Chrysostom speaketh that beautie was giuen to a woman lust vnto man sheweth nothing else but that this by the Almightie was therefore done that the wife might bee beloued of her man Wherefore as S. Paul speaketh to the Colossians so I to you Coloss 3.19 Husbands loue your wiues and bee not bitter vnto them For your bitter dealings nay speeches nay lookes for kindnes is killed by a bitter looke abates the sweetnes of a womans loue and maketh them hate where they are bound to loue Wherefore ô ye men as the Rosemary affecteth your heads and moueth you in wisedome for to rule so let it also affect your hearts and moue you in kindnes for to loue Remember of all the creatures God had made he found none worthy a mans best loue and that therefore he made the woman to be an helper meete for him Genes 2.20 Do not ouer much tote on their faults and please your discontented humors with their wants this beseemeth not your wisedome nor your loue For as Zanchius speaketh He truly loueth who when he findeth in his wife some things that do displease Zanch. in 5. ad Ephes not well beseeming her and scarse agreeing with his profit doth yet loue her and performe the duties of a good husband to her Chrysost in Epist ad Ephes Hom. 21. Which as Chrysostom speaketh hideth her wants and gratifieth her in her due desires which saith not to her this is thine and that is thine but which rather saith all is thine I am thine this is not the speech of him that flattereth but rather of him that wisely loueth Wherefore ô ye men although the high growing Rosemary sheweth your rule yet let it remember you to rule in wisdome to rule in loue And yet before I leaue this scepter of your rule with you consider in the third place that the Rosemary in summer and winter is alway greene euen so should men alway continue true and loyall to their wiues the same in loue and loyaltie at the last the which vnto them they were at first they should in summer and winter be alwaies greene Man should not onely forsake father and mother and all strange flesh Genes 2.24 Prouerb 5.15 but euen to the last still he should cleaue vnto his wife Vers 20. As the Wiseman speaketh he should content himselfe with the water of his owne well of strange waters he should not drinke For when God made woman he tooke not two but one ribbe from man neither did he ioyne in mariage two but one woman vnto man and of them two hee said hee spake not of more they shall be one flesh Genes 2.24 Matth. 19.6 Those whom God hath ioyned together thou seekest to sunder and transgressest the holy ordinance of the highest in that thou couplest thy bodie to another and defilest the bed that should bee vndefiled But yet feare howsoeuer thou canst beguile and blind the world thou canst not God Hebr. 13.4 Fornicators and adulterers God will iudge If thy wife should walke after thee in that sinfull way and should beare for thee strange children which although thou fatherest yet thou didst not beget to sit at thy fires and to inherit thy goods thou shewedst her the way by thy ill example and with vncleannes God hath iustly punished thy vncleane selfe Wherefore despise not O man the wife of thy youth nor let her first loue bee euer forgotten keepe thy vowed faith with her Prouerb 5.18 of which both God and his Church are witnes Genes 2.23 Honour the holy ordinance of the highest he hath ioyned thee to one Marke 10.7 and not to many he hath willed thee to cleane to one and to forsake all other he hath said that you two are but one flesh Vers 8.1 Cor. 7.3 that thou hast not power ouer thine owne bodie but thy wife Thou maist not therefore with the wreck of thy faith breach of Gods ordinance to the wrong of thy wife hurt of thy soule ill example of other defile the bed which should be vndefiled and pollute thy bodie with other women which onely belongeth to thy wife Be therefore true and loyall to your wiues O ye married men you are their heads thereby you shall teach them to bee loyall to you Let this ros marinus this flower of men ensigne of your wisedome loue and loyaltie bee carried not only in your hands but in your heads and harts that by this your wiues may vnderstand how much they are beholding and endebted to you Thus haue I scattered my flowers the Prime-rose amongst you all let God giue Eue to Adam let all your mariages begin in the Lord. Amongst you maidens the Maidens-blush Eue is brought and giuen vnto Adam so should you by your parents bee giuen vnto men it doth not stand with a maidens modestie for to goe and giue her selfe Amidst you maried wiues the sweete cooling cordiall and low-growing Violet although God made Eue subiect yet hee made her an helper meete for man And lastly among you men the Rosemary the flower of men although God hath giuen you to rule ouer your wiues yet rule them in wisedome you are their heads respect them in loue they are bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh and in loyaltie euer cleaue to them for with them you are become and so should remaine distasting all other one flesh Now what remaineth but that we beseech our heauenly Father to plant these sweete flowers in the garden of your hearts and to water them from aboue with the sweete dewes of his heauenly grace that you may daily reape the fruites of all happie content to your mutuall comforts in this life and encrease of blisse in the life to come The which the Lord giue you for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be all power maiestie and dominion both now and euermore Amen FINIS A SICK MANS GLASSE ISAIAH 38.1.2.3 About that time was Hezechiah sicke vnto the death And the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vnto him saying Thus saith the Lord set thy house in order for thou must die and shalt not liue Then Hezechiah turned his face to the wall and besought the Lord saying Now I pray thee Lord remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is pleasing in thy sight and Hezechiah wept sore THis Scripture diuides it selfe into two principall parts whereof the first is the message done to Hezechiah whilest he was sicke contained in the first verse About that time c. The second is the behauiour of Hezechiah when he had heard the message remembred in the two next verses Then Hezechiah turned his face c. In the message we are to obserue these fiue points first the time when it was done About that time Secondly the person to whom it was done to Hezechiah that was sicke Thirdly
the person by whom it was done by Isaiah the Prophet sent vnto him from the Lord. Fourthly the message it selfe Set thine house in order Fiftly the reason why the King is aduised so to doe Thou must die thou shalt not liue In the behauiour of Hezechiah when this message was thus deliuered to him we are to consider these three especiall points First that he turnes his face vnto the wall Secondly that hee prayeth Now I pray thee Lord remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is pleasing in thy sight Thirdly that he wept sore Of which when wee haue briefly spoken wee will seeke to applie it first to this auditorie and then to this our brother deceased First of the first Concerning the time of Hezechias sicknes and so consequently of this message done vnto him there is great question among the learned Of whom a Rab. D. Kymhs Rab. Salomon Lyran. Bullinger some in their writings deliuer that it befell him during the time that Senacharib had enclosed him in Ierusalem and there lay in siege before it b Ierom. Rabanus Caluin VVolphius Other whose opinion I think more meete to follow that not then but shortly after euen c Jsai 37.36 after that the Lord had sent his Angell to destroy of the armie of that proud vaunting and blaspheming Prince an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand and d 2. Reg. 18.28 had put an hooke in his nostrils and had led him back the same way he came without any hurt done to Hezechiah or Ierusalem Thus then when Hezechiah and his people were ioying in this their so great and strange deliuerance Hezechiah their King the very light of Israel and breath of their nostrils is strooken with a grieuous sicknes and hath this message sent vnto him from the Lord that he must die and shall not liue O earth how vnstable are thy ioyes and how are all thy sweetes sauced with sowre The brightest sunne of mans prosperitie is often clowded nay it hath a time appointed by the highest wherein it must set The second thing to be considered is the partie to whom this message was sent it was to King Hezechiah which was then grieuously sick Behold Kings haue no priuiledge from sicknes no charter from death nay it was to a good King 2. Reg. 18.3 which did vprightly in the sight of God like as Dauid before him whom God prospered in all things that he tooke in hand yet was this good King as though he were vnworthie to enioy the late deliuerance giuen to his people strooken with the plague the very feare of the world and marke of Gods wrath If God deale so with Kings what are we to looke for the very meane of the people If thus with good Kings and them of the household of faith what shall hee doe vnto those which walke in the waies of the world and haue not God before their eyes Let therefore all flesh heare the message sent vnto them from the Lord Thou must die thou shalt not liue You heare to whom this message was sent now in the third place consider from whom he receiued it It was from Isaiah the Prophet It was from that Isaiah Jsai 37.4 to whom a little before he sent the chiefe of his Princes to entreate him to lift vp his prayers for them to the Lord. Vers 29. It was from that Isaiah which in their greatest feare prophecies deliuerance to the people destruction to Senacharib and his host It was from that Isaiah whose words he honoured as the oracles of truth and whose person as the beloued seruant of the most high God from him hee receiued this comfortlesse speech Set thine house in order thou must die thou shalt not liue And yet not from him but from the Lord for hee was but Gods mouth Gods messenger and therefore here he saith Thus saith the Lord Set thine house in order thou must die This cut off all his hopes this put an end to all his desires this stopped the mouthes of all such of his Princes and seruants which fed his sicke soule with a vaine hope of life and hurt some desire of his recouerie Whatsoeuer man saith or thou wouldest thus saith the Lord. And what is that hee saith which is the fourth thing we proposed to be obserued Giue order for thy house or set thy house in order dispose of the estate of thy kingdome and of thy worldly affaires make thy will and that with speed lest thou be preuented by death What meanest thou Isaiah thus to speak thou seemest to many to be a miserable comforter of the sick too much to daunt his fainting spirits too much to trouble his affrighted soule And indeed with such speeches not only the sicke but the standers by are seldom pleased Yet this was the word which the Lord God put into the mouth of his Prophet and which he commanded him to deliuer to his sicke King Put thine house in order thou must die Heare O my brethren of the Ministerie which should be the children of the Prophets what plainly without all mincing you should speake and heare O ye worthies and great men of the world what with patience on the bed of your sicknes you must be content to heare set your house in order you must die Neither must you thinke that this was only required of Hezechiah to set in order his house and temporall affaires but principally and aboue all other he was to set his soule in order to make it ready for the Lord. For he knew that a Heb. 9.27 after death he should bee brought into Gods presence b Luke 16.2 to giue account of his stewardship how hee had liued how he had ruled and c 2. Cor. 5.10 to receiue according to the things he had done in his life were they good or euill To the end therefore that he might haue a prepared soule and bee as d Reuel 21.2 the Bride that had made her self ready that he might with aged Simeon e Luke 2.29 depart in peace and with ioy approch the presence of his Master the King is here aduised by the Prophet to set his house himselfe his soule in order Marke the reasō which the is fift thing we obserued in the message a forcible motiue to perswade Hezechiah to set his house in order Thou must die thou shalt not liue Men for the most in the extremitie of their sicknes do hope for life and if they bee beaten from their hopes yet they will not be driuen from their desires But here to the end that the King might be driuen from all hope and desire of life he deliuers this message to him from the Lord Thou must die and lest he should feede his soule or be fed by other with any vaine hope of life he further addeth Thou shalt not liue This seemeth a very hard and distastfull speech to
be spoken to the sicke which few will abide yet is it full of true charitie and Christian dutie For by this meanes the sicke soule is better moued to remember her selfe to bewaile her sinnes and in a good hope of mercie to make her selfe readie for her God The which all you may behold here verified vpon this summons made in this King Thus much for the message deliuered to the King Now let vs consider the Kings behauiour vpon the deliuerie of this message He turneth to the wall he prayeth he weepeth First He turneth to the wall Why doth he it in contempt of the Prophet repining at the message that was sent vnto him as the manner of some is which turne aside their heads when they like not that which is spoken to them No he doth not disdaine at the message neither doth he here complaine of any his hard vsage a Hieron comment in hunc loc but since he could not for his infirmitie goe into the Temple hee turnes his sick selfe vnto the wall of the Temple as Ierome out of the Rabbines noteth withdrawing himselfe from the world and all worldly helpe and in the humblenes of his soule acknowledging b 2. Reg. 20.19 that the word of the Lord is good which he hath spoken by this Prophet Thus Hezechiah here seekes not to runne away from God or to hide himselfe from his presence but presenting his sinfull soule before his Maiestie he begins to prepare himselfe and according to the aduice of the Prophet to set his soule in order And therefore to the end he might not be interrupted in his prayers and priuate meditations nor haue his senses or minde withdrawne by the speech or view of any that should come into his presence hee turneth from his Nobles and friends he turneth from the companie he turneth to the wall of Gods Temple and by this his gesture sheweth that according to the commaund of God hee seekes in a serious manner to set his soule in order and to make it readie for the Lord. The which may the better appeare in that which in the second place we obserued which is and he prayed for by this it appeareth why he turned vnto the wall euen that he might powre forth his soule in a greater deuotion before the Lord and therefore after hee had turned to the wall he prayeth saying Now O Lord I pray thee remember mee how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Hee doth not here lay open his former godly life or boast before the Lord of his well doing as though God were therefore beholding to him and in his debt and bound to giue eare vnto his prayers but seeking for his best comfort in this time of his extreame distresse hee turnes from his Nobles and friends from his honour and kingdome and turnes to the wall of Gods Temple turnes vnto God and prayeth saying Now Lord I beseech thee remember me now in the bed of my sicknes now when nothing in the world can yeeld me comfort now when my Nobles honour and kingdome must leaue and cannot helpe me now Lord I beseech thee remember mee And what aboue all would he haue God then to remember that I haue walked before thee not in falsehood but in truth not with a dissembling but with a perfect heart and that I haue done not that which is euill but which is pleasing in thy sight As if he would haue said It was thy grace that gaue me such an heart so to walke and so to doe take not away thy grace and fauour from me but thou which hast made me well to liue now O Lord remember me and make me well to die My kingdome wealth and worldly friends do not now yeeld vnto me the least of comforts but are matter rather of my griefe and trouble but my comfort is in thee O my God and in thy mercies that thou hast made me walke before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and to doe that which is good in thy sight Yea Hezechiah comfort thy selfe in thy well deeded life for a Reuel 14.13 thus saith the Spirit Write from henceforth blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they shall rest from their labours and when all things else shall forsake them their workes shall follow them You haue heard how Hezechiah prayed now in the third place it followeth to consider that he wept very sore And why was it for the paines hee then endured Indeede the plaguie sores are very grieuous Or was it because hee was foorthwith to die to leaue his kingdome and the glory of it b 1◠Reg. 19.4 He knew with Heliah that he was no better then his fathers Or was it because he was to leaue his kingdome in that dangerous time without a knowne successor These were pious teares of a most pious Prince Yet was not this the onely cause of his teares but when vpon the view of himselfe and of his doings hee saw himselfe many waies faultie hee bewailed his sinnes which hee had committed and bedewed with teares his many ouersights being grieued at the very heart that in a more forward zeale hee had not sought the honour of his God These were the causes of Hezechias teares and thus did he on the bed of his sicknes with teares prayers and turning himselfe from the world vnto his God seeke to set his house in order and to prepare his soule for the presence of his God Now since a August de cur pro mort cap. 2. these funerall speeches should rather serue to the instruction of the liuing than to the idle commendation of the dead let vs seeke to applie that which hath bin spoken to you heere assembled to do this last duty to your deceased brother In the handling of which that wee may the more orderly proceed first obserue the summons made vnto you You must die you shall not liue Secondly the end why this summons is made vnto you that you should set your house your soules in order Thirdly the manner how you should set your selues in order most liuely shewed in the person of Hezechiah first by turning from the world vnto God Secōdly by praying vnto God Lastly in weeping and bewayling your many wants and imperfections Concerning the summons amongst many other God sends forth foure Sumners to summō al flesh vnto his high court of iustice First old-age to shew vnto man that he is declining and that his hoary head waxeth white vnto the haruest but old-age yet dreames of long life and putteth off to prepare himselfe for the Lord. Whereupon the Lord sendeth another Sumner the voice of the Preacher to remember b Gen. 3.19 man that he is earth and that he must to earth againe this earth heareth and acknowledgeth to be true yet he feedeth God with vaine delayes and speaketh to his vnreadie soule c Luke
prayers but vnto him which best knoweth thy neede and which hath bound d Psal 50.15 Joel 2.32 Iohn 14.13 himselfe by promise to helpe thee in this time of thy neede Although e Psal 121.1 thou art to looke vnto the hils to follow the examples of holie men yet as Austin vpon that Psalme obserueth f August comment in Psal 121. thou must still acknowledge that thy saluation commeth from the Lord. Wherefore to him lift vp thy soule in prayers and with thy heart crie when thou canst not with thy weakned voyce Now O Lord I beseech thee remember me And then doe not boast of thy merits and well doing as though God were therefore bound to helpe thee and to yeeld reliefe but rather let thy merits be Gods mercie as Bernard speaketh a Bernard in Cantic serm 61 Shall I sing of my righteousnes nay I will remember thy righteousnes onely for that is mine And yet that thou maist the better assure thy staggering soule of Gods fauour to thee in this time of thy neede remember with Hezechiah Gods former mercies before-time shewed to thee in the progresse of thy life for that God which hath giuen thee to walke before him in truth and with a perfect heart that God which hath giuen thee to doe that which is good and pleasing in his sight he will not now leaue and forsake thee but he will then heare thy prayers and as thou beseechest he will then remember thee Alas beloued in this time of thy neede what can thy wealth and worship steed thee what can thy friends and well willers helpe thee what can then better comfort thy fainting soule than thy harmelesse and well deeded life which thou hast passed in Gods feare these b 2. Pet. 1.10 Ephes 1.4 thy good workes will assure thy soule that thou art an elect vessell chosen of God c Matth. 7.17 John 15.5 these fruits of thy beleeuing faith will witnes to thee that thou art a blessed plant whom Gods right hand hath planted d Rom. 8.14 Ephes 5.8 these holy actions of thy spirituall life will speake to thy soule that thou art liued of God and that hee liueth in thee by his grace This his e Ezech. 9.5 6. marke God doth see and will acknowledge in thee and these f Reuel 14.13 fruits of thy faith workes of pietie when all things else will leaue and forsake thee will not forsake thee but will accompanie thee vnto the heauens and there will present themselues with thee to thy God How studious therefore should wee bee in pietie how fruitfull in good workes how prouident for this oyle how carefull to do that which is good in Gods sight since these in the time of our greatest need make so much for our comfort and reliefe Surely to a man that g Ierem. 17.5 maketh not flesh his arme but h Philip. 3.8 1. Corin. 1.20 reposeth himselfe on the mercie of Christ and on his all sufficient merit a well deeded life will make much for his comfort Insomuch that in a good confidence of hope he will say with Dauid i Psalm 31.5 Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit for thou Lord of truth hast redeemed me And when thou hast thus according to the good ensample of Hezechiah prepared thy selfe do not thou forget that which in the last place he is said to do and that is hee wept very sore for when the seruants of God do see that k Psalm 23.6 God still followeth them with his helping grace how l Mat. 14.27 Luke 12.32 in the middest of their troubles he still speaketh words of cōfort to their soules when a Rom. 8.11 16. Ephes 1.13 Hebr. 11.15 they find that inward witnes of Gods spirit testifying to their spirits that when b 2. Cor. 5.1 this earthly tabernacle shall be destroyed they shall haue a building not made with hands but which is eternall in the heauens yea when God so farre openeth their eyes that c Matth. 17.2 2. Cor. 12.2 they see some part of that his goodnes which he will fully shew vnto them in the land of the liuing then d 2. Cor. 5.2 Jerem. 31.18 Ezech. 16.61 all ashamed of themselues and full of teares they bewaile their sinnes and neglected duties because they haue not sought Gods glorie in a more forward zeale nor more carefully haue honoured him in the course of their liues e Psal 126.5 O blessed soule which thus sowest in teares for thou shalt reape with ioy O blessed soule which thus doest f Matth. 5.4 mourne and bewaile thy sinnes for thou shalt bee comforted the Lord shall not forget thy teares but hee shall put them into his bottle Nay hee shall forthwith giue thee a g Reuel 14.13 life in which thou shalt serue GOD without all sinne rest from thy labours and h Jsai 25.8 Reuel 7.7 haue all teares wiped away from thine eyes Wherefore O ye that heare me this day since you are all the sonnes of Adam and must to earth from whence you came since to euery of you the heauenly voice hath said You must die and shall not liue Set an order to your housen prepare your soules and whilest you liue before you bee preuented by death cast vp your reckonnings and make your selues ready for the Lord. With this good King Hezechiah turne your selues from the world your wealth and worship and turne vnto the Lord. Vnto him powre forth your prayers and in the bed of your sickenes say when all helpe of friends and physicke do faile now O Lord I beseech thee remember mee And that he may the better bee moued to heare you then and to giue you succour to your content during this your earthly pilgrimage and small abode in this decaying world walke with your God faune not on the world in truth not in falshood with a perfect not a dissembling heart euer seeke to do how irkesome soeuer it be to thy flesh and vnpleasing to the world that which is good and pleasing in Gods sight And when thou hast fayled in these thy duties bewaile thy sinnes and ouersights and with an humbled soule come to the feete of thy blessed Sauiour grieue not to wash them with the teares of thine eyes which hath washed thee with his most precious blood Thus much in the applicatiō of this text to you Now resteth it that we should somewhat speake of this our brother for whose sake wee are heere assembled For since it hath been an ancient and most laudable custome vsed by the holy Fathers in the Primitiue Church and continued throughout all ages vnto this day to commend vnto the people of God in their Funerall Sermons many vertuous men and women and that to these ends that they might shew their thankefulnes to God for giuing such grace vnto men performe their last dutie to the deceased and might stirre vp their hearers