Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	declare_v	excellent_a	great_a	123	3	2.1267	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80236	A commemoration sermon: or, A discourse on II Cor. V.I. Occasioned by the death of a most religious young lady Mary Hampson the onely daughter of Sir Thomas Hampson, of Taplow, in Bucks, ... who died August the 14. 1677. Together with a relation of her incomparable and exemplary life.		1678 (1678)	Wing C5545A; ESTC R174182	19,868	49

Affections as I have shewed before there was nothing in her to obstruct her Justice and her Charity To her Parents therefore she was a dutyful and loving Child she was tender of all that concerned them and sought nothing but to bring them as much Comfort and Joy as a truly good Child can bring to good Parents she exceeded what they desired in observance to them and the only thing they could chide her for was this That she was not kind enough to her self To her other Relations she was dear also and she paid to them all all that Respect and Affection which they could any ways challenge or desire she was much concern'd for their good and where otherwise she could not by Prayers she exprest her true kindness to them having learnt as St. Paul taught Christians to shew first Piety at home 1 Tim. 5. 4. Many there are who when they come abroad seem very meek and obliging they put the best side outward and are very courteous to Strangers but at home they are churlish and ungentle angry and froward There they are pleased with nothing and they please no Body their Language and their Behavior are harsh and vexatious and this is a fault as great and common as it was far from the temper of this Blessed Christian She had learnt of her Blessed Master to be meek and lowly and of the great Apostle to be gentle easy to be intreated full of Mercy and good Fruits and she therefore was most esteemed where she conversed most she was best Beloved where she was best known She not only made no breaches her self in the Family where she lived but she endeavour'd to close them up as fast as others did make them she was not only Peaceable but a Peace-maker and in this she shewed her Wisdom and her Discretion as much as her good will for she had not only the Innocence and Meekness of a Dove but the Prudence of the Serpent also She had also learnt and practic'd another great and difficult lesson to take heed to her ways that she might not offend in her tongue a lesson as useful and necessary as it is generally neglected That Tongue wherewith she so often Blest God she would not abuse to his dishonour to vain babling or to her Brothers prejudice that made her keep silence when many were talkative and loud She could have spoke as much as they with as much grace and to better purpose but she would have discours'd upon better Subjects than impertinent News or uncharitable Stories But it was not only her care to hurt no Body She could also seek and joyfully embrace all Opportunities to do good to others she would visit the sick exhort and comfort them pray with them and for them and many ways make it appear that her Charity reach'd the Soul also though it was not confin'd to it Not confin'd to the Soul I say for she was as forward to relieve the outward wants of needy persons as to promote the Spiritual Interest of any whereas many of all ranks and ages oppress others and disable themselves by their Luxuries and their Vanities she contrariwise spar'd from her self that she might have the more to give to the necessitous she did study the Art of Alms-giving and avoided idle expences to be rich in good works Her sweet and mild Disposition her Charity to all the World her readiness to do good where she could were the features of that Divine Image whereby she resembled her Heavenly Father By these she indear'd herself to those that were blest with her converse she was Righteous in the full and best sense innocent and beneficient Rejoyce now Blessed Soul with the good Angels in Heaven thou that wert a good Angel here below Let Charity which upon Earth was thy delight and employment be thy reward above enjoy now there that Infinite Goodness which here made thee so good I run as a man that hath yet a great way to go and but a short time you may see that I take but here and there a drop out of the full stream But now I ascend up to the head Spring of it her Godliness whence issued all those Vertues and all that Goodness I have mentioned It was her Love to God and her desire to be with him that made her Live Soberly and Righteously in a manner so excellent and so exemplary She was well Principled betimes and upon a good Foundation she erected an excellent Fabrick increasing in knowledg much faster than in years but no Wonder the Divine Blessing could not be wanting where there was great application and a persevering diligence to know God and his holy ways she was doubtless a great proficient in the Christian School she read much and with good observation and though being wholly intent upon practice she delighted not in Controversies yet she could not only give a good account of the Hope that was in her but also in many things convince gain-sayers How unprofitably young people spend their time and how much the Study of Religion is neglected in this irreligious Age is sufficiently known though not sufficiently lamented but we have here before us an example able to Cure this great Evil if well attended to She was always employ'd in that which was useful to herself or others in learning or in practising the best of Christian Instructions Books were her great delight and recreation upon them and the poor she could freely bestow what she seemed to grudg to her self that those Books were not Plays and Romances needs no telling her Excellent Life declares it No they were answerable to the great Piety of her conversation they were Books of Religion and the best of that kind such as grounded her in that Holy Faith she profest in the best of Churches such as taught and incited her to discharge towards God and man all the Dutys of a Christian such as Ministred to her Secret and Fervent Devotions As for the Books of Dissenters which might have mislead or intangled her she was neither willing nor at leisure to spend any time upon them she knew she was right and that the Church is the safest Guide therefore her only care was to follow its directions and to see that her works might be answerable to her Profession The hour of publick Prayer she expected with longing and great impatience and she as much Rejoiced when it came and heartily join'd with the Minister who Morning and Evening did offer the appointed Sacrifice in the Family and whether in the Church or at home she was always careful to be present and praying at the beginning That having as she said made her Penitent Confession the general Absolution might be particularly applyed to her Soul She was not of those that count the Church-Offices to be long and tedious she rather thought they were too soon ended and she would have been griev'd had any of them been omitted 'T was her delight to see God Worshipp'd and to

joyn with others in that Blessed Imployment and as if her Heart had not been big enough to entertain those Holy Publick Devotions which she so dearly lov'd she had often a Book of them in her hand and one to be sure always about her How Passionately did she wish also for frequent opportunities of receiving the Blessed Sacrament and uniting her self in Heart and Mystery to her dearest Saviour as much as is possible for us in this life great was her gladness and comfort when those happy seasons return'd great was her care to put on the wedding-garment for that Heavenly Marriage-Feast Fasting Tears and Prayers were the Preparatives a most Humble Edifying and Devout Behavior were the concomitants and a great Love fervour and gratitude were the subsequent Effects of that most Solemn Act of Religion If from the Church and the Lords Table we follow her to her private Closet there we shall find her every day spend much time in Reading and Meditation and much more yet upon her knees No wonder Blessed Soul if thou wert so good when thou didst keep such Divine Company being always with God either hearing him speak or speaking to him always conversing with Heaven either in thoughts or words We may yet advance farther to her Bed-chamber There we shall see her also much upon her Knees her Cheeks bedewed with Tears her mouth filled with the Praises of God and her Heart with his Love This is the first and the last thing she doth every day Nay days thus Religiously spent cannot sufficiently express that devout affection which her Soul is possest withal she defalks as much as she can from the necessary refreshment of Nature her rest is interrupted with acts of adoration and at mid-night you may find her prostrate upon the ground watching to God while others sleep and anticipating as much as may be the State of Immortality and the Blessed imployment of Saints in Heaven No wonder now if so much Grace inspired that Soul which so much dwelt with God! No wonder if her life and example be bright and luminous as was Moses's face when she like him so long convers'd with God! and no wonder if God took her to himself betimes when she like Enoch walkt so close with him and with so Zealous an assiduity Would you think it Christians if I had not discover'd it before that I have been reading the Life of a young person of one that died under twenty would you not rather think that I have been making a Collection of all that might be praise-worthy in the Lives of many aged good Christians I profess I have read the lives of the long Liv'd Fathers of the Desert there are in them some things very extraordinary and rather to be wondred at than imitated but the Life and example of this our younger Saint is far more instructive and edifying than all theirs She liv'd under no other ingagement than her Baptismal Vows she converst freely with others and as to the actions of a civil Life she willingly complyed with Innocent Customs there was in her nothing extraordinary but an extraordinary goodness and piety And yet it may pass for a thing very singular and hardly to be match't that where there was so great a Vertue such an elevation of mind there should be no contempt of others no Pride no desire to be observ'd nothing but lowliness and the greatest sincerity she did as St. Gregory tells of his Sister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seek to approve herself only to him who sees in Secret and she could have wish'd no man had took notice of what she did for God alone Euge bone serve well done good and faithful Servant was all the commendation she aimed at and if notwithstanding her Light did shine before men it was that only God might be glorified Great things have been written of the zeal of retutning Penitents but so much fervour with so little Guilt such an active Piety with so much innocence hath seldom been seen her Vertue might have been a rich Ornament for gray hairs but that she should thus intirely devote herself to God in the prime of her age when she might have injoy'd all Humane pleasures and was as likely to live long as any one alive is much to be admir'd and remembred But as she was soon ripe and come to perfection so God soon took her from among the chaff Mat. 3. 12. and gather'd her with his wheat into his garner She went out into her Lords Vinyard and there began to work from break a day therefore he would not suffer her after such early diligence to bear also the brunt and the heat of the day he paid her her wages before Noon and dismist her to rest she started for the Race as soon as she had enter'd it and she ran with great speed and therefore soon ended her course and betimes received the Crown How she finisht her Christian Course will easily be guest by what I have already said of its beginning and progress it could not be with her as with many remiss Christians who when they approach the confines of Death begin to mend their pace and to be very serious and active but she that had liv'd always as if she had been dying could not but die as she had liv'd Her Body being much a stranger to her and her Soul familiar with God and always delighted with Spiritual Pleasures she therefore took little Notice of her natural pains and decays and her infirmities could not oblige her to omit any thing of her wonted Devotions insomuch that but little before her last Agony she was two hours upon her knees taking her farewel of the World and making her approaches to God in that Devout Humble posture she went an even constant pace and died to God as she had liv'd to him And now to her I may apply Philo's Observation he finds that Abraham is the first in Scripture called an old man Gen. 25. 8. not but that the Patriarchs before him lived much longer but because saith he Age should be reckon'd by Wisdom and Piety not by years by this account we may find also that this yong Lady lived long and died full of years as the Patriach did her time which she did spend so Religiously to gain blissful Eternity cannot be said to have been short And what shall we now mourn because she is gone from us or shall we Joy because she is with God shall we mourn because her Absence is a grievous loss or rejoyce because her Presence hath been a great and pleasant advantage doubtless a mixture of those two passions may here find a place Sed salva pietate fidei gaudia praeferamus said St. Paulinus but without prejudice to Human affection the joys of Religion should prevail over the Sorrows of Nature Ps 116. 15. precious in the Sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints that which God is delighted with should not be altogether afflictive to us St. Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we should not prosecute with sadness and tears the death of Holy Persons but rather with Hymns and Acclamations cum Canticis Psallentium vocibus as it was the manner of ancient Christians and even the Decree of a great Council 3 d. Toled Rejoycing with them that Rejoyce congratuling their great Happiness because if we follow their Examples we shall with them be numbred with the Saints of God in Glory Everlasting FINIS