Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A60141
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Of long life and old age a funeral sermon, occasion'd by the death of the much honour'd Mrs. Jane Papillon, who departed this life, July 12th, 1698. AEtat. 72 / by John Shower.
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Shower, John, 1657-1715.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing S3677; ESTC R33839
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29,289
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117
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〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Roman Senate and the Saxon Aldermen Though younger People were sometimes join'd in the Commission The Reason is plain Matters of Moment being to be managed with Conduct and Temper the Aged have always stood fairest for such a Trust and Honour And among several Nations and particularly the Lacedemonians and from them the * Credebant hoc grande nefas morte piandum si Juvenis vetulo non assurrexerat Juvenal Satyr 29. in Euterp Romans they were honour'd as Fathers of their Country and reverenc'd almost as Gods To honour Ancient People is join'd with worshipping the Gods in several Countries Temporal Jurisdiction and Spiritual the Magistracy and the Priesthood for the most part have been appropriated to the Elder as the Names for both in almost all Languages will evidence And therefore whatever Alterations there may seem to be in Elder Persons by reason of their Age that may any ways expose them to Contempt if they are such who have had Great and Useful Imployments in the World their very Infirmities are to be attributed to their Generous and Profitable Labours and look'd upon as Honourable Sears They having spent themselves in the Service of Christ and the Souls of Men or in the Service of their King and Country and so the very Decays of Nature in such Persons should rather move Respect than Pity God hath commanded us to honour Old Age Lev. 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the Hoary Head and honour the Face of the Old Man and fear thy God I am the Lord. It is injoyn'd as an Instance of the Fear of God So that the Contempt of Old Age is not only Rudeness and Incivility but Irreligion not only shews the want of good Manners but it is Profaneness Rebuke not an Elder or Ancient Person but intreat him as a Father 1 Tim. 5.1 2. Likewise you Younger submit your selves to the Elder 1 Pet. 5.5 Especially Children to Parents You know the Punishment of Disobedient Children Prov. 21.18 If a Magistrate neglected his Duty the Ravens of the Valley shall pluck out his Eyes and the young Eagles shall eat them As to Parents the Obligation is manifold not to despise their Age but reverence and honour them to advise with them to hearken to them and be guided by them especially in the great Turns of Life Prov. 23.2 Hearken to thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old Because the Mother is more likely to be slighted than the Father God commands the Honour and Fear of the Mother first Lev. 19.3 Ye shall fear every Man his Mother and his Father c. And here may be considered what is certainly confirmed by Experience in very many Instances That when God makes any Breach in a Family by the Death of a Parent whether Father or Mother there are hardly any Children though never so Respectful Affectionate and Dutiful to the Deceased but have many a serious Thought upon their Decease Oh were my Honour'd and Dear Parent now alive I think I should express my Duty and Affection in this and the other Instance more and better than I did Even they who did observe the Fifth Commandment so as to be accepted with God and with their Parents yet after their Death will have some such Thoughts There is doubtless more of Religion in the good Carriage of Children toward their Parents than is commonly believed especially in their declining Years Reverence and Respect is due to them for their Age if they were not our Parents 'T is a very ill Symptom upon any Nation when Children behave themselves proudly against the Ancient and the Base against the Honourable * See an Instance of this even among the Tartars and Chinese how the Love Obedience and Respect of Children for their Parents is conducive to the Publick Peace of a Country P. le Comte 's Memoirs and Observations of the Empire of China 8vo 1698. Part. 2 of their Policy and Government p. 264 265 c. Isa 24.2 And considering how soon they are to remove out of this World to take their final leave and imbark for a Foreign Country 't is but a piece of common Justice to our departing Friends 't is no more than is due to their Condition to shew them Respect and Affection at last to signifie we are loath to lose them and that we wish them Happy in their Removal Secondly Let me apply this for Exhortation to Younger and to Elder Persons First to Youth in Three Things First Do not count upon it with any Certainty that you shall live to be Old How few comparatively do out-live Thirty And whether you are call'd away in Youth or Riper Years there is a Blessed or Miserable Eternity to follow O that it were consider'd and believ'd you shall not dye the sooner by being ready and prepared to dye while you are Young And as it will not hasten your Death so neither will it spoil the Pleasure and Comfort of your present Life but every way contribute to it But how little ground have you to expect to live to be very Old when so many dye suddenly and so many dye Younger than you And you know there is no Opportunity beyond the Grave of making Peace with Heaven if you dye in your Sins Your Work is great and you cannot begin too soon you may not live to that time unto which you adjourn your good Purposes It is the Devil 's great Artifice to cheat Men of the present Season by the Promise and Expectation of future Time We are not certain whether God will try us with another Day or if we trifle now whether he will then vouchsafe his Grace therefore now while it is called to Day hear the Voice of God Remember thy Creator and work out thy Salvation How many of your Acquaintance have dyed Younger than you who were as likely to live and more so You think you have a great while to come Thirty Forty Fifty Years this seems at a mighty distance though they who have liv'd so long when it is gone say it is past as yesterday they can't tell how A Week to come seems longer than a Year that 's past But think seriously how many more have dyed before they have arriv'd to your Age than ever did attain to it And how unreasonable is it to desire to dye of Old Age and of the Decay of Natural Strength considering that is a kind of Death of all others the most rare If that be most Natural that is most common to dye of Old Age is a Death rare singular and extraordinary and so less Natural than any other of the numberless ways of dying and the less to be expected 'T is not always true that the fewer Days and Years a Man has past the more he has to come A new built House may fall when an old one stands Therefore count not upon a long Life but begin presently to prepare to dye God
OF Long Life and Old Age. A Funeral Sermon Occasion'd by the DEATH OF The much Honour'd Mrs. Jane Papillon Who departed this Life July 12th 1698. Aetat 72. By John Shower LONDON Printed for J. Fawkner at the Talbot on London-bridge 1698. To the much Honour'd Thomas Papillon Esq THE following Sermon was Preach'd and is now Publish'd at your Desire Your near Relation to the Extraordinary Person Deceas'd and that which I have the Honour to bear to You doth manifestly determine my Choice to whom to Address it You will not Sir expect in this Epistle that I should give the World an Account of Your Eminent Qualities after the manner of Modern Dedications The Aversion I ought to have for Flattery and that which You have of any thing that looks like being Flatter'd besides the Censoriousness of this nice Age which will not bear the Praises even of those who very well deserve 'em make this Point so tender to be touched that I dare not adventure to draw Your Character However if Your Children and Grand-Children following the Worthy Examples of their Parents in great part are and the Rest like to be Excellent Examples unto Others that Sir is a living Panegyrick upon You which You cannot escape Vpon the like Reason I have said so very little of the Deceased Your positive Prohibition not suffering me to do her that Justice which the Audience expected I should otherwise have mentioned her Exemplary Piety and Devotion the great Moderation of Her Principles and Temper Her Concern at Heart for the Division among Protestants Her strict Observation of the Lord's Day in Publick and Family Worship Her extraordinary Care to take a frequent Account of the State of her Soul and of her Progress towards Perfection Her Love to all Good Men of whatsoever Denomination Her Prudent Administrations at Home and her diffusive Charity Abroad a Charity not confin'd to a Party measur'd only by the Merit and Necessity of the Objects And to her Honour I should have taken Notice of the Wise and Successful Education of her Children and the great Regard she had to the regular Behaviour of her Servants on whom she endeavour'd to leave some lasting Impressions of Religion In short I would have declar'd that she had discharg'd the Duties of every Relation as a Wife Mother Mistress Friend Neighbour c. in that manner as perhaps there have been few such Examples of Piety and Prudence in our Age. In not doing this I observed Your Orders which I ought to mention as a just Excuse for that Defect in my Sermon Dear Sir May all the Blessings of an Holy and Honourable Old Age which I have named be long Yours May it please God to satisfie You with long Life and afterward shew You his Salvation This is the Hearty Prayer of SIR Your Affectionate Obliged Nephew and Humble Servant John Shower London Nov. the 3d. 1698. A Funeral Sermon OF Long Life and Old Age. JOB V. 26. Thou shalt come to thy Grave in a full Age like as a shock of Corn cometh in his Season THO' Eliphaz was mistaken in the Application of his Discourse unto Job whom he supposed to have been very wicked because of his great Afflictions yet what he delivers in this Chapter of the Punishment of Evil-doers and of the Divine Favour to Good Men is a most certain and undoubted Truth He assures us it was that which he had well considered and found it to be confirmed by Experience and therefore fit to be believ'd and remember'd v. 27. Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good Now what is it that he thus ascertains the Truth of But the Promise of God's Kindness and Favour to Good Men. In the foregoing Verses he mentions several that have been fulfilled to the Person and Family of our deceased Friend As To deliver and save them in Six and Seven Troubles v. 19. To supply and defend them in a time of Danger To protect them though incompassed with Enemies v. 20 21. That wherever they go they shall have a watchful Providence over them for Good That in what part of the World soever they pitch their Tent they shall find it in safety their Tabernacle shall be in Peace they shall return to it and visit it it may be after some Years absence and shall not sin v. 24. And then it follows their Posterity shall be great and numerous their Off-spring shall flourish as the Grass and be considerable for their Number and Condition v. 25. And then as the close of all in the Text that they shall be saved from a violent and untimely Death they shall be carried to their Graves in Peace as Corn into the Barn when 't is fully ripe and fit to be gathered Thou shalt come to thy Grave in a full Age as a shock of Corn cometh in his season The End of a Good Man's Life is here described two ways First Properly Thou shalt come to thy Grave in a full Age. Secondly Metaphorically like as a shock of Corn cometh in his season It is plainly implyed and supposed That the best Servants of God however favour'd in this World and who live the longest yet at length they must come to the Grave However God may protect and prosper them for many Years on Earth they are not to be Immortal here But as that is imply'd so there is also asserted and promised that the manner and Season of their Death shall be kind and gracious they shall dye in Peace they shall have a Grave and Burial and this after a long Life in a full Age when fitted for the other World as a shock of Corn fully ripe is fit for the Barn Accordingly we may observe these Four Particulars from this Passage I. That the best Servants of God who have lived in his Favour for many Years must come to the Grave at last II. That it is a Mercy to a Good Man to dye in Peace so as to have a Grave and Burial III. That to live to old Age to come to the Grave in a full Age is a promised Blessing Since the ordinary Age of Man is set to Threescore and Ten the Excellent Person deceased who dyed at Threescore and Twelve may well be accounted to come to her Grave in a full Age especially if we apply the Similitude of the Text like a shock of Corn ripe for the Harvest and understand it of one fitted by the Grace of God for the blessed World Which will afford a Fourth Particular viz. IV. That Old Age with the Grace of God and serious Religion to ripen and fit the Soul for the Heavenly State is a singular Honour and Favour of God This last I principally design to discourse of and more briefly of the former I. That the best Servants of God however favour'd and prosperous for many Years in this World must at last come to the Grave This is one of those Things we need