drunkennes to thirst as it pleaseth God by Moyses to speake to his people of Israell in that time Deu. 29. ver 19. For if wee shoulde doe so in the woordes there immediately following the Lorde telleth vs what we shall surely trust vnto namely that he will not be mercifull to any such But his wrath and ielousie shall smoke against such and euery curse written in the booke of the lawe shall light vppon them and hee will put out their name from vnder heauen Wherefore to conclude this part let eveâ—â— of â—s learne to doe as Ieremi hath councelled vs Lam. 3. vers 40. that is search and trye our waies and turne vnto the Lorde lifting vp our handes and heartes vnto him in the heauens for mercy to vs and out Lande for as he faith in the twenty two verse of that Chapter our manifolde and great sinâ— considered so we haue cause to say also it is the Lordes mercies that we bee not consumed And further let Ezechiel teach vs this one lesson more that not onelye â—ee our selues euerie one for his owne particuler must thus turne to God from all our sinnes but that wee must cause others so to turne or else he will not once promise vs that iniquitie shall not be our destruction Cap. 18 vers 30. For euery man is bound to do what lyeth in him to draw on those that any way by his vocation in Church or common weal he hath a charge of And but that I hasten to the consolation I shoulde here teach you that this conuersion of ours to God must bee speedy without procrastination constant without interruption harty without dissimulation vniuersal without exception huÌ„ble without ostentation and yet faithful without all distrust or doubting For thus hath the word taught it ought to be if we would haue it to be acceptable before the Lorde to put of his iudgementes from vs that otherwise by our sinnes we haue deserued But let thus much suffise touching the Prophets complaint and the vse that wee are to make of it and nowe let vs proceede to the comforte or consolation that hee giues in these wordes of his Wherin as I haue said we are to consider whom be comfortes and therefore how he describes them then how he comforts them and therefore what the comforts be that he sets down for such He describes them in general to be every one that walketh before God in the latter verse and in the former more particularly to be righteous or mercifull men of these thinges therefore now orderly as they are preposed let vs consider By walking by an vsuall Metaphore in the scriptures we are to vnderstande liuing and hauing our conuersation in which sence saith God to Abraham Gen. 17. ve 1. walke before mee and be thou vpright that is â—ot and haue thy conuersation And 1. Corint 9. by a like metaphore the life of a Christian is compared to the running of a race the consideration of which metaphors may and ought to teach vs that as it is our dutie according to Christes counsail Luk. 13.24 to striue to get into this way wherein wee must walke and run and that betime â—e cause it is written Eccl. 12. vers 1. remember thâ— creator in the daies of thy youth whiles the euill daies comes not nor the yeares approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them so likewise when wee are got in that wee maie neither stande still nor goe backe but that we are to walke and runne right forwarde taking heede that neither we run round about nor â—ow of this side now oâ— that And therefore we haue a râ—â—t giuen vs. Heb. 12. vers 13. to make straight steps vnto our feere and there also we are â—arned to take heede of al halting in this way lest so we beturned out of the way Thus therefore to walke or to runne this race importes that therein there is some difficultie and that there had neede bee good paynes taken thereabout Whereuppon the Apostle Paule in the foresaide place to the Corint 9. hauing saide so run that ye may obtaine to prouoke vs not to think it much though so to do cost vs some paines he first tels vs that they that striue for â—asteries though they do it to obtain a corruptible crowne yet abstayne from all thinges that might hinder them and then hee layes before vs to the same ende his owne example howe that hee the better to runne this race bett downe his own bodie and brought it into subiection verse 25.27 And Hebrewes 12. verse 1. most plainelye hee calles vppon vs to cast awaye euery thinge that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on and so then saith let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs c. Wherefore the difficultie hereof considered we had need euery one to runne vnto God for helpe in this case saying with Dauid Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes teach me O Lorde the way of thy statutes direct mee in the path of thy commandementes Psal 119. vers 5.33.35 Nowe touching this our walking seeing it must hee as I haue saide or else it is not that that heere the Prophet requires in those whome hee woulde comforte sure wee maye bee that there is prescribed vs by GOD who would haue vs to walke before him that is so that he may take pleasure and delyte in our walking some perfect rule from which wee maye not decline either to the right hande or left and this surely is his owne reuealed will and â—oorde For that is an ancient rule of God in matter of his seruice ye shall put nothing vnto the woorde which I commaunde you neither shall yee take ought there from as wee reade Deuteronomie 4. vers 2. and therefore saith he Esay 8. To the Lawe and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this woorde it is because there is no light in them ver 20. And therfore euen kings are commaunded by the Lorde to reade in the booke of the Lorde all dayes of their life Deuteronomie 17.19 And Iosua particularly to meditate therein daye and night that it might neuer depart out of his mouth that he might obserue and doe according to all thinges written therein neuer turning from the rule thereof either to the right hande or lefte Iosua the first verse 7. and 8. And wee may bee sure God is at the same point still and euer will bee and therefore both Isaiah the 29. verse 13. and Matthew 15. verse 9. as Christ hath alleadged it wee may see that both in the old testament and newe God hath counted them but vaine worshippers howe neare so euer they drawe vnto him in woordes whose feare is taughte by the preceptes of menne teaching for doctrine mens preceptes all which kinde of worshipping or seruing of God Paule condemne vnder the name of will worshippe or voluntarie religion though otherwise it carrie neuer such shew of humblenesse
body in that the other brought mirhhe aloes an 100. pouÌ„d weight that so with sweet odours according to the maner of the Iews they might bury him Ioh 19.38.39 c. Surely Gen 50. it is recorded that when old father Iacob was dead the care of his funeral was coÌ„mitted vnto his son Ioseph that not onlie he caused by his phisitiaÌ„s his body to be embalmed but also with an Honorable coÌ„pany great solemnity though to his very great cost according to his fathers desire he carried it froÌ„ Aegipt into the land of Canaan to bury him with his fathers AbrahaÌ„ Isaac in the caue field that AbrahaÌ„ had bought to bury in of Ephron the Hittite this is writeÌ„ in his coÌ„mendation was indeed both a notable argument in him of piety towards his dead father also of hope that he had of the resurrection And therfore though I wish that al superstitioÌ„ needles vndecent superfluitie be abaÌ„doned in such cases generally in the burial of the dead yet I caÌ„not but greatly like coÌ„mend that such decent comlie order be kept therin that maie according to euery mans degree argue nourish both these amongst al his welwillers that he hath left behinde him And therefore once againe I cannot but reioice in al your behalfes that you were also of one minde as I know you were that this last duety should so Honorably be performed vnto the bodie of this Honorable Lord as it was ther in you maie all take comfort Further it ought to be now ground of no smal consolation vnto you al three that one hath had of him that thus Honorablie liued an died such a son in Law the other such a husband the third so worthie a father as he was For if it be matter of discomfort of the contrarie as everie one seeth by experience therfore wil confesse it is whie should not this alwaies be matter of reioicing to euerie of your Honors as oft as either you remember him or heare him remembred by others And such a neere and domesticall example ought both to comfort much also to provoke to imitatioÌ„ of the same I hope pray God that it maie that so yet though to vs he be dead gone yet his vertues noble qualities maie stil liue shine to the comfort of al his welwillers in his that he hath left behinde him Finallie iustlie maie it be a comfort vnto you so to the praise glorie of God I would wish you al hartelie to take it so and vse it that euerie one of you to saie no more haue so iust cause both before God man to comfort your selues one in another as you haue one that she hath such a daughter daughters sonne the other that the Lord in his mercifull providence hath giuen her both such an Honorable careful louing mother and a good and toward son the third that he hath so vertuous religious Honorable both grandmother mother O howe ought this to abate and moderate your former sorrow seeing now there is no remedie And what an excellent and strong means are you and J hope will be as long as you liue together not onlie of comfort everie waie one vnto another but of counsailing directing and strengthening where most neede is one of another in a holie course A threefold corde is not easilie broken saith the Preacher Cap. 4. ver 12. But the greatest comfort of all that both you and all other of Gods children in the midst of all the afflictions of this life haue is this that that God whom you serue remaineth for euer one selfe same that hee is al sufficient an exceeding great rewarde to his that his providence howsoeuer thinges fall out standeth immutable and that therfore without al question howsoeuer we cannot perceiue it as the first al things therefore euen those thinges also which seeme vnto vs most to crosse the same shal by his diuine wisedome and power turne to the good and benefit of his Rom. 8.28 With al these things therfore once againe beseeching you to comfort your selues one another praying the Lord effectuallie you maie so doe that all his good blessings to your own euerlasting saluation maie be powred and continued vpon everie of you all yours for euer J cease from anie further troubling of your Honors at this time As Blechley this first of December 1593. Your Honors alwaies most ready and willing to be as commandement Thomas Sparke IN OBITVM CLARISSIMI HErois Domini Arthuri Greij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Curuae in terras animae quaecunque piorum Creditis extinctas vnà cum corpore mentes O vanos questus ô pectora plena furoris St quando in superûm sedes quos Ioua recepit Speratis fletu rursus deducere Coelo Debetis fateor lachrymas Iusta sepultis Sed transire modum scelus perijsse putare Quos Christus seruat mortem qui morte peremit At dolor extorquet luctus in funera tanti Herois Certè nostrae non infima gentis Gloria defluxit grauis inclementia fati Cum tulit hunc terris vt lucida viseret astra Is fuit ex atauis Heroibus editus Heros Relligione pius constantimente probatus Consilio prudens iustis animosus in armis Câ—llatis signis rigidos qui fudit Hybernos Quos per inaccessos saltus vdasque paludes Insequitur subigens extremo Marte rebelles Pro patriâ pugnans sanctis arisque focisque Turma Caledonias dum vastat Gallica terras Ore cicatrices aduerso pectore fortis Vulnera multa tulit nunquam dare terga coactus Talis apud Graecos magnus celebratur Achilles Talis Albertus cui magni nomen Achillei Teutonis or a dedit surgunt vbi moenia Brenni Hoc animo Decij hoc olim caluere Metelli Qui se pro patriâ pro libertate Penatum Deuouere neci quos laus aeterna moratur Ioannes Sanfordus Isaiah 57. verse 1.2 1 The righteous perisheth no man considereth it 〈◊〉 hart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evell to come 2 Peace shall come they shall rest in their beddes every one that walketh before him THE occasion of this our present meeting Right honorable Right worshipfull and wel be loued â—rooâ— Lord and Sauiour 〈…〉 and the consider 〈…〉 the â—aies and ciliâ—â—◠〈…〉 in we liue haue for 〈…〉 me to make cheefe of 〈◊〉 portion of scripture at this time For natâ—â—â—â— standing that the Lord hath now taken from vs to 〈…〉 selfe this Right Noble and worthy Lord whose â—â—â—â—nerall we are here now about and the buriall of whose bodie wee are anone to fee and that â—â—â—wise hee hath within these few yeares taken 〈◊〉 by death from this land very many of our most 〈…〉 Earles Lords and Knights as it is wel◠〈…〉 beside many others of
died such a one doubtles as he here talkes of was taken away and about that time it may be many others of the best sort died also But forasmuch as howsoeuer the righteous are taken away whether it be by the violent persecution of tyrants by the plague or by any disease or means els yet the prophet might speake of them whatsoeuer he hath done here it is very harde for any man precisely to determine in respect of what time of his life he vttered these wordes Wherefore in that point to leaue euery man free to his owne iudgement by his owne wordes so much is apparant that they were set downe by him in respect of such a time when of that small number that were such as here he describes in his opinion so many dropt away by one kinde of death or other that the security and carelesnes of the rest that notwithstanding considered he had iust cause to complaine that no man would lay the deaths of such to heart or once vnderstand that the Lord thereby prognosticated a further euell to come And vttering this his complaint it is further worthy to be noted that he speaking in the sense of the wicked careles and secure people in his time he saith the righteous perisheth thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that indeede that was the fashion of such so to iudge of those whoÌ„ ether they by their tyranny had dispatcht or whoÌ„ god otherwise by some painefull maner of death whereunto the righteous is as well subiect as others had taken hence And indeede wisedome the 3. vers 2. â—-3 it is said that in the sight of the vnwise the righteous whose soules are in the hand of God and not torment shal touch them ver 1. appeare to die their end is thought grieuous and their departing from vs to be destruction and againe Chapt. 5. vers 4. they are brought in confessing asmuch themselues saying we fooles thought their life madnes and their end to haue beene without honor And this doubtles was some occasion of griefe to the holy Prophet and so some cause of this his complaint that he sawe the wicked so ready thus lewdly to iudge speake of the deaths of such And therefore to reforme them in this point and to make it appeare what he would haue al men to thinke of the deathes of such what maner of death soeuer it were he by and by addeth that such are but taken away or conueyed or gathered hence for so the word is also translated of some from the euill to come Further in that he saith no maÌ„ coÌ„sidereth it in hart that the righteous perisheth none vnderstaÌ„deth that the righteous merciful men are taken away froÌ„ the euil to come it is euideÌ„t that the Prophet was of this iudgmeÌ„t that it was a thing to be lameÌ„ted sorrowed for hartily to be complained of if in such bad times as these were wherof he speaketh men should coÌ„tinue in security notwithstaÌ„ding the Lord seeketh by taking the most worthy away froÌ„ them to driue them from the same yea that it was a strong argument or signe of some great euill likely shortly to fall vpon them that would not thereby be awaken Seing therfore that euen this yeare we caÌ„not but remeÌ„ber that the Lord hath taken hence first the Lord Wentworth theÌ„ the Earle of Darby and nowe as we see this noble and worthy Lord Gray al in their seueral places and countries right excellent men and besides we cannot be ignorant that within these 8. or 9. yeares likewise the Lord hath taken from vs a great number of the most worthie noble Earles Lords and Knights that England hath had many a day and that also by wars the plagne and other diseases we haue lost within a very small time more then we can number of very valiant wise and vertuous men who seeth not that in this respect we may say aswell as euer Isaiah did the righteous mercifull men are taken away And as for the security of the rest for all this surely I feare me we are no whit behinde the people in his time the restâ—â— in as great daÌ„ger as they were God of his mercy giue vs grace to see our fault therein to amend in time Thus we hauing seene in generall what he â—â—â—plained of and what driue him so to doe th◠〈◊〉 we are to make therof is to be as careful a◠〈◊〉 that we geue none such as he was any sin 〈◊〉 to morne and complain of vs as he did of thâ—â— people of his time And the better that we may as we ought indeede make this vse of his complaint let vs 〈◊〉 see in particular how he proues them to 〈◊〉 as of whome in generall he had occasion thus 〈◊〉 complaine The first reason is that none considered in heart or as it is in the Hebrewe no man 〈◊〉 hart that the righteous so perished and were taken away as we haue heard The vse of which phrase in the scripture is to expresse a carefull and harty consideration of a thing and in this place doubtles therby the prophet meaneth that no man so sorrowed in his heart for the dropping away so fast of the righteous and mercifull men as there was cause in respect of the losse of such Otherwise in another sence there were enow then wee may bee sure that laide the deathes of such but too fast to their hearts to harten and harden on themselues in sin and impiety for that by this meanes they that most bridled and curbed them from bold and secure rushing and breaking out beyond all bondes of piety and honesty to wring and wrong others or to defile themselues were taken out of their way And this the prophet himselfe both in the verse immediatly going before my text and in the next verse but one after it plainly sheweth he did perceiue for in the former of these two verses in that I meane next before my text he bringes in the wicked liuing in those very times when the righteous died thus fast hartening themselues in this manner saying Come I will bring wine and we will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morrow shall bee as this day and much more abundant and in the other after that in the very next verse after my text hee hath giuen such their due tyles calling them witches children and sonnes of the adulterer and whore he faieth vnto theÌ„ on whom haue ye iested on whom haue you gaped and thrust out your toung thereby as it should seeme describing the triumphing and insulting of the wicked that the righteous and most worthy men that troubled crossed them in their waies were now as they thought as water spilt vppon the ground And surely it is much to be feared that euen now amongst vs there are in corners and when they are where they may be bold that in this prophane wicked manner lay to their hartes to solace there them withall the
deathes of the most worthie men amongst vs. But whosoeuer they bee that thus take occasion to make themselues merry from hence from whence they shoulde indeede take occasion to mourne and lament let them vnderstand that the Lord by this our prophet Isaiah hauing called that people to fasting and mourning that were in his time and they falling to feasting and laughing he tels them that that their sin was declared in the eares of the Lord of hosts and that therevpon this was his flat decree and sentence of them that that their iniquitie shoulde not bee purged vntill they died Cap. 22. vers 14. Wherefore the better to make vs to take to hart the dying of the worthy men amongst vs not in this wrong fence but in the sence and manner that here it appeares the Prophet wished let vs now consider what reason hee had to complaine and to take this for one speciall particuler signe of intollerable security that men woulde not mourne and lament and so laie to their heartes the deathes of such doubtles he knew that such kinde of men were the bands sinnews yea the very pillors and buttresses of the good estate both of the Church common weale and that therfore the taking away of such howsoeuer secure prophane men made no reckoning thereof was indeed a heauy iudgment of God vpon al that they left behind them For the wicked are therby the more hardned and hartened to al iniquitie so to hasten Gods further iudgements vpon the land wherin such liue the Godly are therby greatly weakned in this wicked world before men for lacke of assistaunce by such against the wrongs oppressions of the vngodly And it is euident that he knew this most perfectly for in his third Chapter he hauing threatned the people of his time that for their sins the Lord woulde take from them the stay and strength though in the particularising wherein the stay and strength of a citty and country lyeth hee name bread and drinke in the first place because as it should seeme wtout theÌ„ men cannot coÌ„tinue at all yet by by he reckoneth the strong maÌ„ the man of warre the iudge the Prophet the prudent the aged the Honorable the counceller c. As them without whom neither Citty nor countrey can long enioy anie good beeing For such being taken a waie be shewes the consequent thereof is likely to be this that some as vnfit as children and babes to rule shal succeede them whereuppon would follow great oppression one of another and confusion And it seemeth by the conference of these 2. places together as he threatned that people for their sins this iudgement about the beginning of his prophesying so or he died he sawe the same in great measure in extention vpon them Howe could he therefore but in this respect mourne in that all this not withstanding he could obserue none that mourned vnder the burden of this iudgement as they should For as it argues a wonderfull harde heart either in childe or seruant that will not once melt or mouâ—nâ— when the he aâ—ie blowes of father or maister are sounding vpon their shoulders so cannot this be taken but as an argument both then no we of inâ—ollerable senselesnes if in the daily execution of this heauie iudgement of God vpon vs we should shew our selues by our not taking or to heart at all to be such as neither see it nor feele it to be a iudgement or any punishment vpon vs. Yea the very wicked themselues howsoeuer in their own foolish vaine conceits they haue cause to be merry for the death of such yee indeede and truth if they looke well into gods dealing with his own deare seruants in taking theÌ„ away through many tribulations often in the end also by painful and tormenting kinde of deathes haue iust cause thereby ministred vnto them to say and thinke with Peter Epist 1. cap. 4. vers 17. â— 18. if iudgement begin at the house of God and the righteous themselues so hardly be saued what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospell of God where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare For if these things be don to a green tree saith Christ Luk. 23.31 what shall be done to the drie But and if this will not serue to make such to bethink them of their owne sinnes and of the iudgements of God due vnto them for the same I would wish them further to vnderstand that when the enemies of gods people were so far off from taking out this lesson by beholding the miseries and afflictions of gods own people that rather they tooke occasion because of their owne florishing estate in health and wealth for that present to insult and to triumph ouer them that the Prophet Ieremie was commanded by the Lord to say vnto al such drink al be drunken spew and fal rise no more because of the sword that I will send amoÌ„gst you but and if they refuse to take the cup at thy hand to drinke saith the Lord vnto him then tell them thus saith the Lord of hosts ye shal certainly drink for loe I begin to plague the citty where my name is cald vpon and shall you go free you shall not go quite Ierem. 25. vers 27. c. Ahab and Iezabell a while made themselues merry at the death of Naboth 1. Kings 21 but marke the sequele of that story and you shal finde that neither of them had any cause to be merry nor any of their posterity ere the Lord had done with them for it Wherefore though the vngoldy for a time liue wax old and grow in wealth and their seed be established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies their houses be peaceable without feare and the rod of God be not vpon them as Iob obserued it was with some of them wheÌ„ it was far otherwise with him Cap. 21. vers 7. c. or though they find it to be with them as Dauid noted when it was nothing so well with himselfe Psal 73. vers 4. c. that there be no bands in their death but they are lusly and strong that they be not in trouble as other men nor be plagued with others that therfore pride is as a chein vnto them cruelty couereth theÌ„ aâ— a garment and their eies stand out for fatnes and they haue more then their heart can wish c. Yet neither let this dismay the godly nor be taken to bee any sound ground of confort for the other Indeede it appeares that euen the very godly haue sometimes beene offended troubled hereat insomuch that Iob himselfe Cap. 21. vers 6. and Dauid Psal 73. vers 2. and 3. Yea euen Ieremie Cap. 12. vers 2. and 3. and Habacuk an other Prophet of the Lord Cap. 1. vers 13. and 14. doe most plainly confesse asmuch by themselues Notwithstanding certaine it is that Dauids rule is very
of minde and of not sparing the body as you may reade Colos 2. verse 23. very will therefore hath Dauid taught vs first that a younge man may redresse his waie in taking heede therto according to Gods word and after that his worde was a light vnto his path and a lanterne vnto his feete Psal 119. ver 9. 10. Wherupon afterward in the same Psalme ver 133. â—e makes this prayer vnto God saying order my steps O Lorde according to thy word so no iniquity shall haue dominion ouer me I say therfore vnto you with S. Peter as new borne babes if so be you haue tasted howe bountifull the Lord is desire that milk that is that instruction to direct you in this walke that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that commeth from the word or is according to the word for that wil Peeter onely warrant you to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is without deceit sound good 1. ep 2.2 And marke that the same S. Peter tels the Christians in his time that they were by Christ redeemed froÌ„ the vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers 1. ep Cap. 1.18 For thereby you maye perceiue that walking or conuersatioÌ„ may be vaine that hath for the warrant of it both fathers and their traditions so can none that hath grouÌ„d from the word of the Lord. But then may some say where is this word of God to be found that al this while you commend vnto vs to be the onely sound and safe rule to walke by To this I answere this treasure pearle is onely to be found in the fielde of the Canonicall scriptures of the old and new testament and therfore no where else to be sought for And therefore as it may be obserued throughout al the newe testament Christ and his Apostles whither they were to confirm truth to confute error or to exhort to godlines or to dehorte from the contrary still fetch their light and ground from the ancient scriptures And Paule speaking onely of the scriptures which were written when Timothie was a childe 2. Timothie 3. verse 15. saieth that they were hable to make him wise to saluation and after addeth not onely that the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse but also so farre as that euen thereby the man of God may bee absolute beeing made perfecte vnto all good woorkes And it is euident by Christes saying Iohn 5. vnto the Iewes search the scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life verse 39. that this was the common opinion of the Iewes of them that they were sufficient to direct them to saluation Howe can we then thinke but that nowe much more the whole newe Testamente beeing ioyned vnto the former contayning as it doeth both a most lightsome exposition of the former and also consummating the same wee haue cause so to account of them Sure I am whatsoeuer our late Romanistes thinke and write to the contrary because if this principle bee once receaued they knowe well enough their opinions wherein wee stande against them can no longer haue anie countenaunce wee haue a number of vs most plentifullie in Print shewed them the whole Church that this was the opinion of all the Churches of Christ and of all the learned fathers therein for 600. years after Christ at least Indeede then if we woulde haue them to bee and proue thus vnto vs wee must search them as Christ hath commaunded Iohn 5. and we haue need meditate therin day and night as we haue heard Iosua for all the great busines that otherwise he had commanded to doe and as we read it set downe for a Property of euery man that would be blessed Psal 1.2 And no other good meanes of hearing them opened vnto vs by preaching or anie way else that we can come by must bee neglected but carefully and religiously vsed and with all other means hartye and often prayers vnto God in all humility must be made that it would please God so by his spirit the authour thereof to inlighten our darke harts that we may vnderstand them aright For this is to search for wisedome that lies hid therin as for siluer and to search for it as for treasures and to watch dayly at her gates and to giue attendaÌ„ce at the posts of her dores as we are commanded to doe prou 2.4 8.33 and thus doing if withall wee forget not with Dauid still to crie vnto God open my eies that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe Psal 119. vers 18. so calling after knowledge and crying after vnderstanding as we are taught pro. 2. vers 3. then and not else we are there promised that we shal vnderstand the feare of the Lord finde the knowledge of God to direct vs aright in al our waies before the Lord vers 5.52 Most fearefull are the examples that we haue in these scriptures of Gods wrath breaking out against such as haue not in the seruice that they haue tendred him first carefully set this rule before their eies yea though otherwise they seemed to haue neuer so deuout and good meanings therein To this ende to let passe the infinite examples of grosse idolaters vppon whome in most fierce maner his wrath hath broken out to the vtter destruction of them their countries as herein often is recorded who yet often would seeme so feruent in seruing of God after their fashion that they would spare no cost no not to sacrifice their own sonnes in the fire let vs but consider of three or foure that fell out amongst Gods owne people Doe we not read Levit 10. that Nadab Abihu offred incense with their censors vpon strange fire which the Lorde had not commaunded them and that therefore a fire went out before the Lord and deuoured them so that they died before him vers 1.2 And what other cause was there that the Lorde smote of the men of Beth-shemesh 5070 men but that of a fond affection and blind deuotion as it should seeme for ioy that it was come home froÌ„ the Philistines and to see whether all were safe therin they looked into the Arke contrary to the rule of the word Numb 4. giuen in that behalfe Notable likewise in shewe was the occasion and inâ—ent that Saul had both in his offring burnt offring in the absence of Samuel 1. SaÌ„ 13. ver 11. in his pâ—oples sparing the life of Agag and some of his cattel ca. 15. ver 15. but yet because in both these he walked without direction and warrant from the word of the Lord in both those places immediatly vpon his answere we read that he was told he had done foolishly that the Lord was so angry with him therfore that he should leese his kingdome But that which we read touching Dauids bringing home of the Arke 2. Sa. 6. 1. Chr. 13. and
from time to time vnto the end as I was I neuer hearde any word of impatiency thereby wrong from him but still the more sore his fits were and his sicknes grew the more earnest and holy prayers and meditations came from him insomuch that he continued praying and calling vpon God to take him hence vnto himselfe in peace to haue mercy vpon him for his Christ his sake to receaue his spirit vntill the very last ghaspe only the mercies of God in Christ Iesus promised all the time of his sicknes as very often he protested were his comfort acknowledging stil that but for them he were a most miserable wretch yet they being such as they were he would neuer geue ouer trusting in him howsoeuec hee dealt with him From the beginning of his sicknes it seemeth that he had receiued in himselfe the sentence of death and therefore after neuer minded wordly thing 〈◊〉 then needs must his continuall prayeâ— for 〈◊〉 and children was that the Lord would blesse them then as it seemed by the maner of his speech thinking that they should do wel inough 〈◊〉 meanly sooner he left them Indeed to his eldest sonne kneeling by his bed side crauing his blessing though then it was very painful for him to speak he gâ—â—e it most Christianly thus saying my sonne heare heare feare the Lorde feruing him in holines and righteousnes al the daies of thy life and so thou shalt want no maner of thing that is good for the rest of his childreÌ„ he said there were blessinges inough in store which he prayed the Lorde to bestow vpon them And to others weepâ—ng about him I remember well he said with set countenaunce and stated voice and I hope I shal I neuer forget it weepe not for me but weepe for your owne sins And thus neuer satisfying himselfe with humbling of himselfe before God on the one side in the sight of his owne vnworthines and yet shewing 〈◊〉 the other alwaies that he had a chereful hope frely fully to be saued for Iesus Christes sake a loue through his worthines whiles both they about him â— the rest of the family below togither were in powring forth their prayers to God for him the 14 day of the last month of October being the Lords day he ended the day of rest or Sabboth in falling into such a sleepe and rest that now for euery he shal keepe a perpetuall Sabbâ—th 〈◊〉 â—e Lordeâ—â—nd thus wel beloued yee haue heaâ—â— both of the life death of this Right Honorable Lord Grey though nothing answerably to that which he deserued yet so far and so much as I trust I going on now lastly to lay before you the comfortes that the Prophet hath here set downe for them that he hath here described of your selues with out any further application of mine you will thinke that hee had and shall haue his part and portion therein Wherfore herein to bee as briefe as I can as I haue said either they are such as either may comfort such dying or such as they onely tast of and enioy when they be dead And two comfortes here I obserue still to be giuen them of each kinde The first of the former sort is taken from the end that God hath in taking such away for their good and is thus much in effect Though the wicked ones in the woorlde liue in neuer such iollity and securitie in all sinne and impiety triumphing and hartening themselues the more in their course because such is the state of those that walke before God in righteousnesse and mercifulnesse here sometimes that they through the vnkindenesse of the woorlde can neither enioy any sound peace in minde nor rest in their beds liuing in it nor yet so dye in the end but that either they are put to some violent death by their enemies and persecutors or dye of some such sharpe and paineful sickenesse that the wicked thinke they haue cause to iudge them as a sorce that God loueth not and therefore that are perished yet indeede for all this the Lorde loued them aliue and of that loue of his hath taken them away by death before the euill daie come which he hath prepared for the destruction of the wicked and impenitent Let the words and circumstances of my text be wel scanned and it wil euidently thereby appeare that it was the Prophets meaning to minister giue this comfort For though both immediatly before my text after by the word perisheth he plainly shews that whâ—n the righteous are pickt out from amoÌ„gst the wicked they conceiue no better of it in that there is no rest or peace promised the godly herein but after they be taken hence it be more theÌ„ insinuated that both their liues deathes are often in this world ful of tribulation yet that they shoulde not be discouraged either with that they feele themselues or with the doings sayings of the other the Prophet assureth the righteous merciful maÌ„ that walketh before god that he is taken heÌ„ce of loue to exempt him froÌ„ euil And therefore if he can take it to bee an argument of loue in a husbandman or shepheard foreseeing a storme tempest before to gather into his barne his haruest or vnto some shelter his flocke of sheepe then hee hath cause so to thinke of the Lordes calling and fetching him home before the euell daie come With this God comforted Abraham Genes 15. vers 13. c. For there first hauing tolde him that his seede should serue and be ill entreated in a strang land 400 yeares after to comfort him he tells him that yet he should goe vnto his fathers in peace and so he did as we read Gen. 25.8 But Iosiah that liued not long before this euell spoken of here begoâ—ne to breake in vppon the kingdome of Iudah is a most not able example heereof For by Huldah the Prophetisse he beeing first giuen certainly to vnderstand that it should shortly be yet from her this word withall was sent him to his comfort that hee first should be gathered vnto his fathers and put into his graue in peace and that so his eyes should not see the euill that God would bring vpon that place and people 2. Chro. 34. Wherein doubtlesse they could not but take comfort and be the willinger to die when where howsoeuer the Lord appointed For who would not be glad to flee out of aÌ„ old house before it fall about his eares Who would not take comfort vpon the sea seing a great storme comming to get into some safe haueÌ„ first Who being in a iourney and knowing the way to be laid for passengers to spoile and to destroy them would not bee glad to take vppe his Inne before And yet this is not so to be takeÌ„ as though it were here either said or ment that alwaies God taketh away al such as he describes before the comming of such an euell as here he
that though we lie down wearied and tired yet after conuenient sleepe though it bee but for a night we commonly rise mightily refreshed as full of interruptions and troublesome dreames as our sleepes are vsually How much more then after this long sound and quiet sleepe should we hope and bee perswaded that our bodies shall not onely rise againe but also be woonderfullie altered This the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 15. most notably teacheth vs wher he telleth vs that at the last day the trumpe should blowe our bodies shall rise the which whē they were laid down were corruptible mortall and inglorious immortall incorruptible glorious yea which is more that then our bodies that slept in him shal be made like vnto the glorious body of our Lord and Sauiour by his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue al things vnto himselfe Phil. 3.2 And therefore when we fal a sleepe in these beds we may cōfidētly falling a sleepe yet say with Iob. cap. 19. v. 25. I am sure that my redeemer liueth and though after this skin wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh euen with these same eies and no other To grow therefore towardes a conclusion this being the meaning of the Prophet as I haue plainly shewed it was by these his comfortes to teach vs thus much concerning the deaths of the righteous thereupon all these thinges necessarily followe that man consisteth of a body and a soule that the body is mortall and yet shall rise againe that the soule is immortall that there is no such Purgatorie for the soules of anie of the righteous that are taken hence walking before GOD as the Romanistes talke of for that they immediately enter vppon or into a most ioyfull peace that therefore they all goe streight to heauen and that they passe not their time betwixt this and the iudgement in a senseles sleepe or not feeling of anie woe as some haue phansied but in a present and continuall fruition of exceeding ioy and peace and lastly that neither the bodies and soules of such walke and wander vppe and downe here in this worlde nor are subiect to the malice of Sathan or witches to be fetcht againe to present themselues to be consulted withall by the living as fondly some superstitious people haue imagined for neither of these can stand either with the peace that the soule enters into as the Prophet hath taught immediately after death or with the rest that he saith their bodies enioy in their beds And therefore with the best learned both ancient and of late time we are to be resolued that all apparitions and visions to the contrary except such as before I excepted are either very illusions of Sathan himselfe so offring himselfe to be seene to breed erromous opiniōs touching the dead or else that they are but imagined onely as we doe many thinges in our dreames which yet then are nothing so as we phantasied All which points but that I haue wearied you already were worth the further standing vpon and I would indeed but that I feare I haue beene too tedious already open and confirme them further to the full confutation both of all Atheists and Papists But seeing they are such as I hope you are already rightly perswaded of and I haue my selfe already in a sermon which I haue preached at the funerall of the late Right Honorable Lord of Bedford which is in Print sufficiently further vrged them let it suffice nowe thus onely to haue shewed you howe this text confirmeth the same thus briefely as I haue And to make an end in full hope that this honorable man whome honorably to bury wee are here at this time both liuing dying and dead hath had hath and euer shall haue to his euerlasting comfort his part and portion in all these comfortes therewith because I see you much discomforted and many present I perceiue are full of sorrowe for the losse of so woorthy a man as I haue shewed you there is iust cause I beseech you cōfort your selues and comfort one an other And to ad one other comfort vnto these to comfort vs all withall the Lords name be blessed for it he hath left here behinde him as you see an honorable sonne and heire of whome we all haue iust cause to conceaue very good great hope that er long the very liuely image of his father in him to the comfort of all his fathers friends will be reviued which the Lorde grant euen for Iesus Christes sake Thus you haue heard right honorable and welbeloued both the Prophets complaint and comfort and by the former we haue beene taught that when in bad and vngodly times most worthy men drop away apace that it is a thing to be greeued at complained of if men yet continue and go on in security in sin and impiety For it is a iudgement of God of it selfe to be taken to heart of all sortes of men that they leaue behinde them and it threattens a further euil to come vpon them and therfore neither to take it to heart nor to vnderstande such a further iudgement to be threatned thereby are certaine tokens of grosse and intolerable security and a fearefull prognostication that some heauie iudgement hastens on a pace the consideration whereof I hope euen by the multitude of heauy countenāces that I now behold hath and will haue his due effect in many of vs to our good awakening and reformation in this respect And by the Prophets consolation we haue learned that his cōforts only appertaine to such as so walke before God in righteousnes and mercy as we haue heard and that to all such they doe and therefore to this honorable persō and lastly that such dying may comfort themselues that God alwaies taketh them away to a good end in his fauour and namely in such times as the Prophet spake of frō the euill to come vpon others and that death it selfe is no such loosing of them but that God streight findes them and takes them hence backe againe to himselfe gathering thē vp and together from amongst the vngodly which were not worthie of them to ioyne them to the blessed company of the rest of his Saintes in heauen so curing and healing them of all diseases both of bodie and soule And thus they once gone hence presentlie and immediately both in body and soule they enter into better estate then euer they were in here the soule into better peace and ioie and the body soundly to rest wheresoeuer it be bestowed vntill the generall resurrection in better maner then euer it did aliue Which day when it comes which we cānot tel how shortly it will be both body and soule shall bee ioyned together and so appearing before Christ the iudge of quicke and dead heare the comfortable sentence set downe Mat. 25.34 for such come ye blessed of my father receaue the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the worlde were laide Whereunto the Lorde happely bring vs all euen for sweete Iesus sake to whom with the father and the Holy Ghost three persons and one euerlasting God be al honour praise and dominion now and for euer Amen FINIS Faultes escaped Pag. 8. l. 18. for two read too 14. 27. for tyles read tytles 52. 2. for low r. loue 54. 1. put out in 58. 12. for when r. where 63. 10. for 9. r. 90. 77. 20. next vnto angell put in sheweth 71. 8. put out of