The benefit of afflictions to the people of God opened and applyed in a sermon preached at St. Maryes in Nottingham, March 31, 1659, at the funerall of Mrs. Winnifrid Pierrepont, onely daughter to the honourable Mrs. Alissamon Pierrepont, widdow to the Honourable Francis Pierrepont, Esq; son to the right Honourable Robert, late earl of Kingston / by John Whitlock ...

To the Truly Honourable, Religious, and my most Honoured Lady, the Lady Pierrepont Relict to the Ho∣nourable Francis Pierrepont Esq; Sonne to the Right Honourable Robert Late Earl of Kingston.

Madam,

THIS ensuing Sermon formerly preached at your desire, and now published by your commands, humbly presents it self to your Ladyship as of Right belonging to your Honour, being occa∣sioned by your Heavenly Fathers re∣calling the greatest pledge of earthly comforts, he continued to entrust you with, viz: Mrs. Winnifrid Pierrepont your Daughter and only child. The Lord hath been training up your Ladyship in the School of Afflictions for some years together, wherein he hath greatly exercised your Faith, and Patience, in depriving you not only of three sweet and lovely Children, but of the delight and covering of your eyes, your most dear and Honourable Husband, and as if Heaven had been impatient for the wearing such sweet Buds in its bosom, hath now also cropt your only little one remaining. O how sad and cutting have these providences been to your Honour, not only as the rending of your limbs from your body, in the parting with your Children, but as the separa∣tion of the two old friends, Soul and Body in the losse of your Husband; who was Honourable and Loving beyond Titles and Expressions. And after all

these, to have the only plant upon which your hopes grew, cut down; how great must this blow needs be! I am apt to resemble these your losses and your due resentment of them, to the Patriarchs parting with his sons; Joseph is not, Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away, all these things are against me: So may your Ladyship with more cause of com∣plaint say, Elizabeth, Gervaise and Mary are not, a truly loving and honourable Husband is not, and now my onely child Winnifrid is gone also; How does this make against me! Yet hath not your La∣dyship with him and his Rachel refused to be com∣forted, because they are not. The Cup (I confesse) which your Heavenly Father hath given you to drink of, was very bitter, and he hath caused you to drink it up in the death of four Children which were your All; and not onely them (though that was no small affliction, your Parental affection being greater than ordinary) but also of a most dear Husband, who was better than ten children, nay than ten times ten Sons, both in himself and your Ladyships estimati∣on. All which, together with the many imbittering circumstances which were mingled therewith, (some of which still frequently occur) do justly call for grief from you, and compassion towards you. Yet Madam, I must make it my request to your Ladyship to take heed of grieving your Comforter, by over∣grieving for your loss, and want of earthly comforts, either in the excesse or duration of your grief. I might mention sundry considerations for the allevi∣ating your trouble, and should, if I well knew not that all I can lay before your Ladyship, were long since known to you: I shall therefore only presume

to renew the Plaister, which happily may be requisite, though you both know and have used the Salve. Consider I beseech your Ladyship, hath God taken any thing from you which he gave you not? nay were not the things he hath taken rather lent than given? Though your Lady-ship had propriety in your Relations (your Husband being but your self divi∣ded, and your Children but your self multiplyed, or wrapped up in so many several skins) yet it was but as the Tennants, or as the Childs to the cloaths it wears, only for use: Our Heavenly Father being the grand Proprietor and Owner of all, who never forfeit∣ed his right to us though we have forfeited ours to him; By whose grace we are what we are, and have whatsoever we do enjoy. How able also is your God to compensate all these your losses, with freer and fuller enjoyments of himselfe in the face of Christ? Nay has he not long since been, and is he not yet more and more doing this actually in, and for you? If the Father takes Counters from his child, and gives him Gold, or withered Flowers and gives him fresh in their stead; Has the child any cause to complain of the Father as being injurious? Though your Heavenly Father hath taken from you some temporall Comforts, yet so long as he hath given bet∣ter in their stead viz: Himself (who is a goodly He∣ritage) for your portion, His Son who is all in all for your Saviour and Husband, the Spirit the Com∣forter to be yours, his word to be your guide and Councellor in the want of others, an assurance of an immediate and uninterrupted enjoyment of himself in Heaven, and of meeting your dear Relations there, where you shall never part more; Is he unequal in

his dealings with you? Although he hath taken your only child, yet he hath given you his only Son; He hath in deed written your Ladyship Husbandless and Childless, yet (I am well assured) he hath given you a name better than that of your Hus∣bands, though very Honourable, or of Sons and Daughters, though very desireable. Your Ladyship cannot say without some exceptions of your losses, never were losses like mine; or of your sorrows, never were sorrows like mine; yet your La∣dyship may without any exception of these your gains, never were gains like mine, and consequently of your joyes (viz: your Masters joyes already ente∣red into you, and which you shall ere long enter into) never were joyes like mine; But I might well spare this, when I consider how ample your experience hath been in the exemplification of this Text, which your Ladyship first pitched upon and proposed, and how, conversant since you have been in the practise thereof and those excellent truths, which were digged out of this Golden Mine, by that faithful Labourer of Christ that imparted them to you.

And Lastly, That I be not unnecessarily tedious to your Ladyship; How happy are your dear Relations in that which you account your unhappiness? How great that happiness is, that death hath put them in∣to the possession of, I cannot tell, nor shall I be capable of knowing, till I am uncapable of making it known: Had I a Quill fetched from the wing of a Seraphim, I could not sufficiently delineate it, yet may I well say, 'tis such as your self can no wayes equalize their gain. How perfectly free are they from all sin, mise∣ry, and temptation, which we that survive are so

encompassed with, that not a few by reason thereof have life in patience, and death in desire. Were they to speak to you, would it not be in the words of your dying Saviour; Weep not for us but for your selves, Not for us, who have all tears wiped from our eyes; Not for us, who are entered into joy; Not for us, who are present with the Lord and as happy as Hea∣ven can make us: But for your selves being still on this side those blessed enjoyments: I am not now about any Panegyrick of your most dear Husbands praise, that is done already by far abler Pens than mine; nor yet of your Children, some of which gave demonstrations of their affection for goodness beyond whats usuall in such years, he and they being above my commendation.

What remains then, but that your Lady ship be en∣treated to put no more bitternesse into the Conclusi∣on, than God hath put into the Premises, to view the bright as well as the black side of these providences, and considering these and the like consolatory consi∣derations, to endeavour with David in greater di∣stresse to comfort your self in your God, serving him with cheerfulnesse in that abundance he hath given you, and to rejoyce in your surviving mer∣cies and Relations, but principally in the Lord, whereto you have so many obligations, from which all your afflictive losses cannot possibly dis-ingage you. I might here enlarg, were it not that both yoru Honor is well acquainted with your duty, and the capacity I stand in to your Ladyship for your souls service gives me occasion sufficiently of reminding you thereof in private. Wherein as in all other things that concern your spiritual and eternal comfort and happiness, I

desire to serve your honour in all sincerity and chear∣fulness. As I must alwaies profess my self, not only of duty, but singular obligation, bound; having re∣ceived so many incouragements from you, in, and such bounty for my ministerial work, since I have had the happiness to be serviceable to your Ladyship there∣in. So that, your Ladyship hath merited my pub∣lishing your praise in these and many other things far more commendable, which if your Ladyship had not charged me more than once, and more than or∣dinarily against, I should have told the world of your exemplary walking before your family, your great devotion in private as well as in publick worship, your charity to the souls of such as want the bread of Life, and desirousnesse of walking with and be∣fore others in the way to Heaven; all which and ma∣ny other things sufficiently praise-worthy, I might blazon abroad, were it not that both your Ladyships modesty forbids, and my own propensity rather in∣clines me to a silent admiration.

That the Lord would further sanctifie all your afflictions, make up your losses, supply your wants, blesse you in all your Enjoyments, Relations, and Concernments, and when flesh and heart fails, be your never-failing strength and portion, is and shall be the earnest and constant prayer of,

Madam,

Your Ladyships Chaplain
in all dutifull observance,
W. S.

Octob. 1. 1661.

Notes

• Vid: The Se••∣mons prea∣ched at his Funeral by the Reve∣rend and learned Di∣vines, Mr. Whitlock, a Mr. Reynol.