While reading Gurnall, I learned of one of my precious sisters by the name of Lady Mary Vere:
But, passing by the civil and secular distinctions of this lady, we will present her in her spiritual excellencies, which, indeed,
are the only things that give an intrinsic value to a person. We may apply to her what Nehemiah said of an eminent person in his time, (chap. vii. 2.) " She was a faithful woman, "and feared God above many."
Her zeal for the public worship of God was very eminent: which she evidenced,
First; By her great care and diligence to provide able and faithful ministers for those livings of which she had the disposal; and also by improving her utmost interest to procure the like for the parish in which she lived, in its several vacancies.
Secondly; By her constant attendance on public worship, so long as Providence granted her health to do it. And she not only attended herself, but took care that her family attended also; and they were no servants for her, who would not join in the service of God with her.
Thirdly; She was no less devout than constant at the public worship. She durst not trifle with holy things, nor in holy duties; which gave occasion to one to say of her, " that the Lady Vere, by her solemn "and reverent deportment in divine worship, would "make one believe that there is a God indeed." As for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, her desires were eager and ardent to partake frequently of it, declaring, that she durst not neglect, no not any one opportunity that was offered for the enjoying this sacred ordinance. She was also very serious and intent in her preparation for it. The whole preceding week was taken up by her for that work, in which she would also always have a private fast kept for her family, or a secret one in her closet.
As her zeal was thus eminent for the worship of God in public, so, it was eminent for the worship of God in private. Follow her but from the church to her own house, and you will find that she brought her devotion home with her. If ever any private dwelling might be called a chapel, or little sanctuary, that of Lady Vere's much more. Twice every day she and her family were upon their knees offering their solemn worship to Almighty God. There you might see them humbly sitting at his feet to hear his holy word read to them, constantly concluding their evening service with one of David's psalms.
Whatsoever strangers were present at her house, there was no putting by, or adjourning the service of God to a more convenient time on their account.
On the Lord's-day, the sermons preached in public, were repeated to the household; the servants were called to give an account before her, of what each of them remembered, and the high praises of God were sung by the associated family.
Twice every day she shut up herself for some hours in her closet, which was excellently furnished with pious books of practical divinity. Here she spent her precious time in reading the sacred Scriptures, and other good books that might give her further light into the oracles of God, and edify her in her most holy faith. Here she poured out her devout soul with such fervour in prayer, as could not be hid, at least sometimes, from her attendants and maidservants, when at any time their business drew them near their lady's closet-door. But we are not yet at an end of her devotions ; for, every night, her practice was to pray with her maid-servants before she went to bed. Is it any wonder that she grew so rich in grace, who maintained so great and constant a traffic in the means of it, and had so many ports open to receive her spiritual gains?
As her zeal for both the public and private worship of her God was thus eminent, so, her love to God manifested itself, beside what hath been already mentioned, in several respects, and those in very high degrees. As,
First, the mournful complaint which she frequently made, that she loved God no better. The reason, indeed, of which complaint was, because she loved him so much; and she thought she loved him so little, because she knew that she could never love him enough. The truth was, she had such elevated apprehensions of the glorious excellency of the Divine Majesty, as caused her to think her highest affections unworthy of him. And none, indeed, who have such exalted ideas of the greatness and goodness of God, can love him little, or think their love when at the highest to be great.
Secondly; Her love to God manifested itself in her vehement desires and longings to be gone hence, and to be with Christ, which she accounted best of all. She was one of those very few Christians who stood in need of the excellent Mr. John Dod's use of exhortation, which he would make to the saints in his preaching, "that they would be content and "patient, though they were not taken up to heaven "so soon as they desired." This most heavenly man having lived to a great age, and finding that to stay longer on earth, without any thing like a discontent or impatience, was something difficult to himself, thought that it was the common experience with others; whereas it is too true that most Christians are of a lower class in the school of Christ j prone rather to linger here, and to hide-themselves, like Saul, in the stuff, when they are sought for to be crowned, than to be too much in haste for going hence, so that they rather need a goad than a rein; and ministers have reason to try to take hold of them with the strongest arguments they can find, to draw them off from the love of life and the world, as the angels urged Lot out of Sodom, rather than to persuade them to be willing to continue here. But this very pious lady had by faith such a sight of heaven, as made her stay below tedious and wearisome to her. The earnest choice of her soul was, "Come, Lord "Jesus, come quickly!" For she found, to her great grief, that her imperfect state on earth made it impossible for her to obey and honour God as she would, and devoutly desired; and therefore, she often complained that she was unprofitable. And this deep sense of her unprofitableness, even while others admired her eminent usefulness, still increased her desires to arrive at that world where all these infirmities and defects would be no more, and where she knew her abilities would perfectly correspond to her utmost wishes to serve and glorify her God and -Saviour.
Thirdly; Her love to God was also clearly discovered in her love to the saints who were born of God, and had his lively image stamped upon them, This love to the saints is, in Scripture, made one of the fairest evidences of our love to God, (1 John, v. 1.) "And every one who loves him that begat, loves him also who is begotten of him." A man may love the child, and yet not love his father; but he cannot love his child, because he is his child, and because he is like his father, but he must of necessity love his father, and, indeed, love him first and most, because his love to the child springs from his love to his father. This lady was doubtless, then, a great lover of God, because she had so dear an affection for his children. She was not one who praised the dead saints, and persecuted the living. She did not pretend love to those who lived far from her, but showed no kindness to such as were near her. She did not factiously love some of one party, and reproach those of another. In a word, she did not love the saints in an equality with others, from a natural tenderness which disposes some persons to all, good and bad; but her love was a cordial, spiritual, special, and uniform love to the people of God. In whomsoever she saw any thing of God, her love was drawn out towards them, and she had the most love for those who discovered most of God in them. She loved them so as to delight in their converse and communion, and the largest measures of her charity were extended to them.
As for the faithful ministers of Christ, whose office and function raise them above private Christians, few ever exceeded her in loving and honouring them. She loved first the ministry, and then the ministers; seriously professing that the great affection and high esteem she bore them, was for their Master's sake, whose ambassadors they were.
Fourthly; Her love to God was strongly evinced by her works of charity; as, (1.) by the largeness of her charity. Her charity was so great, that it might well be matter of admiration that it was not exhausted by so liberal a diffusion. She was like a tree with this strange property, that it yielded its fruit not once in the year, but at all times. Many were the channels in which her charity communicated itself. This excellent lady had money for the empty purse; meat and drink for the hungry and thirsty ; physic for the sick and diseased ; and salves for the sore and wounded. Abundance of good she did in these ways. She was not only liberal, but devised liberal things. If her servants knew of any persons in great necessity, and they did not acquaint her with their cases, and she afterwards heard by other hands of these distressed objects, she would express her anger to her servants for their neglect. It fell out that an honest poor neighbour died before she knew of his illness; for which the good lady being concerned, she inquired of her servant who attended her, whether the person wanted any thing in his sickness, adding, '' I tell you, that I had rather "part with the gown from off my back, than that "the poor should want." (2.)
She was wonderfully secret in what she gave. When she would do a work of charity, she had no trumpet sounded before her, but her benevolence descended like a golden stream of oil into a vessel, without any noise or notice. And, (3.) In the exercise of her charity, there was an humble and self-denying spirit. She communicated her charity like a good steward, acknowledging that what she gave was not her own, but her Lord's money. Notwithstanding all her alms-giving,
she had her entire dependence upon Christ, desiring to be found alone in him, and in his righteousness, as if she had not done any one good work in all her life. Though we have taken notice of many excellent qualities of this worthy lady, we shall not do her character the justice it deserves, if we do not add some further particulars. As,
First; The uniformity of her holy walk. Her religion was not like the driven snow, which lies very thick and heavy in one place, and very thin and scanty in another; but it was one universal piety and goodness. In her conversation, one part admirably corresponded and agreed with another. A happy symmetry appeared in her whole course, both towards God, and towards man, both abroad and at home ; and few persons have had a more honourable testimony from those who lived near, or long lived them, than what this eminent woman had from all who lived under her roof.
Secondly; Her faith was very remarkable. This grace seemed to be strongest when death seemed to be nearest. Somewhat more than a twelvemonth before she died, she fell into a swoon, which continued above half an hour, without any sensible hopes of recovery. As soon as she came to herself, she broke out, "I know that my Redeemer lives;" and upon her being conveyed to her chamber, she said,"I know whom I have trusted."
Thirdly; we will add, that the humility of this lady was very eminent and singular.
This grace, in conjunction with her sincerity, appeared in the great freedom which she gave to her friends, in speaking to her of what they saw amiss in her. She much applauded the privilege and benefit of having a faithful friend, saying, " that others might see more "by us, than we could do by ourselves." She used also to say,
"that it was a great mercy to be convinced of any sin." She thought meanly of herself. She saw not how bright her face shone, though others beheld and admired its lustre. Her frequent complaint was, that she was useless, and did no good. She often spoke of her imperfections, wants, weakness, and unworthiness. She was easy of access, even to the meanest who came into her presence. Her deportment was full of courtesy, and lowliness to the poorest person. Many a time, when her servants had well performed any business she had set them about, she would thank them for it. The law of kindness was upon her tongue to whomsoever she spoke.
We now come to the close of her bright and long day. And it may be truly said, that at evening-time it was light.
In her last sickness, her pains were very strong, but her patience was stronger. Never was she heard to murmur, or utter one repining word, but she justified God in all his dispensations towards her. Even more than this, she was much in admiring and blessing God for his mercies in her acutest pains and greatest agonies. In what a lofty and ravishing strain does her blessed soul now sing forth the praises of God in heaven, who could tune them so sweetly in the darkest hours of nature, and with the sharpest thorns of affliction at her breast!
She was not entirely free from the assaults of Satan; but he came only to be repulsed with shame, and to add more trophies to all her former victories over him. The last words which were observed to be spoken by her before that fatal lethargy seized upon her weak, worn-out body, which in two days brought on her dissolution, were, "How shall I do "to be thankful? How shall I do to praise my "God?" Thus she closed her life in the exercise of that duty which was to be her constant and endless employment and pleasure, in that better life into which she was then entering; and died in the Lord, December the 25th, 1671, in the ninetieth year of her age, if not, as some of her near relations afterwards said, in the ninety-first. Thus did God give her a remarkable long life, and crown her at last with his salvation.
