A26870:202
A breviate of the life of Margaret, the daughter of Francis Charlton ... and…
A breviate of the life of Margaret, the daughter of Francis Charlton ... and wife of Richard Baxter ... : there is also published the character of her mother, truly described in her published funeral sermon, reprinted at her daughters request, called, The last work of a believer, his passing-prayer recommending his departing spirit to Christ, to be received by him.
London: printed for B. Simmons, 1681
Chapter 8: Of her Mental Qualifications, and her Infirmities.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 18. Her great tender impatience lay much in her ears: She could not bear (without great reason) a disputing contradiction; nor yet to hear sad tidings, nor any hard prognostic; and it was because she felt the weakness of her own head, and for Twenty years lived in too great fears of the overthrow of her understanding. And I was apt to think it was but a passionate fanciful fear, and was too apt to be impatient with her impatience, and with every trouble of her mind, not enough considering how great tenderness in all our discourse she needed; though I remember nothing else that ever I showed impatience to her in: but ever since her first danger, and strong affection, I could hardly bear any signification of her displeasure and discontent. And she was wont oft to say, It is a great mercy of God not to know what will befall us in this world, nor how we shall be sick, or suffer, or die, that our fore-knowledge may not anticipate our sorrows, though in the general we should be always ready.
§. 18. Her great tender impatiency lay much in her ears: She could not bear (without great reason) a disputing contradiction; nor yet to hear sad tidings, nor any hard prognostick; and it was because she felt the weakness of her own head, and for Twenty years lived in too great fears of the overthrow of her understanding. And I was apt to think it was but a passionate fanciful fear, and was too apt to be impatient with her impatiency, and with every trouble of her mind, not enough considering how great tenderness in all our discourse she needed; though I remember nothing else that ever I shewed impatience to her in: but ever since her first danger, and strong affection, I could hardly bear any signification of her displeasure and discontent. And she was wont oft to say, It is a great mercy of God not to know what will befal us in this world, nor how we shall be sick, or suffer, or die, that our fore-knowledg may not anticipate our sorrows, though in the general we should be always ready.
§. 19. She was the greatest honourer of her Mother, and most sincerely loved her, that ever I knew a Child do to a Parent: She believed the Promise of the Fifth Commandment, and believed that it did imply an answerable Curse to them that broke it. And that as honouring Parents hath even the Promise of Blessings on Earth, so the dishonouring them is like to bring a Curse upon the Person, or Family, that is guilty of it: And that how great soever their present Prosperity may seem, it is coming and will overtake them, either in their Bodies, Children, or Estates.