Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	place_n	see_v	time_n	2,364	5	3.2293	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33971	Par nobile two treatises, the one concerning the excellent woman, evincing a person fearing the Lord to be the most excellent person, discoursed more privately upon occasion of the death of the Right Honourable the Lady Frances Hobart late of Norwich, from Pro. 31, 29, 30, 31 : the other discovering a fountain of comfort and satisfaction to persons walking with God, yet living and dying without sensible consolations , discovered from Psal. 17, 15 at the funerals of the Right Honourable the Lady Katherine Courten, preached at Blicklin in the county of Norfolk, March 27, 1652 : with the narratives of the holy lives and deaths of those two noble sisters / by J.C.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Collinges, John, 1623-1690. Excellent woman.; Collinges, John, 1623-1690. Light in darkness.	1669 (1669)	Wing C5329; ESTC R26441	164,919	320

child of God may be distinguished from that slavish and astonishing terrour which may fall upon the vilest persons in the world Let me have your patience to add a word or two to this before I shut up this branch of Application 1. In the first place take a carnal man who hath in him no more than a natural dread of God he is seldom or never affected at the lifting up of the hand of God only when it falls down heavy upon himself Look as men in correcting their children they lift up their hands first in order to their stroke so the great God is set out to us in Scripture Take the vilest of men they tremble when the hand of the Lord is upon them in some remarkable judgement that they feel the smart of Gods Rod but they seldom take notice of Gods hand lifted up Isa 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see c. There are three waies by which Gods hand may be said to be lifted up 1. In the comminations of his Word applied by his Messengers God in his Word hath revealed his wrath plentifully against sinners Now it is Gods usual method especially as to Nations and such Nations where the Name of God hath been published as of old to raise up his Prophets to give people warning so more lately to raise up some Ministers amongst such a people faithfully and powerfully to apply the threatnings of Gods Word to such a people Now here Gods hand is lifted up This now the child of God that truly feareth him will see and take notice of and suit himself accordingly You see it in the instances of almost all the good Kings of Judah But others will not see this lifting up of Gods hand Jeroboam stretcheth out his hand against the Prophet Ahab conmands Elijah to prison and so doth Zedekiah serve the Prophet Jeremiah 2. Again the hand of God may be said to be lifted up when God sendeth either some lesser judgements as fore-runners of greater or else by some signs in nature doth indicare iram declare his wrath Now this lifting up again of the Lords hand the natural man will not see There is that which God chargeth the Jews with by his Prophet Amos ch 4. 6 8 9 10 11. God sometimes shews his signs in the Heavens and alters the course of nature as an indication of his wrath Of this nature was the Ecclipse at our Saviours death the Ensis flammivomus seen hanging over Hierusalem many prodigious Comets and other signs taken notice of by all Histories before Gods eminent pouring out of his wrath upon a place Take now a child of God when he sees these things he is afraid though he dare not venture to give a particular judgement of them yet they make him to tremble and reverence God as believing he is doing some terrible work c. 3. A third way whereby Gods hand may be said to be lifted up against a person or Nation is when God makes some other like sinners examples of his vengeance Our Saviour taught us this when he made to his Disciples that improvement of the Judgement of God fallen upon the Galileans and upon those upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell telling the people that except they repented they should all likewise perish Now a man or woman truly fearing God takes notice of these liftings up of Gods hand and fears but usually another never trembleth till the vengeance of God overtakes himself he puts the evil day far from him and will give no heed to such lesser judgements as usually forerun greater nor yet will he take notice of any signs of Gods approaching wrath nor mind the beginnings of it upon others But this is but the first thing and not universally in all points true But 2. Secondly If he doth at all take notice of any of these things he feareth with a superstitious or with a meer servile fear Fear much prevails according to the natural constitutions Persons naturally melancholick are prone exceedingly to fear and where you find natural men thus complexioned it is not extraordinary to find them affrighted sometimes at the signs or beginnings of Divine Vengeance but one of these two faults their fear hath It is either 1. Superstitious Or 2. Meerly slavish Superstitious without any ground at all from the words of God Such are these fears raised by Astrologers and Star-gazers and vain observers Thus it is given as the character of a wicked man That he feareth where no fear is Psal 53. 5. i. e. where Psal 53. 5. there is no true ground of fear no true and just ground And Prov. 28. 1. He fleeth when none pursueth him Or else 2. His fear is a meer servile fear and that in a very great excess God threatens his people that in case they were sound disobedient 〈◊〉 would Lev. 26. 36. send a faintness upon their hearts and the sound of a shaken leaf should chase them And such ordinarily is that fear of Judgement which falls upon the hearts of natural carnal men Or if not a judicial punishment yet a meer excess of natural passion 3. Though a natural man may fear Divine Judgements yet his fear never brings him closer to God A carnal mans fear of Gods Judgements hath many effects upon him and those very various according to the different temper of persons Some are made by it desperate and to defie the God of Heaven as Julian the Apostate they say threw up his Dagger to Heaven and cried Vicisti Galilee Thou hast overcome me O thou Galilean Others their fear hath such an influence upon that like those rebellious Israelites Jer. 42. they will presently resolve to remove from that place which God makes the Theatre of his Judgements Thus in times of Plague or other contagious Diseases or War they will remove from their habitations Yea though upon a rational view of things a prudent man would see no great cause for it Fear upon others hath such an effect as Nabals fear had upon him to kill him his heart upon it saith the text grew dead as a stone Others it may be their fear hath an influence upon to bring them to some hypocritical humiliation So Ahabs fear made him walk softly and put on sackcloth But the fear of Judgements never hath such an operation upon a meer carnal man as to make him take up any serious thoughts of searching what the quarrel is which God hath against him and throughly humbling himself before God for his sins which have been the cause of his wrath and to turn from them by any serious resolutions or indeavours after reformation This was the influence that Josiahs fears had upon him Indeed you shall see the difference betwixt the best of natural men in their fears of Judgements and the child of God in those two instances of Ahab and Josiah Ahab was a most wretched Prince God sends a Prophet to him ●1

he who said If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand Psal 102. 3. never thought that himself should 2. Secondly Therefore this Righteousness of Sanctification is taken in an Evangelical sense and so it signifies 1. That universal habit of holiness of which the child of God is possessed teaching him to hate and strive against every sin to love and to press after every good work and to endeavour to do the whole will of God though it may be in many things he doth offend and this is that Righteousness which the most solid Interpreters judge here to be chiefly intended that which the holy Psalmist elsewhere calleth a respect to all Gods Commandments Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I shall have respect to all thy Commandments I will not restrain the text to this but this doubtless is a great part of Davids meaning I will live an holy and righteous conversation having a due regard to all thy Commandments and keeping up in my soul a true hatred of every sin and of every false way Though I want the fulness which sinful men have though I be in a sad and afflicted condition though I be in the dark and cannot behold the light of thy countenance though my oppressors and my enemies be many and cruel and bloody yet will I not live like wicked and ungodly men who live more at case and have a greater degree of fulness but I will keep on the course of an holy life and conversation and then I shall behold thy face either here or hereafter either before I fall asleep in death or when I shall awake in the resurrection This righteousness then is the righteousness of a good conscience that which Saint Paul calls a living in a good conscience before God And again he tells us herein he did exercise Acts 23. 1. himself to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men The Chaldee Paraphrast reads it Truth In truth will I behold thy face Truth is opposed to Hypocrisie and to all falshood of conversation And indeed none can without presumption hope to see God but he who looks to behold his face in the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to him 2. In the righteousness of an holy life and conversation Without holiness saith the Apostle none shall see God 3. But there is yet a third thing which some understand by righteousness in this place Alii per justitiam intelligunt innocentiam versus hostes Lor. and in other texts is most certainly understood by it It is the particular habit of Justice and Innocency i. e. having an innocent heart and a righteous cause against unrighteous men I will come to thee O God who art a God of Justice and a Protector of innocent persons Holy David at this time was afflicted either by the persecution of Saul as some think or the rebellion of Absolom as others judge both of them rose up against him without a cause on their part not for my wickedness nor for my sin as he elsewhere saith Now saith David though my enemies be many and great and cruel yet I have done them no harm I have as to them a righteous heart and against them a righteous cause I will bring this righteous cause before thee This is the righteousness of which he speaketh v. 3. Let thine eyes behold the thing that is equal thou hast proved mine heart thou hast visited me in the night thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing So probably v. 1. he prayes Hear the right O Lord where the same word is used This sense will afford us this note Those who make their appeal to God in any cause and seck his face hoping to behold his face directing countenancing or assiting them must be sure their cause be a righteous cause One of the Hebrew Writers reads I will behold thy face for Alms the Rabbies so interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they say to give Alms is both a piece of righteousness and a fign of it Indeed whosoever goes to God goes for Alms. But I shall discourse no more as to this term In Righteousness 1. In the Righteousness of my Lord the Mediatour 2. In the Righteousness of an holy conversation 3. In the Justice Innocency and Righteousness of my cause This is all comprehended in the term Righteousness I now proceed Will I or shall I behold thy face The word indifferently signifies the act of the body and of the mind Psal 58. 10. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance that is when he shall with his bodily eyes see the righteous God revenging him upon sinful men Exod. 18. 21. Thou shalt provide there it doubtless implieth an act of Moses his mind weighing and considering what persons were fittest for Magistrates 2. But it sometimes signifies not a bare intuition but a most curious careful scrutiny or beholding It signifieth to contemplate Now when a man contemplates he doth not barely look upon a thing but he sixeth his eyes and thoughts and studies upon it from this word Prophets we are called Seers and it is a word often applied to their vision in which their minds were wholly taken up and their souls as it were wrapt up in exrasies Star-gazers from this word had their name in Hebrew And Criticks tell us our English word Gaze hath its original from it Now you know we use that word Gaze to express the action of them who are a long time looking upon a thing fully steadily and busily Further yet the word sometimes signifies to behold with delight and Pleasure To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple Psal 27. 4. That was a pleasant sight Psal 84. 1. I will behold thy face in righteousness that is with the eye of my body or mind or both I will diligently constantly earnestly behold I will take pleasure in beholding Thy face The word used here signifies any outward superficies or exterior countenance of a thing being applied to God it signifies the manifestations of divine love whether in the gracious issues of providence or in the more inward influences of divine love God hath neither essential nor integral parts as we have he hath no head no hands no face these things only agree to God by analogy The face is the more noble outward part of as man most conspicuous and by which he is most known in which more than by any part else a mans temper and particular inclination and disposition to us is known So the face of God signifies 1. The favour of God in the sensible manifestations of it When we are angry we turn away our faces from our neighbours and being reconciled again to them we again look upon them So is the Lord in Scripture set out to us Psal 13. How long wilt thou hide Psal 13. thy face So when God is expressed as in favour with and reconciled to

houshold things which were afterwards to her and her dear husband also of extraordinary advantage Now partly by the diligence of her Governess partly by the Care of one Mr. Moor her Fathers Chaplain partly by the superintendent care of my Lord her Father she was fully instructed in the principles of Religion As to which I have often heard her with honour mention her Governess and her Noble Father Her father for seasoning her against Arminian Principles and once suspending her from the Sacrament upon his re-examination of her after that his Chaplain had passed an hasty approbation of her Her Governess for the good stories she would tell her the good counsel she would give her and her care of her information as to Religion She would alwayes say that she learned of her to be a Calvinist in point of Doctrine and a Presbyterian as to Discipline for it seemeth she was both flying her own Country for her Religion or at least the Daughter of Parents who upon the massacre so fled for truly I do not well remember every particular in her Ladyships relations though I often heard them I have often heard her discourse with a gratefull remembrance how exactly the hours of her dayes were distributed to these several kinds of instruction So as no time was left her unless a little proportion for exercise and what was assigned for her more private devotions as to which her Governess was her most faithfull monitor or for the more publick Religious Duties of the Family her presence at which was as diligently required by my Lord her father The Evangelist recordeth concerning our Luk. 2. 15. Saviour That he went down to Nazareth and dwelt with his Parents and was subject to them Indeed subjection to Parents is the greatest vertue can adorn so tender an age the want of this in our Children is often caused by our selves God ordinarily securing the Parental Authority till themselves prostitute it This Rare Lady was bred up in this subjection I have heard her say that till she was married she never more than once sate down in the presence of her Lady-mother never was allowed to stay in a room with her when she received the visits of other Ladyes c. these and many other things of like severity I remember I have had in discourse from her which now have slipt my memory She did not take a liberty like Denyal to go see the Daughters of the Land at her own pleasure Her mother was like the cloud unto her when she moved to Court the Daughter moved also when she sate at home the daughter moved not at all I have often heard her mention it to the great honour of her Mother That she would require her constant attendance upon her self both going to the Court and returning from it and she was to her mother as the Centurions servant unto him If they said unto her Go she went if they said Come she came if Do this she did it Having attained to riper years she frequently was at the Court of King James and Queen Ann and was in great favour with that Queen and King Charles the first then Prince of Wales I do not remember any thing I have heard from her much momentous as to this part of her life unless frequent sad reflexions upon her self for mispending part of many Lords dayes in masks and other Court pastimes according to the fashion of others in her circumstances This she would often mention with bitterness and honourably mention and prefer before her self one of her Noble Sisters who in her youth had a just sense of that errour and courage enough to resist the temptations to it It was the only thing in which I ever heard her repent her obedience to and attendance upon her Mother whom yet she thought exceeding pious and paid alwayes a just honour to her mention and memory which reverence she had also for her Noble Father I remember the Passion she fell into when she heard of his death though I communicated it to her with as much advantage as I could to hinder sudden passions which made me as the Jews cry out Behold how she loved him The sequel of this discourse will evidence that it is not through want of more momentous matter that I instance in these things of more minute consideration But I have the rather mentioned them to let my Readers see how far we are degenerated from the ancient culture of youth and that orderly Discipline under which those male and female Worthies were educated who have done famously in our Ephrata and what probably is one great cause of that impudent licentiousness which dishonoureth the present generation The Generous Soul of this excellent Lady was ordained to higher things than Balls and Masques and Visits It now grew time for a Plant bred under so rare a cultivation to be removed into another place That her God might have the glory and her generation the fruit of such an education Her native beauty and the rare parts she began to discover made many noble persons desire her in marriage but to shew how early she was mortified to the vanities of youth with the approbation of her Parents she at last chose a Widower for her first and only husband Sir John Hobart of Blicklin in the County of Norfolk Baronet he was the eldest Son of Sir Henry Hobart at that time Lord Chief Justice and Chancellour to the Prince A Person indeed as to title in the lowest order of the Nobility but one whose Estate bare a full proportion to his quality and whose noble spirit and temper far better suited this excellent Lady than a greater title with another temper and spirit would have done She was married to this worthy person in the year In her Conjugal Relation she was now more perspicuous she was now planted upon an hill where those rare seeds which had been sown in her ingenuous Soul during her Nonage began to spring up and bring forth abundant fruit in that triple capacity to which this relation in some little succession intituled her that I mean of 1. a Wife to a worthy Husband 2. A Parent to Children and 3. a Governess to a numerous Family of Servants The Philosopher having rationally evinced the difference of vertues with relation to their subjects and shewn some more proper to those that Govern and others to such as are governed for the Vertues of a good Wife reckons up Chastity Prudent ordering of the affairs of the houshold within doors Reverence to her Husbands person seen in a respective behaviour to him a concealing his weaknesses and obedience to his commands Together with a just sympathy and patient sharing with him the vicissitude of Providences under which he is exercised All which being in themselves but morall vertues dictated by the light of Nature God in holy Writ by several Precepts and recommendations in the allowed examples of his Saints there canonized hath made the religious dutyes of

for hearing the Word of God at her Ladiships charge But she according to the will of God had with David served her generation and her time now was come when she must fall asleep It must and may be owned for she judged it no blot upon her honour that she was a Non-conformist as to some Modes of Worship in present use as well as to some Doctrines more now in credit than formerly for the latter she was beholden to her Noble Father who as it was said before early prejudiced her against the Arminian principles and for the former she was wont to acknowledge it to those who had the charge of her tender years who sowed those seeds which afterwards brought forth this fruit indeed nothing so prejudiced her against forms of Prayer as her own experience of them For the two or three last years of her life therefore she restrained her self to those exercises of Religion which were performed within her own walls or in some other places not so publick As to which she yet injoyed a great liberty by reason of that honour which persons of all perswasions had for her It was not the will of God she should long survive that liberty which was so precious to her The Lords day next preceding the time when the Act restraining religious meetings took place was if I remember right the last time she went down her stairs I remember while I helped her in going up the stairs from her Chappell to her Chamber that night she told me The Act would do her no prejudice for she should never go down more This as I remember was about the latter end of June or beginning of July 1664. The Dropsie her fatal disease had three or four moneths before seized upon her but death by it made such gradual approaches that till that time she was able without much disturbance to walk up and down That very night as I remember was the first time that she complained of her leggs failing her to that degree yet was her life lengthened out till the latter end of November following Indeed her whole life was a time of Afflictions through the valetudinarious condition of her Noble Husband the loss of Children and her own subjection to distempers through stubborn splenetick obstructions Nor was she for some years before without some prospect of the death by which she should dye though it was a kind of death which she above all others dreaded and would often say concerning it Father if it be possible let that Cup pass from me The time of her last sickness presented us with no great variety of temper in her as to her spiritual condition 〈…〉 kept on her course of Religious Duties in her House and Chamber as formerly Her work was done both as to this and as to another life her House and her Soul was set in order so as she had little to do but to sit still and wait for the salvation of God all the remaining dayes of her appointed time till her great change came I do not remember that during her long sickness she more than twice discovered to me any conflicts in her Spirit though I constantly attended upon her and as constantly inquired upon the frame of her spirit She had sown in tears before and had now nothing to doe but to reap in joy Her death was a long time both by her self and us foreseen in its causes but as to the particular time we were a little surprized when she thought the day of her change in probability at some distance she lost her senses and speech and after two or three dayes quietly fell asleep in the Evening upon the Lords day Nov. 27. 1664. Thus lived thus dyed this twice noble Excellent Lady about the 61 year of her Age. Possibly the Noblest Example of Piety and truest Pattern of Honour Liberality Temperance Humility and Courtesie which it hath pleased God in this last Age to shew upon the stage where he had fixed her A Woman indeed not without her infirmities to assert that were to discharge her of her relation to Humane Nature but as they were of no scandalous magnitude and the products of Natural Temperature not of Vitious Habits so they were so much out-shined by her eminent Graces and Vertues as a curious eye would hardly take notice of them In short None ever lived more desired nor died more universally lamented by all sober persons in that City to which she related She was buried in a Vault belonging to the Family of her Dear and Noble Husband at Blicklin in Norfolk Decemb. 1. 1664. therein paying her deceased Husband a last Obedience who as I have often heard her pleasantly say made it his first request to her upon her Marriage-day PROV 31. V. 29 30 31. Many daughters have done vertuously but thou hast excelled them all Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates OVT of the abundance of the heart saith our Saviour the mouth speaketh which argues every man in the best capacity to discourse upon such Subjects which have had the latest and fullest possession of his thoughts you know I suppose what hath made the latest and deepest impression on my thoughts I think I may say upon yours also I mean the severe dispensation of God to us all in taking from us to use Solomon's expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A noble vertuous woman An elect Lady to use the Apostles phrase A great mother in our Israel Upon whose separation from us who is there amongst us fearing the Lord that is not crying out Ah? my mother my mother The Chariots of Norwich and the horsemen thereof I have therefore resolved to make an Excellent woman the subject of my discourse upon this occasion you have had her pattern in that noble example whom now the Providence of God hath taken from us you have her description in the text A woman fearing the Lord while I am discoursing the Excellency of the woman in the text both absolutely as considered in her self and comparatively as weighed with others in the ballances of Religion and Reason I shall satisfie my self that as to our deceased friend I shall fulfill the will of God in the close of my text Giving of her the fruits of her hands and causing her own works to praise her in the gates We reade of Solomon 1 Kings 4. 32. that he spake three thousand Proverbs Some of the principal of which are doubtless recorded in this excellent portion of holy writ The notion of Proverbs must not be taken so strictly as we usually take it but in a further latitude of sense as comprehending all figurative speeches especially such as have in them ought of a similitude Nomine He. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significatur omnis sermo figuratus Mercer of which sort are many of these

that he was so troubled he could not speak Psal 77. 4. 2. That the Lord had silenced her Ladiships tongue by his own hand laid upon it in a continual course of afflictions Now though God indeed requires of us the homage of our lips Let me hear thy voice saith Christ to his Spouse Cant. 2. 14. for it is comely And Take unto you words and say saith the Prophet yet he doth not expect this homage where by his providence he dischargeth our tongues of it 3. That there is a praying without the voice which also the Lord heareth Groaning Psa 102. 5. Psal 6. 8. hath a voice Psal 102. 5. and weeping a voice Psal 6. 8. Hezekiah chattered like a Crane yet the Lord heard him In short I besought her Ladiship to consider that the business of prayer was in Scripture expressed by wrestling with God by lifting up the eyes hands heart unto him by pouring out of the soul before him all which might be without the use of words Thus Hannah prayed and was 1 Sam. 1. answered yet spake not a word And I doubted not but her Ladiship thus could and did pray 4. Finally I desired her Ladiship to observe that in Gal. 4. 6. God is said to send his Gal. 4. 6. Spirit into our hearts teaching us to cry Abba Father And Rom. 8. 26. that the Spirit helpeth our infirmities with strong cryes and groans Rom. 8. 26. which could not be uttered Now groans at least are the language of the hearts There is indeed another assistance of the holy Spirit teaching us what to pray for but this floweth not from the Spirit in a way of special grace but as it is the author of spiritual gifts which those might have who had no true interest in God nor had received the Spirit of Christ as a spirit of Sanctification With these and such like considerations I endeavoured to satisfie her Ladiship who yet could hardly be satisfied because she could not pay so full and perfect an homage to God as formerly she had done but her unweariable adversary again reneweth his assault The next news which I heard was this 4 Tempt Sir I have seriously thought upon what you told me and am convinced that though I spake never a word yet if I could keep my heart lifted up to God if I could wrestle with him with my Spirit this were acceptable prayer but whatever you may think I cannot do this When at any time I compose my self to prayer I am tortured with pain that I cannot do it at other times through drewsiness I fall asleep c. By this time her Ladiships tormenting distemperatures prevailed upon her to a great degree so as night and day she had little rest beyond the influence of Anodines stupifying her sense As soon as she had taken these she used to compose her self to secret prayer by and by the operation of the medicine overtook her and inforced sleep when the operation of the Anodine ceased her pains returned and she awoke and then whenever she composed her self to it her pains disturbed her only this she added to her complaint to find out any cause of which for a while posed me That although at first when she composed her self to look up to God she found not much pain yet when she was entered once into her duty she was sure to be racked with the increase of her pain I know that the Devil is but a small friend to our communion with God and would in what he could hinder it I also knew he had a natural power God permitting the exercise of it by which he could disturb bodily humours and divert them to an affected part but not willing to impute it to a praeternatural cause unless quite at loss upon further deliberation I conceived there might be this natural cause of it This good Lady desired when she served the Lord to serve him with her spirit and when she addressed her self to God summoned up all her spirits to do it with the more intention of mind and fervour of spirit Now this I conceived might be a natural cause of the increase of her pain at such a time in regard that her spirits which were wont to serve her body in the supportation of her under her affliction were at this time drawn up to another imployment and the several parts of her body at present left destitute it might give a natural advantage to her infirmity but this was but my particular fancy I told her 1. That short ejaculations were most suitable to her present condition and were heard of God as well as longer prayers for we are not heard for our much speaking 2. I minded her of a speech of Mr. Rutherfords If I were in health I would desire but to cast one long look toward Heaven 3. I told her it was unreasonable for her Ladiship to conclude her self to want the strengthening influences of the holy Spirit because as to this or that act of duty possibly she might not discern such an influence of it It was likely that if her Ladiship examined as to many other duties she might find it and that with an evidence not to be denied 4. I further told her the influence of the spirit was most eminently seen in its workings in strengthening the soul to those exercises of grace which are most proper for our day the present condition and dispensation I meant under which we are and that Faith and Patience were those graces the exercise whereof God more peculiarly requires of his children in a day of affliction and if her Ladiship found the Spirit of God infusing or exerting these habits she need not doubt of the strengthening influences of the Spirit With these things her Lad●ship for a while seemed satisfied but her distempers still increased and during the violence of them put her into a great disorder Satan still followed his game and soon after she tells me 5 Tempt Ah Sir you told me that Faith and Patience are those graces the exercise of which is most proper to my condition and if I found the holy Spirit infusing or strengthening me to the exercise of these habits I might be assured that I was not without the strengthening influences of the Spirit though I did not find such an assistance as I desired to every particular duty But Sir you see I am very impatient restless in my self froward with every body about me I cannot be silent under the hand of God nor keep my self from roaring c. And for Faith S●r you know I have told you I have no assurance sometimes ind●ed I have had what I judged a flash of the light of Gods countenance Once I remember after you had been praying with me and in your prayer mentioned and pleaded many promises it pleased God as I thought to seal some of them to my soul and at some other times that first word which God was pleased to seal unto my

my car I a little admired at her sudden joy and what she had to say inclining my head to her when she perceived her noble Sister had turned her back and was with the rest of the company out of hearing she tells me I think I may tell it you you will not speak of it I believe I am very near my Fathers house I resolved to keep her counsel till I saw the issue and the rather because she seemed to us further from death than at any time for some weeks before in this temper she continued the remaining part of that day it was the day when I was to preach my weekly Lecture so that I returned not to her until the evening when I found her as before very chearful and able to discourse with me about a private business as to which on the behalf of her friend she had improved her interest in a worthy Gentleman she had that night received a Latter from him letting her know it was dispatched and took her leave of me desiring me to draw up a Letter of thanks to him which she would as she told me the next day subscribe that it might be sent by the next Post But it so pleased God that by an inexpected turn of Providence before morning her spirits failed her and she in a great measure lost her speech and after spake very few words only made signs to us to pray for her Once she said I fear and by and by I hope I hope and so quietly without suffering any pain so sar as we could discern she yielded up her soul to God upon the 25th day of March 1652. about nine of the clock Thus she fought the good fight and kept the faith and hath now put on the Crown of Glory being entred into the actual possession and beatifical vision of those things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive even the things which God hath prepared for them that love him She was buried at Blicklin in the County of Norfolk March 27. 1652. With this Epitaph upon her grave-stone Here lyes one nobly born once blest With all the Riches of the East Then stript of all and in the place Receiv'd of God riches of grace These made her couetous to see The Mine whence came such Treasury Her soul for haste there to appear Clogg'd with the body dropt it here Engaging to it in the morn Of th' Resurrection to return And reassume its Vnion Reader weigh this and then pass on A Postscript THese Notes with this memorial of this excellent Lady were within some few months after her death drawn up and several Copies transcribed and presented to her noble relations the same for substance Reader as thou hast them here though they may be a little altered as to some words or phrases Nor had I any thoughts of makeing them publick till Anno 1664. God taking away her noble Sister whom I had the honour eighteen years to wait upon I thought it my duty to raise her up a monume●t according to my ability though her honourable name needed no such little advantage as this Having taken up this resolution I resolved also to joyn these notes with them and accordingly sent them to a Stationer in whose hands they were Anno 1665. when the Plague hindered the printing of them and Anno 1666. till the Dreadful Fire consumed them I was for some times after divided in my thoughts whether to revive them or no but at last finding accidentally amongst my notes an imperfect Copy of them I set to the work and through Gods affistance have once more brought it to an issue and I cannot but in it something confider the Providence of God retarding my hand to an opportunity of doing a piece of service to the last mentioned Lady which I never thought her honourable name for Religion would have stood in need of Within these six months last past to justifie if it were possible the tremendous Apostacy of another I hear it commonly reported amongst the Papists that both this noble Lady and her Husband died Papists and that her only Son is also one For Mr. Courten he was wholly unknown to me I never saw his face it was his unhappiness to die in a Papish Country which might give an advantage to such a fiction But his Son William Courten Esquire yet living is a sufficient testimony against this fabulous report who both visited the place since his Fathers death and received the testimony from a friend which his dying Father left of his perseverance in the communion of the Protestant Church and abhorrence of the visits and superstitious vanities with which those Votaries use to trouble dying persons as also had a real testimony from the unhallowed burying place which alone the Papists would allow him This and much more I have had from his worthy Son which I have forgot as not thinking I should ever have had any cause of such a repetition But that worthy Gentleman yet lives and if any be unsatisfied and will take the pains to inquire of him he can satisfie them both that his Father died no Papist and that himself is none according to another part of their sabulous report who are pleased in making lyes their refuge he hath seen too much of the exceeding fondness the folly and superstitious vanities of that Pageantry in Religion to be ever proselited to it and is I think satisfied that it is justly to be abhorred by a sober person were it only for the little influence it hath upon the lives of those where it is most practised and the dispensation it gives to all manner of Luxury But he is of age and abilities sufficient to speak for himself For this Excellent Lady none living is a more competent witness than my self who had the opportunities of daily converse with her till the moment of her dissolution nor can there be a better testimony than these Papers containing the substance of her discourses with me to her very last gasp They understand little of the Popis● Faith that upon the reading of these discourses will not conclude that her Ladiship was at a sufficient distance from it and that these were not discourses formed for such a design as her Vindication There are four or five Honourable Persons in England her near relations can testifie who have had these notes fourteen years at least if not fifteen or sixteen by them the same as to the substance of them though possibly as I said before some phrases may be altered upon more mature deliberation These discourses do not sound like the language of one who believed the Doctrines of Popery about remission of sins assurance merit prayers to Saints and Augels c. But indeed a person is not ordinarily to be sound upon whom that tribe could with more disadvantage sasten such an imputation than upon upon this Excellent Lady Who so wisely c●sts their eye upon