the World are his Trumpettors are his Labourers are his Ambassadors his Messengers of fire are his Angels his ministring Spirits Beares and Lions and Catterpillers and Wormes are the Executioners of his Iustice But Lambes and Doues are the voluntarie instruments of his mercie Nebuchadnezzar burnt the Temple Cyrus did build the Temple Both did the will of God Neyther intended to doe the will of God Both were Gods Seruants in execution neither of both were Gods Seruants in affection Both serued him with the hand neyther with the heart But to be Gods Seruants in affection to God and in protection from God is a singular prerogatiue For if the Seruants of Salomon were happie much more happie are they who serue a greater then Salomon If the Angell in the Reuelation acknowledgeth himselfe to bee the Apostles fellow-Seruant how great an honour is that to bee entertained into such a seruice where the Angels are our fellowes You call me Master saith Christ and you doe well for surely hee doth very ill that hath not Christ for his Master verie Ill indeed since it is mans necessitaled condition to be a Seruant Yee were the Seruants of sinne Rom. 6. 20. Yee are the Seruants of righteousnesse Rom. 6. 22. In both estates still Seruants Yee cannot serue God Mammon two Masters but you must serue God or Mammon one Master We must not halt betwixt God Baal but we must adhere to God or Baal We must eyther serue the Deuill as Simon Magus or wee must serue Christ as Simon Peter It is the percing contemplation of Basil that he enuied the Deuils happinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who neyther made vs nor dyed for vs but seekes our bodies destruction and our soules perdition yet hee hath more Seruants then Iesus Christ that came downe from Heauen to redeeme vs and offered vp his bloud to saue vs. It is S. Augustines experience that to serue God is libertie to serue sin is slauery Seruus tot Dominorum quot vitiorum saith the Father a man is a slaue to so many Masters as hee is subiect to vices Many a great man endures Chams Curse he is Seruus Seruorum A Slaue of his Slaues Many a wiseman could not be abused as Herod was by Blastus his Chamberlaine Acts 12. Verse 20. if their owne guiltinesse did not make them feare their owne Seruants He that will not be the Slaue of men let him be the Seruant of God A good conscience is farre richer farre safer then the Brestplate of Aaron or the golden shield of Salomon To draw to a conclusion Will you haue a third rule to know when you are Gods Seruants Behold Simeon earnestly desiring to be with his Lord. Simeon had a patterne of Abrahams seruant Genesis 24. He went along iournie to fetch a Wife for Isaak he laded tenne Camels hee came at euening to the house of Bethuel he would not eate till he had told his errand the next morning hee would goe to his Master Send mee away verse 54. hinder me not verse 56. Send mee away that I may goe to my Master I will not stay tenne dayes for the Damsell not one day to refresh my wearie Camels I came in the euening I will returne the next morning Here is a true Seruant as soone as hee had Rebecca nothing pleased him but to returne to Abraham Here is a Simeon as soone as he had Christ nothing can content him but to returne to God Excellent is the meditation of Cyprian Eius est mortem timere quinon vult ad Christumire That man feares death that feâ—res to come to the Tribunall of Christ. You say you are Gods Seruants you boast of your faith you talke of Heauen let mee see the Caracter of Gods Seruants shew mee the power of your faith Expresse the desire of Heauen There is a secret infidelitie our tongues and hearts are contrarie to feare death and to desire eternall life are things incompatible Volumus ab eo praemijs honorari ad quem venimus inuiti How can we sayth Cyprian hope for Heauens happinesse when we are dragged thither with a fearefull vnwillingnesse God is not bound to make euerie Saul a King that only seekes for his Fathers Asses To conclude if we be Gods Seruants why doe wee feare to goe to God If wee feare to goe to God how are we Gods Seruants Simeon desired to be gone and we will leaue him and so passe from the Seruants condition to the Lords Dominion The Seruant was dutifull and the Lord is powerfull Lord IS the chiefe word in the Text and the chiefe word for the time For we see the Hearse of a dead Lord and we heare the power of a liuing Lord. There are many in earth who are called Lords but they are Lords of earth and those Lords are earth and those Lords must returne to earth as you see this day fulfilled in your eyes He who is the sonne of Ioseph Lord of Egypt the sonne of Iacob Lord of Caaaan who is the sonne of Isaak who is the sonne of Abraham who is the sonne of Nachor who is the sonne of Sem who is the sonne of Noah the sonne of Adam He is the sonne of Dust. There is a Lord of Lords who hath the power of life and death who rayseth out of the dust and setteth with Princes who powreth contempt vpon Princes and layeth their honour in the dust For none of vs saith the Apostle liueth to himselfe and no man dyeth vnto himselfe For whether wee liue wee liue to the Lord and whether we die we die to the Lord whether wee liue therefore or die we are the Lords The very word which Simeon vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord sayth Varinus hath reference to a Freeman Master to a Bondman Intimating in the very proprietie of sillables that man is a verie Bondman vnder the despoticall power of God Which principle of Religion the light of Nature seeth In a storme at Sea euery Idolatrous Mariner calls vpon his God In a drought at Land euerie Churle howles vpon his bed euen those who neuer thinke on God in their life will call vnto the Lord for feare of death But by the light of grace Elias in his agonie Ionas in his furie Lord take my life death they desired but death by God permitted The Apostles in their feare Lord saue vs wee perish The thiefe in his paine vpon the Crosse Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome Stephen vnder the stones Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Saul cast downe from his Horse but cast downe lower in his soule Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe Lord Lord is the Eccho of miserie is the suppliant for mercie Saint Basil giues the reason GOD created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward man of the
had determined his right and title his owne heart was Chaunceler to quench the fire of contention Iust hee was to keepe the Countrey free from the sonnes of Belial A peace-maker hee was to compromise and to end vnchristian controuersies Iust he was and feared not the gratest Louing he was and contemned not the least I can remember that when I was brought vp at the feete of this Gamaliel that euery Thursday which is now by Gods direction contrary to your first resolution the day of his memoriall hee rode to a neighbour-Towne of Amptill where he first frequented Gods Temple to heare a Sermon and to offer vp a sacrifice to God and then consulted with the Iustices and Officers of trust for the peace of the Countrie There might you see euery Thursday as at the Poole of Bethesda the Orphant and the widdow the poore and afflicted seeking and finding of comfort There the Recâ—sant and ill-affected subiect were conuented examined perswaded and if all would not serue restrained from infecting the credulous multitude So that Gods Religion was countenanced the oppressed were succoured the darnell was seuered the peace and ciuilitie of the Country by such a solemne and ordinarie meeting was maintained If I speake false accuse me If I speake truth testifie with me for many of you know the substance when I remember onely the shadow For his Oeconomicall vertues as he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lord of a Family three things are obserued by the Philosopher First the choise of a wife Next the entertainment of seruants The third the care of our estate that wee bee not hurtfull but helpefull vnto others The Wife is the first for she either is our helper or our tempter our good or our euill Angell But before I can speake a word of her of whom I learned first to speake I must make Saint Austens confession Pudet me illius aetatis in qua me vixisse non memini I am ashamed of my infancy amongst you in which I doe not remember that euer I liued But could I remember what some of you haue told me whom I am bound to beleeue I should heere giue publike thanks to God that hath called me to his Ministery vpon this occasion Collater ally to honour her memory who for her recreation vouchsafed to instruct me in the Alphabet and elements of learning I beseech you giue way a little to my affectionate thankfulnesse if I interueyne our Earles honours with his wiues vertues Her first lifes blood was deriued from ancient Gentrie but her seruice in Court her excellence of body and graces of mind transplanted her into the stock of more ancient Nobilitie Our Earle found her the Widow of that great Earle Edward of Derby found and a while kept her a most beloued louing gracious compassionate religious and noble Lady whose vntimely death without issue deuided a paire of honourable Turtles deuided their bodies but not their soules 34. yeeres hee spent as a mourner of her Funerals deuided their bodies but not their loues for though her body lyes buryed at great Gaddesden which necessitie did enforce yet all that Iacob could doe for Rachel he hath done for her in ioyning her piller vpon his owne sepulchre making one indiuiduall monument for them both in this Chappell to testifie to all the world that happy vnion of which neither life nor death could make a disiunction Such was his Lady such was their loue I would to God the discontentments of great Lords and Ladies did not make it remarkeable What a shame is it when our honourable mariages are like that of Pompey with Iulia of Anthony with Octauia which are not made to vnite hearts but houses nor to ioyne affections but factions the issue being as fatall as the beginning was vnfaithfull But I had rather powre foorth prayers to God for reformation then spend vnregarded words of reprehension Let it suffice that they there lye together in one graue of whom you cannot iudge whether their honour were greater or their loue The next thing in a family is the entertainement of seruants which this Honourable person knew best to chuse because himselfe had been a seruant Though hee was borne of a most Noble family yet being a younger brother as the vniust yet vsuall custome of our Country is hee was compelled by necessitie to serue in a Noble Familie but after was preferred to the seruice of the late Queene of happy memory In both which he gained such experienâ—e that hee knew with Iacob how to reforme his houshold that no Idolatrous Baalite no Idle-bellied Cretian no prophane Esau no Ruffian Lamech no blasphemous Rabsache no inordinate persen should by his will and knowledge shrowd their abominable vices vnder his Honourable vertues Hee well knew the sharpe speech of Aristippus who replied to a wonderer of a great traine of seruants At plures muscas in culina hee had not saith the Philosopher so many seruants in his Hall as he had flies in his Kitchen Seruants who are fed like great horses onely for pompe and shew are vsually irreligious and vnprofitable creatures But those seruants whom hee intertained those he trusted accounting it a French lightnesse to intertaine a few Pyes and to change them as often as their Liueries His ancient seruants fit for a setled and an Honorable house sufficient for their number and extraordinarie for their qualities whereof some had continued with him tenne yeeres some twentie some thirtie some fortie yeeres those according to the meanes and measure of his estate he rewarded at his death Others who serued him lesse time hee honoured either with a Ring of remembrance or comforted with halfe a yeeres wages for their present maintenance Generally he commended them all to his Honourable Brother that howsoeuer they had lost a louing Lord yet they might find a Noble Master It was a great part of his care at death that his seruants might be prouided for the meanes of life I must not forget to conclude this point with the remembrance of another Legacy Our Noble Earle did so remember his owne seruants as he did not forget Gods poore seruants 50. pounds he allotted by his will to be distributed to Christs brethren to feed them to clothe them or in such manner to comfort them as their necessitie required and his brothers iudgement should order that as his soule was to bee comforted by the blood of the Lambe So as Iob speaketh the loynes of the poore might bee warmed with the fleece of his sheepe The third point was the care of his estate which as he publisheth in the Record of his Will and Testament he found almost ruinated by the vaine prodigalitie of Richard Earle of Kent He knowing therefore that Honour without meanes is but a glorious burden but the Tower of Babel the seminary of confusion he made a carefull frugalitie the fuell of his continuall hospitalitie Great things by prouidence are attained by prodigalitie ruinated You reade
his bloud was licked vp of Dogs What hurt to the Virgins in the sack of Rome whose bodies were vnburied vpon earth whose soules were receiued into heauen Nec viuorum culpa qui non potuerunt praebere nec mortuorum poena qui non potuerunt sentire It was neither saith S. Augustine the fault of the liuing who had no power to bury the dead nor the punishment of the dead who had no sense of the afflictions of the liuing We know not the manner of our death and it is a very trifle Iob compares man to a flower Esay to grasse Iohn B. to a tree Is it any great matter whether the flower be cropt or the grasse be mowed or the Axe be laid to the roote of the tree At the death of Christ there were three crosses vpon those crosses were three persons The Theefe blaspheming The Theefe repenting The sonne of God praying Quid similius istis crucibus quid dissimilius istis pendentibus What more like saith S. Augustine then those crosses what more vnlike then those persons We doe not know the time of our death and it is good for vs we doe not In nature peior est letho timor ipse lethi the feare of death is more terrible then death Caesar had the death he desired and surely that hee deserued to die suddenly by the hands of the Senators of Rome But Nature hath onely a Trumpet of lead the Arke of God hath a Trumpet of siluer Looke no farther then to another song in this Gospell Zacharias song agrees with Simeons song Luke 1. 54. 55. That wee being deliuered out of the hands of our Enemies might serue him without feare all the dayes of our life Men would serue God as they do their seruants with reuersions In vltimis diebus mortis in the last daies of their death but God will be serued In omnibus diebus vitae In all the daies of our life Nature saith O ciues ciues quaerenda pecunia primùm virtus post nummos first seeke gold and then serue God first betray Christ and then buy a field of blood to bury strangers First make many beggars by vsury and oppression and then build an Hospitall the monument of a bloodie deuotion But grace saith Quaerite primùm regnum Dei first seeke Gods Kingdome and all things else shall bee cast vnto you All the rubbish of the worlds treasure are but castings adiectanea chippings and shauings compared to the Pearle of heauen Latet vltimus dies vt obseruetur omnis dies Therefore saith S. Augustine We know not our last day that we may obserue euery day Epicures and Balaams that haue liued ill quando anima in extremis labris when the soule sits on their lips to take her flight then they send for their Minister to teach them to dye well We may then giue you a little Opiat diuinitie to benumbe you wee cannot giue a cordiall to secure you We may tell you that one thiefe went from the gallowes to glory but we must not conceale that God opened the mouth of one Asse which is no priuiledge for common Asses And yet I will be liberal on Gods part I will promise heauen assuredly to that sinner that doth repent but one day before he dies You heare this mercy with greedinesse turne not the grace of God into wantonnes be sure you repent one day before you dye whereof you cannot be sure except you repent euery day God at some times it may be at this time doth touch your harts Deus in meloquebatur ego nesciebam When good motions come into our harts God speakes and we doe not know it If you quench the Spirit the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth You know not therefore whether if to day you will not heare his voice to morrow you shall heare his voice Nemo promittat sibi quod Euangelium non promittit let no man promise to himselfe what the Gospell hath not promised God hath promised grace to the penitent but God hath not promised grace to morrow or life to morrow to repent How can there bee peace in the conscience when the whoredoms and witchcrafts of Iezabel remaine in the Soule There is no peace to the wicked saith my God If Simeon had not repaired his soule in life he neuer could haue had the settled peace of conscience in death But peace in death is the fruit of a sanctified life is the end of Simeons petition is the end and period of the Sermon In Pace WHich peace was implicitly promised to King Hezekiah in his life explicitly vnto Abraham in his death Let there bee peace in my daies was Hezekiahs prayer Esay 39. 8. Thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace this was Abrahams promise Gen. 15. 15. Not that we are to thinke that Peace was onely communicated to Hezekiah in Life to Abraham in Death But to expresse in their persons the worlds passions Euery man is either a Diues dreaming of nothing but ease and peace in life Or a Balaam desiring nothing but grace and peace in death It is a vulgarisme of note Such a man died like a lambe though he liued like a Lion As though Consumptions may not spend our cholericke humours Apoplexyes may not stop our vitall passages Palseys may not take away our speech Dropseys may not exhaust our spirits There are many defects in nature that may cause men to die quietly but not religiously Sisera after a draught of milke was no more sensible of the hammer of Iael then Holofernes after a tunne of wine of the sword of Iudith Looke therefore to the Text vnto Simeons peace Which whether you interpret with Euthinius pro pace cogitationum for peace of mind opposed to doubting Or with Cyprian pro pace securitatis for peace of securitie opposed to falling or with Irenaeus pro pace mortis for peace in death opposed to labouring or with Origen pro pace conscientiae for peace of conscience opposed to despairing In all these the rule of Bernard is certaine Vis in pace mori sis seruus Dei would you die in peace you must serue the God of peace No Simeons seruice No Simeons securitie Wee are not to doubt but Simeon prayed for that peace which Christ promised Iohn 14 27. Pacem meam My peace I giue vnto you Christs peace is the peace of a Christian. But Christs peace is ioyned with Iugum meum my yoake crucem meum my crosse seruum meum my seruant verbum meum my word and then pacem meam my peace He that takes vpon him Christs yoake by obedience actiue Christs Crosse by obedience passiue hee that serues Christ in conscience and according to Christs word in science let him neuer doubt but that in all duties in all crosses in all seruice in all controuersies he shal haue Gods Angell to comfort him in a furnace of fire Let him neuer doubt
but that the sting of death shall be extracted the power of hell shall be conquered the gates of heauen shall be opened the bosome of Abraham shall be prepared and hee in the eternall peace of Saints and Angels shall be glorified vnto which peace Simeon is long since ascended Where it is best to leaue him It being iust that as we found Christ in the armes of Simeon so wee should leaue Simeon in the armes of Christ there being no better way to end then with the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and surpasseth all commending But though I haue done with Simeon I haue not begun with the paralel of Simeon it being an vnreprooueable custome in Gods Church that as you reade 2. Chron. 32. 33. that all Iudah and Ierusalem did honour Hezekiah at his death so for Ambrose to honour Valentinian Satyrus Theodosius for Nazian to honour Basil Gregorie Gorgonia for Eusebius to honour Constantine for Augustine to honour his Monica Hierome his Nepotian for vs to powre out a sacrifice of thankesgiuing for the religious life and Christian death of the Saints of God Only we must remember that wee are Preachers and not Orators we must not speake for affection nor for faction Nullubi citius proficitur quà m in haereticorum castris Ibi enim esse est magnum esse A man saith Tertullian is neuer more easily more speedily more hyperbolically magnified then among Schismatiques and heretickes to be one of their faction though otherwise neuer so vnworthy is to bee a man of estimation Euery mole-hill is made a mountaine where partialitie swayes the ballance I will seeke no farther then the Text wherein I finde Dominum and Seruum both titles giuen to Princes I said Yee are Gods there is the title of a Lord Dauid the sonne of a handmaid there is the title of Seruant These two titles shall bee to mee as Hercules Pillars Nequid vltra nothing beyond them nothing but contayned in them First I will consider him as a Lord of men Secondly as a seruant of God So shall we giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods He was a Lord whose Hearse wee here attend And a Lord as Elizeus was a Prophet with a double mantle of Honor. His Baronie of Ruthen extended from Edward the first His Earledome of Kent extended from Edward the fourth yea and so extended witnesse his armes of vnstained Honor that as his Progenitors receiued Honor from the royall fauour of Princes So they continued their Honour by loyall seruice to their Soueraignes I confesse indeede that many times the vertues of our Progenitors are but fig-leaues to couer the nakednesse and worthlesnesse of our owne persons But yet saith Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A greene leafe doth giue a beautie to a golden Orrenge So Antiquitie that perpetuates the siluer cord of Honor to posteritie it giues a lustre to Nobilitie A lustre it giues and yet it is but a blazing Starre and Meteor compared with the fixed Starres of our owne vertues Descend we therefore to the person of this Honorable Henry and let vs search without fraude or flattery what Heroicall vertues commended him to his King what Politicall vertues commended him to his Countrie what Oeconomicall vertues commended him to his seruants Alas you know that he was troubled with many infirmities as S. Paul writes of Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen in the paine and daily crudities of his stomack He might say with old and honorable Barzillai 2. Sam. 19. 32. that he was a very old man three score and fourteene yeeres old that he could not heare the voice of singing What then were the motiues vnto Queene Elizabeth of immortall memorie to inuest him to King Iames of incōparable iudgement to continue him in the Lieutenancie of this Countrie To communicate vnto him the supreme image of their owne glorie If the times had beene secure the charge had not beene so honorable nor so obseruable because goodnesse and vertue are not euer respected in times of safety Cashi runneth by the mountaines and Ahimaaz runneth by the plaines and both vnto Dauid But in times of danger when the Common-wealth was like to the Moone subiect to alteration and change that in those times he should be honored with such a charge might seeme to be no other then to lay Pelion vpon Ossa one burden vpon another There can be no other reason giuen then what Ambrose said of Theodosius Senior aetate validus fide hee was feeble but hee was faithfull Hee was a Barzilla a louer of his King a louer of his Countrie I know you remember the times of feare and amazement in Eightie eight When the Buls of Rome roared the Cannons of Spaine thundred when Traytours were bred in our owne bowels Horse-leeches were shipt to sucke the Countries bloud Then by the care of this Honourable Lord your Troupes were trained your Armorie was surueyed your people by his presence were incouraged your villages and townes were guarded your Captaines and Leaders were counselled all things without excesse of charge without corruption and falshood without partialitie and hatred were sufficiently prouided and hee and you for your mutuall and faithfull offices were of the Queene and Councill most remarkeably honoured You know that when your late great Queene was translated from a Crowne of earth to a Crowne of Stars that there was need of a skilfull Pilot to rule and sterne the ship of State in so sodaine a storme which how well it was gouerned how carefully and loyally your peace against all male-contents was preserued your selues can best relate it whose feares made you most sensible of it To conclude therefore the commendation of his Heroicall and Noble vertues wee may inuert the speech which Tacitus reporteth of Galba the Emperour Omnium iudicio indignus Imperio nisi imperasset Such infirmitie by all mens iudgement had beene vnfit for gouernment had hee not beene Gouernour For his Politicall vertues which commended him to the loue of this Countrie I require no other Iurie then your eyes and eares It is the contemplation of the Singer of Israel that Iustice and Peace haue kissed each other It is true in many what S. Austen hath paraphrased Vnam vis aliam non vis some men are so tyrannous that they will haue nothing but extreme iustice some men so effeminate they would haue nothing but disordered peace It was a question of State recorded by Suetonius whether it were worse to liue vnder Nero where a man might doe nothing or vnder Claudius where a man might doe any thing Our Honorable Earle caused Iustice and peace to kisse each other Iust he was a Salomon that no harlot could deceiue him mercifull he was as Dauid that no iniury no not that which concerned his Honour his Barony his estate could habituate in him an Italianate and eternall malice When the Lawes of the Kingdome