pleasures for evermore How shall we then conclude but with a hopefull and eternall farewel till it please God that wee all meet together on that great day on Sion hill and go into these everlasting tabernacles of the temple of the most High in the holy citie supernall Jerusalem amongst the Hierarchies of that innumerable companie of Angels the generall assemblie and church of the first borne written in heaven by the finger of God and the bloud of the Lambe When and where they with us and we with them and the whole multitude of the militant and triumphant Church reunited under Christ the head shall bee fully and finally glorified O fooles that we are wee long with a vehement desire to see our earthly princes coronation in this earthly kingdome I pray you let us wish with an holy impatience redoubled sighes unfained groanes to be dissolved and to bee with Christ that wee may see our owne glorious coronations in that kingdome of glory For O what solemnities O what festivities O what exultations O what exclamations O what triumphs shall be there when the heavens and earth shall clap their hands for joy Why do these base minds of ours creep any more like wormes on earth and soare not with the wings of heavenly contemplation that our conversation may be in heaven Why do we not flie with the golden feathers of faith hope to embrace in the armes of our souls our gracious redeemer who is at hand stretcheth forth his powerfull hand unto us O let us lift up our heads open the everlasting gates of our souls that the king of glory may enter in and finde roome therein howbeit the heaven of heavens is not able to containe him who is the joy of the heavens the hope of the earth the light and life of the world the ease of the oppressed the comfort of the afflicted the advocate of sinners the reward of the just our only Saviour O let us set our affections upon him and behold him whose love shed abundantly in our hearts should swallow all other love who is the wisedome of God and ours before the world set as a rose of starres upon our head when others shall bee confounded Therefore bow downe the knees of your hearts with your voices your hands and eyes unto heaven saying O come thou whom our soules both love and long for Lord Jesus yea come quickly and tye us unto thy selfe by the band of perfection the coards of thy unspeakable loue Wee die wee divine after thee O sweet life O dear love Tarrie not while we are ready but take us to thy selfe and cover us with the banner of thy love and present us holy harmelesse acceptable before thine heavenly father that wee may dwell with thee and in thee eternally and through thee possesse the things which neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor the heart of man was ever able to conceive Now to this Jesus our redeemer to the Father our Creator to the holy Ghost our comforter one GOD in three persons let us render from the bottome of our soules all Honour all Praise all Glory for ever and ever AMEN AMEN VIRI NOBILIS JOANNIS CRAFORD II D. KILBVRNII aeternae memoriae sacravit hoc epicedium Ninianus Campbellus SIccine Kilburni florentis stamina vitae Ante diem rupit Parca severa tuae Attamen exultas quoniam mens inscia fati Praepetibus pennis caelica templa subit Haurit ubi puros latices Nectaris uvas Caeleftis diâ vivit Ambrosiâ Ponite luctificos gestamina tristia cultus Ponite funereas vos pia turba faces Vivit quem fletis votum super omne vigetque Despectans oculis inferiora suis Non est mortalis quantum mutatur ab illo Qui colit aetherei culmina celsa poli Atque Dei vitam degit felicibus ausis Humano major nomine voce vice Idem hoc nati patris matris qui uno eodemque mense obierant Epitaphium POst natum Genitor post hunc dulcissima Mater Hoc gaudent tumulo corpora trina simul Natus praecessit Genitorem funera Mater Tertia subsequitur Mensis unus erat Felices animae quibus his excedere terris Sic datur vitâ jam potiore frui VIRI CONSULTISSIMI SCAEVOLAE SAMMARTHANI Galli memoriae sacravit hoc carmen NINIANUS CAMPBELLUS VMbrosas Heliconis inter oras Pimplaei nemoris sacros recessus Me jam Pierio calore raptum Cerno dum me ditor polire carmen Cultum nobile molle delicatum Indictum ore alio beatiori Venâ progenitum sinuque Phoebi Quo te prosequar omnibus canendum Seclis magne senex tuique dotes Vrbani genii facetioris Docti judicii politioris Aequem Sceptrigeri polo Tonantis Si fas sit numeris phaleuciorum Te laudare virum disertiorem Phoebo Mercurioque gratiisque Quem circumvolitat novena turba Longaeva Themis severa Pallas Testes aetherii tui caloris Cujus fama vigens virûm per ora Doctorum advolat aureis quadrigis Ast nobis cadis ah tuis ademptum Lumen proh dolor orbi universo Extinctum jubar aurei nitoris Ni jam stellifero polo micares Despectans humiles soli jacentis Tractus ut simul omnibus renatus Es lux fulgidior priore luce Quâ nostros oculos rapis sequaces Et totos animos sereniori Perfundis radio tui decoris Fulgens clarior hespero recenti Multò pulchrior imminente lunâ Vt diam nequeam videre lucem Quam praebes tremulis meis ocellis Et toti patriae tuae decorae Ex quâ nasceris alma fax futuri Secli gloria orbis universi Cui tu perpetuum diem reducis Aut mentis faculâ benigniori Dicatae sophiâ secretiori Sermone aut nitidam indicante mentem Cui cedunt veneres Catullianae Et limphâ liquidâ suaviores Melliti latices Terentiani Cum vis vincier aspero Cothurno Et cedunt lyrici canora plectra Et grandes numeri Maroniani Et fervens genius Lucretianus Quicquid Gallia parturit decori Quicquid Graecia protulit venusti Et quicquid Latium dedit politi Id vincis Licet invidae Caemaenae Certent ambiguam facis coronam Cunctis vatibus stupente Phoebo Cingis tempora Laureâ perenni Vt corpus jaceat licet sepultum Fatali tumulo O beate vivas Auctor maxime carminis tenelli Limati sapidi aurei politi O quantum tibi nominis paratur Dum cantaberis orbe note toto Nullis Scaevola conticende linguis Sed quò tendimus alta musa Siste Gressum Quove rapis novâ tumentem Laude aut insolito furore plenum Sustollis modo vitreo daturum Ponto nomina caetibusque centum Misces Mercurialium virorum Quos mens ardua vexit ad bicornis Montis culmina Pegasique celsos Pennis vestiit Ast apis sagacis Jnstar libo rosas amoeniores Et gratas violas Thymumque dutce Propter
of Ecclesiasticus a wise though not a canonick book chap. 38. Let tears follow the dead and cover his body according to the custome and neglect not his buriall and then comfort your selves for your heavines for it cannot do him good but hurt you I remember of the Epitaph of one of the kings of Assyria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looking upon me learn to lead a holy and gody life And if the dead would speak they would teach us this Videte quod sumus eritis quod sumus fuimus quod estis See what we are ye shal be as we are we were as ye are To this effect have two eies in buriall one cast upon the dead and so there will be none of us so unnaturall but he will be touched as he who feeleth not the losse but the absence not the captivitie but the libertie not the death but the change of his friend to a better estate And if we do so our cariage cannot but be decent modest circumspect wise charitable in a word ChristiaÌ„ another eie fixed upon God who is al eye and not only beholds the things of this great universe but also the very inward reines and most latent corners of the hearts of men And if we do so there wil be none of us but wil bridle his natural affections secret passions in such fashion that they carry him not beyond the bounds of right reason moderation religion The second is out of St. Paul 1 Thess 4. 13 14. I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we beleeve that Jesus died rose again even so also them who sleep in Jesus wil God bring with him that we may all meet where our last randevous heaven is and there be united to God who is the center of all yea all in all And thus farre of that generall doctrine with the uses thereof Now let me come to some speciall doctrines which are as so many necessary consequences of it The first doctrine by way of consequence is this It is appointed Then there is nothing in this world able to save a man froÌ„ the piercing stroak of death beauty cannot keep Absalom nor strength Sampson nor valour Josua nor wisedome Solomon nor policy Achitophel nor court Haman nor the crown Saul nor an hundreth and twenty seven provinces Ahasuerus nor the palace Nebuchadnezzar nor nine hundred sixty and nine years Methusalem What the best things could not keep the godliest from the same Righteousnesse could not keep Noah nor faithfulnesse Abraham nor meeknesse Moses nor integritie Samuel nor patience Job nor a blamelesse life Zacharias nor the heart of God David The bark defendeth the tree the feather the fowle the scale the fish the feet the Hynde and the Hare and armour one man against another And as saith Epicurus against all other things we may arme our selves but against death there is no armour for it consumeth armour it selfe in which sense Alexander the great said to the Gymnosophists hee could not give them immortalitie And the wise man affirmeth this Prov. 30. 16. The grave the barren wombe the earth and the fire they never say Enough As the barren womb cannot be filled with seed nor the earth with waters nor the fire with fewell so the grave is never satisfied with the dead Death is rigorous inflexible inexorable irrevocable irreparable This is verified in the worthie Patriarchs or Genearchs before and after the floud in the religious judges and kings of Israel in the divine Prophets Evangelists Apostles in the reverend fathers doctours and preachers of the primitâ—â— and reformed churches in all the Martyrs with the rest of Gods elect two being extraordinarily excepted Yea it behoved Christ Jesus God and man in one person hypostatically united albeit he was the prince of life to lay down his precious life for man dead in sinnes and trespasses and so take away the guilt of sinne and the sting of death So that unhappie is that man who seeks and sues by all meanes to flee from death for wheresoever he go it wil meet him either soone or late or whosoever places his chief felicitie here where there is nothing but miserie or thinkes of a brittle and transitory cottage to make a sure and permanent citie for as long as we are in the flesh we are absent from the Lord debarred and sequestrate from our eldest brother who even now is preparing a place for us that shal never be taken from us And by the contrary happie is hee that prepareth himselfe timously that when deaths doome is execute upon him he may be found ready for those heavenly mansions so glorious by creation so beautifull in situation so rich in possession so commodious for habitation Where the king is Christ the law love the life eternitie life without death light without darknes mirth without sadnes health without sicknesse wealth without poverty credit without disgrace beauty without blemish bountie without measure felicitie without any mixture of misery O Lord take us from our selves to thy self there where thou shalt be life to our souls health to our bodies sight to our eyes musick to our ears honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies truth to our wits good to our wills peace to our consciences delight to our affections in a word as saith Bernard where thou shalt be the soule of our soules We say with Augustine Fecistinos domine ad te inquietum erit cor nostrum donec requiescat in te Thou art the center of our soules we cannot be at rest till that once we see thee that in seeing thee we may know thee in knowing thee we may possesse thee in possessing thee love thee in loving thee live with thee and in thee in living with thee and by thee become one with thee receive that palme of victory the garland of triumph that crowne of immortalitie from thee Oh fain would we be at thee but our sins cloy and clog us and pull us downe by the neck and shoulders O Jesus who art our valiant and unconquerable captaine take thy al-piercing sword from thy thigh and cut the fetters of sin the bands of Satan that our souls like so many soaring Eagles may flee out of these base and corruptible prisons of our bodies to those royall palaces of that free new supernall Jerusalem the mother of us all Use of admonition Is death inevitable and the stroak thereof irreparable then let us in time thinke upon it This is the day of salvation if this sun-shine of grace once set it will never rise again and we are either won or lost here and there is no repentance no preaching no conversion no church in hell In the mean time this our naturall life is but a broken reed a cob-web to lean unto which because of the inconstancie uncertainty shortnesse naughtinesse of it is justly
easie and precious death in the eyes of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an happie death is immortalitie to soul and body for every manner of death how execrable soever shall be sanctified on the tree whereon Christ was crucified And thus farre of all the points of my text Now my Noble Honourable Reverent and well beloved Auditors least I should omit any circumstance of this action looked for by you I come to these two dead corps lying at the lippe of the grave from which yee have received six directions and if they could speak any more they would make up the seventh which is the most perfect number that is to say Learne of us to die for ye must follow after us and we cannot come backe unto you So their mouthes are stopped and we need not to speak unto them any more for they will not hear us therefore wee must speake something of them To pray God for them we should not for it will not availe them to praise them howbeit praise worthie I am assured that criticks and censurers would take to themselves larger matter then perhaps were given them all consenting with one voice and minde that I a friend were driven by the violent streame of affection and the tempestuous storme of passion either upon the Scylla of ostentation or the Charibdis of assentation But I hope the saile of my sinceritie shall carry the ship of my minde from these two rocks to the safe harbour of your favourable audience and sparing censures and that my mouth shall utter nothing but that which the carper himself a framed friend an impartiall judge a charitable christian ought to say to wit That this rare spectacle of one husband and spouse which cannot be severed in death would seeme in the eyes of a naturall man pitifull and deplorable but to us who see with spirituall eyes joyfull and comfortable for they are with God And this is remarkable Their joy was one their grief one their love one their life one their death one their buriall one their tombe one their grave one their glory one And great is our union with them howbeit we be separate for a while for charitie biddeth us say That our baptisme is one our faith one our hope one our love one our reward one our pilgrimage one our race one our warfare one our countrey one our common-wealth one our citie one our religion one our church one our spirit one our Christ one our God one the father of us all above us all in us all all in all These are strait bands betwixt them and us for that same golden chaine of mercie which hath pulled them unto heaven is fastned to our souls that we also in our own time may be drawne hither In the meane time we are banished and strangers they gone home and citizens we in Sodom they in Zoar wee in O Enon they in Salem wee in a terrestriall cottage they in a celestiall paradise we in clayie tabernacles they in glorious pavilions we are on this border of the sea they on the other wee drowned in the sea they in the ark wee in the desert they upon the top of mount Pisgah we in Egypt they in Canaan we tost to and fro they in the harbour mouth Againe we in a labyrinth they in the fortunate Isles and Elisian fields wee hunt after shadows they enjoy the substance wee amongst Bears and Wolves they with the Lambe we fighting they triumphing And what more we sick they whole we blinde they enlightned with that inaccessible light we see through a glasse they face to face wee know in part they fully we poore they rich wee naked they cloathed wee weare clouts and rags they bear crownes and scepters we hungrie they satisfied we feed upon the fruits of the earth they upon that quickning Manna the bread of Angels we imprisoned they set at libertie and that which the ignorant would thinke a wonder wee dead and they living Why go wee then with mourning apparell seeing they have white robes Why weep we any more seeing all teares are wiped from their eyes Why do wee lament seeing they sing songs of triumph upon golden harps and viols with the melodious harmonious sweet-singing-chorestrie of Angels Surely if it were possible that glorified souls were subject to grief they have greater occasion to mourn for us then wefor them whose bands amongst themselves are so unseparable that death cannot break them and greater love wee read not of any two then of these for it is stronger then death O happie couple above the eloquence of man and angel Many a loyall husband and chaste spouse would be glad of such an end And what an end Let the envious Momus and injurious backbiter hold their peace and let me who stand in the presence of God and in the face of his people and in the chaire of veritie tell the truth to wit That honourable Baron whose corps lyeth there in the flower of his yeares in the strength of his youth in the prime of his designes even when young men use to take up themselves is fallen and mowne downe from amongst us like a may flower in a green meadow His vertuous Lady who having languished a little after him howbeit tender in body yet strong in minde and full of courage took her dear husbands death in so good part that shee did not give the least token of hopelesse and helplesse sorrow Yet wearying to stay after her love she posted after him and slept peaceably in the Lord as her husband before her This Noblemen Gentlemen and men of account amongst us have assured mee So then as neither the husbands ancient house nor his honourable birth nor his noble allye nor his able and strong body nor his kinde stout liberall minde nor the rest of the ornaments which were in him alive and which recommend brave gentlemen to the view of this gazing world could keepe him from a preceding death So neither the spouses noble race of generous and religious progenitours nor a wise carriage in a well led life nor the rest of her womanish perfections could free her from a subsequent death both due to them and us for our sins God hath forgiven theirs God forgive ours also They have done in few all that can be done in many yeares They have died well God give us the like grace In the mean time their reliques and exuvies terrae depositum shall lye there amongst other dead corps of their forebears and aftercommers all attending a generall resurrection And their souls the best part of them coeli depositum have surpassed the bounds of this inferior world and are carried upon the wings of Cherubims and Seraphins to the bosome of Abraham for to change servitude with libertie earth with heaven miserie with felicitie and to bee made partakers of that beatifick vision reall union actuall fruition of our God in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are