Hēsychia Christianou, or, A Christian's acquiescence in all the products of divine providence opened in a sermon, preached at Cottesbrook in Northampton-Shire, April the 16, 1644, at the interment of the Right Honourable, and eminently pious lady, the Lady Elizabeth Langham, wife to Sir James Langham Kt. / by Simon Ford ...

To the PIOUS MEMORY Of the RIGHT HONOURABLE And no less Religious LADY The Lady ELLIZABETH, Wife to Sir JAMES LANGHAM. Who was marryed to that worthy per∣son, November 20. 1662. and dyed great with child, March 28. 1664.

FAith now or never help us; See what storms We are surpriz'd with, Thus Heav'n deals with Worms, Mounts them on pinacles of bliss, and thence Dashes them on the shelfs of Providence: Peace fretful murmurs, We should wrong the Saint Her self, should we wrong Heav'n by our complaint,

For Heaven is just; at least wee'l Rest in this Our loss makes up her gain, Our woes her bliss: But it was no surpize Heaven had forbore Her presence long, and Angels waited for Her flight—While here she staid could not we see That purer sparkle of Divinity. Her soul still towring upwards to the sphere Of blessedness, whence we might justly fear Earth could not keep her long; while here she shin'd Had we but mark't how her seraphick Mind Reach'd at perfectiou: How she us'd to dress Her Soul with graces; we might eas'ly guess It was a holy plot 'twixt Heaven and her To rob us of our joys. Her Heav'nly Dear, Wanting his Spouse, loses her marriage tie That she might come and live with him on high: 'Twas unto him her Vows were given ere Her Nuptial contracts here confummate were; And (whilest that little time in happiest bands Of wedlock she remain'd) yet her heart stands Fast to its former vows, and still she longs With earnest throbbings and unwearied pangs Of Love to finish those endearments she Had here begun in an Eternity Of Blessedness. Alas we thought when Heaven Had join'd this Noble pair, and freely given Pledges of bliss to each (unparel'd blisse Too great for my weak fancy to express) When we consider'd that same Harmony Of Minds, & hearts that chim'd their joys, whereby Two Heav'nly souls entwin'd in one great flame Of love: how we could wish that we could frame A Tabernacle for them, to inclose Their joices, and keep them in a long repose;

But she, that better knew the world than we, And knew where lay their true felicity, Seeing our Mistakes, and fearing we should wrong God and our souls, withdraws out of the throng Of friends and steals to Heaven; puts out the blaze Of all our joies and leaves us in a Maze. Could those indearments be so suddenly Cut of that linked hearts with such a tie! Would not Heav'n pity those same groans & tear That needs must follow such a loss. Ah! here's Great Love unseen; Our losses are our gain Oft-times when our enjoyments prove our bane: God can afford us comforts, but lest we Should surfeit, calls them back, that he might be Our chief desire and aim, this likewise knew That precious Saint who therefore hence withdrew Her self to Heaven, least such satiety In time should draw them to Idolatry. With what a servent holy jealousie Kept she her Vows to Christ! fearing lest she, Blessing her Nuptial state at any time With too much love, should fail in loving him: Thus ever tender of that Union That link't them both to God, she strives to drown The current of their loves and joies together In Loves true Fountain, Christ the fairest Lover. Methinks I hear her chide the Ardencie Of his affection, fearing lest that he Should wrong his God by too much loving her; Sith Christ admits of no Competitor. And lest he should (alas how could he do But love her where so much love was due) She leaves him, flies to Heav'n; then calls, My Dear And bids him if he lov'd her seek her there.

Well She is gon; But Markt we how she went Home to Her Joyes: A Pursivant was sent, That like Elijah in a Coach of Fire, Mounted her Spirit to the Holy Quire, Of Angels; there she Rests: Yet ere she went, We might perceive her Face that Firmament Of Beauty spread with stars hiding its light; Then we Began to bid our Joyes Good night, We knew our Sun was set and left us here To shine more Brightly in a higher sphere.

With her refulgent Rays while this our Sun, Glorify'd our inferiour Horizon: Those her Magnetick Beams (her Graces) Drew The love of all unto her that but knew, What Goodness meant; Those Exhalations, Whilst she was rising, follow'd her but once: Clouded and set dissolve again and Pow'r, Themselves on Earth again in a Briny show'r.

But Loose we thus the Phoenix of our Age Without succession; Had we not a Gage, A Pledge from Heav'n of one that should survive; And keep her precious memory alive: Or was that Dust so sacred that the young Rather than take a Resurrection, Should be content to Mingle't with its own? Earth was not worthy, Heav'n was Greedy to Possess so Rich a Purchase, both must go To Glory, Root & Branch, Whilst the glad Mother With One hand reaches at her Crown, the other Presents her foetus, with whose Innocence, Unsullyed yet by Earth, the Blessed Prince Of Purity delighted, Crowns it with a Brighter Crown than others. Thus the death,

Of Both gives them a glad deliverie From present and succeeding miserie; Leaving behind her all those pangs and throws She should have felt, to be supplyed by those, That big with Love, now suffer pangs of grief, And sorrows for their sister, daughter, Wife, And Friend. Yet may her precious memory Produce some sweeter fruits than these, to be Arguments of our Love; May we so live As she: So learn to grow in grace, and thrive In goodness; So t' improve our golden hours, So to deny our selves and what is ours To win a Christ, So to despise the Vain Honours and pleasures of the world to gain A Crown of Glory. So to love, as she, First God, and then our friends; (so charity In her kept to its rule) to imitate Those lustres that proclaim'd her truly great, Her Faith, Devotion, and Humility, Her meekness, sweetness, pity, charity And Love; Thus to imbalm her memory Serv's better far than tears. And thus to do After this life may make us happy too.

R. Tuke.