of remembrance those they cover and draw a black Line over the Glory of Mortal Men. For Death having spoil'd them of their Life takes still delight to plunder their Reputation She then being truly dead to the World tanquam mortuus a corde Psal 30. held That as a Christian is intombed so ought he also to be forgotten Holy Soul You serv'd a King who is too just to let your Humility pass unrewarded And since you are so ingenious to conceal your self from the Eyes of Men God will take care to make you known to Angels Since you withstood the Allurements of wordly Greatness and Honour he will stamp upon you true heavenly Glory And since you reconciled Greatness with Humility the lower you humbled your self the higher you shall be exalted This first Victory Christians is a Pledge of the second she shall win For we cannot doubt that the Right Honourable Isabella of Winchester who was humble in Greatness will be constant also in Afflictions That if it which I am to shew you in my next and last Part. PART II. Her Constancy in Afflictions THough all Vertues have their Attractives to Good and sufficient Charms to make them appear amiable even to those that practise them not Yet Constancy or Fortitude like Saul among the People appears super-eminently graceful Justice indeed is cried up even by its Persecutors Prudence is adored by Politicians and Temperance is admired by all Men But all these Vertues hide their Heads when Constancy displays its Beauties These Stars vanish when this Sun appears and People cease from looking upon Justice in Princes Prudence in Politicians and Temperance in Philosophers when they consider the Courage of a Person unfortunate yet innocent If we will believe the Philosopher Seneca there 's nothing on Earth more worthy of God's looking on than a Person who withstands Sorrow and Misfortune Ecce Spectaculum dignum ad quod respiciat intentus operi suo Deus Sen de Prov. cap. 2. God despiseth all that Glory which dazels our Eyes he looks upon the Magnificence of our Palaces but as the Spoils of Quarries and Forests he looks upon the Pyramids which add to the wonders of the World but as Marks at which his Thunderbolts are often levell'd And those great Armies which make whole Provinces groan either by reason of their Numbers or Disorders he looks upon these great Bodies I say as Swarms of Bees that decide their Quarrels by fighting But God delights to look upon a noble-minded Soul that grapples with Sorrow who beholds her Father born away in the manner as 't is known to all without any agitation of Mind and who in the loss of Honour Life and Liberty preserves still her Courage undaunted This is a Spectacle that ravisheth the very Eyes of God that makes the Angels to emulate her Glory This is an Act of Constancy not to be laureated on Earth all under Heaven is too small a Reward This Christians is the true Character of our Spiritual Phoenix Isabella of Winchester who in one Circumstance methinks passeth even the Constancy of Job For her Noble Family in losing their Fathers Life and Goods forfeited also their Honour What Hardship what Shame I appeal to you Lords and Ladies for a Person descended for so many Ages from a long and glorious Succession of Heroes to lose in a moment the Flower and Glory of her Family To be debarr'd the Entry of the House of Lords and to be banished from the Noblest Company in the World This Punishment of the Loss of Honour was held so sharp that it perverted great Number of the Primitive Christians saith Tertullian who yielded sooner to Shame and Loss of Honour than to Pain or Loss of Life ante Pudori quam Dolori cessinius Tertul. de Scorp Nevertheless our Heroick Lady drawing strength from her Misfortune bless'd like holy Job God's Justice who tried her his Providence which exercis'd her and his Mercy which sanctified her She said with Job Our Lord gave it our Lord hath taken it away Job 1.21 And she behaved her self in that Misfortune with so much Constancy Resignation and Patience that we may safely say of her what Scripture said of him In all this Isabella sinned not in her Lips Job 1.22 2. But as she gave signal Proofs of her Constancy in the Loss of her Noble Father so she gave no less Marks of her generous Mind in all her languishing Sickness If we may judge of a Thing by its contrary we must acknowledge That of all Natural Goods there 's none more sweet nor dear than Health 'T is a Harmony of the Elements and Humors 't is a Representation of Peace 't is a Pledge of future Bliss And to declare it in a Word with St. Bernard 't is a Benefit that comprehends all the Goods of the Body Omnia Bona Corporis Sanitas Bern. Serm. De triplici genere Bonorum Therefore the Just who make a Present to God of their Health and who restore it to him when required shew no small Mark either of Humility or Constancy That was the last Trial of Job's Patience And when the Devil had ravished away both his Goods and Children he questioned not to triumph over his Patience by depriving him of his Health Pain then and Sickness was the Trial of our humble Isabella An Hectick Feaver by its secret Burnings kindled a Fire in her Breast with all the Indispositions that attend that Distemper for the Fire which burnt her consum'd her But though Fire is of a quick Nature yet do not you think Illustrious Auditors that it soon consumed her or that her Sufferings were but short nor that the same Month saw either the beginning or the end thereof No her Sufferings lasted almost Three Years whilst the end of one Pain was the beginning of another according to the Tragedian's Expression Finis alterius Mali gradus est futuri Diseases seem'd to agree together to exercise the Patience of her Soul and contrary to the Laws of Nature set all together upon that innocent Patient Divine Saviour of Isabella why didst thou abandon her to such a lingring Pain Why didst thou not succour her who did so often succour thee in the Person of the Poor Why didst not thou strengthen those Hands which have been so fruitful in good Works Why didst thou not relieve that oppressed Breast which was so tender to the Miseries of others Why didst thou not refresh that parched Mouth which hath so often blessed thy holy Name Finally Why didst not thou give Breath to those shrivell'd Lungs that always panted and breathed after thee O Christians God knows how to treat his Friends most to their Advantage And therefore our heavenly instructed Phoenix left to God the Care of her Life knowing well that Sickness is the Daughter of Sin and Mother of Death Valuing then more God's Glory than her own Interest she found Content in her Pain She knew that God's Justice is satisfied by our Sicknesses that
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