A SERMON PREACHED AT THE FVNERALLS OF THAT WORTHIE AND WORSHIPFVLL GENTLEMAN MASTER Thomas Dutton of Dutton Esquire who yeelded to nature the 28. of December By RICHARD EATON Bachelour of Diuinitie and Pastor of Great Budworth in Cheshire Deut. 39. 29. Oh that they were wise then they would vnderstand this They would consider their latter end LONDON Printed by Iohn Legatt for Samuel Man dwelling at the signe of the Ball in Pauls Church-yard 1616. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND HOPEFVLL YOVNG GENTLEMAN SIR GILBERT GERRARD KNIGHT OF the Noble order of the Bath The Ladie Elenour his wife together with her right Worshipfull mother Mistris Thomasin Dutton all increase of true happinesse SYR being called vpon to prepare this sermon for an impression and finding a necessitie laid vpon me to satisfie the importunitie of some friends it came into my minde to tender the same to you And I doe more then hope that you will kindly accept it from me and entertaine it as a testimonie of my loue because it was both preached in your hearing and at the funerall of that worthy and Worshipfull gentleman Master Dutton your father in law And I am the rather incouraged to commend it to your vse and to write your name as it were in the front of it because albeit you liued not vnder my Ministerie yet in as much as out of that part of your faire inheritance which lyeth here I receiue some part of my maintenance and sustentatiâ—â— I must needs thinke it my duty to bestow some spirituall gift by which I might euidence my care of your soules health and something further you in your passage towards that Countrey which I trust you seeke Let it not displease yâ— therefore that I haue presented you with these few notes buâ— vouchsafe them a roome of lodging among your bookes I confesse in this scribling age many are carried with a busie hâ—mour making the times surfeit with their needlesse papers â— would be loath that anie man who hath in him anie true worth and is of a right religious vnderstanding should so thinke of meâ— wherefore to cleere my selfe to euery sober iudgement this I say I was drawen into this course in presenting this sermon to publique view by the earnest request of some friends and by the good approuement of sundrie fearing God The matter of this sermon is excellent if the workemanship were suteable I might boldly say It were no disparagement to you to afford your patronage and to haue your name prefixed Whatsoeuer my defect maie be I beseech you be pleased to accept from me this small present small not in respect of the matter of it for no man can treate of a more worthie subiect But in regard of the manner of handling Accept it I saie as an vndissembled argument of the sinceritie of my affection as a testimonie of my well wishing to your soule and as a pledge of my setled purpose to labour to deserue your loue And to be a continuall petitioner to the throne of grace that you and your good Ladie your Worshipfull mother in law with the rest of your line and familie maie be kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation From Great Budworth in Cheshire Yours in all readinesse to doe you my best seruice in Christ Iesus RICHARD EATON PSAL. 90. 12. Teach vs so to number our daies that we maie applie our hearts to wisedome THis Psalme was compiled by Moses at what time the spies returning from the land of Canaan discouraged their brethren and the Lord for the murmuring of the people pronounced that all aboue twenty yeares old Caleb and Iosua only excepted should die in the wildernes Now wheÌ„ Moses heard this general sentence of death denounced both against himselfe and all those that â—ame out of Egypt with him he frameth this Psalme and praieth thus for him selfe and all the rest But I may not insist in generalls the foundation of my speech shall onely rest vpon this 12 verse The words are so plaine and manifest that I may say of this Scripture as Augustin speaketh Desiderat auditorem Tract 50. in Iohannem magis quà m expositorem It requires rather an attentiue hearer then a skilfull expositor I will draw the substance of mine intended speech vnto two generall heads the first a prayer of Moses Teach vs so to number our daies The second a reason why he prayed thus That wee maie applie our hearts to wisedome Out of these two generall heads I will distinguish fiue seuerall conclusions First Death is the hauen of euery man Moses maketh this prayer in the plurall number Mans time is set and his bounds appointed which he cannot passe Peach vs to number our daies there is a number of dayes Mans time is short Moses mentioneth not yeeres nor monethes nor weekes but dayes Although mans time be short yet he remembreth it not for we are apt to forget death If we could remember death it would cause vs to apply our hearts vnto wisedome Thus you see how this Scripture naturally brancheth and deuideth it selfe into these particulars I wil not offer any violeÌ„ce in the handling of this text I will not set any of these points vpon the Racke I will not proffer to stretch mine arme higher then my stature may carry it I will not trouble you with Idle curiosities I will returne therfore to the head of the race where I first began Doct. 1 The first conclusion to be examined and the first doctrine to be extracted is this That death is the hauen of euery man What man liueth saith Dauid And Psal 89. 48. shall not see death The Apostle saith It is appointed vnto all men to dye once Heb 9. 27. And if we looke into the catalogue of those long liued Fathers before the floud though some of them liued 700. some 800. some 900 yeers and vpward yet at length this Epitaph was written ouer euery one of their heads Mortuus est He died Though euery day of our life were Gen. 5. as long as the day of Iosua when the Sun stood stil in the midst of the heauen yet the Sunne will set and go Iosh 10. 13. downe and it will be night at last Euery man must acknowledge with Iob Corruption is my father and the worme is my mother therefore Esay witnesseth that â—ob 17. 14. Esay 40. 6. All flesh is grasse All these testimonies as a cloud of witnesses confirme this doctrine There are also two reasons to inforce the same Reason 1 First all men are dust in their originall the matter whereof we are made is the dust of the earth And therefore to dust we must againe returne And this Gen. 3. 19. reason is vsed Gen. 3. 19. Reason 2 Secondly all men haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God Man at the first was created to immortality and if he had neuer sinned he should neuer haue died But when sin entred death followed as
the wages doth the worke as God threatned Gen. Gen. 2. 17. 2. 17. And the Apostle Rom. 5. 15 By one man sinne Rom. 5. 12. entred into the word and death by sinne And so death went ouer all men in whom all men haue sinned Vse 1 There shall be no difference betweene the rich the poore in the graue there is a great difference in their life time in respect of honours and houses laÌ„ds and liuings duties and dignities and such like externall priuiledges and prerogatiues But in the end we see that wise men and likewise the ignorant and foolish Psal 49. 10. perish Zenacherib in his Ruffe for a time made proud challenges Where is the king of Hamah where Esay 37. 13. is the king of Arpad where is the king of Hena kings which he had destroyed And haue the Gods of the nations deliuered their Clients and orators out of my hands But a man might soone haue asked him Where is the king of Ashur And hath Nisroch the God of Assiria deliuered Zenacherib himselfe Looke into the graue and shew me where is Diues where is Lazarus where is Alexander that conquered the whole world and Zerxes that could not number his armie for multitude where is Nimri that built his rest in the clouds and Antiochus that sealed vpon the Mountaines where is Edom that exalted himselfe like an eagle in the skies and said in the swelling of his heart Who shall bring me down Where is Paper the king of Persia that wrote himselfe Rex regum fratersolis et lunae parâ—ceps siderum king of kings brother to the sunne and moone and partner with the starrs where is SamsoÌ„ that slew an armie with the law bone ludg 15. 15. of an asse what is become of all those great Roman Lords Nero Caligula Vespasian Titus Domitiam and the rest Haue they not all felt and bin foyled by the stroake of this all conquering death who would haue Acts 12. 23. a Kings 9. 35. thought that Herod who was honoured as a God should haue bin deuoured of wormes That Iezabel should haue bin eateÌ„ of dogs what would he thinke that should haue seene Solomon in his glory and Royaltie to see him now lying in the clay Yesterday the tallest Cedar in Libanus to day or to morrow a broken stick trodden vnder foot when death comes no difference The bones of Agamemnon that renowned Captaine among the Grecians and of Thirsites that ill fauoured and deformed souldier shal be mngled together The bones of Vashti the most beautifull queene and the blackest Egiptian bond-woman shall not be found asunder looke into the graue there I say is no difference but Putidum et putridum Cadauer a rotten and a stinking Carkas Vse 2 Men of excellent eminent places must learne to liue religiously vprightly for they must go the way of all the earth and depart hence when it shall be said Priora transierunt Former things are passed away and it wil be said Come giue an account of thy stewardship The thriuing of the wicked in the bookes of Iob of the Psalmes wanteth not a learned oratour Luke 16. 2. Iob 21. 7. Psal 73. 3. to set it forth at large But as in the burning of a candle when it hath long giuen light Extremum occupat fumus et caligo The end is in smoake and in a stinking sauour so falleth it out with the candle of the wicked In puncto descendunt in infernum In the stirring of an eye they goe downe to hell where if there be not famus caligo smoke and darknesse and the blackenesse of darkenesse and a stinking sauour and much worse there is no hell at all Lift not vp your Psal 75. 5. borne on high speake not with a stiffe necke for in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red of the colour of bloud My brethren let not the pompe of the world deceiue you whether it stand in authoritie in opulencie or voluptuousnesse of life I say let it not deceiue you for as all the fresh riuers runne into the salt sea so shall all the honours of the world end in basenesse all the pleasures of the world in bitternesse all the treasures of the world in emptinesse all the garments of the world in nakednesse and all the dainties and delicates of the world in loathsomnesse and rottennesse Take heede of too large an indulgence least God giue you a rent that hath giuen you a garment and cloath you with worser then leprosie that hitherto hath couered you with glory worship and dignitie Vse 3 Let vs prepare for death that we may haue oyle in our lampes when the bridegroome commeth Let vs prepare and prouide for the day of our dissolution Let vs prepare for a Nunc dimittis Oh be not like the foolish virgins that knocked at the gate when it was shut and too late Oh be not like the vnprepared Math. 25. 12. Math. 22. 13. guest that came to the wedding without his wedding garment Great Iupiter was carelesse of his death Visuntur magniparua sepulchra Iouis Great Iupiâ—er had but a little tombe And Alexander the Monarch of the world prepared nothing at all for his death he had all other things sauing onely a sepulcher to burie him in when he was dead But Abraham prouided for his death for he bought a field to Gen. 23. 17. burie his dead in So did Ioseph of Aramathea for he Gen. 23. 17. Math. 27. 60. made his tombe in his life time in his garden to put him in remembrance of death Oh imitate these latter prouide and prepare for your last end and still looke vp to death as the wisemen looked vnto the starre which stood ouer Bethlem Qui gloriatur viribus corporis gloriatur viribus carceris He that glorieth in the strength of his bodie glorieth in the strength of his prison Plato spake wittily to one of his schollers when he saw him too curious in pampering his belly and his body Why doest thou said he make thy prison so strong Doct. 2 I will proceede now to the second conclusion to wit that mans time is set and his bounds appointed which he cannot passe It was said to Belshazzar Dan. 5. 25. Mene mene God hath numbred thy kingdome So it may be said Mene mene God hath numbred the daies of our life To this Iob beareth witnesse Are not his Iob 14. 5. daies determined thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe And the Prophet Ieremie saith The Egyptians could not stand because the Ierem. 46. 21. day of their destruction was come and the time of their visitation Reason 1 A certaine time is appointed for all other things The day of birth the day of marriage the day of honour the day of deliuerance and the day of death must not bee excluded God hath determined Dan. 1 1 36. all things saith the Prophet
God appointed a time when his Sonne should come into the world Dan. 9. and he came at the same time God appointed a time when his blessings should come vpon Ioseph and Gal. 4. 4. when the appointed time was come he was exalted Psal 105. 19. Therefore saith Christ My time is not yet come Ioh. 7. 8. Reason 2 Secondly the prouidence of God hath two parts to wit Gouernment and Knowledge God is not a retchlesse carelesse and improuident God Oh no he is not a God by halues and in part not onely in the Mountaines not onely in great imployments but also in the vallies and in the least matters Hee gouerneth all the world as one that sits in a chaire at ease his prouidence is seene in the least things In Pulice et in Culice as Saint Augustine saith in Flies and August in Psal 148. in Gnats He is Curiosus et plenus negotii Deus A curious God exquisite in all things and full of businesse saith Tullie against the Atheists and Epicures of his De natura deorum time he examineth the least moments and titles in the world that can be imagined a handfull of meale a Cruise of Oyle in a poore Widdowes house the caluing of Hindes the feeding of young Lyons and Rauens the falling of Sparrowes to the ground he numbreth the haires of our heads he feedeth the Fowles of the heauen and cloatheth the flowres of Math. 6. â—6 the field And if so then sure this wise and prouident God who holds the whole Globe of the world in his hand and ordereth all things therein who keepeth a perfect Kalender of all times and seasons hath also prefined the yeere the moneth the weeke nay the very day of our departure Obiect But it may be obiected If this be true that a man must liue so long and no longer and if a mans time be set then it is in vaine to keepe a good dyet or to take Phisicke Answer To which I answer God hath not ordained the end without the meanes but the meanes as well as the end If God haue appointed a man to die in his youth hee hath appointed a meanes to shorten his life as he did Absolons If God haue appointed a man â— Sam. 18. 6. to liue long he hath also appointed a meanes to preserue his life as Ioseph nourished and cherished his Gen. 47. 12. father when he was old But a good mind will neuer quarrell about these things Vse 1 It is not in the power of Physitians though they vse the best of their skill to preserue their sicke patients any longer then the time that God hath set and determined let the Physitian doe his dutie with an vpright and faithfull heart but let him not lie to his patients making them beleeue he can preserue life and health and so drawing them into errour as though death were farre off when the sicknesse iâ— incorporate into them when peraduenture the sicke man and his sicknesse are Duo in corpore vno as it were two in one flesh There is no remedy when the time appointed is come our last garment which is our skinne must be pulled off if God call vs away and say as he said to Abraham Exi de terratua Come out of thy Countrey wherein thou wast borne If he call Gen. 12. 1. to our Spirits Come out of your houses of Clay wherein you haue long dwelt there is no Balme at Gilead there is no Physition there that can preserue vs. All the Phisitions that were about Asa King of 3. Chron. 16. 12. Iuda could not recouer him of the Gout in his feete If a man should spend all his substance vpon Phisitions as the woman did that had a bloody issue twelue yeeres yet when the appointed houre is Luke 8. 43. come the learnedst Phisition will faile all meanes to prolong life shall be in vaine Mistake mee not I denie not the lawfull vse of lawfull meanes I know well a man is bound to further Gods prouidence in what hee may But to place our confidence in the outward meanes and to neglect the Lord to whom only the issues of life death belong is the common sinne of these faithlesse times Trust not therefore in Physicke trust not in thy strength trust not in any kinde of dyet for thy time is set thy daies numbred and it is not in mans power to passe his bounds Vse 2 Secondly the consideration hereof offers vs matter of much comfort for that our life is in Gods hand The aduersaries of the righteous increase daily and Psal 3. 1. many rise against them many pits are digged and much mischiefe imagined against the godly But when all is done vnles they can get Gods leaue they doe but weary themselues in vaine for the elect dwel Psal 91. 3 in the secret and shadow of the Almightie and are so safely shrouded vnder his wings that without his permission nothing can touch them Why then are men so fearefull as that they dare not stirre one finger without trembling surely such men either know not or remember not that God hath limited their daies and that their life is in his keeping When the Pharisies said to our Sauiour Depart and goe hence for Herod will kill thee he answered them Go ye and tell that foxe Behold I cast out diuels and will heale still to day and to morrow and the third day I shall Luke 13. 32. he perfected This the Apostles likewise acknowledged Doubtlesse against thine holy Son Iesus whom Acts 4. 27. thou hadst annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles people of Israel gathered themselues together to do whatsoeuer thy hand counsell had determined before to be done When Pilate the lieutenant of the Romanes had said vnto Christ knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee Iohn 19. 10. and haue power to loose thee Iesus answered Thou â—ouldst haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue The furie and malice of the wicked is stinted and restrained as with a bit and bridle they cannot satisfie their lusts nor accomâ—lish their designes The rage of men and of the diâ—els themselues is stopped and all the power of darkâ—esse curbed The tyranny of bloudy spirits is bound vp and compassed within the listes of the power of God and inclosed within the circle of his iurisdiction They cannot annoy such as are created after the Image of God and redeemed with the blood of Christ without the diuine permission their power is imprisoned they can goe no further then the chaine in the which the Lord doth hold them Behold a great comfort in all our troubles and sufferings there is a barre laid in the way of the wicked Consider the strong hand of God the yeeres and daies the very moments and minuts of time are determined These things spake Iesus in the treasurie Ioh. 8. 20. as he
ye nothing into the world with you of the best and blessedst riches and will you cary nothing out A great many of you heere present are brought to the eleuenth houre of the day and there is but a twelfth a few minutes between you and iudgement what do you tarry to be started with the shrillest Trumpet that euer blew or to be awakened with the fearefullest voice that euer sounded The night is comming wherein no man can worke Then there will be euerlasting throbbings and throwes of the heart for endlesse miseries then the eies will labour for teares which shall euer runne downe and then the teeth will grinde one another without ceasing Oh saith our Sauiour that you had knowne in this your day and thus Luke 19. 42. much for the shortnesse of mans life Doct. 4 The fourth doctrine that is remarkable is this that man is more apt to forget death then any thing else Moses was willing to remember death but still his mind did turne from it and it did slip out of his mind Solomon bids vs remember that we must come to iudgment Eccle. 11. 9. and yet the wicked pleade against it saith S. Peter It is a strange kind of Arithmeticke that no man 2. Pet. 3. 4. can learne it except God be the schoolemaster and teach it Men can number their Coine their Cattell their corne and their land But no man without the assistance of Gods Spirit can number his dayes as though our daies were infinite This prayer of Moses may seeme strange Men are able by art to measure the Globe of the earth and the Spheares of heauen the quantitie of the Starres with their longitudes latitudes altitudes motions and distances from the earth Flectere per varios docuit qui nomina Casus Heu cadit hunc casum flectere non potuit The Grammarian that declineth all Nounes and euery case cannot decline death in any case It is a hard matter to remember Death and we striue to forget it Teach vs to number our dayes Oh no! hold your peace wee may not remember Amos 6. 10. Teach vs to number our dayes Amos. 6. 10. nay teach vs to multiply our dayes Teach vs to remember Death nay teach vs to forget death to prolong life is the common language of our times Men cannot abide to thinke of death they are sicke to â—eare the name of it they say to death as Pharaoh said Exod. 10. 28. â—o Moses Get thee out of my sight There are two reasons why we ought to remember â—eath and there are foure reasons why we do forget it Reason 1 The first reason why we should remember it is beâ—ause when death comes the greatest matter that did â—â—er concerne vs will then be in question to wit the â—erlasting Saluation or else the euerlasting condemâ—ation of our soules Reason 2 Secondly then it will bee too late to repent to aâ—end to pray and to obtaine pardon The rich man â—ryed Oh Father Abraham send Lazarus to lip the tâ—â— Luke 16. 42. of his finger in water to coole my tongue Desideraâ—â—t guttam saith Saint Austin qui non dedit micam â—â—e deâ—ired a droppe of water that would not giue a â—â—um of bread but it was too late Hee should haue beene picifull repented and prayed in his life time before his death For in death there is no remembrance Psal 6. 5. of thee saith Dauid and in the graue who shell praise thee Reason 1 The first reason why many doe forget Death is because Death commeth oftentimes like a â—aylour to â—ale to prison Reason 2 Secondlie the remembrance of death maketh a man sinne fearefully and taketh away the pleasure of sinne Reason 3 Thirdly Death is against nature a dissolution of nature and therefore no man naturally can delight in it Reason 4 Lastly the diuell gaines much by forgetfulnesse in this kinde and therefore will be sure if by any meanes he can to put that conceit out of mens heads They are hence to be reprooued that will not suffer this meditation to settle in their hearts Behold you despisers and wonder at the hand of God you â—hat are in league with death make a couenant and truce with the graue you that say to your soules Takâ— your ease and liue at rest for many yeares your lifâ— Luke 12. 19. Amos 6. 3. hangeth by a small thread Put not the euill day farrâ— from you which the ordinance of God hath put so neare walke not alwaies with your faces towards the East sometimes haue an eye to the West where the Sunne goeth downe sit not alwaies in the prow of thâ— shippe sometimes goe to the sterne stand in your watch towers as the creature doth in the 8. to the Romanes and waite for the time of your deliuerance Rom. 8. 19. your bodies are not brasse your strength is not the strength of stones The earth is the wombe thaâ— hath bred you and the earth is the wombe that will againe receiue you Searecloathes spices Balme the Immuring stone or lead or a timber coffin cannot so closely hide you but the earth will challenge you for her naturall children and say You are my bowels the earth I say your naturall mother will know you againe and receiue you into her possession Remember 2. Tim. 3. 4. your mortalitie you that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 louers of pleasure more then louers of God when Adam and Eue became subiect to death because of their Gen. 3. 2â— sin God cloathed them with the skins of dead beasts So that the cloathes we weare vpon our backes and the graues vnder our feete and the meate which goeth into our bodiesies crie vnto vs that we must die like the fishes fowles and beasts which a little before were liuing in their elements and are now dead in our dishes Vse 2 Let vs pray as Moses did That God will giue vs grace to meditate vpon our last end Though we forget other things though we forget our owne names and to eate our bread yet our memorie doth sufficiently stand vs in stead if we can remember our last end Sathan perswaded our first parents that they shold Gen. 3. 4. not die at all Now though he cannot make vs beleeue that yet he perswades many that they shall not die â—t yea though they be at the brinke of the graue and â—t a steppe betweene them and death Many there be â—â—t are condemned in hell and there doe suffer the â—ngeance of eternall fire who would giue the whole â—orld if it were in their power for one day or houre in â—is world that they might repent and turne vnto God What they wold do if they might let vs do while wâ— may their glasse is already runne and ours stands â—â—t still yet a little while and the time of hope grace and mercy will be past Let vs not then be so much our oâ—ne enemies as to forget what belongs to our peace
â—â—e doe not reade that Moses who made this prayâ—â— did oppose himselfe by the least thought of his heart to the ordinance of God when it was told him Behold the daies are come that thou must die though Deut. 34. 7. hâ— might haue liued longer for his eies were not yet dâ—mme nor his naturall strength abated But rather he sâ—ake to the people with alacritie of spirit and chearefulnesse of heart imbracing the tidings of death He was not pulled like a beast by violence from his den â—â—t on the other side if a man will not pray as Moses â—â—d Death will be a death indeede and little profit or â—â—se to be found in it Oh pray that the flight and depâ—rture of your spirits be not vpon the Sabbath day that is in the rest and tranquilitie of your sinnes pray â—â— God that your departure be not in the frost and winâ—â— of your hearts Oh pray to God that your departure be not in the midnight of your securitie Wee worth the man whome the Lord when he commeth shall finde sleeping The vntimely fruite is better then that man it had beene much better for him neuer to haue beene borne Doct. 5 I am now come to the last part of my text and the doctrine thereof is this That the remembrance of â—eath will cause vs to apply our hearts vnto wisedome There are many benefits which come by death anâ— there bee many benefits that come by the remeâ—brance of death Moses considered the shortnesse â— his life and therefore was carefull to spend his tiâ—â— well He chose rather to suffer affliction with thâ— Heb. 11. 25. children of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinnâ— for a season The Prophet Ieremie imputeth all the calmities Lam. 1. 9. and sins of Ierusalem to this that shee remembred not her last end Reason 1 There is no greater enemie to repentance then â—â— thinke we haue a long time to repent hereafter me doe not vse to thinke vpon death when they go aboâ— euill things but they say as the serpent said We shal not die It is hard for a man to thinke vpon short life and to thinke well Reason 2 Though death come after life yet it guideth the whole life as the sterne doth the ship but for deatâ— there would be no rule but euery mans lust would be his law As the bird guideth her flight by her taile sâ— the life of man is best directed by a continuall recourse vnto the end Reason 3 Though death the king of feare differ his sessions and stay his execution yet the remembrance thaâ— death will come maketh the proudest peacocke lay downe his feathers and is like a dampe that puts ouâ— all the light of pleasure Hereupon Salomon Eccl. 11. 9 opposeth this memorandum against all vanities as â— Eccl. 11. 9. counterpoise Remember for al these things thou shalâ— come to iudgement Reason 4 The remembrance of death serues to humble vs vnder the mightie hand of God Abraham is an example Gen. 18. 27. hereof I am but dust and ashes Vse We know not when our great Landlord will come and recken with vs. Quo hora mora incertior est eo magis vigilandum By how much the more the houre oâ— our departure is vnknowne we must be so much the more watchfull and vigilant Ideolatet vltimus dies vt â—eruetur omnis dies Other farmers know certainly the â—me of their lease But wee are all Gods tenants at â—l he may put vs out of house and home when hee â—â— Some landlords set leases for three liues But God â—uer demiseth any tenement longer then for one â—â— we cannot be secured an howre The rememâ—â—â—nce of death therefore is like a strainer all our thâ—ughts words and actions which come through it â—â—clensed and purified like a cloath that cometh out of the water The thought of death causeth many siâ—â—es to avoide as Sathan avoided when Christ alleâ—â—ed Math. 4. 11. Scripture Surely if a man did perswade himself that this were the last day that euer he should liue hee would not deferre his repentance till to morrow If he did thinke that this were the last meate that euer hee â—oâ—ld eate he would not surfeit if he did beleeue that thâ—se are the last wordes that euer he shall speake hee â—â—uld not offend with his tongue if he were perswaded that this were the last Sermon that euer he should heâ—â—e he would attend better then euer he did to any Râ—member your last end Alas what are our Churches and Church-yards but Humanarum cladium miseranda â—â—â—â—pta the lamentable pinfolds of the deaths of 〈◊〉 Beware that you offer not to God the dregs of your life lest God make you drinke the dregs of his anger Remember that death ere it be long will set her 〈◊〉 vpon your heads and your lippes must kisse the dust of the ground remember that the grauell slime of the graue shall dwell betweene your hawtie eyeâ—â—â—â— I haue not leasure to say any more Quid superbis terra cinis Oh earth and ashes why art thou so pâ—â—ud And thus much out of my text And now right worshipfull and beloued I know you looke that I should speake something of this gentlâ—â—an whose shadow is here presented vnto our view I confesse the licenciousnes of many preachers in câ—mending the dead contrarie to desert is worthily â—â— be censured as that which grieues the godly hardneth the wicked and makes the ministery of the Goâ—pell to be euill spoken of And yet I haue euer thoughâ— it not onely lawfull but necessarie to speake somewhâ—â— liberally so it might bee done warrantably of magâ—strates and publike persons deseruing well of thâ— Church and Common-wealth my iudgement aâ— practise in the present occasion shall accompanie eacâ— other while by your patience I speake a few words â— Chrys lib. de sacerdo his life and death Sed vereor ne tanti viri laudes oratâ— mea eleuarem magiâ— quam exornâ—rem I feare lest while â— striue to set forth this gentleman in his owne worth rather lessen and diminish his praise then any way dorne it But as I intend not to deny or with hold froâ— him any part of his due so if all your expectations not fully satisfied let me alleadge Bernards words foâ— Bern. ser in Cant. 34. my excuse Culpetur sanè ingenium non voluntas The faâ— is not willingly committed blame them my vnskilfuâ—nesse But I will hold you no longer in suspence Aâ—â— therefore first of all I say as Dauid said vpon the deaâ— of Abner Hodie cecidit princeps in Israele This day there fallen a great man in Israel I will not speake much 2. Sam. 3. 38. his birth progenitours though it be worthy respeâ— to descend from the loines of those that are worthâ— and worshipful But alas Stemmata quid faciunt Ancieâ— and noble pedigrees what are they worth when tâ— line of well doing continueth not