changes and sad ones too in his eares hath learned to wait all the days of his appointed time ' til his chang come 5. Often and seriously to reflect upon our soules what privative or positive good they have got by afflictions for they make us better or leave us worse These are some of the lessons God sets us to learne by our afflictions which who so learns may truly be said not to despise the chastisements of God 2. The last clause of the exhortation speaketh to us thus nor faint when thou art corrected of him this is the other extreame we must avoid Extreams are dangerous fly not one so as to fall into the other this nature condemns as folly Stulti dum vitant vitia in contraria currunt saith Horace Aristotle defines virtue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the middle of two evils nature teacheth us to grieve let not the sensual facultes swallow up the rational Let not the Servant overtop his Master 'T is a wise mans character that as he seeth farther into evils than other men so he can better command his passions than others hence Aristostle l. 4. c. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a magnanimous man cannot be overcome with sorrow and passion because the rational faculties keep the sensitive within their bounds Should I goe about to stop your eyes for so great a loss I should but indeavour contra torrentem brachia but let me perswade you to mourne as Christians though the chastning be greivous yet 't is no worse than what God's Saints and Prophets of old have undergon Are we better than they or have wee deserved better than they le ts comfort our selves in the text that God owns us for Sons under all our afflictions and intends our good by them let us then take courage that God is our Father still and though death like a Lyon hath come amongst us and devoured our glory yet out of this eater there will come forth meat and out of the strong sweet if we by faith and patience can wait upon the Lord in this his way and method of dealing with us A Funeral speech ANd is this Scripture fulfilled this day in our eys is the Crown of our glory the Lady Anne Harcourt that curious piece of grace and nature taken from us by a stroak And must her virtues be closed up with her eyes must they be coffin'd up with her corps in the silent grave Was not her name as precious oyntment must it not be powred forth to give a fragrancy to posterity shall we let her goe unmention'd unlamented it may not it cannot be The Country and the City too yeild praficae aboundant to ring aloud in all mens eares her funeral knel in doleful threanes besides each sad face in this doleful assembly seems to bespeak it selfe should I be silent her funeral Orator 'T is pitty we have not here an Eloquent Ambrose to performe so lofty an undertaking I am sorry I have not skil answerable to my affections but must when I have done my utmost leave her as that Painter left Antigonus drawn Imagine lusca with a halfe face I must acknowledge with the Comedian de illâ non possum ita magnificè loqui id virtus quin superat sua so that you that knew her will have just cause to say much like that of the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomon the one halfe hath not been told us of what we know to which I can only thus reply in the Poets words Quod si digna tuâ minus est mea pagina laude at voluisse sat est In order to what I have to say I must goe one step retrograde For when I consider what two glorious luminaries have successively rose in this noble ancient Family of the Harcourts how suddenly unexpectedly they have set I cannot but adore the goodness and tremble at the severity of God towards it I am at a stand with Valer Max on the death of Cornelias husband whether to say it was more happy in the once injoying of them or unhappy in the losse of them The first was a Daughter of the right honorable family of the Pagets and wife to the Famous Souldier Sr. Simon Harcourt to whose Tutelary sword the Protestants in Jreland owe much she set at high noon in the prime of her age and left only one Son as the inheritor of both their virtues and honors This last being the Wife of the now sorrowful Sr. Philip Harcourt she set in the morning of her youth before she had compleated twenty yeares and hath likewise left one Son behind her God make him the inheritor of her virtues Both of these Ladies for beauty breeding parts prudence and piety were eminently known to be as honourable and Princely Dames as have trod the Stage of English earth for many ages each of their goodnesse which made them great was as high as their extract which made them honorable This last was in all probability like to outshine the first from whose raise she received her first light and heat Her natural and moral indowments of body and mind were both amiable and admirable what is sayd of King David's Darling 2 Sam. 14.25 was the voge of all who e're had seen her that in all the Land there was not one to be so much praised for beauty as she from the sole of her foot to the crown of her head there was no blemish in her And as her Person such were her parts her deportment was courteous humble and affable yet with all majestick she was skild in every thing that became so high a Lady she was knowing in History in Physick in Musick in what not she was more full of spirit and life than language yet was her discourse for the most part weighty and witty she perfectly hated idlenesse she was all the day time either retir'd in her closet at her devotions or else writing or reading or playing on some musical instrument or ordering the affaires of her house or busied in making medicines for the poore that had no helper Her apprehension was so quick that a worthy gentlewoman her neighbour with whom she much conversed told me that she admired her above all persons for her exact knowledge in all domestick affaires There was nothing within or without doores that concerned a family but she had an insight in it But oh this heart cutting word she 's dead has shipwrackt all our hopes and fild us full of deep despondency like a new rigg'd ship richly freighted no sooner is she lanched forth into the world but sinks with all her store she had but newly shaken hands with childhood and now behold grisly death like a churlish and may we say unwelcome Sargeant arrests her and she must forthwith shake hands with husband child kindred and bid us and all the world eternally farewel What heart relents not here
spectator 4. Obs. That God oft times exerciseth his choise and eminent Servants with most sharp and sore temporal losses and afflictions Lastly As this affliction was a type of future judgments to come upon the nation observe 5. Obs. That many times sharp afflictions on the godly are certain presages of the wickeds judgment at hand we return to the 3d Obs. 3. Obs. That the choisest Saints of God can call none of these earthly enjoyments certain good things God can take them away by a stroak they are mutable Riches are God's blessings but they make them selves wings and fly away as wel from Saints as Sinners as well from Iob as Nebuchadnezar He that to day had his table spread with dainties that could wash his footsteps in butter to morrow may have none to put in his belly This word take away spoiles all If God the great hous-keeper of the world say take away before we have halfe satisfied our selves the full table is presently voided and then as Hugo Victor in Psal. 24. dum gustu appetitum provocant transitu desiderium fraudant Whiles they provoke the appetite to tast of them they deceive the desire in their sudden departure A good wife is a great blessing and guift of God but they we see are uncertain to Faithful Abraham's Sara the wife of his bosome dyes away from him And holy Iacob's Rachel beautiful and best beloved Rachel fruitful Rachel this fruitful tree is cut down in the time of fruit bearing A good name is the greatest of temporall blessings Christ had it most deservingly yet he could not keep it they counted him a wine-bibber a friend to Publicans and Sinners They layd to his charge two of the higest crimes against first and second table blasphemy and usurpation They accounted of him but as a Magician on that wrought by the Divels help Our time of living here 't is the choisest tallent that we have upon it depends our eternal woe or welfare Life it is that which gives the main injoyment to all the comforts we possess Who can define it he best defin'd it that did not define it that sayd 't was nescio quid a certain sweet thing I know not what 't is beyond all paralel yet see what the Scripture says of its uncertainty 't is compared to grass to the flower of the field that is subject to be eaten up by Cattel or trodden down or gathered by the Passenger If it outstand these ere long it blossoms withers and dyes such is our life in our best estate we are altogether vanity because uncertain and mutable Psal. 39.5 therefore Solomon in Prov. 31.8 calls the Sons of men bene haloph children of chang Iob compares our life to a Post a Ship and an Eagle hasting to her prey Observe the climax a Post makes hast stays not rides night and day but he will at last tyre and then he must ly down therefore he takes up a stronger comparison and compares our life to a Ship sayling that tyres not but wind and tyde may faile and then she stands still therefore he compares our life to an Eagle sharp set in pursuing her prey An Eagle is the swiftest and strongest of long wing'd Hawkes what flyes stronger and swifter than she Such is our time here it flyes away upon a swift wing and death when it makes a stoop at us maks no canceleire Well then since all our earthly injoyments are of no certain continuance le ts learn hence these three lessons Be not vainly confident in the possessing of them 't is a vanity in a great Person to build strong presumptions upon worldly props that are tottering and weak the Psalmist excellently turnes their hearts outward Ps. 49.11 that the posterities to come may decline that vanity he speaks of worldly rich men and tels you their purposes thoughts and designes God has blest them with estates and prosperity and now their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever doe they think to live for ever no but they intend their posterity shall live for ever and keep up the state and grandure of the family therefore they call their houses after their name says he they think now God has blest them with a numerous off-spring that nodosa quadam aeternitate their name shall be kept up for ever but what says the Psalmist this their way i. e. their contrivance is their folly vers 13 to build such high presumptions on such rotten props is their folly and they find it so for in the next words says he they goe down to hell like sheep and death feeds on them How like sheep why like as silly sheep in a fat pasture feed and play and fear nothing though the Butcher come and fetch away now one then an other which startles them for the present but that being over they fall to feed and play again until the Butcher by little and little fetch them all away at last So doe these worldly Confident men who are fed to the full and have enough to keep up greatness to posterity who securely wantonly and haughtily vant it in their thoughts that they shall continue for ever find death like a Slaughterman ever and aanon come amongst them now taking a daughter then a son anon a wife 'till at last all the props they trusted in be taken quite away How oft doe we see it come thus to pass that many great families are quite taken away from their great estates like sheep out of a fat pasture and the estate passes into an other name and family I will conclude this with that wise King's counsel Pr. 27.1 Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth The word halal signifying to boast signifies also to be madd q. d. 't is madness and folly in men of wealth and greatness to think to build their nests among the Stars when they are not sure of injoying any thing they have a whole day The family of Eli which was the greatest in Israel in the morning its props were cut down ere night and the rest destin'd to perpetual beggery And Iob liv'd to see himselfe in one day stript of all that he could call good in this world The Chaldee therefore reads the text thus for thou knowest not what this day may bring forth That day that Belshazar was priding himselfe in his greatness he fell Let me speak then to you rich and great men in the Apostles word Charge the rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches The more confident you are the less secure especially if you belong to God qualibet elatio tanto citius rumpitur quanto amplius inflatur Greg. Ep. 2. Moderate your affections to the world and the things of the world You are certain of nothing but this that you have not long time in them We are no free-holders here at most but tenents at will You that are great
openly That of her publike charity you that hear me of this parish can witnesse and my eyes have seen that there was not a day in the week but severall hungry bellyes were filled from her Kitchin once a week there was purposely made provision for them and once a year Six of the poor of the parish were new cloathed by her so that we may aply Iobes words to her the blessing of those that were ready to perish came upon her How oft has she sent and come to your houses when you have been sick to visit succour and comfort you what good office did she ever neglect amongst you she was as eyes to the blind feet to the lame a physician to the sick and a mother to the poore I may apply St Hieroms words of Nepotian to this Lady ita curam gessit pauperum quasi ab eos genuisset ita servivit quasi ab iis geniâ—a fuisset she wasso tender of the poor as if she had been their mother so serviceable as if their daughter As a private Christian she was by report of her Chaplain and others most intimate with her one of a thousand her discourse would be so spiritual heavenly that the Godly hearers have profess'd themselves even ravish'd with it She was much in fasting and prayer in reading meditation searching her heart I might here insert all which that learned Oratorin his funeral speech hath said of the Mother in law so exactly did she tread in that holy Lady's steps She kept in her Cabinet a large paper booke so privately that none no not her husband knew of it since her death I have seen it and only seen it T was a book I perceived designed to be her souls looking-glas or rather her souls recreatory both In this book I perceived by the severall heads in it she laid up het spirituall Cordials to refresh her soul in time of need Here she had set down Gods gracious and remarkable providences to her and her family to excite her soul to thankfulnesse Here she laid up spirituall directions how to order her life One paper being loose I obtein'd it I will give it you word for word by this you may guess at the rest April 14 1664. I have this day upon serious examination of my heart found this to be my condition 1. That I doe desire to love God and to love him for himself above all things 2. That I am if my heart deceive me not extreamely more in love with the wayes of God then ever 3. That I find my heart unfainedly sorry for all my frailtyes and sins committed and duties omitted and I doe here in the presence of God promise engage to strive against all my beloved sins and serve him more constantly then I have done I hope through Gods grace that as he has begun that good work in me so he will according to his promises perfect it in me Thus I have given you a glimps of this young Saints Closet works she was not perfuming her self with essences painting her face or trying where a black patch would set with most advantage and best insnare the eye of the wanton but she was tyreing her soul for her Lord the Bridegroomes comming Oh thou blessed Soul hee whom thou hast served so secretly will one day reward thee openly I cannot omit one remarkeable thing which happened a little before God called this young Saint to her sick bed I received it since her death from a Person of good credit who heard her tel it She had a dream that an Angel came to her and told her she must suddenly dye whereat she was affraid and trembled but the Angel told her she need not fear she should goe to heaven to Christ who would wellcome her there whereat she was fill'd with joy Now though I lay little stresse upon dreames as knowing it to be dangerous it being hard to discern them from Diabolicall delusions the Papists ridiculously impose upon the world their Fryers dreames to prove their fopperies and erronious opinions as if with the Heathen we were to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every dream came from God wheâ—eas the Devill many times is the Authour of them A wicked man may dream he shall goe to heaven Caesar a little before his death may dream he shall goe to the immortal God but no wicked man shall ever goe thither Yet for all this it must not be denyed but that God doth many times foretell to his Saints their deaths in dreames Polycarp that Saint and Martyr you may find him in the book of Martyrs had his death foretold him the kind of it He dreamt that his bed was on fire under him and St. Cyprian foresaw in a dream the Pro-Consul writing his sentence to be beheaded whereupon he desired him to set his house in order and t was granted him and just so it fell out as he had dreamed We might instance in many more if it needed For my part I believe this dream of this holy Ladys was a favour extraordinary from God to such a precious young Saint And I the rather think so because it so fell out as she had dreamed for soon after this she unexpectedly fell sick of a violent feaver which was the forerunner of death at hand And although she did not dye of that feaver yet before she had recovered her strength she lost by it God in his wise providence resolving to exercise her graces before she went hence call'd her back again to her sick bed which at last proved her death bed In this Sicknesse God exercised her with more tormentive pangs both in her back and bowels then before which inforced most bitter groanes and sighs from her to the peircing of the hearts of those about her yet under all those heavy pressures she did not charge God foolishly though she groaned yet she did not murmur or repine but in the midst of those pangs she still lifted up her hand and eyes to the God of her salvation That time of ease God gave her between her fits she was carefull to redeem by prayer and other holy exercises with her Chaplain whom she highly prized in her health for his singular good parts and piety Some few dayes before her death when her excessive pangs had so devoured her strength that they left her speechlesse and the company gave her up for a dying departing person I came to her bed side and perceiving her to move her head and her eyes which was more then she had done for some hours before I asked her Ladyship whether she were capable of discourse and she answered me yes but let it be good let it be heavenly So carefull was she to redeeme her sick bed time you may guesse where her treasure was by her heart The day before her death was to all our joy and admiration the most refreshing day she had had in all her sicknesse Sic Phoebi jâ—mjâ—m cadentis
dulcius esse solet lumen As a fair day often rears exhalations into a cloud which next day returns in showers upon us so did this pleasant Monday returne its dark clouds of sorrow and showres of teares on Tuesday for then her disease seizing her head took away her speech and so depriv'd us no doubt of many gracious speeches which would have fallen from her dying lips Yet what she could not doe in words she did in signes She some houres before her death took her woman by the hand and shooke it to let her know she was heartily reconciled to her notwithstanding some tart words that had some dayes before passed betwixt them In the afternoon of Aug. 23. 1664. God was pleased graciously to release her of all her pangs Her soul willingly and joyfully departed and hath left behind what of mortality it had for us to lay up in the house of all the living And now what can alleviate our sorrows for so great a losse But is she lost no the losse is ours she 's the great gainer As L. Florus saith of the City Alba t was pulled down to be set up in Rome to its higher honour advantage this Lady is but taken down here to be set up in heaven to her unspeakeable honour advancemeâ—t Let us not then too deeply lay â—o heart this blessed Saints Translation could we but stil our sorrowes a little while lend an ear to listen what the Saints on the otherside the lake of death do say it would not be the voice of those that cry for being overcome but the voice of those that sing the voice of those that shout for victory that we should hear Doe we believe the person that 's departed was a true servant of God I think you doe and we may as confidently say of her a St. Hierome does of Nepotian Scimus Nepatianum nostrum esse cum Christo we verily believe she is with Christ. Why then doe you so immoderately grieve Cur doleas saith Tertullian si periisse non credis cur impatienter feras subductum interim quem credis reuersurum esse So say I why doe we so take on for her who we know is not gone to be lost but only with drawn for a time and we believe will return again did the Church mourne when Peter was delivered out of Prison and his shackles knock'd off A Saint at death is freed from prison and all his fetters are then knockt off Did Mordicai weep and grieve or had he cause when the Emperour of the world tooke his Niece from him out of love he bare her to advance her above all other weomen and make her Queen This This is the case only the former paralel is too short the great Creatour of the world in great compassion and tender love to this young Lady has taken her betimes from the dirty country to preferre her at Court he has called her early from this beggarly low earth to advance her amongst the mighty in the heavens The Heathen Menander could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom God loves best he â—akes soonest Her soul being fledg'd betimes tooke wing for heaven and this curious robe of mortality which she put off at her departure we now are carrying with all solemnity into the suburbs of heaven after her for Saints graves are no otherwise they are next door to heaven They are the Saints sleeping Chambers for a little while till God call them up again The silence of the grave is but a kind of Pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a restraint only for a time and that but a little time the time is short Death the last enimy shall reign but a little longer he must resign his keyes ere long When the trumpet sounds death triumphs cease till then the Saints bodyes in the grave are in the safe custody of Christ as their Souls in heaven and Christ at his coming will as certainly unite them and clothe them with immortality and glory Wherefore let us comfort one another upon this sad occasion with these meditations One living relict of this Lady now with God remaines still with us her Son and is her lively picture for whom I pray as Eloquent St Ambros at the death of Theodosius the Emperour only changing one Article Tu solus domine invocandus tu rogandus es ut eam infilio repraesentes That he may resemble her in soul as well as in countenance God make him virtuous as she in this life and let the glory of his famous Ancestors rest upon him That he may keep up religion in the family which is the crown of its glory and the true innobling of it as his Mother his Grand Mother and other his ancestors have done before him that so after a happy and holy life here he may goe with honour to them who are now with Christ God blessed for ever in unspeakable glory ERRATA Pag. 1. l. 15 r. the. p. 13. l. 25. r. injoyments p. 15. l. 22. r name p. 32. l. 16. r. he p. 34. l. 26. r. Here. p. 35. l. 28. r. shooke FINIS * Nihil me facio· Chrisost. Verbum originale significat nauseare reprobare cum fastidio abjicere Pined in loc Adoraverunt eum ut Deum acquievit eorum obsequiis delinitus ut se ut Deum coli permitteret Hierom. Athan. Serm. 4. adv Arian Chrysost. Hom. 4. in lâ—c Aug. l. 2 de Symb. c. 6. Irenae l. 3. cap. 18 * Forma dei donum Ovid. de Am. Aug. de civ Dei l. 15. cap. 28. Turtul de cultu Foem Pont. Diaco in vit Cyp.