that nobilis improbitatis not am effugere non potest nisi multum antecellit a great man shall never avoid the brand of Impietie except he much excell in sanctitie Oh how deformed then are they in the sight of God who improve their power to a vicious infecting of themselves and those that converse with them 3. Consider that of our Saviour Luc. 12.48 where God gives much bee lookes for much againe the move your talents the greater your account Honour birth estate are great blessings in themselves Great men may be farre greater instruments of service for God and his Church then other because they have farre more power and advantages by their places to defend themselves and incourage others in promoting the glory of Christ As God made not flowers for toads and spiders for to draw poyson out of them but for bees to suck honey from them so neither did he create honours and estates for his enemies that being in honours they should have no understanding Psal 49.20 but live like beasts that perish but for his servants that will improve them for their Lords advantage There is a day coming Gentlemen when the Lord will not only call you to an account for the principall of the talents of honour and greatness but for the interest also 'T will not be your returning them in the napkin by saying you have not abused them to the dishonour of God and prejudice of those under you but you must return them multiplied and improved to the uttermost in honouring the Lord with them wherein if you faile the more shame and contempt will fall on you by how much you are trusted now with a greater measure of power and greatness above others If all rationall men have branded Domitian who being a king spent his time in catching flies oh how much more will the Lord poure out confusion upon those who improve their places in spending whole yeares and consuming nights and days in compleating their lust and methodizing their sinfull wayes to an exactness profunditie of voluptuousness Amos 9.7 these courses render his Soul an Ethiopian Black-more whose body is clothed in Josephs parti-colcured coat or the rich arras of Egypt 4. Consider the only way to improve your greatness for you higher honour is to contemne it yea loose it and deny it for the Lord and his service Thus Moses improved the honour title and dignitie to be stiled Pharaoh's â—on even by refusing it it was therefore that hee was raised to the title and dignitie to be called Pharaohs God Gen 7.1 Thus the 24. Elders Apocal. 4.10 improve their honours by falling down before him that sits on the Throne and casting their Crowns at his feet thus our Lord Jesus improved his honour in obedience to his Fathers pleasure namely when he was in he form of God knew it was to robbery to be equall with God yet made himself of no reputation and humbled himself to the death of the Crosse therefor God highly exalted him gave him a name above every name Phil. 2.8 9. and if you shall be perswaded to do so with your honours for Christ as he did with his honor for you namely to despise it for is cause the cause of religion and humble your selves and take upon you the form and work of his servants he will highly exalt you and not only write upon you the name of the city of God but the name of God himself yea he will write upon you his new name and grant you to sit with him in his Throne Apoc. 3.12 21. as he overcame and sate with his Father in his Throne Which the Lord in his due time bring us all unto by making the meanest as well as the greatest of us through faith partakers of the merit and worthiness of our Lord Jesus and so of higher estimation with God then all the world besides FINIS
and absolutelie unable to requite yet I hold my self for ever obliged to embrace every opportunitie that is offered to make my acknowledgement thereof unto each of you And therefore have I greedily laid hold on this occasion now offered to me least if I should have neglected this advantage I might never have had the like again by reason of my declining age I cannot therefore but hereby give a publick testimony before the world of my serious apprehension deep sense of those engagements which both you most honoured Ladie also every one of you renowned Gentlemen and Ladies have laid upon me and also declare my self so firmly obliged to this whole Family that I am extreamelie desirous to the uttermost of my power alwaies to approve my self Madam your Ladyships and your posterities Most devoted faithfull servant in the Lord JESUS SAMUEL FAIRECLOUGH 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or The Saints worthinesse And The worlds worthlesnesse A Funerall Sermon on Heb. 11.38 Of whom the world was not worthy THe light of Nature teacheth every man this lesson that due praise and publick acknowledgement of true worth in virtuous agents is a great provocation and a strong inducement with all ingenuous spirits to imitate those actions which are alwayes attended with honour and admiration according to that of the Oratour Laudis studio trahimur omnes we are all forceably drawn by the desire of praise Morality proceedeth further and tells us that an honourable commemoration of laudable actions is not onely a motive and an engagement to the performance of the like by the attentive auditour but is also in great measure the very Guerdon and reward it self which is justly merited by the deserving actour for who knows not that Laus est virtutis praemium honour is the reward of virtue Divinity and the Spirit of God in Scripture ascends higher and imposeth it as a duty leaving it not at our discretion but making it a divine precept in sacred Writ to render to every man that praise and honour which belongs unto him according to that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Render to every man his due honour to whom honour is due All which being considered I conclude that it is barbarous inhumanity in Nature injurious detraction in Morality wilfull disobedience in Divinity to bury the memory and reputation of those in silence and obscurity whom the Lord by the manifestation of his grace in them hath raised to eminencie and exalted above the standard of the worlds worth and value That I might not be guilty of any of these at this time I have upon this sad occasion of the Lords removing out of the world a person of whom the world was not worthy that Worthy of Worthies Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston chosen these words and made them the subject of my following discourse Wherein you have held forth to you at the first view the Saints worthinesse and the worlds worthlesnesse Both these are weighted as Beza notes upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a pair of Scales and Balances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de iis dicitur quae appensa ejusdem ponderis inveniuntur Beza in Rom. 8.18 the standard and beam at which they are tried is the wisdome and valuation of the Lord himself who layes a Believer naked or clothed onely in a sheeps-skin and leathern coat verse 37. in one scale and puts the world with all its Glories in the other and having most exactly pondered and tried the worth of both of them concludes positively for the believer against the world and openly declares that the worldis not worthy of him The words for the substance of them much resemble that hand-writing on the wall against Belshazzar Dan. 5.25 Mene menetekel perez As if the Apostle had said Mene O world all thy perfections and excellencies are numbred and finished Tekel they are weighed in the balance with a naked believer and found too light Peres and therefore the honour of all thy worth and excellency is taken from thee and given to the believer of whom the world is not worthy In the further interpretation of which words although the narrow compasse of one hour allotted to this duty forbids me to meddle with any discourse of the Analysis coherence or dependance of the words and you to expect any accurate division or prelix explication of them yet before I come to propound that one Observation out of them on which I purpose to insist I shall borrow so much light from the precedent and subsequent words and other Scriptures as may open the text in these three particulars 1. What that world is that is so worthlesse 2. Who are those persons that are so worthy 3. In what respects that world is so unworthy of these persons 1. For the first what world it is that is so worthlesse The Text opened may clearly be understood by the opposition hinted in the text viz. the persons against whom it is weighed which are believers and therefore the world affirmed to be so worthlesse is the world of unbelievers That world out of which the Church is called John 15.18 That world for which Christ doth refuse to pray John 17.9 That world which cannot receive the Spirit John 14.17 Together with the Trinity which that world worshippeth pleasures profits and honours as it is described 1 John 2.16 This is that world which is here affirmed to be so worthlesse and unworthy 2. The persons affirmed to be so worthy are manifestly described in the words before and after the text 1. By their externall gath and condition 2. By their internall worth and disposition For their externall garb and condition it is very low and mean for they are here brought forth in leathern coates foodlesse monilesse easelesse destitute afflicted and tormented yea harbourlesse also for they wander up and down and lodge in demes and caves This and no better is the outward condition of these worthy persons expressed in the verses before and after 37.38 Their internall worth and disposition is set down verse the 39. All these obtained good report for their faith Famous for their precious faith which is much more precious then gold wherein they excelled and were thereby dignified and honoured both whilest they lived and also after their deaths These are the worthy persons 3. We will consider in what respect the world is unworthy of these persons The world is unworthy of these persons in a threefold respect according to a threefold unworthinesse mentioned in Scripture 1. Indignitas dispositionis an unworthiness of disposition either by privative undesert or positive contempt as the Jews Acts 13.46 are said to be unworthy of eternall life and the rich blessings of the Gospel for their despising and contempt of it Thus though the believer like the Gospel comes with fulnesse of blessing wheresoever he comes being a blessing to the family where he dwells as Joseph to Patiphars to the businesse wherein he is
from this truth to you of his nearest relation Exhortation you have heard it proved that the Lord setteth a higher price upon the meanest believer then all the world besides you have the experience of it in the Lord his honouring your father in his life and death and I believe you esteem it none of your least honours that you are descended from also honourable a root and that upon very good ground for to be heirs of so many promises and prayers which he paâ— up to the Lord for you is an invaluable treasure and portion Moses when it was put to his choice whether he would deny his Hebrew pedegree and he reputed an Egyptian even the son of Pharaoh's daughter and thereby have hopes of a kingdome or on the other side lose all the riches of Egypt by declaring himself of the posterity of Abraham saw cause enough to make choice of the latter rather then the former in like manner I am perswaded you see more ground to glory that you are descended from your fathers loins who was so gracious then if you had been born heirs to the greatest Potentate of the earth if he were gracelesse O therefore that now it might be your great care to see that your behaviour in the world may be worthy of so good a father Beware you do not degenerate from his practise or principles but le your conversation to God and mad be such that you may be a crown to his head that was so great a glory to yours Robora parentum referunt liberi as sickly children argue the parents weaknesse so a gracious posterity like pure streams demonstrate the purity of the fountain from whence they are derived Childrens grace and piety is not onely a comfort to parents whilest they live but also a glory unto them when they are dead so was Eliakim of whom you may reade Isa 22.22 where the Spirit of God affirm that he was a throne of glory to his fathers house I saw a letter which one of you since your fathers death wrote from London to your brother in the countrey wherein was this expression viz. that he ballancing his fathers gain and glory which now he injoyed in heaven against the greatness of his own losse by his death on earth he professed that if he might have him alive again with a wish he durst not desire it I liked the expression exceeding well because it preferred his fathers glory above his own content And therefore as you rejoyce in the increase of your fathers glory in heaven so labour the augmentation of it in earth in being with Eliakim a throne of glory to your fathers house Which you shall effect if with the Rechabites you shall strictly and punctually observe and follow all his holy commands and blessed examples after his departure in so doing both the Lord himself and all his people shall do to you as the Lord Isaiah 22. promiseth they should do to Eliakim viz. hang the glory of his fathers house upon him Abraham was a good father and the Jews did much glory in him but Abraham could not glory in the Jews as his children because they did no the works of Abraham their father In like manner you had an honourable father and you justly glory in him O let him also have cause to glory in you whilest the world may take notice that you both walk in the steps of his faith and do also his works Let me therefore exhort every one that hath any of his bloud in his veins and beareth his name before the world that you would become his representatives the world that he being dead in his own body yet he may live and walk in you Collect the jewells of his graces set them in rows on the breast-plate of your heart and so carry his image about the world in your lives that all spectatours that knew your father when they behold your conformity to him may say Surely this is that renowned Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston or one very like him All this I speak unto you in this day of the sad obsequies of your father that I may ingage you all who are the branches of this noble vine to become fruitfull boughs loaden with such clusters the fruit whereof may glad the heart of God and man And for that end I commend unto you next after the reading of the Bible above all other books the reading and remembrance of the history of your fathers life and graces the volume of his counsels and directions written in your hearts use all diligence in the daily observation of the solid principles and divine rules legible in his example and practise Boleslaus the fourth King of Poland used to hang his fathers picture in a plate of gold about his neck Cromerus lib. 5. and when he was to speak or act any thing or importance did usually pull it out view and kisse it wishing he might do nothing unworthy of his name The like do you in bearing his name for a remembrance before the world untill the reflection on his perfections as so many rich diamond casting forth their beauty upon your actions cause you to answer those great expectations of piety and sincerity which your birth education and profession have raised in the hearts and minds of all spectatours Conceive I beseech you that every one that looks upon you doth speak unto you as the people of Rome used to speak at the creation of their Consuls praesta nomen tuum make good your name By this course you shall in some measure make up the couatreys great losse in the death of your father and make way for your friends to comfort those sorrowfull hearts that mourn for his death Ambros in obit Theo. As Ambrose in his Funcrall oration for Theodosius thus cheared up his mourning subjects my friends said he let his comfort you in the death of Theodosius the father because he lives in his son Honorias so I may say Let this comfort thee O Suffolk in the losse of his worthy Patriot that his graces yet survive in his sonne Nay if you shall severally and joincly second your fathers piety integrity and zeal for the cause of God and your countrey I may then adde that consolation to your lamenting neighbours which Eusebius reports of Constantines children after their fathers departure they lived so holily that the people said they had now may Constantines for one before they had Constantine multiplied so we also hereby may say we have may Sir Nathaniels for one or Sir Nathaniel multiplied and inlarged whilest his children that inherit his lands and estate do also succeed him in his virtues and graces who account it he highest honour of their family that Religion be continued in a succession and multiplication therein And truely Gentlemen if it was esteemed the great honour of the Family of the Curii in Rome Aeliax lib. 3. that there arose out from that stock three excellent Oratours one succeeding
the other what height of excellency must it needs be thought that the power of Regligion and holinesse is made successive in your stock from generation to generation The next application is to those in the Auditory whom the Lord by his providence hath raised by their birth 2 2 Use to Gentlemen breeding and education estate parts or offices above the rest Gentlemen I mean that account themselves and are also accounted by others of an higher ranck and quality then other whose presence here is occasioned by their respect and estimation of his noble Knight now to be interred To you I have a word of instruction from the doctrine already proved which I am not willing to omit because I see the greatest prophet that was born of woman John the Baptist when he perceived such Auditours come unto him which were not usually before him took then occasion to apply himself unto them Matth. 3. His practise shall be my warrant and incouragement to addresse my speech unto you at this time Gentlemen I would instruct and direct you how you may be good as well as great and become honourable before God hereafter as you are before men already and the onely way is this to adde the nobility of grace to the nobility of nature for seeing the meanest believer is of more reputation with God then all the world besides it doth follow that the way to true honour is to become a true believer By faith the elders obteined a good report not onely a crown of glory after their death but estimation and honour from God whilest they lived as is manifest the whole chapter before my Text. Faith makes the meanest believer of more worth than an Emperour Jacob a plain man by faith became a Prince yea a Prince with God Deo servire est regnare to serve God is to be a King You therefore that would be esteemed worthy precious must become gracious Oh how excellent precious doth godliness make those men in the eyes of the Lord whom birth and estate have made honourable in the estimation of men Religion doth ennoble their spirits and advance their mind unto the heavens as a precious Jewell set in gold makes that much more conspicucus which was beautifull before so holinesse addes to the splendour of birth and estate the enemelings of grace and glorie Be therefore humbly intreated to crowne the emmency of your biâ—th and fortunes with the glory of spirituall excellencies I am the more carnest and serious at this time because the present pattern before you shewes it possible and seasible for you and oh that his death might cause you to imitate him whose lâ—â—e was a light to guide you in the way I know that many Gentlemen think that a strict and holy life is onely for such as have little to do or to take to in the world He onely is to live by faith that hath nothing else to live on but for those who are born to great things in the world it is too low for them to stoop to Christs yoke Nay some of them who are not ashamed of their oaths blasphemies beastly uncleanness swinish excesses but glorie in them yet account sanctification of Subbath hearing the Word constancie in prayer to be their disgrace and esteeme it a disparagement to their credit to be accounted godly and religious and therefore purposely act that which they know is profane and impious lest they should be esteemed holy or conscientious Thus Augustine in his Confessions lib. 2. cap. 19. pudebat me non fuâ—sse impudentem c. I was ashamed of my modest and blushed that I was not past blushing And Salvian even with teares complaines of the Gentlemen of his time Oh! Deprov lib. 4. saith he such contempt and disgrace is put upon religion ut cogantur esse mali ne vide antur viles they are compelled to be evil least they should be esteemed base for religions sake I wish that this sin of contempt and scorn put upon religion had been buried in Salvian's dayes but are there not very many still of these great ones that think that their attendance upon the Lord Jesus in his Ordinances is a condescension of their greatness and abstain from religious performances merely in point of honour as too low a service for their Lordships Ladyships and VVorships The CENTVRION thought his house too meane and unworthy to receive Christ into it but these men think Christ house too meane and unworthy to receive them Doe any of the rulers believe do the Knights Esquires and Gentlemen follow the Lord Jesus and why do they not oh it is not for their place credit reputation so to do Oh! accursed pride and hellish loftiness is it the highest honour of the glorified Angels to be Christ his servants and ministring spirits to attend his members and is it the highest glory of the Trinitie to be accounted holy gracious pure abundant in goodness and shall sinfull dust and ashes because of a little precedency in birth or estate account holinesse purity goodness their dishonour and disparagement It was the saying of Ignatius antiquit as mea nobilitas mea solus Christus Christ is my only nobilitie and antiquitie but these say my nobility and antiquity is mine onely Christ and therefor think the only way to cast down themselves is to exalt Christ whereas you may throughly be convinced by the truth proved unto you that he only way to exalt your selves is to exalt Christ above your selves who raiseth the meanest of his saints to a greater worth then all the world besides You see Gentlemen that neither the Lord Jesus nor his servants do envie your honour or greatness much lesse disparage it but rather desire the advancement of it in the true way of preferment to glory without which it had been better for you to have been born and brought up in a cave or den and layn all your to have lived in your Palaces and been sed at your fullest tables for 1. Motives All your births and high estates at the best are no better things then the Lord bestowes on his greatest enemies and if not accompanied with grace and improved for God they are greatest miseries For these expose you to more temptations then poorer men as our Saviour Mat. 19. and the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. affirmeth they are nothing else then fewel to feed your Justs and provocations to a more impudent and uncontrouleable course of sins Who would boast in such a garment which how rich and pompous soever it appears without yet within fills the body with adayly brood of nastie sores and crawling vermin Such are most mens estates 2. The higher your places are the more notorious and conspicuous are your vices Greâ—mens offences are no more hid then the spots in the Moon or a sore in the face which is a greater deformitie then a wound or sore in another part of the body Nazianz. orat 1 de fug saith