Saint Paul I beseech you that you walke worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called Ephes 4.1 And let your conuersation be as becommeth the Gospel of Christ Phi. 1.27 that the Gospell of Christ the profession of Christianity the name of disciples the truth of God bee not ill spoken of as the Apostle telleth the Iewes saying The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Rom. 2.24 and willeth Titus to teach all degrees so to behaue themselues that the word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2.5 for if we play the foolish painters part and humane capiti ceruicem adiungere equinam put a mans head on an horses necke looke like disciples and liue like Deuills confesse God in our mouthes and deny him in our workes shall it not be said of vs in scorne and derision as it was of the Iewes by the Heathen Ezek. 36.20 These are the people of the Lord these are the Protestants of our times these are the Professors of our dayes these are they that call themselues disciples and are not But as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 O beloued when the doctrines and deeds the words and workes the profession and practice of Christians of Disciples of Professors shall not agree together but be at oddes and at iarre with one another consider and thinke on it in the feare of God what aduantage you giue to any the enemies of God and his Truth of Christ and his Religion of goodnesse and good men to speake euill of your God to lay a blemish on your Religion to condemne your profession because they will not easily bee made to thinke that there can be any good root or foundation there where they see no better fruit so bad a building This holinesse of life I mean not that alone which the Philosophers speake of and we call it morall honesty which yet commends vs vnto the world is good in it selfe is necessary to saluation but is not sufficient when it is the fruit and effect of a liuely faith in Christ Iesus and a right affection to Godward is a token and testimony of our vnion with Christ of our state in grace of our being as we would bee taken for true disciples indeed a testimony I say and a token not to our owne consciences only but to other mens hearts also wheras to professe well and liue ill or to make a shift to liue morally ciuill and not care of what profession we be is to beare false witnesse against God whose seruants we boast our selues and would be taken for and yet haue not on his liuery Gods liuery is a good life and the badge or cognizance thereof is a right profession this ioyntly is it which should this is it which doth this is it which will declare when words shall proue but winde and shewes shall bee but shadowes whose seruants we are in deed Wee all desire and are glad to bee accounted good Christians honest men true professors the children of God faithfull brethren and the like but let vs striue to be what we desire to be accounted godly names will neuer iustifie godlesse men nay pium nomen est reatus impij saith Saluianus wee are but openly mockt and vpbraided secretly accused and conuicted when we are honoured with names and titles whereto our liues and manners are not sutable Therefore try your selues beloued what measure of righteousnesse is in you let not the names of honest men and good Christians and such other puffe any of you vp try and examine your owne hearts with what loue you heare the word with what care you are fitted to doe thereafter what conscience you make of sinne what ioy you conceiue in the workes of righteousnesse what griefe you feele when your frailty doth make you to fall thus try and so like or dislike of your selues Certainely a Christian though he cannot be sine peccato culpa without sinne yet he should labour to be sine crimine quaerela without being scandalous and offensiue No man shall euer be able to say absolutely as Christ did Iohn 8.46 Which of you can conuince me of sin for in many things we offend all Iam. 3.2 And if we say that wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the the truth is not in vs 1 Iohn 1.8 And therefore wee pray with Dauid Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgment with thy seruants Yet in respect of men and of the world we ought all of vs to labour and endeauor to striue with might and maine to bee able to say as Moses did to God Numb 16.15 I haue not taken so much as an Asse from them neither haue I hurt any of them as Samuel did to the people 1 Sam. 12.3 Beheld here I am beare record of me before the Lord and before his Anointed Whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I done wrong to or whom haue I hurt c. As Saint Paul did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe So to liue in sincerity of heart that we may be able to say with Iob We haue our witnesse in heauen and a witnesse in our owne consciences and outwardly to follow such integrity and righteousnesse as that we dare challenge either common fame to accuse vs or our very enemies to condemne vs if they can And in thus doing wee shall bring glory to God comfort to our owne consciences and benefit vnto others God shall be glorified and therefore saith S. Peter Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation 1 Pet. 2.12 Others shall be ashamed hauing nothing concerning you to speake euill of Tit. 2.8 and by this good shame won vnto the word through the conuersation of the rest and aboue all our owne consciences shall receiue that peace and quiet which the world cannot giue nor the vnderstanding of man comprehend And so I come to speak more particularly of the fruit of this womans profession out of those words she was full of good workes and almes which she did In which words the fruit of her profession is commended from the matter of it from the measure of it from the quality from the quantity of it the matter or quality twofold in generall good workes in speciall almesdeedes the measure and quantity in the word full full of good workes and full of almes First full of good workes Now when I speake of good workes I will not bound and impale them within the too narrow compasse of the workes of mercy onely and charity towards men nor doe I thinke my text inforceth me so to doe neither will I speake in the language of Gentilisme that knoweth no other good works then those which we call morall vertues no the seuerall fruits of faith the many branches growing out of the tree of
holinesse and righteousnesse the seuerall Commandements of the two Tables are not more wide thē the name of good works is Whatsoeuer is commanded in any of those precepts faith it selfe alone excepted which is included in the first Commandement is comprehended vnder the name and title of good workes euen as the proper branches of our faith doe spread themselues as far as the Articles of our Creed doe the sum of that which a Christian ought to beleeue to his soules health Let no man therefore thinke it enough for him to bee carefull and zealous in performing the Commandements of the first Table while those of the second Table are neglected by him if not by his open or actuall transgression of the letter yet by too ordinary violating the sense of them in his truely disobeying vnder an vntrue pretence of greater obedience by his pride and malice and couetousnesse breach of charity of Christian yea of naturall affection hypocrisie double-dealing and deceitfulnesse into which crimes many I feare that thinke well of themselues and would be so thought of others do yet run headlong and doe not heed it nor on the other side will it serue our turnes to abstaine in some good measure from violating the precepts of the second Table which fear or worldly shame or other temporall respects may make vs carefull in while wee make no conscience of the Commandements of the first perning our Religion with the Weathercockes of the time diuiding our affections betweene God and Baal allowing Dagon a roome as well as the Arke gracing as wee thinke our speeches with oathes and blasphemies making our selues Gentiles on Gods Sabbaths for feare of being Iewes God hath ioyned these two tables together the first he calls the great Commandement and we make least account of it and of the second he saith that it is like vnto it and no man must if he wil be a true Disciple seuer the things which God hath ioyned they may be distinguished in our bookes and learning they must not bee diuided in our practice and liuing Now workes are then good when first the ground of them is good and that is the word of God the touchstone by which we must try the compasse by which we must direct the square by which we must frame and the rule whereby we must order all our actions if wee will bring them within the compasse of religious good workes Secondly when the roote of them is good and that is faith without which whatsoeuer hath the name of a good worke hath yet as our Church speakes art 13. seeing not done as God hath willed the nature of sin in it and all such things though they appeare specious and beautifull in the eies of men yet are as S. Austin speakes but splendida peccata they are not gold though they do glister And thirdly when the end of them is good that is Gods glory therefore sayth our Sauiour Christ Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen And the Apostle Whatsoeuer you doe do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And from good works thus vnderstood and thus qualified none are exempted all haue their peeces of money all haue their talents giuen them Luk. 19. to some in one measure and to other some in another but to all to imploy according to the Law of their Master and all to giue an account for their vse of them euery man hath his burthen and hee must beare it himselfe Gal. 6.5 Works of supererogation are works of superarrogation and he that wanting righteousnesse himselfe hopeth to be saued by another mans doth but mock himselfe as Pope Symmachus did when he said and as the Canonists doe the Pope in saying so too as it is dist 40. c. non nos that In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum c. If the Pope haue none or little goodnesse of his owne as it seemeth by this it may bee in that most holy Father himselfe he shall haue enough deriued vnto him from his Predecessor if none in possession enough by succession if little by purchase enough by inheritance no no the Saints in heauen though they haue Crownes to weare yet they haue none to spare And God shall reward euery man according to his not according to anothers workes Euery man is a tree and should be a good tree whose root is faith whose sap is hope whose branches the seuerall branches of Gods Commandements and of euery tree without exception that bringeth not forth good fruit it is said Mat. 3.10 it is cut downe and cast into the fire And vpon euery soule of man that doth euill shall bee tribulation and anguish Rom. 2.9 O now if I would looke about the world for a Dorcas and in the troope of Disciples too should I not need with the Cynicke Philosopher to light a candle and yet should not find not many The fruits of the spirit are loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse c. Gal. 5.22 These are fruits of faith these are workes of righteousnes But where are these And in stead of these what are the too common fruits of faith is your swearing and blasphemy a fruit of faith is your lying and periury a fruit of faith and what say you to your riot and drunkennesse to your chambering and wantonnesse to couetousnesse and oppression to vsury and extortion to strife and contention to enuie and malice in one towards another and the like to these If these were the signes of Christian profession if these were the badges of Christs Disciples if these were the works that God did looke for God might come when he would hee should finde these things amongst vs find vs full of them O iudge with your selues B. is this the way to make your calling and election sure as S. Peter willeth you or is it not the way rather to seale vnto your soules the assurance of your condemnation in the day of iudgment No no if you will as all good Christians ought to doe striue to attaine to a certainty of your future blessednesse these things ought not to be so among you the workes of darknesse are not the way to heauen the workes of righteousnesse are though no meritorious cause of our comming thither You must giue diligence saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.5 c. and all diligence for all will be little enough to adde to your faith vertue for faith without workes is dead to vertue knowledge or else you may doe that which is good but you shall not doe it well to knowledge temperance otherwise your knowledge will puffe you vp rather then edifie you to temperance patience for as you must doe so you shall suffer for your wel-doing to patience godlinesse for you may else giue your bodies to bee burnt in the fire and it shall
DORCAS A TRVE PATTERNE of a goodly life and good end WITH A PITHY EXHORTATION to the practice of faith and good works In a Sermon preached at Totnes in Deuon Ianuary 14. 1630 At the Funerall of M rs Mary Bab Widow By THOMAS SALTERN sometimes Lecturer there And Preacher of the Word at Bradford And now published at the request of sundry godly persons Prou. 31.30 Fauour is deceitfull and beauty is vaine but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised LONDON Printed by M. F. for Roger Iackson and are to bee sold at his Shop neere the Conduit in Fleetstreet 1631. DORCAS A PATTERNE OF a godly life and good end Act. 9. vers 36 37. Now there was at Ioppa a certaine Disciple named Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas This woman was full of good workes and almes-deeds which shee did And it came to passe in those dayes that she was sicke and dyed THis whole Chapter may well be diuided into two parts the one concerning Saint Paul the other touching Saint Peter the one the Apostle of the Gentiles the other of the Iewes The ones wonderfull conuersion the others miraculous operation the conuersion of the one from a Wolfe into a Lambe from a Beare into a Sheep from plaiing the Lyon of the Tribe of Beniamin into following the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah from Saul into Paul from a persecutor into a Preacher of Christianity The others miraculous operation in healing a sicke man at Lydda in raising a dead Woman at Ioppa both workes 〈…〉 but the latter more by how much more harder it is to giue life to one that is dead then to restore health â—n one that is sicke In this later story besides many other circumstances that may bee noted I obserue vnto you these three First the person raised to life Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas Secondly the instrument which God vsed in the raising of her viz. Saint Peter Thirdly the effect of the miracle which v. 42 is intimated to bee twofold fame brought to the eares and faith bred in the hearts of many people for it was knowne throughout all Ioppa and many beleeued in the Lord. I will speake onely of the person raised for my text stretcheth it selfe no further concerning whom the story records three things her life her death her being raised againe Of the third point nothing at all at this time for it commeth not within the bounds and limits of my text only of the two former her life and death whereof you haue a Sermon in print so intituled The Life and Death of DORCAS to which I will refer you for many good notes which because there so fully handled by me shall be omitted In speaking of her life I will intreat of two things first of her name Tabitha by interpretation Dorcas and secondly of her profession her profession in the forme of it shee was a Disciple and her profession in the fruit of it she was full of good workes and almes which she did In intreating of her death I will speake of two things the fore-runner of her death which was her sickenesse and the euent of her sicknesse which was her death The first thing then to be spoken of is her name Tabitha and that is Dorcas which names doe signifie a Roe or a Bucke and are both of them deriued from such rootes in their seuerall languages as doe betoken to see I will say nothing of that obseruation that might here bee made how that God knoweth his children by name as he said to Moses Exod. 33.17 Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name to shew that particular and peculiar knowledge of approbation whereby God knoweth the elect aboue others nor any thing of the discreet choice that should be vsed in the naming of children in which point as I commend not the nicety of some who like no other names but such as haue their good signification in holy Scripture so I much rather condemne their absurd folly who out of wit as they thinke I am sure without any dramme of discretion giue ridiculous and vnseemly names to the children they come to be sureties for The note I doe gather out of her name and I will but touch vpon it is in a word this as her name was so was she Tabitha or Dorcas was her name and she was and wee ought to bee cleare-sighted and with our eyes open to the things that concerne our soules health In things of the world we are Eagles but beetles and moles in diuine matters curious inquisitors into the liues of other carelesse neglecters of our owne estates and of what belongs to our Christian duties whereas if we would search the Scriptures as wee are commanded we should in them be taught what the obiects are which God would haue vs chiefly to fixe the eyes of our cares and endeauors on See that you keepe my Sabbaths Exod. 31. See said old Tobit to his Sonne that thou neuer doe that to any man which thou wouldest not that another should doe to thee Why seest thou the more in thy brothers eye and doest not see the beame in thine owne eye Mat. 7. See that no man deceiue you See and take heed how you heare See that you walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise Ephes 5.15 See that none recompence euill for euill vnto any man c. 1 Thes 5.15 And in many other places of holy Scripture we are taught that if we wil be true Dorcasses indeed we must cast our eyes the eyes of our affections not on things below but on the things that are aboue Collos 3.2 Therefore did Dauid pray vnto God saying Turne away mine eyes that they behold not vanity But I haue seene saith Salomon and considered all the workes that are done vnder the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 The next thing to bee spoken of in the life of this Dorcas is her profession which was not in shew onely and for formalities sake but in deed and in truth She was a Disciple and full of good workes almes which she did A disciple in professioÌ„ in practice too a disciple in confession and conuersation too the one by her faith and the other by her workes the one is as the roote the other as the fruit of Christian profession They met together in her and must in all that will be true disciples Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 and without holinesse impossible to see God Heb. 12.14 Faith without workes is dead and workes without faith are sinnes not in the substance and because they are done but in a maine circumstance because done without faith Morall honesty without profession of the true faith is blind and wanteth an eye to direct it and profession without practice on the other side is lame and wants a foot to cary it in the way to heauen Therefore saith
profit you nothing to godlinesse brotherly kindenesse for how can he that loueth not his brother say truely that hee loueth God and to brotherly kindnesse charity or loue not onely brotherly kindnesse to them that are of the houshold of faith but charity also towards all men friends and enemies as Christ stretcht out his armes on the Crosse to both the malefactors the first named of these things is faith the last is loue in the middle are other good workes the summe of all is that Gal. 5.6 Faith working by loue if this bee in you if these things be in you saith the Apostle and abound they will make you that you shall neither be barren nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ neither inwardly barren nor outwardly vnfruitfull And thus much concerning good workes in generall for which this Matron in my Text is here commended she is commended in the next place in particular for her almes-deeds an excellent species and member of those good workes to which we are enioyned We haue precept for it and example for it and reasons for it in the holy Scriptures Cast thy bread vpon the waters saith the Preacher Eccles 11.1 First hee saith cast doe not crumme it doe not doe it lazily as if lothly but giue it with a cheerfull minde Secondly Cast bread what is necessary for the sustenance of them that need and bread not a a bone that is for dogges not a bastinado that 's for rogues nor panem lapidosum as Seneca speakes bread full of grauell such as the hungry soule must needs eate but it goeth downe heauily because it is giuen grudgingly Thirdly panem tuum thy bread that which thou hast gotten with a good and an honest conscience for to rob a Church and then build a Spittle or to defraud or oppresse by the pound and then deale a dole by the peny is but according to the well knowne prouerbe to steale away the goose and sticke downe a feather And he saith the sonne of Sirach that bringeth an offering of the goods of the poore doth as one that killeth the sonne before his fathers eyes Ecclus 34.20 And lastly it is said vpon the waters First there distributed where there is no more hope of recompence then of regaining that which is throwne into the Sea Againe saith God in the mouth of the Prophet Esay c. 58.7 Is not this the fast first this is the fast that I haue chosen to deale thy bread to the hungry when thou seest the naked to couer him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh In which last words a reason is giuen why the rich should not turne away their eyes from the poore in contempt and disdaine as too commonly they doe euen because they all are of the same mold flesh and among themselues one anothers members And lastly the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.7 Therefore saith he as ye abound in euery thing in faith vtterance c. see that yee abound in this grace also viz. a liberall contribution to the necessities of the poore by the example of Abraham Gen. 18. of Lot Gen. 19. of Iob who protested for himselfe that hee did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse together with him Iob 31.17 and by the example of Zacheus Luk. 19.8 Nor are examples so many but the benefit is as great After many dayes thou shalt finde it Eccles 11.1 And The mercifull man doth good to his owne soul Pro. 11.17 And He that giueth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and what he hath giuen he will pay him again Pro. 19.17 And Blessed is he saith Dauid that considereth the poore and needy the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble Psal 41.1 And lastly Charge them that are rich saith S. Paul to Timothy that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come c. 1 Tim. 6.18 I speak not this by way of taxe or as condemning you I know how the poore in this place are in very good measure prouided for but I speake you see to a great many of the Country as well as to you of the towne and all are not alike minded neither among them or you I pray God there be not amōg both sorts of you though I know none here some such as in the world there are too many who are humani in belluas in homines belluini prodigall in their expenses on hawks or horses or hoūds or worse yet close fisted the whil squint-eyed when they should look on and succour their poore needy brethren for them that are as in this case they should be what I haue spoken tends to their commendation and incouragement and to the exhortation and stirring vp of others who are not alike well minded not alike as others not alike as Dorcas in my text of whom out of the words themselues it may be truely affirmed that euen while she liued shee was full of almes which shee did She knew that in heauen shee should meet with none that did none her helpe and therefore shee would helpe them that needed before she was going thither I haue no reason to condemne mens leauing to the poore by way of legacy in their last wills yet ye know there is an old saying that bis dat qui citò that man doth giue double that giueth seasonably and on the contrary the Heathen man could say tantum gratiae demitur quantum mora adijcitur a good turne that is deferred and put off doth lose a great deale of that grace and thankes which otherwise it would haue and a suspition is left in the minds of men that we giue therefore then because we cannot keepe it non bona ta◠pausat quam benefacta Deus God more respects the wel-doing of a thing then the deed done and indeed Beloued if no thing else did the hardnesse of these times hard times for the poore certainly doe euen force vs to open our hands as God hath inabled vs for their reliefe and succour O let vs not persecute them whom God hath smitten nor vexe them whom hee hath wounded let not their affliction bee forgotten in the midst of our feasting Plead not that the times are hard for others also as well as for the poore who will beleeue it that shall but thinke on this that scarce was there euer more spent in pride and gallantry in ryot and gluttony in quassing and carousing in sports and gaming and what a great deale of good might bee done to the poore if they had what may well bee spared out of the costlinesse of our apparell out of the superfluity of our diet nay out of that that is bestowed vpon the Deuill for who else but he gaineth by what is cast away in ryot and drunkennesse in lusts and filthines in games sportfulnesse in needlesse quarrels and
contentions doe not mis-apply my words I speake in generall termes and to forreiners from abroad as well as to the inhabitants of this place all whom I would haue to examine their owne soules who take exception at what I speake doe but bewray their owne guiltinesse and thinke a great deale worse of themselues then of me they can O consider and so I will conclude this point that it is panis esurientium quem tu diuoras c. the bread of the hungry which is deuoured in gluttony the drinke of the thirsty that is swilled in intemperately the garments of the naked that men strut in so flauntingly who some of them as St. Ambrose speakes parietes vestiunt auro pauperes nudant vestimento doe array their walls with cloth of Arras of silke of siluer of gold and leaue bare if not make bare also the backes and armes of the needy and the money of the poore peaceable ones which is cast away in malitious sures and controuersies Let euery thing be placed in his due place cause not the leane checkes to become lanker yet make not the needy eyes to wait long and bee euen ready to fall out of their sockets with waiting defraud not the poore of their due almes though it be giuen vnto them it is but lent vnto God and he will repay it and in due proportion too as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully as of this godly matron in my Text it is said that she sowed bountifully for she was full of good works and almes which she did Concerning which words it is noted that fulnesse here doth commend her good workes and almes for three good qualities sincerity generality constancy sincerity in respect of the root and fountaine generality in respect of the streames and branches and constancy in respect of the growth and current her goodnesse proceeded from her heart did spread it selfe farre and wide and did continue and last vnto her end And now Beloued that in the midst of our fulnesse in other kinds fulnes of pride fulnes of idlenes fulnesse of knowledge and fulnesse of good words wee would be full of good workes also as she was If we do good is it not grudgingly or for worldly and temporal respects where is our fulnesse of sincerity then Is it not mincingly and with that great personages limitation in the booke of the Kings God be mercifull vnto vs in these and these cases where is our fulnesse of generality then Or is it not wearisomely and with great fainting where is our fulnesse of constancy and perseuerance It is this being full of goodnesse that bringeth glory vnto God for herein is my Father glorified saith our Sauiour Christ that you beare much fruit Ioh. 15.8 It bringeth assurance to our consciences of our happy estate here for he that abideth in me and I in him saith Christ the same bringeth forth much fruit Ioh. 15.5 and of the reward of blessednesse laid vp for vs in heauen therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 6.9 Let vs not be weary in well doing for in due time wee shall reape if wee faint not if not now while we liue and indeed their case is the worst of all of whom it may be said they haue their reward yet assuredly when death commeth as it did to this good woman in my text and is the second generall thing I must speake of concerning her the death of Dorcas with the immediate forerunner thereof her sicknesse And it came to passe in those daies that she was sicke and dyed Now the word that is here read it came to passe is sometimes read it fortuned or happened both well in diuers respects the one in respect of God vnto whose prouidence all things being subiect and gouerned by it it is said in regard thereof that things come to pâ—sse and yet to chance or happen in respect of vs vnto whom God thinkes not fit to reueale and open those future euents which hee mindeth to kepe in his owne hands Whence the point collected is that which you all know that there is nothing can befall man in this world be it cloudy weather or cleere sunshine or full of stormes but it is all subiect and subordinate to the wisdome and prouidence of Almighty God There be other names vsed among men as fate and destiny and the like but heare what St. Austin saith de ciuit Dei l. 5. c. 1 Qua si propterea quisque fato tribuit c. If any man attribute the things that come to passe vnto fate or destiny and say that by it he meanes the will and prouidence of God Sententiam teneat linguam corrigat let him keepe his opinion but let him alter his phrase of speech because many when they heare these words fate destiny and the like are moued to beleue the some thing inferiour vnto Gods prouidence is meant as the cause or procurer of the things that happen and the lesson hence arising is in a word this that in all the changes and chances of this present life we lay vp our rest vpon Gods prouidence and next after our honest and lawfull endeauors refer the successe of all to him in time of health and prosperity not lifted vp with pride and presumption nor murmuring and repining when wee see the hand of God vpon vs though we see the hand of men or the Deuill there also in case of crosse and aduersity but alwaies resoluing as old Ely did 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good It came to passe that shee was sicke yea sicknesse is the suburbs through which ordinarily wee doe enter into the gates of death and for this purpose hath God placed in mans body deaths armory his fort of munition wherin hang a thousand shields wherewith the Lieutenant and his Captaine the messenger and his master morbus and mors sicknesse and death doe but come and then ouercome man Mans head and heart and stomacke and lyuer and lights and lungs and other parts of his body what are they but so many seuerall cells wherin sicknesse and death haue seuerall swords to wound and kill man with when God will haue it so Nay man saith Bernard is alwaies sicke of one disease or other generally of three aboue other the one in his beginning and entrance into the world and that is full of infirmity and vncleannesse the second in his progresse through the world and that is full of iniquitie and peruersnesse the third in his going out of the world not without paine and perill and nasci in corpore mortali aegrotare est to be born into the world is to be thrust out into a Spittlehouse And if we consider almost the whole course of a mans life how it is spent we shall finde it composed of nothing else but infirmities remedies maladies and medicines sicknesses and their physick and the physicke
against the lust of the eies couetousnesse for hee might easily be perswaded not to loue the world that would duely consider how soone hee might leaue the world and the things of it against pride of life it would bee auailable for what should make him lift vp his heart aboue his brethren whose head hee may happe to trample vnder his feet that now kneeles before him O if a man would but thinke on it how vile Christ became for him what himself is in himself weaknesse in his birth wickednesse in his life the subiect of rottennesse in his end in his comming into the world miserable in his liuing in the world sinfull in his going out of the world the heire of corruption if not the child of perdition too this would make to stoope the necke of pride as white as Iuory which must shortly be as the clay in the streets And lastly against the lusts of the flesh which though neuer so much doted on and euen made an Idoll of must first breed a multitude of wormes then be deuoured of them nay there are three things that wait to share vs and what we haue betweene them the wormes to haue our flesh the world to haue our wealth and the Deuill to haue our soules and euery of these so well contented with his owne part that he will not leaue it for both the other the world will not care for our soules or for our bodies so it may haue our goods the wormes will not care for our goods or for our soules so they may haue our bodies and the Deuill will not care for our bodies or for our goods so he may haue our soules but let vs therefore care more then we doe if not for our bodies let death make his best of them that he can yet for our substance and for our soules to put both our houses in order before wee dye our outward and our inward house the one for setling of peace both our owne and theirs whom wee leaue behinde vs and the other for our soules eternall happinesse and both these because it may be said to any of vs thou shalt dye and not liue before it can be said put thine house in order that so the houses especially of our hearts may be in order alwaies Conclusion And thus we haue followed Dorcas as farre as my text did lead vs Is there now euer another Dorcas for me to speake of sure this towne had and habuisse decus The memoriall of the graces and godly end of Mistris Mary Bab. it is a credit to them that they had for shee was a credit to them while they had her in a good degree such another Dorcas Concerning whom though I should be silent and shall be sparing yet this Church which she duely frequented those poore whom she continually releeued this towne which she alwayes loued nay not Ioppa onely and this her dwelling place but all that knew her by acquaintance and many other that did not know her but by the eare will yet say and it will be said hereafter perhaps with more feeling then now that this place hath lost a Dorcas who was as the name I told you signified in the root of it cleare-sighted to bethinke herselfe how she should and to prouide in some measure that she might so lead her life here that shee might afterwards liue eternally with God as her good life and right Christian end doe assure vs that she now doth Why is shee dead then what else meanes our meeting here at this time what this great concourse of people in all whose faces a man may easily read the loue and griefe that brought you hither and shall I not think you thought her worthy of loue I am sure you had reason so to doe you the poore of this place to whom I cannot say as Dauid to the Daughters of Israel weepe for Saul that clothed you in Scarlet but weepe for Dorcas who was alwaies ready and to her end and at her end to succour and releeue in great measure your wants and necessities wherein if other women did well yet shee surmounted them Yet doe not weepe for her weepe for your selues and for your sinnes serue God in holinesse and godlinesse of liuing expresse so your thankes to God for blessing her aâ—â—â—â—ntinuing her so long among you till shee was aged fourscore yeares and fiue for your good and then doubt not but if ye serue God as ye ought hee will prouide for you as you need or else feare that God will take away more Dorcasses from you if at least there bee more and it fare worse with you yet then now it doth But our Dorcas did not dye till she was sicke first and in her sicknesse O how did God shew that whom hee loueth hee loueth to the end and toward the end expresseth it more abundantly as he did to her who as if shee knew that this sicknesse should be her last and because she knew that the least thought of worldly things is of force to withdraw the mind from necessary meditations left presently the care of these things to others whom by her Will many yeares before made she had trusted with these things spent euen al the rest of her time as I am and you may be informed by those to whose report you can make no scruple to giue credit in a right Christian preparation for her last end by an often confession of her trust in God sorrowfull acknowledgement of her owne wretchednesse admirable patience in the middest of her paines earnest desires to be with her Sauiour yet with Christian submission of her will to Gods to the great comfort of them that came to comfort her till euen at her last moment as if shee saw heauen open and her Sauiour ready to receiue her into his armes shee desired to be heaued vp into the armes of her Sauiour who did not stay long from her nor would let her stay long from him but receiued her soule into his heauenly Kingdome leauing her body to be by vs brought vnto it long home there to sleepe in its bed of rest till at the last day it rise againe and be made partaker of that endlesse happinesse which her soule in the meane while doth alone enioy and whereto God in his due time bring vs all for his great mercies sake and the merits of his Sonne and our Sauiour Iesus Christ To whom c. Her Epitaph DEare is the death saith Dauid in God◠〈◊〉 OF all his Saints of her among the reâ—â— RIch in good workes and almes and day and night CArefull to serue God loued of the best AGed in yeares in goodnesse mercy loue SHee sickned died and now doth liue aboue FINIS