dissolued into dust Let not the fauor of the multitude they can mourn thirty dayes for Moses ' death they cannot fetch him againe once dead In a word suppose a man's miracles and priviledges be neuer so many so as his life seem a continued miracle a miraculous Funerall he may haue but he must die for Moses is dead And if present examples moue more King IAMES is dead too in whom many of these priuiledges met and a number of other excellencies which diuided giue honour to others euen Gods seruant Moses and our late Soueraigne King IAMES both are dead Then what may this Mortuus be that thus incroacheth There is a threefold death a death by sin a death to sin and a death for sin The first is the death of the Soule the second the death of sin in the soule the third is the parting of the body and soule The first is alwaies euill the second alwayes good the third is somtimes euill sometimes good according to the quality of him whom it doth surprise The first that cannot be good and the last which may be euill are both repayred by the second which is euer good and not euill The first is deserente Deo when God forsakes a man's soule the second subveniente gratiâ when Gods grace sustaines a mans soule the third is recedente animâ when the body is forsaken by the soule The first is the cause of the last for Mors mortem antecessit voluntaria necessariam One death vshered forth another the voluntarie death of sinne the necessary death of the body And this third is here meant when hee saith Moses is dead Plato said of death that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a loosing and separating of the soule from the body Two friends haue long liued together and now they must part and goe seuerall wayes the one to earth the other to heauen For wee are not destroyed by death but dissolued to bee else-where placed And this is cleare in this History of Moses death Thou shalt die saith God and sleepe with thy Fathers Deut. 31.16 And Thou shalt bee gathered to thy people Deut. 32. So that death is our sleepe and restitution to that place from whence wee descended For when the soule leaues the body GOD then gathers vs as ripe Corne into his Barne And these considerations that by death wee sleepe with our Fathers and are gathered to the Saints as they did prepare him so should they satisfie vs as carying in them secret reasons and consolations against the terrours of death So as now it is no strange thing that Servus Meus and Servus Meus Moses should dye who thereby sleepeth and is gathered to his people Iust Simeon looked vpon death and esteemed it Nunc Dimittis quasi necessitate teneretur in hac vitâ non voluntate Indeed death seemes not so to all but that is not death's fault for Mors aut suae quietis bono vtitur aut malo alieno laborat The reason is Mors mala non est nisi vbi vita mala Yea to such it is better to dye than to liue It may seeme a Paradox but it is none for quò vita diuturnior culpa numerosior and therefore to that comfort which Seneca giues against death Desinam aegrotare posse alligari c. I shall no more be sicke no more imprisoned no more tormented wee may adde this as the principall Desinam peccare posse I shall no more sinne And it is no small aduantage to be freed from Sinning It troubled S. Paul Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 where you see the Apostle as much troubled that hee must liue as others are when they must dye For as S. Augustine obserues some that would liue yet cùm patientiâ moriuntur so others would dye but cum patientiâ vivunt For Anima absolvitur corpus resolvitur quae absolvitur gaudet quod resolvitur nihil sentit So that this is one comfort wee haue by the sleepe of death we rest from sinne wee rest from sorrow But this is not all Hee that lyeth downe to sleepe makes account to awake Vt cùm dormientes audimus evigilaturos minimè desperemus For as it is true that per vitam fit ad mortem transitus so per mortem fit ad vitam reditus Then let vs not be dismayed with the maske and vizard of death but rather joy and comfort our selues in so happy a passage vnto life Bona vita absoluto certamine that is the life we should looke after wherein the law of our members rebelleth no more against the law of our minde where we shall haue no more strife with this body of death but shall haue victory ouer it Thus slept and rested Moses when hee was gathered to his people For while wee are in this world wee are scattered vp and downe as Pilgrims and strangers death brings vs home Wee reade of Socrates that hee thirsted after death that hee might meet with those braue spirits Orpheus and Hesiod and Homer let not vs be weake and irresolute that shall bee gathered to the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles troopes of Martyrs and Confessors yea Christ himselfe in his flesh in his glory sitting at the right hand of God It is true to flesh and blood the shell of death seemes hard but to him that hath the spirituall relish of the Apostle it containes a sweet kernell How shall wee doe then to get S. Pauls taste there is but one way and that is to keepe S. Pauls dyet by accustoming our selues to dye daily and by bearing about in our bodies the death of the Lord Iesus 2 Cor. 4. For then the life of the Lord Iesus should bee made manifest in our mortall flesh If thus wee could frame our selues to welcome death adeò mors non esset timenda vt ejus beneficio nihil anteponendum So then it is well with Moses happy is hee that euer hee was borne to dye in such a case What shall become of the people who shall goe in and out before them they are as sheepe without a shepheard who shall gather them that they may heare and learne and feare and obserue the Commandements of GOD and keepe the Law of the Lord Deut. 31.12 Moses is gone who shall smite the rocke that the people may drinke who shall bring downe Manna for them when they are hungry who shall now hold vp his hands that they may preuaile against their enemies nay when the people shall haue made GOD himselfe their enemy who shall stand in the gap betwixt GOD and them or if they be at peace with GOD who shall sit in iudgement to make peace among them from the morning to the euening Exod. 18. Moses loued the people of GOD better then his owne soule Spare them or rase me out of thy booke Who shall care for them now Moses offered his soule for their bodies who will now offer his body for their soules
THE LAST SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS MAIESTIES Funerals at Denmark house On Tuesday the third of May. BY PHINEES HODSON Dr of Diuinitie one of his Maiesties Chaplaines LONDON Printed by M. F. for Hannah Barret 1625. IOS 1.2 Moses my Seruant is dead now therefore arise HEE that might not see GOD in the fiery bush but he must put off his shooes Exod. 3. might not see him as hee is till hee had put off the sinfull body of his flesh Coloss 2. yea and the flesh of his body too the apparell of his soule his shooes must off then because the place where hee stood was holy ground No maruell if his body must off now before hee enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum the Kingdome of Heauen Numb 20.12 GOD told Moses and Aaron that for their vnbeleefe they should not bring the people into the Land which hee had promised them and shortly after euen at the next remoue from Cades to mount Hor Aaron must vp to the mount and there die Moses is repriued till he come to the other side of Iordan but not pardoned and GOD will let him see that Land which he may not possesse Nor is he therefore secure he forgets not his summons but finding himselfe by account to be an hundred and twenty yeares old Deut. 31. and therefore hee could not liue long that he was come to the side of that Riuer which he might not passe and therfore in all likelihood hee drew very neere he prepares himselfe to welcome the good will of GOD. When Moses is readie but not before GOD calls again and Deut. 32. Vp he must to mount Nebal and there die Deut. 34. Vp he goes and when GOD had let him see the Land he died ver 5. was buried ver 6. and the rest of the Chapter containes a Funerall Sermon made by Ioshua in the commendation of Moses Now after Moses ' death and buriall the LORD spake vnto Ioshua the verse before my text in my text Moses my seruant c. Moses is dead buried by an Angel mourned for by the children of Israel panegyrically commended by Ioshua and that which he said of him is recorded to posterity that all ages may know that none is like to Moses Yet this is not enough GOD vndertakes the matter himselfe for when an Angel beares the Coffin and that by Gods owne appointment and for ought we know made his Graue too No wonder if the same GOD vouchsafe to reuiue his memory and not so much as name Moses without honourable mention Moses my seruant Yea being dead hee referres and as it were appeales to Moses As I said vnto Moses v. 3. and if he will comfort Ioshua hee will be with him as he was with Moses v. 5. for that will serue yea hee cals his owne Law the Law which Moses my seruant commanded v. 7. And surely much was it that a man but it was the man of GOD Moses Deu. 33.1 that a man I say should receiue such testimonie from his Maker But wel it was for them whom he left behind him well it was for Ioshua to whose charge they were left little enough it was that he that was the Seruant of the Lord in Gods mouth should be the seruant of the Lord in Ioshua's mouth v. 13. And if GOD will call his own Law Moses ' Law Ioshua would be bold to call Gods Land Moses ' Land vers 14. And if GOD promised to be with Ioshua as hee was with Moses they will aske no more they will pray for no more but the Lord be with thee as hee was with Moses So then well it was with Ioshua it got him authoritie well it was with the people it taught them obedience for if GOD will be with Ioshua as he was with Moses they will obey him as they did Moses The words are deliuered by GOD to Ioshua and haue two parts first Gods testimony of Moses secondly his Commission to Ioshua The testimony in these words Moses my seruant is dead the Commission Now therefore arise In the testimony are two generall parts considerable first the Author secondly the Matter the Author is expresly set downe in the first verse Secondly In the Matter are foure circumstances first Servus secondly Meus thirdly Moses fourthly Mortuus In the Commission are two things first the connexion Now therefore secondly the tenor of the Commission Arise Now therefore Not before thou receiue warning till then lie still take not vpon thee when I say the word Arise While hee liueth thou art his Minister v. 1. and at his command no rising then without his direction with his life his power ceased My people lacke an head and I haue made choice of thee Now therefore Arise To returne The Author of this Declaratorie Commemoration and honourable recognition is GOD himselfe he commemorates him for hee names Moses though dead hee declares his worth in calling him his Seruant And a recognition it is Ioshua had done it before GOD now againe by a postliminious solemnization of his Funerals Nor may it seeme strange Funerall Sermons are ordinarily made by such as are neere to those that are deceased and haue some interest in their memories then who should rather doe this office to Moses then his gratious Master who had before testified of him that he was faithfull in all his house Numb 12. Others heard GOD Moses heard and saw him and talked with him as a man talkes with his friend Exod. 33. yea face to face Deut. 34.10 Hence he continues to honor him dead as he did aliue liuing he was his seruant and being dead from Gods owne mouth he receiues the same testimony Moses my seruant is dead For his person was not ordinary There arose not a Prophet like vnto Moses Deut. 34.10 His Buriall was not ordinary other men had Sepulchers as monuments of their mortality Moses had none lest his body should haue beene abused to Idolatry Others haue Sepulchers to shew they haue beene Moses had none lest he should haue beene thought that which hee was not and adored for a Diety And more honorable it was for Moses he had none then for others when they are most sumptuous as Tacitus obserued Praefulgebant Iunius Blaesus eo ipso quod effigies eorum non visebantur And though it bee true which Saint Augustine sayes that these solemnities at Funerals are rather Solatia vivorum then Subsidia mortuorum yet whether we call it an act of civility as from men to mē or an act of loue to prosecute with honor those that are dead to whom we gaue respect while they were liuing or an act of necessitie to free the liuing from the contagion of the dead or an act of discretion to remoue their bodies from our sight and thereby sorrow from our hearts or an act tending to mortification as being Remonstrances of our frailty and mortality or an act of hope as implying their resurrection whom with so much care and respect we
Yes the same GOD that preserued Moses till hee came to the other side of Iordan prouideth Ioshuah to bring them into the Land for hee loueth his with an euerlasting loue Ier. 31. No sooner Moses must dye but Iosua must arise yea hee prepareth before-hand that Moses shall not heare of death till Iosua be ready to take the charge hee must prepare before-hand but he must not take possession till Moses be dead Yea hee receiued this due commendation Moses my seruant which was not onely an honor to Moses but an incouragement to Iosua for if hee doe as Moses did hee shall haue the honor which Moses had I will not say a greater than Moses is lately dead amongst vs though euen for that purpose much might be said for strip Moses of his Priuiledges and Extraordinaries and though hee commanded much people and a great Army yet had he no kingdome but a Wildernesse that I know That way King IAMES was greater than Moses Thus farre we may be bold None was like Moses among the Prophets none like King Iames among the Kings Moses his priuiledges were many and great King Iames his priuiledges not few nor small None more miraculously preserued than Moses none more miraculously preserued than King Iames. And if Moses were a great Warrior King Iames was as great a Peace-maker I would I had not cause to complaine that the Israelites neuer murmured more against Moses for bringing them out of their thraldome of Aegypt then Many of vs against his Majesty for labouring to keepe the Drum and Cannon from amongst vs. And though it be the duty of good Subiects with Shem and Iapheth so to couer their Soueraignes infirmities as not to looke vpon them themselues yet hath it euer beene the condition of the best Princes euen to bee traduced for their vertues Vnum crimen consiteor Pacificus erat Doubtlesse for wisedome and learning Moses and King Iames were both admirable What the learning of the Egyptians was I dispute not but surely all ages will confesse and wonder at the learning of King Iames a walking Library hee was an abstract of knowledge an Oracle to resolue Quaestions and Mysteries the mirrour of this and miracle of the next age to which his abilities will seeme fabulous All this hee had and a large heart and a large hand and three great Kingdomes to attend his bounty and supply it but yet came short of it yet all this was so tempered as it could not puffe him vp nor make him proud and herein hee was Meeke as Moses was And though I doubt not but he loued well to bee a King and being carefull and jealous enough of his Prerogatiue yet was hee euer best pleased when hee was most like a priuate man It was not for â—â—…ght that the Deuill in his temptation to our blessed Sauiour offered not onely all the kingdomes of the earth but the glory of them his Maiesty tooke his right to his Kingdomes the glory of them he did not regard This was much and yet but little to that Crowne of his Crowne his resolution for Religion and care of the Church wherein hee represented Moses his Zeale For his Resolution to religion Consider his frequent Speeches publikely and priuately his learned Writings which shall liue with the world his continuall exercise and attendance vpon the duties of Religion And this I am perswaded that in two and twenty years whiles he raigned ouer vs he heard more Sermons than all the Princes before him in two hundred But if any malitiously shall impute this to a formality or the outward obligation of his Vow whereby hee had tyed himselfe to those weekely Exercises for his preseruation from the Traiterous Conspiracy though euen the religious performance of such vowes be not ordinary among Princes I appeale to all the three Kingdomes First for England neuer Prince more carefull for the Church neuer King more indulgent to the Clergy if no more so many Bishops priuy Councellors in an age when such honours and fauours were out of dare doe sufficiently expresse it If he had not laid the loue of religion neare his heart he would not haue placed the Prelats and Professor of it so neere his person For Scotland and Ireland wee shall speake miracles but so much by mee more worthy to bee remembred as they are by most men little obserued in these I say hee restored one Church and in effect new planted another hee restored Scotland and how did he this by wresting from the possessours such titles as they had gotten to their reuennues no but by restitution of what the Crowne had gotten by purchase and redemption vpon valuable consideration out of his owne coffers he restored and setled the torne Church of Scotland so as now it beareth the goodly face of a glorious Church And by new indowments where the old could not bee recovered hee founded many both Bishopricks and Churches in Ireland We talke of the charity of former ages but let our Aduersaries bee silent and lay their hand vpon their mouth I dare say and I thinke I am not mistaken King IAMES hath testifyed his deuotion to the Church and Religion by more bounty charge than the superstition of any six Kings together since the Conquest haue broght vpon them So many Bishopricks and Parish Churches in Scotland so many in Ireland and all raised out of his owne Coffers and inheritance if the value were cast vp which I wish might be done for the Kings eternall honour would grow to such a summe as report would hardly find credit Then if a Tree may be knowne by his fruits by these take knowledge of his Maiesties loue to Religion Yet is he dead hee might not bee priuiledged in this point no more than Moses but this is our comfort and assurance that GOD would not bee wanting to so excellent an instrument of his honor but to whom hee gaue graces for the ornament and benefit of his Church him he did furnish with all such graces as were necessary to the saluation of his owne soule and then death was his advantage Regnum Dei intra nos est Vpon which words St. Hierom notes that As a man that is free of any City trauell where he wil through the world hee is still a Citizen and free of that place so if we can once truly say Regnum Dei intra nos est though we walke on earth Habemus municipatum in coelis And then suppose his late Maiesty lost not three Kingdoms but thirty three Kingdomes they are all well exchanged for One Kingdome in Heauen Nor haue wee cause altogether to cry out with Saint Hierom vpon the death of Nepotian Cui jam meum sudabit ingenium cui literulae placere gestient quicquid dixero quia ille non audit mutum videtur For though he be dead Ioshua is aliue the most worthy sonne of an incomparable Father and happy we seeing GOD hath taken such a Moses from vs that he hath prouided such a Iosua for vs. And obserue now therefore for if Moses death enabled Iosua he must not stir till hee dye nay hee must attend Moses death and Gods call for so it was necessary where there was no succession but where the succession of a Kingdome is established in a line the death of the Father calls the sonne aâ—… thereby GOD speakes to him as if in expresse tearmes he called Arise The last breath of the Predecessour giueth first title and possession to the Successor and though it be neuer so faint when it goes out it cryeth aloud Arise Herein let vs magnifie Gods Providence for our Iosua that as he preserued Moses till Iosua was ready so did he preserue our Moses till our Iosua was fit so fit and so incomparably worthy as if succession did not cast the Kingdome vpon him vpon whoÌ„ else should we affixe our eies harts where should we choose such another we haue read of some that haue been so composed as Ingentes virtutes and ingentia vitia did striue whether should exceed but so much vertue without any exception where shall wee finde Non semper errat Fatum aliquando eligit And now that our gracious King comes to vs in the parallel of Iosua I conceiue hope and I cannot but conceiue it that hee will likewise come to vs in the Power of Iosua The greatest act of Iosuah's power appeared in this that at his word the Sunne and Moone stood still till hee was auenged on his enemies Amongst the Canons of the Church of Rome wee find that they make the Pope the Sunne and the Emperor the Moone this they to magnifie the Pope so many degrees aboue the Emperor as the Sunne exceedes the Moone But the Sunne and the Moone they must be so let them be prouided that at the mighty power of our Iosua and his worâ—…â—he Sun Moone stand still or be not able to goe forward one degree till hee bee auenged of the blood of those Saints which hath beene so prodigally shed and till Those of his owne Royall blood be deliuered from the oppressions which now they suffer and bee restored to those Inheritances and honors which haue so violently beene torne from them Now therefore Arise yea let our Iosua arise like the morning Sunne and thrust the vsurper out of his seat Let him Arise and let his enemies be scattered but let his throne bee established from generation to generation let the hand of God be established with him and let his arme strengthen him but Lord destroy his foes before his face and plague those that hate him Let thy Truth and Mercy euer be with him and in thy name let his power be exalted Make him thy first borne higher than the Kings of the earth make his seed to endure for euer and his throne as the dayes of heauen And let all the people say Amen AMEN Faults escaped in some Copies PAg. 3. Lin. 13. reade Ioshua will be c. Pag. 11. lin 22. dele him Pag. 13. lin 21. reade Immortalitie Pag. 15. lin 7. reade for Moses death they cannot fetch him againe once dead Pag. 16. lin penult reade Thus Simeon