THE NON-PAREIL OR THE VERTVOVS DAVGHTER SVRMOVNTING ALL HER SISTERS Described In a Funerall Sermon upon tbe Death of that vertuous Lady ELIZABETH HOYLE late wife of the Worshipfull Thomas Hoyle Alderman of the City of Yorke By that godly and Reverend Divine Mr Iohn Birchall late Pastor of the Church of St. Martins in Micklegate The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance but the memoriall of the wicked shall rot YORK Printed by Tho Broâ—â— welling in Stone-gate over against the Staâ—re â—6â—4 To the Honourable Thomas Hoyle Lord Majoâ— of the City of Yorke and one of the Burgesses of the High Court of Parliament for that City increase of Honour and Vertue HONOVRABLE I Hope whiles I revive your vertuous Ladies memory I need not fear to renew your soâ—row which is not so much worn away with Time as born with Christian Fortitude and allayed with discretion Againe you have happily repaired your losses and in the same kind by a second Rebecca so you are comforted after her death who living was Mother in Israel as Israels Father was after the death of his Mother Adde to this that all private Crosses are to be forgotten yea and present Blessings scarce to be injoyed when wee remember our publique calamities So Pbineas his wife was more affected wiih the taking of the Ark then with the death of either Husband or Father neâ—ther would she forget her sorrow though a Man-child was born into the world Such was not the wilful humour but the gracious temper of that good Hittite who would neither eate nor drink nor go down to his house or wife whiles the Ark and Judah abode in the Tents and his Lord Joab and his servants lay in the open fields counting that unlawfull which was onely unseasonable Pardon I pray you this digression which yet is not altogether impertinent to this ensuing Funerall Subject seeing the whole Kingdome is almost turned into one Funerall The righteous perish and none layeth it to heart where though the departure of the Righteous is much to be lamented yet much more the apathy and seâ—slesnesse of the miserable Surviver But to return and resume our former Subject As she waâ— aâ— eâ—cellent Pattern of many divine graces so especially she excelâ—d in this tenderness compassion which with the rest of her holy vertues I need not pourtray and represent unto your view seeing you fully know them by a long and sweet experience have their Idea still before your eyes this also is done to my hand in this just Panegyrick by a better Orator who was your vigilant Pastor my reverend acquaintance in whom those rich endowments which he describes in your worthy Consort did also shine in an eminent manner so that changing onely the Psrson it may serve for his own Funerall Sermon for as in water face answereth to face so their hear is both washed with water and the same holy Spirit were alike spirituall and holy He being dead yet speaketh in his Sermon and she being dead yet liveth in our affections and memory remaines a lively pattern of heavenly conversation Her excelling vertues he sets forth not in excellency of words but with the Apostle in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power Neither could his meditations composure be very exact and perfect seeing this his pregnant issue was to be delivered the day after the conception and though he had more time for preparation yet he was not like those who prick their words as birds set their feathers or nice women their curles in a quaint curious order for this savours more of affectation then of affection of ostentation then truth sincerity There are many whos Sermons are halfe a yeer in contriving then vented in one hour forgotten in another like painted Pageants erected against the Kings Coronation which after much pains time spent in decoring are taken down when the day of Solemnity is over and these are they who like those Jews John 5. 44. seek honor one of anâ—ther seek not the honour which cometh from God only especially the chief Rulers among them did love the praise of men more then the praise of God Joh. 12. 43. whereas not he that commendeth himself as such plaunble but unprofitable men would do is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Câ—r 10. ult But the sole aime of our Orator is to glorifie God to do your Consort right and us all good by setting forth in plain yet patheticall language her holy life for our happy imitation and though his time of preparation was very short yet his Seâ—mons very full for he being a present man alwayes furnished had his quiver full of divine meditationss which he câ—uld readily open upon every opportunity and it becomes every one of us to expose the tender parts of our hearts to such wounding yet healing arrows which receive this soveraign quality from the Sun of righteousness which hath healing in his wings Now for this particular Sermon certainly it is much eclipsed from that primitive lustre which it had when it was presented viva voce before you for his tongue was â—he pen of a ready writer but not the pen of any writer could match his ready tongue for he was very quick boâ—h in his tongue and in his mind full of holy affections to sanctifie his learning and full of choice leaâ—ning to beautifie his holinesse Thus much I thought good â—o write in his honour who so much honoured you yours But I feaâ—e me I have weaâ—ied you so now remit yâ—u to the refrefreshmâ—â—â— of his comfortable Sermon which I make bold to commend to your Patrâ—nage you and yours to the Almighties protection and â—ny poor endeavâ—rs to your Lordships acceptation So rest Your Lordships true Honourer J. F. The Commendation PROV 31. 29. Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all WHen I looked first into this Text thinking to consult as I did with some yea divers Commentators then I did begin to thinke of saving that labour for truly this blessed Saint of God was the best Commentary of this my Text in her life What an happy thing was it that she should heare her Funerall Sermon as it were before her death the last Sermon that ever she heard was on that â—ubject and it was observed concerning her that she came from the place of Gods Worship with such joy as though she had come from Heaven The text was that which we spake of last Munday on the 116. Psalme 13. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints She both in her life and at her death did expresse the truth of that last text which shee heard discourse of on a Funerall occasion and she also in her life and conversation is an exact Commentary on this my text That which I purpose to speak of concerning her shall be nothing but what I conceive in Gods sight to be truth and what
shall be now said in her commendation for seeing shee honoured the Lord in her life it is my poor desire and it shall be my best indeavour to honour her at her death what I say now first shall be said in her commendation shall at last be repeated againe with application unto you all for your imitation Truly this in generall first I may say that when I look into those examples in the Scripture of rare persons even of godly women as Sarah and Deborah a Mother in Israel and the like may not we say that the name indeed differs but the practise doth not a Sarah is dead a Deborah a Mother in Israel is gone Nay beside these examples when I read those expressions and discriptions of godly wemen in the 1 Tim. 2. in the 2 Titus as also in the 1 Peter 3. me thinks there is a lively discription of this godly Saint But leaving generals we will come to speak of some particulars and we will reduce them briefly into these two heads First to her conversation before God as in the sight of God as also amongst Her conversation towards God and before men here on earth Secondly to her affection and Heavenly mindednesse towards that glorious place and the enjoying of that blessed person there even the Lord Jesus â—or the first of these and by the way that you may not conceive that what shee did even in regard of Morall things was nothing but what a Civil and Morall man might have done this Man-ward the will of God was her rule the Spirit of God was her guide and the glory of God was her end Three such qualifications of an action as never yet were found in the best action of the highest Formalist But now particularly concerning that first work of God upon her even her conversation unto God as I am given to understand It is since the Lord begun to set her face towards Heaven some thirty yeares or thereabouts all which time untill now she kept her face and her heart towards that blessed place Look a little into the Gospell for there are the best and the surest evidences of a blessed estate concerning the great work of Faith in Hâ—â— Faith the blood of the Lord Jesus oh how precious was the Lord Christ unto her soule as her discourses many a time did manifest and as the text speaks 1 Pet 2. It is a cleer evidence that she beleeved on the Lord Jesus because as the Apostle there speakes to such as doe believe he is precious and so he was unto her and you may conceive from that which some persons doe think is not such an evidence she her self would often confesse that she found shaking sometimes concerning her Faith for I do assent unto his judgment that affirm it That he that alwayes believes alike and he that alwayes prayes alike hee never believed nor prayed truly But all her shaking were for her further setling and rooting in the Faith as ye take a tender Plant shake it that so the roote of it may bee more setled in the ground and spread abroad further in the earth And for her repentance in respect of sinne oh her sorrowfull and Her repentance penitent soul for that after her dayes of humiliation in secret she comming out into the family severall times these years have heard her speaking of her sins with eyes as full of tears as may be and when she came unto the Lords table she came with such brokennesse and with such tendernesse of spirit as it was a cleere evidence unto me that as with joy she looked on Christ the Maker and Matter of that blessed Feast so with sorrow she looked on her sinne by which she had pierced so sweet a Saviour What shall I say further I might goe through all those markes and evidences of life and of salvation revealed in the Gospell expressed by our Saviour in 5. Mat. O I might tell you that she was poor in spirit and she was pure in heart and shee was a mourning soule and she was an hungry soul she was a meek soule and she was a mercifull soule of all which our blessed Saviour pronounces this in that place that they are certain and infallible markes of a blessed estate Looke into those evidences that are expressed in the rules and commands of the Gospell as concerning the mortifying of sinne so as not suffering it to raign growing in grace walking not after the flesh but after the spirit self-deniall and humility of spirit Her selfe-deniall â—umilitie especially that in the will not only that reverentiall humility whereby she had high thoughts of her God and low and meane thoughts of her selfe but also that obedientiall humility in stoâ—ping and subjecting her will unto the will of her God this was enough for her that God had said it and therefore shee for ber par would indeavour to do it these are such evidences as are Evangelicall Look now a little into the Law as modifyed by the Gospell in all the commands of the first Table For the first command I have Her obedience to the first Command often thought of her speech oh saith she I am greatly in love with the first command and truly it was a sound evidence of life in her for this is the summe of the first Table Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. nay she was heartily glad that the Lord had bin pleased to expresse himself in that manner Oh beloved could any man hear her speake this how she loved the first Command which indeed is the root and substance of all the rest and how glad shee was that God had given out such a Command could any man I say heare this and not thus conclude from it and say Oh the strength of grace in the heart of this Saint Tâ— the 2. Câ—mmand Her â—rdinary duties In heâ—â—ing the Word In receiving the Sacramente And for the second Command that is of Gods worship whether ordinary or extraordinary For the ordinary whether publique private or secret For those in publique as the hearing of Gods Word and joyning in Prayer oh what meltings and oh what breakings have these eyes seen in that seat she used to heare and made use of what she heard Many of us doe use to heare Sermons but there is an end we make but little good use of the Sermons that we heare And for her receiving of the Sacrament oh what care did she take in a speciall manner by her selfe by humbling of her soule to prepare her selfe for the participation of that ordinance and oh what melting affection in a sweet mixture of joy and sorrow for at that time there is both have these eyes seene in her when as these hands have given her the outward elements and oh the joy and gladnesse of her soule after shee returned home having been feasted with the Lord Jesus at his own Table And as In
ones upon earth even unto those that do excell in vertue and excell in grace Should a man come unto every man and unto every woman in this place and ask them this question vvhat kind of persons have the highest roome in your soules whom dâ—e you most highly prize and most dearly love this is a most sensible thing and bâ—ing applyed will come close unto the quick is it a gracious man yea or no is it an excellent man in praise yea or no if it be not from God I tell thee this day that the Lord marks thee out this day for a bad man what can be more plain then that in 1 Jâ—h 3. 10. by this is manifested a chiâ—â— of God and a child of the Divell a child of God is one that loves God anâ—â—â—rkâ—s righteousnesse and he loves his brother especially his brother in â—race above hiâ— bâ—â—ther in nâ—tuâ—e why ye must live with those whom ye love Oh this child of God that is now deaâ— she loved the Saints of God while she lived and theâ—eâ—ore now she lives with the Saints of God being dead This loving of the brâ—thâ—eâ— is not as the cause why we are in a blessed state for so Christ is but as an evidence so indeed it is This for the second Use Use 3. The third Use is to perswade good men bad men all men to come unto God and to get much from God even to excell in grace that so at deâ—th they may be able to say in truth what our Saviour said for peâ—fection Oh saith he in John 17. 1. Faâ—her I have finisht the work which thou gavâ—st me to dâ— now therefore Fâ—ther glâ—rifie me There was a work given him to doe and a work given him by God this work must be done it was so then he prayes Now therfore Father glorifie me So the Lord hath given thee and given me a work to do a work in generall a work in speciall a work to do a work to finish and it is the work which the Lord hath given us now then let it be thy indeavour to finish it and then when death comes thou maist pray in truth as thy Saviour did for perfection Father the worke which thou gavest me to doe I have done it yea Father I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do now therefore Fatheâ— glorifie me And here now take both the means for this and also the Argument to it 1. For the means whereby we may come excell in gâ—ace for this is thy glory and this is thy commendation they are these three 1. The Lord Christ the Fountain of grace 2. The spirit of Christ the Author and Workâ—â— of grace some speciall and particular graces of Gods spirit And 3. the right making use of the meanes of grace For the first of these to wit Christ the fountain of grace Would a man have grace yea would a man be full of grace why the Text tells us that there is a fulnesse of grace in Christ and of his fulnesse we must all receive grace for grace And would a man indeed be excellent let him labour in a speciall manner to be filled with Gods Spirit oh that evill jearing spirit that is in persons against Gods Spirit at any time at their best leisure let them read what I would commend unto them and they shall finde in the book of God that when it is said that such a man did something that was excellent then the text tells us that the Spirit of God was upon him and the Spirit of God filled him Sampson was a strong man yet when he did any admirable act of strength you shall find that the Spirit of God stirred him up Elijah did great great things but then the Spirit of God came upon him Elisha also did great things but then the Spirit of God came upon him So in Luke 1. there it is said that the Mother of John was filled with rhe Holy Ghost and the Father there was filled with the Holy Ghost and then he spake unto admiration ver 37. and 34. So in the Acts of the Apostles in the 1. of the Acts there the promise is made that the Apostles shall be filled with the Holâ— Ghost and in Acts 2. what wonders do they but first they are filled with the Holy Ghost So you shall find in Acts 3 4 5. Then the Apostles filled with the Holy Ghost and Then the Apostles filled with the Holy Ghâ—st did so and so So in Acts 6. and in Acts 7 there is Stephen full of the Holy Ghost an admirable man and Paul in Acts 11. being full of the Holy Ghost set his eyes there on a wicked Wretch who is that why a man that hindred the passage of the Gospell that Bariesus that sought to turn the Deputy from the Faith Pauâ— looking on him he said Oh full of all subtilty and malice thou child of the Divell and enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight wayes of the Lord Thus you see that when any either admirable speech hath bin spoken or any admirable thing hath bin done still persons have bin filled with the Holy Ghost Thus labour to partake of the fulnesse of Christ and labour to be filled with the Holy Ghost And for the speciall grace of Gods Spirit as in the body of a man that is strong lusty active and able some parts are to supply with spirits for nourishments and for growth as the stomack liver and heart so in the soul of a child of God there are certain graces that are usefull for all practises such as are these 〈◊〉 Faith Hope Love and Fear these are all Mother graces hâ— but above all the fiâ—st â—o the grace of Faith this will direct a man what he should dâ— this will perswade a man why he should do and this will inable a man hâ—w he should dâ— yea to work wonders all the wonders that have bin in the world have bin wâ—nderfull by their Faith And for Hope that is an admirable grace to make a man rare in gâ—ace dâ—e not you remember what is said in Jâ—h 1. 3. he that hath this hope what hâ—pe is that why this hope to see Christ and tâ— be like him he that hath this hope what doth he why he doth purifie himself even as Châ—ist is pure and that other Text also in 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. Seeing these things mâ—st be dissolved â—h what mâ—nner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse why what is the matter why because the time shall come when the Heaven shall passe away with a noise the Element shall melt with fervent heat and the Earth with the things that are therein shall be burnt up and then we looke for â—ew Heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousnesse we look for a new Heaven a new earth that is we look for another place of habitation even in heaven for properly there is no earth