Of Remembrance and Imitation Of Deceased Holy Rulers A SERMON Preach'd at ROTTERDAM March the 15th 1695 New Style The DAY of Her Majesty's FUNERAL By JOHN SPADEMAN M. A. Minister of the English Church there LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chapel 1695. Advertisement NEither the seeming Unsuitableness of the Text nor the real Defects of the Sermon the marks of a hasty Composure have deterr'd Me from venturing it abroad For I hope my Design will be approv'd by all Good Men who will grant it to be a seasonable Office to pâ—… the Duty of Imitating the Piety of our Deceased QUEEN whole Death is an unspeakable Loss to this Age But 't will be much 〈◊〉 dangerous if SHE who was Greater than the Queen of the Souâ—… shall rise up in the Judgment â—…th this Generation and condemn it because Her Christian Vertues were not followed Of Remembrance and Imitation of Deceased Holy Rulers HEB. xiii 7. Remember them which have had the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation THE Death and Funeral of the meanest Person carry most useful Instruction in 'em Every House of Mourning is a School which God doth open and where He teacheth most profitable Lessons which all the Living are obliged to lay to heart For which reason the Royal Preacher hath affirm'd against the common Opinion That 't is better to go to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting Eccles 7.2 But at this time the Providence of God calls us to a House of Mourning that hath most Extraordinary Characters All things consider'd it may truly be said That in several Ages there hath not been such a Funeral as that which is celebrated this Day I speak this not with respect to the Ceremonies and Magnificence of it which are very extraordinary but on the account of its Sorrowful and Sadning Circumstances For not only a Royal and Crowned Head is laid in the Dust but a Religious and Holy Ruler is removed out of the World A Queen whom the Grace and Spirit of God adorn'd with a far richer and more glorious Crown than that of the finest Gold So that She was the Flower of Princes the Glory of her Order and the great Ornament of her Age and Nation Such a Treasure the Righteous offended God hath taken away from this World which was not worthy of it And if ever a Pompous and Magnificent Funeral was due to any it is to Her And perhaps few deceased Princes have been attended to their Sepulchres with such Marks of highest Honour which is pay'd to Her not only throughout her own Kingdoms but also in these Provinces which did enjoy her happy Influence and therefore can understand how justly She deserves the most Mournful and Magnificent Obsequies But it will be granted that the most Pompous Funeral can't do any Advantage unto Her who Eccles 9.6 can have no more for ever a share in any enjoyments under the sun And it can bring as little Profit to the Living even to the Spectators of so unusual an Interment which will be ended within the narrow bounds of one Day But we must conclude That whenever God raises up so Eminent an Example of Holiness 't is on design of procuring a lasting Benesit to the World and of conveying such Advantages as will out-live the Presence of that Exemplar And 't is our own fault if we do not share in these Advantages which will more enrich us than the inheriting of a whole Kingdom would doe The devouring Grave hath swallow'd up the Beauly and all the Bodily Excellencies of the Deceas'd Queen but there are Two Immortal Things which Death hath no Power over Her Memory and Example which now seek Entertainment in our Breasts and are able to make Her more Honourable and Vs more Happy than Legacies or even Children left by Her which latter God also pleas'd to deny to Her and us By Cherishing her Memory and Imitating her Example we shall not only pay the highest Honour to Her but shew the truest Kindness to our selves as also comply with the special Obligation which God himself hath laid on us both by giving and taking away so Excellent a Queen I confess the Text which I have chosen to assist you on this Occasion speaks of deceas'd Teachers and Ministers of the Gospel whose Office consists in guiding Men to the Heavenly Happiness by speaking and declaring the Word of God and therefore their Character is different from that of the deceas'd Queen But it must be granted that the Agreement and Resemblance between Civil Rulers and Spiritual Guides is sufficient to found an equal Obligation unto the Duties enjoin'd in the Text For the station of both is so singular and eminent as to make their Memory precious and their Example useful to those who had the Opportunity of knowing their Holy Lives and Happy Deaths To which I might add that the Conversation of a Pious Magistrate doth really speak and publish the Word of God tho' not in the same manner with the Sermons and Discourses of Ministers of the Gospel So that the Meditations offered by the Words read to you are very sutable to the Funeral of a Queen whose Life and Death have set a most Excellent Copy for our Imitation Both these I shall endeavour to represent to you when I have first spoken to the Words themselves In which we are call'd to consider a Two-fold Duty to be perform'd unto deceas'd Holy Rulers and a proper Direction to assist the Performance of the latter The Two Duties enjoin'd with respect to deceased Holy Rulers are I. The Remembring of them after their Death II. The Following or Imitating of their Faith The Direction which assists the Performance of the latter Duty is laid down in the last Clause of the Verse Considering the end or issue of their conversation Concerning the Duty of Remembring deceased Holy Rulers I shall lay down a few Conclusions to explain the nature and grounds of it I. An honourable Rememerance after Death is commonly and justly esteem'd The common Desire of it has been look'd on as an Evidence of the Immortality of human Souls However that be which 't is hot proper now to dispute 't is certain that there is a strong desire planted in our Souls of perpetuating our Names and Memories after we have left the World vast expences of Pains and Treason have been laid out on this very thing The Learned have been willing to employ their Time and Labours to leave behind 'em some written Monuments to preserve their Memories and have judg'd it a sufficient Reward of their learn'd Labours that they might be able say as the Roman Poet did Horat. Non omnis moriar postera crescam laude recens I shall not totally dye and be extinguish'd but shall grow after Death by the succeeding Praise that shall be given me
Knowledge of Religious Matters in High or Low doth blast the Soul and make the Life unfruitful of which there are too many Evidences every day set before our Eyes Sad it is to consider how Protestants of all Ranks content themselves with a slight Knowledge of their Religion and preferr any other Skill before this They are able to discourse pertinently of Business and News and the Cases that occurr in War and Peace but the Bible is a strange Land to 'em as if they were no ways concern'd in it But so it was not to this Pious Queen whose constant Diligence in Studying the Scriptures and Reading the Books that explain it may shame some who are call'd Ministers and the most who bear the Protestant Name This Exercise did employ a considerable part of Her Time and laid the Foundation of that Eminent Goodness which gain'd Her an Universal Esteem II. A Second Instance of Christian Plety was Her religions observing of the Day and Appointments of God Most of the Great Ones make little account of these and therefore 't is no wonder that few of them lead Holy and Exemplary Lives But tho the deceas'd Queen was educated in a Vitious Court and liv'd many Years in a Country where the Day of God is almost universally profan'd yet She made Conscience of Sanctifying it according to the Institution of God and Practice of the best Christians in the World She did not sacrilegiously divide the Lord's-Day between God and the World between Religion and Vanity but employ'd it as a Portion of Sacred Time And by holding on in this course she gain'd strength to resist and overcome the Temptations by which those of Her Order as also most others are vanquish'd and enslav'd 'T were heartily to be wish'd that those who are willing publickly to Commend Her to make Verses and Orations in Her Praise would Imitate this Part of Her Example And that All would follow Her Diligence and Seriousness about all the Appointments of God and particularly the Lord's Supper which she would not partake of without spending many retir'd Hours in making due Preparation for that Solemnity And this leads to III. A Third Instance of Her Unfeigned Faith and Piety viz. A Constant and Diligent Performance of the Secret Duties of Religion She did not confine her Devotion to a Church or the Publick Solemnities of Worship as too many both High and Low doe but made Conscience of spending some part of every Day and especially her Morning Hours in secret Attendance upon God and minding the Concerns of Her Soul Like Moses She often ascended alone into the Mount and her secret Converse with God made Her Face to shine and adorn'd Her Life with rare Humility and Meekness and the Government of Her Passions So that Her Moderation was known to All and scarce ever any angry and bitter Language was heard from Her Mouth Which was one happy fruit of her secret Religion As we read concerning Moses That He was the Meekest Man in all the Earth but withal He had more secret Communion with God than any who liv'd in his Time IV. A Fourth Instance of Her Unfeigned Faith and Piety was Her Love to all Good Men though of a different Communion Her Esteem and Affection were not confin'd to one Party or to the Church of which Her Self was a Member This is the Unchristian Character of many That they hate and despise those who differ from them in the Circumstantials of Religion But the deceased Queen had a larger Soul She lov'd and valu'd the Image of God where-ever She found it 'T is well known how frequently I may say constantly She joyn'd in the Worship of God with the Dutch and French Churches though their Constitution and Order are very different from those of the Church of England I have been a Witness of the Kindness and Respect with which She treated English Dissenting Ministers and was present when She Thankt One of that Quality for a Practical Book of Divinity which He had publish'd and had been put into Her Hands This Consideration makes our Loss the greater Because She is taken away who was so capable and willing to compose the unhappy Differences in Matters of Religion which She did lament and earnestly wish'd the removal of ' em What did hinder Her Healing and Peace-making Designs I shall not stand to enquire V. The Fifth and last Instance of Her Faith and Piety which I shall mention was Her Bounty and Liberality unto the Distressed Those who never had themselves Experience of Want and Distress are tempted unto a Neglect and Disregard of the Miserable Most of the Great and Rich chuse rather to lay out their Treasures on any Vanity than in Relieving the Destitute and Distressed But this Pious Queen was rich in this kind of Good Works and did as willingly seek out Objects of Her Charity as others do avoid ' em The Character which Solomon gives of a Vertuous Woman did most visibly belong to the deceas'd Queen Prov. 31.20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor yea She reacheth forth both her hands to the needy And it might truly have been said of Her what Job alledg'd as an Evidence of his Sincerity in the Service of God Job 29.13,15,16 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caus'd the widows heart to sing for joy c. By such a Christian Practice this wise Queen laid up Treasure in Heaven and therefore was not unwilling to remove from this Earth And this leads us to reflect on the Happy End of Her Conversation Her Triumphant Death which crown'd Her Religious Life For though few could find more Charms in Life than She on the account of Her Age and High Station together with the general Love of Subjects and Strangers all which are wont to render an Untimely Death very unwelcom yet She could receive the Sentence and Message of Death with an undaunted Mind and a chearful Submission to the Divine Disposal She needed not to beg longer Time to prepare for Death which is the common Request of High and Low who first understand the Use of Life when the End of it approaches This folly she was not guilty of but as a Wise Virgin had betimes Mat. 25.7 trimmed her Lamp and dressed her Soul to meet the Heavenly Bridegroom who hath wash'd Her from Her Sins in His own Blood and bestow'd on her a far more glorious Crown then that which Death hath taken from her Head So that we have no cause to mourn for Her 1 Thes 4.13 as those who have no hope [a] The Heathen Romans were not ignorant of this Conculsion For on the Death of the Vertuous M. Antoninus there was no Lamentation made at his Funeral Die regii Funeris nemo illum plangendum censuerit certis omntbus quod à diis commodatus ad Deos rediisset Capitolin But we have the justest Cause to mourn for our selves and our Nations
For I. The Concluding Part of a Christian's Life doth agree with his Preceding Course and Conduct and therefore is a confirming Testimony unto his former Conversation 'T is taken for granted That Dying Persons judge more wisely than at other times Whence 't is that the Sayings and Counsels of such are especially valued and regarded because at such a time Men will not dissemble and are least byass'd by Common Opinion When therefore the last Words and Actions of a Christian agree with his former Life they are an Authentick Seal by which he signs his Religious Choice and Conversation 'T is often seen that Wicked Men when Death approacheth change their Note and heartily condemn their own Evil Life yea they will warn others against such a Course as themselves liv'd in By this they blemish their former Course and proclaim the Folly of it If a Dying Christian did reâ—ant at last and confess his Mistake this would quite spoil all the Efficacy of his Example But when He seals the Doctrin which he profess'd and obey'd with his last Breath yea when he is call'd with his Blood this gives a mighty force unto the holy Example which he leaves behind him When the Apostle would strongly excite these Believing Hebrews to imitate the Holy Patriarchs after a Description of their Vertues he saith of them These all died in Faith Heb. 9.13 i. e. At their Death they acted the same Faith which had govern'd their Lives There is no just Pretence to suspect that strict Religion is a Cheat or Counterfeit-shew for 't is own'd and stuck to at a time when Men are the most oblig'd to use the greatest Sincerity And II. The Concluding Part of a Christian Life demonstrates the singular Advantage of Faith and Holiness One of the most common Objections against a Religious Life is that which was made in the Days of the Prophet Malachi chap. 3.14 It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance The happy Conclusion of a Christian Life doth fully refute and silence this Objection and withal strongly enforces the Imitation of such an Example We are therefore expressly required to Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace or happiness Psal 37.37 This might easily be prov'd by many Evidences of which I shall only mention Three that are most obvious 1. The Fortitude and Courage of a Dying Christian proves the excellent Usefulness of Faith and Piety 'T is no contemptible Privilege to overcome the Fear of Death as the Apostle and his Companions had done who could say We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 All the helps of Wit and Learning of Reason and Education can't do this Service 'T is often seen that the Wits and Beaux Esprits the Bold and Valiant are afraid to die their Courage fails when they receive the sentence of Death whereas a Real Christian though of the Timorous Sex and of a Vulgar Education is enabled to Triumph over Death and the Grave because to such God has given the victory through Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.55,57 2. The supporting Hope in a Dying Christian is another fruit of Faith and Holiness It will be granted that We can never stand more in need of this Cordial than at the End of our Lives when we are entring into the dark Valley of the shadow of Death But 't is not Riches and Treasures not Greatness and Power not a Crown or a Kingdom that can furnish with this sustaining Hope Death will certainly overturn the Hopes of Wicked Men who had nourish'd a strong Confidence on the Mercy of God and some lifeless Form of Religion What is the hope of the hypocrite when God taketh away his soul Job 27.8 But The Righteous hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 A Faith that worketh a Gospel Obedience is the only Root which can bring forth the Hope which sustains a Dying Christian The Consideration of which is a very forcible Motive unto the Imitation of such an Example 3. The Inward Peace and Joy which sweeten the Death of a Christian evidence the great Advantage of a Holy Conversation The Peace and Gladness of a Wicked Man are like a House built on the Sand that makes a fair shew as long as nothing assaults it How oft is it known that the approach of Death quite spoils the Mirth of a secure Sinner who then feels an Earthquake in his Breast and the Review of his past Life changes his Joy into Sadness and Terror The Midnight Cry that proclaims the Coming of the Bridegroom must be terrible to the foolish sleeping Virgins who had not made themselves ready for the Marriage-Supper But the diligent Christian who has employ'd his Time and Opportunities in Pleasing and Honouring of God hath just reason of Rejoycing when he is near the End of his Race and is going to receive the Glorious Prize No question but the Apostle felt a most reviving Gladness when he us'd the language which we read 2 Tim. 4.7,8 I have finish'd my course henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. 'T is related in the Life of St. Ambrose That when the Noblemen of Milan visiting him in his last Sickness requested Him that He should Pray for the lengthning of his own Life which they judged necessary for the Publick Good He made this most excellent Answer I have not so lived among you that I should be ashamed to live longer Nor am I afraid to die for we have a Good Master Non ita inter vos vixi ut pudeat me vivere nec timeo mori quoniam bonum Dominum habemus If we reflect on these Particulars we shall discern how proper and suitable is the Direction laid down in the Text which requires to consider the End or Concluding Part of the Conversation of those who have liv'd and died in the Faith of Jesus and especially of those whose eminent Station had made their Example more obliging and efficacious And this Character certainly belongs unto the deceased QUEEN MARY of ever Happy Memory whose Faith and Piety I come now to represent None must expect an accurate Delineation of such a Pattern from so rude a Hand as mine This Work either is or will be done by some Able Hand I shall only attempt without Flattery to relate such Instances of Her Unfeigned Piety as were manifest to All who had Opportunity of observing Her Life and can't be deny'd even by her Enemies Her Parentage and Descent Her Beauty and Wit Her Moral Conjugal and Royal Vertues must be past over in Silence as not necessary to my Design which is only to represent the Christian Vertues which did shine in Her Carriage and Conversation Of which the I. First and indeed the Foundation of all the rest was Her Spiritual Knowledge and thorough Acquaintance with Religion Ignorance or a consus'd