Sermon 22 November 1593, Title page – Poem

Sermon 22 November 1593 · Title page – Poem

A SERMON PREACHED AT WHADDON in Buckinghamſhyre the 22. of Nouember 1593. at the buriall of the Right Honorable, ARTHVR Lorde GREY of Wilton, Knight of the moſt Honorable order of the Garter, by THOMAS SPARKE Paſtor of Blechley.

AT OXFORD, Printed by IOSEPH BARNES Printer to the Ʋniverſitie.

1593.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, AND HIS VERY GOOD LADIES, the Counteſſe of BEDFORD, and the Ladie GREY her Honours Daughter, and to the Right honorable, THOMAS, Lord GREY of Wilton, his very good Lord; Thomas Sparke wiſheth all neceſſary ſpirituall bleſſings, in Chriſt Ieſus, with health & al proſperity to their own full contentation and comfort.

SINCE the preaching of this ſermon following (Right honorable) J know, you are not ignorant, how earneſtly I hauehave beene requeſted, to publiſh the ſame in Print: conſidering therefore, that therin, there was ſet before vsus in that Honorable perſon, at whoſe buriall it was preached, ſuch an example both of liuing, and dying well, as being now by this means made further known, maie through Gods goodnes, provoke many the better to imitate the ſame: and weighing alſo with my ſelfe, that as his death was precious, in the eies of the Lorde, ſo it was and is, my duety to do anie thing that lyeth in me, to further the continuance of his name, in bleſſed and everlaſting remembrance; I hauehave yeelded, as your Honours ſee, to this requeſt. Indeede when J preached it, by reaſon of the ſhortnes of time, that then J was tyed vntounto; that there might alſo be time, without staying of the aſſembly too long, for the performance of the ſolemne and Honorable funerall rites; J was driven to cut off much, that I had thought to have vttered, and but briefly and lightly to run ouer ſundry thinges, which more at large, my purpoſe was then to hauehave handled. Al which now, I hauehave thought good according to my firſt full premeditation, in print to ſet downe wherevppon, in remembring what was ſaide, and now in conferring this therewith, ſome difference there will be found: But yet, that will be, not for the ſubſtance or matters therein handled, at all; but onelie that ſome of them are further proſecuted here, and vrged, then for the reaſon aforeſaide, they could be then. And to you three iointlie, I hauehave beene bolde to dedicate it, becauſe as in nature, ſo in truth, I know the loſſe of this Honorable man, toucheth you three, neereſt: wiſhing and hartely praying you, with the reading and meditation of the matters herein conteyned, to comfort your ſelues, and to moderate your ſorrow, otherwiſe, for the loſſe of ſuch an one. For hereby you ſhall (I hope) plainely perceiue, that he was ſuch a one, whome the Lorde of ſpeciall fauour towarde him, hath taken hence; and that therefore howſoeuer, we hauehave loſt him, God hath found hi… and that whatſoeuer wee hauehave loſt, out of all doubt, he hath found both perfect peace, and ioy in ſoule; and moſt ſound and quiet reſt in bodie. And therefore in his reſpect, you ſhall hereby finde, that they that loued him moſt, hauehave moſt iuſt cauſe to reioice. Jndeede in reſpect of our ſelues, this ſermon will laie before you, that there is iuſt cauſe of mourning, for all that hee hath left behinde him: yet withall it will ſhew you, that the ende and vſe hereof ought onelie to be this, to awaken vsus ſo out of all ſecuritie in our ſinnes, as that wee maie, by heartie repentaunce, and true turning vntounto God in time, turne away the fearefull euils, that otherwiſe the taking awaye ſo faſt of ſuch, threatens vsus. J trust therefore, if your honours will voutchſafe to take the paines, ſeriouſly to read and to conſider hereof, that no ſmall comfort and good, will in theſe reſpectes ariſe, and grow vntounto you, thereby. And this, J muſt needes ſaie to your further comfort, that the great concourſe of people vntounto his buriall, and the crying and weeping of all ſortes there, was ſuch: as in my opinion it was a notable argument, that, as he was doubtleſſe, beloued of God, ſo was he vnfeinedlie honoured and loued of men. Herein alſo appeared an euident token of Gods favour towardes him, that as he had liued honorably, ſo it pleaſed the Lord, to take him hence, according to his owne vſuall, and often repeated requeſt, (though …e had beene a great man of warre) in ſuch peace, in his own bedde, in his owne houſe, as he did; and withall to bring him, with ſuch honour, as queſtionles he was brought to his graue. For when the waies of men hauehave not pleaſed the Lorde, wee finde often in the ſcriptures, that they both hauehave beene threatned, and that ſo it hath come to paſſe, that they ſhould not hauehave the honour of the ordinarie buriall, meete and vſed to perſons of their eſtate: as wee maie read and ſee, Pſal. 79. verſ. 3.1. King. 21.23. & 2.9.35. &c. and Ier. 22 18. &c. And of the contrarie, we finde it very often noted in the ſame, as an argument of Gods favour, towards them when men hauehave ſo died, as that they attained vntounto honorable and convenient buriall. As wee maie finde touching Abraham Gen. 25.8. touching Iacob Gen. 49. & 50. verſ. 29. &c. & 2.3. &c. touching Dauid 2. King. 2. verſ. …0 yea and touching Chriſt himſelfe, Ioh. 19 ver. 38.39. &c. Greatlie therefore in this reſpect, in my iudgment, are you Right Honorable Ladie his wife, to be commended, eſpeciallie thinges concerning the world, ſtanding with you now, no otherwiſe then your good frends know they do; that you hauehave thus honorably as you hauehave, perfourmed this duetie vntounto him. For though J am of the ſame opinion, that he was, that wrote that tract, de cura pro mortuis gerenda, of care to be taken for the dead, commonlie fathered vponupon S. Auguſtine that iſta omnia, id eſt curatio funcris, conditio ſepultura… & pompa exequiarum, magis viuorum ſunt ſolatia, quam ſubſidia mortuorum Cap. 2. that is, that al theſe thinges, the care had about the dead bodie, the maner of the buriall, and the ſolemnitie of the funeral obſequies, are rather comfortes for the liuing, then anie helpes of the dead; yet J am of this iudgement thereof, ſo they bee done and vſed without ſuperstition, and but as is decent and ſit, for the ſtate of the perſon (as in this caſe J am ſure they were) they are commendable tokens and arguments, both of dutifull louelove and regarde, in thoſe they leaue behinde, towardes them: and alſo ſo manie good means, to ſhew and nouriſh their hope, of a ioiful and comfortable reſurrection. Do we not read, euen that our Sauiour Chriſt himſelfe, defended Marie Magdalens fact, when ſome of hls diſciples murmured at it, in powring a box of very coſtly ointment on his head: in that ſhe did it to bury him. Mat. 26. ve. 7 &c. And is it not reported, to the cōmendation, both of Ioſeph of Arimathea, & of Nicodemus, that the one, to the decēt burial of Chriſt, beſtowed vponupon him a ſepulchre, & linnē cloths to wrap his body in, & that the other brought mirhhe & aloes, an 100. poūd weight, that ſo with ſweet odours, according to the maner of the Iews, they might bury him? Ioh, 19.38.39. &c. Surely Gen 50. it is recorded, that when old father Iacob was dead, & the care of his funeral was cōmitted vntounto his ſon Ioſeph, that not onlie he cauſed by his phiſitiās, his body to be embalmed, but alſo with an Honorable cōpany & great ſolemnity, though to his very great coſt, according to his fathers deſire, he carried it frō Aegipt into the land of Canaan, to bury him with his fathers Abrahā & Iſaac, in the caue & field that Abrahā had bought to bury in, of Ephron the Hittite: & this is writē in his cōmendation, & was indeed, both a notable argument in him of piety towards his dead father, & alſo of hope that he had of the reſurrection. And therfore, though I wiſh, that al ſuperſtitiō & needles & vndecent ſuperfluitie be abādoned in ſuch caſes, & generally in the burial of the dead; yet I cānot but greatly like & cōmend, that ſuch, decent & comlie order be kept therin; that maie according to eueryevery mans degree, argue & nouriſh both theſe amongſt al his welwillers, that he hath left behinde him. And therefore once againe, I cannot but reioice, in al your behalfes, that you were alſo of one minde, as I know you were, that this laſt duety ſhould ſo Honorably be performed vntounto the bodie of this Honorable Lord as it was, & ther in you maie all take comfort. Further, it ought to be now, ground of no ſmal conſolation vntounto you al three, that one, hath had of him, that thus Honorablie liued an died, ſuch a ſon in Law; the other ſuch a huſband; & the third ſo worthie a father, as he was. For if it be matter of diſcomfort of the contrarie as everie one ſeeth by experience, & therfore wil confeſſe it is; whie ſhould not this alwaies be matter of reioicing to euerie of your Honors, as oft as either you remember him, or heare him remembred by others? And ſuch a neere and domeſticall example ought both to comfort much, & alſo to provoke to imitatiō of the ſame: & I hope & pray God that it maie: that ſo yet, though to vsus he be dead & gone, yet his vertues & noble qualities, maie ſtil liue & ſhine, to the comfort of al his welwillers, in his, that he hath left behinde him. Finallie iuſtlie maie it be a comfort vntounto you, & ſo to the praiſe & glorie of God, I would wiſh you al hartelie to take it ſo and vſe it, that euerie one of you (to ſaie no more) hauehave ſo iuſt cauſe, both before God & man to comfort your ſelues one in another as you hauehave: one that ſhe hath ſuch a daughter, & daughters ſonne; the other, that the Lord in his mercifull providence, hath giuen her both ſuch an Honorable careful & louing mother, and a good and toward ſon; & the third, that he hath ſo vertuous, religious & Honorable, both grandmother & mother. O howe ought this to abate and moderate your former ſorrow, ſeeing now there is no remedie? And what an excellent and ſtrong means are you, and J hope will be, as long as you liue together, not onlie of comfort everie waie one vntounto another, but of counſailing, directing, and ſtrengthening, where moſt neede is, one of another, in a holie courſe? A threefold corde is not eaſilie broken, ſaith the Preacher, Cap. 4. ver. 12. But the greateſt comfort of all, that both you and all other of Gods children in the midſt of all the afflictions of this life, hauehave, is this; that that God whom you ſerue, remaineth for euer one & ſelfe ſame, that hee is al ſufficient & an exceeding great rewarde to his, that his providence howſoeuer thinges fall out ſtandeth immutable, and that therfore without al queſtion, howſoeuer we cannot perceiue it as the firſt, al things, & therefore euen thoſe thinges alſo, which ſeeme vntounto vsus moſt to croſſe the ſame, ſhal by his diuine wiſedome and power, turne to the good, and benefit of his. Rom. 8.28. With al theſe things therfore, once againe, beſeeching you to comfort your ſelues, & one another: praying the Lord effectuallie you maie ſo doe, & that all his good bleſſings to your own euerlaſting ſaluation maie be powred and continued vponupon everie of you, & all yours for euer, J ceaſe from anie further troubling of your Honors, at this time. As Blechley this firſt of December. 1593.

Your Honors alwaies moſt ready and willing to be as commandement. Thomas Sparke.

IN OBITVM CLARISSIMI HErois, Domini Arthuri Greij. foreign.

O Curuae in terras animae, quaecun que piorum

Creditis extinctas vnà cum corpore mentes.

O vanos queſtus; ô pectora plena furoris,

St quando in ſuperûm ſedes quos Ioua recepit,

Speratis fletu rurſus deducere Coelo.

Debetis fateor lachrymas & Iuſta ſepultis;

Sed tranſire modum, ſcelus; & perijſſe putare

Quos Chriſtus ſeruat, mortem qui morte peremit.

At dolor extorquet luctus in funera tanti

Herois. Certè noſtrae non infima gentis

Gloria defluxit, grauis inclementia fati

Cum tulit hunc terris, vt lucida viſeret aſtra.

Is fuit ex atauis Heroibus editus Heros,

Relligione pius, conſtantimente probatus,

Conſilio prudens, iuſtis animoſus in armis.

C…llatis ſignis rigidos qui fudit Hybernos,

Quos per inacceſſos ſaltus, vdaſ que paludes

Inſequitur, ſubigens extremo Marte rebelles.

Pro patriâ pugnans, ſanctis ariſ que fociſ que ,

(Turma Caledonias dum vaſtat Gallica terras)

Ore cicatrices, aduerſo pectore fortis

Ʋulnera multa tulit, nunquam dare terga coactus.

Talis apud Graecos magnus celebratur Achilles.

Talis & Albertus cui magni nomen Achillei

Teutonis or a dedit, ſurgunt vbi moenia Brenni.

Hoc animo Decij, hoc olim caluere Metelli,

Qui ſe pro patriâ, pro libertate Penatum

Deuouere neci, quos laus aeterna moratur.

Ioannes Sanfordus.