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A09035 The end of the perfect man A sermon preached at the buriall of the right Honourable Sir Robert Spencer Knight Baron Spencer of Wormeleighton, Novemb. 6. 1627. in Braynton Church in Northamptonshire, by Richard Parre Bachelour in Divinity, and late fellow of Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxford, now rector of Ladbrook in Warwickshire. Parr, Richard, 1591 or 2-1644. 1628 (1628) STC 19323; ESTC S114075 28,531 44

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not only to perswade imitatiō but also to enforce approbatiō frō the conuicted consciences of the gain-saiers No man is so badde but would conforme himselfe to good courses if they crossed not his priuate ends and though hee speake sometimes against the life yet would bee glad to die the death of the righteous Againe the very nature of man is more inclineable to be guided by a Longum iter per praecepta breue efficax per exempla Sence example then precept Though precepts and instructions be more reasonable yet exampies preuaile sooner because more obuious and familiar With what courage and life doe souldiers goe on if they behold a Commaunder ingag'd in some noble attempt his valour makes them couragious and his example is a powerfull argument to prouoke their emulation emulation puts them forwards to the imitation of excellent men as wee see in Themistocles b Vale Max l. 8. ca 15. in Plau. Apoth whom the trophees of Miltiades would not suffer to sleepe vntill by his like worthy acts he had purchased to himself a like glorious name as it is thus in meere naturall men and Heathens so should it bee amongst Christians in their Christian warfares Saint Paul takes this to be a most winning course and therefore hee cries Bee yee followers of mee as I am of Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 1. Cor. 11.1 Besides these motiues there are two weighty causes more why the liues and deaths of perfect and vpright men should bee exemplarie vnto vs the first is for the glory of God the second is for the iustice of God first the proposing of such mens liues as examples to our selues doth aduance the glorie of God because wee seeing or looking on their good workes do thereby learne to glorifie our Father which is in heauen Secondly the proposing of such mens deaths or ends makes for Gods iustice Ne Deus putetur iniquus it is the glosse vpon the place least God should be thought vniust whilest wee see the godly to suffer in paine and the wicked surfet in pleasure For which very cause Epicurus denieth Gods prouidence not dreaming of that great day of reckoning wherein the Lord shall come with 10000 Saintes to execute iudgement vpon all such men Iude. 15. or when the Lord Iesus shall bee reueal'd from heauen in flaming fire to execute vengeance on all men that would not know God d 2. Thes 1.7 nor obey the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ not dreaming that they who now surfet in pleasure shall one day suffer in paine and flames of hell fire if wee haue our heauen here wee must haue our hell hereafter Nemo potest in hâc vitâ in futurâ gaudere if our way in this world be pleasant and sweete wee shall not much care for our heauenly Hierusalem e Cui peregrinatio duleis est non amat patriam S. Aug. in Psal 93. which is aboue it is therefore the lot of the righteous to sow in teares here that they may reape in ioy hereafter they must weep in this vale of teares that they may sing and looke vp with joy vnto those hills from whence commeth saluation God in sacred writ is said to wipe away all teares and happie are they that canne shed them hee is said to gather and blessed are they that scatter them oh then let all the Epicures of the world wallow themselues in their sinfull pleasures for a season Let all inordinate persons put off the euill day and euen weary themselues in the wayes of wickednesse make a progresse in sinue adding thirst vnto drunkennesse but let all the Saintes and seruants of God runne in the wayes of vpright men and in patience waite vntill the day shall come wherein in they shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth let them I say in patience waite the Lords leasure and in patience runne the race that is set before them runne the race of the Perfect and vpright man least their liues and deaths runne to rise vppe in iudgement against them Let them so runne that they may obtain a 1. Cor. 9.24 and what Coronam gloriae a crowne of glorie in one b 1. Pet. 5.4 place let them so runne that they may obtaine and what Coronam vitae a Crowne of life in another place c Reuel 2.10 let them so runne that they may obtaine and what Coronam iustitiae a Crown of righteousues in a third place d 2. Tim. 4.8 All these Crownes a Crowne of glorie a Crowne of life a Crowne of righteousnesse shall God for his trueth and promise sake as rewardes giue vnto them if they propose and proposing follow in all good conscience the liues and deaths of perfect and vpright men Yea but such mens liues and deaths are rare examples Ob. non cuiuis contingit euery man cannot attaine to such perfection what then Est aliquid prodire tenus Sol. especially towards God who accepts the will for the deede Nay who stands at the doore and knockes beeing more willing to come to vs then wee to him Yea Ob. but such mens liues are full of difficulties anxieties and dangers Sol. true but what 's the issue a gracious deliuerance the blessing of Peace at the last many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers them out of all Who would haue thought that when Ioseph was in the dungeon hee should euer haue beene a Lord to his brethren or a prouident Father to a whole Nation Who would euer haue thought that when Iob was scraping his sores on the dung-hill hauing lost all his children al his cattel all his houses goods he should haue bin richer then euer he was Surely this is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes many were the troubles of good old Abraham but the Lord deliuer'd him out of all many were the troubles of good Dauid but the Lord deliuer'd him out of all What shall I say more many are the troubles of euery perfect and vpright man but the Lord deliuers him out of all all these troubles shall bring him peace at the last for the end of that man is peace our last querie or circumstance Marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is Peace The Schooles in their laborinths doe winde and turne peace by many distinctions Pars 3. Aquinas 22. q. 29. acric 1. and queries Aquinas in foure Articles makes 4 queries of Peace 1. Whether it be the self same thing with concord Secondly whether Peace bee an effect of charity Thirdly whether Peace bee desired of all And lastly whether Peace be a vertue For the first querie the verdict is brought in negatiue Peace is not the same with Concord for there may bee a concord amongst the wicked Simeon and Leui were fratres in malo brethren in euill Amongst
heart and inward affections is exdiametro oppos'd to hypocrisie dissimulation or double dealing with God God loues trueth in the inward affections and if God loue it wee must loue it and why because in a conformity with God stands mans felicitie In this integrity of heart and trueth in the inward affections are two things holinesse and sincerity opposite to sinne and hypocrine wee must write holinesse vnto the Lord or else wee shall neuer see God we must season all our actions with the grace of Sincerity else wee shall neuer please him but the speculation of these two graces holinesse and sincerity will be more cleare in the view of their opposites finne and hypocrisie Peccatum sinne in the Schoole of God is taught to be an exorbitancie a swaruing from the rule of trueth What sinne is a transgression of the law and sinne in the Schooles of men is taught to be mendacium a lye and to lye is to goe against the minde or for the tongue te giue to the heart the lye in shedding of blood the hand onely lyes or is false to the heart and in a common lye the tongue onely lyes against the heart but in hypocrisie is a generall lye of the whole man not the tongue onely lyes to the heart but the eye the hand the knee and the foote also the hand is lifted vppe to heauen the eyes looke vp to God the feete goe the knees bend and bowe in the Temple of GOD but where 's the heart doth that goe along with them no! The heart of the couetous man is where his treasure is the heart of the ambitious man is where his honour is and the heart of a voluptuous man is where his pleasure is Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet this is the trynitie which these worldlings worship for although their feete goe and their knees bowe in the Temple of God though their eyes and handes be lifted vp to heauen yet their hearts are groueling heer on earth it is the pollicy of sin to imitate sincerity and the guise of hypocrisie to follow the fashions of integrity the heires of darkenesse transforme themselues into Angels of Light and Bastard Christians can counterfeit perfect mens behauiours yet those heires of darkenesse are not children of the light nor these counterfeit true Christians and why because they come short in this grace of sincetity or integrity of heart The painter can paint the colour of the fire the forme of the flame thereof but cannot paint the heate of it right so the counterfeit cā resēble the perfect Christian in outward colours formes fashions but not in his integrity of heart or truth in the inward affections Esau can weepe bitterly like Hezechia Achab can put on sack-cloth like Mordecay and Saul can confesse in word I haue sinned as well as Dauid yet neither Esau nor Achab nor Saul was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perfect man and why because none of their hearts were perfect in the sight of the Lord such hypocrites are the greatest enemies to the Church and truth yet they will seeke protection both from truth and Church Soe Celsus and Antiphon writing against the truth entitle their treatise the booke of truth Soe Romes Proselites vnder the name of the Church a Origen contra Celsum ouerthrow the Church Leo tels them truly Bcclesiae nomine armamini b Leo ep 83. contra eam dimicatis Such men make conscience iustice the greatest martyrs in the world the greate man in doing mischiefe pretendes justice the meane man alwaies cōscience God a good cōscience are pretended on alsides thus making good Luthers Prouerbe c Luther in 3. ad Coll. In nomine Domini incipit omne malum In the name of God they Christen all their actions But God is the God of truth and loues trueth in the inward affections therefore such hypocrisie must needes bee an abomination vnto him it offends him it grieues his spirit and at last it shall grieue the soules of them who are the authors of it for it shall spoyle them of inward joy and peace of conscience here and of eternall joy and peace in the kingdome of heauen hereafter It is storied of Constantinus surnamed Copronymus that he was neque Christianus neque Iudaeus nec Paganus sed Colluuies quaedam impietatis that hee was neither Christian Iewe nor Pagan but a certaine masse or heape of impieties and so indeed are all hypocrites with the Iewes they salute Christ as their king yet buffet him they protect him with the Christian yet persecute him with the Pagan they are named Israelites but liue like Aethiopians they speake with the voyce of Iacob but worke with the hands of Esau and walke with the feete of Ioab that any man may perceiue not by their coate but their party-coloured conditions that they are bastards and no Christians But leaue we these Hypocrites to their bastard broode to their vtter condemnation to their vae vae vae woe woe woe in the Gospell come to our selues whilest condemnation falls on their pates would we haue the saluation of God shewed on vs then must we with our perfect man in the text order our conuersation aright and endeauour to serue God in the grace of integrity with cleane hands pure hearts for who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord a Psalm 24.4.5 euen he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart hee shall receiue the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his saluation And is there any way or meanes to know whether wee our selues or others are such men of cleane hands and pure hearts yes Ex fructibus cognoscetis by their fruites yee shall know them for good and godly men are like trees planted by the riuer side which bring forth their fruites in due season I demand then what are these seasonable fruits Psalm 1.3 doubtles they are good works those good worksare of 3. sorts of Piety towards God of equity towards our neighbour of sobriety towards our selues as the works so the fruites are of 3. sorts by the 1. God is glorified by the 2. our neighbour is edified by the 3. our cōsciences are cōforted cōfirm'd in the assurance of saluatiō For howsoeuer good work sare no meriting causes yet they are witnessing effects or assurances of saluatiō Make your calling election sure 't is S. Peters exhortation 2. Pet. 1.10 but how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good workes Beza confesseth he saw two greeke Manuscripts with those expresse words of the text good works haue no place in the act of iustificatiō for by good works causatiue shall not man liuing be iustified without good workes consequutiue shall no man liuing bee saued Oh that all disputing about good workes were turned into doing and that euery Christian would take it into his higher consideration that although he is not now justified by good
ubiest tanta consolatie forget your sadnesse in the midst of such ioyes and if these Consolations because vnseene will not dry vp the Fountaine of your teares nor cause you to lift vp your heads then thinke vpon the great Comfort which you saw with your owne eyes his death his end which was crown'd with the blessings of Peace and now at length after much tediousnesse giue me leaue to determine what it is to end or dye in Peace What it is to end in Peace Pax cogitationis To end in Peace with Euthymius is to end in Pace Cogitationis in peace of minde as it is opposed to doubting To end in peace with S. Cyprian Pax securitatis is to end in Pace securitatis in peace of security as it is opposed to finall falling To end in peace with Origen Pax conscienti● is to end in Pace conscientiae in peace of conscience as it is opposed to despairing To end in peace witholde Iraeneus Pax mortis is to end in Pace mortis in the peace of death as it is opposed to labouring Againe to end in peace is to end in Pace Dei Pax Dei Proxim● Sui in the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding i. farre beyond mens apprehensions To end in peace is to end in pace proximi in peace with our neighbours i. when no out-cryes or exclamations follow vs And lastly to end in peace is to end in pace sui in peace with our selues i. when no distractions or perturbations of minde molest vs. Let happier wits find out or invent yet more wayes let them take a Peacefull end or death which way soeuer they will or can yet a Peacefull death is still the consequence of a perfect life and therefore in the next place be pleas'd to take speciall notice what a necessary and infallible dependance there is betwixt an vpright life Note Qualis vita finis us and a happie and Peacefull death The day necessarily followes the rising of the Sunne and the night is as necessary a consequence of the falling of the same and the same reciprocall dependance there is betwixt a good life and a godly death I haue liu'd perfectly for so the Text argues That is I haue had in some measure a respect to the Commaundements of God I haue liu'd vprightly and kept my selfe vnspotted of the world what then why then I shall haue peace at the last and so S. Paul argues I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2 Tim. 4.7.8 what then why henceforth there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse Oh then let vs fight a good fight with S. Paul Let vs be followers of him as hee was of Christ Iesus that we with him may receiue a Crowne of righteousnesse The different ends of good and bad liues Let vs keep the faith and be constant vnto death then God for his promise sake shal giue vs a Crown of Life Let vs dye vnto sinne wee shall liue vnto righteousnesse Let our bodies be the instruments of Gods glory in this World and they shall bee vessels of honour in the world to come But if we liue heere without grace then we must looke to dye without hope if wee sell our selues to worke wickednesse euen with greedinesse then we must expect to dye or end comfortlesse voide of that great blessing in the Text Peace I conclude then with S. Bernards exhortation Si vis in pace mori sis servus Dei hee that will end in peace must serue the God of peace And thus Right Honourable right worshipfull and the rest heloued in our best beloued Christ Iesus I haue indeavourd to fulfill the will of the dead first in preaching according to my small measure of knowledge for the instruction of the liuing then in stirring them vp after my plaine manner by proposing vnto their higher considerations the patternes of perfect and vpright men the fittest Champions for their imitation For what man liues better then the vpright man and what man dyes better then the man that dyes in Peace which was the accomplishment of Abrahams blessing Thou shalt goe to thy Fathers in Peace Gen. 5.15 in peace of minde free from doubting in Peace of security free from finall falling in Peace of conscience free from despairing in peace of death free from labouring and which is aboue all in the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding The Sermon is done for the instruction of the liuing it now beginnes for the honour and commemoration of the dead IT hath beene an Auncient custome in the Church of God for the Fathers to honour the deaths of Gods Saints by giuing vnto them their iust and due praises that the Liuing hearing of their good liues and deathes may learne to glorifie their Father which is in Heauen for them Thus was Theodosius honour'd by S. Ambrose thus was Athanasius honor'd by Nazianzene thus Marcella honour'd by S. Hierom and Malachy Gerrard by S. Bernard And yet such hath beene the shameful abuse of this Auncient custome in the Church 06 by the glozing tongues of some Parasites rather then Preachers that for vs it will be a matter of great difficultie without the scandall and aspersion of flattery to speake of him the history of whose Life and death cals for a Liuie rather then a Florus and for a Demosthenes rather then for a Phocion and yet I shall remember on what holy ground I stand in whose presence I stand in the presence of men and Angels which is most of all in the presence of the Almighty who searcheth the hearts reines If then in such a presence I willingly call euill good apparell Vice in the Liverie of Vertue then let my tongue cleaue to the roof of my mouth But If in such a presence I speake the truth I lye not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost then let such a presence witnesse with mee that our Honourable and right Christian Lord was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfect and vpright man in euery sense and interpretation we haue made of him The perfect man in our first sense or interpretation is the man who hath respect to all the Commaundements of God not allowing himselfe in the breach of any one of them And that hee had such a respect to the Commaundements of God Appeares 1 In his loue to God 2 In his loue to his Neighbour His loue to God appeared first by the exercise of his devotion and religious duties both in publique and priuate morning euening Secondly in the great incouragement countenance he gaue to the Ministers of God by hearing them with a great deale of attention diligence piety by conferring with them with a great deale of devotion humanity by his curteous vsage of them feeding them like good Obadiah alwayes at