lie is taken you all do well know which haue any experience in the world whither he is brought the Apostle teacheth when hee saith Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the companie of innumerable Angels And to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the mediatour of the new testament Who would be vnwilling thus to be taken away And why should the righteous be afraid of death by which they are thus taken away Had the Israelites anie cause to be vnwilling or to feare to be taken out of the land of Egypt the house of boÌ„dage and to bee caried as it were vpon Eagles wings into the land of Canaan a land that flowed with milke and honie No more cause haue the righteous to feare death which would carie them from the bondage of this world to the heauenly Canaan a place of eternall rest And why then should we mourne immoderately for the death of the righteous WheÌ„ Ioseph was taken from prison to be made a chief ruler in Egypt if his father Iacob had bin in prison with him and had beene acquainted with his preferment should he haue had anie iust cause to be grieued So soone as hee heard of it he reioyced and was willing to go vnto him When Saul was takeÌ„ froÌ„ seeking his fathers asses and annointed to be king ouer Israel had his father Kish any reason to lament WheÌ„ Dauid was taken from following the Ewes great with yong ones and ordained King to feed the Lords people had his father Ishai anie iust occasion of sorrow No more cause haue anie of vs to bewaile the death of the godly seeing they are as highly preferred as any of theÌ„ When Hester was takeÌ„ from Mordecai who had brought her vp as his own daughter to be maried vnto king Ahashuerosh and crowned as Queen did he lament it was he not most willing to leaue her Why then should anie man be so vnwilling to leaue either daughter or wife though neuer so deare vnto him seeing that shee is but taken vp into heauen there to be maried vnto Christ the husbaÌ„d of his Church and there to be crowned as a Queene to raigne in glorie with him But in this taking away there is great difference betwixt the godly and the wicked They are also taken away but why The godly are taken out of the world because the world was not worthie of them but the wicked are taken away because they are vnworthie to liue in the world Those are taken away in mercie these in iudgement those in the Lords fauour and these in his displeasure And whence are these taken or whither They are taken from the practise of sinne to suffer punishment for sinne from ease to torment from the first life to the second death from men to diuels from earth to hell from prison to the place of execution In a woful taking shall they be when they are thus taken away Their lamentable taking away is described in him that will not in time be reconciled to his brother The iudge deliuereth him to the sergeant the sergeant takes him and casts him into prison whence he must not come till hee haue paide the vtmost farthing Likewise in him that would not forgiue his fellow seruant an hundred pence his master being wroth deliuered him to the iayler who tooke him and cast him into prison till he should pay all that was due Also in him that wanted the wedding garment at the marriage feast of the kings sonne the king saith to his seruants binde him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Likewise in the vnprofitable seruant which would not imploy his maisters talent the talent must be taken from him he must be taken and cast into vtter darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Lastly in them which would not suffer their king to raigne ouer them he shall say those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me It is a grieuous thing for one that is making merrie among his companions to be sodainely apprehended by a sergeant or officer for a traitour theefe or murtherer and presently without baile or mainepâ—ise to be taken from his companie and carried to prison and from thence to the place of execution As grieuous is it for a wicked man that liues in the pleasures of sinne to be taken away by death which is the Lords sergeant to apprehend him and bring him to the prison of hell As his entrance into the world was euill and his continuance in the world was worse so his taking out of the world shall be worst of all Oh then let vs take heede least we be thus taken away Let vs learne to liue in the world as the righteous doe and then shall we be taken away as the righteous are Balaams wish is vsed by many Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his And yet they will not liue the life of the righteous but few of these obtaine their desire Looke what way a tree boweth while it stands and groweth the same way it commonly falleth when it is cut downe euen so looke how men are inclined in their life time to righteousnes or vnrighteousnesse so shall they fall at their death Men can hardly begin righteousnesse at their last end Late repentance is seldome sound repentance Men drawing neere to their end shall be so affrighted with death so troubled with paine and grief that they shal not be able to set themselues to repent soundly They shall then rather seeke ease for their bodies then mercie for their sins or grace for their soules The beginning of euerie thing is hardest and therefore he which hath begun wel is said to haue done halfe his worke As it is in other things so is it with repentance it is a harder matter to begin repentance at the first then to renue it afterward therfore the fittest time should be taken for the beginning of it that is rather the time of our life then the time of our death rather the time of our health then the time of our sicknesse In the time of our life and of our health we be scarse able and fit to begin serious repentance but much more vnable and vnfit shall we be in the time of sicknes death We read in scripture but of one which became righteous at his last end the theefe on the Crosse wee reade of one that no man might despaire though hee haue deferred his repentance so long we reade but only of one that no man might presume to deferre it so long The surest and safest way is to begin
professors In Sionis gaudium Anglo-Papistarum luctum Amen Amen FINIS A BRIEF DISCOVRSE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE and death of Mistris Katherin Brettergh late wife of Master William Brettergh of Bretterghoult in the Countie of Lancaster Gentleman who departed this world the last of May. 1601. With the manner of a bitter conflict she had with Satan and blessed conquest by Christ before her death to the great glorie of God and comfort of all beholders Micha 7. 8. Reiovce not against me O mine enemies though I fall I shall rise againe And when I sit in darkenes the Lord shall be a ligâ—â— vnto me Psalm 37. 37. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston 1602. TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader grace and peace in Iesus Christ. WHen Achimaaz the sonne of Zadoc requested that he might be the messenger to bring Dauid word of Absoloms death Ioab would not suffer him Thou shalt not saith he be the messenger to day but thou shalt cary newes another time but to day thou shalt cary none for the Kings sonne is dead He knew Dauids affection was such that the newes of his childs death would be most heauie to him and the messenger himselfe not welcome for his message sake This is all our infirmity no tidings more grieuous to vs then when wee heare of the death of those whom wee loue The Parent bewayles his Child the Husband his Wife the Friend laments the death of his Friend and we thinke it the losse of another friend to depart with this our griefe Iacob mourned for Ioseph his son that he would not be comforted of a long season but thought he would weepe for him as long as he liued When the Amalekites had burned Ziklag and led away captiue the mens wiues and their children Dauid and his company wept till they could weepe no more When Lazarus dred his sisters Martha and Mary were much discomforted for him Gâ—egory Nazianzen reports that when Basil the great died euen the wisest men in the city stroue to exceede one another in weeping and complaining for his death And as for my selfe saith he now I am bereaued of the fellowship of such a man what shall I do but either dye or liue in miserie Which way shall I turne me What shall I do What counsell shall I take now I haue lost him that was my comfort So heauy a thing we see it is to be seuered for a time from those that are deere vnto vs. One only thing there is which is able in this case much to temper our affections when we see our friend to die in the Lord that is in comfort of conscience assurance of saluatioÌ„ through Christ. And this his comfort he expresseth outwardly vnto vs by performing those duties which are required of a man when he dyes and so he makes a ioyfull and a holy end When our friend departeth this life in this maner we haue iust cause to take his death the more comfortably And thus it pleaseth God many times to stirre vp some especiallie such as in their life time haue a care to pursue Religion and to keep themselues vndesiled of the world at their death to expresse wonderfull comfort of spirit and to shew forth such fruit of Religion that we wonder at it and acknowledge the extraordinary worke of Gods spirit in them They wrastle against temptations they confesse their faith feele the assurance of their saluation condemne their sinnes exhort the beholders praise God sing Psalmes wish to dye that in their death they are better Christians then euer they were in their life This blessed departure God giues to many for diuers good purposes 1. That the world may know that peace is the end of the iust and comfort in death is the portion of the righteous 2. That his eternall truth in our holy profession may appeare to be able to comfort vs not onely in our life but in our death also when all other comforts forsake vs. 3. That our enemies may see our faith is not in vaine 4. That the weake by their example may be incouraged to a holy life when they see it bring with it so happie a death and that they may be strengthened against the feare of death seeing it is alwaies comfortable to those that leade a godly life 5. and finally that the friends of the departed by their heaueÌ„ly departure may be admonished not to mourne so much for their death as to reioyce for their life and to thanke God that euer it was their lot in any degree to be ioined or matched with so blessed seruants of God This Gentlewoman Mistresse Katherine Brettergh was one of this number her life as long as God continued it was deere to those among whom she was as the life of a friend might be Her husband friends kinsfolks brethren sisters and all the godly that knew her inioyed a great blessing of God of her and her death no doubt was grieuous to her husband as the death of a vertuous yoke-fellow And if worldly affection would haue holpen it it was the same in him that Dauids was to Absolom his sonne when he mourned for his death O my sonne Absolom my sonne my sonne Absolom would to God I had dyed for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne But sure her death was such her behauiour in her sicknes so religious her heart so possessed with comfort her mouth so filled with the praises of God her spirit so strengthened against the feare of death her conquest so happy ouer her infirmities that such as loued her most haue greatest cause to reioyce in her death and by seeing the wonderfull worke of God in her to learne to renounce their owne affections This is the thing I thought with profit might be presenâ—â—d to the view of others also that knew her not for when I had for my own priuate vse and the vse of my friends faithfully collected out of the fresh memories of those that were present and eye-witnesses as wel as my selfe and set downe the manner of her sicknes and death I considered that the knowledge thereof could not but be welcome to al those that desire to die the death of the righteous And so the same causes that moued me to collect it gaue me also occasion to publish it I remembred the saying of one That it is great pietie to set foorth the vertues of the departed if they haue excelled therein yea it is a meanes to increase grace in our selues I thought so great mercie of God shewed to one among vs ought not to be forgotten but should remaine to vs our childre an example to teach vs how good God is to them that loue him and to assure vs that he will neuer forsake vs but in like manner as he did her helpe and comfort vs when we shall by death be called vnto him I considered the vngodly
is some euill for the righteous to dwell among ill neighbours It greatly greeueth them to see others commit sinne and dishonour God Lot being righteous and dwelling among the Sodomites in seeing hearing their vnlawfull deeds vexed his righteous soule from day to day And Dauid said Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keep not thy law And also woe is me that I remaine in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Keaar Hee which is truelie grieued for sin in himselfe wil also be grieued for sinne in others Now the world is so fraught with sinners that if a man would not keepe companie with fornicators or with the couetous or with extortioners or with idolaters then as Paul saith he must go out of the world Death therefore frees men from this euill because it taketh them out of the world and suffereth them not to behold eyther the sinnes which men commit against God or the euils which God doth bring vpon them yea death doth carrie them into heauen to the holie angels and spirits of iust and perfect men which sinne not at all but fulfill the will of God in all perfection They shall haue cause to reioyce for them and not to be grieued at them There be also extraordinarie euils from which the righteous are deliuered by death and those are extraordinarie iudgements which the Lord bringeth vpon the people and countrie where they dwelt for some late and grieuous sins Thus was a young child of Ieroboam dealt withall The Lord threatned to bring euill vpon the house of Ieroboam and to sweepe off the remnant of his house as a man sweepeth away dung til it be all gone Yea the dogs should eate him of Ieroboams stocke that died in the Citie and the foules of the aire should eate him that died in the field yet that childe should die in his bed and all Israel as it is said shall mourne for him for he onlie of Ieroboam shall come to the graue because in him there is found some goodnes toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Ieroboam Thus also was good king Iosiah dealt withall The Lord told him before hand because thine heart melted and they hast humbled thy selfe hast rent thy clothes and wept before mee behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place And thus was Luther dealt withall as some haue obserued who was taken away in peace not long before the Lord brought that miserable calamitie vpon Germanie which he had often foretold would come vpon that people for the contempt of the Gospel Who also desired that hee might be called out of the world before he saw those grieuous punishments which hee greatly feared Though this be no perpetuall law for sometime the righteous perish in the common destruction among the wicked as Ionathan did with Saul other Israelites in battell against the Philistims And in the Pestilence Christians haue dyed with the Infidels Sometime God spareth the wicked for the righteous mens sake which liue among them The Lord promised Abraham that if he could finde ten righteous men â—n Sodome hee would not destroy the citie for those tennes sake And Iob sayd The innocent shall deliuer the yland and it shall be preserued by the purenes of his hands Yea wheate and tares must grow together till the haruest that is good and bad must liue together in the world vntil the end of the world Yet oftentimes God pluckes his children out of fire which shall consume the wicked and prouides a place of safety for them in heauen before he powre forth his iudgements vpon the earth Lot was commaunded to make haste vnto the citie of Zoar to saue him there because the Lord could doe nothing vnto Sodom till hee was come thither And when the Lord would destroy Ierusalem for the abominations committed in it he shewed to the Prophet in a vision the destroyers comming forth with their weapoÌ„s to destroy yet they must not touch any vntill they were all marked in their fore heads which mourned for all the abominations done in the midst of it And the destroying Angels must not hurt the earth neither the sea nor the trees till the seruants of God were sealed in their foreheads As the righteous are carefull to serue the Lord so is he carefull to preserue them As they haue not bin partakers with the common sort in the practise of sin so shall they not bee partakers with them in suffering punishment He takes them from among the wicked and then executeth his iudgements vpon the wicked alone The Egyptians did vse to gather their corne out of the fields and laid it vp in their barnes and then caused the Israelites to gather the stubble to make bricke withall and in some Countreys Farmers first carry the corne into their barnes and then burne the stubble in the field where it growes so the Lord first gathereth the righteous into the kingdome of heauen and then consumeth the wicked on the earth It is farre from the iudge of all the world to slay the righteous with the wicked 1. In this respect those which suruiue the righteous haue iust cause to feare some present euils and labour by vnfained repentance if it be possible to preueÌ„t them Their death is a plaine prognostication of some euils to come and should be as a trumpet to awaken others out of the sleepe of sinne Many of the wicked reioyce when the godly are taken away froÌ„ them they loue their roomes better then their company they hated them and their profession in their life time because as they say they are not for our profit and they are contrary to our doings they checke vs for offending against the law it grieueth vs to looke vpon them for their liues are not like other men and therefore at their death they are glad that they are rid of them when indeede they haue greater cause to howle and weepe for the miseries that shall come vpon them The righteous need not to imitate the vngodly practise of Herod who being ready to dye thinking that his death would be a great ioy to many shut vp in prison some noble men of euery towne and required his sister Salome her husband Alexa that so soone as he was dead they should kil those noble men and then all Iudaea would lament his death The Lord himselfe doth often make the death of the righteous to be lamented by sending of extraordinary iudgements immediatly after their death When Noah enters into the Arke the world is drowned with the floud when Lot departs out of Sedome it is burnt with fire 2 In this respect also yâ— righteous haue no cause to feare death but rather to desire it for what is it
but an ending of some troubles and a preuenting of others They may with Paule desire to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all It is true which Salomon saith That the day of a mans death is better then the day of his birth For the day of a godly mans birth is the beginning of his misery but the day of his death is the end of his misery Indeede the day of a wicked mans death is the most wofull day that euer befell him for hee is not taken away from the euill to come but he is taken vnto euill to be tormented in hell for euermore And therefore he feares death as much as a malefactour feareth a Sergeant that commeth to carry him to prisoÌ„ where he is like to abide till the day of execution That is true in them which the Diuell sayd Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life And as the Gibeonites were content rather to bee bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water then to be killed by the Israelites as other nations were So they had rather indure any kinde of misery then to die as others doe because they feare a worse estate after death and therefore must bee pulled from the earth with as great violence as Ioab was pulled from the hornes of the altar vnto which he had fled as to a place of refuge But the godly knowing what an happy exchange they make by death they desire to dye so soone as it pleaseth the Lord. Indeede none ought for the ending of present calamities or preuenting of future miseries to shorten their own dayes as Saul did by falling on his owne sword nor yet for the present enioying of eternal happines procure their own deatâ— as Cleombrotus did who reading Plato his booke of the immortalitie of the soule cast himself headlong from a wal that he might change this life for a better He onely who gaue life must take it away and the Lord may say to such I will receiue no soules which against my will haue gone out of the body the Philosophers which died so were martyrs of foolish philosophie Yet seeing that death freeth the righteous from present and future miseries they may be most willing to dye so soone as the Lord calleth for them and when death approacheth may say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace 3 Lastly in this respect we must learne not to mourne immoderately for the death of the righteous Though we receiued great comfort and inioyed some benefit by them while they were aliue yet seeing that death is an aduantage vnto them we should be content patiently to beare our owne losse in respect of their great gaine If two friends should lye in prison together or should dwell together in a strange countrey where both of them were hardly vsed were many wayes iniured endured great want and sustained much miserie though they loued one another dearely and the one were an helpe and comfort to the other yet if the one should be taken from the other and brought to his chiefest friends and among them be not onely freed from all such miseries as before he had endured but also be aduanced to great preferment will the other which is left behind him be discontented at it Will he not rather wish himselfe to be there with him in the like case then desire that either he had stayed with him or might returne againe This our life is as a prison or straunge countrey in which we indure great miserie and may euery day looke for more if therefore our deerest friends be taken from vs freed from these miseries and aduanced to great glorie with Christ and his Saints in the kingdome of heauen we haue no cause to wish that either they had stayed longer with vs or might returne againe vnto vs but rather desire that we might quickly go vnto them to be glorified in like sort Though we may thinke that they dyed too soone for vs yet they dyed not too soone for themselues for the sooner they come to rest and happines the better it is for them Their condition is farre better then ours for they are freed from misery we are reserued for further misery they are already arriued at the hauen of eternall rest and we are stil tossed on the sea of this world with troublesome waues and dangerous tempests they haue ended their iourney with lesser trauaile and making a shorter cut and wee are yet trauailing with wearâ—â—omnesse in our iourney If any one of them could speake after their death he would say vnto those which weep for him as Christ sayd to the daughters of Ierusalem Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children because of the dangerous dayes which shall ensue Or as Christ said vnto his disciples If ye loued me ye would verily reioyce because I go vnto the Father But if examples do moue any thing at al I may apply al that hath bin spoken to our present occasion A righteous woman is perished a mercifull woman is taken away let vs lay it to our hearts and consider that she is taken away from euill I am fully perswaded that she is deliuered from ordinary euils and it may be her death hath in her self preuented some extraordinarie iudgements which remaine for vs that are left behinde Sin is now so riâ—e and ripe among vs that we may iustly feare some strange future euils God graunt that as she hath preuented them by her death so we may preuent them by our vnfained repentance I know that she being receiued into the society of the Saincts in heauen neither careth for nor seeketh mans praises she neither needeth our prayers nor yet our prayses if she desire any thing it is our imitation Yet to praise the dead is a thing lawfull in it self and profitable vnto the liuing If it had not bin a thing lawfull neither Dauid would so highly haue commended Ionathan for his feruent and constant loue 2. Sam. 1. 26. neither would the holy Ghost haue commended king Iosiah for his integrity aboue all others 2. Chro. â—5 23. Neither would the author to the Hebrews haue so greatly praised the Patriarchs and Prophets for their excellent works of faith Nâ—ither would Christ haue commaunded that wheresoeuer the Gospell should be preached throughout all the world that which the woman had done in â—anointing him should be spoken of for a memoriall of her God would not haue the vertuous deedes and holy examples of the righteous to bee buried with them but to bee kept in remembrance for the imitation of others Christ commended some while they were aliue as the Centurion for the greatnes of his faith Math. 8. Iohn Baptist for his constancie his â—obrietie in his apparell and the dignitie of his office Math. 11. May we not then praise the dead For
consecrate it glorious to the Lord. And as it is said of Iosiah his heart melted when he heard the law so may it be said of her her heart was so tender and full of compassion that oftentimes she was seene to heare Sermons reade pray and meditate with teares She made conscience of all sinne yea of the least sinne such as worldlings count no sinne she neuer vsed to sweare o th great nor small nor yet to abuse her tongue with vaine or vnseemely speeches no not so much as a iest-lye or immodest word neither durst she name the name of God or take his titles in her mouth without great reuerence In priuate speech where shee might speake with profit she did it so well that her speeches might haue been deliuered by a stronger vessell then her selfe her words being so well seasoned and proceeding from such a sanctified heart did alwaies minister grace to the hearers To reade to pray to sing to meditate was her daily exercise and her chiefest delight was in the holie societie of the Saints vpon earth which I say not for any cause but only to shew the fountaine froÌ„ whence her godly end flowed and that the world may see some there be which chuse rather to be ioyned with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and these I doubt not haue chosen the better part Finally the precepts of the Lord were precious vnto her for from her childhood she feared God and walked before him both knowledge and sanctification did ioyne in her the fruits effects whereof did appeare in her life and was seene at her death to the glorie of God and comfort of all beholders She was not like the simple Popish women of our daies which are euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth but rather like the noble men and women of Berâ—a which receiued the word of God with readines and were able to discerne of Paul and Silas preaching But why doe I speake of Popish women whose vnderstandings are darker then the darkenes of Aegypt Let vs come and examine many other which seeme to detest Poperie and aske them a reason of their faith they can tell you a tale of their ruffes and their pride and their vanitie but for Religion it is the least thing they regard or seeke to know which I speake not so much to solace my selfe in the sinnes and simplicitie of others as earnestly desiring all Gentlewomen that either knew this holy saint of God or hereafter shall heare of her insteed of your glasses at home wherein you prick and prune and pin your selues to looke into this glasse before your eyes that so her life and death may be an example for you to follow When she was about twentie yeeres old by the consent of her selfe her friends shee was married to a young Lancashire Gentleman Master William Brettergh of Bretterghoult neere Liuerpoole one that likewise embraced Religion sincerely and for the same indured many grieuances at the hands of Papists Two yeeres and more she liued after she was married and had issue only one daughter during which time this couple liued together in such mutuall ioy and comfort as well beseemed the children of God which make profession of his trueth And although this Gentlewoman came from the habitations of Abraham to dwell in Sodome amidst the tents of Kedar that is to say among inhumane bands of brutish Papists induring many temporal grieuancos from them yet her knowledge patieâ—nâ—â— mild inclination and constancie for the trueth was such as that her husband was farther builded vp in Religion by her meanes and his face daily more and more hardened against the diuell and all his plaguâ—â— agents the Popish Recusants Church Pâ—pists prophane Atheists and carnall Protestants which swarmed together like Hornets in those parts It is not vnknowne to Lancashire what horses and cattell of her husbands were killed vpon his grounds in the night most barbarously at two seuerall times by Seminarie Priests no question and Recusants that lurked thereabouts And what a losse and hinderance it was vnto him being all the stocke hee had on his grounds to any purpose This fell out not long after shee was married to him yet this was so farre from disâ—laying her or working such passion in her as are common to her sex that she rather reioyced then sorrowed turning it into matter of praising God and submitting her selfe to his good prouidence Oft she would haue 〈…〉 It is good that such things be but wâ—â— be to them that doe them It is good in God there by to chasten his children and preuent some sinne which he sawe vs like to fall into It is good in respect of Gods Church that the weake may be confirmed in the trueth and that Papistrie may be disgraced when the world shall see such wickednesse flow from it It is good in God that so the wicked may bee without excuse at the day of iudgement when their consciâ—ncâ— shall tell them that howsoeuer God suffers them to doe such villaniâ— for some iust cause knowne to himselfe yet they commit it onely of malice and reuenge Oftentimes also in these vexations she would haue said the mercies of God are infinite who doth not only by his word but also by his iustice make vs fit for his kingdome Little doe our enemies know what good by these things they doe vnto vs and what wrack they bring to their owne kingdome while they set foorth the wickednesse thereof Many times she would pray that God would forgiue them which had done them this hurt and send them repentance and she would call vpon her husband that he would doe the like and blesse them that cursed him And for feare least her husband should faile in that poynt through infirmitie and weakenes as it is said of Iob who offered sacrifice for his sonnes least peraduenture they should sinne and blaspheme God in their hearts so she neuer failed but daily prayed vnto the Lord to sanctific her husbands thoughts and direct his heart aright only to seeke Gods glorie without either desire of reuenge or satisfying his owne affections So humble was her spirit so carefull to auoyde and preuent sinne both in her selfe and others and so mild of nature that as Iacob with his mildnes softened the malicious heart of Esau his brother and Dauid by his kindnes in the caue chaunged the furie of Saul into weeping and confessing that Dauid was more righteous then heâ—so she by her meeknesse humilitie and vnspotted carriage in the world forced some of the aduersaries to Religion to speake well of her For her life she was well reported of all that knew her Pitifull and bountifull was she to the poore and slacked no opportunitie to doe good wherein she could but constantly held her course and kept her times of praying reading and meditating wherein she
she was once or twice troubled with vaine speeches as of her child the killing of her husbands cattell that she thought shee saw a fire by her c. But euery one saw that these things proceeded of weakenes emptines of her head and want of sleepe which her disease would not afâ—oord her These fits though they were for the time griouous to her selfe and discomfortable to her friends yet were they neither long nor continuall but in the very middest of theÌ„ would she oftentimes giue testimonie of her faith striuing and fighting against her temptations Many times when the standers by iudged her afflictions at the sharpest would she call vpon God lifting vp her eyes and hands to heauen and desire him to giue her strength against her temptations Many times with a cheerefull countenance she would desire those that were by not to faint or giue her ouer but constantly to pray and helpe her against the tempter Once in the middest of her temptation being demaunded by Master William Fox whether she did beleeue the promises of God nor no and whether she could pray she answered O that I could I would willingly but he will not let me Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe which shee pronounced with a still low voyce And when he replied that if she had a desire to pray and beleeue shee did pray and beleeue and that so effectually that hell gates should not ouercome her according to that of the Apostle God accepteth it according to that a man hath not according to that a man hath not shee was much comforted thereby Once after a great conflict with Satan she said Satan reason not with me I am but a weake woman if thou haue any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my aduocate my streâ—gth and my redeemer and he shall pleade for mee Sometimes when she was aâ—â—ucted with the accusation of her sinnes and want of feeling Gods mercie she would with many a pitifull â—ob and much weeping pray to the Lord Iesus Christ to helpe and comfort her a poore wofull distressed woman and request others to pray for her And when shee was moued to make confession of her â—ath she would doe it oftentimes saying the Apostles Creede and concluding the same with words of application to her selfe I beleeue the remission of my sinnes the resurrectioÌ„ of my bodie and eternall life to mee Amen And hauing done she would pray God to confirme her in that saith euer concluding with the Lords prayer as deuoutly and reuerently as any that were present A Christian friend who by his daily attendance on her discharged the dutie of a faithfull Christian standing by told her that no temptation had befallen her but that which appertained to the child of God and that God is faithfull and true and had promised to giue an issue with the temptation whereat she expressed great comfort Maister Edward aspinwall a faithfull professor of the truth and a true Israelite was much with her in the time of her sicknes and ministred much heauenly instruction vnto her and comforted her at all times with apt places of scripture meeting with her temptations and so put the sword of the spirit into her hand He propounded to her the most plentiful comforts of God vnto his Church in the 40. 41. 42. and 43. Chapters of Isaiah vttered in such speeches phrases as might most fitly answere her discomforts Also he directed her to consider the Passion and Prayer of our Sauiour Christ for all his Iohn 17. Math 26. Luke 22. 23. But specially did he often inculcate that sweet inuitation of our Sauiour Come vnto me all you that trauell be heauie laden I will ease you But the difficulty shee had somtimes to apply these generals vnto her owne soule in particular made the case more full of anguish to her selfe and fearefull and lamentable to the standers by Albeit she acknowledged Gods maiesty mercy faithfulnes and truth yet still complayned she of her owne weakenes and vnworthines and could hardly appropriate each thing to her selfe To helpe her somewhat herein for properly otherwise it is the peculiar worke of the holy spirit of God to perswade the heart and soule of her particular interest in these generall promises shee was told that the Almighty who was merciful as she had proued and faithfull as she confessed intended all these mercies to as many as he did call and make promise to And that hee called her she must needs confesse both because that then she not onely her selfe read but heard others reade those blessed words of God vnto her and also for that in former times she had been touched with the loue of God and that his truth and had well profited in the detestation of sinne and imitation of her Sauiour in a holy life And for yâ— proofe thereof she was wished to remember in former times her Baptisme her frequenting of Sermons and often receiuing the most comfortable repast of the holy Communion her daily and almost continuall exercise of reading meditating and praying c. Also he assured her that neither the present agony she was in nor the speeches then in that distresse tending to the signification of despaire extorted from her were any iust causes why either she or any that heard her should iudge fearefully of her because all might see the fault was not in her will as appeared by her prayers confessions plaints sighs teares and grones to God for mercie and full assurance in the bloud of Christ but in her iudgement not able at that time to discerne the wayes of the Almightie And therein he told her she was made comformable not only to many the holy Saints of God Iob Ieremy Dauid and others more but also to her head our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus of whom we reade that some haue cursed the day of their birth and called for their end and darknes to couer them They haue been as men without hope and swallowed vp in despaire They haue cryed how the wrath of God hath torne them and the terrors of the almightie haue fought against them They haue had no peace in their soules nor comfort in their consciences their prayers haue beene shut from God their sinnes haue been terrible vnto them crying that their iniquities had gone ouer their heads and were a burden too heaâ—â—e for them to heare And they haue thought themselues â—â—â—â—â—â—les of shame and reproch and â—s monsterr v 〈…〉 They were grieuâ—d for the sinnâ—s of their 〈…〉 nd complained that they â—ere 〈…〉 and most miserable and wretched â—n the world yet for all this were they still the d 〈…〉 ildren of God as you â—â—â— this day Nay saith he I pray you coâ—sider what â—orments God inflicted vpon his deare Sonne on the Crosse did he not cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He complained that his soule was heaâ—y vnto death
yet was he heard in that which he feared God deliuered him After this he read vnto her the 22. Psalme wherein Dauid complained partly of his owne but principally of the most bitter anguith which our Sauiour Christ indured and suffered in bodie and soule putting her in minde that her case was not so bad as Dauids nor much vnlike our Sauiours who indured all that and more for her therefore she had no cause to feare seeing Christ had obtained victory and would vndoubtedly be with her deliuer her eternally glorifie her with himselfe for euermore and so continually hee propounded to her such comfortable places of scripture as might meete with her infirmities This greatly refreshed her and gaue her occasion many times to call vpon God for increase of grace and deliuerance from her grieuous temptations The which God of his accustomed goodnes vouchsafed on Tuesday about three a clock in the afternoone what time shee felt herselfe in very good measure deliuered from all her former feares and afflictions But on Saterday next after which was the day before her death she was wholy released and filled with such inward comfort that it greatly affected vs that saw it This is the summe of that temptation which she had wherein what can any man see that might giue iust occasion to report our religion comfortles or the Gentlewoman dyed despairing This wee are sure of that to bee without temptation is the greatest temptation as also that nothing befell her which hath not befallen the holyest of the children of God And she that considered her owne corruption which how great it is in the best of Gods Saints I neede not say and bethought her selfe of the punishment due thereto if God in iustice should reward her no maruell if shee brake out sometime into heauie complaints I make no question it was the worke of God in her to suffer Satan to accuse her and afflict her for her sinnes that so she might the better see them and consider the haynousnes of them and before her departure repent her of them and betake her wholy to Christ for the sauing of her soule And if it pleased God thus to make her possesse her sinnes before she dyed let those which neuer yet knew the waight of their sinnes be wise in time and remember that hee shall neuer haue his sinne forgiuen which first or last doth not vndergo a holy despaire for it and acknowledge nothing to remayne in himselfe but matter of iudgement and condemnation and comfort and eternall life to flow alone from Iesus Christ. And as for those which haue learned to scoffe at the terrors of Gods children to censure such as aâ—e at somtimes cast down with feeling the anger of God against sin let them consider the blessed â—sâ—ue that God gaue to the troubles of this Gentlewoman and let them acknowledge his worke in her And if they will not do this but proceede to traduce the dead then let them call to minde those of the Popish crue and persons of greater note among them then this Gentlewoman was which haue dyed most fearefully indeede Cardinall Sadelot Iacobus Latomus the Diuinitie Reader at Lâ—uâ—â—ne Hoâ—meâ—ler the Frier Guardacus Boâ—elius Crescentâ—â—â— the Cardinall Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and diuers the bloudy persecutors in Queene Maries time and some of the Popes themselues as namely Pope Sixtus Quintus of late yeers all which died most fearefully miserably and shewed manifest signes at their death that their popish superstition was the condemnation of their soules And if they will iudge of my religion by my death let them acknowledge their religion is the doctrine of desperation and that the truth faith which was able to fill the heart and tongue of this blessed Gentlewoman at her death with such heaueÌ„ly comforts is the doctrine of Christ reuealed from heauen that wee might liue and dye in it From Tuesday till Whitson-eeuen her comfort still increased and temptations vanished away See would theÌ„ very cheerfully ioyne with the company in prayer and singing Psalmes as occasion offered and performed all such duties as was meete for her in that estate One day her brother Master Iohn Bruen of Bruenstapleford came from his house in Cheshyre to visit her and after some kind salutation passed betweene them he said vnto her Sister be not dismaid at your troubles but remember what the Apostle saith that iudgement must begin at the house of God To whom the answered as one that was also very ready in the scriptures with the very next words following True it is and if it begin at vs the righteous shall scarce be saued where shall the sinners and vngodly appeare After that she praied with him sung a Psalme with him as one that receiued great comfort by him acknowledged in him a hart set to seeke the things belonging to the kingdome of Christ. During this time in the night with such as waked with her she would pray and rehearse for her comfort many texts of Scripture and namely the 8. to the Romanes many times coÌ„cluding and closing vp yâ— she read or repeated with prayer and most comfortable vses and applications thereof to her selfe with shew of such ioy and comfort that the hearers reioyced at it When she receiued any meate she prayed God not only to sanctifie those creatures for her bodily sustenance but also to fill her soule with the waters of life often repeating that of the Reuelation To him that thirsâ—eth will I giue of the waters of life freely One true she tooke her bible in her hand and ioyfully kissing it and looking vp toward heauen she sayd that of the Psalme O Lord it is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer Another time she called her Husband to her and said O Husband beware of Papistry keepe your selfe holy before the Lord. Yeeld not to the abominations of the wicked least they reioyce and so you dishonor God and destroy your owne soule Againe she said Let my little child be brought vp among the children of God and in the true feare and knowledge of his Maiesty so shall I meete her in heauen whom now I must leaue behinde me on earth Againe sometime she would pray with a low voyce to her selfe and that saying of Paule We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare any more but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father was much in her mouth and the last words Abba father shee would double oftentimes ouer She would sing to herselfe the last verse of the 13. Psalme I will giue than â—â— unto the Lord and praises to him sing Because he hath heard my request graÌ„ted my wishing Finally in these and such like exercises and meditations did she spend the whole time