prayers but vnto him which best knoweth thy neede and which hath bound d Psal 50.15 Joel 2.32 Iohn 14.13 himselfe by promise to helpe thee in this time of thy neede Although e Psal 121.1 thou art to looke vnto the hils to follow the examples of holie men yet as Austin vpon that Psalme obserueth f August comment in Psal 121. thou must still acknowledge that thy saluation commeth from the Lord. Wherefore to him lift vp thy soule in prayers and with thy heart crie when thou canst not with thy weakned voyce Now O Lord I beseech thee remember me And then doe not boast of thy merits and well doing as though God were therefore bound to helpe thee and to yeeld reliefe but rather let thy merits be Gods mercie as Bernard speaketh a Bernard in Cantic serm 61 Shall I sing of my righteousnes nay I will remember thy righteousnes onely for that is mine And yet that thou maist the better assure thy staggering soule of Gods fauour to thee in this time of thy neede remember with Hezechiah Gods former mercies before-time shewed to thee in the progresse of thy life for that God which hath giuen thee to walke before him in truth and with a perfect heart that God which hath giuen thee to doe that which is good and pleasing in his sight he will not now leaue and forsake thee but he will then heare thy prayers and as thou beseechest he will then remember thee Alas beloued in this time of thy neede what can thy wealth and worship steed thee what can thy friends and well willers helpe thee what can then better comfort thy fainting soule than thy harmelesse and well deeded life which thou hast passed in Gods feare these b 2. Pet. 1.10 Ephes 1.4 thy good workes will assure thy soule that thou art an elect vessell chosen of God c Matth. 7.17 John 15.5 these fruits of thy beleeuing faith will witnes to thee that thou art a blessed plant whom Gods right hand hath planted d Rom. 8.14 Ephes 5.8 these holy actions of thy spirituall life will speake to thy soule that thou art liued of God and that hee liueth in thee by his grace This his e Ezech. 9.5 6. marke God doth see and will acknowledge in thee and these f Reuel 14.13 fruits of thy faith workes of pietie when all things else will leaue and forsake thee will not forsake thee but will accompanie thee vnto the heauens and there will present themselues with thee to thy God How studious therefore should wee bee in pietie how fruitfull in good workes how prouident for this oyle how carefull to do that which is good in Gods sight since these in the time of our greatest need make so much for our comfort and reliefe Surely to a man that g Ierem. 17.5 maketh not flesh his arme but h Philip. 3.8 1. Corin. 1.20 reposeth himselfe on the mercie of Christ and on his all sufficient merit a well deeded life will make much for his comfort Insomuch that in a good confidence of hope he will say with Dauid i Psalm 31.5 Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit for thou Lord of truth hast redeemed me And when thou hast thus according to the good ensample of Hezechiah prepared thy selfe do not thou forget that which in the last place he is said to do and that is hee wept very sore for when the seruants of God do see that k Psalm 23.6 God still followeth them with his helping grace how l Mat. 14.27 Luke 12.32 in the middest of their troubles he still speaketh words of cōfort to their soules when a Rom. 8.11 16. Ephes 1.13 Hebr. 11.15 they find that inward witnes of Gods spirit testifying to their spirits that when b 2. Cor. 5.1 this earthly tabernacle shall be destroyed they shall haue a building not made with hands but which is eternall in the heauens yea when God so farre openeth their eyes that c Matth. 17.2 2. Cor. 12.2 they see some part of that his goodnes which he will fully shew vnto them in the land of the liuing then d 2. Cor. 5.2 Jerem. 31.18 Ezech. 16.61 all ashamed of themselues and full of teares they bewaile their sinnes and neglected duties because they haue not sought Gods glorie in a more forward zeale nor more carefully haue honoured him in the course of their liues e Psal 126.5 O blessed soule which thus sowest in teares for thou shalt reape with ioy O blessed soule which thus doest f Matth. 5.4 mourne and bewaile thy sinnes for thou shalt bee comforted the Lord shall not forget thy teares but hee shall put them into his bottle Nay hee shall forthwith giue thee a g Reuel 14.13 life in which thou shalt serue GOD without all sinne rest from thy labours and h Jsai 25.8 Reuel 7.7 haue all teares wiped away from thine eyes Wherefore O ye that heare me this day since you are all the sonnes of Adam and must to earth from whence you came since to euery of you the heauenly voice hath said You must die and shall not liue Set an order to your housen prepare your soules and whilest you liue before you bee preuented by death cast vp your reckonnings and make your selues ready for the Lord. With this good King Hezechiah turne your selues from the world your wealth and worship and turne vnto the Lord. Vnto him powre forth your prayers and in the bed of your sickenes say when all helpe of friends and physicke do faile now O Lord I beseech thee remember mee And that he may the better bee moued to heare you then and to giue you succour to your content during this your earthly pilgrimage and small abode in this decaying world walke with your God faune not on the world in truth not in falshood with a perfect not a dissembling heart euer seeke to do how irkesome soeuer it be to thy flesh and vnpleasing to the world that which is good and pleasing in Gods sight And when thou hast fayled in these thy duties bewaile thy sinnes and ouersights and with an humbled soule come to the feete of thy blessed Sauiour grieue not to wash them with the teares of thine eyes which hath washed thee with his most precious blood Thus much in the applicatiō of this text to you Now resteth it that we should somewhat speake of this our brother for whose sake wee are heere assembled For since it hath been an ancient and most laudable custome vsed by the holy Fathers in the Primitiue Church and continued throughout all ages vnto this day to commend vnto the people of God in their Funerall Sermons many vertuous men and women and that to these ends that they might shew their thankefulnes to God for giuing such grace vnto men performe their last dutie to the deceased and might stirre vp their hearers
12.19 thy time is not yet come yet it is good being heere Whereupon the Lord sendeth his third Sumner that is all grieuing sicknes which paineth the bodie vnquieteth the minde which maketh their wonted pleasures very irkesome to them yet d 2. Cor. 16.12 sicke man then feedeth himselfe with a vaine hope of life seeketh to the Physition but not to God and if to God yet then it is with his hartiest prayers that he might liue Whereupon the Lord seeing the sonnes of Adam thus to shift his presence he sendeth forth his last Sumner fearful death which perforce without delay or farther shifting bringeth man before he is prepared to Gods high court of iustice there to receiue his finall doome this is that which is heere mentioned Thou must die thou shalt not liue Although thou wast a Dan. 4.11 that goodly tree of which Daniel maketh mention whose top reacheth vp to heauen and whose branches ouer-spread the quarters of the earth yet if the most high shall send his watch-man to hew thee downe downe thou must thou canst not stand thy leaues shall wither thy fruit shall fall Although thou wast as faithfull as Abraham pious as Daniel powerfull as Eliah beloued as Dauid and mights liue so many hundred yeeres as the Fathers are said in the first age of the world yet in the end of thee it shall be spoken which was said of them b Gen. 29.5.27.5.5 And they died Nay although thou haddest the vtmost of Physickes skill and the Physitiō waited in thee euery change although thy friends the comfort of the sicke enuiron thy bed and thy pious children powre forth tearefull prayers for thy longer life yet loth to depart thou must take them by the hand and if thou wilt not set thine house in order yet thou must die Thus must all flesh kisse the earth with Brutus which is our mother and the very price of beautie c Iob 17.14 must say vnto corruption Thou art my father and to the wormes rottennes thou art my brother thou art my sister For we al d Iob 1.21 came naked into the world and naked we must returne nay e Gen. 3.19 we were all taken out of the earth and vnto earth we must returne againe f Hebr. 9.7 It is decreed that all must die All there is none excepted must there is no remedie When Saladine the great conquerer found himselfe arrested by death he caused a spade and a winding-sheet to be carried about his campe and proclamation to be made These are the conquests of Saladine Heare O ye bladders puffed with pride which hunger after the glory of the world and in your desires haue swallowed vp the riches of the earth that a spade and a winding-sheete are the conquests of Saladine the forth and fruit of your desires I was all things said Seuerus the Emperour dying at Yorke but now am nothing this all things O ye great ones with which now you braue and please your selues vnto you dying shall be as nothing Awaken therefore your sleepie soules and giue eare to this summons God sendeth to you know that you were borne to die And pray vnto God as Dauid in the Psalme g Psal 90.12 Teach me O Lord thou canst not teach thy selfe thy wealth and world enchaunts thy mind to number my daies that they are h Gen. 47.11 but few and euill as Iacob said that so at the length thou mayest applie thy heart vnto wisedome to attaine that life which euer shall endure where thou shalt serue God without sinne line without all feare of death where thou shalt neuer be taken away from the sweete companions of thy blessed life nor they frō thee Then shal a Philip. 1.23 death feared of other be desired of thee and in the russe of all thy greatest prosperitie thou shalt haue a longing to be with thy Christ b Psal 27.13 there to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing You haue heard the summons sent vnto you from the Iudge of the world you must all die you shal not liue Now consider the reason why this summons is sent vnto you euen to this end and for this cause that you should set your house your selues in order By thy house if thou vnderstand thy temporall affaires set them in order dispose of them in time leaue not thy substance a matter of variance to thy posteritie and for that which is thine let thine heire be beholding to thee and not to other For often times it falleth out when men die intestate and without a will that they haue much of their goods whom they would to haue little and they that haue most do little thanke them because they haue it not of their gift but by an ordinarie course of Law Dispose therefore of thy temporall affaires and bind the receauers of thy goods in a thankfull remembrance vnto thy selfe when by thy made will they see that that which thou hast giuen vnto them thou mightest if thou wouldest haue bequeathed to other And doe it in time for why shouldest thou cause the world to fasten on thee that deserued rebuke that thou wouldest still liue and art loath to die or that loath to leaue them thou wouldest carry thy goods with thee vnto thy graue Yea doe it in time for vnto what times hast thou reserued these thoughts when thou shouldest wholly busie thy selfe in making thy soule ready for thy God thē as a bird taken in alime-bush the which the more she fluttereth the more she is limed thou weariest thy musing soule in thy secular affaires without all free thought or care of God And indeed what time is this Bernard conc ad diuites as Bernard speaketh to make thy wil and to dispose of thine estate when thy head aketh thy hand shaketh thy tongue faultereth thy hart groaneth and thy many grieuous paines doe so trouble thy thoughts that neither thy writing nor thy words can well expresse or make knowne thy mind A weake soule thou art then easily led to do that thou neuer mindest Thy wil then not thine but the will of some other which may best perswade thee And if then thine euen as thou wouldest yet see how one word inserted in some place may alter thy meaning in some maine matter how two or three witnesses carry away all In time therefore dispose of thy worldly affaires whilest thy thoughts are free affections stayed and when at thy leasure thou maiest maturely peruse that which before time thou hast done So shall thy testament be testatio mentis a witnes of thy mind and the will thou hast made thy wil and not the will of another man And if thou oughtest thus to dispose of thy worldly affaires how much rather shouldest thou seeke to prepare and dispose of thy soule to cast vp thy reckonings since thou art forthwith without all delay to giue account of thy stewardship vnto God For as
Chrysostom speaketh that beautie was giuen to a woman lust vnto man sheweth nothing else but that this by the Almightie was therefore done that the wife might bee beloued of her man Wherefore as S. Paul speaketh to the Colossians so I to you Coloss 3.19 Husbands loue your wiues and bee not bitter vnto them For your bitter dealings nay speeches nay lookes for kindnes is killed by a bitter looke abates the sweetnes of a womans loue and maketh them hate where they are bound to loue Wherefore ô ye men as the Rosemary affecteth your heads and moueth you in wisedome for to rule so let it also affect your hearts and moue you in kindnes for to loue Remember of all the creatures God had made he found none worthy a mans best loue and that therefore he made the woman to be an helper meete for him Genes 2.20 Do not ouer much tote on their faults and please your discontented humors with their wants this beseemeth not your wisedome nor your loue For as Zanchius speaketh He truly loueth who when he findeth in his wife some things that do displease Zanch. in 5. ad Ephes not well beseeming her and scarse agreeing with his profit doth yet loue her and performe the duties of a good husband to her Chrysost in Epist ad Ephes Hom. 21. Which as Chrysostom speaketh hideth her wants and gratifieth her in her due desires which saith not to her this is thine and that is thine but which rather saith all is thine I am thine this is not the speech of him that flattereth but rather of him that wisely loueth Wherefore ô ye men although the high growing Rosemary sheweth your rule yet let it remember you to rule in wisdome to rule in loue And yet before I leaue this scepter of your rule with you consider in the third place that the Rosemary in summer and winter is alway greene euen so should men alway continue true and loyall to their wiues the same in loue and loyaltie at the last the which vnto them they were at first they should in summer and winter be alwaies greene Man should not onely forsake father and mother and all strange flesh Genes 2.24 Prouerb 5.15 but euen to the last still he should cleaue vnto his wife Vers 20. As the Wiseman speaketh he should content himselfe with the water of his owne well of strange waters he should not drinke For when God made woman he tooke not two but one ribbe from man neither did he ioyne in mariage two but one woman vnto man and of them two hee said hee spake not of more they shall be one flesh Genes 2.24 Matth. 19.6 Those whom God hath ioyned together thou seekest to sunder and transgressest the holy ordinance of the highest in that thou couplest thy bodie to another and defilest the bed that should bee vndefiled But yet feare howsoeuer thou canst beguile and blind the world thou canst not God Hebr. 13.4 Fornicators and adulterers God will iudge If thy wife should walke after thee in that sinfull way and should beare for thee strange children which although thou fatherest yet thou didst not beget to sit at thy fires and to inherit thy goods thou shewedst her the way by thy ill example and with vncleannes God hath iustly punished thy vncleane selfe Wherefore despise not O man the wife of thy youth nor let her first loue bee euer forgotten keepe thy vowed faith with her Prouerb 5.18 of which both God and his Church are witnes Genes 2.23 Honour the holy ordinance of the highest he hath ioyned thee to one Marke 10.7 and not to many he hath willed thee to cleane to one and to forsake all other he hath said that you two are but one flesh Vers 8.1 Cor. 7.3 that thou hast not power ouer thine owne bodie but thy wife Thou maist not therefore with the wreck of thy faith breach of Gods ordinance to the wrong of thy wife hurt of thy soule ill example of other defile the bed which should be vndefiled and pollute thy bodie with other women which onely belongeth to thy wife Be therefore true and loyall to your wiues O ye married men you are their heads thereby you shall teach them to bee loyall to you Let this ros marinus this flower of men ensigne of your wisedome loue and loyaltie bee carried not only in your hands but in your heads and harts that by this your wiues may vnderstand how much they are beholding and endebted to you Thus haue I scattered my flowers the Prime-rose amongst you all let God giue Eue to Adam let all your mariages begin in the Lord. Amongst you maidens the Maidens-blush Eue is brought and giuen vnto Adam so should you by your parents bee giuen vnto men it doth not stand with a maidens modestie for to goe and giue her selfe Amidst you maried wiues the sweete cooling cordiall and low-growing Violet although God made Eue subiect yet hee made her an helper meete for man And lastly among you men the Rosemary the flower of men although God hath giuen you to rule ouer your wiues yet rule them in wisedome you are their heads respect them in loue they are bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh and in loyaltie euer cleaue to them for with them you are become and so should remaine distasting all other one flesh Now what remaineth but that we beseech our heauenly Father to plant these sweete flowers in the garden of your hearts and to water them from aboue with the sweete dewes of his heauenly grace that you may daily reape the fruites of all happie content to your mutuall comforts in this life and encrease of blisse in the life to come The which the Lord giue you for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be all power maiestie and dominion both now and euermore Amen FINIS A SICK MANS GLASSE ISAIAH 38.1.2.3 About that time was Hezechiah sicke vnto the death And the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vnto him saying Thus saith the Lord set thy house in order for thou must die and shalt not liue Then Hezechiah turned his face to the wall and besought the Lord saying Now I pray thee Lord remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is pleasing in thy sight and Hezechiah wept sore THis Scripture diuides it selfe into two principall parts whereof the first is the message done to Hezechiah whilest he was sicke contained in the first verse About that time c. The second is the behauiour of Hezechiah when he had heard the message remembred in the two next verses Then Hezechiah turned his face c. In the message we are to obserue these fiue points first the time when it was done About that time Secondly the person to whom it was done to Hezechiah that was sicke Thirdly
to bee followers of their vertues that so they might bee partakers of their prayses let not these our speeches be vnpleasing to any neither let the studious of noueltie seeke to disgrace this laudable custome which to so good vses of all antiquitie hath bin approued For as Hierom speaking of Paula a vertuous woman a Hieron epist. 27. cap. 13. 2. Chron. 32.33 All assembled themselues when Paula was dead they thought it a sacrilege not to do this last dutie to such a woman So since this great and honorable assemblie doth thus honor our deceased to his graue I cannot be wanting in this my last duty vnto him And although his senselesse corps perceiueth not that is done vnto him and therefore it may seeme to some a thankelesse duty yet as a token of our true loue we leaue this with thee O thou beloued know as Augustine speaketh b August de ciuit Dei lib. 1. cap. 13. Jdem de cura pro mort cap. 3. That such pious duties do please the Lord. But where shall I begin in a poore place of poore yet honest parents he was borne aduanced by God to this wealth and worship and made the first of knowne note in his fathers house Thus God from the sheepe-fold called Dauid and gaue to this sonne of the earth to bee a Knight and to sit among the great ones of the Citie From out of this roote hath sprunge twelue liuing branches nine sons three daughters the gifts of God and the parents comfort Blesse thy gifts O God vnto her comfort and let the desired memory of their departed father still liue and bee remembred in them Whither shall I go His affable nature and most louely carriage desiring to doe good both to poore and rich his respectiue dutie vnto his betters and ready obseruance to be at their command his many imployments in this Citie causes and faithfull diligence wading through al his answering trust to his reposing friends and ready hand to helpe them at all times of need his kind entreatie of the poorest of his kin and willingnes to embrace the loue of strangers his bountie to the needie at home and abroad and purse supplying schollers wants his set weekely contributions to the poore whilest he liued and Wil giuing to them a childs part being dead maketh me entreate you as a Basil Concio de Sanct. Mamante Martyre Basil did his hearers in a funerall Sermon he maketh of Mamantes the Martyr that euery of you which haue been holpen pleasured or thus entreated by him or which can truly witnes this his kind and vertuous carriage would helpe me with the sweete flowers of your true reports to adorne his Herse That as many the b 2. Chron. 16.14 cap. 21.19 Kings of Iudah were said to be buried with sweete odors and diuers kinde of spices so wee may burie this our brother with the sweete reports of his well deeded life and the spiced odors of his happie death And to begin this is my flower best beseeming him and most pleasing me that as he grew in worship so he grew in pietie This doth witnes with me your morning Sermon by him notwithstanding his employments often frequented this the Preachers of the Word in greater loue than before respected this his prayers with his household in greater deuotion than before time followed Smell sweete pious flower spread forth thy odors he liueth well that liueth with his God Follow with your flowers and c Prou. 10.7 let the memorie of the iust be followed with praises when the name of the wicked as a snuffe of a candle shall goe foorth with stinke I will not excuse whatsoeuer his infirmities hee was a man and carried about him a bodie of flesh yet play not thou the part of a kite or puttocke which passeth ouer many sweete and pleasant things and gorgeth himselfe with garboyle and carrion for if thou doest many that heare me this day will speake against thy vile and base affection and to thy face shall shew as Gregorie speaketh of his brother Basil that his vices were better than thy vertues Greg. Nazian monod. in mag Basilium Couer therefore whatsoeuer his infirmities with a louely silence and since the Lord hath cast them behinde him and drowned them in the bottome of the sea let them die with him and with his dead carkasse let them be buried in his graue Thus he liued the loue of the world the desire both of poore rich And thus he died euen in the height of al his prosperitie being but newly entred into this place of worship and as another Hezechiah laid on the bed of his sicknes by turning to the wall praying weeping hee makes himselfe readie for his God For after he had set an order to his worldly affaires hee withdrew his thoughts from all worldly businesse and sought to holie that little remnant of his short life vnto the Lord. This his continued silence doth witnes when yet he knew all that came vnto him saluted thē by name but would not haue any further speech with them This that speech of his to me the first morning I saw him The Lord hath visited me but yet he hath not giuen me ouer as a pray vnto mine enemie O Lord thinke vpon me for thy mercie that I may still shew foorth thy truth This that which is written of dying Ierome a Eusebius de mort Hieron O my friends interrupt not my approching ioy doe not hinder me from yeelding to the earth that which is the earths For vrged to take by the entreatie of many friends his last but fruitlesse potion as though in it were life without it death for a while hee resolutely withstood and protested he would not take it for a thousand pound And when hee was further moued to take it by one that loued him and his hee replied I pray you mooue mee not you would reckon him vnwise that would take fortie shillings when hee might haue three pound that would accept of a life in this world when he might haue a life in heauen Thus as it is written of Austin b Possidon de vit August not ashamed to liue he feared not to die because he knew he had a gratious Lord. The which he further shewed for when the tongue failed and denied to make knowne the meaning of his heart and when many of vs that were present supposed for many houres before his departure that he was bereued of sense and knowledge being at the length to depart this world of himselfe vnmotioned raising vp his hands lifting them vnto the heauens and with the one knocking of his breast not as an euill seruant but as a cheerefull sonne hee gaue vp the ghost and as it is said of faithfull Abraham went vnto his fathers in peace Wherefore to turne from him againe vnto you do not only c Num. 23.10 wish with Balaam but endeuour whilst you liue that your soules may die the death of the iust and that your latter ends may be like vnto his And since hee so blessedly liued and blessedly died although thou canst not stop the floods of thy kinde affection d Eccles 38.16 but must needes bring foorth thy teares and make lamentation ouer the dead as one that hath suffred a great losse yet in so great an hope of his assured good let not the Temple of God be ouer sad e 1. Thess 4.13 weepe not as they that haue no hope Although thou criest with Dauid f 2. Sam. 1.26 I am sorrowfull for thee O my friend Ionathan very kinde hast thou been to me and g Iohn 11.32 weepes with Mary for thy brother Lazarus yet with thy teares goe vnto Christ in him seeke thy comfort Neither keepe as Basil speaketh h Basil Concio de grat act fresh the wounds of thy sorowing soule nor seek the meanes to encrease thy griefe but as the weake sighted turne away their eyes from such things as hurt them so turne away thy thoughts from all matter of thy griefe For although his body bee i 1. Cor. 15.42 sowen in corruption it shall rise in incorruption although it bee sowen in dishonour it shall rise in honour although it be sowen in weakenes it shall rise in strength k Aug. epist. 6. He is gone before we shal follow God giue vs so to follow that we may euer rest with him Sit Deo gloria