followeth Amb. O turne thee vnto vs againe O be gratious O teach vs O satisfie vs O comfort vs O shew vs the light of thy countenance O prosper thou the workes of our hands vnto vs O prosper thou our handy workes Here be preces vota praiers and Consolations amulets of comfort the Sunshine in brightest lustre and splendor Our of those fiue stones that David tooke out of the brooke he vsed but one 1 Sam. 17.40 so out of all these I haue singled this singular petition for consolation Comfort vs now according as thou hast afflicted vs. And my harty desire is as that of S. Austin in the like kinde Deus faciet hunc textum tam commodum Aust quam accommodatum God grant it may be as fruitfull and profitable as it is fit and commendable for these sorrowfull seasons The text it selfe is a praier and a praier you know is a present helpe in trouble it is the language of heaven it is a messenger as speedy as happy faithfull for speed fruitfull for successe and partaketh much of omnipotencie no hinderance of the way no difficulty of the passage can hinder Praier dispatches in a minute all the way betwixt heaven and earth and as a fiery chariot mounteth into the presence of the Almighty to seeke his assistance Si in terrore mentis si in agone mortis if in any anxiety of mind if in any agony of mortality Chrys thou fly to this Tower here bee the armes and Armory of the strong men it is the incense of the Church it is the spikenard of the Tabernacle it was Moses rod Can. 5 5. Exod. 30.34 Exod 17 5. Iam 5.17 it was Elias key it was to Iacob his sword and bow it was to Dauid his sling and speare so is Praier in generall and this one text in particular to make no more excursions is as the Angell that came down into the poole of Shiloa it is a healing praier a praier never is more necessary then now especially this kind of praier Comfort thou vs now according as thou hast afflicted vs. Comfort thou thou hast plagued as in the former verse Thou turnest man to destruction turne thou therefore vnto vs againe it is the same God vulnus opemque tulit he casteth downe and raiseth killeth and quickneth scattereth gathereth plagueth and comforteth Comfort thou God is Lord of the soile as well of the waters of Mara as the waters of Shiloa Comfort thou vs now The eies of vs all looke vp and trust in thee thou givest vs meate in due season O giue vs comfort in due season in this needfull time of trouble Divisio now that sorrow cloathes vs and mourning clowdes vs. I might devide this fountaine into many streames God plaging Moses praying the time when he praied the cause why he praied the manner how he praied but I remēber that positiō to devide a litle into many parts is to make every part lesse then it should and the whole lesse then it selfe 2 ae Partes My meditations shall only bee fixed vpon these 2. The Comforts desired and persons afflicted and of these in that order Comfort is the soule of a Christians soule the sweetest Companion that ever accompanied mā in this vale of mortality never did the dew of Hermon so sweetly fall vpon the hil of Sion as comfort when it is distilled into the distressed soule of a Christian In our travaile through the wildernesse of SIN hatefull for the name harmefull for the nature of the place comfort is the fiery piller to lead vs through this wildernes of our wils it is the brooke in the way to refresh vs the Manna of the desert to feed vs the Angell of the Lord to cōduct vs Psal 121. I may truely say as David in the Psalme It is our defence vpon our right hand so that the sunne shal not burne vs by day nor the moone by night it is even this that shall keepe our soule The names of mercy loue and grace and Peace be pretious and glorious Zeged sweeter then hony and the hony combe Ps 19. more to bee desired then golde yea then fine gold and where these bee there is truelie The family of Loue But I may saie that Comfort is as much as all these Greg. in Mor. in Iob. for as Gregory writing vpon that Manna habuit omne delectamentum saith that no variety of delicacy in the touch rellish of the tast was wanting in that Angels food and as the Opall resembleth in it selfe the firie lustre of the Carbuncle the fieldy greenesse of the Emerauld the heavēly cleerenesse of the Diamond the aierie azure of the Saphire so Comfort containeth in her regiment the effects of peace the comforted soule is reconciled to God it conteineth the adiuncts of grace the soule is endowed with heauenly gifts it containeth the protection of mercy the soule is compassed with defence on every side In a word it containeth in it the affections of loue the comforted soule loueth others as friends God as a father loueth his enimies for Gods sake loueth affliction for hits owne sake remission of sinnes communion of Saints protection of Angels faith hope charitie repentance fasting praying obaying all blessed spirits all Tutelar powers dwel in such a comforted sanctified soule the soule is then like the Kings daughter all glorious within her clothing is then of wrought gold Shee shall be brought vnto the King in raiment of needle work Ps 45.13 the virgins that be her fellowes shall keepe her company so that soule that is blessed with these fiue Comfort and Peace and Grace and mercy and loue is attended as Abigail when she went to meet David shee was followed by her fiue virgins 1. King 25.42 In the Canticles I finde that there is hortus conclusus and fons signatus a garden inclosed a fountaine sealed in the Gospell I finde that there is Thesaurus absconditus Chrys Aug. Greg. a hidden treasure I want not testimonies of some ancients applying there both the fountaine sealed and the Treasure concealed vnto comfort for as the Lord only knoweth who are his so they only that are his knowe what his comfort is To all others comfort is hortus conclusus a Paradise closed vp kept with the brandishing swords of two heavenly souldiers These seeke and find not because they seeke amisse Mat. 7. they knock and it is not opened because they knocke being not prepared Aust Non nisi post pluviam sequitur serenitas sunshines be never so pleasant and seasonable as after showres Such as are not acquainted with sorrow neuer knew the mysterie of godly holy comfort which is the Christians heauen vpon earth ioy in life hope in death prosperitie in aduersitie staffe in affliction anker in desperation brestplate of preservation golden Chaine of glorification in the heavens Which we hope to possesse in ioy as the Saints doe
day shall come when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed Conscience shall be vnmasked and their owne souls say to their owne consciences as Achab to Elias Hast thou found me ô my enimie But vnto those that doe truely mourne the Lord will marke them in Sion and howsoever the Persians in the history of Ester would not suffer any in sackcloath to come into Ahashuerosh his Court yet as Iacob got the blessing in sackcloath by making himselfe rough in the sense of Isaac so he that commeth to God with the inward sackcloath of sorrow shall surely find a blessing O then howe happy were we if wee could for ever continue our mourning till our blessed Master who is in glory and we who are here in misery come to meeting For our part we pronounce not renting of cloaths only without the putting on of other roabes nor so much wish you to put on sackcloath as to put on Christ Induite is the voice of the Church not scindite Put on not rent of We pray for the Kings Maiesty Indue him plentiously with heavenly guifts for the Royall progeny we pray In the Collect for the King In the Collect for the Royall issue In the Letany Indue them with thy holy spirit for the Honourable the Lords of the Counsell we pray Indue the Lords of the Counsell with grace wisdome and vnderstanding and in many other places in our Liturgie the Originall of all being from that of S. Paule Put on the Lord Iesus Christ Which will be the better performed if yee please to be acquainted with the second part of my Text which is mourning inward mourning not only scindite vestimenta but scindite corda Rent not only your cloathes but your harts And mourne It hath beene an ancient and a laudable custome for the Saints of God to deplore their deceased of what estate or condition soeuer Honourable be those examples Abraham lamenting Sara the Hebrews Moyses Ioseph Iacob the Israelits Ioseph the Apostles Stephen Nazianzen Basil Bernard Malachie and our blessed Saviour Lazarus his friend and far be it that Christians be blameable for neglect hereof If it were that but Nature only did teach this and affection presse it those internall acts the Passions and operations of our soule would diffuse themselues not onely by a sensible but reasonable motion to bewaile the want and lament the losse of such as were by our duty or propinquitie deare to vs. But when a greater enforcer hereof then nature appeareth when Grace approveth this we may then open the floodgates of affection and deplore the death of those whom the eies that saw blessed and the eares that heard gaue witnesse vnto David in these 5. last Chapters celebrateth many funerals with mourning for Saul and Ionathan for Ishbosath for Ahasel and here for Abner And it is not without much reason that Salomon doth giue Counsell to goe to the house of mourning est enim illic benedictio saith one Pin. there is performed that blessing which Christ promiseth A blessing is promised no where to mirth but to mourning our Saviour hath annexed this reward The keeping vnder of the soule is much availeable to all religious and devout offices the contemplation of the lamentable estate of the several occurrences of this lower world is one of the cheefest and first rounds of Iacobs ladder hath brought many holy ancients to heauen and doth teach every man Davids lesson Ps 119. I see that all things come to an end therefore they law doe I loue The whole world is the house of mourning whither then may man goe but to mourning The Paracelsian may hold that there is salt in every body I am sure there ought to be sorrow in every soule The second sonne that Adam had was Abel Gen. his name the name of vanitie and sorrow of vanity because Adam was exiled Paradise and the whole creature was subiect to vanity Adam might haue taken vp Salomons Text Omnia vanitas and Abel had his name from sorrowe because all things were so obnoxious to vanity both these be ioyned in Salomons vniversall censure Eccl. vanity and vexation of spirit Abel the first name of mourning Abel the first cause of mourning S. Austin onely collecteth three reasons of praising Abel virginitas Sacerdotium Martyrium and in all these he was the type of Christ indeed his name of mourning did typically prefigure the nature of Christs life which was spent in solitary sorrow It is a conceit of Methodius that Adam continued his mourning for his sonne Abel a hundred yeares Hist schol in lib. Gen. his reason is because he had no other sonne as he collecteth froÌ„ the Text in the space of a hundred yeares after Howe long soever he lamented his sonne we knowe not nor need care we are sure that all the daies of our Pilgrimage we may lameÌ„t our father AdaÌ„ for as he brought in sinne so sinne hath brought in Lamentation and mourning vpon vs and not Ieremy only but all mankind may write Lamentations Non finiresed semper reservare lachrymas debemus Hier. we must never ende our sorrows intermit them we may but still to keepe our acquaintance with them That of Hierome I confesse it is true Detestandae sunt illae lachrymae quae non habent moduÌ„ mourning without measure is a hell vpoÌ„ earth yet again Detestandi sunt qui carent lacrymis they are to be detested that haue no measure of this heaveÌ„ly Manna My obsernations vpon the word Mourne is this Oâ—s The best seruants of God ought to lament the losse of those that haue beene Pillars either in Church or Common-weale It is confirmed by S. Hierome Pietas plorare iubet desiderandi sunt vt absentes deplorandi vt amici Hier. Pietie doth command these lamentations holy men are to bee lamented because being absent to be desired and as friends to be deplored Tauri pro tauro mugiunt saith Bernard vnreasonable creatures do low one for another how much then should reasonable men especially Christians deplore those that are departed from them when reason teacheth and affection inciteth It was the practise of many of the Prophets as S. Hierome noteth Hie. in 17. Isa Esay 57.2 Mich 7.2 Iustus periit saith Esay the iust man perisheth and no man taketh it to hart sanctus periit saith Mioheah the holy man perished out of the way Pius defecit saith our Prophet the godly man ceaseth and Ieremy in most ample sort in his 9. Chapter whither if yee haue recourse yee may see the fountaine from whence ranne the riuers of al his lamentations Ier. 9.1 O that my head were water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the staine of the daughter of my people I acknowledge that these all did deplore rather the generall desolation in the want of good men then in their particular affection the death of such
for it as after David numbers the people 2. Sam. 24.14 the people die for it Secondly when the childe is sicke David sorroweth the childe being dead he riseth and eateth Hee wil bee no longer in paine then the childe is in perill Benoni is the sonne of sorrow at his birth this shal be no longer the subiect of sorrow then his death He is dead no hope no helpe no recovery it is impossible Revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras David cannot infuse life into him the childe is dead he is gone all the world cannot revine him David must follow the child must not returne Thus the wordes were occasioned thus opened thus they fall in sunder impart themselues vnto vs. Divisio Textus 1 Davids patient consideration in forbearing further sorrow Being dead why should I now fast 2. His wife resolution implying the impossibilitie of reviving him Can I bring him againe Thirdly his considerate acknowledgement of the inevitable stroake of death I shall goe to him he shall not returne to me I confesse there be many disproportions betweene this storie and our state our misery is without all paralell scripture doth nor yeeld a fitting example no king of Israel or Iuda had such a losse I had almost said nor such a sonne I am therefore constrained to choose not as I would but as I may though not so plentifully fitting the subiect yet sorrowfully fitting with our sable thoughts In these therefore I craue patient attentiō the rather because the 1. part offring it selfe to vs is Davids patient consideration in forbearing more mourning Some haue obserued that it was a custome in David to fast and pray 1. Part. Lor. in Ps Ps 35.13 and mourne for the sicknesse of his friend his owne words giue warrant Psal 35.13 when they were sicke 1 cloathed my selfe with sackcloath and humbled my soule with fasting And these both were vsed either in sorrow or repentance in sorrowe so the Orator testifieth sackeloath and fasting be moeroris insignia Tully the ensignes of sorrow in repentance so S. Hierome witnesseth they were Penitentiae arma the weapons of Repentance In this place by fasting David means all the Circumstances of mourning Aret. Flac. Illyr To mourne and weepe is common and commendable in sicknesse or death of friends profit there may be in it but you will thinke there is small pleasure yet saith the Poet Est quaedam flere voluptas There is pleasure in this paine of weeping to disburden the soule to open the sluces to discharge conchas in canales Bern. the Cesterns into conduit pipes to ecclipse the light of our etes with teares because those eies shall never behold those deere deceased friendes till we our selues passe into the Chambers of death This is naturall and common yet I may say Christian But to fast in these occasions is not so common as commendable and profitable for indeed in true sorrow there should be a neglect of all the offices of the body a sequestration of all contentment a forgetting and forsaking of ordinary food a shutting vp and imprisoning of the body from all pleasures of life thereby to pull downe the height and strength and pride of the soule that the soule heare not thinke not mind not mirth that the body see not touch not tast not meate such should be our sorrowes when we see Corporall punishments for spirituall iudgements Such was Davids diet it was a real hearty sorrow not coūtenanced with a heavie looke or with a solemne sigh blowne from the lips and lungs but it was a weeping watching fasting sorrow I hate excursions but seeing I meet in the words of my Text with so great a straunger as fasting giue me leaue to salute it It was the first precept that ever was given it is as ancient as Paradise Ieiuny canitiem sivelis Epise Lond. in Ion. perscrutare ieiunium prime homini coaevū The forbidding of that tree was the first rule of abstinēce The antiquity necessity perpetuity of it enforce it Nature law Gospel enioine it Divinity commands it Physicke commends it law prescribes it it is the life of the Saints and the food of the soule in the court of heaven there is no other dyet and in the Church on earth the children of the bridechamber must be acquainted with it as David was whose fasting daies I could easily cōiecture if I should looke but into the Galender of the Psalmes but my Text telleth me at this time hee did eate and drinke and therefore here he seemeth to bee as in the Psalme hee speaketh Psal 42.4 as amonge those that keepe holy-daie His fasting endeth the seaventh day and hee questioneth why should I now fast which words do bring forth this observation Obs 1 That as there is a time to sorrow so also a time to leaue of the act of sorrowing His example proveth this Nemo in lachrymis nemo in Cāticis no mā was more frequent in songs or sorrowes then David Lud. his meate were his Teares he mingled his drinke with Teares washt his bed and watered his couch with his teares you would scarce beleeue that he ever enioied good day that ever the sunne shined on him he is so full of anguish and care and feate sometimes biding some times flying Psalm 32 10. still almost lamenting Yet how frequent be his ioyfull acclamations in the Psalmes Reioice in the Lord Ps 103.1 Be glad ô yee righteous Be ioyfull all yee that are true of hart Praise the Lord O my soule all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits how sweetly doth he exalt his exultation of ioyful praise Ps 145. I will praise the Lord my God I will praise his name for ever and ever every day will I praise the Lord and praise his name for ever and ever and againe Praise the Lord O my soule while I liue wil I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I haue any breathing Looke vpon this good King at other times you would scarsly thinke that ever he could haue had ioy to cast his cies vp to heauen Psal you may find him on a couch nay more on the cold earth crying out I am at the point to die from my youth vp thy Terrors haue I suffered with a troubled soule Yet after al this you shal find him reioicing triumphing singing harping dancing making melody vnto God and calling for his consort Trumpets Timbrels Psalteries Harpes Organs Cymbals Ps 150.3.4.5.6 Pipe and string low and lowd instrument nay heaven and earth must beare a part nay every thing that hath breath must praise the Lord. Heere bee the passages through fire and water here he is brought from the wildernesse into a wealthy place Here be his fits good bad daies crosses and comforts ioies and sorrowes Dolor volupt as invicē cedunt Brevior voluptas
good holy iust godly men But in this kind also these blessed seruāts of God are not without example Dauid shall speake for all in his Elegies for Saul Ionathan Absolon Abner c. Nay our Sauiour as before I mentioned wept for his friend I find that name bestowed onely vpon his friend Lazarus and I find our Sauiour weeping onely for Lazaru for no one particular but his friend Lazarus and that was so obserued by the Iewes as that their speech was behold how hee loued him Ioh. 11. Our Sautour raised vp as S. Austin noteth Aust three especially and particularly inhis life but he wept only at one of them The circumstances of his raising these differ much the first was dead but an houre the second dead a day the third dead foure dates the 1. dead but not taken out of the bed the 2. dead and laid in the coffin but not in the graue the 3. dead and laid in the graue dead 4. daies and began to sauour he touched the hand of the first the coffin of the second but the third he touched not at all At the first few persons were present and Christ charged them not to speake of it at the second many were present and it was noised farre abroad at the third a number of Iewes present and they obserued it At the first there was no publike weeping Ioh. 11. at the raising of the second the mother wept at the raising of Lazarus the friends and sisters and Iewes wept fleuit Iesus fremuit turbauit seipsum Iesus wept and groaned in the spirit and was troubled and againe hee groaned and was troubled and cried with a lowd voice thē said the Iewes behold how he loued him Et quare fleuit Iesus nisi hominem flere docuit and why did Christ so weepe but that hee hereby taught man to weepe he opened 2. fountaines of passion and compassion and therefore those that carry his name are to conforme themselues in some measure and though there bee no proportion betweene finite iufinite yet in the best manner we may precept and example and promise doe enforce this blessed practice It was a strange lawe that the Athenians made an edict to prohibit mourning at funcials fit for heathen not Christians to imitate For they that haue been honourable commendable in their liues are to be followed with the best testimony of affection that the iust may be had in euerlasting remembrance yet with this warning in mourning that as we proue not without charitie in not lamenting their deaths so also not without hope to forget the good estate of their soules when we so ouermuch lament the death of their bodies In the 9. of Numbers when the cloud was taken vp Num. 9 the children of Israel iournied when it abode the children of Israel pitched so when sorrow commeth sit downe with sorrow and mourn when ioy commeth returne and reioice yet neuer to bewray a want of faith when we would manifest an abundance of loue Vse Hence then wee see our warrant for bewailing the irrecouerable losse that the Church Common-wealth and Protestant world hath now sustained by the sad spectacle before vs we may rent garments and put on sackcloath and mourne Mourne then ye children of the bride-chamber the bride-groome is taken from you Mourne ye sonnes of Eli Nebility and Gentry the Arke of God is gon from among you Mourne ye Priests of the Lord betweene the porch and the Altar Iosias is dead and slaine among you Howle yee poore fir trees your shelter is downe the Cedar is fallen and lieth here before yee Let the house of Dauid mourne lugeat Domus Iacobi let S. Iames mourne Zach. let the inhabitanes of Ierusalem mourne and to vse the words of Zacharie let them mourne as for their only sonne and lament as for their first borne In that day shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo and the land shall bewayle euery family apart mourning shall bee in all the ends of the land complaining in the streets of euery City crying in the chambers of euery house Alas for the day of the Lord is come it is come all the orders and Companies I say not of this house only but of all this Realme from the honourable Counsellour to him that draweth water from the man of gray yeeres to the young child shall plentifully water their cheekes and giue iust occasion to the Chronicles and Prouerbes of our posterities to be remembred And we especially of this Collegiate society that shall this night end our watching shall to morrow haue a new occasion not only of increasing but renewing our weeping Hitherto we haue mourned for the departing of his soule out of his body now vvee must lament for the departing of his bodie out of this place so long as his herse his vrne remained we had a Master though wee could not inioy him aliue yet it was some solace in sorrow to attend him dead though we heard not his words so full of grace nor enioyed his presence so full of glory yet his ashes his effigies gaue a glimse to vs sitting in darknesse and now wee must loose this and this vnhappinesse will admit no helpe Gen. 50.10 When Iacob was carried from Goshen to Canaan the Egyptians mourned with a great and very sore lamentation and that mourning was so wondred at by the Canaanits that they call the place Abal-Mizraim to this day Egyptians gaue the cause of the name Canaanits gaue the name of the place mourning the cause of both both these strangers nay in themselues infestuous enimies to the Israelites If Egyptians and Canaanits strangers haue done this for Iacob what shall the seruaunts doe and attendants in familia Iacobi pro filie Iacobi let vs crie mightily vnto heauen that after our bodies lie buried in the dust our lamentation may be remembred Ah the Prince ah our glory ahlas for the day of the Lord is come for Abner lyeth dead before vs My last part Mourne before Abner Coram not Claà m not priuately but openly Math. Many acts of deuotion are to bee performed priuatly when thou giuest almes saith our Sauiour doe it priuately when thou prayest enter into thy chamber doe it priuately when thou repentest saith Dauid commune with thine owne heart and in thy chamber Psal 4 and be priuat Priuacy is a speciall circumstance in all these and sure if many would but vndergoe the catechising of their soules in priuate Laer. tit 3. de Jra they would not be obserued so much for their sinnes in publike Laertius mentioneth Pyrrbus Eliensis which was wont to consult himselfe daily in some secret place and being obserued to talk to himselfe hereupon being questioned the cause hee answered Meditor bonus vt sim And Seneca mentioneth Sextius in this kinde who euery night would priuatly examine himselfe Quod bodiê maesum