The Churchs Lamentation for the Loss of the Godly, Sermon – Poem 1

The Churchs Lamentation for the Loss of the Godly · Sermon – Poem 1

p. 1A Sermon PREACHED AT THE Funerall of the Lord HARINGTON.

MICAH 7.1, 2.

1Woe is me, for I am as the Summer gatherings, and as the grapes of the vintage: there is no cluſter to eate: my ſoule deſireth the firſt ripe fruits.

2The good man is periſhed out of the earth, and there is none righteous among men.

THe elect veſſell and holy Apoſtle both for Iewes and Gentiles Saint Paul, telleth the Corinthians, and in them the whole p. 2Church, that they wereaa1. Cor. 3.9.1 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,bbEſay 38 25, 26Isa 38:25Isa 38:26 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 hauehave 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, p. 3as 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,ccEſay 61.2.Isa 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 hauehave diſcretion, and doth teach him. And as the ſame Prophet ſaith,ddEſay 28.29.Isa 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, ee1. Corinth. 3.10.1 Cor 3:10According 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,ffNon ſum Propheta, non ſum Apoſtolus: & Prophetae tamen & Apoſtoli (audeo dicere) vice fungo…: & quibus non equor meritis, eorum impli…or curis. ſuper Cant. Ier. 46.Jer 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 p. 4am incumbred with the ſame cares. I ſay then, according to the grace of God giuen me, as a skilfull huſbandman in my meaſure, I hauehave 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 hauehave 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 p. 5to 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 vnderunder 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 vponupon me? how miſerable is my condition, that hauehave now ſo few holy, good, & righteous men remaining in mee, who hauehave formerly abounded with good men of all ſorts and rankes? I that hauehave beene as a field full p. 6fraught 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:ffRuth. 1.20, 21.Ruth 1:20Ruth 1:21 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.gg…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 p. 7grapes 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 vponupon, 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 hauehave 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 p. 8men 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 foreign: 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,hhDormuit, non mortuus eſt: quieſcit, non perijt. Chriſ. hom. 69 ad p…p. Ant. Hee p. 9ſleepeth, 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, iiPſal. 14.3.Ps 14:3All 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. p. 10and as in the Philippians, kkPhilip. 2.21.Phil 2:21All 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,llPro. 23.1.Prov 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,mmInt…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 vsus. And to the teacher:nnDiligenter 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, p. 11not 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 onelyonly 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 p. 12ooPſal. 12.1.Ps 12:1Help 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,ppEſay 24.13.Isa 24:13 As the ſhaking of an Oliue tree & as the grapes whē the vintage is ended. After he expreſſeth his ſorrow;qqverſe. 16. My leanenes, my leanenes; woe is me. Thus certaine men fearing God, made greatrrActs 8.5.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 theyſſActs 21.10.11.12 13.Acts 21:10Acts 21:11Acts 21:12 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 p. 13his face ſaid,)tt2. Kings 13.14.2 Kgs 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:uuIob 22.30.Job 22:30 For the innocent ſhall deliuer the Iland, and it ſhall be preſerued by the purenes of his hands. And as Chriſoſtome ſaith:xxVt 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. AsyyIoſh. 6.20.Josh 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 p. 14at hand ready to breake in vponupon 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:zzEſay 57.1.Isa 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,aa2. Theſſal. 2.7.2 Thess 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, bbGeneſ. 19.22.Gen 19:22I 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 vponupon Sodom and Gomorrah. As Noah was no ſooner in the p. 15Arke,ccGen. 7.11.13.Gen 7:11Gen 7:13 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:ddAn 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 p. 16not 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 hauehave their wills, that they may the ſooner & more ſeuerely breake in vponupon them? And this whether they doe it, as Cain hated and ſlew his brother, and for that cauſe as St. Iohn ſpeaketh.ee1. Iohn 3.12.1 John 3:12 Becauſe his owne workes were euill, & his brothers good; becauſe they take themſelues withall p. 17reproue by their carriage, more then by their words.ffEfficacius 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)ggNam 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 louelove 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 p. 18other 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,hhVſque 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 p. 19in his ſecond Apologie for the Chriſtians.iiVt 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 vponupon them, their ignorance of good things, to bring euill enough vponupon their backes, when by this they bring much good to the godly: for as Auſtin ſaith,kkIn 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.Ps 93 They which perſecuted the martyrs, in perſecuting them on earth, they ſent thē to heauen, & whē wittingly they infered vponupon 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 p. 20vponupon, interogation to be a Chriſtian he confeſſed, llPermagnam 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 onelyonly free from thoſe wicked Lords, but alſo ſhould goe directly vntounto 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 hauehave a bleſſing by them, and hauehave 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 p. 21with 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,mmEgredientibus Iſraelitis de Aegipto, exterminata eſt Aegiptus, ſic & ſancti cum de iſto mundo defecerint, caſurus eſt iſte mundus. Chriſoſt. in Mat. 1. Hom. 1.Matt 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 hauehave no cauſe to hate them liuing, and wiſh to be rid of them, much leſſe to procure their departing: but much cauſe hauehave 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 p. 22to 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 p. 23we to ſigh and grone, to ſorrow and mourne vnderunder this, as a very heauie iudgement: wee ſhall performe herein no vnfitting, thing, nothing vnworthy of vsus, whatſoeuer we be, or whoſoeuer we be; it is fitting the moſt holieſt, when Eſay the Prophet, and other of the faithfull hauehave done it: it is fitting the moſt honourable, whenas Dauid the King, and Eſay of the blood royall hauehave done it, & thought themſelues to hauehave 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 p. 24vsus within theſe few yeares, wee being altogether vnworthy of them, & he hauing made themhhReu. 3.4.Rev 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 vsus, that otherwiſe would hauehave fallen vponupon vsus, 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, ii2. Kings. 3.14.2 Kgs 3:14If it were not that I regarded the preſence of Iehoſhaphat King of Iuda, I would not hauehave looked towards thee, nor ſeene thee: ſo if it had not beene for their preſence & praiers, God would p. 25neuer hauehave reſpected our armies, and our generals to hauehave giuen them ſuch reliefe as they found, when they were often in diſtreſſe in Ireland, & elſewhere. As Tertullian ſaith, thatkkM. 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, hauehave wee and our armies obtained reliefe by them. Yea as Moſes and his praier ouercame more then Ioſhua and his power and ſtrength: forllExod. 11.11.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.

p. 26So 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:mmHeb. 11.34.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 hauehave yeelded to nature, and are receiued into glory, hauehave 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,nnRepugnante contra temetipſum tua foelicitate. Saluian. l. 1. ad Eccleſ. Catholiam. Thy owne felicitie fighteth againſt thy ſelfe: our proſperity, our plenty ſtandeth againſt vsus, p. 27and hath bewitched vsus, 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? ooAblâtus erat a peccatoribus timor ne poſſet eſſe cautela. Saluian. deFeare 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 vponupon vsus 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 hauehave 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) p. 28are taken away? and haſtened away out of our Land & Cities? Truſt me now, or time will come when you ſhall truſt me, that we hauehave 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 vsus, 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 p. 29into 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 hauehave liued. And are we better then they? Nay as Saluian ſaith,ppDeteriores ſumus quia meliores eſſe debemus. Saluian. We are worſe, becauſe wee ſhould be better: hauing ſuch examples to admoniſh vsus: hauehave we any priuiledge or protection more then they? nay, nay, we hauehave 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:qqFides 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 p. 30may ſtill liue and eat the good things of the land.

Let vsus 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,rrIob. 14.1.2.Job 14:1Job 14:2 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 thatſſIames ….18. he that is begotten againe of Gods owne will by the word of truth: that ttIohn 3.5.John 3:5hee that is borne againe of water and of the ſpirit p. 31and ſouuIohn 1.13.John 1:13 borne not of blood, nor of the will of fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God: yea xx1. Pet. 1.23.1 Pet 1:23borne 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,yyNon ſupplicium ſed …ri…utum viuendi. Seneca. not as a puniſhment, but as a tribute (as the heathen man ſpeakes) which eueryevery man muſt pay for his life. Though the foole die, yet may not the wiſe man liue euer?zzEccleſ. 2.16.Eccl 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.aaPſal. 82.6.Ps 82:6 I hauehave 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? p. 32bbZach. 1.5.Zech 1:5Your fathers, where are they, and doe the Prophets liue for euer? Examples of other times, experience of our owne teacheth vsus, that all of all ſorts die, and are gathered to their fathers. Yea ccEtiam muta Clamant cadauera Baſil.the dumbe and dead bodies cry this aloud to vsus. As Baſill of Seleucia ſaith of Noah: hee preached without preaching, eueryevery ſtroke of the Arke was a reall ſermon of repentance, ſo eueryevery corps wee follow and accompany to the graue preacheth really this truth to vsus.

And this truth hath certaine ground. Reaſon 1 Firſt, becauſe the Lord of life and death hath ſo decreed it.ddHeb. 9 27.Heb 9:27 It is appointed vntounto men that they ſhall once die: The decree was made Gen. 3.19.eeGen. 3.19.Gen 3:19 Thou art duſt, and to duſt thou ſhalt returne. If it be his decree, it muſt needes hauehave a certaine effect: the decree is certaine, the euent is ineuitable.ffPſal. 115.3.Ps 115:3 Our God is in heauen, and he doth whatſoeuer hee p. 33will. ggVol…iſſe feciſſe eſt. Cypr. de Duplici martyr.Gods will is his deede (as Cyprian ſaith, if he hauehave once willd it, it is as good as wrought if he hauehave 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,hhIob 4.19.Job 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 bodiesii1. Corinth. 5.7.1 Cor 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 p. 34muſt die as well as another.

Reaſon 3 Thirdly, becauſe all hauehave ſinned, and all hauehave ſinne.kk1 Iohn 1.8, 9, 10.1 John 1:81 John 1:91 John 1:10 If we ſay we hauehave 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 iiQui 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 ApoſtlemmRom. 5.12.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 hauehave 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.nnSi 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 ſaidooGeneſ. 2.17.Gen 2:17 In the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt p. 35die 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,ppDeiu 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 hauehave drawne it on our ſelues, which God did not at all forbid, leſt it ſhould keepe in vsus an immortall diſeaſe. And as Epiphanius bringeth in Methodius diſputing with Proclus the Originiſt:qqInſtar 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: p. 36and 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 eueryevery one ought to hauehave 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 p. 37meaneſt, 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 eueryevery mans beſt diſpoſed thoughts and intentions: for ſeenig eueryevery man muſt die, and hath a courſe to finiſh, which being finiſhed, he muſt away, p. 38it 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 vponupon 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.rrPſal. 39.4.Ps 39:4 Lord let me know mine end, and the meaſure of my daies what it is, let mee know how long I hauehave 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.ſſPſalm. 90.12.Ps 90:12 Teach vsus ſo to number our daies, that we may apply our hearts to wiſdome, like carefull Schollers who breake their p. 39ſleepe, 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 eueryevery 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 hauehave 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 p. 40to 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 hauehave ſpunne a faire thread, and wearied themſelues in vaine: eueryevery one then, as Daniel ſearched and found out by the p. 41bookes of Ieremiah not onelyonly 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?

p. 42eVſ 2 Secondly, muſt eueryevery 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,mm1. Tim. 6.7.1 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 eueryevery one, to labor to be fitted for this paſſagennAd 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.Matt 25 Let vsus be prepared to this iourney (as Chryſoſtome ſaith) for we hauehave 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 vsus; but for thoſe which p. 43concerne a better life, and wee may carry with vsus: not for thoſe things which ſhall hauehave either ^a finem tuum, or finem ſuum; ooFinem tuum, ant finem ſuum. Bern.(as Bernard ſpeakes,) an end of thee, if thou hauehave not an end of them; either ſhall they be taken frō vsus, 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 vsus, and may either bring vsus to, or adorne vsus 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 p. 44carry 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 vsus to imploy all our care, and ſpend all our time and endeuour for this life, and things for it and the body, vponupon earthly and tranſitory things, things wee found here, & muſt leaue here.uu2. Corinth▪ 5.6.2 Cor 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 vsus p. 45there, 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:xxHic 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 vsus, thoſe go with vsus; of theſe we ſhall giuegive 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 onelyonly muſt carry with vsus, and cannot be taken from vsus, & ſhall be cōmodious to vsus when wee come to our p. 46country. Chryſoſtome ſaith;yyVirtute 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;zzVos occ…dere quidem poteſti…, at nocere non pot…tis. Iuſt. Mart. Apol. 2. You may kill vsus, but yee cannot hurt vsus. So death may kill vsus, but it cannot hurt vsus, 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 p. 47away 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, aaEſay 57.1.Isa 57:1The 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 hisbb1. Kings 14.13.1 Kgs 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 vsus this,ccEccleſ. 8.12.Eccl 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 p. 48vntounto vsus 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? becauſedd1 Iohn 3.12.1 John 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 wereeeGeneſ. 27.2.Gen 27:2 checked for their euil ſayings. This is that we hauehave in the booke of Wiſedome,ffVViſd. 2.12. Therfore let vsus defraud the righteous, for he is not for our profit, and he is contrary to our doings. He checketh vsus p. 49for offending againſt the law, and blameth vsus as tranſgreſſors of diſcipline, verſ. 14. He is made to reprooue our thoughts, it greeueth vsus alſo to looke vponupon him, for his life is not like other mens, his waies are of another faſhion, verſ 20. Let vsus condemne him vntounto 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,ggGeneſ. 50.20.Gen 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, hhGeneſ. 19.1….Gen 19:1The Lord being mercifull vntounto him, the men brought him forth and ſet him without the Citie. So them out of the world, p. 50and as Huldah the Propheteſſe ſent Ioſiah word by his meſſengers and from the Lord,ii2. Kings 22.20.2 Kgs 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 vponupon this place. Plotinus the Philoſopher as Auſtin hath it,kkHoc 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 p. 51ſame ſpirit thatll2. Pet. 2.7.2 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.Prov 29:27as 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;mmNon 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 p. 52as a bleſſing to an obedient and good ſonne, fearing God, and honoring his parents, to hauehave 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 louelove. 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 vntounto the Epheſians, doth ſo make it, where he ſeemeth, alſo p. 53to expound it.nnEpheſ. ….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, giuegive 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,ooSi 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 p. 54price 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 vsus, viz. a temporall, and an eternall: both theſe God ſets to ſale, but hee ſels vsus the eternall, not the temporall. Why like ſilly children are we ſad, becauſe wee hauehave 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 p. 55hower 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.pp1. King. 14.6.12.1 Kgs 14:61 Kgs 14:12 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 hauehave 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 hauehave gained, of the glory they hauehave obtianed, though they p. 56hauehave loſt much, they hauehave gained more. As Tertullian comforted the martyrs,qqSi 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 hauehave made a moſt gainfull traffique, and happy change, they hauehave loſt ſhadowes, and gained ſubſtāces, they hauehave parted with lead and found gold, they hauehave 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 p. 57in ſtead of grieuing, they ioy much in it: Much more is here cauſe, when they hauehave 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 eueryevery 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 p. 58ſoule, 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,rrQuid 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.Rev 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 hauehave 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 eueryevery one. If couetouſnes be ouercome of vsus, ſome euill affection will aſſaile vsus: if that euill affection be ſtrangled, vaine glory will afflict vsus, if vaine glory be deſpiſed, wrath will incence vsus; if wrath be pacified, then pride will puffe vsus vp, drunkennes p. 59will prouoke vsus, 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 hauehave 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 p. 60choice 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 hauehave 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 eueryevery 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 onelyonly againſt the tide, not with the tide againſt the winde, but both with winde & p. 61tide to the hauen of happines, to the Heauen of bleſſednes, where hee ſhall enioy the preſence of God, and the Lamb,Pſalm. 16.11.Ps 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 hauehave often grieued at the licentiouſnes of many of my brethren in this kind, whereby they hauehave beene very offenſiue, and made themſelues euill thought of, and thoſe they cōmended neuer the better, but hauehave giuen the occaſion that the hearers who knew the deceaſed better then themſelues, hauehave raked into their liues, and ripped vp their former p. 62carriage, to their great diſgrace, & laid open that which happily would hauehave 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;ttProu. 10.7.Prov 10:7 The name of the wicked ſhall rot. So that as Auſtin ſpeaketh,uuHoc 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 hauehave 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 p. 63of 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 louelove deceiue me not) that many ages hauehave afforded vsus, 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,uuNe 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 p. 64praiſe 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 hauehave nothing commendable in them, nor hauehave 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 p. 65they diſhonour them and their ſtocke. Dignitas in indigno ornamentum in Luto, ſaith Saluian; xxSaluian. 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. yyNazian. 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.

p. 66I 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. zzHieron. 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, isaaMagis 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 p. 67ſaith.bbGratia 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 p. 68he was able to confer with any ſtranger readily and laudably in the Italian & French, as men of beſt iudgemēt hauehave 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 hauehave 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 p. 69do 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 hauehave 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 vntounto.

But to come to the beſt, and that which is moſt comfortable, as touching him, and may more make vsus to bewaile our loſſe; This deſire of knowledge was not as Bernard notes of ſome, who deſired to know,ccEo fine tantum vt ſciant. Bern. ſerm. ſupra Cant. 36. For that end only that they might know; p. 70which 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.ddHorum 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 vntounto you.

p. 71The 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, eeTitus 8.11.12.The grace of God that bringeth ſaluation vntounto all men hath appeared, and teacheth vsus 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 p. 72vtter any vnchaſt, nay ſcarſely vnſeemly ſpeech, as many report of him, with whom happily he would hauehave 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 louelove p. 73of 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,ffVidere 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 p. 74was 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 hauehave not heard, but that he dealt honorably and honeſtly with eueryevery man that he had to doe with;He attended vponupon 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 p. 75I 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 giuegive 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 eueryevery man his owne, his ſiſters were p. 76neerer 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 hauehave 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,ggErat 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 p. 77ciuill 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 onelyonly, 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 hauehave 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 vntounto vsus two waies, by his priuate and publike exerciſes of pietie, p. 78which 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 eueryevery 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 vntounto God. Thus hauing tuned his beſt inſtrument, his heart, in the next place he read a Chapter p. 79of 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 p. 80manner 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 p. 81to 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 p. 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 p. 82him to reſt,**I hauehave 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 p. 84the 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 vponupon what he had heard, or for ſome p. 85other 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, p. 86though ſomewhat out of place, that a moſt inward familiar of his hath, fin… the deliuery of this acquainted me with: that vponupon the Saturday he tooke a view of all the weeke, ſo vponupon the monethmonth Saturday, hee tooke a view of al the former monethmonth, to ſe how he had bettered, as one weeke more then another, ſo on monethmonth 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 hauehave ſeene, that hauehave 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 hauehave a priuiledge to be leſſe reuerent and regardfull in hearing, then the meaneſt p. 87in 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) eueryevery 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, p. 88he 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,hhSi 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 vntounto 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 p. 89Atheiſts 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,iiQui 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, p. 90kkPer 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,llPhilip. 2.15.16.Phil 2:15Phil 2:16 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 p. 91two inſeparable fruites of true godlines, the manifeſt proofe of the truth of it: LoueLove 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, & p. 92receiuing 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 hauehave things, which naturally for the moſt part puffe vp the minde, as nobility, and many naturall indowments. p. 93Nay, not in thoſe, who hauehave many ſpirituall prerogatiues, many gifts and graces, that hauehave learned Chriſt, yet hauehave they not ſo learned of Chriſt, as this Honourable worthy had done, to bemmMatth. 11.28.Matt 11:28 Meeke and lowly in heart. Of which I will vſe, and to whome I will apply onelyonly that of Bernard, nnDecor 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 vntounto 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 p. 94this ſo nigh to men, and not by loftines, and pride lifted vp aboue, and remoued from men.

Thus hauehave 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 onelyonly 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.

p. 95That which was deliuered vntounto 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 vntounto you as briefely as it was deliuered vntounto 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 p. 96ſpeeches 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 hauehave we to ſorrow for our ſelues, though to reioice on his behalfe. The whole p. 97hath 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 hauehave 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 vntounto them, whoſe louelove vntounto them was wonderful, ſpecially to him whō he termed in his Wil, his deare friend.S^r. Ed. Harwood.

p. 98His ſeruants, that hauehave ſuch a maſter taken frō their heads, the ground of al their future hopes.

And not theſe only, but more generally others hauehave cauſe to mourne and bewaile, as the Church, who hath loſt ſo hopefull and noble a Theophilus, that would hauehave defended her truth and doctrine; ſuch an honorable Obadiah that would hauehave 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 hauehave ſet himſelfe for the publike good, and giuen example and encouragement to keepe the Sabboth, and hauehave charged them ſo far as his power had extended, to hauehave carefully obſerued it, and ſo gouerned them that he would not only not oppreſſe them himſelfe, but hauehave to his vtmoſt power p. 99prouided 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 vntounto me by his deare friend, of two purpoſes he had for experiēce, to adde to the former grounds of his ſtudy, the better to hauehave enabled himſelfe for his Countries ſeruice. The one by a voyage to ſea into ſome places, the knowledge whereof for war by ſea would hauehave been moſt vſefull; another by land, into one of our neighbour countries, fitteſt to hauehave 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 hauehave of reioycing for him.

What cauſe of reioycing and thankfulneſſe hath his honorable mother, though ſhe hath p. 100loſt her heire, yet to ſpeake in Chryſoſtomes words vntounto her,ooAt 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 hauehave 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,ppPropriorum 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, p. 101qqIntelligeres 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 p. 102few 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, rrEt 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 vponupon 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,ſſIpſum 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 vntounto him; and ſo you ſhall the ſooner p. 103receiue 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 p. 104Sonne, 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 hauehave heard the life and death of this Right worthy p. 105Noble, 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 vsus and in all the Churches of the Saints, All glory, and maieſty, and dominion, and power, now and for euer, Amen.

foreign.

… obitum inopinum, & praematurum Clariſſimi Baronis, D. Ioannis Haringtoni, Altae Indolis, & Maximae Spei Adoleſcentis, Epicedium.

IMmodicè ſi quis migrantem ad Sydera flebit,

(Praeſertim vt nunc ſunt Tempora) flendus erit,

Vt mare, perpetuis iactatur vita procellis,

Mors placidus Portus, perfugium, Requies.

Aurea, quae Priſci celebrarunt, Secula, Nugae,

Ferrea quae fuerant Tempora, ſemper erunt.

Qui antiquo vixit, Pater olim Hebraeus, in Aeno,

Conqueritur paucos difficileſ que Dies

Militiae humanae: quantô magis, heu magis iſto

Si in ſenio Mundi degeret ille Senex?

Quo pietas vitio eſt virtus, Probitaſ que fideſque,

Ludibrio: cunctis Nil niſi turpe placet.

Clare Heros, Nos te foelicein agnoſcimus, iſtis

Sordibus ereptum, Coelicoliſ que datum.

Delicia Iuuenum flos verae Nobilitatis,

Vnica ſpes magnae, praeſidiumque Domus

Ecce caedit ſubito: (triſte omen) ſcilicet Illo

Indignifuimus dignior ille Polo.

Nos Res lugemus noſtras, Eccleſia luget,

Interitum deflet Patria meſta tuum.

Vtra que damna dolet propria & diſpendia, Lumen

Hec deflet, columen Altera meſta gemit.

Te Nobis vitia, et Mores rapuere maligni,

In Coelis Virtus Te tua ſancta locat.

Terra tegit Corpus, Mens aurea regnat Olympo,

Fama Anglos inter celſa perennis erit.

Poſuit Fran. Hering. D. M. moerens damnum, publicum, priuatum.