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.

A SERMON Preached at the Funerals of the Right Honorable EDMUND Earl of MULGRAVE, Baron SHEFFIELD of BOTTERWIC. Sept. 21. 1658.

• Right Honorable,
• Right Worshipful,
• Men, Brethren, and Fathers!

IT cannot be said of this great Assembly, as of that Act. 19.32. that it is confused, and the greater part know not wherefore they are come together. We all know, and, but that God only wise hath set our price, should sadly complain that we pay too dear to know the cause of our meeting this day.

A day, * 1.1 as ill as Job could wish; Dark∣ness and the shadow of death stains it, a cloud dwells upon it, and the blackness of the day terrifies it.

A day as sad as Zechary could pro∣phesie, * 1.2 influencing upon several fami∣lies, and cutting them out their mourn∣full parts.

This Family, from whose heads the Lord hath now finally taken their Ma∣ster this day, have parts so sad, no ex∣pressions of mine can reach them; I must borrow for them all.

The honorable and elect Lady ('tis S. John's word, and I hope rightly ap∣plied) hath Naomi speaking her con∣dition: * 1.3 Call me Marah, for the Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me. Or the wi∣dow Church, (if she can be a widow, whose Husband fills heaven and earth with his presence;) * 1.4 Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the ……d hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

The young Lord, that florid, hope∣ful, and honorable blossom, may sigh out his sorrows in that of Elisha; * 1.5 My father! my father! And we, taking in

the publique loss, may all subjoin, One of the chariots of Israel, and one of the horsmen thereof!

You, who were somtimes his happy Attendants and Followers, David hath cut you out your parts, see how they will fit you: * 1.6 Weep over him who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

All his whole Family, when you come home anon, may have your mouths, and hearts all full with that of Mary; who being asked by the Angels why she wept, * 1.7 cries them out this an∣swer, They have taken away my Lord.

Other families, and other persons have their parts in this mourning too, and this our meeting makes a Consort of lamentation, such an one as may seem to emulate that memorable mourning of Haddadrimmon in the valley of Me∣giddo, Zech. 12.11.

And now, that we had a Jeremy for this place! Jeremy in the possession of his wish, his head waters, and his eyes a fountain of tears! For he could broach the eyes, and pierce the hearts of after∣generations, and by the power of his pen make impressions upon pious po∣sterity.

All the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their lamenta∣tions to this day, and made them an ordi∣nance in Israel; and behold they are written in the Lamentations. 2 Chro. 35.25.

Oh for a David! one that had power to his passion! who did not only himself bewail the anointed Saul, and honorable Jonathan, but for their sakes commanded the children of Ju∣dah to be taught the use of the Bow, (not to shoot in, as it is ordinarily and easily mistaken, but) to sigh in, the lamenting song called the Bow: behold it is written in the book of Jasher. 2 Sam. 1.18.

But, why do I call in mourners? we want none: We need not hire any Ro∣man Praefica's, a custom observed also among the Jews. * 1.8 Call for the mourning women that they may come, and send for cunning women that they may come: s••••h as let out their eyes for hire, and set their tears to sale, having both a trade, and a trick of mourning.

We have true tears in showers, and have more cause to suspect a flood then a drought; and the fear is, lest so many

rivolets met in one confluence, like Jordan in harvest, should overflow all banks and bounds.

But, to keep us within compass, it was expresly provided by the deceased Lord, whose honorable remains now lie before us, according to the constant tenor of his admirable humility, de∣sirous always rather laudabilem esse than laudari, to be, than to be accounted good; That he might be buried with all Christian warrantable decencie, without pomp or costly vanity, quietly and peace∣ably, without giving offence to any one person or creature, if possible. Those are the very words of his last Will and Testament.

By which, as it is said of Abel, * 1.9 being dead he yet speaketh: speaketh against all immoderation and excess; speaketh, as our Saviour sometimes did to the lan enting followers of his cross and passion; Daughters of Jerusalem, * 1.10 weep not for me, but weep for your selves and for your children. There's a black bill of Jerusalem's sins gone up to heaven, and given in against her; and there's a black cloud of miseries hangs over Je∣rusalem's head, ready to fall upon her

You have sins, and are like to have sufferings will set your tears on work; and therefore lavish not away such pre∣cious eye-water; be so thrifty in what you spend upon compassion, that you be sure to keep for contrition. Thus weep, or weep not at all for me, but weep all for your selves, and for your children.

But, if moderation be intended, then what means this great and unusual ap∣pearance? this sad and solemn Processi∣on? these multiplied Blacks? that stately Herse? those Armorial Ensigns and tricks of Honor? those Atrati, the Mourners walking about the streets?

— Et non plebeios luctus testata Cu∣pressus?

Such a question was once put by the Disciples, and that with indignation too, when they saw the Alabaster-box of very precious ointment poured on the head of Jesus; * 1.11 To what purpose is this waste?

S. John seems to take it off in some measure at least from the other Disci∣ples, and lay it upon Judas, making him the greatest, if not the onely mur∣murer? He had the filthiest heart, and

foulest mouth; and so fittest to speak that base objection, which he hatched in his bag, not his conscience: * 1.12 Why was not this ointment sold for three hun∣dred pence, and given to the poor? It is not unlike there may be some of Judas his brood here this day, (Great sins seldom die issueless;) who being of the same mind, may murmure after the same manner, and therefore the same answer will fit them: * 1.13 This is for the day of my burying; for the poor you have always with you, but me you have not al∣ways.

They whom Christ cannot satisfie, deserve no answer; nor will I trouble my self further with them, then to tell them, It is more then suspicious, that they who have over-slovenly thoughts of Burial, have too slender hopes of the Resurrection. He lays his clothes by handsomly, doth not throw them away carelesly, that intends to put them on again in the morning. Indeed, were our minds after the Heathen Motto, Non est spes ulla sepultis, There's no hopes of them that are once buried; any burial were good enough; any hole will serve no hopes: Let lost forlorne carkasses

be kicked into corruption; the ditch is fittest for that which will never be better then dirt.

But a body, which hath been Animae domicilium, it is Origen's word, the dwelling-house of a divine soul; and whilst in the state of conjunction, * 1.14 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 'tis S. Pauls word, an habitation of God through the Spirit, a Temple of the Holy Ghost, one of the dwellings of God, and mansions of the most High:

A body which shall rise in honor, * 1.15 put on glory, and wear immortality:

A body which shall be fashioned like unto Christs glorious body, * 1.16 let it have some of the fashion of his burial too; the honorable attendance, the spike∣nard and spices, * 1.17 the ointment and fine For questionless, had costly linnen: solemnities been a sin, he who knew no sin would not have made his grave with the rich in his death; * 1.18 nor should the Sun (being under his command) have put both himself and the heavens into black, * 1.19 to witness their mourning to the world.

Let them who live and die like beasts, be buried like beasts; the burial of an

ass, Jehojakim's curse, * 1.20 suits best with them. But let not man, a good man, a good man in honor, though he abideth not, be thus like the beasts that perish. * 1.21 Let us give him the honor due unto his name! Due indeed: For if ever Funerals were called Justa, as being a debt to the memory of the deceased, these are they; in which we do not perform, but pay the service of this day. Which whilst we are about, let me bless you, * 1.22 as David did the men of Jabesh-Gilead; Blessed be you of the Lord, that you have shewed this kind∣ness unto this Lord, and are thus come to bury him.

But before his burial, there's a box of ointment, which a skilful hand would open, but I must break, that the place may be filled with the odor of it. And that it may be the sweeter, let us mingle it with some Scripture-ingredients. We shall be better furnished to speak of the dead, when we have a while consulted the Book of life, in that portion of it which is written—

RUTH 4.11.

Do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

A Scant and a short Text, to accom∣pany so great a Person to so long an home. But non est huic alter similis, (as David said of the sword) there is none like that, * 1.23 give it me: A fitter could not be found; I could not miss it, he was so much the Comment on it; look at it, and you see him. The persons, the place, the actions, the fame all agreeing; and what was there voted, is here verified; it is now the praise of the dead, what was then a prayer for the living: Do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

The words are the gratulatory votes, and hearty wellwishes, signified by the general acclamations of the Ephrathites, and people of Bethlehem-Judah, to the great and noble Boaz; a Prince of the Assembly famous in the Congregation,

a man of renown, one that sate chief in the gate of his place, and was the honor of his people: He was of good descent and extraction, great Grandfather to David in the right royal line of Judah, whose fair pedigree is to be seen from Adam the son of God, to Jesus the son of man, Luk. 3. And which heighten'd his height, and made his greatness yet greater, he was good too; there were apples of gold set in those pictures of silver; Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, Love, * 1.24 Good works, a right Retinue for Nobi∣lity: This was the Temple which san∣ctified the gold, and the Altar which makes pleasant the offering.

This person thus great, thus good, is best for our purpose: For it was not every one that would have made a paral∣lel for my Lord of Mulgrave, but he must be great.

Not every Great one neither: For many like mushroms and children of the earth, are sprung up and grown to their greatness since yesterday, and made but a step out of the dirt into honor; like those Giants, which, the Poets tell us, were simul sati & editi, sown and grown in the same instant: But he must be one,

the spring of whose honor is to be found rising in remoter ages, and his Ancestors the acquaintance of History, ennobled in blood, great by derivation from great∣ness, — Satus sanguine Divûm.

Not every Great and Noble one nei∣ther. If he have no evidences to shew for it but the Houses and Inheritance, the Lands and Lordships, the Escucheons and Seal of his Family; if he be descend∣ed by as many degenerations from the worth and vertue, as generations from the loins and blood of atchieving pro∣genitors: But he must be one who hath brought in his share of Honor, hath il∣lustrated old Dignities by new additions, and by doing worthily acquired fame. Such the person presented in the Text, and represented in the Occasion: Do thou, &c.

In the Text, you have Nobility ad∣vanced betwixt two Supporters, Facts, and Fame. Facts give fame a bottom to stand on, and Fame gives Facts a top to stand up: Facts get Fame, and Fame gilds Facts. To do good, is the way to be great; and to be great, is the reward of doing good. Worthy actions com∣mand honorable commemorations; Do

I find several readings; and I'll name that first, which I like worst: * 1.25 Compara opes Ephrathae, Get thee riches at Ephra∣tah; have servants and cattel, and flocks and herds; let thy garners be filled with plenty, * 1.26 and thy presses burst out with new wine; Bring Ophir to Ephratah, gather silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the provinces. Some will like this well enough, because it makes wealth the gage of worth; and so it is by the rate of the world, where look what a mans estate is, that com∣monly is said to be his worth. But to make this Worth, were to make the ca∣mel a passage through the needles eye; * 1.27 let 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifie the great beast it self, and not the Seaman's rope only, as some contend upon that expression Mat. 19.24. To make wealth the standard of worth, this were to offend against the generation of Gods children, and to cast out those as vile and worthless among men, of whom the world is not worthy: * 1.28 This were to esteem the precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold, as earthen pitchers the work of the hands of the potter. Nor can I think the votes of the Ephra∣thites ran so low as wealth, the last and

least in the inventory of good things; a blessing of the left hand, and not al∣ways a blessing neither, Riches being sometimes kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. * 1.29 It is but the fatness of the earth at best, which many have their full of, who shall never taste of heaven.

And therefore I like the vulgar Latine better which reads it, Exemplum virtu∣tis; saving that their sit in stead of sis seems to incline that part of the words to Ruth, which other Copies, and so our Translation applies to Boaz; and speak∣ing to him, it speaks to purpose, voting him to that which is the ornament of great persons, an Exemplarity.

The highest lines are the writers copy; and therefore thou that art high, make an advantage of thy place, prescribe those that be under, give a copy to others to write after. But I shall speak to this, when I come to apply Text and Occa∣sion; and shall now follow our English reading word for word, Do thou worthily in, &c.

In which words please to observe with me that there is,

1. Agendum, Something to be done: Do.

2. Modum agendi, the rule or measure of doing; worthily: Do worthily.

3. Motivum actûs, the motive of such deeds; taken,

1. From the person on whom such doing is incumbent; Thou: Do thou worthily.

2. From the place where such a person is resident, Ephratah: Do thou worthily in Ephratah.

3. From the name which is attend∣ant on such a person, in such place, doing so worthily; it is famous: And be fa∣mous in Bethlehem.

First for the Agendum, Do. Men must be active for heaven in their generations: Souls are high metall'd, and it is a shame to rust them in their scabards: They are Inanimates, or ill thriving Vegetables, that gather moss. A torpid life misbe∣comes any man, most a Christian. We came not on the Stage, as Cato on the Theatre; who is said to have entred, only ut exiret, that he might go out a∣gain: But we have our parts to act, something is to be done by us whilst we live in the world.

As vertue is the lustre of action, so action is the life of vertue: Faith without

works is dead. * 1.30 It is not only the voice of the Law, Do this and live; but Gospel-impulses upon the hearts of candidate Christians and Converts work them to this importunate sollicitation, What must we do to be saved? * 1.31 We have enough to do, work cut out for every day, not an hour but we may find employment: Mortifie your earthly members. * 1.32 Strive to enter in at the straight gate. So run, that you may obtain. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. Let us labor to enter into that rest. Work out your own salvation with fear and with trembling.

Who can look, who can think upon all, upon any of these, and not see enough to do, should he do nothing else? And yet how slack are men at doing, though it be to do themselves good? Do not most men like the people of Laish dwell careless, and after the manner of the Zidonians quiet and secure? * 1.33 Is it not the language of most hearts, when they are motioned to remember their im∣mortal souls, and to be doing somthing for eternity; Away tormentors before the time! Mortifying motions and four precepts of repentance, you are up too early, you are stirring too soon; go, and

come again at threescore, * 1.34 or when a sick bed may make you seasonable! Come, now let us enjoy the good things that are present; bet us fill our selves with costly wine and ointments, and let no flower of the spring pass by us; let us crown our selves with rose-buds before they be withered; let none of us go without his part of our vo∣luptuousness, let us leave tokens of our joy∣fulness in every place. Heart follow thine own ways, soul take thine ease, let us lie upon beds of ivory and stretch our selves upon our couches: I charge you O ye daughters of Hierusalem, that you stir me not up nor awake me (from my beloved idleness) till I please.

— juvat molli torpere veterno.

Men and Brethren, Never was there such an idle generation, for all our new∣found word of Generation-work: The chymistrie of these days hath so rarified Religion, that it is become a meer air, a wind, a next to nothing. Wo unto us, * 1.35 for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out! But how short is the substance? how many have their tongues tipp'd with Purity, but how few have made it the living of their

hearts? Is not a mouth-full of holiness enough to justifie both hands full of violence, and a heart full of hypocrisie and rottenness? So that like the Church of Sardis, * 1.36 we have a name to live, and are dead; we are nominally the Church of God, but really little better then the synagogue of Satan: * 1.37 like the Pharisees we enlarge our Philacteries or Conser∣vatories, scrolls on which the Law was written, as if we grasped at all and every punctilio of it, when indeed too like them we say, * 1.38 and do not. It is time then to call upon men to be more practical, and less prating; to set their hands to their words, and witness their profession by their a∣ctions; and that upon a fourfold ac∣count.

[ 1] Our time is for doing; our life is our day, our working-day, a day which lays a necessity of work upon us. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day; * 1.39 the night cometh when no man can work. Life is a portion of that general duration from the rise of the world to the ruines of it, taken out and allowed to Individuals to do their work in. * 1.40 Man goeth forth to his work and to his labor until the evening. Sudore temporis

paranda sunt praemia aeternitatis; Let the sweat of time bring in the sweets of eter∣nity: As we have opportunity, let us do good. Time is for doing.

[Doct. 2] It is time we were doing. It were well if that taunt of Seneca to the Jews in reference to their Sabbaths, that they spent the seventh part of their lives idly, might not charge us further, to the fifth, the fourth, nay the half, the greater half of our lives, which we have squan∣dered away by doing nothing, or nothing to purpose, or worse then nothing. To pass by the toys and trifles of the lap and cradle, the vanities and excursions of our youthful days, how unprofitable have our riper years been? Let the best of us take a serious view of our years and graces, and how much may we be asha∣med of the disproportion? May we not see the Almond-tree flourish, * 1.41 where the Tree of life never yet budded? Old men in the world as far to seek for the New∣birth, * 1.42 as Nicodemus who knew no other way then entring a second time into his mothers womb to be born? It is ordi∣nary for men to reckon many years, whilst their good works cannot begin a number: It is the eleventh hour with

some, it may be hora novissima, the last hour. Into the vineyard then, and be do∣ing; * 1.43 that when even shall come, the Lord may say unto his Steward, Call the laborers and give them their hire. It's time we were doing.

[Doct. 3] Time will quickly be done. The Sun and Moon, those great clocks of the Creation, were not wound up for ever; No, * 1.44 He appointeth the Moon for certain seasons, and the Sun knoweth his going down. Time is that strange something, nothing, whose transient nature never yet had its own parts together: It will not stay till I tell you what it is: If I should go about to describe it and say, It is — I should consute my self before I had done, and you might tell me, it is not. But allow us to speak properly, when we say, that is time which is to come; yet alas! how coming is it? Dum labitur, lapsum est; it is gone, whilst it is going. Particular time is short; Mensurabiles posuisti dies meos, Thou hast made my days measurable. And his measure every man carries about with him; Behold thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth. * 1.45 And general time cannot be long: The Angel lift up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that

liveth for ever and ever, that there should be time no longer. Which is a truth, as well to the dissolution of the world, as the desolation of Babylon, of which some expound it. The ends of the world are come upon us; the Judge is at the door: * 1.46 The watchman saith, the morning cometh, and also the night; if ye will enquire, en∣quire ye; return, come: Come quickly, drive not in the momental matters of another world, hazard not your unal∣terable Eternity upon peradventures; What you have to do, defer not; Time will quickly be done.

[Doct. 4] Not doing in time, will be our undoing for ever. The servant who hid his talent is charged, not for misdoing, but for not doing; for not acting his share in the Commission, Negotiamini dum venio, * 1.47 Be doing till I come. It will be long enough ere we talk our selves into heaven: * 1.48 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. No question but if talking would do it, it would be a general plea: Many have been full of tongue for him, and will say, Lord, Lord, have we not pro∣phesied in thy name? Yes, it may be so:

But where are the hungry which you have fed, * 1.49 the thirsty you have given drink to, the strangers you took in, the naked you cloathed, the sick and priso∣ners you visited? You have been all tongue and winde, and nothing you have done; * 1.50 you have sown the wind, and now you shall reap the whirlwind. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, * 1.51 a continuing whirlwind, it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked, in the latter days ye shall consider it. Oh that men were wise, that they would consider this before the latter day! The last day will be a late day: When the cry is made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh! * 1.52 providing of oil and trimming of lamps will be out of date. I will therefore close this with that suitable exhortation of the Preacher, preached upon in this place the last day that ever the deceased honorable Lord was a h••••rer: * 1.53 Whatsoever thine hand find∣eth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wis∣dom in the grave whither thou goest.

That for the Agendum; Do.

2. Here is Modus agendi, the rule and measure of doing; worthily. Do; but no more haste then good speed; as good

do nothing, as nothing to purpose. Do, but be advised how; Do worthily.

Worthily, how is that? Nobly: so some read it. Gild thy actions with ho∣nor; let thy large heart appear in thy liberal hand. * 1.54 Elkanah gave Hannah par∣tem honorabilem, a worthy portion: Do honorably, and do worthily.

Worthily; that is, ingenuously, * 1.55 if we follow others. Si fuerit vir bonus, says Solomon of Adonijah, If he shew himself a worthy man, if he deal fairly and ingenu∣ously. And such a signification we meet with Mat. 10.11. Into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; who keeps an open heart to en∣tertain the Gospel, and is so ingenuous to give a free welcom to those precious guests that bring it. Do ingenuously, and do worthily.

We shall contract all the several expo∣sitions of Doing worthily, into four parti∣culars. To do worthily, is,

1. To do decently; to do suitably and beseemingly: To act in a proportion to our natural selves, to do as men; to our civil selves, to do as such men; to our religious selves, to do as Christians. Thus our Saviour exhorts to bring forth

fruits 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.56 worthy of repent∣ance, that is, meet for repentance, suiting with that contrition and consternation of poor broken Penitents, those Doves of the vallies mourning for their iniquities. * 1.57 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is S. Paul's expres∣sion, works worthy of repentance. And so, To walk worthy of the Lord, worthy of the vocation, denotes every where Decentiam quandam & convenientiam, a certain suit∣ableness and becomingness, * 1.58 as the Learn∣ed observe. And one place for all the rest so renders it in plain English, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.59 as becometh Saints.

Men and brethren, did we always con∣sult this suitableness, it would give check to folly, and keep us from unworthy acti∣ons. * 1.60 Remember your selves you that are born of God, and do nothing unworthy so high a birth: Remember the calling wherewith you are called, the mansions prepared, and the hope laid up in heaven for you; the great and precious promises, the rich reversions of the life to come; the inheritance incorruptible, and the glory to be revealed: And do in some pro∣portion to these, to all these, do as be∣comes persons of such pregnant hopes and expectations; Do decently, and do worthily.

2. To do deservingly. Worthy and deserving are terms of equivalencie: The laborer is worthy of, or deserves, his hire. So the Elders of the Jews being sent to invite the help of Jesus for the sick ser∣vant of the devout Centurion, that Rarity of his profession, (for he was a Church-building Soldier) they speak his deserts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. He is worthy for whom Christ should do this, * 1.61 for he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue. There is no worth, but what deserts bring in: That Honor is too cheap to be good, that was purchased without atchieving, that cost nothing: And that Fame de∣serves to starve, that cannot live but at the charge of anothers actions. Win then the honor you intend to wear: deserve of the place, the persons, where and a∣mong whom you live. Bid for a Name in doings, and pay for it in deserts. Please not your selves with the petty thoughts and pitiful dreams of posthume honor, not only born, but begotten after death; That the Poet and Artificer shall con∣trive a fair (though false) Remembrance of you; That you shall have a Marble to mourn over you, and a Monument to tell some golden Lye for you when you

are gone: But work your selves into the hearts, and out of the mouths of men; make every breast your monument, and every tongue your epitaph: Do deser∣vingly, and do worthily.

3. To do exemplarily. And in this I follow the Vulgar Latine, which ren∣ders this [worthily] an example of vertue, as before: It is worthy doing, to do exemplarily. Men can do unworthily, without a pattern; but they must be good indeed, that make others good by the convincing power of their examples. Few leaders in our expedition for the other world; we are so far from being leaders, that it were well if we could follow examples. In our walkings abroad do we not stumble upon the husbandly provident Ant? And yet who considers her ways to be so wise, as in summer to forecast for winter, and in time to pro∣vide for eternity? In our sittings within and recesses, does not the Swallow sing a confutation in our ears, whilst she is an example of observing an appointed sea∣son, * 1.62 and we will not know the day of our visitation?

Men and brethren, As it is your shame not to follow, so it will be your honor to

make examples; * 1.63 in all things shewing your selves patterns of good works, cut∣ing out work for the imitation of others. The most holy and humble Jesus, among the many exemplarities of his heavenly life upon earth, commends to his ambiti∣ous Disciples that condescending act of his in washing their feet, * 1.64 under this ex∣pression, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. And S. Paul exhorts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.65 Be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. A Christian must be both 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a visible, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a legible example: The word is taken from those letters and marks which arti∣ficers in iron or brass use to make upon their instruments by stamping. Let good∣ness be instamped upon you, wear a Divine impress; * 1.66 bear the image of the Heavenly, and the inscription of a great∣er then Caesar; let there be upon you, as upon the bridles of the horses in the Prophet, Holiness unto the Lord. * 1.67 There was never such a crooked and perverse Nation; therefore nev r more need you should shine among them as lights in the world: Now, if ever, let your light so

shine before men, * 1.68 that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. Do exemplarily, and do worthily.

4. To do excellently: Actions of a taller pitch then ordinary, to emerge the sleepy Age, and strip the dull drousie World. Worth hates levelling, and dis∣dains the pitiful thoughts of a parity. The Saints those Worthies of God, are called The most Excellent; * 1.69 and Tertullus the Orator coming to claw Felix, and flatter some favor out of him for the Jews against St. Paul, calls his acts for that Nation very worthy deeds: * 1.70 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Right and straight works being done by thee, such as stand true by the rule, such as others swerve from, or come short of.

Davids Worthies had their names and honors from their great atchievements and actings above others. * 1.71 There were the thirty, the three, and the first three. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada had the name among three mighty men, * 1.72 he was more honorable then the thirty, but he attained not to the first three; these were all such as out-did the generality, and acted above the common rate of men.

Such worthies would our Saviour have all his Disciples and followers to be: What do you more then others? do not even the Publicans the same? what worth is there in common actions? were Gold but like other Clay, the Cabinet would be no place for it; were Jewels as obvi∣ous as the stones in the streets, who would call them, would count them pre∣cious? He that keeps pace with the multitude, shall never reach Heaven: There is none climbs that hill, but he leaves many behinde him.

—Jam monte potitus Ridet anhelantem dura ad fastigia turbam.

Men and Brethren, would you have worth in you? Seek that you may excel, * 1.73 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that you may abound, and have overplus and run over; that you may overrun others, as the Disciple did, that strip'd Peter and came first at Jesus. * 1.74 So run that you may obtain. Get a name among thirty, if you cannot attain the honor of three, of the first three. How∣ever, keep within distance; get beyond the pitch of a Publican, do more then others, then many others, then most others. Do excellently, and do worthily.

That for the Modus agendi, the mea∣sure and rule of doing: Do worthily.

Come we now to the third general part,

3. Motivum actûs: The Motive and Incentive to this worthy doing; taken

From the person, Thou; the place, Ephratah; the name, Famous: It is thou, and thou art in Ephratah, and thou shalt be famous in Beth-lehem.

1. Thou: Thou that art great, and Daniel-like greatly beloved; thou that art blest, as if thou wert the darling and delight of Heaven; thou whom Wisdom seems to court with both hands full, Length of days in her right hand, * 1.75 and in her left hand riches and honor: Thou that art honored before the Elders, and mag∣nified in the gates of thy City, * 1.76 The breath of their nostrils, the joy of their hearts, the Crown of their head, the glory of Ephratah, the hopes and expectation of Beth-lehem, do thou worthily.

[ 1] Thou: For te decet, it becomes thee; there is no such incongruity as ill placed honor, as dignitas in indigno (so Salvian) a worthless person in a place of worth: As Snow in Summer, * 1.77 and Rain in Harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool. What a ridiculous monster is worthless great∣ness? * 1.78

when the vilest men are exalted, Quisquiliae popelli, the sweepings of the raffle, the abjects, the lowest of the people (like Jeroboams usurping Priests) got into high places. Giants in honor, and Dwarffs in deserts, are more mon∣strous then those the Philosopher calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the sins and by∣blows of nature.

But to see Goodness and Greatness walk hand in hand, outward excellencies inlaid with Grace and Holiness, this is ele∣gancy and beauty far above all the ac∣complishments of flesh and blood. * 1.79 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. Laudate Dominum in excelsis: To see God praised in the heights; to see Mountains of Holiness, those that are eminent in place, to be so in piety too, * 1.80 the glory of Lebanon is gi∣ven unto them, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: Do thou worthily; for te decet, it becomes thee.

[ 2] Thou: for te oportet, it behoves thee; necessity is laid upon thee: Thy engage∣ments are notable and numerous; God hath tied thee with cords of love; * 1.81 He that is mighty hath done to thee great things, and holy is his name: He hath laid his

obligations thick upon thee, and unre∣turned mercies carry a weight with them, are as heavy as judgments, will press to death. It is base Earth which requites the bounty of Heavens sun and showers with nothing but thorns and briers; * 1.82 it is rejected and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned.

It was the charge aginst Saul, that he answered neither the expences, nor ex∣pectations of God: * 1.83 It repenteth me that I have made Saul King. Such preferment might justly expect some performance; but unthankful wretch that he is, I see he cares not to inrich himself with the spoils of Heaven, and to raise his own name, though, if possible, with the ruines of mine: It repents me that I have made him King.

Men and Brethren, let not our unwor∣thiness give God cause to repent of any mercy that he hath bestowed on us; and where he hath sown his favors thickest, let him reap the greatest crop of thank∣fulness. Remember your engagements recount your obligations, break not the Lords bonds in sunder, * 1.84 cast not away his cords from you: Do what you are bound to do; where much is forgiven, love

much, and where much is given, do much: Do thou worthily; for, te oportet, it behoves thee.

To close this: Greatness you see is a tye to goodness. My Lords and Gentle∣men, you that are greater, be better then others; let your Holiness go in as good a place as your Honors; let your riches of grace outvie your revenues: Let your goodness top as many as your great∣ness; make it appear though those two do not often meet, yet it is not impossi∣ble they should come in conjunction. Let not your heights make you barren, as if you were under the curse of the Moun∣tains of Gilboa, * 1.85 that there should be neither dew nor rain upon you. Oh let dew be upon Hermon, and let it descend upon the Moun∣tains of Zion; * 1.86 for there the Lord com∣mands the blessing, even life for ever∣more.

That for the first Motive to do wor∣thily, Thou, Boaz; a great Man, a Noble Person; do thou worthily.

2.

The second is the place where such a person is resident: Ephratah. Do thou worthily in Ephratah.

In Ephratah: Where's that? Enquire of a neighbor-word, and it will tell us,

Ephratah is a disjointed name, there is half of it behinde, Beth-lehem belonging to it, Beth-lehem and Ephratah are both one. The Spirit of God using the like elegancy of expressing one place by two words elswhere; * 1.87 At Salem is his Taber∣nacle, and his dwelling place in Zion: Both which speak but one Jerusalem. * 1.88 There was another Beth-lehem in Zebulon, the birth-place of Judge Ibzan; from which that it might be distinguished, this of the Text is called sometimes Beth-lehem Judah, sometimes Beth-lehem Ephratah.

This is that Beth-lehem of Judea, * 1.89 so called by St. Matthew, where some time after, the Wise men sought the Sun by Star-light, and found him, without whom the world was lost. Nor did the blood of Innocents here shed by Herod, stain, but illustrate the place, it being the field, * 1.90 where those little Champions who could not fight, conquered and are crowned, and by the charity, and upon the credit of the Primitive Church are acknowledged to lead in the Van of the Noble Army of Martyrs which have been since Shiloh came.

It is observed to be situate on the very Umbilical point of the Earth; from

whence as from a Center, * 1.91 the Lines of comfort might go out through all the Earth, and the Word here made flesh, to the ends of the World.

Sometimes you have both these names in one. * 1.92 And thou Beth-lehem E∣phratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah.

Sometimes one for both, * 1.93 Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephratah, which is Beth-lehem.

Sometimes both for one, as here, Do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem.

Ephratah was so called from Ephrath the wife of Caleb, say some; others, * 1.94 and St. Hierome among the rest, * 1.95 A fertili∣tate, quâ locus ille aliis praestabat; from that great and notable fruitfulness in which it excelled other places; and so it is well coupled with Beth-lehem the house of Bread; a fruitful Land makes Houses of Bread: And most deservedly was this place called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fruitful, especi∣ally if we look at that fruit which sprang here from the Root of Jesse, David, * 1.96 and Jesus the Son of David, the best fruit that ever the Earth bore. * 1.97 Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of

the seed of David, and out of the Town of Beth-lehem where David was? It shall be said of Beth-lehem Ephratah, that this and that man were born in her, * 1.98 and the Highest himself came out of her; excellent things are spoken of thee, O City of God!

I cannot speak much of it now; only thus: * 1.99 It was a near neighbor to Jerusa∣lem, the place which God chose out of all the tribes to put his name there, having that advantage which S. Paul speaks of, that to them above many and among few others, * 1.100 were committed the oracles of God; to them pertained the a∣doption, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God and the promises; of whom as con∣cerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen. It was a City in whose palaces God was known for a refuge: It was a City of Judah, and in Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel. Here must Boaz do worthily, here especially, here if any where; such a Theatre is only for worthy actions. Do thou worthily in Ephratah.

Men and brethren! We live in E∣phratah, a fruitful land, and our houses

are like Beth-lehem, houses of bread; The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage: The fountain of Jacob is upon a land of corn, and milk, and honey, * 1.101 also our heavens drop down dew: God crowns our years successively with his goodness, and his clouds drop fatness. And which is beyond all these, * 1.102 how are we warmed with the glorious and desireable days of the Son of man! Does not man eat An∣gels food, and are we not dieted with the bread of heaven? What a rich con∣fluence of evangelical enjoyments have we lived under? * 1.103 He hath not dealt so with every nation: He hath fed us with the finest of all the wheat, * 1.104 and satisfied us with the very honey out of the rock of goodness.

And now, O man, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do worthily? worthy of God, his Gospel, his goodness, the Ephratah, the Beth∣lehem thou livest in: * 1.105 Let not all this favor be shewed thee, and yet thou not learn righteousness: Let it not be charg'd upon thee, that in the land of uprightness thou still dealest unjustly, and wilt not behold the majesty of the Lord. The

cities wherein most of the mighty works were done, * 1.106 were upbraided, and no less then a woe will serve Chorazin and Beth∣saida, because Tyre and Sidon, under such manifestations and visits from heaven, would have repented long before in sack∣cloth and ashes. It was that which ren∣dred the rape of the Gibcathites more odious, * 1.107 because it was folly in Israel; they did evil in a good land. And it was the emphatical goodness of Jeroboam's son, * 1.108 that in him was found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam; he was good in an ill house. Considering where we live, should make us consult what we do. Places do nota∣bly circumstantiate actions; remember Ephratah, and do worthily: Do thou wor∣thily in Ephratah.

That for the second motive to doing worthily, the place where this great per∣son was resident, Ephratah: Do worthily in Ephratah.

3.

The third is taken from the name that is attendant on such a great person, in so eminent a place, doing thus worthily; and that is here termed famous: And be famous in Beth-lehem. Fac praedicetur no∣men, make that thy name may be preach∣ed

and cryed up, as Tremellius renders it: Proclaim thy name, as the Margin gives it from the Hebrew: Habeas nomen ce∣lebre, so the Vulgar Latine; Have a great, a renowned, a famous name. All speak one and the same thing; Be famous in Beth-lehem.

A good name is a great blessing, and the guerdon of worthy actions: As the works, so the worth of blessed men and women follow them. Mary Magdalen for her Box of precious Ointment, * 1.109 hath a good name given her, which Solomon says is the better of the two; * 1.110 and where∣ever the Gospel is preached, that which she did is told for a memorial of her. What an honor have the Romans got in one line of S. Paul's Epistle to them, far above all that Histories write of them and their Ancestors prowess; That their faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. * 1.111 Those Worthies whose heads are now crowned in heaven, have their names cried up on earth; for, by faith they have obtained a good report, as it is said of them, where they are fairly listed, Heb. 11. Memoria justi in benedicti∣one; The memory of the just is blessed, * 1.112 but the name of the wicked shall rot.

It is observed that God shews himself much in the disposal and ordering of mens names: He deals with their names, as he affects their persons; so that his love or his anger, blessing or punishment, are legible in names. Is God angry? he'll cut and curtail them, he'll take them off by the halfs: Jeconiah shall be but Coniah, and enough for him too, without he were better; * 1.113 Though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck him thence. Is God pleased? sometimes he'll add and enlarge: * 1.114 Thy name shall no more be called Abram, but Abraham. Some∣times he'll alter and change: Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, * 1.115 but Israel; for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with man, and hast prevailed. Hath God a mind to punish? * 1.116 he'll expunge and erase: Let me alone that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. * 1.117 Does he intend to bless? Then, I will give them a name better then of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, which shall not be cut off.

God is ever ready to honor them that have honored him, * 1.118 to set them on high that have known his name: As their

lives and deaths, so their names and me∣mories are precious in his sight; they shall not be forgotten, nor out of the mind of God, when they are dead men and out of the sight of the world. It was a very passionate expression, and spake abundance of love, that of Ruth to Na∣omi: Where thou diest will I die, * 1.119 and there will I be buried. But the love or God is wonderful, passing the love of women: * 1.120 He says, Where thou diest, my care shall not die, and there will I not bury my loving kindness; mine eyes shall be upon thee in the chambers of darkness, my faith∣fulness shall be seen in the grave; I'll value thy very dust, and set a price upon thy scatter'd atoms; I'll embalm thy name for after-ages, and send it down to posterity with a relish; * 1.121 it shall be sweet as honey in all mouths, and as musick at a banquet of wine.

A word of inference; And I'll pro∣mise you to have done with the Text, and be as good as my word too.

If fame be the reward of worth, and it be such an honor to have a name on earth, * 1.122 what is it to have our names writ∣ten in heaven? If it be such a happiness to have a deserved good name written

upon a tomb-stone for others to read, what is it to have the white stone given, and in the stone a new name written, * 1.123 which no man knoweth saving he that re∣ceiveth it? If it be such a blessing to have our names up, when we are no more seen; what will it be to see the face of God, and have his name written in our foreheads? * 1.124 Such honor have all his Saints.

Men and Brethren, Do you consult your fames? Would you have a name? Not any name, not such an one as Jero∣boam's which is seldom met without that sad clog hanging at it, that made Israel to sin? Not an empty, aiery, frothy name, such as those Ranters at the build∣ing of Babel aimed at, * 1.125 Let us make us a name? Not such a name as Absalom de∣signed, of whom it is said, Erexerat sibi titulum, * 1.126 He reared himself a pillar; some Pyramid, some Monument with an in∣scription, more title then truth, to speak more for him then he deserved: And therefore God made his Ambition as issueless as his body, and disposed of him under a rude heap of stones, as fittest for him whose name was rotten before his carkass? Not a name to be tossed

up and down, and talked of in the world, which is of no advantage: Vae tibi Ari∣stoteles, laudaris ubi non es, damnaris ubi es; It is miserable happiness to be commended where a man is not, and to be condemned where he is. But would you be famous in Beth-lehem? Have a name with God and good men? A name like Demetrius, * 1.127 who had a good report of all men, and of the truth it self? A name inrolled in the Book oflife, which may tread on the grave of History, * 1.128 bury Monuments, outlive the funerals of the world, see Time laid in the dust, and stand up with Eternity? Would you attain to that good name which is rather to be chosen then great riches? * 1.129 The way to it is by worth: Fight a good fight, finish your course, keep the faith, and take the crown: Overcome and be a pillar in the temple of God, and have the name of God, and the name of the city of God, and the new name written upon you.

Set the spur of glory to your side; * 1.130 by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for honor, and glory, and immor∣tality: * 1.131 Be wise and shine as the bright∣ness of the Firmament, work righteous∣ness and shine as the Stars for ever and

ever: Make Ephratah witness of your worth, and Beth-lehem shall record your fame.

Do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem.

I Have done with the Text; and now there'll need but little to bring it and the Occasion together. The persons, Actions, Fame, all run so true a parallel, every one is by this time ready to pre∣vent me in the application.

First then, for that eminent Person whose Obits we this day solemnise: He was Boaz, of antient and very honorable descent; it would lead us up to the fur∣ther end of our English antiquities, to follow his Name to the rise of it. And no small happiness it is for a people to have such in place; if King Solomon's vast knowledge and full grown experi∣ence had taught him what happiness is: Happy art thou, * 1.132 O Land, when thy King is the Son of Nobles. Such Progenitors be∣ing often, not always, blessed in suitable productions:

— Nec imbellem feroces Progenerant aquilae columbam.

Then for the Place, you may read it in his Escucheons; if you look at them, you may find there both Ephratah and Beth-lehem. Behold the Garbs, * 1.133 the Sheaves, and they signifie plenty or a∣bundance, that their first Bearer did de∣serve well for his hospitality; there you have Ephratah, Fruitfulness. * 1.134 Look at the Cheveron, and there the Heralds shew us the representation of a House in the roof or rafters of it; there's Beth-lehem, a house of bread, a plentiful house; and such was his, I need not go out of the Congregation for witnesses of it. So that he which looks on his Escucheons, may see another interpretation of Josephs dream: * 1.135 Lo his sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold the sheaves that stood round about it did obeisance to his sheaf.

And if you say, these are to be reckon∣ed among the — Quae non fecimus ipsi, those Honors which came to him, rather then he to them: Let us go on to the parts of the Text, and come to the A∣gendum, the something to be done; and there you shall find him nobly active and doing his part. He was much for action; his hand ever kept pace with, and for the most part outwent his tongue.

He was not practised in false Court∣ship, and perfectly hated that foolish ostentation which our Saviour chargeth upon the Pharisees, * 1.136 They say and do not. He would do as much, as others think enough to say; And it was his grave and sober manner, rather to do a favor then profess it. He shewed his faith by his works; * 1.137 and loved not in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth: Reckon∣ing of that only as happiness, to know the things of God and to do them.

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; * 1.138 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; * 1.139 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; * 1.140 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, * 1.141 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.

And now for that Exemplarity, in which I shall engage all my following discourse; not as if I were such a slave to the curse of the Council of Trent, that I dare not but prefer the Vulgar Latine (though but a translation) before the Ori∣ginal, but making now for my purpose, I shall readily follow it, and speak of some of those many vertues wherein the decea∣sed Lord was very exemplary. Of some, I say; for I do not, I dare not undertake to give you in a perfect List of his nu∣merous excellencies: As well might the Spies who went to search the land, * 1.142 en∣gage to bring all the land upon their shoulders, and lay it down before them that sent them: It will be enough; and as much as the declining day will allow, * 1.143 to let you see some Pomegranates, some Bunches of grapes, and some of the Figs; they'll give you a taste, and make you some discoveries; by their fruits you shall know them: * 1.144 Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? You may ghess at the gardens of the Hesperides, when you see some of the golden apples which there grew.

And here I might speak of him in his several capacities, Lord, Landlord, Hus∣band, Father, Friend: In which he has not miscarriages to bewail like him that cried out, Omnia fui, nihil profui; I was every thing, and did nothing! For he made every station an advantage to do good by; All his Relations were as so many cuts and channels for his goodness to run and flow in. But this would lay more load upon them that groan under the burden of their loss, and give them more gashes whose wounds are deep e∣nough already; it may suffice to have named it.

We shall go on; beginning first as he began every day, with his Devotions. God was next his heart, he gave him his morning-thoughts, yea and his evening too: * 1.145 Evening, morning, and at noon did he pray; four times a day, twice in his family, and twice in his closet, was his course, to which he was faithfully constant, say they that were near him. God was first and last in his mind and meditations:

Te veniente die, te decedente canebam.

He entred, and ended every day with him: His honor neither made him so high, but he could bow down, nor so stiff but he would worship and kneel before the Lord his Maker. * 1.146 Nothing on Earth could make him neglect sending to Heaven; a sign and evidence that he had great concerns, where he held such daily intelligence: No question but he had a Bank of Glory going on, which made him send and seek so often, so earnestly after it; his treasure was in Heaven, and his heart was there also.

Another excellencie which will come in as a good second to this, was his Constancie to the truths of Religion; the more commendable, because in such bogling and starting times: So that it may be said of him as of Trajan, He was Melior pejori aevo, Good, and the better for being so in a worse age. He was fixed in flitting times; in lubrica aetate, that's S. Hierom's word. And he stood his ground in a time of universal apostacie and revolts: He was no miscellaneous Samaritan, no temporising Any thing, Every thing, No thing: He was not No∣bilis & Mobilis, like the Courtiers of

the Heathen Tyrants at the first entry of Christianity into this Nation, who measured out their Profession by the Sword, liking the longest always best, and being Christian or Pagan, according to the humor of the Conqueror. Naaman is for the God of Israel, but he must have a toleration for the house of Rimmon. Great ones commonly move as (they say) the Planets do, they will have their Epicycles. 'Tis Constancie commends the deceased Lord: It's choise fruit that keeps sound at the core in a rotten age. And I might tell you, as he was stayed in himself, so he was a stay to others: I dare not say as of Athanasius, that the Church leaned on him in her persecution; but I may say, that he was a refuge from the storm; * 1.147 Bless God for this Lord, O house of Aaron! let the house of Levi say that he was good! And I'll say no more of this.

I know not where to be next, I have such choice. His Wisdom; let us look at that a while. To this he had a good title, whether we look at it as Science, or Pru∣dence. It was great in him, but not loud: Deep streams slide away in silence, whereas shallow rills babble in their

passage, and cannot roll down their chan∣nels without a noise. He was very re∣served, and no wonder if so much trea∣sure was under a lock, of which he kept the key himself; and when he did open it, it was to good purpose, so that when the ear heard him, it blessed him. * 1.148 By this wisdom of his I do not mean a crafty cunning, which prostrates and lays down honor, and honesty, and conscience, and religion and all to tread on, and climbs up to greatness by any steps; But that gracious gift which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from above, * 1.149 and is pure and peaceable, and gentle, and easie to be intreated, full of mercy and good works, without partiality, without hypocrisie. For which he hath a place among those the Son of Sirach speaks of, The people will tell of their wisdom, * 1.150 and the congregation will shew forth their praise.

As a branch of this Prudence, I may speak of his Providence, not for this life only (which was discreet and commend∣able) but chiefly for that which is to come; knowing he could not be happy on this side glory: * 1.151 Therefore did he wait for his change, and the time of his departure, which he looked on as at hand,

and foresaw at some distance, and laid in for it. Parum viae, multum viatici: When he had but a little way to go, he made great provision for it. And though he did build, * 1.152 it was not with those in∣ward thoughts that his house should con∣tinue for ever, and his dwelling-place to all generations. He was well acquainted with that observation, That great Build∣ers are seldom long Possessors: And there∣fore carried on a Building for Heaven and Earth both together; and did so little rely on this foundation in the dust, as that he was still careful to lay up in store for himself a good foundation against the time to come, * 1.153 that he might lay hold on eternal life.

Another grace, and another evidence of his wisdom, was his Meekness: So runs the Apostles rule; * 1.154 Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversa∣tion his works with meekness of wisdom. He shewed it, shewed it notably, shewed it always. That which would have raised a storm in some breasts, would not stir in his; * 1.155 Inferiora fulminant. He was calm and clear like the upper region of the air, whilst all tempests and blustrings are

below. I am perswaded he had out∣learn'd most that lived since our Saviour gave out that lesson, Learn of me, * 1.156 for I am meek and lowly in heart; And now takes part in the annexed promise, You shall find rest unto your souls.

We must not overlook that low, but high-prized grace of Humility: He was eminent in it; this was his schola & scala coeli, a school to teach, a scale to reach heaven. He was an high Star, and ap∣peared little; yet it was not in the eyes of others, but in his own, which made him great in God's: * 1.157 I dwell with him that is of an humble spirit. This lying low made him a rich soil for graces to grow in, fruitful in every good work. * 1.158 The vallies stand so thick with corn, * 1.159 they laugh and sing: So have you seen a fruitful Tree with its laden boughs stooping to the earth, when some proud aspiring Plants have run up all into branches, and exalted their fruit∣less tops.

Nor may we pass his remarkable Temperance and Sobriety, which he both loved in himself, and looked after in his family. Nor did this proceed from any weakness of body, but goodness of

mind; It was not the choice of an infirm constitution, but of a vertuous inclination. And the more commend∣able it is, because in these days, where∣in luxury and riot have so far obtained, that Entertainments are never thought well enough, except they be wet enough; and Drunkenness is deem'd the most fashionable and familiar treatment. And the greater the vertue still, because in a Great person; Drink being become a Flood, which like the great Deluge too often tops the Mountains: * 1.160 So easie it is even for Noah to plant a Vineyard and be drunk; and rich Nabal, that wretched Churl, who could not afford David a little water, to overcharge himself with wine. A rare thing it is, to swim in Plenty, and not swallow down too much of it.

His Charity would speak for it self, should I hold my tongue: Not that the Hypocrites trumpet gave notice of it, * 1.161 (For I have reason to think, much of it ran invisible, like the * 1.162 Rivers our Antiquary tells us of, which spend their streams in part under ground;) but because he left such tokens of it in all places where he came, pouring it out

rather then giving it; He was God's Almoner with his own estate. He had 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.163 that word which hath, and yet will have no singular num∣ber, bowels of mercies. * 1.164 He would draw out his own soul to the hungry, and satisfie the afflicted soul. Let me borrow an ex∣pression or two from Job, they'll fit us as well as if they had been made on purpose. * 1.165 He would not eat his morsels alone, the stranger and fatherless must eat thereof: * 1.166 He would not see any perish for want of clothing, or the poor without co∣vering: * 1.167 Many loins blessed him and were warmed with the fleece of his sheep: He was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, * 1.168 and a father to the poor: The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him, * 1.169 and he caused the widows heart to sing for joy. I'll say no more of this, many mouths are full of it, this place is a standing Monument of his Cha∣rity: He hath dispersed, * 1.170 he hath given to the poor, his righteousness endureth for ever, his horn shall be exalted with honor.

I fear to have spent your Patience, before I speak of his: But a word of it therefore. This grace was in him (like

the rest, which makes them thus con∣catenated) in gradu heroico, in an high and invincible measure, not to be broken, nor baffled by any assaults. As he was not Tumidus agendo, so neither was he Timidus patiendo; He did nothing proudly, * 1.171 he suffered no∣thing poorly. Many a great fight of affliction (as the Apostle phraseth it) did he endure, endure without shrink∣ing, or recoiling; one whereof had been charge enough for ordinary pieces of Mortality. Indeed, his whole life was a continued act of Patience, under a succession of several Sicknesses and Infirmities; having (as it is said of overworne Students) Bonam Consci∣entiam, & malam Valetudinem, a clear Conscience, and a crazie Carkass. He had need of patience, * 1.172 and he had patience for his need; so much, that you have seldom heard of the like; it being observed (as I am credibly informed) he was rarely, or never heard to groan under whole loads of pressures that lay upon him. God had laid in much of this grace, where he intended it should be much laid out; He had given him a stock of it suit∣able

to those great expences he pur∣posed to put him to, and his stock held out like the Israelites clothes, * 1.173 it wore not out, it waxed not old on this side Canaan. No more of his patience, lest I trouble yours.

Perseverance shall close all: That's the last, but not the least grace; more then a grace, a complication of many, the complement and perfection of all grace. It is this that lays hands on the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Other graces run in the ce∣lestial course, but this seiseth the prise, and sets the crown on the Conqueror's head. Perseverance is grace scrued up to the highest pin; grace at stretch, and holding out to the last. Such was his, enduring to the end, * 1.174 free from all suspi∣tion of despondencie, notwithstanding those many batteries and breaches made upon his walls of earth. All this was but Tundere vasculum Anaxarchi, non Anaxarchum: This knocked but at the case, the casket, the carkass; the jewel was safe, his soul prospered and did well: He possessed his soul in patience, * 1.175 till his soul was dispossessed of his body, and taken up into the prepared mansions, * 1.176 there to rest within the embraces of the

Everlasting arms: * 1.177 He was faithful to the death, and hath now changed his Coronet for a Crown of life.

It remains then that we contribute our dues to his fame. Let us decently commit to the Earth, what Heaven hath left of him: * 1.178 Let his Body rest in peace, and let his Name live for evermore! Let his Vertues survive in his Son, his Memory in the hearts and mouths of his Country! And when we can neither keep it nor our selves up any longer, let us make it over to succession, and leave it for the children which shall be born, that the Generations to come may know how good, how great he was! He hath done worthily in Ephratah, let him be for ever famous in Beth-lehem!

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Job 3.5.
• * 1.2

  Zech. 12.12.
• * 1.3

  Ruth 1.20.
• * 1.4

  Lam. 1.12.
• * 1.5

  2 King. 2.12.
• * 1.6

  2 Sam. 1.24.
• * 1.7

  Joh. 20.13.
• * 1.8

  Jer. 9.17.
• * 1.9

  Heb. 11.4.
• * 1.10

  Lu. 23.28
• * 1.11

  Mat. 26.7, 8.
• * 1.12

  Joh. 12.5
• * 1.13

  Joh. 12.8
• * 1.14

  Eph. 2.22.
• * 1.15

  1 Cor. 15.43.
• * 1.16

  Phil. 3.21
• * 1.17

  Mar. 15.43.46.
• * 1.18

  Isa. 53.9.
• * 1.19

  Mat. 27.45.
• * 1.20

  Jer. 22.15.
• * 1.21

  Ps. 49.12.
• * 1.22

  2 Sam. 2.5.
• * 1.23

  •• Sam. 21.9.
• * 1.24

  Pro. 25.11.
• * 1.25

  Pro. 3.10
• * 1.26

  Eccl. 2.8.
• * 1.27

  Quidam scribunt 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.28

  Heb. 11.38. Lam. 4.2.
• * 1.29

  Eccl. 5.13.
• * 1.30

  Lev. 18.5
• * 1.31

  Act. 16.30.
• * 1.32

  Col. 3.5. Lu, 13.24 1 Cor. 9.24. 2 Pet. 1.10. Heb. 4.11. Phil. 2.12.
• * 1.33

  Jud. 18.7
• * 1.34

  Wisd. 20.6, 7, 8.
• * 1.35

  Jer. 6.4.
• * 1.36

  Rev. 3.1.
• * 1.37

  Mat. 23.5
• * 1.38

  v 2.
• * 1.39

  Joh. 9.4.
• * 1.40

  Psal. 103.23.
• * 1.41

  Eccl. 12.5.
• * 1.42

  Joh. 3.4.
• * 1.43

  Mat. 20.8.
• * 1.44

  Psal. 104.19.
• * 1.45

  Ps. 39.5. Rev. 10.6.
• * 1.46

  Isa. 21.12.
• * 1.47

  Lu. 19.13
• * 1.48

  Mat. 7.21
• * 1.49

  Mat. 25.42, 43.
• * 1.50

  Hos. 8.7.
• * 1.51

  Jer. 30.23.
• * 1.52

  Mat. 25.6.
• * 1.53

  Eccl. 9.10.
• * 1.54

  1 Sam. 1.6.
• * 1.55

  1 King. 1.52.
• * 1.56

  Lu. 3.8.
• * 1.57

  Ezek. 7.16. Act. 26.20. Col. 1.10 Eph. 4.1.
• * 1.58

  Davenant in Col.
• * 1.59

  Ro. 16.2.
• * 1.60

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Act. 17.28. Joh. 14.2. Col. 1.5. 2 Pet. 1.4. Col. 3.4. 1 Pet. 1.4. Ro. 8.18.
• * 1.61

  Luk. 7.4, 5.
• * 1.62

  Jer. 8.7.
• * 1.63

  Tit. 2.7.
• * 1.64

  Jo 13.15.
• * 1.65

  1 Tim. 4.12.
• * 1.66

  Mat. 22.20.
• * 1.67

  Zech. 14.20. Phil. 2.15
• * 1.68

  Matth. 5.16.
• * 1.69

  Psa. 16.3.
• * 1.70

  Act. 24.2.
• * 1.71

  2 Sam. 23.
• * 1.72

  Vers. 23.
• * 1.73

  1 Cor. 14.12.
• * 1.74

  John 20.4. 1 Cor. 9.24.
• * 1.75

  Prov. 3.16.
• * 1.76

  Lam. 4.20. Chap. 5.16.
• * 1.77

  Prov. 26.1.
• * 1.78

  Psa. 12.8.
• * 1.79

  Job 41.12.
• * 1.80

  Isa. 35.2.
• * 1.81

  Luke 1.49.
• * 1.82

  Heb. 6.8.
• * 1.83

  1 Sam. 15.11.
• * 1.84

  Psal. 2.3.
• * 1.85

  2 Sam. 1.21.
• * 1.86

  Ps. 133.3.
• * 1.87

  Psa. 76.2.
• * 1.88

  Josh. 19.15. Judg. 12.8.
• * 1.89

  Marth. 2.1.
• * 1.90

  Aetas rec dum ha∣bilis ad pugnam idonea ca∣titit ad coronam. Hier.
• * 1.91

  Psa. 19.4.
• * 1.92

  Mic. 5.2.
• * 1.93

  Gen. 35.19.
• * 1.94

  1 Chron. 2.19.
• * 1.95

  ••p. ad Eust. 27.
• * 1.96

  Isa 11.1.
• * 1.97

  John 7.42.
• * 1.98

  Ps. 87.5.
• * 1.99

  Deut 12.5.
• * 1.100

  Ro. 3 2. Ro. 9.4, 5.
• * 1.101

  Deut. 33.28.
• * 1.102

  Ps. 65.11.
• * 1.103

  Ps. 147.20.
• * 1.104

  Ps. 81.16.
• * 1.105

  Isa. 26.1••
• * 1.106

  Mat. 11.20, 21.
• * 1.107

  Judg. 20.10.
• * 1.108

  1 King. 14.13.
• * 1.109

  Eccles. 7.1.
• * 1.110

  Mat. 26.13.
• * 1.111

  Ro. 1.8.
• * 1.112

  Pro. 10.7.
• * 1.113

  Jer. 22.24.
• * 1.114

  Gen. 17.5.
• * 1.115

  Gen. 32.28.
• * 1.116

  Deut. 9.14.
• * 1.117

  Isa. 56.5.
• * 1.118

  1 Sam. 2 30 Ps. 91.14
• * 1.119

  ch. 1.17.
• * 1.120

  2 Sam. 1.26.
• * 1.121

  Eccl. 49.1.
• * 1.122

  Lu. 10.20.
• * 1.123

  Rev. 2.17.
• * 1.124

  Rev. 22.4.
• * 1.125

  Gen. 11.4.
• * 1.126

  2 Sam. 18.18.
• * 1.127

  3 Joh. 12.
• * 1.128

  Habent sua fata sepul∣chra.
• * 1.129

  Pro. 22.1. 2 Tim 4.7, 8. Rev. 3.12.
• * 1.130

  Ro. 27.
• * 1.131

  Dan. 12.3.
• * 1.132

  Eccl. 10.17.
• * 1.133

  Guil. Dis. of Heral. p. 151.
• * 1.134

  Idem p. 77.
• * 1.135

  Gen. 37.7.
• * 1.136

  Mat. 23.3.
• * 1.137

  Jam. 2.18. 1 Joh. 3.18. Joh. 13.17.
• * 1.138

  Judg. 8.18.
• * 1.139

  Lu. 7 5.
• * 1.140

  1 King. 8.18.
• * 1.141

  Eph. 5.15.
• * 1.142

  Num. 13.
• * 1.143

  v. 23.
• * 1.144

  Mat. 7.16.
• * 1.145

  Ps. 55.17.
• * 1.146

  Ps. 95.6.
• * 1.147

  Isa. 25.4.
• * 1.148

  Job 29.11.
• * 1.149

  Ja. 3.17.
• * 1.150

  Ecclus. 44.15.
• * 1.151

  Job 14.14. 2 Tim. 4.6.
• * 1.152

  Ps. 49.11.
• * 1.153

  1 Tim. 6.19.
• * 1.154

  Ja. 3.13.
• * 1.155

  Seneca.
• * 1.156

  Mat. 11.29.
• * 1.157

  Isa. 57.15.
• * 1.158

  Col. 1.10.
• * 1.159

  Psal. 65.14.
• * 1.160

  Gen. 9.21. 1 Sa. 25.11, & 36.
• * 1.161

  Mat. 6.2.
• * 1.162

  Mola & Anas. Cam. Br. p. 296.
• * 1.163

  Col. 3.12.
• * 1.164

  Isa. 58. 10
• * 1.165

  Job 31.17.
• * 1.166

  v. 19.
• * 1.167

  v. 20.
• * 1.168

  ch. 29.15.
• * 1.169

  v. 13.
• * 1.170

  Ps. 112.9.
• * 1.171

  Heb. 10.32.
• * 1.172

  v. 36.
• * 1.173

  Deut. 29.5.
• * 1.174

  Mat. 24.13.
• * 1.175

  Luk. 21.19.
• * 1.176

  Joh. 14.2.
• * 1.177

  Deut. 33.27. Rev. 2.10.
• * 1.178

  Eccle. 44.14.