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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	appear_v	life_n	sin_n	4,010	5	4.7063	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02734	The christian life and death, of Mistris Katherin Brettergh late wife of Master William Brettergh, of Bretterghoult, in the countie of Lancaster gentleman. With the manner of a bitter conflict shee had with Satan, and blessed conquest by Christ, before her death, to the great glory of God, and comfort of all beholders.	Harrison, William, d. 1625.	1634 (1634)	STC 12865; ESTC S117327	20,842	26

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DEATH OF MISTRIS KATHERIN BRETTERGH LATE wife of Master WILLIAM BRETTERGH of Bretterghoult in the Countie of Lancaster Gentleman With the manner of a bitter conflict shee had with Satan and blessed conquest by CHRIST before her death to the great glory of God and comfort of all beholders MICHA 7. 8. Reioyce not against me O mine enemies though I fall I shall rise againe And when I sit in darkenesse the Lord shall be a light 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 1634. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER grace and peace in IESVS CHRIST VVHen 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 shall not saith he be the messenger to day but thou shalt carry newes another time but to day thou shalt carry none for the Kings sonne is dead He knew Dauids affection was such that the newes of his childes death would bee most heauie to him and the messenger himselfe not welcome for his message sake This is all our infirmity no tidings more grieuous to us then when wee heare of the death of those whom wee loue The Parent bewailes his Childe the Husband his Wife the Friend laments the death of his Friend and wee thinke it the losse of another friend to depart with this our griefe Iacob mourned for Ioseph his sonne that hee would not bee comforted of a long season but thought hee 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 campany wept till they could weepe no more When Lazarus died his sisters Martha and Mary were much discomforted for him So heauie a thing wee see it is to bee seuered for a time from those that are deare vnto us One onely 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 and assurance of saluation through Christ. This blessed departure God giues to many for diuers good purposes First that the world may know that peace is the end of the iust and comfort in death is the portion of the righteous Secondly That his eternall truth in our holy profession may appeare to bee able to comfort us not only in our life but in our death also when all other comforts forsake vs. Thirdly that our enemies may see our faith is not in vaine Fourthly that the weake by their example may be encouraged to a holy life when they see it bring with it so happy a death and that they may be strengthened against the feare of death seeing it is alwayes comfortable to those that lead a godly life Fifthly and finally that the friends of the departed by their heauenly 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 ioyned 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 enioyed a great blessing of God of her and her death no doubt was grievous to her husband as the death of a vertuous yokefellow This is the thing I thought with profit might bee presented to the view of other also that knew her not for when I had for my owne priuate vse and the vse of my friends faithfully collected out of the fresh memories of those that were present and eie-witnesses as well as my selfe and set downe the manner of her sicknesse and death I considered that the knowledge thereof could not but bee welcome to all those that desire to dye the death of the righteous And so the same causes that moued me to collect it gaue mee also occasion to publish it I remembred the saying of one That it is is great piety to set forth the vertues of the departed if they haue excelled therein yea it is a meanes to encrease 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 us and our children 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 and vncharitable tongues of the Papists abiding in our Country who since her death haue not ceased to giue it out that she died despairing and by her comfortlesse end shewed that she professed a comfortlesse Religion Wherein they bewray their malice and madnesse and shew themselues of what generation they are euen a people saith Ieremie which bend their tongues like bowes for lies and as Dauid saith make ready their arrowes to shoot at them which are vpright in heart And lastly when I remembred the censure giuen by our Sauiour Christ of the woman that powred costly oyntment on his head a little before his Passion though some of his Disciples vniustly blamed her for the same saying What needed this wast yet he himselfe did not only excuse her for that fact saying shee did it to bury him but also commanded that wheresoeuer the Gospell should bee preached throughout the world there also that which shee had done should bee spoken of for a memoriall of her Euen so seeing this vertuous Gentlewoman hath been vniustly accused by some popish persons I thought it ●it that she should not onely be iustly excused but also that a true history of her holy life and Christian death should be now published in print as a briefe history to be seene and read for a memoriall of her I had no other odours wherewith to embalme her I am but the penman the thing it selfe was her owne wrought in her by the spirit of diuine prouidence the which God grant that we may all imitate Amen The holie Life and Christian Death of Mistris KATHERIN BRETTERGH THis Gentlewoman was borne in Cheshire the daughter of Iohn Breuen of Breuenstapleford Esquire well descended and of an ancient House Her education before her mariage was such as became the profession of the Gospell in godlinesse and purity of life and Religion and well beseemed the house where shee was brought up The Scriptures shee knew from a childe and by reading thereof gained such knowledge that shee was able readily to apply them when occasson was offered as we may see at the time of her death and that so fitly and effectually that shee seemed

to haue made them her dayly meditation For the things of this world shee was moderate and sober and by her Christian life and death shee might teach many Gentlewomen how vaine the pleasures and fashions of this World are and how farre vnable to bring that peace to a distressed heart that the embracing of true Religion can Shee used not to ga● abroad with wandring Di●ah to ●●ncing gr●enes markets or publike assemblies but rather with Hannah did chuse to tread vpon the dust of the Sanctuary and walke in the waies of Sion yea with Dauid rather to be a doore-keeper in the house of God than to haue society with the wicked or to dwell in the tents and tabernacles of the vngodly The Sabbath day was alwaies deere and welcome to her what time shee would not be without the Word preached though many times she went farre for it Her delight was still to consecrate it glorious to the Lord. And as it is said of Iosiah his heart melted when hee heard the Law so may it be said of her her heart was so tender and full of compassion that oftentimes she was scene to heare Sermons reade pray and meditate with teares Shee made conscience of all slaue yea of the least sinne such as worldlings count no sinne shee neuer vsed to sweare oath 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 shee name the Name of GOD or take his titles in her mouth without great reuerence In priuate speech where shee might speake with profit shee did it so well that her speeches might haue beene 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 dayly exercise and her chiefest delight was in the holy society of the Saints vpon earth which I say not for any cause but only to shew the fountaine from whence her godly end flowed and that the World may see some there be which chuse rather to bee ioyned with the people of God than 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 childehood she feared God and walked before him both knowledge and sanctification did ioyne in her the fruites and effects whereof did appeare in her life and was seene at her death to the glory of God and comfort of all beholders She was not like the simple Popish women of our dayes which are euer learning and neuerable to come to the knowledge of the truth but rather like the Noble men and women of Berea which receiued the Word of God with readinesse and were able to discerne of Paul and Silas preaching But why doe I speake of Popish women whose vnderstandings are darker than the darkenesse of Egypt 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 vanity 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 in stead of your glasses at home wherein you pricke and prune and pinne your selues to looke into this glasse before your eyes that so her life and death may bee an example for you to follow When she was about twenty yeeres old by the consent of her selfe and her friends she 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 onely 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 truth And although this Gentlewomen came from the inhabitants of Abraham to dwell in Sodome amidst the tents of Kedar that is to say among inhumane hands of bru●ish Papists induring many temporall grieuances from them yet her knowledge patience milde inclination and constancie for the truth was such as that her husband was farther builded vp in Religion by her meanes and his face dayly more and more hardened against th● deuill and all his plaguie agents the Popish Recusants Church Papists prophane Atheists and carnall Protestants which swarmed together like ●ornets 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 barbarouslie at two seuerall times by S●mi●ary Priests no question and Recusants that lurked thereabouts And what a l●sse 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 dismaying her or working such passions in her as are common to her sex that shee rather rejoyced then sorrowed turning it into matter of praising God and submitting her selfe to his good prouidence Oft shee would haue said It is good that such things bee but woe bee to them that doe them It is good in God thereby to chasten his children and preuent some sinne which he saw vs like to fall into It is good in respect of Gods Church that the weake may be confirmed in the truth and that Papistry may bee 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 conscience shall tell them that howsoeuer GOD suffers them to doe such villanie for some iust cause knowne to himselfe yet they commit it only of malice and reuenge Oftentimes also in these vexations shee would haue said the mercies of God are infinite who doth not onely by his Word but also by his Justice make vs fit for his Kingdome Little doe our enemies know what good by these things they doe vnto vs and what wracke they bring to their owne Kingdome while they se● forth the wickednesse thereof Many times shee would pray that God would forgiue them which had done them this hurt and send them repentance and shee would call vpon her husband that hee would doe the like and blesse them that cursed him And for feare lest her husband should faile in that point through infirmity and weakenesse as it is said of Iob who offered sacrifice for his sonnes lest peraduenture they should sinne and blaspheme God in their hearts so shee neuer failed but dayly prayed vnto the

praised I will sing to the Lord I will sing to the praise of the God of Israel come come saith she and helpe me O helpe me to praise the Lord. And with that shee began to sing the third Psalme and continued to the end of the Psalme as perfectly and with as sweet a voyce as euer she had before in her health and concluded with the 49. verse of the 106. Psalme The Lord the God of Israel be blest for euermore Let all the people say Amen praise ye the Lord therefore And after this she said O praise the Lord for he hath filled mee with ioy and gladnesse of heart and brought me from the gates of hell and of death repeating that of the 16. Psalme My line is fallen vnto me in a pleasant place yea I haue a faire heritage for the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance The place where I now am is sweet and pleasant oh how pleasant is the sweet perfume of the place where I lye It is sweeter than A●rons composed perfume of principall spices how comfortable is the sweetnesse I feele it is like that odour that proceeds from the golden censer that delights my soule The taste is precious doe you not feele it Oh so sweet it is yea sweeter than my●●h the hony or the hony combe Let me therefore sing againe and againe vnto my Lord and my God Then she did sing the 19. Psalme beginning at the 7. verse How per●ect is the Law of God c. and so on to the end of the same And after that spirituall reioycing in singing of Psalmes shee then prayed vnto God faithfully and praysed the Lord againe ioyfully And being still full of these and such like heauenly consolations she did sing againe most hartily vnto the praise of God the 136. Psalme Praise ye the Lord for he is good for his mercy indureth for euer c. In which Psalme for his mercy endureth for euer is 26. times repeated A Christian friend comming in at the same time which was about six of the clocke in the euening maruelling to see her exceeding ioyes and heauenly harmonie wherein she continued with such words and phrases that were so spirituall prayed for the continuance of the same vnto the end whereupon she then burst out relating further of her ioyes saying Oh the ioyes the ioyes the ioyes that I feele in my soule oh they be wonderfull they be wonderfull they be wonderfull And after that shee prayed for increase of faith and that God would strenghthen her against tentations with continuall crauing of remission of sinnes euer meditating of heauenly matters as by her sudden and often breaking out into heauenly speeches and phraises did appeare for the same euening shee lying still and silent for a while One prayed her to remember the Lord Jesus and that shee would in her heart pray for constancy in her ioyfull course whereupon shee answered with a delightsome and cheerefull countenance and comfortable voyce Oh said shee so I doe for the Lord is my light and my salvation whom then shall I feare Though an host pitch against me yet my heart shall not be afraid for the Lord hath said I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Indeed I should verily haue fainted but that I beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing And now my heart is ready my heart is ready and prepared yea it panteth after thee O God as the Hart braieth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When Lord when shall I come and appeare before thy presence c. Saying then further Lord sith it hath pleased thee to prepare my heart whether to life or death thy will be done dispose of me to thine owne glory I am thine Lord worke thy blessed pleasure and good will vpon me And after this shee fell into a short slumber and awaking said as the Spouse said vnto Christ in the Canticles Oh come kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth for thy loue is better than wine Oh how sweet the kisses of my Sauiour be Then one said vnto her alluding to that place of S. Iohn Reuel 3. 8. and praying that the Lord would annoint her with the eye-salue of his grace that shee might see and behold his glory To whom she answered Mine eyes are opened mine eyes are opened though for a while thy were closed vp and shut yet now I thanke my God mine eyes are opened and I doe feele and see the euerliuing mercies of my Christ saying then further as it is in the 27. Psalme Thou saidst seeke my face my heart answered to thee O Lord I will seeke thy face O hide not therefore thy face from me nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast beene my succour leaue me not nor for sake me O God of my saluation And being wi●led to commit her soule into the hands of Christ she said O Lord Iesus thou hast redeemed me pleade thou my cause for into thy hands alone doe I commit my spirit O thou God of truth And then feeling more ioy to abound one praising God with her for his great mercies shewed toward her shee further said I giue thee thanks O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto me thy poore handmaid which am but dust and ashes O how mercifull and merueilous gratious art thou vnto me yea Lord I feele thy mercy and I am assured of thy loue and so certaine am I thereof as thou art the God of truth euen so sure doe I know my selfe to bee thine O Lord my God and this my soule knoweth right well and this my soule knoweth right well which speech of her assurance she often repeated Presently after this sitting vp in her chaire she sung the fourth Psalme and then being laid downe againe in her bed shee confidently sp●ke these words I am sure that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see him at the last day whom I shall see and mine eye shall behold and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh with these Eyes and none other Then came into see her toward euening Master William Harrison the Preacher praysing God for her continuance in that her ioyfull and most happy course and perswading her to an holy perseuerance in the same shee thanked him and desired him to reioyce in Christ with her and to praise God for his mercies to her and said O Master Harrison my soule hath been compassed about with terrors of death feare within and feare without the sorrowes of hell were vpon me knots and knorres were vpon my soule which twice or thrice she repeated and a roaring wildernesse of woe was within

Lord to sanctifie her husbands thoughts and direct his heart aright onely to seeke Gods glory without either desire of reuenge or satisfying his owne affections So humble was her spirit so carefull to auoide and preuent sinne both in her selfe and others and so milde of nature that as Iacob with his mildenesse softned the malicious heart of Esau his brother and Dauid by his kindenesse in the caue changed the fury of Saul into weeping and confession that Dauid was more righteous than hee so shee by her meekenesse humility and vnspotted carriage in the World forced some of the aduersaries to religion to speake well of her For her life shee was well reported of all that knew her Pitifull and bountifull was shee to the poore and slacked no opportunity to doe good wherein she could but constantly held her course and kept her times of praying reading and meditating wherein shee had plentifull gifts and contiuuasly used the same at such times as were fitting for her estate sex and calling At the exercises of Religion as prayer and instruction in her family she would not be wanting besides priuate prayer and meditation which she omitted not but vsed dayly both in her chamber as also abroad secretly and solitarily in the Orchard Garden or Fields as Isacks manner was In reading the Scriptures shee vsed euermore to taske her selfe eight Chapters a day at the least and for the time which shee saw euill or idlely spent without doing some good shee vsed to call the time of tentation Many times also she would read some godly writer or expositor of Scripture or in the booke of Martyrs and was seene to weepe most bitterly when either she had read of that which touched her affections neere or of the cruell Martyrdome which the deere Children of God were put vnto by the cruell and wicked tyrants of former dayes For Popery she saw it so grosse and foolish that she would not once name it except it were to argue against it but neuer for it so zealous was shee of Gods glory and loued the truth so entirely that shee would not once open her mouth to plead for Baal Sinne aboue all things was hatefull vnto her for thereat shee would haue grieued as well when shee had seene it in others as in her selfe One or two examples I cannot omit wherein shee bewrayed a worthy spirit sanctified by the Spirit of God and prepared for all the assaults of Satan On a time as her husband and shee were riding toward the Church he was angry with his man Alas husband quoth shee I feare your heart is not right towards God that can be thus angry for a trifle And weeping shee said further you must pray against this your affection and alwayes bee sure your anger bee of God for else how dare you appeare this day before his Minister And offer vp your prayers in the publike congregregation of the saints of God Another time a Tenant of her husbands being behinde with his rent shee desired him to beare yet with him a quarter of a yeere which he did and when the man brought his mony with teares she said to her husband I feare you doe not well to take it of him though it be your right for I doubt he is not well able to pay it and then you oppresse the poore So great a compassion had shee of other mens wants that all things being duely considered and rightly weighed methinks I may say of her as Paul said of Timothie I know none like minded Thus after she was married shee continued in the things shee had learned and held her profession with much sincerity that the common enemies to our religion the very Papists had nothing to say against her but confessed her life was vnreprooueable And as for the godly that knew her they alwayes acknowledged that modesty and vertuous carriage in her ioyned with knowledge and practise of all the duties of religion that they had lust cause to report of her as of a sound and faithfull professor of the Gospell Two yeeres and something more shee liued with her husband till about 〈◊〉 it pleased God to send her that sicknesse whereof on Whitsonday 1601. she died Her sickenesse tooke her in the manner of a hot burning Ague which made her according to the nature of such diseases now and then to talke somewhat idely and through the tempters subtilty which abused the infirmity of her body to that end as hee oftentimes useth to doe in many from idle words to descend into a heauie conflict with the infirmity of her owne spirit from the which yet the Lord presently and wonderfully deliuered her giuing so ioyfull an issue to the tentation that shee might well vse the words of the Prophet as afterwards she did For a moment O Lord thou diddest hide thy face from mee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy thou hadst compassion on me On Saturday seuen-night before Whitsonday what time she sickened she began to feele some little infirmity and weakenesse of faith more than shee had wont to shew but shee soone ouercame it On Munday night it encreased vpon her and the assault of the enemie began to be sharpe and so continued till the next day at afternoone what time God deliuered her and sent her peace and comfort of conscience and so encreased the same in her continually till shee died The manner of her affliction was this First the seuerity of Gods iustice and the greatnesse of her sinnes began to come into her minde which much afflicted her and shee would often speake of it Then shee accused her selfe of pride that shee had delighted to much in her selfe and her beauty Afterwards she thought she had no faith but was full of hypocrisie and had not embraced religion so earnestly nor glorified God so worthily especially with her tongue which oft she repeated nor loued him so sincerely as she ought to haue done Sometime she would cast her Bible from her and say It was indeed the booke of life but shee read the same vnprofitably and therefore feared it was become to her the booke of death Sometimes she would say her sinnes had made her a prey to Satan a spectacle to the world a disgrace to religion and a shame to her husband kindred and all true Christians and here she would weepe bitterly Sometime the originall corruption wherein she was borne troubled her and the sinnes of her parents and the common parents of all the eaters of the forbidden fruit as if that had made her vnworthy of God and were then laid to her charge Many times shee accused her selfe of impatience bewailing the want of feeling Gods Spirit and making doubt of her election and such like infirmities She wis●●d that she had neuer been borne or that shee had been made any other creature rather than a woman She cried out oftentimes Woe woe woe c. a weake a wofull 〈◊〉