A SERMON PREACHED AT WHADDON in Buckinghamshyre the 22. of Nouember 1593. at the buriall of the Right Honorable ARTHVR Lorde GREY of Wilton Knight of the most Honorable order of the Garter by THOMAS SPARKE Pastor of Blechley AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES Printer to the Vniversitie 1593. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND HIS VERY GOOD LADIES the Countesse of BEDFORD and the Ladie GREY her Honours Daughter and to the Right honorable THOMAS Lord GREY of Wilton his very good Lord Thomas Sparke wisheth all necessary spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus with health al prosperity to their own full contentation and comfort SINCE the preaching of this sermon following Right honorable J know you are not ignorant how earnestly I haue beene requested to publish the same in Print considering therefore that therin there was set before vs in that Honorable person at whose buriall it was preached such an example both of liuing and dying well as being now by this means made further known maie through Gods goodnes provoke many the better to imitate the same and weighing also with my selfe that as his death was precious in the eies of the Lorde so it was and is my duety to do anie thing that lyeth in me to further the continuance of his name in blessed and everlasting remembrance I haue yeelded as your Honours see to this request Indeede when J preached it by reason of the shortnes of time that then J was tyed vnto that there might also be time without staying of the assembly too long for the performance of the solemne and Honorable funerall rites J was driven to cut off much that I had thought to have vttered and but briefly and lightly to run ouer sundry thinges which more at large my purpose was then to haue handled Al which now I haue thought good according to my first full premeditation in print to set downe wherevppon in remembring what was saide and now in conferring this therewith some difference there will be found But yet that will be not for the substance or matters therein handled at all but onelie that some of them are further prosecuted here and vrged then for the reason aforesaide they could be then And to you three iointlie I haue beene bolde to dedicate it because as in nature so in truth I know the losse of this Honorable man toucheth you three neerest wishing and hartely praying you with the reading and meditation of the matters herein conteyned to comfort your selues and to moderate your sorrow otherwise for the losse of such an one For hereby you shall I hope plainely perceiue that he was such a one whome the Lorde of speciall fauour towarde him hath taken hence and that therefore howsoeuer we haue lost him God hath found hiâ—â— and that whatsoeuer wee haue lost out of all doubt he hath found both perfect peace and ioy in soule and most sound and quiet rest in bodie And therefore in his respect you shall hereby finde that they that loued him most haue most iust cause to reioice Jndeede in respect of our selues this sermon will laie before you that there is iust cause of mourning for all that hee hath left behinde him yet withall it will shew you that the ende and vse hereof ought onelie to be this to awaken vs so out of all securitie in our sinnes as that wee maie by heartie repentaunce and true turning vnto God in time turne away the fearefull euils that otherwise the taking awaye so fast of such threatens vs. J trust therefore if your honours will voutchsafe to take the paines seriously to read and to consider hereof that no small comfort and good will in these respectes arise and grow vnto you thereby And this J must needes saie to your further comfort that the great concourse of people vnto his buriall and the crying and weeping of all sortes there was such as in my opinion it was a notable argument that as he was doubtlesse beloued of God so was he vnfeinedlie honoured and loued of men Herein also appeared an euident token of Gods favour towardes him that as he had liued honorably so it pleased the Lord to take him hence according to his owne vsuall and often repeated request though â—e had beene a great man of warre in such peace in his own bedde in his owne house as he did and withall to bring him with such honour as questionles he was brought to his graue For when the waies of men haue not pleased the Lorde wee finde often in the scriptures that they both haue beene threatned and that so it hath come to passe that they should not haue the honour of the ordinarie buriall meete and vsed to persons of their estate as wee maie read and see Psal 79. vers 3.1 King 21.23 2.9.35 c. and Ier. 22 18. c. And of the contrarie we finde it very often noted in the same as an argument of Gods favour towards them when men haue so died as that they attained vnto honorable and convenient buriall As wee maie finde touching Abraham Gen. 25.8 touching Iacob Gen. 49. 50. vers 29. c. 2.3 c. touching Dauid 2. King 2. vers â—0 yea and touching Christ himselfe Ioh. 19 ver 38.39 c. Greatlie therefore in this respect in my iudgment are you Right Honorable Ladie his wife to be commended especiallie thinges concerning the world standing with you now no otherwise then your good frends know they do that you haue thus honorably as you haue perfourmed this duetie vnto him For though J am of the same opinion that he was that wrote that tract de cura pro mortuis gerenda of care to be taken for the dead commonlie fathered vpon S. Augustine that ista omnia id est curatio funcris conditio sepulturaâ—â— pompa exequiarum magis viuorum sunt solatia quam subsidia mortuorum Cap. 2. that is that al these thinges the care had about the dead bodie the maner of the buriall and the solemnitie of the funeral obsequies are rather comfortes for the liuing then anie helpes of the dead yet J am of this iudgement thereof so they bee done and vsed without superstition and but as is decent and sit for the state of the person as in this case J am sure they were they are commendable tokens and arguments both of dutifull loue and regarde in those they leaue behinde towardes them and also so manie good means to shew and nourish their hope of a ioiful and comfortable resurrection Do we not read euen that our Sauiour Christ himselfe defended Marie Magdalens fact when some of hls disciples murmured at it in powring a box of very costly ointment on his head in that she did it to bury him Mat. 26. ve 7 c. And is it not reported to the coÌ„mendation both of Ioseph of Arimathea of Nicodemus that the one to the deceÌ„t burial of Christ bestowed vpon him a sepulchre linneÌ„ cloths to wrap his
body in that the other brought mirhhe aloes an 100. pouÌ„d weight that so with sweet odours according to the maner of the Iews they might bury him Ioh 19.38.39 c. Surely Gen 50. it is recorded that when old father Iacob was dead the care of his funeral was coÌ„mitted vnto his son Ioseph that not onlie he caused by his phisitiaÌ„s his body to be embalmed but also with an Honorable coÌ„pany great solemnity though to his very great cost according to his fathers desire he carried it froÌ„ Aegipt into the land of Canaan to bury him with his fathers AbrahaÌ„ Isaac in the caue field that AbrahaÌ„ had bought to bury in of Ephron the Hittite this is writeÌ„ in his coÌ„mendation was indeed both a notable argument in him of piety towards his dead father also of hope that he had of the resurrection And therfore though I wish that al superstitioÌ„ needles vndecent superfluitie be abaÌ„doned in such cases generally in the burial of the dead yet I caÌ„not but greatly like coÌ„mend that such decent comlie order be kept therin that maie according to euery mans degree argue nourish both these amongst al his welwillers that he hath left behinde him And therefore once againe I cannot but reioice in al your behalfes that you were also of one minde as I know you were that this last duety should so Honorably be performed vnto the bodie of this Honorable Lord as it was ther in you maie all take comfort Further it ought to be now ground of no smal consolation vnto you al three that one hath had of him that thus Honorablie liued an died such a son in Law the other such a husband the third so worthie a father as he was For if it be matter of discomfort of the contrarie as everie one seeth by experience therfore wil confesse it is whie should not this alwaies be matter of reioicing to euerie of your Honors as oft as either you remember him or heare him remembred by others And such a neere and domesticall example ought both to comfort much also to provoke to imitatioÌ„ of the same I hope pray God that it maie that so yet though to vs he be dead gone yet his vertues noble qualities maie stil liue shine to the comfort of al his welwillers in his that he hath left behinde him Finallie iustlie maie it be a comfort vnto you so to the praise glorie of God I would wish you al hartelie to take it so and vse it that euerie one of you to saie no more haue so iust cause both before God man to comfort your selues one in another as you haue one that she hath such a daughter daughters sonne the other that the Lord in his mercifull providence hath giuen her both such an Honorable careful louing mother and a good and toward son the third that he hath so vertuous religious Honorable both grandmother mother O howe ought this to abate and moderate your former sorrow seeing now there is no remedie And what an excellent and strong means are you and J hope will be as long as you liue together not onlie of comfort everie waie one vnto another but of counsailing directing and strengthening where most neede is one of another in a holie course A threefold corde is not easilie broken saith the Preacher Cap. 4. ver 12. But the greatest comfort of all that both you and all other of Gods children in the midst of all the afflictions of this life haue is this that that God whom you serue remaineth for euer one selfe same that hee is al sufficient an exceeding great rewarde to his that his providence howsoeuer thinges fall out standeth immutable and that therfore without al question howsoeuer we cannot perceiue it as the first al things therefore euen those thinges also which seeme vnto vs most to crosse the same shal by his diuine wisedome and power turne to the good and benefit of his Rom. 8.28 With al these things therfore once againe beseeching you to comfort your selues one another praying the Lord effectuallie you maie so doe that all his good blessings to your own euerlasting saluation maie be powred and continued vpon everie of you all yours for euer J cease from anie further troubling of your Honors at this time As Blechley this first of December 1593. Your Honors alwaies most ready and willing to be as commandement Thomas Sparke IN OBITVM CLARISSIMI HErois Domini Arthuri Greij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Curuae in terras animae quaecunque piorum Creditis extinctas vnà cum corpore mentes O vanos questus ô pectora plena furoris St quando in superûm sedes quos Ioua recepit Speratis fletu rursus deducere Coelo Debetis fateor lachrymas Iusta sepultis Sed transire modum scelus perijsse putare Quos Christus seruat mortem qui morte peremit At dolor extorquet luctus in funera tanti Herois Certè nostrae non infima gentis Gloria defluxit grauis inclementia fati Cum tulit hunc terris vt lucida viseret astra Is fuit ex atauis Heroibus editus Heros Relligione pius constantimente probatus Consilio prudens iustis animosus in armis Câ—llatis signis rigidos qui fudit Hybernos Quos per inaccessos saltus vdasque paludes Insequitur subigens extremo Marte rebelles Pro patriâ pugnans sanctis arisque focisque Turma Caledonias dum vastat Gallica terras Ore cicatrices aduerso pectore fortis Vulnera multa tulit nunquam dare terga coactus Talis apud Graecos magnus celebratur Achilles Talis Albertus cui magni nomen Achillei Teutonis or a dedit surgunt vbi moenia Brenni Hoc animo Decij hoc olim caluere Metelli Qui se pro patriâ pro libertate Penatum Deuouere neci quos laus aeterna moratur Ioannes Sanfordus Isaiah 57. verse 1.2 1 The righteous perisheth no man considereth it 〈◊〉 hart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evell to come 2 Peace shall come they shall rest in their beddes every one that walketh before him THE occasion of this our present meeting Right honorable Right worshipfull and wel be loued â—rooâ— Lord and Sauiour 〈…〉 and the consider 〈…〉 the â—aies and ciliâ—â—◠〈…〉 in we liue haue for 〈…〉 me to make cheefe of 〈◊〉 portion of scripture at this time For natâ—â—â—â— standing that the Lord hath now taken from vs to 〈…〉 selfe this Right Noble and worthy Lord whose â—â—â—â—nerall we are here now about and the buriall of whose bodie wee are anone to fee and that â—â—â—wise hee hath within these few yeares taken 〈◊〉 by death from this land very many of our most 〈…〉 Earles Lords and Knights as it is wel◠〈…〉 beside many others of
had then any shipping to send them away withall nor might leaue theÌ„ there behinde him to shift for themselus nor yet lead them away with him captiue without apparant shew not only of further danger to the whole country but also of ineuitable perill to his own company being theÌ„ so few and so weakned with long being abroad being also so meanly victuailed as they were only for them selues that which is most of al hauing to passe home so many 100. miles as they had and most therof most daÌ„gerously through the cuntries of their friends and their own enemies how could he in any wisedome or pollicy vnles men would haue had him coÌ„trary to al nature iudgment for shewing foolish pity vpoÌ„ such vnworthy wretches cruelly childishly haue bazarded both all the cuntry and his own company also to a further perill then they as yet had been in doe any otherwise then he did And the Lord be praised for it though he were in that cuntrey but a short time by experience we haue found the Lorde so blessed his iudgement both in his doing iustice vpon them that deserued no other in shewing mercy towards theÌ„ to whom it was to be shewed indeed that euer since we haue had greater quiet and peace there then was of long time there before or otherwise was likely â—e should there haue had yet The third lesson that wee haue in the places before quoted touching iustice and mercy to learne Michah hath taught vs who though he require that we should doe iustly and lowe mercy yet he requires for al that that they that haue both these should humble themselues to walke before God For though our coÌ„sciences witnes with vs euen before God that vnfeinedly we haue studied had a care to walke before men and him so in iustice and mercy with iudgmeÌ„t that we may as worthily be called righteous mercifull men as any that here Isaiah speaketh of yet we must learne of the same Prophet not in a counterfet humility but because indeede it is so and we thinke so in simplicity to say confesse that when our righteiousnes is compared with that it should be that al our righteousnes is as filthy clouts Cap. 64. vers 6. that so still with Paul our own righteousnes which wee haue framed in the best maÌ„er we caÌ„ to the law we may indeed account of no force or valew to iustify vs before god that as he saith we may be found of him not hauing our own righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of GOD through faith for though the titles of iust righteous and perfect men be attributed giuen to sundry in the scriptures yet we are not to take vnderstand them howsoeuer the papists soÌ„e other phaÌ„tastical heads fondly doe as spoken to shew that they were quite without sin and absolutely fully kept the law For what is more plaine in the scriptures then that al meÌ„ be sinners And therfore saith Dauid Psa 143. ve 2. enter him into iudgement with thy seruant of or in thy fight no man liuing shall be iustified 〈◊〉 in an other Psalme namely 1 â—0 ver 30. 〈◊〉 saith if thou O lord streightly markest iniquities who shal standâ—â— Solomon his son most plainly faith there is no man that sinneth not 1. Kings 8.46 therefore pro. 20. ver 9. Eccle. 7.22 he saith againe who can say I haue made my heart câ—eane I am void of sinâ— Surely there is no maÌ„ in the earth that doth good and sinneth not And the new testament is as flat in this point For Rom. 3.10 we read that there is none righteous no not one and Iames most plainly faith that in many things we sinne all Cap. 3.2 and Iohn likewise as plainely writeth speaking of such as himselfe then was If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and there is no trueth in vs 1. Epist 2. vers 8. And if we doe but take a viewe of those that in the scriptures are most honoured with the titles of iust and righteous men wee shall finde the same scriptures tell vs of some sinnes of the verie same men For who are more commended in the olde testameÌ„t for such then Noah Abraham Loth Iob Moyses and Aaron Dauid Asa Iehosaphat Ezechiah and Iosiah And yet read we not Gen. 9. of Noahs drunkennes Gen. 12. 20. of Abrahams twice causing Sara to dissemble her being his wife to the great peril of her chastity and Genes 19. that Loth was first made drunke by his daughters then therin that he committed in incest with them both And Moâ—â—eâ— and Aaron both of them at the waters of strife Nâ—â—â— 20. ver 12. are told by the Lord because they beleeued him not there to sactify him before the people therfore they should not bring theÌ„ into the land that he promised theÌ„ And as for Dauid it is not only wel known that he grieuously fell in adultery and murder 2. Sam. 11. in nuÌ„bring of the people 2. Sam. 24. but also euen in the administring of iustice in adiudging through his too rash crediting the first and false information of treacherous and bâ—â—bing Sibah to him the landes of his innocent maister Mephiboseth and yet when he saw the innocency of Mephiboseth we read not that euer he reuerst this his vniust sentence 2. Sam. 16. Likewise surely are their faultes euen registred of all the rest how much good soeuer otherwise bee reported of them For of Asa we read that he was wroth with the seer and put him in prison and moreouer that then he oppressed some of the people 2. Cron. 16.10 And of Iehosaphat it appeares that he made affinity with wicked Ahab and ioyned with him to helpe him in battell 2. Chron. 18. for the which vpon his returne he is sharpely rebuked by Iehu the son of Hanani 2. Chron. 19. vers 2. c. And after the miraculous victorie that God had giuen Ezechiel against the army of Senacharib it is recorded of him that therefore he rendred not the Lord thanks accordingly but was lift vp in his heart so wrath came vpon him vpoÌ„ Iudah HierusaleÌ„ for the same 2. Chro. 32.35 Finally touching Iosiah his story sheweth that he came to his death by fighting against Pharao Necho King of AEgypt at Megiddo contrarie to the persuation euen from the Lord as the text saieth that that king gaue him 2. Chron. 35. And if any thinke that it is otherwise now with them that are commended for righteous men in the newe testament they are much deceaued For though it bee saide of Zachary the father of Iohn Baptist that he was a iust man before God and that he walked in al the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reprofe Luk. 1. ver 6. Yet after in the same Chapter verse 20. for his not beleuing the words of the Angel