A Monitor of Mortality, Title page – Poem
A MONITOR OF MORTALITIE, In two SERMONS; By a conſideration of the manifold and uncertaine ſurprizalls of Death, guiding the pace and paſſages of a Temporall life, towards the obtainement of life eternall.
OCCASIONED By the death of that hopefull young Gentleman JOHN ARCHER Eſquire, Sonne and Heire to Sir Simon Archer Knight of Warwick-ſhiere.
AND By the death of Miſtris Harpur, a Grave and Godly Matron, (Wife to Mr. Henry Harpur of the City of Chester,) and of the death of their religious Daughter Phaebe Harpur, a Child of about 12. Yeares of age.
By Iohn Ley Miniſter of Great Budworth in Cheſhiere.
DEUT. 32.29. O that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end.
Ita fit, ut immortalitas exc…ſa in perpetuum, & ad tempus recepta Mortalitas, hominem conſtituat in ea cond…ione, ut ſit in qualibet aetate Mortalis. Lact. de opificio Dei cap 4.
LONDON, Printed by G.M. for Chriſtopher Meredith at the Signe of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard, M.DC.XLIII.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL And worthy Knight Sr. Simon Archer, and to the vertuous Lady, the Lady Anne Archer his wife: I. L. wiſheth the moſt deſirable welfare of both worlds.
Right Worſhipfull,
BY theſe Papers which now I ſend you, your ſuſpenſive thoughts of my ſilence (wherein I conceive your charity would not bee forward to condemne me of neglect) may receive ſatisfaction and aſſurance, that I have neither forgotten, how much your goodneſſe hath engaged me to you and yours, nor am willing to pretermit any fit opportunity, which may repreſent me as gratefull to my friends, as they are gracious to me. They had ſooner appeared in your ſight, if dutie to the publike had not anticipated my time and endeavours for another ſervice.
And yet they are now ſo much more ſeaſonable, as time hath the more reduced you, to that diſpaſſionate temper, wherein you were, before your hopefull Sonne, had made his happy change from Earth to Heaven. And ſurely a departure hence to ſuch a bleſſed place, muſt needes be then moſt happy, when remaining here (as now if ever) is moſt perilous.
I ſhall not need then (I hope) for ſupport of your patience to preſſe upon you (in particular) the conſideration either of his high advancement, above the ſtate of Mortalitie and miſery, or of GODS peculiar right, to doe with his owne as hee will, Matthew 20.15. Or mans common lot, which is alwayes to be ſo ſubject unto death, that the aHebreum nomen Methim per ſceva: ſignificat mortales, per tzere: mortuos. Marian. Annot. in Deut. 2 34. & Lorinus in eundem locum. Tom. 1. Com. in Deu. p. 106. col. 1.word in the Hebrew (which in Engliſh is rendred men, Deutr. 2.34. with the various ſituation of two little prickes) ſignifieth as (ſome obſerve) both mortall or lyable to death, and dead indeed. And when it is the generall condition of all man-kinde, it is held by the wiſe an Argument of bQuis tam ſuperbae impotentiſ que arrogantiae eſt, ut in hac naturae neceſſitate (omnia in eundem finem revocantis) ſe unum ac ſuos ſe poni, velit. Sen. de conſolat. ad Polyb. c. 24.impotence or arrogance for any to expect a particular exception of themſelves or theirs.
Nor becauſe his death was (in reſpect of the ordinary courſe of mans life) unexpected or ſodaine, will it be requiſite to commend to your ſerious meditation, the ſaying of cStultiſſim… ſunt, qui de morte immaturâ quaeruntur, Lactant. de Opificio hominis. ca. 4.Lactantius, cenſuring the folly of thoſe, who complaine of deaths immaturity, or the opinion of dPlin. Nat. Hiſt. l. 7. cap. 53.Pliny, That ſodaine death is the greateſt happineſse that can befall man.
It will bee enough, if with the piety and prudence, (wherewith you were wont to read ſuch ſerious and ſad diſcourſes) you pleaſe to entertain this, which I here preſent to your attentive peruſall. And although it be thus now propoſed to common view, it is yours, by peculiar intereſt, and that two fold.
The one Naturall in his name, and by his occaſion, who (in part) by Nature once was yours, but now by grace and glory is wholly Gods.
The other Morall, as from my ſelfe, who have a power, and hold my ſelfe obliged in Iuſtice to doe you right herein, and in Gratitude to give ſome publike Teſtimony (in this kind) how much I am, and deſire to remaine upon record
From my lodging at the Biſhops head in Pauls-Church-yard, May 10. 1643. In moſt faithfull and affectionate endeavours your devoted Servant, Iohn Ley.
IT is ordered this nine and twentieth day of Aprill, 1643. by the Committe of the Houſe of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing, that this Funerall Sermon upon Iam. 4.14. be printed by Chriſtopher Meredith.
Iohn White.
On the Death of the Worthy Gent. Iohn Archer Eſq.
IF to attend upon this ſable Herſe
Griefe could break forth the language of a Verſe,
Or that ought might be ſpoke, ſave ſighes, and teares,
(Which this hath taught us more then publike feares)
Sorrow ſhould learne to number words, and try
The meaſur'd ſmoothneſſe of an Elegie:
But Im'e a naturall mourner, and can keepe
In Griefe no method, without forme I weepe;
My Quill is drencht in Teares, Yet ſhall it truth
By Parts relate, and ſhew his full blowne youth,
Whoſe Life was pluckt, like the more forward Roſe,
Cauſe in it Rareneſſe and Perfection growes:
His Autumne Vertues flouriſht in the Spring
Of Dayes, And Harveſt did his greene Yeares bring:
So pure and upright was his hallowed breſt,
As ſinne was not an inmate, Ill, no Gueſt:
His Paſsions wore his Livery, and All
Themſelves his Servants, not his Maſters call,
As Nature gave them to him, ſo did he
By Reaſon keepe them under Lock, and Key,
His mind was a Republique fraught with ſtore
Of Graces, not compriſedith' Indian Shore,
He chang'd no Vertue, by the change of Aire,
Nor was he leſſe himſelfe, becauſe leſſe Faire,
Rome might ſcorch off ſome beauty from his skinne,
But not imprint deformity within:
His Soule in Penitence was cins't betimes,
Not in Arrerage of ſome former Crimes,
And we may gueſſe, by this uncalmed State,
Death came not for to puniſh, but Tranſlate;
So doth the tender Father stretch his Armes,
To ridde his Babe from neere approaching Harmes,
Confines it to it's home, and makes it know,
Safetyes with him, not in the ſtreet below,
Man's but a wandring Child, a Plant whoſe root
Is rais'd to Heaven, and ſtill muſt upwards ſhoot;
His Head unlike to Earthly Graſſes, not found
Or cheriſht in the boſome of the Ground:
If then our Friend, or Father, ſnatch the Clay
Wherein like Babes we inſecurely Play,
And pull us from the ſtorme which Clouds portend,
Shall we not kiſſe that hand, and thanke that Friend?
'Tis true, if by Arithmetick we count
Thy Glaſſe of time (Deare Sir) many ſurmount
Thy Yeares, ſinne longer, but wee'l to thy Praiſe
Recount thy Acts, whileſt others count their dayes,
And let men know, thy Talents waxed great
Before they underſtood of the Receit,
Whileſt ſome, oth' narrow paſſage caſt their Eyes,
Thou rannſt before, and ſo obtaind'ſt the Prize.
Haile then (Rare Friend!) and give us leave a while
To part from Thee, and view thy Funerall Pile,
Let us entombe thy Reliques, and Survay
What things they are, which thou haſt flung away:
Sure knowing theſe unmeete to Grace a Crowne,
Thou, with Eliſha, throwes thy mantle downe,
As proving to us, that it is unfit,
That we to Heaven, ſhould Earthly things commit.
What matter iſt' if this diſcouloured Clay
Be ſtreakt with ſpotts, and Periſh in one day?
The ſpeckled Panther has his breath perfum'd,
His Entrailes ſweet, his skinne is only doom'd.
The outſide of our Houſe Durt may pollute,
The inſides' cleane, and purchaſeth repute.
Then let us judge thy Earthly parts to be,
The Emblems of a bleſt Hypocriſy.
W. Ley, Iohannis Filius.