Clavis mystica a key opening divers difficult and mysterious texts of Holy Scripture; handled in seventy sermons, preached at solemn and most celebrious assemblies, upon speciall occasions, in England and France. By Daniel Featley, D.D.

PHILIP HIS MEMENTO MORI: OR, The Passing Bell. A Sermon preached in Mercers Chappell at the Funerall of Master Benet, Merchant. THE XXII. SERMON.

DEUT. 32.29.

O that they were wise, then they would understand this, they would consider their later end.

Right Worshipfull, &c.

HEnoch lived by just computation so many yeeres as there are dayes in the yeere, viz. 365. and he was the seventh man from Adam, and dyed in annoa 1.1 Sabba∣thico, the Sabbathick yeere, and thereby became a lively Embleme both of this life, and the life to come. For the labours of this life are governed by the course of the Sunne, which is finished in that period of time; and the rest of the life to come is evidently prefigured in the Sabbath. It is farther written of him in the holy Records of eter∣nity, that heb 1.2 walked with God, and was therefore translated that hee should not see death, to teach us, that they who walke with God all the dayes of their life as he did, shall come into no condemnation, but immediately passe from death to life, from death temporall to life eternall, which was not ob∣scurely disciphered unto us in the narration of the seventh dayes creation. After the mention of every day in the weeke, and the worke thereof, wee

reade, so the evening and the morning were the first day, and so thec 1.3 second, and the rest: but after the relation of the seventh dayes creation, on which God rested and blessed and sanctified it, the former clause is quited 1.4 omitted. It is not added as in the rest, so the morning and the evening were the se∣venth day: because in Heaven, whereof the Sabbath was a type, there is no morning and evening, much lesse night; but as it were perpetuall high-noon. For thee 1.5 Lambe is the light thereof, and this Lambe is thef 1.6 Sunne of righ∣teousnesse, which never riseth nor setteth, but keepeth still in the midst of the Empyreall Heaven and Throne of God: as on the contrary, in Hell there is nothing but continuall midnight and everlasting darknesse. Thus the wisedome of God justly, and the justice of God wisely hath proportio∣ned the rewards in the life to come to the workes of men in this life: they that cast off the works of darknesse, and put on the armour of light, and walk in the light as children of the light here, shall hereafter possesse the inheritance of theg 1.7 Saints in light; but they who love darknes more than light, and have fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse, and continually walke as in the darke, in grosse and palpable ignorance, in gluttony and drunkennesse, in chambering and wantonnesse, and the like sinnes of darknesse here, shall hereafter inhabit the region of perpetuall darknesse, and never vanishing shadowes of death. O that we were wise, then we would understand these things, and in the beginning of our race in this world thinke of ourh 1.8 later end. For the beginning of wisedome is the consideration of our end; and a forcible meanes to bring us to everlasting life, is to meditate continually upon our death. To thinke what wee shall be, stench and rottennesse, and worse if we be not better, ashes and cinders of hell, will through the power of Christs death make us what we should be, that is, dead to sinne, dead to the world, dead in our selves, but alive in God. How can hee live in sinne, who perpetually apprehendeth that hee shall dye eternally for his sinne? how can he make a trade of iniquity, and a sport of religion, and a mock of God, and a god of his belly, who hath hell torments alwayes before the eyes of his minde?i 1.9 Jerusalem remembred not her last end; therefore shee came downe fearfully: and because wee put from us the evill day, it com∣meth fast upon us. It were unpossible to goe on forward as wee doe in the wayes of sinne and pathes of death, if wee would dwell but a little while upon these or the like thoughts: After a few dayes, perhaps this very day, yea this houre, I shall be called to a strict account of my whole life, charged with all the sinnes open and secret that ever I have committed, accused by the Divell, convicted by mine owne conscience, condemned by the dread∣full Judge of quicke and dead, to be cast into utter darknesse in hell, there to endure such torments for ever, as it would breake the strongest heart, and conquer all humane patience to feele but for an houre. Haec cogitare est vitiis omnibus renunciare, to enter into a serious consideration of these things, is to chase away all wanton and wicked thoughts and to send a bill of divorce to the world and all her minions, the mistresses of our carnall affections: but this is the mischiefe, as S.k 1.10 Cyprian pricking the right veine telleth us, it is a thing to be bewailed with teares of bloud, that none almost mindeth everlasting torments. For did they minde them and beleeve them, they could not but feare them, and if they feared them ••••••y would

beware of them; and if they would beware of them, they might escape them. O that men therefore were wise, to thinke upon hell before they rushed on the brinke of it, and enter into a serious consideration of Gods fearfull judgements upon obstinate and impenitent sinners before they were overtaken by them. This is the scope and effect of these words, and I pray God they may worke this effect in us, that laying before our eyes the fear∣full ends of the wicked, and their damnation, wee may learne from hence∣forth to be wise unto salvation.

The unum necessarium and chiefe point of all to be thought upon in this life is, what shall become of us after wee goe from hence: for here (God knowes) we have but a short time to stay. We reade in Kingl 1.11 Solomons di∣stribution of time, according to the severall occasions of mans life, to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time to be borne, and a time to dye: but wee reade of no time to live, as if our death bordered upon our birth, and our cradle stood in our grave; yet upon this moment rather than time of our life dependeth eternity.

* 1.12The greatest perfection attainable by man in this life is wisedome, and the most proper act of wisedome is consideration, and the chiefest point of consideration is our later end. First therefore the Spirit of God in this Text commendeth wisedome to their desires. Secondly, consideration to their wisedome. Thirdly, their later end to their consideration: and the more to stirre up their affections and expresse his, he delivereth this his ad∣vice in a wish, and accompanieth it with a deep sigh, saying, O that they were wise, they would understand this, that it is not for their sakes that they might bragge, but for their enemies sake that they might not bragge, that I have thus long spared them. For I had long ere this scattered them a∣broad, and made their remembrance cease from amongst men, but that I knew their adversaries would take advantage thereat, and waxe proud upon it,* 1.13 and say our high hand, and not the Lord hath done it. For they are a Nation void of councell, neither is there any understanding in them. Which words beare a light before the words of my Text,* 1.14 and thus bring them in:

O that they were wise, then they would understand this, viz. that nothing standeth between them and my wrath, my wrath and their destruction, but the pride of their enemies: they are indebted to the fury, malice, and insolency of the Heathen, who seeke utterly to destroy them, and by proudly treading upon their neckes, to trample true religion under feet, that hell raines not downe upon them from heaven, and they not burnt like Sodome, and consumed like Gomorrah. Were they wise, they would understand it, and understanding consider how neere they are to their end, and considering it meet the Lord upon their knees, to prevent their utter overthrow.

* 1.15O that they were so wise. If those words wherewith Moses beginneth his Swan-like song immediately before his death,* 1.16 My doctrine shall drop as the raine, and my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small raine upon the tender herbe, and as the showers upon the grasse, were verified of any of his words, they are certainly of these in my Text, which drop like raine, or rather like ho••y from his mouth: whereby wee may taste how sweet the Lord is in his speeches, how milde in his proceedings, how passionate in his perswa∣sions,

what force of art & eloquence he useth to draw us unto him, without force & violence. Are not sighes the very breath of love? are not sobs the accents of grief? are not groanes fetched deep the long periods of sorrowes ravishing eloquence? which Almighty God breathes out of the boyling heat of his affection both here and elsewhere: Om 1.17 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, how shall I intreat thee? for your righteousnesse is as a morning cloud, & your goodnes as an earthly dew vanisheth away. O thatn 1.18 my people had hearkened unto mee, and Israel had walked in my wayes. I should soone have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adver∣saries. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. Hee should have fed them with the fi∣nest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rocke would I have satisfied thee. And, Oo 1.19 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest those that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, but yee would not? How can the affection more outwardly enlarge, or the heart open it selfe, than by opening the bosome, and stretching out the armes to imbrace? Behold thep 1.20 armes of Almighty God stretched all the day long to a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their owne thoughts. What truer Embassadours of a bleeding heart than weeping eyes? behold the teares of our Saviour over Jerusalem, and reach your hand, and thrust it in∣to the hole of his side, and you shall feele drops from his heart bleeding a∣fresh for your ungratefull refusall of his love, and despite of his grace. If drops of raine pierce the stones, and drops of warme Goats bloud crumble the Adamant into pieces; shall not Christs teares sinke into our affections, and the drops of his heart bloud breake our hearts with godly sorrow, and make them so thorougly contrite by unfained repentance, that they may be an acceptable sacrifice unto him? according to the words of the Psalmist,q 1.21 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou shalt not despise. Were not that City very unwise, that would re∣fuse any tolerable conditions of peace offered by a potent enemy, against wh••m shee could not make her party good in warre? Beloved, are wee a∣ble to hold out warre with Almighty God? to maintaine a fight against his plagues and judgements? what are we but dead men, if hee lay hold on his glittering sword? why then doe wee not come in whilest hee holdeth out his golden Scepter of mercy? why sue wee not to him for a treatie of peace? It can be no disparagement to us to seeke to him first; yet we need not, he seeketh to us first, he maketh an overture of his desire for peace, he draweth conditions with his owne hand, and offereth them to us, as wee heard before out of the 81. Psalme, If Israel would have walked in my waies, &c. that is, if you will yeeld to mee, and acknowledge mee for your Lord, and accept of my lawes, I will take the protection of you a∣gainst all your bodily and ghostly enemies, I will secure you from all dan∣ger, enrich you with grace, give you all the contentment you desire upon earth, and preferre you to a crowne of glory in heaven. Can you desire fairer conditions than these? know yee who it is that tendereth them? he is your Lord and Maker, who need not condition with you; that which hee meekly craves he could powerfully force you unto; hee sueth for that

by entreaty, which hee may challenge by right; all that hee requireth on our part is but our bounden duty, and his desire is that we should bind him to us for doing that service which wee are bound to doe. Was there ever such a creditour heard of, that would come in bonds for his owne debt, and become a debtour to his debtour? Saintr 1.22 Austin could not hold when he fell upon this meditation, but breaketh out into a passion, Thou vouchsafest, O Lord, by thy promises to become debtour to them, to whom thou remittest all debts. What happinesse! what honour is it to have Almighty God come in bonds to us? I beseech you thinke what they deserve who set light by so great a favour, and refuse such love.

* 1.23Now God maketh as it were love to us, and in dolefull Sonnets com∣plaines of our unkindnesse, O that my people would have hearkened to my voice, &c. To which his amorous expostulations if wee now turne a deafe eare, the time will come when wee shall take up the words of God in our owne persons, and with hearts griefe and sorrow say, O that we had hearke∣ned to the Lord, O that we had walked in his wayes; then should we have seen the felicity of his chosen, and rejoyced with the joy of his people, and glo∣ried with his inheritance: but now wee behold nothing but the misery of his enemies, and are confounded with the shame of reprobates, and suffer the torments of the damned, and shall till wee have satisfied to the utmost farthing. Now God wooeth us with deepest protestations of love, and lar∣gest promises of celestiall graces, which if we make light of, it will one day fall heavie upon us. The sweetest wine corrupteth into the sharpest vine∣gar, and the most fragrant oyntments, if they putrefie, exhale most pesti∣lent savours; and greatest love, if it be wronged, turneth into the greatest hatred. Now God as a lover passionately wooeth us, but if wee sleighten him, and despise his kinde offers, he will change his note, and turne his wooe into a woe, as we heare,s 1.24 Woe be unto them, for they have fled away from mee; destruction shall be unto them, because they have rebelled against mee: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lyes against mee. After the clearest flash of lightening followeth the terriblest clap of thunder: in like maner af∣ter Gods mercy in Scripture hath for a long time lightened, & most clearly shewed it selfe to any people or nation, his justice thundereth out most dreadfull threats. For example: after Gods familiar disputation with his Vineyard,t 1.25 My beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill, and hee fen∣ced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-presse therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wilde grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, & men of Judah, judge I pray you between me & my Vineyard, what could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done? &c. mark the fearfull conclusion (Verse 5.) I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard, I will take away the hedge thereof, & it shall he eaten up, I will breake downe the wall thereof, and it shall be troden downe. And what ensued upon our Saviours teares over Jerusalem, which would not sinke into their stony hearts, but the bloudy tragedy which was acted upon them 40. yeeres after by the Romans? who spared neither the an∣nointed head of the Priest, nor the hoary head of the aged, nor the weaker sexe of women, nor the tender age of infants; but put all to the sword,

sacked the walls, rifled the houses, burned the Temple downe to the ground, and left not one stone upon another. O that wee were wise, then wee would understand, and observe the method of Gods proceedings, and in the ruine of Gods people, if wee repent not, consider our later end. O that they were

Wise. The Philosophers distinguish wisedome into

• ... [Observ. 2] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Sapience.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Prudence.

Sapience they define to be the knowledge of all divine & humane things, so farre as they fall within the scantling of mans reason.

Prudence they restraine to the ordering of humane affaires: and this they divide into

• 1. Private,
• 2. Publike: and this they subdivide into
  • 1. Civill,
  • 2. Military.

Military prudence maketh a wise souldier, civill a wise statesman, do∣mesticke a wise housholder, and sapience a wise contemplative, and mo∣rall prudence in generall a wise practick man. The rules of this wisedome are to be taken from the precepts of Philosophy, discourses of Policy, the apophthegmes & stratagems, sentences and examples of those whom the world hath cryed up for Sages; but this is not the wisedome which Moses here requireth in Gods people, and passionately complaineth of the want of it: but a wisedome of a higher nature, or, to speake more properly, a wisedome above nature, a wisedome which descendeth from the Father of lights, which directeth us so to order and governe our short life here, that thereby we may gaine eternity hereafter: so to worship and serve God in Christ in this world, that we may reigne with him in the world to come. The infallible rules of this wisedome are to be fetched onely from the in∣spired Oracles of God extant in the Old and New Testament: the chiefe whereof are these;

1. To receive and entertaine the doctrine of salvation,* 1.26 which is the wise∣dome of God in a mystery, confuting the errours, and convincing the folly of all worldly wise men.

2. To deny our selves, and our carnall wisedome and reason, and bring eve∣ry thought in obedience to the Gospel.

3. To account our selves strangers and pilgrimes here upon earth, and so to use this world as though wee used it not.

4. To know, that we are not Lords of our lands, wealth and goods, but only Stewards, to account for them: and therefore so to dispense and distribute them, that we make friends of unrighteous Mammon, that when it faileth us, they may receive us into everlasting habitations.

5. To seeke the Lord whilest hee may bee found, and not to de∣ferre our repentance from day to day.

6. To be sure to provide for our eternall state, whatsoever becommeth of our temporall; and to preferre the salvation of our soule before the gaining of the whole world.

7. To examine daily our spirituall estate, and to informe our selves truly how we stand in the Court of Heaven, in Gods favour, or out of it.

8. To observe to what sinnes wee are most subject; and where wee are weakest, there continually to fortifie against Sathans batteries.

9. In all weighty occasions, especially such as concerne our spirituall estate, to aske counsell of God, and take direction from his Word.

10. To consider the speciall workes of Gods providence in the carriage of the affaires of this world, and make use thereof to our selves.

11. Lastly, to meditate upon the Law of God all the dayes of our life, and consider their blessed end that keep it with their whole heart; and their accursed death that transgresse it. And so I fall upon the second branch of my Text:

[Observ. 3] They would consider. I have already proposed wisedome to your desires: now I am to commend consideration to your wisedome. The Schoole Divines make this the speciall difference between the knowledge of men and Angels, that the knowledge of Angels is intuitive, but of men discur∣sive: they see all things to which the beame of their sight extendeth, as it were on the sudden with one cast of the eye; but we by degrees see one thing after another, and inferre effects from causes, and conclusions from principles, and particulars from generalls: they have the treasures of wise∣dome and knowledge ready alwayes at hand; we by reading, hearing, con∣ference, but especially by meditation must digge it out of the precious mynes where it lyeth. In which regard Barradius, alluding to the sound of the word though not to the Grammaticall originall, saith, meditatio est quasi mentis ditatio, meditation is the enriching of the soule, because it delves into the rich mynes of wisedome, and maketh use of all that wee heare or reade, and layeth it up in our memories. Seneca fitly termeth it rumination, or chewing of the cud, which maketh the food of the soule taste sweeter in the mouth, and digest better in the stomacke. By the Law of God theu 1.27 beasts that chewed not the cud were reckoned among the unclean, of which the people of God might not eate: such are they in the Church, that never ruminate, or meditate upon those things they take in at the eare, which is the soules mouth. I know no difference more apparent between a wise man and a foole than this, that the one is prometheus, hee adviseth before; the other is epimetheus, he acteth first, and deliberateth afterwards, and* 1.28 wardeth after hee hath received the wound: the one doth all things headily and rashly; the other maturely and advisedly. A man that hath an understanding spirit, calleth all his thoughts together, and holdeth a cabinet councell in the closet of his heart, and there propoundeth, debateth, deliberateth and resolveth what hee hath to doe, and how, before hee im∣barke himselfe into any great designe, or weighty affaire. For want of this preconsideration most men commit many errours, and fall into great inconveniences, troubles and mischiefes, and are often caught unawares in the Divels snare; which they might easily have shunned, if they had looked before they leaped, and fore-casted their course before they entred into it.

It is a lamentable thing to see how many men, partly through carelesnesse and incogitancie, partly through a desire to enjoy their sensuall pleasures without any interruption, suffer Sathan like a cunning Faulkner to put a hood upon their soules, and therewith blind the eyes of the understanding; and never offer to plucke it off, or stirre it, before hee hath brought them to utter darknesse.

O that men were wise to understand this cunning of the Divell,* 1.29 and consi∣der alwayes what they doe before they doe it: and be they never so reso∣lutely bent, and hot set upon any businesse, yet according to the advice of thex 1.30 Orator, to give their desires so long a breathing time, till they have spoken these two words to themselves, Quid agimus? what doe we? what are we about? is it a commendable worke? is it agreeable to the Word of God? and sutable to our calling? is it of good report? and all circumstan∣ces considered expedient? if so, goe on in Gods name, and the Lord pro∣sper your handy-workes: but if otherwise, meddle not with it, and put off all that the Divell or carnall wisedome can alledge to induce you unto it, with these checkes of your own consciences, saying to your selves,

Shall we offend God? shall we charge our consciences? shall we staine our re∣putation? shall we scandalize our profession? shall we despite the Spirit of grace? shall we forfeit our estate in Gods promises, and foregoe a title to a Kingdome? shall wee pull downe all Gods plagues and judgements upon us in this life, and hazzard the damnation of body and soule in hell; and all this for an earthly vanity, a fading commodity, a momentary plea∣sure, an opinion of honour, a thought of contentment, a dreame of hap∣pinesse? Shall we bett with the Divell, and stake our soules against a tri∣fle? shall we venture our life, and put all the treasures of Gods grace, and our crowne of glory in the Divels bottome, for such light and vile mer∣chandize as this world affordeth? Is it not folly, nay madnesse to lay out all upon one great feast, knowing that we should fast all the yeere after? to venture the boiling in the river of brimstone for ever, for bathing our selves in the pleasures of sinne for an houre?

We forbid our children to eate fruit, because we say it breedeth wormes in their bellies: and if wee had the like care of the health of our soules, as of their bodies, wee would for the same reason abstaine from the forbidden fruit of sinne, because it breedeth in the conscience a never dying worme. O that we were wise to understand this, and to

Consider our later end. I have proposed wisedome to your desires in the first place; and in the second referred consideration to your wisedome: now in the last place I am to recommend your later end to your consideration. A wise man beginneth with the end, which is first in the intention, but last in the execution: and as we judge of stuffes by their last, so of all courses by their end to which they tend. It is not the first or middle, but the last scene that denominateth the play a tragedy or a comedy: and it is the state of a man at his death and after, upon which wee are to passe judgement, whether he be happy or miserable. No man knoweth who hath gotten honour or infamy, till the race is runne; but after the course is finished, when the rewards are distributed to every man according to his worke, when they that have kept within the wayes of God, and held on straight

to the price of their high calling, receive an incorruptible crowne of glory: but they who have turned out of the right way to pursue earthly vanities, receive their wages, eternall death; then all men shall see who was the wi∣ser of the two, and tooke the better course: then the wicked themselves shall confesse their beastly folly, thus rubbing upon their owne sores, and fretting their owne wounds, as we reade in the booke of Wisedome;

And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within them∣selves,y 1.31 This was he whom we had sometimes in derision, and a Proverbe of reproach. We fooles accounted his life madnesse, and his end to bee without honour. How is he numbred among the children of God, and his lot is among the Saints? Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousnesse rose not upon us. We wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction: yea, we have gone through desarts, where there lay no way; but as for the way of the Lord, we have not knowne it. What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a Poste that hasted by. And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot bee found: neither the path-way of the keele in the waves.

Where is now our gay and gorgeous apparrell? where are our sumptuous hangings? our rich cubboard of plate? our gold and silver? where are our orient pearles? our blushing rubies? our glowing carbuncles? our sparkling diamonds? our beautifull damsels? our pompous shewes? our various delights and pastimes? our riotous banquets? our effeminate songs? our melodious musicke? our lascivious dancing? our amorous imbracings? All these things are vanished like shadowes; but our sorrowes come upon us thicke and threefold: all our joyes, delights and comforts are withered at the root; but our terrours, hearts griefe and torments grow on us more and more, and shall till time shall be no more.* 1.32 If these piteous complaints and hideous shrikes of the damned in hell move us not, I tremble to speake it, they shall be one day ours: then with anguish of heart and bitternesse of soule we shall sigh and say, O that wee had been wise, then wee would have under∣stood these things, and in time considered of our later end.

[Observ. 5] Our later end setteth before us quatuor novissima, the foure last things:

• 1. Death, most certaine.
• 2. Judgement, most strict.
• 3. Hell, most dreadfull.
• 4. Paradise, most delightfull.

O Death, how bitter is thy remembrance to him that is in the prime of his pleasures, and pride of his fortune? yet the remembrance of judge∣ment is more bitter than of death, of hell than of judgement: death in comparison were no death, if judgement followed not after; and judge∣ment were no judgement, or nothing so dreadfull, if immediately upon it hell were not opened; and hell were not hell, if it deprived us not of the pleasures of Paradise for ever. O that men were wise to consider in the

beginning, or at least before it bee too late, what their later end shall bee; first to dye, then to bee brought to judgement, and after sentence,* 1.33 either to be led to the rivers of pleasure springing at the right hand of God for evermore, or to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone with the Di∣vell and his angels, and all the reprobate and damned, thez 1.34 smoake of whose torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night.

Ashes keepe fire alive, and the consideration of our end and dissolu∣tion, which shall be into dust and ashes, not onely keepeth alive, but also stirreth up the sparkes of Gods grace in us after this manner:

Why doe I thus torment my selfe with projects, cares, and designes? I shall short∣ly (I know not how soon) returne to my earth, and then all my* 1.35 thoughts shall perish. Why doe I beare my head so high now? it shall lye low enough one day. Why doe I lay on so much cost on gorgeous appar∣rell, which covereth nothing but dust and dung? Why doe I prodigal∣ly lavish out my patrimony in exquisite dainties, and all kindes of delicious meates, which feed nothing but wormes? Why dote I upon the fairest beauty flesh and bloud can present to a lascivious eye? if it be artificiall, it is nothing but paint and powder; if naturall, nothing but dust and ashes. Why doe I send to the uttermost parts of the earth for the rarest stuffes, the finest linnen and napery? I shall carry nothing of it all away with mee but my winding sheet. Lastly, why doe I make so great purchases of lands and possessions? I shall keep the possession of nothing but the measure of my grave, and perhaps bee disturbed in it too, as two of the greatest purchasers of land in the world were.

William the Norman, who conquered a great part of this Island, and Alex∣ander the great, who conquered the greatest part of the knowne world, both lay a long time above ground unburied, being denied that which the poorest beggar that never had foot of land in all his life hath freely given unto him, a hole to lay his head in under ground. Verily, as nothing can quench the burning slime of Samosaris calleda 1.36 Maltha, nor the flame of the hill Chimaera, but onely earth; so nothing can extinguish the ever burning desires of the ambitious for honour, of the voluptuous for pleasure, of the covetous for gaine, but onely mold and earth, the complements of our grave, and remaines of our later end.

In my discourse of our later end, to draw towards an end, before the de∣struction of the holy City and Temple, Josephus writeth of a man afflicted in minde, that ran about the City crying, Wo to the City, wo to the Temple, wo to the Priests, wo to the people, and last of all wo to my selfe; at which words he was slaine on the walls by a stone out of a sling. Let us take away but one letter, turning wo in O, and his prophesie for the future may be our admonition, and the application of this observation for the present. O that the world, O that this Kingdome in the world, O that this City in this Kingdome, O that we in this City here present were wise, then would wee understand this: this spectacle of our nature, this embleme of our frailty, this mirrour of our mortality,* 1.37 and in it consider our later end, which cannot bee farre off. For our deceased brother is here arrested before our eyes for a debt of nature, in which wee are as deeply ingaged as hee; and if either the wealth of the world, or gifts of

nature, or jewels of grace might have redeemed him; if either skill of Physicians, or love and care of his friends, or prayers and teares of his kindred, and his dearest second selfe could have bayled him, hee had not been laid up as now you see him. But let no man sell you smoake to daz•• your eyes in such sort, but that you may all see your owne faces in thi•• broken glasse. There is no protection to bee got from King or Nobles i•• this case: no rescuing any by force from this Sergeant of God, death: a•••• baile or mainprise from this common prison of all mankinde, the grave: all our comfort is, that we may hereafter sue out an habeas corpus, which the Judge of all flesh will not deny us at the generall Assizes, that we may make our corporall appearance at his barre in the clouds, and there have our cause tryed. Doe you desire to know how this debt with infinite ar∣rerages groweth upon us and all mankinde? Saint Austin giveth you a good account, the woman tooke up sinne from the Serpent, as it were by loane, consensu Adam fecit cautionem, usura crevit posteritati, Adam by consen∣ting sealed the band, the interest hath runne upon all his posterity, and the interest that death had in him by sinne, and upon us by him, and the inte∣rest upon interest by numberlesse actuall sinnes eateth us out one by one, till death that swalloweth us up all in the end be swallowed up intob 1.38 victory: and then shall be fulfilled that prophesie, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? At which Goale-delivery of all deaths prisoners, wee that are living shall not prevent our brother that lyeth asleep before us in his winding sheet: upon whose hearse after I have strowed a few flow∣ers, I will commit him to the earth, and you to God.

1. The first flower is a Rose, the embleme of charity. For a Rose is hot in nature, it spreadeth it selfe abroad, and after it is full blowne shattereth both leaves and seeds; so charity is hot in the affection, spreadeth it selfe abroad by compassion, and scattereth seeds by almes-deeds. Our deceased brother, like a provence or double Rose (for God doubled the blessings of this life upon him) spread himselfe abroad every way by largesse, and shed seeds plentifully, but withall so secretly, that his left hand knew not what his right hand did: his Legacies by his death were not great, be∣cause his will was in this kind to be his owne executor by his life time.

2. The second flower is the Lilly, the embleme of purity and chastity. For the Lilly is perfect white in colour, and cold in operation, and there∣by representeth pure chastity, which cooleth the heat of lust: this flower he kept unblasted in the time and place of most danger, in the prime of his youth, and in his travels beyond the sea, where hee chose his consort out of pure love; and ever loved his choice with a constant and loyall affecti∣on unto death.

3. The third flower is the Violet, the embleme of humility. For the Violet is little, as the humble is in his owne eyes, and groweth neere the ground, from whence the humble taketh his name, humilis ab humo, and of all other flowers it yeeldeth the sweetest savour, as humility doth in the nostrils of God and man. Of his humility hee gave good proofe in his lovely and lowly carriage towards all, in his refusing places of eminency, in renouncing all confidence in his owne merits at his death, and forbidding that a Trumpet should bee blowne before his workes

of piety or charity. Wherefore I must be silent of the dead by the com∣mand of the dead, with whose Christian and happy end I will conclude. I was the happinesse of Homer to bee borne in Rhodes,* 1.39 a place ta∣••••••g the name from Roses, and to bee buried in Chios taking the name ••••••m Violets: this was the happinesse of our brother, who was borne and buried in the garden of Christs Spouse, where he drew in his first, and let out his last breath in the sincere profession of the Gospel, which is the savour of life unto life: which happinesse God grant unto us all for his Son Jesus Christ his sake. To whom, &c.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Sethus Calvis. in Chron.
• b 1.2

  Heb. 11.5. Gen. 5.24.
• c 1.3

  Gen. 1.5, 8, 13.19, 23, 31.
• d 1.4

  Gen 2.1, 2, 3.
• e 1.5

  Apoc. 21.23.
• f 1.6

  Mal. 4.2.
• g 1.7

  Colos. 1.12.
• h 1.8

  ••••n. ep. 30. Ut mortem nun∣quam time••s, semper cogita.
• i 1.9

  Lament. 1.9.
• k 1.10

  Cyp. de mortal. Aeterna tor∣menta nemo cogitat, quae metueret con∣scientia si cre∣deret, si metu∣eret caveret, si caveret evade∣ret.
• l 1.11

  Eccles. 3.1.2.
• * 1.12

  Division.
• * 1.13

  Verse 27.
• * 1.14

  Coherence.
• * 1.15

  Observ. 1.
• * 1.16

  Verse 2.
• m 1.17

  Hos. 6.4.
• n 1.18

  Psal. 81.13, 14, 15, 16.
• o 1.19

  Mat. 23.37.
• p 1.20

  Esay 65.2.
• q 1.21

  Psal. 51.17.
• r 1.22

  Aug l 5. con∣fes. c. 9. Dignaris quoniam in seculum mise∣ricordia tua est iis quibus om∣nia debita di∣mittis promis∣sionibus tuis debitor fieri.
• * 1.23

  Applica∣tion.
• s 1.24

  Hos. 7.13.
• t 1.25

  Esay 5.1, 2, 3, 4.
• * 1.26

  Rules of spirituall wisedome.
• u 1.27

  Levit. 11.3, 7.
• * 1.28

  Hesiod. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.29

  Applica∣tion.
• x 1.30

  Cic. Orat. pro Pub. Quint. Si haec duo solùm verba tecum habuisses, Quid ago? respirasset credo cupidi∣tas, &c.
• y 1.31

  Wisd. 5.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
• * 1.32

  Applica∣tion.
• * 1.33

  Applica∣tion.
• z 1.34

  Apoc. 14.11.
• * 1.35

  Psal. 146.1.
• a 1.36

  Plin. nat. hist. l. 2. c. 104. Limum flagrantem (quam Mal∣tham vocant••) tetra tantum extingui do∣cuêre experi∣menta. Flagrat mons Chimae∣ra immortali flammâ, extin∣guitur tamen terrâ & fimo.
• * 1.37

  Applicat. ad defunct.
• b 1.38

  1 Cor. 15.15.
• * 1.39

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, rosa. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, viola.