31.13 so that nothing is created more wicked then an eye therefore it weepeth vpon euery occasion The Heathens dedicated the eares to Minerua the tongue to Mercury the armes to Neptune and the eye to Cupid but now lust draweth all other sinnes by the eyes To all such who tremble not to behold with the same eyes with which they looke vpon their adulterous beds lying idols and such like the sacred Table where the Sacrament is performed who enter into the Church not looking to their affections who labour not for good eyes I must say as Christ doth If their eye be euill their whole body shall bee full of darknesse Matt 6.23 as is their sense of sinne so and much more heere after shall bee their sense of sorrow Their eyes shall faile and they shall not escape Iob 11.20 and their hope shall bee as the giuing vp of the ghost The light is sweet but they must goe to darknesse Eccl. 11 8. for euer to houle there when the elect shall haue all teares wiped away from their eyes Vse 2. A Medicine then hence may bee applied to all sicknesses a salue to euery sore and a plaister for euery wound 1. Cor. 15.53 that wee shall bee thus changed that this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie that our vile shall bee a glorious body that there shall bee no more singing of Lachrymae but of Hosanna and Halcluiah It was the encouragement of God vnto Iacob in his going downe into Aegypt Gen. 46 4. Ioseph shall put his hand vpon thine eyes it is to bee vnderstood of Iosephs closing his eyes when hee had giuen vp the ghost Muse Men commonly in dying open and lift vp their eyes to heauen and this duty is performed by those who are dearest and best beloued of the dead as Ioseph was of Iacob but behold Gods owne hand is heere promised to bee vpon our eyes to wipe from them all teares and then wee shall see the glory prouided Hee giueth a taste of it to some in this life neuer suffering them to depart comfortlesse Num. 27.12.20.28 Moses saw the land of promise before he died Aaron his sonne Eleazer in his roome before hee died Dauid Salomon his successour before hee died Ezekias his house in order Christ his transfiguration on the mount Stephen saw the heauens opened Act 7 56. and the sonne of man standing on the right hand of God Thus had M. Deering a taste a little before his death being raised vp in his bed seeing the Sunne shine and being desired to speake said There is but one Sunne that giueth light to the world but one righteousnesse one communion of Saints As concerning death I feele such ioy of spirit that if I should haue the sentence of life on the one side and the sentence of death on the other side I had rather chuse a thousand times seeing God hath appointed the separation the sentence of death then the sentence of life Thus had another holy Saint a taste of it a little before death M. Iohn Holland What brightnesse doe I see and being told it was the Sunne shine Nay saith hee my Sauiour shines Now farewell world welcome heauen The day starre from on high hath visited my heart Preach it at my funerall God dealeth familiarly with man I feele his mercy I see his maiestie whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God hee knoweth but I see things that are vnutterable How much more happy then are they that are dissolued from the flesh that depart hence in the Lord that bee in ioy and felicitie that rest from their labours that haue all teares wiped away from their eyes O then let mourning and teares bee our marke and badge whether wee looke vpward to God whom wee haue offended or downeward vpon hell which wee haue deserued or backward vpon our sinnes committed or forward vpon iudgements to bee feared or without vs vpon the deceitfull world which wee haue loued or within vs vpon our conscience polluted The Spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom 8.26 and if wee shed teares heere of contrition till wee know that our sinnes are forgiuen vs teares of deuotion for that sudden ioy we receiue from God teares of compassion for the wants of others wee shall eat when the wicked shall be hungry drinke when they bee thirstie reioyce when they shall be ashamed sing for ioy of heart when they shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall houle for vexation of spirit If. 65.13.14 Thus shall God euen our owne God blesse vs. To him and his Sonne and Spirit be glory for euer AMEN FINIS
2. King 6. which were Angels 2. King 6.17 or most commonly not seene to men yet alwayes in a readinesse for Gods seruice and his childrens preseruation encamping round about them that feare him Psal 34.7 and deliuering them being all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation Heb. 1.14 Besides these God comforteth men with his other creatures those two great lights the Sunne to rule by day Psal 136.8 which Anaxagoras held much greater then Peloponesus a countrey in Graecia Anaximander as bigge as the earth the Mathematicians exceeding the earth 166. times Clauius the Moone to rule the night Iob 38.31.32 such are the influences of Pleiades bringing the spring the bands of Orion bringing raine Mazzaroth in his season and Arcturus with his sonnes Hee heareth the heauens they heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne Os 2 2â— and the wine and the oile He is with Kings is their kingdomes Bishops in their churches Peeres in their consultations Iudges in their iudgements Captaines in their battels euer ready to comfort when the helpe of man is vaine Is 50.3 He that can cloath the heauens with blacknesse and make sackcloth their couering can also stretch them out like a curtaine to couer himselfe with light as with a garment He that can send out a great winde into the Sea till it worke and be tempestuous Psal 104.2 Io. 1.4.11 and the waues thereof tosse themselues Ier. 5.22 can also stay them that they preuaile not thought they rore and smite through the pride thereof Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei all the creatures of God are ready at his command to attend the elect for their good Iob 26 12. Wigand Syntag Vâ—t Test and the reprobate for their hurt He is the best comforter others may deceiue a friend his friend as Achitophel did Dauid a Counseller his client as Abimelech the Schechemits the wife the husband as Dalilah did Sampson the daughter leaue the mother as Orpah Naomi but God neuer faileth and therefore as Demosthenes held that no man could be miserable which laid temperance and continencie for a foundation of wisdome so much more may wee hold him to be most comforted which hath the Lord for his God and as that Emperour Marcus Aurelius often professed that hee would not leaue the knowledge hee might learne in one houre for all the gold hee possessed receiuing more glory from the bookes hee read and wrote then all the battels he wonne and kingdomes he conquered so may wee resolue that this only maketh vs happy that God doth comfort vs. Vse 1. How wretched then is the estate of them which oppose themselues against this God of coÌ„fort Such are the Atheists of this age whose Patron was Diagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in plaine termes denying that there was any God at all and Epicurus trampling vpon religion They are Infidels in heart Blasphemers in tongue the greatest Traitors to their Prince Rebels to their country a poyson to their houses plague to their friends causing the earth vpon which they goe to be cursed the ayre where they speake to be infected and Sathan where they enter to be possessed Strange it is that eyther Graecian or Barbarian Turke or Christian any one whose se et tread vpon the earth or whose eyelids are opened towards heauen should not in their liues proclaime the comfortable Maiesty of this God but as it is supposed that Anaxagoras would neuer haue affirmed snow to be blacke but that he was starke blinde of both his eyes so these would neuer so much erre but that they are blinded in their vnderstanding more insensible then the creatures voyd of reason for the starre confessed the son of God and led the wise men to Christ the sea and windes did obey him the Asse did beare him to Ierusalem the Fishes at his command came into the net and one brought money to pay tribute the Sunne at his death was appalled the earth did tremble the stones did cleaue asunder and the graues did open they are more obstinate then the Deuill Mar. 5.6.7 seeing Iesus a farre off he came and worshipped him crying with a loud voice that hee was the Sonne of the most high God Iesus hee knoweth and Paul Acts 19 15. but these acknowledge neyther God nor Iesus nor any true Prophets sent from God but the time shall come that the eyes that sinne hath shut damnation shall open and they shall know that this God is not vnfitly called by the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sharpnesse of his sight and swiftnesse of his course seeing all and ruling ouer all in a moment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that whereby all things are caused to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that he giueth life and motion to all Aristed in hymno in Iouem Diog. Laâ—râ— c. el Rhodig and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in reguard of his goodnes whither should I send the foolish Naturals which neuer look vpon the God of Nature but to the creatour of all which fashioned all Nature it selfe is nothing but a power placed by this God in his creatures Hugo Quis disposuit membra pulicis culicis who hath disposed in order the limmes of the flea and gnat they haue their life and motion flying death louing life seeking after that they delight in shunning that which troubleth them hauing sense and quicknesse in motion This God made them Qui fecit Angelumin coelo fecit vermiculum infecta He that made the Angell in Heauen made the little worine on the earth Aug super Psal 148. Totum attende totum lauda consider all the order of Gods workes thou shalt see cause enough to praise God for all Thou art without excuse for the inuisible things of him from the creation of the world are cleerely seene being vnderstood by the things that are made Rom. 1.20 Witnesses against thee shall be that the Lord hath done good for thee and giuen thee rain from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling thy heart with food and gladnes beside the expresse testimonies of the word Acts 14 17. open prophecies of things to come thousands of yeeres before they came and infinite miracles O reason not as the besotted Epicure How doth God know can hee iudge through the darke clouds Iob 22.13 thicke clouds are a couering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of Heauen God is euery where and there is no euasion from him no corner in hell no mansion in heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the Sea no dark dungeon in the land of captiuity no clouds of the day darknesse of the night secrecie of a friend or a more secret conscience nor any like euasion can hide thee or thy actions from this God He maketh the fields haue eyes to see thy
the death of his sonne as Dauid for Absolon as hee went vp to the chamber ouer the gate 1. Sam. 18.33 as if like Aeneas hee had cared for none else but Absolon Omnis in Ascanio chari slat cura parentis Virg. O Absolon my sonne my sonne Nothing can be dearer vnto a man then his sonne except it be his soule Hannah begd a man childe of God â— Sa. 1.11.27 and she had her petition giuen Pithius Bithinius seeing his sonne murthered by Xerxes buried him Texoff left his kingdome to his wife and spent the rest of his life in the same graue with him The mother weepeth for the daughter as Rachel for her children with great mourning Mat. 2.18 shee brought her children into the world in much pangs to the halfe killing of her selfe yet careth for them to bee washed and swadled Ez. 1â— 4 sometime laughing to hope what they will be sometimes distressed with feare of what they may be euer tender and deare vnto them and beloued in their sight Pro. 4.3 O that wee were halfe so tender of our soules as our mothers haue beene of our bodies Their teares are ready in life and death The sonne sheddeth teares for the father as Ioseph did for Iacob when hee had made an end of commanding his sonnes gathered vp his feet into the bed and yeelded vp the ghost Gen. 50.1 Musculus Ioseph fell vpon his face and wept vpon him and kissed him It is Stoicall to hold that a wise man should be without compassion or affection Gen. 42.24 Hee wept at the sight of his brethren aloud that the Aegyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard but his teares were more violent for the death of his father Gen. 45.2 Eeel 3.11 no maruell for the glory of a man is from the honour of his father The childe sheddeth teares for the death of the mother Sara and perhaps continueth mourning as long as Izhak did for his mother D. Willet in Gen. 3. yeeres when shee had liued 127. yeeres the only woman whose whole age is recorded in Scripture The mother beareth the childe nine moneths in her womb longer in her armes for euer in her heart she beareth with many childish infirmities and when no other eye pittieth shee weepeth batheth Ier. ep de suspâ—cto contubernio suffereth much harty trouble shee so vseth the children as if they were her parents Aug. conf l. 9. c. 9. as A. Austin writeth of the tender affectionate care of his mother Monica ouer him The husband sheddeth teares for the death of his wife as Abraham who was 140. Peter yeeres old at the death of Sarah Gen. 2.18.22 man and wife are but one flesh The woman was made to be an helpe meet for man shee was made of the ribbe of man not from the earth but from the side of man neither out of his head lest she should be too proud neither out of his feet for she is not a vassall but from his side that the man knowing the woman to be taken out of him might more firmely set his affection vpon her being flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones Muse from his left side where his heart lay to shew the loue that must be betwixt them It was not of a monstrous superfluous part but a ribbe aboue the vsuall number of ribs created of purpose by the Lord as necessary for the creation of woman A good wife is a consummation of other pleasures Calu Nullius boni sine socio iucunda est possessio No good thing can be possessed pleasantly without a companion no companion can be so deare to man which made Euphrates a Philosopher vpon the death of his wife to crie out O tyrannous Philosophie thou commandest to loue and if we lose the things beloued thou forbiddest vs to be sorry for them The brother sheddeth teares for his brother Ber. pro si atre Gerardo as Bernard for Gerardus wee were but one heart and one soule but now the sword hath pierced it fetching one part to heauen and leauing the other vpon the earth The friend weepeth for the friend as Christ did for Lazarus and Dauid for Ionathan Ioh. 11.35 I am distressed for thee very pleasant hast thou beene vnto mee and Gregory Nazianzene for Basil Monod in Basil As for my selfe now I am bereaued of such a man what shall I doe but either die or liue in miserie which way shall I turne mee what shall I doe what counsell shall I take now I haue lost him that was my comfort But howsoeuer it bee lawfull to mourne and shed teares 1. Thess 4.13 yet not as without hope Mourning for the dead and remembrance of them is lawfull else Deborah Rebekkahs nurse had not beene buried so carefully and the place expressed and called Allon Bachuth Gen. 35.8 Gen. 35.20 the oake of weeping else Iacob had not set a pillar vpon the graue of Rachel else Israel had not mourned for Iosias the faithfull for Stephen and women for Dorcas Ennius the Poet would not be weeped for Nemo me lachrymis decoret Tully Prudent nec funera fletu No more would Laurence the Martyr but Solon commanded that the Common-wealth should mourne for his death and wee must shedde some teares ouer the dead Saints because by their departure wee may seeme to suffer harmes Ecc. 38.16 we had comfort by their presence which we want by their absence because they did much good to the Church and Common-wealth The world was blessed by them worse vsually succeed the wicked will grow more obstinate and wee may feare some iudgement to follow Is 57.1 for their death is a prognostication of some euill to come as when Noah entred into the Arke the world was drowned with the floud and when Lot departed out of Sodome it was burnt The godly need not to feare as Herod who being ready to die Ios an t l. 17. c. 9. de bello Iud. l. 1. c. 21. and thinking that his death would be a ioy to many shut vp in prison some Noble men of euery Towne and required his sister Salome and her husband Alexa that as soone as bee was dead they should kill those Noble men and then all Indaea would lament his death The Lord causeth them to be lamented as he did Ambrose in Italie Austin in Africke Luther in Germanie and others in other places sending extraordinary iudgements immediately after their deaths But our comfort should bee as Cyprian speaketh Cyp that they are but gone before and wee shall follow after that we must not lament them ouer-much who by the call of God are freed from miserie that they are but gone a iourney wee must looke for their returne they are sailed into a strange countrey and will if wee wait come againe that their deaths are not funerals but triumphs that as life without Christ