THe elect ves­sell and holy Apostle both for Iewes and Gentiles Saint Paul, telleth the Corinthi­ans, and in them the whole [Page 2] Church, that they were 1. Cor. 3.9. Gods hu­sbandary; whence it will follow, and out of relation, that the Mi­nister is Gods Husbandman. Now the secular husbandman hath and obserueth his seasons to sow his seed, and his ground to cast his corne into, as hee soweth some in the Autumne and fall of the lease, some in winter and dead time of the yeere, some in the spring and renewing of the yeere, some in a dry season, and some in a wet; some in a moist clay, and some in a dry sandy ground: and as the holy Ghost speaketh, Esay 38 25, 26 Hee soweth the fetches, and cummin, and casteth in wheat by measure, and the appointed barley and rye in their pla­ces. And all this, for his God doth instruct him to haue discretion, and doth teach him. As the secular, so the spirituall husbandman hath his seed for all seasons, and for all grounds, all hearts: some for the time of mercy and iudgement, for the season of mirth & mour­ning, [Page 3] as wet and dry seasons: some for the birth & buriall, as for the spring and fall: some for them who sorrow in Sion, and some for them that reioice in Ierusalem, and as Esay speakes, Esay 61.2. to preach the ac­ceptable yeere of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort all that mourne. And all this, because his God doth instruct him to haue discretion, and doth teach him. And as the same Pro­phet saith, Esay 28.29. This also commeth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsell, and excellent in works.

Now to allude to the words of Saint Paul, 1. Corinth. 3.10. According to the grace of God which is giuen to me, as a skil­full master builder, &c. As Bernard speakes of himselfe, so I of my selfe, Non sum Pro­pheta, non sum Apostolus: & Pro­phetae tamen & Apostoli (audeo dicere) vice fun­go [...]: & quibus non equor meritis, eorum impli [...]or curis. super Cant. Ier. 46. I am no Apostle: and yet (I may be bold to say) I am in stead of a Prophet, of an Apostle, I supply the place, and serue in the turne of a Prophet and an A­postle, and though I am inferior to them in fitnes and abilitie, yet I [Page 4] am incumbred with the same cares. I say then, according to the grace of God giuen me, as a skilfull hus­bandman in my measure, I haue thought this portion, and this measure of the eternall seed of God, fitting this season: seed of sorrow for a season of sorrow, and a portion of Scripture containing lessons of lamentation for an Au­ditory, which I know well are, (as they haue iust cause) full of la­mentation.

This Chapter brancheth and diuideth it selfe naturally, with­out any violence into two princi­pall parts. The first is a lamenta­tion of the Prophet and the god­ly, from the first verse to the eight. The second is a consolation to the Church and faithfull, from the eight verse to the end of the Chapter. In the lamentation are two things laid downe: The thing which they lament for and bewaile, in the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. and 6. verses. And a counsell and di­rection [Page 5] to the godly, how to de­meane and carry themselues with some good wisdome and profit a­mongst those euils lamented for, & that in the 5. & 7. verses. The things lamented for are of two sorts: First, the paucity and great defect of the good: Secondly, the plurality and great abundance of the wicked. The first conteined in my text, is set downe first vnder a Parable and similitude, which helps both present attention, and future memory, being de­lightfull: Secondly, plainely, and without parable, which truely enformeth the iudgement, being perspicuous.

Woe is me.] As if he had said, The meaning. how hard is my case? how heauy is Gods hand vpon me? how mi­serable is my condition, that haue now so few holy, good, & righte­ous men remaining in mee, who haue formerly abounded with good men of all sorts and rankes? I that haue beene as a field full [Page 6] fraught with Corne, as a Vine­yard abounding with beautifull bunches of Grapes, am now de­stitute, and depriued of these, be­ing all gathered from me to their Fathers, and the Father of all spi­rits: Ruth. 1.20, 21. Woe is me. Call me not Naomi, but call me Mara: for the Almighty hath giuen me much bitternesse. I was ful, but the Lord hath made me empty: Why call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath humbled mee? and the Almighty hath brought me into aduersitie, as Naomi speakes.

I am as the summer gatherings, & as the grapes of the vintage.] To passe by many interpretations of these words, which breed confu­sion rather then vnderstanding: Hieroms reading of them I con­ceiue fully and naturally to ex­presse them. [...]ra factus sum sicut qui co [...]ligit in [...] [...]ace­ [...] vi [...]de m [...]. Hie [...] [...]. For I am as he that gathereth in haruest the Grapes of the vintage. For hauing said that he was as hee that gathereth in Summer, and not expressing what hee gathereth, hee addeth, the [Page 7] grapes of the vintage.

There is no cluster to eate.] And it is with me as it is with him; that as hee found not a cluster of grapes, all being gone before hee came, that he could finde none to refresh himself; so not I one good man to comfort my selfe withall.

My soule desireth the first ripe fruits.] To passe here also by di­uers interpretations as not profi­table to bee stood vpon, I con­ceiue it to be as if hee had said: I am as he that gathereth Grapes, and findeth none, desireth that he might but haue the first ripe fruits: when all should be ripe in the time of Haruest, I wish I could finde but a few like those that are first ripe before others, but I find none of them at all.

The good man is perished out of the earth.] The Prophet here ex­plaineth the parable, and setteth downe in plaine termes that hee did before in similitude, & shew­eth that there are but few good [Page 8] men left in the Land & Church, which hee proueth, because the Lord had gathered many good men in peace to their fathers, and taken them away. The word translated here, good man, is by some read, the mercifull man, and then they take it either actiuely, one that sheweth mercy & good­nesse to others; or passiuely, one that God hath shewed mercy and goodnes to: this is the cause of that, man being merciful, because hee hath found mercy. Hierome readeth it sanctus, as it were, one whom God hath sanctified, and of his grace consecrated to him­selfe. The Septuagints reade it [...]: that is, reuerens & religio­sus; a deuout, reuerent, and religious man: they are all to one purpose, and in deed the same. Now the Prophet bewaileth the taking a­way of such: for though he saith, he perish [...]th, yet hee meaneth not simply that they were perished; but as Chrysostome of one, Dormuit, non mortuus est: qui­escit, non perijt. Chris. hom. 69 ad p [...]p. Ant. Hee [Page 9] sleepeth, he is not dead; he resteth, hee is not perished: so heere of these, they sleep, and are not dead; they are at rest, and are not perished: for the Prophet speaketh out of the opinion of the wicked, who were fixed, as it were, in the world, and had there their felici­tie, and so iudged them to be pe­rished, who were taken out of the world somewhat vntimely, and vnseasonably, as it seemed to their sence and iudgement.

There is none righteous.] By this the Prophet telleth, how many are gathered from among men, not a few, but many, euen so ma­ny, that none remaineth: he mea­neth, in comparison, not simply none, but as it is vsed, none for very few, and in comparison of the great multitude none; as in the Psalme, Psal. 14.3. All are gone out of the way; they are all corrupt, there is none that doth good, no not one. Heere all is put for the most, and none for the fewest, and in comparison none. [Page 10] and as in the Philippians, Philip. 2.21. All seeke their owne, and not that which is Ie­sus Christs. By righteous man, he meaneth the vpright man, which walketh vprightly with God and man, and turneth not to the right hand, nor to the left; one that sheweth his holines by his vp­right and iust dealing.

Salomon saith, Pro. 23.1. When thou sittest to eate with a Ruler, consider dili­gently what is before thee: Which words Bernard translateth from corporall to spirituall foode, and feasting, from a table to a text, frō dishes to doctrines, & saith to the hearer, Int [...]mini pre­sentem mensam, quomodo supernis est refert [...] delicijs spiritualia sunt, et diuina, quae nobis in ra appo [...]untur. Bernard: super Cant▪ serm▪ 29. Behold the present ta­ble, how it is furnished with delights from aboue: they are spirituall, and diuine, which are therein set before vs. And to the teacher: Diligenter considera quae tibi ap­pon [...]ntur, quia ta­lia te oportet prae­parare. Ibidem. Consider diligently what things are set before thee, knowing that such also thou oughtest to prepare: that hee take his doctrines from the text, and not bring them to it: carue them of the things vppon the table, [Page 11] not fetching things elsewhere.

Honorable, and beloued, behold this table, see how it is furnished with spirituall dishes: and I for my part will consider them, and not propose all, so much as to your sight, or taste, but will onely labour to feede you with some two or three which are most fit­ting our present occasion, and your prepared appetites. The first whereof is this.

Doctrine 1 The scarcitie and paucitie, the decay and the defect of holy and good men hath euer beene esteemed sufficient and most iust cause of mourning and lamentati­on by them who suruiued them and liued after them, being good men, led and guided by Gods spirit. Thus the Prophet and the godly of his time thought it worth their sighes & teares, that so many of the righteous men were gone, and so few remained in the Church. Thus and this did Dauid by the spirit of God la­ment [Page 12] Psal. 12.1. Help Lord, for there is not a godly man left, for the righteous are failed among the children of men. Thus the Prophet Esay bewaileth when hee had prophesied how few there should be remaining that were good, Esay 24.13. As the shaking of an Oliue tree & as the grapes whē the vintage is ended. After he expresseth his sorrow; verse. 16. My leanenes, my leane­nes; woe is me. Thus certaine men fearing God, made great Acts 8.5. lamen­tations for Stephen, that the num­ber of the good was lessened but by one. This may shew that vn­doubtedly they lamented the death & decay of good men, whē they Acts 21.10.11.12 13. wept so greatly for the dan­ger of Paul, prophesied by Agabus.

And why thinke we this to be matter of lamentations? Reason 1 First, because by this meanes the Church & the land is exceeding­ly weakned, and vnarmed: for not one of them but they are in their ranke (as Ioash the King lamen­ted sicke Elisha, and weeping vp­pon [Page 13] his face said,) 2. Kings 13.14. The Charet of Israel, and the horsemen of the same: not for their persons, who are men inferiour to many others, not for their pollicie, which are of inferi­our reach then many thousands, but for their pietie and praiers: Iob 22.30. For the innocent shall deliuer the Iland, and it shall be preserued by the purenes of his hands. And as Chri­sostome saith: Vt ciuitas non cincta muris facile venit in potestatem hostium sic & anima non munita precibus. Chris. de precat. lib. 2. As a Citie not compas­sed with walles, easily cometh into the power of the enemie, so the soule not fenced with praiers: so on the contrary; the walles of the Citie are the praiers of the saints, or at least they vphold the wals. As Iosh. 6.20. at the shoutings of the people, the walles of Ierico fel downe, so at the prayers & cries of the godly, the walles of the Church and coun­trey stand vp. These are the strength of their strength.

Reason 2 Secondly, because this is a fore­runner, and certaine immediate signe & prediction of some feare­full iudgement & plague of God [Page 14] at hand ready to breake in vpon them, as the red & lowring skie in the morning, is a signe of a shortly ensuing tempest: so the taking of these away of an imminent plague, the Prophet Esay giues this reason of it: Esay 57.1. The righteous pe­risheth, and no man considereth it in heart, and mercifull men are taken a­way, and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come: Their taking away, doth then directly presage an euil to come? for as the Apostle saith in an other case, so I in this, 2. Thessal. 2.7. Only he which now with-holdeth shall let, till he be taken out of the way: these while they are, with-hold and keepe backe the plague. As the Angel said to Lot, Genes. 19.22. I can do nothing till thou be come thither, namely to bring the plague vppon Sodome and Gomorrah, but he no sooner was entred into Zoar, but instantly the Lord raigned fire and brim­stone vpon Sodom and Gomorrah. As Noah was no sooner in the [Page 15] Arke, Gen. 7.11.13. but in the very selfe same day were all the fountaines of the deepe broken vp, and the win­dowes of heauen were opened.

Ʋse 1 Now to make some vse of this point to our selues. First how farre are they then from the spirit of the Prophet and holy men? what enemies to their owne strength & defence, what furtherers of their owne plagues? who wish and desire, who worke and procure the de­cay & diminution of the num­ber of the godly and faithfull? who account it matter of sin­ging rather then sorrow, of laughing then lamentation, to heare of their fall and taking a­way: As Saluian said of some in his time: An credimus forte quod Capti­nus populus ille nō fuerit, qui laetus tunc in suorum captiuitatibus fuit? Captinus cor­de et sensu non erat qui inter suorum supplicia ridebat, qui iugulari se in suorum iugulis non intelligebat, qui m [...]i [...]st in suorum mortibus non put [...] ­bat? Salutanu [...] de Guber. De li. 5. Doe wee beleeue that that people was not captiuated in minde, who were glad at the capti­uity of their owne people; that they were not captiuated both in heart and feeling, that laughed at the punishment of theirs, who vnder­stood [Page 16] not that in their slaughter they themselues were slaine, who thought not that in their deaths they themselues died? In the same manner may I speake of these: doe wee not thinke that these are captiuated in their mindes, who thus ioy in their dangers? are they not miserable, & blind, and benummed, who thus laugh in their perils? who vnderstand not, that by this they are as Samson was, shorne of his haire, & so depriued of their strength; who thinke not that by this they take away those that keepe backe the iudgements of God, & make way if they may haue their wills, that they may the sooner & more seuerely breake in vpon them? And this whe­ther they doe it, as Cain hated and slew his brother, and for that cause as St. Iohn speaketh. 1. Iohn 3.12. Because his owne workes were euill, & his brothers good; because they take themselues withall [Page 17] reproue by their carriage, more then by their words. Efficacius loqui­tur vox operis, quam sermonis. Bern. For the voice of deeds speake more effectu­ally then the voice of words: as Bernard saith. Whether a man teach or reproue, and so hate them for this, and not without cause. For (as Saluian speakes) Nam quis dicere possit, quod sine causa, homines sci­licot omnibus a se vitae ac morum stu­dijs discrepantes, in quibus nihil vide­bant suum quoni­am dei totū. Max­ima enim causa est discordiarum diuersitas volunta­tum: quia fieri aut omnino non potest, aut vix potest, vt eam rem in alio quisquam diligit, a qua ipse dissentit. Itaque eos non sine causa (vt dixi) oderunt, in quibus omnia sibi aemula atque ini [...]ica cernebant. Saluian lib. 8. de Gub. Dei. Who can say that it is without cause, being mē altogether different in their life and manners, in whom they saw nothing that was theirs, because the whole was Gods: for the greatest cause of discord is the di­uersity of wils: because it either cannot be at all, or scarce be, that any should loue that thing in ano­ther, from which he himselfe dis­senteth: therefore (as I said) they hated them not without cause, in whom they saw all things repug­nant to themselues. Whether it be for this, or it be for the truths sake which they professe, hold, and defend, as the seed and brood of Anti-Christ euer did the Church of God, or for any [Page 18] other thing, yet doe they no­thing more then depriue them­selues of their safety and de­fence, lay themselues open to the plagues and iudgements of God, though they benefit and aduantage the faithfull: for as Eusebius speakes in the life of Constantine, but of that which hapned in the daies of Constan­tius his father, that the Emperors did so persecute the godly, Vsque eo, vti bre­ui imperatorum regiae sanctis vi [...]is essent omnino or­batae: quae res au­thores maleficij clementi dei obtu­tu, & curatione prorsus priuauit, quippè qui dum homines pios in­secturentur, etiam corum preces insectati sunt, & a se peuitus a [...]erterunt Euseb. in vit. Con­stant. l. 1. cap. 11. that in a short time the palaces of the Emperors were destitute of all good men: which thing (as hee saith) did altogether depriue the Authors of this wickednes, of the fauorable countenance, care, and regard of God, for while they did persecute godly men, they also persecuted their praiers, and so altogether turned them from them. So is it with these, and so will it be with those who thus hate and seeke to remoue the godly and faithfull, that as Iustin Martyr spake to Antonius Pius [Page 19] in his second Apologie for the Christians. Vt in delatores ipsos animaduer­tatis, min [...]me peti­mus: sufficit enim ipsis sua maligni­tas, & bonarum rerum ignoratio. Iust. Mart. Apol. 2. pro Christianis. We desire not that ye punish the accusers, for their owne malignitie, and ignorance of good things is enough for them: So may we say; no neede to pray for vengeance vppon the haters & persecuters of the godly and faithfull, for their own wicked­nes is enough to bring Gods iudgements vpon them, their ignorance of good things, to bring euill enough vpon their backes, when by this they bring much good to the godly: for as Austin saith, In Psal. 93. Illi qui martyres persecutisunt per­sequendo in terra, in caelum mittebant & scientes quidem praesentis vitae dam­num infe [...]rebant, sed nescientes futu­rae vitae lucrum conferebant. They which perse­cuted the martyrs, in persecuting them on earth, they sent thē to hea­uen, & whē wittingly they infer­ed vpon thē the losse of this present life, vnwittingly they conferred vp­pon thē the gain of the life to come [...] yea as Euseb. reporteth the speech of Lucius to Vrbilius the Gouernor condemned for speaking against his sentence which hee gaue against Christians, and professing himselfe [Page 20] vpon, interogation to be a Christian he confessed, Permagnam se debere gratiam profitebatur, nam ita se non iniqui [...] solum & improbis eiusmodi dominis liberatū sore dix­it, sed etiam ad bonum patrem, et clementem regem d [...]um recte pro­fecturum. Euseb. Hist lib. 4. cap. 16. That hee did owe great thankes, for so (he said) hee should be not onely free from those wicked Lords, but also should goe directly vnto God the father of goodnes, and King of mercy and clemency: And these gone, then nothing but plagues remaineth for the other; nay whether they be gone, or abide stil among thē, they are but a curse to the wicked world, not but that they might haue a blessing by them, and haue more then they see or acknowledge, nor that they are the cause of euil to them, but the occasion, because of their hatred and handling of them, for while they euilly in­treat them, liuing with them, and will not let them freely serue their God, neither with them, nor seperate from them, as Pharaoh and the Aegiptians would not suffer Israel: there­fore like Egipt are they plagued [Page 21] with sundry iudgements for abusing of them, though by their praiers many are turned and kept from them. And when they are taken from them, more heauie plagues doe abide them, and will come in vppon them: For as Chrysostome saith, Egredientibus Israelitis de Aegip­to, exterminata est Aegiptus, sic & sancti cum de isto mundo defecerint, casurus est iste mundus. Chrisost. in Mat. 1. Hom. 1. As the Israelites going cut of Egipt, Egipt was destroyed, so when the godly shall be quite departed out of the world, the world shall be destroyed. This considered, they haue no cause to hate them liuing, and wish to be rid of them, much lesse to procure their departing: but much cause haue they to sorrow and grieue when they are taken from them. And therefore much are they blin­ded with malice, that they can wish their fall, and reioyce and laugh at the time of their de­parture, and willingly, and wil­fully thrust them out of the world, as the Egiptians did Israel

Ʋse 2 Secondly, it is then manifested [Page 22] to be a heauie curse & fearefull iudgement to a Land, to a Church, when men of piety & religion, faithfull and godly men are taken away; why else do the suruiuing godly mourne and bewaile them, when there is no band of nature, no worldly or ciuill respect that wrings teares and sorrow from them, but meerely because such are taken away. They were neither fooles nor children to weepe for trifles, and things wherein there was no losse. When they wept, and wept bitterly with great lamentations and mour­ning, the cause must certainely be either their sin, or else some great iudgement, either priua­tiue or positiue. The taking a­way of the godly, especially by an ordinary hand of God can­not be sinne, but a punishment for sinne, and that which is ma­nifested to be a very fearefull one. Then must we, then ought [Page 23] we to sigh and grone, to sorrow and mourne vnder this, as a ve­ry heauie iudgement: wee shall performe herein no vnfitting, thing, nothing vnworthy of vs, whatsoeuer we be, or whoso­euer we be; it is fitting the most holiest, when Esay the Prophet, and other of the faithfull haue done it: it is fitting the most honourable, whenas Dauid the King, and Esay of the blood royall haue done it, & thought themselues to haue calling to it and cause enough when such things befell the time they li­ued in. We are all (honourable and beloued) called to mourne; for how many men of note for pietie and holinesse, for religion and vprightnes, whom God had specially endued with grace and goodnes, and annointed them with this oyle aboue their fellowes, and men of their ranke and fashion, how many of these are taken, and remoued from [Page 24] vs within these few yeares, wee being altogether vnworthy of them, & he hauing made them Reu. 3.4. worthy (as it is said of a few in the Church of Sardie) that is fit­ting for himselfe. And while wee inioied them, we prospered by their presēce & praiers, we were blessed for them; for their sakes, at their suites were many iudge­ments turned frō vs, that other­wise would haue fallen vpon vs, as Moses by his praiers tied the Lords hand that hee could not hurt Israel: as for Ioseph not on­ly Potiphar fared the better, but for his, & the familie of Iacob, E­gipt prospered, & was preserued when other countries perished with famin in the time of want. Doubtles as Elisha said to Ieho­ram, 2. Kings. 3.14. If it were not that I regar­ded the presence of Iehoshaphat King of Iuda, I would not haue looked towards thee, nor seene thee: so if it had not beene for their presence & praiers, God would [Page 25] neuer haue respected our ar­mies, and our generals to haue giuen them such reliefe as they found, when they were often in distresse in Ireland, & elsewhere. As Tertullian saith, that M. Aurel. germa­nicam sitm Chris­tianorum fortè mi­litum precationi­bus impetrato im­bri discussam con­testatur. Tertul. aduer. Gent. Apol. M. Aurelius the Emperor, when he was in fight against the Ger­mans, and in a streight for wa­ter; by his letters witnessed, that the German thirst was driuen a­way with ashower, obtained by the praiers of the Christian souldiers: So may I say, that from many streights, haue wee and our armies obtained reliefe by them. Yea as Moses and his praier ouercame more then Ioshua and his power and strength: for Exod. 11.11. when Moses held vp his hand, Israel preuailed: that is, when he praied feruently, Is­rael had the day of the Amale­kites, but when he let his hands down, Amalek preuailed: that is, when he left praying, the enemy got the better.

So may wee say of the faith­full of the land, that at all times their suites to God when they were feruent, preuailed more then the swords of our Cap­taines and souldiers; their prai­ers were of more force then all their peeces, their cries, then all the Cannons of the Armie: Heb. 11.34. by their faith were turned to flight the armies of the Aliants. But now when so many of these are taken away, when they haue yeelded to nature, and are re­ceiued into glory, haue we not cause to mourne with great la­mentations? Yes, yes, if wee did vnderstand those things that did belong to our peace, and safety, if we did conceiue right­ly of things tending to our woe, and misery; if we doe not, if we cannot, it is because, as Saluian saith to the Catholike Church, Repugnante con­tra temetipsum tua foelicitate. Sal­uian. l. 1. ad Eccles. Catholiam. Thy owne felicitie fighteth a­gainst thy selfe: our prosperity, our plenty standeth against vs, [Page 27] and hath bewitched vs, wee are so drunke with the pleasures thereof, that as drunken men we see no danger, though we lie open to infinite danger hereby. Shall vse that of Saluian? Ablâtus erat a peccatoribus timor ne posset esse cau­tela. Saluian. de Feare was taken away from offenders, that there should be no caution a­gainst it. We are destitute of the feare of euill, because we should not take care to auoid it, and that it should come vpon vs vn­awares: God forbid, God for­bid, let me be found a false Pro­phet. But to draw to an end of this point (Honorable and be­loued) had the old world cause to feare and mourne when Noah went into the Arke? was it high time for Sodom to la­ment when Lot was taken a­way, and hastened out of it by the Angell? and haue not wee cause? can we not mourne when so many Noahs & Lots (I wrong none, as I take it, though I ho­nour some by this comparison) [Page 28] are taken away? and hastened away out of our Land & Cities? Trust me now, or time will come when you shall trust me, that we haue cause and cause a­gaine to lament and mourne, not for them who dying in the Lord, are happy with the Lord, & rest from all their labours and miseries; but as Christ said to the women that followed him, Weepe not for mee, but for your selues and your children: so wee for our selues and our children: for hauing been safe by them, and strengthened through them, they are taken away from the plague, we lie open to it, and it hastneth the faster, because they that kept it from vs, are remoo­ued. Men vse to fence and de­fend, to keepe watch and ward ouer their corne fields, whiles the corne and fruits are in them vnreaped, vngathered: when they are gathered, and put safe [Page 29] into the barne, thē is open tide, as they say, they lay them open to beasts of all kind, and some­time set fire on the stubble. So, and so hath God dealt oft times with many lands and countries, wherein his Church and the godly haue liued. And are we better then they? Nay as Saluian saith, Deteriores sumus quia meliores esse debemus. Saluian. We are worse, because wee should be better: hauing such ex­amples to admonish vs: haue we any priuiledge or prote­ction more then they? nay, nay, we haue no helpe, vnlesse wee cease to doe euill and learne to doe well, and labour to bee good and faithfull as they were, and beleeuing this to bee true, it may be, (as Tertullian speaketh in one place: Fides facit for­midinem, sormid [...] solicitudinem. Tertull. faith causeth feare, feare carefulnesse:) so our faith may breed feare, and our feare care to cease to be euill, and learne to doe well, that repenting for our sinnes, and practising true piete, we [Page 30] may still liue and eat the good things of the land.

Let vs proceed to a second point.

Doctrine 2 THere is no priuiledge, no not spirituall that can pre­serue a man frō a natural death, or the first deth: out of no court can a man fetch a writ of prote­ction against this Sergeant, no place will preserue, no person can be priuiledged from it. Here the holy and good man, the righteous and religious man is taken from the earth and dieth: It is no maruel, though, as Iob speaketh, Iob. 14.1.2. Man that is borne of a woman, is of short continuance, he shooteth forth as a flower, & is cut down; he vanisheth also as a shadow, and continueth not. But a man would thinke that Iames [...].18. he that is begotten againe of Gods owne will by the word of truth: that Iohn 3.5. hee that is borne a­gaine of water and of the spirit [Page 31] and so Iohn 1.13. borne not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God: yea 1. Pet. 1.23. borne a new, not of mortall seede, but of immor­tall, the word of God, which li­ueth and indureth for euer: A man (I say) would thinke that he should not die: and yet behold the whole generation of Gods Children, they all die in their appointed time, and vndergoe death, Non supplicium sed [...]ri [...]utum vi­uendi. Seneca. not as a punishment, but as a tribute (as the heathen man speakes) which euery man must pay for his life. Though the foole die, yet may not the wise man liue euer? Eccles. 2.16. How dieth the wise man? as doth the foole: (saith the Preacher): but though the subiect die, yet cannot the Soue­raigne put away death with his Scepter. Psal. 82.6. I haue said ye are Gods, and ye all are children of the most high: but ye shall die as a man, and ye Princes shall fall like others. But though Prince and people die, yet are not the Prophets ex­cused? [Page 32] Zach. 1.5. Your fathers, where are they, and doe the Prophets liue for euer? Examples of other times, experience of our owne teach­eth vs, that all of all sorts die, and are gathered to their fathers. Yea Etiam muta Clamant cadauera Basil. the dumbe and dead bodies cry this aloud to vs. As Basill of Seleucia saith of Noah: hee preached without preaching, euery stroke of the Arke was a reall sermon of repentance, so euery corps wee follow and ac­company to the graue preach­eth really this truth to vs.

And this truth hath certaine ground. Reason 1 First, because the Lord of life and death hath so de­creed it. Heb. 9 27. It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die: The de­cree was made Gen. 3.19. Gen. 3.19. Thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt re­turne. If it be his decree, it must needes haue a certaine effect: the decree is certaine, the euent is ineuitable. Psal. 115.3. Our God is in hea­uen, and he doth whatsoeuer hee [Page 33] will. Vol [...]isse fecisse est. Cypr. de Du­plici martyr. Gods will is his deede (as Cyprian saith, if he haue once willd it, it is as good as wrought if he haue decreed it, it is as cer­taine as if it were done.

Reason 2 Secondly, because all of all sorts and conditions are made of one mould and one matter, Iob 4.19. made of clay and earth, whose foundatiō is in the dust, which shall be destroied before the moth. Hence the Apostle calleth mens bodies 1. Corinth. 5.7. The earthly house of this Tabernacle. It is true that as there are difference of stars, though al made of th same mat­ter: and difference of mettalls, some are gold, some siluer, some lead, some tinne, but all made of one earth: so are there diffe­rence of bodies, some more ex­cellent then other, and made of a purer earth, but yet all sub­iect to corruption, as the mat­ter whereof they are made is. It being the body then that di­eth and seeth corruption, one [Page 34] must die as well as another.

Reason 3 Thirdly, because all haue sin­ned, and all haue sinne. 1 Iohn 1.8, 9, 10. If we say we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues, and make God a liar. The holy and beloued Apo­stle ranketh himselfe with o­thers, and confessed, that he had still sin in him: He Qui se inculpa­tum dixerit, aut superbus est, aut stultus. Cypr. de oper. & Eleem. that saith he is without fault, is either proud or a foole, saith Cyprian. Then must all be subiect to death; for saith the Apostle Rom. 5.12. As by one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sinne, and so death went ouer all, for as much as all men haue sinned. Sinne the only cause, saith one, which en­larged deaths dominion, and made all the world to become his tributaries, for had it not been for sinne, death had neuer entred into the world. Si Adam non peccasset, mortem non gustaret. Aug: enchirid. cap. 104. If Adam had not sinned, he had not tasted death (as Austin speakes) And the Lord said Genes. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt [Page 35] die the death: not actually, but potentially become mortall. Now that which is true in the root holdeth in the branches.

Reason 4 Fourthly, because sinne which brought in death, might be de­stroied againe by death: this vi­perous damme by such a daugh­ter, this beast by such a brood, had it not been for sinne, death had neuer entred into the world and were it not for death sinne would neuer goe out of the world: As Basill saith, Deiu mortem non fecit, sed nosmet ipsi ex mente pra­ua, nobis ipsis eti­am sponte attraxi­mus, quam Deus minimè prohibuit, ne immortalem in nobis morbum con­seruaret. Basil. serm. 9. quod Deus non est author malorum. God made not death, but we our selues by our wicked minds, of our owne accorde, wee haue drawne it on our selues, which God did not at all forbid, lest it should keepe in vs an immortall disease. And as Epi­phanius bringeth in Methodius disputing with Proclus the Ori­ginist: Instar medica­mentariae purga­tionis mortem Deus bene inuenit, quo sic omnino in­culpabiles, & in noxij inueniantur, &c. Epiph. haer. 64. &c. methodio. God as the true Physitian hath appointed death to be a physi­call purgation for the vtter rooting out and putting away of sinne, that we may be made faultlesse and in­nocent: [Page 36] and that as a goodly golden image, saith he, sightly and seemly in all parts, if it be broken and defa­ced by any meanes, must be new cast and framed againe, for the taking away of the blemishes and disgraces of it, euen so man the Image of God being maimed and disgraced by sinne, for the putting away of those disgraces, and the repairing of his ruines and decaies, must by death be dissolued into the earth, thence to be raised vp againe per­fect, and without default.

Vse 1 But what vse may we make of all this? First it is a care that euery one ought to haue to know they must die, and they cannot auoid it: the decree is gone out against them from the highest court of Parliament, and that from the most highest: what contempt were it not to take notice of it? eury one ought to labour to number his daies, and truely to know his mortali­ty, the greatest as well as the [Page 37] meanest, the wisest as the sim­plest, for if any one then all and if any more then other, the greatest, for they are not the least, but rather the most sub­iect to this, as they challenge themselues to be of the finest of the common mould, so they must know that they are not by that exempted from the com­mon law of nature, and force of Gods decree, but as the finer the mettall, or the purer the matter of any glasse, or earthen vessell, the more subiect it is to breaking, so they to mortality: And therefore both they, and all must labor for this spirituall Arithmeticke. To number their daies, which is a religious medita­tion and sound consideration of their frailty and mortality. A thing worthy euery mans best disposed thoughts and inten­tions: for seenig euery man must die, and hath a course to finish, which being finished, he must a­way, [Page 38] it is speciall wisdome to learne to know the length of his daies, as it were the length of his lease; for as hee hath vsed himselfe in his farme, hee shall enter at the expiration of his time vpon a better or a worse. Dauid for his learning a Pro­phet, for his accepation a man after Gods owne heart, for his authority a King, was then ve­ry studious in this knowledge, when after watching & fasting hee besought God to be in­structed in it. Psal. 39.4. Lord let me know mine end, and the measure of my daies what it is, let mee know how long I haue to liue. So Moses wise in all the wisdome of Egypt and Israel, accounted faithfull in the house of God, prayed yet for this point of wisdome to be in­formed in it, as well himselfe as others. Psalm. 90.12. Teach vs so to number our daies, that we may apply our hearts to wisdome, like carefull Schollers who breake their [Page 39] sleepe, and forsake their meate, and are often in meditations when they beate vppon some serious subuect.

What thinke you it will pro­fit a man, if by his skil it Arith­meticke hee be able to deale with euery number, and to di­uide the least fractions, and ne­uer to thinke of the numbering of his daies with the men of God, which are so few, & euill?

What will it profit him if by Geometry hee be able to take the longitude of the most spaci­ous prospects, and not be able to measure that which the Pro­phet hath measured with his span? What will it auaile him if with the Astronomer he be a­ble to obserue and know the motion of the heauens, and yet haue his heart so buried in the earth, that he cannot thinke of that which passeth away as swiftly as them? What profit if he be able with the Philosopher [Page 40] to search out the causes of ma­ny effects, and to know the causes of many changes, as of the ebbing and flowing of the Seas, the increasing, & waning of the moone, and the like, and be not able to know his owne changes, & the causes of them?

Doubtles all this will profit him nothing, all his knowledge will be to little purpose in the end. Many men beate their heads about friuolous matters, some being more busie to know where Hell is (saith Chrysostome) then how to auoide the paines of it, others pleasing them­selues in pelting and needlesse questions to seeme singular a­mongst men, neglecting this, & the like necessary things: but when they come to their de­parting, they shall finde they haue spunne a faire thread, and wearied themselues in vaine: euery one then, as Daniel searched and found out by the [Page 41] bookes of Ieremiah not onely the returne, but the time of the returne of Israel to their own land, from their captiuitie; so by studie of the Scriptures ought they to search, & so may they come to know the time of the returne from their exile on the earth, to their country in heauen; and though they can­not find the particular day or yeare, yet they shall find it to be most certaine, and that which in short time shall be finished. And thus shall death when it cōmeth be lesse hurtfull, as a tempest before expected. Death is com­pared to the Basilisk which if she see before she be seene, there is some danger; but if a man first descrie the Basiliske, the serpent dieth, & then there is no feare: Vse 2 So if death be not seene and prouided for before hand, there is great danger; but if it be seene and prouided for, the danger is past before their death come?

eVs 2 Secondly, must euery one die? & wil no priuiledg protect thē? nay, it is certaine that they can carry none of their priuiledges with them out of the world, as they brough them not into the world, 1. Tim. 6.7. 1. Tim. 6.7. We brough nothing into the world, & it is cer­taine we can carry nothing out. It is wisdom then in euery one, to la­bor to be fitted for this passage Ad hunc exitum praeparem [...]r, mul­tis enim nobis opus est vitaticu: quo­niam et multus est [...]stus, multa sic ci­t [...], multa solitudo. Non iam licet in diuersorio requi­escere, non est quod [...]matur ab eo qui non hic omnia sumpserit, audi certe quid dicat virgines: Mat. 25. ite potius ad ven­dentes, sed profe­ctae, non inuene­runt. Chrys. hom. 51. ad pop. Aut. Let vs be prepared to this iourney (as Chrysostome saith) for we haue need of much prouision, because there is much heate, much drought, much solitude; no Inne, no resting place, no place of abode: there is nought to be boght of him, who hath not taken all things here. Heare what the Virgins say. Mat. 25. Goe rather to them that sel: but going, they found not. What ought we then to doe? wee must not so labour for the things of this life, from which me must be taken, and which wee must leaue be­hind vs; but for those which [Page 43] concerne a better life, and wee may carry with vs: not for those things which shall haue either ^a finem tuum, or finem suum; Finem tuum, ant finem suum. Bern. (as Bernard speakes,) an end of thee, if thou haue not an end of them; either shall they be taken frō vs, as they were from Iob; or else we from them, as the rich man was from his substance & wealth: but for those things which wee may carry with vs, and may either bring vs to, or adorne vs where wee must be perpetually, and for euer. It were a very foolish part, and a sencelesse practise for strangers when they are in exile, or far from their owne country, in a forraigne soile and dwelling, whence they are sure to be cal­led either by their owne Prince, or cast out by the Prince of the country, to lay out all they are worth vppon some farme or Lordship there, neuer proui­ding for that which they may [Page 44] carry with them to their county adorne them when they come there, specially if the so imploy­ing of themselues & their estate, be a meanes to keepe them from the enioying of the hap­pinesse of their country; yea a cause that they shalbe cast in to prison & plunged into misery: So it is but a madnes for vs to imploy all our care, and spend all our time and endeuour for this life, and things for it and the body, vpon earthly and transitory things, things wee found here, & must leaue here. 2. Corinth▪ 5.6. And being here from home, strangers in the body, absent from the Lord, and our owne land (as the Apostle speaketh) whence we know wee shall be called, either by a naturall or a violent death, ordinary or ex­traordinary, taken away by God, or thrust out by the cruel­ty of men, neuer prouiding for that which must adorne vs [Page 45] there, or further our passage, yea procure our entrance: spe­cially when such things, and the care for them, which was ioy­ned with the neglect of so great things, euen of so great saluati­on, shall procure misery and punishment, where the other would procure mercy and hap­pinesse: Hic ista relin­quuntur, illa verò nobiscum migrent, et istorum quidem rationem dabi­mus, horum autem praemia repetimus. Chrys. hom. 63. ad pop. At. here these things are left behind vs, those go with vs; of these we shall giue an account, of them we shall reape a reward (as Chrysostome saith): wee must therefore imitate strangers, who prouide for their departure, and store themselues with such things that are both portable and profitable, as may stead them in their passage and pos­session of their country: so must we prouide for spirituall things, store our selues with them, which we onely must car­ry with vs, and cannot be taken from vs, & shall be cōmodious to vs when wee come to our [Page 46] country. Chrysostome saith; Virtute inutus talem habet ve­stem quam non tantum tineae, ve­rum & mors ipsae ledere nequit, & merito, non enim hae animae [...]irtu­tes ex terra ori­ginem trahunt sed spiritus sunt fru­ctus. Chrys. hom. 47. ad pop. At. He which is indued with vertue hath such a garment, which as moaths cannot so neither can death it selfe hurt, and not without cause; for these vertues of the mind, take not their beginning from the earth, but are fruites of the spirit. They will then be eternall riches, and wee shall be eternall by them; and though death dissolue bo­dy and soule, and destroy our present being in th [...] life, yet as Iustin Martyr spake for himselfe & others, to their persecutors; Vos occ [...]dere quidem potesti [...], at nocere non pot [...]tis. Iust. Mart. Apol. 2. You may kill vs, but yee cannot hurt vs. So death may kill vs, but it cannot hurt vs, while it comes thus expected and pro­uided for, it may be to our great commoditie and advantage.

And now I will come to the third point.

Doctrine 3 AN immature and vntimely death, for a mā to be taken [Page 47] away before he be come to the full period of his life, that in the course of nature, and the eie of reason he might attaine to, is a thing that may betide good men, and not be a curse to them. Here the good man perisheth, is vntimely taken away. And this is the Iame that is in Esay, Esay 57.1. The righteous perisheth, the mercifull man is taken away, namely vntime­ly: for if they died in a full age, it were not blame worthy for a man not to consider it in his 1. Kings 14.13. He heart. So of Ieroboams sonne only of Ieroboam house shall come to the graue, because in him is found some goodnesse, towards the Lord God of Israell in the house of Ieroboam, The Preacher teacheth vs this, Eccles. 8.12. Though a sinner doe euill an hun­dred times, and God prolong his daies, yet I know it shall be well with him that feares the lord, and doe re­uerence before him; that is, though God do not prolong their daies

Now this truth is confirmed [Page 48] vnto vs by two arguments, the one drawne from the malice of the wicked against the god­ly, the other from the mercy of God to the godly. Reason 1 For the first, the wicked through their malice seeke by all meanes to cut off the godly, because their wickednesse and sinfull life is reprooued by their godly con­uersation, neither can they follow their sinnes so freely as they would, nor so quietly without detection or checke. The Apo­stle saith, Caine slew and cut off Abel, and wherefore slew hee him? because 1 Iohn 3.12. his owne works were euill, and his brothers good. As the Patriarches sold Ioseph, and sent him out of the house of his father, because he was a meanes they were Genes. 27.2. checked for their euil sayings. This is that we haue in the booke of Wisedome, VVisd. 2.12. Ther­fore let vs defraud the righteous, for he is not for our profit, and he is con­trary to our doings. He checketh vs [Page 49] for offending against the law, and blameth vs as transgressors of dis­cipline, vers. 14. He is made to re­prooue our thoughts, it greeueth vs also to looke vpon him, for his life is not like other mens, his waies are of another fashion, vers 20. Let vs con­demne him vnto a shamefull death, for he shall be preserued as himselfe saith. But all this is not against them, but as Ioseph said of his brothers enuie, Genes. 50.20. When you thought euill against me, God tur­ned it to good. So when they think and doe euill against them, God disposeth it to good through his mercy, and that partly to their bodies, partly to their soules for their bodies:

Reason 2 Because in the goodnesse he affecteth them withall, he ta­keth them from the euill and the plagues to come. As Lot out of Sodome, Genes. 19.1 [...]. The Lord being mer­cifull vnto him, the men brought him forth and set him without the Citie. So them out of the world, [Page 50] and as Huldah the Prophetesse sent Iosiah word by his messen­gers and from the Lord, 2. Kings 22.20. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be put in the graue, in peace, and thine eies shall not see all the euil which I will bring vpon this place. Plotinus the Philosopher as Austin hath it, Hoc ipsum quod mortales sunt ho­mines corpore, ad misericordiam dei partis pertinere arbitratus est, ne semper huius vitae miseria teneantur. Aug. de Ciuit. l. 9. cap. 10. De ciuitate dei, saw this in part, This very thing that men are bodily mortall, hee thought it an appurtenance to the mercy of God the Father, lest they should alwaies be tied to the misery of this life. It is no lesse mercy to be taken sooner away that they may see and suffer lesse mi­sery which the length of their daies would effect.

Reason 3 Now his mercy appeares to­wards their soules, because they are by this meanes freed, either from hauing their soules grie­ued with the sinnes of other, or from grieuing God with their owne sinnes, which are no small benefits. For being led by the [Page 51] same spirit that 2. Pet. 2.7. Lot was, they cannot choose but be vexed as he was with the vncleane con­uersation of the wicked. For it cannot be but as in the Prouerbs A wicked man is an abomination to the iust, Prouerbs 29.27. as he that is vpright in his waies is abomination to the wic­ked. Againe they being indued with a true filiall feare, they grieue to offend so gratious a father, which they cannot but doe whiles they are here, but af­ter this life shall be freed from it. Austine reporteth that Cyprian vsed to comfort his friends in dying with this; Non solum fidelibus non in vtilis est mor [...] verum etiam vtitis reperitur quoniam peccandi periculis hominem subtrahit, & in non peccandi secu­ritatem constituit. Aug. de praed. sanct. lib. 1. cap. 14. Death is not not only not vnprofitable to the faithfull, but is also found to be pro­fitable, because it taketh a man out of the danger of sinning & puts him in securitie of not sinning. The sooner they are freed from these, the greater blessing and be­nefit.

Obiection. Ob. We find in the fift com­mandement long life promised [Page 52] as a blessing to an obedient and good sonne, fearing God, and honoring his parents, to haue these daies shortned, is it not, seemeth it not to be a curse?

Solution. Sol. Whatsoeuer it seemeth, yet it is not. It is answered by some, that the blessing there pro­mised, was a blessing peculiar and speciall for the Iewes, for the Land of Canaan being the land of promise, and a speciall pledge of Gods fauour to liue long, in it was a speciall testi­mony of Gods loue. For to be in it, though dead, was specially respected of the Fathers, as we see by Iacob and Ioseph. But these restraine this promise and Gods bounty too much. Nei­ther is there any reason that it being annexed to a morall pre­cept and written in the Law, should not be generall and per­petuall, yea the Apostle wri­ting vnto the Ephesians, doth so make it, where he seemeth, also [Page 53] to expound it. Ephes. [...].3. That it may be well with thee, and that thou maist liue long on earth. Wherein he shew­eth, that it is not absolutely a blessing, but so long as a man was well on earth; noting it else no blessing to liue, but rather a fa­uour to bee taken away from the euill to come. Say the father promise his sonne a large lease in some rich place, but very vn­healthfull, for his obedience and seruice; and after take him thence, and in a richer soile, and only healthfull aire, giue him a fee simple of such a thing as for fruitfulnesse and pleasantnesse far surpassing the other, hath he not delt faithfully and fatherly with him? Chrysostome vseth this similitude, I confesse to a diffe­rent purpose, but yet it fitteth our point, Si ad aliquem profectus mercato­rem duobus propo­sitis lapidibus hoc quidem falso, hoc autem pretioso, & diuitiarum multi [...] trah. nec, illius par­ui pretiū deponens magnum accep [...]s­ses, nunquid illum incusasses? nequa­quamsed potius su­isses admiratus. Itidem & nunc propositae sunt duae vitae, temporalis & aeterna, ipsas au­tem venundat Deu [...]. Sed hanc nobis non illam vendit, quid in­cipientium instar puerorū tristamur quod pretiosum acceperimus. Chrys. hem. 38. ad pop. Ant. If thou shouldst come to a merchant, and of two stones laid before thee, the one false, the other right pretious, and very dearly pur­chaseable, and laying downe the [Page 54] price of the lesser, shouldest get the greater, wouldst thou accuse him? No verily, but wouldst rather admire im? In like manner now there are two liues proposed to vs, viz. a temporall, and an eternall: both these God sets to sale, but hee sels vs the eternall, not the tempo­rall. Why like silly children are we sad, because wee haue receiued the best? By these we may well perceiue that this is neither cros­sing to Gods promise, nor a curse to the godlies persō. I now come to the vse of this point.

Vse 1 Here is comfort ouer those that are departed, when any man shall see his friend taken away by an vntimely death, nothing hath befallen him but that which hath done, may doe, and doth often betide good men, re­spected and beloued of God. In respect of the common iudge­ment of men, when the serge­ant death aresteth a man (before he hath as it seemeth runne the [Page 55] hower glasse of his life, which nature might afford) they deeme it like the Prophet A­hijah that met with Ieroboams wife, and told her, that hee was sent with heauy tidings, and namely with that specially, viz. 1. King. 14.6.12. Thy child shall die. So these iudge it heauy tydings, to heare that their friends are like apples, pulled before they be ripe, but in this sorrow here is sweetnes, the best are subiect to it, and it is no extraordinary thing to them. Againe though as grapes, they be gathered before they be ripe, and as lambes slaine before they be growne, yet they haue this benefit before those that grow longer, and liue more yeeres, they are freed from the violence of the wine presse, that others fall into, and escape many stormes that others liue to tast of. To say nothing of the good they haue gained, of the glory they haue obtianed, though they [Page 56] haue lost much, they haue gai­ned more. As Tertullian comfor­ted the martyrs, Si aliqua ami­sisti vitae gaudia, negotiatio est, ali­quid amittere vt maiora lucreris. Tertul lib ad Martyr. If thou hast lost any of the ioies of this life, it is tra­ding to loose some lesser matter, that thou maist gaine greater. They haue made a most gainfull traf­fique, and happy change, they haue lost shadowes, and gained substāces, they haue parted with lead and found gold, they haue lost earthly things, and possesse heauenly, and are made very rich in a short time, yea obtained that in a very short time, which many labour for twice or thrice as long before they can obtaine it. None would grieue to see his friend come sooner then ordi­nary, more speedily then vsually others doe to riches and honors, to see his friend or child outstrip others, euen many thousands, and obtaine wealth and dignity in their youth, which others ob­taine not till they be well strick­en in age, and hoare headed; nay [Page 57] in stead of grieuing, they ioy much in it: Much more is here cause, when they haue obtained so speedily such a measure of spi­rituall riches, and such height of heauenly glory in so short a time.

Vse 2 Here is instruction for euery good man, that when death shal come for him, as it may seeme vntimely, before the thred of his life be halfe spun out, hee must be informed to entertaine it kindly, as Lot did the Angels, who came to fetch him out of Sodom: for though he be pulled from his seate, which was to him as the plaine of Sodom seemed to Lot, as a pleasant Pa­radice, yet shall he finde with Lot, he is taken away from the iudgements to come: howso­euer he be taken away, either by the malice of the wicked or by the mercy of God, and that he is seperated from the sinnes of the world, which grieued his [Page 58] soule, yea frō sinning himselfe, & his owne sins, which grieued the Lorde, euen his so gratious & kinde father. For while he is in this world, he cannot but sinne hauing so much means to draw him to it; as Cyprian in his booke of mortality, Quid aliud in mundo quā pugna aduersus diabolum quotidie geritur, quam aduersus ia­cula & tela con­flictationibus assi­duu dimicatur. Cum auaritia no­bis, cum impudi­citia, cum ir [...], cum ambitione congres­sio est. Cum carna­libus vitus, cum illecebris seculari­bus assi tua & mo­lesta luctatio est, obsessa mens ho­minis est vndi­que diaboli infe­statione vallata, vix occurrit singu­lis, vix resistit Si auaritia prostrata est, exurgit libido. Si libido compressa est, succedit ambi­tio: S [...] ambitio contempta est, [...]ra exasperat, i [...]sta superbia, vin [...]ten­tia inuitat, inuid [...]a concordiam rum­pit, amicitiam ze­lus abscindit Co­ger [...] maledicere, quod diuina lex prohibet. Compel­leru iurare, quod non licet. Tot per­secutiones animus quotidie patitur, tot periculis pectus vrgetur, & dele­ctat inter dioboli gladios diu st [...] re? cum magis concu­piscendum sit & optandum ad Chri­stum subueniente velociter morte properare. Cypr. l [...]b. de mortal. Reu. 22.17. What do we else in the world but fight a combat with Satan, then with daily conflicts in­counter his darts & weapons, wee must grapple with couetousnes, wantonnes, with anger & ambiti­on, we haue a daily and tedious combate with the corruptions of the flesh, and inticements of the world. The mind of man is beseiged and beset on all sides with anoian­ces from Sathan, so that it is not able to resist or withstand euery one. If couetousnes be ouercome of vs, some euill affection will assaile vs: if that euill affection be strangled, vaine glory will afflict vs, if vaine glory be despised, wrath will in­cence vs; if wrath be pacified, then pride will puffe vs vp, drunkennes [Page 59] will prouoke vs, enuy will breake concord, heate will interrupt friendship. Thou shalt be forced to curse, which the law of God for­biddeth. Thou shalt be constrained to sweare, which is not lawfull. The soule suffereth so many persecuti­ons daily, the heart is pressed with so many dangers, and doth it de­light still to abide amongst the swords of Sathan, and not rather desire by the meanes of a speedy death to hasten to Christ. When he shal then be pulled frō this euil & brought to this good, to enioy sooner the pre­sence of God, & the lamb, yea as a bride to his beloued Bride­groome, that that which the bride desired that he would come, that she might haue his presence he inioies before his general cō ­ming, preuenting as it were his cōming by his going to him by, the means of this imature doth.

Now how should that but be a welcome guest, how but a [Page 60] choice blessing, which as a gen­tle guide leadeth him to his Christ, carrieth his soule to hir beloued husband. This was the resolutiō of Ambrose, who neither loathed life, nor feared to die, be­cause, saith he, we haue a good Lord to goe to. This was the faith of Simeon who hauing Christ, praied to depart in peace. This was Saint Pauls gaine, when he said, to die is to me aduantage: because this passage was a disso­lution, & this dissolution was to be from the body, & this his be­ing frō the body was to be with Christ, though it came vntime­ly. Thus may and ought euery good man to resolue with Am­brose, to pray with Simeon, to triumph with Paul, when hee shalbe carried swiftly from the Coast of his banishment to­wards his owne country, not with the wind onely against the tide, not with the tide against the winde, but both with winde & [Page 61] tide to the hauen of happines, to the Heauen of blessednes, where hee shall enioy the pre­sence of God, and the Lamb, Psalm. 16.11. in whose presence is fulnes of ioy and at whose right hand there are plea­sures for euermore.

Thus much out of my Text fitting the present occasion.

ANd now (Honorable and beloued) I know you expect some discourse of me, and from me, of the life and death of this truly honorable Lord. I professe first to you, that I haue often grieued at the licentiousnes of many of my brethren in this kind, whereby they haue beene very offensiue, and made them­selues euill thought of, and those they cōmended neuer the better, but haue giuen the occa­sion that the hearers who knew the deceased better then them­selues, haue raked into their liues, and ripped vp their for­mer [Page 62] carriage, to their great dis­grace, & laid open that which happily would haue beene kept secret, if this occasion had not drawne it out.

But yet herein, me thinks I saw the ouer-ruling hand of the most wise God, ordering mens sinnes and infirmities to make good his owne word; Prou. 10.7. The name of the wicked shall rot. So that as Austin speaketh, Hoc ipso quod contra volunta­t [...]m Dei fecerunt, de ipsis facta est volunta [...] e [...] Aug En [...] Laurent. [...]. 166. In this that they did against the will of God, is his will fulfilled by them. But yet I haue euer iudged it most fitting to speake somewhat liberally, so it might be done warantably, of publike persons, and eminent men, de­seruing well, Spe vel re, of the Church and common wealth, that they may be brought to see their losse, and they made sensible of the hand of God, in depriuing them of such notable meanes of their good, and worthy instruments [Page 63] of their peace and prosperity, as of his kingdome and glory.

Thus iudgeing, I will so practise in the present, by your patience, to speake a few things of this deceased honourable person; the most hopefull Gen­tleman, of a subiect, for the common good of the Church and common wealth (if my loue deceiue me not) that ma­ny ages haue afforded vs, of what ranck & condition soeuer they were: I say a few words of his life and death, by your pati­ence, that when wee see his worth, we may conceiue of our owne losse, and be assured of his gaine; and so in sorrowing for our selues, yet we may re­ioice ouer him. In speaking of whom, I feare, Ne tanti viri laudes oratione mea eleuarē magis quam exornarem. Chrys. de sacerd. lib. Bern. serm. supra Cant. 34. as Chrysostome did when hee fell occasionally into the commendations of Saint Paul; Lest my speech should rather blemish and diminish the [Page 64] praise of so great a personage, then any waies adorne it: I will doe what I can, and if I satisfie not mens expectations, as Bernard in another case, Culpetur sane ingenium, non voluntas: Blame my wit, and not my will.

But why hold I you thus in suspence? I will passe by the birth of this honorable person, and his progenitours, though it be worth the esteeme to be borne of those that are truely worthy and antiently noble, & to descend from their loines. Yet it is more properlie an­others, then his commendati­ons, and is common to those who haue nothing commenda­ble in them, nor haue any pro­fit by it, no more then a chan­nel or riuer that sloweth from a pure and wholesome spring if it be corrupt & defiled, where­of the world hath too many, who are not so much honoured by their noble auncesters, as [Page 65] they dishonour them and their stocke. Dignitas in indigno or­namentum in Luto, saith Saluian; Saluian. ad ec­cles. cathol. lib. 2. Honor in an vnhonorable mā, is like an ornament in the dirt, a iewell in the dunghill more defiled then it can adorne. Alas for griefe, that in this age of the world it may be spoken to ma­ny, which Nazianzene reports was sometime spoken to a No­ble man dispising another that was come of meane parentage, and boasting of his owne nobi­litie: Mihi inquit probro genus meum est, tu autem generi tuo. Nazian. in no­bilem male morat. My parentage is a reproach to me, but thour art a reproach to thy paren­tage. This honorable Lord as a thankfull man for honour re­ceiued, returned honour to his auncestors, and that with ad­uantage, being no lesse hono­rable to them, then they were to him: I know they will ac­knowledge and subscribe to this with much ioy & comfort.

I will omit to speake of his education and bringing vp, which is the honour of his pa­rents, hauing beene so religious and truly Christian as it was. Non est parui apud deum meriti bene filios educare. So Hierome. Hieron. epist. 9. ad Sal. It is a thing of noe smale account with God, for men to bring vp their children well, and in the feare of God, especially men Children, which as Chry­sostome saith, is Magis intollera­bilis & cum ma­iori formidine. Chrys. de sacerd. lib. 1. A greater bur­den, and more full of feares and cares.

I will not stand vppon his naturall parts of wit, memory, sweetnes of nature, habilitie of body, all which were in him ex­cellent, but they are common to many others, yet in this dif­ferent, namely in the well vsing and applying of them A good wit (saith one) vnsanctified, is a prey for the Diuell; so I may say of the rest: but when it is true of them which Bernard [Page 67] saith. Gratia ordinat quam donauit cre­atio. Bern. tract. de gra. & lib. 6. Grace doth order aright that which Creation hath giuen. Then are they honorable and commēdable indeed. Such were they in this honorable person truly sanctified, and religiously applied to all good, as shall ap­peare by that which follow­eth.

For his learning, I must leaue it to others to speake, that had occasion to confer with him and cōuerse with him in that course, I meane for humane knowledge of tongues and arts, and the like, I know many both stran­gers and Englishmen speake ad­mirably of him. As some out of certaine knowledge testifie of him, that he had attained foure languages very sufficiently, The Greeke, Latin, Italian, and French, being able to reade Greeke au­thors, and to make vse of them in their owne language. Speak­ing Latine well and writing a pure and graue stile, so also [Page 68] he was able to confer with any stranger readily and laudably in the Italian & French, as men of best iudgemēt haue thought, able also to vnderstand the Authors he read in the Spanish tongue. So for his knowledge in the Arts, specially in Philoso­phie, and the Mathematicks, some who are Masters of these Arts, and others of note witnes with them, that his skill as well in the practike part as contem­platiue, was of that degree to­wards perfection, as that he was not only to haue been ac­counted excellent, in respect he was a gentleman of noble ranke & place; but that he might iust­ly be paraleld with most of the best that were renowned in the only professing of the same: For his knowledge in the Theo­rique of the art Military & Na­uigation, he had made so good a progresse therein, as some who vnderstand those arts well [Page 69] do witnesse, he wanted nothing but the practise to a great per­fection in them both. For his vnderstanding in heauenly knowledge, and the mysteries of saluation, as his desire was ve­ry feruent to it, so was his suc­cesse very prosperous & happy in it. For he had attained that measure, that I neuer knew in any of what ranke soeuer of his yeeres, (that did not intend to make it their profession) I haue conferred with him many and many times, I neuer knew the question come in our way, which he was not able suddenly and vnderstandingly to speake vnto.

But to come to the best, and that which is most comfortable, as touching him, and may more make vs to bewaile our losse; This desire of knowledge was not as Bernard notes of some, who desired to know, Eo fine tantum vt sciant. Bern. serm. supra Cant. 36. For that end only that they might know; [Page 70] which is, Turpis curiositas (saith the Father a filthy curiosity. Nor, as others who desired it, vt sciā ­tur ipsi; that they might be known, which is, turpis vanitas, foule va­nity: Nor as others, vt scientiam suam vendant; that they may make sale of their knowledge, which is turpis quaestus, filthy lucre: But it was as he speaketh; others desired knowledge, vt aedificent, that they might profit others, which was charitas, charity, and as others, vt aefidificentur, that they might be edified, & prudentia est, and it is wisedome. Of all these only, the two last are found free from the abuse of knowledge, as who would therfore vnder­stand, that they might do good. Horum omnium soli vltimi duo non inueniuntur in abusione scien­tiae quippe qui ad boc volunt intelli­gere vt benefaci­ant. These two last are not the abu­ses of knowledge, because they desire to know well, that they may doe well: such I assure you was the desire of knowledge in this honorable person, which I manifest thus vnto you.

The grace of saluation, that is, this sauing knowledge by the Gospell, teacheth not for the speculation, but the practise of it, it being like the voice that bad Lazarus arise, and made him able to rise out of his graue, and to walke and worke. I say, it teacheth three lessons, & ena­bles them that truly apprehend it, to worke three maine things. Sobriety, Iustice, Piety, Titus 8.11.12. The grace of God that bringeth saluati­on vnto all men hath appeared, and teacheth vs that we should liue so­berly, and righteously and godly in this present world. How well this noble worthy had both learned, and was enabled by the grace of saluation to practise these three, I will manifest to you in few words: of the first two more briefly; of the latter, more largely.

For his sobriety, he was a wō ­derfull, sober, and chast man in his life; nay his lips not heard to [Page 72] vtter any vnchast, nay scarsely vnseemly speech, as many report of him, with whom happily he would haue spoken more libe­rally and opened himselfe more freely then with me: which was the more commendable in him, because he was as Hierome spea­keth in lubrica aetate, in a slippery age, in the flower of his youth; but yet more, because: he liued in lubrico loco, in a slippery place, the Court; most of all, because hee had bin a traueller in those pla­ces where are schooles of vn­cleannesse, whence few euer re­turne such as they went out; but of good and chast, returne vn­chast, being vnchast when they went out, they are seuen fold more defiled then before. So was it not with him, but like fishes which retaine their fresh tast, though they liue in salt wa­ter; so in an vnchastage, in vn­chast places, he euer kept his chastity, yea he grew in the loue [Page 73] of chastity, and hatred of all vn­cleannes.

And no maruell, for he tooke the way to it; he auoided the oc­casions, he spent not his time in courting of yong Ladies, and amourosly beholding beau­tifull women, the bellowes of lust, and baites of vncleannes, of whom Saint Augustine speaketh thus, Videre illas ob­est cordi, audire illas inflammat animam, tangere illas stimulat car­nem; omne deni (que) quod cum faeminis agitur, laqueus est homini cum illis conuersanti. Aug de cohab. cler. & mulier. To see them, hurts the heart, to heare them, inflames the mind, to touch them stirres vp the flesh, and last of all, all whatsoeuer is done with women (which are not their lawfull wiues) is a snare to that man that dealeth with them. But this chast spouse esteemed his books aboue their beauty, and in stead of daliance with them, his de­light was in men of parts and learning, for arts and Arms. But besides this, as a speciall meanes of chastity, he was temperate in feeding, and rare in feasting, and frequent in fasting (of which, when I come to his religion.) he [Page 74] was moreouer a great auoider of idlenesse and sleepe, the two nurses of vncleannes; with his will he ordinarily neuer slept aboue six howres, and when he lay awake, he sought to exclude all euill thoughts with medita­tion vpō some heauenly things, as I shall tell you when I come to his piety.

For his iustice, he had no publike place to shew him­selfe in, he was but comming vp on the stage & God called him away, and suffered him not to manifest what he had gotten by his carefull fitting himselfe for such a place: for his priuate carriage, I haue not heard, but that he dealt honorably and honestly with euery man that he had to doe with; He attended vpon the Lady Electresse 10. yeers or there­abouts. that great and honorable care he had that his fathers debts, which were very great by his manifold both priuate and publike occasions, and some few of his own (which [Page 75] I am enformed to be no great matter) establishing power in his honorable mother and exe­cutresse, to sell all, or any part of the land, presently and spee­dily to pay and discharge all: and when the gentleman who drew the conueiance demanded of him, if he aproued of that he appointed to be done, and con­firmed to this purpose; he an­swered, Yes with all my heart, for my honor & my honesty are my nee­rest heires. If any thinke that to impeach his iustice, that he left not the land to the heire male, to vphold the house, I must tel thē that in iustice, the paying of iust debts ought to be preferred be­fore vpholding or houses, and wil giue more cōfort at the last: yea there can be no true com­fort without care of this: and the taile being cut off as I am enformed (by his father) in this honorable respect, to pay euery man his owne, his sisters were [Page 76] neerer to him then his cosien german, both by the law of God and nature, who being honora­ble Ladies, professors of religiō, as it lieth in their power and the world lookes for it from them: so if they leaue no children to inherit, no doubt, they will haue an honorable care to vphold the house, and the name; which I think wilbe much to their honor

And now honorable & belo­ued, I come to the third branch, & the third effect of this sauing knowledge, his godlinesse and religion, of whom I may say as Saluian saith of one, Erat fide nobilis quae omnibus sem­per ornatibus or­namento est, quia sine hac nihil tam ornatum est, quod ornare potest. Salu epist. 1. That he was noble in that faith which al­waies in all addressings, is an orna­ment, because without this faith, there is nothing so specious that can garnish and beautifie.

This, this is the Temple that sanctifies the gold, this is the Altar that sanctifies the offe­ring, by this the sobrietie and iustice (which in an heathen or [Page 77] ciuill man, without this, are but glistering sinnes as, Splendida peccata splendida virtutes. Austine cals them) in him were glorious ver­tues. For this in generall, such was his pietie, that not I onely, but many others, better able to iudge then my selfe, will affirme with me, that we knew not any of what rank soeuer, in whō we discerned more, nay so feruent a desire of sauing knowledge, so constant a resolution to practise al knowne good duties, so great tendernes of conscience, and feare to offend God in the least thing which hee knew to be sin. How and whereby we dis­cerned this, I will discouer to you in particular, which when you haue heard, I doubt not but you wil iudge, that we con­ceited not things amisse, but as they were.

Wee discerned this, and it did discouer it selfe vnto vs two waies, by his priuate and publike exercises of pietie, [Page 78] which were such, as I say not, were rarely found in a young mā, more rarely in a noble man, most rarely in a young noble man; but such they were, as are rarely found in such measure in any man of what age and condition soeuer he be. I will first speake of his priuate course, and tell you how he spent one day, and in like manner he spent all the daies of the yeare.

His priuate exercise & course of pietie was on this sort; hee vsually rose euery morning a­bout 4. or 5. of the clocke, not willingly sleeping aboue six howers, as soone as euer he was thorowly awake, hee in deuou­red religiously to set his heart in order, and to prepare it for goodnes all the day after, of­fering the first fruites of the day and of his thoughts vnto God. Thus hauing tuned his best instrument, his heart, in the next place he read a Chapter [Page 79] of the holy Scripture; that done he went to praiers with his seruants in his chamber, after this he read some diuine treatise to increase his knowledge in spirituall things, and this for the greater part of an hower: he had of latter times read ouer in this course Caluins Institutions, and was at the time of his sicknes reading the workes of a reue­rend man now liuing, one M. Rogers. And all this hee did be­sides that which was performed with all the familie, with whom hee ioined in the order his honorable father left in the familie namely, reading of the Psalmes, and a chapter, togither with praier, according to the order of our Church, before dinner and supper, and singing of a Psalme and praier after supper.

But to returne to his mor­ning busines, after hee had be­stowed the former time in the [Page 80] manner aforesaid, he with drew himselfe to his closet, and after his owne priuat praier, dispo­sed himselfe to some serious studie (if some speciall busines interrupted not his course) for the space of 3. or 4. howers; after which time, he addressed himselfe, if he had time before dinner, to dispatch busines, if any there were required of him, or to conuerse and conferre with his friends, to better thē, or be bettered by them, or to ride his great horse, or walke a­broad. But why place I these with his religion? because here­by he kept himselfe from idle­nes, and gaue no way to the temptations of Satan, knowing well that the flies settle vppon the sweetest perfumes when they are colde, and corrupt them.

Soone after dinner, if hee had the opportunitie, he ordinarily withdrew himselfe for a while [Page 81] to the meditating vppon some Sermons which hee had lately heard, for which vse, hee retained some 5. or 6. in his minde. Hee would not faile though he was disappointed of that oppertunitie, to meditate vppon them before he slept, yea many times trauelling by land or water, hee performed this duety, and then would desire his companions to forbeare talke, they might thinke a while he did ordinarily meditate and call to minde 4. or 5. in a day. The rest of his afternoone hee gaue to busines as the occasi­ons were, and to studie Histo­ries, and to get instructions from them who were skilfull in the discipline of War, or in the Mathematikes and Nauigati­on, wherein some report he had made great successe for his age and time.

After supper, hee betooke himselfe to praier with his ser­uants [Page 82] & that which is marke­able aboue many other things, after praiers with them, hee withdrew himselfe from his seruants and friends, and there in a booke which hee kept for the account of his life, hee set down what he had done al that day, how he had either offen­ded or done good, and how he was tempted, and with stood them, and according to his ac­count, he humbled himselfe; and such was his wisedome, that such temptations as were not fit (as I suppose) to come to any mans view but his owne, and his Gods, he writ in a pecu­liar Caracter knowne to none. After this, giuing himselfe to his rest, as rising he had care to shut out euill by possessing his heart with good thoughts, and the reading of the holy scrip­ture; so had he care to shut vp his heart against such things: one of his Chamber, as he was laying [Page 82] him to rest, I haue knowne a great light of our Church (who now rests in peace) vse the same practise. reading a Chap­ter or two of the sacred word of God. And this was not taken vp for a fit, and as a noueltie, but hee continued it for the space of 4. yeares last past, as some informe me, that is, from Ianuary 1609. to the 15. of February 1613. the day when he tooke his bed, some 12. daies before his death.

And now honourable and beloued, for his publike exer­cises, which you may wel thinke were carefully and conscionably performed. For he that had such care to approue himselfe to God in priuate, had no lesse care to approue himselfe both to God and man in publike. This appeareth in his religious vse of the time and meanes of Gods worship, and his owne edification and saluation.

He was a most religious obser­uer of the Saboth, in publike & priuate duties, professing to af­fect [Page 84] the publike meanes (if hee were where hee could enioy them) before all priuate, though they were differently perfor­med, and had resolued, though hee entertained an houshold Chaplaine, yet euer to frequent the publike assemblies vppon the Sabboth day, a thing wor­thy the noting, to the reproofe of many of his owne, as of infe­rior ranke, who so much neglect the publike assemblies. And for his present practise, he did not misse ordinarily twice a day to heare the word publikely: no not when he was a Courtier: yea he hath ridden 4. miles to the publike worship of God, when he could not enioy it nee­rer. After he had heard, he vsu­ally withdew himselfe from company before dinner, if hee were so fitted for circumstāces, that he might for the space of halfe an hower meditate vpon what he had heard, or for some [Page 85] other priuate meditations. Af­ter the afternoones publike ex­ercise (two of his seruants ha­uing written, his memory being such as it exceeded often times all their writings) he repeated with his seruants before supper both the Sermons, and writ them down in his night-booke, & after all this, he prayed with them, wherein he had a great gift. And that which helped him the better to keep the Sab­both, hee was constantly ac­customed vppon Saturday at night, besides his account for the day, to call himselfe to a strict account how he had spent the whole weeke, that accor­ding as he found his estate, hee might better fit himselfe to sanctifie the Sabboth following. In the morning he repeated to his seruants as hee was making ready, those seruants which hee had heard the Sabboth before. Note this, not out of time, [Page 86] though somewhat out of place, that a most inward familiar of his hath, fin [...] the deliuery of this acquainted me with: that vpon the Saturday he tooke a view of all the weeke, so vpon the moneth Saturday, hee tooke a view of al the former moneth, to se how he had bettered, as one weeke more then another, so on moneth more then another, how he had added & got more grace and strength of pietie.

In the hearing of the word, he was one of the most atten­tiue, and reuerend hearers that euer I obserued, or mine eies haue seene, that haue seene ma­ny thousands; for he well knew that he was before God, and that he heard not the words of man, but God: and aswell did he acknowledge, that it is but the errour of great men to thinke they haue a priuiledge to be lesse reuerent and regard­full in hearing, then the mea­nest [Page 87] in the congregation: yea he knew that Kings Scepters are as much inferiour to Christs Scepter, as he that beares it is inferiour to Kings: therefore when he came to heare, he wil­lingly laid downe his honour at Christ his feete.

For the Sacrament, he receiued it constantly (if by any conueni­ence he could) euery first Sun­day of the month, & to fit him­selfe to feast at Christs table, he fasted the Saturday before (besides many other times when hee humbled himselfe) spending the day in praier, with meditation, and examination of himselfe and his estate, how it was with him since his last receiuing, neuer comming out of his studie (vnlesse very im­portunate occasions pressed him) till towards supper time, nor medling with any busines that day. On the Sunday mor­ning, besides his ordinary pre­parations, [Page 88] he read the 1. to the Corinth. 11. where the instituti­on of the Supper is set downe. And for the space of an hower, hee read with his seruants that should communicate with him, a little treatise that is in print, teaching men how to bee pre­pared for worthy receiuing. Thus carefull was this worthy to be fitly prepared for his Sa­uiours supper, that he might be a worthy receiuer. Note, that he was so free from ostentation in all these, that he ad­mitted no man either to pray with him, or to repeat the Ser­mons with him but his seruants, & his one friend he so deerly esteemed, (S ^r. Ed. Har.) neither did he admit him, but after a great time of acquain­tance, and him only did he ac­quaint with these priuat and secret holy duties, saue but when for his better informing, he had conferēce with some lear­ned Ministers. And all this pietie and godlines did this noble heart practise in this age (to speake no more particu­larly you may if you please, apply it to other particulars) in this age, I say, which is such as Saluian complained his times were, that is, wherein, Si quis ex Nobi­libus conuerti ad Deum caeperis, fla­tim honorem No­bilitatis amittit. O quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est obi reli­gio ignobilem facit. Sal [...]. lib. 4. de Gub. Dei. If any of the Nobles began to be conuerted vnto God, straight way hee lost the honour of his Nobilitie: O how great is the honour of Christ among Christians, where religion makes men ignoble! This is for [Page 89] Atheists or Papists, it is enough and too much for them, to scorne men for religion: how impious a thing is it for Christians to contemne men for the religion of Christ? As Hie­rome to some, Qui christianum te dicis Gentilium arma depone, aut si tu numero ho­stiumes, ostende te libere aduersariū, vt Ethnicorum suscipias vulnera. Hierome Thou which callest thy selfe a Christian, lay downe the weapons of the Gentiles, or if thou art of the number of the enemies, freely professe thy selfe an aduer­sary, that thou maiest feel the smart of infidels. So I to these, if you professe your selues Christians: Oh that you would turne Atheists, or Papists, or else lay aside the bitter arrowes of Atheists and Papists, if you bee of the number of such, professe your selues no longer Christi­ans, but such, that you may be esteemed for such, and either be auoided, or rewarded as such. Pardon (I pray you) my di­gression. In this age, I say, thus affected, wherein as Saluian speaketh in the place before, [Page 90] Per hoc omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne vites habeantur. Salu. ib. vt supra. By this meanes, all in a manner are compelled to be euill, lest they should be accounted vile. Euen in this age was this Honorable worthy, that I may speake in the phrase of the Apostle with some change, Philip. 2.15.16. Blameles & pure, and the sonne of God, without rebuke, in a naughty and crooked nation, amongst whom hee shined as a light in the world, holding forth the words of life, and did reioice in the day of Christ, that hee had not run in vaine, neither had laboured in vain: yea & resolued with the Kingly Prophet Dauid, that if this were to be vile, when it was for the Lord & for his seruice, he would yet be more vile then thus, knowing well the time should come, that he should be had in honour of those that dis­honoured him, and that for these things.

Now all this pietie was inse­perably attended vppon with [Page 91] two inseparable fruites of true godlines, the manifest proofe of the truth of it: Loue to all reli­gious persons, and specially to faithfull and painefull Mini­sters; and abundance of com­passion towards the needy saints and members of Christ, of which many particulars might be giuen, but one may serue for many.

I am certainely and credibly informed, that since his returne frō his trauels, by way of thank­fulnes to God, and for refre­shing of the poore members of Christ, he gaue yearely, by the hands of a priuate friend (be­sides many and many occasi­onall workes of charitie) the summe of twenty pounds, and in the first Sabboth saue one, he was in the land, after his returne (hauing spent the Saturday be­fore it with his Turor, in fasting, praier, & thanksgiuing) he spent in publike hearing the word, & [Page 92] receiuing the Sacrament, giuing to the poore of that place, into their bason, fiue pounds, and gaue other forty pounds to be bestowed vppon poore Mini­sters, and other Christians, for the reliefe of their present ne­cessitie: yea such was his libera­lity in this kinde, (which is come to my knowledge by his accounts) that he gaue the tenth of his allowance to the poore, and other good vses; his allow­ance being a thousand pounds the yeare: besides what hee gaue in the way as hee walked and trauelled, and in the streetes, which he did often, and much, but what it was, no man can tel. Finally, all these were beautifi­ed, and adorned with such ad­mirable humility, as is rarely found in any, specially in those, that haue things, which na­turally for the most part puffe vp the minde, as nobility, and many naturall indowments. [Page 93] Nay, not in those, who haue many spirituall prerogatiues, many gifts and graces, that haue learned Christ, yet haue they not so learned of Christ, as this Honourable worthy had done, to be Matth. 11.28. Meeke and lowly in heart. Of which I will vse, and to whome I will apply onely that of Bernard, Decor animae hu­militas est, verum in eo qui grauiter peccauit, & s [...]a­manda non tamen admiranda humi­litas. At si quis in­nocentiam retinet & nihilominus humilitatem iungit nonne is tibi vide­tur geminum ani­mae possidere deco­rem? Bern. supra Cant. serm. 45. The beauties of the minde is humility, but in him who hath griuously transgrest, how­soeuer humility may be to be im­braced, yet not at all admired. But if a man keepe his innocencie, and withall addes himilitie, seemes not this man vnto thee to posses a double beauty of his soule? This Hono­rable vessell was double gilt, with true and intire innocencie (though imperfect through humane frailty) and true hu­mility. Thus was hee decked, and thus were all his graces and gifts adorned, all seeming and truely appearing such as they were, because hee was by [Page 94] this so nigh to men, and not by loftines, and pride lifted vp a­boue, and remoued from men.

Thus haue I discoursed to you of his life, and am come to the 15. of February, last past, when hee was visited with sicknes from God, whereof he died.

Touching his carriage and comforts therein, wee cannot doubt but that it was very religious, and these very great, when such a life went before, wherein there was such prepa­ration and prouision, such a foundation laid vp in store, a­gainst this euill day. I am onely accquainted with them by re­port, for I was neuer with him, though I much desired it and often, yet the wisdome of those that were about him, thought it not fit, fearing not his death, till it was very late, & he without hope of recouery, and I diuers miles remote from him.

That which was deliuered vnto me, by one that was with him all the time, or most of his sicknes, whom I dare trust, not mine owne eares better (other­wise I am iealous of all friends reports in this case) I will de­liuer vnto you as briefely as it was deliuered vnto me, which was thus. From the first day of his sicknes, hee apprehended strongly the expectation of death (though diuers thought nothing lesse till a day or two before his dying day) & there­fore hee addressed himselfe thereunto; and besides his me­ditations, hee called often for others to pray, and often vsed praiers himselfe, confessing, and that often, both his sinnes, and his faith and vndoubted hope of saluation by Christ; and with great alacritie he professed that he feared not death, in what shape soeuer he came. He brake forth often into heauenly [Page 96] speeches expressing his desire to be dissolued, and to be at home with his God and Father, pro­fessing not two howers before his death, that he still felt the as­sured comforts of his saluation by Christ, & so finished his life in peace and ioy of the holie Ghost, vttering neere his death these longing words, O that ioy, O my God when shall I be with thee? Which ioy he vndoubted­ly enioyeth, and is with his God in glory and euerlasting happinesse.

Thus honorable, and belo­ued, you see by these things, the worth and excellency of this deceased person, honorable both by nature and grace, the more his worth was by these naturall and spirituall endow­ments, the greater our losse, and the greater his gaine, and the more cause haue we to sorrow for our selues, though to reioice on his behalfe. The whole [Page 97] hath cause to mourne, and be­waile, and many particulars to bewaile a part.

His honorable mother, whom God hath depriued of hir sonne, hir only sonne, of such a sonne; such ā staffe and stay of her age, and such a ioy of her life.

His honourable sisters, from whō the Lord hath taken such a noble & worthy brother, who would haue been not only a crowne of their honor, but a furtherer of them in the way of piety, and godlinesse, to the crowne of glory.

His kindred and aliance, who are depriued of such an honor of their house, and such a glory of their name.

His kinde and familiar friends, who are bereft of such a true harted Ionathan, one that was very kind vnto them, whose loue vnto them was wonder­ful, specially to him whō he ter­med in his Wil, his deare friend. S ^r. Ed. Harwood.

His seruants, that haue such a master taken frō their heads, the ground of al their future hopes.

And not these only, but more generally others haue cause to mourne and bewaile, as the Church, who hath lost so hope­full and noble a Theophilus, that would haue defended her truth and doctrine; such an honora­ble Obadiah that would haue hid and protected her Mi­nisters.

The common wealth, and specially this little Shire where­of he was L. Lieutenant, that hath lost so hopefull a Nehemi­ah, who would haue set him­selfe for the publike good, and giuen example and encourage­ment to keepe the Sabboth, and haue charged them so far as his power had extended, to haue carefully obserued it, and so go­uerned them that he would not only not oppresse them him­selfe, but haue to his vtmost po­wer [Page 99] prouided that they should be free from the oppression of others. And here I will not omit that which may make the losse the greater, something since brought vnto me by his deare friend, of two purposes he had for experiēce, to adde to the for­mer grounds of his study, the better to haue enabled himselfe for his Countries seruice. The one by a voyage to sea into some places, the knowledge where­of for war by sea would haue been most vsefull; another by land, into one of our neighbour countries, fittest to haue enrich­ed his mind in the knowledge of land-seruice. Thus is there both generall and speciall cause of mourning and lamentation; in respect of our selues: but see what great cause we haue of reioycing for him.

What cause of reioycing and thankfulnesse hath his honora­ble mother, though she hath [Page 100] lost her heire, yet to speake in Chrysostomes words vnto her, At haeredem bo­norum (que) successo­rem non habes: & quid malebas eum tuorum an caelesti­um haeredem fieri? Quid vero cupis eum pere [...]ntiae suscipere, quae paulo post esset di­missurus, an per­manentia & im­mubilia? non hae­redem eum ha­b [...]isti, sed ipsum prote Deus habuit. Chrys. hom. 69 ad pop Ant. But you haue no heire, nor any successor of your goods: well, and had you rather he should be inhe­ritor of these of yours, then of those heauenly? What doe you desire he should enioy perishing things, which within a small while he must cast a­way, or permanent and immoue­able? Nay, you had not an heire of him, but God had him for you.

His honorable sisters in their sorrow may reioice ouer him, for though as Chrysostome saith, Propriorum non fuit fratrum co­haeres, sed Chr [...]sti constitutus est Chrysost. quo ant. He was not coheire with his pri­uate brethren, yet he is made co­heire with Christ. And that not in hope, but in present posses­sion; he now at his full age, they but in their nonage as yet.

How may his worthy friends roioyce for him, when we can say to them as Hierome to He­liodorus, comforting him ouer the death of his Nephew Ne­potian, who died in his youth, [Page 101] Intelligeres illum non emori sed emig [...]are, & mu­tar [...] amicos non relinquere. Hier. epist. 3. Thou shouldst vnderstand that he doeth not die but decease, And only change his friends, not leaue them. So they should be informed, that he is not dead, but trans­lated, & hath not left his friends but changed them, for far more honorable and glorious then they, and so to reioyce in respect of him, lest they may seeme to enuie his happinesse.

What cause of reioiycing hath the Church for him, so deare a child of hirs, that hath left the militant, but is posses­sed of the triumphant Church, that hath left the state of Mi­litancie and warfaring, and is in the state of triumphancy and victory.

How may the Common­wealth and this Shire reioyce ouer him, that is taken from an earthly gouernment, to an hea­uenly regiment; from ruling with men, to raigne with Christ, and hath left these [Page 102] few corruptible ensignes of ho­nor, but now possesseth true honour, and an immortall crowne.

Finally, how may we all re­ioyce for him, and change our note as much as may be, forget­ting our owne losses, and think­ing of his gaine. As Bernard of his friend Gerard, Et meum faleor luctum poene in cantum conuertit dum intentus gloria ecius, propriae ferè misoria obli­uiscor. Ber. super Cant. 26. And I confesse it turnes my mourning almost altogether into singing, wholes being intent vpon his glo­ry, I forget almost my owne mi­sery.

And now honorable and beloued, to draw towards an end, If for all this, his losse and the want of his presence bee drieuous to you, and that ei­ther in generall or particular you desire his presence, and to see him; let me speake to you as Chrysostome to some that were like affected, Ipsum cernere de sidera [...]? eandem cum eo vitam viue & sacram ocius illam acci­pis praesentiam. Ch [...]ys. hom. 69. ad pop. Ant. Doe you desire to see him? then liue a life like vnto him; and so you shall the soo­ner [Page 103] receiue that his sacred pre­sence. So I to you, lead the same life with him, and you shall soon enioy his holy and comforta­ble presence: but if you will not, neuer looke to enioy him and it again. If this were the way that he trauelled Eastward to the heauenly Hierusalem, if you goe Westward towards the cursed citie Hiericho, you shall neuer come to Hierusalem the place of blessednesse and happinesse.

For if this be the way where­in he hath passed, in the end whereof he hath attained to blisse and happinesse; and if this be the only way, when there is but one way, whosoeuer wal­keth in another way, cannot come to this estate.

If he in the way of true cha­stity, vpright iustice, holy piety, hath now the fruition of hap­pinesse, and enioyeth the pre­sence of God himselfe, and his [Page 104] Sonne, and his owne blessed Sa­uiour, Lord and husband. Who soeuer imitates not him in these, (I say not) whosoeuer attaineth not to the imperfect perfection of these things that he had done, but whosoeuer doth not care­fully striue to it, but liues in vnchastity and vncleannesse, in iniustice and vnholinesse, either scoffing, contemning, and neglecting this way, and course, shall enioy hell in stead of heauen, & torments in stead of blessednesse; the iust wages of God for such workers of iniquity.

But to conclude all, It is writ­ten of Hierome, that when hee had read the life and death of Hilarion, and saw that after hee liued religiously, he died most comfortably, and happily, said, Well, Hilarion shall be the cham­pion that I will imitate. So now that you haue heard the life and death of this Right wor­thy [Page 105] Noble, and are truelie informed how truelie religious the one, and certainly comfor­table the other was, say you with Hierome, well, This noble shall be our champion, whom wee will imitate, we wil follow his Cha­stitie, his Iustice, his Piety will we imitate.

And so if you indeuour and doe, say and performe, you shal be sure to enioy that in fu­ture time, which he possesseth in the present, heauenly and eter­nall blisse and happinesse, through the merits and mercies of Iesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holie ghost, be ascribed of vs and in all the Churches of the Saints, All glory, and maiesty, and dominion, and power, now and for euer, Amen.

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