now enioy in glorie Sorrow is the burden of euery Christian Confidence is the shoulder to hold vp this burden Comfort is the hand to help this shoulder he that is without comfort in the world is without God in the world If the well of Gods mercies bee deepe to him and hee haue nothing to drawe Eccl. 12. If the siluer cord be not lengthened and the golden Ewer be broken and the pitcher broken at the well Bucer and the wheele broken at the Cesterne illic desolatio non consolatio to such there is miserie and an vnspeakable degree an vnmeasurable measure of miserie they are dead being aliue as S. Paule speaketh for the comfort of Gods holy spirit is taken from them And how great a losse it is to loose Gods spirit and to loose the comfort of Gods spirit David mentioneth in the Psalme of his sorrowe Ps 51. when he ingeminateth O take not away thy holy spirit from me O giue me the comfort of thy spirit Hee found how great a curse this losse was to his Predecessor for God tooke away the comfort of his spirit and an evill spirit came vpon Saul Bernard S. Bernard comparing the Repentance of David and Saul observeth that when they both had sinned and God had answered them both the answere vnto both was Dominus transtulit the Lord hath taken away Saul repenteth and his word is Peccaui 1. Sam. 15.24 Dauid sinneth repenteth 1. Sam. 15. 2 Sam. 12. 1 Sam. 15. 2 Sam. 12. his word is Peccaui 2. Sam. 12.13 The wordes of confession the same The answere to Saul was Dominus transtulit 1. Sam. 15.28 The answer to David was Dominus transtulit 2. Sam. 12.13 They were both Kings both sinned both were warned by n = * Sam. Nath Prophets both confessed both repented both were answered their both words alike to the Prophet their answers both alike in part from the Prophet Dominus transtulit Yet never so much difference between words as betweene these two answers for to Dauid the answer was transtulit peccatum the Lord hath taken away thy sinne but to Saul a double transtulit but a curse with both Dominus transtulit regnum the Lord hath taken away thy kingdome 1. Sam. 15.26 againe 1. Sam. 15. Dominus transtulit spiritum the Lord hath taken away his spirit 1. Sam. 16.14 This latter was the greater 1. Sam. 16. it was the plague and the vtter overthrow of Saul Gods spirit was taken from him the sun was for ever ecclypsed to him the life of his life was extinguished his soule was dead within him Dominus transtulit spiritum David knewe this and remembred it O take not the comfort of thy holy spirit is his prayer he prayeth not take not away my children or my health or my goods or my subiects but spiritum sanctū tuum ne aufer as à me Psal 51. In which words Athanasius proveth that Dauid doth manifest that the holy Ghost was knowne to the Iewes vnder the law and especially by this place which that father thus readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take not from me that spirit of thine which is holy Athan. in Ep ad Scrap long as that father expoundeth this place of the third person Hier. in Ps 51. so S. Hierom vpon the words following Giue me the comfort of thy salvation againe proueth the knowledge of Christ foreknowne foreseen by the Iews for that father readeth it Restore me the comfort or ioy Iesutui and the Hebrew word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded by the learned in that tongue to be Iesus But to the purpose Moses here as Dauid there sheweth that al comforts come from God Take not the comfort of thy spirit saith the one O comfort thou vs saith the other from which this observatiō necessarily ariseth No comforts are truly comforts Obseru vnlesse they be divine proceeding from God No dew to Hermon no ioy to heauen no food to the Manna of God no content to the mercy of God Summa consolatio saith S. Bernard non à creatura sed à creatore concipitur quam cum conceperis nemo tollet à te Bern. Ep. ad Vig. cui aliunde quodcunque comparatū omnis iocūditas maeror est omnis suauitas dolor est omne dulce amarum est omne postremò quod delectare potest molestum est The chiefe comfort is that which is conceiued in the Creator not in the creature vnto which whatsoever thou dost cōpare all sweet is sower all pleasure is paine Gen. 3.16 Gen. 26 31. Rev. 17.4 all things that seeme delightsome proue loathsome Adams apple loosing the blessing Esaws broth selling the birthright Babylons cup full of poison or Iudas sop the earnest of perdition Mat. 24.23 the pleasures taken by them in the time of Noah were ended in bitternesse they were eating and drinking marrying and giuing in marriage but saith the Text The flood came and tooke them away Iob. 21. 24. The Rioters in Iob are described often especially in the 21. and 24. Chapters but his sonnes might haue served for examples Iob. 1.18 they were eating and drinking in their eldest brothers house but saith the Text there came a winde from the wildernesse and smote the house and it fell vpon the young men Or if there be not curses vpon these assimilated comforts Iob. 15. yet some crosse or other wil fall vpon them Braunches may be greene saith Iob but they fal of before their daies the sweet vine may haue sower grapes or the faire oliue may cast her flowers Adās Paradise notwithout a serpent Ionas guord notwithout a worme to destroy engaster it in the most time of vse of it Whereas true solid real cōforts they shal never be divorced or sequestred frō Gods Saints they will ever looke vpon them with a mutuall reciprocall interchangeable aspect as the cherubins from the mercy seate they will ever be inseparable individuall companions peregrinantur Pro Arch. Poet rusticantur as the Orator spake of Arts these divine comforts will sleepe and feede and travell and liue and die with those that be possessed of them How therefore are the gallants of the world as well passiue as actiue guls in this that they suffer thēselues to be cheated by becomming slaues to the pleasures of the world Tit. 3 3. as S. Paule to Titus calleth thē they beleeue Sathan vpon his offer and beleeue not God vpon his oath wheras Sathā promiseth to some that which he cā not to others that which he wil not giue to some seeming to giue what is not his to others giving that which were better not theirs Moyses in his last farewell to the world considers this lamenteth for his people Deut. 32.29 o that they were wise then they would cōsider this they would remember the later end it is the end that doth giue grace to every action
Seneca his griefe and pleasure came successiuely but his cōforts were not extended to the same measure that his sorrowes yet as the cause gaue occasion so hee ever altered his note Yet is it a wonder to obserue how vpon the same passion Gods best servants haue been diversly affected the same persons the same passions and yet so strāgely altered and their passages in and vpon the very same causes so diametrally opposed as if they were not the same men In some miseries howe sweetly haue they carried themselues In others how boisteroufly Shiloa never ran so quietly as they haue in some in others Torrents never so raged Iob. 1. Pineda in Iob. Look vpon Iob in his 1 chapter he is Patience mirror never did or could man behaue himselfe better in such a bitter storme His Oxen taken away by the Sabeans Camels by the Chaldeans fire devoures his sheep his servants slain his children killed yeet being so neere touched he opens not his mouth against heaven Ps 3. but as if with the Psalmist hee had laied downe to sleepe and taken his rest he makes no other exclamation or lamentation but this Dominus dedit the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. You may wonder to see the same man Iob. 13. so contrarily affected afterwardes Challenging God to his face I will dispute with the Almightie I will fill my selfe with arguments what is it that God can answer me Cursing his birth let the day perish wherein I was borne Iob. 3. let that day be darknesse let not God regard it let darkenesse and the shadowe of death staine it let the Cloudes remaine vpon it let it be a fearefull bitter day let it not be ioined with the daies of the yeare desolate for euer be that night let the stars of the twilight be dim let it looke for light but see none let it never see the dawning of the day What tragical bloody heavy cursed clamours be these Nay look vpō our own Prophet how did grace attend him in all the ambushments betweene Saul and him Saul was his enimy hee hath now his opportunity the place the privacy the obscuritie of the Caue might incite him to kil his enimie but he bowes downe and cries 1. Sam. 14. O my Lord the King I wil not lay hand on my Master he is the Lords annointed the Lord keep me from doing this vnto my Master how sweetly how graciously how wisely doth hee carry himselfe in the time that Shemei curst him 2. Sam. 16. and cast stones ' at him hee endures him and rebukes them that reproue him The Lord hath bidden him curse suffer him the Lord hath bidden him who shall forbid him But looke vpon him in the storie of Nabal you would thinke him another Saule 1. Sam. 25. Nabal only denies him a request he sweares and frets and girds to his sword takes 6 hundred men with him vowes to kil Nabal nor only so but whatsoever is Nabals yea and before the dawning of the day he wil not leaue a man no not a creature of Nabals aliue Nabal only denied him Shemet cursed him Nabal was but a foole 1. Sam. 25.25 2. Sam. 16.7 Shemei a Dog as the Text tearmeth him yet he is much more violent against Nabal then against Shemet Look vpon him in this particular Iob was not more patient then he is here while the poore innocent infant is sicke panting and fainting and striuing for life he weepeth the child died he riseth and apparelleth washeth worshippeth eateth goeth into Barsheba answereth al the world that should aske him his resolution is calmely religiously this being dead why should I fast Nothing could savour more of Religion wisdome patience a holy spirit what a sweet behaviour heavenly temper is here Patterne him with Patriarch or Prophet or Apostle or Angel None could go further then he did But look vpō him in his obsequies for his Absolō he was oppressed surcharged distracted hee continueth his note as if with the Philomele hee would never giue over Ovid. Met. O Absolon Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon my sonne No content but Absolon his daintie prettie Absolon 2. Sam. 18. his dearling fondling Absolon Absolon the Idol of his affection as if Absolon had been the beautie of his name and the glory of his Nation as if Absolon had been the best of his seed and the cheefest of his sonnes Absolon so faire and ruddy as that none in all Israel was so commended for beautie from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head no blemish in Absolon O entreate the young man Absolon well and if Absolon die David will not liue he wil dislolue into teares O my sonne Absolon 2. Sam. 18.31 my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee o Absolon my sonne my sonne Obserue the circumstances 1. the King was moued exceedingly moued great alteration in his affection there was an earthquake in his soule his passions were as flames his eies as floods 2. He avoids the roome Ioseph weepes puts all out of the roome but remaines there himselfe Gen. 45.3 David puts all out and goeth himselfe out putteth even himselfe out of himselfe 3. He cannot containe breaks forth on the staires his sorrow must haue a vent it is a precipitat torrent with Oceans in his eies a tongue fired at the altar of his heart 4. He calleth the traitor Absolon his sonne Happy had it beene that Absolons birth had beene his buriall the sunne in the firmament never beheld such a disobedient sonne on earth yet his burden is my sonne my sonne David remembers not how Absolon had slaine his brother enveigled the subiects betrayed the Crowne aspired to the kingdome en tred Ierusalem with violence abused his Concubines vpon the top of the house in the sight of heaven none of these be remembred David will not liue if Absolon bee dead He considereth not that Absolons beauty was but effections fancie and natures frailtie a blister might blast it dor a fever blemish it but age would surely parch and perish and wither it Ludolph hee considreth not that Absolon was neither vnigenitus no nor primogenitus neither the first begotten nor the only begotten son of his father that he so bewaileth him Aust Abraham pater credentium the father of the beleeving could not haue deplored his sonne Isaac had he beene offred Nor Aaam pater viventium the father of all things living could haue more wept over his slaine Abel then David over Absolon What great alteration is in the carriage of this passion in the death of one sonne frō this calme contentation this holy patient resolution in the death of this other Being dead why should I nowe fast Vse Hence then we may learne that seeing the best of Gods children haue bin so various in their passions and so subiect to
God saith Gregory in sinu Abrahae saith the Gospell Phil. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Paule they be with Christ Returne cannot be misery shall not bee vnto them Vse Whence I settle this observation Obs 3 that every man shall haue his passe in death but none his returne till the day of iudgement The Tearme of death hath no essoynes no returnes All must celebrat this Passover all must trusse vp their loines all must take vp their staues in their hands al must passe to their lower roomes all must lay forth their shrowds napkins to bind their heads annointings for their bodies to the burial I meane preparation meditation for their death that their names rot not but that their memories may remaine in the posterities that are to come None shal returne til the earths great Iayle delivery heavens great summons to the sessiōs A point that may be of much comfort to ease and mitigate the gripings of the pangs and fangs and iawes of death when our bodies lie vpō the altars of our beds for the sacrifice of our souls whē the Evening of our life is even at the ende and shutting vp this is a sweet smelling savour to remember that all our holy friends that we leaue behind vs shal follow vs all that are gone before shall meet with vs none faile for following none want for meeting Villand therefore not to feare death to be so horrid thinke thy sicknesse thy prison thy pangs of death thy last fits thou art vpō recovery thy Pantings be but the sem briefes the notes of division of the harmony that they ever haue in heauen the bells that call for thee be but to tole thee to the triūphant Church thy friends that weep greeue because they cannot go with thee Divels that gape vpon thee looke but for legacies leaue one thy pride another thy lust another thy ambition and so as sinne brought in death let death driue out sin Death is but a ferrey a boat a bridge to waft thee over into another place or a groome that lights a Taper into another Room thy soul like a Tritō lying in the water is presētly to be mounted vpon the waue Angels carry thee thou shalt hauing thy Nunc dimittis Chrys passe into Abrahams bosome Thus the Lord shall let his servants depart in peace according to his word and it will be their comfort that they haue run their race and fought their fight and finished their course and receaue the glory of the better life Conclus And now beloved for conclusion giue mee leaue to repeat the words of my Text and so end Our MASTER is dead wherefore should we now fast Can we bring him againe we shall go to him hee shall never returne to vs. But doe I aske wherefore should I now fast where fore should we now mourne shall I say there is no cause now of mourning for our Master I dare not say so Seneca Hectora flem us for his death is like an Ecclypse the event whereof appeareth many yeares after the future generations shall lament his losse and I feare out of the sides of their sorrow shall runne both water and blood I confesse it is in vaine to ad new showers to our late streames of teares the losse was such that if after all our sighes and groanes we should herein weepe out all the humours of our bodies and wast out all the marrow of our bones all were but vanity and vexation of spirit Yet there is a cause to draw the Cesternes of our sorrow dry and to make vs vow not superstitiously but religiously an everlasting lent of fasting and mourning and humbling our selues before God the reason is Cananeus non est occisus nec factus tributarius Greg. in Moral and this brought such plagues vpon Israel The Cananite is amongst vs the basphemous Traiterous Papist is neither exiled nor suppressed but hath more countenance and maintenance secretly then good men openly and more pleasure content in prisons then many holy men in their houses This snake lyeth close in the City this spider creepeth vp into the Court and hath feeding in our Church housing in our vniversities My thoughts be not bloody I shal hartily pray for them though they be our enimies though they reioice triumph at our present miseries though they haue evil wil at our Siō yet my wishes devotions shal be rather for their conuersiō thē confusion But for our selues let our praiers be daily howrely powred out that the Lord adde not so heavy and grievous a misery vnto this present so great an ecclipse of his glory and our good to this present clowde of both as that this his Church ever become an Egypt a Sodome a Rome a Babylon a prostituted stewes for all commers but that all good harts may be encouraged and all good lawes may be executed to bring al the people of this kingdom to the knowledge of the Lord. And for this purpose let vs fast and pray and weepe watch and cry betweene the porch the Altar Spare vs good Lord spare thy people and be not angry with thine inheritance Opē their eies that they may see the wondrous things of thy law Open thy hid treasures that we may receiue frō the hidden fountaines of thy loue Grace mercy and peace in our daies and the daies of our posterities from thee O God the father and from thy sonne Iesus Christ To whom both with the eternall spirit of thee holy Father bee all honour and glory in both worlds Amen FINIS SORROVV FOR THE SINNES OF THE TIME A SERMON PREACHED AT St. JAMES on the third Sunday after the PRINCE his death BY DANIEL PRICE then Chaplaine in Attendance EZEK 9.4 Go through the middest of the Citty through the middest of Ierusalem and set a marke vpon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the middest of her AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by Iohn Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1613. TO THE RIGHTLY HONOVRABLE AND TRVELY RELIgious LADY the LADY CAREY wife to the Noble and worthy SIR ROBERT CAREY ELect Lady 2. Ioh. 1.2 for so S. Iohn styleth an Honourable Matrone to whom hee sent his second Epistle your holy sorrow for the losse of the former Illustrious and former service to the excellent gracious Prince CHARLES deserue much respect of all good harts VVith these another argument particularly doth incite me to offer this service a sacrifice of my sorrow to your worthy hands The grace and Countenance you afford Religion and her followers which will bring a blessing vpon you and your posterity as is already apparent in those fruitfull beautifull Oliue branches your sonnes of whom our ollege is much ioyfull because they are so truely hopefull adding to Nobility of birth Nobility of vertue Continue Noble Lady to bee a faithfull client for