loaden, of which, whoever eats shall never die, but live for ever.
1. All your sins shall be
pardoned, you shall have peace with
God, with
conscience, and with all the
creatures; acceptance of your persons, and of all your services.
2. You shall be freed from the
power, the
filth, and the
deceitfulness of sin,
[Page 38]the vassalage of Satan, the sting of death, and from the pit, and fear of Hell.
3. Your Souls shall be repaired to their original perfections and excellencies in the Image of God, and participation of the Divine Life.
4. You shall be
ingrafted into Christ, adopted into the Family of God, made
temples of the Holy Ghost, with all the Blessings which are consequent on these.
5. You shall be
heirs of all the promises; yea,
inherit all things: have all your wants supplied, all just desires satisfied, all conditions sanctified, all providences blessed, to promote your everlasting good.
Lastly, you shall be crowned with the unwithering Laurels of true, and of eternal praises, by Men, by Angels, and by Christ, and God; and when you
die in
nature, begin to
live in
glory; go to God and see his face, and be for ever with him, in
whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for ever more.
And for further quickening and strengthning you against the difficulties which may seem to meet you, and to obstruct you in this excellent way. Let me set before you the examples of the Saints of God, who, though men of like passions with your selves, inwardly clogged with the same corrupt and sinful nature, outwardly beset with the like or same temptations, cast off the weight which hung upon them, broke through the difficulties which did encompass them, and ran the race which was set before them, and through faith and patience obtained, and now inherit the promises, and that sure reward, that Diadem of Joy, and Praise, which God hath provided, and Christ hath purchased for, and promised to them that
love and fear him, and wait for his appearance. Reflect on all the Worthies of the Old Testament, and New, the holy
Patriarchs, Prophets and
Apostles, the noble
Army of Martyrs, all the primitive Christians, whose names are recorded in the Church's Story, all the devout men and women of succeeding ages; and follow that
Cloud of Witnesses, as
Israel followed that
Pillar of Cloud and
[Page 40]
Fire, through the wilderness till they arriv'd at
Canaan.
And that you may not doubt, or fear that
God's Arm is shortened, or
his hand grown weak, his Bowels straitned, or the aids of his Grace less
powerful, sufficient, yea,
exuberant than they were of old.
Let me set before you an
illustrious, an
Heroick, a
recent instance, fresh in your memories, known to you all, a President, as much beyond exception, as example, which may silence all your cavils of
difficulty, and much more of
impossibility.
I mean the
thrice honourable, and truly noble, the most excellent and incomparable Lady, the sacred Shrine of whose venerable Herse we are now drenching with the just tribute of our floods of tears, and strewing with the sweetest Flowers of Applause and Admiration, though they as much too
few, as these too
pale and
faint for such an offering.
She was a
Woman, of
the feebler Sex, a sinful daughter of first sinning
Eve, a rich woman, and
how hardly can such be saved? That had as much
business
[Page 41]to divert her, and as much
plenty to entertain her, as much
beauty to tempt her, and as much
favour to intangle her, as any of you, and lived in the same atheistical, degenerate age with your selves, wherein sincere and serious Religion is made the greatest
Ridicule, esteemed the most unmodish and unfashionable thing.
And yet in the midst of all these disadvantages, I may without
Hyperbole invite you, as the Cryer us'd to call Spectators to the secular Plays: Come see those Shews,
Quos nemo mortalium vidit, vel visurus est, Come see, come hear such an example of
Heroick Virtue, of
Generous Piety, of
sincere, humble, unaffected, serious, fruitful Religion, as in all respects this age hath not produced, as hath had rare, if any Presidents to follow, and will I fear be followed by few, or none, but with long distant intervals.
An
hundred Mouths and a
thousand Tongues,
Si mihi sin
[...] centum linguae, sint oraque centum. though they all flowed with
Nectar, would be too few to praise her. O for a
Chrysostom's Mouth, for an
Angel's Tongue to describe this terrestrial Seraphim; or a ray of
light condens'd into a
pencil, and made
tactile to give
[Page 42]you this glorious
child of light in
vive Effigie.
But what great Masters can present in
minature? what skillful hand
epitomize so great a soul, and draw her in
little (on so few remaining Sands) who had nothing
little, nothing
mean, but a
little esteem of her own
perfections, and being
mean in her own eyes.
For she was truly excellent, and great in all respects:
great in the honour of her
Birth, being born a
Lady, and a
Virtuosa both, Seventh Daughter of that eminently Honourable
Richard, the First Earl of
Cork, who being born a private
Gentleman, and younger Brother of a younger Brother, to no other Heritage than is expressed in the
Device and
Motto, which his humble Gratitude inscribed on all the Palaces he built,
‘
God's Providence, mine Inheritance.’ By that
Providence, and his diligent and wise
Industry, raised such an
Honour and
Estate, and left such a
Family as never any Subject of these three Kingdoms did, and that with so unspotted
[Page 43]a
reputation of integrity, that the most
invidious scrutiny could find no blot, though it winnowed all the methods of his Rising most severely, which our good Lady hath often told me with great content and satisfaction.
This Noble Lord by his prudent and pious Consort, no less an Ornament and Honour to their Descendants than himself, was blessed with five Sons, of which he lived to see four Lords, and Peers of the Kingdom of
Ireland.
And a Fifth, more than these Titles speak, a Sovereign and Peerless, in a larger Province, that of universal nature, subdued, and made obsequious to his inquisitive mind.
And eight Daughters.
And that you may remark how all things were extraordinary in this great Personage: it will, I hope, be neither unpleasant, nor impertinent, to add a short Story, I had from our Lady's own mouth.
Master
Boyl (who was then a Widdower) came one Morning to wait upon
[Page 44]Sir
Jeoffry Fenton, at that time a great Officer of State in the Kingdom of
Ireland; who being engaged in business, and not knowing who it was who desired to speak with him, a while delayed him access, which time he spent pleasantly with his young Daughter in her Nurses Arms. But when Sir
Jeoffrey came, and saw whom he had made attend somewhat long, he civilly excused it. But Master
Boyl replyed, he had been very well entertained, and spent his time much to his satisfactiou, in courting his Daughter, if he might obtain the Honour to be accepted for his Son-in-law. At which Sir
Jeoffrey smiling, (to hear one who had been formerly married, move for a Wife carried in Arms, and under two years old) asked him, if he would stay for her: to which he frankly answered him he would, and Sir
Jeoffrey as generously promised him, he should then have his full consent. And they both kept their words honourably. And by this virtuous Lady he had thirteen Children, ten of which he lived to see honourably married, and died a Grandfather by the youngest of them.
Nor did she derive less
honour from the
collateral, than the
descending Line, being Sister by
Soul and
Genius, as well as
Blood to these great
Personages, whose
illustrious, unspotted, and
resplendent Honour, and
Virtue, and whose
useful Learning, and
accurate Pens may attone and expiate, as well as shame, the scandalous Blemishes of a
debauched, and the many
impertinencies of a scribling Age.
1.
Richard the truly Right Honourable,
Loyal, Wise, and
Virtuous Earl of
Burlington and
Cork, whose life is his fairest, and most laudable Character.
2. The Right Honourable
Roger, Earl of
Orery, that
great Poet, great States-man, great Soldier, and great
Every-thing which merits the name of
Great or
Good.
3.
Francis, Lord Shannon: whose
Pocket-Pistol, as he stiles his Book, may make as wide Breaches in the Walls of the
Capital, as many
Canons.
4. And that Honourable, and well known name
R. Boyl, Esquire, that
profound Philosopher, accomplished Humanist, and
excellent Divine, I had almost said
Lay-Bishop. as one hath stiled
[Page 46]Sir
H. Savil, whose Works alone may make a Library.
The
Female Branches also (if it be lawful so to call them. whose
Virtues were so
masculine, Souls knowing no difference of Sex) by their
Honours and
Graces (by mutual reflections) gave, and received lustre, to, and from her.
The
Eldest of which, the Lady
Alice, was married to the Lord
Baramore.
The
Second, the Lady
Sarah, to the Lord
Digby of
Ireland.
The
Third, the Lady
Laetitia, to the eldest Son of the Lord
Goring, who died Earl of
Norwich.
The
Fourth, the Lady
Joan, to the Earl of
Kildare, not only
Primier Earl of
Ireland, but the
ancientest House in Christendom of that degree, the present
Earl being the six and twentieth, or seven and twentieth of Lineal Descent. And, as I have heard, it was that great
Antiquary, King
Charles the First his observation, that the three anientest Families in
Europe for
Nobility, were the
Veres in
England, Earls of
Oxford, and the
Fitz-Geralds in
Ireland, Earls
[Page 47]of
Kildare: and
Momorancy in
France. 'Tis observable, that the present young Earl of
Kildare is a mixture of the Blood of
Fitz-Geralds and
Veres.
The
Fifth, the Lady
Katharine, who was married to the Lord Vicount
Ranelaugh, and Mother to the present generous Earl of
Ranelaugh, of which Family I could have added an eminent Remark, I meet with in
Fuller's Worthies.
This
Lady's Character is so signalized by her known Merit, among all Persons of Honour; that as I
need not, so I
dare not attempt beyond this one word, She was our Lady's Friend-Sister.
The
Sixth, the Lady
Dorothy Loftus.
The
Seventh (the number of Perfection) which shut up and crown'd this noble Train, (for the Eighth, the Lady
Margaret died unmarried) was our excellent Lady
Mary, married to
Charles Earl of
Warwick: of whom, if I should use the Language of my Text, I should neither despair their pardon, nor fear the reproach of rudeness:
Many Daughters, all his
Daughters did virtuously; but thou—
She was
Great by her Marriage into the Noble Neighbouring Family, which yet received accession to its Grandure, by the lustre of her Name and Virtues. But she needed neither borrowed Shades, nor reflexive Lights, to set her off, being
personally great in all natural Endowments and Accomplishments of Soul, and Body, Wisdom, Beauty, Favour, Virtue.
Great by her
Tongue; for never Woman used one better, speaking so
gracefully, promptly, discreetly, pertinently, holily, that I have oft admired the edifying words that proceeded from her Mouth.
Great by her
Pen, as you may
(Ex pede Herculem) discover by that little taste of it, the world hath been happy in the hasty fruit of one or two interrupted hours after Supper, which she professed to me with a little regret, when she was surprised with it's sliding into the world, without her knowledge, or allowance, and wholly beside her expectation.
Great by being the
greatest Mistress, and
Promotress, not to say the
Foundress, and
Inventress of a
new Science— The Art of obliging; in which she attain'd
[Page 49]that Sovereign Perfection, that she
reigned over all their hearts with whom she did converse.
Great in her nobleness of Living, and in her free and splendid Hospitality.
Great in the unparallel'd sincerity of constant, faithful, condescending Friendship; and for that law of kindness which dwelt in her Lips and Heart.
Great in her dexterity of Management.
Great in her quickness to apprehend the difficulties of her Affairs, and where the
stress and
pinch lay, to untie the Knot, and loose and ease them.
Great in the conquest of her self, and mastery of her passions, as I could give several pregnant instances, but epecially in that of the death of her
dear and
only Son; wherein her behaviour was so submiss, serene, and calm, I confess I cannot but judge it scarce imitable, or attainable by any other.
Great in a thousand things besides, which the world admires as such; but I can be, and here profess my self her faithful witness, she despised them all, and
counted them but loss and dung in comparison
[Page 50]of the fear of God, and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.
The
Substance of great
Volumes uses to be summarily contracted into
Contents and
Titles. All I have said is but an imperfect
Index, to this great
Folio of Voluminous Virtue. You that knew her must have the
Book before you, turn over the
leaves of your own memories, and read with pleasure what those
hints refer you to.
But I promised you to present her, as an
example of
Solomon's
Rule, let us therefore bring
her, and the
Text together, and never two were better met. If ever this Scripture were fulfilled, 'tis this day fulfilled in your ears.
O thou Great, Heroick, Noble, Blessed Soul, (and blessed be that God, and Grace that made thee such)
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Though thou wantedst not Beauty, and didst exceed in Favour; thou didst neither prize them, nor catch at praises by them, but didst
fear the Lord with all thy heart,
[Page 51]and esteemedst that thy only praise and honour. Thy hands were fruitful, and thy lips too, and thy Fruits were many, pleasant, useful, seasonable, ripe, sweet, and fragrant: both to
God and
Man.
Thou art now
praising God, and we are
praising thee: with the
Sprigs of those
Lawrels will we crown
thee which thy own
hands did plant, and
eyes did water; that God may be praised in thee, and for thee, and others drawn by holy emulation to transcribe thy Copy. I shall begin with that which always had the first place in her care, and heart,
her Religion, and Piety, which in the language of my Text, is the
fear of the Lord. And I may, as is said of
Hannaniah, Neh. 7.2. truly attest, that
she feared the Lord above many; above
most, not to say above
all: that
she feared the Lord greatly, as is testified of
Obadiah, 1
King. 18.3. Or as
David calls himself
Gods servant devoted to his fear: Psal. 119.38. So might she most truly.
I shall give you an account of,
1. Her
Entrance, or
Beginning.
[Page 52]2.
Progress, or
Growth.
1.
Practice, and
Exercise of Religion as to her self.
2. Of her
Zeal, and
holy Industry to promote it, and encourage it in others.
First, as to her
beginning to be
seriously Religious, and to make it her business in good earnest, though she had good education, and had been principled in the Grounds of
Catechism in her youth: yet she would confess she understood nothing of the
life and
power of
Religion upon her heart, had no spiritual sense of it, till some years after she was married. She hath told me also with what
prejudice and strange apprehensions, as to matters of
Religion, she came into the Family in which she
lived and
died with so much Honour, for she was almost frighted with the disadvantageous account was given of it: but when she came to see the regular performance of divine Worship, and hear the useful, edifying, preaching of the most necessary, practical, and substantial truths, and observe the order and good Government, and received encouragement from her
[Page 53]Right Honourable Father-in-law, who had always an extraordinary value for her, and affection to her: her
prejudice wore off, and
approbation followed. Which minds me of a comparison, used by the Learned
P. Martyr, which occasioned the Conversion of the Pious
Galeacius Caracciolus.
If a Man standing at a great distance see a Company dancing, he wonders at their
antick Gestures, and seemingly ridiculous motions, and thinks them a company of mad men: but if he approaches nearer, and comes within the hearing of the sweet and harmonious Musick, which guides and measures out those motions, and observes how regularly one answers to the other, he then admires them, approves their decency and order, and desires to dance with them. So if a man take up the reports the world gives of serious Christians, or sees them at a distance busily attending all the duties of their holy Calling and Profession, he thinks of them as
Festus did of
Paul: that
they are beside themselves, or
mad: but if he acquaint himself more throughly with them, and hears and understands the Word of
[Page 54]God, which is as it were the Musick to which they dance, and takes notice how they measure all their motions by its melody, he sees such an agreeing and beautiful conformity betwixt them; he cannot but approve it, and joyn with them.
God made use of two more
remote means of her
Conversion, Afflictions, and
Retirement, the kind of the
first, and the occasion of the
second need not here be named. Only the divine Wisdom and Grace is very adorable, for adapting suitable means to bring his purposes to pass: as these were in her circumstances, for she would since acknowledge that her great difficulty and
remora, was her love of the pleasures and vanities of the world, which she neither knew how to reconcile with the strictness of Religion, nor yet could be content to part with for that, whose sweets and better pleasures, she was not then acquainted with: God therefore gradually weaned her, by rendring more insipid what had too much pleased her, and by giving her vacancy and freedom from distraction, to acquaint her self more throughly
[Page 55]with the things of God. By which she was enabled to set to her seal to that testimony which God gives to spiritual Wisdom,
That all her ways are pleasantness, and all her paths are peace: and to her Friends would frequently and freely do it, assuring them That she had no cause to repent the change she found, of the solid and satisfying pleasures she obtained in Religion, for those unquiet, empty ones, she left in ways of vanity: thereby encouraging them to
try, not doubting, but upon experience they would become of the same mind.
Two more
immediate helps which God blessed to her, were the
preaching of the Word
(which God hath ordained for the salvation of them that believe: 1 Cor. 1.21.) and
Christian Conference, and (because such an hint may do others good) the pressing the necessity of
speedy and true repentance, and shewing the danger of
procrastination, and puttings off, and stifling present convictions by delay: This seemed to turn the wavering, trembling balance, and to fix the scale of her resolution.
This is about nine and twenty years
[Page 56]since, from which time (though before her conversation was viceless, sweet, and inoffensive, yet she would confess her mind was vain) she
walk'd with God most closely, circumspectly, accurately. And I verily believe few (if any) ever
chose the better part, more resolutely than this our noble
Mary, or devoted themselves more unreservedly
to God's love, and
fear, and
service, learning to be good in very good earnest, and to encrease,
and grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2.
To promote this, like the wise man in the Gospel,
Mat. 7.24.
She dug deep to lay her foundations on a rock. She made a strict scrutiny into the state of her Soul, and weighed the reasons of her choice, in the balance of the Sanctuary. And with the other Builder in the Gospel,
sate down and considered with her self what it might cost to finish her spiritual edifice, and whether she were furnished to defray that charge. And also whether the grounds of her hope were firm, and such as would not abuse, and shame her, and her evidences for Heaven, such as would
[Page 57]bear the Test, and Scripture would approve.
And this she drew up at large, with her own hand
judiciously, soberly, modestly, humbly, and about twenty years since did me the honour with greatest secrecy to read it to me, and obliged me with all freedom and faithfulness to give her my judgment of it; which I could not but do with much approbation. And this, I doubt not, remains amongst her many excellent Papers.
Having thus put her hand to the plough, she looked not back, but minded Religion as her business indeed; and never gave suspicion of
trifling in so serious a work.
3. Therefore for her
practice of it, it was her great design
to walk worthy of God in all well-pleasing, to adorn her professed subjection to the Gospel, by a conversation becoming it, and to shew forth his virtues and praises, who had called her to his marvellous Light.
First then she was circumspectly careful
to abstain from all appearance of evil; and in all doubtful cases 'twas
[Page 58]her rule to take the furest side; for she would say, I am sure, 'twill do me no hurt, to let them alone. Though therefore none were further from censuring others, or usurping judgment over their liberties; yet for her self she would never allow her self the addition of artificial handsomness, (used neither paint nor patch) and was pleased with a saying of one of her spiritual Friends, upon the reading the Book which apologizes for it:
O Lord, I thank thee, that thou gavest me not wit enough to write such a Book, unless withal thou hadst given me Grace enough not to write it. Neither would she play at any Games, because beside many other inconveniences, she judged them great wasters of precious time: of which she was always very
thrifty. And though she was known to be a woman of good understanding, yet were there
three things which were too hard for her, and she would confess she could not comprehend them.
First, How those who professed to believe an Eternal Estate, and it's dependance upon the short inch of time, could complain of times lying as a dead
[Page 59]commodity on their hands, which they were troubled how to drive away.
Secondly, how Christians, who would seem devout at Church, could laugh at others for being serious out on't, and burlesque the very Bible, and turn Religion into Ridicule.
Thirdly, How knowing men could take care of souls, and seldom come amongst them, never look after them.
And though in the forenamed particulars, she was content only to give example of forbearance: yet from the Play-house, since the Stage hath taken so great liberty, she would openly dehort her Friends with greatest earnestness.
She, very many years since, began to keep a
Diary; and consulted two, whom she used to call her Soul-Friends, and ever esteemed such her best Friends, concerning the best manner of performing it. This, at
first, she used to perform every
Evening; but finding that inconvenient, by reason of her
Lords long illness, which gave her
[Page 60]many inevitable diversions and interruptions at that season, she changed it into the quiet, silent morning, always rising early. And therein amongst other things recorded the dayly
frame of her own heart towards God, his
signal providences to her self, and sometimes towards others,
his gracious manifestations to her Soul, returns of prayer, temptations resisted, or prevailing, or whatever might be useful for
caution or
encouragement, afford her matter of
thankfulness or
humiliation. And by this means she had arrived at such experience, that she could conclude, at least make strong conjectures of the events of things she spread before the Lord in prayer, by the
frame of her own heart, in the performance of it, as I could instance in particulars, if it were convenient.
She used to call Prayer Hearts-ease, as she often found it; and though her modesty was such, and she was so far from a vain, affected ostentation of her gifts, I cannot name one person with whom she prayed, yet can I say she was as well mighty, and fervent in prayer, as constant and abundant in it;
[Page 61]for she sometimes using her voice, hath been over-heard, and her
own Lord (knowing her hours of prayer) once conveyed a grave Minister into a secret place, within hearing, whom, if I should name, I suppose would not be denyed to be a competent Judge, who much admired her humble fervency; for she
praying prayed, and when she used not an audible voice,
her sighs and
groans would eccho from her Closet at good distance. And the very day before she died, she was shut up above an hour, which she spent in
fervent, private prayer, notwithstanding her indisposition; and indeed
prayer was her very element, in which she
lived, and
actually died; and 'twas as the vital breath of her Soul, and the wing that wafted it immediately to Heaven.
But if she
exceeded her self in any thing; as much as she excelled others in most things, 'twas in
meditation: this was her
Master-piece; for she usually walked two hours dayly in the morning, to meditate alone, in which divine art she was an accomplished Mistress, both in set and occasional, in
[Page 62]the first chusing some select subject, which she would press upon her heart, with intensest thoughts, till she had drawn out all its juice and nourishment: and for the second, like a
spiritual Bee, she would suck Honey from all occurrences, whole Volumes of which she hath left behind her.
After this
consecrating of the day with
reading Scriptures,
Lectione assidua & meditatione diuturna pectus suum Bibliothecam secerat Christi; unde hic fervor, aisi ex amere Dei? unde legis Christi indefessa meditatio nisi ex defiderio ejus qui legem dedit?
prayer, and
meditation: a short dressing time, and ordering her domestick Affairs, or reading some good Book, spent the remainder of the morning till
Chappel-prayers, from which she was never
absent, and at which she was ever
reverend, and a
devout example to her whole Family.
She was a
strict observer of the Lordsday, which is truly called the
Hedge and
Fence of Religion, and though some please themselves to call this
Judaizing, to excuse the liberties they indulge themselves: I am sure our Church hath injoyn'd us all to
cry to God for
mercy, for the breach of, and for
grace to incline our hearts to keep, the
fourth Commandment, as well as any of the
[Page 63]other
nine: and 'tis not hard to observe that the streams of Religion are deep, or shallow, according as these Banks are kept up, or neglected.
She was a very
devout Communicant; seldom omitting to prepare her Soul with
solemn fasting, to
renew her covenant with God.
And in the act of receiving, I cannot think of her without reflecting on S.
Stephen, when
he saw the Heavens opened, and Jesus standing at God's right hand, and his face was as the face of an Angel.
And to encourage
others to such
serious preparation to that
Sacred Ordinance, as she us'd before it: I shall shew what
sweet advantages she reaped in it, and by it. And this I shall do by transcribing word for word out of her
Diary, what I find written with her own hand, concerning one of the last
Sacrament Days, she ever enjoyed. For the Sacrament which was appointed to have been administred in her Ladyships
Chappel upon
Easter-day, was put off by reason of her falling ill in
Passion week.
November, 25.
Sacrament Day.
AS soon as I awaked, I blessed God. When I had read in the
Word, the Chapters of the Sufferings of my
Blessed Saviour, I spent much time in meditating of his
dying love. By which thoughts I found my
heart much drawn out to
love him, and
melted by his
love: then with great and awful apprehensions of
God upon my heart, I went to
pray. In which
duty my
heart was lifted up in the high
praises of
God, for both spiritual and temporal mercies: and my
affections were much drawn out in the
duty, in which my
heart did follow exceeding hard after
God for a nearer communion with him in the
Sacrament than ever yet I had. I then renewed my
covenant with
God: and made promises, that by his
Grace enabling me, I would walk more closely with him, for the time to come. That which in especial manner I begged of God at this
Sacrament was more
love to him,
[Page 65]more
holiness, more
contempt of the world, and the Glories of it, that I might be more
useful to the
Souls and
Bodies of my Fellow
Christians than formerly I had been.
Those
mercies, which in especial manner, I was grateful for, were, the
Creation and
Redemption of the World, and for the
Gospel, and the
Covenant of
Grace, and for
converting Grace, and for
Justification, and for some measure of
Sanctification: and for so much
Patience exercised toward me,
before my
conversion: and in order to it,
imbittering Creature-comforts, that I might seek for
comforts above: and for a
sanctified affliction, and for some degree of
patience to bear it, and for supports under it by the warm and lively
comforts of the
Holy Ghost: and for
returns of
prayer: and for so many
opportunities to seek unto God: and for the sweet
reviving hours I had enjoyed with
God in
solitude by Heavenly
Meditations: and for the
Word and
Sacraments, and the
sanctifying motions of
Gods Spirit. I was in a more than usual manner
melted in the
duty, and
shed a very great
[Page 66]plenty of
tears in it: which when I came from, I found a
longing desire to partake of the
Lord's Supper, and a
great joy that I was going to partake of it. Then I went to hear— the Text was,
I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father, but by me.
I was attentive at that good Sermon. And by what I heard of the
excellency of
Christ, had my
heart much warmed with
love to him.
Afterwards, at the
confession before the
Sacrament, I found my
heart in a more than usual manner
broken for my sins, which I
bewailed with great plenty of
tears, and from my
heart judged, and
loathed my self for them. After I had received, I found my
heart in an extraordinary manner
warmed with
love to
God. And my
Soul did follow very hard after him, to be made more
holy, and for
Grace to serve him better than ever yet I had done. I had very
lively affections in the
duty; in which I received much joy, and had sweet communion with God in it.
After I had at the
Table of the
Lord given to the Poor, I came from
[Page 67]the
Sacrament with my
heart in a sweet, grateful, and Heavenly Frame, and then in private
blessed God, for that
blessed Feast, and begged strength to keep my promises I had made to
God, of new obedience.
In the Afternoon I heard again the same person, upon the same
Text, I was in an attentive, serious, frame at that good Sermon. The Subject of which was to shew, that
Christ was the only
way for poor
penitent sinners to come unto the Father.
I
meditated upon the Sermons, and
prayed them over. And had also
meditations of the
Joys of
Heaven, with the thoughts of being for ever
freed from sin, and of being ever with the Lord, where I should
enjoy him in his
fullest love.
I found my
heart much
revived, and my
Soul did then make strong
Sallies and
Egresses after that blessed
Rest.
After Family Duties were over, at which I prayed with fervency, I did before going to Bed commit my self to
God.
[Page 68]
O
Lord, I do from my
Soul bless thee for this sweet day, in which thou wert pleased to vouchsafe unto
me, thy most unworthy Servant, more
Soul-joy, than thou didst give me for a long time before.
She was a very
ferious and artentive hearer of the Word, and constantly after Sermon
recollected what she heard, sometimes by
writing, always by
thinking and calling it to mind, that she might make it her own, and turn it into practice, not content to be a
forgetful, fruitless hearer only,
but a doer, that she might be blessed in her deed.
And such she was for the
external performances of
Religion.
And though this was
beautiful and
lovely, yet her
chief glory was within, in the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, in that
dress of Graces which adorned her Soul, this string was all of Orient Pearls, and evenly matched, not one ill watered, or of unequal size. There was not one
dryed or
withered Limb, one member
wanting or
defective in the new creature,
[Page 69]she was
complete in Christ, all of a piece.
The
Head of her Knowledge was
comprehensive and
clear. The
Eye of her Faith was
piercing and
steddy. The
Ear of her obedience was
open and
light of hearing, and boared at the door posts of wisdoms house. Her
Palate was
savory, and
relishing, to which God's Law was
sweeter than the honey, and the honeycomb, and more esteemed than her necessary food. The
Cheeks of her Modesty were
fair and
ruddy. The
Arms of her desires were
stretched out after God, and
flexible, to embrace him. The
Hands of her
Justice and
Charity were
strong and
open. The
Breasts of her Bounty were
well-fashioned, and
full of milk, and the Bowels of her compassion were
tender and
fruitful. Her
hunger and
thirst after righteousness was even
greedy and
insatiable. The
heart of her sincerity was
sound and
lively, and the
pulse of her conscience
smooth and
equal. The
feet of her affections were
swifter than the Roes on the mountains of Bether, more truly winged than the Poets feign their
Mercuries. The
natural heat of her Zeal more
fervent than the coals of Juniper, and the
[Page 70]
radical moisture of her repentance more
fluid than the
springs of Pisgah. Being seen with dry eyes, under tear-moving circumstances, which very nearly concern'd her self, and being asked, how she could refrain? She replyed,
I desire to weep for nothing but my sins. Her
name was as ointment poured forth, which made her the delight and admiration of all good men and women; yea, you may call her a
She Jedidiah, a
Female Lemuel, the Lord's delights, she with whom God was.
Now the
Soul of this excellent
Body, which animated all its goodly parts within, was the
love of God, and the gorgeous Robe which cloathed it without, was her
deep humility. These were the
Sun and
Moon in this great Firmament, all whose
Stars were of the
first magnitude, and the
least of which would have made the great Luminary in another Orb. Such was this beauteous Spouse of Christ, so like her Heavenly Bridegroom, that for that resemblance sake, we may say of her she was exceeding lovely.
Nor was she less solicitous to make others good, than to be so her self. She well remembred our Savious charge to
[Page 71]S.
Peter, When thou art converted, strengthen thy Brethren: She set her heart to build God's spiritual Temple, and therefore she applyed her self to it with all her might. She had holy Transports for the Glory of God, and she was a great Lover of Souls, and those two engaged her to promote Religion with utmost industry and zeal, which that she might accomplish more advantageously,
1.
She avowedly designed to represent
Religion as
amiable, and
taking, and
free from vulgar prejudice, as possibly she might; not so as might affright and scare men from it: but that it might
allure them, and
insinuate it's self into their love and liking: to this end she was
affable, familiar, pleasant, of a
free, and
agreeable conversation,
unaffected, not
sour, reserved, morose, sad, dejected, melancholy, which presents Religion most disadvantageously. She was naturally of the sweetest temper in the world: and
Grace inoculated into such a stock, thrives even luxuriantly. Whereas some
crabbed, peevish, sullen natures starve the best Cien they are grafted with. As I remember one,
[Page 72]of whom 'twas usually said, he had Grace enough for seven other men, yet scarce enough for himself. And she made
grace and
nature both subservient to the good of others.
As we say of some neat, well fashion'd persons, what ere they wear becomes them, and sits well: I must do her this right, to testifie, I never saw Religion become any person better. And 'twas hard not to approve and love a dress so decent and adorning.
2.
She kept her self
free and
disinteressed from all Parties and Factions, that none might suspect a design of making Proselytes to any, but to God.
She was neither of
Paul, nor
Apollos, nor
Cephas, but only Christ. Her name was
Christian, and her Sirname
Catholick, she had a large and unconfined Soul, not hemm'd in, or pounded up within the Circle of any man's name, or drawing a
Latitudinarian in the true commendable sense: and whoever
feared God, and wrought righteousness was accepted of her.
She very
inoffensively, regularly, devoutly, observed all the orders of the
[Page 73]Church of
England, in its Liturgy and publick Service, which she failed not to attend twice a day with exemplary Reverence, yet was she very far from placing Religion in Ritual Observances. And I may not deny, that she would sometimes warm her heart
(though never with strange fire) at private Altars, in her own Chamber or Closet.
3. She would perfume the company with good discourse, to prevent idle, or worse communication, not
abruptly, obraidingly, or
importunely, which is very
nauseous and
fulsome, and
spoils a good game by bad playing. But she was like a
spiritual Stove, you should
feel the
heat, and not
see the
fire, and find your self in
other company amongst the
same persons, and rather
wonder than
perceive how you came there; for she would drop
a wise sentence, or
moral holy Apothegm (with which she was admirably furnished, of her own making or collection) that suited with, at least not far remote from what was talked of, and commending, or improving that, she'd wind about the whole discourse without offence, yea, with much pleasure.
She kept a Book of such
wise, pithy Sayings, much valuing words, which contain'd great use and worth in little compass.
I shall transcribe a few of many.
THe almost Christian is the unhappiest Man, having Religion enough to make the world hate him; and not enough to make God love him.
God's Servants should be as bold for him as the Devils are for him.
What will make thee happy at any time, may make thee happy at all times.
O Lord, what I give thee, doth not please thee, unless I give thee my self. So what thou givest me shall not satisfie me, unless thou give me thy self.
O Lord, who givest Grace to the humble, give me Grace to be humble.
He loves God too little, who loves any thing with him, which he loves not for him.
The true measure of loving God, is to love him without measure.
So speak to God, as though men
[Page 75]heard thee, so speak to men, as knowing God hears thee.
Seneca said, he was better born, than to be a slave to his Body.
Luther said, Christ's Cross is no Letter, yet it taught him more than all the Alphabet.
We should meditate of Christ's Cross, till we be fastened as close to him, as he was to his Cross.
By how much the more Christ made himself vile for us: by so much the more precious he should be to us.
We need every day blood for our hearts, as water for our hands.
Through Christ's wounds we may see his Bowels.
He only can satisfie us, who satisfied for us.
He that takes up Christ's Cross handsomely, shall find it such a burden as Wings to a Bird, or Sails to a Ship.
'Tis a great honour to be Almoner to the King of Heaven.
The Bowels of the poor are the best soyl, which brings forth an hundred fold.
Who would not starve a Lust to feed a Saint.
To give is the greatest sensuality:
[Page 76]How indulgent then is God to annex future rewards, to what is so much its own recompense.
To be libell'd for Christ is the best Panegyrick.
Where affliction is heavy, sin is light.
God chastises whom he loves, but he loves not to chastise.
Sin brought death into the world, and nothing but death will carry sin out of the world.
If all mens troubles were brought into a common store, every one would carry back what he brought, rather than stand to a share of an equal division.
Though time be not lasting, what depend on it, is everlasting.
The best Shield against Slanderers, is to live so, that none may believe them.
He that revenges an injury, acts the part of an Executioner. He that pardons it, acts the part of a Prince.
Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions.
Man is a pile of Dust, and puff of Wind.
Why are we so fond of that life
[Page 77]which begins with a Cry, and ends with a Groan!
But I will not cloy you, knowing it is safest to rise with an appetite; even when we are entertained at a Banquet.
4. Where she had particular
kindness, or personal
interest, she would improve the authority of her
friendship to gentle, but free correption, and argue, and perswade so strenuously, that her
Bow, like
Jonathan's,
seldom return'd empty; and plead the cause of God, and their own souls, to whom she spake with so winning and insinuating sweetness, that 'twas hard to resist the
Suada, shall I say, or rather the
spirit, by which she spake. Let me refound and eccho from her
lips (though alas too faintly) how she would with melting charms, and powerful strains, attempt upon the Friends, for whom she had a kindness, and whom she longed to rescue.
‘COme, come, my Friend, you must be good, you shall be good; I cannot be so unkind, nay, so unfaithful to the laws of Friendship, as to let you perish, and perish in a way, you know as well as I, leads down to Hell. It grieves my very soul to see so good a nature ensnared against the dictates of its own light, by bad example, custom, or somewhat else— And if they replyed with excuses,’ she would stop them thus:
‘I pray, my Friend, have patience, hear me out, I know, or guess at least, what you would say, and I would not have you say it. 'Tis bad to commit sin, but 'tis worse to plead for it, and defend it.
None sin so dangerously as those who sin with excuses. The Devil then ties a new snare, when he gets into our tongues to fasten us to our failings, and raises an out-work in our own mouths, to secure the Fort he possesses in our hearts: I take it for granted, all other Holds were slighted easily, could you conquer such or such a vice, too much by custom prevailing with you.
[Page 79]Unhappy custom that dares prescribe against God's Law—But,
Friend, use no arguments that will not hold water at the day of judgment:
though hand joyn in hand, you know what follows. And no example, custom, number should allure us, which cannot excuse us, and secure us. But this is the mischief of sin liv'd in, it bewitches the heart to love it, that it cannot leave it. Cannot, so men love to speak; but 'tis because they will not, that is, will use no endeavours to be rid on't. But you must leave it, there's no remedy though it cost you trouble, smart, and self-denial. There's as much as all this comes to, in
cutting off a right hand, and
digging out a right eye. I speak to you, as to one in whom I have a party to help me plead. I mean your conscience, and the belief of the Scriptures; for if you were one of those on whom you know I use to set my mark, I should not give you this trouble, nor esteem my self under more than the Laws of general charity to wish you better, should hardly venture my little skill to make you so.’
[Page 80]
But as for you, who still own God's authority, and believe his Word, and attend his Worship. Why should I despair of making one piece of your self, agree with the other, your practice with your convictions, your conversation with your conscience.
And not to fright you with the Thunder-claps of wrath and vengeance, and God's judging you know who—listen still to the voice, 'tis your peculiar eminency to be kind and grateful (and because there is a kind of magnetick virtue in those arguments which touch our temper, and a string will move it self when another instrument is touched that's set to the same Key, and pitch) I shall attack you on that side, hoping the strongest excellency of your nature, will prove the weakest defensasative for sin, and to keep out God.
You therefore who are so good natured, so kind, so grateful that you never think you have acquit your self sufficiently to those who have been civil, or as you please to call't obliging. Oh how can— be so unkind, and so ungrateful unto God Almighty,
[Page 81]the kindest Fiend, who is so much before hand with you, who hath given you so much, and is so ready to forgive you all. Oh, that you, who I dare say would take my word for any thing else, would do me the honour to take my word for him, who I assure you upon your sincere repentance will be fully reconciled to you in Christ, and never so much as obraid your past neglects,
but heal your back-slidings, and love you freely. And do not fear that you shall have cause to repent of your repentance.
No man ever yet was a loser by God; and you shan't be the first: you shall not lose your pleasures, but exchange them, defiling ones for pure and clean, and ravishing. And let it not seem strange, or incredible to you, that there should be such things, because perhaps you never felt them. Alas, you have deprived your self unhappily, by being uncapable of them.
New wine must be put into new bottles.
To say nothing of what the Scriptures speak of a
day being in God's courts being better than a thousand, and of joys; and unspeakable, and full of
[Page 82]glory, of the great peace they have who keep God's law, and that nothing shall offend them, that wisdoms ways are pleasantness. Let my weakness reason out the case with you. Do you think that God's Angels which excel in all perfections, have no delights, because they have no flesh, no sense, no bodies, as men and beasts: or have our Souls (the Angels in these houses of clay) which are God's Images, and the price of his Blood no objects, no employments which may yield them delight and satisfaction.
Think not so unworthily of God, or meanly of your self; have not the stroaks of your own fancy, or the intellectual pleasures of your mind, sometimes transported you beyond all the charms of your senses, when they have chimed all in tune together.
And cannot God, think you, who is a spirit, and so fit an object for our souls, give them as great pleasures, as any object of our taste and sight.
Come, come, my
Friend, take my word for't, there is more pleasure in the peace of a good conscience, and in well grounded hopes our sins are
[Page 83]pardoned, and in serving God, and expectation of eternal life, than in all the pleasures in the world. Alas, I was once of your mind, but I assure you upon my word, I have really found more satisfaction in serving God, than ever I found in all the good things of the world, of which you know I have had my share.
Try therefore,
dare to be good, resolve to be so throughly; and if you do not find it much better than I have told you, never take my word, or trust me more.
Thus and much more powerfully would her zeal for their good cause her to argue with her Friends, that she might by holy violence attract them, and allure them to be good, and happy.
5.
She was of an
extensive charity, and would make people good by believing them to be so, and by this engagement make them ashamed to deceive her hopes, and disappoint her expectation.
[Page 84]6.
She had a tender, conscientious care to provide good Ministers, and to encourage them, would augment their maintenance where 'twas small;
Leez, Braintree, and
Foulness, &c. may be her witnesses in this, and indeed she was the heartiest and truest Friend I ever knew to such, and do despair ever to know her like, in this respect.
7.
She had a great care of the
Souls of her Servants, and if she had any ambition in her, 'twas in this, to be the
Mistress of a
religious Family. This appeared amongst others, in these particulars.
1. In exacting their attendance on God's publick Worship, and reverent behaviour there.
Her
Eye surveyed her
Chappel, and none could be absent, but she would miss them.
2. In
personal instruction, and familiar perswading of them, I appeal to the consciences of all that serv'd her, what one of them hath she not, on some occasion, dealt with to do them good.
3. In preparing them for, and perswading them to the frequent partieipation
[Page 85]of the Lord's most holy Supper.
4. In scattering good Books in all the common Rooms and places of attendance, that those that waited might not lose their time, but well employ it, and have a bait laid of some practical, useful Book, and fitted to their capacity, which might catch and take them.
5. In making it the Foot-step to preferment, for she used to make the hundredth and first Psalm the
Rule of her
Oeconomicks; and though she treated all her servants as Friends, yet they were her Favourites, which most signally feared God.
And she was not a first Table Christian only, we need not draw her Picture with a side-face, to hide the disfigurement of either side, both her hands wrought in the work of God: she did not
claudicare, but walk'd in his ways with both her Feet. She had learn'd S.
John's Lesson:
That he who loves God, must love his Brother also.
1.
She was exactly righteous.
2.
She was prodigiously charitable.
1.
She was exactly just in word and
[Page 86]deed. She never forfeited her
Title, to the privilege of
Peerage, to be believed upon the
honour of her
word; which was, as
sacred as any
oath, and as
good security as
many bonds. No inconvenience to her self would make her recoil, or flinch from the obligations she had brought her self under, by her own mouth: yea, she had such an abhorrence of a dishonourable recess, from express, or but intimated promises, that it would render her esteem of such persons exceeding cheap and mean, who by little arts and shifts would loose and free themselves from their engagements, and disappoint the expectations they had raised in others, to save their charges, accounting their money spared, a very poor and base redemption of their reputation.
She abhorred a lye; and us'd modestly to give this testimony of her self,
You know I dare not, I will not lie. And her Lord knew this so well, that though he were
positive enough, yet would never persist, if there happened any contest, against whatever she affirmed peremptorily.
And
a lye was the foulest blemish any could stain themselves with, in conversing
[Page 87]with her, and the most
unpardonable fault, a servant could contract, to whom she us'd to say,
Tell me the truth, and I can forgive you any thing.
I shall take liberty on this occasion to add a passage, which may be useful on a double account:
1. To let her Honourable Friends know she forgot them not, though her purposes were prevented.
2. How she feared the shaddow of a lye.
About a Month before she died, she was, (though then in as perfect health, as I have known her) determined to
alter her will. And whereas she had before given many
honourable Legacies in
money to persons of great Quality: she said, she would
alter them all, for this reason, because they were
rich, and money they needed not: but she would give it in something they might keep, as
kind memorials of her: and when she had set down all their names in a Paper, she also bethought her self what would be most acceptable to every of them:
For, said she,
that renders a gift most agreeable, when it suits the fancy of the party to whom it is designed. And then surveying her own store, she fixed on
[Page 88]what to give to most of them, but not finding her self
actually provided, of what she might
bequeath to all, she resolved to leave all to a
Codicil, to be annexed to her
Will, and expresly said,
‘I am now,
God willing, going to
London, when I have finished my
Will, and then I will by discourse find out,
undiscerned, what will be most pleasing to every one of them, and will provide accordingly.’ Yet when the draught of her
Will was made, she would put into the
Will its self for the Right Honourable the Countess of
Scarsdale her beloved Sister-in-law, (who was one of that number to which in her former Will she had given a Legacy in money)
a set of silver Sconces, which adorned her own Chamber. And when I asked her
Ladyship why she would not leave her to the
Codicil among the rest, she was pleased to give this reason:
Because, said she,
she is the only person living to whom I ever intimated being in my will, and I would not die, and have it found otherwise, and so be under the suspicion of having told a lie, or dying with a lye in my mouth.
She had learn'd S.
Paul's Lesson to
[Page 89]perfection,
To speak evil of no man: and where she could not speak well, the worst injury she would do was to be silent, and say nothing, unless it were to some single Friend, of whose Taciturnity she was secure by experience.
Nor would she invidiously diminish the just praises of any who deserved them. Nay, would rather study to extenuate their other failings, by presenting the light side to hide the dark one. And would commend them for one good quality or action, to cover many bad ones: and would say, yet I must do them this right, they are so, or so — for all this.
And she was no less accurately just in deed than word: she had learn'd to
do, as well as to
say: she not only gave
goodly words, but
good performances.
And because the due discharge of the duties of our Relations is one of the most signal evidences of Righteousness, and the greatest ornament of our Profession of Religion. I shall touch briefly how she used to acquit her self in that respect: as a
Wife to her Husband
living, as an
Executrix to his
Will, and a
Trustee to the
Estate, as a
[Page 90]
Mother, as a
Daughter, as a
Sister, as a
Friend, as a
Mistress, as a
Landlady, as a
Neighbour. In all which she was as a
singular Blessing to her
Relatives, so an eminent example to others.
First, as a
Wife. The heart of her Husband did safely trust in her, and she did him good, and not evil all the days of his life. Never was
woman more truly a
crown or
ornament to man. She always lived with a sense of the
covenant of God, which was betwixt them upon her heart. She was an equal mixture of
affectionate obedience, and
obediential affection.
She would conceal and hide his infirmities, deeply sympathised in his long indispositions, attended, and reliev'd him under them with the greatest tenderness, loved his Soul, and would both counsel him with prudent zeal, and pray for him with greatest ardours, and fervency. And he was not wanting
in praising her. He hath with vehement protestations said to me:
He had rather have her with five thousand pounds (though she brought him much more)
than any woman living with twenty. Yea, when the very Torrents of his Sorrow were highest for the
[Page 91]death of his only Son (and Family) he made that the circumflexing Accent of his grief:
'twould kill his Wife, which was he said more to him than an hundred Sons: Sed quid verba audiam, cum facta videam: He gave her his whole estate, as an honorary testimony of his graceful esteem of her merits towards him, and left her
sole Executrix, a high testimony of his confidence in her integrity. Which
trust, though it cost her almost
unspeakable labour and
difficulties, she discharged with such indefatigable pains, such scrupulous exactness, and admirable prudence, that as she failed not of one Title of the Will, till all was fulfilled; so she never gave, or left occasion of the least noise of any complaining, of any interested person, but rendred all more than
silent, satisfied, more than
satisfied, applauding, and
admiring her prudent, and honourable conduct of that great Affair. Which she owned to God with much thankfulness, as no small Mercy and Blessing to her. And for that Noble Estate which was to descend to others after her, she would not have wronged it in the least, to have gained the disposal of the whole; and therefore
[Page 92]was at vast expences in repairs, both on the Mansion, and Farms, though her self but a Termer. Yea, though none were more ready to recede from their own right, which determinated in her own personal interests; yet would she be stiff, and tenacious, in what may concern her Successors: Usually saying, whatever she lost her self, she would never give occasion to them that came after her, to say, she had damnified the Estate, or wronged her trust, or them. I must add one particular, because I believe she was the first, and will be the last instance of it.
Her noble, splendid way of living (which in most is sacrificing to their vanity and ostentation) for she lived very great, as you all are witnesses) was not an act of
pride or
ambition, but
purely, at least
principally, of
conscience; she would not contract, or abate, because she would not deceive her Lord's trust, who gave her the Estate to keep up the honour of his Name and Family in a place where it had flourished, and in that kind been famous so many years.
She was a most incomparable Mother,
[Page 93]which appeared in the education of one Son of her Body, and three Daughters of her Soul; for so I may truly speak. She never bare more than two Children; one Daughter, who died young, and a Son, the gallant, hopeful, young Lord
Rich, of whom the world hath had an account, by the same hand which hath had the unhappy honour to be employed the third time in this mournful Service:
Planctus unigeniti at the Lord
Rich's Funeral:
Leez lachrymans at the Earl of
Warwick's: and this.
The pious methods of whose education might be suggested with advantage, but I should never have done, should I allow my self liberty to enlarge on all was commendable, or exemplary; yet one thing I will not conceal; those three
excellent Ladies to whom she was an
own Mother, though but an
Aunt-in-law, and who are by their Cousins death become so vast fortunes to their Husbands, being left with less plentiful portions, she would even during her Son's life, never leave pressing her Lord to make noble provisions for, and settle their
portions suitable to their
Birth and
Qualities, which as they well
[Page 94]knew, so I doubt not but they will most readily attest with becoming acknowledgments, as also all the other never to be forgotten obligations, which she so nobly ceased not, to please her kind humour, in conferring on them.
I never personally saw her Right Honourable Father, nor could remember her dutiful observances of him; but this I know, that engagements o
[...] her own affections would not supersede her respects to him in her marriage, till his full consent and approbation was obtained.
And no Child could make more honourable mention of Parents than I have heard her do of hers, and for the transmitting it to posterity, I cannot say she had resolved to write and publish her Father's Life; but I can, and do affirm, she had it in deliberation, and had considerable materials, and Collections, many of which she hath discoursed, and read to me, or given me the favour to read my self.
She was so endearing a Sister, no language can express it; and therefore it would be inexcusable boldness for me to attempt it.
A
Friend so
faithful, so
kind, so
constant,
[Page 95]so
condescending, so
open, so
free, unreserved, unsuspicious, as I believe is not to be found on earth. I could give instance of a Friendship, which as she vouchsafed to contract with much condescention on her part, continued thirty years, not only without interruption, or Eclipse, but without the least cloud or shaddow of misunderstanding on either side for that long space.
The best Mistress in the world, to almost a Proverb, in a double care, both of the spiritual and bodily welfare of her servants, whom she as much loved to please, as other persons servants can do to please their Masters, it being her peculiar delight to render the lives of all easie and pleasant, and free from discontent, that they might serve God with chearfulness. And when she was to leave them, she left not off her kindness to them, or care for them, but provided to the uttermost of her power, for their comfortable subsistence, according to their degree and time of service, giving Legacies
liberal and noble, four hundred pounds, three hundred pounds, two hundred pounds a piece, to some, one
hundred pound a piece to
[Page 96]many, to others eighty, to many seventy, to buy them Annuities or their lives; to others fifty, forty, twenty, and a full years wages to every one not specified by name, and three Months Entertainment, with Lodging, Diet, and all accommodations, as in her life; that they might have time to seek out, and provide places for themselves, and not be exposed to inconveniences, by a sudden remove.
She was a most noble, I may say,
indulgent Lanlady, and would usually say of her Tenants, Alas, poor creatures, they take a great deal of pains, and I love to see them
thrive, and
live comfortably, and I cannot endure to see them brought into straits, and therefore would without grudging or difficulty have all things made convenient for them, and if they had sustained any considerable losses, effectually consider it. And for her Copy-hold Tenants, would urge with warmth the timely finishing the Rolls of her Courts, and delivery of their Copies, professing she could not in conscience suffer it to be neglected, because it was all they had to shew for their Estates, a piece of eminent justice, not more honourable
[Page 97]than necessary in Lords of Mannors.
And lastly, as a
Neighbour, she was so kind and courteous, it advanced the Rent of adjacent Houses to be so near situated to her, not only her House, and Table, but her Countenance and very heart were open to all persons of Quality in a considerable circuit, and for the inferiour sort, if they were sick, or tempted, or in any distress of Body or Mind, whither should they go but to the good Countess whose Closet and Still-house was their Shop for Chirurgery, and Physick, and her self, (for she would visit the meanest of them personally) and Ministers whom she would send to them, their spiritual Physicians. But as her love to God was the soul of her Religion, so the exuberancy of her charity towards those who needed her abundant liberality, was the conspicuous Crown which beautified all her sweetness, and goodness towards Men: for in this she was
forward, I bear her record, to her power, yea, and beyond her power; for she would even anticipate her Revenue and Incomes, rather than want wherewith to be liberal. S.
Jerom placed in the highest rank of the praises
[Page 98]of his admired
Paula, that she not only made her self poor to relieve, but died in
magno Aere alieno:
S. Hier.
Epitaphium Paulae. And I am sure it used to be said of our excellent: Lady,
That was the Lady that would borrow money to give away: She would not
live poor (in good works) to
dye rich, yea, though she had chosen Executors, in whom her heart could trust as safely as ever her Husbands did in her, yet she would make her own hands her Executors, and they were very faithful, to her inlarged heart.
But to be more particular; when she had in her Lord and Husbands life time, a separate maintenance or allowance, settled by Marriage Articles, she was pleased to ask me my opinion concerning the
quota pars: What proportion one is obliged to consecrate to God of our Estates, and when I told her it was hard, if not impossible, to fix a Rule which might hold universally; but the circumstances must be considered in which persons stood, their Qualities, their Incomes, their Depenpendances, necessary and emergent Occasions, inevitably occurring—But she persisting to urge a more particular answer as to her self, what would
[Page 99]be fit and becoming her to do, I not being ignorant of her circumstances, (I must bear my own shame in acknowledging the straitness of my own heart, told her) I supposed a seventh part: But before I could suggest the reasons, she preventingly replied, she would never give less than the third part, and she kept her resolution to the full and with advantage; laying aside constantly the
third part for charitable uses, and would sometimes borrow of that which remained to add to it, but never defaulk from that to serve her own occasions, though sometimes pressing enough.
When she came to the possession of so large an Estate as her Lord bequeathed her for her life, she in good measure made it true, what a great Person was reported to say; that the Earl of
Warwick had gave all his Estate to pious uses: Meaning thereby, that he had given it to this Noble Lady, who would so convert it.
And 'tis a great truth, which I have had from her own mouth, that all the satisfaction she took in it, was the opportunity it afforded her of doing good. And I have heard her earnestly averr,
[Page 100]that she would not accept of, or be incumbred with the greatest Estate in
England, if it should be offered her, clog'd with this condition, not to do good to others with it.
But some may say, were her
Eyes as open as her
Hands, did she not scatter it as
carelesly as
profusely? Nothing less,
her liberal Soul devised liberal things: I will point at some few of many.
1. There are some
Objects of
real Charity, which are not so to
vulgar Eyes or
Purses; on whom she would confer, and whom she would surprise, with noble and suitable assistances, this struck deep, drew an whole bag at once, but made no noise.
Some scarcely known to any but my self, and it may be had not been to me, but to ask my judgment, whether it might be reduced to the account of charity, to give to such and such, being in such circumstances: For she was never less tender of their modesty than compassionate of their necessity, and was more sollicitous for their pardon, than their thanks, for helping them.
2.
Foreiners who fled either to preserve their Religion, or to embrace what they were convinced of to be the truth.
[Page 101]3. A
great many young Scholars of hopeful promising Parts, whom she wholly or in good measure educated at the University, allowing some thirty, some twenty, some ten, some eight, many five Pounds
per Annum, and some others who had more assistance, less.
4. Abundance of young Children which she put to School in the neighbouring Towns, I cannot say how many, but rather
sans number, all that were poor and willing to learn: Nay; that could be perswaded to it, whose Schooling she did not only pay for, but gave them both Books and often Clothing; and not only near home but as far as
Wales, contributing nobly to that pious design, of that good old man and indefatigable promoter of it Mr.
Gouge, so
amply attested by a Cloud of Witnesses, beyond exception, to rescue
Wales from its remaining ignorance and demi-Barbarism.
5. Many
Ministers of both denominations, as well
Conformists whose livings were so small as not to yield them a subsistance, as those who had none at all.
6. Many
occasional Objects of Charity, which you may surely conclude, failed
[Page 102]not to ply at those Stairs where 'twas seldom low water: And though she was sometimes imposed upon, and deceived by those that neither needed nor deserved what she gave, yet this did not discourage her from giving again: For she said, she had rather relieve ten that only appeared meet objects and were not, than let one go unrelieved who was so indeed: For though they deceived her in her giving, God would not deceive her in accepting, what was sincerely done for his Name sake.
7.
Lastly, the Poor which she fed in great number, not only with fragments and broken meat, but with liberal provision purposely made for them. She was a great pitier, yea a great lover of the poor, and she built a convenient house on purpose for them at her
London-Seat, (as they had one at
Leez) to shelter them from rain and heat while they received their dole, and when she was at
London with her Family, had in her absence, whilst no house was kept at
Leez, a kind of house kept for their sakes alone: That is, twice a week, good Beef and Bread provided for the poor of four adjacent Parishes, and hath
[Page 103]taken order in her Will to have the same continued three months after her decease, and by the same Will hath given an hundred pounds to be distributed to the Poor of
Braintree, Felsted, Little-Leez, and
Much-Waltham, at or shortly after her Funeral.
And though it cannot reasonably be expected from one who had no Lands of Inheritance, to leave charitable foundations. Yet I may, without
Hyperbole, say, that every year she lived, after she came to be Mistress of the Estate, she gave as much in charity as would have purchased Lands sufficient to have endowed an Alms-house or Free-school. And that pious and liberal foundation of
Rochford Alms-house, which though founded legally by a Patent granted under the Broad Seal for its confirmation, by the Ancestors of that Family, of which she bore the Title; was by the death of the Founder, not endowed, yet as all her predecessors had done.
She always paid the Alms-people their full designed Allowance, and ordered by her last Will it should be so done for a year after her decease. And I must here take leave to add, to their great honour, and the satisfaction of all
[Page 104]that relate to that Family, that those Right Honourable and worthy persons, to whom the estate descends, have agreed to continue the same plentiful allowance: And if I were worthy to advise them, I would earnestly perswade them to make Legal Settlement, and endow it with Lands to the value of what they resolve to allow, before they make the division of the Estate.
But methinks I hear it asked, what! had she no
Spots, no
Scars, no
real nor
imputed Blemishes? how could she live in such an Age and not be
corrupted or at least
traduced? neither
scorched by the
fire of infection, nor
blackned by the
smoak of
revengeful detraction, for obraiding the guilty by her innocency? This
overdoing is
undoing, if you would make us
believe she had no
faults, we shall sooner
believe you have no
truth: And that all you have said hath more of
Romance, and what you
fancy, than
Narrative of what she
was or
did. I confess 'tis next to a miracle to consider, both how divine Grace enlarged her heart, and established her goings, and restrained the tongues of others from reproaching, or shewing dislike of that
[Page 105]in her, for which they deride and hate, not to say persecute others.
But I must implore that
candour while I embalm her memory, with the sweet
Oyntment of her own good name, you granted to her
vertues, which acquired it, and made it so fragrant.
I therefore solemnly protest, I have spoke the truth
(though the truth in love, as I am allowed and requir'd
Eph. 4.15.) and have not knowingly disguised or falsified, nor dipt my pen in flattering colours.
But since you are so inquisitive, and seem to deny me the just and civil freedom, to draw a veil of silence over her imperfections, and your
curiosity will be
peeping under that
sacred Pall, which should
secure and
shroud the worst of men from being pryed into; and the
Vault, and
Grave, that place of darkness and forgetfulness, which should bury all defects and render them invisible, must be ransack'd:
Draw back the Curtains, let in the light, survey its secretest recesses; nor
She, nor
I in her behalf, fear the most piercing Eagle-eye or Scent: Nor that I deny her to have been a
Sinner, while I adore that Grace that made her a
Saint, or that she was a
Woman,
[Page 106]while I proclaim her a
Terrestrial Angel.
But these three things I say, and will adhere to.
First, That she was not notoriously defective in any Grace or Vertue, but as eminent in all as most have been for any single one: She was not only
aliquid in omnibus, but
omnis in singulis, she did abound in every grace. Which St.
Gregory Naz. admires in
Gorgonia, and St.
Jerom in
Nepotian: Ita in singulis virtutibus eminebat, quasi caeteras non haberet.
Secondly, She was never
stained with any scandalous deformity, another rare mercy: For though she did
humanum pati, slip now and then, or
stumble if you will; she
fell not, much less
lay or
wallowed to defile her Garments, which I testifie not only from my own observation, but her own Pen.
‘After God had thus savingly (I hope) wrought upon me, I went on constantly, comfortably in my Christian course, though I had many doubts and fears to contend with: And did truly obey that Precept of working out my Salvation with fear
[Page 107]and trembling, yet God was pleased to carry me still onward: And though I too often broke my good resolutions, I never renounced them, and though I too often tript in my Journey to Heaven, yet I never forsook my purpose of going thither.’
Thirdly, Her very
defects and
failings were such as others might be
proud of, her
Weeds would have been
Flowers, and her
Thistles appeared
Roses in another Garden.
For I never heard her blamed for more than
two faults, by the most curious observers and inspectors of her disposition or behaviour.
1.
Excess of Charity.
2.
Defect of Anger, or what was reduceable to those two, two goodly faults: But even these admit Apology more easily than they need it.
1. What was reputed the culpable excess of her
Charity, was her credulous easiness, to believe most people
good, or at least
better than they were. I confess she did bend a little to this right hand error, but if it were a
bad effect, it proceeded from a
good cause. For as 'tis observed, that as they who are conscious
[Page 108]to themselves of some great evils, scarce can esteem any less
nocent than themselves; so they that have clear and
innocent hearts, are ready to judge the like of others.
Charity thinketh no evil, and she used this good opinion of others, as an instrument to make them what she was so willing to signifie she thought them: And though she would never
despair of any man, while she found them under the
Awe of
Gods Authority and
Word, for even those may receive some nourishment, who eat against Stomach, and the Seive under the Pump may be cleansed though it hold no water; yet if she observed a person to scorn or deride the Scriptures, despise Gods Ordinances, and turn all that was sacred into ridicule—
She used, as her Phrase was,
to set her mark upon that man: And I must further add, She was neither so
often nor so
much mistaken in her judgment of persons, as some supposed she was; they more mis-interpreting her civility, than she did the others sanctity.
2. For her
Defect of Anger, which implies, if it be faulty,
want of zeal against sin, and sinners, and so 'tis an
[Page 109]unjust charge; for though I confess she could not rage and storm, and discover her anger, as some persons do, who verifie the saying,
Ira furor brevis, Anger is a kind of madness; for her
sedate, composed, serene mind, and
sweet, and
amicable disposition was scarce forcible to what was so contrary to her nature; yet would she make deeper impressions of her displeasure for great faults, than those who appeared most furious, like a still soaking shower, which will wet more than a driving storm. And therefore 'twas observ'd, that if any servant had been faulty, they had rather have passed the Gantlet thrice of their Lord's most furious expressions, than have once been sent for to their
Lady's Closet, whose treatment was
soft words, but
hard arguments against their
faults, and like that silent lightning, which without the noise of Thunder melts the Blade, and sindgeth not the Scabbard; neither the
frightful hissing, nor the
venom'd sting, but the
penetrating oil of Scorpions.
This little is enough to extenuate her, almost commendable faults; and 'tis a great evidence of her goodness, that these things were imputed as Blemishes,
[Page 110]for they who would not spare her in these little errors, shewed plainly that she was not chargeable with more or greater.
I am now arrived at the last Stage of this Mournful Journey, to give an account of her surprising, and never enough lamented death.
What presages she might have of its near approach she never discovered, but her preparations for it had been long habitual, it was one of the most constant subjects of her thinking, and she used to call her walking to meditate of it, her going to
take a turn with death, and it could never
surprise, or take her unprepared, who was always preparing for it.
Yet there are some passages, worthy of our remarks of the
watchful kindness of
Divine Providence over his
own, allarming them to trim their Lamps (as the wise Virgins did) against the coming of the Bridegroom, and allowing them fit opportunities to do it, as he signally did to her.
I shall on this consideration very seasonably add another Transcript out of her Ladyships Diary, which contains an account of the last Sunday of her
[Page 111]health, being written but the very day before she was taken ill, and in which
God did, it seems, in a most remarkable manner,
impress the thoughts of her approaching
dissolution on her Soul, though there were no visible symptoms of it then upon her Body.
March 24.
Sunday.
AS soon as I awaked, I blessed God; then I meditated and endeavoured by thinking of some of the great mercies of my life, to stir up my heart to return Glory to God. And those thoughts had this effect upon me, to melt my heart much by God's love, and to warm it with love to him.
Then I prayed, and I was enabled in that duty to pour out my Soul to God, and my heart was in it, carried out to praise God, and I was large in recounting of many of God's special mercies to me. And whilst I was doing so, I found God mighty upon my spirit and my heart, in a much more than ordinary manner, carried
[Page 112]out to admire God for his goodness, and to love him. And I found his love make great impressions in my Breast. And melting me into an unusual plenty of tears.
Those mercies which in an especial manner I was grateful for, were the Creation and Redemption of the World, and for the Gospel and the Sacraments, and for free Grace, and the Covenant of Grace, and for the excellent means of it I had enjoyed: and for the great patience God hath exercised towards me before and since my Conversion. And for checks of Conscience when I had sinned, and for repentance when I had done so. And for a sanctified affliction, and supports under it. And for so large a portion of worldly Blessings.
‘After I had begged a Blessing upon the publick Ordinances, I went to hear Mr.
Woodroof: his Text was,
Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear— Then after a summary account of the Sermon, follows: In the Afternoon I heard again the same Person upon the same Text.’ And then follows a concise and methodical
[Page 113]recapitulation of that Sermon also. "And after that—
‘I was in a serious and affected frame at both the Sermons, and was by them convinced of the excellency of fearing God, and of spending of the remainder of the term of my life in his service. And did resolve to endeavour to spend the remaining part of my time better.’
At both his Prayers I prayed with fervency: afterwards I retired, and meditated upon the Sermons, and prayed them over.
And I had also this Evening large Meditations of Death, and of Eternity; which thoughts had this effect upon me, to make me in an extraordinary awakened frame, in which the things of another life were much realized to me, and did make very deep impressions upon me. And my
Soul did
follow hard after God, for Grace to serve him better than ever yet I had done.
O Lord be pleased to hear my Prayers, which did not come out of fained Lips: and to hear the voice of my weeping, for more holiness, and for being more weaned from the world, and all things in it.
[Page 114]
After Supper, I committed my self to God.
This was written the very last day of her health, Monday Morning: in which we see how God realized to her, and gave her extraordinary impressions of Death, Eternity, and the Life to come, when he was about to bring her to it; for the very next day she began to be ill of that Sickness of which she died.
Our
excellent Lady was far from their humour whose
Consciences are so
bad and
unquiet company, that they hate solitude, and dare not be alone: For she loved, and even hugged her retirements as her greatest satisfactions. And though, when she was called to it, she would deny her self and particular inclination (as in the Universe Individuals do, to obey the laws of universal Nature) to comply with a duty of a larger spread; as is related of the devout Marquess of
Renti in the two years time he spent in repairing the seat of his Ancestors, which diversion he cheerfully suffered as a willing mortification, being a duty he owed to the Station in which God had placed him.
So
she chearfully sustained the
hurry of business which was inevitable to the acquitting her self of the trust reposed in her, by her Lords last Will.
But never did Bird take Wing, when dis-intangled from a Net, with greater cheerfulness, nor chirp out the pleasures of its unconfined freedom, more merrily than she did solace her self, when she had escaped the noise and croud of affairs, which ruffled and turmoyled her quiet, and suspended the enjoyment of her self. And when her dearest Sister was in the beginning of the last winter, about to leave her; her last farewel she took was in these words: Now I have done my
drudgery (meaning her business) I will set to the renewing of my preparations for
Eternity, and she made it the repeated business of the last winter.
In the beginning of the last
March, she set to the making of her Will anew, and signed and sealed it on the twelfth day of the same Month, and on the Tuesday in Passion Week,
March 26. was taken with some indisposition, loss of Appetite, and aguish distemper, and had four or five Fits, which yet in that season were judged both by Physicians
[Page 116]and her Friends, more advantageous to her health than dangerous to her life. And in this state she continued freed from her fits in her own apprehension, and in our hopes, till Friday the twelfth of
April, on which day she rose with good strength, and after sitting up some time, being laid upon her Bed, discoursing cheerfully, and piously, one of the last sentences she spake was this, turning back the Curtain with her hand,
Well, Ladies, if I were one hour in Heaven, I would not be again with you, as well as I love you.
Having then received a kind visit from a Neighbouring Lady, at her departure she rose from her Bed to her Chair, in which being set, she said she would go into her Bed, but first would desire one of the Ministers then in the house to go to prayer with her, and asking the company which they would have, presently resolv'd her self to have him who was going away, because the other would stay and pray with her dayly; and immediately he being called, and come, her Ladyship
[Page 117]sitting in her Chair, by reason of her weakness, for otherwise she always kneeled, holding an Orange in her hand, to which she smelt, almost in the beginning of the Prayer she was heard to fetch a
sigh, or
groan, which was esteemed
devotional, as she used to do at other times. But a Lady looking up, who kneeled by her, saw her look pale, and her hand hang down, at which she started up, affrighted, and all applyed themselves to help, and the most afflictively distressed of them all, if I may so speak, when all our sorrows were superlative, catch'd her right hand, which then had lost it's pulse, and never recovered it again.
Thus lived, thus died this Right Honourable Lady, this Heroick Woman, this Blessed Saint,
this incomparable pattern of flaming zeal for the glory of God, and burning charity for the good of men; in the actual
exercise of prayer, by which she so often
anticipated Heaven by
pregustation, and which now
wafted her longing soul into the
Holy of Holies, within the vail: at the
kiss of God's mouth, as
Moses did, though not
[Page 118]
full of years, yet full of mature
fruits, and
Graces, when all men judged her worthy of a
longer, but God, the only unerring Judge, found her full ripened for a
better life. And in a sweeter
Euthanasia than
Augustus could wish himself, might claim a more triumphant
Plaudite than he. Yea, might have sung her
Nunc demittis with good old
Simeon, nay, with the holy Apostle, that
joyful Epinichion, I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing.
You have heard, though too too dryly, how she
serv'd and
honoured God, I should now shew to encourage you to do the like, how he
honoured her, according to his word by
Samuel: Him that honours me, I will honour. And that of our Saviour,
He that serveth me, him will my Father honour.
But I have much prevented my self by what is interwoven through all the preceding discourse:
The greatest honour
[Page 119]God can put upon his creatures, is to vouchsafe to use them, and to make them Vessels of Honour, fitted for their Master's service. And this he conferred upon her in eminent and redoubled measures. He imprinted on her the
fairest impress of his most
amiable Image, and rendred her habile, and ready to
every good word and work.
He gave her
riches, and honour in abundance, as is said of
Jehosophat,
2
Chron. 17.5, 6. and yet her heart was not puffed up by them, but
lifted up under them in the ways of the Lord, as it there follows.
He gave her the
Heaven upon earth, (after some shivering scruples, and trembling fears) the blessed
calm of a
purified, pacified, serene, and
well-assured conscience.
He gave her the
fragrant perfume of an odoriferous name, and more than
unspotted, a
bright, and
resplendent reputation.
He gave her many endeared Cordial Friends, faithful to her as her own Soul, to assist, counsel, comfort, help her, and carry her through her greatest difficulties, and entangling affairs, concerning one of whom she us'd often with much thankfulness to say,
He
[Page 120]was a Friend of God Almighty's giving; even beyond her own expectation.
He gave her many merciful deliverances, one very like to that
Gregory Nazianzen insists so largely on in his Funeral Oration for his Sister
Gorgonia, the Mules in whose Chariot running away, not only
bruised, but
brake her Bones, and yet God miraculously restor'd her. So when the Horses in our Lady's Coach excussed the Coach-man, ran furiously away, God almost miraculously hung the Coach against a Post in the way, stopped their fury, rescued her life from most eminent hazard, and healed the bruises she received with safety. This happened
July, 23. 1661.
He gave her the
affectionate esteem of all her
Neighbours, to such a degree, that she was like
Titus, Deliciae humani generis, the delight and darling of her Country, and with so loving a willingness did they delight to serve her, that you might see fifty fresh, brave and gallant Teams, day after day bringing in her provisions, without other invitation than the bare knowledge of the time, which themselves would enquire out; and nothing would grieve them
[Page 121]more, than to be prevented in paying this Tribute of Honorary Respect.
He gave her such an esteem for her prudent integrity, and discreet, and impartial Righteousness, that she began to be (an employ and honour not usual to her Sex) the
Arbitress and
Umpress of all the controversies amongst adjacent Neighbours, many of which she reconciled happily, and all which she decided wisely and justly.
He gave her the universal
approbation, love, admiration of all that knew her, that the Proverb was confuted, which saith,
Who hath no Enemies, hath no Friends. For either she had none, or her
ways so pleased the Lord, he made her Enemies to be at peace with her. For
honourable, and
mean, rich, and
poor, of all
degrees, and which is more, of all
perswasions, paid her most kind respect, honoured, and lov'd her.
Finally, he prevented her with the blessing of goodness, and crown'd her with loving kindness, and tender mercy. He made her glad with the light of his countenance, and satisfied her as with marrow and fatness; he granted the requests of her lips, and shut not out her prayer:
[Page 122]He gave her ability, and time to discharge her trust, and settle her worldly affairs with honour and satisfaction, and he gave her opportunity, space, and an heart to recollect her self, and redeem what a hurry of business had deprived her of, and renew her evidences for Heaven.
He took out the
sting of
death before she
died,
Intelligeres illam non emori, sed emigrare, & mutare amicos non relinquene. Hierom. and the
pains of
death when she
died, and with a kiss of his mouth sucked up her Soul to Heaven, to be immersed in that
fulness of joy, and bathed in those rivers of pleasure, which are at his right hand for evermore.
May we live like her, may we die like her, that we may live with her, and with our common Lord, for ever.
And for your noble Lordship, who are now investing your self with her large and noble Mantle—
May Elijah's spirit rest upon you, as well as his Mantle: that you may rise up an
Elisha in her place and stead.
That
Leez may be
Leez still: the
seat of Nobleness, and Honour, the Hospital of Bounty, and Charity, the Sanctuary of Religion, and the fear of God.
That so you may live, and may
live longer, and as
much desired, and when you die (as die you must, for
Leez, though a Paradise, hath no Tree of Life) you may die
later, and
as much lamented as your Noble Predecessors.