ubiest tanta consolatie forget your sadnesse in the midst of such ioyes and if these Consolations because vnseene will not dry vp the Fountaine of your teares nor cause you to lift vp your heads then thinke vpon the great Comfort which you saw with your owne eyes his death his end which was crown'd with the blessings of Peace and now at length after much tediousnesse giue me leaue to determine what it is to end or dye in Peace What it is to end in Peace Pax cogitationis To end in Peace with Euthymius is to end in Pace Cogitationis in peace of minde as it is opposed to doubting To end in peace with S. Cyprian Pax securitatis is to end in Pace securitatis in peace of security as it is opposed to finall falling To end in peace with Origen Pax conscienti◠is to end in Pace conscientiae in peace of conscience as it is opposed to despairing To end in peace witholde Iraeneus Pax mortis is to end in Pace mortis in the peace of death as it is opposed to labouring Againe to end in peace is to end in Pace Dei Pax Dei Proxim◠Sui in the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding i. farre beyond mens apprehensions To end in peace is to end in pace proximi in peace with our neighbours i. when no out-cryes or exclamations follow vs And lastly to end in peace is to end in pace sui in peace with our selues i. when no distractions or perturbations of minde molest vs. Let happier wits find out or invent yet more wayes let them take a Peacefull end or death which way soeuer they will or can yet a Peacefull death is still the consequence of a perfect life and therefore in the next place be pleas'd to take speciall notice what a necessary and infallible dependance there is betwixt an vpright life Note Qualis vita finis us and a happie and Peacefull death The day necessarily followes the rising of the Sunne and the night is as necessary a consequence of the falling of the same and the same reciprocall dependance there is betwixt a good life and a godly death I haue liu'd perfectly for so the Text argues That is I haue had in some measure a respect to the Commaundements of God I haue liu'd vprightly and kept my selfe vnspotted of the world what then why then I shall haue peace at the last and so S. Paul argues I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2 Tim. 4.7.8 what then why henceforth there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse Oh then let vs fight a good fight with S. Paul Let vs be followers of him as hee was of Christ Iesus that we with him may receiue a Crowne of righteousnesse The different ends of good and bad liues Let vs keep the faith and be constant vnto death then God for his promise sake shal giue vs a Crown of Life Let vs dye vnto sinne wee shall liue vnto righteousnesse Let our bodies be the instruments of Gods glory in this World and they shall bee vessels of honour in the world to come But if we liue heere without grace then we must looke to dye without hope if wee sell our selues to worke wickednesse euen with greedinesse then we must expect to dye or end comfortlesse voide of that great blessing in the Text Peace I conclude then with S. Bernards exhortation Si vis in pace mori sis servus Dei hee that will end in peace must serue the God of peace And thus Right Honourable right worshipfull and the rest heloued in our best beloued Christ Iesus I haue indeavourd to fulfill the will of the dead first in preaching according to my small measure of knowledge for the instruction of the liuing then in stirring them vp after my plaine manner by proposing vnto their higher considerations the patternes of perfect and vpright men the fittest Champions for their imitation For what man liues better then the vpright man and what man dyes better then the man that dyes in Peace which was the accomplishment of Abrahams blessing Thou shalt goe to thy Fathers in Peace Gen. 5.15 in peace of minde free from doubting in Peace of security free from finall falling in Peace of conscience free from despairing in peace of death free from labouring and which is aboue all in the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding The Sermon is done for the instruction of the liuing it now beginnes for the honour and commemoration of the dead IT hath beene an Auncient custome in the Church of God for the Fathers to honour the deaths of Gods Saints by giuing vnto them their iust and due praises that the Liuing hearing of their good liues and deathes may learne to glorifie their Father which is in Heauen for them Thus was Theodosius honour'd by S. Ambrose thus was Athanasius honor'd by Nazianzene thus Marcella honour'd by S. Hierom and Malachy Gerrard by S. Bernard And yet such hath beene the shameful abuse of this Auncient custome in the Church 06 by the glozing tongues of some Parasites rather then Preachers that for vs it will be a matter of great difficultie without the scandall and aspersion of flattery to speake of him the history of whose Life and death cals for a Liuie rather then a Florus and for a Demosthenes rather then for a Phocion and yet I shall remember on what holy ground I stand in whose presence I stand in the presence of men and Angels which is most of all in the presence of the Almighty who searcheth the hearts reines If then in such a presence I willingly call euill good apparell Vice in the Liverie of Vertue then let my tongue cleaue to the roof of my mouth But If in such a presence I speake the truth I lye not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost then let such a presence witnesse with mee that our Honourable and right Christian Lord was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfect and vpright man in euery sense and interpretation we haue made of him The perfect man in our first sense or interpretation is the man who hath respect to all the Commaundements of God not allowing himselfe in the breach of any one of them And that hee had such a respect to the Commaundements of God Appeares 1 In his loue to God 2 In his loue to his Neighbour His loue to God appeared first by the exercise of his devotion and religious duties both in publique and priuate morning euening Secondly in the great incouragement countenance he gaue to the Ministers of God by hearing them with a great deale of attention diligence piety by conferring with them with a great deale of devotion humanity by his curteous vsage of them feeding them like good Obadiah alwayes at
THE END OF THE PERFECT MAN A SERMON PREACHED AT the Buriall of the right Honourable Sir ROBERT SPENCER Knight Baron SPENCER of Wormeleighton Novemb. 6. 1627. in Braynton Church in Northamptonshire BY RICHARD PARRE Bachelour in Divinity and late Fellow of Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxford now Rector of Ladbrâ—â—k in Warwickshire OXFORD Printed by WILLIAM TVRNER Printer to the famous Vniversitie An. Dom. 1628. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Sr WILLIAM SPENCER Knight of the Bathe Baron of Wormeleighton Right Honourable and my very good Lord VOuchsafe to accept that which was both conceiued and brought forth at Your Lordships Commaund you haue giuen it a being it now craues your protection and the rather because it brings you at once a testimony both of my Obedience and weakenesse The Piety and Worth of our late noble Lord Your worthy Father now with Christ deserued I confesse a farre more learned Pen though had not neede of any t' is the Priviledge of Vertue and Religion to bee their owne Pannegyrists habent opera suam linguam saith S. Cyprian suam facundiam tacente linguâ they haue not onely tongues of their owne but eloquence and in a powerfull silence proclaime themselues 'T is therefore a superfluous labour to endeauour to preserue his memorie in these poore paper monuments who still liues in those walking images of Himselfe his religious and hopefull Children still liues in the sad hearts of the poore and naked whom his Charitie hath so often fed and cloathed in that neglected vertue of Hospitalitie for justly may it preserue that Name into eternitie by which it selfe liues which in this cold dotage of the decrepit World and perpetuall frost of Charitie would be benumm'd or staru'd were it not entertain'd and cherish'd by that honourable Name of Spencer and some few others but in this Your Honour will satisfie the world who beleeues You as truely to succeed Him in his vertues as possessions and in his pious and religious Examples which euer surviue their Authors Funerals they haue a life of their owne or rather an immortality by which they not onely continue vnto posterity but powerfully perswade to imitation But since it hath pleased the dead to appoint a Sermon and the liuing to make choise of my selfe the most vnworthy of Gods Ministers none being more conscious of his owne defects none more willing to serue this Honourable Family according to his weaknes I haue studied to fit my Sermon to his Funerals He did not affect Pompam funeris as Hierome speakes ad Paulam vpon the death of Blaesilla nor I Pompam Sermonis here 's no Rhetoricke vs'd to moue the passions and affections which are the stoppes and fretts of the Soule to bee fingred by the Art of a powerfull Oratour I know the times wee liue in to be criticall and touchy and that our Funerallists frequently endeavour to teach sorrow to be eloquent an age wherein an intemperate curiosity of style is become not onely a humour but a disease for my part I haue chosen in a pious obseruaÌ„ce of that plainesse he required rather to satisfye the desire of the dead then the curiositie of the liuing and therefore I doe not as the olde Romanes vsed laudare defunctum pro rostris to speake with Suetonius in his Iulius Caesar Shindleruâ— nor haue I painted his Sepulchre like those auncient Iewes no I appeale vnto the world if I may not justly take vp that of Bernard testimonium veritati praebeo non affectioni If any accuse this poore Peece as Lucilius did the writings of Fabianus Papirius for to plaine I must borrow that Apologie which Seneca made for him mores ego non verba composui animis scripsi illa non auribus Seneca ep 100. That diuine Moralist commaunds his yong Lucilius that he should euer suppose Cato or some of the stricter Stoickes a beholder of all his actions Sen. ep 11. thinking the conceite of such an awfull presence a sufficient direction Your Honour needes goe no further then the happy memory of your blessed Father either for direction or patterne Suppose you him bespeaking his Children as Valerius Corvinus did his Souldiers Facta mea vos imitari vellem nec disciplinam modò sed exemplum take out the Lecture and goe on great Lord in those vertuous and pious courses hee hath trode before you and that God with whom hee now raignes in glory prosper and protect you in all your actions guide and direct you in all your wayes crowne you with the blessing of peace heere and with a Crowne of glory hereafter this shall euer bee the prayer of him who is and professeth still to continue Your Honours in all humble duty and observance RICHARD PARRE The Preface IT was the great wisedome and care of our Honourable and religious Lord now translated from Earth to Heauen a Made about three yeares before his death in his last Will and Testament to giue directions in seuerall passages vnto vs who are the Actours in this last Sceane of his decent and Christian Burialls First for his blessed soule that he voluntarily resignes and bequeathes into the mighty hands of GOD his Creatour into the gracious armes of GOD the Sonne his Redeemer and into the comfortable fellowship of GOD the Holy-Ghost his sanctifyer Three persons but one GOD blessed for â—uer His blessed soule thus bequeathed to be admitted into the Congregation of the sacred Trinity into those celestiall and euerlasting habitations Then hee commends the care and charge of his body to his surviuers with these ensuing directions in many circumstances First for the Vbi or place where it should rest Secondly for the manner How it should bee brought to its place of rest And then hee directs vs in this sacred businesse or action I meane the preaching of this Sermon For the first circumstance the Vbi or place of rest it is in the wombe of this holy ground b Braynton Church in Northamptonshire and more punctually in that honourable and rich Monument with his elect Lady beloued Wife whose Christian death dissolution divided their bodies not their soules c He liued a Widovver 30 yeares witnesse those many yeares he hath spent as a mourner of her Funerals witnesse that individuall Monument for them both to testifie to the world that happie vnion of which neither life nor death could cause a disiunction Thus did the sparke of his neuer-dying loue guided by a diuine providence kindle and inflame his heart with a desire not only of dying in the same bedde on earth but also of lying in the same bed vnder earth where they might dwell together againe as in a house of safety and peace vntill they rise jointly to a joyfull and glorious resurrection And as we are thus confin'd to the Vbi or place of rest so are we restrained in the manner How he would be brought thither not in the pompous traine of Heraulds and glorious Ensignes
not only to perswade imitatiō but also to enforce approbatiō frō the conuicted consciences of the gain-saiers No man is so badde but would conforme himselfe to good courses if they crossed not his priuate ends and though hee speake sometimes against the life yet would bee glad to die the death of the righteous Againe the very nature of man is more inclineable to be guided by a Longum iter per praecepta breue efficax per exempla Sence example then precept Though precepts and instructions be more reasonable yet exampies preuaile sooner because more obuious and familiar With what courage and life doe souldiers goe on if they behold a Commaunder ingag'd in some noble attempt his valour makes them couragious and his example is a powerfull argument to prouoke their emulation emulation puts them forwards to the imitation of excellent men as wee see in Themistocles b Vale Max l. 8. ca 15. in Plau. Apoth whom the trophees of Miltiades would not suffer to sleepe vntill by his like worthy acts he had purchased to himself a like glorious name as it is thus in meere naturall men and Heathens so should it bee amongst Christians in their Christian warfares Saint Paul takes this to be a most winning course and therefore hee cries Bee yee followers of mee as I am of Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 1. Cor. 11.1 Besides these motiues there are two weighty causes more why the liues and deaths of perfect and vpright men should bee exemplarie vnto vs the first is for the glory of God the second is for the iustice of God first the proposing of such mens liues as examples to our selues doth aduance the glorie of God because wee seeing or looking on their good workes do thereby learne to glorifie our Father which is in heauen Secondly the proposing of such mens deaths or ends makes for Gods iustice Ne Deus putetur iniquus it is the glosse vpon the place least God should be thought vniust whilest wee see the godly to suffer in paine and the wicked surfet in pleasure For which very cause Epicurus denieth Gods prouidence not dreaming of that great day of reckoning wherein the Lord shall come with 10000 Saintes to execute iudgement vpon all such men Iude. 15. or when the Lord Iesus shall bee reueal'd from heauen in flaming fire to execute vengeance on all men that would not know God d 2. Thes 1.7 nor obey the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ not dreaming that they who now surfet in pleasure shall one day suffer in paine and flames of hell fire if wee haue our heauen here wee must haue our hell hereafter Nemo potest in hâc vitâ in futurâ gaudere if our way in this world be pleasant and sweete wee shall not much care for our heauenly Hierusalem e Cui peregrinatio duleis est non amat patriam S. Aug. in Psal 93. which is aboue it is therefore the lot of the righteous to sow in teares here that they may reape in ioy hereafter they must weep in this vale of teares that they may sing and looke vp with joy vnto those hills from whence commeth saluation God in sacred writ is said to wipe away all teares and happie are they that canne shed them hee is said to gather and blessed are they that scatter them oh then let all the Epicures of the world wallow themselues in their sinfull pleasures for a season Let all inordinate persons put off the euill day and euen weary themselues in the wayes of wickednesse make a progresse in sinue adding thirst vnto drunkennesse but let all the Saintes and seruants of God runne in the wayes of vpright men and in patience waite vntill the day shall come wherein in they shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth let them I say in patience waite the Lords leasure and in patience runne the race that is set before them runne the race of the Perfect and vpright man least their liues and deaths runne to rise vppe in iudgement against them Let them so runne that they may obtain a 1. Cor. 9.24 and what Coronam gloriae a crowne of glorie in one b 1. Pet. 5.4 place let them so runne that they may obtaine and what Coronam vitae a Crowne of life in another place c Reuel 2.10 let them so runne that they may obtaine and what Coronam iustitiae a Crown of righteousues in a third place d 2. Tim. 4.8 All these Crownes a Crowne of glorie a Crowne of life a Crowne of righteousnesse shall God for his trueth and promise sake as rewardes giue vnto them if they propose and proposing follow in all good conscience the liues and deaths of perfect and vpright men Yea but such mens liues and deaths are rare examples Ob. non cuiuis contingit euery man cannot attaine to such perfection what then Est aliquid prodire tenus Sol. especially towards God who accepts the will for the deede Nay who stands at the doore and knockes beeing more willing to come to vs then wee to him Yea Ob. but such mens liues are full of difficulties anxieties and dangers Sol. true but what 's the issue a gracious deliuerance the blessing of Peace at the last many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers them out of all Who would haue thought that when Ioseph was in the dungeon hee should euer haue beene a Lord to his brethren or a prouident Father to a whole Nation Who would euer haue thought that when Iob was scraping his sores on the dung-hill hauing lost all his children al his cattel all his houses goods he should haue bin richer then euer he was Surely this is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes many were the troubles of good old Abraham but the Lord deliuer'd him out of all many were the troubles of good Dauid but the Lord deliuer'd him out of all What shall I say more many are the troubles of euery perfect and vpright man but the Lord deliuers him out of all all these troubles shall bring him peace at the last for the end of that man is peace our last querie or circumstance Marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is Peace The Schooles in their laborinths doe winde and turne peace by many distinctions Pars 3. Aquinas 22. q. 29. acric 1. and queries Aquinas in foure Articles makes 4 queries of Peace 1. Whether it be the self same thing with concord Secondly whether Peace bee an effect of charity Thirdly whether Peace bee desired of all And lastly whether Peace be a vertue For the first querie the verdict is brought in negatiue Peace is not the same with Concord for there may bee a concord amongst the wicked Simeon and Leui were fratres in malo brethren in euill Amongst
in some good measure did not liue answerably to their professiō that as he was in trueth and not in shew onely a perfect man so they likewise might indeauour to attaine that perfection recommended vnto vs by our Sauiour Mat. 5 48. Bee you pefect as your Father which is in heauen is perfect And soe I leaue the consideration of him as a perfect man and intreat you to cast your thoughts awhile vpon him in the consideration of an vpright man Behold the vpright Hee was an vpright or iust man many waies and yet not the first way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to nature for soe no man was euer just since the fall of Adam but hee was an vpright and iust man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the judgement and opinion of men as was Samuel Againe he was an vpright and just man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 12. according to purpose and true endeuour for with Saint Paul he forgot the things which were behind and reacht forth to the things which are before and pressed hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Lastly he was an vpright or iust man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the imputatiō of Christs righteousnes which gaue him an interest to that royall blood which is in the person of Christ and makes him both to be an heire of the earth to haue a title of inheritance vnto heauen Thus ye see wee haue found him to bee the vpright man many waies and discouer'd him to bee the perfect man in seuerall constructions according to which perfectnesse and vpright dealing God for his trueth sake blessed him with a goodly inheritance and pleasant paradize wherein in grew in abundance the Apples of Peace which now we are to gather in the last place The end of that man is peace And the end of this perfect and vpright man was soe crown'd euen with the blessing of peace of peace which God giues and of peace which the world giues This consisted in the quiet enjoying of temporall things together with the health of his body for many yeares That in the sweete tranquility of his minde and in the vnconceaueable joy which now he takes in the contemplation of Gods beatificall vision Againe his end was in peace in pace proximi in peace with his neighbour no outcries no accursed acclamations of crueltie and oppression follow his vrne and ashes Againe his end was in peace in pace sui in peace with himselfe free from distractions of minde free from conuulsions of body like a lambe he passeth through the gate of mortality into a house not made with hands immortall in the heauens Mors janu◠vitae The pangs of death to him were so easie that he seemed to find death rather then to feele it a blessing which Augustus often wisht for Sibi suis Sueton in vita ejus that a glorious life might bee crown'd with a faire and easie death This blessing hee obtained in full measure because hee passed away in a premeditated kind of sleeping rather then dying which is to dye the death of the righteous for so the Hebrewes say of wicked men that they dye but of the righteous or Saints of God that they fall a sleepe as Lorinus obserues well on Leniticus And yet the honour and comfort of his death stood not only in this that hee went away in a sleepe gentlie but principally in this that as he liued in this presēt world so he died godlily for hauing set aside the trrafficke of this world which passeth away hee trades for an inheritance which fadeth not reserued for him in the heauens Insomuch that his gratious visitation towards the end seemed farre more comfortable then in the beginning Wormleighton vvhich vvas clouded vvith some more sadnesse and deiection of spirit not many daies before his end in peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 macrob in Som. Scip. lib. 10. cap. 11. God put a resolution into his heart to visit the place vvhich gaue him the honourable title of a Baron that his soule might blesse the poore there also before it 's loosing out of the body Ergastulum animae the prison of the soule and as in fine it happily proued this journey vvas a setting forward towards the kingdome of heauen for vvithin the space of foure dayes after his arriuall there the earthly taberuacle of his body vvas b Octob. 2◠1627. dissolued and his soule translated from earth to heauen vvhere our pennes and tongues shall let him rest onely they craue leaue to make a short historie of his doings sayings in that short respite of life after his comming to that place His very first act his priuate acknowledgment of Gods great mercy for his safe arriuall there being made was to send for a neighbouring minister hauing left his houshold Chaplain at his mansion-house to waite on 's office with the most of his family whom hee earnestly desires to continue with him during his abode ther morning euening to pray with him to praise God for him that was indeed the behauiour methode guise of his deuotion throughout the whole course of his sickenes like good Hezekiah when hee was sicke to pray vnto God and when hee began to amend to praise God or giue thanke vnto him The next act of his which doth preach to the world his religious end was a gracious message hee sent to a neighbouring minister an auncient acquaintance of his whom notwithstanding his profession hee godlily exhorts to prepare himselfe as he did for heauen intreating him withall to remember him in his daily prayers promising to doe the same for him in his continuall deuotions And whilst his Catholicke charity and deuotion thus spread themselues on others was he vnmindfull of his own cause No he powres forth his complaints and supplications for his Gods assistance against such passions as took most aduantage on him in his greatest weakenesse disiring withall his friends and seruants to construe it not as an argument of displeasure against them but rather of his great weakenesse when hee spoke passionately to them in his sickenesse And as his zeale and faith in Christ did still increase and the inner man grew stronger and stronger so his earthly tabernacle or outward man did sensibly languish decrease for indeed as it appear'd by an ocular demonstration the stocke of Nature was quite spent his glasse was runne and beeing ripe for heauen hee was gathered like a ripe apple from the tree and as he was in his life Lucerna ardens lucens a burning and a shining candle so it burn'd to the snuffe Nec extincta est tamen sed submota which was not put out but set aside In vitâ Malachiae as Saint Bernard spake of his dead friend his life was a candle which burn'd to the snuffe a snuffe which needed not a socket to conceale the stench no at the
very last it was as a precious oyntment leauing a sweet persume behind it And whilest that our right Christian Lord was thus dying vnto the world but liuing vnto God it was my great honour being sent for before his Christian conclusion to be an eye-witnesse to the vpshot of his happines D. Clayton Reg. Profess Med Oxon. It was no sooner made knowne vnto him by his very learned and religious Physitian that I was come according to my bounden dutie to doe the office of a minister vnto him but hee speakes affectionately let him come in let him come in with all my heart and surely God was in his heart when his minister was thus the last man in his mouth and at my admittance into his presence my first posture was on the bended knees of my body which with the bended knees of my soule did sollicite the God of mercy to bow the heauens to looke downe vpon him with the eyes of mercy and whil'st wee with devoted hearts and hands sent our prayers to heauen not a dew but a full shower of grace and heavenly benedictions fell downe vpon vs for behold the heavens and the heauen of heauens were opened and the Saintes and Angels ready prepared to receiue his immortall soule with all ioyfulnesse into their mansions of blisse and happinesse Thus shall the man bee blest at 's death that feareth God in 's life hee shall bee gathered to his fathers in the words of Piety in the words of Prayer and in the words of Peace Peace of minde free from doubting Peace of security free from finall falling Peace of conscience free from despayring Peace of death free from labouring and which is aboue all Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding And what now remaines but that wee deuote our prayers that as hee rests in Peace so yee may remaine in Peace euen in Peace amongst your selues in Peace amongst your neighbours in Peace amongst earthly Saintes and heauenly Angels Lastly in Peace with your God which passeth all mens apprehensions Now the God of Peace graunt this that for his deare sonnes sake Christ Iesus to whom be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen HOlds yet our shatter'd world together sound Doth it not reele and totter and loose ground Crumbling towards ruine whiles deaths fection Sickenesse and warre by troopes or one by one Cull's out our worthies which like Ciment ioyn'd ' Its crazed partes together when wee finde A states or bodies principall decay Such symptomes presage ruine And wee may Too iustly feare it when in peace and warre Death on our best and brau'st preuailes so farre Death might haue seiz'd on thousands else beside This noble Lord and the land gratifide If they had beene our walking magazines It had beene mercy to draw out their mines In legacies and some perhaps good deede Or had they beene straite land-lords who doe feed On their poore tenants marrow and still thinke No racke enough till the squeez'd tenants shrinke To nothing who with course and heartlesse care Pray and so curse them that bred all their care It had beene mercy though the successour Perhaps abate not ought so rack'd vp for All change of torments ease or had they bin Some frothy Lords or featner'd frie still in A tracke of fond and triuiall expence Of coine and time and of their wit and sence These and ten thousand such might well bee spar'd Nor would the state by their death be impair'd But when a Noble Lord breathes out his last The state sustaines an Earth-quake and is cast As to that limme into a Lethargie Lords are like starres which guilt from heauens bright eye Reflects i'ts splendour and their influence On the inferiour globe from their orbes whence They diuersly dispense it And when Death Bereaues a mortall starre of his last breath The sunne wants so much demonstration Of light and so much influence is gone Which clear'd the world And he that could relate What influence both on the Church and State Flow'd from this Noble Lord what cheerefull light Hee shed abroad to doe his Countrey right Whose good hee tender'd with more neere respect Then ought that on his priuate did reflect What warmth his beames of goodnesse did impart To the distress'd sad both in face and heart What an vnwearied large and open hand Hee stretch'd out to the poore and how his land Was by their backes and bellies blest while they Like rounds in Iacobs Ladder sate each day In troupes about his hospitable gate Whence laden with his almes early and late They hasted to their coates and timely fed Their bedrid mates and infants with his bread What bounteous entertainment and how free And hearty welcome euery guest might see Both in his face and house which for resort And entertainment was a standing court Where euery honest man though ne're so plaine As welcome was as if a scarlet traine Or silken saile had vsherd him and hee Might freely speake his mind and neuer bee Thought sawcy and commaund a finer man To fill him wine who ne'er would frowne scan The cups or paines but would his best afford To the mean'st guest enioyn'd so by his Lord. How iust he was in all his actions How free from racking or oppressions Hovv farre from causing any poore mans grone Hovv prone to heare and right the meanest one What large revvards and meanes of liuelyhood His seruant had from him vvho vnderstood And louâ—d the service And how firme a friend He was how ready Goodnes to defend What progeny he left how train'd and bred To â—â—ue and stand the Common-wealth in stead In any course it stear'd And how he shone With Piety and true Devotion Which op'd and clos'd his each day He that could In fitting termes relate these as he should To Truthes honour and His and take in all Which in this large Circumference must fall Might write the tru'st and saddest Elegye Tbat e're appear'd vnto a blubber'd eye But the sad Countreyes face and poore mans crye Supply a liuing lasting Elegye By whom their Patron and their Patriot Though no verse were will neuer be forgot YOu are deceiu'd Great Spencer is not dead Hee 's dead who when hee 's gone is perished Hee 's dead of whom there 's nothing doth remaine Which may remembrance of his life retaine Hee 's worse then dead whose lise had so much blame That after him there nought remaines but shame But glorious great good Spencer neuer dyes Who liues well heere sure liues aboue the skyes Of gracious Spencer there is nothing lost But his sweet presence which hath â—â—tely cost So many a heauy sigh and teare and groane Whiles he in white leaues vs in sable moane His sweet embalmed ashes in their vrne Doe breed a glorious Phoenix in the turne Of Nature into glory when the mould Of the new framed World shall ne're grow ould Not any power created can vnmake One graine of dust O then lett 's comfort take Rest thou sweet Bride and for thy Brige-groome stay Both shall be crown'd at the great wedding Day Great Spencer liue in thy Posterity Thy fame on earth Thou in Eternity THe Sunne did set a showre of teares did fall A night of sorrow did o're-spread vs all The cloud did darken all Northampton pale And thence did ouer-shaddow all the vale And mountaines of Great Brittaine teares that fell From English eyes his worth our sorrowes tell But blest be Heauen a glorious Sunne appeares Which cleares the Aire and all the Countrey cheeres From Englands Center Spencers happy seate His wisdome giueth light his goodnesse heate The Church the Muses all the Country find In him that good which in his Father shin'd Shine long bright Sunne our losses to repaire And may thy House ne're want so good an Heire An Epitaph HEre lyes S. Mathewes blessed man Math. 5. if ere Within Earths bovvels he intombed vvere Humble in Minde Vers 3. 4. Mourning these euill dayes Vers 5. Courteous and humbly Meeke in all his vvayes Iustice Vers 6. and right he made his meate and drinke Vers 7. His Mercy clasp't the poore vvhen like to sinke A man of Peace Vers 9. 8 Of heart and conscience pure And for his Worth by some he suffer'd sure 'T was his perfection caus'd our griefe Vers 10. His death A heap of vertues which did stop his breath His goodnes rob'd vs of him had Gods will Been like to most we had enioy'd him still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AVlicus Vrbanus Musarum docta caterva Totaque Spencerum terra Britanna dolet Non dedignatur Coelum sibi sumere vestem Atratam multas solvitur in lachrymas Ille pius iustusquefuit patriaeque fidelis Musis patronus pauperibusque pater Clare vale Spencere vale reverende Patrone Et longùm splendens vivat imago tui VNthankfull vvorld vvhich still imput'st the crimes Of thine ovvne folly to these latter times As if all things vvere vvorse and Natures strength VVere vvasted so that shee must sinke at length If learned Hackwell haue not chaung'd this thought And prou'd 't is not the time but thou art nought See an Heroicke vvho I dare presage Our sonnes vvill say liu'd in a golden age Men vvere but good at Best nor could they more Then vvhat vvas iust Those vvhom vve most adore Did liue at large Had Mine and Thine beene knovvne In Saturnes dayes men vvould haue held their ovvne Spencer vvas great good rich and nobly free To shevv ' twaâ— not his vvealth vvas Lord but hee His vvealth did cherish vvorth for vvhere he spy'd But sparkes of infant goodnes there he try'd To raise a flame and vvould not let it dye But still reviv'd it vvith a fresh supplye Young as I am and vveake not vvorth the care Of such an honour'd Lord I had my share And humbly craue a roome to moane his death VVho heartned me and gaue my studies breath FINIS
the wicked then Gen. 49.5 there may be concord but there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esay 48.22 The rest of the queries concerning peace will not bee so casily resolu'd Esay 48.22 therefore I must referre him that desires a farther information vnto Aquinas 22. quast 29. art 2.3.4 where also hee thus distinguisheth of Peace Pax Perfecta Imperfecta There is a peace which is perfect and a peace which is imperfect The perfect peace consists in the fruition of the chiefest good and is the vltimate end of the reasonable creature according to that of the Psalmist Qui posuit tuos sines pacem and this kind of peace is not to bee had but in the world to come The imperfect peace is that which may be had in this world principally stands and rests in the contemplation of God and his goodnesse yet not without some repugnancies both within and without which disturbe this peace Hugo de Sancto Victore tells vs of foure kindes of peace Duas dat mundus Hugo de San Vict. annotat elucida in Psal 62. 84. duas dat Deus The world giues two and God two The first Peace which the world giues is the quiet enioying of temporall thinges The second is the health or safety of our bodies The first Peace that God giues is the sweete tranquility of the minde the second is that great delight and ioy which wee take in the contemplation of God That is in man This aboue man Againe there is Pax temporis which is nothing else but a temporall tranquillity Secondly there is Pax pectoris Dionys Caâ—â—â—â— lib. de pace which is nothing else but a rest or peace of the minde according to that of our Sauiour These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that in me yee might haue peace Lastly there is Pax aeternitatis which consists in the ioyes of heauen which God hath prepared for those that loue him All these ioyes howsoeuer multiplied in theÌ„selues yet they aime at an end in pace For finis ciuitatis huius saith Saint August the end of the Saintes of God in the citty of God is either Peace in eternall life or eternall life in Peace But all this while we haue not determin'd the Querie in the text what it is to end or die in peace neither canne wee well conclude that before wee haue taken speciall notice of two materiall circumstances 1 First of the necessity of dying 2 Secondly of the vniuersality of dying There is Statute-law for both which no mortall canne repeale Heb. â— Statutum est omnibus it is appointed that all must once die Statutum est there 's the necessity omnibus there 's the vniuersality For the necessity of dying as sure as wee are borne to liue so sure are we borne to die Nasci denasci ordorerum est to bee borne and to die is the order and course of all thinges Many men haue liu'd long long enioyed the blessing of length of dayes but yet those dayes haue not out-lived death no! The same spirit of trueth which tells vs that Adam liu'd so many hundred yeares tels vs also Gen 5.5 that hee dyed Enos liu'd so many and hee died Cainan so many and died Methusalem so many and died These men liu'd many daies and months and yeares nay hundreds of yeares yet these many dayes months yeares and hundreds of yeares could not out-date death could not free them from the curse of a morte morieris thou shalt die the death Hoc singulis additur Gen. 2.17 The note which some interpreters giue on this place is worth the taking vp Vt videas efficacem fuisse sententiam mortis á Deo latam in Adamum peccatum Caluinus Cornel á Lapide with others in 5 Geneseus posteros eius died is added to euery one that wee may see the power and efficacie of that doome sentence which God gaue on Adam sinning and on all the sinfull brood of Adam which still lie soaking in the same lees of corruption and so much the Hebrew phrase imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moriendo morieris i. thou shalt surely die I need not to trauell farre for any more examples onely cast your eyes on this sad spectacle of mortality and then conclude of a necessitie for if art or learned industry of Physicke could haue continued him if strength of man could haue deliuer'd him if wisedome could haue sau'd him if wealth of man could haue ransom'd him deaths arrest had neuer attach't him deaths serjeant had neuer imprison'd him if greatnes of estate if gifts of minde if chastenesse of life if sobernes in diet if wishes of men if prayers of the Church could haue preuail'd for him if any thing could haue giuen any advantage against death darkenesse and blackenesse had not at this time couer'd him And as nothing canne repeale that statute enacted in the court of heauen for the necessity of dying so nothing canne alter the decree for the vniuersality of dying Statutum est omnibus all must die All flesh is grasse and all the glorie of man as the flowre of the field Esay 40.6 Loe the condition of all Esay 40.6 as well great ones as meane ones their glorie fades these wither like grasse but all meete in dust The man liues not that shall not taste death There is a common lot to all all must goe the way of all flesh nay we are now a posting in the common barke of death and our life is nothing else but Iter ad mortem a journing towards death of all thinges death will not bee out-dared Theogn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impudent death saith the Poet because hee feares no colours spares none great nor good Wee therefore should be as impudent as death to challenge that vnto our selues which is denyed vnto all where are the great Commaunders of the world where are the rulers ouer thousands and 10000 The Princes Potentates of the earth Are not Death darknesse and the Graue their lot the portion of them all why then in this vniversall necessitie of death should wee sue for a dispensation for our selues or friends Oh then Ferrequam sortem patiuntnâ— omnes nemore cuset lift vp your heads yee drooping soules who hang them downe like bulrushes weepe and will not be comforted because your Lord your Master your Honourable friend is not true he is not in a prison but in freedome he is not in a sea but in the hauen hee is not in the bondage of corruption but in the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God he is not in his way but in his Countrey hee is not in hope of Heauen but in possession looke how farre Heauen excels earth goods eternall momentary vanities the joyes of the Saints of God the delights of the sons of men so much better is his case now he is not then where he was Oh then Pereat contristatie