30 Ibid. 28. with the beasts of the field shall never bee blotted out Builde vp your selues your sonnes and families in the feare of God and then your houses and honors shal cōtinue longer then those that build them castles and cal their lands and livings after their owne names Els feare the curse which the Prophet hath pronounced Wo vnto Psal 49. 11. Jer. 22. 13. him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnes and his chambers without equity and vseth his neighbor without wages and giueth him not for his worke hee saith I will build me a wide house and large chambers so he will make himselfe large windowes and seeling with cedar paint them with vermilion shalt thou raigne because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Did not thy father eate and drinke and prosper when he executed iudgement Will you continue you name by your numerous progenie and multitude of children descended from your loines So might Ahab haue hoped if his sinnes had not beene a cause to cut of his seed and posterity But we knowe how his seventy sonnes had all their heads laid in a basket 2 King 10. 6 7 2. King 9. 33. on one day his wife Iezabell eaten vp with dogs all his posterity rooted out as the Prophet had pronounced To conclude this point then let the glory of God and his service be your chiefest aime speake for it stand for it fight for it die for it Sound it in your mouthes manifest it in your liues defend it with your swords and if need be seale it with your blood and so your names shal be blessed when your flesh bones shal bee consumed yea both body soule happy when your names shal be buried in oblivion The court you see cannot truely commend you your politique heads will no way profit you your moving eloquence cannot better you your gay clothes cannot grace you your stately house litle helpe you nor your multitude of children maintaine your honour heare on earth or procure your happynesse in heaven this only title given by the spirit of God vnto Moses to be the servant of the Lord is worth all the rest and will last for ever From the person Moses and his praise the servant of the Lord I proceed to his end or period death Moses 3. Part. the servant of the Lord died His period or end Doct. Neither great nes nor good nes is a good pleate against death It is neither his greatnesse you see nor his goodnesse that can purchase him a supersedeas against the arrest of death he that had fed many when they were readie to starue for hunger and refreshed many when their soules fainted within them for want of drinke hee at whose commande came frogges and lice and haile and darknesse and blood and blisters hath not his breath in his owne hand But I haue heretofore spent much time in pressing this point of mans mortalitie how death without difference of degree or condition summons all sorts of men Prince and Priest people the captaine and the common iouldier the master the man the mistresse her maid haue the same end they may die of diverse diseases at diverse times in divers places but they all die death hath the sole soveraignty of all the worlde and knockes assone at the great mans castle as at the poore mans cottage Would to God we were wise to apply this to our Vse owne selues for doth it not iustly reproue such as seldome so much as mind their mortalitie but liue here as though they thought verily they should never die If these men had no religion yet reason would teach them that their strength is not the strength of stone yet this the very drops of water weareth nor our sinewes of brasse or iron and yet this the rust and canker consumeth but a vapour but a smoake which the sunne soone drieth or the wind driveth away It was wittily said of Epictetus the Philosopher who going forth one day and seeing a woman weeping that had brokē her pitcher and the next day meeting another woman weeping that had lost her sonne heri vidi fragilem fran gi hodie video mortalem mori Yesterday saith he I saw a brittle thing broken and to day I see a mortall man die And what difference betwixt these two Much one manner of way for take a glasse saith St Austine which as it is bright so is it much more brittle then an earthen pitcher keepe it fafe in a cupboord where it may be free from the violence of outward wrong and it may continue many thousand yeares but take a man of the most pure complexion of the strongest constitution and keepe him as safe as thou canst hee hath that in his bosome and within his owne bones that will bring him to his end Nay I heare some say saith the same Father as I remember that such a one hath the plague or the plurisie and therefore sure he will dy but we may rather say such a one liueth and therefore sure he will die for diverse haue had those diseases did not die of them but never any man lived that did not die The consumption of the liver is a messenger of death the consumption of the lungs the minister of death the consumption of the marrow is the very mother of death and yet many haue had these diseases and not died of them but there is another kinde of consumption which could never yet be cured It is the consumption of the daies the common disease of all mankind and whereof all must die David spake of it my daies are consumed like smoake Let mee then warne Psal 102. 3. you and stirre vp your meditations of your mortasity with the words of our Moses who hath walked that way before vs Deut. 32. 29. O that men were wise then would they vnderstand this then would they consider their Deu. 32. 29. latter end Wee are vnwise that wee consider not the times past the evill we haue committed the good we haue omitted the benefits of God we haue abused the time we haue mispent and yet we grieue not because we thinke not yet whether we shall die More vnwise are we not to consider things present as the shortnes of life the difficultie of salvation the small number of such as shall be saved and yet wee shame not because we thinke we shal not yet die But most vnwise that we consider not things to come death iudgement hell al to come and yet we feare not because I feare wee thinke we shall never die O that we were wise then would we consider our latter end Wise Princes vse to prepare tenne yeares before hand for a field of one day beloved let vs lay vp something every day for the last When we shall wrastle with death if wee winne that skirmish we haue enough and when or where wee shall come to the conflict who can tell For Moses when hee
THE BARONETS BVRIALL OR A FVNERALL SERMON PREACHED at the solemnitie of that Honourable Baronet Sr EDVVARD SEYMOVRS buriall BY BARNABY POTTER Bachelor in Divinitie Fellow of Queenes College in Oxford and Preacher to the Towne of Tottnes in Devon PROV 10. 7. The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes 1613. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL Sr EDVVARD GILES KNIGHT HIGH Sherife of Devon and to his right vertuous and Religious Lady the Lady MARY GILES B. P. wisheth increase of all heavenly graces in this life and in that other eternall happinesse both to them and all theirs RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL I Knowe there are many that will wonder at me and those most that knowe me best that after no lesse then tenne yeares labour and toile in the Lords harvest I should hope to approue my paines or improue my praise or profit with these few scattered eares in such a plentifull crop of all kind of fruitfull bookes that are dayly brought into the Lords barne To these I may professe and if need were protest that it is neither my praise nor profit that I aime at and whatsoever my toile hath beene for these ten yeares yet this little crop was both sowne and ripe and reapt and brought into the barne within lesse then the compasse of halfe ten daies and therefore I cannot looke either for praise or profit for such small paines Others perhaps will pull me by the eares and put me in mind of that position lately maintained in that great assembly of the a Act at Oxford 1613. doctior quisque fuit in scribendo parcissimus Handled the same Act. learned that the more learned are the moreloath to leaue any thing in print to the view of the world To such I answer that it is my loue not my learning that I would shew and therefore I hope the lawiers position will satisfie such amor excusat in delictis those actions that proceed from the passion of loue are not liable to law at least pardonable in reason Vnto both these obiections I say that I had rather the world should condemne me as vniust and the whole Vniversitie as vnlearned then you should so much as thinke mee vnthankfull For since you first fetcht mee from the bosome of my mother the Vniversitie and ever since with extraordinary kindnesse haue harboured me in your house that countenance you haue continually given to my weake ministery that comfort I haue taken from your continually frequenting the meanes of salvation the preaching of the word your willing conformitie vnto it that extraordinary respect which I haue found not from your selues only but for your sakes from the most and best of the country about you whether I came as a strangerâ—may iustly chalenge a greater returne of thankfulnesse then these few indigested meditations which as they were first preached and now published at your earnest entreatie whose will should bee worth a command to me so must I now entreat that they may passe vnder both your patronages whose very names for the loue you haue of all sides from all sorts in your country will quickly procure them a quiet passage If the curious or captious carpe at them I care not so the faithfull Christian may receaue some comfort by them If your remembrance with this honourable Baronets whose buriall it is may liue a little longer by these lines if the day of your death now after that great pompe and height wherein you haue passed the heat of your honourable imployment may bee renewed and in all these my thankfulnesse testified I haue my desire Whatsoever these short meditations be both ihey their author desire to be yours who will not cease when he prayes for himselfe to beseech God for the increase of his heavenly graces here and eternall happinesse hereafter both to your selues and all such as are deare vnto you From your house at Bowdon Aug. 24. 1613. Your Worships to be commanded BARNABY POTTER DEVT. 34 VERS 5. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord. THere is a season saith Salomon for Fecles 3. 1. all things vnder the sunne but of all other things a word in due seasoÌ„ Prov. 25. 11. is like apples of gold with pictures of silver pleasant and profitable If any word me thinks a word of comfort from the mouth of Gods messenger should alwaies meet with a good season especially seeing it is a principall part of their office to appoint vnto them that mourne in Sion to giue Isay 61. 3. vnto them beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse Yet in this case I finde the saying of a sage Divine to bee most true that it is not so hard to giue comfortable counsell to the sorrowfull as to find a fit season when to giue it For while the streame of sorrow runnes fresh and full it is vaine and to small purpose to oppose counsell passions must haue leasure to disgest time doth as much moderate them as wisdome doth At the first theÌ„ it is best to mourne with such as mourne for the losse of friends and when our teares and theirs are drie to giue counsell And yet in this case I doubt what is best for as before men haue digested griefe advise comes too early so it is too late to advise when they haue digested it as before it was vnseasonable so after it would be superfluous as before it cannot benefit so after it may hurt by rubbing a skinned sore afresh This honourable but heavy and sad solemnitie then must beare the blame if now that sorrow seemes to haue wearied her selfe having wept like David his coÌ„pany till she can weep no more with wearines is fallen asleep 1. Sam. 30. 4. I awake notwithout true griefe the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of our great our commoÌ„ losse When our Saviour was to suffer certaine women well affected followed him weeping to whom he said weepe not for mee but weepe Luk. 23. 28. for yourselues and for your children Let mee with some inversion of our Saviours words sollicite you which both in habit and heart beare the greatest part of this sadsâ—â—â—e weepe not for your selues though you haue lost an honourable husband a tender hearted father a faithfull friend a kind master a mercifull landlord as most he hath left behind but put of these privat passions of sorrow and put on the sorrow of compassion come and bewaile with vs our common losle The Church the Church hath lost a choice patrone the Common wealth a chiefe pillar But because this passion hinders our attention takes vp our heart before hand and makes men vnfit to heare as the people of Israel for anguish of spirit could not harken to Moses therefore Exod. 6. 9. you shall giue me leaue a little to cast a
perfection of thy purity Patriarches haue fallen Prophets haue fallen Apostles haue fallen starres haue not beene so fixed but they haue fallen Angels not so firme but they haue fallen Trust not then in the righteousnes of thy workes for they are but polluted trust not in the integrity of thy nature for even it is defiled but rely vpon the mercy of God for that only is absolute in the merits of Christ for they and they only are alsufficient And say with David If thou Lord wilt be extreme to marke what is Ps 130. 3 4. done amisse O Lord who may abide but there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared Thus you haue seene both the party Moses his praise the seruant of the Lord and his end he is dead and the place where in the land of Moab And as in their liues you haue seene how like they were so were they in many particulars like in the manner of their death I will only point at them Both died in a strange place where they were but within view were now come to take the comfort of that pleasant country that God had promised and provided for their posterity Both died when they were in outward appearancelike to liue long For of Moses it is said here that his eies were not Deut 34. 37. dim nor his naturall force abated And may we not saie so of this second Moses whose vnderstanding sight and hearing other sences might easily be observed to haue beene more sharpe and quicke then many that haue not past halfe his yeares was it not much that a man of his yeares and of so much imployment should haue at his dying day neither gray haire nor vnsound tooth Yea I may say it was little lesse then a miracle that his vitall and naturall powers should continue evē vntill his dying day in that perfection when all his vitall parts as appeared afterwards were so strāgely corrupted as that if the most learned Physitions had knowne the state of his body as they imagine it hath beene these many yeares they could not haue hoped nor conceived how he should cōtinue so long in that health and strength as continually he did His sicknesse was but short and saving some fits not very sharpe his carriage therein I dare speake it vpon the word of those that were continually with him very quiet and patient When the Minister of God came to him to fit him with comfort and confidence against the terrours of death having prepared himselfe for this purpose he entertained him kindly hard him attentiuely professed he received much comfort by him made a worthy confession of his faith with his owne mouth and intreated his company comfort againe assoone as conveniently he could resort vnto him In the meane time how his minde was busied we may imagine by that worthy acknowledgement of Gods loue vnto him when he thanked God that in all that time of his sicknesse hee had neither a bad thought nor a bad dreame But death is now at his doores and as he liued quietly and peaceably so he layes him downe like a lambe never opened his mouth to murmure nor moved anie part of his body to striue and struggle with death but with a deepe groane as from a sorrowfull repentāt soul sends his soule into the hand of his Savior where now no doubt he rests in ioy There followes now Moses his funerall which as appeares in the next verse was performed as honourably Ver 6. as ever was hard of euen by God himselfe yet so secretly as his sepulcher could never be seene vnto this day And haue not the godly friends of our honourable Moses herein shewed their loue and care by as honorable a solemnity as I thinke most of our eies haue seene The last thing is the mourning sorrow which followed vpon his death The children of Israel wept for Ver. 8. him in the plaine of Moab thirty daies and haue not we as great cause to sorrow in respect of our selues And yet that our sorrowe may not exceede knowe that though Moses a great man and Moses a good man the servant of the Lord be dead in the land of Moab yet nothing hath hapned in all this but by Gods appointment according to the will of the Lord which was the last point I proposed out of the words of my text and which I can onely touch now The point of doctrine which wee may obserue frō Doct. All crosses commeth frō God Amos 3. 5. hence is this What soeuer crosses and calamities doe befall vs here they come not by fortune or hap-hazard but at Gods appointment and his all-ruling providence Can a bird fall into a snare where no fowler is Amos 3. 5. Men that lie vnder Gods punishing hand or some heauie crosse are like a bird in a net whereinto we often fall before we see the fowler and being caught the more we striue struggle to get out the more we intāgle our selues therein Now it were a strange thing to see nets and snares set themselues to catch birds without a fowler and no lesse strange it is that crosses and calamities should befall any man at hap-hazard without a guide and governour Which the Prophet plainly proposeth Ibid. v. 6. ver 6. Shall there be any evill in the citty and the Lord hath not done it Who gaue Iacob for a spoile and Israel Isay 42. 24. to the robbers Did not the Lord because we haue sinned against him Isa 42. 24. Howsoever men may attribute the plague of pestilence to the infection of the aire or party about vs the calamity of the sword to the malue of the enimy the desolation of famine to fowle wether consumptions vnto want of exercise feuers and burning agues to the malignitie of some dish of meate or draught of drinke rightly too as to the second causes yet the holy Ghost wold haue vs to look to a higher hand in all these for it is God that sends both pestilence Deut 28. 21. 22. and famine and the sword and consumptions fevers and burning agues Deut. 28. 21. 22. Let this then for this present perswade vs to patience Vse vnder al crosses Thou hast lost thy father or friend or childe by vntimely death as thou dost imagine and therefore criest out either of want of care in their keeper or want of skill in the Physitian or absence of friends and sayest as Mary did to our Saviour if thou hadst beene here my brother had not beene dead or thou Ioh 11. 32. condemnest thy hard hap and considerest not that it is Gods hand Thus haue the children of God begunne their serious consultations in the day of affliction and hereby beckned as it were to themselues for silence Dominus est it is the Lord. When that heavie newes came to old Elies eares which whosoever should hear his two eares should tingle hee imposeth silence to