the world could not be possessed with a generall witchcraft if they cōsidred the end Innocentius they then might finde that of Innocentius true that al sublunary passages had either a vaine a vile or a wicked obiect ex opibus prava ex voluptatibus turpia ex honoribus vana Honours make men vaine pleasures make men vile riches make men servile wretchednesse and wickednesse beget these vanity and servilitie attend these sinne brings them in shame leads thē out and when the world hath beene glutted with thē the Apostles question is what comfort haue yee in those things whereof ye are now ashamed I will end amplyfying of this point if before wee leaue the Court wee may be bold to go through the best and bravest roomes therein and see now our MASTER is gone whether any thing can giue vs a sure and setled comfort nay I say more whether any thing remaining may giue vs any manner of content At the best state of Court he spake true that said Paucos beauit Aula plures perdidit quos beavit ipsos perdidit Bern. ad Eugen at the best state Courtly offices are consciences burdens and favours bondslaues courtly services daily attendances howrely encombrances courtly feeding the bodies surfet and the souls surquedry courtly cloathing wormes excrements wormes make them moathes eate thē courtly friends affections weathercocke a Northwinde settles them a Southwinde turnes them courtly hopes they be the aires attomes a sunshine engenders them and a frost kils them This house of this Court where wee thought Comfort had said as God sometimes spake here will I dwell for ever this house now is the prison of our sorrow as our bodies be the prison of our soules wee sit here as Rahell sate Ier. 32.15 Mat. 3.18 weeping and weeping refusing cōfort so that vnlesse comfort come frō God who is the God of all cōfort as the Apostle speaketh we may sit here til our eies fal into the holes of our heads we our selues become as stupid as the seats wee sit on wherefore beloved let vs all take vp this Petition this part of my Text Comfort thou vs now O Lord. Vse And seeing that God is the author of Comfort not only so Deus Consolationis but Deus omnis consolationis the God of all consolation that we may take the wings of the morning and fly into the vttermost parts of the earth we may travell from the East to the West even to the nethermost partes of the sea and not obtaine Comfort but only from God Let our vse hereof be that of Martiall Martial Episc Quid ad nos consolatio mundi what doth the pleasure of the world belong to vs the world is vices nurse Natures stepmother vertues murtherer it is Thefts refuge whordomes Pander Nil mūdum in mundo the comfort of the world is a Strens song Philo. Sodoms fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo calleth it a bitter sweet pleasure a spurre riches a thorne honour a blast life a flower glory a feather beauty a fancy ioy a frenzy every one of these like the book in the Revelatiō sweet in the mouth bitter in the belly The mercy-seat stood not in atrio Gentium nor in Templo Iudaeorum nor neere Altare sacerdotum but in Sancto Sanctorum in the holy place Comforts be ever in scripture either attributed to God or derived from him God is the God of comfort 2. Cor. 1.3 2 Cor. 1.3 Christ Jesus the Saviour sent to comfort Esay 61.2 The holy Ghost is the comforter Ioh. 16.7 His Angels deliver glad tidings of comfort Ioh. 16.7 Luk 2.10 Esay 40 1. Luke 2 10. His Prophets are commanded to pronounce comfort Esay 40.1 The office of his Apostles was to teach comfort Act. 16.40 Act 16.40 Ferus Deus intùs exhilarat animum sibi bene conscium c. God doth make the bones that he hath broken to reioice the soule that is truely humbled he doth comfort and satisfie no other meanes but his can do it hee and hee only can bring it to passe Pompilius may write epistles to Tully Theat mun di as that he should rid away his sorrow by reading Antimachus makes verses to rime away sorrow Archilochus cals for wine to drinke away sorrow some call for mirth to iest it away others for musick to play it away but the Saints of God Iob 19.23 Psal they know all this serues not Iob comfortes himselfe by remembring his redeemer David by hoping to see the Lord in the land of the living Ionas by looking backe to the Temple Paule by assuring himselfe that he shal be holpē Ion 2.7 Confidence hath beene the Comfort of the Saints in all ages in all places Ioseph in the prison Iob on the dung hill Ieremie in the dungion Abraham in exile Iacob in the field David in the Caue Daniel in the Den. Abulens It is God that comforteth vs in all our tribulation that we may bee able to comforte them which are in any trouble 2. Cor. 4.1 by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted here is comfort transient immanēt permanent Gods comfort descending to vs by vs derived to others that as the Apostle there speaketh if we be comforted it is for the consolation not only of our selues but others Applic. To apply therefore in these our sorrowes those our comforts In this invndation wherin we are overwhelmed though not drowned or rather as Ionas drowned deuoured yet not dead let vs take breathing and dry our eies a little Paul bids be wise according to sobriety so say I sorrow but according to sobriety let comfort enterchange and haue her time it must not be a Quotidiā feaver to dry vp our soules in this salt liquor of discontent Oramus fiat voluntas Domini saith Zanchius wee pray thus Zarch let thy will be done facta est voluntas Domini feramus Gods wil is done let vs beare it shal we think either God to be so angry that he will not or heaven so poore that it cannot helpe vs shall wee pray euery day that God would performe his will one day and shall we repine at it when hee hath performed it It is true our blessed PRINCE had such Princely holy gratious religious endowments that wee would haue rather thought him sent from heauen to vs then so soone to be called thither from vs. It is true the very outside and rinde the very raiment of his soule his body was so faire and strong that a soule might haue beene pleased to liue an age in it It is true his soule kept tune so well that reason sate regent and the vnderstanding Counsailour neuer captiuated with violence of passions nor hurried with the virulence of affections virtue and valor beautie chastitie armes and arts met and kist in him and his goodnesse lent so much mintage to other Princes that if Xenophon were now to describe a
SPIRITVALL ODOVRS TO THE MEMORY OF PRINCE HENRY IN FOVRE OF THE LAST SERmons preached in St JAMES after his Highnesse death the last being the Sermon before the body the day before the Funerall BY DANIEL PRICE then Chaplaine in Attendance ECCLVS 49.1 The remembrance of Iosias is like the composition of the perfume made by the Apothecary AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by Iohn Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1613. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY VERTVOVS AND GRATIOVS PRINCE PRINCE CHARLES THE BEAVTY OF THE COVRT AND THE BLESSING OF THIS COVNTREY DANIEL PRICE VVITH HIS MOST DEVOTED OBSERVANCE OFFERETH THESE HIS LAST SERVICES TO BLESSED PRINCE HENRY PSAL. 90.15 Comfort vs now according as thou hast afflicted vs. HONOVRABLE mournefull worthy Auditory I stande heere as that amazed servaunt of Elias crying lamenting for my MASTER feeling the paine fearing the perill of his losse Ps 19.5 ô what a thunderbolt of astonishment is it to vs all that the sunne comming forth as a bridegroome out of his chamber and reioicng as a Gyant to runne his course should set even before the Meridian and mid-day it is a thought that beates the breath out of my body and makes my soule ready to fly from mee yet seeing it is your owne desire and expectation that wee should frequently gather to these sad and solemne exercises in this holy place of this house of mourning though my worthy Colleagues sicknesse and mine owne weakenesse might be Apologies I forbeare rather the excuse then the exercise seeing Apologies be as obvious as odious not only Heralds to blaunch but vshers to blame such delinquencie You haue heard how our Saviour his servants his disciples dayly waiters were scattered Mat. 26.13 in the same chapter I finde smal argument of comfort for these distressed dispersed soules but at the same time as may be collected out of S. Iohn our Saviour comforteth his servants thus Ioh. 16.22 Yee are now in sorrow but I will see you againe and your harts shall reioice which meditation now hath moved me Gen. 8. to bring you an Oliue braunch in these waues and waters of sorrow not thereby to wish an end to your mourning but to season it that it may be better and stronger Gen. 8 8. Mat. 3.16 and hereafter more for your pleasure more for your profit when the Arke was on the waters the Doue was sent out when Christ was in the waters the Doue was sent downe Greg. in Moral Columba est spiritus consolationis saith Gregory the Doue representeth the spirit of comfort and when the flood is come to full tide the Doue shall be sent that the waters may cease when sorrow is at full age sweet wood must be cast into the bitter waters Psal 85.8 peace shall come saith the Prophet Comfort shall haue a time worldly contentments may end in bitternesse Ioseph Antiq. Iordan may runne a long race sweetly and pleasantly and afterwardes fall into the dead sea and never recover it selfe againe but the ioy and comfort of Gods servants notwithstanding all ecclipses shall finally never be obscured Chrysost times twins day and night shal be changed the foure colours of the vaile of mans Tēple the Elements shal be consumed the soule and body of the world Heaven and earth shal be destroyed but the comforts of Gods children shal never be extinguished you may beleeue him without an oath but I haue sworne by my holynes saith the Lord Psal 89.25 1. Kings 19.12 I wil never forsake Dauid As he dealt by Elias to send first the whirlewind then the Earthquake then the fire but then the small still voice so hath he dealt with all his Prophets after all the threatnings and thundrings he sends messages of Consolation by Esay thus Comfort yee Comfort yee Esay 40.1 Ier. 31.13 my people will God say By Ieremy thus I will comfort them giue them ioies for sorrowes By Ezechiel thus Ezek 14 22. yee shall be comforted concerning all the evill I haue brought vpon you By Zachary thus The Lord will yet comfort Syon Zech. 1.17 as Christ spake so may COMFORT say of me all the Prophets bare witnes but among al Prophecies none so cōfortable none so watred with the dew of heaven as the booke of Psalmes this is the Spowses garden Cant. 4.12.13 here be the lilies and roses here be Apples and Pomegranats and sweet fruits here be the mirre aloes Cassia and sweet spices here be the fountains of the gardē wels of living water the springs of Lebanon sweet waters every Psalm is as the foūt of Bethel Basil in 1. Ps as Basil by experience speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Psalme is a message of Peace embassage of mercy Hence had the servāts of God in all ages the balme of Gilead to apply to their soares sorrows Euseb lib. 12. prep cap. 13. I need not tell you how many Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament haue vsed authorities hence Euseb or how Plato is by Eusebius reported to receaue instruction from this booke or howe Babilas the Bishop or Mauritius the Emperour seasoned the misery of their Martyrdome with a Cāticle of a Psalm or how many holy Martyrs all the ancient Fathers all the Saints of God haue made blessed vse of this book that begins with blessednesse In Maz. Cōcord and containes nothing but blessednesse being repeated in the Concreat 27. times in this one book which like the tree that beareth fruit every month twelue times a yeare Reu. 21. so the Church hath appointed every month that this booke bring forth fruit in due season Ps 1. and among all vses of Comfort our blessed Saviour hence commended his soule sent vp in a Psalme vnto his father Father into thy handes I commend my spirit This Psalme I haue taken vp for your vse in this sad and sable time it is the first of all the Psalmes in order though not in number it was made 300. years before David or this booke were extant for when Moyses the man of God Deut. 32. had passed the Meridian of his life Mart. in Is being now in the after-noone of his age seeing foreseeing the night of death approaching Gods heavy indignation encreasing Israell stil disobeying he entreth into the consideration of mans transitory station shewing how many waves are ready to devour this little I le of man how he is turned to destruction scattered and consumed cut downe Psal 90. dryed vp and withered our misdeeds saith Moses are before thee our sins are in the fight of thy countenance our yeares are a tale that is told our strength is but labour and losse so farre you see mans sunne is in the Ecclipse here is nothing but lachrymae suspiria teares sighes sobs sorrows deploration lamentation fit meditations for our soules But behold what
daies of our life be as the fits of a feaver as the changes of daie night darknesse and light the moon hath not more alterations thē man so that as that of Ieremy must be acknowledged Ierem. Lam. were it not for the mercies of the Lord wee should be vtterly consumed Hierom. so also that of S. Ierome his observatiō vpō Arcturus in the heavens semper versatur nūquam mergitur may be applyed vnto the sons of men 2. Cor. 6. these are often turned never overwhelmed but especially vnto the sonnes of God they are as Paule speaketh as dying and behold they liue as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alway reioicing as poore and yet make many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things for God doth so sweeten his visitations sendeth such a gracious dew vpon his inheritance as that in affliction and after affliction hee sendeth vnspeakeable consolation In die tribulationis exaudiam te in the day of Tribulation I will heare thee is his promise and more then so it is not only that then he will heare and afterwardes will helpe but both in the daie and after the day he will heare he will helpe he wil cōfort In the affliction because the affliction remaineth for a moment after the affliction 2. Cor. 4.17 1. Cor. 11.32 Prov. 3.12 because when after we are chastened of the Lord we are sure not to be condemned with the world Comforted in the affliction for we know he correcteth only whom he loveth Comforted after the affliction Ps 64.16 2. Cor. 1.5 for he hath assured vs that according to the multitude of Troubles that are in our harts his comforts shall refresh our soules and againe by S. Paule as the suffrings of Christ abound in vs so our cōsolation aboundeth by Christ So that here it is manifested which was in the observatiō proposed no comfort but after affliction no consolation but after Tribulation and therefore Moyses praier is Comfort vs according as thou hast afflect vs. Vse How blessed then ought our afflictions to be esteemed seeing that in them we shall be comforted after them we shall be rewarded and by them we shal be admitted into glory for through many afflictions wee must enter into heaven Are there comforts therefore laid vp in store for the Godly are there pleasures at Gods right hand for ever more O thē come heare soe and tast how good the Lord is O come vnto him all ye that labour and are heavy laden vnder the burthen of your sorrow It is impossible to escape Esaus sword or Ismaels tongue Gen 27.41 Gen. 21.9 2. Sam. 16. or Shemeis stones or Doegs sclander or Hamans envy or Ioabs treachery When there were but fowre in al the world there was a Caine and afterwardes when there were but eight that number but doubled there was a Cham Philistins shal be left in the land to try and to exercise the Israelites or suppose thou escape all these yet either losse of health or losse of friends or want or some meanes or other shal bee appointed to polish thee if thou belong to heaven The Martyrs and Saintes of God who now carry Triumphant Palmes they haue bin thus afflicted and hereby their glorious lustre like vnto the sunne gaue greatest light in the lowest places and in their patient content contempt of afflictiō they gaue grace to the greatest miseries Tyranny could deuise God distilling into their soules the apparant supply of his grace in the middest of their pressures to encourage and enable them in their perseverance Esay 3. O yee then that with those minsing dames in Ierusalem are loath that the soles of your feete should tread vpon the face of the earth yee may bee hurried betweene heaven and earth but never wil bee carryed as Elias vnlesse in a fiery chariot Ye that set more by Agar then Sara more esteeme your bodies then your soules feare and tremble if no afflicton hath ever visited you Luk. 16.25 you know whose words they be son remember thou in thy life time receivedst all thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things now hee is cōforted and thou art tormented it is a time if ever to lay the axe to the root of the tree especially of those trees that beare nothing but leaues and liuelesse braunches you knowe what a stroke is given to the fairest Cedar of the gorrest our figge tree is blasted evē before it was its time to beate fruit the greene tree the glory of the trees is striken were it not I should breake the peace of my meditations of comfort I shoulde drawe Paules sword and make vse of Ieremies hammer to lay home some stroakes to your consciences in this point But I proceede If the Saints of God and their afflictions wil not invite you I say not to endure but to welcome sorrow yet let the braue resolutions of heathens as gallant as the most nay more glorious thē the best of you amase you they bare their troubles with vndaunted comfortable honourable minds so that neither force of fire in Scaeuola violence of pouertie in Fabritius perplexities of banishment in Rutilius Torments in Regulus Poison in Socrates Ingratitude in Scipio Persecutiō in Caesar Guevar in Ep. or death in Cato could ever ecclipse their valor or honour How few such noble martiall spirits breath among vs How many of those that doe liue bee trulie humbled among vs Alas none ever shall bee truely comforted but those truely humbled Thinke yee any to bee truely comforted whom nothing did ever amate Think they that are in opinion obstinate in good purposes inconstant resolute in evill action in humilitie false in charitie fained in desires violent in mischeefes virulent in hate implacable to be truely comforted They that are so rash in censuring peremptorie in hearing hard harted in obeying hypocryticall in professing the word of God thinke they to bee truely comforted They whose sinnes are so many whose prayers so few their oathes so frequent their almes so few that serue themselues by the Ephah and scarcely serue God by the Gomer thinke they to be truely comforted I assure my selfe that all yee of this expiring family haue better learned Christ Iesus my knowledge of many hope of others charity to all makes me beleeue it And therefore I hope yee shall be truely Comforted euen according as yee haue beene afflicted in as full measure as yee haue beene humbled Yet I know in this last close you can be scarcely perswaded of this according my owne soule silently tels mee it is beyond expectation that wee should so recover our losses as that according to our sorrowes we should receaue Comforts Cambden Brit. 164 1 Ed. 1. sonne to Hen. 3. 2 Edw. blacke Prince sonne to Edw. 3. 3. Rich. of Burdeaux sonne to Ed. black Prince 4 Hen. sonne of Hen 4. 5 Ed. son H. 6. 6 Ed. sonne K. Hen 4. 7 Ed. sonne
for it as after David numbers the people 2. Sam. 24.14 the people die for it Secondly when the childe is sicke David sorroweth the childe being dead he riseth and eateth Hee wil bee no longer in paine then the childe is in perill Benoni is the sonne of sorrow at his birth this shal be no longer the subiect of sorrow then his death He is dead no hope no helpe no recovery it is impossible Revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras David cannot infuse life into him the childe is dead he is gone all the world cannot revine him David must follow the child must not returne Thus the wordes were occasioned thus opened thus they fall in sunder impart themselues vnto vs. Divisio Textus 1 Davids patient consideration in forbearing further sorrow Being dead why should I now fast 2. His wife resolution implying the impossibilitie of reviving him Can I bring him againe Thirdly his considerate acknowledgement of the inevitable stroake of death I shall goe to him he shall not returne to me I confesse there be many disproportions betweene this storie and our state our misery is without all paralell scripture doth nor yeeld a fitting example no king of Israel or Iuda had such a losse I had almost said nor such a sonne I am therefore constrained to choose not as I would but as I may though not so plentifully fitting the subiect yet sorrowfully fitting with our sable thoughts In these therefore I craue patient attentiō the rather because the 1. part offring it selfe to vs is Davids patient consideration in forbearing more mourning Some haue obserued that it was a custome in David to fast and pray 1. Part. Lor. in Ps Ps 35.13 and mourne for the sicknesse of his friend his owne words giue warrant Psal 35.13 when they were sicke 1 cloathed my selfe with sackcloath and humbled my soule with fasting And these both were vsed either in sorrow or repentance in sorrowe so the Orator testifieth sackeloath and fasting be moeroris insignia Tully the ensignes of sorrow in repentance so S. Hierome witnesseth they were Penitentiae arma the weapons of Repentance In this place by fasting David means all the Circumstances of mourning Aret. Flac. Illyr To mourne and weepe is common and commendable in sicknesse or death of friends profit there may be in it but you will thinke there is small pleasure yet saith the Poet Est quaedam flere voluptas There is pleasure in this paine of weeping to disburden the soule to open the sluces to discharge conchas in canales Bern. the Cesterns into conduit pipes to ecclipse the light of our etes with teares because those eies shall never behold those deere deceased friendes till we our selues passe into the Chambers of death This is naturall and common yet I may say Christian But to fast in these occasions is not so common as commendable and profitable for indeed in true sorrow there should be a neglect of all the offices of the body a sequestration of all contentment a forgetting and forsaking of ordinary food a shutting vp and imprisoning of the body from all pleasures of life thereby to pull downe the height and strength and pride of the soule that the soule heare not thinke not mind not mirth that the body see not touch not tast not meate such should be our sorrowes when we see Corporall punishments for spirituall iudgements Such was Davids diet it was a real hearty sorrow not coūtenanced with a heavie looke or with a solemne sigh blowne from the lips and lungs but it was a weeping watching fasting sorrow I hate excursions but seeing I meet in the words of my Text with so great a straunger as fasting giue me leaue to salute it It was the first precept that ever was given it is as ancient as Paradise Ieiuny canitiem sivelis Epise Lond. in Ion. perscrutare ieiunium prime homini coaevū The forbidding of that tree was the first rule of abstinēce The antiquity necessity perpetuity of it enforce it Nature law Gospel enioine it Divinity commands it Physicke commends it law prescribes it it is the life of the Saints and the food of the soule in the court of heaven there is no other dyet and in the Church on earth the children of the bridechamber must be acquainted with it as David was whose fasting daies I could easily cōiecture if I should looke but into the Galender of the Psalmes but my Text telleth me at this time hee did eate and drinke and therefore here he seemeth to bee as in the Psalme hee speaketh Psal 42.4 as amonge those that keepe holy-daie His fasting endeth the seaventh day and hee questioneth why should I now fast which words do bring forth this observation Obs 1 That as there is a time to sorrow so also a time to leaue of the act of sorrowing His example proveth this Nemo in lachrymis nemo in Cāticis no mā was more frequent in songs or sorrowes then David Lud. his meate were his Teares he mingled his drinke with Teares washt his bed and watered his couch with his teares you would scarce beleeue that he ever enioied good day that ever the sunne shined on him he is so full of anguish and care and feate sometimes biding some times flying Psalm 32 10. still almost lamenting Yet how frequent be his ioyfull acclamations in the Psalmes Reioice in the Lord Ps 103.1 Be glad ô yee righteous Be ioyfull all yee that are true of hart Praise the Lord O my soule all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits how sweetly doth he exalt his exultation of ioyful praise Ps 145. I will praise the Lord my God I will praise his name for ever and ever every day will I praise the Lord and praise his name for ever and ever and againe Praise the Lord O my soule while I liue wil I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I haue any breathing Looke vpon this good King at other times you would scarsly thinke that ever he could haue had ioy to cast his cies vp to heauen Psal you may find him on a couch nay more on the cold earth crying out I am at the point to die from my youth vp thy Terrors haue I suffered with a troubled soule Yet after al this you shal find him reioicing triumphing singing harping dancing making melody vnto God and calling for his consort Trumpets Timbrels Psalteries Harpes Organs Cymbals Ps 150.3.4.5.6 Pipe and string low and lowd instrument nay heaven and earth must beare a part nay every thing that hath breath must praise the Lord. Heere bee the passages through fire and water here he is brought from the wildernesse into a wealthy place Here be his fits good bad daies crosses and comforts ioies and sorrowes Dolor volupt as invicē cedunt Brevior voluptas
infirmity in some others of them wee ought to craue the assistant power of Gods spirit in all sorrowes so to season and sweeten them and to direct them to right ends that we looke not only vpon the power of God herein as to forget his favour we so much consider not the greatnesse of the afflictioÌ„ as the goodnesse of his affection that hath laid it on vs for our good and therefore so to cast anchor in al stormes of our life Pet. Martyr Common places as that this Passion of sorrow as Peter Martyr coÌ„pareth it may direct our sailes as a prosperous wind to the hauen not rend our souls and sinke our ships that the masts of our faith be shaken the anchors of our hopes broken that we shew our selues wise men not mad men not distracting our spirits not distrusting our God but with David here temper our soules or rather tune them to that song of his Ps 121.1 I will lift vp mine eies vnto the hils from whence commeth my helpe Helpe shall come from the Lord which hath made heauen and earth Hence also we may learne to stay our carnall and to encrease our spirituall sorrow bodily labour availeth not bodily sorrow profiteth not Fasting spoken of in the Text of it selfe is but an outward ceremony Externum signum saccus ieiunium Hier. true abstinence consisteth in holynesse of life mistake me not as if I derogated from fasting that venerable daughter of repentance one of the best mothers in Israel I would we might imitate either Patriarchs or Prophets herein or even at this time the French and Dutch Churches in this citty who in consideration of Gods iudgment vpon vs lament with fasting and praying as may be seene in their congregations weekely But I say fasting is but the outward countenance it is the inward motions that God is pleased with And in them none more acceptable vnto him then an humble obedience to his wil when his hand hath given the stroake the Lord hath done what pleased him Ion. 2. a sweet and comfortable carriage of our afflictions wil be pleasing vnto him and a blessing to vs. Priamus in Homer bewailing his sonne Hector Homer fasteth and mourneth after his death Dauid doth this before his sonnes death when it is past he riseth washeth eateth worshippeth doth coÌ„fort himselfe How did the Patriach Iacob carry al those pressures laid vpoÌ„ him with a holy calme disposition Gen. yee never finde him tempestuous yet who ever endured so successiue storms In al the daies of his pilgrimage scarse any faire weather he is rent from his fathers family flyeth for the feare of his brother he is cheated by his vnckle his place vile and servile Gen. 31.40 in the day the drought consumed him in the night the frost the sleepe departs from his eies serues for Rahel seauen years and a bleere eied Leah is given him serues seauen more for Rahel and shee is barreÌ„ at length a childe shee shal haue but the childes life is the mothers death when his children increase his sorrowes increase not Beniamin alone but almost every one of them is Benoni the sonne of sorrow Incestuous Reuben Adulterous Iuda Levi that is to be consecrated to God in his Church is bloody Er and Onan strook dead before him Ioseph lost Simeon imprisoned BeÌ„iamin endangered his only daughter young Dinah his dearling ravished by an alien from Israell Yet you never finde in all these perils among his owne that he staggereth These meditations be best fitting the practise and imitation of these examples wil be fruitfull And as the Apostle speaketh giue no place to wrath so say I giue not place to sorrow especially to worldly sorrow 2. Cor. 7.10 for Godly sorrow worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death yet cannot redeeme from death as it followeth in Davids words Can I bring him againe His wise resolution implying the impossibility of his reviving him Part. 2 The first speech was drawne ab invtili there is no profit no hope no helpe no means by fasting to recover him Being dead why should I fast this second is ab impossibili from the improbability and impossibility of recalling him Can I bring him againe David was not ignorant of the reduction restitution resurrection of the body there bee no lesse then 13. places that may bee collected out of the Psalms to this purpose Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell Abâ—lens nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thou O Lord shalt raise me vp at the last I shall see the Lord in the land of the living c. These other frequent places be commonly noted to this purpose The Resurrection as it is most certaine so also most coÌ„fortable Iob had nothing to sweeten his dunghill but the hope of the resurrection Iob. 11. and Paule had no other doctrine to preach to the devout Greekes at Thessalonica Act. 17.3 Act. 17.32 Act 23 6. Act. 26.23 to the Stoickes at Athens to the Pharisies at Ierusalem to Festus the Governour at Cesarea nay almost in every place he preacheth the resurrection of the deade and our blessed Saviour of all other mysteries of our redemption maketh none more plaine then this points and though it seeme a doctrine so far beyond al sense yet he hath so sensibly proved it to all the senses by his owne rising that al the world may with S. Paule confesse 1. Cor. 15. Christ is risen froÌ„ the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleepe Christ is risen and wee shal rise and this is the manner how He manifested himselfe by sight C. proueth his resurrection by the 5. senses when he shewed his wounds by hearing in his salutation Peace be vnto you by tasting he did eate of the broiled fish with them by touching Thomas put his fingers into the print of the nailes by smelling for he breathed vpon theÌ„ Here be the senses They that haue seene this haue beleeued and blessed saith Christ are they that haue not seene and yet beleeued But because our Saviour foresaw that vpon his resurrection the ground of this point would for ever be setled He as Luke speaketh shewed himselfe to be aliue by many infallible arguments by necessary true evideÌ„t proofes such as the Philosopher calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 1. Arislot in Rhet. c. 2. He left no circumstance of time place persons vnmanifested that this might bee beleeued he appeareth after his resurrectioÌ„ earely in the morning late at night in both the times of the day to the disciples abroad and gathered togither in the house in both the places to the souldiers Apostles both conditions of men to the Iewes and Gentiles both religions of men to men and women both the sexes to the liuing in the world to the dead in the graue both states to
come Rev. 20.6 That divine speech of Iohn in his revelation should rap vs vp into heaven with Paule Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrectiō for on such the second death hath no power The Godly only die once but rise twice they die only the death of the body but rise in soule and body the wicked they die twice rise but once they rise in body but die the death of soule and body a part they haue in the second death of the damned but no part in the second resurrection of the iust or if any part such a part as Iudas had in the Sacrament a sop that poisoned his soule or such a parte as Simeon and Levi had in their fathers legacy Beaux in Harm Partē habent nō redemptionis etiamsi resurrectionis a part not of redemption though of resurrection O then who wil cause his eies to be the Pander for his lust if with these eies he hope to behold God who wil cause his body to be the curse of his soule if hee hope in his soule and body to attend God for euer more When that all that haue beene kept fast and fettred in the chaines of death from al the ages of the world shal meete their bodies cursing their souls crying against them that either the soule should please the body that loathsome lumpe or the body should be the snare and prison for the soule either to abuse it or abase it to perdition by subiection What shal then be the comfort of the Godly who shal rise to ioy and immortality and be restored to glory I say to more glory then the bounds of imagination can containe that the Lord shal shew them the pathes of life and in his light they shall see light and shall bee filled with the ioy of his countenance for evermore That they shal rise to the resurrection of the iust to the everlasting length of daies Aquin. to the beholding of Gods glorious face in which blessed vision omnis sit a est beatitudo al blessednesse consisteth as the schooles determine al this ioy Christ hath purchased with his bloud and is gone to possesse in his body Heb. 12.1 Wherefore beloved to vse the exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrewes lay aside every waight of sin the sinne which hangeth on run with patience the race which is set before you The holy Patriarches haue runne it now be with Christ whom they haue longer expected then yet enioyed the blessed Prophets haue run this race though through a sea of bloud the Apostles Martyrs Saints this race victoriously haue run in the sunnes course with more light then the sunne vp Vp then and the Lord shal be with you 1. Cor. 15. pray fast watch weepe endeavour labour and your labour will not be in vaine in the Lord. You shal laie downe your bodies in grace and peace resume them againe in ioy and glory You must goe this iourney the decree of this Taxe is come our it is as the lawe of the Medes and Persians not to be revoked Everie one of vs may say of our Master as David of his sonne I shal go to him he shall never returne to me which leadeth me to my third and last part the acknowledgement of the inevitable stroake of death I shall goe to him hee shall not returne to me In the 3. of Genesis Pars 3. Gen. 3. you may finde mans Exodus Thou shalt dye it is the first Text of mortality in Scripture al Comments doe concur to the exposition of this The caus of Adams death was the breach of dyet God forbad him fruit of one tree this he hungreth for and taste it he wil though it cost him his life S. Austin bringeth our first parents thus disputing in a dialogue concerning that fruit if this fruit be good Aug why may I not eat of it if it be not good why groweth it in Paradise Domine dedisti hortum negâsti pomum Lord haste thou given vs the garden and denied vs the apple therefore saith Austin God hath given thee the benefit of Paradise because thou maist know his favour and mercy and therefore hath hee denied this one fruit to thee because he may find thy obedience and dutie This duty and obedience neglected by our Grand-sire ever since death the lodge of all mens liues commeth with insensible degrees vpon the children of men no wisdome shall appease no policy prevent no riches correct it The impartial hand of death is ever destroying the insatiable throat of the earth ever devouring death the vsurper of Kingdomes and the intruder into Countries breaketh the studies of the learnedst interrupteth the enterprises of the wisest croppeth of the hopes of the fairest in a calme a tempest overtakes them and sinkes them delay may repriue them but death wil serue the execution of that sentence vpon them It is a statute statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed that all men must die David knewe this and therfore his words be I must goe to him he shall not reture to me It is the conceit of some Thalmudists that if ever any had escaped this fatall generall sentence Miscel Thalm. Moyses and Christ had beene freed Moses saw God spake with him asked him answered him beheld him and a kind of cōmunicatiō of some divine lustre was imparted to him his face did shine never face to face did man behold God as Moses did yet Moses must die hee must ascend the Mount and there expire The oracle of Israel Terror of Egypt discoverer of Canaan Prophet Priest Captaine Guider leader of his people must yeeld to death though hee lived to behold the God of life Though Moses died and yeelded to death yet Christ might haue beene freed hee was equal to the father touching his Godhead and concerning his manhood his body was not begot in sinne not conceaued in sinne yet the death of this sonne of God if ever any one was so sealed and ratified as farre as either the iustice of the father or the engins of Tyrannie of men could devise this Virgin sonne of the Virgin mother Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda lambe of God gaue vp the Ghost Every true Hebrewe must celebrate this Passover every man may say for his Master Father neighbour brother friend child as David here I must goe to him hee shall never returne to me They cannot come from that ioy and glory they are in a Cloud of witnesses giue testimony of the blessed state of their abode No returne no comming backe no passage from them as Abraham told Dives in the Parable they bee in refrigerio in that sweet refreshing saith Austin Aust de Sanctis Ambr. Chrys Hom. Greg. they bee in gaudio in ioyfull rest saith Ambrose they bee in atrio Domint saith Chrysostome in the Court of the Lordes house they be in manu Dei in the hand of
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
to make them sweet salsum in amarum saith one Lud. did he cast salt into bitter can salt make sweet Yes the sorrow which is as salt cast into the passages of our life which of themselues be bitter doth sweeten and relish our whole state in this life Wee never read that our Saviour tooke the booke out of the Priests hand in the Temple but once and then the Text hee opened was that of Esay the spirit of the Lord is vpon me Esay 61. 1. Luk. 4.18 because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore hee hath sent me to heale the broken hearted and as it followeth in Esay to cōfort thō that mourne in Zion A great comfort it is that cōfort was the Embassage of Christ the only Text of Christ in his first sermon the second blessing pronounced by Christ in the day of iudgemet the assured retribution of Christ Mourners shal be marked and by this shall bee preserved examples to all posteritie and Saints hereafter in eternall glory Vse A Doctrine fitting vs the scattered flocke of this familie who mourne for losse of our service If we bee true mourners here is entertainement mainetenance Countenance and protection we are sure to bee defended in the perillous times and to be delivered in the day of adversity then if we heare of dangers or feares or rumors of warre we may lift vp our heads on high as knowing our salvation is neere at hand nay we shall be dearer to God then ever we were we shal be as the apple of his eie or as the signet on his right hand Tender as his owne bowels he will water vs with the dewe of heaven keepe vs in the quiver of his providence and cover vs with the wings of his protection we shall then no longer sit by the waters of Babell or drinke of the waters of Marah O what an honour wil it be to be Gods servants to be chosen by him to be set apart by him to bee his priviledged men honoured and remembred by the posterities that come after His servant Moyse shall bring Manna from heauē Exod. 16.16 1. King 18.41 Numb 25.11 Gen. 19 22. his servant Elias bring Raine from heaven Phinehas stay a plague Lot shall haue such power as that God can do nothing while he is in the citty to these he promiseth that he will destroy none of all Ierusalem till they bee marked Who so is wise saith the Psalmist wil ponder these things and will consider the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Psal But alas we are givē to affect Courtship and the service of court so much Iob. to seeke the face of the ruler as Iob in his time spake or as Elisha is there any thing to be spokē to the king or to the Captaine of the host ever we seeke great preferments and desire continuance in the blandishments of Court 2. King 4.13 O it is a braue thing to be counted a Courtyer and yet a matter no happier then Salamons spider the wormes and moathes of greatnesse do hang vpon many here Prov. it may be some haue vipers hanging on their hands and the beholders do daily expect their downefull Acts. 27. At the best Courtship is but splendida miseria enuy may eate Bern or slaunder bite thee ambition may breake thy hart or pride break thy necke Pro. or at best ease slayeth the foolish I haue already remembred you of the kings speech in the Psalme I will ingeminate it for it is penned for this purpose Ps 146.5 the misery and vncertainety of our Courtly dependances Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his refuge whose help is in the Lord his God To this refuge we may haue recourse he is not as Baal is said by Elias to be busie or slumbring he that keepeth Israell neither slumbreth nor sleepeth To this refuge we may fly as the Grecians did to Themistocles or as travailers in a storme to a shelter Thuc. Secondly therefore let vs examine our selues whether we are marked to be his seruants or no marks we haue yet not his Caine had a marke set on him Gen. the marke of murther Edom had the marke of Horror Esau the marke of shame Ieroboam the brand and mark of his sin never to be removed There be marks of dānation as wel as of preservation God hath devided betweene Iacob and Esau in the same womb betweene Pharisie Publican in the same Temple betweene Ephraim Manasses in the same place No doubt many men of Note at this time in Ierusalem were without this Note of preservation And so now in the world if such another seale-day came among vs many great mē the magnificoes of this age would beare part in the Commō desolation having no part in this Patent graunted only Christi fidelibus How many be there whose mouthes serue only to breath out the vnsavory speches of the soule corrupting not the Company only but the aire they are in whose eyes are the windowes whose eares the doors of their own destructiō whose vnderstanding represents their will whose wil is a common Curtizā of pollution whose memory a treasury of corruption Nay among our selues how many of vs haue but laid aside in this mourning time our common sinnes with our common garments our ordinary sinnes in these extraordinary iudgements It was an honest dutifull speech of Vriah when David bid him goe home and eate 2. Sam 11.11 and drinke and sleepe he answered The Arke and Israel Iuda abide in tents and my Lord Ioah and the servants of my Lord lie in the fields shall I then goe into my house to eate to drink to lie with my wife As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I will not doe it He denieth to take his honest ease I pray God none of vs haue presumed to take vnhonest courses since our misery hath beene so eminent and our dangers so imminent This now should be our meditation our blessed MASTER lyeth now in his sheet and Sindon Terras reliquit Astroea our sunshine is darkned that place of Iob seemeth to be pend for vs Iob. 21.18 WHERE IS NOW THE HOVSE OF THE PRINCE the sunne of our glory is gone downe the Philistins reioice the Popish vncircumcised triumph what shall I doe Shall I be vnmindfull of my Saviour vnfaithfull to my presēt sorrow vngratefull to the memory of that my deceased Master continue in Lyes lusts oathes aspiring proiects or malitious trapps No I will make and obserue this vow I will not suffer mine eies to sleepe nor mine eie-lids to slumber I will neither continue my tongue to betray my brother nor my body to betray my own soul I will endeauour to liue a iust and holy and sober life this I desire for this I hunger and thirst this I vow for this I pray the Lord heare and grant mee this petition Vse 3 Lastly examine
God is not mocked he seeth harts as you see faces Idolatry and the connivence of Idolatry brought all the plagues vpon Israell favours among vs done to our enemies haue almost vndone vs. Eheu suslulerunt Dominum I may say with Mary they haue takē away our Lord. Whether it was by any hellish plot of theirs sent from their infernal caues and cavernes or the too much sparing of these Amalekites whom God if man neglect will punish I may say sustulerunt Dominum The choicest and greatest plague that these Incendiary Sāguinary assaciāts could haue devised they haue perfourmed I know not whether it was their damned villany when they saw that Salomon would not linke with Pharaoh that they fearing Salomon would pull of the crest of Pharaoh haue prevēted it by their infernall stratagems Speak it I must not feare it I do yet not because I feare to speake it for alas now that sustulerunt Dominum for vs of this distressed family did they cut our throats presently they would rather free vs then adde any thing to our present miseries But Lord looke downe vpō vs we are thy people and the sheepe of thy pasture thou hast broken our bones in sunder yet art able to cause the bones that thou hast broken to reioice build vp the wals of thy Ierusalem looke downe vpon thine Annointed cloath his enemies with shame but vpon him his let his Crowne flowrish on earth til thou crowne vs all in heaven Amen TEARES SHED OVER ABNER THE SERMON PREACHED ON THE Sunday before the PRINCE his funerall in St. JAMES Chappell before the body BY DANIEL PRICE then Chaplaine in Attendance SENECA Hectora flemus AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by Iohn Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1613. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND worthy Sr DAVID MVRRAY SIR MY ende in publishing this Sermon is not popular ostentation that neither becommeth this season nor this subiect being then framed whē having lost the light of my Master his life I desired to confine my selfe to the circle of solitarinesse yet was I put vnto this and the like burdens aboue my strength and beyond my will This was my last homage to his memory who hath exchanged highnesse for happinesse in the highest heauens It is my first service to you who were one of the first and faithfulst servants to him till the holy passage of his heavenly soule your watry eies having then no other obiect but him and heaven where now he is cloathed with the rich wardrop of his Redeemer Accept worthy Sir these mites graines drops teares they be the best odors and ointments that in that hast I could provide to present to him dead and you living Our Tribe oweth much to you but Religion much more and therefore I knowe many ioyne with mee to wish your worthinesse complement of ioy in this life and full accomplishment of glory in the next for the which as your favours haue bound mee I continually pray while I am DANIEL PRICE 2. SAM 3.31 Rent your garments and put on sackcloath and mourne before ABNER MY Text containeth the furniture for a funerall an Honourable shadow presented on the stage of mortalitie concluding his last act vpon the face of the earth In the 1. of Samuel and 14. yee may finde his birth 1. Sam. 14.50 Abner the sonne of Ner kinseman to Saul a Prince of the blood In this Chapter is recorded his death funeral and last obsequies v. 27. and these so fully described that neither the maner nor marshalling of it be left out v. 31. Herse Sepulcher mourning garments mourning Elegies be not omitted and as if David gaue the Impresse v. 38. his owne words bee knowe yee not that a Prince and a great man is fallen this day in Israell I will stay my meditations from running as Peter and Iohn did to the sepulcher Ioh. 20.4 he that commeth after whose shooe latchet I am not worthy to vnloose he is to annoint the body at the buriall foelix est cui talis praeco contigerit and happy is our dead Achilles as in heaven in his soule Rev. 1 that hee singeth praises with those who are made Kings Priests to God so in earth that at the interring of his body his praises shall be sounded by him Aug. who is as Augustin spake of Cyprian Tanti meriti tanti pectoris tanti oris tantae virtutis Episcopus our most Reverend Prelat of such worth such wisdome such speech such spirit My part at this time is to shed some Teares over Abner and as David in the 31. verse of this Chapter to lament before the hearse V. 31. a duty vnexpectedly imposed on me the weakest of my worthy brethren yet now to be performed so farre as Omnipotency shall enable as a finall end and funerall of my service to that vertuous gratious Princely spirit which once inhabited this Tabernacle of earth that here lieth before vs. Abner the Princely Hebrew was now going to his last Passeover From the Egypt of this world to the Canaan of heaven is one Passeover but this was not it he was now to pass the other frō the world into the earth to remaine in silence and solitarinesse in the wombe and Tombe of the earth David asketh the question died Abner as vnregarded died Abner not lamented No for the Text saith David lift vp his voice and wept all the people wept for Abner againe David lamēted followeth the beere wept besides the sepulcher all the people wept again for him yet further David commands them to mourne in a solemne observance wisheth them to lay aside their purple Princely furniture their wanton superfluous and supercilious sailes of Pride nay not only lay them aside but to rent and teare them in peeces and to put on Sables mourning Abiliments outwardly to testifie their sorrowing inwardly because Abner was fallen in Israel And what was Abner that he is so lamented so honoured by these observances so mourned for in these obsequies that King and people and all Israel lament him Abner was the grace of the Court the hope of the Campe he was the Candle of his father as the originall signifieth Abner was the bearer of the sword and the ioy of the souldiers Abner was the glory of the king the supporter of the kingdome a noble-minded Martialist that did not after a dishonourable Peace which is no better then lusts truce valours rust To say no more hee was Abner the light of Israel now this light extinguished Abner is dead and departed therefore Rent your cloathes put on sackcloath and mourne before Abner for Abner lieth dead before you Not only change your garments but rent them teare them to totters and put on not only sables semblances of sorrow but saccloath hairy dusky dusty sackcloath nor only Scindite vestimenta rent your garments but scindite corda rent your hearts
day shall come when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed Conscience shall be vnmasked and their owne souls say to their owne consciences as Achab to Elias Hast thou found me ô my enimie But vnto those that doe truely mourne the Lord will marke them in Sion and howsoever the Persians in the history of Ester would not suffer any in sackcloath to come into Ahashuerosh his Court yet as Iacob got the blessing in sackcloath by making himselfe rough in the sense of Isaac so he that commeth to God with the inward sackcloath of sorrow shall surely find a blessing O then howe happy were we if wee could for ever continue our mourning till our blessed Master who is in glory and we who are here in misery come to meeting For our part we pronounce not renting of cloaths only without the putting on of other roabes nor so much wish you to put on sackcloath as to put on Christ Induite is the voice of the Church not scindite Put on not rent of We pray for the Kings Maiesty Indue him plentiously with heavenly guifts for the Royall progeny we pray In the Collect for the King In the Collect for the Royall issue In the Letany Indue them with thy holy spirit for the Honourable the Lords of the Counsell we pray Indue the Lords of the Counsell with grace wisdome and vnderstanding and in many other places in our Liturgie the Originall of all being from that of S. Paule Put on the Lord Iesus Christ Which will be the better performed if yee please to be acquainted with the second part of my Text which is mourning inward mourning not only scindite vestimenta but scindite corda Rent not only your cloathes but your harts And mourne It hath beene an ancient and a laudable custome for the Saints of God to deplore their deceased of what estate or condition soeuer Honourable be those examples Abraham lamenting Sara the Hebrews Moyses Ioseph Iacob the Israelits Ioseph the Apostles Stephen Nazianzen Basil Bernard Malachie and our blessed Saviour Lazarus his friend and far be it that Christians be blameable for neglect hereof If it were that but Nature only did teach this and affection presse it those internall acts the Passions and operations of our soule would diffuse themselues not onely by a sensible but reasonable motion to bewaile the want and lament the losse of such as were by our duty or propinquitie deare to vs. But when a greater enforcer hereof then nature appeareth when Grace approveth this we may then open the floodgates of affection and deplore the death of those whom the eies that saw blessed and the eares that heard gaue witnesse vnto David in these 5. last Chapters celebrateth many funerals with mourning for Saul and Ionathan for Ishbosath for Ahasel and here for Abner And it is not without much reason that Salomon doth giue Counsell to goe to the house of mourning est enim illic benedictio saith one Pin. there is performed that blessing which Christ promiseth A blessing is promised no where to mirth but to mourning our Saviour hath annexed this reward The keeping vnder of the soule is much availeable to all religious and devout offices the contemplation of the lamentable estate of the several occurrences of this lower world is one of the cheefest and first rounds of Iacobs ladder hath brought many holy ancients to heauen and doth teach every man Davids lesson Ps 119. I see that all things come to an end therefore they law doe I loue The whole world is the house of mourning whither then may man goe but to mourning The Paracelsian may hold that there is salt in every body I am sure there ought to be sorrow in every soule The second sonne that Adam had was Abel Gen. his name the name of vanitie and sorrow of vanity because Adam was exiled Paradise and the whole creature was subiect to vanity Adam might haue taken vp Salomons Text Omnia vanitas and Abel had his name from sorrowe because all things were so obnoxious to vanity both these be ioyned in Salomons vniversall censure Eccl. vanity and vexation of spirit Abel the first name of mourning Abel the first cause of mourning S. Austin onely collecteth three reasons of praising Abel virginitas Sacerdotium Martyrium and in all these he was the type of Christ indeed his name of mourning did typically prefigure the nature of Christs life which was spent in solitary sorrow It is a conceit of Methodius that Adam continued his mourning for his sonne Abel a hundred yeares Hist schol in lib. Gen. his reason is because he had no other sonne as he collecteth froÌ„ the Text in the space of a hundred yeares after Howe long soever he lamented his sonne we knowe not nor need care we are sure that all the daies of our Pilgrimage we may lameÌ„t our father AdaÌ„ for as he brought in sinne so sinne hath brought in Lamentation and mourning vpon vs and not Ieremy only but all mankind may write Lamentations Non finiresed semper reservare lachrymas debemus Hier. we must never ende our sorrows intermit them we may but still to keepe our acquaintance with them That of Hierome I confesse it is true Detestandae sunt illae lachrymae quae non habent moduÌ„ mourning without measure is a hell vpoÌ„ earth yet again Detestandi sunt qui carent lacrymis they are to be detested that haue no measure of this heaveÌ„ly Manna My obsernations vpon the word Mourne is this Oâ—s The best seruants of God ought to lament the losse of those that haue beene Pillars either in Church or Common-weale It is confirmed by S. Hierome Pietas plorare iubet desiderandi sunt vt absentes deplorandi vt amici Hier. Pietie doth command these lamentations holy men are to bee lamented because being absent to be desired and as friends to be deplored Tauri pro tauro mugiunt saith Bernard vnreasonable creatures do low one for another how much then should reasonable men especially Christians deplore those that are departed from them when reason teacheth and affection inciteth It was the practise of many of the Prophets as S. Hierome noteth Hie. in 17. Isa Esay 57.2 Mich 7.2 Iustus periit saith Esay the iust man perisheth and no man taketh it to hart sanctus periit saith Mioheah the holy man perished out of the way Pius defecit saith our Prophet the godly man ceaseth and Ieremy in most ample sort in his 9. Chapter whither if yee haue recourse yee may see the fountaine from whence ranne the riuers of al his lamentations Ier. 9.1 O that my head were water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the staine of the daughter of my people I acknowledge that these all did deplore rather the generall desolation in the want of good men then in their particular affection the death of such
tuum sanâsti eui vitio obstitisti quâ parte meliores and what custome sayth Seneca can be more commendable These beloued shall arise in iudgement with this generation and condemne it their practice was a kind of vailed Christianitie they did shame to doe that priuately which this age doth perpetrate daily and publikely Mourning is to be performed openly solemnitie expects it and antiquitie that constant wise and vnpainted Herauld prescribes it Coram Abner the last act of his obsequies the last tribute of duty Abner yet carrieth his names the earth yet carrieth his body it is not Cadaver nor Inane corpus anima it is Sacrarium vitae not a Carcase Athan. or empty corpse but as Athanasius well obserueth the dead body is the vestry and Chappell of life and haue their Camiteria sleeping places til the Resurrection of the dead They be as Kings houses not to be contemned when their Masters depart out of them because they are to returne againe life shall visit these desolate roomes all the offices in this Princely bodie of Abner shall be supplied the Court is but remoued Heaven is the standing house this body againe shall be the bedde chamber of the soule yet because life is gon out lament for Abner is Abner still let not your last act faile though your eies cannot see him yet let them send our Teares to sorrow for him and Mourne before Abner The sorrowfull presence of a sad stectacle calls sorrow before it commeth and often createth sorrowe where it is not It is no maruaile that Abruham wept when he saw Sara his wife dead or that Bethshebe wept for her husband or Eleazar for Aaron his father or Dauid for Absalon his sonne or Rebecea for Deborah her nurse or Christ for Lazarus his friend or Dauid for Abner his Captaine But that Alexander should so lament when he came to behold the Sepulcher of braue Achilles or those many in histories to deplore and fall out into teares vpon the first sight of spectacles of desolation may seeme strange Yet those spectacles some-times cause passions of diverse effects When our Sauiour beheld Ierusalem he wept ouer it but when the army of a worthy Conquerour aboue 1000. yeares after came to behould the ruines and rubbish of the same City Hist Ture p. 21 the deuout passions of diuers are very diuers somewith their eies and hands cast vnto heauen calling vpon the name of their Sauiour some prostrat vpon their faces kissed the ground as that wherevpon the Redeemer of the world had walked others ioifully saluted those holy places they had heard so much of then first beheld Our Sauiour in a holy as well pittiful as sorrowfull contemplation beheld the presage of their vtter dissolution and desolation by reason of that horrible contemptuous iniquity of theirs Quod nulla posteritas taceat sed nulla probet Sencea therefore vpon a more cause of griefe then these souldiers of ioy lamented the City and yet slept not till he came neere to the City the sight of the City was the seale of his sorrow Propter Ierusalem hath much more in it then this day can giue mee leaue to deliuer S Iohn in his Gospell doth deliuer the story of Christs raising vp of Lazarus and well may Iohn write Lazarus storie they were both almost in one line in Christs loue Iohannes dilectus Domini Lazarus amicus Domini Ioh. 11. Iohn the beloued of Christ Lazarus the friend of Christ The story is worthy obseruation V. 11. Iesus told his Disciples our friend Lazarus sleepeth they vnderstood him not the Text saith V. 13. Iesus vnderstood it of his death then said Iesus Lazarus is dead yet Iesus wept not in knowing or telling them this Our Sauiour then goeth on his tourney towards Lazarus hee discourseth all the way concerning Lazarus yet Iesus wept not hee meeteth by the way with Martha and communeth with her about her deare deceased brother Nondùm fleuit Iesus Iesus wept not yet At the length Mary commeth shee falleth downe and weepeth and cryeth out Master if thou hadst beene here my brother had not died then Iesus seeing her weepe and the Iewes weepe he groaned in spirit and was troubled yet he wept not At length he asked where haue yee laid him and in his passing thither the Text saith Iesus wept comming neere to the graue he could not containe Fleuit Iesus The Doctrinall obseruation of these words before Abner is that it is the duty of Gods seruants to lament ouer their deceased and carefully to prouide for their Christian funerals Honesta sepultura is much remembred among the fathers Aust and one of them hath writ a booke de cura pro mortuis If there were nothing to proue the Lawfulnesse hereof that one parcell of ground that Abraham bought to consecrate to burials may iustifie the antiquity and reuerend vse hereof How honourable were the sepulchers of the Kings of Israell and Iuda it is a grace to them that had this Epitaph he was buried with his fathers the Piles of Pyramides of Egypt be yet in part to bee seene Mat. they were made of that bricke as some record which the Israelites in the house of their bondage were constrained to make and so it might be that God suffred them to be the instrumēts of making Pharohes sepulcher who were the cause of his death In vita Ambr. In the New Testament wee want not examples of these solemne funerals that of Stephē may serue for all holy men carried him to buriall and made lamentation for him S. Ambrose as appeareth in the description of his life in this kind was very carefull those that were honourable in their places or profitable to the Church or Common-wealth or any way to be esteemed good holy men he would bewaild their death and attend their funerals But it may bee some such Scepticall Cynicall creatures may question whether such pompe as is vsed in funerals be lawfull or no for why should not I thinke that Iudas tribe is not vtterly extinct whose cry is ad quid perditio haec To answere all such that part of solemne seruice the last night being a portion of the 50 Chapter of Genesis may satisfie all such curious and querulous Inquisitors Gen. 50 Ioseph commands his Phisitians to embaulme old Israel forty daies the Embalming continued then they provided furniture for his funerall and all the house of Ioseph and his brethren and his fathers house all the servants of Pharaoh the elders of his house and all the elders of the land of Egypt and Chariots and horsemen and a great company and they made great lamentation To this may bee added many examples sacred and prophane as also the Emperous constitutions Constantine that appointed 950. officers about funerals which order Arcadius and Theodosius confirmed and afterwards Anastasius increased to 1100 and a certaine pension allotted vnto them this also established by Leo and Iustinian some