Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A37256
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A sermon preached at the funeral of that incomparable lady the Honourable the Lady Mary Armyne by J.D., M.A. With an epistle and elegy by two grave divines.
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J. D.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing D43; ESTC R27883
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22,659
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48
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body so of pertinent and taking language even to the close of life which she used to imploy to oblige her Visitors and Friends yea all men with This piece of Humanity or candour is a very lovely thing Gal. 5.22 with many other places much recommended to the world by the Gospel Divinity 3. As to Grace Here I have such things and so many to say as will highly add to the memory of this Elect Lady Without this all the rest had been perishing accomplishments only Ornaments in meer Humanity Some notable beyond-Sea-men have nervously attempted to prove That it is only Religion and not meer Reason that disserenceth men from Beasts Well 1. In General This Honourable Lady was of an holy life she used to affirme an holy life and graces of the Gospel to be more dignifying then Birth Estate or great and shining worldly Titles and would use to say That what Paul says was a great truth upon her long experience 1. Cor. 1.26 Not many wisemen after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called I have heard her also affirme that the new birth deserves to be as it truly is the greatest John 1.13 Born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Blessed be God this pious Lady was not like a fair house with an ill Inhabitant but had a noble soul inhabited all her other excellencies Though many other things raised her to an high pitch of greatness yet none did so much dignisie her as her Religion and that which made it splendid was its regularity universality and constancy But 2. To be particular Her Religion or Grace appeared 1. In loving it in others In loving those that were of a good and gracious life Saint John makes this the infallible Testimony of the gracious state 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his brother abideth in death Noscitur exsocio qui nondignosciturex se She could not at all be at ease in ill company she might in a good measure say as the holy Psalmist The Saints the excellent in the earth in whom is all my delight Psal 16.3 She loved it not only in those that lived in her Family choosing her servants by this standard but also in meer strangers which shewed she loved it for its own sake 2. In indeavouring to advance it in others not by meer conference and counsel for these were the cheapest sort of indeavours she used but also by many Letters writ with her own hands pertinent and nervous for the advancement of holiness and further also she used often to give Books and sometimes mony to draw on to a serious life but this will be farther illustrated in the next 3. In her Charity to souls As I need mention no more instances for this but her large contribution to the conversion of the poor Indians in America continued year by year for many years till this she dyed in of which blessed be God she had a yearly account to her great refreshment and joy 4. In her love to be invited to holy services This was so durable and lively that she might truly say without ostentation or vanity as David once did Psalm 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. She used to be as eager to go to holy Ordinances as others are or can be to go to their worldly vanities 5. In her Reverence to holy things or Persons As to God and Christ even in their very Names which she used to mention with a more than ordinary dread She used to deport her self with abundant gravity in the House of Prayer and with high respectfulness to the lowest of the Ministry if industrious and serious men I have observed her alwaies more excellent in this than others of the lowest Degree 6. In her Discourse Loquere u ' â—e videam which always dropped as the honey Comb It was alwaies favoury and seasoned with salt so as to minister grace to the Hearers according to the Apostles advice concerning it Thus I have given you some brief hints of things time not allowing further I have not told you of her Ladiships constant giving upon Charity besides her known Alms-Houses in three Counties and many other ways sometimes large summes and now gone she hath lest 40 l. a year for an hundred years time wanting only one Nor have I told you of this Ladies constant Devotion In a dayly reading of Scripture and other choice Books besides retired Prayers twice every day and in these things she was constant to the close of life Thus you have seen something of her Life I 'le say a little to her Ladyships dying state and then I 'le close Here you may see some noble Testimonies of her Grace or Religion 1. In her fervour to do good to the last of life which she highly breathed after the day she dyed on desireing to do still more for God 2. In her warm and bleeding sense of the low estate of Religion and its owners in the world 1 Sam. 4.13 Her Heart trembled for the Ark of God 3. In her submission to the divine will and disposal she freely offered up her self to her great Lord and Owner to do what he would with her 4. In her peace of soul I have this to say of both these That though I had often before seen her in danger of dying yet I never saw her in such a submiss and peacefull frame of soul I might really say that I saw that one Scripture Psal 37.37 made plain and true Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace 5. In her Faith commending Christ as the highest and most proper Cordial in the fainting hour which were some of the last words she spake before she dyed 6. In solemn Prayers In this holy Duty she solemnly gave up her soul to God Now may we not say as Luk. 10.42 Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her The Jews at this day look upon women as of a lower Creation and suffer them not to enter into their Synagogues So the Turks make no reckoning of the Religion of women but we see by this instance that they may excell Let it be observed also that in the dayes of our dearest Lords corporal converse here on earth three of his most thorow-followers were women and all of the same Name with our Honourable Lady viz. the Virgin Magdalen and Martha's Sister We have many other instances of famous women in the Gospel as of Elizabeth walking in all the commandments of God blameless Of Dorcas fruitful in the works of Charity and love Of Priscilla who was learned and skilled in the Gospel Divinity Of Lois and Eunice excellent in unfained Faith Of Lydia one whose heart was notably opened to entertain the things of God with many others much commended in the New Testament for excelling Persons Something of what was in all these might be found in this Lady I have been discoursing on Now what should I say but as once Seneca Non omne tempus Catones parit c. Every day brings forth common Persons but would to God that every year nay every 10. or 20. years would but bring us such a Lady to live to such an age But you 'l say Had she no failings Yes I grant she was not without them But blessed be God what I have said was the main of her Life the other by the by To be without unallowed failings 1 Cor. 13.12 15.54 would be to be without mortality I question not but many great Persons much applauded have not merited half of what this Lady did I am sure I may put her in the Ballance with thousands of her Rank Prov. ult 29. and say Many Daughters have done vertuously but she excelled them all Soli Deo Gloria