The worthy of Ephratah represented in a sermon at the funerals of the Right Honorable Edmund Earl of Mulgrave, Baron Sheffield of Botterwic. In the church of Burton-Stather, Sept. 21. 1658. / By Edward Boteler, sometimes fellow of Magdalen-Colledge in Cambridge, and now rector of Wintringham in the county of Lincoln.

Next for the rule of doing, it was that of the Text; He did worthily; take the word in what signification you please.

First he did decently, things like him∣self. We may say of his actions, as Zeba and Zalmunna of the brethren of Gideon; * 1.1 As he was, so were they, each one resembled the children of a Prince. You might see what he was, by what he did; every action spake it self the child of honor: He hated any thing that looked like un∣worthiness; And though he was very humble, yet he knew how to be a man and no worm, as well as when to be a worm and no man: He knew when to lay his Honor in the dust, and when to

no dust lie upon his Honor: He could tell when it was not seasonable nor hand∣som for his Honor to stoop; of which some instance might be given, but the time will not bear it.

Next, He did deservingly, meriting much and many ways: And though we cannot say of him as of the Centurion, He loved our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue; * 1.2 yet he loved this part of our Nation, and to witness it, declared, not long before his death, his intentions to repair and keep against the assaults of time, our Synagogue, I mean that ele∣gant structure of the Cathedral at Lin∣coln, (as sometime his Grandfather, when Lord President of the North, interceded for the Conventual Church of Rippon.) And this I may say was done, because purposed by him: For so God tells David upon his design for building the Temple; * 1.3 Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart. This is a choise piece of desert, I wish it may have some followers, that such a pur∣pose may not die and go to the dust with him.

Then, He did exemplarily: His whole

life was a Copy of Vertue fairly written over with few, very few blots. He was one of those whom Tully calls loquentes leges, speaking Laws, unprinted Statutes, in whom men might read their duties, as well as hear them from him. He knew what great evils evil great ones are; that they have many followers, go they whi∣ther they will, and seldom go to hell alone: — Tutum est peccare authoribus illis. And therefore he was a practical Com∣ment upon that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the Apostle, * 1.4 See that you walk circum∣spectly, or exactly. Examples should be exact, and so was he. But more of this by and by.

He did excellently too: His actions were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 right by the rule, his dealings eaven and square: Great was his integrity, appearing in all parts both of commutative and distributive justice. Those who dealt with him, know his commutative; and those who had been ill dealt with but for him, may be thank∣ful witnesses of his distributive justice. I could benight my Auditory with a discourse of this subject; but, I must contract. He was a Worthy, I will not assign him his place, let impartial po∣sterity

decide it, whether among thirty, or among three.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Judg. 8.18.
• * 1.2

  Lu. 7 5.
• * 1.3

  1 King. 8.18.
• * 1.4

  Eph. 5.15.