tooke to burne asunder and the thred flaming to the cloth caught such a suddaine hold of the same and Aqua vitae that before any meanes could bee applied the King in this flame vvas burnt to death I speake nothing of others who haue vntimely perished some by one meanes some by another I conclude all with that saying of * Seneca Eripere vitam nemo non homini potest at nemo mortem mille ad hanc aditus patent What shall I say then doe so manie things vvithin vs so many things vvithout vs so manie things about vs threaten a continuall death vnto vs Miser homo cur te ad mortem non componis cum sis pro certo moriturus Then vvretched man thou art that doest not prepare thy selfe for death seeing thou must certainely die But alas the diuell doth so deafe vs the world doth so blind vs and the sensualitie of the flesh maketh vs so extreamely sencelesse that we neither heare nor see nor feele what is euerie minute likely to befall vs. If wee be young wee feare not death at our backes if old wee looke a squint and see not death before our eyes But hearken O young man and learne as the old man can not liue long so the young man may die quickly certaine it is thou shalt die vncertaine when beause thou shouldest alwaies liue readie to die But if it were so that in thy youth thou hadst a lease of thy life till age granted by the Father of heauen ratified by his Sonne and sealed vnto thee by the whole Trinitie then perchance there might be some pretence of thy carelessenesse But now seeing euery houre may be the last vnto thee since euerie moment may dissolue this earthly Tabernacle since a thousand chances may at all times take thee vnawares and bereaue thee of thy soule who but more then mad would not consider of his end and follow the Prophet Esaies counsell to seeke the Lord in time and Salomons precept to learne wisedome in his youth In like manner the olde man hee will not thinke of death vntill the time of his death thinking to become a sudden Saint who hath all his life time liued a wicked worldling But hearken thou old man and learne by the rich man in the Gospell so he had also cast vp his rest hee was setled rich and ioyfull and deferred to bee godly till he saw occasion but what saith the Spirit of God O foole this night shall they take thy soule from thee this night in middest of thy ioylitie in the securitie of thy sleepe suddenly vnwittingly shalt thou die O miserable case saith Saint Austen when suddenly the senses faile the bodie languisheth death readie to burst in sunder the heart strings the conscience heauie with sinne the diuell readie to entertaine thee Who in this plight would not value a minute of repentance to a Monarchy of wealth and yet we banish away daies and moneths and yeeres not regarding the casualtie in the end I vvish therefore that old men as they haue a priuiledge of yeeres so also they had the priuiledge of foresight heerein that as they see their bodies bending towardes the earth so they learne to send their soules towards heauen and if they should not vvish for their dissolution with Paul yet they should wait all the daies of their life for their changing with Iob. Finally all men almost both young and olde rich and poore of all fashions and of all degrees put off this consideraon of death and neuer thinke or prepare to die till they finde and feele they can no longer liue But O let me beseech you all that heere mee this day to exempt your selues from this supine and oxe like securitie You know for certaine you must die you are euerie moment subiect vnto death a thousand thousand chances maie euerie daie bereaue you of your life why then esteeme of euerie present daie as the daie of your death and make such conscience of all your waies words and works as if you were presently to giue an account of your life Qui considerat qualiter erit in morte pauidus prouidus erit in operatione He that thinkes alwaies of dying will bee circumspect in his doing Thinke therefore O thinke and bethinke your selues of this and in the depth of these thoughts prepare your selues for death Set your houses yea set your hearts in order call your soules to account turne your selues as * 2. Kin. 20 Ezechias did to the wall that is from the world to God weepe weepe and bewaile your sinnes past keepe a narrow watch ouer your heart for the time to come * Psa 38. praie with Dauid Lord remember not the sinnes of my youth and with Saint Ambrose Lord forgiue me my faults here where I haue sinned for else where I cannot be relieued except I haue my pardon heere It is in vaine to expect the restfull comfort of forgiuenesse heereafter * 2. cor 6.2 Now is the acceptable time as Saint Paul speaketh now is the daie of saluation This world is for thy repentance the other for thy recompence Hic locus luctae ille coronae hoc cunaeorum tempus est illud coronatorum as Saint Chrysostome speaketh This is the place and time of combating that of crowning this of working that of rewarding this for thy mourning that for thy comforting Now God is helping vnto all men seeke yee therefore the * Isa 55. Lord whiles he is neere and post not off till to morrow for you know not what a daie maie bring forth It is certaine death will come but it commeth for the most part like a theefe stealing and creeping without any warning take heede you bee not taken vnawares You see the stroke thereof is vniuersall for if the reuerence of old age could haue discountenanced it Methushaleth had not died If strength of bodie could haue resisted it Sampson had not died If maiestie could haue terrified it if counsel could haue perswaded it if riches could haue bribed it Nor Solomon nor Achitophel nor Diues had died But Methushaleth is dead and Samson is dead and Salomon and Achitophel and Diues are dead and what is it can free a man from death Nay if youth if beautie if vertue if pietie could worke any relent in death from embracing his cruell hands in mortall bloud see where youth where beautie where vertue where pietie lye enshrined whollie now defaced obscured eclipsed and ouershadowed in death O death how irrelenting is thy heart how bloudy are thy hands how vnpartiall is thy stroake how generall is thy arrest oh that the liuing would consider this And let this suffice to be spoken of the vniuersalitie of deaths stroake Then Sara died And Abraham came to mourne for Sarah and to weepe for her Whether Sara died in absence of Abrahā because Abraham is here said to come to mourn for her as the Iewes affirm she did to this end faine that whē Abraham
againe into the dungeon and there linger for a long time a dying life yet in common esteeme he is rather reckoned among the dead then the liuing and we are wount to say of him sentence is past he is a dead man In the same manner Adam from the verie day and houre he receiued his sentence of mortalitie gnaphar attah vel gnaphar thashubh earth thou art and into the earth thou shalt returne though after this the line of his life were long extended yet the nature of his life was but a death because he was dead in doome for he that makes himselfe lyable vnto punishment is vnder punishment si non re tamen sententia if not in deed yet in doome And in this respect saieth Saint Ambrose Adam from the verie act of his eating the forbidden fruite may be rightly saied to haue died instantlie because he neuer after liued one day houre or moment wherein he was not obnoxius vnto death we commonlie say of them that haue suckt in some strong and violent poyson actum est he is a dead man because though as yet he breath yet stay a little and loe he is stone dead So may we say of Adam and as of Adam so of euerie sonne of Adam who haue all sinned in the sinne of Adam hic mortuus est he is a dead man because though as yet he liue yet hauing dranke his deadlie bane he must surelie die For euer since the sinne of Adam as soone as man beginnes to liue hee begins a perpetuall iourney vnto death And there is none saieth Saint Austen but is neerer death at the yeeres ende then he was at the beginning to morrow then to day to day then yesterday by and by then iust now and now then a litle before each part of time if time haue partes that we passe cuts of so much from our life and the remainder still decreaseth Austen in Psal 127. veniente pueritia saith Saint Austen moritur infantia veniente adolescencia moritur pueritia veniente iuventute moritur adolescentia veniente senectute moritur iuventus veniente morte moritur omnis aetas when childhood commeth on infancie dieth when adolescencie commeth childhood dieth when youth commeth adolescencie dieth when olde age commeth youth dieth when death commeth all and euery age dieth so that looke how many degrees of ages we desire to liue so manie degrees of death we desire to die aske an olde man where is his infancie where is his childehood where is his adoloscencie where is his youth shal he not say true if he answere alas all these are dead and gone what speake I of ages euerie yeere moneth day houre of our life that we haue liued is dead to vs and we are dead with them what therefore else is our whole life but a long death what is euery day therof but as * Lib. 1. Epist 5. Petrarch saieth a degree vnto death what is euerie moment therof but a motion vnto death whence it is that * In registro Gregorie compares the life of man vnto a Saylour in a shippe for as he that sayleth whether he stand or sit or lie or walke is alwayes wafted onwards by the motion of the shippe so it is with vs whether we wake or whether we sleepe whether we walke or whether we talke whether we sit or whether we lie whether we will or whether we nill by times moments we are caried forewardes vnto our ende and as * Lib. 3. Epist 24. Seneca saieth quo tidie morimur we die euery day for euery day we loose part of our life tunc quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit and our life euen then decreaseth when it increaseth Paralel with that of * Cap. 2. lib. Solil Saint Austen vita mea quātò magis crescit tanto magis decrescit quanto magis procedit tanto magis ad mortē accedit my life the more it increaseth the more it decreaseth the more it is lengthened the more it is shortned and the longer I liue the nearer I approach vnto death For all our life indeede is but a liuing death or to make the best of it it is no better then a continuall passage vnto death wherein one can neither stay nor slake his pace but all runne in one and the same manner with one and the same speede for the short liuer runneth his race no faster then hee that liueth long both runne alike both make speede alike the difference is the first hath not so farre to runne as the later It is one thing to runne further another to runne faster he that liues long runneth further but not a moment faster euerie man hasteneth vnto death alike though one haue a lesser way to goe then the other And hence it is that though all men make equall hast yet all haue not the same arriuall vnto death but some in the morning others in the noontide others in the euening of their age yet all in some one houre or other For howsoeuer there may be some difference of tyme yet there is no vncertaintie of the ende but sooner or later it is certaine all shall come to an end Iob. 30.23 I know assuredly saith holy Iob thou wilt bring me vnto death which is the house appointed for all the liuing as a hauen for all shipping It may be when a ship is come to the mouth of the hauen a blast driueth it backe againe but thither it will arriue at the last so must wee all of vs at the gates of death Omnes saith the Poet vna manet mors calcanda semel via laethi Death is the end of al and once the way of death is to bee troad of all For as all starres moue from the East to the West and all the riuers runne into one Sea so all men trauel vnto one home the house of death which therefore the * 1. King 2 Iosh 23.14 Prophet in a prouerbiall manner calleth the way of all the earth And as all trees haue their death either they fall through the tempests of windes or rend in sunder through the violence of thunder or wither away through the length of time Isa 51.6 so all on earth are mortall All flesh saith the Prophet waxeth old as a garment a garment whether it bee worne or whether it lie folded in a chest perisheth at length if it bee not worne it will soone bee motheaten if worne it will soone into ragges And as the leaues on a thicke tree some fal and some grow so is the generation of flesh and bloud one is borne and another dieth which the Heathen Poet well saw Homer though hee himselfe were blind in that verse of his which Pyrrhus Eleensis aboue all other verses so much commended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tale genus est hominum quale est foliorū such is the generation of men as of leafes so one perisheth commeth to his end and another riseth
is a pilgrimage vnto death Giue me a possession of buriall with you here is the home of pilgrimes and the house of death Then Sarah died Thence obserue the generall condition of mankinde euen that which the Apostle hath confirmed * Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they shal once die And Abraham came to mourne and weepe for her thence obserue that naturall affection towards the dead is commendable in all Then Abraham said I am a stranger and a forrenner among you Thence obserue that all men are but strangers and pilgrims here on earth Giue me a possession of buriall with you Thence obserue that the dead are to be honoured with buriall and a graue That all men must once die that naturall affection towardes the dead is commendable in all that all are but pilgrims and strangers here on earth that all after death are to be honoured with buriall a graue are the foure sad seuerall subiects of my ensuing sad discourse which whiles I applie to this sad spectacle applie you your hearts to sorrow your eyes to teares if not for her that is dead and gone for she is blest and resteth from her labours yet for your owne sinnes which will cause you will you nill you God knowes how soone looke you how well to follow after her we will by Gods assistance and your much desired patience trauish the same ground we haue began to tread tracing the steppes and following the method in the selfe same order we haue propounded it Then Sarah died Was Sarah the first that died was not mother Eue with her daughters and her daughters daughters dead long before if dead and why not mentioned what was rare and singular in Sarahs death that shee alone aboue all other women aboue Eue her selfe should deserue to haue the first memoriall then Sarah died surelie I know no other reason but this that as Abraham was the father so Sarah was the mother of the faithfull and therefore the holie Ghost vouchsafeth vnto her that which he denied to other women before her an honourable mention both of her age how long she liued and of the tyme of her death when shee died when Sarah was an hundreth twentie and seuen yeeres olde so long liued she then Sarah died Sarah though the mother of the faithfull though a holy and religious matrone though a Saint of God yet then Sarah died Whence we obserue the generall condition of mankinde It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die all must drinke of Sarahs cup the cup is full of one and the same liquour the liquour is drawne from one and the same fountaine the fountaine it selfe is poisned and if the fountaine be vncleane the streames will be troubled too if the root be cankred the branches will wither also if the head be diseased the members will be distempered too Now the head the roote the fountaine as of Sarah so of all mankinde was father Adam as therefore Adam by rushing against the law like a pitcher that dasheth against the wall sinned not onlie in his owne person but in his humane nature not onlie in himselfe but in his descent so he purchased the punishment of sinne which is death not onlie vnto himselfe vnto his owne person but vnto others vnto his humane nature of which we all partake For as by one man saith the Apostle by one Adam and one Eue two in sex but one in nature one in mariage one in sinning the woman seduced by the Serpent the man induced by the woman sinne entered into the world and death by sinne so by the sinne of one man death went ouer all men in whom all men had sinned * Rom. 5.12 But how did sinne enter by one into the world not by propagation of kinde onlie as Socinus the hereticke auerreth but by participation of the fault also and by imputation of the guilt And how did death enter by sinne euen as an effect that followeth yts cause or as a shadowe that accompanieth a bodie in the sunne And how went death ouer all as a plague grassantis in domo depopulating the citie or a house where it entereth or like an enemie pervagantis vastantis sternentis raging ranging destroying all that he meets with or like a hidden poyson that diffuseth it's venome vnto euery member and penetrateth vnto all and euerie part not onlie vnto a few sicke weaklings and poore staruelings but generallie vnto all high and lowe rich and poore bond and free of what age sex condition degree soeuer all men and women young and old great and litle strong and weake are subiect to deaths stroke whence the poet cryeth out Heu mortem invisam quaesola vltricibus armis Elatos fraenas animos communia toti Genti sceptra tenens aeternaque faedera seruans Quae magnos parvosque teris quae fortibus aequas Imbelles populisque duces seniumque iuventae Maphaeus True it is indeed that which Saint Austen taught long agoe God at first created man as a meane betweene Angels and beasts that if he obeyed the Lord his true creatour and kept his hestes he might be transported to the Angels societie but if he became peruerse in will and offended the Lord his God then that he might be cast vnto death like a bruit beast And to this end he placed him in the garden of Eden the paradise of God stored with matchlesse varietie of whatsoeuer delightes heart could desire especiallie garnished begnets hacaim with the tree of life and begnets haddagneth the tree of knowledge which two trees he appointed him for two Sacraments by the tree of life mystically importing that if he continued his obedience he should surely enioy life neuer feele nor feare hunger thirst sickenes age or death by the tree of knowledge that if he transgressed the commandement ipso facto In the very act * Gen. 2. moth tamuth dyinge dye he should most certainlie die or he should die a double death the death of the body the death of the soule which accordingly happened as had beene threatned for in the same houre he began to eate he began to die not onelie a spirituall death which is a seperation of man from God who is the life of man and the length of * Deut. 30. dayes vnto which and vnto which onlie the hereticke Socinus restraineth it conceating the death of the bodie to be a sequele not of sinne but of nature euen of of nature vncorrupted so that the body should haue died though man had neuer sinned but also and not onelie as Ambrose erroneouslie thinketh a corporall death which is the dissolution of nature and the soules last farewell vntill the generall resurrection vnto the bodie which actuall dissolution though instantlie it followed not yet was to be seared euerie moment for as in ciuill iudgements Iuridicall proceedings among men a man condemned to death though after his condemnation he be committed vnto the Iaylour by him cast
houses of clay whose foundation is the dust * Iob. 4. we know for certaine wee shall leaue them how soone wee know not perhaps to morrow perhaps to day perhaps this very houre we are silly then and vnprouident if wee take no care for prouiding other houses What said * Ser. 2. dedi Eccl. Saint Bernard to his soule Ad huc domum quidem habes O anima sed certa esto quoniam in breui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casura est domus tua nisitu prouideris aliam erÃs pluviae vento frigori exponenda O my soule thou hast yet a house to dwell in but be assured thy house will shortly fall and moudre and vnlesse thou prouide thee before hand of some other house caytiue forelorne and naked shalt thou be exposed vnto the winde the raine and the cold alas who can stand in presence of this stormy tempest happy therfore thrice happy shalt thou be my soule if then thy conscience tell thee thou canst say vnto thy selfe in faith and full assurance I know that if my earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed I haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5. Againe is it appointed vnto men that they must once die Oh that wee could euery one of vs as we ought seriously consider this and daily and duly ponder with our selues of this theame We must die Doubtlesse this vvould cause vs to feare God vvhile vvee liue that vve might finde fauour at his hands vvhen vvee die For who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and he shall finde fauour at the day of his death * Eccl. 1. 2. It would moue vs to imbrace the good and refuse the euill remembring that as Precious is the death of the Saints in the sight of the Lord so euill is the death of sinners * Psal 34. 3. It would abate in vs the plumes of our pride and humble vs farre below the Niniuites and Ahab considering that Earth we are and into earth we shall returne againe and why art thou proud O earth and ashes * Eccl. 10. 4. It would worke in vs a true remorse and sorrow for our sinnes laying before our eyes the saying of our Sauiour Vnlesse you repent also you shall likewise perish * Luke 13. 5. It would breed in vs a distaste and dislike of earthly things Facile enim contemnit omnia saith Saint Ierome qui se cogitat moriturum as Esau when hee was ready to die for hunger contemned his birthright En morior quid mihi proderunt primogenita * Ge. 25.32 Loe I am almost dead what is then this birth-right to mee whereas contrariwise they that dreame of a long life treasure vp to themselues in earth * Luke 12. 6. It would expell out of our hearts rancor and hatred procure loue and amitie reunite and reconcile vs to our brethren whiles we are in the way * Mat. 5 seeing agreement will be too late when wee are once deliuered to the Iaylor 7. It would make vs watchfull of our wayes and learne vs Dauids praier Lord let me know mine end and measure of my dayes what it is * Psal 39. let me know how long I haue to liue and why would hee know this That hee might apply his heart to wisedome for in the graue there is none O Lord that remembreth thee * Psal 6. 8. Lastly this consideration that we must once die would be a good motiue vnto vs to learne by time how to die for that which at length wee must necessarily doe we will if wee be wise learne by time how to doe among all other works which we are to doe to die though it bee the last is not the least Euripides Seneca Yet miserable say two learned Hethens a thing it is in the houre of death not to know how to die Let vs therefore Christian brethren aboue al things labour for this knowledge whiles we liue let vs learne how to dy that so when death shall spread his pale colour ouer our faces we may intertaine it not in horrour but in honour not as a losse but an aduantage as a doore opening to saluation not a gate leading to destruction Now if you shall aske me but how must we learne to die I will lead you to another of your owne profession to an ancient Hermite for an answere It happened that a Marchant man like your selues trauelling through a Forrest espied neere a little Cell an olde Hermite of whom he was inquisitiue to know what hee made there The Hermite answered My sonne I learne to die Mar. What needes that seeing whether thou wilt or no thou must shortly die Her And this is that troubleth me seeing I must shortly die and yet I know not how to die Mar. But what is it to know how to die Her To know how to die is to eschew euill and doe good according to that of the Psalmist Declina a malo fac bonum Mar. Father what doest thou eate that thou art so long liued Her I eat the best meat Mar. But who prepareth it Her The best Cooke hunger Mer. What are thy meditations and discourses Her I call to minde the time past consider in the bitternes of my soule how I haue spent my former yeeres and where I find that I haue done wel I thanke my God where ill I sorrow and repent Mer. Art thou rich Her I haue more then I would to wit this bodie of mine Mer. What then wouldest thou die Her I would willingly die well that I might obtaine eternall life Mar. Canst thou instruct me how to die well and to liue eternally Her I can vvhat is thy profession Mer. I am a Marchant Her If thou vvilt play the true Marchant and buy the greater for the lesse the better for the vvorse looke vp to heauen behold it is better and greater then the vvhole earth sell all and buy that sell thy sins sell thy pleasures sell thy profits buy this one Iewell and to this end cast thy bread vpon the vvaters make thee friends of the vnrighteous Mammon by doing good now the good vvhich the Lord requireth of thee is as the * Mica 6. Prophet vvitnesseth To doe iudgement to loue mercy and walke with the Lord our God this doe and thou shalt haue eternall life Mer. So may I liue as I follow thy counsell Farewell Her Goe in peace These and the like good fruits good motions good affections the consideration of our end dissolution would ingender in vs and happy yea thrice happy are they that thus consider And to set you forward herein consider I beseech you consider with your selues vvhat you are vvhat your life is What you are the Poet telleth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man is a shadow a dreame or a dreaming shadow What your life is
was on mount Moriah to sacrifice his sonne Isaac the diuell to make it a reall tragedie represented the manner of Isaacs offering vp vnto Sarah wherevpon say they shee tooke a conceit and died and so Abraham returning from the mount and finding his vvife dead is said to come to mourne and to weepe for her But Iosephus hath sufficiently refuted this fancie For if Isaac were 25. yeeres old at the time he should haue beene sacrificed and Sarah after that liued 12. yeeres how then died Sarah presentlie when she heard from the diuel her sonne was sacrificed Or whether hee came from burying his father Therah as some thinke whom the Iesuite Pererius would haue to die but two yeeres before but the truth is that hee was dead 62. yeeres before for Abraham was now 137. yeeres olde who vvas borne in the 70. yeere of Therahs age who liued 205. yeeres in all so Abraham was 75. yeeres old when his father died to that adde 62. so shall wee haue Abrahams age of 137. * Gen. 12.5 Or whether he be said to come because he went out of his tent and entred into Sarahs tent which is most probable for though they soiourned together yet their tents were asunder as appeareth out of the last verse of the 24. Chapter as the manner of those Countries was the men to haue their tents by themselues apart and the women their tents apart as heere among whom we soiourne vve see at this daie the Turkes haue their houses and their roomes apart halfe for themselues and the other halfe for their wiues and women slaues or howsoeuer it was wee will not so much inquire from whence he came as the end of his comming which was to mourne and weep for Sara whence we obserue That naturall affection is commendable in all In Abraham therefore in others and that not euerie light touch of affection but a mourning and weeping an inward affection and an outward action sorrow within and sadnesse without the hearts griefe and the eie teares must goe together For weeping and teares without are tokens of loue within As the Iewes gather from the teares of Christ which he shedde for the death of Lazarus * Iohn 11. Behold how he loued him how appeares that euen from this And Iesus wept for then said the Iewes vvhen they saw him vveepe Behold how he loued him Where loue is teares are if extremity of griefe suppress not the passiō of loue And therefore God hath made men as liuing so louing creatures to the end that they should not be as stockes and stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senselesse and void of affection but that liuing and louing together the loue of the one should not end vvith the life of the other but in token that he loued while hee liued the suruiuer should accompanie the dead to the graue vvith his teares and weepe that they two can no longer liue and loue together Therefore the custome of some nations to vveepe at their childrens birth and to laugh at their death I hold vnnaturall for verie nature it selfe as also Euripides a meere naturalist could tell vs seemeth to haue ingraffed inacted this desire into euery one yea though he dye for some foule offence a shamefull death to haue yet his kinred his frends to celebrate his funerall with their teares and lamentations and the saying of Solon vvas more naturall and humane Mors mea ne careat lachrymis linquamus amicis Maerorem vt celebrent funera cum gemitu Then that proud and ambitious vaunt of Ennius which yet Tully much commendeth Nemo me lachrymis decoret nec funera fletu Faxit cur volito viua per ora virûm It is all one as if he had said Let no man loue me for where loue is griefe will surely be if the thing beloued be taken away And therfore Abraham wept for Sara here and Ioseph and his brethren wept for their father Iacob and Iosephs brethren wept for Ioseph Thus the Israelites wept for Aaron Moses for Samuel thus all Iuda and Ierusalem mourned and made sorrowfull songs and lamentations for Iosiah and Ieremiah the Prophet himselfe lamented Iosiah and all singing men and women mourned for Iosiah and behold this is written in the lamentations Thus the Disciples wept for Stephen thus Marie and Martha wept for Lazarus thus others though neuer so godly neuer so learned neuer so wise haue wept neither could they forbeare nempe homines for they are men and to weepe is humane M. Antonius the Emperour wee finde vvas a wise man his surname was Philosophus the Philosopher and yet hee could not refraine to lament and weepe bitterly at the death of his Tutor which when some reprehended in him as vnbeseeming both the maiestie of an Emperor and grauitie of a Philosopher Antonius Pius excusing him said vnto them Sinite vt homo sit neque enim imperium aut Philosophia hominem ex homine tollit neque humanis sensibus affectibus hominem exuit Let him alone hee doth but his owne for neither Soueraignetie nor Philosophie can take from him the nature of a man nor exempt him from humane passions and affections In likewise * 26. Serm. in Cant. Saint Bernard we all know was a holy and deuout man yet hee could not but weepe for his brother Gerardus and yeelds the reason For if one Oxe saith he finding another Oxe dead low and roare for it and in his kinde celebrate a funerall for the dead what should man doe for man whom reason teacheth and affection draweth Saint Ambrose also was a graue godly man and yet he weeps for his dead brother and why not saith he bos bouem requirit doth one Oxe low for another if hee want his mate with whom he was wont to be coupled Et ego te frater non requiram and shall not I desire thee againe my brother shall not I weep for thee shall I euer forget thee with whom I haue liued so long No no my brother I will remember thee I will shed teares for thee and let no man condemne me for if we shed some few teares which runne softly like the waters of Siloh no force Erunt non doloris ilices sed indices amoris they will not bewray in vs any want of faith but onely testifie an aboundance of loue Therefore the Wise-man exhorteth vs saying My sonne powre forth teares ouer the dead and begin to mourne as if thou hadst suffered great harme thy selfe and then couer his bodie according to his appointment and neglect not his buriall make a grieuous lamentation * Ecc. 28.16 and bee earnest in mourning and vse lamentation as hee is worthy and that a day or two least thou be euill spoken of But here by the way let vs obserue and learne that if we may not bee senselesse as Stoicks but ought to mourne and weepe for those that die a corporall death what are we to doe how are we
the world Into the inheritance of which blessed kingdome there is no doubt but this worshipfull person I meane the meeke and vertuous Lady Anne Glouer whose funerall we here celebrate is by the free mercy of God entred and aduanced for why as shee liued so she died she liued a Saint and died a Saint and precious wee know in the sight of the Lord is the death of the Saints In her life shee loued and serued God and now being dead shee liueth and raigneth vvith the Lord. Of whom I might say much and of whom I can say little much what I haue heard little yea nothing what I haue seene For it was not my hap vvhich I count a great part of my vnhappinesse either to see her liuing or to heare of her life before I heard of her death Her life procured loue her death fame whose swift wings more swift then the wings of loue possessed a great part of the world with her death before it knew of her life But who could heare of her death that did not presently inquire of her life and who hauing beene informed of her life did not weepe and mourne for her death so that the hearing of her death and the hearing of her life and the weeping and mourning for her death as in mee so in many met together Sparing therefore to speake much of her of whom I knew so little and yet willing to speake all good of her of whom I haue heard so much I will so temper my speech that I vvill neither speake too much nor too little not too much because I knew so little not too little because I haue heard so much To begin then where her life began England little England yet farre and greatly renowned England happie weight to bee borne in so renowned a Countrey At Padley and happie Countrey to bring forth so renowned a weight Of England in that fruitfull and rich shire of Suffolke rich indeed in affording the vvorld so rich a treasure but yet againe most poore in the losse and want of it Shall I tell you of her Linage ancient and worshipfull of her education vertuous and religious partly vnder a vertuous mother but for the most part vnder an honorable religious Lady Shall I tell you of her bodily forme and outward feature so full of grace and beautie that shee procured many vvorthy louers Of her externall carriage and behauiour so louing so lowly so innocent that we may rightly say of her such vvas her name such was her nature a Lambe in name and a Lambe in nature Conueniunt rebus nomina saepe suis so name so nature oftentimes agree And yet againe in greatest dangers perils and feares in dangers of the Sea in perils of shipwrack in feares of men of warre when as somtimes it happened all others in her companie were all at their wits ends and knew not which way to resolue to sinke or swimme to fight or to yeeld shee alone a woman and therefore by sex feeble by nature fearefull yet farre beyond both her nature and her sexe remained so constant so bold Daughter to M. Lamb of Padley in Suffolke so couragious that such as were present in admiration of her stoutnes haue confessed she rather resembled a Liō then a Lambe But all this is nothing to the internall vertues and endowments of her mind these alone would require a Panegerical Oration of these I may say as S. Ierome vpon the like occasion said of the holy religious Matron Paula Si cuncta corporis mei mēbra verterentur in linguas omnes artus humana voce resonarent nihil vtique dignū sacrae ac venerabilis Paulae virtutibus dicerem So may I say of this vertuous religious Lady If all the members of my body if my eies my eares my hands my feet were turned into tongues euery arct veine nerue muscle that I haue could vtter humane language I should come farre short of Annes worthily deserued commendations Therefore leauing this to others who can speak better of them vpō their owne knowledge then my self I come frō the manner of her life to acquaint you with the manner of her death Of which I againe remember you that what I speake I speake not from my selfe but from the mouth of such who being eie and eare witnesses of her actions and speeches I presume haue informed me nothing but the truth From the time then of her arriuall into this Countrey some of you know others may vnderstand that it is now full 5. yeeres and somwhat more wherof wanting but a little she liued vvith the right worshipfull and worthy Knight her husband Sir Thomas Glouer then Ordinary Ambassador in this Port for his Maiestie of Great Brittaine in such great ioy honor and happinesse that the greatnesse of her contentment oftentimes procured her griefe knowing that after a great calme their ariseth a great storme and excesse of ioy for the most part ends in griefe and dolour And so indeed it happened as she suspected her ioy soone turned into sorrow and her health suddenly changed into sickenes The Saturday she eat she dranke she was merrie and pleasant the Sunday morning being the thirtieth of October Anno. 1608. she sickened the Wensday following being the second of Nouember she dyed one weeke yea a day yea an houre is enough to turne the world vpside-downe The soule of man saith the Oratour before its departure from the bodie doth oftentimes diuine and it may bee well thought that the soule of this blessed Lady in her last sickenesse had by diuine inspiration a foreknowledge of her death in that presently shee deliuered the keyes of her Iewells and the rings from her fingers which in more suspected dangers she was neuer wont to pull off shee bespake mourning garments and tooke care for her funerall before her Physicians doubted any thing at all of her death she prefixed a time wherein shee should depart out of this life speaking verie strangely that Wensday of her death before the ordinarie houre of supper which time approaching she desired her honorable husband to pray to God vvith her for her which hee did according to the institution ordained for the sicke which ended shee made a most diuine and heauenly praier her selfe wherein shee disclosed the hidden flames of diuine loue the euident tokens of a liuely faith the firme hold of our Sauiours passion for her soules redemption with such zeale and feruencie of spirit vttered in words so full of diuinitie and confirmed with action of eies hands and shrilnes of voice that it gaue admirable comfort to all that were present vpon which her Physician requesting her then Lord husband to retire himselfe a while to leaue her to her heauēly preparation which otherwise by the view of his grieuous passions might perhaps bee disturbed which he hauing done her Physician still remaining she said vnto him My heart is at ease but I can take no rest and therewithall pulling forth her hand bid him feele her pulse which hee told her he found weake but God was strong and able if hee pleased to restore her to her former health O no quoth she I feele it pleaseth his diuine Maiestie to dispose otherwise of me hee demanded what shee did feele or where her paine was that hee might administer some remedie I feele no paine no paine at all said shee but with great ioy I goe cheerefully to my Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus and therewithall earnestly called for her Lord where is he where is my sweet heart where is he call him quickly that I may kisse him before I die I pray God almightie giue him much ioy prosperitie and happinesse His honour being come and iudging by her perfect voice speech and memorie that shee was not neere her death began to comfort her with trust in almightie God that shee should haue good remedy and bee restored to her former strength O no sweet heart said she I draw on to a better world and doe desire to goe to my Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus into whose blessed hands I commend my soule And then she praied and required praiers for her againe which ended after many redoublings and repeatings Into thy hands O Lord I doe commend my soule Into thy hands O Lord I doe commend my soule without any grone or sigh gently breathing yeelded vp the ghost And thus dyed Anna as dyed Sarah Sarah in her old age and yet so beautifull at a hundred yeeres old as shee was at twentie so say the Iewish Rabbins and Anna in her young age and yet so vvise and vertuous at twentie yeeres as if she had liued an hundreth Sarah dyed in a strange Countrey farre from her kindred and parents So did Anna from hers Sarah in Kiriatharba vvhose founder was Arba and Anna in Constantinople whose chiefe founder was Constantine Sara among the Hittites and Anna among the Turkes Then Sarahs husband came to mourne and weepe for her and Annahs husband is come to mourne and weepe for her Then Sarahs husband rose vp from the sight of his corps hee left off weeping and so should Annahs husband too And Sarahs husband prouided a place of buriall for her and so hath Annahs husband done for her What remaineth now but as Sarahs vvas honourably buried so Annah should be buried too Vp let vs bee going FINIS