THE PHOENIX SEPULCHRE CRADLE IN THE HOLY DEATH OF THE Right Honourable Isabella Theresa Lucy Marchioness of WINCHESTER By J. D. LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCI A SERMON UPON The Death of the Right Honourable Isabella Teresa Lucy Marchioness of Winchester JOB XXIX xviij In Nidulo meo moriar sicut Palma multiplicabo Dies I will die in my little Nest and I will multiply my Days as the Palm-Tree or the Phoenix as some translate it both from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PREFACE STrange Expression Illustrious Lords and Ladies wherein Job joyns Death with Life the Cradle with the Sepulchre and Dust with Immortality to teach us That as the Palm-Tree lives again in its Branches and the Phoenix is born again of her Ashes so shall the Just arise again from Death and multiply their Days as the Sand of the Sea In Nidulo moriar sicut Palma multiplicabo Dies I made choice of this Noble Expression to allay in some sort the Sorrow which I perceive in your Countenances for the common Loss of the Right Noble Lady Isabella Theresa Lucy Stafford Dowager to the most Noble John Marquis of Winchester But as Painting is never more at a Loss than when it goes about to represent the Sun for though the Works of Painting out-do those of Nature and that with the delightful mixture of Colours it represents the Enamel of the Meadows and the Beauty of the Fields all its Art seems to fail when it goes about to express the least Beam of that glorious Planet Eloquence in like manner never shews it self more deficient than when it attempts to set forth the shining Vertues which Crown the Just None then I hope will wonder if I make Use of the Comparison of the Phoenix to give a general Notion of the holy Departure out of this Life of the Illustrious Isabella This heavenly Bird that never toucheth the Earth such love it hath for Heaven is a perfect Representation of the Change which the Resurrection shall cause in our Bodies For according both to Sacred and Prophane Writers she builds to her self a Sepulchre or Cradle since she dies therein and is there born again Tumulum mortui vel Incunabulum resurgentis dixeris Ambr. Lib. V. Hexam 23. De Fide Resurrectionis Then setting Fire to this Funeral Pile made up all of Aromatick Wood she burns her self in the Flames and is born out of her own Ashes and riseth again and recovering new Vigour soars as formerly in the Plains of the Air an unparallell'd Object of Admiration with the Oars of her Wings Behold an Emblem of what happened to our Noble Isabella She died in a Sepulchre of Incense and Myrrhe that is of Love and Pain and born again of this Cradle she with the Phoenix re-assumes a new Life In Nidulo meo moriar sicut Palma multiplicabo dies O happy Death But O more happy Resurrection O wonderful Metamorphosis O divine Transformation which makes this most Christian Lady die to old Adam and die to her self that she may live to Christ and say with the Apostle I live not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 The Division But give me leave to break off from this Comparison of the Phoenix to come directly to the Two Christian Virtues which make up the proper Character of our Noble Marchioness provided I can but Pencil them out 1. Her profound Humility in her Greatness 2. Her heroick Constancy in her Afflictions But as we cannot see the Sun without Light neither can we view the shining Vertues of the Just without the Light of Grace which that we may more effectually obtain let us interpose the Intercession of that Blessed Virgin who was filled therewith when the Angel said to her Ave Maria. PART I. Her profound Humility in her Greatness GReatness is the Proper and true Character of God and is so natural to him that even in humbling himself he cannot divest himself thereof He is so great that he neither can have a Companion nor Equal as earthly Princes who share their Power and Greatness with their Children or their Favourites Wherefore when the Prophet would praise him he is contented to say Our Lord is great and his Greatness has no bound Psal 144.3 And in this the Great Ones of the Land are the Noble Representations of God The right Honourable and most Noble Lady Isabella the Marchioness of Winchester was Great in all the Conditions of her Life First She was Great in her Birth as being born of Two the most Illustrious Families of Great Britain For She being Daughter to the right Honourable William Viscount Stafford lineally descended from the Great Noble and large-spreading Family of the Howards and consequently of the High and Mighty Princes the Dukes of Norfolk Earls of Surrey those Lords High Admirals and Marshals of England the Conquerors and Thunderers of Scotland Great she was also by her Mother's Side For being Daughter to the right Honourable Mary Baroness by Descent sole Heir and Countess of Stafford she is again lineally descended from the right Ancient most Noble Wealthy and ever Pious Family of the Staffords flourishing formerly in the highest Rank and Degrees of Honour in this Nation and whereof Robert Stafford Baron of Stafford was Lord High Steward of the Houshold to King Edward the Confessor This Robert's Posterity grew up yet more Illustrious not only by being ingrafted into the House of Lancaster and into that of the Famous Godfrey of Bullen but also by a long Succession of Signal Heroes both in the Church and State such as Ralph the first and renowned Earl of Stafford with his Glorious Posterity the Henries Dukes of Buckingham whom we may stile The Maker of Kings And from such a bright Constellation of Souldiers Statesmen Earls Dukes Admirals High Chancellors Arch-Bishops and High-Constables of England is lineally descended the High-born Isabella Theresa Lucy Stafford the Mournful Object of our present Grief Great she was again by her noble and holy Marriage being ingrafted into the Ancient and Noble Family of the Paulets and espoused to the right Noble John Marquis of Winchester and first Marquis of England Now Marriage being a communication of all Rights both Humane and Divine Wives are in the same degree of Honour and Greatness as their Husbands so that she was the first Marchioness of England For 't is a constant Maxim in the Law Vxores coruscant Radiis Maritorum Great she was also in her Personal Perfections both of Body and Mind Great for her Beauty hereditary in the Two Illustrious Families of the Staffords and Howards till her Piety found ways to impair it by Penance and Mortification Great in her Wit which was sharp quick solid and capable of managing the greatest Affairs as it was soon perceived by all that had the Honour to converse with her Nor was this Divine Spark of her Soul ever guilty of those Two common Errors
his Power appears in our Infirmities that his Mercy is seen in our Recoveries Besides Sickness doth wean us from the Earth and bereaving us of the Use of Pleasure prepares us for a holy Death which was welcome to our couragious Heroine even under any shape whatsoever under the most horrid Forms whether shameful cruel or lingring 3. Hence Though Death is as frightful as unavoidable yet this most Christian Lady esteemed Death rather a Favour than a Punishment And though this may seem a strange Paradox to those that have their Hearts wholly wedded to this Life yet is it a Maxim approved of by Christians and embraced by all that are of the Faithful If Death is frightful because 't is the punishment of Sin 't is also pleasing to good Souls because it is now the Child of the Cross Death has changed Nature since it was consecrated in the Person of Christ who overcame that Monster by dying defeated it with the Cross and triumphed over it when Death seemed to triumph over him Mortuus ille Mortis Interfector saith St Austin Death has now forgone those dreadful Names which caused Terror to assume those pleasing ones of Sleep from which we shall awake refreshed of Passage to eternal Bliss of Sacrifice which God requires of us adds St. Austin and whereby his Justice is appeased Mors quae in Lege Naturae erat Poena Peccati facta est in Lege Gratiae HOSTIA pro Pecoato So that what was formerly a Torment is now become a Favour and what was formerly the Cause of our Fear is now become the Subject of our Hope No wonder then if our Pious Lady who knew these Truths was free from the Fear of Death Nay looking upon Death as rather the end of her Sins than of her Life she had Courage enough even to desire it If there is any occasion where Christians have the Advantage over Prophane Philosophers 't is chiefly in that which concerns Death For not only they fear it not but they even desire it One would think that the same Vertue which makes them faithful makes them couragious Wherefore Tertullian defining what Christians are says 'T is a sort of Men distinct from all others by their readiness to die Genus Hominum Morti expeditum Tert. in Apolog. Never more content than when nearer their Death They have always this Thought imprinted in their Minds and this Desire engraved in their Hearts Maids adds St. Ambrose who are naturally timorous desire Death amongst us and the Theclas Agnes and Pelagia's ran to Martyrdom as the others ran to a Ball or Comedy Apud nos Puella de Mortis appetentia usque ad Coelum erexere Virtutum gradus Ambr. Lib. 2. Ep. 7. Our incomparable Marchioness was of the same Mind Her Love for Christ caused in her a Desire of Death and to leave her Body to go and enjoy her God And thus as the Phoenix springing out of her Ashes she may multiply her Days and never see the End of her Happiness Sicut Phoenix multiplic tbo Dies The Close SInce then this Bird of Paradise the Illustrious Isabella Theresa Lucy Stafford Marchioness of Winchester was humble in her Greatness constant in her Afflictions let all Christians profit by so rare an Example For as a Heathen said formerly The Great Ones are born to give good Example Magni nati sunt in Exemplum Vell. Paterculus Let us learn from this Noble Lady not only not to fear Death but even to desire it 'T is but little Christians not to fear Death since the very Philosopers overcame that Fear We must grow familiar with this Monster which amazeth those that never beheld it We must learn to die whilst we live Nay since we are Christians let 's change our Fear into Desire our Hatred into Love And being Heirs of God made Man who changed the Punishment of our Crime into a Sacrifice of Piety le ts desire what he desired let 's love what he loved and le ts give him in dying Marks of our Obedience Non terreant Crucifixi haeredes Mortis Supplicia Cypr. Serm. De Coena Domini But as for you of the Noble Family of the Staffords give me leave to tell you That you are bound not only to honour her as a Person of Signal Piety but also to love her as your Sister and Relation being united by the strictest Bands of Friendship in the world because you are Children of the same right Honourable Father and of the same Illustrious Mother because you were bred up together in the same Family because you are all Members of the same Body quickned with the same Spirit and inflamed with the same Love And though I hope she is now among the number of Blessed Spirits yet she that was formerly a tender Sister slights you not now But as Joseph in his Greatness still preserved Love for his Brethren though unworthy thereof she still retains Love for you who so justly deserve it But joyn Imitation with your Love For 't is in vain you love her if you resemble her not Homage without Imitation is injurious to those that receive it You are more bound to imitate your Ancestors than others because being your Domestick Patterns their Condition takes away all Excuse and their Actions ought rather to be your Laws than Examples Order then your Lives according to hers make use of that good Example she has left you in becoming like her humble in your Greatness and constant in your Afflictions to the end that being partakers of her Vertues on Earth you may pretend to the Glory which we hope she enjoys in Heaven and like this Spiritual Phoenix multiply your Days of Happiness for all Eternity Amen She Departed this Life Sept. 2. 1691. FINIS
incident to most witty Persons namely to censure the most innocent Actions or to ridicule the gravest things but it only serv'd either to make her Conversation chearful easie and obliging or to cover and excuse the Imperfections of others All this Greatness crowded up in the Breast of our Noble Isabella was a great Temptation to Vanity For the most dangerous Tentation which the Devil presents to just Souls is that when they have overcome sensual Delights and spurned Riches his last Assault to undo them is Vanity 'T was by this Artifice that he triumphed over the Sanctity of Adam in seducing him by the proposal of impossible Greatness Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3.5 One would have thought he might also have overcome our Marchioness by this Attempt and have puffed her up with Pride in the consideration of her Greatness For next to Crowned Heads nothing is greater in England than the Nobility and 't is not to flatter them when we say That they are in a manner only one Degree lower than the King or Queen And I may safely add That amongst all the Nobility of Europe none enjoy more valuable Prerogatives than the Nobility of England and that amongst our Nobility scarce any have been more Illustrious I am sure few or none of more ancient Origin than the Noble Family of the Staffords Nevertheless all this Greatness hindred her not from being one of the humblest of the Nobility and an excellent Example to all her Sex For never had Person of Honour more esteem for Humility than the Series of her Actions spake her to have Nay her whole Life seems to have been spent in the exercise of this so singular a Vertue And first she was humble in her Attire always appearing in a Dress so plain that her very Cloathing was a Condemnation of the vain Ostentation which most Women place in their Apparel Garments are the Reproaches of our Sin as well as Remedies against Shame and Pain Whilst Man was innocent he had no other Cloathing but Original Justice and as it was able to resist all sort of Weather it fenced him as well against Cold as Heat but when he lost Innocence he was ashamed of himself and not being able to bear the Rebellion of his Body against the Mind he was forced to cloath himself not to behold saith St. Austin an impudent Novelty which was the just punishment of his Rebellion That War which Creatures wage against Man to revenge their Creator gave him likewise new occasion to cloath himself For as the Elements disorder themselves to punish him and the Seasons become intolerable by the excess either of Heat or Cold he was forc'd to have recourse to Garments as Remedies to the violence of these two intollerable Evils Nevertheless as if we had forgot that the Use of Cloathing is a Punishment of our Sin we turn it into an Ornament we make our Cloaths instrumental to our Pride and as it were to insult over Divine Justice we make up thereof our most subtle Vanity The Nobility and Gentry enhaunce therewith the Pomp of their Greatness they distinguish themselves from the Commons by the Lavishness of their Cloathing they reserve to themselves Scarlet Furrs and Coronets as infallible Marks of Nobility and in great Ceremonies they endeavour to raise admiration and respect in the Minds of the People by the Pearls and Diamonds which cover their Robes But our humble Marchioness who had learn'd from Christian Religion that Cloathing is but a Supply of lost Innocence never put on but what was mean thereby to honour the Divine Justice She chose plain Stuffs instead of rich Silks being more concern'd to appear like a Penitent in the sight of God than like a Peeress in the eyes of Men. As she was humble in her Cloathing so she was no less in her Actions since the chief Employment of this great Lady was either to converse with Persons of Piety for the improvement of her Soul or with the poor and meaner Condition for the relief of their Need. Though the Poor are the most holy Representations of Christ's Person yet they have something that alienates the Mind and which mortifies our Vanity Christ indeed excites an awful Reverence in us in his other Types and Figures And as he has stamped upon them his Power or Glory they have Charms that make us either reverence or love them Thus there are few Christians who honour not Christ in his chief Ministers and who remembring these Words He that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10.16 fear not lest the Disrepect they shew to Priests may reflect upon him who ordain'd them to be in the Church But notwithstanding all the Care Religion takes to persuade us that Christ lives in the Poor that he accounts done to himself the Service done to them we find great difficulty to overcome that natural Abhorrence we have for their Condition We cannot abide them near us their Prayers are troublesome alas to us And that Poverty which overwhelms them instead of raising Pity breeds in us either Horrour or Contempt We must call in Faith to our assistance to overcome that aversness and no little Struggle have we with our proud Thoughts to persuade our selves that Christ full of Glory is hid in the person of these Wretches But our humble Isabella who judged not of Things by Appearances who followed not the Suggestions of Nature but those of Grace and who complied more with the Rules of the Gospel than with those of the World often convers'd with the Poor she adored Christ in those slighted Members she penetrated with the Light of Faith through the Meanness of their Condition through the humility of their Cloaths and under these Clouds did she contractedly see the Brightness and Majesty of Christ glorious 3. But our Christian Phoenix's Humility was not confined only to the Practice of her Life but Triumphed also after her Death She was not content to converse with the Poor whilst living but would also rank her self with them when dead For the strict Order and Direction she gave for her Burial was to be laid in the Church-Yard which is the common Dormitory of the meanest Persons And that she might not be distinguished in any kind from them she forbid any Monument to be erected or Stone to be laid on her Grave She knew that Monuments are Marks of Honour and that the Intent of them is to proclaim it to the World after that we have left to be a part of it Hence it is that Persons of Quality are so curious to purchase this Honour after their Death and to rear up stately Tombs to serve as Scripture says for everlasting Abodes to their Ashes Sepulchra eorum Domus eorum in aeternum Psal 48.12 But Experience and Religion taught our Illustrious Marchioness That Burial is the last State of Christian Penance That Tombs are the Chambers of Forgetfulness as Scripture stiles them Terra Oblivionis Psal 87. And accordingly they steal out