vertues must never wholly die nor be buried in oblivion because to the injury both of the dead and the living The name of the wicked justly rots but the name of the righteous ought to be had in everlasting remembrance It is fit they should be quite forgotten who never did any thing worthy of memory or imitation Nor is it less fit to remember those with eternal honour who did all things with honour and in reference to Eternity Commendation is the least reward due to Vertue Imitation is the highest commendation of it just commendation and imitation make the most noble and durable Monument for it Which good ends are aimed at by this following Inscription dedicated to the Mothers Vrne at the Sons Funeral that seeing how Holy the Parent or Root was mankind may conjecture how hopeful the Son or Branch might be and how happy themselves may be by imitating both of Them in those things which were praise-worthy in Them That God in all may have the glory of all as infinitely above all Piae Memoriae Sacrum Quam a Posteris meritò exigit Nobilissima Heroina ac Domina D. ANNA RICH. Illustrissimâ Devonienfis Comitis Familiâ oriunda Warwicensis Filio Haeredi connubio juncta Ingens utriusque Gentis decus ornamentum Praestantissimum verae Nobilitatis Nobilissimarumque virtutum exemplar Optatissimis Animi Corporisque dotibus Supra Invidiam Laudemque cumulata Animi excelsi constantis generosi Nec Aulae splendore nec Sortis suae fastigio elati Ingenii vividi elegantis splendidi Ad summa pulcherrimaque nati Genii benigni amoeni mitissimi Ad infimorum usum suaviter demissi Sermonis politi Rerum pondere magis quà m verborum numero copiosi Gestus decori gratissima Majestatis Comitatisque temperie venerandi Amoris puri invicti stupendi Amicitiae cordatae fidae amicissimae Vitae Admirationi quà m Laudi proximae Conscientiae probè instructae Christique sanguine perpurgatae Pietatis non vulgaris non fictae non verbosae Quanta quanta fuit Tota vera solida sincera Ad speciem plausum populumve Nihil datum Ad Deum ad Christum omnia Quicquid praeclari dixeris Viator cogitaverisve Par esse non potes meritis nedum nimius Id enim omne quâ Fuit Fecitque superavit Illa Quantum Res verba superant effectusque Cogitata Aureus reverâ Pudicitiae Formae Nodus unio fulgentissimus Candoris Judicii Nodus unio fulgentissimus Acuminis prudentiae Nodus unio fulgentissimus Humilitatis honoris Nodus unio fulgentissimus Gravitatis dulcedinis Nodus unio fulgentissimus Sublimitatis patientiae Nodus unio fulgentissimus Rationis pietatis Nodus unio fulgentissimus Humanae divinaeque pulchritudinis Nodus unio fulgentissimus Sexum Aetatem Spem vota Amicorum Faecundissima virtute supergressa Cui ad summam Mortalium Claritatem Nihil defuit Nec ipse poteris ultra desiderare Lector Praeter Vitam in Terris diuturniorem Quum enim Annos Nondum 27. numerasset Caelo Matura Spectatissimos Parentes Nobilissimum Conjugem Integerrimos Fratres Numerosissimos Amicos Charissimum Filiolum unicum castissimi Amoris pignus Mortales denique omnes Amplissimam sibi virtutum Messem pollicentes Pio certè pretiosoque Numini placido felicique Sibi Solis Invidis laeto Caeteris acerbo tristissimóque FATO Infanda tam praesentis quam posterae aetatis Jactura deseruit Aug. 24. 1638. Hoc Devotissimi pectoris monumentum Lubens Maerensque posuit J. G. AN EPITAPH UPON The LADY RICH. POssest of all that Nature could bestow All we can wish to be or reach to know Equal to all the patterns which our mind Can frame of good beyond the good we find All beauties which have power to bless the sight Mixt with transparent vertues greater light At once producing love and reverence The admiration of the soul and sense The most discerning thoughts the calmest breast Most apt to pardon needing pardon least The largest mind and which did most extend To all the Lawes of Daughter Wife and Friend The most allow'd example by what line To live what path to follow what decline Who best all distant vertues reconcil'd Strict cheerful humble great severe and mild Constantly pious to Her latest breath Not more a Pattern in Her life then death The Lady RICH lies here More frequent Tears Have never honour'd any Tomb then Hers. SIDNEY GODOLPHIN THE SUMMARY OF THE SERMON OF Funeral Solemnities civil and religious Page 1 1 Of Feasting its danger and disadvantages p. 6 2 Of the House of Mourning its advantages p. 8 Of Holy Necromancy learning from the dead p. 9 The Honour paid antiently to the dead p. 11 3 Who the living are in the Text p. 12 No advantages from the livings devotion to the dead Romish Superstition p. 13 4 How the living may be benefitted by the dead p. 15 5 The Hearts decays dangers distempers p. 17 Account to be given of others deaths p. 21 6 Fourteen considerations rising from the death of any to be laid to heart by the living 1 Of our mortal and vile bodies in their health sickness decay death p. 24 Not to be preferred before our souls p. 26 How little cause we have to be proud of our selves or to flatter others 2 Consid By way of analogy the putid horror and fedity of a dead soul p. 27 3 Consid The fedity and horror of sin as the meritorious cause of all deaths p. 29 4 Consid The vanity of this life and all things in it set forth in the pregnant instance of this noble Gentleman 5 Consid Of the certain uncertainty of death Its Catholick Empire p. 37 6 The danger of delaying Repentance p. 42 The pious importunity of Ministers urging speedy Repentance p. 44 Impenitence riseth from unbelief p. 47 Death-bed Repentance less certain and less comfortable to our selves and others p. 50 Vulgar pleas for delaying repentance answered p. 54 Of rational and religious living how far in our power p. 57 7 Consid Of God's patience and long suffering to us p. 59 8 Lay to heart the death of Christ the onely antidote against the curse and terror of death p. 61 9 Consâ—d The chiefe end of our lives unprofitable and pernicious waste of a short and pretious life p. 63 10. Consid The seeming samenesse of mens deaths after their various lives Arguments for an after life or being p. 67 11 The folly of Christians uncharitable and excessive passions as to any concerns of this life p. 70 12 The wisedom of Christians moderation in all things in their passion or grief for the dead p. 74 Of timely disposing our selves to die when we are sick p. 74 Why sick men are more attended by Physitians then Divines p. 75 13 Consider how prepared thou art at present for death of adorning the last act of a Christians life p. 77 All Christians may be preachers on their death-beds p. 78 14 What deaths are most emphatick and chiefly to be laid to heart p. 79 1 Of Kings and Soveraign Magistrates p. 80 2 Of chief-Priests Prophets and Ministers of God's Church p. 81 3 Of any gracious and eminent Christian p. 83 4 Of neer Relations as Parents Husbands Wives Children p. 85 5 Of such as have been very wicked and die in their sin p. 87 Of David's mourning so passionately for Absalom p. 88 Three Vses 1 Reproving such hearts as are senseless and unconcerned in any ones death or joy in it p. 89 2 Vse exam How we have improved this and the like spectacles of death p. 91 3 Vse vindicating religious as well as civil Solemnities at Christians burials p. 92 Lastly An account of this noble Personage Mr. ROBERT RICH from his cradle to his coffin His education domestick Academick forraign His temper of body and mind His health sickness disease death p. 92 The conclusion A Prayer preparatory for death p. 115 The judgement of six Doctors in Physick and two Chirurgeons upon the dissection of the Corps p. 120 An Epitaph upon His noble Mother added as an honour to the Funeral urne and memory of this Her onely Child
seasonable Physick as well as food Who knows but his bodily infirmities might be an holy meanes to cure those of his soule of which as he could not but be conscious so he did with a very pathetick humble and I hope penitent unfeigned sense confess them to God and my self and possibly to others His knowledge as a Christian was too great to suffer â—im to be ignorant or sensless of his sins whereof he stood guilty before God He is very miserable that flatters himself to be without them or is reniorseless for them Who can know that is acknowledge sufficiently with penitent shame and sorrow the transgressions and errors of his youth as David saith Psal 25.7 Optimus ille qui minimis urgetur as St. Jerome by his own experience cries out He is happyest that is least overcome by them most humbled for them and strives most against them till he hath quite overcome them Although I must profess to all the world my ignorance of any way either foul riotous notorious scandalous or debauched in him as to swearing profaneness or luxury in his later yeares since he wrote man and was out of his pupillage not any thing heretofore did I observe or hear beyond what is usual but not therefore venial in most young persons as quick passions and such surprises of the beast and devil within us as are incident to high yea all spirits together with the usual methods of young Gentlemen by sports and idle travellings to unravel by their after-neglect and forgetting of all literature and serious studies whatever learning their former education had wrought for them and woven in them He did acknowledge that he had sins enough to exercise Gods infinite mercy and to need all good Christians charity and prayers while he lived Who is so happy as he can dispense with either of them I know after the rate not onely of our times which are bad and loose enough but of all times that a little modesty and civil restraint short of the highest vices seem a great vertue in young great and florid persons The impotent and impudent debanchery of many makes their folly outvye their fortunes Magnitudinem fortune peccandi licentia metiuntur deform their Honours blaspheme their Baptism corrupt the age in which they live disdain their God and damn their own with others soules insomuch that many young people are ripe in sin while their years are yet green and their experience of things but very raw Commonly men and women flatter themselves as if they were birds of a rare feather and jewels of oriental lustre if they be but civil polite formal inoffensive to man if they be but onely apishly petulant scenically affected and fulsomly vain and not monstrously vicious To expect any thing from them at those years that is learned serious studious judicious vertuous generous consciencious truly religious towards God seems to them as unreasonable and unseasonable as if one should look for ripe fruits in time of blossomes or for harvest in the spring as if life time strength beauty wit and spirits with all other talents which they have in their youth were none of Gods gifts nor any good use or account to be made of them more then children doe of their babies and rattles to use and abuse them to break and loose them Whereas indeed so soon as we begin to be capable to sin knowingly and reflexively we ought to begin to repent seriously The smitings of our hearts and checks of conscience which this Gentleman told me he ever had after any known fin should be minded and religiously considered as Gods gracious rebukes as Christs looking back on Peter which smote that rock so effectually that rivers of tears gushed out As we are loth to be long or a little miserable so we should be as loth to be long or little sinful The civil and formal righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees will not bring us to the kingdome of heaven it must be exceeded or we shall be damned both young and old There must be Christian graces proportionable to Christs doctrine precepts promises baptism sufferings and love to bring us to Christs glory They are undone that are afraid or ashamed in their youth to be too good As we cannot be too soon happy in our own sense nor can we be too soon holy in Gods sense Such as intend Gods glory and their own eternal welfare in earnest must not flatter themselves in youth as if a little good nature would goe a great way to save young men because the highest praise as Aristotle sayes of young ones is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be hopeful accessible tractable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be monitoribus asperi morose offensive disdainful to all good counsel and counsellors This is well spoken for heathen Philosophers and Poets but this is not the height which Christian Preachers must require and Christian people exact of themselves if they mean to go to heaven in case they die as they may in their youth Are not many cut off daily in their essays of repentance and delays of reforming being miserable before they would because they would not be good so soon as God would and they should have been As for those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refractory reluctancies and recalcitrations against all good counsel monition and example to which high-crested and obstinate youth is too prone this noble Gentleman was so far removed as to my experience from them that a little before and soon after he had compleated what he imagined to be his chiefest worldly happiness when I visited him he did of himself desire me once and again that I would advise him what I conceived the best method of living to the improvement of his mind and time both for God and man what books were most proper for his reading and study both in piety and prudence The procedure of this good motion was prevented by his languishing sickness and that valetudinary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indisposition which presently grew upon him and after five moneths so prevailed that it banished all hopes of long lasting in this world The importunity of his cough was such as forbad almost all long discourses with him which perceiving I thought it a work not unworthy of my faithful respects to him to send him my advise in writing that he might at his best leisure either read it or have it read to him which I know he did with as much regard and attention as could be expected in the course of his languishing tedious state yet he had some frequently to read choise places of Scripture to him particularly when the 8th of the Romans was read to him by that person whom he most loved whose tears in reading best interpreted not the Text but her own heart and sympathies to him he would oft pray her to repeat some verses once and again to give him leave to pause upon them and sometimes he ended his meditation and
unreasonable irreligious and divelish A carrionly carkass of a man is aromatick a very perfume in comparison of a dead and rotting soul The body becomes dead and so dissolves by the souls parting from it but the soul by Gods being separated from it first out of its own choise next by Gods penal deserting of it The soul is the salt the light and life of the body so is God of the soul Anima animae the very soul of our souls I mean his grace love and spiritual communion separation from this is the souls death here and hereafter For from the power wrath and vengeance of God the damned are not separated who are dead not to their being but to their well being or happiness to the union at and fruition of God in love The soul apart from God in grace or glory is not only an orphan or a widow condemned to eternal sorrow and desolation for nothing can maintain or entertain wooe wed or indow the soul to the least degree of happines or to any allay of misery when once God hath quite forsaken it But it is emortua conclamata in heaven earth and hell proclaimed as starke dead in Law and Gospel Matth. 13.42 to justice and mercy so represented in Scripture as the horridest expression or the blackest colour to set forth its misery and horror its regret and torpor its weeping and wailing its gnashing and despair Doth then such a thick cloud of horror hang over the face and state of a dead body which is senseless of its own death and deformity of its noysome grave and dark dungeon Sapiens ignis subtilis vermis carpit nutrit urit reficit Chrysol O what a world of horror must lie upon a dead soul when deservedly cast out of God's blessed presence when it feels its death and lives only to die when it feels it is plunged in a dead Sea which is boundless and bottomlesse where the worm dies not and the fire goeth not out because it is as Crysologus calls it a subtil fire and ingenious worm which burns but consumes not devours but destroyes not Who can dwell with everlasting burnings saith the Prophet in an extasie of holy horrour Isa 33.14 Who can live in everlasting dyings Who can abide his own everlasting rottings Is it a gradual and lingring death to want food raiment light liberty fit company Is it a total death to the body to want the little spark of the soul which is the breath and spirit of life to the body What is it then to the soul to want that God who is the breather of that breath of life and Inspirer of that spirit We want a word beyond death to expresse that state Lay it then to heart Phil. 3.11 and consider what cause we have to be humble to tremble and fear exceedingly to escape most solicitously and diligently that second and eternal death if by any means we may attain the resurrection of the dead to life eternal 3. Lay to heart upon the sight of a dead body and the meditation of a dead soul whence it is that these fears and faintings sicknesses and sorrows deaths and darknesses sordidnesse and desolation corruption and condemnation have thus mightily prevailed over the highest mountains as the flood over the most noble beautiful and excellent of all Gods works under heaven even over mankind good and bad great and small Eccles 2.16 wise and foolish upon which nature the great and only God had set such characters of special glory enduing it with a diviner spirit so making man as Moses saith a living spirit or a spirit of life And this after counsel and deliberation Faciamus hominem Sanctius his animal mentisâ— capaâ—ius aliâ—e Gen. 2.7 As in re magni momenti a matter of greater concern and weight then heaven and earth and all the host of them They were made ex tempore as it were Nudo verbo Let there be and there was But man was made ex consilio after Gods own Image full of beauty health honour riches wisedome the Spirit of the living God given him in an extraordinary beam Whence is this lapse to earth to dust to a sad and wretched a decaying and dying condition both temporal and eternal Sure not from the impotencie or envy of the blessed Creator whose omnipotent goodnesse is inconsistent with such infirmities nor yet from the frailty and inconsistency of the subject matter which he raised to so goodly a fabrick little lower then the Angels Psal 49.12 as man was made who should have been as long immortal as Angels had he continued a man that is Rom. 6.23 rational and religious enjoying the Image of God on him which forbids and excludes as all shadow of sin and defection so of all death or mutation to worse No. The Psalmist tells us after the history of Genesis Man being in honour did not so abide but is become like to the beasts that perish by the frailty of his will which fell from adherence to God as the durable and supreme Good Sin hath levelled us to beasts to death to devils to hell This death in all sizes and degrees from the least ache and dolour to the compleatnesse of damnation is the wages of fin So the Apostle oft tells us Rom. 5.17 by one mans offence death entred and reigned over all The soul that sins that shall die Ezek. 18. Sin is the source of all our sorrows the lethalis arundo poysoned arrow whose infection drinks up the spirits and eats up the health flesh bodies and soules of mankind No wonder we die since we sin at such a rate the wonder is that we live any one of us one moment How much more is the miracle of Gods love and mercy that hath by Christs death and merits brought forth to light eternal life and offered it to all penitent and believing sinners as purchased and prepared for them Because sin once lived in us we must once die and till sin be dead or mortified in us we cannot hope for life eternal Through death then thou wilt best see the face of thy sin What Poet what Painter what Orator whose colours are most lively can expresse the amazement horrour and astonishment that seized on the looks and hearts of Adam and Eve Rom. 27. 2 Tim. 1.10 when they had the dreadful prospect of their first great sin and curse written with the blood and pourtrayed on the face of their dead son Abel who in that primitive paucity of mankind was barbarously slain by his brother Cain Who can expresse or conceive the woful lamentation they made over their dead son in whom they first beheld the beauties of life swallowed up by the deformities of death Is death then so dreadful so dismal so deformed so putid O think what that sin is which thou so embracest and huggest The fountain of bitternesse is more bitter then the stream Our madness and misery is