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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	life_n	see_v	3,300	5	3.3210	3	true

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

defect of holy and good men hath euer beene esteemed sufficient and most iust cause of mourning and lamentation by them who suruiued them and liued after them being good men led and guided by Gods spirit Thus the Prophet and the godly of his time thought it worth their sighes teares that so many of the righteous men were gone and so few remained in the Church Thus and this did Dauid by the spirit of God lament o Psal 12.1 Help Lord for there is not a godly man left for the righteous are failed among the children of men Thus the Prophet Esay bewaileth when hee had prophesied how few there should be remaining that were good p Esay 24.13 As the shaking of an Oliue tree as the grapes whē the vintage is ended After he expresseth his sorrow q verse 16. My leanenes my leanenes woe is me Thus certaine men fearing God made great r Acts 8.5 lamentations for Stephen that the number of the good was lessened but by one This may shew that vndoubtedly they lamented the death decay of good men whē they ſ Acts 21.10.11.12 13. wept so greatly for the danger of Paul prophesied by Agabus And why thinke we this to be matter of lamentations Reason 1 First because by this meanes the Church the land is exceedingly weakned and vnarmed for not one of them but they are in their ranke as Ioash the King lamented sicke Elisha and weeping vppon his face said t 2. Kings 13.14 The Charet of Israel and the horsemen of the same not for their persons who are men inferiour to many others not for their pollicie which are of inferiour reach then many thousands but for their pietie and praiers u Iob 22.30 For the innocent shall deliuer the Iland and it shall be preserued by the purenes of his hands And as Chrisostome saith x Vt ciuitas non cincta muris facile venit in potestatem hostium sic anima non munita precibus Chris de precat lib. 2. As a Citie not compassed with walles easily cometh into the power of the enemie so the soule not fenced with praiers so on the contrary the walles of the Citie are the praiers of the saints or at least they vphold the wals As y Iosh 6.20 at the shoutings of the people the walles of Ierico fel downe so at the prayers cries of the godly the walles of the Church and countrey stand vp These are the strength of their strength Reason 2 Secondly because this is a forerunner and certaine immediate signe prediction of some fearefull iudgement plague of God at hand ready to breake in vpon them as the red lowring skie in the morning is a signe of a shortly ensuing tempest so the taking of these away of an imminent plague the Prophet Esay giues this reason of it z Esay 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come Their taking away doth then directly presage an euil to come for as the Apostle saith in an other case so I in this a 2. Thessal 2.7 Only he which now with-holdeth shall let till he be taken out of the way these while they are with-hold and keepe backe the plague As the Angel said to Lot b Genes 19.22 I can do nothing till thou be come thither namely to bring the plague vppon Sodome and Gomorrah but he no sooner was entred into Zoar but instantly the Lord raigned fire and brimstone vpon Sodom and Gomorrah As Noah was no sooner in the Arke c Gen. 7.11.13 but in the very selfe same day were all the fountaines of the deepe broken vp and the windowes of heauen were opened Vse 1 Now to make some vse of this point to our selues First how farre are they then from the spirit of the Prophet and holy men what enemies to their owne strength defence what furtherers of their owne plagues who wish and desire who worke and procure the decay diminution of the number of the godly and faithfull who account it matter of singing rather then sorrow of laughing then lamentation to heare of their fall and taking away As Saluian said of some in his time d An credimus forte quod Captinus populus ille nō fuerit qui laetus tunc in suorum captiuitatibus fuit Captinus corde et sensu non erat qui inter suorum supplicia ridebat qui iugulari se in suorum iugulis non intelligebat qui m●●i●st in suorum mortibus non put●bat Salutanu● de Guber De li. 5. Doe wee beleeue that that people was not captiuated in minde who were glad at the captiuity of their owne people that they were not captiuated both in heart and feeling that laughed at the punishment of theirs who vnderstood not that in their slaughter they themselues were slaine who thought not that in their deaths they themselues died In the same manner may I speake of these doe wee not thinke that these are captiuated in their mindes who thus ioy in their dangers are they not miserable blind and benummed who thus laugh in their perils who vnderstand not that by this they are as Samson was shorne of his haire so depriued of their strength who thinke not that by this they take away those that keepe backe the iudgements of God make way if they may haue their wills that they may the sooner more seuerely breake in vpon them And this whether they doe it as Cain hated and slew his brother and for that cause as St. Iohn speaketh e 1. Iohn 3.12 Because his owne workes were euill his brothers good because they take themselues withall reproue by their carriage more then by their words f Efficacius loquitur vox operis quam sermonis Bern. For the voice of deeds speake more effectually then the voice of words as Bernard saith Whether a man teach or reproue and so hate them for this and not without cause For as Saluian speakes g Nam quis dicere possit quod sine causa homines scilicot omnibus a se vitae ac morum studijs discrepantes in quibus nihil videbant suum quoniam dei totū Maxima enim causa est discordiarum diuersitas voluntatum quia fieri aut omnino non potest aut vix potest vt eam rem in alio quisquam diligit a qua ipse dissentit Itaque eos non sine causa vt dixi oderunt in quibus omnia sibi aemula atque ini●ica cernebant Saluian lib. 8. de Gub. Dei Who can say that it is without cause being mē altogether different in their life and manners in whom they saw nothing that was theirs because the whole was Gods for the greatest cause of discord is the diuersity of wils because it either cannot be at

all or scarce be that any should loue that thing in another from which he himselfe dissenteth therefore as I said they hated them not without cause in whom they saw all things repugnant to themselues Whether it be for this or it be for the truths sake which they professe hold and defend as the seed and brood of Anti-Christ euer did the Church of God or for any other thing yet doe they nothing more then depriue themselues of their safety and defence lay themselues open to the plagues and iudgements of God though they benefit and aduantage the faithfull for as Eusebius speakes in the life of Constantine but of that which hapned in the daies of Constantius his father that the Emperors did so persecute the godly h Vsque eo vti breui imperatorum regiae sanctis vi●is essent omnino orbatae quae res authores maleficij clementi dei obtutu curatione prorsus priuauit quippè qui dum homines pios insecturentur etiam corum preces insectati sunt a se peuitus a●erterunt Euseb in vit Constant l. 1. cap. 11. that in a short time the palaces of the Emperors were destitute of all good men which thing as hee saith did altogether depriue the Authors of this wickednes of the fauorable countenance care and regard of God for while they did persecute godly men they also persecuted their praiers and so altogether turned them from them So is it with these and so will it be with those who thus hate and seeke to remoue the godly and faithfull that as Iustin Martyr spake to Antonius Pius in his second Apologie for the Christians i Vt in delatores ipsos animaduertatis min●me petimus sufficit enim ipsis sua malignitas bonarum rerum ignoratio Iust Mart. Apol. 2. pro Christianis We desire not that ye punish the accusers for their owne malignitie and ignorance of good things is enough for them So may we say no neede to pray for vengeance vppon the haters persecuters of the godly and faithfull for their own wickednes is enough to bring Gods iudgements vpon them their ignorance of good things to bring euill enough vpon their backes when by this they bring much good to the godly for as Austin saith k In Psal 93. Illi qui martyres persecutisunt persequendo in terra in caelum mittebant scientes quidem praesentis vitae damnum infe●rebant sed nescientes futurae vitae lucrum conferebant They which persecuted the martyrs in persecuting them on earth they sent thē to heauen whē wittingly they infered vpon thē the losse of this present life vnwittingly they conferred vppon thē the gain of the life to come● yea as Euseb reporteth the speech of Lucius to Vrbilius the Gouernor condemned for speaking against his sentence which hee gaue against Christians and professing himselfe vpon interogation to be a Christian he confessed l Permagnam se debere gratiam profitebatur nam ita se non iniqui● solum improbis eiusmodi dominis liberatū sore dixit sed etiam ad bonum patrem et clementem regem d●um recte profecturum Euseb Hist lib. 4. cap. 16. That hee did owe great thankes for so he said hee should be not onely free from those wicked Lords but also should goe directly vnto God the father of goodnes and King of mercy and clemency And these gone then nothing but plagues remaineth for the other nay whether they be gone or abide stil among thē they are but a curse to the wicked world not but that they might haue a blessing by them and haue more then they see or acknowledge nor that they are the cause of euil to them but the occasion because of their hatred and handling of them for while they euilly intreat them liuing with them and will not let them freely serue their God neither with them nor seperate from them as Pharaoh and the Aegiptians would not suffer Israel therefore like Egipt are they plagued with sundry iudgements for abusing of them though by their praiers many are turned and kept from them And when they are taken from them more heauie plagues doe abide them and will come in vppon them For as Chrysostome saith m Egredientibus Israelitis de Aegipto exterminata est Aegiptus sic sancti cum de isto mundo defecerint casurus est iste mundus Chrisost in Mat. 1. Hom. 1. As the Israelites going cut of Egipt Egipt was destroyed so when the godly shall be quite departed out of the world the world shall be destroyed This considered they haue no cause to hate them liuing and wish to be rid of them much lesse to procure their departing but much cause haue they to sorrow and grieue when they are taken from them And therefore much are they blinded with malice that they can wish their fall and reioyce and laugh at the time of their departure and willingly and wilfully thrust them out of the world as the Egiptians did Israel Vse 2 Secondly it is then manifested to be a heauie curse fearefull iudgement to a Land to a Church when men of piety religion faithfull and godly men are taken away why else do the suruiuing godly mourne and bewaile them when there is no band of nature no worldly or ciuill respect that wrings teares and sorrow from them but meerely because such are taken away They were neither fooles nor children to weepe for trifles and things wherein there was no losse When they wept and wept bitterly with great lamentations and mourning the cause must certainely be either their sin or else some great iudgement either priuatiue or positiue The taking away of the godly especially by an ordinary hand of God cannot be sinne but a punishment for sinne and that which is manifested to be a very fearefull one Then must we then ought we to sigh and grone to sorrow and mourne vnder this as a very heauie iudgement wee shall performe herein no vnfitting thing nothing vnworthy of vs whatsoeuer we be or whosoeuer we be it is fitting the most holiest when Esay the Prophet and other of the faithfull haue done it it is fitting the most honourable whenas Dauid the King and Esay of the blood royall haue done it thought themselues to haue calling to it and cause enough when such things befell the time they liued in We are all honourable and beloued called to mourne for how many men of note for pietie and holinesse for religion and vprightnes whom God had specially endued with grace and goodnes and annointed them with this oyle aboue their fellowes and men of their ranke and fashion how many of these are taken and remoued from vs within these few yeares wee being altogether vnworthy of them he hauing made them h Reu. 3.4 worthy as it is said of a few in the Church of Sardie that is fitting for himselfe And while wee inioied them we prospered

expectation of death though diuers thought nothing lesse till a day or two before his dying day therefore hee addressed himselfe thereunto and besides his meditations hee called often for others to pray and often vsed praiers himselfe confessing and that often both his sinnes and his faith and vndoubted hope of saluation by Christ and with great alacritie he professed that he feared not death in what shape soeuer he came He brake forth often into heauenly speeches expressing his desire to be dissolued and to be at home with his God and Father professing not two howers before his death that he still felt the assured comforts of his saluation by Christ so finished his life in peace and ioy of the holie Ghost vttering neere his death these longing words O that ioy O my God when shall I be with thee Which ioy he vndoubtedly enioyeth and is with his God in glory and euerlasting happinesse Thus honorable and beloued you see by these things the worth and excellency of this deceased person honorable both by nature and grace the more his worth was by these naturall and spirituall endowments the greater our losse and the greater his gaine and the more cause haue we to sorrow for our selues though to reioice on his behalfe The whole hath cause to mourne and bewaile and many particulars to bewaile a part His honorable mother whom God hath depriued of hir sonne hir only sonne of such a sonne such ā staffe and stay of her age and such a ioy of her life His honourable sisters from whō the Lord hath taken such a noble worthy brother who would haue been not only a crowne of their honor but a furtherer of them in the way of piety and godlinesse to the crowne of glory His kindred and aliance who are depriued of such an honor of their house and such a glory of their name His kinde and familiar friends who are bereft of such a true harted Ionathan one that was very kind vnto them whose loue vnto them was wonderful specially to him whō he termed in his Wil his deare friend Sr. Ed. Harwood His seruants that haue such a master taken frō their heads the ground of al their future hopes And not these only but more generally others haue cause to mourne and bewaile as the Church who hath lost so hopefull and noble a Theophilus that would haue defended her truth and doctrine such an honorable Obadiah that would haue hid and protected her Ministers The common wealth and specially this little Shire whereof he was L. Lieutenant that hath lost so hopefull a Nehemiah who would haue set himselfe for the publike good and giuen example and encouragement to keepe the Sabboth and haue charged them so far as his power had extended to haue carefully obserued it and so gouerned them that he would not only not oppresse them himselfe but haue to his vtmost power prouided that they should be free from the oppression of others And here I will not omit that which may make the losse the greater something since brought vnto me by his deare friend of two purposes he had for experiēce to adde to the former grounds of his study the better to haue enabled himselfe for his Countries seruice The one by a voyage to sea into some places the knowledge whereof for war by sea would haue been most vsefull another by land into one of our neighbour countries fittest to haue enriched his mind in the knowledge of land-seruice Thus is there both generall and speciall cause of mourning and lamentation in respect of our selues but see what great cause we haue of reioycing for him What cause of reioycing and thankfulnesse hath his honorable mother though she hath lost her heire yet to speake in Chrysostomes words vnto her o At haeredem bonorumque successorem non habes quid malebas eum tuorum an caelestium haeredem fieri Quid vero cupis eum pere●ntiae suscipere quae paulo post esset dimissurus an permanentia immubilia non haeredem eum hab●isti sed ipsum prote Deus habuit Chrys hom 69 ad pop Ant. But you haue no heire nor any successor of your goods well and had you rather he should be inheritor of these of yours then of those heauenly What doe you desire he should enioy perishing things which within a small while he must cast away or permanent and immoueable Nay you had not an heire of him but God had him for you His honorable sisters in their sorrow may reioice ouer him for though as Chrysostome saith p Propriorum non fuit fratrum cohaeres sed Chr●sti constitutus est Chrysost quo ant He was not coheire with his priuate brethren yet he is made coheire with Christ And that not in hope but in present possession he now at his full age they but in their nonage as yet How may his worthy friends roioyce for him when we can say to them as Hierome to Heliodorus comforting him ouer the death of his Nephew Nepotian who died in his youth q Intelligeres illum non emori sed emig●are mutar● amicos non relinquere Hier. epist 3. Thou shouldst vnderstand that he doeth not die but decease And only change his friends not leaue them So they should be informed that he is not dead but translated hath not left his friends but changed them for far more honorable and glorious then they and so to reioyce in respect of him lest they may seeme to enuie his happinesse What cause of reioiycing hath the Church for him so deare a child of hirs that hath left the militant but is possessed of the triumphant Church that hath left the state of Militancie and warfaring and is in the state of triumphancy and victory How may the Common-wealth and this Shire reioyce ouer him that is taken from an earthly gouernment to an heauenly regiment from ruling with men to raigne with Christ and hath left these few corruptible ensignes of honor but now possesseth true honour and an immortall crowne Finally how may we all reioyce for him and change our note as much as may be forgetting our owne losses and thinking of his gaine As Bernard of his friend Gerard r Et meum faleor luctum poene in cantum conuertit dum intentus gloria ecius propriae ferè misoria obliuiscor Ber. super Cant. 26. And I confesse it turnes my mourning almost altogether into singing wholes being intent vpon his glory I forget almost my owne misery And now honorable and beloued to draw towards an end If for all this his losse and the want of his presence bee drieuous to you and that either in generall or particular you desire his presence and to see him let me speake to you as Chrysostome to some that were like affected ſ Ipsum cernere de sidera● eandem cum eo vitam viue sacram ocius illam accipis praesentiam Ch●ys hom 69. ad