Claudian of Pomp. Mag. Cyrus therefore did fitly cause this Epitaph to be engraven on his tomb O man whosoever thou art that shalt come hither know that I am great Cyrus that first erected the Persian Monarchy therefore envy me not this little Earth that now covereth my body From it you may learn That your greatest care should be to fit your self for your last hour your main work is to doe your last act well The Roman Gladiators appointed to death were very solicitous how they should contrive their bodies so as that they might fall handsomely and die modestly Your business is so to furnish your soul that you may die piously Å¿ Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae simul cum naufragio enatent to get such riches as will swim out with you in a shipwrack to be t Luke 22.21 rich towards God u Jam. 2.5 to be rich in faith to be rich * 1 Tim. 6.18 19. in good works Alas how poor is that 〈◊〉 who hath no other riches then what are at the courtesie of the thief moâ—â— and death hereby you will lay up a good foundation against the time to come and lay hold on eternal life It will shew you how absolutely necessary an experimental knowledge of a crucified Christ is to a dying Christian that no weapon is more requisite for us to have and use when we enter the lists and encounter with our last enemy then the shield of faith O how cheering and comforting to a dying body will the warm blood of the Lord Jesus be being applied by a true lively faith to the soul He and he only may look on the King of terrours without fear that hath first looked on the King of Saints with the eye of faith It will acquaint you that a saving work of grace must be wrought upon the heart before death can be a passage to the weight of glory A Painter may paint fire but he cannot paint heat A person civillized may attain to the outward actions but cannot to the inward affections of a sanctified Christian That all the godliness of an unregenerate man will die with him That the lamp of profession which shineth gloriously whilst a man liveth if it be not fed from oyl in the vessel true grace in the heart a renewed nature the image of God stamped on the soul it will go out in a stink when he dieth and not advantage him at all And therefore Christians should not like some Tradesmen live altogether upon their credit with others but labour to find some testimony within them that there is a real change wrought upon them It will tell you that it highly concerneth you to be laborious for your soul for your Saviour now you live because you must rest when you die That you should be much in thinking highly of God in speaking humbly to God in acting vigorously for God * 1 Cor. 15. ult That you should abound more and more in the work of the Lord. Saints must not * Josh 10.12 13. Falsi illi sunt qui diversissimas res expectant ignaviae voluptatem praemia virtutis Salust Non incepisse sed perfecisse virtutis est Aug. ad fratr in erem like Joshua's Moon stand still much less like Crabs goe backward no not like the Snail creep forward but like the Sun rejoyce to run his race The path of the just must be like the shining light that shineth brighter and brighter to perfect day Prov. 4.18 Truth of grace is ever followed with growth in grace though perfection be the honour and reward onely of the Saints in Heaven yet it is the desire and endeavour of the Saints on earth That you should persevere and encrease both by your pattern and precept in discouraging the bad and encouraging the good That you should improve all opportunities employ every talent your honour riches power life health strength relations interests all you have are or can be to the utmost in his service and for his for glory who I hope hath loved you and washed you in his blood Gen. 47.6 Pharaoh would have active men to be his servants the great King of heaven is a pure act and he loveth most and liketh best those servants that are most active for him Hereby you will please the most high God though hereby you will displease prophane men The world indeed whom the Spirit of God compareth to e 2 Pet. 2. ult His speech savoured more of wit then grace who counselled his friend not to come too nigh unto truth lest his teeth should be beaten out with its heeles dogs if a man go softly will be quiet but if he ride a pace in the way to heaven they will bark exceedingly yea and bite if they can do but hinder their progress in sin and like waters stopt at a bridge they will roar and make a noise to purpose But surely the favour of God will bear up the heart against all the anger of men Those persons which the wicked besmear with calumny and those actions which ungodly men speak of with scorn and contempt God will entertain with an Euge and reward with glory f Matth. 25.21 Well done good and Faithfull servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many Cities enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Sir My hearts desire and prayer to God for Rickmersworth is that it might be saved And I hope the Divine providence wil ere long put a greater price into your hands then ever yet you had wherein you may manifest your fear of his Majesty your zeal for his glory your hatred of iniquity and your real love to the place of your Nativity which that you may faithfully discharge at this day and comfortably account for at the last day and that you and yours 2 Cor. 5.1 when these earthly houses of your tabernacles shall be dissolved may have a building of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens shall be the prayer of him whose desire is to be Rickmersworth June 1. 1657. Your faithful servant in the work of your faith GEORGE SWINNOCK The GODS Die like MEN OR MAGISTRATES are Mortall Psal 82. v. 6 7. I have said Ye are gods and all of you are children of the most High But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the Princes ONe a Ambr. Offic. lib. 1. cap. 32. of the Fathers resembleth the whole Bible to the visible Heavens wherein saith he the Psalms are like the Sun whose beams shine brightly and rays warm comfortably An English Divine compareth all the Scriptures to the body of Man Luther calleth them parva biblia summarium utriusque testamenti and the Psalms to the heart the most Pathetick part the seat and center of sweet affections Nay as one observeth the very Turks that disclaim both Old and New Testament in general yet will swear
THE GODS ARE MEN OR The Mortality of Persons in places of MAGISTRACY As it was Explained and Applied in a SERMON Preached at the Assize holden at Hertford for that County on March 15. 1656 7. BY George Swinnocke M.A. late Fellow of Bailiol Colledge in Oxford and now Preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire Man being in honour abideth not Psalm 49.12 PALLIDA mors aequo pulsat pede Pauperum tabernas Regumque turres Hor. od 4. lib. 1. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 Vivere tota vita discendum est quod magis fortasse miraberis tota vita discendum est mori Senec. ad Paulin. de brevit vitae cap. 7. LONDON Printed for N. VVebb and VV. Grantham at the Beare over against the little North-door in Pauls Church-yard 1657. To the Worshipful John Beresford Esq High Sheriff of the County of Hertford Honoured Sir It is * Camb. Eliz. reported of Queen Elizabeth that Deborah of our Nation that in a letter to the King of France she should use this expression That if there were any unpardonable sin it must be ingratitude And b Plut. in vita Pyrr Plutarch relateth concerning Pyrrhus King of Epirus that he took the death of Aeropus very impatiently because he was thereby cut off from all opportunities of requiting the courtesies which he had received from him I think Sir there are few that have any relation to me but know something of my obligations to you And though I cannot strictly comply with the former yet I blesse God I have not the same cause to complain with the latter Notwithstanding the only requitall I am able to make you is by these lines to give you a Bill under my hand that I am your debtor I shall ever hold my self engaged to c Ingratus est qui beneficium accepisse se negat quod accepit Ingratus qui dissimulat Ingratus qui non reddit Ingratissimus omnium qui oblitus est Sen. de benef lib. 3. cap. 1. remember the frequent and reall kindnesse which your liberal self and loving Consort have freely bestowed on me and mine For which I may say to you as d Idem de ben lib. 2. cap. 25. Furnius to Augustus Hanc unam Cesar habeo injuriam tuam effecisti ut viverem morerer ingratus This is the only injury you have done me by your courtesies to force me to live and die ungrateful Your voluntary closing with them in the Parish that seek to advance the power of godliness your honouring them that fear the Lord your disesteeming vicious persons your charitable contributions to the poor upon all occasions are certainly recorded in Heaven and therefore for the honour of God and encouragement of others deserve respectfully to be mentioned on Earth In testimony of my gratitude I now present to your eyes what was lately preached in your ears with the addition of some things then omitted either through the defect of my memory or want of time Acknowledging both the weight of the matter delivered and my weakness in the manner of its delivery It is very visible that this Child is like its Parent I mean my Book if these sheets may be called by that name too too much resembleth my body in infirmities And indeed the consciousness of my own inabilities hath been the chief reason why I have not yet satisfied the desires of some persons of quality in Publishing two former Sermons composed on the like occasion Onely my respect to you hath caused this Sermon e Gen. 27.36 like Jacob to supplant its elder brother by getting away the birthright and like f Gen. 38.29 Pharez to make a breach upon his g i. e. A Sermon preached at a former Assize on the former part of the Text not yet printed brother Zarah and get into the world before him But the Almighty God who is a free Agent often worketh great things by small means He can by the blowing of Rams horns cause the strong walls of h Josh 6.16 Jericho to fall down with common i John 9.6 clay he can make a precious salve to open the eyes of the blind It pleaseth his wisdome by the k 1 Cor. 1.21 foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe l Dr. Reynolds epistle before Meditat. on Lords Supper Herein the soveraignty of the Gospell is most excellently set forth in that it leadeth the soul by the hand of a child Isa 11.6 and is as truly though not as abundantly powerful from young Timothy as from Paul the aged 1 Tim. 4.12 The favourable and extraordinary acceptance which this Sermon obtained when it was heard moveth me to hope that through the blessing of Heaven it will be profitable when it shall be read Sir In it you may discern that m Psal 119.96 there will be an end of and that there is an emptinesse in all earthly perfections That death is the great leveller making all equall seizing as boldly on and dealing as hardly with the greatest Emperour as the poorest beggar Divesne prisco natus ab Inacho Nil interest an pauper infima De gente sub dio moreris Victima nil miserantis orci Omnes eodem cogimur omnium Versatur urna serius ocyus Sors exitura nos in aeternum Exilium impositura cymbae Hor. lib. 2. Ad Del. That the rich mans wealth n Prov. 10.15 which is his strong City and an high tower in his conceit cannot secure him against the assault and battery of this grand adversary o Their bones and skellitons have no Inscriptions or Titles of honour remaining on them Vines Ess Fun. That the grave mâ—keth no difference between the dust of Princes and Peasants That they which cannot be contented with much Earth while they live will be contained in a little when they die As the p K. Philip. Macedonian King having got a fall in the sand as he was wrestling at the Olympick games when he rose again seeing the print of his body in the sand cryed out O how little a parcel of Earth will hold us when we are dead who ambitiously seek after the whole world whilest we are living q Dan. 2.32 That Image in Daniel doth notably set out the frailty of worldly greatness The head of it was of fine gold that spake the Chaldean Empire the breast and arms of silver this that Empire of the Medes and Persians the belly and thighs of brass by these the Grecian Empire is understood but the feet were part of clay The feet of this Image were the strength and foundation of the image and speak thus much to us that all worldly pompe and majesty will fail all earthly power and dignity will fall for the Image stands upon clay r Q. Cur. Nudus pascit aves jacet en qui possidet orbem Exiguae telluris inops
Hell the higher their exalation is the greater and lower their damnation will be The words of the Prophet are Emphatical i Isa 30.33 Ingentia beneficia ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia Kings saith one are fair marks for traytors to shoot at Tra. on Esth 2. Tophet is prepared of old yea for the King it is prepared The greater mens preferment is the greater their defilement and the greater their punishment 2. Others understand them of a fall by a violent death So many Princes fall In that bloody way Saul Abner Ahab and many other Princes mentioned in Scripture went to their long homes The Roman Historian observeth that the Cesars got little by their places nisi ut citius interficerentur Some mens honour hath been the Knife to cut their throats Horat. ad Licin Saepius ventis agitatur iugens Pinus celsae graviore casu Decidunt turres feriuntque summos Fulmina montes 3. A third sort Expound the words of falling as the Princes of other Nations Deodati in loc though ye are the Princes of God's people yet ye are not thereby priviledged from the arrest of death For as the sun of prosperity shineth as well on the briars in the Wildernesse as on the roses in the Garden so the frost of adversity falleth as well on the fruitfull corn as on the hurtful weeds The most notorious sinner liveth as well as the most gracious Saint and the most gracious Saint dyeth as well as the most notorious sinner Grace is an Antidote against the poyson of death but not a preservative from undergoing death 4. The words are construed thus Like the Princes that have been before you Ye know that your Ancestours who were as high in honour and as great in power as your selves yet submitted to death so must ye doe as they have done Etiam muta clamant cadavera Their graves amongst you do read a Lecture of mortality to you The term whereby the Spirit of God describeth death is considerable it s called a fall and fall like one of the Princes * Rom. 14.13 Sin is called a fall and so is death Death is the first-born of sin and therefore no wonder if the Child be called after the name of its Parent Death is to every man a fall from every thing but God and godliness Ye that are Magistrates fall more stairs yea more stories then others the higher your standing while ye live the lower your falling when ye die Death to some is a fall from Earth to Hell to all from the society of men to the company of worms To you that are great men it will be a fall from your richest treasures from your delightful pleasures from your stateliest possessions from your loveliest relations Job 7.7 from whatsoever is called the good of this world Your eyes shall no more see good Hor. ad Posth Linquenda tellus domus placens Vxor neque harum quas colis arborum Te praeter invisas cupressos Vlla brevem Dominum sequetur Death is called an uncloathing 2 Cor. 5.4 because it will strip you of all your places of honour of all the ornaments of nature As ye came naked into the World Job 1. ult so ye must go naked out of the World Nothing will follow you when ye die but your works Rev. 14.13 When the good Magistrate dyeth that hath been zealous for the Lord's honour and studious of his souls welfare his works follow him through free grace into an eternal weight of glory When the evil Magistrate dyeth who hath been careless of his Conscience and unfaithful in his calling his works follow him through divine severity into a boundless Ocean of endless misery Doctrine After this brief Explication of the words I proceed to the doctrinal Observation That Magistrates are mortal or they who live like gods must die like men the most potent Emperour must take his leave of this life as well as the poorest beggar Death is called * Josh 23.14 the way of all the Earth because all flesh on Earth go this way Is the greatest road in the World never without many travellers of all sorts ranks and degrees The grave is the Inn or resting place whither this way tendeth and Job telleth k Job 3.19 us that The small and the great are there The mortal sythe of death is Master of the royal Scepter and moweth down as well the Lillies of the Crown as the grasse of l Isa 40.6 7. the Field At one end of the Library in Dublin was a Globe at the other end a Skeliton to shew that though man were Lord of all the World yet he must die All flesh is grasse and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field The grasse withereth the flower fadeth As Athanasius speaketh of Julian so I may say of the greatest King in the World Nubecula est quae citò transibit Do we not find by experience that the greater Candles consume and burn out as well as the lesser And that the boysterous wind of sickness bloweth down and rooteth up as well the tall Cedars of Lebanon and the strong Oaks of Bashan as the lower shrubs and weaker trees of the Vallies We Ministers that preach the Word of life must ere long submit to m 2 Cor. 4.7 death ye have the Heavenly treasure in earthen vessels And you Magistrates that are the Bulwarks of the Countrey under God to preserve us from the shot of a violent death must necessarily your selves undergoe a natural death Ye are called n Psal 47.9 Scuta terrae sunt terrea scuta the shields of the Earth yet ye are but Earthen shields Ye are called the o Isa 44.18 As at a game at chess when done not only pawns but Kings Queens and Knights are tumbled into the bag so when the race of life is finished noble as well as ignoble are tumbled into their graves shepherds of the people but this Wolf of death will seise as well on the shepherd as on the sheep I shall not stand to prove it any further at this present there is not one of you either Judge or Justicâ—s that hear me this day but within a few days shall be the proof of the text I shall only give you the causes of the Doctrine and then make some Use of it But why do the gods die like men There are three Causes of it as they are men * Grounds of Doctrine 1 Ethicall cause of death is sin Rom. 5.12 Rom. 6. ult Stipendium peccati mors First the moral or meritorious cause of death is sin Sin and death like Jacob and Esau were brought forth at one birth they were twins and came into the World together As the thread followeth the Needle so death followeth sin Wherefore as p by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that
is that the Apostle rings such a challenge in the ears of death O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Vide Mr. Herberts temple-dialogue between the Christian and death p. 164. Lenietur mortis damnum non enim est invicta ut antea cum Christus illam superavit ac in suo certamine crucis faelicissime vicit Pet. Martyr loc comm de Luct pro mort Gen. 46.30 The sting of death is sin But thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle speaketh as alluding to a souldier that having fought with and disarmed his adversary triumpheth O Sir where is your sword wherewith you threatned so bitterly where is your pistol with which you would wound me mortally O death where is thy sting with which thou threatnedst to make me smart eternally O grave where is that victory of which thou boastest so exceedingly Thanks be to God that hath given us the victory through Christ Christ died not only in bonum fidelium sed in loco eorum not only for their good but in their stead now death like a Bee left its sting and lost its sting in Christ that now it may make a noise but cannot sting the believer Surely If Jacob could say when he had seen Joseph Now let me die since I have seen thy face The soul that with the eye of faith hath seen this son of Joseph may with greater boldness dare death and encounter the grave How sweetly doth old Simeon sing out his souls requiem having saith one laid in his heart that holy Child Jesus Luke 2.29 30. The soules solace whom he lapt in his armes sings his Nunc dimittas I fear no sin I dread no death I have lived enough I have my life I have longed enough I have my love I have seen enough I have my light I have served enough I have my saint I have sorrowed enough I have my joy Sweet babe let this Psalm serve for a lullaby to thee and for a Funeral to me Oh do thou sleep in my armes and let me sleep in thy peace Valde protest atus sum me nolle sic a Deo satiari Luther Melch. Adam in vit Luth. Be not contented with any gift from God beneath his son Say as Abraham Lord what wilt thou give me if I go Christlesse Lord thou hast given a plentiful estate comfortable kinred a goodly dwelling lovely children much honour from men many lawful pleasures and delights But Ah Lord what are these to a Christ Give me Christ or I die yea Lord give me Christ or I die eternally View thy Saviour on the Crosse fighting with this last enemy for thy sins for thy soul See his arms stretched out to embrace thee his head hanging down to kisse thee his feet nailed that he cannot run from thee his side opened to shew thee how nigh thou liest to his heart and take him down with the arms of faith and lay him in the sepulchre of thy soul O be not faithlesse but believing Cry out My Lord and my God I tell thee couldst thou heap up mountains of prayers couldst thou pray so frequently that thy heart even bled within thee and so frequently that thy knees were as hard as Camels knees as is reported of James the brother of our Lord couldst thou weep as some speak of Mary Magdalen in Balba thirty years together couldst thou fast as many Millions of years as there have been moments since the Creation yet without an interest in this death of Christ it would all be of no worth of no value to no purpose at all Motives I shall in the next place annex some motives that the former particulars may have the deeper impression on your affections 1. Other things are unprofitable Honour is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An opinion Matth. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fancy 1. Consider how vain and unprofitable all other things wil be to you when ye fall Do but ponder that word fall when ye die 1. Ye fall from the highest pinacle of honour and reputation The place of Magistracy which knoweth you now will know you no more One of the Ancients standing by Cesar's tomb cryeth out Vbi nunc pulchritudo Cesars quo abiit magnificentia ejus Where is now the beauty Acts 25.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A mathematical figure a meer notion 1 Cor. 7.31 One was appointed at the Popes inthronization to burn a wad of Straw and running before the Pope to cry out Sic transit gloria mundi Gen. 25.32 what is become of the magnificence where are the Armies now where the Honours the Triumphs the Trophies of Cesar All was gone when Cesar was gone Your honours and your worships your power and your places all die with you if not before you Titles of honour glister like Glow-worms in the dark night of this life but in the day of death they all vanish and disappear It s probable some of you may be nobly born finely bred highly advanced but when ye come to die ye may say of all these as Esau of his birthright Behold I am at the point to die and what profit shall this birthright do to me What good will my honour my credit do me Christ will do me good when I come to die so will the power of godliness but none of my places or preferments will 2. Ye fall from your greatest treasures and possessions 1 Tim. 6.7 All the Cains of Adam are Abel's all the possessions of man are vanity Mr. Broughton As ye brought nothing into the world so it 's certain ye shall carry nothing out of the world Saladin the mighty Monarch of the East is gone and hath carried no more along with him then ye see i. e. a shirt hung up for that purpose said the Priest that went before the Bier The holy Ghost observeth well that rich men are by their wealth a 1 Tim. 6.17 rich only in this world and they are b 1 John 3.17 this worlds goods For as the Martyr said I am going to the place where money beareth no mastery In another world Gold and Silver are not currant coyn Holy Mr. Burroughs A Divine now with Christ giveth me two stories of dying rich men The one is of a Miser that being to die called for his bags and hugging them crieth out Must I leave you Must I leave you The other is of one that being on his death-bed called for some pieces of Gold and layed them to his heart but presently said I find them cold Take them away They will not do They will not do The unsearchable riches that are in Christ will do His warm blood applied by faith will not be cold to thy heart 3. Ye fall from all your friends and relations when ye die they that were neer and dear to you will leave you Ye may when ye lie on your death beds