Apostles doctrine come hither and behold them here intombed And in no one thing did she more excell her selfe then in the religious and vertuous education of her noble children seasoning them to the great good I hope of this kingdome in the flower of their yeares with heauenly Religion O daughters of Israel weepe Ambros Tom. 3. pag 17. de obitu fratris Satyri Itaque licet priuatum funus tamen fletus sit publicus Though for good cause the funerall solemnity of her buriall was priuate and vpon the night Lachrimae pietatis indices non illices sunt doloris Amb. Tom. 3. pag 18 de obitu fratris Satyri yet let your mourning be publique and continue day and night The Marble weepeth against a storme a strange storme is now lately fallen ye haue lost the glory of your sexe to speake in a word a vertuous Lady whose price was far aboue pearles Her honorable Lord following most Christianly the good rule of that golden Trumpeter Chrys in Ioh. 19. did Tob. 14 10 honestly seemly and nobly performe officium humanitatis charitatis dilectionis giuing a good president to others to shew mercie to the dead as also to the liueing Chrys Tom. 3. Hom. 84. in Ioh 19 pag 137 a peaceable woman of a good heart Eccles 26.14 one in whose tongue was clemency meeknesse and wholsome talke Eccles 36.23 This good gracious Lady one of the daughters of the faithfull was for all the world like Sarah the mother of the faithfull For from the beginning of her life to the end of her life subiect to the crosse I may wel and truly say Ipsius animam pertransiuit gladius Many a sharpe sword of sorrow pierced through her heart and soule Now at her end without the comfortable presence of her honorable Lord without the comfortable presence of her Isaac her sonne of ioy and comfort whom the great God of heauen make heire of all his parents vertues and graces and if it be his blessed will turne from him all their miseries and calamities and make his name more famous then euer theirs was But will some say thus to be crossed is to be cursed Cursed a heauy word and so to affirme were to condemne the generation of the iust Psal 73.15 Yea and the Lord Iesus Christ the Sauiour of the Iust Isay 53. For further answere hereunto and for the rectifying of mens vnsetled iudgements I intreat you obserue that there are two things which doe not a little trouble very often not onely the weake but euen the best in Gods schoole Psal 73. verses 2. and 13. The one is Crucis duritia the godlies great miserie the other is Impiorum laetitia the wickeds seeming excessiue felicity For the first Crucis duritia The estate of the godly is vsually harder then other mens If any looke for chaste Ioseph where shall he finde him but in a prison If for vpright and iust Iob Gen. 39.20 Iob 2 8. with a pot-sheard vpon the dunghill For godly Lazarus Luke 16.20 at the Rich-mans gate full of sores For the mother of the faithfull tossed from post to pillar wandring vp and downe Yea in a word it is the portion of the godly Rom. 8.36 Aestimati sumus tanquam oves occisionis Wee are counted as sheepe for the slaughter For the other Impiorum laetitia If misery were equally the portion of euery man then each might say Et mea cum multis iuncta querela est My comfort is though it be but a poore comfort my hap is no harder then other mens But the wicked are not in trouble as other men neyther are they plagued with other men Psal 73.5 Baals priests and the priests of the groue are full fed they eate at Iezabels table 1 Kings 18.19 when as good godly Eliah the Prophet is glad to get his bread by begging 1 Kin. 17.11 Surgunt procellae stagni huius saith St Augustine The stormes of this world arise Vides malos florere bonos laborare Thou seest the wicked liue in iollity and prosperity the godly drooping vnder penury pouerty Poore innocent Isaac led to the slaughter while scoffing Ismael sits at home Good godly Iacob set to tend and keepe sheepe whiles my Lord Esau rides on hunting Tentatio est fluctus est A sore tryall a billow able to beate a mans breath out of his body Aug in Psal 25. pag. 39. Et dicit anima tua O Deus Deus haeccine est iustitia tua vt mali floreant boni laborent And doth thy soule with sobs and sighes say Is this O good God thy iust and indifferent carriage of businesse That bloudy Cain and his sinfull race should take the Tymbrell and the merry Harp solace and reioyce themselues in the sound of the Organs Genes 4.21 when if wee looke for Daniel wee shall finde him in the Lyons denne for Ieremiah in the dungeon for Isaiah tortured vpon the racke for the Apostles of Christ in a common loathsome Goale Acts 5.17 for the mother of the faithfull liuing in a strange land and dying in a strange land Dicis Deo Haeccine est iustitia tua Et Deus tibi respondet Haeccine est fides tua Haeccine tibi promisi aut ad hoc Christianus factus es vt in seculo floreres Saist thou to God Is this thy iustice and righteousnesse And God saith again to thee Is this O man thy faith confidence Was there euer any such stipulation or promise which passed betwixt thee and mee at the time when thou tookest that glorious name of Christian vpon thee that all should outwardly goe well Prosper Epigran pag 209. Nunquam bella bonis nunquam discrimina desunt Et cum quo certet mens pia semper habet Quae carnem oblectant sancto sunt noxia cordi Contra animi legem praelia corpus habet Pulsant exterius diuersis motibus hostes Intus ciuile est sociale malum We must not in this world looke that our flesh shall haue rest but wee must looke to be troubled on euery side Fightings without and terrours within 2 Cor. 7.5 Since the fall of Adam no man passeth to Paradise but by the burning Seraphins Gen. 3.24 No man to the land of Canaan but by the bitter waters of Marah Exod. 15.23 No man to Ierusalem but by mount Caluery and the vally of weeping The tenure whereby we hold heauen is the Crosse Mat. 16.24 and 10.38 That was the Indenture betwixt Christ and his Father that hee should not enter into heauen but that hee must first suffer Luke 24.26 O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glory And it is the indenture betwixt Christ and vs 2 Tim. 3.12 Whosoeuer will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer afflictions The mouth that cannot lie that faithfull and true witnesse Apoc. 3.14 saith If
vs haue an eye to a better then this present life d Non est requiâ—vbi quaeritis eaâ— Quaerite quod quaeritis sed ibi non est vbi quaeritis Beatam vitam quaeritis in regione mortis non est illic Quomodo enim beata vitae vbi nec vitae Aug. Tom. â— lib. 4. Confes cap. 12. Happinesse is not to be found here But to shut vp my selfe within some lists and limits this Chapter spreadeth it selfe into two braunches The one containeth the death of that Noble Vertuous and Religious Lady Sarah The other the gracious behauiour of Abraham her Lord at her death namely Luctus he mourneth for her Secondly a godly care for her funerall rites and decent interring of her corpes vers 3.4 together with that which may seeme strange Emptio agri The purchasing of a place for buriall for though he had as good a title and right thereto as any man hath to his possession it being conueighed vnto him by indenture and confirmed by the broad seale of the Couenant Circumcision yet is this great Lord glad to crouch to the sonnes of Cheth Thirdly there is specified the buriall it selfe vers 19. To looke backe vnto the first branch of the Chapter which in some sort may not vnfitly be called Sarahs Epitaph is contained these two things First the time when she died secondly the place where she died And besides the time and place whereof wee presently will speake shee is honored with a double honour aboue all other women First that she is the onely woman whose whole age is mentioned in the Scripture 〈◊〉 autem sciâ—e non fuisse morem Hebraeis neque diuinae Scripâ—â—â—â— genealogias â—exere mulierum Damas Orth sid lib. 4. cap. 15 fol. 163. and whose number of yeares are recorded of God In Scripture women are vsually excluded not onely from Genealogies but also from Chronologies That they liued is recorded but how long they liued and when they died is not specified Yet here the Lord by the pen of that man of God Moses Beda Tom 5. in Luc lib. 1 pag 190 doth set downe the length of Sarahs age First because she was to bee the mother of all the faithfull 1 Pet. 3.6 as Eue was the mother of all liuing Gen. 3. And therefore the great God of Heauen would haue some notes of eminency set vpon her aboue other women Secondly that womankind may know that though they be the weaker sexe yet their life is no lesse regarded of God then is the life of man and that their death is as precious in his sight as is the death of man Psal 116.15 this caution by the way beeing obserued Si modo permanserint in fide in dilectione sanctificatione cum sobrietate 1 Tim. 2.15 If they continue in faith and loue and holinesse with modesty The second priuiledge is that shee is the first for whose death mourning and weeping is mentioned an other note of no small honour Gen. 50.9 And it is a great and fearefull iudgement and signe of Gods wrath to haue the buriall of an Asse to haue none to lament none to mourne for them Ieremy 22.18.19 To come to the words themselues because the yeares of Sarah are distinctly numbred and the Hebrewes reade thus Lyra in â—â—cum And the liues of Sarah was an hundred yeares and twenty yeares and seuen yeares the Iewish Rabbins collect that here is commended her beauty and her chastity viz. That she was as faire at an hundred as at twenty and as chaste at twenty as at seauen That Sarah was pulchra casta cannot without impudency bee denied Pulchra well featured well fauoured the currant of Scripture is pregnant for it Gen. 12.11 And the holy Ghost maketh her a figure of the new Testament and of the heauenly Ierusalem the mother of vs all Gal. 4.24.26 The spouse of Christ is faire Cant. 4.1 Casta well nurtured sweet natured pure and chast is no lesse euident 1 Pet. 3.6 in that the Apostle setteth her forth for all women to behold and as a glasse for them to looke into and an example to follow in their liues and conuersations But neuerthelesse that which the Iewish Rabbins would gather is not from the words warrantable such idle dreames affoord little or no edification But from the words we safely may collect for our comfort and consolation viz. that the Lord doth number all our yeares whether they be few or many he hath noted them down in his booke of remembrances The Scripture sheweth that the Lord doth very carefully take a reckning of our life here Sarahs dayes are precisely numbred And Iob 14.5 mentioneth moneths and dayes how that our dayes exactè praefiniti sunt are exactly determined and the number of the moneths which man hath to liue are in the Lords owne hand Wherefore no good man need make any question but that the Lord hath a care of him and that the thread of his life doth not depend vpon the skill of any Aesculapius but on the good pleasure of our God a Christianis est haec magna consolatio ut sciant mortem non esse in tyrannorum vi nec ullius creaturae manu positaÌ„ neuè anxij sint multum de morte sed velut pueri moriantur quandò Domino placuerit Luth. Tom. 3. fol. 253. Our life is in his hand Psal 31.15 Hee counteth our wandrings which God knoweth are many he putteth our teares into his bottle and all our miseries are firmely registred Psal 56.8 Concerning the time we may see the quality of it Chaiiee liues there is intimated misery the quantity of it for many a yeare euen for the space of an hundred twenty and seauen The word Chaiiee and Psal 16.11 Chaiim is translated in Greek by the holy Ghost life Act. 2.28 Thou hast made knowne vnto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waies of life And it is so named in the forme plural Chaijee liues for diuers reasons First to note that in the life of euery man are many operations many changes and chances many occurrences and alterations risings and fallings ebbings and flowings Mel fel but more of the one then of the other Mans dayes are euill dayes Genes 47.9 Dayes full of labour Man cannot vtter it Eccles 1.8 Because euery day hath suam malitiam Mat. 6.32 his griefe and euery night suum terrorem his terror Psal 91.5 in so much that the life of man is rather calamity then life A good hint to put vs in memory of the fal in Paradise and of the transgression against Gods precept Gen. 3.16 Multiplicabo aerumnas tuas I will greatly increase thy sorrowes Greg. lib 11 Mor. cape From this Multiplicabo aerumnas tuas issued our misery For as Gregory speaketh Quid in se habebit fortitudinis qui natus est in infirmitatem Quid aliud ex carne quà m caro prouenire potest Quid ex misera matre aliud quà m misera creatura Can good come
out of euill light out of darknesse strength out of weaknesse Can there come from a wofull mother ought sauing a wofull creature Secondly to point backe vnto the History going before which well eyed and carefully obserued will shew that this good Lady led a carefull life all the dayes of her life First if she were the daughter of Haran which is the currant and receiued opinion of all the Iewes then was she an Orphan and fatherlesse almost as soone as she was borne Gen. 11.27 No sooner borne but subiect to the crosse Secondly when she came to womans estate then is she likewise made subiect to affliction she is barren childlesse a great crosse yea in those dayes reputed a curse that she cannot bear Eues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish Iehouae the man the Lord Gen. 4.2 Iacobs Shiloh Gen. 49.10 Daniels Messias Dan. 9.24 Pauls second Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 our Lord Iesus Christ Thirdly constrained to forsake her house and home kindred and country Gen. 12.1 and for the space of 62. yeares to liue a Pilgrime Fourthly in this pilgrimage she felt the smart of want and famine Gen. 12.10 Fiftly in Aegypt Gen. 12.15 as also in Palestina Gen. 20.4 she was in hazzard of her honour the woman Iewell Chastitie Sixtly her Lord goeth to a dangerous war against foure mighty Monarches Gen. 14.14 Seauenthly she was incumbred with domesticall dissentions ouertopped by her owne seruant no small vexation Gen. 16.14 Where by the way in a short passage obserue that domesticall dissentions are not alwayes a curse though euer a crosse Eightly shee was not free from spirituall temptations long did faith and frailty wrastle and striue whether the God of heauen who is faithfull and true and cannot lye were true of his word concerning the promised Seed So that with Moses she might truely say Psal 90.10 Optimum in vita labor dolor The best day she saw dawne was full of labour and sorrow From all which learne this lesson and yee may write on the truth thereof Nulla calamitas sola No misery is alone but like the waues of the Sea one followes in the neck of another neuer let vs look for rest in this miserable life till wee come to rest with Christ Iesus in the world to come To conclude this point because that they who in their life see and feele many sorrowes are accustomed to obserue the time best and as it were tell the houres thereof Iob 7.2.3 Therefore Moses doth not set down her yeares in grosse but draweth them out at length q. d. Sarahs life and dayes were not so short that she forgat them but God did so remarkeably marke them forth with one misery or another that she might easily count them on her fingers ends That which hapned to Sarah is or may be likewise incident to all the godly 2 Tim. 3.12 In the booke of Exodus chapter the 15. verse 25. there is this passage Ibi posuit deus iustitias iudicia Ther God made the Israelites an ordinance and a Law Ibi ubi amaritudo ubi sitis quod est grauius Origen Tom. Hom. 7. fol. sitis in abundantia aquarum ibi posuit Deus iustitias iudicia Alius non erat locus dignior aptior vberior quà m iste in quo amaritudo est Where is this there God made them an ordinance a Law euen there where was the bitter waters of Marah there where the people were like to perish through thirst though there was water at will and in great plenty There God made them a Law and gaue them ordinances no fitter or more conuenient place could be found then it where was the bitter waters of Marah Hitherto of the quality of Sarahs dayes now of the quantity continuance of the same namely 127 Although this noble and vertuous Lady endured many a sharpe shower yet neuerthelesse the Lord continued the thread of her life for many a faire yeare To make manifest to all ages and generations to come that the Lord preserued her life in the midst of death Psal 23.4 If euer any afflictions could haue hastned the death of any then might they haue hastned hers who for the space of little lesse then 90. yeares was continually subiect to one calamity or another In so much that it may seem the worlds wonder how she was able so long to endure But God in whose right hand are length of dayes Pro. 3.16 Mortem times vitam perennem exoptas in dextra sua longitudinem dierum habet Qui viuit credit in me non morietur in aeternuÌ„ Ioh 11. Immortalis est mortem superavit Immortali dextra immortalitatem porrigit Baynus lib 1 in Pro. Salom. did preserue her life in the midst of those miseries Miseries cannot shorten the dayes where the feare of the Lord is but sin may Pro. 10.27 The feare of the Lord increaseth the dayes but the yeares of the wicked shall bee diminished And Israels Singer saith Viri sanguinum dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos Psal 55.24 Wicked men shall not liue out halfe their dayes To conclude though Sarahs life was replenished with a world of woes yet did it not want some singular comforts For this vertuous Lady liued after the birth of her sonne Isaac as appeareth Gen. 17.17 the space of 36. yeares The Lord Gods good pleasure was that for some good space shee might fol ce her selfe with that childe so greatly wished so long expected and so often promised Thus the good God of heauen suffereth not his seruants to depart out of this life without some especial comfort which sweetneth and mitigateth all other sorrowes The currant of the Scriptures is plentifull to proue this point Psal 42.11 In the multitude of the sorrowes that were in my heart saith Dauid thy comforts Lord haue refreshed my soule Shewing that as the world had a multitude of sorrowes to assault Dauid so God had a multitude of comforts to refresh his heart As our sufferings abound so consolations abound 2 Cor. 1.5 Elias for a time mourned and was persecuted but at the last besides the comforts 1 Reg. 19.6.7.18 there came a charriot which freed him from Iezabels rage 2 Reg. 2.11 Sperandum quod qui in vita mortes infernos tulerint in morte mitius hâ—bituros Luther Tom. 2. pag. 75. The man according to Gods owne heart Dauid of whom before I spake had anguish and sorrow dangers and perils many and mighty Psal 18.4.5 Funes mortis the cords or bands of death compassed him about Dolores inferni the sorrowes of hell compassed him hee was inuironed with the pangs of hell and death Psal 116.3 yea and as it is in the 11 ver of this Psal 116. he breaketh forth into words little lesse then of infidelity accusing holy Samuel the Lords Prophet of a lie that he deceiued him in the promised kingdome of Israel The God of comfort taketh not this his seruant Dauid out
any will follow me tollat crucem suam let him take vp his crosse ego meam ille suam I haue taken vp mine and hee must take vp his Luc. 9.23 A Christian must be a daily Crosse-bearer For Aug Tom. 6. de Pastoribus exceptus à passione flagellorum exceptus à numero filiorum This is good Catholique doctrine Heb. 12.6 The Lord scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth It is a shrewd signe that he shall neuer receiue the crowne who did not first taste of the crosse Heb. 12.8 In the Booke of Iob there is made this inquision Iob. 28.12.13 Sapientia verò ubi inuenitur Et quit est locus intelligentiae the answere is Non invenitur in terra suaviter viventium as the vulgar latine readeth So may I say concerning Piety the feare of God grace and goodnesse where are they to bee found Non in terra suaviter viventium Not in the Land which liueth in pleasure Iam. 5.5 If you find a land of good fellowes if you seeke for grace and goodnesse you must seeke some where else for you shall not finde them there But to returne vnto this worthy Lady though she were afflicta yet was she not derelicta Psal 37.26 She had her many comforts Oliue plants about her table Psal 128.3 not one but many dutifull children children tractable to piety and goodnesse children free from the common staine of this sinfull age Moreouer shee died in good time for her selfe though too soone for me and many moe Sibi maturè aut mihi citò she came to the graue in a good age to the graue often before wished often before desired Phil. 1.23 Often haue I heard her vtter the effect of these following verses Vita diu mihi poena fuit me nulla voluptas Incitat ut cupiam longius esse super Mors melior vita certa mihi mente videtur Quae ridimit cunctis pectora fessa malis But my spirits faile my passions will not suffer me speake the fountaine is full therefore well may it ouerflow we therefore that doe remaine haue this for our comfort and it is no small comfort that she liued and died in a Land where vnder a gracious Prince of peace the word of life is published and in this vale of misery she tooke vp Christs crosse she passed the burning Seraphins therefore hath she entred into Paradise * Habent omnes animae cum de seculo exierint diversas receptiones suas habent gaudium boni mali tormenta Aug. in Ioh 11. Tract 49. pag 442. shee did drinke many a deepe draught of the bitter waters of Marah therefore she hath set foote into the Land of promise the true Canaan she hath climbed vp mount Caluarie and waded many a wet footstep through the vallie of weeping therefore she is ascended mount Sion and come to the City of the liuing God the Coelestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Assembly and Congregation of the first borne and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of iust and perfect men Heb. 12.22 where with Christ Iesus she liueth for euermore a Fideles etiam defuncti membra Christi sunt quamvis ergo cum suis corporibus nondū sunt iam tamen eorū animae regnant cum illo Aug. But I must leaue thee Noble Lady thy body to rest in thy graue of peace vntill the great Resurrection when you shall receiue full blessednesse b Quum verò ab hoc somno evigilabunt simul omnes quod promissum est accepturi sunt Promissa enim est fidelibus resurrectio carnis mortis consumptio vita aeterna cum Angelis Aug. Tom 9. Tract 49. in Euang. Ioh. pag. 442. and thy Soule to bee with the God of peace and with the blessed Angels and all the congregation of the first borne where you sing the song of Moses a song of victory and thanksgiuing Reu. 15.3 And as for you my Christian auditorie take this by the way and thinke vpon it This place and this Country is Terra suaviter viventium a Land that liueth too much in pleasure too much giuen to the common sinne of this age Hor epist lib. 1. ad Albium Tibullum that is too many are Epicuri de grege porci to english it in the Apostles phrase 1 Cor. 15.32 Beasts of Ephesus giuen to eating and drinking c To remedy this great euill which hath bin the ruine of many of his Maiesties Subiects the wasting of their goods and losse of their liues in these parts I wish the worshipfull Iustices would be pleased to giue eare to these my requests First That no Ale-house be suffered vpon the edge of Commons and in obscure places where Rogues and Theeues may resort Secondly not to licence any in a village when the Minister thereof and all the whole Parish shall think it vnfit Thirdly not to licence any who hath iustly stood for misdemeanours excommunicated a yeare or two Fourthly when the abuse shall grow so great that poore women out of the anguish of their soules shall craue ayde that their husbands may not spend all at the pot and they statue that then there be made some redresse Lastly that painfull Preachers or other Officers may be heard and not checked when they iustly complain at your Benches against such places as suffer drinking carding and fighting vpon the Sabbath dayes in the time of Diuine Seruice If these requests be iust and good I request you harken vnto them Consider that here lyeth a Saint therefore bee not so grosse sinners Here God hath erected the standard of his Word to his people Isay 49.22 His banner is displayed and whosoeuer are guided hereby to them appertaine peace and mercy Galath 6.16 Here the great Trumpe is blowne Isay 27.13 O foelicem populum qui agnoscit clangorem Psalm 89.15 O blessed is the people that know the ioyfull sound giuing eare vnto this voice for they O Lord shall walke in the light of thy countenance Iob. 14.23 And I pray you is not this his word or voice Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selues lest at any time your hearts bee oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse But at this time I will presse this point no more here I will abruptly end and that portion of Scripture which was lately my text for a Sermon I will make now the conclusion of this my Sermon Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the bloud of the euerlasting Couenant make you perfect in euery good worke to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS