greatnesse was a veile to protect the poore and no priuiledge to set him on worke to prey vpon the distressed and needy as in our dayes it is too common wherein alasse many make themselues great by vsing trickes and shifts and some vse their greatnesse amongst their poore neighbours as a meanes to maintaine their owne prodigall and sinfull courses or to make rich their lewd posteritie who spend all amongst harlots and varlets which themselues haue wretchedly gotten by keeping backe the labourers wages skinning of the poore and grinding the face of the needie a sinne that in these daies and in this countrey crieth for vengeance But I speake of a iust man who is farre from this behauiour and the liuely representation whereof we may see in these particulars that he vnderstandeth the wayes of equitie that he liueth not as borne to himselfe but for the good of others that he is content with that he hath and lastly that neither with Absolons lying flatterie nor with Gehesies couetous briberie nor with Achitophels subtile policie nor with the Lyon-like might and power he will adde one cubite vnto his stature but still keeping an vpright heart inward and holding himselfe within the confines of righteousnes outwardly he passeth on in this world vntil he come to the appointed period of his life and marke him then for finis illius pax his end is peace His end is Peace Dauid doth not say his life is in peace but his end for for the most part the best men beare the heauiest crosses and are troubled with most oppositions beeing in this world like a Lilley amongst the Thornes and haue their dwelling where Satans thrones are set vp and this is their portion which notwithstanding they patiently vndergoe that they may finish their course with ioy The Hebrews vnderstand by this word Peace al happinesse the Grecians a setled quietnesse of the soule in which as in a sure harbour it resteth in much ioy and true content agreeing to which is that of S. Augustine Pax est serenitas mentis tranquillitas animi and this peace is either with God whom we neuer saw and yet loue him and beleeue in him or peace of conscience or peace with men the first is from the assurance of our a Rom. 5.1 iustification by Christ Iesus the second is grounded vpon the former for from the knowledge that Dauid is at one with God is Dauids b Psal 4. in pace accubabo pariter dormiam I will lie downe in peace and rest because thou Lord art my safe-guard the last is from both the former for who so is at one with God and himselfe will seeke peace and ensue it as x Gen. 14. Abraham did with Lot The first which is peace with God giueth a man boldnesse to come to the Throne of grace with an assured y Heb. 4.16 confidence to find fauour in the needfull time of trouble The second is the brasen wall of mans defence within which there is a z Pro. 15.8 continuall feast and domesticall ioy The third is so good a blessing that as Cass speakes it is imago angelicae conuersationis the liuely image of the Angelicall behauior But me thinks I heare some man saying vnto me That it 's impossible a good man should bee at peace with the vngodly for what peace so long as the witchcrafts and whoredome of Iesabell remaine in great abundance I answer Pax est concordiam habere cum moribus probis litigare cum vitijs true peace is to be at one with mens good behauiour but alwayes to stand out at the swords point against all sinfull and wicked attempts and therfore when we see the iust and vpright to be at odds with the workers of iniquitie it is not in any dislike of their persons but of their conditions And out of all this appeareth a great difference betwixt the sonnes of God and the children of Belial for to the former there is a true quietnes of mind but to the latter no a Esa 57.21 peace For either they vnderstand not their owne miserie and so seeke not for Gods mercie the feeling whereof bringeth true peace or else they see their faults so fearefull that they flie in despaire from the presence of God as Caine and Iudas did and so haue nothing but vnspeakeable disquietnesse and horrors in their soules And lastly for peace with men they thinke all men hate them Timuerunt ibi vbi non timor when God knoweth they are hunted and pursued by their owne hearts which will not let them be at quietnesse with others because they are at continuall iarring with themselues and therefore euen vpon suspicion they know not of what they grow false and treacherous to all â—hey deale withall The conclusion then is That true peace eyther with men or with our selues and with God is not in nor with wicked men and on the contrary side Marke the iust and consider the vpright man for his end is peace Thus much shall be sufficient for the meaning of the wordes of my Text. Now giue me leaue in a few words to point at such instructions as naturally arise out of them The first proposition is That the wayes of a Christian are obvious to the view of men and his actions are such as may be scanned and marked and are not confined within the cloysters of obscuritie but like a light set vpon a Candlestick that shineth to all that are in the house and therfore we are bidden to marke both the perfection and the righteousnesse of a good man I know one point of Christianity is contemplation but that wanteth life when practise doth not follow and therfore it 's no ill conceit of him that called a holy man Mary Martha For as S. Gregorie speaketh of Loue that the touch-stone thereof is in the works of charitie so b Iam. 2. may I say with S. Iames of true faith in whomsoeuer it is that it ought to be shewed and is demonstrated by the fruits thereof Shall I say that a Minister is a good Pastor which nothing resembleth his Master the great Bishop and sheepheard of our soules in feeding and helping the distressed And can we think a Magistrate to be a good Ruler when in the execution of his office no man can see obserua vide either for punishing of sinne or aduancing of vertue but rather behold and see how he boulstereth vp or slily passeth ouer all impious and Idolatrous profanenesse And doe you hold them a good people which make no conscience to shew the vertues of Christ whom they professe No no. By their fruits you shall know them is an Euangelicall rule And marke and behold for where vertue is it may be felt heard and vnderstood The second proposition which generally ariseth from these words is That we may not giue doome of any till his actions be duly considered for they are Herralds to proclaime who and what he is A good
A SERMON PREACHED AT SNARFORD IN LINCOLNSHIRE AT THE FVNERALS of Sir GEORGE SANCT-PAVLE Knight and Baronet December the 9. 1613. By IOHN CHADVVICH Doctor in DIVINITIE AND ONE OF HIS Maiesties Chaplaines in Ordinarie TOGETHER WITH A BRIEFE and true RELATION of his vertuous life and holy death ESAY 57. v. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man laieth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come LONDON Printed by William Stansby for William Barret and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1614. A SERMON PREACHED AT SNARFORD IN LINCOLNESHIRE AT THE Funerals of Sir GEORGE S ct PAVLE Knight and Baronet the ninth of December 1613. THE TEXT PSAL. 37. v. 37. Marke the perfect man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace THe saying is old and true that those things which are differing in their end doe most oppositely disagree Diues and Lazarus were of some likelihood whilest they liued in the world They were both made of one mould informed with one specifical forme breathed in one aire moued on one and the same earth yet if we obserue their conditions in their ends we shall finde as great oddes therein as is betwixt felicitie and miserie death and life heauen and hell which are such contraries as cannot bee reconciled nor made at one Dauid was much troubled to see the prosperous estate of the wicked and the meane and troublesome condition of the Lords children But God who will not leaue his seruants in erronious conceipts nor vnder the wearisome burden of fainting discontent counselleth his kingly Prophet not to be disquieted though he see the workers of iniquitie to flourish like a greene bay-tree and the righteous to vndergoe much feare and trouble for if hee marke but their ends hee shall behold the wicked which draw out their sword and bend their bow to slay such as bee of vpright conuersation that their sword shall enter into their owne heart and that like the grasse they shall soone bee cut downe and like the greene hearbe they shall wither away But for the man that hath the law of his God in his heart his steps shall not slide For marke the perfect and vpright man hee neither fadeth nor rotteth in his name nor falleth nor faileth in his profession and hope for finis illius pax his end and vpshot is peace Which point when Dauid had learned in Gods Sanctuary both by direction and obseruation he doth not keepe the knowledge thereof vnto himselfe but being established in the truth endeuoureth to confirme others in the same by exhorting them to obserue the conclusion of good men wherin they shall find such matter of desired comfort as may encourage them to passe thorow all the difficulties which this present euill world can oppose against them The words now read containe two parts The first part sheweth what be the properties of a good man The second part setteth downe what the end of a good man is to wit peace The properties they are two which I may call the essentiall parts of a Christian The former is perfection the latter righteousnesse For as man consisteth of two parts the soule and body so a good man is composed of two constituting properties And as by the motions and actions of the bodie wee conclude that it is informed with a liuing soule so by the workes of righteousnesse we proue that there is an inward perfection of holinesse in the soule And on the contrary side as the soule is said to bee flowen away when the body doth putrifie and corrupt so wee may inferre that the soules inward beautie is gone when the workes of iustice are not to be found For saith the Prophet When the Kings daughter is all glorious within her garments without are of wrought gold and therfore obserua perfectum vide iustum by the latter know the former as a true demonstration thereof The end of a good man thus described is peace Which words I confesse are diuersly vnderstood but I follow the last and best translation which is most agreeable to the originall And thus hauing broken the words into their naturall parts let vs see what nourishment wee may get by euery seuerall cantill for sure I am that there is not a crumme in any parcell of these words but it containeth good meat for a Christian soule to feed vpon Obserua perfectum Irenaeus saith that hee is perfect which was not made Perfectus infectus and that is only true of God who is that g Exod. 3.14 I am that sent Moyses to Pharo who is that h Gen. 17.1 all-sufficient that spake vnto Abraham that i Reu. 1.18 Alpha and Omega as S. Iohn calleth him For as Iustin Martyr saith the perfection of God is to bee of himselfe and of no other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whatsoeuer tendeth to perfection is from him as the Author and k Iames 1.17 giuer of it Which being true what then should our Prophet meane to call any man perfect of whose weakenesse and wants besides the report that the sacred word doth make which is both fidei morum norma our daily experience doth let vs see what lamentable defects are in all the seede of Adam To soile this doubt I answere that there is a perfection in euery Christian which is that excellent forme by which hee differeth from all the sonnes of darkenesse and out of which issueth streames of a vertuous conuersation But this perfection is not in an absolute freedome from sinne but in our vnion with Christ in l Coloss 2.9 whom doth dwell all the fullnesse of the God-head bodily and through whom all beleeuers are made partakers of the godly Nature as Saint m Pet. 2.1.4 Peter speaketh and out of whom they receiue grace for grace as saith n Iohn 1.16 S. Iohn The greatest perfection that man can attaine vnto is suae imperfection is cognitio the knowledge of his wants and therefore almightie God out of his infinite loue appointed a high Priest euen Iesus Christ the Mediator of the new couenant to make that perfect which by none other could be done And therefore Epiphanius saith that the perfection of a faithfull man is in cognitione Christi whom truly to know is o Iohn 17.3 eternall life as our blessed Sauiour witnesseth But to come to the point The two first are attained in this life The last is partly attained in this life and more fully in the world to come The perfection of a good man is either quoad 1. partes 2. veritatem or 3. mensuram For the first those that are regenerate of water and the holy Ghost as the Euangelist speaketh are by the Apostle called new borne Babes Now as euery child so soone as he is borne is a perfect man because hee hath all the parts and
with cumbersome thoughts against which he made resistance by priuat prayer and by conference with one of his seruants that attended him About two of the clocke in the morning I came to him and he told me what combats he had with his enemie and I giuing him such counsell against the same as God gaue me wisdom to do he receiued it so hungerly as I was much comforted with it Presently he desired we might pray together that said he I may haue a feeling comfort of that you haue spoken which we did and at the end of praier hee concluded with repeating this word thrice Amen Immediatly after he made an excellent confession of his faith and of the hope that was in him touching his saluation concluding that his confession with a praier that God would strengthen him in that faith vnto the end and in his end After the end of which prayer he lifted vp his eyes and hands to heauen and vttered these words Now is my comforter come and hell gates shall not preuaile against mee and by the power and comfort of thy spirit I know I shall finish my course with ioy and after receiue the crowne of life from the end of which prayer and confession hee was neuer troubled with any temptation Then he being quiet for some halfe houre I asked him whether hee could call to mind that euer hee dealt hardly with any man and if he had so done to make restitution he smilingly answered I thanke God I neuer tooke nor got any goods vnlawfully or vncharitably and I thanke you for putting me in mind of this point Once more he made a confession of his faith vttered his dislike of Popery professing that he had often studied to see if he could find any comfort out of the Popish doctrine and confessed he could not see any thing in the Popish Religion but ambition humane policie and Heathenish superstition He often made his prayers to God by himselfe and with others he gaue most heauenly counsaile to his friends and to his seruants and where he thought the loue of the world had taken too deepe hold in any he disswaded from the same verifying that truth That he that is conuerted himselfe will strengthen others The speeches that he vttered that day were many and most comfortable amongst which I noted these which follow O my soule trust still in God for he is thy rocke and defence I find it is good to hold me fast by my God O Lord I haue none in heauen nor earth besides thee and therefore onely into thy hands I commend my soule for thou art my God and my redeemer O God thou hast kept mee from the wombe vntill now forsake me not but let my soule my tongue and all that is within me praise thy holy name As the Hart breatheth after the water brookes so my soule thirsteth after thee O Lord in this barren and drie land and clapping his hands vpon his heart he spake further here where no water of comfort is but that thou hast powred into it onely through thy sonne Christ and therefore to thee be honour praise for euermore Thus he continued and spent his time to the great comfort of al beholders vntill his senses externall decayed which hee perceiued so sensibly that he did tell when the parts of his body did die as when his legge his right eye his right hand and other parts were dead hee would say now is such a part dead The vse of his tongue God gaue him till within half an houre before his last breath with which he vttered many holy speeches wherof these were the last Forsake me not O Lord Be not thou farre from me O my God Hast thee to help me O my Lord my saluation And now Lord what wait I for My hope is onely in thee and into thy hands I commend my spirit Lord Iesus receiue my soule and alwayes hee concluded his prayers which himselfe vttered or which were made by others with these words To whom be praise and glorie for euermore Yea when his speech failed wee might perceiue him to pray though he could not vtter perfect words and so to continue concluding his prayer with the same thankesgiuing till hee pronounced this word Amen in this sort A me me en as though his soule before it went out of his bodie had beene keeping a part in that heauenly Anthem with the foure and twentie Elders which sing to him that sitteth vpon the Throne and liueth for euermore And thus hee continued till with much comfort and peace his life ended and his soule entred into the Kingdome of glorie which now I assure my selfe he doth enioy and wherto the God of heauen bring all his Saints in his appointed time which was about foure of the clocke in the afternoone vpon the eight and twentieth of October when he had liued one and fiftie yeares seuen daies and some odde houres too short a time if it had pleased God otherwise What can the remouing of him out of the house of clay prophesie but that God threatneth some punishment vpon vs the suruiuors when so worthy so wise so vertuous so religious and noble a Gentleman in the strength of his manhood is taken away of whose life and death I haue spoken the more largely first to let the Papists see that we preach not nor our good hearers practise not fleshly libertie as they falsly accuse vs secondly to let you Gentlemen and Iustices know what an example of vertue and vprightnesse you haue lost For though I doubt not but there be many good ones left yet I am sure you will all confesse he was the Bell-Wether in the flocke thirdly I would haue him whom this worthy Knight hath appointed and adopted to succeede in his house and the greatest part of his estate to imitate him in the course of his life to whome hee is so much beholding for the loue of his name which hath caused him to cast such extraordinarie fortunes vpon him lest perhappes it be said O domus antiqua quam dispari iam dominaris domino or lest he heare Non domus Domino sed Dominus domo Fourthly let it not be wondred that seruants which haue lost so worthy a Master and Countrey which hast lost so good a Gouernour doe take vp a great lamentation And for his worthy Ladie who Rachel-like will not be comforted doe not condemne her for the consideration of the comfort shee is depriued of amongst the wise that did know her happinesse in the enioying of such a husband will in some sort make her excuse and worke pittie and compassion for her sorrow Howbeit withall I must confesse I know none that hath more cause of comfort in respect of that assurance she may haue of a husbands happinesse then shee Lastly for my selfe if mournfull teares or astonishing thoughts could recall him back againe from the graue I would thinke my selfe bound for the losse of so worthy a friend to wish that my head were a fountain of teares to lament day and night for the fall of so good a man in Israel But I haue not so learned Christ and therfore thus much onely will I say Remember his life as an example worth imitation Remember his death by the sight whereof I do confesse I was better instructed how to die then by all the precepts that euer I read of that argument And so marke his life for it was good and holy and his end for it was peace And so in peace I leaue him enioying an eternall surpassing weight of glory assuring my selfe withall that vpon earth semper honos nomenque suum laudesque manebunt FINIS