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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	great_a	sin_n	1,455	5	4.6160	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12980	The churches lamentation for the losse of the godly deliuered in a sermon, at the funerals of that truly noble, and most hopefull young gentleman, Iohn Lord Harington, Baron of Exton, Knight of the noble order of the Bath, and his Maiesties lieutenaunt of the county of Rutland, at Exton in Rutland, the last day of March 1614. Together with a patterne of piety, and the power of godlinesse expressed in his life and death, who yeelded to nature the 27. of February, 1613. when he wanted two moneths of 22 yeeres of his age. By Richard Stock, pastor of Alhallowes-Breadstreet in London.	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.	1614 (1614)	STC 23273; ESTC S117806	48,046	145

all or scarce be that any should loue 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 other 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 h Vsque 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 in his second Apologie for the Christians i Vt 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 vpon them their ignorance of good things to bring euill enough vpon their backes when by this they bring much good to the godly for as Austin saith k In 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 They which persecuted the martyrs in persecuting them on earth they sent thē to heauen whē wittingly they infered vpon 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 vpon interogation to be a Christian he confessed l Permagnam 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 onely free from those wicked Lords but also should goe directly vnto 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 haue a blessing by them and haue 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 with 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 m Egredientibus Israelitis de Aegipto exterminata est Aegiptus sic sancti cum de isto mundo defecerint casurus est iste mundus Chrisost in Mat. 1. Hom. 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 haue no cause to hate them liuing and wish to be rid of them much lesse to procure their departing but much cause haue 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 Vse 2 Secondly it is then manifested to 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 we to sigh and grone to sorrow and mourne vnder this as a very heauie iudgement wee shall performe herein no vnfitting thing nothing vnworthy of vs whatsoeuer we be or whosoeuer we be it is fitting the most holiest when Esay the Prophet and other of the faithfull haue done it it is fitting the most honourable whenas Dauid the King and Esay of the blood royall haue done it thought themselues to haue 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 vs within these few yeares wee being altogether vnworthy of them he hauing made them h Reu. 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

Though the foole die yet may not the wise man liue euer z Eccles 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 a Psal 82.6 I haue 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 b Zach. 1.5 Your fathers where are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer Examples of other times experience of our owne teacheth vs that all of all sorts die and are gathered to their fathers Yea c Etiam muta Clamant cadauera Basil the dumbe and dead bodies cry this aloud to vs. As Basill of Seleucia saith of Noah hee preached without preaching euery stroke of the Arke was a reall sermon of repentance so euery corps wee follow and accompany to the graue preacheth really this truth to vs. And this truth hath certaine ground Reason 1 First because the Lord of life and death hath so decreed it d Heb. 9 27. It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die The decree was made Gen. 3.19 e Gen. 3.19 Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne If it be his decree it must needes haue a certaine effect the decree is certaine the euent is ineuitable f Psal 115.3 Our God is in heauen and he doth whatsoeuer hee will g Vol●isse fecisse est Cypr. de Duplici martyr Gods will is his deede as Cyprian saith if he haue once willd it it is as good as wrought if he haue 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 h Iob 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 bodies i 1. Corinth 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 must die as well as another Reason 3 Thirdly because all haue sinned and all haue sinne k 1 Iohn 1.8 9 10. If we say we haue 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 i Qui 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 Apostle m 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 haue 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 n Si 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 said o Genes 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die 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 p Deiu 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 haue drawne it on our selues which God did not at all forbid lest it should keepe in vs an immortall disease And as Epiphanius bringeth in Methodius disputing with Proclus the Originist q Instar 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 and 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 euery one ought to haue 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 meanest 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 euery mans best disposed thoughts and intentions for seenig euery man must die and hath a course to finish which being finished he must away it 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

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 as a blessing to an obedient and good sonne fearing God and honoring his parents to haue 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 loue 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 vnto the Ephesians doth so make it where he seemeth also to expound it n Ephes ● 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 giue 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 o Si 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 price 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 vs viz. a temporall and an eternall both these God sets to sale but hee sels vs the eternall not the temporall Why like silly children are we sad because wee haue 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 hower 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. p 1. King 14.6.12 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 haue 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 haue gained of the glory they haue obtianed though they haue lost much they haue gained more As Tertullian comforted the martyrs q Si 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 haue made a most gainfull traffique and happy change they haue lost shadowes and gained substāces they haue parted with lead and found gold they haue 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 in stead of grieuing they ioy much in it Much more is here cause when they haue 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 euery 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 soule 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 r Quid 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