feel the benefit and receive the comfort of them And questionlesse that peremptory promise Ioh. 20. 23. Quorumcunque peccata remiseritis whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted doe signifie much more then the bare complement of an indifferent usage and Ceremony The same day she departed which was Ianuary 26. about three a clock in the afternoon she sent for me four severall times to go to prayers with her thrice in the morning and once in the afternoon at which last time all her children one onely excepted which was not in Town were present and joyned in prayers together with us Soon after that I was called to her again to perform my last Ministeriall Office the recommendation of her soul into the hands of Almighty God and then indeed and not before her senses began to fail her and within few minutes after in much peace and sweetnesse she concluded her last breath I doe here willingly passe over many other most remarkable carriages of hers during the time of her sickness as her most Christian Charity her constant Devotion her stupendious Silence Patience even to a miracle the amazement of beholders Her perfect Weanednesse from the world her continuall thoughts and discourses of the joyes and happinesse of heaven and indeed in this latter God Almighty was exceeding gracious to her for she would often wish that if it might stand with the good will and pleasure of God as he dealt with his servant Moses and gave him a little before his death a sight and view of the land of promise so he would also some time before her departure hence vouchsafe her some sensible tastes and feelings of the joyes and happinesse of heaven And truly in this she had her request granted and God was in most signal manner as good to her as her desires for her soul was full of the glory of God and of the joyes and happinesse of heaven and she was in a manner caught up into Paradise and saw in her spirit strange sights and heard words of joy and peace not to be uttered and did sensibly feel new comforts every day breaking in fresh and more upon her soul and lived to see all her former fears vanished and doubts satisfied and objections answered and scruples resolved and hopes evidenced and in a word her whole mind most sweetly composed and settled into a heavenly posture of pious confidence and assurance so that now she had nothing left to do but to resolve with holy David Psal 4. 8. To lay her down in peace for the Lord had graciously made her to dwell in safety Accordingly a few dayes before her death she was pleased to utter her self to me in these or I am sure such like words Oh Sir what a gracious God have I how rich in his mercees towards me how favourable in his corrections of me The thing which I so greatly feared a painfull torturing death he has turned into ease and comfort And my wordly cares and thoughtfulnesse for the provision of my children he has also in great measure taken off of my hand And now what doe I lingring and tarrying here any longer all my work is done and the world has no further need of me why may I not forthwith goe to my God Is it not much better for me to be dissolved and to be with Christ These and such like heavenly sayings were her frequent and usuall discourses with me so that it was an exceeding joy and comfort to me when at any time she did send for me neither doe I know that I ever went to her and did not learn somewhat remarkable from her And indeed every speech and posture of hers was a most fruitfull Sermon to all those who had the happiness to attend about her to minister unto her did either hear the one or observe the other the one a visible Sermon of patience the other an audible Sermon of devotion But I see I am now entred into a large Field and may say with Elihu in Iob chap. 32. 18. I am full of matter and the spirit within me constraineth me And indeed I can very hardly wind my self out but I must have regard to my promise of brevity Take all therefore which I shall adde further in these few words and believe it they are not the words of vanity or flattery but of truth and soberness uttered in the fear presence of God I have in my time been with severall dying persons have seen their piety observed their patience taken speciall notice of their whole carriage and behaviour yet never in all my life did I see such an uniform Samplar of piety nor a whiter Soul return to its maker One thing was very notable and I beseech God to make us truly thankfull to him for it as being a most signall instance and evidence of his goodnesse to her and which indeed considering the condition of her disease may justly deserve the name of a miraculous mercy It was this Though her sicknesse as I said before was very painfull and grievous yet it pleased God for some dayes before her death to deliver her from any sense of pain at all so that she had her thoughts very free and at liberty and made a most Christian use and advantage of that freedome Yea when we and her self too by reason of the little rest which she took greatly feared that her sicknesse might at last grow into some kind of distemper It pleased Almighty God to secure her from that also so that she enjoyed her understanding and memory and all her senses very quick and perfect to the last even so long as she had any occasion or need to make use of them And thus have I at length given you the whole world in a Map a brief account and history of the holy Life and Death of our most excellent Lady See for all the world as she lived so she died she lived in peace and she died in peace her whole life here was as a man would say one continued act of piety and good works and as for her death that in like manner was a conclusion of most heavenly sweetnesse and comfort The Lord in mercy give us grace who survive so to frame our lives according to the example of her piety that when it shall come to our turns to die we also may share in like feelings of comfort All the farther application which I shall now make hereof is to you that are here present and particularly to those who were her dearest relations Her right Noble and Honourable Children most earnestly beseeching them to consider and call often to mind these pious Parents of theirs to endeavour to tread in their steps and to follow the example of their piety and not give themselves the liberty of committing those sins which they were so carefull to prevent or lightly neglect any of those wholsome customes practises whither in their private Closets or Families which they made
A SERMON PREACHED At the Funerall of the Right Honourable and most Excellent Lady THE LADY ELIZABETH CAPELL DOWAGER TOGETHER With some brief Memorialls of her most holy Life and Death By EDM. BARKER late Chaplain to her Honour and now Rector of Buriton in Hampshire Prov. 31. 29. Many Daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all Non moeremus quòd talem amisimus sed gratias agimus quòd habuimus imò habemus quidquid enim revertitur ad dominum in familiae numero computatur Hieron Epitaph Paulae LONDON Printed by I. R. for Iohn Williams at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1661. To the Right Honourable and truly Noble ARTHUR LORD CAPELL Baron of Hadham My Lord THis short discourse being at first conceived and formed by your L ps special command and afterwards enlivened and quickened by your noble and gracious acceptance is since grown bold to beg a further Boon of your Honour which is that under the Sanctuary of your Name and Patronage it may walk a little abroad and visit the Neighbour-hood Indeed I can discover nothing in it which I can warrantably and with confidence conceive worthy your Noble eyes save onely the necessary justice and gratitude of my design therein viz. to pay all dutifull respects and Honours to the precious Memory of the Best of Ladies to burn a little Incense before her Shrine And though I am very sensible what great difficulties I am to encounter with for the fame of her great worth has long since spread it self far near and the world does every where ring of her piety and her example is solemnly propounded and quoted by those who are desirous of the Best things and would fain improve into Excellent and peoples expectations do begin to swell and grow big hereupon and will not easily be put off with a sparing and slender report where so much in truth may and in justice ought to be spoken Yet am I notwithstanding no whit discouraged at all this but am resolved to go on howsoever to make up such an Offering as I am able my two small mites and a little Goats hair having an Heart large and willing enough to offer with the freest had I but wherewithall And besides I must not deny it that I my self also am a man subject to like incidencies of grief and sorrow of passion and sadness in common with other people neither indeed as yet have I throughly recovered the free command and use of my Parts nor perfectly wrought my spirit out of those huge discomposures and indispositions which the apprehension and remembrance of so signal a loss did at first cause in me yea and to this very day the wound continues bleeding a fresh upon every uncovering of it so that if either my expressions be disturbed or language indigested or stile not so even methodical as is fit it should rather move resentments of Pitie and Pardon in the Reader then expressions of Censure and Anger and especially there where the mind which should prevent and rectifie all these transgressions is it self so much out of Order Howbeit my Lord if you shall but please to smile Graciously upon this poor and little Oblation which I here humbly cast at your Lordship's feet I shall the less value the report and censure of the World as having in some measure fulfilled and observed your Lp' s commands which were to preach a Sermon and that you know is confined to Minutes and Houre-glasses and not to write a full and complete history of all the virtuous Acts and Merits of this most excellent Lady And yet neither have I been wholly wanting in this latter for though I have not indeed spoken of Her what either in justice I ought or of my own knowledge and Observation I might in Truth have said yet have I said so much as will I fear me put the greatest part of the World to the blush and I hope too provoke an holy Zeal and Emulation in all And now my Lord give me leave to beseech you to reflect a little upon the great advantages of your Relation You are Heir to a Blessed Martyr and the Eldest Son of a most Excellent Mother so that Honour and Nobility and Worth and Piety are in a manner intailed upon you and you do derive them and claim them as it were by inheritance and this must needs doubtless provoke very great Emulations and continue most earnest desires and endeavours in you to resemble and be as like these two Excellent Parents of yours as may be And blessed be GOD for it you have in great measure attained to their perfections already and those people who knowing you do not take notice of your singular Temperance and Sobriety your rare Humility and Condescention your exceeding Courtesie and Affability are either wilfully blind or worse And though I know your great Modestie doth not love to be told of your Virtues but had rather do things Noble and Excellent then hear talk of them Yet herein do I humbly beg your pardon if I tell the World of one it was so eminent and remarkable in you and gave such perfect content and satisfaction to your dear Mother and That was your signal dutifulness and complyance with every request and command of Hers in the time of Her sickness and since that too your most exact and punctual observation of Her last Will and Testament hitherto even to the smallest tittles and minutes And doubtless you have taken the right course to secure a blessing to your self and family for GOD Almighty who is so particularly mindfull of our lesser Charities and payes us still present money for every cup of cold water given in his name will not questionless be forgetfull of such signal returns demonstrations of filial Duty and Obedience but will in his time and manner abundantly reward them and recompence them And besides you have the first Commandement with promise as the Apostle calls it for your security and you may confidently build upon it and conclude and argue from it And therefore my Lord go on still in these pious and noble resolutions and recover every day more and more of the likeness and resemblance of your Parents and May the Blessings of Heaven continually descend on you and attend you both in your Person Relations and May there never want one of your Name and if it be the will of GOD out of your own Loins too to keep up perpetuate to the World's end The Renowned Memory of your famous Progenitours which is and shall alwayes be the prayer of My Lord Your Honour 's most humble and devoted Servant BARKER Psalm 90. vers 12. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome EVery Christian hath two great works to doe in the world to live well and to die well yea to live well to the end he may be sure to die well for as a holy life has evermore a
of her progenitours was that learned and prudent Knight Sr. Richard Morisin a person whose great judgement and experience in the Civil affairs and matters of State and Government had gained him severall times the Honourable Employment of Ambassadour unto forreign Kingdomes and Princes which also he as faithfully discharged with as much honour and renown Her immediate Father was that most accomplished and generous person Sr. Charles Morisin One whose singular affability and hospitality made him generally beloved of his neighbours so that he was commonly called the Darling of his Countrey and wanted nothing but the opportunity of a longer life to have equalled him in honour to any of his predecessours This worthy person joyning himself afterward in mariage to the most virtuous and delicate Lady the Lady Mary Hicks second Daughter to the Lord Viscount Cambden was by her blest with the promises of a fair and goodly issue But so it pleased God all of them this onely excepted proved but tender Buds plucked off and gathered by death long before they came to ripen into maturity So that now they had but one onely child remaining and that a Daughter and yet could they not complain for want of children for in her alone they had the worth and value and I am sure the comfort and happinesse of many children Am not I more worth to thee then ten sons said Elkanah you know to his Wife Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 8. and if ever Parents might have said so of one single child They might of Her And now having Her onely remaining you cannot but imagine Her to be a very precious Iewell accordingly their great care was to have her well set with all the advantages of Honour and Lustre that could be This after she was grown up to an age and stature fit and proper for Mariage and onwards of her seaventeenth year made them greatly solicitous and inquisitive after a proper match for her and at last after much search and enquiry and refusalls of many by a most wise and excellent choice they happily found out one who if the whole Kingdome afforded any was indeed a fit and proper Husband for her And He a person not to be named without a preface of honour reverence The truly Noble Honourable Arthur Lord Capell late Baron of Hadham One who had he been cast upon better conditioned times might happily have lived much longer but hardly have either lived or died more honourably but the times were too base unworthie for his generous soul he could not endure to behold his Master a Looser and himself come off Saver nor hug his private securitie in the choice of an inglorious retirement when he beheld the King his Master exposed to the mercilesse fury of an armed multitude He saw the Arke and Israel and Iudah now in Tents and his pious soul did yearn in him to be after them and to share like fortunes with them And here indeed though otherwise the most affectionate Husband of any other yet he gave the world plainly to see that his zeal and love to his God and Countrey was far superiour to his affections towards his wife A wife indeed is ultimum relinquendum the last temporal comfort that is to be forsaken upon earth and you know how the command runs to this purpose Gen. 2. 24. Relinquet patrem matrem He shall leave father and mother and so also by like proportion brother and sister son and daughter friends and acquaintance agglutinabitur uxort and shall leave to his wife Howbeit when the dispute comes once to happen betwixt our zeal to the truth and cause of God and our affections towards a wife then in such a case Linquenda domus tellus placens uxor all must be forsaken yea a wife together with the rest and we must cleave unto the truth It is a notable saying of his own to this purpose which you have in his 102. observation and which gives you in little the true pourtraicture of his noble spirit I will obey my parents honour my superiours love my equals respect my inferiours Wife and children shall be dearer unto me then my self but none of all these nay nor all these shall be prized by me like truth These were those pious principles which first engaged him in our late unhappy warres Not the ambitious aims of honour and preferment not any covetous designs of gain and profit to enlarge and encrease his estate by this means oh no! his noble and generous soul was farre above these low and little projects as he was clear of it himself so he hated nothing with a more perfect hatred then he did a degenerous and mercenary Loyalty Accordingly he freely and willingly with the first offered himself to the help of the Lord against the mighty and it was the piety and sincerity of his conscience the justice and equity of the cause he engaged in which drew him into the battel and put the first sword into his hands and which though indeed in the end it proved fatal to his life here yet not so to his honour for by it he has gained a good report and his name is as ointment poured forth and smells sweet and fragrant to this very day and people do speak honourably of him and the eyes which never saw him do pay homage to his memory and he is blessed in the gates So that by the invincible courage and fortitude the active zeal and resolution of this incomparable Heroe the very name of Capell is become an entailed badge and Title of Honour and Loyalty upon that numerous family Unto this blessed Martyr was our most excellent Lady here the fruitfull mother of a plentifull issue a good part whereof are to this day happily living and surviving but some are not During the whole time of his life she was his most loving faithfull and obedient wife and when providence had made her his widow she then openly declared and manifested to the world how dearly she loved his person by her signal faithfulnesse to his commands I mean her exceeding care and tendernesse of his children those dear remains and pledges of his conjugal love And here her first and greatest care of all was for their education to water these tender plants with wholesome precepts and examples and to infuse early principles of piety and Religion into their minds She well knew of what great importance it is what liquour the vessel is first seasoned with neither could she think it the onely part and office of a mother to bring forth children to her husband Nay but according to the Apostles command Eph. 6. 4. to bring them up also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord And in this indeed she was most exact and punctual and we live to see the happy fruits and effects thereof now in their riper years For my own part I have had the honour to live for these eight years last past in that noble
That whil'st in Millain Ambrose tarried there The Fiend durst not so much as once appear His very Absence plainly did confess And publish to the world his guiltiness He was afraid of that good man and why Not for his pow'rs sake but his piety Thus these Infernal workers of the Night Shun a Saint's presence as do Owls the Light Mirrour of Christians In whom equally Both Grace and Nature joyned Heads whereby To make one piece most Rare and Eminent Which should surmount what e're was excellent And that was Thee Ev'ry Celestial Grace Cent'ring in Thee as in it's proper place So that who e're would fain come near the best Must strive to equal Thee and that done rest How did thy well digested Family Resemble to the Life th' Oeconomy Of those Celestial spirits so that here A man might see how Angels govern'd were Avant Propanness Lewdness stand aloof Such Vermine must not think under this Roof To find a nesting place here 's Sanctuary For none but Saints and Heavenly Company Her Mornings work was first her Soul to dress Then next her Body with such comeliness As best beseems a Saint no Painting here No Crisping-pins no Curling of the Hair But all that sober dressing which S. Paul Enjoyns his Matrons and commends to all Pictures do shadows need and art but nature Shines most resplendent in her proper feature Next to her Mornings work her Family Took up the following Time 'till by and by Hark the Clock strikes then to Pray'rs we go Business must yield to Duty 'T is not so In all great Families but her blest mind Could else no Joy no Satisfaction find Nor could she think there would a Blessing be Where God hath not his Times as well as we Religion which some make a sport and play And others worse a Preface to make way To base designs a Silken Mask to hide VVhat otherwise dares not the Light abide Was her Delight her Joy her Recreation Her work her business her negotiation An early Saint she was she did not stay Or put off Duty 'till another day But fell to work with th' first knowing how vain It is to wish what can't be lent again And who would spend one minute carelesly Did he but understand that possibly The next may not be his or seriously Think what on each depends Eternity Eternity which grows still as it spends Like th' oil i th' vessel has nor bounds nor ends Blest Soul Heroick Saint who hadst within Besides thy Sex nothing was Feminine Crosses were no new things with thee th' had been Thy constant Lot for years thou hadst doth seen And felt what 't is to suffer Suffer sore Such suff'rings as had scarce been heretofore Thy Dearest Lord untimely hurry'd hence Not for his Crimes but his Allegiance He was too good to live had rather dye Then act ought which look't like Disloyalty Rebellion Rampant could not terrifie His High-born Soul Alas what 's Victory The cause being bad but thriving Villany Base-Coward Souls who know not to rise high But by inglorious acts a Capell-spirit Will learn you better arts true fame to merit Heroick suff'rings will entail a Name 'T is not the Death but Cause which brings the shame Scaffolds are Theaters the cause being good 'T is no disgrace to wade to Heav'n in bloud He might for 's Death-bed chose a Bed of Down 'T would have been softer true but less renown Heav'n was his aim which rather then to miss He chose the Axe to hugge the Block to kiss His shortest cut to Heav'n as things now stood Lay strait along through th'red sea of his bloud See how his Family thrives upon 't how all Do court Relation to that Name which shall Survive in honour when others memory Shall rot i' th' grave of lasting Infamy Could Tears retrive his precious Life we wou'd Threaten another Deluge and weep bloud But they 'r not Tears will weep him out of 's Bliss Spare then your sighs He 's better as he is With Charles the great stout Strafford Canterbury Bold Lucas daring Montross Company Which would an Angel from his seat of Bliss Invite though but t' enjoy such Happiness Rest then Blest Soul be Happy still and still Go on t' enjoy of them and Heaven thy fill And since we can't with teares re-call thy Fate We 'l strive by Acts thy Life to imitate Our Almanacks rather then want a Tombe Shall tell it forth Great Capell 's Martyrdome And was not that a Loss without compare Which with one fatal stroke did such a pair Part from each other Yet hold not parted quite They 'r met togeth'r again Death to requite That spightfull loss dispatch't her to her Bliss And marry'd them both again in Happiness And now great GOD whose Ruling Providence Doth reach to hairs and all thing here dispense Whose are our lives in whose hand are our deaths Who lengthen'st out stop'st at will our breaths Make the great Samplar of her Virtuous Life Of all our cares and thoughts the onely strife Let 's not for she did not our selves content Barely in being good but Excellent That of her Life a pious Imitation May bring us also to her habitation And sharing with her in like Graces here We may with her shine in her Glories There FINIS
And indeed for her own part she evermore made a most Christian emprove of these providentiall intermixtures and would ever and anon be chiding the sudden ebullition motion of an angry passion in her with holy Iob's calm and pious reply ch 2. 10. What shall I receive good at the hand of the Lord and shall I not receive evil shall I take his judgements unkindly and not much rather his mercies thankfully A most exact and punctuall observer she was evermore of Family duties and wholsome Orders and though in all other respects a most gracious and obliging Lady to her Servants a pregnant proof and testimony whereof she hath left behind her to the view of the world in her last will and Testament yet herein if any of her Servants made a transgression and she perceived them at any time absent from Prayers unlesse upon the just excuse of necessary businesse they were sure to have a severe and sharp reproof from her And she would often tell me that she never pleased her self in her Family duties nor thought she did serve God acceptably and as was fit unlesse she had all her Family about her just of Ioshuah's pious resolution for all the world chap. 24. 15. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I have hitherto given you a character of this most excellent Ladies life during the time of her health I shall come now to her last act of all her most Christian carriage and deportment during the whole time of her sicknesse and here I shall report nothing more then what mine own eyes and ears were observers and witnesses of for as I had the honour to attend her for many years together in the time of her health So in the whole time of her sicknesse I had the happinesse to minister to her spirituall occasions in the proper way and Office of my Function And so as I had the fittest opportunity of any other I did in like manner make it my businesse to take as exact an observation of her as I could It pleased God indeed who best knowes what is good for his Children to visit her with a long and tedious sicknesse and that too sharpned with many bitter accents of pain and torment for severall moneths together But blessed be his holy name for it her patience all that whole while continued equall and no whit inferiour to her pain so that Standers by could more easily guesse out the pains and torments which she must needs lie under by a consideration of the kind and nature of her disease then by any either repining language or impatient complaints from her own mouth One time indeed and never but that once when I was with her I found her labouring under some inward conflicts and thoughtfulnesse touching her spirituall state and condition but those such as right well became the pious hope and humility of a Christian whereupon when I desired her that if any particular scruple did trouble her thoughts and lay heavy upon her spirit she would please to ease her mind of it and let me know it that I might the better fit and order my applications to her To which she returned me this answer that she had been very faithfull in her examination of her conscience and had desired God to assist and direct her in that search and yet could not find out any one particular sin which did afflict her spirit more then other But however confessed herself a great sinner before God What an heavenly speech was here not one partcular sin more then other and yet a great sinner just in St. Paul's words for all the world 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified She was it seems very desirous to take as much shame and guilt to herself as was possible that so she might leave the more glory for the free grace and pardon of God And accordingly still as shee cast down one eye upon sin at any time she was ever carefull to keep the other firmly and stedfastly fixt upon her Saviour the infinite price of his Bloud the alsufficient merit of his Satisfaction neither could any either clamours of sin or temptations of Satan or aggravations and conscience of unworthinesse in her selfe draw her at any time out of this strong hold of Faith or pluck her out of the armes of her Saviour or force her to let go her hold of the horns of this Altar resolving it seems with holy Iob chap. 13. 15. Yea though he slay me yet will I trust in him And would very often repeat over to her self the Apostles melancholly Question Rom. 7. 24. But then with his comfortable resolution annexed to it O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And this was the right complexion and constitution of her piety an equall mixture and temperament of fear and hope of humility and confidence as her hope was evermore a fearing hope so was also her fear alwayes a believing hoping fear She carried too deep a sense of sin in her conscience to be proud of any virtue or worthinesse of her own and was alwayes even under her greatest conflicts and agonies too good a Christian to despair of pardon Toward the latter end of her sicknesse for the better setling and strengthning of her Faith She twice received that heavenly viaticum the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and both times with marvellous expressions and significations of devotion and reverence and particularly the first time which was some while before her decumbency when though her strength was very much decayed and her pain at the same time very fierce and sharp upon her yet would She not otherwise be perswaded but would needs receive upon her knees resolving as she told me so long as God lent her the use of her knees to use them in that solemn service as a testimony of her unfeigned humility and reverence of the majesty and dreadfulnesse of those sacred mysteries During the time of her decumbency though she had constantly sent for me before yet then she more frequently repeated her messages to me She now saw and felt the time of her departure drawing nigh and so was very loth and unwilling to lose any time but be continually dressing and fitting her self for her change Three dayes before her departure She desired and accordingly received the Churches last comfort and blessing the comfort of absolution which She took with very great thankfulnesse and satisfaction and I could sensibly perceive in her a present return of most heavenly comfort and perfect quietnesse of mind thereupon This I adde the rather for the example and practice of others These great Offices of holy Church have doubtlesse more virtue and efficacy in them then ordinary apprehensions do rate them at and though living we doe contemn them and set light by them yet dying people do
such a Conscienc to observe Oh consider Right Honourable that you are born of pious Parents Your Father dy'd a Blessed Martyr and your Mother lived a Precious Saint upon earth and you have great reason to believe that they doe now both of them shine glorious Saints in heaven Think now I beseech you what a lessening of their happinesse will it be there to understand and know that you their dear and naturall Relations which came out of their own bodies Children of so many Prayers and Teares of so much care and tendernesse as you have ever been to them That you I say after their deaths should in the least measure prevaricate and degenerate from the example of their piety They were pleasant Vines oh be not you Thornes and Thistles They were active Christians oh be not you barren and unnfruitfull Know that they that are born of pious Parents as you all are are born under the greatest possible obligations unto piety that may be The bare example of their pious Parents which all have not forcibly provoking and engaging them in like pious practises Would you shine glorious Saints in heaven as they now doe why then live Religious Saints upon earth as they here did and then indeed you will fare much the better for their Piety's sake for every pious Parent doth hoard and treasure up a stock of blessings for his Children but then it is upon a condition of like piety in them and not oherwise Remember what the Prophet Ezekiel sayes to this purpose and consider it and lay it seriously to heart Chapt. 18. 20. The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him The soul that sinnes it shall die Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost be all possible Honour and Glory and Praise now and for evermore Amen Amen 2 Chron. 9. 5 6. And she said to the King it was a true report which I heard in mine own Land of thine Acts and of thy wisdome Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatnesse of thy wisdome was not told me for thou excellest the fame that I heard FINIS AN ELEGIE Upon the much lamented Death of the Right Honourable and most excellent Lady The Lady ELIZABETH CAPELL DOWAGER ANd was 't thou not afraid bold Death to touch That Heav'n-inspired Saint who had none such But thou thy hands had'st first i' th' martyr'd bloud Of her Dear Lord imbru'd and so grews't proud To snatch of his what else did here remain Though yet her Death prov'd more thy loss then gain To do her mischief thou did'st make her Saint And much against thy will did'st her acquaint With Angels company where now she sets And all her Earthen comforts here forgets At least not wants them Rare felicity Earth's mud exchang'd for Heav'ns Eternity There now she sits and Queen's it pitying much Our sorry Comforts here which we with such Hard pains do gather up as sometimes were Th' Israelites forc'd to wander here and there To pick up Manna in the Wilderness And having got them call them Happiness Hydropick thirstie Happiness no doubt So far from slaking that th' encrease our drought But our blest Saint is got above these toyes And scorns them now feasting on heav'nly Joyes And would not for a World her fingers more Soil with those dirty Comforts we adore Now Riches Honours Friends and Children are To her Rich Soul but so much paltry ware Strong Mans'ons Goodly Pallaces Buildings fair Seem now to her but Castles in the air And here they seem'd so too these little things Were much below her Soul the lofty wings Of her desires soar'd higher all her Bliss And Joy was Heaven which rather then she 'd miss She was resolv'd to dye and so she did But not as we low Souls whose Life is hid And buried in the Rubbish of the Earth Rather she did depart t' enjoy the mirth And melodie of Angels withdrew from hence To th' end she might a glorious Saint commence She willingly uncas'd her Soul that so She might with swifter pace to Heaven goe Her flesh was her incumbrance which to take Away from her did but her freedome make Her Soul was kept close Pris'ner 'till by Thee T' was happily releas'd and so made free And whither did it flie I trow canst ' tell If not I 'le tell thee now 'T is gone to dwell With blessed Saints and Angels there to sing Joynt-praises with them to her Heav'nly King Thus wert thou fool'd weak Death for what by Thee Was meant a mischief prov'd a Courtesie Heavens blest her here with Comforts to her mind But nothing like to what she now does find Oh that we felt what she feels then would we Chuse to die too and bear her Company But stay my Friends Heaven and Happiness Are costly Pennyworths If you sweat less For them then for the world you 'l surely miss Of what she now enjoyes Eternal Bliss She was not born a Saint no more then we No priviledge did her Nativity Give her 'bove us they were her Piety Her virtuous Life her rare Humility Her flaming Zeal her sober Gravity Her yearning Bowels melting Charity Her Faith her Hope her Love her Patience Her Meekness Temp'rance Her obedience To ev'ry Providence not once replying Or yet Oh t is a sore one vainly crying These made her Saint these gain'd her Heaven too And would gain't us as well would we live so Compound of Goodness who by far hadst more Graces in thee then we have names in store What Virtue shall we call thee we can't tell Wh'ther this or that for Thou wert all as well Thine own sole Rival For alas what were Failings in thee they our Perfections are And doubtless we should thy Divinity Have fondly worship'd had'st not chose to dye And so remov'd that doubt But though we call Thee not a breathing Angel yet we shall Strict Votaries resort unto thy shrine And pay Thee Honours next unto Divine Methinks I see now that Majestick Face That Garb that Presence mixt with comely grace Those frowns those looks of hers commanding Eye Heart-breaking softness cutting Clemency Thus chiding Sin Bold Sinners how dare ye I looking on act thus unhandsomely How dares the sawcy darkness of the Night Out-face the presence of the noon-day light Thus was she fear'd and lov'd alike whilst they Who wish't the Sin full well yet chose t' obey And cease from sin though but in Reverence To her grave Aspects charming Influence Thus have I seen erewhiles in winter nights The wanton Stars sporting with twinckling Lights And dancing at the absence of the Sun But that no sooner 'bove the Horizon 'Gan to peep forth but they in trembling wise Strait hid their faces and shut close their Eyes Astonish't at that presence Thus we 're told By th' tell-troth Records of Historians old