was on mount Moriah to sacrifice his sonne Isaac the diuell to make it a reall tragedie represented the manner of Isaacs offering vp vnto Sarah wherevpon say they shee tooke a conceit and died and so Abraham returning from the mount and finding his vvife dead is said to come to mourne and to weepe for her But Iosephus hath sufficiently refuted this fancie For if Isaac were 25. yeeres old at the time he should haue beene sacrificed and Sarah after that liued 12. yeeres how then died Sarah presentlie when she heard from the diuel her sonne was sacrificed Or whether hee came from burying his father Therah as some thinke whom the Iesuite Pererius would haue to die but two yeeres before but the truth is that hee was dead 62. yeeres before for Abraham was now 137. yeeres olde who vvas borne in the 70. yeere of Therahs age who liued 205. yeeres in all so Abraham was 75. yeeres old when his father died to that adde 62. so shall wee haue Abrahams age of 137. * Gen. 12.5 Or whether he be said to come because he went out of his tent and entred into Sarahs tent which is most probable for though they soiourned together yet their tents were asunder as appeareth out of the last verse of the 24. Chapter as the manner of those Countries was the men to haue their tents by themselues apart and the women their tents apart as heere among whom we soiourne vve see at this daie the Turkes haue their houses and their roomes apart halfe for themselues and the other halfe for their wiues and women slaues or howsoeuer it was wee will not so much inquire from whence he came as the end of his comming which was to mourne and weep for Sara whence we obserue That naturall affection is commendable in all In Abraham therefore in others and that not euerie light touch of affection but a mourning and weeping an inward affection and an outward action sorrow within and sadnesse without the hearts griefe and the eie teares must goe together For weeping and teares without are tokens of loue within As the Iewes gather from the teares of Christ which he shedde for the death of Lazarus * Iohn 11. Behold how he loued him how appeares that euen from this And Iesus wept for then said the Iewes vvhen they saw him vveepe Behold how he loued him Where loue is teares are if extremity of griefe suppress not the passiō of loue And therefore God hath made men as liuing so louing creatures to the end that they should not be as stockes and stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senselesse and void of affection but that liuing and louing together the loue of the one should not end vvith the life of the other but in token that he loued while hee liued the suruiuer should accompanie the dead to the graue vvith his teares and weepe that they two can no longer liue and loue together Therefore the custome of some nations to vveepe at their childrens birth and to laugh at their death I hold vnnaturall for verie nature it selfe as also Euripides a meere naturalist could tell vs seemeth to haue ingraffed inacted this desire into euery one yea though he dye for some foule offence a shamefull death to haue yet his kinred his frends to celebrate his funerall with their teares and lamentations and the saying of Solon vvas more naturall and humane Mors mea ne careat lachrymis linquamus amicis Maerorem vt celebrent funera cum gemitu Then that proud and ambitious vaunt of Ennius which yet Tully much commendeth Nemo me lachrymis decoret nec funera fletu Faxit cur volito viua per ora virûm It is all one as if he had said Let no man loue me for where loue is griefe will surely be if the thing beloued be taken away And therfore Abraham wept for Sara here and Ioseph and his brethren wept for their father Iacob and Iosephs brethren wept for Ioseph Thus the Israelites wept for Aaron Moses for Samuel thus all Iuda and Ierusalem mourned and made sorrowfull songs and lamentations for Iosiah and Ieremiah the Prophet himselfe lamented Iosiah and all singing men and women mourned for Iosiah and behold this is written in the lamentations Thus the Disciples wept for Stephen thus Marie and Martha wept for Lazarus thus others though neuer so godly neuer so learned neuer so wise haue wept neither could they forbeare nempe homines for they are men and to weepe is humane M. Antonius the Emperour wee finde vvas a wise man his surname was Philosophus the Philosopher and yet hee could not refraine to lament and weepe bitterly at the death of his Tutor which when some reprehended in him as vnbeseeming both the maiestie of an Emperor and grauitie of a Philosopher Antonius Pius excusing him said vnto them Sinite vt homo sit neque enim imperium aut Philosophia hominem ex homine tollit neque humanis sensibus affectibus hominem exuit Let him alone hee doth but his owne for neither Soueraignetie nor Philosophie can take from him the nature of a man nor exempt him from humane passions and affections In likewise * 26. Serm. in Cant. Saint Bernard we all know was a holy and deuout man yet hee could not but weepe for his brother Gerardus and yeelds the reason For if one Oxe saith he finding another Oxe dead low and roare for it and in his kinde celebrate a funerall for the dead what should man doe for man whom reason teacheth and affection draweth Saint Ambrose also was a graue godly man and yet he weeps for his dead brother and why not saith he bos bouem requirit doth one Oxe low for another if hee want his mate with whom he was wont to be coupled Et ego te frater non requiram and shall not I desire thee againe my brother shall not I weep for thee shall I euer forget thee with whom I haue liued so long No no my brother I will remember thee I will shed teares for thee and let no man condemne me for if we shed some few teares which runne softly like the waters of Siloh no force Erunt non doloris ilices sed indices amoris they will not bewray in vs any want of faith but onely testifie an aboundance of loue Therefore the Wise-man exhorteth vs saying My sonne powre forth teares ouer the dead and begin to mourne as if thou hadst suffered great harme thy selfe and then couer his bodie according to his appointment and neglect not his buriall make a grieuous lamentation * Ecc. 28.16 and bee earnest in mourning and vse lamentation as hee is worthy and that a day or two least thou be euill spoken of But here by the way let vs obserue and learne that if we may not bee senselesse as Stoicks but ought to mourne and weepe for those that die a corporall death what are we to doe how are we
houses of clay whose foundation is the dust * Iob. 4. we know for certaine wee shall leaue them how soone wee know not perhaps to morrow perhaps to day perhaps this very houre we are silly then and vnprouident if wee take no care for prouiding other houses What said * Ser. 2. dedi Eccl. Saint Bernard to his soule Ad huc domum quidem habes O anima sed certa esto quoniam in breui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casura est domus tua nisitu prouideris aliam erÃs pluviae vento frigori exponenda O my soule thou hast yet a house to dwell in but be assured thy house will shortly fall and moudre and vnlesse thou prouide thee before hand of some other house caytiue forelorne and naked shalt thou be exposed vnto the winde the raine and the cold alas who can stand in presence of this stormy tempest happy therfore thrice happy shalt thou be my soule if then thy conscience tell thee thou canst say vnto thy selfe in faith and full assurance I know that if my earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed I haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5. Againe is it appointed vnto men that they must once die Oh that wee could euery one of vs as we ought seriously consider this and daily and duly ponder with our selues of this theame We must die Doubtlesse this vvould cause vs to feare God vvhile vvee liue that vve might finde fauour at his hands vvhen vvee die For who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and he shall finde fauour at the day of his death * Eccl. 1. 2. It would moue vs to imbrace the good and refuse the euill remembring that as Precious is the death of the Saints in the sight of the Lord so euill is the death of sinners * Psal 34. 3. It would abate in vs the plumes of our pride and humble vs farre below the Niniuites and Ahab considering that Earth we are and into earth we shall returne againe and why art thou proud O earth and ashes * Eccl. 10. 4. It would worke in vs a true remorse and sorrow for our sinnes laying before our eyes the saying of our Sauiour Vnlesse you repent also you shall likewise perish * Luke 13. 5. It would breed in vs a distaste and dislike of earthly things Facile enim contemnit omnia saith Saint Ierome qui se cogitat moriturum as Esau when hee was ready to die for hunger contemned his birthright En morior quid mihi proderunt primogenita * Ge. 25.32 Loe I am almost dead what is then this birth-right to mee whereas contrariwise they that dreame of a long life treasure vp to themselues in earth * Luke 12. 6. It would expell out of our hearts rancor and hatred procure loue and amitie reunite and reconcile vs to our brethren whiles we are in the way * Mat. 5 seeing agreement will be too late when wee are once deliuered to the Iaylor 7. It would make vs watchfull of our wayes and learne vs Dauids praier Lord let me know mine end and measure of my dayes what it is * Psal 39. let me know how long I haue to liue and why would hee know this That hee might apply his heart to wisedome for in the graue there is none O Lord that remembreth thee * Psal 6. 8. Lastly this consideration that we must once die would be a good motiue vnto vs to learne by time how to die for that which at length wee must necessarily doe we will if wee be wise learne by time how to doe among all other works which we are to doe to die though it bee the last is not the least Euripides Seneca Yet miserable say two learned Hethens a thing it is in the houre of death not to know how to die Let vs therefore Christian brethren aboue al things labour for this knowledge whiles we liue let vs learne how to dy that so when death shall spread his pale colour ouer our faces we may intertaine it not in horrour but in honour not as a losse but an aduantage as a doore opening to saluation not a gate leading to destruction Now if you shall aske me but how must we learne to die I will lead you to another of your owne profession to an ancient Hermite for an answere It happened that a Marchant man like your selues trauelling through a Forrest espied neere a little Cell an olde Hermite of whom he was inquisitiue to know what hee made there The Hermite answered My sonne I learne to die Mar. What needes that seeing whether thou wilt or no thou must shortly die Her And this is that troubleth me seeing I must shortly die and yet I know not how to die Mar. But what is it to know how to die Her To know how to die is to eschew euill and doe good according to that of the Psalmist Declina a malo fac bonum Mar. Father what doest thou eate that thou art so long liued Her I eat the best meat Mar. But who prepareth it Her The best Cooke hunger Mer. What are thy meditations and discourses Her I call to minde the time past consider in the bitternes of my soule how I haue spent my former yeeres and where I find that I haue done wel I thanke my God where ill I sorrow and repent Mer. Art thou rich Her I haue more then I would to wit this bodie of mine Mer. What then wouldest thou die Her I would willingly die well that I might obtaine eternall life Mar. Canst thou instruct me how to die well and to liue eternally Her I can vvhat is thy profession Mer. I am a Marchant Her If thou vvilt play the true Marchant and buy the greater for the lesse the better for the vvorse looke vp to heauen behold it is better and greater then the vvhole earth sell all and buy that sell thy sins sell thy pleasures sell thy profits buy this one Iewell and to this end cast thy bread vpon the vvaters make thee friends of the vnrighteous Mammon by doing good now the good vvhich the Lord requireth of thee is as the * Mica 6. Prophet vvitnesseth To doe iudgement to loue mercy and walke with the Lord our God this doe and thou shalt haue eternall life Mer. So may I liue as I follow thy counsell Farewell Her Goe in peace These and the like good fruits good motions good affections the consideration of our end dissolution would ingender in vs and happy yea thrice happy are they that thus consider And to set you forward herein consider I beseech you consider with your selues vvhat you are vvhat your life is What you are the Poet telleth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man is a shadow a dreame or a dreaming shadow What your life is
the world Into the inheritance of which blessed kingdome there is no doubt but this worshipfull person I meane the meeke and vertuous Lady Anne Glouer whose funerall we here celebrate is by the free mercy of God entred and aduanced for why as shee liued so she died she liued a Saint and died a Saint and precious wee know in the sight of the Lord is the death of the Saints In her life shee loued and serued God and now being dead shee liueth and raigneth vvith the Lord. Of whom I might say much and of whom I can say little much what I haue heard little yea nothing what I haue seene For it was not my hap vvhich I count a great part of my vnhappinesse either to see her liuing or to heare of her life before I heard of her death Her life procured loue her death fame whose swift wings more swift then the wings of loue possessed a great part of the world with her death before it knew of her life But who could heare of her death that did not presently inquire of her life and who hauing beene informed of her life did not weepe and mourne for her death so that the hearing of her death and the hearing of her life and the weeping and mourning for her death as in mee so in many met together Sparing therefore to speake much of her of whom I knew so little and yet willing to speake all good of her of whom I haue heard so much I will so temper my speech that I vvill neither speake too much nor too little not too much because I knew so little not too little because I haue heard so much To begin then where her life began England little England yet farre and greatly renowned England happie weight to bee borne in so renowned a Countrey At Padley and happie Countrey to bring forth so renowned a weight Of England in that fruitfull and rich shire of Suffolke rich indeed in affording the vvorld so rich a treasure but yet againe most poore in the losse and want of it Shall I tell you of her Linage ancient and worshipfull of her education vertuous and religious partly vnder a vertuous mother but for the most part vnder an honorable religious Lady Shall I tell you of her bodily forme and outward feature so full of grace and beautie that shee procured many vvorthy louers Of her externall carriage and behauiour so louing so lowly so innocent that we may rightly say of her such vvas her name such was her nature a Lambe in name and a Lambe in nature Conueniunt rebus nomina saepe suis so name so nature oftentimes agree And yet againe in greatest dangers perils and feares in dangers of the Sea in perils of shipwrack in feares of men of warre when as somtimes it happened all others in her companie were all at their wits ends and knew not which way to resolue to sinke or swimme to fight or to yeeld shee alone a woman and therefore by sex feeble by nature fearefull yet farre beyond both her nature and her sexe remained so constant so bold Daughter to M. Lamb of Padley in Suffolke so couragious that such as were present in admiration of her stoutnes haue confessed she rather resembled a Liō then a Lambe But all this is nothing to the internall vertues and endowments of her mind these alone would require a Panegerical Oration of these I may say as S. Ierome vpon the like occasion said of the holy religious Matron Paula Si cuncta corporis mei mēbra verterentur in linguas omnes artus humana voce resonarent nihil vtique dignū sacrae ac venerabilis Paulae virtutibus dicerem So may I say of this vertuous religious Lady If all the members of my body if my eies my eares my hands my feet were turned into tongues euery arct veine nerue muscle that I haue could vtter humane language I should come farre short of Annes worthily deserued commendations Therefore leauing this to others who can speak better of them vpō their owne knowledge then my self I come frō the manner of her life to acquaint you with the manner of her death Of which I againe remember you that what I speake I speake not from my selfe but from the mouth of such who being eie and eare witnesses of her actions and speeches I presume haue informed me nothing but the truth From the time then of her arriuall into this Countrey some of you know others may vnderstand that it is now full 5. yeeres and somwhat more wherof wanting but a little she liued vvith the right worshipfull and worthy Knight her husband Sir Thomas Glouer then Ordinary Ambassador in this Port for his Maiestie of Great Brittaine in such great ioy honor and happinesse that the greatnesse of her contentment oftentimes procured her griefe knowing that after a great calme their ariseth a great storme and excesse of ioy for the most part ends in griefe and dolour And so indeed it happened as she suspected her ioy soone turned into sorrow and her health suddenly changed into sickenes The Saturday she eat she dranke she was merrie and pleasant the Sunday morning being the thirtieth of October Anno. 1608. she sickened the Wensday following being the second of Nouember she dyed one weeke yea a day yea an houre is enough to turne the world vpside-downe The soule of man saith the Oratour before its departure from the bodie doth oftentimes diuine and it may bee well thought that the soule of this blessed Lady in her last sickenesse had by diuine inspiration a foreknowledge of her death in that presently shee deliuered the keyes of her Iewells and the rings from her fingers which in more suspected dangers she was neuer wont to pull off shee bespake mourning garments and tooke care for her funerall before her Physicians doubted any thing at all of her death she prefixed a time wherein shee should depart out of this life speaking verie strangely that Wensday of her death before the ordinarie houre of supper which time approaching she desired her honorable husband to pray to God vvith her for her which hee did according to the institution ordained for the sicke which ended shee made a most diuine and heauenly praier her selfe wherein shee disclosed the hidden flames of diuine loue the euident tokens of a liuely faith the firme hold of our Sauiours passion for her soules redemption with such zeale and feruencie of spirit vttered in words so full of diuinitie and confirmed with action of eies hands and shrilnes of voice that it gaue admirable comfort to all that were present vpon which her Physician requesting her then Lord husband to retire himselfe a while to leaue her to her heauēly preparation which otherwise by the view of his grieuous passions might perhaps bee disturbed which he hauing done her Physician still remaining she said vnto him My heart is at ease but I can take no rest and therewithall pulling forth her hand bid him feele her pulse which hee told her he found weake but God was strong and able if hee pleased to restore her to her former health O no quoth she I feele it pleaseth his diuine Maiestie to dispose otherwise of me hee demanded what shee did feele or where her paine was that hee might administer some remedie I feele no paine no paine at all said shee but with great ioy I goe cheerefully to my Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus and therewithall earnestly called for her Lord where is he where is my sweet heart where is he call him quickly that I may kisse him before I die I pray God almightie giue him much ioy prosperitie and happinesse His honour being come and iudging by her perfect voice speech and memorie that shee was not neere her death began to comfort her with trust in almightie God that shee should haue good remedy and bee restored to her former strength O no sweet heart said she I draw on to a better world and doe desire to goe to my Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus into whose blessed hands I commend my soule And then she praied and required praiers for her againe which ended after many redoublings and repeatings Into thy hands O Lord I doe commend my soule Into thy hands O Lord I doe commend my soule without any grone or sigh gently breathing yeelded vp the ghost And thus dyed Anna as dyed Sarah Sarah in her old age and yet so beautifull at a hundred yeeres old as shee was at twentie so say the Iewish Rabbins and Anna in her young age and yet so vvise and vertuous at twentie yeeres as if she had liued an hundreth Sarah dyed in a strange Countrey farre from her kindred and parents So did Anna from hers Sarah in Kiriatharba vvhose founder was Arba and Anna in Constantinople whose chiefe founder was Constantine Sara among the Hittites and Anna among the Turkes Then Sarahs husband came to mourne and weepe for her and Annahs husband is come to mourne and weepe for her Then Sarahs husband rose vp from the sight of his corps hee left off weeping and so should Annahs husband too And Sarahs husband prouided a place of buriall for her and so hath Annahs husband done for her What remaineth now but as Sarahs vvas honourably buried so Annah should be buried too Vp let vs bee going FINIS
A SERMON PREACHED AT CONSTANTINOPLE in the Vines of PERAH at the Funerall of the vertuous and admired Lady ANNE GLOVER sometime Wife to the Honourable Knight Sir THOMAS GLOVER and then Ambassadour ordinary for his Maiesty of GREAT BRITAINE in the Port of the Great Turke By WILLIAM FORDE Bachelour in Diuinitie and lately Preacher to the right Honourable Ambassadour and the rest of the English Nation resident there Of Death Of Teares Of Pilgrimage Of The Graue LONDON Printed by EDVVARD GRIFFIN for Francis Constable and are to be sold at his shop at the white Lyon ouer against the great North doore of Saint Paules Anno Dom. 1616. TO THE MOST HONOVRED ACCOMPLISHT AND VERTVOVS beautified Lady the Lady WENTVVORTH Wife to the most noble and most worthy of all honours and all titles LORD the Lord WENTVVORTH THis Sermon The Turke permitteth Christs Gospel to be preached the Pope condēneth it to the racke and inquisition who is the better man most vertuous and honour Lady conceiued at first in the Vines of Perah adioyning to renowned Constantinople the stamboll or great Citie of the great Turke and there deliuered insteed of a faire Temple in a pleasant Garden vnder a lofty Cypresse * A Tree fit for such assemblies for the Ancients were wont to beare the branches therof in their Funerals tree in a goodly assembly of diuers Nations * There were present of most Nations vnder the Sunne English French Dutch Germain Italian Popish Hungarian Trāsiluanian Molda Wallachian Russes Greekes Armenians Beddowines Turkes Iones c. after long trauaile through many and strange Countries is now at length by the propitious fauour of the Almightie footed in Great Britaine where thinking to haue reposed it's wearied limbs is by gentle intreatie moued and forcible importunitie ouer-ruled to beginne a new trauaile to vndertake a new iourney visite many Cities enter many houses passe through many hands offer it selfe to many quicke-sighted eies submit to many censorious heads As therefore in her first birth she had to shadow her frō the Sunnes scorching beames a beautifull and umbriferous Tree so she needeth some pleasing Canopie some refreshing vmbrello to shadow her stil And vnder whose wings may she better sustaine and maintaine her selfe most vertuous and honour Lady then vnder yours you were the Patronesse of the Lady whom she honoureth whose life she relateth whose death she lamenteth whofe Funerall she celebrateth you together with your honourable and religious * The Lady Croft Mother gaue that Lady her breeding communicated vnto her your vertues aduanced her to her honours so that the best of her life her education her vertues her honours shee deriued next vnder God from you and therfore being dead her wandring obsequies haue recourse vnto you for protection presuming that for loue you bare vnto the liuing Ruth 2.20 you will not cease to doe good vnto the dead the good you shall do her is to daigne that your honourable name as it was a Sanctuarie vnto her selfe while she liued so it may patronage her Funerals being dead It is not I for what am I vnknowne to you or my deseruings but shee or because shee is not I for her or rather her liuing vertues for her dead selfe that imploreth this gratious fauor at your gentle hands Your tender breast wil not deny so humble a suter your olde loue will bid you yeeld to a desire so zealous In full confidence whereof I haue ventured to prefixe your honourable name which if it find as it feruently desireth acceptance fauourable it shal perhaps encourage mee to second it with some more pleasing and delightfull subiect which mine owne experience hath gathered from no lesse painefull then farre forraigne obseruations In the meane season my deuoted heart shall deuoutly pray for length of daies redoubled honours graces happinesse to descend and rest vpon your vertuous head and after this life the eternall crowne of a better life Your Honours in the most humble desire and tender of his seruice and obseruance WILLIAM FORDE EPITAPHIVM VIator siste paululum hic manes te monent vt maneas haec citus lege ac tacitus luge si iussa obibis mea domum demum tui memor abibis In hoc tumulo terrae cumulo omni virtute cumulata tumulata iacet Anna imo potius Agna hoc ei enim nomen vt omen etiam fata dederunt Anna Lamb manna dulcior Agna mitior amicior in Anglico solo concepta nunc in Caelum Angelicum chorum recepta quae illustrissimo Domino Thomae Glouer apud hanc Ottamannorū portam Magnae Britaniae c. Legato regio nupta se tam mitē ei Comitem praebuit vt cum eo tanquam luna solem suum sequens cursum suum varijs terra marique erroribus flatibus fluctibus inuicta non communi sed coelesti ordine persiciens ab occidente in Orientem lata ecclipsim terra hac vt vides interposita passa sit breui lucem suam receptura non perit enim quae meliorem vitam reperit Sed dū Libitinae libet quotquot adsumus absumus Nos humiles imo humus ac fumus coelos nil caelare possumus natura nimis interdum matura quod boni offert cito aufert quamuis aliâs longior etiam mora mori alios non vedat Haec volui a te meme volui in quibus si te recte agnosces mihi certe paucula haec ignosces Vale. Etperge Gen. 23. ver 2.3.4 2. Then Sara died in Kiriatharba the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan And Abraham came to mourne for her and to weepe for her 3. Then Abraham rose vp from the sight of his Corps and talked with the Hittites sayinge 4. I am a stranger and a forrener among you giue me a possession of buriall with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight FOr a sorowfull meeting what more meet then wordes and songs and sobs and sighes of sorrowe speech with matter matter with action action with affection affection with occasion should sympathize together We haue here before our eyes a sad spectacle a hearse couered with Sable weedes a coffin filled with wormes and ashes fitting for which obiect we haue singled out a doleful text which doth intreat of nought but woes and sorrowes of death of teares of pilgrimage of the graue Of death by the power of sinne triumphing ouer life of teares as the fruits of sinne weeping at the power of death of pilgrimage as the lot of life trauelling vnto death of the graue as the home of pilgrimes and the house of death Then Sarah died Here is the power of death triumphing ouer life And Abraham came to mourne for her and to weepe for her here are the fruits of sinne weeping at the power of death Then Abraham rising vp said vnto the Hittites I am a stranger and a forrenner among you here is the lotte of life which
go to my Father and if we loue our friend indeed vve vvould rather reioyce then too much grieue at his death for hee is departed from vs he is gone out of the vvorld hee hath left the earth but hee is gone vnto Christ he is entred the Citie of God the celestiall Ierusalem Non ergo amissi sed praemissi saith Fulgentius therefore the godly deceased are not lost foreuer but left for a time not gone away finally from vs but onely gone to God before vs. Fourthly Fletus inutilitas the vnprofitablenes of excessiue weeping for as a moth the garment a worme the wood so too much sorrow hurteth the heart * Pro. 25. therefore the wise man as hee exhorteth to weepe for the dead so he counselleth to comfort our selues againe for our heauinesse for of heauinesse commeth death and the heanesse of the heart breaketh the strength * Eccl. 18.19 The last is Resurrectio generalis the generall Resurection we put not off our apparall saith Lud. Viues vnwillingly because we thinke to put them on againe so neither let vs be vnwilling to lay aside our bodie which after a while we shall resume againe And as we greiue not at the setting of the Sunne because we know it will rise againe So let vs not sorrow at the departure of a soule which vvee knovv vvill returne againe For vvhy saith * Tertul in lib. de pati Tertullian shouldest thou too impatiently greiue at the departure of him vvith-vvhome thou beleeuest shortly to meete againe Hee is not to bee lamented vvho is gone before hee is onely vvanted for a time and his want is vvith patience to bee borne Cur enim immoderatè feras abijsse quem mox subsequeris For why shouldest thou immoderately lament his absence whom thou thy selfe must soone follow after and all of vs shall surely meet againe at the generall resurrection We may indeed saith S. Ierome wish for them because we want them but wee must not weepe out of measure for them because they are with God Loue I grant compells vs to weepe but faith forbids vs to weepe immoderately and therfore Paulinus saith that we may notwithstanding our faith performe to the dead the duties of loue yet we must first notwithstanding the duties of loue afford to our selues the comforts of faith And thus Abraham wept for Sarah here loue inforced him to weepe but faith restrained him from exceeding the bounds of moderate lamentation You see then that wee are to weepe for the death of our godly friends departed but withall you see how sparinge wee ought to bee in weepinge considering our good hope that are aliue and their good hap that are dead And this that dead bodie or rather that Cadauer that Caro data vermibus for her flesh and bones by this time are turned into dust and ashes which is the present spectacle obiect of our eyes which some of you perhaps euen at this instant so seriously think of others so much lament for If it I say should receiue againe her soule vntie her winding knots breake through her Coffin stand vp before you she would preach say the same vnto you weepe if you please for my departure for this shall be a token of your affection but weepe not too immoderately for this will argue your indiscretion for know that though I be departed yet I am not perished but am rather perfected I am now in the state of perfection where I feele no infirmitie where I am not tempted vnto sinne but sing a continuall Halleluiah to the Lord. I am now where I behold the glorious Maiestie of the Trinity where I looke on the amiable countenāce of my Sauiour where I enioy the sweet society of Saints and Angels where I haue saciety without loathsomnesse loue without hatred peace without discord ioy without sorrow eternall blisse without ende or intermission and therefore spare teares for mee weepe not too much for the more you weepe the more you disquiet and disturbe me This would the soule of this dead body say if it should returne againe but she is past speaking and her soule returning vntill the generall returne of all Wee will therefore leaue her to her happinesse and passe to the third subiect of our sad discourse which is the Lot of humane Life and that is a pilgrimage on earth The life of man is a pilgrimage on earth Now Man may be said to be a stranger and a pilgrime on earth either in respect of his soule which is not of the earth but by diuine infusion or in respect of the whole man which was sometime the Citizen of Paradise but now a vvanderer vpon the face of the vvhole earth or most properly in respect of the heauenly Hierusalem from vvhence as also from the Lord the faithfull here on earth vvhose conuersation is in * Phil. 3. Heauen are strangers as long as they are in the * 2. Cor. 5. body Whence Saint Augustine inferreth Omnis homo est aduena nascendo incola viuendo quia compellitur migrare moriendo Euery man is a forreiner by birth and a stranger by life because he is compelled to depart hence by death Therefore said Abraham vnto the Hittites I am a stranger and a forreiner among you among them yea on the vvhole earth for his vvhole life was a pilgrimage on earth as his grādchild Iacob calleth both it and his ovvne The vvhole course of my pilgrimage sayth hee vnto Pharaoh is an hundred and thirtie yeares few and euill haue the daies of my life beene and I haue not attained vnto the yeares of the life of my fathers in the daies of their pilgrimage Gen. 47. Heb. 11. vers 13. And Paul bringing in a whole Catalogue of pilgrimes in the eleauenth to the Hebrewes Abel Enoch Noah Abraham and the rest at length concludeth of all All these died in faith and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on the earth vpon which Saint Augustine inserreth Ipse est Christianus he alone is a Christian that in his owne house and in his owne Countrie acknowledgeth himselfe to be a pilgrime Our Countrie is aboue there we shall be no strangers but here euerie man is a stranger euen in his owne house Let no man deceiue himselfe he is a stranger Velit nolit hospes est whether hee will or no he is a stranger Now if this were the lot of Gods dearest children in olde time we may not looke for a permanent Citie here We see then where we must make the beginning of all godlinesse euen in denying this world and acknowledging our selues to bee but pilgrimes in the same Consider saith the Prophet Isay Isai 51.2 Abraham your father and Sarah that bare you consider that Abraham was a stranger and a pilgrim on earth he had not so much land where he liued as might suffice for the buriall of his dead for in hope of future things he despised the present and
Caesar thus Nil agis hac ira tabesue cadauera soluat An rogus haud refert placido natura receptat Cuncta sinu In this thy wrath is worthless all is one Whether by fire or putrefaction Their carkasses dissolue kind nature stil Takes all into her bosome And a little after Capit omnia tellus Quae genuit caelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam Earths ofspring still returnes into earths wombe Who wants a graue heauen serueth for his tombe And so the declaimer in Seneca Nature giues euerie man a graue to the shipwrackt the water wherein hee is lost the bodies of the crucified drop from their crosses vnto their graues those that are burned quicke their verie punishment entombs them And Virgil who appoints a place in hell for the vnburied Yet in Anchises his words shew how small the losse of a graue is Nec tumulum curo sepelit natura relictos I weigh no tombe nature intombes the meanest And hence it is that the heathens obsequious vnto these Philosophers and Poets as vnto so many Prophets and Oracles haue no more esteemed the bodies of the dead then of the carkasse of an Asse but some of them haue throwne their dead bodies vnto the foules of the aire to be deuoured as the Parthians and Iberians others vnto dogs as the Massagites and Hircanians others vnto fishes as the Lotophagoi and the Ichthyophagoi others vnto men themselues of bodies of men haue made tombes of men as the Indians Padeans Issedonians and those of Scythia Yet we Christians should be no imitatours of their barbarous inhumanitie nor contemne and cast away the bodies of our dead chiefely of the righteous and faithfull whom the holy Ghost saith Saint Austen vsed as organes and instruments vnto all good vvorkes For if the Law will vs saith Saint * Ciuitate Dei cap. 13. ad Paulinum Lib. Tob. ca. 1. Ambrose to couer the naked how much rather ought we to interre the dead and if loue and kindnes moue vs to accompany our friends some part of the way when they set forwards to trauell into farre Countries how much sooner in their iourney vnto the celestial mansions whence they shall neuer returne againe And if the garment or ring of ones father as Saint Austen saith bee so much the more esteemed of his posteritie by how much they held him deere in affection then are not our bodies to be despised seeing vvee weare them more neere vnto our selues then any ring or attire whatsoeuer And therefore the funeralls of the righteous in time of old were performed with a zealous care their funerals celebrated and their monuments prouided and they themselues in their life time would lay a charge vpon their children and acquaintance concerning the burying or translating of their bodies Iacob at his death charged his sonne Ioseph to carrie his body vnto the Sepulcher of his Elders and not to leaue it in * Gen. 47 Egypt and Ioseph himselfe commanded his brethren that they should remember and tell their posteritie that vvhen they went away into the Land of Promise they should carrie his bones thither with them * Gen. vlt. * Tob. 2. Tobie in burying the dead well pleased the Lord as the Angell testified And the Lord himselfe being to rise againe the third day commended the good worke of that religious woman * Mat. 26 Marie Magdalen who powred the precious ointment vpon his head and bodie and did it to bury him And the * Iohn 19 Gospell hath crowned Ioseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus with eternall praise that tooke downe his bodie from the crosse and gaue it honest and honourable buriall And what thinke you might Iacob deserue but for burying Rachel and Abraham for burying Sara here Nay the very Gentiles in old time bare such respect and reuerence towards the dead For at Venice our English haue no buriall place allowed them but onely the Sea nor at Zant but are carried vp intâ— the Morea among Turkes at Ligornes and other places in Italie an Englishman dying without Confession is throwne into some ditch and made a prey for the fowles that they denied not their verie enemies the honour of a burial the humanity of Alexander vnto Darius of Hanniball vnto Marcellus of Caesar vnto Pompey sufficiently witnesse the same and at this day we our selues finde the like respect among the Turkes though they hold vs base and hate vs liuing yet heerein more kinde then Papists they neither hinder our burials nor violate our graues a hidden sence and natural humanity moueth them to this and what an vncouth thing is it to see a Turke kinde and a Christian cruell But yet these and the like authorities proue not any sence to bee in the dead carkasses themselues but signifie that the prouidence of God extendeth euen vnto the verie bodies of the dead for hee is pleased vvith such good deeds and doe build vp the beliefe of the resurrection We doe not accompany or burie honourably a dead Asse or a dead Oxe because they shall not rise againe but this office we performe vnto dead men to signifie that there is one condition of beasts another of men for men shal rise againe with their bodies vnto euerlasting life a beast shall perish and vanish into nothing To vvhich purpose the custome vvas in ancient time as Origen obserueth that the Priests and the Laiety yeerely vpon certaine daies did assemble at the graues and tombes of their Parents and friends and there render thankes vnto God for the dead that had departed in faith and pray not for the dead nor offer any sacrifice for them but for the like godly and peaceable departure vnto themselues which was wel accepted of God Where by the way we may learne this profitable lesson how great the reward of almesdeeds done vnto the liuing may be seeing this dutie and fauour shewed vnto the dead is not forgotten of God And if they were worthily praised and blessed by * 2. Sam. 2. Dauid the king that shewed mercy vnto the drie bones of Saul and Ionathan how much more praise shall they deserue and how shall they be blessed that for Christs sake shew mercy vnto the liuing bodies of his members they shall be sure to heere the sweet voice of their Sauiour saying vnto them * Mat. 25. Come ye blessed of my Father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was a hungry and yee gaue me meat I thirsted and yee gaue me drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee vnto you I was naked and yee clothed mee I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came vnto mee In as much as you haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren verily I say vnto you you haue done it vnto mee Come therefore I say take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of