had determined his right and title his owne heart was Chaunceler to quench the fire of contention Iust hee was to keepe the Countrey free from the sonnes of Belial A peace-maker hee was to compromise and to end vnchristian controuersies Iust he was and feared not the gratest Louing he was and contemned not the least I can remember that when I was brought vp at the feete of this Gamaliel that euery Thursday which is now by Gods direction contrary to your first resolution the day of his memoriall hee rode to a neighbour-Towne of Amptill where he first frequented Gods Temple to heare a Sermon and to offer vp a sacrifice to God and then consulted with the Iustices and Officers of trust for the peace of the Countrie There might you see euery Thursday as at the Poole of Bethesda the Orphant and the widdow the poore and afflicted seeking and finding of comfort There the Recâ—sant and ill-affected subiect were conuented examined perswaded and if all would not serue restrained from infecting the credulous multitude So that Gods Religion was countenanced the oppressed were succoured the darnell was seuered the peace and ciuilitie of the Country by such a solemne and ordinarie meeting was maintained If I speake false accuse me If I speake truth testifie with me for many of you know the substance when I remember onely the shadow For his Oeconomicall vertues as he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lord of a Family three things are obserued by the Philosopher First the choise of a wife Next the entertainment of seruants The third the care of our estate that wee bee not hurtfull but helpefull vnto others The Wife is the first for she either is our helper or our tempter our good or our euill Angell But before I can speake a word of her of whom I learned first to speake I must make Saint Austens confession Pudet me illius aetatis in qua me vixisse non memini I am ashamed of my infancy amongst you in which I doe not remember that euer I liued But could I remember what some of you haue told me whom I am bound to beleeue I should heere giue publike thanks to God that hath called me to his Ministery vpon this occasion Collater ally to honour her memory who for her recreation vouchsafed to instruct me in the Alphabet and elements of learning I beseech you giue way a little to my affectionate thankfulnesse if I interueyne our Earles honours with his wiues vertues Her first lifes blood was deriued from ancient Gentrie but her seruice in Court her excellence of body and graces of mind transplanted her into the stock of more ancient Nobilitie Our Earle found her the Widow of that great Earle Edward of Derby found and a while kept her a most beloued louing gracious compassionate religious and noble Lady whose vntimely death without issue deuided a paire of honourable Turtles deuided their bodies but not their soules 34. yeeres hee spent as a mourner of her Funerals deuided their bodies but not their loues for though her body lyes buryed at great Gaddesden which necessitie did enforce yet all that Iacob could doe for Rachel he hath done for her in ioyning her piller vpon his owne sepulchre making one indiuiduall monument for them both in this Chappell to testifie to all the world that happy vnion of which neither life nor death could make a disiunction Such was his Lady such was their loue I would to God the discontentments of great Lords and Ladies did not make it remarkeable What a shame is it when our honourable mariages are like that of Pompey with Iulia of Anthony with Octauia which are not made to vnite hearts but houses nor to ioyne affections but factions the issue being as fatall as the beginning was vnfaithfull But I had rather powre foorth prayers to God for reformation then spend vnregarded words of reprehension Let it suffice that they there lye together in one graue of whom you cannot iudge whether their honour were greater or their loue The next thing in a family is the entertainement of seruants which this Honourable person knew best to chuse because himselfe had been a seruant Though hee was borne of a most Noble family yet being a younger brother as the vniust yet vsuall custome of our Country is hee was compelled by necessitie to serue in a Noble Familie but after was preferred to the seruice of the late Queene of happy memory In both which he gained such experienâ—e that hee knew with Iacob how to reforme his houshold that no Idolatrous Baalite no Idle-bellied Cretian no prophane Esau no Ruffian Lamech no blasphemous Rabsache no inordinate persen should by his will and knowledge shrowd their abominable vices vnder his Honourable vertues Hee well knew the sharpe speech of Aristippus who replied to a wonderer of a great traine of seruants At plures muscas in culina hee had not saith the Philosopher so many seruants in his Hall as he had flies in his Kitchen Seruants who are fed like great horses onely for pompe and shew are vsually irreligious and vnprofitable creatures But those seruants whom hee intertained those he trusted accounting it a French lightnesse to intertaine a few Pyes and to change them as often as their Liueries His ancient seruants fit for a setled and an Honorable house sufficient for their number and extraordinarie for their qualities whereof some had continued with him tenne yeeres some twentie some thirtie some fortie yeeres those according to the meanes and measure of his estate he rewarded at his death Others who serued him lesse time hee honoured either with a Ring of remembrance or comforted with halfe a yeeres wages for their present maintenance Generally he commended them all to his Honourable Brother that howsoeuer they had lost a louing Lord yet they might find a Noble Master It was a great part of his care at death that his seruants might be prouided for the meanes of life I must not forget to conclude this point with the remembrance of another Legacy Our Noble Earle did so remember his owne seruants as he did not forget Gods poore seruants 50. pounds he allotted by his will to be distributed to Christs brethren to feed them to clothe them or in such manner to comfort them as their necessitie required and his brothers iudgement should order that as his soule was to bee comforted by the blood of the Lambe So as Iob speaketh the loynes of the poore might bee warmed with the fleece of his sheepe The third point was the care of his estate which as he publisheth in the Record of his Will and Testament he found almost ruinated by the vaine prodigalitie of Richard Earle of Kent He knowing therefore that Honour without meanes is but a glorious burden but the Tower of Babel the seminary of confusion he made a carefull frugalitie the fuell of his continuall hospitalitie Great things by prouidence are attained by prodigalitie ruinated You reade
in the 15. of Luke of a prodigall sonne in the 16. of Luke of a prodigall seruant and prodigalitie brought both to beggery the one with shame came crying to his father the other said he was driuen to cozen his Master Our honourable Earle therefore professeth in his Will and Testament that hee did not build yonder Monument of stone for any vaine glory but as an Emblem to his posteritie that their house was ruinated by Richards prodigalitie was restored by Henries frugalitie Such a curse followeth Absolon Such a blessing followeth Ioseph I call not euill good I apparell not vice with the Liuery of vertue It was not basenesse but prouidence that laid the foundation It was not oppression but time that finished this building You of this Parish know his voluntary contribution to publike charges whereof hee was freed by Law You of the Country know his perpetual hous-keeping his relieuing of the poore his feasting of whole Townes at publike times and solemnities He knew full well that a man may better cheape keepe a constant and good house then an vnconstant and wicked harlot In one word Iacob prouided and God prospered But all these Heroicall politicall Oeconomicall vertues are common vnto Traian aswell as to a Christian all these things without grace are not a naturall but a painted floure of glory Except wee can find that he was as good a seruant of God as he was a Lord of men omnis humana Iustitia similâ—s est corpori caput non habenti All humane Iustice saith Lactantius is but like a body without a head Is but the shadow Is not the substance of vertue Let vs leaue him therefore as a Lord of men and consider him as a seruant of God To expresse which attribute of a seruant I find two other words in the Text the first doth expresse the duty of life the second doth afford securitie in death I Secundum verbum according to Gods word in liuing 2. In pace according to Gods will in dying His life was secundum verbum according to Gods word whether you consider his publike or his priuate deuotions His publike deuotions in fauouring and honouring the Lords Prophets like another Obadiah he fed them at his owne Table hee vsed them with all respect of their calling he accounted them as the Angels of Gods Church and not as many politikes doe the basest of Ieroboams Priests Hee knew that those that serued at Gods Altar were not to bee accounted as the retriment of the people It being an infallible consequence that he who despiseth Gods Ministers doth contemne God in his Ministers If Christ be Christ Christians will honour the Ambassadours of Christ. Atheisme is the mother and contempt the daughter of prophanenesse Next his deuotion appeared in the doctrine and discipline of truth against superstitious Idolatrie and ignorant noueltie Let me record what I know what he knew and professed For although Iuy cling about the Oake yet is not the fruit of the Oake It cannot be denied but that some that had more zeale then knowledge and I feare notwithstanding their frequent lip-labor more knowledge then conscience I am sure more sacrifice then obedience shrowded themselues vnder his protection which through the defect of his hearing hee could not auoid being compelled to entertaine such as the partialitie of some about him did commend vnto him but for his owne iudgement he euer desired men of religion void of ostentation men of conscience free from faction accounting the established Apostolicall discipline of the Church of England to be preferred before the lunacies and Fansies of Consistorian confusion Lastly his publike frequenting of Gods Temple not his priuate Chappell where through want of hearing he was rather a Spectator then an Actor gaue so good example to his houshold to the Inhabitants of the Towne and Country as the good that came thereby did testifie to all the world how much it concernes euery great person to bee either a Michael a Leader of Angels or a Lucifer a Captaine of Deuils I expresse my selfe Truth and Religion seeke no corners no woods no chambers no places no persons of darkenesse God doth giue that blessing to the publike Temple that he doth not giue to a priuate Chappell Indeede they are Chappels of ease more for their ease then their honor As though we cannot adore the God of heauen except we be attended like Beronice with pomp on earth If at the day of Iudgement we shall all stand in the Valley of Iehosaphat If the foure and twentie Elders doe cast their Crownes at the feet of the Lambe I beseech you must we for flate contemne the publique assemblies Our most noble most humble Earle knew that in respect of our sinnes the bloud of the poore Virgins Sonne doth equally wash the soule of a Lazar aswell as of Caesar. Therefore as there is but one common saluation so there ought to bee a common and a publique and a ioynt humble Inuocation His priuate deuotions were performed without a Trumpet I will not make them more by Arte then they were in heart Pray hee did pray hee did euery morning and euening pray hee did in his owne person pray he did in his Chamber without any other witnesse then the witnesse of a broken spirit to God Some one necessarily saw and obserued him as Daniel was obserued to pray towards Ierusalem but he did not pray to bee seene though hee was seene when he prayed As Christ went vp to Mount Oliuet which mountaine he chose for solitarinesse not for greatnesse His prayers ended his bodie refreshed his minde quieted the rest of the day he spent in reading the Scriptures and the Commentaries of holy writers in reuoluing the Histories of Church and State In few words the vanities of the world did not draw him from a constant and continuall course of Pietie So that the latter part of his life was like the daily reuolution of the Sunne in a seasonable and infallible and a certaine Spheare of Vertues His death was the last Sceane of all his labours which as I was informed was like to Simeons in the comfortable peace of his soule Great is Gods mercie when the earthly Tabernacle of the bodie doth so sensibly decay that wee finde our deaths before we feele it His body you know was ploughed with furrowes of age which caused him to keepe his bed before any but himselfe saw his period A Phisitian was sent for whose presence is mixed with feare and comfort but to him who was prepared his Phisitian brought neither coÌ„fort nor feare He reioyced that hee trusted not with Asa in his Phisitian but in his God And according to that confidence hee exhorted his affectionate brother with words of grace and pietie He put his house in order like Hezekiah and with great patience expected the howre of his dissolution His want of hearing excluded all possibilitie of externall comfort but he felt a Comforter within which none can tell
liue to mount vp his piles of wondermeÌ„t his turrets of Babel thogh in the midst of his pride he be turned into an Oxe There is an Absolon who desires to liue that he may weare a Crowne vpon his head though he be hanged by the haire of the head and hee bee stricken with three Darts through the liuer There is an Achab that desires to liue to take possession of Naboths vineyard though in the place where the Dogs licked the bloud of Naboth Dogges shall licke the bloud of Achab. There is an Haman that desires to liue till hee may bee reuenged on Mardoche his enemie although a gallowes of fiftie foot high an eminent place for execution bee the end of a mischieuous Courtiers promotion All such desires of life whose ends are our corrupt passions are vnlawfull desires And although they haue as Tertullian cals it Volaticum gaudium a winged pleasure in their liues yet they shal haue Talentum plumbi as the Prophet speaketh a Talent of lead an intolerable pressure of their conscience in their death But as life may be vnlawfully desired so likewise death may be desired vnlawfully It cannot bee denied but Elias prayd for death in a wrong Nunc. In the 1. King 19. verse 3. Elias fled from Iezabel fled in the morning fled for his life Yet in the fourth verse at euening when he was a little wearie with flying hee prayes for death Now O Lord take away my life A very strange passion that one dayes iournie should make such an alteration It cannot bee denied but Ionas had a wrong Nunc. In the second Chapter of Ionas and the second verse he cryes out of the Whales belly hee cals it the belly of hell hee cries and calles for life But in the â—ourth Chapter of Ionas and the third verse some three or foure daies after he begs and sues for death Now O Lord take my life What was the reason of this sudden alteration It was not reason but passion because the Niniuites did not die therefore hee would not liue But Elias did not well to call for death for a little affliction Ionas did not well to be angrie with God and to desire to die to despite Gods great affection No affliction in our selues no enuie at others are warrantable motiues to desire death We must not bee like Elias to die fainting wee must not bee like Ionas to die chasing They that desire death in passion doe desire death only for fashion It being long since obserued by Saint Austen that when sickenesse comes the harbenger of death Medici adducuntur manera promittuntur Phisitians are requested rewardes are promised prayers are conceiued vowes are offered that death may bee deferred Would you haue a sanctified rule to know a sanctified Nunc when to desire life when to desire death take Simeon for both In Life DEsire so long to liue till you may see Christ otherwise the first death will be terrible the second death will be intolerable It is the contemplation of Bernard Tu quomodo exibis anima misera quae ducem itineris Iesum non nôsti O miserable soule with what horrour wilt thou goe from a bodie of earth which knowest not thy Iesus the Lord of life and the way to Heauen If a man should liue as long as Methusalem though his head were as white as siluer and his skinne as writheled as parchment yet if he knew not Christ he is not fit to die It is a miserable comfort to haue liued long and to haue liued little Diu fuit sed non diu vixit Such a man was a great while liued a little while Better it had beene for such a man to haue beene strangled in the wombe then to haue dyed an Embrio in Religion Let vs therefore then desire to leaue the earth when wee know the way to Heauen In Death VVHen you haue knowne Christ then desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Then imagine all the honours of earth to bee but Anselmus his Butterflyes which children follow from bush to bush from flower to flower at which they catch with childish passion the Butterflyes sometimes flying before them sometimes behind them sometimes close by their eyes sometimes through their fingers and if they catch them they are but Butterflyes So light a thing is Honour so slight a thing is glorie such a vanitie such a Butterflye Then conceiue all earthly pleasure to bee but Boetius his gloriosa pericula glorious perils Then vnderstand all worldly riches to bee but Cyprian his speciosa supplicia glittering punishments Then suppose all things vnder the Moone to bee but Saint Pauls Retrimenta Stercora retriment and dung in comparison of the fruition of Iesus Christ in Heauen In Summe DEsire to liue till you are inspired with grace desire to die when you are assured of glorie This was the time wherein Simeon desired to depart And with which time it is time for mee to depart and to come to Simeons departing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LEt depart Is the word in English whose originall importeth three sences First to depart out of Prison Acts 5. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they let the Apostles depart out of Prison Secondly to depart from a place of exile into our natiue Countrie Matth. 14. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vntill hee let the people depart from the Wildernesse to their owne Houses Thirdly to depart from an Office in which we were placed by Superiour Authoritie Act. 13. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they let Paul and Barnabas depart when they had fulfilled their Ministerie In all these three senses Saint Ambrose doth interprete it In the first sence our soule is supposed to bee in prison and desires to depart Psal. 116. 16. Dirupisti vincula mea Thou hast loosed my bonds In the fifteenth verse Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints Death and Bonds but Death doth loose the Soule from the Bonds of the Bodie Psalme 142. 7. It is the prayer of Dauid Deduc è custodia animam meam Bring my soule out of Prison that I may praise thy name 2. Cor. 5. 1. Wee haue sayth Saint Paul Domum subterraneam It is translated an earthly house but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a house vnder earth a verie dungeon By all which Scriptures the soule seemeth to bee manacled imprisoned and cast into the dungeon of the bodie Not that any man should communicate in the errour of Origen to conceiue that our soules were created in Heauen and for their demerits were tumbled into houses of Clay but to expresse what Saint Paul lamenteth Luke 7. 23. That he saw another Law in his members warring against the Law of his minde and bringing him into captiuitie to the Law of sinne But to expresse the complaint of Cyprian Quae clementia est amare pressuras poenas