Knowledge of Religious Matters in High or Low doth blast the Soul and make the Life unfruitful of which there are too many Evidences every day set before our Eyes Sad it is to consider how Protestants of all Ranks content themselves with a slight Knowledge of their Religion and preferr any other Skill before this They are able to discourse pertinently of Business and News and the Cases that occurr in War and Peace but the Bible is a strange Land to 'em as if they were no ways concern'd in it But so it was not to this Pious Queen whose constant Diligence in Studying the Scriptures and Reading the Books that explain it may shame some who are call'd Ministers and the most who bear the Protestant Name This Exercise did employ a considerable part of Her Time and laid the Foundation of that Eminent Goodness which gain'd Her an Universal Esteem II. A Second Instance of Christian Plety was Her religions observing of the Day and Appointments of God Most of the Great Ones make little account of these and therefore 't is no wonder that few of them lead Holy and Exemplary Lives But tho the deceas'd Queen was educated in a Vitious Court and liv'd many Years in a Country where the Day of God is almost universally profan'd yet She made Conscience of Sanctifying it according to the Institution of God and Practice of the best Christians in the World She did not sacrilegiously divide the Lord's-Day between God and the World between Religion and Vanity but employ'd it as a Portion of Sacred Time And by holding on in this course she gain'd strength to resist and overcome the Temptations by which those of Her Order as also most others are vanquish'd and enslav'd 'T were heartily to be wish'd that those who are willing publickly to Commend Her to make Verses and Orations in Her Praise would Imitate this Part of Her Example And that All would follow Her Diligence and Seriousness about all the Appointments of God and particularly the Lord's Supper which she would not partake of without spending many retir'd Hours in making due Preparation for that Solemnity And this leads to III. A Third Instance of Her Unfeigned Faith and Piety viz. A Constant and Diligent Performance of the Secret Duties of Religion She did not confine her Devotion to a Church or the Publick Solemnities of Worship as too many both High and Low doe but made Conscience of spending some part of every Day and especially her Morning Hours in secret Attendance upon God and minding the Concerns of Her Soul Like Moses She often ascended alone into the Mount and her secret Converse with God made Her Face to shine and adorn'd Her Life with rare Humility and Meekness and the Government of Her Passions So that Her Moderation was known to All and scarce ever any angry and bitter Language was heard from Her Mouth Which was one happy fruit of her secret Religion As we read concerning Moses That He was the Meekest Man in all the Earth but withal He had more secret Communion with God than any who liv'd in his Time IV. A Fourth Instance of Her Unfeigned Faith and Piety was Her Love to all Good Men though of a different Communion Her Esteem and Affection were not confin'd to one Party or to the Church of which Her Self was a Member This is the Unchristian Character of many That they hate and despise those who differ from them in the Circumstantials of Religion But the deceased Queen had a larger Soul She lov'd and valu'd the Image of God where-ever She found it 'T is well known how frequently I may say constantly She joyn'd in the Worship of God with the Dutch and French Churches though their Constitution and Order are very different from those of the Church of England I have been a Witness of the Kindness and Respect with which She treated English Dissenting Ministers and was present when She Thankt One of that Quality for a Practical Book of Divinity which He had publish'd and had been put into Her Hands This Consideration makes our Loss the greater Because She is taken away who was so capable and willing to compose the unhappy Differences in Matters of Religion which She did lament and earnestly wish'd the removal of ' em What did hinder Her Healing and Peace-making Designs I shall not stand to enquire V. The Fifth and last Instance of Her Faith and Piety which I shall mention was Her Bounty and Liberality unto the Distressed Those who never had themselves Experience of Want and Distress are tempted unto a Neglect and Disregard of the Miserable Most of the Great and Rich chuse rather to lay out their Treasures on any Vanity than in Relieving the Destitute and Distressed But this Pious Queen was rich in this kind of Good Works and did as willingly seek out Objects of Her Charity as others do avoid ' em The Character which Solomon gives of a Vertuous Woman did most visibly belong to the deceas'd Queen Prov. 31.20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor yea She reacheth forth both her hands to the needy And it might truly have been said of Her what Job alledg'd as an Evidence of his Sincerity in the Service of God Job 29.13,15,16 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caus'd the widows heart to sing for joy c. By such a Christian Practice this wise Queen laid up Treasure in Heaven and therefore was not unwilling to remove from this Earth And this leads us to reflect on the Happy End of Her Conversation Her Triumphant Death which crown'd Her Religious Life For though few could find more Charms in Life than She on the account of Her Age and High Station together with the general Love of Subjects and Strangers all which are wont to render an Untimely Death very unwelcom yet She could receive the Sentence and Message of Death with an undaunted Mind and a chearful Submission to the Divine Disposal She needed not to beg longer Time to prepare for Death which is the common Request of High and Low who first understand the Use of Life when the End of it approaches This folly she was not guilty of but as a Wise Virgin had betimes Mat. 25.7 trimmed her Lamp and dressed her Soul to meet the Heavenly Bridegroom who hath wash'd Her from Her Sins in His own Blood and bestow'd on her a far more glorious Crown then that which Death hath taken from her Head So that we have no cause to mourn for Her 1 Thes 4.13 as those who have no hope [a] The Heathen Romans were not ignorant of this Conculsion For on the Death of the Vertuous M. Antoninus there was no Lamentation made at his Funeral Die regii Funeris nemo illum plangendum censuerit certis omntbus quod à diis commodatus ad Deos rediisset Capitolin But we have the justest Cause to mourn for our selves and our Nations