whole Church in generall when as manifold afflictions like a darke cloud wrapt her in on euery side Lament 2.17 The Lord hath done saith she that which he purposed he hath fulfilled that which hee determined A truth most necessarie to be knowne in these two respects The first is to comfort and incourage the seruants of God and vs especially to beare and vndergo all crosses and calamities how bitter so euer with the greater patience and cheerefulnesse considering they come from him who as a Father to all so is he principally to the elect Math. 6.9 Isa 63.16 An earthly father wee know may at his pleasure and as he seeth iust cause chastice and correct his childe neither ought the childe to take it otherwise then well in no cause either murmuring or resisting and if an earthly then much more saith the Apostle Heb. 12.9 may the Father of Spirits our heauenly and we in the meane while receiuing the same most patiently and contentedly Isaackes burthen Genes 12.6 was both heauie and vncomfortable heauie for the matter vncomfortable for the end And yet as farre as we can read he bare it willingly the reason I take it is expressed in the same verse Pater imposuit His Father laid it on him Whose example my desire is may be ours What God will haue let vs imbrace if hee will impose it let vs indure it remembring the counsell of Salomon to his sonne Pro. 3.11 My son refuse not the chasticing of the Lord for whom hee loueth hee correcteth Who knoweth not that the Argument that Absolom vsed to perswade his Sister Tamar to patience 2. Sam. 13.20 bearing as she might the hard dealing of her brother with her was but onely this Frater est He is thy Brother doubtlesse if this were reason as he thought sufficient to still her voice that then cried and wept so bitterly and pacifie her wrath and furie against him that so iustly had deserued it Then Brethren I beseech you how much more ought the consideration of the person from whom this calamitie is thus sodainely come he indeed our gratious Father to perswade and put vs on to indure the same with contented mindes knowing withall First that as he neuer offended vs so haue we infinitely him And secondly that it is come from that sweet hand from whom we haue all our liues long euen to this instant receiued such a world of blessings receiuing then so many good things is it not reason that wee should receiue some euill Secondly this doth afford vnto vs a most necessarie direction to whom to resort in this and all other our greatest miseries surely to him onely and to no other Intimating herein the poore Prodigall who being in that misery wherein he was would trie the curtesie of no more Citizens but went straight way to his Father I will saith he go to my Father so let vs to ours Thus doe the seruants of God hearten on and incourage each other in their greatest trialls Hos 6.1 Come say they let vs returne to the Lord he hath spoiled and will heale vs he hath wounded and hee will binde vs vp Neither ought we to bee discouraged in so doing seeing this is he whose name Pro. 18.10 is a strong Tower to which the righteous flie flying doubtlesse vpon the wings of their faith and are exalted Ier. 31.20 This is our mercifull Father who whilst he is striking hath his bowels sore troubled and his Repentance rolled vpon him Hos 11.8 For a little space I confesse he hath beene angrie but if we seeke him in due time he will yet be found of vs Isa 54.7.9 yea he will returne with abundance of compassion Psal 31.6 Let the Lacedemonians therefore in the time of danger tie and binde their Mars amongst them with gyues and fetters of gold And let vs onely hold and tie God with teares and praiers Imitating Iacob who although the principall sinnewes were shrunke in his thigh yet would he not suffer Gen. 32.26 the Angell to depart without a blessing The third and last thing that we are to consider in the precedent is the reason why man is rebuked conteined as we heard in this word Iniquitie when thou with rebuke doest chastice man for iniquitie Now iniquity we are to know is taken diuersly in the holy Scripture two waies especially either for some great and hainous sinne and accordingly doe the brethren of Ioseph speake to him Gen. 44.6 God hath found out the iniquitie of his seruants that is their great and heinous sinne and is now ready to punish them Or secondly for sinne in generall agreeable to that Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all iniquity And so in this place for iniquitie that is for the sinne Now sinne is tearmed by the name of Iniquity Quia peccatum est ab aequitate alienum according to the Apostles owne expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3.4 For sin is the transgression of Law Shewing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sinne is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression or crossing of the Law of God And indeed hinc lachrymae hence it is saith our Prophet that man is rebuked suteable to that Lament 3.39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne With which agreeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 6.23 Stipendia peccati mors The wages of sinne is death that is not onely the reason why soule and body be separated and nature destroied but the cause likewise of all that labour and trauell to which man is daily subiect as the sparkes to mount vpwards Iob. 15.7 Iob. 15.7 Iniquitie I know right well is not alwaies the chiefe cause of Gods rebukes and chasticements yet is it vsually found in such as are rebuked and corrected Let Iob I pray you be our example neither indeed doe I remember any one more pregnant whose trialls as all know were exceeding great take his owne word heauier then the sand of the sea Iob 6.3 and yet the end that the Lord propounded as the euent shewed was not simply to rebuke him for his sinne but rather in so doing to trie his faith and patience and accordingly to leaue him a Mirror of both to succeeding ages Iames 5.11 notwithstanding consider but the passage of things betweene God and him and him and his friends and you shall finde matter sufficient as for that so a farre greater humiliation as he freely acknowledgeth vnto God crying peccaui Chap. 42. 5. 6. Neither are wee indeed to haue the least thought of iniustice or cruelty in God in thus punishing man for his iniquitie For shall not the Iudge of the world doe right Gen. 28.14 No brethren sinne is another matter and of farre greater consequent then the ignorant person and prophane imagineth For first of all iniquity or sinne is a crossing as we heard before and thwarting of the Law of God
Psal 9.7 Rom. 2.1.13.14 Isa 6.3 A law first of all perfect in it selfe and drawing men on more and more to perfection Secondly a Law of an infinite God and therefore carying with it an infinite punishment Secondly sinne as it is contrarie to the Law so to the Law-giuer himselfe 1. Ioh. 5.1 Coloss 1.15 He being light and that darknesse He pure and that filthy He spirituall and aboue that carnall and beneath Thirdly and lastly it is that which defaceth the image of God in man and like another bewitching Delila Hos 11.9 Leuit. 11.44 Mar. 7.23 hauing insnared the vnhappy wretch neuer giueth him ouer til those beautifull locks of his the ornaments I meane of his minde be quite shred off 2 Cor 5.27 the light of his vnderstanding darkened if not quite extinguished and he of a Prince made a prisoner Rom. 7.5 Gen. 3.7 Eph. 4.24 of a great Lord a miserable slaue not to a few but to all euen his meanest and basest enemies Sinne being then as wee heare the cause vsually why man is rebuked then ought we in the first place to be exceedingly thankfull to God that for all our sinnes he hath so long spared vs yea the time of our rebuking being come is it not his great mercy that whilest the best is thus corrected the worst are not consumed Lament 3. And in the next place how ought this likewise to settle our mindes further patiently to endure the rod of God diuerting all our thoughts wholly from him to our selues making vs impatient with none but with our sinnes indeed occasioning all this Abner we see for a time dallieth but ere Asahel is aware with the hinder end of his speare hee striketh And this Egyptian robber howsoeuer she embraceth yet if she can at the last she strangleth Againe sinne being as wee heare thus hatefull in the sight of God then you that loue the Lord hate euill Psal 97.10 Amos 5.15 Hate it First as an enemie to God What the Father iustly hateth there is no reason in the world that the sonne should loue Our Father long agoe beganne the Feud let vs I beseech you his sonnes and daughters continue it Secondly as an enemie to our selues it being the originall not onely of this as before was shewed but of all other miseries and calamities that wee meet withall here in this troublesome vale euery day that hath the least hauing by meanes thereof enough of the owne sorrow And therefore howsoeuer the foole maketh a sport of sinne Prouerb 10.23 and 14.9 let vs I pray you foster no such Scorpion in our bosomes which howsoeuer as I said before it may fawne for a time will at the last wound vs to the heart whose pleasures are but for a season Heb. 11.25 and their end alwayes bitternesse The subsequent are in these words As a moth thou makest his beauty to consume The which words haue diuers significations allowed them by Interpreters We will thinke only but of two And first of all they are taken 1. Passiuely 2. Actiuely Passiuely that a man howsoeuer he may presume perhaps vpon himselfe his strength wisdome riches and many other preferments yet is he no more in the hand of God then the silliest moth in the hands of the mightiest man who at his pleasure crusheth the same and bringeth it vnto nothing The which indeed is a truth and the onely drift of our Prophet here in this place to shew the vanitie of man howbeit the same to my thinking expressed after another manner And therefore we will follow the second opinion taking our Prophets meaning altogether Actiuely intending a comparison wherein God is as wee heard before compared to a moth and man to a garment The which comparison or similitude of his he rather in my iudgement chuseth then any other not only in regard of the secret and sudden working of God in humbling and abasing of the proudest man but also as best suiting the prophane and yet ordinary conceit that man hath of the eternall and Almightie God esteeming him no better then a moth or flie and his anger but a buzz and not to be regarded An hard censure I must needs confesse of the creature especially in regard of the Creator yet our Prophet seemeth to yeeld to what they affirme A moth saith he but withall sheweth that suppose a moth yet a dreadfull one as soone spoiling and consuming the mightiest Potentate and most renowned person in the world together with all his glory and beauty as the moth doth the fairest garment and of greatest lustre Now although that this comparison here vsed by our Prophet be sufficient of it selfe to set forth God euen in his weaknesse as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 1.15 farre stronger then man yet for the vnderstanding of the words the better we are to consider the reason of either 1. First why God as a moth consumeth man 2. Secondly why man so glorious a creature is so suddenly consumed as a garment The reason of the former wee shall finde the better if we consider the eternall God here likened to a moth set forth vnto vs in the holy Scriptures by other comparisons farre more honorable as namely Hos 13.8 by A Beare robbed of her whelpes rending and tearing the heart and call Ioel 3.6 by a dreadfull Lion roaring out of Sion and the heauens and earth shaking But of all others most glorious are those comparisons that you may reade of Dan. 7.9.10 where he is described hauing His haires as pure wooll and his eyes a flaming fire A fiery streame going before him and thousand thousands ministring vnto him Iob 15.10 Beholding the heauens and they are impure in his sight And Iob 4.18 Imputing follie to his Angels Isa 44.13 Crying and shouting like a man of warre Ios 5.13 A valiant Captaine with a glittering sword in his hand Apoc. 19.13.16 His Coat-armour dipt in bloud whereupon is written without doubt in golden letters Rex regum Dominus dominantium The King of Kings and Lord of Lords But of all other that Heb. 12.29 For our God is a consuming fire No maruell then if whilest hee rebuketh the beauty of man consumeth For this is he that toucheth the mountaines and they smoake and at whose rebuke the ancient hills vanish Now the only reason why the spirit of God both here and in so many other places in the holy Scripture is so frequent in describing and setting forth of this God is without question as wee haue heard before that man sillie man may haue more honourable thoughts together with a more high and reuerend esteeme of the diuine and glorious maiestie then naturally hee hath For certainly the thoughts of man in regard of God are as I said most ordinary and meane as may appeare 1. By the Honour 2. By the Feare though both his due that are vsually affoorded vnto him And first for honour there is no question but that honour is due to him
Peter the sooner doth he leaue that stinking prison of his and through the iron gate entreth a Cittie both spatious and delightfull Daughters of Ierusalem saith our Sauiour Christ weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues And yet hee was then approaching the gates of death in the middest of his daies and flower of his age yet saith he Weepe not for me And truely no cause at all had they to weepe for him for now was the time when the sonne of man should bee glorified Now was he to put off that shape and forme of a seruant which for our sakes he had taken vpon him Phil. 21.6.7 now was the time come when being wholly freed from the contempt and scorning of all his enemies he should be aduanced aboue all principalities and powers That at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow Ephes 1.21 Phil. 21.10 Let them therefore not weepe for him if they will weepe then let them onely for themselues and for their sinnes And as this is the estate of the head so is it likewise of the members howeuer the ignorant man esteemeth them dying in the best of their strength and middest of their daies as vnhappy men yet wee are to know that this their taking away doth adde greatly to their happinesse For behold death giueth to them A quietus est from all their labours and a cessation from all their troubles After that no more paine or griefe no more sorrowing or lamenting Apoc. 7. 21. Their mouthes are filled with laughter and the salt teares wiped from their eies That pleasant Land and fragrant Hill Mount Sion I meane which all their life long like Moses standing on Mount Nebo they beheld afarre of now they cheerefully enioy here they walke to and fro no longer by faith but now by sight they see as they are seene they know as they are knowne If then their estate be thus as indeed it is and farre more happie a great deale then I am able to expresse why should any trouble themselues in bewailing and lamenting the same which is euery way so blessed But will one say to me Not sorrow why who can with drie eies behold such worthy persons as this cut off in the prime of their age who for their piety wisedome learning and many a noble vertue might haue stood the world if God had thought so good in exceeding steed Shall the righteous perish and no man lay it to heart To this I answere though there bee no cause at all why we should sorrow for them yet there is cause sufficient for our selues and that in these three respects First That when wee had them wee made no more accompt of them not knowing our good vntill wee had lost it Secondly that by our sinnes wee prouoked the Lord to depriue of so great comfort and to extinguish such glorious lights in this Church Thirdly let vs weepe for our selues in that the euill day is so fast approaching vpon vs These summer birds doe leaue vs doubtlesse our winter is comming God hasteneth so fast his seruants into their chambers and therefore we haue cause to feare that a storme is at hand Isa 26.20 But suppose the Lord spareth the Land in generall yet good cause haue wee euery one in particular to looke to himselfe wee heare what our Prophet heare affirmeth in the latter part of my Text that Euery man is vanitie and wofull experience this day verifieth the truth both of this as also of the former That when God rebuketh man consumeth and therefore it being so let me desire you all a great assemblie here met together some I know onely to see but most to sorrow well to consider the speech of the Preacher Eccles 7.2 affirming that it is farre better to goe to such a house as this The house of mourning then the house of feasting and his reason is for this saith he is the end of all men and the liuing will lay it to his heart Giuing vs to vnderstand that such places as this where are so dolefull obiects offering themselues to all serue most excellently to awaken the drowsie and secure heart of man dreaming as before of I know not what perpetuity and stedfastnesse of things here below to entertaine thoughts farre differing both of the vanitie and vncertainetie of all other things so principally of man himselfe And accordingly I beseech you let the temper of our thoughts be wee are the liuing in this honourable Gentleman let vs behold the inconstancie of all things here in this transitory world and in his end the end of vs all and let vs not onely see but consider and lay it to our heart where hee is now we must all come hereafter death being the hauen where the smallest boate and tallest shippe at the last arriueth Yea the appointed Harbour of all the liuing Iob. 30.30 we shall go to him but he shall not returne to vs 2. Sam. 12.23 Secondly as he is gone before and wee there is no remedie must follow after so indeed know we not how sodainely a hint whereof our Prophet giueth in the first word of my Text. When thou that is at what time soeuer thou intendest to rebuke man intimating that as there is a day and time of rebuking so God knoweth when it may be neerer it may be further off it may be to morrow it may be this night Thou foole he will take away thy soule from thee Sure we are we all must die Old men may young men must but who knoweth amongst vs all whose lot is next and at whose doore the staffe now standeth Seeing therefore it is so let the prophane person whose eyes the God of the world hath blinded doe as pleaseth him let him make his rest here on the earth and minde no other but these earthly things let his thoughts be continually working how to pull downe his barnes and build bigger or how he may goe to this or that Citie and there continue a yeere to buy and sell Iam. 4.13 putting the euill day from him Like those whereof Isa 50.12 calling for wine and strong drinke Come fetch wine and let vs fill our selues with strong drinke for tomorrow shall be as this day and more abundant But let vs brethren take a quite contrarie course seeing our liues are so vncertaine to thinke more of our departure then euer before practising the commaundement of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 24.41 Wake therefore for you know not at what houre your Master will come Getting into our Lampes store of oyle that so when the voice is Ecce sponsus venit Behold the Bridegroome commeth we may likewise Virgines be euery way fitted to attend vpon him into that presence Chamber whither this worthy person is already gone To which most sacred place Christ for his mercies sake bring vs all to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise and glory world without end Amen VPON THE FVNERALL of Sr EDW. LEWKENOR 1 AMongst the mournfull multitude which stand With Cypresse branches 'bout the monument Of this dead Knight who list to vnderstand His life his death what he what his descent With all which vnto him is pertinent Right glad would I this gentle taske fulfill But that my Muse fearing it mought be shent For vndertaking thing beyond her skill Only a Porters place will here supplie To let them in where they may read this historie 2 There they shall read how worshipfull his Berth To which ambitiously all sorts aspire How e're in other worth they suffer dearth There they his wealth which worldlings so desire There that which only gentle mindes admire And doth embellish wealth and parentage His Learning and Religion entire I for my part how e're in this nice age It sound but ill and homely seeme will span His spatious praises thus Hee was an honest man 3 So leauing him to his eternall rest Let not my disesteemed Muse offend If my respect which euer I profest Both to your selfe and my much honord friend Sad Lady I to you now recommend Whose griefe for his decease if you giue eare To your deare loue will neuer haue an end Nay but adde faith against despaire and feare And pretious hope let in your bosome dwell Wherein else differ Christians frō the Infidell 4 He is not dead whom you as dead lament Only in the iourney which all once must goe He you in time a little ouer-went And euen in dutie which all wiues doe owe And wherein you much buxomnesse wont show You him precedence may not well denie Sith to prouide against your after woe For your best comfort and societie He hath you left till you two meet againe The gages of his loue the models of you twaine 5 To whom vouchsafe me leaue among the rest Which honour you and your faire Familie To wish all good and of all good the best Whereto Almighty God which sitteth hie Let say Amen let all the Saints replie And all the blessed Angels which intend The care of man this blessed note reuie Ioy you await and comfort them attend Like ready handmaids and what euer thing May theirs or your delight or new contentment bring 6 And if my praiers of any force may be Such as the Palme in midst of fresh Spring-tide In some cleere crystall streame her selfe doth see And her strait twigs and branches spreading wide Which goodly sprowt and burgen from her side With siluer blossomes rich embellished So may you see your young Imps multiplide And grow vp thicke like seeds in gardens shed And last your owne liues threed be drawne so small That not a minute ere your time like fruitfull ripe you fall 7 Here stay my Muse and crauing pardon kisse The vertuous hand of this sad Lady Gent. Who to her sex so worthy credit is That for ten thousand women which miswent Her gratious life and sweet comportement Shall make amends and take away the blame Wherewith they all their sex haue sham'd shent For which her endlesse praise and her good name Like pretious Incense shall on hie ascend To heauen and earth indeering her with God to friend FINIS