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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56406	The faithful and diligent Christian described and exemplified, or, A sermon (with some additions) preached at the funeral of the Lady Elizabeth Brooke, the relict of Sir Robert Brooke, to which is annexed ... an account of the life and death of that eminent lady : with an appendix containing some observations, experiences, and rules for practice, found written with Her Ladiship's own hand / by Nath. Parkhurst ...	Parkhurst, Nathaniel, 1643-1707.	1684 (1684)	Wing P489; ESTC R14746	35,723	168

The Faithful and Diligent Christian described and exemplified OR A SERMON With some Additions Preached at the Funeral of the Lady ELIZABETH BROOKE the Relict of Sir Robert Brooke Kt. of Cockfield-Hall in Yoxford Suffolk Who departed this Life July 22. And was interred in the Parish-Church of Yoxford July 26. 1683. And in the 82d Year of her Age. To which is annexed including the Character then given of Her an Account of the Life and Death of that Eminent LADY With an APPENDIX containing some Observations Experiences and Rules for Practice found written with her Ladiship 's own Hand By NATH PARKHVRST M. A. Vicar of Yoxford and Chaplain to her Ladiship Prov. 31.29 Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all London Printed for Samuel Sprint at the Bell in Little-Britain and John Harding at the Bible and Anchor in Newport Street near Leicester-Fields 1684. To the much honoured Truly Vertuous and Religious Mrs. MARY BROOKE MADAM THE shortness of the Time which was allowed me for the delivering of the Sermon preach'd at the Funeral of your Excellent Mother would not permit that fuller Account of Her which I now humbly offer to you with that Sermon enlarged Notwithstanding which Additions I am sensible there remains much unsaid equal to the things I have remarked though assisted by some very consideble Memorials sent to me by a most worthy Friend to your Family who hath been acquainted with her four and forty Years and passed many of them in her House But there being a necessity of omitting some things unless I would have exceeded the usual Bounds of such Narratives I only beg your Pardon if I have not made the best choice among those Treasures of Excellencies and Christian Accomplishments that were found in Her These which I have collected I hope may be useful to them who have any Inclination to Piety as serving to excite to a great degree of Holiness This being the natural Tendency of great Examples recorded even to move others to Imitation Which Effect I am much assured it will produce in your Self and You of all others are most obliged to endeavour it having been constantly conversant with the Patern when living It is a great Honour to have descended from such a Parent but it will be much more to tread with that Exactness in her Steps that all that behold your Conversation may see Her living in You. It was Her earnest desire you might survive and God hath fulfilled it She hath left You in her Province clothed with her Mantle And may a double Portion of her Spirit rest upon You that You may honour God as She did And that You may enjoy a long and prosperous Life here and then ascend to Heaven and partake together with Her in equal Glory is the earnest Prayer of Madam Your much obliged and most humble Servant NATH PARKHURST ERRATA PAge 17. line 17. for and his read and in his P. 19. l. 11. f. is before us r. is set before us P. 56. in the Margin f. Sussex r. Suffolk P. 106. l. 9 10. f. Heaven makes r. it makes P. 108. l. 10. f. rational r. notional P. 114. l. 1. f. the End r. his End P. 151. l. ult f. in the State r. in this State Some few other lesser Mistakes of a Letter or two in a word may be easily taken notice of and mended in the reading A SERMON PREACHED At the FUNERAL of the Lady Elizabeth Brooke c. 1 COR. XV. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. THE Gospel of our Blessed Saviour hath many Excellencies in it inviting us to accept and obey it For First The matter of it is Grace in the most kind and condescending Offers thereof And Holiness described in the exactest Rules for the management of our Hearts and Lives no Ethicks being comparable to the Precepts of it Secondly The Author of it is The Prince of Peace and King of Kings The Eternal Son of God The Brightness of his Father's Glory and express Image of has Person Thirdly The end of it is The most eminent Display of all the Perfections and Attributes of God For His Power is most admirably manifested in the Miracles that have confirmed it and in the success of it upon the Minds of many who have been changed by it into the Divine Image His Wisdom also shines most illustriously in that Contrivance in it of the Harmony between His offended Justice and his Mercy in being Just and yet the Justifier of him that believes in Jesus Moreover his Holiness is greatly declared in it in the satisfaction and sufferings of his only Son And above all his Mercy and Goodness is most eminently exprest in it by his free Acceptance of them that repent of their Sins believe in his Son and sincerely obey him notwithstanding their many Infirmities entertaining them with the greatest Kindness and Love beyond expression beyond conception And Fourthly As one of its most glorious Excellencies The Encouragement to receive and obey it is no less than the Promise of an unspeakable Future Happiness in our Souls immediatly after Death and of a most glorious Resurrection of our Bodies in the last day unto a Life Eternal and Enjoyments no less excellent than durable Of which the Apostle discourseth largely in this Chapter with abundant Demonstration of the truth of it concluding with this practical Inference in the Text Therefore my Beloved c. In which Words besides many things which I omit we have observable First The Duty of Christians proposed Be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord. Secondly The Reward of accomplishing the Duty Your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. Thirdly The Rational Inference or Conclusion from the certainty of the Reward Therefore my Beloved be ye stedfast c. forasmuch c. Of which Things I shall discourse in this Method shewing I. It is our Duty to be employed in the Work of the Lord. II. That we ought to attend it with steadiness III. That we should be perpetually progressive in it IV. That the Recompence will answer the Labour For it shall not be in vain I. It is our Duty to be employed in the Work of the Lord. It is called His Work because it is enjoyn'd by His Laws encouraged by His Promises and performed by His Aids For otherwise it might have been termed Our Work it being the whole Christian Exercise which is intended by it In this therefore is comprehended 1. The Labours and Industry required of us towards the attaining necessary sound and sufficient knowledge of the Great Principles of Faith and of the Rules For conducting our Conversation and the encouragements to Holiness contained in the gracious Promises and the Cautions against Sin which we have in the severe Threatnings dispersed through the Scriptures of the Old and New

rebuilt with much more Glory Magnificence and Splendor returns into it with more Pleasure than ever he had in it before so the Soul will rejoyce much more in it s repaired Fabrick than ever before during the time of this mortal Life especially upon finding it purged entirely from Sin the fretting Leprosy in the Walls of it which could never be cleansed but by the breaking of it down And probably there will be a mighty Addition to this Pleasure by the Soul 's sensible uniting with it or joyning to the Body with a Perception of doing so The first Union that was made between them was to the Soul insensibly performed by the meer Hand and Power of God in the first Formation of the Body and so the Felicity of that Uniting was never understood But at the Resurrection the Body being raised again and most gloriously formed and the Soul coming down from Heaven and knowing to what end it descends will with a strange Pleasure sensibly enter again into its old Habitation repaired and made glorious And being raised from our Graves with this Pleasure of the Reunion of Soul and Body we shall be conducted to Christ's Right-hand and hear such Words as these spoken to us by Him the Judg and Lord of all Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World And Well done good and faithful Servant enter you into the Joy of your Lord. When the Ungodly shall hear the Words of the Curse more terrible than the Thunder on Mount Sinai Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And then together with all the Church of God and the holy Angels we shall Souls and Bodies united together never more to be separated ascend into the highest Heaven and enjoy throughout an Eternity the fullest most refined and most agreeable Happiness that our Natures are capable of which if we can believe depending upon the Verity of the Scriptures we must acknowledg our Labour is not in vain And why should we make any doubt of it Have we not all the Evidence we can have of this matter The Scriptures have the Attestation of multitudes of Miracles performed and Prophecies fulfilled They have the Signature of God also upon them in the Holiness of the Matter and the Majesty of the Stile in many places never Book spake like this Book The Matters of Faith in it are so high the Mysteries so grave and sublime the Precepts so holy and pious the Promises so agreeable and refreshing to Minds that are mortified and purged from Vice the Threatnings so solemn severe and just the Examples so glorious and the whole so admirable that if we consider it we cannot imagine the Author to be other than God who is most holy just and good There being then no doubt but that the holy Scriptures will be in all Points verified and in particular in the Promise of future Happiness consisting in a glorious Resurrection and a blessed Immortality as the Reward of true Holiness Let us be perswaded to comply with God in the things he requireth of us And let us manage our Lives according to our Christian Profession and our Vowes in Baptism and since And let us hearken no more to the Charms of Sense the Voice of a tempting World and the Whispers of the Devil our great Enemy enticing us to Sin and to abide in evil and unholy Ways and Practices But let us deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World putting on the Armour of Light and Righteousness on the Right-hand and on the Left And let us in earnest make Religion the great Business of our Lives believing God's Promises and expecting this most glorious Reward But some may possible object in this manner We have heard the manifold Duties of Religion and have sometimes considered of the great Reward proposed But we find to our Discouragement that Religion is a Wisdom too high for us and the Practice of it a Province too difficult It is a way too strait and a Gate too narrow a Yoke too pressing a Burden too heavy a severe Warfare a tedious Travel It is impossible to comply with it and if we would endeavour the Practice of it we cannot effect it It were more easy to us to dig in the Mines or serve in the Gallies then to break off our Sins and live a holy Life And therefore urge us not to attempt Impossibilities My Answer to this Objection is That it is a Mistake and that what is required is through Divine Assistance and Grace very possible and certainly practicable The Difficulties are great but there is a Grace given to Believers that surmounts them all that levels the Mountains fills up the Valleys makes the crooked places streight and the rough places even that opens the blind Eyes of Mens Minds and softneth hard Hearts and subdues rebellious Wills and regulates disordered Affections that enlightens and enables to will and to do and out of Weakness makes strong and calls things that are not as if they were and raises dead Souls to Life Therefore let it not be said It is impossible to be Religious But let Men beg the Grace that will make it possible And never let it be said it is impracticable when Multitudes though few in Comparison of greater Multitudes have lived in the practice and exercise of Holiness A Cloud of Witnesses as they are called Heb. 12.1 have gone before us in the practice of these things though Men of like passions with us The Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and many others have given us the Pattern and Proof of all this Piety and Godliness Some of all sorts have sincerely effectually and successfully engaged in it viz. some Kings Princes and Emperours as David Jehosaphat Hezekiah c. some Generals of Armies as Joshua and Gideon c. some Officers of State as Joseph Obediah c. some Learned Rich and Honourable and some Poor Mean Illiterate and Despifed Perfons so that none of us of what quality or condition soever can say Religion and Godliness is Impracticable by Persons of our Condition and Circumstances in the World Having then Patterns of Piety in all Ranks and Conditions of Men let us set these Examples before us and asking Grace and imploring Aids from God through the Mediator Christ Jesus let us imitate them and be holy as They were in all manner of Conversation And besides these Ancient Examples we have some in this present Age by whom it is evident that Godliness in the Life and Power and Exactness of it is really practicable We have now before us That which is sufficient utterly to silence the Objection I mean The Remains and Memory of this Eminent LADY and Excellent CHRISTIAN whose great Piety was the Glory of this Place And whose Recess from amongst us though She died full of dayes hath filled many Hearts with a passionate Grief

much deprest by it Her Danger was of fainting under this correcting Hand of God but she was upheld by him that is able to succour them that are tempted She often exprest her self in Words importing that she justified God and acknowledg'd his Righteousness in it She feared lest some might be scandalized by it and reflect upon Religion and decline it because of her deep Affliction and most earnestly desired that God would take care of his own Name and Glory But afterwards her Spirit revived and she was comforted as before and rejoiced in the God of her Salvation The Close of her Life was a long Languishing of divers Months which gradually confined her first to her Chamber then to her Couch and lastly to her Bed attended sometimes with great Pains under which Patience had its perfect Work During this Sickness her Mind was calm Her Conscience witnessed to her Integrity and she had a good hope in God that he would crown his Grace in her with Perseverance and then with Glory She was very apprehensive of her need of Christ adhered to him rejoyced in him and desired to be with Him She expired almost insensibly and had at the last an easy Passage to the Happiness which is the Reward of Faith and Holiness and the free Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. She hath left behind her which are Evidences of an unusual Diligence and an admirable Industry a great number of Writings under her own Hand some of which are these A considerable Body of Divinity in a large Quarto shewing what a Christian must believe and practice written Anno Dom. 1631. Collections of Commentaries upon a great part of the Holy Scriptures and of the Sum of the Controversies between Us and the Papists A Book containing Observations Experiences and Rules for Practice which being a most lively Image of her Mind may supply all the Defects of the Narrative I have given of her and is subjoyned here in hope it may be of no little Benefit to all pious Readers AN APPENDIX Containing Some considerable OBSERVATIONS EXPERIENCES and RULES for Practice found written with her Ladiship 's own Hand I. The World's Vanity ALL my Comforts below are dying Comforts no one Creature not all the Creatures that ever I enjoyed have given my Soul Satisfaction II. Good Actions will bear Consideration but evil Actions will not Every Act of Piety and Obedience will bear Consideration but so will not any sinful Action If we consider before we attempt any sinful Action either we shall not commit it or we shall do it with regret and a Conscience half set on fire But if we consider before any holy Action or Duty our considering Thoughts will much animate us to the Service Wherefore I conclude from hence that Sin shames it self and Religion justifies it self III. The Worship of God is made pleasant by a Sense of his Presence in it God's Presence was formerly manifested by visible Signs as the Cloud Fire and Brightness And though we cannot expect these yet we have the same especial Presence of God with us And when ever by Faith we attain any lively Apprehensions of it How solemn profitable and delightful doth it make the Worship of God with what Joy doth it bring us to the Assemblies and how unwilling are we to be kept from them when we have this Expectation from them And finding our Expectation in this answered how devoutly do we behave our selves in them and how joyfully do we return home as they that have seen God and conversed with Him IV. It is our Interest to be Religious It is a most experienced Truth that we shall never be well reconciled to Religion and steady in Piety until we see it is our Interest to be Religious V. It is difficult to pray without some wandring Thoughts in Prayer It is very difficult to carry Sincerity and keep a Sense of God through every part of Prayer which is necessary to be endeavoured and is the Life of the Duty I find it hard to keep my Soul intent for my Thoughts are slippery and swift and my Heart is snatch'd away sometimes against my Will and before I am aware yea even then sometimes when I have made the greatest Preparation and have had the greatest Resolutions through Grace to avoid wandring Thoughts My best Prayers therefore need Christ's Incense to perfume them VI. A deep Sense of God in Prayer is desirable and ravishing Could I understand my near approach to God in Prayer it would exalt my Soul above measure And why am I not ravished with the Thoughts of being in the Presence of God and haing the Ear yea the Heart of the King of Heaven It is nothing but want of Faith and the strange Power of Sense that weakens my Spiritual Apprehensions and keeps me from an unspeakable Delight in my Addresses to God What an high Priviledg is this to speak to the Great JEHOVAH as a Child to a Father or a Friend to a Friend But how slow of Heart am I to conceive the Glory and Happiness thereof Could I but manage this great Duty as I ought it would be an Heaven upon Earth It would bring God down to me or carry me up to Him Why should I not be carried above the World when I am so near to God Why should I not be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Why am I not even transported beyond my self VII We ought to be constant in Prayer Inconstancy in Prayer is not only sinful but dangerous Omission breeds Dislike strengthens Corruption discourages the Spirit and animates the unregenerate Part. Constancy in this Duty breeds an holy Confidence towards God Inconstancy breeds Strangeness Upon an Omission I must never approach God again or my next Prayer must be an exercise of Repentance for my last Omission VIII Sincere Prayers are never offered in vain Formality is apt to grow upon our secret Prayers one of the best ways to prevent it is to come to God with an Expectation This sets an Edg upon our Spirits I do not enough observe the Returns of Prayer though God hath said I shall never seek Him in vain And when I observe I must acknowledg I have daily Answers of my Prayers in some kind or other Nay I think I may say I never offered a fervent Prayer to God but I received something from Him at least as to the frame of my own Spirit IX Prayer promotes Piety and Godliness and Acquaintance with God It is the Christian's Duty in every thing to pray and Holiness lieth at the bottom of this Duty If I in every thing commit my self to God I shall be sure to keep his way or my Prayer will upbraid me This keeps me from tempting him and makes me careful to find a clear Call in every thing I undertake knowing that if I go only where I am sent the Angel of his Presence will go before me and my way will be cleared of

eject it It is not easy to bring the Soul back again into the State in which it was before it contracted Guilt XXXV Anger is seldom innocent I have no reason to trust my Anger it is not so just and righteous as it sometimes seems to be Anger is apt to blind my Mind and then Tyrannize over it There is in it something of Rage and Violence It stirs me up to act but takes away my Rule by which I should act I find an Aptness to credit my Passion and that foments it And when I am under the Power of Passion I have cause to suspect my own Apprehensions For Passion is blind and cannot judg it is furious and hath no leisure to debate and consider Giving way to it makes me unfit to act or receive Grace Though Anger should serve the Interest of Religion and so be good yet it being a strong and fierce Motion of the Spirit it must be used with great Advice and Caution XXXVI It is very hard and difficult to give God his due Glory under cross Providences XXXVII There is a Chain of Graces It is most certain there is a Chain of Graces inseparably link'd together and they who have one have all in some good measure They who have a lively Hope have fervent Love to God and they who love God love their Neighbours and they who love God and their Neighbours hate Sin and they who hate Sin sorrow for it and they who sorrow for Sin will avoid the Occasions of it and they that are thus watchful will pray fervently and they who pray will meditate and they who pray and meditate at home will joyn seriously in the Publick Worship of God Thus Graces are combined and holy Duties link'd together and no Grace is alone It is not with Graces as with Gifts to one is given this and to another that XXXVIII To be impartial in Piety and Mortification is very difficult It is a most difficult thing to withdraw Love from every Sin To proceed a little way in Religion is not hard But it is really so to go to the Extent of Mortification and Piety something of Religion may be embraced and our own Hearts Satan and the World not offended Some Morality and an outside-Devotion is not tedious to Flesh and Blood neither doth it shake Satan's Kingdom nor trouble the most of them we converse with But when we come once to engage in a close walking with God and to live by Rule in every part of Life resolving seriously to indulge no Sin whatever we pull the Kingdom of Darkness upon our Heads Then Corruption will strive Satan will rage the World will scoff watch for our halting and glory in our Miscarriages and we shall find it difficult to run against the course of Nature oppose Satan and go contrary to Men But of necessity this all this must be for any Sin indulged will divorce us from Christ XXXIX To trust in God is a Christian 's necessary Duty I find trusting in God my most necessary Duty My Condition is such that I cannot see before me I know not what a day may bring forth I find my self weak and impotent unable to do or suffer as I ought I cannot preserve my Soul Life Health or any thing dear to me And without trusting in God I cannot expect God should fulfil any Promise it being the Condition of the Promise XL. Trusting in God produces real Comfort I find it comfortable to trust in God it raises my Hope and gives me present Rest and Quiet and holy Contentation Trusting in God like many other Duties is my Work and my Ways XLI To trust in God is one of our most difficult Duties I find it difficult to trust in God at all times When Providences cross my Expectation they discourage me and prove a Temptation through my Weakness I have but feeble Apprehensions of the Power and Goodnese of God when I come to make use of them for my particular Security and Benefit I think I may say it is easier to obey and act for God than to trust in him XLII Faith is the Root of other Graces Faith is the Principle of Spiritual Life and Motion every true good Work and Exercise of Grace take their Rise and Vigor from Faith A Christian prays reads and meditates hears hopes loves is zealous for God and doth good to others Why because he believes What is Repentance and godly Sorrow but the Soul acted by Faith upon the Belief of the Sinfulness of Sin its Opposition and Contradiction to God and of the high Obligations we are under to avoid it and of the Misery we run into by venturing upon it and of the Madness and Folly of ruining our selves by it I find Faith most necessary and that I cannot be without it Where can I go or what can I undertake wherein Faith will not be necessary If I pray or meditate it will be a strange Exercise if Faith be wanting If I read or hear the Word it will not profit me unless I mix it with Faith would I hope in any Promise I must call forth my Faith Would I be heavenly-minded it is Faith must raise me above the World Would I be zealous for God Zeal will not gather Heat unless Faith blows the Fire Would I have Peace and Joy they must be had by believing Nay I can do nothing in my more ordinary Affairs without Faith I must know and believe my Design is good and centers in my great Design which is the Glory of God And the means I employ must be known and believed to be regular and holy or I dare not make use of them And then I must be able to cast my Care upon God and to commit the Event and Issue to him or else my Business becomes burdensom to me and I have no Rest in my self XLIII The Devil is a mighty but not an invincible Enemy I have a powerfull subtile watchful and malicious Enemy to encounter with But he is a known Enemy the Word hath discovered him and his Power is limited God hath promised me Victory over him nay my Lord hath already conquered him And I am not alone in this Warfare against Satan I fight not against him singly there is a whole Army engaged in the Quarrel The whole Church prayes and fights against him the Saints collectively make War upon him All the Prayers of the Church go up to Heaven for my Assistance so that I have help against Temptation from every Corner all strike this Dart into his Side Lord lead us not into Temptation And we all fight under our Victorious Captain Christ Jesus The Honour of God and of Christ my Head is bound up in my Safety and therefore I shall conquer nay his very Temptations shall turn to my good All these Considerations are my Encouragement XLIV The Things which the Holy Ghost teacheth The Holy Spirit teacheth every gracious Soul to regard the Immortal Spirit above the Body