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
A SERMON PREACHED At FLITTON in the Countie of Bedford At the Funerall of the Right Honourable HENRIE Earle of Kent the sixteenth of March 1614. By I. B. D. D. LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Richard Woodroffe and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Golden Key neere the great North dore 1615. A SERMON PREACHED AT FLITTON IN THE COVNTIE OF BEDFORD AT THE FVNERALL OF THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE HENRIE Earle of KENT the sixteenth of March 1614. LVKE 2. 29. Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy Word THe first words of S. Iohns Gospell ARE that in the beginning was the Word Iohn 1. 1. The beginning of Saint Markes Gospell Is that a voice went before the Word Marke 1. 3. Iesus was the Word Iohn was the voyce From Iohns preparing and Iesus comming the Fathers haue obserued that Christ the Word of God was in the dispensation of his Incarnation accompanied with the voyces of man When he was two yeares old voce lamentantis with the voyce of lamentation A voyce of Ramah Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted Matth. 2. At his Baptisme voce proclamantis with the voyce of proclamation And behold a voyce from Heauen saying This is my welbeloued Sonne c. Matth. 3. In his Preaching Voce acclamantis with the voyce of acclamation They that went before that followed after cryed Hosanna c. Math. 21. At his Death Voce exclamantis with the voyce of exclamation The Centurion was afraid said Truly this was the Sonne of God But of all the voyces which accompanied the Word Foure haue a prerogatiue which are not simple voyces but settled songs The first the Angels song as in Luke the second Chapter and fourteenth verse The second blessed Maries song Luke 1. 46. The third Zacharies song Luke 1. 68. The fourth Simeons song the text of this Scripture All of them remarkeable For the Angels they were messengers of HeaueÌ„ Maries song she was the mother of our Sauiour Zacharies song hee an anointed Priest Simeons song he an inspired Prophet But aboue ALL Simeons hath the Prerogatiue For the Angels song was in the fields Maries song was in a Chamber betwixt her and Elizabeth Zacharies song was at a feast but a priuate feast of a few mountaine people But Simeons song was in Hierusalem the great Citie and in the Temple the most publike and most sacred place of Ierusalem The text then is a voyce attendant vpon the Word Is a song which is a comfortable voyce Is a publike song A solemne song A Church song A song in the Temple All which might haue beene sufficient motiues to warrant the choice of this Scripture at this mournefull time to comfort the liuing at this solemne time to honour the dead But these are common Inducements For the text is yet more fit It is Cantus funebris A funeral song Cantatur Cygnus funeris ipse sui A white Swanne whose Almond tree is blossomed sings his owne Epitaph And of these songs we haue but two in Scripture One of Moses in the old Testament And this of Simeon in the new Testament Both Old men Moses one hundreth and twentie Simeon sayth Nicâ—phorus Ad tantum senium prouectus continued to a great age that hee might see Christ. Both Great men Moses Ruler of the People fortie yeares And Simeon saith Galatinus Master of Gamaliel an Honourable man among the people Both Good men Moses Gods seruant and Simeon Gods seruant Both Fit to honour the memoriall of an olde Honourable Religious Peere But Simeon the fitter For Moyses eyes only beheld Canaan But Simeons eyes beheld Christ And that it may appeare that the text is fit not onely in the body and bulke but in euery branch It is like one of Dauids Psalmes which are intitled CaÌ„tica graduum Psalmes of Degrees Arising like Iacobs Ladder step by step till you come to peace Which peace the Scripture noteth expressely to bee the Complement of Abrahams blessing And thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace thou shalt be buried in a good old age Peace which Saint Austen doth determine to be the perfection of happinesse Finis ciuitatis huius in quo summum habebit bonum vel pax in vita aeterna vel vita aeterna in pace dicendus est The end of the Saints in the Citie of God is either peace in life eternall or eternall life in peace THe first step is the time I follow the Greeke Originall Nunc now The second is the pasport Dimittis let depart The third is the subiect Seruum tuum thy seruant The fourth is the Prince Domine O Lord. The fifth is the promise Secundum Verbum according to thy Word The sixth is the Condition In pace in peace 1 The time present 2 The desire feruent 3 The seruant dutifull 4 The master powerfull 5 The promise infallible 6 The condition comfortable Are like the Throne of Salomon with six steps of Ivorie ouer laid with gold A Throne fit for Salomon the Prince of Peace Nunc. THe first steppe is the Time Now And Now it was that Christ was in the Armes of Simeon Neuer a better Now to die then with Christ in our armes Now Simeon prayes for death before Simeon prayed for life Now let me depart Therefore before let me not depart This is probable by collection but apparant by relation verse 26. It was reuealed vnto him that he should not see death before hee had seene the Lord Christ. Simeon then was promised to see Christ in the flesh Simeon therefore desired life till hee had seene Christ in the flesh So long as he expected the consolation of Israel so long hee desired life in Israel But when his first desire was accomplished his second desire was to bee dissolued Both the desires of Simeon both in life and death are lawfull if lawfully desired Hezekiah may desire life with mourning and chattering Esay 38. 14 if his desire be to plant Religion Saint Paul may desire death with groaning Phil. 3. 23. If it bee to haue Christ in fruition As Simeon desired life to haue Christ in Contemplation as Simeon desired death to haue Christ in possession But euerie man doth not so desire life doth not so desire death There is a Nabal that desires to liue to sheare his sheepe and to make a feast like a King though the next day his heart die within him he become like a stone There is a foole Luk. 12. that desires long life to build barnes to gather goods to lay vp fruits to take ease to eat to drink to be merrie to be mad Vt Ebrij ructantes intrent in paradisum That reeling and belching saith Ierome they may fall into an Epicures Paradise There is a Nebuchadnezar that desires to
soule God fashioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outward man of the bodie And God ioyned soule and bodie together with an incomprehensible vnion Fire and Water are not so contrarie as flesh and spirit Tell me then what are the strings what the buckles what are the cords of loue what slime of Euphrates what Gumme of Arabia what Cement and Glue doe ioyne an immortall incorporeall insensible soule in a house of Clay in a bodie of earth the most grosse most base most solid element Surely wee are wonderfully made None but God did cōpose vs none but God can preserue vs none but God by his permission or direction ordinarie or extraordinarie administration of second causes can dissolue vs. He with a breath gaue vs breath he with a word takes away our breath and all our thoughts perish Let no Asa trust in his Phisitian no Naamans trust to the Riuers of Damascus no Absolon to the lustre of Beautie no Maximus to the strength of an Elephant no Herod to the flattering clamour of Idolizing People that wee are not men but Gods Those who in regard of their constitutions communicate in the sanguine of the Rose and in the snowie beautie of the Lilly their bodies are sayth Saint Chrysostome but nidus hirundinum A Swallowes nest composed of durt and straw they are no fairer then Ionas Goord a Worme strooke it at the root and the Goord withered The greatest Lord that liues may make King Philips Fable his Motto and Morall Menippus the Satyricall Philosopher meeting Mercurie in the Elizian fields amongst all the ghosts would needs know which was Philip the great King of Macedon Hee quoth Mercurie is Philip of Macedon that hath the bald head Menippus I know him not by this for all their skuls are bald Mercurie Hee which hath a flat nose is Philip of Macedon Menippus Why all haue flat noses Mercurie Hee with the hollow eyes is King Philip of Macedon Menippus Why all haue hollow eyes bare teeth naked ribs open pores disiointed members all are carkasses Mercurie Why then Menippus in death there is no difference betwixt a King and a Beggar We must say that he that was Lord of Salomon the Prince he was Lord of Simeon the Prophet Wee must say with Iob the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away The ballance of life and death in which the highest and lowest are weighed is onely turned by the imperiall hand of God Simeon therefore as in the rest so in this hee is curious to die hee asketh death of him who only hath the power of life and death So absolute a power that as the Psalmist speaketh Dixit facta sunt hee spake the word and all things were made So Dicat non sunt let him speake but a word and all things will bee marde Therefore Simeon to the dutie of a seruant and the power of a Lord addeth Secundum Verbum tuum according to thy Word Knowing that it is the dutie of a seruant to depart at the least word of his Master Secundum Verbum tuum THis clause is plainely interpreted vers 26. Simeon had a reuelation by the holy Ghost that hee should not see death till he had seene Christ. This was Gods word and this was a certaine word but yet looke into this word and for one certainety you shall finde two vncertainties First the Text saith Expectabat consolationem hee expected the consolation of Israel To see Christ he was certaine but when to see Christ hee was vncertaine Againe he was to liue till Christ came that was certaine but whether hee should then immediately die that also was vncertaine Nicephorus saith he dyed presently at that instant But the Scriptures and Apostolicall Fathers are altogether silent therefore it is dangerous to be confident Simeon therefore had an absolute certainty of life no absolute certainty of death No more had Moses and Aaron they were certaine to die and neuer to enter into Canaan but they were not certaine when they should see Canaan from the Mount and so die Hezekiah that was promised fifteene yeeres life must so be vnderstood as he was threatned a present death both condicionall and limited to the order of second causes which haue not in them an absolute necessitie but a voluble contingencie God did not make Hezekiahs body impassible against externall violence nor incorruptible against internall corruption But thus saith the Lord I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares I will adde fifteene yeares of strength I will repaire the defects of nature and extend them to a possibilitie of fifteene yeeres with an implicite condition of thy repentance and so of thy liues continuance Yea to goe a little farther that which Christ said of the day of Iudgement is applyed by the Fathers to the day of death that neither the Angels nor Christ the Lord of Angels doth know that day and houre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee knoweth that saith Nazian as God but as Man he doth not know it I am not ignorant that the Schoole and some of the Fathers doe interpret those wordes in another sense But Bernard Ambrose and Chrysostome doe concurre with Nazian affirming that Christ as man did not know it not because he could not but because he would not Ne eam ignorantiam feramus molestius quaecum Christo Angelis nobis est communis that wee may beare that ignorance patiently which is common to vs with Christ and his Angels Many men I confesse are sicke of lingring consumptions the infallible harbingers of death and yet they are not certaine of the moment of their consumption Many at the beginning of their sicknesse feele in their hearts a presage of their death and yet they languish in hope and know not the certaine houre of their dissolution The generall rule remayneth that Simeon knew not that no man knoweth the place the manner the moment of death First not the place and it is no great matter since Rachel dyed in the high-way aswell as Iezabel in the streets since Iosias and Achab both dyed in the field since Saul and Ionathan dyed both in one battell and their carkases were hung vp as Trophees of a bloudie Victorie in a barbarous Citie Will you heare a Philosophicall comfort Earth you know is the Cēter heauen is the worlds circumference If any man shall draw a Circle with his pen with a point in the middest of the Circle the Circle is equally distant from all points of the Circle vnto the point of the Center There is therefore from all parts of the point and Center of the earth an equall distance to the Circle and Circumference of Heauen What matter therfore though the bodies of the Martyrs were intombed in the entrailes of wilde beasts though their ashes were scattered vpon Rhodanus though their carkases were made a prey to the fowles of heauen What glorie was it to Martials flie though it were buryed in concreted Christall what shame to Naboth though
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