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
lie giuen them Psal 4.2 And the Prophet Ierem. 9.23.24 exhorteth all those that haue them in no case to be ouer-ioyed or puffed vp with them Let not saith he the wise man reioyce in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength neither the rich man in his riches But if any glory let him in this that hee knoweth me that sheweth mercy and iudgement Secondly as his glory is so is himselfe nothing better but vanitie 1. First vanitie being taken from so fraile and brittle an element 2. Secondly vanitie being so subiect euery moment to be dissolued into the same againe and in the meane while meeting with such and so many sorrowes and with so few and such mixed pleasures that leauing the stage hee may close vp his part with that speech of Iob 4. I had for inheritance the moneths of vanitie Seeing then that man with all his glory is vanitie let vs not then I pray you build vpon him in the least regard placing our trust and confidence in him No saith the Psalmist 46.3 not in Princes One reason is there for there is no helpe in them There is another Isa 2.22 for their breath is in their nostrils And here in my text the ground of both For they are but vanitie Secondly as we build not vpon others so let vs not I pray you build vpon our selues in regard of any outward priuilege whatsoeuer seeing wee are no better then others but euen vanitie as well as they But here let me make a stay a little and propound two questions which being answered then will I draw to a conclusion The first shall be this What the reason should be that God being so strong and man so weake the wicked notwithstanding all this should liue and wax old and grow in wealth Iob 2.7 These are Gods enemies why doth hee then suffer them seeing if he please he can so suddenly consume them To this I answer that long life together with the fruition and enioyment of these outward things are not alwayes a blessing and if they be surely rather Esaus yea euen in Esaus eye they are not the best which maketh him so discontented with his brother for leauing him but only this And in truth God suffereth the wicked oft times as Dauid did both Absolom and Adonijah from their cradle laying the raynes vpon their necks and giuing them their hearts desire his rod is not vpon them Iob 21.7.8.9 they spend their dayes in ease and pleasure and all this in the end for their ruine Such lenitie as this in man is crueltie in God seueritie A sore punishment that God oft times inflicteth vpon the worst men Psal 78.29 in giuing them vp to their hearts desire The foole hath his ease and this slaieth him But secondly there are diuers other speciall ends that our heauenly Father propoundeth to himselfe in all this I will name but some of them First to allure and draw the prophane man to repentance Rom. 2.4 knowest thou that the patience and long suffering and beautifulnesse of the Lord leadeth thee to repentance 2. Secondly that Asher may be the rodde of his wrath and staffe of his indignation Isa 10.51 to scourge and humble his Church and people for their iniquities Thirdly to take away in the end all excuse from them That thou mightest be iustified when thou speakest and cleare when thou iudgest Psal 50.4 And lastly to shew vnto the world that the happinesse of a Christian resteth not in these outward and fading things but that there is another recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 to which Moses and all the faithfull haue from the beginning looked of higher nature and more noble consequence My second demaund shall be the reason why the Lord thus sparing the wicked man and miscreant doth in the meane time rebuke and chastice his dearest seruants and oft-times in this very kinde cutting them off in their flourishing age 1 Cor. 3.22 Now the Resolution in a word that not onely afflictions but death it selfe is to the seruants of God great aduantage Phil. 1.21 And first for afflictions they serue most excellently to weare and wast away by little and little that body of death or rather sinne that is the cause of death and whereof the Apostle so exceedingly complaineth Rom. 7.24 These are the refining pot Eze. 22.20 Pro. 17.3 of the Lord whereby he purgeth his gold from the drosse and his cutting knife wherewith he cleanseth his vine Ioh. 15.1 and is daily pruning of the superfluous branches Secondly to weane them more and more from this world that with the Epicures they should not make their nest hereupon the earth or with the Israelites delight too much in this their Egypt but that loathing the Tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 they should long hourely for the habitation of Sion Thirdly To make the kingdome of heauen they being once entred the same the more pleasant and delightfull to them The poore Pilgrime that hath now beene deteined sometime in forraine parts farre from his natiue soile the worse his condition hath beene the more welcome is his home vnto him with what cheere doth hee enter his doores and with what contentment doth he sit him downe in the middest of his friends flocking on all hands to congratulate his returne His misery past is instantly forgotten or if he speaketh of it at any time it is alwaies with much delight Doubtlesse this is the estate of all the seruants of God their pilgrimage once ended and they through manifold afflictions entred that blessed Pallace by how much they haue more suffered by so much are their ioyes more augmented Here they were contemned and spurned at How comfortable then are the embracings of that heauenly company vnto them Here naked or at the leastwise in ragges and patches How welcome then are those pure garments the pretious robes of Christs righteousnesse to them Here hungrie and thirsty Apoc. 7.9 How happy then doe they thinke themselues being once set at Table with Abraham and his sonnes Mark 8. feasting and banqueting in the kingdome of God Lastly hereby those graces that otherwise would lie hid and buried within them or at leastwise not shew themselues so clearely are discouered and made manifest to the world These being the sharpe and cutting windes of the Lord that blowing vpon his garden cause these blessed flowers to cast forth their sauour They bring indeed darknesse with them but onely to this end that the beautie of these pretious Diamondes may be the better veiwed and more plainely discerned Secondly as these so death it selfe is gaine vnto them die they sooner or later If later then they are Schollers longer trained vp in the Schoole of Christ and hauing greater experience of the goodnesse of God attaine to an higher pitch in grace and fuller ripenesse in Christ Secondly if Christ calleth sooner the sooner doth Bartimeus throw off his patched cloake And the sooner the Angell calleth
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