Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A40687
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A sermon preached at St. Clemens Danes at the funeral of Mr. George Heycock by Thomas Fuller ...
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Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
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1657
(1657)
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Wing F2464; ESTC R6581
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11,917
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28
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we willingly let the fair Fabrick of Faith and good Life to run to ruine in our so that the next Age may justly sue us for Dilapidations When our Saviour said unto his Disciples Matth. 26.21 Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me they were exceeding sorrowfull and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I yea Iudas himself lagging at last with his Is it I Lord and was returned with Thou saidst it Thus at the last day of judgement shall all generations be arraigned before God But to confine our Application only to those three within the last six-score years if God should say unto them One of you have betrayed my truth how would it put them all upon their particular purgation Is it I Lord saith the first generation in the raign of King Edward the sixt surely they shall be acquitted who in the Marian daies sealed the truth with their blood Is it I Lord saith the second generation lasting all the Reign of Queen Elizabeth to the middle of King Iames That also will be cleared as publickly preserving the purity of true Doctrine in the thirty nine Articles What a shame shall it be if when our Age shall ask with Iudas is it I we shall be returned thou hast said it Yours is the Age that hath betrayed my Truth to Errour Unity to Faction Piety to Prophaness sad when such a Fact shall be so clear that it cannot be denyed and yet so foul that it cannot be defended However this my too just fear may consist with hope of better things of you and such as accompany salvation I must conclude with you Reverend Fathers whom my loyalty cannot pass by without doing my due Homage to the Crown of your Age especially if it be found in the way of truth Give me leave to tell you belong to that generation which is passed out of this world not only the Van or Front and also the main body and battle of your Army are marched to their graves and their souls I hope to heaven whilest Divine Providence for reasons best known to himself hath reserved you to bring up as I may say the very rear of the rear of your generation O do not mistake this Reprieve for a Pardon and here give me leave to use a plain but expressive Similitude Have you never seen a wanton child run a firebrand against the Hearth or back of the Chymney and so on a suddain make a skie of sparks of which sparks some instantly expire others continue a pretty time and then go out others last a little longer whilest one or two as having a greater stock of soot to feed them hold out a good while but at last are extinguisht Man is born to labour as sparks do fly upward some presently go out wafted from the womb to the winding-sheet others live to ripe men others to be old men some whose temper and temperance are more signal then in others to be countect wonderous old but all at last die and fall to the earth We read Revelat. 10.2 of an Angel who had his right foot on the Sea and his left on the earth This may seem a strange stride save that it abateth the wonder because Angels when pleased to assume bodies may extend themselves to a vast though finite proportion But you though meet men and weak men must stride a greater distance having your left foot already in the Grave endeavour to have your right foot in Heaven and waving all love of this world set your minds and meditations alone on God and godliness In a word whatever our Age be rising shining or setting Men Brethren or Fathers let us endeavour with David in my Text according to the will of God to serve our own Generation Come we now to the sad occasion of our present meeting to perform the last Christian Office to our Deceased Brother well known to many of you and to none better then to my self A child is like a man in the similitude of parts though not of degrees and in some measure he did sincerely with David serve his Generation He was a dutifull Son unto his aged Mother as she cannot but confess and will I hope as occasion is offered remember and reward it to his wife and children A loving Brother a kind Husband and I doubt not but his widow will discharge her mutual affection to him in his relations Bathsheba thus describeth a good wife Proverbs 31.12 She will do her husband good and not evil all the daies of her life It is not said all the daies of his life but of her life What if he should chance to die and she to survive him yea after to marry again as God forbid any should be debarred marrying in the Lord especially for their own and childrens advantage yet still she would do good unto him all the daies of her life To him that is to his memory mentioning with respect To him that is to his children and friends carefull over the one and curteous over the other He was a tender Father and faithfull Friend witness the many volunteer mourners an unusuall proportion for a person of his quality who at their own charge have habited themselves that the outward sadness of their cloathes might express the inward sorrow of their hearts He was an excellent Master having bred many good workmen in his Vocation and I hope they will prove good husbands too Let me add he was an excellent subject for according to that which his conscience with many others conceived to be loyaltie he lost much of and hazarded all his estate Lastly and chiefly he was a good Saint having more piety then he shewed and as daily he consumed in his body he was strengthened in his soul in Faith through Christ whereof he gave many testimonies before towards and at his death What shall I speak of his parts of Nature so far above his education and profession that he might have past for a Scholar amongst Scholars for his wit and pleasant expressions But God now hath made him his free-man and paid him his wages for so well serving his Generation FINIS * Lib. none Ep. 70.