Mans Last Journey to his Long Home, Title page – Dedication
MANS LAST JOURNEY TO HIS LONG HOME: A SERMON Preached at the FUNERALS Of the Right Honourable ROBERT EARL of VVARVVICK; Who died in London, May the 30th and was Interr'd at Felstead in Essex, June the 9th 1659.
By Nath. Hardy, Preacher to the Parish of St. Dionys. Backchurch.
Ec.1. 1. Man geetg to his long home, and the Mourners go about the Streets.
Psal. 1. 1, 7. I have said you are Gods,—But ye shall die like Men.—
Aug. l. de Nat. & Grat. Si de divitiis, & honoribus, & morum nobilitate jactas, de patria, & Pulchritudine corporis, & honoribus, qui tibi ab Hominibus exhibentur, respice teipsum, qui mortalis terra & in rerram ibis.
London, Printed by A. M. for Joseph Cranford, at the Sign of the Castle and Lion in St Pauls Church-yard. 1659.
To the Right Honourable CHARLES Earl of WARWICK, AND BARON of LEEZE.
My LORD:
THis plain Discourse occasioned by the late Funerals of your Noble Brother, was then Preached and is now Published by your Honours desire, which shall ever have with me the authority and efficacy of a command.
Since I am sure it was not any thing extraordinary in the Sermon which might enduce you to desire the Impression of it, I have good reason to believe it was upon a double commendable design.
The one of Brotherly affection, that hereby you might preserve his memory who is gone to the Land of Oblivion. Nor do I wonder at your regard of his memory, when I behold your respect to his Posterity. Those three noble Ladies who (I am confident) will never want the care of a Father, and the love of a Mother, whilst your Honour and your thrice noble Lady survive.
The other of Piety and Religion, that this Sermon may be as a continued memoriall of him; so a frequent Monitour to you of your fraile and dying condition. No thoughts or discourses are more unwellcome for the most part to men in their flourishing prosperity, then those of their perishing Mortality. Skeletons, Deaths heads, and Funerall Sermons, are rarely to be found at the Palaces, on the Tables, in the Libraries, of great personages, who being set upon the Pinacle of Honour, cannot endure to look downward upon the pit of corruption. They are but few, very few,Ps. 23. 4, 5. who when their table is prepared, their head annointed with oyl, and their cup runs over, with David, put themselves in mind, or love to be put in mind of walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
Of this small number your Lordship may be justly reckoned one; else you would not have desired to read what you heard. And since you seem to intend the Sermon as a memento of your death, it will not, I presume, offend your Honour, that the Epistle be a remembrancer to you of an exemplary life.
The Hebrew noun foreign which signifieth glory, cometh from the verb foreign which signifieth to be heavy: with which agreeeth that of the Latins, honos onus, honour is a burden. Of this I trust your Lordship is sensible, that as divine providence hath advanced you to eminent dignity; so divine command requireth of you proportionable duty, that by how much the greater you are, you ought to be so much the better; and as God hath devolved the Honour upon you; you must endeavour to honour him, your self, your Family, by magnificent and heroick actions of Religion, Justice, and Mercy, every remembring that Nobles are placed by God in this world, not as Statues in a Garden, or Pictures in a Gallery; only to be looked upon, but as Pillars in a house, to support the Church and State, where they live, and as stars in the Heavens, to let the light of their good works shine before men, from the severall Orbes, wherein they are fixed.
But I shall not need to enlarge on this Subject, which is (I trust already) your Lordships study and practice, and therefore after the returne of my humble thankes for your Noble favours; I shall betake my self to my earnest Prayers, that you may have increase of grace as well as honour, that you may grow in favour with God & Man, by being a choice instrument of his glory, and the publick good. Finally, That as you have the blessings of wisdomes left hand, riches and honours, so you may have that of her right hand, length of daies, confer'd on your own Noble Person, your deservedly beloved and honoured Lady, your hopefull Son and Heir, with those tender Plants the remains of your deceased Brother, and all your Honourable Relations, till you all in a good old age arrive at the fruition of a blessed Eternity. So prayeth
My Lord, Your Honours most humble and affectionate Servant NATH. HARDY.