Two Funeral Sermons, Eulogy – Half title
THE TESTIMONIE Giuen to Mrs REBEKKA CRISP at her Buriall.
THE Bodies of Gods Sants as well as their Soules area1 Cor. 6. 19. members of Chriſts bodie, andb1 Cor. 6. 19. Temples of Gods Spirit: and are therefore in decent and honeſt manner to be laid vp in the wombe of our common Mother the Earth. The performance of this laſt office to our right deare and deſeruedly reſpected Chriſtian Siſter, Mrs Rebekka Criſp, hath occaſioned this Aſſembly. Concerning whoſe religious courſe of life and conuerſation, togither with the Concluſion thereof ſutable and correſpondent to the ſame, much might be ſaid, and much be ſpoken, yea ſo much, that it might to ſtrangers ſeeme either meere formalitie or plaine flatterie, yet by thoſe that throughly knew her, would not onelyonly be acknowledge for truth, but to come far ſhort of that that … But neither … my wont, … I, … long in this kinde: … rather, for that many take therin too much libertie, and this exerciſe being intendedcMagis viuorum ſolatiae, quàm mortuorum ſubſidiae. Aug. de cura pro mort. ger. more for the inſtruction of the liuing then for the commendation of the dead.
That which I ſhall ſpeake of her, to the glory of Gods grace in her, and the prouoking of others to the imitation of her, ſhall be in few words, and referred to two heads, her Piety, and her Patience.
For the former: it had pleaſed God to grace her with a meaſure more then ordinarie of ſpirituall grace, and of ſuch graces as are not ſo ordinarily incident to that … of …, and ſoundnes of judgement…. Which … accordingly applied and imployed, (part…y by conſtant frequenting of the publike Miniſterie, while God gaue leaue and libertie, and p…tly: … both then and during the times of … meditation and priuate conference with ſuch as reforted vntounto her,dRom. 12. 2. and might that way further her, * to the ſearching out of the good and holy and acceptable will of God. In this hinde ſhee was a great Queſtioniſt▪ and (as thoſe religious Romane ePaula, Marcella, & Euſtochium. Legatur Paulae epitaph: & Hierenymi Epiſtola ad eaſdem.Ladies were ſometime to …) a whe…ſtone to my ſelfe, and I doubt not but the like alſo to others,fSic Hieron. ad Marcellam; Maguis pro…cas quaeſtionibus, & torpēs acio ingenium, dum interr…gas, doces. by her ſtudious enquirie occaſioning the mo…e diligent ſearch, and the more exact diſcouery of many particulars: In regards whereof I may well, and doe freely and ſincerely confeſſe, that, ſo oft as I reſorted vntounto her, I did tam proficere quàm prodeſſe, as well benefit by her, as benefit her.
Neither were theſe her Queſtions, as with many, gLater unculis I… ditur; In ſupervacuis ſub…ilit as teritur. ſ…hol…, noes vitae diſcitur. Sen. epiſt. 106. Qu…ſcire magis i…vat quàm prodeſt▪ Ibid. In quibus …ihil ali…d quàm acumen exercetur. Ib. 109. Quibus quiſquis ſe tradidit, quaeſtiunculas quidē r…fras nectit; cater… ad vitam nihil profici… Ibid. 111. Quibus doce… magis diſputare quàm viuere. Ib. 9. 5.tending to idle ſpeculation; meere curioſities, or vaine niceties, like a game at Cheſſe; rather quirks of wit, fit for diſputation in ſchooles, then rules of vſe for direction of life; but of ſuch points as bent and aymed at the practiſe of piety, the tryall of faith, and ſound ſanctification: That wherein ſhee principally deſired and endeuoured to profit; and ſo profited, that I may truly ſay of her, that ſhee had nothforeign. 2. Tim. 3. 5. an outward ſhew and ſemblance of godlineſſe, or a verball diſcourſe of it, (the common fault of too many profeſſors among vsus) but the very power and efficacie of it in extraordinary manner and meaſure both imprinted in her heart, and expreſſed in her life: She had learned,iSen. epiſt. dicta in facta vertere, to turne words into works; and as kLuk 2. 19.to treaſure vp with Mary what ſhee heard and learned in her heart, ſo to worke it into the affection, and to bring it forth into action, to affect it with her heart, and to effect it in her life.
This, among other things, her ſincere piety, appeared in her ſingular Patience. And it is Patience indeede, that putteth Piety to the proofe. God had trained her vp a long time in the ſchoole of affliction; and ſhee was therein a good proficient: her afflictions being vntounto her, aslGen. 17. 7. the waters to Noahs Arke, a meanes to carry vp her thoughts and deſires higher to heauen-ward. It pleaſed God to bruiſe her with paines and weaknes, and euen to mforeign Eſai. 53. 10. foreign Pſal. 90. 3.grinde to po…der her vigor with continuance of affliction. Which yet ſhe euer ſuſtained with great willingnes ofminde,Pſal. 90. 3. hauing oft in her mouth that worthy ſpeech of Dauid, n2. Sam. 15. 26.Behold, here I am, let him do with me what he will; ando…rudir… cupiens flagell…, non erut… do Job… Bern. in Cant. 33. deſiring euer, as ſhe proteſted oft in the middeſt of her paines, not ſo much the remouall of the croſſe, which ſhee eſteemed but light, as patience to beare it, and grace to make vſe of it: complaining of nothing ſo much in her afflictions, as that by meanes of them ſhe was diſabled to the performance of ſuch duties as ſhee deſired with her Familie, and reſtrained in the intention of her ſpirituall meditation; if in any thing impatient, impatient of …ought that hindred that way.
Neither was this her patience ſuch as proceeded either from ſome ſenſeleſnes and ſtupiditie, or from ſome kinde of immanitie and inhumanitie,pQualu Stoicorū illa foreign. Aſfecti… humana (vel inhumana potius) canine aequanimitatis ſtupore formata Tertuli depatient. Indolentia iſta nō ſine magna mercede cantingit, immenitaris in, ſtuporis in corp. re. Grantor apud Oic. Tuſcul l. 3. Et verè Archytas in ethic. apud Stab. tō. 2. c. …s Ita enim …mendandus eſt locus ille, qui nō ſine mendo in vulgat ishabetur: nec corrigunt ſed corrumpunt mentē autoris, qui pro ſubſti…u…t: ſicut & ijde… fruſtra ſunt, dū …lauſulam noviſſimam ſine cauſa ſolicitant. as in ſome; (for ſhe was a woman made of meekenes and lowlines, of minde, as of a tender conſtitution her ſelfe naturally, and therefore ſoone ſenſible of paine and griefe, ſo full of bowels of mercy and tender compaſſion towards others, and free from all auſteritie and harſhnes of ſpira) butqNon et vera pa…ientia, vbi non eſt vera ſapientla, (vbi non eſt vera pietas.) Cyprian. de patient. from an apprehenſion of Gods hand in thoſe things that befell her and a concoience of ſubmitting her will to his pleaſure whoſe wholly ſhe acknowledged herſelfe to be, and was content therefore wholly to be diſpoſed of by him.
But becauſerPerſ…uerantia ſola virtutū coronatur. Bern. de temp. 114. Sola eſt cui aeternitas redditur. Idem de conſider. l. 5. Non inch…antibꝰ ſed perſeuerantibus praemium propunitur. Iſidor. de ſum. bon. l. 2. c 7. Siquidem, Non perſeuerare cultus eſt mutilus. Bern. in Cant. perſeuerance, as Bernard ſaith, is all in all; and is that that carieth away the crowne or the garland from all: ſSupereſt vt laudabile principium condignum conſequatur finem, & cauda hoſtix capiti coniungatur. Bern. ep. 24. & 165. Caput animalis cum cauda in ſacrificijs offerendū. Lev. 3. 9. quia ſine perſeuerantia nihil placet. Rad. Ardens in 1a. 40a.As the reſt of her life had bin, ſo her latter end was not vnlike; full of piety and patience, of alacritie and cheerefulnes, wholy taken vp with holy and heauenly meditation, and longing exceedingly for the time of her diſſolution. God ſhewed in her to all that were about her, that it is not in vaine ſincerely to ſerue him; and that a conſtant courſe of a religious life will miniſter aboundance of ſweet comfort in death.
About the beginning of her laſt ſicknes, ſhe ſent for me to her, whom (though the meaneſt of many that reſorted vntounto her) in regard of ſome bond of alliance ſhe deſired to be, and made account ſhee might be boldeſt withall; and before ſome few of her familiar frends, made a worthy and pithy confeſſion and profeſſion of her Faith, too long to relate; laid open the grounds and notes of her aſſurance fetched forth of Gods word, of Gods louelove vntounto her, and of her owne vntounto God; requeſting either to be better informed, if in ought ſhe were miſtaken, or to hauehave further confirmed by pregnant proofes out of Gods booke, what ſhe rightly apprehended. And this was the worke that by her good will ſhee then deſired to be continually taken vp with; forgetting her paines and weaknes when ſhe was about it, and neglecting her naturall reſt to attend it. So that ſhe might well ſay to God with Dauid, ſPſal. 119 97.Oh how louelove I thy law? it is my continuall meditation. And with Iob, tJob. 23. 12.I hauehave preferred the words of thy mouth, not onelyonly before my moſt deſired foode, but before my moſt needfull and naturall reſt. Yea ſo eager was ſhe vponupon theſe things, that I was enforced oft to perſwade her to forbeare, conſidering her great weaknes, and to intermit the intention of her meditation, by giuing ſome way to reſt and repoſe. And here I cannot paſſe by one ſpeech vſed by her vpou ſuch an occaſion, which the rather I relate, to prouoke others by her example not to neglect the meanes of mercy and grace that God vouchſafeth them now, while they may follow them. After long diſcourſe to and fro, perceiuing, as I thought, her eyes to wax heauy, and her ſpirits fainty, and well knowing what need ſhe had of ſome refreſhing, I aduiſed her to compoſe her ſelf vntounto reſt, which her long want of it required, and her eyes ſeemed to incline vntounto, that it was beſt to take it while ſhe might, leſt ſhe ſhould after, want it when ſhe would. Her anſwer was that this was her beſt reſt, & that which ſhe found beſt refreſhing & ſweeteſt repoſe in; and that, ſaid ſhe, which you ſay of the one, may I much better ſay of the other: if to giuegive way to reſt I forbeare thoſe meanes of comfort that God by your preſence now affordeth me, I may hereafter want them when I would, and ſhall neede them.
Some conflicts ſhe had the day before her departure; but ſuch, through Gods goodnes, as laſted not long, and ended in that comfort, that continued with her to her end: which was ſo quiet and peaceable. that her departure was ſcarce ſenſible to thoſe that were neereſt about her.
I will add but a word, and that I ſpeake vnfainedly: I know Gods hand is not ſtraitned, neither is his grace ſcanted: yet, conſidering mine owne obſeruation & experience, but ſmall, I confeſs; as I hauehave not hitherto in all points met with her match, ſo I wiſh rather than hope to light oft on her like.
But let vsus leaue her with the Lord in happines, in heauen: and apply our ſelues vntounto that, that more principally concerneth vsus, attending to ſuch inſtructions as ſhall (by Gods aſſiſtance) be deliuered, not altogither vnagreable to the preſent occaſion, out of that portion of Scripture, which I hauehave choſen to intreat of, concerning
PAVLES DESIRE OF DISSOLVTION, AND DEATHS ADƲANTAGE the ground of that his DESIRE.