Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A37226
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The phoenix, sepulchre, & cradle in the holy death of the right honourable Isabella, Theresa, Lucy, Marchioness of Winchester / by J.D.
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J. D.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing D39; ESTC R33430
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9,203
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23
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of remembrance those they cover and draw a black Line over the Glory of Mortal Men. For Death having spoil'd them of their Life takes still delight to plunder their Reputation She then being truly dead to the World tanquam mortuus a corde Psal 30. held That as a Christian is intombed so ought he also to be forgotten Holy Soul You serv'd a King who is too just to let your Humility pass unrewarded And since you are so ingenious to conceal your self from the Eyes of Men God will take care to make you known to Angels Since you withstood the Allurements of wordly Greatness and Honour he will stamp upon you true heavenly Glory And since you reconciled Greatness with Humility the lower you humbled your self the higher you shall be exalted This first Victory Christians is a Pledge of the second she shall win For we cannot doubt that the Right Honourable Isabella of Winchester who was humble in Greatness will be constant also in Afflictions That if it which I am to shew you in my next and last Part. PART II. Her Constancy in Afflictions THough all Vertues have their Attractives to Good and sufficient Charms to make them appear amiable even to those that practise them not Yet Constancy or Fortitude like Saul among the People appears super-eminently graceful Justice indeed is cried up even by its Persecutors Prudence is adored by Politicians and Temperance is admired by all Men But all these Vertues hide their Heads when Constancy displays its Beauties These Stars vanish when this Sun appears and People cease from looking upon Justice in Princes Prudence in Politicians and Temperance in Philosophers when they consider the Courage of a Person unfortunate yet innocent If we will believe the Philosopher Seneca there 's nothing on Earth more worthy of God's looking on than a Person who withstands Sorrow and Misfortune Ecce Spectaculum dignum ad quod respiciat intentus operi suo Deus Sen de Prov. cap. 2. God despiseth all that Glory which dazels our Eyes he looks upon the Magnificence of our Palaces but as the Spoils of Quarries and Forests he looks upon the Pyramids which add to the wonders of the World but as Marks at which his Thunderbolts are often levell'd And those great Armies which make whole Provinces groan either by reason of their Numbers or Disorders he looks upon these great Bodies I say as Swarms of Bees that decide their Quarrels by fighting But God delights to look upon a noble-minded Soul that grapples with Sorrow who beholds her Father born away in the manner as 't is known to all without any agitation of Mind and who in the loss of Honour Life and Liberty preserves still her Courage undaunted This is a Spectacle that ravisheth the very Eyes of God that makes the Angels to emulate her Glory This is an Act of Constancy not to be laureated on Earth all under Heaven is too small a Reward This Christians is the true Character of our Spiritual Phoenix Isabella of Winchester who in one Circumstance methinks passeth even the Constancy of Job For her Noble Family in losing their Fathers Life and Goods forfeited also their Honour What Hardship what Shame I appeal to you Lords and Ladies for a Person descended for so many Ages from a long and glorious Succession of Heroes to lose in a moment the Flower and Glory of her Family To be debarr'd the Entry of the House of Lords and to be banished from the Noblest Company in the World This Punishment of the Loss of Honour was held so sharp that it perverted great Number of the Primitive Christians saith Tertullian who yielded sooner to Shame and Loss of Honour than to Pain or Loss of Life ante Pudori quam Dolori cessinius Tertul. de Scorp Nevertheless our Heroick Lady drawing strength from her Misfortune bless'd like holy Job God's Justice who tried her his Providence which exercis'd her and his Mercy which sanctified her She said with Job Our Lord gave it our Lord hath taken it away Job 1.21 And she behaved her self in that Misfortune with so much Constancy Resignation and Patience that we may safely say of her what Scripture said of him In all this Isabella sinned not in her Lips Job 1.22 2. But as she gave signal Proofs of her Constancy in the Loss of her Noble Father so she gave no less Marks of her generous Mind in all her languishing Sickness If we may judge of a Thing by its contrary we must acknowledge That of all Natural Goods there 's none more sweet nor dear than Health 'T is a Harmony of the Elements and Humors 't is a Representation of Peace 't is a Pledge of future Bliss And to declare it in a Word with St. Bernard 't is a Benefit that comprehends all the Goods of the Body Omnia Bona Corporis Sanitas Bern. Serm. De triplici genere Bonorum Therefore the Just who make a Present to God of their Health and who restore it to him when required shew no small Mark either of Humility or Constancy That was the last Trial of Job's Patience And when the Devil had ravished away both his Goods and Children he questioned not to triumph over his Patience by depriving him of his Health Pain then and Sickness was the Trial of our humble Isabella An Hectick Feaver by its secret Burnings kindled a Fire in her Breast with all the Indispositions that attend that Distemper for the Fire which burnt her consum'd her But though Fire is of a quick Nature yet do not you think Illustrious Auditors that it soon consumed her or that her Sufferings were but short nor that the same Month saw either the beginning or the end thereof No her Sufferings lasted almost Three Years whilst the end of one Pain was the beginning of another according to the Tragedian's Expression Finis alterius Mali gradus est futuri Diseases seem'd to agree together to exercise the Patience of her Soul and contrary to the Laws of Nature set all together upon that innocent Patient Divine Saviour of Isabella why didst thou abandon her to such a lingring Pain Why didst thou not succour her who did so often succour thee in the Person of the Poor Why didst not thou strengthen those Hands which have been so fruitful in good Works Why didst thou not relieve that oppressed Breast which was so tender to the Miseries of others Why didst thou not refresh that parched Mouth which hath so often blessed thy holy Name Finally Why didst not thou give Breath to those shrivell'd Lungs that always panted and breathed after thee O Christians God knows how to treat his Friends most to their Advantage And therefore our heavenly instructed Phoenix left to God the Care of her Life knowing well that Sickness is the Daughter of Sin and Mother of Death Valuing then more God's Glory than her own Interest she found Content in her Pain She knew that God's Justice is satisfied by our Sicknesses that