A SERMON OF COMMEMORATION OF THE Lady DaÌ„uers late Wife of Sr. Iohn DaÌ„uers Preach'd at Chilsey where she was lately buried By Iohn Donne D. of St. Pauls Lond. 1. Iuly 1627. Together with other Commemorations of Her By her Sonne G. Herbert LONDON Printed by I. H. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at their shop at the golden Lion in Pauls Church yard 1627. Errata Page 17. line 19. for her reade the. p. 27. l. 20. for Royall r reall p. 34 l. 5. for Germ r. Iohannes Baptista Vergerius p 35. l. 15. for in r. into p. 36. l. 6. for the power r. the abused power p. 44 l. 12. for hic r. hûc p. 47. l. 16. for foundation adde or openly disturbed the Church p. 66. l. 9. for succession best succession from here â—iques or at best from an imprâ—bable example of the Nazarites p. 67. l 13. in Sacerdotibus c. as an vncleane Act. adde in Marg. August ep 74. p. 75. l. 20. for Apostolicall r. Apochryphall p. 93. l. 11. for comming r. cunning p. 99. l 13. dele our p. 123. l. 5. for prosued r. pursued p. 160 l. 10. woman adde sate on a Beast which had p. 192. for Edward r. Edwin p. c 137. l. 16. for Diuels r. damned with Diuels p. 248. l. 2. for Apostle r. Euangelist p. 275. l. 17. cita Ferum in cap. 1 Io. 〈◊〉 1550. p. 34. THE PRAYER BEFORE the SERMON O Eternall and most Glorious God who sometimes in thy Iustice dost giue the dead bodies of the Saints to be meat vnto the Fowles of the Heauen and the flesh of thy Saints vnto the beasts of the Earth so that their bloud is shed like water and there is none to burie them Who sometimes sel'st thy People for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price and yet neuer leau'st vs without that knowledge That precious in thy sight is the death of thy Saints inable vs in life and death seriously to consider the value the price of a Soule It is precious ô Lord because thine Image is stampt and imprinted vpon it Precious because the bloud of thy Soone was paid for it Precious because thy blessed Spirit the Holy Ghost workes vpon it and tries it by his diuers fires And precious because it is enter'd into thy Reuenue and made a part of thy Treasure Suffer vs not therefore ô Lord so to vnder value our selues nay so to impouerish thee as to giue away those soules thy soules thy deare and precious soules for nothing and all the world is nothing if the Soule must be giuen for it We know ô Lord that our Rent due to thee is our Soule and the day of our death is the day and our Death-bed the place where this Rent is to bee paid And wee know too that hee that hath sold his soule before for vniust gaine or giuen away his soule before in the society and fellowship of sinne or lent away his soule for a time by a lukewarmnesse and temporizing to the dishonor of thy name to the weakning of thy causeâ— to the discouraging of thy Seruants he comes to that day to that place his Death and Death-bed without any Rent in his hand without any soule to this purpose to surrender it vnto thee Let therefore ô Lord the same hand which is to receiue them then preserue these soules till then Let that mouth that breath'd them into vs at first breath alwaies vpon them whilst they are in vs and suâ—cke them into it selfe when they depart from vs. Preserue our soules ô Lord because theyâ— belong to thee and preserue our bodies because they belong to those soules Thou alone dost steere our Boat through all our Voyage but hast a more especiall care of it a more watchfull eye vpon it when it comes to a narrow currant or to a dangerous full of waters Thou hast a care of the preseruation of these bodies in all the waies of our life But in the Straights of Death open thine eyes wider and enlarge thy prouidence towards vs so farre that no Feuer in the body may shake the soule no Apoplexie in the body dampe or benumbe the soule nor any paine or agonie of the body presage future torments to the soule But so make thou our bed in all our sicknesse that being vs'd to thy hand wee may be content with any bed of thy making Whether thou bee pleas'd to change our feathers into flockes by withdrawing the conueniences of this life or to change our flockes into dust euen the dust of the Graue by withdrawing vs out of this life And though thou diuide man and wife mother and child friend and friend by the hand of Death yet stay them that stay and send them away that goe with this consolation that though we part at diuers daies and by diuers waies here yet wee shall all meet at one place and at one day a day that no night shall determine the day of the glorious Resurrection Hasten that day ô Lord for their sakes that beg it at thy hands from vnder the Altar in Heauen Hasten it for our sakes that groane vnder the manifold incombrances of these mortall bodies Hasten it for her shake whoÌ„ wee haue lately laid downe in this thy holy ground And hasten it for thy Son Christâ—Iesus sake to whom then and not till then all things shall bee absolutely subdu'd Seale to our soules now an assurance of thy gracious purpose towards vs in that day by accepting this daies seruice at our hands Accept our humble thankes for all thy benefits spirituall and temporall already bestowed vpon vs and accept our humble prayers for the continuance and enlargement of them Continue and enlarge them ô God vpon thine vniuersall Church dispersed c. A SERMON OF Commemoration of the Lady DaÌ„uers late wife of Sr. Iohn DaÌ„uers Neuerthelesse we according to his promises looke for new Heauens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. I Propose to my selfe and to this Congregation two Workes for this day That wee may walke together two miles in this Sabbath daies iourney First To instruct the Liuing and then To commemorate the Dead Which office as I ought so I should haue performed sooner but that this sad occasion surprized me vnder other Pre-obligations and Pre-contracts in the seruices of mine own Profession which could not be excused nor auoided And being come now to this double worke whether I looke vp to the Throne of Heauen and that Firmament for my first worke The Instruction of the Liuing or downe to the stones of the Graue and that pauement for my second worke The commemoration of the Dead I need no other words than these which I haue read to you for both purposes For to assist the Resurrection of your soules I say And to assure the Resurrection of your bodies she saies Neuerthelesse we according to his promise looke for new Heauens
and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse But first let vs doe our first worke and pursue the literall purpose of the Apostle in these words Which words out of their connection and coherence be pleas'd to receiue thus spread and dilated into this Paraphrase Neuerthelesse that is though there be scoffers and iesters that deride and laugh at the second comming of Christ as the Apostle had said v. 3. And neuerthelesse againe Though this day of the Lord will certainly come and come as a Theefe and as a Theefe in the night and when it comes the Heauens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with seruent heat the Earth also and all the Workes that are therein shall be burnt vp as hee had also said v. 10. Though there be such a scorne put vpon it by scoffers and iesters and though there be such a horrour in the truth of the thing it selfe yet neuerthelesse for all that for all that scorne and for all that horrour We We saies the Text We that are fixt in God We that are not ignorant of this one thing as he saies v. 8. that one day is with the Lord as 1000. yeares and 1000. yeares as one day We that know that the Lord is not stacke in his promise though he be long-suffering to vs-ward as he also saies v. 9. We According to his promises that is building vpon that foundatioÌ„ his Scriptures presuming vpon nothing that is not in that euidence and doubting of nothing that is there We expect We looke for something saies our Text which we haue not yet Wee determine not our selues nor our contentment in those things which God giues vs here not in his Temporall not in his spirituall Blessings in this life but we expect future things greater than wee are capable of here for We looke for new Heauens and new Earth in which that which is not at all to be had here or is but an obscure In-mate a short Soiourner a transitory Passenger in this World that is Righteousnesse shall not onely Bee but Dwell for euer Neuerthelesse wee according to his promise looke for new Heauens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse So then in this our Voyage through this Sea which is truly a Mediterranean Sea a Sea betwixt two Lands the Land of Possession which wee haue and the Land of Promise which wee expect this Old and that new Earth that our dayes may be the better in this land which the Lord our God hath giuen vs and the surer in that Land which the Lord our God will giue vs In this Sea-voyage bee these our Land-markes by which we shall steere our whole course First the day of Iudgement is subiect to scorne some laugh at it And then in a second consideration it induces horror The best man that is but man trembles at it But wee which is a third branch those that haue laid hold vpon God And in a fourth place haue laid hold vpon God by the right handle According to his promises Wee which will constitute a fift point Wee expect We blesse God for our Possession but We looke for a greater Reuersion which Reuersion in the next roome is new Heauens and new Earth And lastly such Heauens and such Earth as may be an euerlasting Dwelling for Righteousnesse And through all these particulars we shall passe with as much cleerenesse and shortnesse as the weight and number thereof will admit First then to shake the constancy of a Christian there will alwaies be Scorners Iesters Scoffers and Mockers at Religion The Period and Consummation of the Christian Religion the Iudgement day the second comming of Christ will alwaies be subiect to scornes And many times a scorne cuts deeper then a sword Lucian wounded Religion more by making Iests at it than Arius or Pelagius or Nestorius with making Arguments against it For against those profest Heretikes and against their studied Arguments which might seeme to haue some weight it well beseem'd those graue Reuerendâ— Fathers of the Church to call their Councels and to take into their serious consideration those Arguments and solemnly to conclude and determine and decree in the point But it would ill haue become those reuerend persons to haue cal'd their Councels or taken into their so serious considerations Epigrams and Satyres and Libells and scurrill and scornfull iests against any point of Religion Scornes and Iests are easilier apprehended and vnderstood by vulgar ordinary capacities then Arguments are and then learned men are not so earnest nor so diligent to ouerthrow and confute a Iest or Scorne as they are an Argument and so they passe more vncontrol'd and preuaile further and liue longer then Arguments doe It is the height of Iobs complaint that contemptible persons made Iests vpon him And it is the depth of Samsons calamity that when the Philistins hearts were merry then they cald for Samson to make them sport So to the Israelites in Babylon when they were in that heauinesse that euery breath they breath'd was a sigh their enemies cal'd to sing them a song And so they proceeded with him who fulfil'd in himselfe alone all Types and Images and Prophesies of sorrowes who was as the Prophet calls him Vir dolorum A man compos'd and elemented of sorrowes our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus For They platted a crowne of thornes vpon his head and they put a reed into his hand and they bowed the knee before him and mockt him Truly the conniuing at seuerall Religions as dangerous as it is is not so dishonourable to God as the suffering of Iesters at Religion That may induce heresie but this doâ—'s establish Atheisme And as that is the publike mischiefe so for the priuate there lies much danger in this that hee that giues himselfe the liberty of iesting at Religion shall finde it hard to take vp at last as when Iulian the Apostata had receiued his Deathes-wound and could not chuse but confesse that that wound came from the hand and power of Christ yet he confest it in a Phrase of Scorne Vicisti Galilaee The day is thine O Galilean and no more It is not Thou hast accomplish't thy purpose O my God nor O my Maker nor O my Redeemer but in a stile of contempt Vicisti Galilaee and no more And therefore as Dauid begins his Psalmes with Blessednesse so he begins Blessednesse with that Blessed is hee which sitteth not in the seat of the scornfull Dauid speakes there of walking with the vngodly but walking is a laborious motion And hee speakes there of standing with the sinner but standing is a painfull posture In these two walking and standing there 's some intimation of a possibility of wearinesse and so of desisting at last But in sitting in the seat of the scornfull there is denoted a sinning at ease and in the Vulgate edition at more that ease with authority and glory For it is In cathedra In the chaire of
desiâ—d that glorie and yet staid his time for it If I pretend to desire death that I might see no more sinne heare no more blasphemies from others it may be I may do more good to others than I shall take harme by others if I liue If I would die that I might be at an end of temptations in my selfe yet I might lose some of that glory which I shall haue in Heauen by resisting another yeeres tentation if I died now To end this consideration as this looking for the day of the Lord which is the word of our Text implyes a ioy and a gladnesse of it when it shall come whether we consider that as the day it selfe the day of Iudgement or the Eue of the day the day of our death so doth this looking for it imply a patient attending of Gods leasure For our example the Apostle saies The earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonne of God It is an earnest expectation and yet it waits and for our neerer example Wee our selues which haue the first fruits of the spirit groane within our selues But yet he addes wee wait for the adoption the redemption of the bodie Though wee haue some eares we wait for the whole sheaues And we may be content to doe so for we shall not wait long This is the last time sayes St. Iohn speaking of the present time of the Gospell In the time of nature they were a great way off from the Resurrection for then the time of the Law was to come in And in the time of the Law they were a great way off for then the time of the Gospell was to come in But this is the last time There shall bee no more changes after the Gospell the present state of the Gospell shall land vs vpon the Iudgement And as the Vulgate reads that place Nouissima horaest If God will haue vs stay a little longer it is but for a few minutes for this is our last houre Wee feele scornes wee apprehend terrours Neuerthelesse we we rooted in his promises doe expect we are not at an end of our desires and with an holy impatience that he would giue vs and yet with a holy patience till he be pleas'd to giue vs New Heauens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse Which are the two branches which remaine yet to be consider'd As in the first discoueries of the vnknowne parts of the world the Maps and Cards which were made thereof were verie vncertaine verie vnperfect so in the discouerie of these New Heauens thâ— expositions of those who haue vndertaken that worke are verie diuers First Origen citing for his opinion Clement whom hee cals the Disciple of the Apostles takes those heauens and that Earth which our Antipodes and generally those that inhabitâ— the other Hemispheare inhabit to be the new Heauens and the new Earth of this Text. Hee sayes Oceanus intransibilis ad reliquos mundos There are Worlds beyond these Worlds beyond that Ocean which wee cannot passe nor discouer sayes Origen But those Worlds and those Heauens and that Earth shall bee discouer'd before the last day and the Gospell of Christ bee preach't in all those places And this is our expectation that which wee looke for According to his promises in the intention and exposition of Origen Those that were infected with the heresie of the Chiliasts or Millenarians with which heresie diuers great and learned men whom we refuse not to call Fathers in the Primitiue Church were infected vpon the mistaking of those words in the Apocalyps of reigning with Christ a thousand yeeres after the first Resurrection argu'd and concluded a happie temporall state of Gods Saints here vpon this Earth for so many yeeres after that day So that though there should not be truly a new Earth and new Heauens but the same Heauens and the same Earth as was before for those future thousand yeeres yet because those Saints of God which in their whole former life had beene in miserie vpon this Earth should now enioy all earthly happinesse vpon the same Earth for a thousand yeeres before they ascended into Heauen these Heauens and this Earth because they are so to them are called a new Earth and a new Heauens by those Millenarians St. Ierome and St. Augustine and after them the whole streame run in another channell They say that these Heauens and this Earth shall be so purified so refin'd by the last fires of conflagration as that all corruptible qualities shall bee burnt out of them but they in their substance remaine still To that those words of St. Paul helpe to inclâ—ne them Perit figura The fashion of this world passeth away The fashion not the substance For it is Melioratio non interitus The world shall bee made better but it shall not bee made nothing But to what end shall it be thus improu'd In that St. Augustine declares himselfe Mundus in melius immutatus apte accommodabitur hominibus in melius immutatis When men are made better by the Resurrection this World being made betterby those fires shall bee a fit habitation for those Saints of God and so euen this World and whatsoeuer is not Hell shall bee Heauen And truly some verie good Diuines of the Reformation accompany those Ancients in that Exposition that these Heauens purified with those fires and super-inuested with new endowments shall be the euerlasting habitation of the blessed Saints of God But still in these discoueries of these new Heauens and this new Earth our Maps will bee vnperfect But as it is said of old Cosmographers that wheÌ„ they had said all that they knew of a Countrey and yet much more was to be said they said that the rest of those countries were possest with Giants or Witches or Spirits or Wilde beasts so that they could pierce no farther into that Countrey so when wee haue trauell'd as farre as wee can with safetie that is as farre as Ancient or Moderne Expositors lead vs in the discouerie of these new Heauens and new Earth yet wee must say at last that it is a Countrey inhabited with Angells and Arch-angells with Cherubins and Seraphins and that wee can looke no farther into it with these eyes Where it is locally wee enquire not We rest in this that it is the habitation prepar'd for the blessed Saints of God Heauens where the Moone is more glorious than our Sunne and the Sunne as glorious as Hee that made it For it is he himselfe the Sonne of God the Sunne of glorie A new Earth where all their waters are milke and all their milke honey where all their grasse is corne and all their corne Manna where all their glebe all their clods of earth are gold and all their gold of innumerable carats Where all their minutes are ages and all their ages Eternity Where euery thing is euery minute in the highest exaltation as good as it can be and yet
wrapt mee vp in his Couenant and deriu'd mee from Christian Parents I suck'd Christian bloud in my Mothers wombe and Christian milke at my Nurses breast The first sound that I heard in the world was the voice of Christians and the first Character that I was taught to know was the Crosse of CHRIST IESVS How many children that are borne so borne within the Couenant borne of Christian Parents doe yet die before they bee baptiz'd though they were borne heires to Baptisme But God hath afforded me the seale of that Sacrament And then how many that are baptiz'd and so eas'd in originall sinne doe yet proceed to actâ—all sins and are surpriz'd by death before they receiue the Seale of their Reconciliation to Christ in the Sacrament of his body and his bloud but God hath afforded mee the Seale of that Sacrament too What sinnes soeuer GOD forgaue mee this morning yet since the best and I am none of them fall seuen times a day God forgiues mee seuen more sinnes to morrow then he did to day and seuen in this Arithmetike is infinite Gods temporall Gods spirituall blessings are inexhaustible What haue wee that we haue not receiued But what haue wee receiued in respect of that which is laid vp for vs And therefore Expectamus We determine our selues in God so as that wee looke for nothing but from him But not so as that wee hope for no more from him then we haue had For that were to determine God to circumscribe God to make God finite Therefore we blesse God for our possession but yet we expect a larger reuersion And the day intended in this Text shall make that Reuersion our Possession which is the day of Iudgment Therefore in the verse immediatly before the Text the Apostle accompanies this Expectantes with another word it is Expectantes properantes Looking for and hasting to the comming of the day of God Wee must haue such an Expectation of that day as may imply testifie a loue to it a desire of it a longing for it When these things beginne to come to passe saies Christ speaking of the signes preceding the last day then looke vp and lift your heads for your Redemption draweth neere All our deiections of spirit should receiue an exaltation in that one consolation that that day draweth neere Seu velimus seu nolimus Whether we will or no that day will come but saies that Father in that short prayer of his the Lord hath giuen thee an entire Petition for accelerating and hasting that day of the Lord When hee bids thee say Thy Kingdome come hee meanes that thou shouldest meane the Kingdome of glory at the Iudgement as well as the Kingdome of Grace in the Church Christ sayes If I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am you may be also Now Beloued hath Christ done one halfe of this for vs and would not we haue him doe the other halfe too Is he gone to prepare the place and would we not haue him come to fetch vs to it Certainly Christ speakes that in fauour he intendsâ— it for a fauour when he sayes Behold I come quickly It is one fauour that hee will come and seconded with another that he will make speed to saue vs that hee will make haste to helpe vs. And to establish vs in that assurance hee addes in that place Behold I come quickly and my reward is with mee if the comming doe not if the speed doe not yet let the reward worke in you a desire of that day The last words that Christ speakes in the Bible and amongst vs last words make deepest impressions are Surely I come quickly And the last answer that is made in our behalfes there is Amen euen so come Lord Iesus There is scarce any amongst vs but does expect this commings They that feare it expect it But that crowne that the Apostle speakes of is laid vp for them that loue the appearing of the Lord Not only expect it but loue it And no man can doe so that hath not a confidence in his cause AduentuÌ„ Iudiâ—is non diligit No prisoner longs for the Sessions no Client longs for the day of hearing Nisuqui in causa suase sciat habere iustitiae meritum Except hee know his cause to bee good and assure himselfe that hee shall stand vpright in Iudgement But can wee haue that assurance Assuredly â— wee may He that hath seene the marks of election in both editions in the Scripture first and then in his conscience hee that does not flatter and abuse his owne soule nor tempt and presume vpon God he that in a sobeâ— and rectified conscience findes himselfe truly incorporated in Christ truly interessed in his merits may be sure that if the day of Iudgement came now now he should be able to stand vpright in Iudgement And therefore let Schoole-boyes looke after holy-dayes and worldly men after rent-dayes and Trauellers after Fairedayes and Chap-men after Market-dayes Neuerthelesse We we that haue laid hold vpon God and laid hold vpon him by the right handle According to his promises Expectamus We looke for this day of the Lord and Properamus We are glad it is so neere and wee desire the further hasting of it But then Beloued the day of our death is the Eue of this day of the Lord The day of our death is the Saturday of this Sunday the next day after my death is the day of Iudgement For betweene these these eyes shall see no more dayes And then are wee bound nay may wee lawfully wish and desire the day of our death as wee haue said wee are bound to doe the day of Iudgement The Soules of the Martyrs vnder the Altar in Heauen cry vnto God there Vsque quo Domine How long ô Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud That which those Martyrs solicite there is the day of Iudgement And thogh that which they aske was not presently granted but the day of Iudgement put off for a time yet God was not displeased with their solicitation for for all that hee gaue them then their white robes testimony enough of their innocencie If we could wish our owne death as innocently as harmlesly as they did the day of Iudgement if no ill circumstances in vs did vitiate our desire of death if there were no dead flies in this oyntment as Salomon speakes if we had not at least a collaterall respect if not a direct and principall to our owne ease from the incum brances and grieuances and annoyances of this world certainly wee might safely desire piously wish religiously pray for our owne death But it is hard verie hard to deâ—est those circumstances that infect it For if I pretend to desire death meerly for the fruition of the glorie of the sight of God I must remember that my Sauiour
super-exalted infinitely multiplied by euery minutes addition euery minute infinitely better then euer it was before Of these new heauens this new earth we must say at last that wee can say nothing For the eye of Man hath not seene nor eare heard nor heart conceiu'd the State of this place We limit and determine our consideration with that Horizon with which the Holy Ghost hath limited vs that it is that new Heauens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse Here then the Holy Ghost intends the same new Heauens and new Earth which he doe's in the Apocalyps and describes there by another name the new Ierusalem But here the Holy Ghost doe's not proceed as there to enamour vs of the place by a promise of improuement of those things which wee haue and loue here but by a promise of that which here wee haue not at all There and elsewhere the holy Ghost applies himselfe to the naturall affections of men To those that are affected with riches he saies that that new City shall be all of gold and in the foundations all manner of precious stones To those that are affected with beauty hee promises an euerlasting association with that beautifull Couple that faire Paire which spend their time in that contemplation and that protestation Ecce tu pulchra dilecta mea Ecce tu pulcher Behold thou art faire my Beloued saies he and then she replies Behold thou art faire too noting the mutuall complacencie betweene Christ and his Church there To those which delight in Musicke hee promises continuall singing and euery minute a new song To those whose thoughts are exerciz'd vpon Honour and Titles Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall hee promises Priesthood and if that be not honour enough a Royall Priesthood And to those who looke after military honor Triumph after their victory in the Militant Church And to those that are carried with sumptuous and magnifique feasts a Mariage supper of the Lambe where not onely all the rarities of the whole world but the whole world it selfe shall be seru'd in The whole world shall bee brought to that fire and seru'd at that Table But here the holy Ghost proceeds not that way by improuement of things which wee haue and loue here riches or beauty or musicke or honour or feasts but by an euerlasting possession of that which wee hunger and thirst and pantafter here and cannot compasse that is Iustice or Righteousnesse for both those our present word denotes and both those wee want here and shall haue both for euer in these new Heauens and new Earth What would a worne and macerated suter opprest by the bribery of the rich or by the might of a potent Aduersary giue or doe or suffer that he might haue Iustice What would a deiected Spirit a disconsolate soule opprest with the weight of heauy and habituall sinne that stands naked in a frosty Winter of desperation and cannot compasse one fig leafe one colour one excuse for any circumstance of any sinne giue for the garment of Righteousnesse Here there is none that doe's right none that executes Iustice or not for Iustice sake Hee that doe's Iustice doe's it not at first And Christ doe's not thanke that Iudge that did Iustice vpon the womans importunity Iustice is no Iustice that is done for feare of an Appeale or a Commission There may bee found that may doe Iustice at first At their first entrance into a place to make good impressions to establish good opinions they may doe some Acts of Iustice But after either an Vxoriousnesse to wards to the wife or a Solicitude for children or a facility towards seruants or a vastnesse of expence quenches and ouercom's the loue of Iustice in them Non habitat In most it is not but it dwels not in any In our new Heauens and new Earth dwelleth iustice And that 's my comfort that when I come thither I shall haue Iustice at God's hands It was an Act of mercy meerly that God decreed a meanes of saluation But to giue saluation to them for whom Christ gaue that full satisfaction is but an act of Iustice. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with vs saies the Apostle It is an act of the same Iustice to saue the true Beleeuer as to damne him who by vnbeleefe hath made himselfe a Reprobate Iustice dwels there and there dwels Righteousnes Of which there is none in this world None that growes in this world none that is mine owne For howsoeuer we doe dispute or will conclude of inherent Righteousnes it is indeed rather adheherent then inherent rather extrinsecall than intrinsecal Not that it is not in my self in my will but it is not of my selfe nor of my will My will was neuer able to rectifie to iustifie it selfe But the power of God's grace cals in a forraine Righteousnes to my succour the Righteousnesse of my Sauiour and cals his and makes his my Righteousnesse But yet Non habitat This Righteous◠dwels not vnremoueable in mee here Though I haue put on that garment in Baptisme and girt it to me closer in the other Sacrament and in some acts of holinesse yet my sinnes of infirmity slacken this garment and it fals from mee before I am aware and in my sinnes of contempt and rebellion I teare it off and throw it away my selfe But in this new state these new Heauens new Earth Iusticia habitat This Righteousnesse shall dwell I shall haue an innocence and a constant innocence a present impeccancy and an impeccability for the future But in this especially is Righteousnes said to dwell there because this Righteousnesse is the very Son of God the Sonne of Righteousnesse himselfe And this day the day of his second Comming is the last day of his Progresse For euer after that day these new Heauens and new Earth shall bee his standing house where hee shall dwell and wee with him as himselfe hath said The Righteous shall shine forth as the Sunne it selfe As the Sonne of God himselfe as the Sonne of glory as the Son of Righteousnesse himselfe For God shall impart to vs all a mysterious Gauelkinde a mysterious Equality of fulnesse of Glory to vs all God shall not whisper to his owne Sonne a Sede à dextris Sit thou at my right hand nor a Hodie genuite This day haue I begotten thee nor a Ponam inimicos tuos I will make thine enemies thy footstoole and no more But as it is said of the Armies of Israel That they went forth as one man so the whole Host of God's Saints incorporated in Christ Iesus shall bee as one man and as that one Man who was so the Sonne of Man as that he was the Sonne of God too And God shall say to vs all Sedete à dextris Si◠ye all on my right hand for from the left hand there
is no prospect to the face of God And to vs all Hodie genui vos This day I haue begotten you all begotten you in the confirmation of my first Baptisme in the ratification of my first Election And to vs all Ponam inimicos vestros I will make all your enemies your footstoole For God shall establish vs there Vbi non intrat inimicus nec amicus exit Where no man shall come in that troubles the company nor any whom any of the company loues goe out but wee shall all not onely haue but be a part of that Righteousnes which dwels in these new Heauens and new Earth which we According to his promise look for ANd be this the end of our first Text as it is a Text for Instruction Passe we now to our second our Text for Commemoration Close we here this Booke of life from which we haue had our first Text And Surge quae dormis in puluere Arise thou Booke of Death thou that sleepest in this consecrated dust and hast beene going into dust now almost a Moneth of dayes almost a Lunarie yeere and dost deserue such Anniuersaries such quick returnes of Periods and a Commemoration in euery such yeere in euery Moneth Arise thou and bee another Commentary to vs and tell vs what this new Heauen and new Earth is in which now thou dwel'st with that Righteousnesse But wee doe not inuoke thee as thou art a Saint in Heauen Appeare to vs as thou didst appeare to vs a moneth agoe At least appeare in thy history Appeare in our memory that when euery one of vs haue lookt vpon thee by his owne glasse and seene thee in his owne Interest such as thou wast to him That when one shall haue seene thee the best wife And a larger number the best mother And more then they a whole Towne the best Neighbour And more then a Towne a large body of noble friends the best Friend And more then all they all the world the best example when thou hast receiu'd this Testimony from the Militant Church as thou hast the recompence of all this in thy Blessed Soule in the Triumphant yet because thy body is still within these Walls bee still content to bee one of this Congregation and to heare some parts of this Text re-applie'd vnto thee Our first word Neuerthelesse puts vs first vpon this consideration That shee liu'd in a Time wherein this Prophecie of Saint Peter in this Chapter was ouer-abundantly perform'd That there should bee scoffers iesters in diuine things and matters appertaining to God and his Religion For now in these our dayes excellency of Wit lies in prophanenesse he is the good Spirit that dares abuse God And hee good company that makes his company the worse or keepes them from goodnesse This being the Aire and the Complexion of the Wit of her Times and her inclination and conuersation naturally cheerfull and merry and louing facetiousnesse and sharpnesse of wit Neuerthelesse who euer saw her who euer heard her countenance a prophane speech how sharpe soeuer or take part with wit to the preiudice of Godlinesse From this I testifie her holy cheerfulnesse and Religious alacrity one of the best euidences of a good conscience That as shee came to this place God's house of Prayer duly not onely euery Sabbath when it is the house of other exercises as well as of Prayer but euen in those weeke-dayes when it was onely a house of Prayer as often as these doores were opened for a holy Conuocation And as she euer hastned her family and her company hither with that cheerfull prouocation For God's sake let 's go For God's sake let 's bee there at the Confession So her selfe with her whole family as a Church in that elect Ladie 's house to whom Iohn writ his second Epistle did euery Sabbath shut vp the day at night with a generall with a cheerfull singing of Psalmes This Act of cheerfulnesse was still the last Act of that family vnited in it selfe and with God God loues a cheerfull giuer Muâ—h more a cheerfull giuer of himselfe Truly he that can close his eyes in a holy cheerfulnesse euery night shall meet no distemper'd no inordinate no irregular sadnesse then when God by the hand of Death shall close his eyes at last But returne we againe to our Neuerthelesse You may remember that this word in our former part put vs first vpon the consideration of Scoffers at the day of iudgement and then vpon the consideration of Terrours and sad Apprehensions at that day And for her some sicknesses in the declination of her yeeres had opened her to an ouer-flowing of Melancholie Not that she euer lay vnder that water but yet had sometimes some high Tides of it and though this distemper would sometimes cast a cloud and some halfe damps vpon her naturall cheerfulnesse and sociablenesse and sometimes induce darke and sad apprehensions Neuerthelesse who euer heard or saw in her any such effect of Melancholy as to murmure or repine or dispute vpon any of Gods proceedings or to lodge a Ielousie or Suspition of his mercy and goodnesse towards her and all hers The Wit of our time is Prophanenesse Neuerthelesse shee that lou'd that hated this Occasionall Melancholy had taken some hold in her Neuerthelesse that neuer Ecclipst neuer interrupted her cheerfull confidence assurance in God Our second word denotes the person We Neuerthelesse We And here in this consideration Neuerthelesse shee This may seeme to promise some picture some Character of her person But shee was no stranger to them that heare me now nor scarce to any that may heare of this hereâ— after which you heare now and therefore much needes not to that purpose Yet to that purpose of her person and personall circumstances thus much I may remember some and informe others That from that Worthy family whence shee had her originall extraction and birth she suckt that loue of hospitality hospitality which hath celebrated that family in many Generations successiuely which dwelt in her to her end But in that ground her Fathers family shee grew not many yeeres Transplanted young from thence by mariage into another family of Honour as a flower that doubles and multiplies by transplantation she multiplied into ten Children Iob's number and Iob's distribution as shee her selfe would very often remember seuen sonnes and three daughters And in this ground shee grew not many yeeres more then were necessary for the producing of so many plants And being then left to chuse her owne ground in her Widow-hood hauing at home establisht and increast the estate with a faire noble Addition proposing to her selfe as her principall care theeducation of her children to aduance that shee came with them and dwelt with them in the Vniuersitie and recompenc't to them the losse of a Father in giuing them two mothers her owne personall care and the aduantage of that place where shee contracted a friendship with