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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

raising our Minds above the World and things of this Life to the Desires Hopes and Expectation of the Joys and Pleasures of Eternity and in maintaining a real and delightful Converse with God daily and in a careful thankful acknowledging Him in all the Good that befalleth us and insensibly apprehending that our Happiness consisteth in the Knowledg of Him and his Love and Favour towards us in Christ All this is our Duty and included in the Work of the Lord and we may not willingly omit any thing of it By which we may perceive that though in some respects Christ's Yoke is easy and his Burden light viz. being considered with its Reward and the Assistances of Divine Grace and compared with the wicked Man's Way and End considered together yet it is not altogether easy since so much is to be done Religion and Godliness have their Difficulties and he must be diligent that would not fall short of the Glory of God since the Duties besides that they are great are so numerous as hath been now represented according to the Scriptures II. All this must be endeavoured and practised with much Steadiness Having thus begun in the Spirit we must not end in the Flesh Having put our Hand to the Plough we may not draw it back and make our selves unworthy of the Kingdom of God Whatever may be the Rage of Satan and whatever Objections may arise in our own Hearts against any part of our Duty we may not quit it But considering that the Eye of God is upon us and that it is necessary to persevere to the end and looking at the Joy that is before us and imploring the Aids of the Holy Ghost we must break those Bonds of Temptation to Sin in sunder and cast away such Cords from us and remain fixed in Piety constant to Godliness unmoveably resolved to abide in it Cleaving to God with purpose of Heart Acts 11.23 and avoiding that Reprehension in Hos 6.4 Your Goodness is as a Morning Cloud and as the early Dew it goeth away And that we may be the more animated to Constancy in Religion and Godliness let us consider the many glorious Examples of this Steadiness Noah continued firm in his Obedience to God in the midst of a very wicked World Gen. 7.1 Thee have I seen Righteous in this Generation Lot in the midst of the polluted Sodomites preserved himself and mightily regretted their Wickedness Joseph in Pharaoh's Court and Moses in the Court of another of that Name Obadiah in Ahab's David in Saul's Daniel Ezra and Nehemiah in the Courts of the Persian Emperors remained steady in Holiness notwithstanding varieties of Temptations both of the alluring and affrighting kind The holy Apostles and Primtive Christians and the Antient and Modern Martyrs preserved their Integrity in the midst of violent Temptations to desert Religion They stood like unmoveable Rocks in raging Seas and turned back the Force of Temptations as they do the insulting Waves Wherefore let this be our firm Resolution in the Strength of God That the World shall never gain nor force us to revolt from Him and his holy Ways but that whatever Changes may come we will be the same and though the Mountains should be removed and the Hills carried into the midst of the Seas we will still keep Faith and a good Conscience being stedfast and unmoveable in the Work of the Lord. III. We ought not only to be stedfast but also perpetually progressive in all this Duty like the shining Light shining more and more to the perfect Day Our Repentance must be increased and perfected by greater degrees of Mortification Our Faith must grow aiming at the Patriarch's Degree who was strong in Faith giving Glory to God and who against Hope believed in Hope Rom. 4.18 20. Our Love must be more intense our Obedience more exact willing and chearful our Charity more compleat and every Grace ascending and aspiring after greater Degrees going on conquering and to conquer which thing is very possible for Grace is as capable of Growth and Increase as the Plants in the Field or the Cloud of an hand 's breadth It is compared to a Grain of Mustard Seed Which from the least of Seeds grows up into the greatest of Herbs St. Mat. 13.31 32. We may assuredly if we earnestly design it mightily advance in Grace and become much more humble holy obedient mortified patient and heavenly and may add much to our present Attainments and may carry our Victories over Temptations much further to higher degrees of Conquest and Triumph even on this side Heaven And as we may so we ought for this God requires of us That we should bring forth much Fruit that from Babes we should advance to a more perfect stature in Christ and encrease with all the Encreases of God And that in proportion to our Means Mercies Chastisements Experience and Time offered us we should grow in Grace and in the Knowledg and Love of God and Christ to which there is no Encouragement wanting For IV. The Recompence will abundantly answer the Labour which shall not be in vain We shall find a sure and sufficient Reward partly in Peace of Mind Serenity of Conscience and present Joy in the Holy Ghost and chiefly in the future State For 1. Having been stedfast and abounding in our Duty when our Souls shall leave these Tabernacles of Clay whose Foundations are in the Dust as their first Principle Angels shall convey them to Heaven and there Christ will receive them and God the Father will acknowledg them and being entred into that blessed Place we shall have all the Happiness our Souls are capable of in the State of Separation from the Body And this is no less than an entire Deliverance from Sin Sorrow Fear Temptations and Afflictions with the Acquisition of perfect Grace and likeness to the Angels in Humility Purity Zeal Reverential Fear of God delight in Him and Charity one to another Moreover We shall be little less than equal to them in Peace and Joy and the Enjoyment of God in a Vision of Him by Intellectual Sight far transcending our best Knowledg of Him here by Faith For now we see him by Faith only in his Works Providence and Word all which amounts comparatively but to the seeing him through a Glass darkly but in Heaven we shall see Him face to face and know Him in some sort as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 2. Having been stedfast and abounding in Piety and Holiness we shall in the end of the World recover our Bodies again with advantage for they shall be raised again in Incorruption Glory and Power being made Spiritual Bodies vers 42 43 44. This Corruptible shall then put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall put on Immortality and Death shall be swallowed up in Victory And who can express the Joy and Pleasure that will arise from the Soul 's re-entring into the new-raised Body As a Prince that leaves an old Palace till it be

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

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