ubiest tanta consolatie forget your sadnesse in the midst of such ioyes and if these Consolations because vnseene will not dry vp the Fountaine of your teares nor cause you to lift vp your heads then thinke vpon the great Comfort which you saw with your owne eyes his death his end which was crown'd with the blessings of Peace and now at length after much tediousnesse giue me leaue to determine what it is to end or dye in Peace What it is to end in Peace Pax cogitationis To end in Peace with Euthymius is to end in Pace Cogitationis in peace of minde as it is opposed to doubting To end in peace with S. Cyprian Pax securitatis is to end in Pace securitatis in peace of security as it is opposed to finall falling To end in peace with Origen Pax conscienti◠is to end in Pace conscientiae in peace of conscience as it is opposed to despairing To end in peace witholde Iraeneus Pax mortis is to end in Pace mortis in the peace of death as it is opposed to labouring Againe to end in peace is to end in Pace Dei Pax Dei Proxim◠Sui in the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding i. farre beyond mens apprehensions To end in peace is to end in pace proximi in peace with our neighbours i. when no out-cryes or exclamations follow vs And lastly to end in peace is to end in pace sui in peace with our selues i. when no distractions or perturbations of minde molest vs. Let happier wits find out or invent yet more wayes let them take a Peacefull end or death which way soeuer they will or can yet a Peacefull death is still the consequence of a perfect life and therefore in the next place be pleas'd to take speciall notice what a necessary and infallible dependance there is betwixt an vpright life Note Qualis vita finis us and a happie and Peacefull death The day necessarily followes the rising of the Sunne and the night is as necessary a consequence of the falling of the same and the same reciprocall dependance there is betwixt a good life and a godly death I haue liu'd perfectly for so the Text argues That is I haue had in some measure a respect to the Commaundements of God I haue liu'd vprightly and kept my selfe vnspotted of the world what then why then I shall haue peace at the last and so S. Paul argues I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2 Tim. 4.7.8 what then why henceforth there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse Oh then let vs fight a good fight with S. Paul Let vs be followers of him as hee was of Christ Iesus that we with him may receiue a Crowne of righteousnesse The different ends of good and bad liues Let vs keep the faith and be constant vnto death then God for his promise sake shal giue vs a Crown of Life Let vs dye vnto sinne wee shall liue vnto righteousnesse Let our bodies be the instruments of Gods glory in this World and they shall bee vessels of honour in the world to come But if we liue heere without grace then we must looke to dye without hope if wee sell our selues to worke wickednesse euen with greedinesse then we must expect to dye or end comfortlesse voide of that great blessing in the Text Peace I conclude then with S. Bernards exhortation Si vis in pace mori sis servus Dei hee that will end in peace must serue the God of peace And thus Right Honourable right worshipfull and the rest heloued in our best beloued Christ Iesus I haue indeavourd to fulfill the will of the dead first in preaching according to my small measure of knowledge for the instruction of the liuing then in stirring them vp after my plaine manner by proposing vnto their higher considerations the patternes of perfect and vpright men the fittest Champions for their imitation For what man liues better then the vpright man and what man dyes better then the man that dyes in Peace which was the accomplishment of Abrahams blessing Thou shalt goe to thy Fathers in Peace Gen. 5.15 in peace of minde free from doubting in Peace of security free from finall falling in Peace of conscience free from despairing in peace of death free from labouring and which is aboue all in the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding The Sermon is done for the instruction of the liuing it now beginnes for the honour and commemoration of the dead IT hath beene an Auncient custome in the Church of God for the Fathers to honour the deaths of Gods Saints by giuing vnto them their iust and due praises that the Liuing hearing of their good liues and deathes may learne to glorifie their Father which is in Heauen for them Thus was Theodosius honour'd by S. Ambrose thus was Athanasius honor'd by Nazianzene thus Marcella honour'd by S. Hierom and Malachy Gerrard by S. Bernard And yet such hath beene the shameful abuse of this Auncient custome in the Church 06 by the glozing tongues of some Parasites rather then Preachers that for vs it will be a matter of great difficultie without the scandall and aspersion of flattery to speake of him the history of whose Life and death cals for a Liuie rather then a Florus and for a Demosthenes rather then for a Phocion and yet I shall remember on what holy ground I stand in whose presence I stand in the presence of men and Angels which is most of all in the presence of the Almighty who searcheth the hearts reines If then in such a presence I willingly call euill good apparell Vice in the Liverie of Vertue then let my tongue cleaue to the roof of my mouth But If in such a presence I speake the truth I lye not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost then let such a presence witnesse with mee that our Honourable and right Christian Lord was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfect and vpright man in euery sense and interpretation we haue made of him The perfect man in our first sense or interpretation is the man who hath respect to all the Commaundements of God not allowing himselfe in the breach of any one of them And that hee had such a respect to the Commaundements of God Appeares 1 In his loue to God 2 In his loue to his Neighbour His loue to God appeared first by the exercise of his devotion and religious duties both in publique and priuate morning euening Secondly in the great incouragement countenance he gaue to the Ministers of God by hearing them with a great deale of attention diligence piety by conferring with them with a great deale of devotion humanity by his curteous vsage of them feeding them like good Obadiah alwayes at
nor in dumbe ceremonies and superfluous shewes but in a decent Christian manner without pompe d These are the vvords of the Will or superfluitie And as we are thus confin'd in one Circumstance and restrain'd in another so are we prescrib'd in the third place for the preaching of this Sermon in the face of this Congregation whilst he wils a Sermon not a Panegyrick cloath'd in the colours of Rhetoricke nor yet a Funerall Oration to blazen his Honours to hyperbolize in his praises or to draw a glorious line of Progenitours No. Mallet precibus in coelum ferri quà m plausibus as his soule went vp to Heauen in praying so he had rather his body should bee entomb'd in preaching then in vniust and ouer-praising Therefore he wills a Sermon for the advancing of Gods glory a Sermon for the instruction of his Children and friends in the feare of God and to stirre them vp to e These are the vvords of the Will liue wel and dye well which by the grace of God we shall doe out of the 37. Psal at the 37. Vers Marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is peace FInis coronat opus It is the end that crowns the worke or action not that alone but truely distinguisheth the persoÌ„ passe by the house of God a little and walke vpon the stage of the world there marke and behold the promiscuous actions of all persons wee shall finde little difference betwixt Ethiopians and true Israelites betwixt true Christians and counterfeit formalists betwixt him that offers sweete incense in the Church of God him that sacrificeth bloud in the Divels Chappell Looke vpon Cain and Abell for the outward action both are sacrificing Looke vpon Esau Hezechia both are weeping Looke vpon Achab and Mordecai both are in sackcloath mourning Looke vpon Saul and Dauid both are confessing in a word look vpoÌ„ the righteous the wicked both for a time perhaps are like greene bay-trees flowrishing but marke the end that crownes the action that distinguisheth the person The end of the vngodly is what 2 Vers 39. Hee shall bee rooted out at the last but for the godly and vpright man his end is crowned with the blessing of Peace Marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is peace The parts are 3. 1. An iniunction Marke and behold 2. The obiect or person the perfect man and vpright man 3. The motiue or reason for the end of that man is peace Resolue these 3. partes into these 3. Queries First what this perfect man is or how farre man in this life is capable of perfection Secondly What the vpright or just man is for our imitation Thirdly lastly what it is to end in peace for our great comfort and consolation Wee beginne with the first Querie what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfect man is or how farre a man in this life is capable of perfection For the resoluing of this Querie part 1. in the first place the Romane Doctours distinguish thus b Perfectio alia est praecepti ac meriti alia consilij supererogationis vi Aquin 2.2 quae 184. Art 2. 3. There 's a perfection of precept and merit and a perfection of Counsell and supererogation the perfection of precept and merit they determine to bee in omnibus iustificatis saluatis but the perfection of counsell and supererogation agrees onely to some which aspire higher not onely to saue themselues but others as monasticall votaries Surely this is the generation of men of whom Saint August complaines Sunt quidam inflati Aug. de vcibis Apost sâ—rm 29. c. there are some like vessells blowne vp with wind fill'd with a haughty spirit not solidely great but swoll'n with the sickenesse of pride who dare bee bold to say that some men are without sinne whereas there owne Caietans rule is most Catholicke damnatum est peccatum non extinctum Sinne is condemn'd in some in none extinguisht And as Saint August brands such men with the spirit of haughtines and pride so doth Saint Bernard bequeath vnto them a miserable woe a S. Bern. serm contra vitium ingrati Vae generationi huic miserae woe to this miserable generation to whom their owne insufficiencie seemes most sufficient Would but the indulgent Rhemists learne from these auncient Fathers they would not interpret our Sauiours vade Mat. 19.21 vende of a perfection both of merit supererogation both which kinds of perfection distilled from Roman braines wee of the Church of reformation deny and reiect distinguishing of perfection thus The perfection which in sacred Scriptures and auncient Fathers is attributed to holy men of God for their righteousnesse and good workes is either Extrinsecall b Vid. Zanch. tom 6. coÌ„ment in cp ad Phil. c. 3. v. 15. or Intrinsecall Perfection Extrinsecall adventitious or by way of condonation is when that which is imperfect in vs is freely pardon'd by God for Christs sake according to that of S. Aug c S. Aug. lib. â— Retr cap. 19. Omnia Dei mandata facta deputantur d Aug. 19. de ciu Dei c. 27. quando id qd non fit ignosâ—â—â—ur all the commandements of God are deputed perform'd or done when that is freely forgiuen which is vndone And againe such is our righteousnesse or perfection in this life that it consists in remissione peccatorum potius quám in perfectione virtutum rather in the remission of sinnes then in the perfection of vertues Secondly Intrinseccall perfection or perfection by way of inhesion is either absolute which is nothing else but sincerity or simplicity of heart oppos'd to hypocrisie or double dealing with God in which sense Iob is said Chap. 1.1 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perfect man or else it is comparatiue in a certaine respect or by way of comparison with others so Noah is said to bee perfect Gen. 6.9 but with this addition in generationibus suis that is Gen. 6.9 he was very righteous and perfect in respect of others that liued in those lewd godlesse times so Saint Paul elegantly expresseth himselfe Wee speake wisedome amongst those that are perfect 1. Cor. 2.7 i. amongst them which haue a greater measure of grace 1. Cor. 2.7 knowledge then most of you haue for otherwise if wee speake of absolute perfection hee is absolutely against it Phil. 1.12 and confesseth of himselfe a S. Aug. in Ps 38. that he had not attained vnto it Phil. 3.12 And Quis sibi arrogare id audeat quod Paulus ipse fatetur se non comprehendisse b S. Bernard in Cant. serm 49. S. Bern. super Cant. serm 50. And as for that seeming contradiction rais'd out of the 15. verse implying in himselfe c August de tempore serm 49. and exhorting others to Perfection Saint August wipes it away with this
not only to perswade imitatiō but also to enforce approbatiō frō the conuicted consciences of the gain-saiers No man is so badde but would conforme himselfe to good courses if they crossed not his priuate ends and though hee speake sometimes against the life yet would bee glad to die the death of the righteous Againe the very nature of man is more inclineable to be guided by a Longum iter per praecepta breue efficax per exempla Sence example then precept Though precepts and instructions be more reasonable yet exampies preuaile sooner because more obuious and familiar With what courage and life doe souldiers goe on if they behold a Commaunder ingag'd in some noble attempt his valour makes them couragious and his example is a powerfull argument to prouoke their emulation emulation puts them forwards to the imitation of excellent men as wee see in Themistocles b Vale Max l. 8. ca 15. in Plau. Apoth whom the trophees of Miltiades would not suffer to sleepe vntill by his like worthy acts he had purchased to himself a like glorious name as it is thus in meere naturall men and Heathens so should it bee amongst Christians in their Christian warfares Saint Paul takes this to be a most winning course and therefore hee cries Bee yee followers of mee as I am of Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 1. Cor. 11.1 Besides these motiues there are two weighty causes more why the liues and deaths of perfect and vpright men should bee exemplarie vnto vs the first is for the glory of God the second is for the iustice of God first the proposing of such mens liues as examples to our selues doth aduance the glorie of God because wee seeing or looking on their good workes do thereby learne to glorifie our Father which is in heauen Secondly the proposing of such mens deaths or ends makes for Gods iustice Ne Deus putetur iniquus it is the glosse vpon the place least God should be thought vniust whilest wee see the godly to suffer in paine and the wicked surfet in pleasure For which very cause Epicurus denieth Gods prouidence not dreaming of that great day of reckoning wherein the Lord shall come with 10000 Saintes to execute iudgement vpon all such men Iude. 15. or when the Lord Iesus shall bee reueal'd from heauen in flaming fire to execute vengeance on all men that would not know God d 2. Thes 1.7 nor obey the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ not dreaming that they who now surfet in pleasure shall one day suffer in paine and flames of hell fire if wee haue our heauen here wee must haue our hell hereafter Nemo potest in hâc vitâ in futurâ gaudere if our way in this world be pleasant and sweete wee shall not much care for our heauenly Hierusalem e Cui peregrinatio duleis est non amat patriam S. Aug. in Psal 93. which is aboue it is therefore the lot of the righteous to sow in teares here that they may reape in ioy hereafter they must weep in this vale of teares that they may sing and looke vp with joy vnto those hills from whence commeth saluation God in sacred writ is said to wipe away all teares and happie are they that canne shed them hee is said to gather and blessed are they that scatter them oh then let all the Epicures of the world wallow themselues in their sinfull pleasures for a season Let all inordinate persons put off the euill day and euen weary themselues in the wayes of wickednesse make a progresse in sinue adding thirst vnto drunkennesse but let all the Saintes and seruants of God runne in the wayes of vpright men and in patience waite vntill the day shall come wherein in they shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth let them I say in patience waite the Lords leasure and in patience runne the race that is set before them runne the race of the Perfect and vpright man least their liues and deaths runne to rise vppe in iudgement against them Let them so runne that they may obtain a 1. Cor. 9.24 and what Coronam gloriae a crowne of glorie in one b 1. Pet. 5.4 place let them so runne that they may obtaine and what Coronam vitae a Crowne of life in another place c Reuel 2.10 let them so runne that they may obtaine and what Coronam iustitiae a Crown of righteousues in a third place d 2. Tim. 4.8 All these Crownes a Crowne of glorie a Crowne of life a Crowne of righteousnesse shall God for his trueth and promise sake as rewardes giue vnto them if they propose and proposing follow in all good conscience the liues and deaths of perfect and vpright men Yea but such mens liues and deaths are rare examples Ob. non cuiuis contingit euery man cannot attaine to such perfection what then Est aliquid prodire tenus Sol. especially towards God who accepts the will for the deede Nay who stands at the doore and knockes beeing more willing to come to vs then wee to him Yea Ob. but such mens liues are full of difficulties anxieties and dangers Sol. true but what 's the issue a gracious deliuerance the blessing of Peace at the last many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers them out of all Who would haue thought that when Ioseph was in the dungeon hee should euer haue beene a Lord to his brethren or a prouident Father to a whole Nation Who would euer haue thought that when Iob was scraping his sores on the dung-hill hauing lost all his children al his cattel all his houses goods he should haue bin richer then euer he was Surely this is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes many were the troubles of good old Abraham but the Lord deliuer'd him out of all many were the troubles of good Dauid but the Lord deliuer'd him out of all What shall I say more many are the troubles of euery perfect and vpright man but the Lord deliuers him out of all all these troubles shall bring him peace at the last for the end of that man is peace our last querie or circumstance Marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is Peace The Schooles in their laborinths doe winde and turne peace by many distinctions Pars 3. Aquinas 22. q. 29. acric 1. and queries Aquinas in foure Articles makes 4 queries of Peace 1. Whether it be the self same thing with concord Secondly whether Peace bee an effect of charity Thirdly whether Peace bee desired of all And lastly whether Peace be a vertue For the first querie the verdict is brought in negatiue Peace is not the same with Concord for there may bee a concord amongst the wicked Simeon and Leui were fratres in malo brethren in euill Amongst
the wicked then Gen. 49.5 there may be concord but there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esay 48.22 The rest of the queries concerning peace will not bee so casily resolu'd Esay 48.22 therefore I must referre him that desires a farther information vnto Aquinas 22. quast 29. art 2.3.4 where also hee thus distinguisheth of Peace Pax Perfecta Imperfecta There is a peace which is perfect and a peace which is imperfect The perfect peace consists in the fruition of the chiefest good and is the vltimate end of the reasonable creature according to that of the Psalmist Qui posuit tuos sines pacem and this kind of peace is not to bee had but in the world to come The imperfect peace is that which may be had in this world principally stands and rests in the contemplation of God and his goodnesse yet not without some repugnancies both within and without which disturbe this peace Hugo de Sancto Victore tells vs of foure kindes of peace Duas dat mundus Hugo de San Vict. annotat elucida in Psal 62. 84. duas dat Deus The world giues two and God two The first Peace which the world giues is the quiet enioying of temporall thinges The second is the health or safety of our bodies The first Peace that God giues is the sweete tranquility of the minde the second is that great delight and ioy which wee take in the contemplation of God That is in man This aboue man Againe there is Pax temporis which is nothing else but a temporall tranquillity Secondly there is Pax pectoris Dionys Caâ—â—â—â— lib. de pace which is nothing else but a rest or peace of the minde according to that of our Sauiour These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that in me yee might haue peace Lastly there is Pax aeternitatis which consists in the ioyes of heauen which God hath prepared for those that loue him All these ioyes howsoeuer multiplied in theÌ„selues yet they aime at an end in pace For finis ciuitatis huius saith Saint August the end of the Saintes of God in the citty of God is either Peace in eternall life or eternall life in Peace But all this while we haue not determin'd the Querie in the text what it is to end or die in peace neither canne wee well conclude that before wee haue taken speciall notice of two materiall circumstances 1 First of the necessity of dying 2 Secondly of the vniuersality of dying There is Statute-law for both which no mortall canne repeale Heb. â— Statutum est omnibus it is appointed that all must once die Statutum est there 's the necessity omnibus there 's the vniuersality For the necessity of dying as sure as wee are borne to liue so sure are we borne to die Nasci denasci ordorerum est to bee borne and to die is the order and course of all thinges Many men haue liu'd long long enioyed the blessing of length of dayes but yet those dayes haue not out-lived death no! The same spirit of trueth which tells vs that Adam liu'd so many hundred yeares tels vs also Gen 5.5 that hee dyed Enos liu'd so many and hee died Cainan so many and died Methusalem so many and died These men liu'd many daies and months and yeares nay hundreds of yeares yet these many dayes months yeares and hundreds of yeares could not out-date death could not free them from the curse of a morte morieris thou shalt die the death Hoc singulis additur Gen. 2.17 The note which some interpreters giue on this place is worth the taking vp Vt videas efficacem fuisse sententiam mortis á Deo latam in Adamum peccatum Caluinus Cornel á Lapide with others in 5 Geneseus posteros eius died is added to euery one that wee may see the power and efficacie of that doome sentence which God gaue on Adam sinning and on all the sinfull brood of Adam which still lie soaking in the same lees of corruption and so much the Hebrew phrase imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moriendo morieris i. thou shalt surely die I need not to trauell farre for any more examples onely cast your eyes on this sad spectacle of mortality and then conclude of a necessitie for if art or learned industry of Physicke could haue continued him if strength of man could haue deliuer'd him if wisedome could haue sau'd him if wealth of man could haue ransom'd him deaths arrest had neuer attach't him deaths serjeant had neuer imprison'd him if greatnes of estate if gifts of minde if chastenesse of life if sobernes in diet if wishes of men if prayers of the Church could haue preuail'd for him if any thing could haue giuen any advantage against death darkenesse and blackenesse had not at this time couer'd him And as nothing canne repeale that statute enacted in the court of heauen for the necessity of dying so nothing canne alter the decree for the vniuersality of dying Statutum est omnibus all must die All flesh is grasse and all the glorie of man as the flowre of the field Esay 40.6 Loe the condition of all Esay 40.6 as well great ones as meane ones their glorie fades these wither like grasse but all meete in dust The man liues not that shall not taste death There is a common lot to all all must goe the way of all flesh nay we are now a posting in the common barke of death and our life is nothing else but Iter ad mortem a journing towards death of all thinges death will not bee out-dared Theogn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impudent death saith the Poet because hee feares no colours spares none great nor good Wee therefore should be as impudent as death to challenge that vnto our selues which is denyed vnto all where are the great Commaunders of the world where are the rulers ouer thousands and 10000 The Princes Potentates of the earth Are not Death darknesse and the Graue their lot the portion of them all why then in this vniversall necessitie of death should wee sue for a dispensation for our selues or friends Oh then Ferrequam sortem patiuntnâ— omnes nemore cuset lift vp your heads yee drooping soules who hang them downe like bulrushes weepe and will not be comforted because your Lord your Master your Honourable friend is not true he is not in a prison but in freedome he is not in a sea but in the hauen hee is not in the bondage of corruption but in the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God he is not in his way but in his Countrey hee is not in hope of Heauen but in possession looke how farre Heauen excels earth goods eternall momentary vanities the joyes of the Saints of God the delights of the sons of men so much better is his case now he is not then where he was Oh then Pereat contristatie
in some good measure did not liue answerably to their professiō that as he was in trueth and not in shew onely a perfect man so they likewise might indeauour to attaine that perfection recommended vnto vs by our Sauiour Mat. 5 48. Bee you pefect as your Father which is in heauen is perfect And soe I leaue the consideration of him as a perfect man and intreat you to cast your thoughts awhile vpon him in the consideration of an vpright man Behold the vpright Hee was an vpright or iust man many waies and yet not the first way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to nature for soe no man was euer just since the fall of Adam but hee was an vpright and iust man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the judgement and opinion of men as was Samuel Againe he was an vpright and just man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 12. according to purpose and true endeuour for with Saint Paul he forgot the things which were behind and reacht forth to the things which are before and pressed hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Lastly he was an vpright or iust man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the imputatiō of Christs righteousnes which gaue him an interest to that royall blood which is in the person of Christ and makes him both to be an heire of the earth to haue a title of inheritance vnto heauen Thus ye see wee haue found him to bee the vpright man many waies and discouer'd him to bee the perfect man in seuerall constructions according to which perfectnesse and vpright dealing God for his trueth sake blessed him with a goodly inheritance and pleasant paradize wherein in grew in abundance the Apples of Peace which now we are to gather in the last place The end of that man is peace And the end of this perfect and vpright man was soe crown'd euen with the blessing of peace of peace which God giues and of peace which the world giues This consisted in the quiet enjoying of temporall things together with the health of his body for many yeares That in the sweete tranquility of his minde and in the vnconceaueable joy which now he takes in the contemplation of Gods beatificall vision Againe his end was in peace in pace proximi in peace with his neighbour no outcries no accursed acclamations of crueltie and oppression follow his vrne and ashes Againe his end was in peace in pace sui in peace with himselfe free from distractions of minde free from conuulsions of body like a lambe he passeth through the gate of mortality into a house not made with hands immortall in the heauens Mors janu◠vitae The pangs of death to him were so easie that he seemed to find death rather then to feele it a blessing which Augustus often wisht for Sibi suis Sueton in vita ejus that a glorious life might bee crown'd with a faire and easie death This blessing hee obtained in full measure because hee passed away in a premeditated kind of sleeping rather then dying which is to dye the death of the righteous for so the Hebrewes say of wicked men that they dye but of the righteous or Saints of God that they fall a sleepe as Lorinus obserues well on Leniticus And yet the honour and comfort of his death stood not only in this that hee went away in a sleepe gentlie but principally in this that as he liued in this presēt world so he died godlily for hauing set aside the trrafficke of this world which passeth away hee trades for an inheritance which fadeth not reserued for him in the heauens Insomuch that his gratious visitation towards the end seemed farre more comfortable then in the beginning Wormleighton vvhich vvas clouded vvith some more sadnesse and deiection of spirit not many daies before his end in peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 macrob in Som. Scip. lib. 10. cap. 11. God put a resolution into his heart to visit the place vvhich gaue him the honourable title of a Baron that his soule might blesse the poore there also before it 's loosing out of the body Ergastulum animae the prison of the soule and as in fine it happily proued this journey vvas a setting forward towards the kingdome of heauen for vvithin the space of foure dayes after his arriuall there the earthly taberuacle of his body vvas b Octob. 2◠1627. dissolued and his soule translated from earth to heauen vvhere our pennes and tongues shall let him rest onely they craue leaue to make a short historie of his doings sayings in that short respite of life after his comming to that place His very first act his priuate acknowledgment of Gods great mercy for his safe arriuall there being made was to send for a neighbouring minister hauing left his houshold Chaplain at his mansion-house to waite on 's office with the most of his family whom hee earnestly desires to continue with him during his abode ther morning euening to pray with him to praise God for him that was indeed the behauiour methode guise of his deuotion throughout the whole course of his sickenes like good Hezekiah when hee was sicke to pray vnto God and when hee began to amend to praise God or giue thanke vnto him The next act of his which doth preach to the world his religious end was a gracious message hee sent to a neighbouring minister an auncient acquaintance of his whom notwithstanding his profession hee godlily exhorts to prepare himselfe as he did for heauen intreating him withall to remember him in his daily prayers promising to doe the same for him in his continuall deuotions And whilst his Catholicke charity and deuotion thus spread themselues on others was he vnmindfull of his own cause No he powres forth his complaints and supplications for his Gods assistance against such passions as took most aduantage on him in his greatest weakenesse disiring withall his friends and seruants to construe it not as an argument of displeasure against them but rather of his great weakenesse when hee spoke passionately to them in his sickenesse And as his zeale and faith in Christ did still increase and the inner man grew stronger and stronger so his earthly tabernacle or outward man did sensibly languish decrease for indeed as it appear'd by an ocular demonstration the stocke of Nature was quite spent his glasse was runne and beeing ripe for heauen hee was gathered like a ripe apple from the tree and as he was in his life Lucerna ardens lucens a burning and a shining candle so it burn'd to the snuffe Nec extincta est tamen sed submota which was not put out but set aside In vitâ Malachiae as Saint Bernard spake of his dead friend his life was a candle which burn'd to the snuffe a snuffe which needed not a socket to conceale the stench no at the