by their preseÌ„ce praiers we were blessed for them for their sakes at their suites were many iudgements turned froÌ„ vs that otherwise would haue fallen vpon vs as Moses by his praiers tied the Lords hand that hee could not hurt Israel as for Ioseph not only Potiphar fared the better but for his the familie of Iacob Egipt prospered was preserued when other countries perished with famin in the time of want Doubtles as Elisha said to Iehoram i 2. Kings 3.14 If it were not that I regarded the presence of Iehoshaphat King of Iuda I would not haue looked towards thee nor seene thee so if it had not beene for their presence praiers God would neuer haue respected our armies and our generals to haue giuen them such reliefe as they found when they were often in distresse in Ireland elsewhere As Tertullian saith that k M. Aurel. germanicam sitm Christianorum fortè militum precationibus impetrato imbri discussam contestatur Tertul. aduer Gent. Apol. M. Aurelius the Emperor when he was in fight against the Germans and in a streight for water by his letters witnessed that the German thirst was driuen away with ashower obtained by the praiers of the Christian souldiers So may I say that from many streights haue wee and our armies obtained reliefe by them Yea as Moses and his praier ouercame more then Ioshua and his power and strength for l Exod. 11.11 when Moses held vp his hand Israel preuailed that is when he praied feruently Israel had the day of the Amalekites but when he let his hands down Amalek preuailed that is when he left praying the enemy got the better So may wee say of the faithfull of the land that at all times their suites to God when they were feruent preuailed more then the swords of our Captaines and souldiers their praiers were of more force then all their peeces their cries then all the Cannons of the Armie m Heb. 11.34 by their faith were turned to flight the armies of the Aliants But now when so many of these are taken away when they haue yeelded to nature and are receiued into glory haue we not cause to mourne with great lamentations Yes yes if wee did vnderstand those things that did belong to our peace and safety if we did conceiue rightly of things tending to our woe and misery if we doe not if we cannot it is because as Saluian saith to the Catholike Church n Repugnante contra temetipsum tua foelicitate Saluian l. 1. ad Eccles Catholiam Thy owne felicitie fighteth against thy selfe our prosperity our plenty standeth against vs and hath bewitched vs wee are so drunke with the pleasures thereof that as drunken men we see no danger though we lie open to infinite danger hereby Shall vse that of Saluian o Ablâtus erat a peccatoribus timor ne posset esse cautela Saluian de Feare was taken away from offenders that there should be no caution against it We are destitute of the feare of euill because we should not take care to auoid it and that it should come vpon vs vnawares God forbid God forbid let me be found a false Prophet But to draw to an end of this point Honorable and beloued had the old world cause to feare and mourne when Noah went into the Arke was it high time for Sodom to lament when Lot was taken away and hastened out of it by the Angell and haue not wee cause can we not mourne when so many Noahs Lots I wrong none as I take it though I honour some by this comparison are taken away and hastened away out of our Land Cities Trust me now or time will come when you shall trust me that we haue cause and cause againe to lament and mourne not for them who dying in the Lord are happy with the Lord rest from all their labours and miseries but as Christ said to the women that followed him Weepe not for mee but for your selues and your children so wee for our selues and our children for hauing been safe by them and strengthened through them they are taken away from the plague we lie open to it and it hastneth the faster because they that kept it from vs are remooued Men vse to fence and defend to keepe watch and ward ouer their corne fields whiles the corne and fruits are in them vnreaped vngathered when they are gathered and put safe into the barne theÌ„ is open tide as they say they lay them open to beasts of all kind and sometime set fire on the stubble So and so hath God dealt oft times with many lands and countries wherein his Church and the godly haue liued And are we better then they Nay as Saluian saith p Deteriores sumus quia meliores esse debemus Saluian We are worse because wee should be better hauing such examples to admonish vs haue we any priuiledge or protection more then they nay nay we haue no helpe vnlesse wee cease to doe euill and learne to doe well and labour to bee good and faithfull as they were and beleeuing this to bee true it may be as Tertullian speaketh in one place q Fides facit formidinem sormidâ— solicitudinem Tertull faith causeth feare feare carefulnesse so our faith may breed feare and our feare care to cease to be euill and learne to doe well that repenting for our sinnes and practising true piete we may still liue and eat the good things of the land Let vs proceed to a second point Doctrine 2 THere is no priuiledge no not spirituall that can preserue a man froÌ„ a natural death or the first deth out of no court can a man fetch a writ of protection against this Sergeant no place will preserue no person can be priuiledged from it Here the holy and good man the righteous and religious man is taken from the earth and dieth It is no maruel though as Iob speaketh r Iob. 14.1.2 Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance he shooteth forth as a flower is cut down he vanisheth also as a shadow and continueth not But a man would thinke that Å¿ Iames â— 18 he that is begotten againe of Gods owne will by the word of truth that t Iohn 3.5 hee that is borne againe of water and of the spirit and so u Iohn 1.13 borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God yea x 1. Pet. 1.23 borne a new not of mortall seede but of immortall the word of God which liueth and indureth for euer A man I say would thinke that he should not die and yet behold the whole generation of Gods Children they all die in their appointed time and vndergoe death y Non supplicium sed â—riâ—utum viuendi Seneca not as a punishment but as a tribute as the heathen man speakes which euery man must pay for his life
Though the foole die yet may not the wise man liue euer z Eccles 2.16 How dieth the wise man as doth the foole saith the Preacher but though the subiect die yet cannot the Soueraigne put away death with his Scepter a Psal 82.6 I haue said ye are Gods and ye all are children of the most high but ye shall die as a man and ye Princes shall fall like others But though Prince and people die yet are not the Prophets excused b Zach. 1.5 Your fathers where are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer Examples of other times experience of our owne teacheth vs that all of all sorts die and are gathered to their fathers Yea c Etiam muta Clamant cadauera Basil the dumbe and dead bodies cry this aloud to vs. As Basill of Seleucia saith of Noah hee preached without preaching euery stroke of the Arke was a reall sermon of repentance so euery corps wee follow and accompany to the graue preacheth really this truth to vs. And this truth hath certaine ground Reason 1 First because the Lord of life and death hath so decreed it d Heb. 9 27. It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die The decree was made Gen. 3.19 e Gen. 3.19 Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne If it be his decree it must needes haue a certaine effect the decree is certaine the euent is ineuitable f Psal 115.3 Our God is in heauen and he doth whatsoeuer hee will g Volâ—isse fecisse est Cypr. de Duplici martyr Gods will is his deede as Cyprian saith if he haue once willd it it is as good as wrought if he haue decreed it it is as certaine as if it were done Reason 2 Secondly because all of all sorts and conditions are made of one mould and one matter h Iob 4.19 made of clay and earth whose foundatioÌ„ is in the dust which shall be destroied before the moth Hence the Apostle calleth mens bodies i 1. Corinth 5.7 The earthly house of this Tabernacle It is true that as there are difference of stars though al made of th same matter and difference of mettalls some are gold some siluer some lead some tinne but all made of one earth so are there difference of bodies some more excellent then other and made of a purer earth but yet all subiect to corruption as the matter whereof they are made is It being the body then that dieth and seeth corruption one must die as well as another Reason 3 Thirdly because all haue sinned and all haue sinne k 1 Iohn 1.8 9 10. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and make God a liar The holy and beloued Apostle ranketh himselfe with others and confessed that he had still sin in him He i Qui se inculpatum dixerit aut superbus est aut stultus Cypr. de oper Eleem. that saith he is without fault is either proud or a foole saith Cyprian Then must all be subiect to death for saith the Apostle m Rom. 5.12 As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all for as much as all men haue sinned Sinne the only cause saith one which enlarged deaths dominion and made all the world to become his tributaries for had it not been for sinne death had neuer entred into the world n Si Adam non peccasset mortem non gustaret Aug enchirid cap. 104. If Adam had not sinned he had not tasted death as Austin speakes And the Lord said o Genes 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death not actually but potentially become mortall Now that which is true in the root holdeth in the branches Reason 4 Fourthly because sinne which brought in death might be destroied againe by death this viperous damme by such a daughter this beast by such a brood had it not been for sinne death had neuer entred into the world and were it not for death sinne would neuer goe out of the world As Basill saith p Deiu mortem non fecit sed nosmet ipsi ex mente praua nobis ipsis etiam sponte attraximus quam Deus minimè prohibuit ne immortalem in nobis morbum conseruaret Basil serm 9. quod Deus non est author malorum God made not death but we our selues by our wicked minds of our owne accorde wee haue drawne it on our selues which God did not at all forbid lest it should keepe in vs an immortall disease And as Epiphanius bringeth in Methodius disputing with Proclus the Originist q Instar medicamentariae purgationis mortem Deus bene inuenit quo sic omnino inculpabiles in noxij inueniantur c. Epiph. haer 64. c. methodio God as the true Physitian hath appointed death to be a physicall purgation for the vtter rooting out and putting away of sinne that we may be made faultlesse and innocent and that as a goodly golden image saith he sightly and seemly in all parts if it be broken and defaced by any meanes must be new cast and framed againe for the taking away of the blemishes and disgraces of it euen so man the Image of God being maimed and disgraced by sinne for the putting away of those disgraces and the repairing of his ruines and decaies must by death be dissolued into the earth thence to be raised vp againe perfect and without default Vse 1 But what vse may we make of all this First it is a care that euery one ought to haue to know they must die and they cannot auoid it the decree is gone out against them from the highest court of Parliament and that from the most highest what contempt were it not to take notice of it eury one ought to labour to number his daies and truely to know his mortality the greatest as well as the meanest the wisest as the simplest for if any one then all and if any more then other the greatest for they are not the least but rather the most subiect to this as they challenge themselues to be of the finest of the common mould so they must know that they are not by that exempted from the common law of nature and force of Gods decree but as the finer the mettall or the purer the matter of any glasse or earthen vessell the more subiect it is to breaking so they to mortality And therefore both they and all must labor for this spirituall Arithmeticke To number their daies which is a religious meditation and sound consideration of their frailty and mortality A thing worthy euery mans best disposed thoughts and intentions for seenig euery man must die and hath a course to finish which being finished he must away it is speciall wisdome to learne to know the length of his daies as it were the length of his lease for as hee hath vsed himselfe in his
pop Ant. Doe you desire to see him then liue a life like vnto him and so you shall the sooner receiue that his sacred presence So I to you lead the same life with him and you shall soon enioy his holy and comfortable presence but if you will not neuer looke to enioy him and it again If this were the way that he trauelled Eastward to the heauenly Hierusalem if you goe Westward towards the cursed citie Hiericho you shall neuer come to Hierusalem the place of blessednesse and happinesse For if this be the way wherein he hath passed in the end whereof he hath attained to blisse and happinesse and if this be the only way when there is but one way whosoeuer walketh in another way cannot come to this estate If he in the way of true chastity vpright iustice holy piety hath now the fruition of happinesse and enioyeth the presence of God himselfe and his Sonne and his owne blessed Sauiour Lord and husband Who soeuer imitates not him in these I say not whosoeuer attaineth not to the imperfect perfection of these things that he had done but whosoeuer doth not carefully striue to it but liues in vnchastity and vncleannesse in iniustice and vnholinesse either scoffing contemning and neglecting this way and course shall enioy hell in stead of heauen torments in stead of blessednesse the iust wages of God for such workers of iniquity But to conclude all It is written of Hierome that when hee had read the life and death of Hilarion and saw that after hee liued religiously he died most comfortably and happily said Well Hilarion shall be the champion that I will imitate So now that you haue heard the life and death of this Right worthy Noble and are truelie informed how truelie religious the one and certainly comfortable the other was say you with Hierome well This noble shall be our champion whom wee will imitate we wil follow his Chastitie his Iustice his Piety will we imitate And so if you indeuour and doe say and performe you shal be sure to enioy that in future time which he possesseth in the present heauenly and eternall blisse and happinesse through the merits and mercies of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holie ghost be ascribed of vs and in all the Churches of the Saints All glory and maiesty and dominion and power now and for euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obitum inopinum praematurum Clarissimi Baronis D. Ioannis Haringtoni Altae Indolis Maximae Spei Adolescentis Epicedium IMmodicè si quis migrantem ad Sydera flebit Praesertim vt nunc sunt Tempora flendus erit Vt mare perpetuis iactatur vita procellis Mors placidus Portus perfugium Requies Aurea quae Prisci celebrarunt Secula Nugae Ferrea quae fuerant Tempora semper erunt Qui antiquo vixit Pater olim Hebraeus in Aeno Conqueritur paucos difficilesque Dies Militiae humanae quantô magis heu magis isto Si in senio Mundi degeret ille Senex Quo pietas vitio est virtus Probitasque fidesque Ludibrio cunctis Nil nisi turpe placet Clare Heros Nos te foelicein agnoscimus istis Sordibus ereptum Coelicolisque datum Delicia Iuuenum flos verae Nobilitatis Vnica spes magnae praesidiumque Domus Ecce caedit subito triste omen scilicet Illo Indignifuimus dignior ille Polo Nos Res lugemus nostras Ecclesia luget Interitum deflet Patria mesta tuum Vtraque damna dolet propria dispendia Lumen Hec deflet columen Altera mesta gemit Te Nobis vitia et Mores rapuere maligni In Coelis Virtus Te tua sancta locat Terra tegit Corpus Mens aurea regnat Olympo Fama Anglos inter celsa perennis erit Posuit Fran. Hering D. M. moerens damnum publicum priuatum An elegy vpon the vntimely decease of the 〈◊〉 honorable and vertuous Lord HARINGTON LIght sorrowes talk great griefâ— are tonguelesse quite Amaz'd aftâ—nisht Apoplecticall Why do I then vaine man seek to recite That sad euent which lately did befall That worthy house of late by iust demerit Aduanc'd to honor great and greater credit That noble house which I do thus designe VVell knowne to all and better much beloued In vertue fauâ—ur glory so did shine That few in England were so vvell aâ—proued In Court in City country thou mighist heare No ill all good of Harington echwhere To him our King his second Iewell deare The Princesse his sole daughter did commit VVho 's linckt in mariage to that German Peere VVhose vvorth the world admires A match so fit So happy that who thinks vpon that day Lifts vp his hand and thanks to heauen doth pay Ten yeeres the father of this matchlesse sonne Had in that honorable seruice spent VVhen the last act of loue was to be done To bring Her home and giue Her full contâ—nt Content to Her to Him that did attend Fatall it prou'd with seruice life doth end At his returne for England nature soile A sicknesse fierce deathâ— Lictor doth arrest This worthy Lord and cruelly dispoile Of strength of sleepe At last from noble brest It draue Prometheus sparke and cauld it flie From whence it came vnto the starry skie VVhat Homers pen can woâ—thily expresse Of that great Lady thus in forrein parts Bereft of her deare Lord all comfortlesse The deepe distresse The sad and mournful hearts Of her attendants none can well relate B the that was in that or the like state 〈◊〉 the first act of this sad Tragedy Which well may make a flinty heart to bleed Enlarging much our humane misery Yet if we marke what after did succeed This might be borne The next might well confound The stoutest heart that euer walkt on grâ—â—nd This noble Father left a peerlesse Sonne As to his honor so his vertues heire VVho from all British youths the garland wonne In vertue learning piety so rare That he that of his praise shâ—uld volumes write Need neuer feare the stile of Parasite In humaÌ„ne learning he did so excell That bred in Court he shamed quite the schooles No Arts few tongues but he did know them well Long-studied-Clarks themselues accounted fools Hearing his graue discourse of matters sage Admir'd his ripenes in so tender age Religion found from cradle he imbrac't Professing it with zeale and purity Few of his ranke in eminency plac't VVere so renownd for sincere piety Nor did it swimme and float vpon the braine Nor role on Tongue but fixt in heart remaine This blossome faire this hopefull tender plant VVhich so much fruit did promise Church and State Alas alas my heart doth throb and pant My tongue 's benumd and cannot well relate VVithin one yeere after his fathers death Did likewise lose his dearest vitall breath VVhat heart can now conceiue the wofull plight Of that sad Lady that at once despoild Of Husband S nne of all that to her might Contentment yeeld
THE CHVRCHES LAMENTATION FOR the losse of the GODLY Deliuered in a Sermon at the funerals of that truly noble and most hopefull young Gentleman IOHN Lord HARINGTON Baron of Exton Knight of the noble order of the Bath and his Maiesties Lieutenaunt of the County of Rutland at Exton in Rutland the last day of March 1614. Together with a patterne of Piety and the power of godlinesse expressed in his life and death who yeelded to Nature the 27. of February 1613. when he wanted two moneths of 22. yeeres of his age By RICHARD STOCK Pastor of Alhallowes-Breadstreet in London LONDON Printed by IOHN BEALE 1614. NODO FIRMO Virtutem antiquam haec spirant insignia multam Et Nodo Firmo gloria firma manet Sanguinis en quanto fueras dignatus honore Maior Auis meritis gloria facta tuis This ample Coate speaks auntient vertues praise Vnited with th'indossoluble knot His greater merits nobler trophe's raise To house and name which neuer be forgot SINGVLVM MILLITARE HONORIS Ecce detus dant prima decennia principe dignum â—n coelis illum proxima pene locant This honour was he grac't with at tenne yeares Before twelue more he climbes beyond the Spheares I. P. DOMINVS IOHANNES HARINGTONVS BARO DE EXTON c. Aspicis Herois vultum graphicamque figuram Ingenium Mores pingere nemo potest Effigiem verae virtutis Nobilitatis Candoris niuei Relligionis habes F. H. D. M. In this dead picture onely doth appeare A Lord and Lords sole heire to Country deare If his soules portrait 't were it would thee tell That here great Arts vertues and grace did dwell I. P. Cant. Col. Syd Suss In the Epistle Dedicatory in the margent at the letter r read exonerans TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE vertuous and worthy Ladies the Lady LVCIE Countesse of Bedford vvith her Right Honourable Mother the Lady ANNE HARINGTON Baronesse together with her Honourable Sister the Lady FRANCIS CHICHISTER All increase of true Honour and pietie THe holy spirit of God by his Pen-man St. Paul tels vs and teaches vs that a 1. Tim. 4 8 Godlinesse hath the promises both of this life present and of that which is to come Among which this is none of the least b Psal 112.6 The righteous shal be had in euerlasting remembrance Namely such a remembrance as the wise man speaketh of c Prou. 10.7 The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed Such a blessing it is as is d Pro. 22. â— Aboue great riches aboue siluer and gold For no man of any ingenious disposition but if hee had these two propounded to him riches with shame and pouerty and penury with true honour and good reputation and free choise giuen him but he would freely chuse the latter before the former yea such a blessing it is that men who were able to iudge thought it not inferior but aboue their naturall life As that learned Rabbi broght vp at the feete of Gamaliel speaking of his good reputation saith e 1. Cor. 9.15 It were better for me to die then that any man should make my reioycing vaine And Tertullian by a speech of his to the persecuting tyrants sheweth that thus they esteemed it and professed no lesse to the world f Ad Lenorem proxime damnando Christianum quam ad â—eonem confessiestis labem pudiâ—itae apud nos omni atrociorem poena omni morte reputari Tertull Apoll. VVhile you condemne saith he a Christian matron to a baud rather then to a Lyon you openly confesse for vs that we abhor the blot of Chastitie and honestie more theÌ„ all other punishmeÌ„ts yea then death And this is that which the light of Reason teacheth men that for a man to die honourably is no death for a man to liue dishonourably is worse then death And as it is a curse for a man to suruiue his good name so is it a blessing his good name should suruiue him So that he which helps to keep the righteous in a blessed memoriall or remembrance hee doth but bring the promised blessing of God vpon the head of the righteous helpâ—ng to honour those whom God would haue honoured and who haue honoured God yea as I may so speake he helps to pay Gods debt to the righteous hee hauing made himselfe a g Debitorem se fecit promittendo August debter to them by promise A thing that all ought to doe and not vnbefitting any no not the Ministers of the Gospell when as our Sauiour Christ saith concerning Mary h Mark 14.9 Wheresoeuer this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that shee hath done shall be spoken of in remembrance of her And by whom more then by the Ministers of the Gospell who if they must honour her by reporting what she had done being but one act of pietie performed to Christ how much more may they do it for those who haue performed many and manifold workes of pietie and charitie to Christ and his members Vpon which ground I tooke my selfe warranted to expresse the loue and honour I bore towards your deceased honourable sonne and brother in speaking those things I did at his funerals concerning his truely religious life and right blessed death wherein I laboured to make euident to others for imitation that grace which God had made so eminent in him The whole Auditorie were much affected with it and many both godly and learned both Ministers and others desired much to haue it published to the world whereof diuers the same day set vpon and since by letters haue importuned mee much besides others in the name of many who haue but heard a flying report of the excellent graces and most worthy parts that was in him and deliuered by me haue still pressed me to imprint it to make that common to others which was so louely in the eares of those that heard it After all this I began to thinke that this proceeded from the Lord and to say with my selfe as the Apostle Peter to others i Act. 11.17 VVho was I that I could let God So who am I that I should let God thinking also with my selfe that that which was so desired of many might be by the grace of God profitable to many mo knowing that God hath not onely appointed his word to beget faith and teach godlines but by the same word hath sanctified the examples of godly men to prouoke to godlines as is manifest in holy writ yea examples are of that force that men are often won by them to the liking of the word who before had either a hatred or distaste of it and after by the word are wonne vnto God Many men must see the Gospell in the liues of the professors of the Gospell before they will beleeue it in the mouthes of the Preachers of it And as Chrysostome saith of the Gentiles k His quae dicuntur a noâ—â—â— non intenduni Gentiles sed his
Her face with teares besoyld Her brest with swellings throbs and sighs quite rent If heau'n had not both strength and comfort sent Such Lord such sonne few Ladies euer gaind And therefore none haue tasted such a losse The happinesse wâ—ich she before attaind Doubleâ—h the griefe and greater makes the crosse The losse was great the crosse much greater sute Thanks to the Lord who strength gaue to endure Yet may we well that mother happy deeme That brought to light so great an ornament Vnto this land that we may iust esteeme VVhole months whâ—re yeeres in teares and sorrow spent For his vntimely death his sudden fall VVhich hath amaz'd and terrifi'd vs all Who doth not see the dreadfull glorious God Threaten this Realme with iudgements manifold VVhen thus he shakes at vs his iron rod Is too Mole-blind this say I dare be bold Pillars demolisht of a pallace great The ruine of the frame do truly threat Since that tall Cedar chiefe of all the rest Prince HENRY fell by sad disastrous fate No one that grew in our English forrest Gaue such a blow vnto the Church and state He was too good for vs vnworthy we Of such a treasure such felicity His vertues haue him call'd aboue the stars Earth was vnworthy such a diamon He novv partakes not of our brawles and iars For mourning weeds white robes he hath put on Sinne griefe and teares haue tane them to their wings And with the Lambe he Hallelu-iah sings Then let vs cease for to bewaile with teares That happy soule possessing heauenly ioyes That no tongue can expresse no humane eares Hath euer heard no earthly wit can poyse Let vs lament our selues our sinfull liues VVhich of so precious iewels vs depriues By F.H.D.M. An Epitaph vpon the said rightly honored Lord in life and death in English Iambicks HEre liet Lord Harington the second of that house Who scarcely left his second in the Brittish I le In honour true in vertue matchlesse pietie The Phaenix of our age in whose graue countenance The graces sat the Muses lodged in noble Brest At twenty yeares whose wisdome great did farre excell The hoary head of long and good experience Too good for earth fit to adorne the highest heauens Where now his soule liues raignes in celestiall ioyes His body here reseru'd till the last iudgement day His name like ointment sweet through all Europa smells And shall so long as vertue and religion Shall find renowne in these cold Nothern Climats By F H.D.M. Another Epitaph HEere lies interred young Lord Harington Heire to his Fathers worth and dignitie And now by too too soone succession Of fathers fates heire to eternity His body in his grand dames bosome is His minds suruâ—ving vertues speake his blisse His noble birth to learned Arts mode way His learned arts on vertue still attended His vertue on true piety did stay His piety hath him to God commâ—nded His birth his Arts vertues and pious grace Alot him earths large praise and heauens place The Church tels what a patron now is gone The Common-weale did him a pillar deeme He was his houses hope truthes Champion The good mans friend indeed as he did seeme Their patroâ— pillar champion hope and friend They waile and marke where misery will end I.P. Cant. Coll. Syd Suff. To the liuing memory of the late and last Sr. Iohn Harington Knight Lord Harington Baron of Exton To the Booke GOe and speake tru h It is thy office now Not onely to enforme our liues but how By â— are examples miracles agree With praiseâ— and wiâ—h praecepts This was hee His praise will not dishonour simple truth To say but what he was and but a youth To the World If thou wert all dull earth I should beleeue Thou hadst no sence to feele nor soule to greeue But ô thou art compol'd of suâ—ler parts And seeâ—t thy losse engrauen in our hearts The purest part of all thou art alas How fraile art thou then was as fraile as grasse To England Thou hast beene beaten many thousand yeares VVith seas and yet art safe But ô teares VVill more endaunger thee he was in thee The Hand thou the sea where such men bee Beaâ—en with rage of changes yet they stand Safe in themselues and fix'd as any land To his Mother and sisters Rather then tell how good he was I will Perswade you to forget yet weepe your fill For such a Sonne O death and such a brother Is rare as heauens great eye that hath no other To his Friends To all that vertue loue I doe commend This title It was al one to be his friend And good who hath no claime and title now He doth not him but vertue disauow And yet he had one nearer then the rest Sr. Ed. Harwood He liu'd at houshold with him we at feast To the Arts. Ioy he is gon he would haue diu'd into Your deepest secrets and your knots vndo As vnknown â—ricks discouerd easy seeme He would to vâ— reduce you not esteeme To Religion What hast thou lost ô sacred misterie Thy Nurse and yet thy Childe He did not die To thee of all the rest he was aliue They martyr and now dead he doth more thriue In thee ô no his state takes no increase Full of the ioies of God he liues in peace To Death Poore vncreated nothing to contend To make all things like thee yet misse thy end Canst thou hold him one houre ô enuious death Or touch his last yet euerlasting breath O No that fled where thou shalt neuer come Though here a while thou triumph on his Toombe Thomas Roe Knight
farme hee shall enter at the expiration of his time vpon a better or a worse Dauid for his learning a Prophet for his accepation a man after Gods owne heart for his authority a King was then very studious in this knowledge when after watching fasting hee besought God to be instructed in it r Psal 39.4 Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my daies what it is let mee know how long I haue to liue So Moses wise in all the wisdome of Egypt and Israel accounted faithfull in the house of God prayed yet for this point of wisdome to be informed in it as well himselfe as others Å¿ Psalm 90.12 Teach vs so to number our daies that we may apply our hearts to wisdome like carefull Schollers who breake their sleepe and forsake their meate and are often in meditations when they beate vppon some serious subuect What thinke you it will profit a man if by his skil it Arithmeticke hee be able to deale with euery number and to diuide the least fractions and neuer to thinke of the numbering of his daies with the men of God which are so few euill What will it profit him if by Geometry hee be able to take the longitude of the most spacious prospects and not be able to measure that which the Prophet hath measured with his span What will it auaile him if with the Astronomer he be able to obserue and know the motion of the heauens and yet haue his heart so buried in the earth that he cannot thinke of that which passeth away as swiftly as them What profit if he be able with the Philosopher to search out the causes of many effects and to know the causes of many changes as of the ebbing and flowing of the Seas the increasing waning of the moone and the like and be not able to know his owne changes the causes of them Doubtles all this will profit him nothing all his knowledge will be to little purpose in the end Many men beate their heads about friuolous matters some being more busie to know where Hell is saith Chrysostome then how to auoide the paines of it others pleasing themselues in pelting and needlesse questions to seeme singular amongst men neglecting this the like necessary things but when they come to their departing they shall finde they haue spunne a faire thread and wearied themselues in vaine euery one then as Daniel searched and found out by the bookes of Ieremiah not onely the returne but the time of the returne of Israel to their own land from their captiuitie so by studie of the Scriptures ought they to search so may they come to know the time of the returne from their exile on the earth to their country in heauen and though they cannot find the particular day or yeare yet they shall find it to be most certaine and that which in short time shall be finished And thus shall death when it coÌ„meth be lesse hurtfull as a tempest before expected Death is compared to the Basilisk which if she see before she be seene there is some danger but if a man first descrie the Basiliske the serpent dieth then there is no feare Vse 2 So if death be not seene and prouided for before hand there is great danger but if it be seene and prouided for the danger is past before their death come eVs 2 Secondly must euery one die wil no priuiledg protect theÌ„ nay it is certaine that they can carry none of their priuiledges with them out of the world as they brough them not into the world m 1. Tim. 6.7 1. Tim. 6.7 We brough nothing into the world it is certaine we can carry nothing out It is wisdom then in euery one to labor to be fitted for this passage n Ad hunc exitum praeparemâ—r multis enim nobis opus est vitaticu quoniam et multus est â—stus multa sic citâ—â— multa solitudo Non iam licet in diuersorio requiescere non est quod â—matur ab eo qui non hic omnia sumpserit audi certe quid dicat virgines Mat. 25. ite potius ad vendentes sed profectae non inuenerunt Chrys hom 51. ad pop Aut. Let vs be prepared to this iourney as Chrysostome saith for we haue need of much prouision because there is much heate much drought much solitude no Inne no resting place no place of abode there is nought to be boght of him who hath not taken all things here Heare what the Virgins say Mat. 25. Goe rather to them that sel but going they found not What ought we then to doe wee must not so labour for the things of this life from which me must be taken and which wee must leaue behind vs but for those which concerne a better life and wee may carry with vs not for those things which shall haue either a finem tuum or finem suum o Finem tuum an t finem suum Bern. as Bernard speakes an end of thee if thou haue not an end of them either shall they be taken froÌ„ vs as they were from Iob or else we from them as the rich man was from his substance wealth but for those things which wee may carry with vs and may either bring vs to or adorne vs where wee must be perpetually and for euer It were a very foolish part and a sencelesse practise for strangers when they are in exile or far from their owne country in a forraigne soile and dwelling whence they are sure to be called either by their owne Prince or cast out by the Prince of the country to lay out all they are worth vppon some farme or Lordship there neuer prouiding for that which they may carry with them to their county adorne them when they come there specially if the so imploying of themselues their estate be a meanes to keepe them from the enioying of the happinesse of their country yea a cause that they shal be cast in to prison plunged into misery So it is but a madnes for vs to imploy all our care and spend all our time and endeuour for this life and things for it and the body vpon earthly and transitory things things wee found here must leaue here u 2. Corinth 5.6 And being here from home strangers in the body absent from the Lord and our owne land as the Apostle speaketh whence we know wee shall be called either by a naturall or a violent death ordinary or extraordinary taken away by God or thrust out by the cruelty of men neuer prouiding for that which must adorne vs there or further our passage yea procure our entrance specially when such things and the care for them which was ioyned with the neglect of so great things euen of so great saluation shall procure misery and punishment where the other would procure mercy and happinesse x Hic ista relinquuntur illa
so deerly esteemed Sr. Ed. Har. neither did he admit him but after a great time of acquaintance and him only did he acquaint with these priuat and secret holy duties saue but when for his better informing he had confereÌ„ce with some learned Ministers And all this pietie and godlines did this noble heart practise in this age to speake no more particularly you may if you please apply it to other particulars in this age I say which is such as Saluian complained his times were that is wherein h Si quis ex Nobilibus conuerti ad Deum caeperis flatim honorem Nobilitatis amittit O quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est obi religio ignobilem facit Salâ— lib. 4. de Gub. Dei If any of the Nobles began to be conuerted vnto God straight way hee lost the honour of his Nobilitie O how great is the honour of Christ among Christians where religion makes men ignoble This is for Atheists or Papists it is enough and too much for them to scorne men for religion how impious a thing is it for Christians to contemne men for the religion of Christ As Hierome to some i Qui christianum te dicis Gentilium arma depone aut si tu numero hostiumes ostende te libere aduersariuÌ„ vt Ethnicorum suscipias vulnera Hierome Thou which callest thy selfe a Christian lay downe the weapons of the Gentiles or if thou art of the number of the enemies freely professe thy selfe an aduersary that thou maiest feel the smart of infidels So I to these if you professe your selues Christians Oh that you would turne Atheists or Papists or else lay aside the bitter arrowes of Atheists and Papists if you bee of the number of such professe your selues no longer Christians but such that you may be esteemed for such and either be auoided or rewarded as such Pardon I pray you my digression In this age I say thus affected wherein as Saluian speaketh in the place before k Per hoc omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne vites habeantur Salu. ib. vt supra By this meanes all in a manner are compelled to be euill lest they should be accounted vile Euen in this age was this Honorable worthy that I may speake in the phrase of the Apostle with some change l Philip. 2.15.16 Blameles pure and the sonne of God without rebuke in a naughty and crooked nation amongst whom hee shined as a light in the world holding forth the words of life and did reioice in the day of Christ that hee had not run in vaine neither had laboured in vain yea resolued with the Kingly Prophet Dauid that if this were to be vile when it was for the Lord for his seruice he would yet be more vile then thus knowing well the time should come that he should be had in honour of those that dishonoured him and that for these things Now all this pietie was inseperably attended vppon with two inseparable fruites of true godlines the manifest proofe of the truth of it Loue to all religious persons and specially to faithfull and painefull Ministers and abundance of compassion towards the needy saints and members of Christ of which many particulars might be giuen but one may serue for many I am certainely and credibly informed that since his returne froÌ„ his trauels by way of thankfulnes to God and for refreshing of the poore members of Christ he gaue yearely by the hands of a priuate friend besides many and many occasionall workes of charitie the summe of twenty pounds and in the first Sabboth saue one he was in the land after his returne hauing spent the Saturday before it with his Turor in fasting praier thanksgiuing he spent in publike hearing the word receiuing the Sacrament giuing to the poore of that place into their bason fiue pounds and gaue other forty pounds to be bestowed vppon poore Ministers and other Christians for the reliefe of their present necessitie yea such was his liberality in this kinde which is come to my knowledge by his accounts that he gaue the tenth of his allowance to the poore and other good vses his allowance being a thousand pounds the yeare besides what hee gaue in the way as hee walked and trauelled and in the streetes which he did often and much but what it was no man can tel Finally all these were beautified and adorned with such admirable humility as is rarely found in any specially in those that haue things which naturally for the most part puffe vp the minde as nobility and many naturall indowments Nay not in those who haue many spirituall prerogatiues many gifts and graces that haue learned Christ yet haue they not so learned of Christ as this Honourable worthy had done to be m Matth. 11.28 Meeke and lowly in heart Of which I will vse and to whome I will apply onely that of Bernard n Decor animae humilitas est verum in eo qui grauiter peccauit sâ—amanda non tamen admiranda humilitas At si quis innocentiam retinet nihilominus humilitatem iungit nonne is tibi videtur geminum animae possidere decorem Bern. supra Cant. serm 45. The beauties of the minde is humility but in him who hath griuously transgrest howsoeuer humility may be to be imbraced yet not at all admired But if a man keepe his innocencie and withall addes himilitie seemes not this man vnto thee to posses a double beauty of his soule This Honorable vessell was double gilt with true and intire innocencie though imperfect through humane frailty and true humility Thus was hee decked and thus were all his graces and gifts adorned all seeming and truely appearing such as they were because hee was by this so nigh to men and not by loftines and pride lifted vp aboue and remoued from men Thus haue I discoursed to you of his life and am come to the 15. of February last past when hee was visited with sicknes from God whereof he died Touching his carriage and comforts therein wee cannot doubt but that it was very religious and these very great when such a life went before wherein there was such preparation and prouision such a foundation laid vp in store against this euill day I am onely accquainted with them by report for I was neuer with him though I much desired it and often yet the wisdome of those that were about him thought it not fit fearing not his death till it was very late he without hope of recouery and I diuers miles remote from him That which was deliuered vnto me by one that was with him all the time or most of his sicknes whom I dare trust not mine owne eares better otherwise I am iealous of all friends reports in this case I will deliuer vnto you as briefely as it was deliuered vnto me which was thus From the first day of his sicknes hee apprehended strongly the