O Ioash thou art a mourner at Elishâ—â— death Vse 1. but who thinkst thou will lament at thine The righteous indeed fall and the City is mooved all cry after him and the streets ring with their lamentations but the wicked are cut off and all is still they are neither missed nor desired nor lamented We will not crosse he proverb yet may we limit it Eccl. 2.15 So dyeth the wise man even as the foole so dieth he indeed for the nature of his death his soule is separated from his body but not so for the manner issue and consequents of his death hee dyeth a wise man but this a foole he like a Saint expecting to rise againe gloriously but this as a beast which perisheth for ever he dieth and is lost as a pearl this and is never missed like carrion he is taken away and bitterly lamented but this is cut off and not so much as desired Will ye see how they use him when he is gone It was Iehoiakims case sonne to Iosiah king of Iudah a wicked wretch whom God thus cursed when he was dead Ier. 22.18 19 Non plangent eum vae ob fratrem meum vae ob sororem non plangent eum vae ob regem vae ob regnum eius Sicut proiiciunt cadaver asini sic proiicient cadaver eius lacerabitur proiicietur ultra portas Ierusalem Calv. paraph. They shall not lament for him saying Ah my brother or ah sister they shall not lament for him saying Ah Lord or ah his glory He shall he buried with the buriall of an asse drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem Reade here and see your doome ye generation of evil doers though ye be the sonnes of kings and children of Princes yet your iniquities make you stinke ye die and are dragged and tumbled out like carrion this is your sentence from heauen It is the curse of folly to be buried like an asse Secondly Vse 2. O Israel how art thou beholding to Elisha Thy child indeed yet thy father thy guide thy counsellour thy charet and thy horsemen thy sinewes thy very strength and safety and 〈◊〉 this why doest thou not love him oh how would I weepe over thee with Ierusalems lamentation O Israel Israel thou that keepest the oracles of God and callest thy selfe by the name of his Church why art thou weary of thy righteous Princes thy righteous Prophets thy righteous soldiers and righteous people thou seemest not to regard though they be persecuted killed and stoned oh that thou wouldst consider in this thy day the things which concerne thy peace before they bee taken from thine eyes thy peace thy safety thy strength is in thy righteous members doest thou so slight them while thou now inioyest them Woe is thee thou wilt be feeble when they are gone then shalt thou weepe bitterly and they will not be How is it that thou art become unnaturall thou forsakest thine owne and thou harbourest strange children can salvation be thy walls when unrighteousnes and oppression are among thy rulers profanenes among thy Prophets strange altars in thy temples and idolatry in thy habitatations Alas thy leannesse thy leannesse thou art become weake and feeble and thy destructions are now upon thee Were I worthy to counsell thee yet I may call to thy remembrance Gods counsell unto thee O that righteousnes might abide rule in thy habitations that thou wouldest ingrave it on thy Nobles on thy Iudges on thy Prophets on thy Captaines and on thy Souldiers that in thee might dwell only a people of righteousnes then shouldst thou be as the strong City which the Lord hath founded salvation should be thy wals the name of Iehovah thy tower thy rereward and thine everlasting strength thou shouldest be built as on a rocke that can never be shaken and be established as mount Sion Gods holy place which shall never be remooved Lastly is Elisha among the sicke Vse 3. and maimed and cripples and feeble what doest thou heere Elisha How commest thou thus tyred and weak and faint thou righteous soule thou strength of Israel hast thou bin dallying playing the waÌ„ton in the harlots lap are thy locks shoâ—â— oh Sampson and hast thou betrayed thy strength into the hands of thine enemies Hast thou lost thy Captain thy Assistance thy weapons where is faith now where is that Almighty praier that openeth and shuts heaven that calleth for legions of Angels Alas thou hast sinned thy God is hidden from thee and thy confederates dare not come neere thee thou canst not hand before the enemy nor wind a weapon for thy defence thy strength is become weaknes and thou hast made thy selfe a scorne to the adversaries whom thou hast sometimes wounded Shouldst thou thus tempt God and fall this is thy rebuke yet let me advise thee too Come shelter thy selfe a little under the wing of thy redeemer stay there while thy locks are growne thy Captaine will come that way then lay hold on him thy forces goe along with him gather them together draw out thy weapons again and begin to use them let faith pitch it selfe upon thy God through thy Christ tell him thou wilt throw thy selfe upon his power and faithfulnes to preserve thee let thy prayer set upon him mightily and give him no rest untill hee come againe and renew tsty strength like the Eagles Then comfort thy selfe oh thou charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof the eyes of all Israel are upon thee for their strength thou mighty man of God they weepe with bitter lamentation when thou art taken from them and shouldest thou quaile for any adverse power Consider thy strength thou hast power to combat with hell and overthrow it to grapple with death and to defeat it to make the grave tremble and open unto thee that thou maist arise againe come forth a conquerour Death may humme about but it is a drone it hath no sting sinne may make a bluster but it hath no strength hell may belch foorth great words but it is already vanquished to thy hand and the grave may threaten much but it can doe nothing against such a mighty man as thou art thou hast now nothing to doe but resting in Jehovah thine everlasting strength sit downe and sing Death is swallowed up in victory 〈◊〉 death where is thy sting oh grave or 〈◊〉 where is thy victory The sting of death is 〈◊〉 and the strength of sinne is the law But thâ—nkâ— be to God who hath given me victory through our Lord Iesus Christ I have now done with my Text. I mistooke I have not yet done I must have one cursory more over it for this heavy and sad occasion then I close up indeed yet the corrupt custome of our dayes maketh mee almost afraid when men of corrupt minds enemies to godlines and children of their father the divell must bee made Saints at their funeralls and though all their life time they
and positively wee now reply these considerations might move Ioash or such a wretch as he to bemoane Elisha's losse or such a soule as this First a partiall conviction of some good in the righteous soule commendable and desireable by the very enemy for howsover wicked men are not so farre nor so fully convinced of righteousnes as truely to affect it and earnestly to labour after it yet such a conviction there is most commonly which stops their mouths against it and maketh them to wish for it aâ—aine when once they want it It fareth as with the God of righteousnesse so with the people of righteousnesse in this 〈◊〉 His very eternall power and Godhead the invisable things of him are so cleerâ—ly seems by meere Naturalists Rom. 1.20 yea by the whole world that it is not grievous unto them to confesse him to be God howbeit all this while they glorifie him not as God nay ver 21.30 they are the very haters of God so vainely are they convinced of a deity yet againe when God is departed from them and executes his iust iudgements upon them they cannot but iustifie him in his proceedings and bewaile themselves for the losse of him when hee is gone Such sparkles of divine knowledge are left in corrupted man and are kindled something more by education within the bosome of the Church God may bee thus knowne by his enemies but never honourd or desired before hee turne away in wrath and hide away his face in displeasure then Saul will seeme to honour him 1 Sam. 15.25 though erewhile his rebellion branded him for an enemy Such entertainment and esteeme in the world have his servants likewise as they partake of the goodnesse of their God to they doe of his usage also amongst men Their piety uprightnesse humility and continuall study of doing good convince the very enemy and force a confession of their goodnesse yet hate they them to the very death though afterward their heart smite them and when they are taken away they cry for them alas my brother The Sonne of God fareth no better his righteous conversation doubtles convinced the world of his innocency Pilate proclaimeth it before iudgement Mat. 27.23.24 What evill hath hee done yet hee hath enmity in himselfe against him and to doe the Iewes a pleasure he casts him and condemns him neverthelesse at his death he doth him this honour againe to proclaime his righteousnesse I am innocent of the bloud of this iust person It s strange to see with what violence and ravenous desire of bloud Saul hunted David he is convinced of his innocency yet he cannot love him but pursueth him to the death and after that hee had murdered him in his heart his conviction driveth him to this confession â— this thy voyce my sonne David I have 〈◊〉 returne my sonne David 1 Sam 26.27 12 25. I will 〈◊〉 more doe thee harme I have played the soule â—â—â—â—â—red exceedingly Thus precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 and such God maketh it to be in the sight of men also That wretched Balaam that cursed sorcerer confesseth this to the eternall honour of the Saints of whom he giveth no other commendation than to wish his soule in their soules stead Numb 23.10 Let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last and but like his and yet who a more deadly enemy to their lives than he This lamentation therefore of Ioash upon Elisha might be forced by conviction not invited by affection Secondly self-love might reach him this mournefull note himself was like to be the greatest looser by Elisha's death and no wonder then if he make the greatest lamentation If we observe the story Ioash was at this time sorely distressed because of the Syrians they had made the people of Israel in the dayes of Jehoahaz his father like the dust by threshing and were yet domineering over them Ioash had no great strength lest him of his father to defend himselfe or offend his enemies and now Elisha is departing too his father his oracle for aduice and counsell his strength and safeguard of himself and kingdome the charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof were now falling and now he and his people in all likelihood exposed to the tyranny of the mercilesse Syrians can he love himselfe so ill think we as not to mourne and weepe and cry O my father A parallel no this we reade betwixt Saul and Samuel a wicked King and a righteous Prophet Samuel may declare the word of the Lord unto him but Saul reiects it and in his heart disdaineth both the Prophet and his message he harboureth an enmity against God and him in his flesh and careth not how little hee seeth him he being now his greatest eye-sore yet when Samuel is gone indeed 1 Sam. 28.3.6 14 15. grievous distresse befalls him and now hee wants him Oh what shall hee doe for his Samuel more worth were he at 〈◊〉 time than his crowne unto him 〈◊〉 he beshreweth himselfe he honourâ—â— him and desires him nay when he was sore distressed the Philistines made wants against him God was departed from him and answered him no more neither by Prophets nor by Vrim nor by 〈◊〉 then would he scrape Samuel out of his grave yea rather than faile he goeth to the divell for him and when he seeth him he stoupeth boweth himselfe to do him honor though in the event he was mistaken worshipping the divell not Samulel yet all this while he loveth not the Prophet but himselfe This honour have all Gods Saints Prov. 11.30 that they be trees of life not onely living themselves but also giving life and diffusing their good wheresoever they come though they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by-words and signes of contradiction the very markes whereat the scornes and scoffes of worldlings are bolted for their abode in this theatre yet whence they are transplanted they are missed and wished for not for themselves but for the good which followeth them Selfe-love is enough to make a man act the friend though otherwise in his heart he bee a deadly enemy and so doe the wicked be-friend the godly honour them and desire them because they love themselves I have now but two words to speake to each party Ioash and Elisha the mourning king and the lamented Saint then they goe out and we proceed Vse 1. First I have a message to thee oh king not a dagger for a private stabbe but a word to smite thee with in the open sunne Iudg. 3.20.21 even before the face of all Israel Is this the voice of Ioash over Elisha O my father my father Whence learnedst thou this note thou painted Sepulchre Doest thou conspire with the wicked against the Lord content and delight thy selfe in Ieroboams life and commest thou to be a mourner at Elishas death God will iudge thee thou cursed hypocrite
THE SAINTS LOSSE AND Lamentation A SERMON PREACHED AT THE FVNERAL of the VVorshipfull Captaine HENRY WALLER the Worthy Commander of the Renowned Martial Band of the Honourable City of London To the Right VVorshipfull the President Captaines and Gentlemen exercising Armes in the Artillerie Garden of LONDON Righteousnes Strength and Peace Renowned Worthies THe honour which I beare you next my God my King my Church by the intreaty of some of you hath now forced this rude peece into publike view I 'le censure it to save others the labour farre unworthy of so many eares and eyes that it had and is like to have and by my owne â—udgement once having the censure of the eare it should never have come to the second of the eye but others have passed it and thus much I dare say for it it is truth The end of its comming to you is twofold 1. To minde you of your weaknes death hath made a shrewd breach among you and set upon you in the very front nor in the reare and stroâ—ke as the very body not at the flanks your chart is unwheeled and your horsemen throwne 〈◊〉 your Captaine is taken off your â—eads O◠〈◊〉 soule is heavy while I speake it 2. To repaâ—â—â— your strength and there is but need of it Mee thinkes I see Micaiahs vision the host of Israel scattered as sheep that have no shepheard Should the host of the Lord 〈◊〉 thus Come and let me counsell you Profanenes Pride and Discension are enoughâ—â— scatter an army that lie as thicke at grashoppers as dust into the wind when Holines Humility and Love set 〈◊〉 as walls about them that they feare 〈◊〉 force I 〈…〉 accuse you but as my beloâ—ed brâ—thâ—â—â— I 〈◊〉 you Take heed that the unholy thing 〈◊〉 not found among you walke humbly towards God and man be not all Captaines and love as brethren keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Then aske ioyntly of God a Captaine and aske in faith hee will appoint a man to goe before you in righteousnes courage and the feare of the Lord. having thus to you I would also were I worthy send a word about this matter t our Honoured Senators Be sure ye iudge for God in this great busines and account it not your smallest Honour if yee something deny your selves for the glory of God your Cities flower and your countries good al which lie ingaged in this designe These might I see effected your Captaine and your strength revived my God in both glorified I should have content enough though many censures For this I come forth though I die yet if the name of that Honoured head may live whose praise with God is farre more glorious though I suffer yet if ye may be the better and the stronger for it it is my great reward The care of this your strength I shall ever commend to the Lord of Hosts he strengthen you in righteousnes guard you with salvation make you victorious by faith and triumphant conquerors in his glory In him I râ—st Your hearty Orator and fellow-Souldier in Christs Artillery GEORGE HVGHES THE SAINTS LOSSE AND LAMENTATION 2. King cap. 13. ver 14. O my Father my father the charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof THis dolefull cry I heare but twice repeated in these sacred histories and both times at funeralls First this dying Elisha himselfe singeth this burden of lamentation at the funerall of his father Elijah for it was his funerall an heavy parting from his son and from the earth though with a more glorious transportation in a fiery charet by fiery horses and through a whiâ—â—e-wind into heaven his sonne can doe no lesse at this sudden and admired change than lament him O my father my father the charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2 Kin. 2.12 Secondly this honour had the same Elisha at his change when he was now sicke unto death from the mouth of Ioash an idolater indeed but yet a King who acknowledgeth himselfe a sonne also to the dying Prophet and now comming to visit his father in his sicknesse and perceiving that death was sent for him and he must loose him hee weepeth over his face and cryeth bitterly O my father my father the charet of Jsrael and the horsemen thereof Heare it once more and it is the burden of this dayes lamentation neither untimely I hope nor unseemely not untimely for it 's at a funerall nor unseemly it being the funeral of so honored an head by whose death I dare speake it I would we might not feele it there is a charet unwheeled and an horseman throwne this day in Israel It is true here is neither King nor Prophet to be lamented yet a father of many sonnes in as great a right as Eliah of Elisha or Elisha of Ioash such as a fatherly respect hath made children and want of this father hath made lamenting orphans yet a man of God a righteous soule zealous for the Lord of Hosts in whom God had placed not a small part of the Strength of Israel blame us not then if we take up this lamentation and cry O my father my father c. The words are the naturall notes of a burdened soule and the bitter expressions of a mind oppressed laid out by griefes peculiar a Aposiopesis Rhetoricke outcries and broken distracted speeches O my father my father and there he stops O the charet of Israel and the horse men thereof and then he stayes the mind doubtlesse had something else to vent but griefe smothers it and the weeping passion will not let it out My defence is from my text if Iâ—be broken and confused griefe cannot speake otherwise and mournes like such sermons best whose companion and preacher I am at this time Yet if yâ— desire a fuller sense of these distracted outcryes and a more perfect resolution of these broken speeches thinke my soule now to be in their soules stead and let me personate a while Elâ—shah to Eâ—â—ah or Iâ—ash to Elisha not in his wickednesse but his lamentation and me thinkes if geiese would suffer me I could tell you what they would have spoken O my father woo is me my soule is sorely troubled for thee Alas what shall I doe oh my heart my heart aketh and my soules even ready to be powred out I can have no rest for my staffe is broken and my father is quite taken away from me O my father What doe I stay behind for a poore forsaken orphan O how happy should I be if death would doe me that favour as to bring mee now after thee O my father my father or I would I onely had lost a father and were a mourner alone that I might yet finde others to comfort me but on which side soever I looke I see none but mourners oh my heart is almost broken All Israel laments and cryeth bitterly after thee for their charets and horsemen are fallen because thou art departed
have beene tracing downe to hell yet at their death they are posted from the pulpit in a charet into heaven but it is a windy one that breaketh in pieces and lets them fall downe againe before they come halfe way thither Neverthelesse I see the holy Fathers have used to give record of the graces of the Saints deceased and to spread their names as a sweet ointment among their brethren and it is very commendable if faithfully performed and not abused to paint divells with this care I shall proceed by Gods helpe to performe this last duty for this honoured brother and it must bee with care for there are two eyes upon me very extreamely opposite Envies and Affections that would have nothing said this perhaps too much I shall not feare to displease either so I may please my God by whose blessing I now begin You will pardon mee if I keepe not the common method to begin from his descent and parentage though that of worthy and honest ranke not to be neglected if I should keepe that order but me thinkes it is â—â—proper praise from anothers worth Sedgenus proavâ— quae non fâ—ciâ—sus ipsi vix ea nostra vocâ— I desire to let him have his owne and to 〈◊〉 him where he commeth within my 〈◊〉 as a righteous soule and nothing â—â—ere certaine than that he was borne a 〈◊〉 His transplantation therefore into this City is my beginning Mr. Richard Stocks and his fruitfull growth under the labours of a Reverend Minister now with God 〈…〉 gave full testimony that he was a 〈◊〉 of righteousnes indeed thence 〈◊〉 up to shew forth the power of righteousnesse in the places private and publicke whereunto God called him He was a righteous husband I 〈◊〉 no more of this lest I provoke bitter lamentation He was a righteous masterâ— his servants feele it from whose heads God hath taken off their master this day He was a righteous father not to his 〈◊〉 alone they are too little to have experience of it but to orphans and fatherlesse was he father a guide and counsellor my owne losse is with theirs beare withâ—â—â— if in the sense of it I bewray my infirmities as David for his sonne O my father my father would to God I had 〈…〉 thee O my father my father Hee was a righteous friend to many I give but 〈◊〉 instance of it his reconciling difference almost every day his hands were 〈◊〉 ever out of an arbitration which 〈…〉 without partiall respects to any that 〈◊〉 him a iudge over them I know I 〈◊〉 many witnesses to this who now want him In his more publike offices hee was first a righteous souldier squared by Saint Iohns rule hee would doe violence to no man nor put any man in feare Luk. 3.14 in this condition he tooke a good degree he was a Captaine and a righteous Commander the vertues of a Commanders maiesty wisedome meeknes and love surely made him one disorder as there must bee among souldier sometimes could never make him passionate hee was a man of such admired moderation He crossed the rule of that rash commander Jt is folly to intreat where a man hath power to compell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod p. 41. He found it better governing by love this made the flower of the Cities yea of the kingdomes Artillery so unanimously subiect to his command Let me minde you ye worthy souldiers know ye not that God hath taken away your Captaine from off your heads this day and can yee doe lesse than cry after him O our charet and our horsemen I know sorrow hath filled your hearts yet by the way let mee advise you be not overcharged that you forget your calling but when yee 〈◊〉 weepe over this your honoured head and lamented before his hearse Ah our father ah his glory wipe your faces 〈◊〉 and to worke againe for God pray forâ— double portion of his spirit upon some of your brethren and choose him who may goe before you in wisedome and courage and the feare of the Lord. I am now at a stand An arma Aâ—â—â—gâ— cedat whether he were better souldier or better Citizen His wisedome his courage and his impartiall carriage in the City affairs which might concerne him beare record that he was not onely a good man but a good Citizen his worth provoked the City Quid in illa virtutum quid ingenii quid sanctitatis quid puritatis invenerim vereâ—â— dicers ne fidem credulitatis ex cedaâ— tihi maiâ—rem delorem intutiam recordanti quanto bonâ— caru eris Hier. Mar. ep tem 1. not only to call him to her common counsell but to designe him to a more honorable place in the High Court of Parliament where he manifested himselfe to be a righteous servant to his King to his Country and to his City I must stay least as S. Hierome writes to Principâ—â— of Marcella a widow if I should tell all I should either seeme to hyperbolize or oppresse your hearts the more when ye see what a great good ye have lost In this honour for his last time he lived and died Ye may expect now in my hand a catalogue of good deeds but I have none the reasons these 1. It was his his care to give to God in his poore and in his ministers the portion of his estate while he lived yet dying he hath given as well as living 2. It was his mind not to have a trumpet sounded at his death and I fulfill it I must leave him he will be gone it was my portion to commend his soule in the last breath into the hands of his faithfull redeemer and his body I must commend to the earth in the assuted hope of his ioyfull resurrection Onely two things I would commend to you and then your selves to God 1. The honour of his name let it be as a sweete ointment among you in everlasting remembrance he was your strength your charet and horsemen 2. The imitation his righteousnes his wisedome his godly courage ye see his reward he is now with God at rest his worke is done our houre