whether you haue so mourned as yee ought in this our last losse Alas where now be our Teares It s a Prodigie that fountains be dried vp in winter Heathēs in their ritual books deliver their order of Lamentation for common men to be 30 daies the Hebrewes lamented Moses and Aaron and Iacob 40 daies the Egyptians went beyond both and mourned for Iacob 70 daies Gen 50 3. and I knowe in this company some will goe farre beyond these Egyptians making their whole liues remembrances of their Masters death and entertaining no guest into their soule but sorrow Yet herein also others haue gone further then any of you intend Amorits by laming their bodies Grecians shaving their heads Tibracians by howling and roaring for the dead so many other Countries by horrid and vnnaturall Geromonies But in all this causes rather then effects are to be lamented Ratio docet trahit affectio Bern. saith Bernard Reason doth informe and affection doth inforce this former manner of lamentation but grace doth commēd and God doth command another mourning mourning for abhominations as it followeth in my Text for the Abhominations When Rahel wept 2. Part God by his prohibition crieth Noliflere weep not Our Saviour in the Gospell beheld none weeping but prohibiteth them Ier 31.16 Luk. 8.15 Tairus wept for his daughter and Christ saith Noliflere weepe not The poore widdow following them that bate her sonne to the buriall is forbidden in the same words Noliflere Our Saviour ready to go to his passion Luk. 7.13 the daughters of Ierusalem wept for him hee for biddeth thē Nolite flere weep yee not Luc. 23.28 Doth God forbid weeping and doth the Prophet promise a reward for weeping yes saith Rabanus non ideo vt nonlugeant temporalia sed ne negligerent suiritualia Nature doth teach vs to weepe for Naturall causes but grace for spirituall such is this mourning to bee rewarded Mourne for the abhominations Common sinnes are to be lamented they be the vnfruitfull thornes that choake the good seed of vertue and grace the corrupters of iudgement the seducers of will the betrayers of vertue the flatterers of vice vnderminers of Courage slaues to weaknes infection of youth madnesse of age the curse of life and the reproach of death the least of our bosome sinnes is fire in the hand and a serpent in the heart a Canker a spider an evill spirit and the fruit hereof is death But the worde wickednesse is a degree that farre exceedeth common sinnes The Hebrewes obserue that the word wickednesse in the originall is transcendent It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a small fault nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquitie nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply evil but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as importing the all sufficient Tearme for all manner of impetuous impiety nor restrained to any one branch of the breach of the Commandements but outstretching al degrees that whatsoever exceedeth modesty is contrary to reason nature grace or scripture settled into dregges frozen into ice hauing forced captiuated the soul to impious servility with a whorish forehead that cannot be ashamed aspiring crying climing towring filling and defiling the earth poisoning the aire lifting it selfe aboue the stars yet in this exuberancy transcēdēcy Abhominatiō like the whore of Babylon striueth to sit higher Rev. 13.1 shee is the beast that rose out of the sea hauing seauen heads 10 hornes and vpon her hornes ten crownes and on her heads the name of Blasphemy Abhomination is the abstract the Lucifer Rev. 17.5 the Dragon the Babylon the great mother of all whoredomes all witchcrafts and to say no more it is Idolatrie survey the former Chapter you will find it The great abhominations mentioned there be foure first the Idoll of indignation or as others read it the image of ielousie Pint. in loc quatuor abom genera secondly the Auncients or Nobles committing Idolatrie and one especially named among the rest Thirdly women weeping over an Idoll women not of the meanest Lastly betweene the porch and the altar the place of the Priests Villapand and therefore collected hence that these were Priests they are committing Idolatry And after the Prophet had seen every one of them the Lord by a gradatiō leadeth every degree every vision to a higher elevation of their abhomination for when he had seene every one of them he saith but behold greater abhominations The first is that Idoll of indignation or image of iealonsie Luth. Lamb. Villalpand Pint. in Ezek. which what it was is not generally concluded but as the most and best it was the image of Baal which was the first occasion of the heathens and Iewes Idolatrie Every Idoll in scripture is called vanitas mendatium for nicatio abominatio but this especially Villalp this is the abomination of desolation in high places some referre this Idoll to that which Manasses made 2. Chr. 34.4 but Iosias tooke that away for he brake downe the alters of Baalim that were before him Others expoūd this of those made in the time of Zedekias an Idoll it was and the cause of indignatiō The second was greater Ancients cōmitting Idolatry worshipping burning incense to the formes and pictures of creeping things Ezek. 9. v. 16. abominable beasts privatly in their chambers and to all the Idols of the house of Israell These seaventy the Sanidrim the Councell of Israel the elders of Israell Num. 11. as they be called by God at their first institution they that should haue taken care for Gods service they commit abomination But the third abhomination was greater at the doore of the Lords house there sate women weeping and mourning for Tammuz Lascivi daemonis simulachrum saith an interpreter the Idoll of a lascivious Devill whether of Adonis or Osiris or Saturne or whatsoever it was devilish it was R. Moses apud pint in Ezek. Rabbi Moyses the Aegyptian saith this Tammuz was the Idolatrous statue of one so called who was a great worshipper of Idols and he dying desired to be so adored it was an horrid abominatiō But the fourth is greater then al betweene the porch the altar some Priests say all Interpreters turning their backes to the Temple and their faces to the sun worship towardes the East this was the most abhorred of al others Obserue the transcendency and priority of these in their dagrees first the Idoll of Iealousie this was but at the gate at the entry there it might haue stood as a by-word to those that passe by a contemptible thing a Mehushtan a ruin ous Skeleton time eaten weather beaten Monument no it stood there to be adored worshipped publikely Behold saith the Lord the abhominatiō that the house of Israell committeth herein yet beholde greater abhominations the Nobles and Ancients worship not one Idoll only but the formes of creeping things abhominable beastes all the Idols of the house of Israell
for it as after David numbers the people 2. Sam. 24.14 the people die for it Secondly when the childe is sicke David sorroweth the childe being dead he riseth and eateth Hee wil bee no longer in paine then the childe is in perill Benoni is the sonne of sorrow at his birth this shal be no longer the subiect of sorrow then his death He is dead no hope no helpe no recovery it is impossible Revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras David cannot infuse life into him the childe is dead he is gone all the world cannot revine him David must follow the child must not returne Thus the wordes were occasioned thus opened thus they fall in sunder impart themselues vnto vs. Divisio Textus 1 Davids patient consideration in forbearing further sorrow Being dead why should I now fast 2. His wife resolution implying the impossibilitie of reviving him Can I bring him againe Thirdly his considerate acknowledgement of the inevitable stroake of death I shall goe to him he shall not returne to me I confesse there be many disproportions betweene this storie and our state our misery is without all paralell scripture doth nor yeeld a fitting example no king of Israel or Iuda had such a losse I had almost said nor such a sonne I am therefore constrained to choose not as I would but as I may though not so plentifully fitting the subiect yet sorrowfully fitting with our sable thoughts In these therefore I craue patient attentiō the rather because the 1. part offring it selfe to vs is Davids patient consideration in forbearing more mourning Some haue obserued that it was a custome in David to fast and pray 1. Part. Lor. in Ps Ps 35.13 and mourne for the sicknesse of his friend his owne words giue warrant Psal 35.13 when they were sicke 1 cloathed my selfe with sackcloath and humbled my soule with fasting And these both were vsed either in sorrow or repentance in sorrowe so the Orator testifieth sackeloath and fasting be moeroris insignia Tully the ensignes of sorrow in repentance so S. Hierome witnesseth they were Penitentiae arma the weapons of Repentance In this place by fasting David means all the Circumstances of mourning Aret. Flac. Illyr To mourne and weepe is common and commendable in sicknesse or death of friends profit there may be in it but you will thinke there is small pleasure yet saith the Poet Est quaedam flere voluptas There is pleasure in this paine of weeping to disburden the soule to open the sluces to discharge conchas in canales Bern. the Cesterns into conduit pipes to ecclipse the light of our etes with teares because those eies shall never behold those deere deceased friendes till we our selues passe into the Chambers of death This is naturall and common yet I may say Christian But to fast in these occasions is not so common as commendable and profitable for indeed in true sorrow there should be a neglect of all the offices of the body a sequestration of all contentment a forgetting and forsaking of ordinary food a shutting vp and imprisoning of the body from all pleasures of life thereby to pull downe the height and strength and pride of the soule that the soule heare not thinke not mind not mirth that the body see not touch not tast not meate such should be our sorrowes when we see Corporall punishments for spirituall iudgements Such was Davids diet it was a real hearty sorrow not coūtenanced with a heavie looke or with a solemne sigh blowne from the lips and lungs but it was a weeping watching fasting sorrow I hate excursions but seeing I meet in the words of my Text with so great a straunger as fasting giue me leaue to salute it It was the first precept that ever was given it is as ancient as Paradise Ieiuny canitiem sivelis Epise Lond. in Ion. perscrutare ieiunium prime homini coaevū The forbidding of that tree was the first rule of abstinēce The antiquity necessity perpetuity of it enforce it Nature law Gospel enioine it Divinity commands it Physicke commends it law prescribes it it is the life of the Saints and the food of the soule in the court of heaven there is no other dyet and in the Church on earth the children of the bridechamber must be acquainted with it as David was whose fasting daies I could easily cōiecture if I should looke but into the Galender of the Psalmes but my Text telleth me at this time hee did eate and drinke and therefore here he seemeth to bee as in the Psalme hee speaketh Psal 42.4 as amonge those that keepe holy-daie His fasting endeth the seaventh day and hee questioneth why should I now fast which words do bring forth this observation Obs 1 That as there is a time to sorrow so also a time to leaue of the act of sorrowing His example proveth this Nemo in lachrymis nemo in Cāticis no mā was more frequent in songs or sorrowes then David Lud. his meate were his Teares he mingled his drinke with Teares washt his bed and watered his couch with his teares you would scarce beleeue that he ever enioied good day that ever the sunne shined on him he is so full of anguish and care and feate sometimes biding some times flying Psalm 32 10. still almost lamenting Yet how frequent be his ioyfull acclamations in the Psalmes Reioice in the Lord Ps 103.1 Be glad ô yee righteous Be ioyfull all yee that are true of hart Praise the Lord O my soule all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits how sweetly doth he exalt his exultation of ioyful praise Ps 145. I will praise the Lord my God I will praise his name for ever and ever every day will I praise the Lord and praise his name for ever and ever and againe Praise the Lord O my soule while I liue wil I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I haue any breathing Looke vpon this good King at other times you would scarsly thinke that ever he could haue had ioy to cast his cies vp to heauen Psal you may find him on a couch nay more on the cold earth crying out I am at the point to die from my youth vp thy Terrors haue I suffered with a troubled soule Yet after al this you shal find him reioicing triumphing singing harping dancing making melody vnto God and calling for his consort Trumpets Timbrels Psalteries Harpes Organs Cymbals Ps 150.3.4.5.6 Pipe and string low and lowd instrument nay heaven and earth must beare a part nay every thing that hath breath must praise the Lord. Heere bee the passages through fire and water here he is brought from the wildernesse into a wealthy place Here be his fits good bad daies crosses and comforts ioies and sorrowes Dolor volupt as invicē cedunt Brevior voluptas
Seneca his griefe and pleasure came successiuely but his cōforts were not extended to the same measure that his sorrowes yet as the cause gaue occasion so hee ever altered his note Yet is it a wonder to obserue how vpon the same passion Gods best servants haue been diversly affected the same persons the same passions and yet so strāgely altered and their passages in and vpon the very same causes so diametrally opposed as if they were not the same men In some miseries howe sweetly haue they carried themselues In others how boisteroufly Shiloa never ran so quietly as they haue in some in others Torrents never so raged Iob. 1. Pineda in Iob. Look vpon Iob in his 1 chapter he is Patience mirror never did or could man behaue himselfe better in such a bitter storme His Oxen taken away by the Sabeans Camels by the Chaldeans fire devoures his sheep his servants slain his children killed yeet being so neere touched he opens not his mouth against heaven Ps 3. but as if with the Psalmist hee had laied downe to sleepe and taken his rest he makes no other exclamation or lamentation but this Dominus dedit the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. You may wonder to see the same man Iob. 13. so contrarily affected afterwardes Challenging God to his face I will dispute with the Almightie I will fill my selfe with arguments what is it that God can answer me Cursing his birth let the day perish wherein I was borne Iob. 3. let that day be darknesse let not God regard it let darkenesse and the shadowe of death staine it let the Cloudes remaine vpon it let it be a fearefull bitter day let it not be ioined with the daies of the yeare desolate for euer be that night let the stars of the twilight be dim let it looke for light but see none let it never see the dawning of the day What tragical bloody heavy cursed clamours be these Nay look vpō our own Prophet how did grace attend him in all the ambushments betweene Saul and him Saul was his enimy hee hath now his opportunity the place the privacy the obscuritie of the Caue might incite him to kil his enimie but he bowes downe and cries 1. Sam. 14. O my Lord the King I wil not lay hand on my Master he is the Lords annointed the Lord keep me from doing this vnto my Master how sweetly how graciously how wisely doth hee carry himselfe in the time that Shemei curst him 2. Sam. 16. and cast stones ' at him hee endures him and rebukes them that reproue him The Lord hath bidden him curse suffer him the Lord hath bidden him who shall forbid him But looke vpon him in the storie of Nabal you would thinke him another Saule 1. Sam. 25. Nabal only denies him a request he sweares and frets and girds to his sword takes 6 hundred men with him vowes to kil Nabal nor only so but whatsoever is Nabals yea and before the dawning of the day he wil not leaue a man no not a creature of Nabals aliue Nabal only denied him Shemet cursed him Nabal was but a foole 1. Sam. 25.25 2. Sam. 16.7 Shemei a Dog as the Text tearmeth him yet he is much more violent against Nabal then against Shemet Look vpon him in this particular Iob was not more patient then he is here while the poore innocent infant is sicke panting and fainting and striuing for life he weepeth the child died he riseth and apparelleth washeth worshippeth eateth goeth into Barsheba answereth al the world that should aske him his resolution is calmely religiously this being dead why should I fast Nothing could savour more of Religion wisdome patience a holy spirit what a sweet behaviour heavenly temper is here Patterne him with Patriarch or Prophet or Apostle or Angel None could go further then he did But look vpō him in his obsequies for his Absolō he was oppressed surcharged distracted hee continueth his note as if with the Philomele hee would never giue over Ovid. Met. O Absolon Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon my sonne No content but Absolon his daintie prettie Absolon 2. Sam. 18. his dearling fondling Absolon Absolon the Idol of his affection as if Absolon had been the beautie of his name and the glory of his Nation as if Absolon had been the best of his seed and the cheefest of his sonnes Absolon so faire and ruddy as that none in all Israel was so commended for beautie from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head no blemish in Absolon O entreate the young man Absolon well and if Absolon die David will not liue he wil dislolue into teares O my sonne Absolon 2. Sam. 18.31 my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee o Absolon my sonne my sonne Obserue the circumstances 1. the King was moued exceedingly moued great alteration in his affection there was an earthquake in his soule his passions were as flames his eies as floods 2. He avoids the roome Ioseph weepes puts all out of the roome but remaines there himselfe Gen. 45.3 David puts all out and goeth himselfe out putteth even himselfe out of himselfe 3. He cannot containe breaks forth on the staires his sorrow must haue a vent it is a precipitat torrent with Oceans in his eies a tongue fired at the altar of his heart 4. He calleth the traitor Absolon his sonne Happy had it beene that Absolons birth had beene his buriall the sunne in the firmament never beheld such a disobedient sonne on earth yet his burden is my sonne my sonne David remembers not how Absolon had slaine his brother enveigled the subiects betrayed the Crowne aspired to the kingdome en tred Ierusalem with violence abused his Concubines vpon the top of the house in the sight of heaven none of these be remembred David will not liue if Absolon bee dead He considereth not that Absolons beauty was but effections fancie and natures frailtie a blister might blast it dor a fever blemish it but age would surely parch and perish and wither it Ludolph hee considreth not that Absolon was neither vnigenitus no nor primogenitus neither the first begotten nor the only begotten son of his father that he so bewaileth him Aust Abraham pater credentium the father of the beleeving could not haue deplored his sonne Isaac had he beene offred Nor Aaam pater viventium the father of all things living could haue more wept over his slaine Abel then David over Absolon What great alteration is in the carriage of this passion in the death of one sonne frō this calme contentation this holy patient resolution in the death of this other Being dead why should I nowe fast Vse Hence then we may learne that seeing the best of Gods children haue bin so various in their passions and so subiect to
infirmity in some others of them wee ought to craue the assistant power of Gods spirit in all sorrowes so to season and sweeten them and to direct them to right ends that we looke not only vpon the power of God herein as to forget his favour we so much consider not the greatnesse of the afflictioÌ„ as the goodnesse of his affection that hath laid it on vs for our good and therefore so to cast anchor in al stormes of our life Pet. Martyr Common places as that this Passion of sorrow as Peter Martyr coÌ„pareth it may direct our sailes as a prosperous wind to the hauen not rend our souls and sinke our ships that the masts of our faith be shaken the anchors of our hopes broken that we shew our selues wise men not mad men not distracting our spirits not distrusting our God but with David here temper our soules or rather tune them to that song of his Ps 121.1 I will lift vp mine eies vnto the hils from whence commeth my helpe Helpe shall come from the Lord which hath made heauen and earth Hence also we may learne to stay our carnall and to encrease our spirituall sorrow bodily labour availeth not bodily sorrow profiteth not Fasting spoken of in the Text of it selfe is but an outward ceremony Externum signum saccus ieiunium Hier. true abstinence consisteth in holynesse of life mistake me not as if I derogated from fasting that venerable daughter of repentance one of the best mothers in Israel I would we might imitate either Patriarchs or Prophets herein or even at this time the French and Dutch Churches in this citty who in consideration of Gods iudgment vpon vs lament with fasting and praying as may be seene in their congregations weekely But I say fasting is but the outward countenance it is the inward motions that God is pleased with And in them none more acceptable vnto him then an humble obedience to his wil when his hand hath given the stroake the Lord hath done what pleased him Ion. 2. a sweet and comfortable carriage of our afflictions wil be pleasing vnto him and a blessing to vs. Priamus in Homer bewailing his sonne Hector Homer fasteth and mourneth after his death Dauid doth this before his sonnes death when it is past he riseth washeth eateth worshippeth doth coÌ„fort himselfe How did the Patriach Iacob carry al those pressures laid vpoÌ„ him with a holy calme disposition Gen. yee never finde him tempestuous yet who ever endured so successiue storms In al the daies of his pilgrimage scarse any faire weather he is rent from his fathers family flyeth for the feare of his brother he is cheated by his vnckle his place vile and servile Gen. 31.40 in the day the drought consumed him in the night the frost the sleepe departs from his eies serues for Rahel seauen years and a bleere eied Leah is given him serues seauen more for Rahel and shee is barreÌ„ at length a childe shee shal haue but the childes life is the mothers death when his children increase his sorrowes increase not Beniamin alone but almost every one of them is Benoni the sonne of sorrow Incestuous Reuben Adulterous Iuda Levi that is to be consecrated to God in his Church is bloody Er and Onan strook dead before him Ioseph lost Simeon imprisoned BeÌ„iamin endangered his only daughter young Dinah his dearling ravished by an alien from Israell Yet you never finde in all these perils among his owne that he staggereth These meditations be best fitting the practise and imitation of these examples wil be fruitfull And as the Apostle speaketh giue no place to wrath so say I giue not place to sorrow especially to worldly sorrow 2. Cor. 7.10 for Godly sorrow worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death yet cannot redeeme from death as it followeth in Davids words Can I bring him againe His wise resolution implying the impossibility of his reviving him Part. 2 The first speech was drawne ab invtili there is no profit no hope no helpe no means by fasting to recover him Being dead why should I fast this second is ab impossibili from the improbability and impossibility of recalling him Can I bring him againe David was not ignorant of the reduction restitution resurrection of the body there bee no lesse then 13. places that may bee collected out of the Psalms to this purpose Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell Abâ—lens nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thou O Lord shalt raise me vp at the last I shall see the Lord in the land of the living c. These other frequent places be commonly noted to this purpose The Resurrection as it is most certaine so also most coÌ„fortable Iob had nothing to sweeten his dunghill but the hope of the resurrection Iob. 11. and Paule had no other doctrine to preach to the devout Greekes at Thessalonica Act. 17.3 Act. 17.32 Act 23 6. Act. 26.23 to the Stoickes at Athens to the Pharisies at Ierusalem to Festus the Governour at Cesarea nay almost in every place he preacheth the resurrection of the deade and our blessed Saviour of all other mysteries of our redemption maketh none more plaine then this points and though it seeme a doctrine so far beyond al sense yet he hath so sensibly proved it to all the senses by his owne rising that al the world may with S. Paule confesse 1. Cor. 15. Christ is risen froÌ„ the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleepe Christ is risen and wee shal rise and this is the manner how He manifested himselfe by sight C. proueth his resurrection by the 5. senses when he shewed his wounds by hearing in his salutation Peace be vnto you by tasting he did eate of the broiled fish with them by touching Thomas put his fingers into the print of the nailes by smelling for he breathed vpon theÌ„ Here be the senses They that haue seene this haue beleeued and blessed saith Christ are they that haue not seene and yet beleeued But because our Saviour foresaw that vpon his resurrection the ground of this point would for ever be setled He as Luke speaketh shewed himselfe to be aliue by many infallible arguments by necessary true evideÌ„t proofes such as the Philosopher calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 1. Arislot in Rhet. c. 2. He left no circumstance of time place persons vnmanifested that this might bee beleeued he appeareth after his resurrectioÌ„ earely in the morning late at night in both the times of the day to the disciples abroad and gathered togither in the house in both the places to the souldiers Apostles both conditions of men to the Iewes and Gentiles both religions of men to men and women both the sexes to the liuing in the world to the dead in the graue both states to
Angels devils friends foes disciples strangers al shal beare witnesse that Christ did rise from the dead and is become the first fruits of them that sleepe And he only can by his power wherby he subdueth al things to himselfe raise vs againe from the dead no other power or meanes but his therefore every man may say with David here Can I bring him again which in some copies is read thus I cānot bring him againe and ministreth this observation 2. Obs That though it be not in the power of man to raise any from the dead yet there is a power whereby al shal be raised and revived Our Prophet proveth it before Christ came It is thou O Lord that shall raise me vp at the last This power shal change our vile bodies to be made like his glorious body our weake diseased naked mortal sickly earthly momentary bodies shal bee like his glorious body Iewes did knowe this Gentiles did confesse this The Iewes before Christs cōming had knowledg and made faith of this point how soever S. Chrysostome maketh doubt whether or no this mystery were revealed in the old Testament Chrys Hom. 1. de Lazaro Indeed it was not so generallie or so manifestly delivered till Christ came who was to be Oriens ex imo as Oriens ex alto Aug. the day sprong from an high and the truth budding out of the earth sprong from below But knowne it was and taught it was Esays testimony is this The dead men shall liue Esa 26.19 with my body they shall rise awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust Ezek 37.10 Ezekiel proueth it by the Embleme of the drie bones vnited together Daniel thus They that sleep in the dust shall arise Dan. 12.2 Hos 13.14 Hosea pronounceth this in the person of God I will redeeme them from the power of the graue Hier. in Ep. 61 101. Iob as S. Hierom collecteth hath most absolute proofe for this I know that my redeemer liueth and when wormes haue consumed this body I shal see God in my flesh yea I my selfe shall behold him and mine eies shall see him as if Iob had beene the Prophet of the resurrection Iob. 9.13 or the trumpet sounding to iudgement or the starre to lead to this mystery of Christian beleefe And Gentilisme was not without some notions of this Restauration and reparation of bodies Lor. in Act 24. and they among them that beleeued this were esteemed as worthy men and favourers of the good of the Common-wealth So that it being plaine that Iewes and Gentiles before Christ knewe professed it it is manifest that among the Iewes the sweet singer of Israel David the man after Gods owne heart the Type of Christ the Pen-man of the holy Ghost was not ignorant of the resurrection as not only in the Psalmes especially in the 15. it is plaine and by implication out of these wordes Can I bring him againe inforcing thus much Brought againe from death he may be but in my power it is not Before I land this point I must not omit one place for proofe of the resurrection Exod. 3.6 knowne even to the Israelites in their younger daies in Exodus It is the onely place of all scripture that our Saviour maketh shew of to conuince the Sadduces God is the God of Abraham the God of Isaac Mat. 22 32. the God of Iacob but God is not the God of the dead but of the living Therefore these holy Patriarchs they are not dead but in respect of the resurrection they sleepe in peace and to vse the phrase of David Psal 3. they laid them downe in peace and haue taken their rest but the Lord shall raise them vp at the last But this one question being resolued will make way to some fruitfull vse of that already spoken why could not David bring again the soule of his sonne Elias besides his many miracles in this kind could doe so much and Elisha did more then Elias for the spirit of Elias was doubled vpon Elisha that as hee receaued a mantle from Elias at the first time he saw him 1. King 19.9 and another mantle fell from Elias at the last time that Elisha beheld him when he was caught into heauē 2. King 2.13 So also a double spirit as appeared by his wonders was bestowed vpon Elisha For Elias caused that the oile in the widdowes one vessell 2. King 4.6 wasted not But Elisha caused the Pot of oile of another woman to encrease to the filling of many vessels 1. King 17.27 Elias revived the dying sonne of the woman of Sarepta Elisha by prayer did obtain a child to the barren Shunamite and obtaine life to this child being dead Elias in a great famine obtained raine 1. King 4 18. but Elisha in another famine obtained incredible plentie without raine 1. King 18.41 incredible victory without bloodshed 1. King 17. Elias raised but one from death in his life 2. King 13.20 but Elisha being dead his bones in his graue raised the dead Could Elias Elisha do so much and cannot David doe it Ludoloh No. Non est Davidi donum hoc concessum this gift was not granted to him David may kill the beare the lyon Goliah David may overcome the Philistins the Ammonites but cannot deliver a soule from death cannot bring backe a soule to life David by prayer may bring backe his soule from sorrow Bernard Hezekias by prayer raise himselfe from sickness Elias and Eliseus by prayer raise from death but alteros non seipsos others not themselues as Bernard noteth Only Christ by his power did raise himselfe others Aust Praedixit revixit as Austin noteth he foretold it by rising he performed it Tertul. Mori dignatus ex voluntate sed resurrexit ex potestate He died by his owne will was raised by his own power a gift never given to any of the sonnes of men S. Pauls speech to the Corinthians may serue to this purpose 1. Cor. 3. secundùm gratiam mihi concessam according to the grace given to him every mā may performe what Gods spirit doth enable him hee can go no farther he can do no more Gods spirit sayeth as Gods sonne Math. sine me nihil potestis facere without me ye can do nothing To life we may be revived and when these our bodies shal be laide low in the womb tombe of the earth we shal be raised Phil. 3. but it can only be by that power which is able to subdue all things to himselfe Vse And is it so let vs thē with acknowledgement of our owne weaknesse reioice in the power of our God who shal raise our vile bodies let vs so expresse the vertue power of the first resurrectiō in this life as that we may receiue the honour and ioy of the second resurrection in the life to
tuum sanâsti eui vitio obstitisti quâ parte meliores and what custome sayth Seneca can be more commendable These beloued shall arise in iudgement with this generation and condemne it their practice was a kind of vailed Christianitie they did shame to doe that priuately which this age doth perpetrate daily and publikely Mourning is to be performed openly solemnitie expects it and antiquitie that constant wise and vnpainted Herauld prescribes it Coram Abner the last act of his obsequies the last tribute of duty Abner yet carrieth his names the earth yet carrieth his body it is not Cadaver nor Inane corpus anima it is Sacrarium vitae not a Carcase Athan. or empty corpse but as Athanasius well obserueth the dead body is the vestry and Chappell of life and haue their Camiteria sleeping places til the Resurrection of the dead They be as Kings houses not to be contemned when their Masters depart out of them because they are to returne againe life shall visit these desolate roomes all the offices in this Princely bodie of Abner shall be supplied the Court is but remoued Heaven is the standing house this body againe shall be the bedde chamber of the soule yet because life is gon out lament for Abner is Abner still let not your last act faile though your eies cannot see him yet let them send our Teares to sorrow for him and Mourne before Abner The sorrowfull presence of a sad stectacle calls sorrow before it commeth and often createth sorrowe where it is not It is no maruaile that Abruham wept when he saw Sara his wife dead or that Bethshebe wept for her husband or Eleazar for Aaron his father or Dauid for Absalon his sonne or Rebecea for Deborah her nurse or Christ for Lazarus his friend or Dauid for Abner his Captaine But that Alexander should so lament when he came to behold the Sepulcher of braue Achilles or those many in histories to deplore and fall out into teares vpon the first sight of spectacles of desolation may seeme strange Yet those spectacles some-times cause passions of diverse effects When our Sauiour beheld Ierusalem he wept ouer it but when the army of a worthy Conquerour aboue 1000. yeares after came to behould the ruines and rubbish of the same City Hist Ture p. 21 the deuout passions of diuers are very diuers somewith their eies and hands cast vnto heauen calling vpon the name of their Sauiour some prostrat vpon their faces kissed the ground as that wherevpon the Redeemer of the world had walked others ioifully saluted those holy places they had heard so much of then first beheld Our Sauiour in a holy as well pittiful as sorrowfull contemplation beheld the presage of their vtter dissolution and desolation by reason of that horrible contemptuous iniquity of theirs Quod nulla posteritas taceat sed nulla probet Sencea therefore vpon a more cause of griefe then these souldiers of ioy lamented the City and yet slept not till he came neere to the City the sight of the City was the seale of his sorrow Propter Ierusalem hath much more in it then this day can giue mee leaue to deliuer S Iohn in his Gospell doth deliuer the story of Christs raising vp of Lazarus and well may Iohn write Lazarus storie they were both almost in one line in Christs loue Iohannes dilectus Domini Lazarus amicus Domini Ioh. 11. Iohn the beloued of Christ Lazarus the friend of Christ The story is worthy obseruation V. 11. Iesus told his Disciples our friend Lazarus sleepeth they vnderstood him not the Text saith V. 13. Iesus vnderstood it of his death then said Iesus Lazarus is dead yet Iesus wept not in knowing or telling them this Our Sauiour then goeth on his tourney towards Lazarus hee discourseth all the way concerning Lazarus yet Iesus wept not hee meeteth by the way with Martha and communeth with her about her deare deceased brother Nondùm fleuit Iesus Iesus wept not yet At the length Mary commeth shee falleth downe and weepeth and cryeth out Master if thou hadst beene here my brother had not died then Iesus seeing her weepe and the Iewes weepe he groaned in spirit and was troubled yet he wept not At length he asked where haue yee laid him and in his passing thither the Text saith Iesus wept comming neere to the graue he could not containe Fleuit Iesus The Doctrinall obseruation of these words before Abner is that it is the duty of Gods seruants to lament ouer their deceased and carefully to prouide for their Christian funerals Honesta sepultura is much remembred among the fathers Aust and one of them hath writ a booke de cura pro mortuis If there were nothing to proue the Lawfulnesse hereof that one parcell of ground that Abraham bought to consecrate to burials may iustifie the antiquity and reuerend vse hereof How honourable were the sepulchers of the Kings of Israell and Iuda it is a grace to them that had this Epitaph he was buried with his fathers the Piles of Pyramides of Egypt be yet in part to bee seene Mat. they were made of that bricke as some record which the Israelites in the house of their bondage were constrained to make and so it might be that God suffred them to be the instrumēts of making Pharohes sepulcher who were the cause of his death In vita Ambr. In the New Testament wee want not examples of these solemne funerals that of Stephē may serue for all holy men carried him to buriall and made lamentation for him S. Ambrose as appeareth in the description of his life in this kind was very carefull those that were honourable in their places or profitable to the Church or Common-wealth or any way to be esteemed good holy men he would bewaild their death and attend their funerals But it may bee some such Scepticall Cynicall creatures may question whether such pompe as is vsed in funerals be lawfull or no for why should not I thinke that Iudas tribe is not vtterly extinct whose cry is ad quid perditio haec To answere all such that part of solemne seruice the last night being a portion of the 50 Chapter of Genesis may satisfie all such curious and querulous Inquisitors Gen. 50 Ioseph commands his Phisitians to embaulme old Israel forty daies the Embalming continued then they provided furniture for his funerall and all the house of Ioseph and his brethren and his fathers house all the servants of Pharaoh the elders of his house and all the elders of the land of Egypt and Chariots and horsemen and a great company and they made great lamentation To this may bee added many examples sacred and prophane as also the Emperous constitutions Constantine that appointed 950. officers about funerals which order Arcadius and Theodosius confirmed and afterwards Anastasius increased to 1100 and a certaine pension allotted vnto them this also established by Leo and Iustinian some
to visit some to provide necessaries in sicknesse others to lay out the dead others to embalme them others to carry them to buriall as Claudian witnesseth Portatur iuvenum cervicibus aurea sedes Vse Hence then the lawfulnesse of our Christian celebrities and solemnities in funerals is approved and hence wee may learne to performe those offices in the last obsequies of our deceased as knowing that before the Law vnder the law after the law yea even to heathens that knewe not the law this custome was with reverence and care observed But J draw to the end of this my service sermon Exod. 12. Numb 14. Those two speeches of Moses Crà s movete castra Crà s celebrate Pascha be fitted for vs To morrow wee must remoue our Tents to morrow we must celebrate a Passover There is a fourefold Pascha Pascha populi Pascha Christi Pascha in mundum Pascha è mundo I am sure we haue a Passeover and to be performed with bitternes and as at the Passeover the first borne was slaine so vnhappy are we that we see the first borne to lie slaine before vs. Shall I say Abner is slaine Abner was a Prince and a great man in Israel by Davids testimonie and David lamenteth him the more because being a Prince of the blood he was such a souldier For certainely the souldier how ever he paceth the same measure of miserie with the scholar yet in all ages hath beene ever in high esteeme til these daies The marchant cannot trade without him the Law cannot remaine vnviolated without him nor the Crowne stand stedfast without him The souldiour is the hart and arme of the state the vpholder of the King and the glory of the conquest the Captaine of the Navy and the father of the army and the most laudable improver of his CouÌ„try For alwaies the oliue garlands of Peace be not so glorious as the Laurell wreathes of victory seeing Peace only keepeth and often rusteth good spirits but victory imployeth and edgeth and encreaseth them The losse then of a souldier is much but especially of an Abner a Princely souldiour Lament then for Abner the fathers Candle is extinguished Abner the Champion of Israel is deceased Nay a greater then Abner is departed Prince Salomon for wisdome Prince Iosias so pietie Prince Alexander for chivalrie to say no more noble holy chast virtuous gracious Prince Henry lieth dead before vs. He He is dead who while he lived was a perpetuall Paradise every season that he shewd himselfe in a perpetuall spring every exercise wherein he was seene a speciall felicitie Hee He is dead before vs who while hee lived was so holy in his morning and evening publike and private devotions so gratious a Protector of truth so true an enimie to Popish falsehood so faithfull to God dutifull to Parents pious in his life patient in his death respectfull of his deserving servants and so respected of all the world Hee Hee is dead that blessed Modell of heaven his face is covered till the latter day those shining lamps his eies in whose light there was life to the beholders they bee 〈…〉 giue over shining Those 〈…〉 we haue kissed be closed and 〈…〉 shall open He He is dead and now 〈…〉 conclude with that Apostle Eamus 〈…〉 let vs goe and die with him 〈…〉 he shall not return to vs. 〈…〉 â—â—â—ourable Religious and every way 〈…〉 Fare yee well The 〈…〉 as I haue of sorrow 〈…〉 Apostles salutatioÌ„ to those 〈…〉 yee well bee perfit 〈…〉 one 〈…〉 of good comfort and 〈…〉 ever with you and so I commend 〈…〉 of power to establish you to him that 〈…〉 falling and sent you blamelesse 〈…〉 exceeding ioy To the 〈…〉 maiestie dominion 〈…〉 Amen FINIS