under a self-debasing tongue And I have heard of some who put their prayses to usury they dispraising themselves for a while Robinsons Observations that so they may receive their praise again with advantage Touching my self therefore I shall onely say that the dear respect which I owe and bear to the memory of this excellent man Saint Minister Doctor William Gouge hath made me break through the deep resentment of my own insufficiency to go through this work and yet withal that against this inability of mine I have these three things which relieve me and these I should not mention to the inlarging of a Preface which is best when least did they not tend to the honouring of this servant of Christ which is one end of our meeting this day 1. First I look upon that as my and not my least encouragement to this service which most may think my greatest discouragement from undertaking it and that is the eminent worth of this Excellent Man whose Funeral this day we celebrate were I either to commend some prophane person or some professor whose worth and unworthinesse did hang in aequilibrio and appear so evenly ballanc'd that none could tell which of them outweigh'd the other I might wound my conscience blast my reputation or at least torture my invention either to finde out matter of commendation or a fit manner of expressing thereof But Brethren I think I have as little cause as ever had any who preached in this place upon the like occasion either to fear reproofs from my own heart or my many hearers for giving a large testimony to the worth of this Excellent Man or to study solicitously for matter of praise which is as it were Myrrha Libera Myrrhe which drops freely of its own accord without any squeezing or constraint 2. Lachrymae auditorum laudes ministrorum It is likewise my encouragement that you my Auditors bear a share with me in this Funeral and following commendation As the tears of a people are a Ministers praise when he himself preacheth in his life-time so is their sorrow for him no small commendation to him when another is preaching of him after his death I doubt not but very many in this great Assembly come hither not to gaze to see and be seen but to mourn for the death of this eminent servant of Christ and to sprinkle some tears upon his Funeral Herse Confident I am that could you turn your sorrowful insides outward like that people who were wont to shew their funeral mourning onely by turning the inside of their apparel outward that mournfullest expressions would be as common among you as true mourning is suitable to you and that Sable would as well cover the People as it doth the Pulpit If the Angels were so forward to attend upon a Lazarus when he dyed as to carry him to his place of rest what readinesse should there be among Lazarusses full of the sores of sin and misery to respect the Funeral of this dead Angel I call him Angel for so he was in his life time in regard of his Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as an Angel now after his death I doubt not but he is in Heaven 3. My third encouragement is this I am call'd this day to perform a greater Work then to praise him I am to preach the Word to you God who hath called me unto the greater to speak from himself to you I trust will enable me to perform the lesser I mean the speaking concerning this Reverend Man to you I know you long to hear what I shall say of him and haply some do so because they would give vent to their sorrows though by their Eyes I shall gratifie your desire when I have first delivered my Errand from God to you the sum whereof you shall finde written in The 5th Chapter of Job Vers 26. In these words Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of Corn cometh in in his season THe words were spoken by Eliphaz to inforce that dehortation given to Job Vers 17. Despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty that is Cast it not off with a wearisome aversness and loathing nor reject it either as unprofitable and unuseful or as disgraceful and dishonourable to thee nor slight it as a thing of which no notice is taken c. This counsel he backs with an argument drawn from the benefit that should accrue unto him by a submissivenesse under the afflicting hand of God Eliphaz shews that at length the mercy of God shall appear for his good and that both First by preservation from evils Vers 19. He shall deliver thee from six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee and also Secondly by the bestowing of blessings Vers 23 24 25. Thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace c. Yea he declares that Job shall not onely be happy in his life-time but also even at and after his death in the words of my Text Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season In which words you have this two parts considerable 1. A godly mans arival at his Port or terme Thou shalt come to thy grave 2. The seasonablenesse of this arival in a full age like as c. In the former I take notice of two particulars 1. What that place or Port is the grave 2. What that kind of passage to it is which here is promised Thou shalt come to it The Later the seasonablenesse of the arival is set out two wayes 1. Properly in a full age 2. Metaphorically or by way of resemblance like as a shock of corn cometh in his season 1. I begin with the former part and therein with the first particular the Port or place it self to which even the godly must arive The grave This hath been the place where the holiest men have met Obser and to which the dearest Saints the Jobs of God have come The grave I say is their term their Center Gen. 25.8 1 Kings 2.1 Zech. 1.5 The holy Patriarchs of old Abraham the friend of God The godly Kings David went the way of all flesh The Prophets live not for ever The Apostles died and thus it is In regard of 1. Themselves 2. Others 1. Themselves as they are 1. Men. 2. Sinfull men 3. Good men 1. They are men Their bodies consist of corruptible principles and are earthen vessels and Cottage Every day they daub them over as it were with food and labour to keep them in reparations and to make them tenantable for the soul but alas all will not do they cannot long be shord up down they will at last and crumble to dust Even the props wherewith they are kept up are but rotten meats are corruptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 1. ep 65. bread is cald that which perisheth How can such structures then
stand long the truth is their falling begins as Isidore of Pelusium speaks with their very building and being men they are subject also to the same accidents and casualties with others 2. Sinfull men T is true sin is in them and not in them in them not as their love but their load and vexation And death doth befall them and doth not befall Doth befall them as afflictive to sense as a cure of their woes as a consequent of sin but not as a curse or a wrathfull punishment but yet this repeated addition and he dyed subjoyned to the relation of the long lives of the ancient Patriarchs shewed the immoveable certainty of that threatning of death against Adams sin notwithstanding the deceitfull promise of the devil 3. They are holy men And to the grave they must come First For a resiing place Here is not their rest Rom. 7.24 Rom. 6.7 2 Cor. 5.6.8 1 Thes 4.16 their works at length follow them and they shall not follow their work any more Secondly They must be perfectly freed from sin which till death they cannot be Thirdly They must have their Crown of life and Fourthly Shall for ever be with the Lord who loves his children so well that he will not alwayes suffer them to be abroad and absent from him 2. In regard of others they must come to the grave First Some are unkind and cruel to them and haply they hurry them to the Port of the grave with a blustering storm and tempest of persecution The Saints especially Ministers of Christ are set in the forlorn hope and commonly the bullet soonest hits them Secondly Some idolize them deifie them how many when adored hath God grownde to pouder as Moses did the Israelites Calf and removed them from men when we have made them equall with God It s the great sin of the times either to deifie or nullifie men God loves neither Thirdly The living must prize them and get much good by them in a little time He who hath a book lent him but for a little while makes the more hast to read it over the Prophets and Saints of God live not ever nor are given us to use as long as we please they are but lent us and we must improve them speedily God hath held the candle of a Saints Life and a Ministers Doctrine to many idle professors many a year and he oft puts out this light to punish them for their negligence Since then even the best must come to the grave let them study to do much for God while they live The grave is a place of silence and rest Use 1 The living the living they praise and are employed for God Short seasons require speedy services The nearnesse of death should put us upon holy serviceablenesse during life as for the preserving of a sweet and precious remembrance of our selves in that generation which follows so especially for the transmitting by our examples holiness to Posterity that so a seed of Saints may be continued in the World when we are dead and gone And truely as otherwise we shall die while we live so hereby we shall live when we are dead and be like civet which when t is taken out of the box leaves a sweet savour behind it 2. Let not any settle themselves securely in this World he is a mad man that will go about to build a house upon a quaking quag-mire upon a rotten foundation The longest lived of those long-lived Patriarchs lived not a thousand years God hereby shewing that the longest life of any of the sons of men is not able to reach to that space which in respect of Gods Eternity is not a day Expect not Eternity in this life Vid Rivet in Gen. Let us live as if we were alwayes dying and yet as such as are ever to live Set not up your hopes your expectations here the grave will rub off all our worldly grandeur as a narrow hole sweepes off all the apples that the foolish hedge-hog loads her prickles withall Labour to be taken off from the world before you are taken out of it 3. Thirdly if Saints must come to the grave 3. Joh. 9.4 12.35 get good by them while they live Walk and work by the light while you have it with you Neglect not to get good by the godly in hope to enjoy them longer with you Thou mayst bewail thy over-slipt opportunities when t is too late I will not let thee go except thou blesse me you know it was the speech of Jacob to God O Lord say thou let not not such a Saint go such a Minister die till thou hast blessed me by his meanes let not his light be put out till he hath shewed me the way to heaven better 4. Fourthly if Saints must die you that live stand up in their stead if God take away pillars be not you as reeds Supply their departure by your piety and usefulnesse 5. Lastly must Saints die here is comfort in many respects they shall come to the grave they shall die but their souls shall never die the second death hath no power over them they shall die but secondly the Church shall never die they shall die but thirdly their works shall never die these shall follow them they shall die but fourthly their God shall never die the Prophets of God Do they live for ever but the God of the Prophets lives for ever Lastly they dye and therefore why should not we be willing to dye to fare as they fare Not onely the wicked but Saints dye A godly man was the first who dyed If death were not advantagious it should never be the lot of Gods beloved 2. 2. Branch of the first part This Port or place of the Saints the Grave affords us somewhat more for meditation It is a mercy not only to have a house to hide the head of the living in but to have a sepulchre in which to hide the head of the dead Obs 2 It is a mercy to have a grave Great was Abrahams provident care to purchase a burying-place for his dead God himself buried Moses his dear servant nor was the contention of the Angel about the body of Moses to hinder its burial but onely to forbid the Devil to be present at it When the Kings of Judah are recorded their burials are also frequently mentioned and those of the highest merit were buried in the upper part of the sepulchres of the sons of David 2 Chron. 32.33 Nor was it a small judgement of God inflicted upon Baasha and Jezabel to be buried in the bellies of Dogs Ier. 22 19. Or upon Jehoiakim that he should be buried with the burial of an Asse contemptibly cast into a ditch Or upon the king of Babylon Isai 14.20 that he should not be joyned with the kings in burial Neither was that a slight imprecation Psal 63.11 Let them be a portion for Foxes Nor a small threatning Jer. 14.16 That the
Note then in the first place The difference between godly and wicked men The godly mans age is a full age to him he is fill'd with age and hath a satiety of life It s far otherwise with the wicked I read not of any one of them in Scripture of whom it s said that he was full of dayes none can be full of Time but he who hath had a taste of Eternity the wicked never think they have enough either of the wealth or life of this World By their good will they would never die The miseries and calamities of this world sometimes indeed may make them impatiently weary of their lives But the godly in the midst of all their worldly solaces and enjoyments health honour wealth c. are fill'd with dayes Gen 46.30 Jacob said now let me die when he was in the midst of his greatest worldly rejoycing by the unexpected mercy of seeing both Joseph and his sons David was full of dayes when he was also full of riches and honour The wicked may be angry with the troubles of this but a Saint is enamoured with the Beauty of the next life a wicked man may be weary of life but a Saint is also desirous of death I observe Vse 2 the â—nfulness of shortning our lives a full age is a blessing promised yea a choice blessing first then those cowards are hence worthily reproved who shorten their lives by Duels the greatest cowards in the World who being pursu'd with a disgrace will run as far as hell before they look back Secondly those that shorten their lives by intemperance that dig their graves with their teeth that are felons of themselves Lascivis brevis est aetas rara senectus that swallow not only their estates and lively-hoods but their lives also down their throats these I say unkindly prevent this kinde and sweet enjoyment here promised a full age they being grown old by diseases before their time making their tumors rheums and other distempers to prevent their old age to be sure the vigour and vivacity of it These do that against themselves which the very Devils desired to shun they tormenting themselves before their time Luxury is the greatest enemy of health and hinderance of old age How many by being cast away in the surges of riot and drunkenness fall short of the Port of a full age 3. Vse 3 Thirdly great is the sin of deriding at old age and contempt of old men in their full age as when men voice them twice children silly men Dotards these scoffers imitating those children that called the Propeht bald-pate I remember a smart and fit answer which an old man once gave to a scoffing youngster the young man telling the old that his memory grew weak and frail well replyed the old man though my memory be now fâ—ail yet know that I have forgotten more then ever thou didst remember If he that mocketh the poor certainly he that despiseth the aged reproach th his Maker The aged must be both honourable Prov. 17.5 Lev. 19.2 and honoured before whom thou must rise up They who will not honour old Fathers seldom find their dayes to be long in the land which God gives them 4. Fourthly Vse 4 I note from hence That all the creatures should not onely be improved spiritually but particularly improved even to the putting of us in minde of death even the shocks of ripe corn the ripe wheat that is in the field should make thee consider that as that same corn must shortly be carried into the Barn so thou must be tumbled into the grave thy sleep should make thee think of the sleep of death the Autumn should put thee in minde of the day of thy fading falling leaf the setting of the Sun should make thee forecast the setting of the sun of thy life the harvest should make thee think of deaths reaping sickle the dead creatures upon which thou daily feedest should convince thee that the feeder cannot live alwayes the putting off thy clothes from thy body should instruct thee of putting off shortly the clothes of thy body The blood of the grape that thou drinkest was pressed and shed before thou couldst come to the sweetnesse of it The skins which clothe us were the cast sutes of dead beasts When thou puttest on thy clothes in the morning thou shouldst think of being clothed with new robes of the resurrection Oh could you do thus you would not onely think of but expect death in all places as death expects you every where Death may lie under your trencher may be at the bottom of every cup. The delights of the creature should not extinguish the suggestions which they give us of mortality The Ancients had their sepulchres in their places of pleasure their Gardens and of old some were wont to roll a dead-mans skil upon their table after their greatest feasts 5. Vse 5 Fifthly note that old age is a blessing 1. A full age like unto the ripe corn is here promised as an encouragement to duty and the contrary is threatned as a curse God foretels that there should not be an old man in the house of Eli. Gen. 15.15 1 Sam 2.32 Psal 55.22 It s the curse threatned against the wicked that they shall not live out half their dayes and be like the corn on the house top which withers before it be grown 2. Secondly it is laboured and contended for as a great blessing they that despise it yet desire it and would count it a mercy All thy food is taken but to patch up thy cottage that so thou mayest live till thou art an old man Physicians are but Pilots to conduct to the haven of old age All the physick that the Apothecary prepares all the Physitians prescriptions are but helps to old age beyond old age thou canst not go to old age thou wouldst fain go 3. Grace is not onely an honour to old age as it is indeed to every age But old age is a great honour also to grace they cast a mutual lustre upon one another The oldest presons most commend grace in having because in keeping it grace beautifies the youngest but it is not beautified so much by any as by the oldest These shew that after all the solicitations of sin and vanity grace is yet the best and their best beloved and that though they have served Jesus Christ so many scores of yeers yet that they esteem him the best master and are not weary of his service but that they account it impossible to change it for the best of temporals unlesse to losse O how glorious is it when there is the silver crown of gray hairs and the golden crown of grace upon one head How amiable a conjunction are the golden apples of grace in the silver picture of the hoary head 4. Fourthly it s an age of the greatest growth and perfection of grace the bringing of our graces to the greatest fulnesse in this world
time is diffusive of holinesse full of good works serves his generation and hath done his work before he fals a sleep hath his Dorcasses coats to be seen after his death it is only our doing good that makes us called good we are not called good men for the good which we have within us but for the good that is performed by us that blessed Hilarion died in a good age in a full age who having served Jesus Christ seventy years when he came to die said Go forth O foul In this sence Elijah saith according to some it is enough Isai 65.20 Unlike to others who are infants of dayes that have not filled their dayes which are like emptie white paper having nothing written in them Thirdly when a person is satisfied and contented with that time and age which God hath already given him and is as the Scripture oft expresseth it full of dayes having lived as long as himself desired or as heart could wish accounting as Elijah speaks that he hath lived enough Thus Abraham Gen. 25.8 Isaac Gen. 35.29 David 1 Chro. 23.1 Job chap. 42.17 Jehoiada 2 Chro. 24.15 are all said to be full of dayes Rarus qui exacto contentus tempore vitae cedat uti conuiua satur Hor. sat 1. Omnino rerum sum satur praesentium to them there was not so much an irksome tediousnesse as a fulnesse and satiety of life they were as willing to leave this world as men are wont to be to rise from the table when they have eaten their fill It was an expression sutable to a godly man when he said Lord I am cloyd with these present enjoyments for indeed they cloy us but they do not satisfie us there is the second a fulnesse of age in regard of a Religious fulnesse Thirdly 3. Maturitas Naturalis there is a fulnesse of age in regard of a naturall fulnesse which is the fulnesse here principally intended though the other be not excluded and this naturall fulnesse of age is twofold First here is intended senectus sera a late long ripe age Senectus sera in respect of the great number of its years he shall not be taken away by an immature untimely death when he hath lived out but half his dayes the candle of his life shall not be blown out no this lamp shall not be put but go out all the oyl shall be spent his vital moisture shal be dried up gone In a word He shall not be taken away in the midst of his dayes There is a prediction Psalm 55.23 that the wicked shall not Dimidiare dies half their dayes juxta editionem vulgata i. e. live out half those dayes which according to the course of nature they might reach unto But Eliphaz here intends that Job shall go though surely yet slowly to heaven and shall not be as the corn upon the house top that wiâ—hers before it be grown up but shall come to his full measure of yeers and live as long as according to the course of nature could be expected 2. In this natural fulnesse is contained Senectus sana Senectus sana vegeta an hail youthful old-age sound strong vigorous and that both in respect of body and minde 1. Of body When men are free for the most part from such bodily infirmities and annoiances as old age is wont to be infested withal and are without though not such weaknesse as necessarily accompnaies the decay of nature yet such pains aches and diseases as are wont to annoy that age Health is a mercy at all times even such wherin others are wont usually to enjoy it but especially is it a blessing to enjoy it in that age wherein men most commonly want it Health in infectious times is a singular mercy and so is it in old-age which is subject to so many diseases It is not so much the decay of bodily strength as pains and diseases which make old age burdensome How choice a priviledge is it to be fat and flourishing even in old age as it is spoken in another regard Psalm 92.14 not altogether unlike to Moses who being an hundred and twenty yeers old when he died his eye was not dim nor his natural strength abated Deut. 34.7 Or Caleb who Josh 14.11 saith of himself that he was as strong as eighty five yeers as he was at fourty for war Here was a Spring in Autumn a good healthful old age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an old age sick diseased squalid the bones here are not full of the sins of youth in regard whereof there are some men older at thirty then others are at sixty they are old when they are young in regard of the diseases they have brought upon themselves by their intemperance 2. Of minde When men are not though old in yeers crazy in their intellectuals but the parts of their minde are green and youthful they being not as some twice children a great blessing it is for young men to have the parts of old men in regard of prudence and for old men to retain their youthful and pregnant abilities of knowledge fancy memory apprehension and the eyes of their minde not to grow dim and dark with old age Thus this season of coming of the grave is set forth properly in a full age 2. 2 2. Branch of the 2. Part of the Text opened Secondly it is described metaphorically in these words Like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season These words A shock of corn may as well be rendred A heap of corn the word signifies both either corn before or after its threshing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This corn is said to come in The word in the Original imports to ascend and corn may be said to ascend by bringing carrying laying of it up and it comes in in its season when it comes in in its full maturity and perfect ripenesse and so a Saint shall come to his grave in a mature age like unto a shock of corn in its season and ripenesse But why is a full age compared unto the fully mature and ripened corn In sundry respects 1. First in reagard of the variety of seasons that ripened corn must go through before it be ripe There must be storms blustering windes nipping frosts sun-shine rain go over it before it come to maturity and the frost is as good to kill the worms as the sun is needfull to quicken its growth and who is there hath-hath lived to a full ripe age that is not as ripe corn in this respect witnesse Jacob Joseph David Paul c. When man of yeers but hath been a man of variety of conditions in the world but hath met with his stormes and windes with his unkinde usage and a troublesome state here below And its good it should be so we should not be willing to be cut down by the sickle of death nor long to be taken into the barn laid up in
into the Canaan of the Church to deck adorn the spouse of Christ he entred into the Ministry when he was in the thirty second yeer of his age an age sutable to that calling which being so weighty he durst not undertake rashly and unadvisedly I wish all those whom it concerns would take notice of it and example by him herein he laid up before the laid out he first laboured to fit himself with endowments and not till then did he put himself upon imployment He was a scribe instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.52 like an hoâ—sholder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old He succeeded that eminently faithfull servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Stephen Egerton in the charge of Black-Fryars to which he was unanimously chosen But as I said I principally look upon him in his ripe and full age And first God bestowed upon him a Civil maturity and ripenesse of age His Civil maturity or fulnesse of age First he had much honour How great was the confluence of hearers which in former times not onely from all parts of this famous City but of many parts of England frequented his Lectures at Black-fryars for so great was the flame of his pains that he heated those who sat a great way off from it and when the godly Christians of those times came to London they thought not their businesse done unless they had been at Black-fryars Lectures and great was the benefit which many godly people and young Ministers professed that they then reapt from his labours How was this place wherein you honour him at his death by your unwonted and great numbers thronged in his life time and so great were the Assemblies that here met to hear him and withall his tender compassion toward the multitudes of his hearers that out of this Pulpit he was wont before he began his Sermons to observe what Pues were empty and to command his Clark to open them for the ease of those who thronged in the Isles He was worthily not only for his years but his prudence and abilities accounted a father among the London Ministers and honoured as such he was chosen to be a member of the Reverend Assembly of Divines was one of those learned Divines who wrote lately the large Annotations upon the Bible He was for his wisdom and faithfulnesse worthily chosen a Trustee for buying in impropriations wherein he approved himself most faithfull and conscientiously carefull to discharge the trust committed to him nor was he altogether without the blessing of a fulnesse in respect of a wealthy and plentifull Estate in the world I know there are some who look upon a Ministers wealth as his crime when they can espie no other who out of covetousnesse care not how little they themselves bestow upon Ministers and out of envie are readie to voice them to possesse much more then they do and therefore do not instead of an hundred set down fiftie but instead of fifty set down a thousand many such back friends hath this reverend man met with for his Estate though it were not so small as either for him or his to be ashamed of yet neither was it so great as for any to envy or as some have reported For thus much I can assure you from those who very well know that his personall Estate is found short by some hundreds of pounds of his Legacies and gifts his reall Estate is not half so much as sundry have voiced it And yet had he been such an one as some have maliciously and falsly censured him an usurer he might have had though lesse grace yet more money and yet as much grace also as I fear most of those have who so unworthily have asperst him This I can assure you from many who fully knew his course and Estate particularly from the mouth of his eldest son my reverend brother who can testifie what I am about to say in this particular upon oath that in all his life-time he never did either directly or indirectly neither by himself or any other for him put any money to use and so far was he from doing so that sundry can testifie he was scarce ever out of debt for he had divers children before the inheritance which he had by his father came to him and from the time of his fathers death till his children came of age he laid out for his brother sisters and their children above two thousand pounds yea in those times wherein he was charged to have put money to use he paid interest for six hundred pounds which with the principall he himself paid though it were anothers debt and for these 20. years last past he purchased not one foot of Land unlesse ten pounds per annum and he would often say that after his death the world would know how much they were mistaken in judging of his Estate And yet through the bleffing of God upon him he was both rich in contentment with his Estate while he lived and left a comfortable subsistence behind him for all his surviving children when he died and as his children I trust shall finde the blessing of the latter so did he in his life-time expresse the grace of the former in refusing great and to him inregard of his naturall disposition as he oft professed to me desirable preferment as particularly that of the Provostship of Kings Colledge in Cambridge offered him by an honourable hand much more advantagious in worldly respects then that of his Living of Black Fryers and this he did for the tender respect which he bare to the souls of his people to which God had called him But for no fulnesse was his age so eminent His spiritual fulnesse of age as for that which principally deserves commendation I mean spiritual fulnesse This I shall briefly consider both in respect 1. Of what grace he had and 2. What good he did 1. For the former In the general he had received of the fulnesse of Christ that grace for grace whereby he was made meet for glory and which was suitable to his state and station both as a Christian and a Minister but more particularly there were three beautiful graces which eminently shin'd in this godly man in which he seem'd higher by the head and shoulders then other Christians and then most Ministers 1. The first was the grace of humility though others knew not when his face did not shine yet he knew not when it did And yet he easily could observe the least glymps or appearance of any worth in another and would acknowledge it He knew not that worth which had a beam-like bignesse in himself but he easily espied and respected that of good which was but as a mote in another This I have alwayes almost observed in him since it was my happy unhappinesse to have occasion to be so frequently in his company by reason of my employment among his people He was as it s said
of Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 high in employments and abilities low in his disposition and resentment of his worth So eminent was his humility that he charged his Executor to whom he committed the care of his Funeral that there should bee no Green-staff laid upon his Herse though this was the usual respect given to those who in their life-time had been Governours of Bridewell one of which number yea and Benefactor to the house this worthy Doctor was and that he should not affix any Escucheons to his Herse though he were a Gentleman anciently descended as if he had thought that the poverty of Christ was his patrimony as Ambrose said and Coat of Arms Paupertas Christi meum patrimonium Ambr. and his interest in him his greatest and best atchievement or as if both living and dead he would be as the Apostle speaks clothed with humility 2. A second grace which eminently appeared in him was that grace of Faith I observed in him as great a study to advance Christ as to debase himself frequently of late I have heard him say When I look upon my self I see nothing but emptiness weakness But when I look upon Christ I see nothing but fulnesse and sufficiency when the hand of his body was weak and shaking that of his soul faith was strong and steddy When he could not hold the cup at the Sacrament nor evenly carry it to his mouth by reason of his weaknesse and shaking with what a firm and fixed affiance did he lay hold upon Christ and with what a strong and eager appetite did he apply the blood of Christ to his soul And how sweetly have I heard him breathe out joyful thanksgivings for his refreshment by the blood of Christ when he was returned to his house after the Lords Supper when he could hardly creep with his body to the place where it was celebrated nay was forced to make use of the strength and support of others to hold him up his faith swiftly ran nay was upon the wing in carrying him to Christ When worldly supports failed him his health strength forsook him he made JESUS CHRIST the staff of his old age oft professing as his great misery and impotency without him so his holy and humble recumbency upon him 3. A third grace wherewith this holy man was even to common observation beautified was that of patience under the hand of God the truth is he was of a meek and quiet spirit toward man I have not heard that ever he was moved to anger by any injuries or disgraceful and false reports wherewith hee was asperst They were as bullets shot against a mud-wall which there sink and dye when dirt was most abusively cast into his face there never in my observation was blood fetcht into his face by wrath and passion he was truly meek in spirit So amiable was the meeknesse of his carriage toward his wife that for twenty two yeers for so long they lived together there was never heard any one word proceeding from him toward her sounding like an angry one But for his patience under the afflicting hand of God I know not whether it were more admirable or imitable Though by reason of the bitternesse of his pains by the stone and sharpnesse of urine and that Lethalis arundo as he oft called it that deadly arrow in his side which hee knew could never be pluckt out of it but by death I mean his Asthma or difficulty of breathing which he got by an excessive cold in attending upon publick employment notwithstanding I say by reason of these I have heard him groan a thousand times yet never did I hear him grumble once Never did he complain of God for his suffering though oft of himself for sinning Never did I hear him say great sufferer but often great sinner and yet he would overtake that expression again with the discoursing of and comforting himself in a great Saviour and in the depth of his torments he would say well yet in all these there is nothing of Hell or Gods wrath His sufferings never were so deep but he could see to the bottom of them And as the grace he had was great so secondly in this spiritual fulnesse of his age I consider the good he did Look upon him in his family and there you will finde him both indulgent toward the bodies of his children and servants and yet especially careful of their souls witnesse his constant labour in catechizing them and daily dropping upon them with holy instructions He was the husband of one wife a widower eight and twenty yeers and he had thirteen children by that his one and onely wife whereof eight lived to mans and womans estate all his sons he brought up to learning desiring that they might have all been imployed in the Ministery it being that calling which to him was as full of pleasure as imployment his labours wherein he went through so delightfully that he oft professed to mee that the greatest pleasure which he took in the world was in the employments of his calling in regard whereof he hath told great persons and particularly the Lord Keeper that he envied not the greatnesse of his place and yet he was a very close I had almost said a severe student and was at his study every morning Winter and Summer during his health by five a clock in the morning and alwayes by four in the summer and oft sooner so that he had done that which might have been counted a dayes work before many began their study And indeed it was his desire to perform his secret worshipping of God before day-light that so he might have the benefit of the whole day for his study and he would oft say as Demosthenes spake concerning the smith that he was ashamed that those of others callings should be at their work before he was at his so that none could give him that reproof which I have read a certain Religious man gave to a Bishop who slept too long a mornings Surrexerunt passeres et sterâ—unt pontifices the sparrows are up and chirping and yet the Bishop is in bed and sleeping If he laboured to make the sleepy Bishop ashamed by the rising of the sparroâ—s oh how should slothfull Ministers be ashamed of their idlenesse when they hear of this painfull servant of Christ Doctor Gouge The Parish of Black-fryars will be a standing and a constant witnesse of his delighting to do good At his first coming to it the old Church in regard of the great thronging from all parts to his Sermons being found far too small for the auditory he procured fifteen hundred pounds by collections at his Lectures and by Letters written to his Friends whereby it was enlarged to this Stately and Beautifull structure without any briefes at all He was ever very Charitable to the especially godly poor of which yet he would make no report vain gloriously In his life time he set a