yea to lament this forlorn Earth which hath lost so excellent an Inhabitant and rare Example of Christian Piety We may justly suspect that because she was so little imitated while she liv'd therefore God hath remov'd her from this World in which 't is to be fear'd the Darkness will now encrease when so great a Luminary is Eclips'd And the darkness of Impiety and Prophaness will draw after it a black Tempest of Calamity and Desolation The untimely Death of a Religious Ruler hath often been a Presage and Fore-runner of National Judgments Thus it fell out to the Kingdom of Judah after the death of Josiah 2 Chron. last Chap. compared with the latter end of the preceding And our Nation had the same sad Experience after the death of the Pious young King Edward the VI. on which immediately followed the bloody and dismal Days of Q. Mary To prevent such Calamities no better Direction can be given than that laid down in the Text viz. To Follow the Faith and Imitate the Holiness of the Deceased QUEEN Could we and those who were related to Her be persuaded to walk in the steps of her Faith and Piety We should reap more Advantage after Her Death than We did in her Life 'T is a memorable Wonder that is related 2 King 12.21 how when a dead Man was cast into the Sepulchre of Elisha as soon as he touch'd the Bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet We may hope That if the Holy Example of the deceased Queen might touch our dead Souls they would be reviv'd and gain spiritual Life yea our Nation would live and be made a Praise in the Earth We are willing to express our Esteem and Respect to Her many have been at some Expence to wear the Tokens of Sorrow which can bring no real Advantage either to Her or our own Souls Why should we refuse to Imitate her good Example which will bring the greatest and most lasting Benefits I question not but many will endeavour to procure and keep some Memorial or Relique of the deceased Queen a Jewel or Picture or Garment or perhaps some of her Hair which are all useless and insignificant things Whereas would we be at the pains to get and preserve the Likeness of her Piety this would make us Happy indeed For this end I shall add some Arguments and Motives which may persuade us unto this Imitation And 1. First None can with any reason judge this Imitation to be a Disparagement to them What shall any count it below them to study the Scriptures to sanctifie the Day of God to serve God in secret to love all good Men to relieve the Distressed when they see how this glorious Queen did place her highest Honour in such a Practice Can any disdain to bear the Yoke of Christ which She did so chearfully submit to Is there any colour or pretence to object That strict Religion doth not agree with the Character of the Great and Honourable when she did esteem it her principal Ornament and Excellence Oh amazing Folly That the Vices of Rulers should soon grow into fashion but their Vertues should be slighted and undervalued 2. Secondly The Lowest and Meanest are capable of Imitating her Christian Piety as to the Substance of it A resembling of Her Power and Regal Dignity is impossible Her Stature Beauty and Faculties of Mind are not the Objects of our Imitation But surely the Poorest and most Despicable may walk in the steps of Her Faith and Holiness There is but one common Path to Heaven both for Princes and Peasants 3. Thirdly We shall be Self-condemn'd if we refuse to Imitate One whom we our selves Praise and Commend A Life that is not worthy to be Imitated can't deserve Commendation What shall we answer to our Judge when this perplexing Question is put to us If you did Commend why did you not Imitate Her And If you would not Imitate why did you Commend Her I persuade my self that few Princes have found more to Commend 'em than the Lamented QUEEN both in her Life and after her Death And yet I fear few will heartily endeavour to follow Her Example But let us consider That to be condemned out of our own Mouths is the saddest Case in the World Luk. 19.22 How can we escape when we are condemned by our selves 4. Fourthly We All have the same Essential Helps and Assistance which the deceased Queen had Indeed Her High Station gave Her some accidental Advantage but We have the same Bible the same Sabbaths the same Ordinances the same Spirit to assist us which She enjoy'd Christ the Sun of Righteousness shines alike to the lowest Shrub and the tallest Cedar Nay 5. Fifthly We have much fewer Hinderances in the Practice of Religion The Snares and Temptations of a Crown and a Court are most dangerous Obstacles in the Way to Happiness The Passage to Heaven is much easier from a Cottage than from a Palace 6. In the last place We shall All desire to have the Happy End that She hath had to Die with such Hope and Joy as She found when She was leaving this World Balaam's Wish That he might Numb 23.10 die the death of the Righteous is as vain as 't is common to those who will not work Righteousness The end of a Journey must have some resemblance unto the quality of it We must never expect to have the latter End of the Religious and to overcome the last Enemy if We refuse to Imitate them who have fought the good sight of Faith and have flnish'd their Course with joy As this Pious Queen did whom her Imitators shall see shining with a far brighter Glory than any Throne can bestow Till then Farewell Great and Excellent QVEEN Farewell Happy and Glorious SAINT May Thy Memory always live in our Breasts and Thy Example be efficacious in our Lives THE END
preserved in your Memory but this is by no means enough the great Duty to which you are most strongly oblig'd is to form and order your Profession and Practice according to their Good Example that so you may be truly like unto them The Reasons of this important Duty are as obvious as they are obliging For 1. When God doth give Holy Rulers 't is on this design that their Example might be imitated 'T is found by experience that Imitation is one of the strongest Principles of Human Nature which is more easily drawn by Example than by the wisest Reasons And especially the Practice of a Ruler or Magistrate is commonly more prevalent than any Law The true Observation of the Poet is almost in every Bodies Mouth Clau◠Componitur Orbis Regis ad exemplum [a] Cicero in his last Book de Legib. has most wisely observ'd that Vitious Rulers are most pernicious to a State saying of 'em Plus exemplo quam peccato nocent and adds that a very few Eminent Persons Vel corrumpere mores civitatis vel corrigere possunt How often is it charg'd on Jeroboam the first King of the Ten Tribes that He made Israel to Sin His idolatrous practice did infect the whole Nation But when Righteous Rulers are given to a People the Wisdom and Mercy of God provide a Remedy against Vice and a cogent Motive unto the practice of Religion For the Religious Example of a Prince or Ruler doth in a special manner adorn the Doctrine of Christ and is proper to convince the World that Piety is not a mean and dishonourable Character as many do falsly imagine that strict Religion is inconsistent with Honour and Greatness and are prejudic'd against it when they see it entertain'd by Persons of a lower Rank [a] In the early Ages of the Christian Church this was a common Objection made by the Heathens that the Christians were mostly of the meanest Rank and Condition as is related by Minut. F. Chrysost in 7 Hom. on the 1 Ep. Cor. and many others But this Objection is refuted by the Christian Example of those who have Power and Authority and therefore an Imitation of such is most reasonably urged And there want not Instances of the happy Effects which the Piety of Rulers hath produced in their Subjects as 't is related That the People of Israel serv'd the Lord all the days of Joshua who did not only lead 'em in their Wars but went before them in the Path of Righteousness Josh 24.31 Hence 't was that when God did promise to the Jewish Nation that He would restore their Judges as at the first and their Councellours c. immediately is added as the consequent of such a Blessing Afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness Isa 1.26 A II. Reason which enforces this Duty is That the imitation of Pious Rulers is the best way of honouring 'em after their death All agree that a good King or Queen ought to be honoured after their leaving of the World Many ways have been invented and still are us'd to honour deceased Rulers such as Poems and Orations publick Mourning and pompous Funerals costly Monuments and other Memorials of the dead The Gentiles were willing to build Altars and Temples and pay Divino Worship to their deceased Rulers not to mention the extravagant and absurd Methods which some barbarous Nations used [a] D. Siculus in his ◠B. relates of the Aethiopians that if any of their Kings were maimed his Friends would maim themselves and when a King died his Acquaintance kill'd themselves to honour him But as the last are altogether unlawful so the former are very doubtful and inconsiderable for they may proceed from another Principle besides true Esteem for the deceas'd But when we imitate the Piety and Vertue of a Ruler after his Death this is an infallible Testimony of unfeigned Esteem This doth erect the most lasting Monuments unto his Memory for by this means the Souls of Men become so many Shrines and Temples where he lives and inhabits after he is taken out of the World In the III. And last place The Imitation of Holy Rulers renders 'em publickly useful after their death and so doth compensate the Damage that is caus'd by their departure out of the World If the deceas'd Queen whose death we lament could be rais'd to life again this would be justly counted a publick and exceeding Gain but it will be a far greater Advantage if her Holy Example doth live after Her Her Life abstractly considered can't do such Service unto our Nation or the Protestant Interest as her Faith and Piety can do were they generally followed for these would be a far better defence and safe-guard then any Courage or Conduct then any Armies or Navies can be God himself has assur'd us That rigteousness exalts a Nation Prov. 14.34 We of this Age have had a convincing Experience of the Truth of what the Psalmist has affirmed Psal 33.16,17 That no King is saved by the multitude of an Host and a mighty Man is not delivered by much strength An Horse is a vain thing for safety O that We and our Brethren could be perswaded to try this unfailing Experiment I mean the Practice of True Holiness to which God hath promised deliverance and success Isa 33.6 Wisdom and righteousness shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation To the same purpose is the known Declaration made by the blessed God Psal 81.13,14 O that my people had hearkned unto me and Israel had walked in my ways I should soon have subdued their Enemies c. But because the Imitation of Holy Examples is attended with some difficulty and the Absence of 'em after the Death of the Persons is apt to weaken their Influence the Apostle lays down a most proper Direction to assist the Performance of this Duty Considering the end of their conversation The Original word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated consider hath a significancy which our Language can't well express for it imports such an accurate contemplating as is us'd about the most sublime and worthy Objects accordingly a Greek Interpreter expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. very exactly reviewing and illustrates it by the Instance of a Limner who accurately views the Original The Object of this Consideration viz. The End of their Conversation is not I conceive to be restrain'd unto the very last Moment of their Life but takes in the Circumstances of their Death and the Manner how they acted their last Part when they were leaving the Stage of the World And truly there can't be a more worthy Spectacle than a Christian ready to encounter the last Enemy The Lights of the World never shine so bright and glorious as in their setting And an attentive regard unto the Exit of a Christian and the finishing of his Course will very much assist the Imitation of his Faith and Piety
Of Remembrance and Imitation Of Deceased Holy Rulers A SERMON Preach'd at ROTTERDAM March the 15th 1695 New Style The DAY of Her Majesty's FUNERAL By JOHN SPADEMAN M. A. Minister of the English Church there LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chapel 1695. Advertisement NEither the seeming Unsuitableness of the Text nor the real Defects of the Sermon the marks of a hasty Composure have deterr'd Me from venturing it abroad For I hope my Design will be approv'd by all Good Men who will grant it to be a seasonable Office to pâ—… the Duty of Imitating the Piety of our Deceased QUEEN whole Death is an unspeakable Loss to this Age But 't will be much 〈◊〉 dangerous if SHE who was Greater than the Queen of the Souâ—… shall rise up in the Judgment â—…th this Generation and condemn it because Her Christian Vertues were not followed Of Remembrance and Imitation of Deceased Holy Rulers HEB. xiii 7. Remember them which have had the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation THE Death and Funeral of the meanest Person carry most useful Instruction in 'em Every House of Mourning is a School which God doth open and where He teacheth most profitable Lessons which all the Living are obliged to lay to heart For which reason the Royal Preacher hath affirm'd against the common Opinion That 't is better to go to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting Eccles 7.2 But at this time the Providence of God calls us to a House of Mourning that hath most Extraordinary Characters All things consider'd it may truly be said That in several Ages there hath not been such a Funeral as that which is celebrated this Day I speak this not with respect to the Ceremonies and Magnificence of it which are very extraordinary but on the account of its Sorrowful and Sadning Circumstances For not only a Royal and Crowned Head is laid in the Dust but a Religious and Holy Ruler is removed out of the World A Queen whom the Grace and Spirit of God adorn'd with a far richer and more glorious Crown than that of the finest Gold So that She was the Flower of Princes the Glory of her Order and the great Ornament of her Age and Nation Such a Treasure the Righteous offended God hath taken away from this World which was not worthy of it And if ever a Pompous and Magnificent Funeral was due to any it is to Her And perhaps few deceased Princes have been attended to their Sepulchres with such Marks of highest Honour which is pay'd to Her not only throughout her own Kingdoms but also in these Provinces which did enjoy her happy Influence and therefore can understand how justly She deserves the most Mournful and Magnificent Obsequies But it will be granted that the most Pompous Funeral can't do any Advantage unto Her who Eccles 9.6 can have no more for ever a share in any enjoyments under the sun And it can bring as little Profit to the Living even to the Spectators of so unusual an Interment which will be ended within the narrow bounds of one Day But we must conclude That whenever God raises up so Eminent an Example of Holiness 't is on design of procuring a lasting Benesit to the World and of conveying such Advantages as will out-live the Presence of that Exemplar And 't is our own fault if we do not share in these Advantages which will more enrich us than the inheriting of a whole Kingdom would doe The devouring Grave hath swallow'd up the Beauly and all the Bodily Excellencies of the Deceas'd Queen but there are Two Immortal Things which Death hath no Power over Her Memory and Example which now seek Entertainment in our Breasts and are able to make Her more Honourable and Vs more Happy than Legacies or even Children left by Her which latter God also pleas'd to deny to Her and us By Cherishing her Memory and Imitating her Example we shall not only pay the highest Honour to Her but shew the truest Kindness to our selves as also comply with the special Obligation which God himself hath laid on us both by giving and taking away so Excellent a Queen I confess the Text which I have chosen to assist you on this Occasion speaks of deceas'd Teachers and Ministers of the Gospel whose Office consists in guiding Men to the Heavenly Happiness by speaking and declaring the Word of God and therefore their Character is different from that of the deceas'd Queen But it must be granted that the Agreement and Resemblance between Civil Rulers and Spiritual Guides is sufficient to found an equal Obligation unto the Duties enjoin'd in the Text For the station of both is so singular and eminent as to make their Memory precious and their Example useful to those who had the Opportunity of knowing their Holy Lives and Happy Deaths To which I might add that the Conversation of a Pious Magistrate doth really speak and publish the Word of God tho' not in the same manner with the Sermons and Discourses of Ministers of the Gospel So that the Meditations offered by the Words read to you are very sutable to the Funeral of a Queen whose Life and Death have set a most Excellent Copy for our Imitation Both these I shall endeavour to represent to you when I have first spoken to the Words themselves In which we are call'd to consider a Two-fold Duty to be perform'd unto deceas'd Holy Rulers and a proper Direction to assist the Performance of the latter The Two Duties enjoin'd with respect to deceased Holy Rulers are I. The Remembring of them after their Death II. The Following or Imitating of their Faith The Direction which assists the Performance of the latter Duty is laid down in the last Clause of the Verse Considering the end or issue of their conversation Concerning the Duty of Remembring deceased Holy Rulers I shall lay down a few Conclusions to explain the nature and grounds of it I. An honourable Rememerance after Death is commonly and justly esteem'd The common Desire of it has been look'd on as an Evidence of the Immortality of human Souls However that be which 't is hot proper now to dispute 't is certain that there is a strong desire planted in our Souls of perpetuating our Names and Memories after we have left the World vast expences of Pains and Treason have been laid out on this very thing The Learned have been willing to employ their Time and Labours to leave behind 'em some written Monuments to preserve their Memories and have judg'd it a sufficient Reward of their learn'd Labours that they might be able say as the Roman Poet did Horat. Non omnis moriar postera crescam laude recens I shall not totally dye and be extinguish'd but shall grow after Death by the succeeding Praise that shall be given me