Votiuae Lachrymae A VOVV OF TEARES For the losse of Prince HENRY IN A SERMON PREACHED in the Citie of Bristol December 7. 1612. being the day of his Funerall By E. C. Batchelar in Diuinitie and publike Preacher to that Citie 2. Chron. 35. 25. And Ieremiah lamented Iosiah and all Singing men and Singing women mourned for Iosiah in their Lamentations to this day and made the same for an ordinance vnto Israel and behold they are written in the LAMENTATIONS AT LONDON Printed by W. H. for William Welby and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church yard at the signe of the Swanne TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCES The most illustrious and hopefull Prince CHARLES Duke of Yorke the most renowned and vertuous Princesse the Lady ELIZABETH her Grace together with her espoused happy Husband the thrice-noble and worthy Prince FREDERIKE Count Palatine of Rheine and Prince Elector TO whom vnder God should these vowed teares humbly addresse themselues but vnto you three thrice excellēt Princes the neerest partakers and most hopefull repairers of the great and common losse that caused them A losse indeed common to vs the members of this State and Church with all the faithfull inhabitants of the Christian world But to expresse the greatnesse of it What shall wee take to witnesse for it what shall wee compare to it Whereto shall wee liken it A breach great like the sea who can heale it who can comfort vs in it But blessed bee the Father of mercies and God of all comfort that hath not onely preserued vnto vs of this age the royall root and stemme but also in you the princely branches reserued a treasury of hope comfort for the generations ensuing Only being taught by so heauy an hand that the hope of the hils and multitude of mountaines is but vaine except the Lord be sought vnto as the only health of Israel What shall we say but the Lord giue vs hearts so to repay vnto your Excellencies the arrerages of praiers and thanks wherein wee are behind hand to your Princely Brother that God may be pleased to repaire by you the losse that in him we haue sustained So may wee hope that the God of mercy the strength of Israel will answer vs with words of peace and truth saying Vnto our Soueraigne your royal father I haue laid help vpō one that is mighty I haue exalted one chosen out of the people c. Vnto you illustrious Prince Charles Thou sbalt beare rule ouer men being iust and ruling in the feare of God Vnto you gracious Lady I will blesse thee and thou shalt bee the mother of Nations Kings also of people shall come of thee Finally vnto you happie Prince and sent of God to increase our happinesse Come in thou blessed of the Lord for whom the choisest pearle in the Christian world is by God himself prepared The Lord make her like Leah and like Rahel which two builded the house of Israel Let her grow into thousand thousands and let her seed possesse the gate of his Enemies What remaineth most gracious Princes but that with humble suite for pardon of this boldnes and acceptance of this poore seruice offred in the name of this famous and loiall Citie vnto the honorable memory of your triumphant Brother and patronage of your Princely Graces I tender vnto your Highnesses two requests of an heart zealously deuoted both to your present honour and euerlasting blisse The first that you would alwaies set before your eies the Princely patterne of vertue and pietie so happily expressed in the example of that blessod Soule whom the world was no longer worthy to enioy who beginning as Iosiah did from his tender yeeres to seeke after the God of his fathers hath now left a sweet though mournefull memory of his graces amongst vs like the composition of the perfume made by the art of the Apothecary The second that you would often and seriously meditate vpon that hoauenly counsel giuen by the holiest King that euer raigned that man after Gods own heart vnto his sonne the wisest Prince that euer liued and therefore well be fitting your graces Greatnesse And thou Solomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Father serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer Which if your Graces shall please to apply as spoken by God himselfe to each of you I haue all which my soule herein affecteth which shall neuer cease to call vpon the Lord for the continuance of the sure mercies of Dauid vpon our dread Soueraigne with our gracious Queene your roiall Parents and vpon your excellent Highnesses that you may long remaine the comfort of their roial Maiesties and crowne of vs their well affected subiects Your excellent Graces in all Christian seruice most humbly deuoted EDVVARD CHETVVIND ¶ To the Christian Reader IT was an old complaint vttered by a Prophet Thou haste smitten them but they haue not lorrowed would to God it were not verified in vs or that wee had learned to listen to that other Prophets counsell Heare yee the rod and who hath appointed it Then might our endeauour for reuiuing sorrow seeme at this present needlesse and impertinent were our hearts wrought to awfull feare at the lions roaring and not rather hardned as the Adamant stone against both the voice and rod of the Almightie But as on the one side the terrours of the Lord inforce so on the other side the loue of Christ and of his Church constraineth vs to be instant in season and out of season vpon this secure and sencelesse generation The Lord hath spoken who can but prophecie yea the Lord hath begun to strike who when hee beginneth will make an end and bring forth iudgement vnto victory whose eares can now but tingle or whose heart but tremble This may bee defence inough for a man otherwise well pleased to liue amongst his owne people to put the trumpet to his mouth if it may be to awaken such as sleepe secure in Sion of whom it cannot now bee said because they haue no changes therefore they feare not God but rather as of the desperate Iewes in vaine saith God haue I smitten your children they haue receiued no correction To speake plainely an heauie stroake of Gods hand is now vpon vs for our sinnes but that which giueth cause to feare that the same hand is stretched out still is that to our many other sins we adde this aboue all not to take to heart so grieuous a visitation A maine proppe and limme is rent from the body of this Church and state who considereth it Our sinnes haue vndoubtedly brought this maime vpon vs who finding the plague in his owne
that they haue by sinning procured their own woe and moued God to wrath and indignation against them and therefore how can it be but that their ioy should bee quite gone and insteede thereof bitter griefe possesse their soules yea therefore high time for them to exile and put away their mirth and dauncings and on the contrary betake themselues with speed to mourning and repentant praier thereby to stay Gods anger and so to keepe off from their heads all farther euill And this being so farre as I can reach the true sence and substance of these words wee see not onely the sorrowfull estate of those distressed people therein expressed but also our owne present condition plainely exemplified and our solues for an holy vse thereof directed to a sourefold consideration First what hath been our losse Secondly what we may reckon the cause of this losse Thirdly how we should bee affected with this losse Fourthly and finally how wee may best preuent all farther losse The first and second are offered from verse 16. for the crawne of our head is falne there is our losse and Woe vnto vs that we haue sinned that is the cause To the other two we are pointed var. 15. The ioy of our heart is gone thus should we be heere with affected yea farther Our daunce is turned in to nigurning loe this the meanes to haue all feares for the future preuented Of which therefore in order beginning with the consideration of our losse from the first branch of the latter vers The Crowne of our head is fallen What the speciall crowne of their heads was from whom wee borrow this complaint you haue already heard to wit their worthy and good King Iosiah and whose death no maruell if they reckoned none other then the falling of their Crowne downe from their head the losse and spoile to them of all their glory with presage of farther woe and ensuing misery But what is our Crowne to make application so fallen from our heades vnto the ground Oh God forbid No blessed be the God of Iaacob the royall Crowne and Diademe Imperiall set by God vpon our heads it still remaineth flowrishing Great Britains glory And long and long so may our Hezekiah liue and raigne and wretched thrice wretched may they be that euer so much as wish in heart to see his fall But it is the Princely Coronet of hope and future expectation onely looked on and with the lustre daze ling our sight that we haue lost our good Iosiah herein onely differing in that before we needed to haue him set as a crowne vpon our head it hath pleased his God and ours to take him hence to crowne him with an euerlasting diademe in heauen Howbeit though hee haue thereby gained rather yet wee haue lost alas farre more then euer we enioied except in hopes and downe our crowne is fallen as well wee may complaine with mournefull hearts before that euer by Gods hand it was fastned on our heads Our Crowne our Diademe Oh why should wee not so reckon him who was not onely borne a Prince but created also our Prince and acknowledged to the world by his roiall Father long agone as the beginning of his might the excellencie of dignitie and the excellency of power to be his dearest sonne and naturall successour the rightfull heire to the imperiall crowne and diademe of all his kingdomes In whose vntimely losse as we may count it but that God the king of Kings who reserueth times to his owne prerogatiue was pleased so to order it behold what wee haue suffered all the true subiects of this Realme the fall of our very Crowne our second diademe now in present and chiefest in future hope a losse inualuable nor of a Prince onely but of such a Prince adorned with so rich graces in tender yeeres yeelding such hopes that excepting onely that paragon of otherwise matchlesse price Edward the sixth I presume wee may without wrong to any speak it neuer yet had this Realme euery way the like Touching whom if any yet shall doubt whether we haue reason to reckon him so as to esteeme his losse the downe-falling of our Crowne let vs for proofe first consider whether hee were not as the people sometimes spake of Dauid worth ten thousand of vs. Surely if but in regard of his blood and place which made vs in reason to conceiue of him as of an Izhak an heire of promise in whome we hoped for a blessing or as of a Noah borne in an happy houre to be our comfort on whome howsoeuer not for the present yet for the hopes of future generations was set as Samuel sometimes spake all the desire of Israel as on a rising sunne hoped to be hereafter what Dauid is intituled The light of Israel Neither was this the hope of vs subiects onely but the endeauour and expectation also of his Royall Father whose Princely care no way better approued to God and his Church for the welfare of more then one generation as it made him more then a Kenophon euen a Dauid labouring the religious institution of this Solomon both by his owne treasury of Kingly counsels and the emploiment for that seruice of men of cheefest ability and trust so would it no doubt haue been fully satisfied had God so pleased that hee might haue left the fruit of these hopefull seedes as a ioifull haruest to bee reaped by the ensuing ages For our parts we saw the blooming and reioiced in the sweet sent of this goodly growing plant yea not wee onely but Strangers also were so affected with the fragrant odour of the same that it was doubtfull whether our hope in him or their admiration of him were the greater They like to Hiram such as did but heare of him with reioicing blessed God for him as for a Wise sonne appointed to succeed his victorious father ouer this mighty nation and how much more with the Queene of Sheba such as came to behold and see his religious cariage in the worship of God both in publike and priuate his prudent care for the well ordering of his Court and that rare temper of magnificence and frugality in the managing of his Princely estate But as for vs whome the hopefull appearances of his piety and vertue did more neerely and properly concerne how could we as many as are true hearted to the Religion and state but seriously reioice to foresee an English Iosiah beginning in his tender yeeres to seeke after the God of his Fathers Insomuch that now looking backe to that hope we had too confidently embraced we may euen seeme to speake borrowing to an inferiour sence that phrase of the two Disciples trauailing to Emaus but wee trusted that it had beene hee that should haue deliuered Israel One who we hoped and wished as Dauid in his praier for Solomon might come downe like the raine vpon the mowen grasse and as the showers that water
to fil his heart with grace to make a right and holy vse of this great and heauy losse that drawing neerer in humble submission obedience vnto his God he may be pleased to cheere vp his humbled soule with the inward sense and sweet feeling of his fatherly loue and with assurance of his mercy towards himself his gracious Queene and their royall seed that both their elder yeeres may bee crowned with long lasting happinesse in themselues and their seed after them continue as lights in our Ierusalem to weare the Diademe yea to bee the crowne of these Christian Kingdomes vntill Shiloh his second comming in glory And euen so let the Lord liue praised be our strength the God of our saluatioÌ„ be exalted Yea let the King reioice in thy strength ô Lord be greatly glad in thy saluation Giue him his hearts desire and denie him not therequest of his lips Preuent himwith liberal blessings keepe the crowne of pure gold vpon his head Yea ô Lord that hee may long continue our crown Adde to his yeers as to the daies of Hezekiah and let his glory be great in thy saluatioÌ„ increase of honour dignity now in his elder yeeres being laid vpon him Finally let him remaine in himselfe and his Progeny to vs and ours as blessings for euer Thou ô Lord making him glad with the ioy of thy louing countenance For why The King trusteth in the Lord and therefore in the mercy of the most high hee shal not miscarry For behold Gods hand shall finde out all his enemies c. Amen holy Father great King of glory as thou didst deale with gracious Queene Elizabeth whiles semper cadeÌ„ shee trusted in thee would not yeelde maugre so many mischieuous attempts against her sacred person one iot to Antichrist and as thou hast hitherto also dealt miraculously in preseruing thine annointed seruant Iames our gracious Soueraigne so deale with him we beseech thee still and still let all his enemies bee clothed with shame but vpon himselfe and his let the crown of these Kingdomes flourish that happy he may be for euer hauing thee the God of Iaacob for his aide and wee thy people happy and our land hauing thee for our God and thy Christ for our Soueraigne king and our Princes vnder him maintaining thy truth the sonnes of Nobles and our glorious Crowne HOS 6. 1 Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord for hee hath spoiled and hee will heale vs he hath wounded vs and he will binde vs vp Lamen 2. 13 Ierem. 3 23 Ester 9. 30 Psal 89. 19. 2. Sam. 23. 3 Gen. 17. 16 Gen. 24. 31 Ruth 4. 11 Gen. 24. 60 2. Chro. 34. 3. Ecclus 49. 1 1. Chro. 28. 9 Ierem. 5. 3. Mica 6. 9. Amos 3. 8. 1. Sam 3. 12. 2 King 4. 13. Psal 55. 19. Ierem. 2. 30. Ezek. 2. 10. verse 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 21. 3. Prou. 14. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen 49. 3. Basilic dor in epistola nuncupstor 2. Sam. 18. 3 1. Sam. 9. 20. 2. Sam. 21. 17. In Cyro paed In Basilic dor 1. King 5. 7. 2. Chron. 9. 3. 2. Chro. 34. 3. Luke 24 21. Psal 72. 6 vers 7. Isai 32. 2. 2. Chro. 34. 33 Psal 146. 3. 2. Sam. 3. 38. Gen. 5. 24. 2. Chro. 34. 28 Ezek. 21. 26. Verse 1. Vers 2 vers 4 verse 3. vers 9. ver 14. 16. verse 26. 2. Chr. 32. 25. Verse 15. Verse 16. Verse 16. Amos 9. 8. Leuit. 26 25. Hosea 4. 1. Acts 24. 14. Rom. 6. 17. The strait gate c. vpon Luk 13 13. 24 Ierem. 7. 8 Hosca 4. 1. Isai 5. 4. Hos 4. 2. vers 3 verse 4 Amos 5. 13 1. King 22. 8. verse 10 2. Chr. 36. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa â—â— â—5 Zeph. 1. 3. Math. 24. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam 55. Isai 5. 22. 1. Pet. 4. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 8. 21. Prou. 21. 25. Deut. 15. 4. 2. Thes 3. 10. Amos 6. 1 ver 3 ver 4 Psal 104. 26 Iam. 5. 5 Iam. 5. 4 ver 6 Isa 5. 9 Mal. 3. 5. Col. 3. 25. Reu. 3. 16. Reu. 2. 20 2. Chro. 33 10 Isai 1. 5 Deut. 29. 18 verse 19. verse 20 Iudg. 5. 6 Isai 9. 13 Isai 28. 15 3. Chro. 28. 22 1. Cor. 11. 31 Iosh 7. 14. Iam 3. 21. 2 King 9. 22. Prou. 30. 20 Amos 5. 1 a Luk. 2. 35. 2. Chro. 34. 28 Ierem. 9. 1. 1. Sam. 30 4 Luk. 23. 28 2. Sam. 1. 20 Mica 7. 8. Lam. 4. 21 1. Sam. 4 21 Num 24 23 1. King 22 17 Isa 9. 12. Lam. 3. 65. Ruth 1. 20. Isai 28. 22 Isai 24. 11 Iob 30. 31 Psal 35. 27 Amos 8. 9 Verse 10. Iam. 4. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 22. 14. Zach. 12. 11. 1 Kings 20. 32 ver 13. verse 14 Lamen 5. 19 Psal 103. 19 Prou 8. 15 1. Sam. 2. 8 verse 9 Iob 29. 25 Isai 51. 12 verse 13 Deut. 33. 20 verse 29 2. Chro. 15. 2 Isai 62. 5 Isai 28. 5. 2. Sam. 22 51 Herodian l. 1 Non hoc Iudorum tempus ô Commode c. Amos 4. 12 2. Sam. 24. 16 Lament 3. 40 Ierem. 8. 6 Malach. 3. 16 Nehe. 9. 38 Ierem. 4. 13 2. Chr. 15. 22 verse 13 2. Chro. 34. 33 Reuel 9. 11 Isai 9. 15 Numb 33. 55 Gen. 27. 41 Gen. 31. 28 Iob 22. 21 2. Sam. 24. 14 Baruch 1. 11 1. Tim. 2 2 Tertul. in apologet cap. 30. vitam prolixam Imperium securum c. 1. King 11. 36 Psal 18. 46 Psal 21. 1 Psal 132. 10. Psal 146. 5. Eccles 10. 17.