A Defiance to Death

A DEFIANCE TO DEATH.

VPright Adam was made immortal: but sinful Adam begat all his Sons mortal, like as he had made himself. Adam then is dead, and so all Adams Sons but live to die. The sentence of death past upon us in him; we are but borne to the execution thereof in our selves. Even as Adam himself, for the necessity of dying, died the same day that he sinned; though, for the event, and issue of death, he lived an hundred and thirty years after that day. So in him we underwent the same necessity; though it be for thousands of years after, that we are brought out to such an event. As a Malefactor is a dead man according to the law, at that instant the sentence is pronounced upon him: though for some few days after, the execution be deferred: So according to God's law and decree, we are all dead in Adams doom: though God be yet pleased to prolong those things of ours, wherein we must live to die, accordingly as he hath doomed us. A malefactor is not executed sometimes of one, two, three, four, five, or six days after his judgment: Even so were we all adjudged to die, before we were; but God (with whom a thousand years is but as one day) hath appointed the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth thousand year of the world, to be the day of our execution.

There is a more necessity upon our death, then our life. No such need, that he that is not, should be, as that he that now lives, should once die.

The former may be supposed, but this other is expressed: It is appointed for all men once to die. There is always a more necessity of the End, then Means. Not only in execution, but intention, is death the end of life. Mortinati sumus, we are borne to die, and die from the time that we are borne. Our birthday, 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 what is it, but the beginning of our death-day? our death-day, what, but the end of our birth day? our birth-day precedes, or happens before our death-day: but our death-day is preferred before our birth-day: The day of death is better then the day that one is borne. Did we so consider it, our birth-day is indeed a punishment, and our death-day (in comparison) a reward. Vt suppliciam non sit nasc • , mors efficit. Death is as the remedy against the miseries of life: and to die, is but to rest from those labors, and cease from those sorrows, whereunto we were borne. What a plague and punishment were our birth-day into a sinful and miserable world, did not our death-day give an end to all such evils, both of sin, and pain?

I said, our birth-day is the beginning of our death-day: and our death-day but the end of our birth-day. We are deceived, to call the day of our departure only, the day of our death. On our last day indeed we cease to live, but from our first day, we begin to die. Consummat hora mortem extrema, non facit. Our last day doth not cause death, but consummate it, doth rather finish, then begin it. It is not the extreme and utmost minute of our life, that brings death upon us: it rather but manifests, that death was always with us. As spake the Prophet of persecutions, We are killed all the day long, and the Apostle Paul concerning his own sufferings, I die daily: So, though no violence come against us, even through natures own frailty, we die daily, and by fatal mortality, we are killed all the day long. We die daily, from the time we first begin to live: On our first day, our life is the longest: every day after, takes one day from our lives; and the longer we have lived, the less we have to live. Quotidie morimur, quotidie enim demitur aliqua pars vitae: & tunc quoque cum crescimus, vita decrescit. We die daily, every day passes away a part of our life; and while we are yet waxing, does our life decrease. Hunc ipsum quem agimus diem, cum morte diuidimus: This very day that we now live, do we divide with death. Hoc ipsum quod dicto, quod scribitur, quod relego, qnod emendo, de vita mea tollitur. As by the times of eating, sleeping, working, playing: so by the instants of speaking, reading, writing, our lives are lessened. Yea (brethren) this hour, these moments of my preaching, and your hearing, are taken away from both our lives.

We die daily: our times die daily, our actions die daily, our persons die daily. Our times die daily: the time past, is dead to the time present; the time present, is dying to the time to come: yesterday is dead to To-day, and To-day is dying to To-morrow. Our actions die daily: what is done and past, is dead to what is now doing: and what is now doing, is dying to what hereafter must be done. We neither remember what we have done, nor conceive what we have done, nor delight in what we have done: so daily die our actions to our memories, to our understandings, to our affections. Our persons die daily: our infancy dies into childhood, our childhood into youth, our youth into manhood, our manhood into old age, and our old age dies into death. A man is in a continual consumption of himself: His days spend him also, as he spends his days Every day one part or piece o • him languisheth or perisheth, corrupteth, and is 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 cast away. Non repent in mortem incidimus, sed minutatim procedimus. We die by piece-meal, and not all at once. There is no day in which our spirits vanish not, our blood cools not, our moisture dries not, our stomach fayles not, our liver corrupts not, our lungs consume not, our bowels yearn not, our heart faints not, our head aches not: every day, either some vein stops, some sinew shrinks, or some bone breaks: either is some skin withered, some flesh bruised, or some member decayed. Every day more then other, either the eyes grow dim of seeing, the ears dull of hearing, or else the palate unsavory of tasting. Thus die the parts by little and little, and thus is the whole dead at last. The Candle still consumes, from the time it first begins to burn: so wade the oil and marrow of a man's life, from the time that he begins to live. Man is a Candle, that either consumes himself upon the candlestick of the world, or else sweales away under the bushel of his Mothers womb. The hour-glass runs continually, from the time it is turned. Man is an hour-glass, but a running sand, or moving dust. And as the sand in the hour-glass falls corn by corn, or mite by mite, till the heap be run out: so a man drops away by little and little, till the whole lump be done. A Traveler goes many days onward to his journeys end. Man is this Traveler, this life the way, and death the journeys end. And is it a strange thing to die, when our whole life is but the way to death? Tu non putabas te aliquando peruenturum ad id, ad quod semper ibas? Can we think not once to come to, what we always go to? There is no way on earth without an end: the intricatest labyrinth hath a way out at last. We go towards death continually, how should we but meet withal at last? We die daily, how should we but once be dead? Miser homo, quare te omni hora non disponis? cogita te iam mortuum, quem scis necessitate moriturum. Wretched man then, whoever thou art, seeing thou diest daily, why dost thou not daily dispose thyself for death? think thyself now dead, whom thou knowest needs must die. Woe to us wretches all! that so many of us are so near death, and yet put it so far from us: so near it in the event, and yet put it so far from us in the consideration. Death is ready to take us by the hand, in the natural execution; ere we are willing to take death to heart by a Christian meditation. We go toward the grave, with our faces backward: our feet are at point to fall into it, ere our eyes once look upon it. We many feel Death before we know Death: & are brought woefully to hazard, or experience it; ere we are drawn wisely to consider, and conceive it, though we see it daily in others; yet can we not be led to consider it in our selves: hereof have we daily warning; yet will we make it unawares. Nihil ita quotidie homines vt mortem, vident; nihil ita obliuiscuntur vt mortem. Men daily behold nothing more then Death, and yet then Death, they forget, they neglect nothing more. But to bring you (beloved) to the knowledge, the consideration & remembrance of Death; I have taken this text (O Death, where is thy sting) both to instruct you concerning it; as also to encourage you against it. Where note first an Appellation, secondly an Interrogation: an Appellation, or Death summoned; O Death! an Interogation, or Death dared; Where is thy sting? Where I have 1. Something to say to Death, for your instruction; O Death! 2. One thing to ask of Death, for your encouragement; Where is thy sting?

I. The Appellation, or Death summoned; where I am to say something to Death, for your instruction: O Death!

O Death! what art thou? a Chimaera, a Fable, a Buggebeare a Dream, a Shadow, a nothing. O Death, thou art a strange thing consider: Thou art none of God's Creature: God made not Death, neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living. God is the God of our being, he delights not in our destruction. Death was intended not for us, but for our Sin: therefore are we mortal, that sin might not be immortal: We must therefore die, once, that it might not always live.

O Death, what dost thou? thou dissoluest the rarest compact of Heaven and Earth; thou distinguishest betwixt our Spirit, and our Clay; Body and Soul thou separatest, sharper art thou then any two edged sword, and enterest to the dividing a sunder of the Soul and Spirit, thou even diuidest betwixt the marrow and the bone. Thou makest our Dust return to the Earth, whence it was taken; and our Spirit to God that gave it.

Oh Death! thou makest our Spirit vanish, our Breath stop, our blood cool, our color change, our Beauty fade, our Strength fall, Thou makest the keepers of the house (our hands) to tremble, and the strong men (our feet) to bow themselves: Thou makest the grinders (our Teeth) to cease, and them that look out of the windows (our Eyes) to wax dark: Thou shuttest the Doors of our lips and stoppest our windpipes, the Daughters of our singing: Thou cuttest short the silver cord of Marrow; and breakest the golden Ewer of our Brainpanne: Thou breakest the Pitcher of our veins, at the Well of our Liver; at the Cistern of our Heart, there breakest thou the wheel of our Head.

O Death, thou art doomed to us all. It is appointed for all men once to die. We all walk this one way, all tread this one path; we must all sleep, our last sleep; and that dark night of Death, will once overtake us all, Patres nostri praeterierunt, nos abimus, posteri sequuntur. Our Fathers are dead, our Friends are dead, and our selves also must die. Some are gone before us, some accompany us and some come after us, like wave after wave are we dashed against the hard and cold stone Death, Serius aut citius, metam proper ammad vnaus. And thus soon, or late we die all at last. We are borne, with condition to die: We therefore put on the Garment of our Body, to put it off. and at first take up the load of Nature, to lay it dowen at last. Death is Natures Law; and to die, is but to pay Natures Tribute. It is as natural for us to live, and die; as for to wake, and sleep:

O Death, Thou art certainly coming, yet uncertain is it when thou wilt come. Nil certius morte, at hora mortis incertius nihil. Nothing more certain then Death; but then the hour of Death, nothing more uncertain; Of that day, and hour knoweth no man. That is, of the day of Judgment, & the hour of Death. Death comes as a Thief in the night, both suddenly, and violently: it takes us, one upon the house top, another in the Field; one working in the Vine-yard, another grinding at the Mill: one upon the house top of honors, another in the field of Pleasures; one abouring in the Vineyard of a Christian Calling, another grinding at the Mill of worldly affairs. A man knoweth not his time, that is, the time of his death. God will not tell us the time, when Death shall come upon us; because he would have us think it never but near us: He will not let us know our last day; because he would have us suspect and expect every day to be our last. Latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies. This one hour, the hour of Death is hidden from us; that all the hours of our life might the rather be observed by us.

O Death, thou art impartial, and indifferent to all. Pauperam tabernas, regumque turres: thou knockest equally at the Palace, as the Cottage door: thou likenest a Kings scull to a Beggers, and makest no difference between their dust. Neither hast thou pity upon the Poor, nor respect unto the Rich; neither scornest thou the foolish, nor dost thou reverence the wise: How dieth the wiseman? as doth the Fool. The oldman, thou long threatnest; the young man, thou soon betrayest, Neither sparest thou for Age, Sexe, Degrees, nor Gifts. No Power of ours can forbid thee; no Diligence avoid thee; no tears move thee; Price hire thee; no art, or Eloquence persuade thee.

O Death, thou art manifold: thou comest to us in sundry hues and shapes. Thou approachest pale, and lean, to the old man; bloody, & boisterous, to the young man; black as hell, to the bad man, and but ugly, unto every man. Thou comest to us, sometimes in Men's hands, sometimes in Beasts mouths, sometimes in a flame of fire, sometimes in a wave of water, sometimes in a blast of wind; sometimes in the slipping of a foot sometimes in the falling of a stone Thou comest to us, sometimes in our clothes, and sometimes in our Meat and Drink. We die diversely: Some by war, some in Peace; some by Sea, some by land; some in the Field, some on our Beds; some by our own violence, or Intemperance some by a sudden wound, and some by a languishing disease Mille modis lethi miseres mors vnafatigat. And thus, by a thousand ways of dying, one Death destroys us all.

O Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee, to a man that live that rest in his possessions, &c. O Death, how acceptable is thy judgment unto the needful, &c. O Death thou art a shadow indeed, thou fleest those that follow thee; and followest those that flee thee, Mors optata recedit; at cum tristis erit, praecipi. tata venit. Thou hastnest then, when we wish to eschew thee; then delayest thou, when we seek to embrace thee. Death is the rich man's Fear; and the poor man's Desire: Often called upon, in Adversity; never thought upon in prosperity. In prosperity, we complain, and cry with Hezekiah, to have it further added into our days: But in adversity, we can be content everyone to wish with Elijah; It is enough now O Lord, take away my Soul, for I am no better then my Fathers.

O Death! How fearful a thing art thou to flesh and blood? How abhor we, to have the grave, forour house; to make our bed in darkness; to say to Corruption, thou art my Father; and to the Worm, thou art my Sister, and my Mother? How do we hate to inherit 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 serpents, and worms; to be separated from our selves; to be returned to our dust? how does Death terrify us, not only in our own experience, but others example? In others Example; so oft as we see or hear another is dead; it troubles us to think, that we also must die. For our own experience; how are we then agast, not knowing either what we must be or whither we must go? We are afraid to die, even we, who have good hope after Death: Even we that look for an house not made with hands; are notwithstanding loath to leave this house of clay: we that have the promise of a Kingdom, are but unwilling to forgo our Prison: There is a Fear in us, to be dissolved; notwithstanding our Desire to be with Christ: and we many irke to undergo the Passage, that even rejoice to approach to the Home.

2 An interrogation, or death dared, where I am to ask this one thing of death, for your encouragement: where is thy sting?

Not only this I am now to ask of death but that I have already said to death, (truly considered) serves to encourage us against death. Death is a shadow, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but a very Bug-bear: and are we (like children) afraid of Hobgoblings only? death is a nothing, and are we afraid of we know not what? Death separates betwixt soul and body; why fear we so it should dissolve us, when we ought to rejoice rather, that it cannot destroy us? Fear we what may separate us from our selves? rather embrace we, what will convey us to Christ. Death is deomed to us all, and why fear we, what we cannot eschew? Our willingnese to die, is the only way to prevent the necessity of death. Offeramus Deopro munere, quod debito teneamur reddere. Let us therefore offer God our lives, as a free gift, which he will otherwise require as a due debt. Deaths coming is uncertain, and shall any uncertain thing cause in us a certain fear? Incertum est, quo te loco mors expectet; itaque tu illam omni loco expecta. Rather, seeing it is uncertain, at what time, or in what place death will overtake us; let us therefore be sure to expect death at all times, and in every place. Death is equal and impartial to all; this also should make us less afraid of death. Quis queri potest, in ea conditione se esse, in qua nemo non est? Who can complain, when himself is but in such a case or condition, in which none are not? Who looks that she should spare any, that knows her indifferent to all? When the like ruin is threatened to an whole world, who expects that himself should escape alone? Some comfort against the cruelty of death, is her equality. There are diverse ways of dying, and should that make us afraid of death? No matter how we die, seeing the most is but to be dead. Non multum curandum est eis, qui necessario merituri sunt, quid accidet, vt moriantur; sed moriendo, quo ire cogantur. Since we must die, it skilleth not how we die, but whether we must go after death. Lastly, death is a thing fearful to flesh and blood; yet should not all this make us afraid of death. For it is not death, but the fear of death, that is so fearful. This fear fullness is rather from our own ignorance, then according to the nature of the thing, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : did we but know death, we would not so fear death. The fear of death is the punishment of our ignorance and negligence, which make us apprehend things, as new and strange things, which otherwise are neither strange, nor new. The only way then to make death not so fearful to us, is (by a daily meditation thereof) to make it more familiar; to acquaint our selves withal, before the coming, that we may less fear it when it comes. And thus, first learning not to fear death, at last come we to dare death; O death! where is thy sting?

Death is not yet destroyed, for the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death; but death is already disarmed; O death, where is thy sting? The Text is an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : The Captains song of victory, as also the Soldiers song of delivery. The words are of a mighty Conqueror, bravely insulting over a base and wretched enemy. And who is this conqueror of death, but Christ Jesus, the Lord of life? It was he, spake in the Prophets words, O death, I will be thy death; and in his power, speaks the Apostle here, O death, where is thy sting? Quia in electis funditus occidit mortem, mors mortis extitit. Christ did once subdue death for us; O death, I will be thy death; and we may now deride death in Christ, O death, where is thy sting? Olim morti nostrae, mortis suae potentiam minabatur. Christ once threatened his death to our death, O death, I will be thy death; wherefore we now may glory in the virtue of his death, against the malice of our own, O death, where is thy sting?

Christ overcame death by dying: nay, through death, destroyed be, not death only, but him also that had the power of death, the Devil. Our Captain both beat our enemy at her own weapon, and caught the Hunter in his own snare. He but yielded to death, to take advantage against her: yea, therefore died the life, that death might no longer live. Wherefore, Non Christum mortuum in morte credimus, sed mortem mortuam in Christo. We do not think that Christ is dead in death, but believe that death is dead in Christ. Death, that greedy Whale durst devour Christ, our Jonah, (who was therefore cast forth into the sea of the world, that so the storms and tempests of the devil, and sin, might cease) but he was preserved alive in the Fishes belly (the belly of hell, the jaws of death) to preach repentance to the Nineveh of the Church. This same Whale swallowed the bait of Christ's humanity, but the hook of his divinity entangled her, and made her vomit up her bowels, together with the bait. Deuorasti, & deuorata es. Death thought to have swallowed Christ down in obscurity, and so death her self was swallowed up in victory. Death, that Serpent, was bold to sting Christ; but he made her lose her sting for her labor. His humanity could but receive her sting, of which his Diety did deprive her. So that we may well ask her in him: O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin: Christ, the Lamb of God, hath taken away the sins of the world. In Christ Jesus therefore may we securely say: O death, where is thy sting?

Job asked of man, Man dieth, and where is he? but we may ask as much of death: Man dieth, and where is death? yea, we may ask concerning the worst of death, deaths sting; O death, where is thy sting? Jacob thus bewailed the death of Joseph, Joseph is dead Joseph is not. And Rachel wept for her children, and would not be comforted, 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 because they were not. Because death was there, they thought their children to be nowhere. But now, death does but convey us where we should be, and death it self is nowhere. O death, where is thy sting? Death is quite undone since the Cross of Christ. When death entered first into the world, it was like the waters of Marah, exceeding bitter: but since the Tree of the Cross of Christ, was cast therein, it is now seasoned and sweetened unto us. We might once cry out with the children of the Prophets: death is in the pot, death is in the pot: But since, Christ hath said, This Cup is the New Testament in my blood: we may now say with the Saints of God; The Cup of Salvation, Salvation is in the Cup. There is now no more death, since the Lord of life. Vita cius instruxit nostram, mors destruxit nostram. His life hath instructed our life, his death, destroyed our death; his life quickened ours, his death sweetened ours. his life took away death from our life; his death, gave life to our death.

The Text asks not this question; O death, what is thy sting? yet do the words following make answer to such a question; The sting of death is sin. (Death belike is not the sting of sin, but sin the sting of death: peccato enim morimur, non morte peccamus; Since we d • e indeed, by sinning, but sin not by dying.) And as the words following answer to a question, they ask not; So my Text asks a question, to which it answers not; O death, where is thy sting? It does not tell you where it is, to tell you, it is nowhere. Death hath now no sting. I am non est stimulus, sed sibilus, immo iubilus. Rejoice all, and be glad; This Serpent may hiss at us, this Be may buzz about us, but now can neither prick nor sting. The sting of death is gone; there remains but the name of death; nay, not the name of death to them that are in Christ Jesus. Mors piorum, non mors dicenda, &c. The death of the godly is not to be called a death, but a sleep, a resting from their labors, a delivery from their prison, a laying down their load, a flitting to their home. Death hath lost her sting. Death is now no punishment, but a passage; not so much an end of this present life, as an entrance to a better; not a destruction now, but a dissolution, separating body and soul for a time, that so both may be conjoined with Christ to eternity.

Thus have I asked this one thing of death, O death; where is thy sting? Now let me ask this one thing of you, why are you so desperately and forlornely afraid of death, having heard and known how death hath lost her sting? Oh saithlesse man, and faint hearted! Why tremblest thou now to encounter with thy last enemy, since her weapon is taken from her? Shrinkest thou so at the coldness of the Serpent, when thou knowest her poison and sting are both away? Oh faithless, and faint-hearted, to be so afraid of a shadow? Ah wretches! why fear we death so desperately; that are not lost, but sent before; whom death utterly destroys not, but eternity once receives? It is for them to fear death so desperately, that pass from one death to another; namely, from a death of the body once on earth, to the death of body and soul in hell forever. It is for them so forlornely to fear a temporal death, that are either ignorant, or desperate of eternal life. It is for them so to fear their flittings, that go from their prison, to the place of their execution. But as for us that are in Christ Jesus, we pass from a Prison, to a Palace; from a Dunghill, to a Throne, from a crazy and wretched Tabernacle, to a certain and blessed home. Eius est mortem timere, qui non vult ad Christumire. It is for them to fear to be dissolved, that hope not to be with Christ. A forlorn fear of death, is but a despair of life after death. Men had rather suffer a great deal of pain, and live, then die but with a little pain: the which betokens, that it is something after death, that is so fearful, and not death it self. Let them then desire to linger in the miseries of this present life, that so but delay awhile the torments of the life to come. But as for us that are in Christ Jesus, after many our storms and shipwrecks, why fear we to arrive at our Haven? Having fought a good fight, and finished our course, why doubt we to go and have our crown? having run our race, why are we so loath to obtain our price? Why should we fear the threatenings of a temporal death, that may rejoice in the promises of eternal life? Whether we live, we live unto the Lord, whether we die, we die unto the Lord: therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's: Neither let us be so dissolute, and profane of life, as therefore ashamed to live, nor so ignorant and negligent of death, as therefore afraid to die. But at the instant of our several flittings, say everyone, as a dying Saint; Egredere, quid times? egredere anima mea, &c. Go forth my soul! why fearest thou? go forth. Learn each soul to say at the last passage of his pilgrimage: what though I die. I know my Redeemer liveth; though I be dissolved from my self, yet shall I be conjoined with Christ. Lye then down (my body!) and return unto thy dust; mount thou aloft (my soul!) and meet thy Savior in the air; my body may be but worms-meat for a while, my soul (I am assured) shall be an Angels fellow forever.

I have done with my Text as concerning you, before whom it hath been uttered. I am now only to apply it to this honorable party, for whom it was intended. This honorable party, your doletull spectacle, and my Texts untimely occasion; This honorable party, our Master, Father, Brother; this honorable party, whose honor, for his person, now lies in the dust; for his succession, Lord let it long, and much, both continue and increase.

The blessed Saints of God learn many good lessons in their lives, which they both teach, and use at their death. Concerning this Saint now departed, we that heard, can witness, how well he had learnt to adapt the prayers and sayings of the faithful, and former Saints, to his own, and instant necessities. He sang with Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace. He prayed with Saint Paul, desiring to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Yea, said he, with both the lingering and longing Saints, How long Lord, how long? Even so come Lord Jesus, come quickly. One of these sweet sayings of his own application, had given me my Text to treat of, save that I considered, this Text that I have chosen, did as much as intimate them all. For, to pray to depart, to desire to be dissolved, to call for the has • ening, and to complain of the deferring; What other is all this, but as in my Text, earnestly to summon death, O death! and stou • y to daredeath, where is thy sting? He mentioned the departing, he expected the dissolving, but he never feared the stinging. He knew he should not be lost, he should but depart; therefore says he, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart, &c. He knew well, death could but dissolve him, it could not destroy him; he therefore said, I desire to be dissolved, &c. And this is no more, then as if he had demanded of death here in defiance; O death, where is thy sting? As he had thus said; O death, thou art death indeed, and thou mayest dissolve me; but where is thy sting? Sting hast thou none, and therefore thou canst not destroy me.

It hath been always the Churches use, not only to relate, but commend the lives of the Faithful, being dead, that so the living might come to know their conversation, and be brought to follow their example. Both for our information, and imitation of this Saint deceased; I could gladly, (as I might justly) inlarg myself to a volume of • is praise. I flatter him not to say the best I can of him, that is now better then I can tell how to say. To p • ayse a good man after his death, is not to flatter him, but to praise God for him: besides, a dead man's commendation, is the livings admonition. Then wh • should we forget, whom we ought to imitate? Why should his virtues die with him, before men on earth? whose graces are gone before him, and live before the face of Christin heaven. Let us yet therefore speak of him, when we cannot now speak with him. Let us have him now in our minds, while he is now no more before our eyes: having now lost his presence, let us enjoy him yet in his remembrance.

The life of our Honorable and dear Brother departed, must I remember unto you, according to the twofold state of life; his prosperity, his adversity; and in them both, I commend unto you his Christianity. He is worthy the consideration in either state: In as much as he drank deep of a mixed Cup; both had he his share of the honey-comb, and withal, was vinegar and gall made his portion to drink: as a large talent was given him, so an heavy load was laid upon him. God wonderfully both blessed, and afflicted him, because in both (as himself both found and said) God would try him to the full. And indeed, neither state did more then exercise, and examine him: for, neither did the height of his prosperity, puff • him up, nor could the depth of his adversity depress him. In his prosperity I never heard but that he was just, and temperate. This I can say, he was both humble and thankful in his affliction.

1. For his prosperity in particular; and there to begin with him as soon as he began to prosper. He was a man (as it is well known) worshipfully borne, religiously educated, wisely instructed, honorably promoted; A man happy in a loyal wife, joyful in virtuous children, prosperous in worldly wealth. Nor were his prosperity so commendable, but for his Piety, and charity. For his Piety, he served his God, he reverenced the Church, he heard the word, he believed the truth, he endeavored the good; His sighs and tears, could witness his tender heartedness; so his prayers, and meditations, his 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 heavenly mindedness. For his Charity, it is well noted, where ever he had anything to dee, the first thing he did, was always to do good. Besides his oft, and private alms, his light moreover shines in public, and both in City, and country, men may see his good works. Were I (for memory, and imitation sake) to catel • gue, or record his works, I could declare when, how, where, he spared neither for hundreds, nor for thousands, to do good. But such a thing I rather think worthy a wide worlds eye, then but only a small people's care. What he hath bestowed to pious and charitable uses amount to more then 11000. pounds. And this the several places endowed can truly witness, and Parties benesitted shall thankfully confess. Both living and dying was he largely and variously beneficent. As for the most things of common use, and need, these were the objects of his liberality. Hale, Hospitals, Prisons, Schools, Colleges, and Churches; of some was he sole Founder, to some a free Benefactour I might (not amiss) call him a man of good works. He was food to the hungry, a garment to the naked, comfort to the sick, a relief unto the prisoner, and an harbor even to the stranger: For, besides those of his acquaintance, many one had cause to bless him, that scarce ever saw his face. One thing I may not here omit, that when he had done much good for many, he further demanded of us, Who was there would have him do anything for them? And when he had freely and orderly given the last he gave, he yet ask • , what else was for him to do? Though his good deeds were many and munificent, yet such words shown a mind, beyond his deeds; that wh • n he had done well, and sufficient, yet was he not satisfied with doing good.

2 Touching his adversity; his heavenly Father, as he had for a long time embraced this his Son, in the arms of his blessings: so did his heavy hand scourge him sore, now that he received him. He so cherished him, as not to let him escape the whip. And all to tell him, he could not be so happy here, as not to be miserable, and must be miserable a while, to be happy forever, During the time of his sinknesse, his sufferings were both tedious and extreme, so that (comparing h •• p • ines cogether with his years) we wondered he could be so mightily afflicted, and yet so 〈◊〉 subsist in his afflictions. Both were his pains great, and groans many, and (for many 〈◊〉 together) his 〈◊〉 , and sleep (in comparison) small, or none. His Bed was but as his Racke; the place of natural refreshment, as an engine of extreme torment. Nor was any time so restless to him, as the common time of rest. For all which, he was never heard to charge God foolishly, but always, in his wholesome Admonitions, his holy Confessions, his hearty Inuocations; so improoued he his breath to the last. All those godly and comfortable sayings that proceeded from him, should I now utter them in particular, I suppose it would be another Sermon to recite them. Lastly, having both appointed, and perfected his whole bequests, and so set his house in order, and now quite renounced the world, setting himself (as he said) to present his soul before God in Christ: after a long and bitter agony, and now towards the doomed and expected moment of this peaceable passage: while our hearts groaned, and eyes distilled in their devotions his soul began already to be ravished in her heavenly visions, and blessed contemplations: and so, he cheerfully flitting from us, left us sadly looking on.

To insist long upon the virtues of the Dead, is (in some case) to add unto the sorrows of the living: For, to hear his goodness praised, cannot but this way grieve us, namely, in that we have lost so great a good. We have lost him, w •• have lost him; nor indeed is he lost, but to us. We have some lost a Lord, some lost a Friend, some lost a Magistrate, some lost a Master, some lost a Pe • re, some lost a Patron, one lost a Husband, some lost a Father, and (to mine own particular) next a Father, his loss was mine. To reckon so manifold a loss, my Tears begin to stop my speech; and bid me bewail it rather in sobbes, then words. But I refrain the rather to let loose mine own passion at this time and place; considering how unfitting he is to comfort others, whose own sorrows overcome himself. It is not for me now to show sorrow in my face, that am now to speak comfort to your heatts.

Comfort we our selves therefore (Brethren) in the Lord, in whom (we believe) this our Brother doth now rejoice. Let us be content to lose him whom it hath pleased God to gain: How justly might he take him away from us, that even gave him to himself? Letvs not only bewail that we want him, but rejoice rather, that once we had him, He is dead, neither the first, nor last: we must follow after, whither he is but gone before. Neither was he violently nor untimely snatched away from us, but he slept peaceably, and died in a good age. Let it not then so afflict us, to think how we may miss him here on earth, as rejoice us to expect how we must meet him in the Air, at the last coming of the Lord Jesus. To which coming of thine (Lord Jesus ) not only hasten, but prepare: that when thou shalt descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and the Trump of God; we which shall then live and remain, may be caught up with them (even this our Brother, and all thine holy Saints and Angels) in the clouds; and so be, & be blest with thee our only Lord and Savior, forever and ever. Amen.

A just and necessary Catalogue of such Noble and Charitable Deeds, as have been done by the late Right Honorable, Baptist Lord Hickes, Viscount Campden, as well in his Life, as at his Death: recorded to the glory of God, his own Honor, and others good Example.

• ymbolum Honoratissimi D. Viceco •• mitis Campden: optumi senis & bonorum patroni.

Errata.

〈…〉 Age 2. line 10. for an hundred, read 〈…〉 : hundred, and l. 25. for things, read 〈…〉 . p. 21. l. 10. read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 〈…〉 Catologue, for poor Prisoners, 〈…〉 Pensioners, in the verses, for 〈…〉 read atrae, for cinerem{que}, read 〈…〉 .