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
first for the sacrifice it selfe wee must take it as it is indeed a thing highly commended vnto vs in the holy Scripture both for the nature of the same as also for the great accompt whereof it is with Almighty God And therefore the Apostle Paul telleth the Philippians that it is a sweete smell A sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to the Lord. And the Authour to the Hebrewes exhorteth the Hebrewes Heb. 13.16 Deut. 15.11 Isa 58.10 Rom. 12.13 Iam. 1.17 and in their persons all other Christians in no case to be negligent herein assuring them that with the same and such like sacrifices God is well pleased Neither is the Spirit of God more large in commending any one sacrifice then hee is of this And no maruell for there is none besides that I remember whereby a man may either in the time of prosperitie get vnto himselfe a more assured testimonie of the sinceritie and vprightnesse of his heart or gaine a more sacred anchor which being fastened vpon the promises of God in time of aduersitie he may by meanes thereof certainely expect an issue both happy and comfortable The consideration of all which doubtlesse exceedingly incouraged and heartned on this honourable Gentleman as to doe the first the duty it selfe so in no case to be negligent in the second but to doe it with all alacritie and cheerefulnesse Neither can the latter of these which is the onely beautie of the former in my Iudgement better be discerned then by these two things especially 1. Frequencie 2. Constancie For doubtlesse the vncheerefull Giuer cannot hide himselfe but either he giueth nimis parce aut non diù Too sparingly or not long his candle being sodainely drowned in it selfe Too sparingly first for matter it is like Sauls offerings First the worst 1 Sam. 15.9 Secondly but spoiles Secondly for manner it is Nabals feast now and then once a yeare it may be and it may be seldomer Or secondly not long the sacrifice pleasing them for a time Mal. 1.13 but at length they snuffe at it and it is a wearisomnesse to them It is like Sauls armour vpon the backe of Dauid which in the very proofe proues too heauie But it was not so with him his house being indeed the seate of hospitalitie and his gate the seate of mercie A Stranger if of any desert in the world was alwaies sure here to finde louing entertainement both of the Master himselfe as also of the whole Familie Peter had a great deale worse vsage for comming onely to the high Priests fire then a meaner person yea perhaps one that serued a great deale worse Master for comming to his Table A small acquaintance would in his house procure a kinde welcome and seldome or neuer did any depart from the same without exceeding great contentment Secondly as hospitality dwelt in his house so did mercie at his gate in a faire house built of purpose for her whose doores like the temple of Peace stood alwaies open Seldome vnder 30. And some daies 40. Their prouision on the flesh daies broath and beife or mutton besides bread and beare And on the Fridaies Broath and Fish with bread and beare and great resort there was of persons daily haunting her courts but especially three daies in the weeke when she made more large prouision then ordinarie Certainely a blessed sight was it then which no eye but one frozen in the place could see without blessing to behold Christ thus feasted in his members and such a number of distressed soules aged persons and young children the widow and the fatherlesse so plentifully prouided for Neither did his noble and liberall hand hold it selfe satisfied onely with satisfying their hungrie stomaches except it did dilate it selfe likewise further in prouiding couering for their nakednesse and comfort against the iniury of the weather And therefore his manner was these diuers yeeres together according to the time of his age and yeeres of life to distribute garments here and there to seuerall Townes round about him this yeere amongst other giuing 32. for the appairelling and clothing of so many poore and miserable creatures I loue not to tell wonders this is of truth I lie not Nay alas I speake not halfe of that which my soule is priuie to of his Christian behauiour in this kinde For you heare me not speak all this while as I might of his bountifull minde to many other pious and religious vses maintenance of learning releiuing of prisoners to whom I haue knowne that hee hath sent a brase of angells at a time Neither of his tender care that he had of his poore neighbors oppressed with sicknesse sending them continually things necessarie for their comfort and oft-times horse and man for a Phisician to come to them to consider of their estate and to apply remedies accordingly for their recouerie defraying all the charge of his owne purse These things I say with many other of like nature deseruing indeede Caedar Tables for breuities sake I doe willingly omit hastily turning my selfe to the consideration of the reason and cause of all this namely what the reason should be that in these dead and lumpish times wherein loue is waxen cold and liberality out of fashion there should notwithstanding one be found so liberall so mercifull now the reason I take to be partly from nature but principally from grace First for Nature it were indeed a wonder that one hauing his breeding descended of Parents to their liues end of such renowne and honour in the world as for other their rare qualities so for their bounteous and liberall mindes great hospitality and tender affection to afflicted soules for him I say thus bred to be base or miserable were not onely a wonder but I say more a thing altogether impossible Especially if wee ioyne with this a second namely Grace which if it were hereditary as the former oft-times is I might well say likewise hee receiued from his worthy Parents how euer not traduced yet infused into that brest of his naturally inclined vnto liberallitie by meanes whereof his Faith did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superabound to euery good worke For how could it otherwise be 2. Thes 1.2 so faire an Oliue springing from so rich and sappie a roote and seated in so lusty a soile fatted with the bloud of Christ bedewed daily with the sweete influences of his eternall loue and the sonne of righteousnesse casting so continuall an aspect vpon it but it should be alwaies flourishing exceeding frutefull Neither must I here forget in speaking how liberall this worthy Gentleman was to others the exceeding liberality likewise and goodnesse of the Lord toward himselfe dealing with him much what as he dealt with Abraham long agoe in regard of that deare yet willing sacrifice of his in deuoting to him his sonne Now see the goodnesse of God hee tooke his sacrifice wherewith he was highly pleased and yet in the meane time Abraham had his sonne Iust
falshood Whether lastly his whole endeauour did not bend it selfe as to maintaine good men and good causes so to quell and daunt the prophanesse and outragious disorders of the times Let I say such a bill as this be now tendered vnto her and without question you shall haue her hand that it is Billa vera a virdict true in all points But suppose she should most ingratefully refuse surely the matter is not great seeing there are so many and of no meane credit whose sorrowfull countenances are at this time in mine eie who both knew the truth of this as also of the rest that hath hetherto beene spoken concerning the blessed life of this worthy Person and will be ready I doubt not vpon any necessary occasion to auerre and iustifie the same And thus haue I I know not how troden a blessed way the way wherein this blessed man walked and richly adorned it was with many a delightfull flower Those that I haue offered vnto you to my thinking were the fairest A clearer eye perhaps especially in such aboundance would haue spied out many more of like nature and of as excellent a glosse but these though few yet in my iudgement are sufficient for the discerning of those two things that in the entrance to speake of his life I propounded to your considerations 1. His Piety 2. His Integrity And therefore contenting my selfe with the same I will leaue speaking any further of his life and come to his death the occasion indeed of a lamentable Metamorphosis here amongst vs Bethel being as you see strangely changed into Bochim the habitation of delight into the house of mourners Now for his death we are to know it was much what such a one as Caesar desired 1. Short 2. Vnexpected Neither must I be mistaken for saying it was vnexpected as though this Christian Gentleman had either made a couenant with death and the graue or put the euill day farre from him doubtlesse he that taketh but the least suruey of his vertuous life shall easily perceiue the contrarie that hee rather as appeared by his more then ordinarie imploying of his Talent was continually expecting his Audit-day when he must of necessity make vp his reckoning And as for the tempest that is now falne he did like a wise Pilot discrie it long agoe afarre off and did not onely fit and prepare himselfe for it but did with many sweete and comfortable words hearten on and incourage his dearest friends patiently to indure that which in his wisedome hee saw would not long be auoided To vs onely it was both sodaine and in very truth altogether vnlooked for for who would haue dreamt of this some 12. or 13. dayes agoe or what reason had we who were in his company both eating and drinking merry and cheerefull seeing him as like to liue as he was many a day before to entertaine the least melancholike thought of his Fatalitie being so nigh But let mee answer my selfe reasons there were many but if none yet his eminencie in grace had beene reason sufficient for the more the mountaine hath in height the lesse it hath in shadow and the higher any person is in esteeme with God vsually that shadow of his I meane his life is wont to be the shorter What remained after Hester was fully purified and euery way meet for the embracings of so mighty a Prince but to be taken immediately into the Royall Palace It is reported of Henoch that he walked with God and presently after the text saith he was not found and the reason is there likewise expressed for God tooke him to himselfe Neither in my iudgement is it any way fitting that such fauorites as these should be long absent in this sorrowfull vale out of the presence of that great Monarch of the whole world who doth not onely loue them most intirely but hath also so liberally prouided for them a satietie of pleasure euery way so absolute And besides as we soothed vp our selues with vaine hopes in his health so did we likewise the greatest time of his sicknesse Howbeit herein wee are not much to be blamed wee being persons beguiled altogether through the deceitfull working of the maladie which continually hid it selfe in those secret and vitall parts of his neither did death euer vnmaske it selfe but like a subti l Headsman went cloaked vp downe vntill on the sudden it gaue him his deadly blow And surely the time was very short not many houres before his dissolution or euer wee had the least suspicion of the same For is it not a strange thing that the death of his disease should be a forerunner of his owne The day before that his last to our thinking and his owne feeling his Feuer hauing quite left him Nor did hee all his sicknesse through shew himselfe more cheerefull nor yeeld vnto vs a more assured hope of his recouerie then at that time And therfore I would desire all especially those whom his death more nighly concerneth to beare the same the more contentedly seeing that now it is so easily discerned to be no other thing else but the meere pleasure of God thus hastily and in the flower of his age to cut in sunder the thred of his life The blame I know right well will especially of the ignorant multitude be laid vpon that learned man his Physitian whom both for his great skill in that his science as also his extraordinary care ouer his so much respected a patient I shall for mine owne part honour whilst I breathe But brethren let them and vs all know that if God shooteth his arrow it is not the shield of man or Angell that catching the same can keepe it possibly from the sides of him to whom it is intended Neither is there any Balme so soueraigne that can heale the wound that death maketh Let him therefore haue his due hee went as farre as Art could leade him if it had pleased God to haue seconded his labours wee ought as I make no question wee should to haue beene most thankfull how euer we must be content knowing that although this be vnexpected of vs yet of him long since determined when these dayes of his were numbred that are now fulfilled Againe secondly that I may hasten to his last and dying breath wee are to know as his death was vnexpected of vs so was it doubtlesse for this Elects sake exceedingly shortned God herein answering him his continuall desire which was that in his last sicknesse his soule might part with as little sense of the bodies miserie as might be For we are to know that vntill the Thursday at night before his death hee dying the euening following and only some two or three houres preceding his end his paines were not great but only such ordinary Symptomes as commonly attend vpon a Tertian Ague Howbeit vpon the Thursday at night about 9. or 10. of the clocke hee grew contrary to our expectation much fainter and drawing his breath
farre shorter then he had done all the time of his sicknesse before yet wee still held our former thoughts hoping of his recouerie vntill betweene 10. and 11. of the clocke at night when death shewed her selfe plainly striking him to the heart with a sudden cold and instantly benumming of one of his armes I will not here spend time in seeking out what the reason should be of this his so sudden a change whether he tooke cold lying too thinne clad in his bed all the day before or whether some cold vapour piercing in at his window he sitting too nigh the same after he was vp drew the malignant qualitie inward to his heart or whether neither of these but only the immediate hand of God in hastening of his end indeed the most probable In dubijs dubiè Let it onely be sufficient for vs to know that within one quarter of an houres space through the wisdome and great skill of the Physitian his arme and body were restored to their former temper and himselfe likewise after a while brought to take some tolerable rest Notwithstanding in the morning there wee easily discerned in him a great alteration it being by this time written in his countenance whither he would And yet at that very time and so diuers houres after he was of so strong and able a body that wee did not at all imagine that his departure had beene so nigh but perswaded our selues that he might liue at the least vntill the morrow after which was the eleuenth and his criticall day But God as the euent shewed had otherwise determined appointing that day to be his last with the end whereof he should end his life vpon which day it being as we know according to the time of the yeere May-day his desire was in the morning to be remoued into another chamber intending only as it should seeme there to rest himselfe for a time before hee should remoue into the chamber of so great a presence Well his minde is satisfied and he accordingly brought thither After which time there was no apparent change in his estate to be descried in him from that it was in the morning vntill 6. of the clocke at night at which time both his speech and to the iudgement of those about him his vnderstanding likewise were at once taken from him The newes whereof being brought vnto me for at that time I was not with him did at the first hearing somewhat amaze me yet hastening into his chamber I found the report too true for there he lay as a man in an extasie neither hearing nor regarding only to my thinking inwardly wrestling with some strong and violent temptation Whereupon pawsing a while I asked him whether he knew me his answer to my thinking was No. Well Sir quoth I if you know not mee I pray Almightie God giue you the full knowledge of him in whose knowledge alone there is life eternall But Sir it is your minde is it not that we should pray with you what answer hee made me I could not well discerne but whatsoeuer the answer was wee regarded a great deale more the present necessitie then the voice Whereupon we all that were present there fell downe vpon our knees before God and with what earnestnesse of soule we could we humbly besought his Maiestie to take pittie vpon him in this his agonie to giue him the sweet fruit of all his former labours and comfort of all those blessed and gratious promises that carefully he had laid vp against this time specially not to suffer him to be tempted aboue his strength but to affoord him an happie issue with the temptation Lastly if in his infinite wisdome hee saw so good then to affoord him if it were his pleasure at that time to take him out of the world at the leastwise so much libertie as to giue satisfaction to the world of that full assurance that he had of a better life and his liuely expectation of the crowne of immortalitie The which praier of ours was no sooner ended but it was for the most part as gratiously answered for immediately after was both his vnderstanding and speech restored vnto him and hee thereupon suddenly brake forth into these or the like speeches Lord God Iehoua haue mercy vpon me Holy holy holy Lord God haue mercy vpon mee Oh Iesu Christ that sittest at the right hand of the Father take pittie on me and pleade my cause Oh thou good Samaritan now powre thy wine and oile into my distressed soule Father if the greene tree be cut downe shall the Sire be spared If the righteous scarcely be saued what shall become of mee poore sinner And thus he went on we standing in the meane time with watrie eyes about his bed whilest hee pleaded in this sort his cause with God At the length I began againe with him asking him whether he knew me He told me yes and called me by my name Sir said I I perceiue well there hath beene a conflict betwixt you and some great and eager temptation but whatsoeuer it were my hope is that by this time it is vanquished Oh saith he my sinnes they are thousand thousands millions of thousands To whom I answered that hee did well to lay them forth to the vttermost shewing plainly thereby that his minde was not to hide any but to confesse all as one heartily sorry for the committing the least of them But Sir said I let the number of them I beseech you no whit astonish you considering the manner of our heauenly Father is at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sins to remoue his sinnes though neuer so many farre out of his remembrance Ezech. 18.21.22 Mica 7.19 yea to drowne and burie them in the bottome of the sea And let them be granted so many as you speake of yet their number is finite but the mercy of the Lord you know is infinite True said he But my sinnes are scarlet sinnes Sir said I be it so but what saith God Isa 1. Come saith he let vs reason together Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll But Sir replied I for that long discourse may I suppose be troublesome to you I would desire you in a word or two to answer mee these two questions First of all whether you be not heartily sorry for offending God your heauenly father as you haue done and whether that be not the only weight that now oppresseth your soule He told me Yes desiring Christ to ease him of it Sir said I doubt you not of it he will doe it you and such as you are being as you know as well as my selfe the onely persons that hee in the 11. of Matthew doth inuite and call vnto him promising assuredly to ease them of their burthen The second question Sir quoth I shall be only this whether you doe not hunger and thirst now
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