The Virtuous Daughter, Title page – Dedication
THE VERTVOVS DAVGHTER.
A Sermon Preached at Saint Maries in Warwicke at the Funerall of the moſt vertuous and truely religious young Gentlewoman, Miſtreſſe Cicely Puckering, Daughter and Co-heire to the right Worſhipfull, Sir Thomas Puckering, Knight and Baronet, the fourteenth day of Aprill, 1636.
BY IOHN BRYAN, Parſon of Barford.
PSAL. 8.2.
Out of the mouthes of Babes and Sucklings haſt thou ordained ſtrength.
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Harper, for Lawrence Chapman, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Holborne, at Chancery lane end. 1636.
To the right Worſhipfull, Sir THOMAS PVCKERING, Knight and Baronet, and to his vertuous and religious Lady, increaſe of all ſaving graces here, and everlaſting peace and reſt in heaven.
THis Sermon preached at the funerall of your deareſt childe, (who was a gratious Saint on earth, and is now a glorious one in heaven) I doe humbly dedicate to you both; it being yours by all manner of right, and the beſt Preſent J am able to preſent your Worſhips with. My poore paines taken herein, J heartily acknowledge to deſerve neither yours, nor the acceptation of any that are judicious; but the ſpeeches which proceeded from the heavenly mouth of your bleſſed Daughter, which are here related, deſerve in the judgement of wiſe and good men, to be written in letters of Gold, and to be known and read of all men, being full of life and power to quicken the dulleſt ſoule to a love and liking of the wayes of godlineſſe.
The deſire to heare this Sermon preached, was great, and generall, as appeared by the great confluence of people out of Towne and Country; neither is it doubted, but that ſome good was then wrought upon many ſouls
And the deſire to have it publiſhed, is greater and more generall, there being hope conceived that much glory may be brought to God, and much edification to men, by conſidering the worke of God upon ſo tender yeares.
Your Worſhips have much honoured God and your ſelves, by bearing ſo great a triall with ſuch admirable patience and comfort. What remaineth, but that you alwayes ſet before your eyes this matchleſſe patterne which proceeded from your owne bowels, for your imitation; that as you were inſtruments to give her a temporall life, ſo ſhe (though dead, yet ſpeaking) may be an happy inſtrument, though not to give, yet to increaſe and maintaine the life of grace and conſolation in your ſoules.
You have begunne to cleave to Chriſt with firme decree and …ull purpoſe of heart; and the world obſerveth, that you are already rich gainers by this great loſſe. Goe on I beſeech you, and grow daily in the exemplary practiſe of a really religious life, being fully aſſured, that he whoſe glory you ſeeke, and whoſe yoke you beare, will in due time make up this breach, and recompence this loſſe, if not in the ſame kinde, (which I pray and hope) yet in ſome other, which ſhall be moſt for his glory, and your comfort in the end.
Neither is there cauſe that you ſhould overmuch lament the loſſe of this one childe, ſeeing God hath bleſſed you with many children, though but one living, (upon whom, God Almighty double his bleſſings) For (to omit many, whoſe parents in effect you are) may I not call thoſe ſixe poore children in Warwicke for whom you have provided honeſt and profitable trades and callings, every ſeven yeares ſucceſſively to the worlds end. (of whoſe death there is no feare while the common wealth and lawes continue in life) your children?
But fearing, leſt J ſhould exceed the bounds of an Epiſtle deſiring your favourable acceptance of this poore expreſſion of my thankefull minde for your many favours, J humbly take my leave, and reſt
Your Worſhi…s much obliged, and in the Lord ever to be commanded, Iohn Bryan.