Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A16522
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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.
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Bowle, John, d. 1637.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 3435; ESTC S106815
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24,390
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50
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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
lachrimas mundi What a madnes is it for men to dote vpon their golden fetters their guilded prison their painted dungeon for euery man to bee his owne Suffâ—nus and like Narcissus to bee enamored of Earth of Dust of Slime of our Bodies of rottennesse and Corruption When the silliest Bird that flyes is not content with a cage of Ivorie In the second sense our life is supposed an exile and we desire to goe into our Countrie Psalme 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee saith Dauid and a Soiourner as all my Fathers were Et ideo tanquam peregrinus ad illam Sanctorum omnium Patriam â—estinabat And therefore sayth Saint Ambrose Dauid made hast to be indenized possessed of the Kingdome of Heauen Why doth the fire moue vpward Why do the stones fal downward Why do the waters glide through rocks of Flint to pay their natural tribute to the Ocean Why doth the Ayre flye froÌ„ the bowels of the earth with shaking of the Worlds foundation But that euery thing moueth impetuously to the Center from whence it was takeÌ„ It is the speculation of Philosophie that Lapis cum stat amouetur That a stone lying stone-still hath notwithstanding a secret motion to the Center It is the subtiltie of the Schoole Aquinas was the Author that whilest wee are in this life wee turne and change as the Moone Quiescimus in desideriis We rest in the desire of rest and yet we haue restlesse desires But in Heauen there is Desideriorum quies the verie Center and quiet of desiring where our desires shall not be satiated but they shall bee satisfied It is the sweete contemplation of Saint Austen Fecisti nos Domine à te inquietum est Cor nostrum donec reuertatur ad te Lord our soules they came from thee and neuer are quiet till they returne vnto thee In the third sense Our life is supposed an Office and place of charge and we must not depart without the leaue of our Superiour Militia est vita hominis super terram Our life saith Iob is a warfare God placed some in the foreward some in the rerâ—ward some in the wings some in the battaile euerie man hath a station and no man must depart without his Dimittis without his Pasport Neyther the light of Nature nor the light of Grace directeth a man in anie case to put out the light of life In the monuments of Heathen History Lucrecia Cato Cleombrotus are honored for their owne dishonor for if Lucrecia was vnchast why is she honored If she were chast why was she murdred Si noÌ„ est illa impudicitia qua inuita comprimitur non est haec iustitia qua casta punitur If it were not want of Chastitie in her that was forced vnwillingly it was want of iustice in her that was slaine vniustly If Cato did well to teare out his owne bowels why did he commaund his sonne his owne bowels to begge his life of Caesar Tantum gloriae ipsius Caesaris invidit hee so much enuied Caesars glorie that hee was transported to vnreasonable furie Cleoâ—brotus read Platos Phoedo vnaduisedly else would he not haue destroyed his bodie to obtaine the soules immortalitie Maiori supplicio afficiendus est desertor vitae quà m desertor militiae hee is more to bee punished that voluntarily forsaketh his life then hee that flyeth from his Captaine and Leader The very light of Nature teacheth that there is more valour to endure a miserable life then to imbrace a wretched death But the light of grace commaunds vs not to kill others much lesse to violate our selues Sampson cannot be excused except by God hee was secretly inspired Nisi quia Spiritus latenter hoc iusserat qui per illum miracula faciebat Except the Spirit of God did secretly inspire him who did miraculously vpon his prayer at his death strengthen him Those sacred Virgins who in the sack of Rome sought to preuent the barbarous Adulterer by a voluntarie murder of themselues committed a certaine sinne to preuent an vncertaine shame Non sit tedio vobis vita vestra siludibrio fuit hostibus castitas vestra O blessed Soules saith Saint Augustine Why should you bee weary of life when your Chastitie was a prey to your enemies How could you endure the shame of the Crosse of Christ that cannot endure the rumours of Pagans There is no shame no sorrow no miserie that should force a Christian to a desperate prevention Consider what Saint Paul Phil. 1. ballanced together I am in a streight betwixt two hauing a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is farre better neuerthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you Quasi sapiens amplectitur mortis lucrum Quasi seruus non refugit vitae obsequium As a wiseman hee desireth death as a seruant he endureth life Will you haue another rule for the act of departing as you had for the time of departing Behold Simeon patient in life patient in death Hee would not liue without a permittis a promise to see Christ hee would not die without a dimittis without a licence to enjoy Christ. Saint Augustine speakes plainely and yet acutely Some men that are crowned with Roses and enioy the Worlds Paradise they desire to liue Some men who are wasted with sorrowes they desire to die Now sayth the Father Si habes vitam in desiderio habe mortem in patientia Habes vitam in patientia si habes mortem in desiderio If you haue life in desire yet die patiently If you haue death in desire yet liue contentedly In summe WHen God will be not troubled to die Till God will be not troubled to liue To be thus prepared Simeon thought it his dutie for he confesses that he is a seruant And you know a seruant comes when his master bids come goes when his master bids goe and therefore it is not Dimitte me let mee depart nor let Simeon depart But let thy seruant depart Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth giue leaue O Lord for thy seruant obeyeth Seruum tuum I Find this title of Seruant giuen to them by God which I am sure neuer intended to serue God Ier. 25. verse 9. Ier. 27. verse 6. Nebuchadnezzar my Seruant Esay 44. verse 28. Cyrus my Shepheard and a Shepheard is a Seruant I find on the contrary that the best Saints of God haue no better title Iosu. 1. 2. Moyses my Seruant is dead Iob 1. 8. Hast thou not considered my Seruant Iob This Contrarietie implie some difficultie If Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus be Gods Seruants what priuiledge is it for Moyses and Iob to bee the Seruants of God One plaine distinction makes a perfect resolution It is one thing to serue God actiuely and another thing to serue God passiuely All the world are Gods Flailes Gods Mallets Gods Scepters of Iron to breake in pieces his enemies as a Potters vessell but some few in