Four Letters of Comforts

An Epitaph upon the death of Robert Lord Boyd, who sleeped in CHRIST the 17. of November 1640. the twenty one year of his age.

To the right Noble, and religious Lady, D. Ieane Hamiltoun, Couutesse of CASSILLIS, &c.

I N the common calamity of this Nation, the Public suffered a great wound in the death of your Ladyship's noble Brorher, the Earl of Hadintoun, with a number of worthy Gentlemen, who had both Hearts and Hands for the Good Cause. Your La. particular loss hath been very great, both in his Lordship, and in your other worthy Brethren, who were fearfully overwhelmed by the house of Dunglasse, by treachery, blown up with powlder, for to spoil • he Church of God of such helpful • nstruments, in such a time of need.

Such a stroke made the victorious Lawrels of Newburne to chan •• th • i • greenest Colours into black: If they had been safe, Scotland had been overjoyed; our cup had overflowed; If our mirth had not been marred, hardly could we have been kept within measure. So it pleased the Lord to temper that Scottish victory, with that fearful tragedy, for to teach us all to rejoice in trembling, and to look for perfect joy only in the heavens. As for you Madame, whom the Lord hath endowed with many Christian virtues: yea, with an heroic courage to this Cause, I think, that your Brethren's death may be a comfort, in that they died for the good Cause: their death in a manner was a Martyredome, for they suffered for the cause of Christ; they were ready in their life, at all occasions, both to do, and to die, for the maintenance of Religion, and of the liberties of their native Country: of them might be said, as David said of Saul and Jonathan, They were swifter then Eagles, they were stronger then Lions. * Though their bodies be dead their Names shall live in all the memories of good Men of this age, and in the Chronicles of time, for all ages to come. It was a great honor among the Men of War in David's days, to be called David's Worthies, but it is a greater honor to Be renowned The Worthies of Christ: to have a heart or a hand for his honou • , is a praise which no time shall be able to deface: Let all these considerations, and many mo than I am able to express, teach your La. in your deepest doole, both now and in all times to come, to behave and quiet yourself like a child that is waned of his mother, who stilled, is made silent, being simple and submissive, humble, meek, and modest; what God hath done, or permitted to be done, must not be said against.* What ever the instruments have been, we must ever bless the Lord, Job did so, after that Satan in a mighty wind, by the fall of an house, had smothered all his children: * As for Job's children, they were at a banquet, in dangers of blasphemy, but your La. brethren at the very blast, were praising the LORD for a victory granted unto Christ's army; and from that spiritual joy and singing of hearts on the Lord's day, they being Christ's Martyrs, went up to heaven, where they shall sing Hallelujah forever. This should be no small comfort to your La. that God hath preserved your worthy LORD, and Husband, whose zeal, wisdom, courage, and uprightness, not declining, but still increasing have most oriently shined in our army, unto his everlasting praise. The LORD season your La. sorrows with the joy of his Spirit, that his peace may be your portion, and his Christ your advantage, both in life and death.

To the right Noble, and religious Lady, D. Margaret Livinstoun, Countess of WIGIOVN.

DIverse and many distractions take up so our time, that we cannot, as we would or should discharge these duties which we ow to those whom we honor.

The Lord knoweth, Madame, but I am sorry, both for your La. sorrow, & for that which hath been the cause, even the removing of that worthy noble Youth, who was a dear One to your La.

We see here, Madame, that only heavenly joys are eternal: This mortality that Adams sin hath brought into the World, woundeth many hearts: A separation made by death, is very painful to those that remain behind: The balm for this sore is only to be found in Christ's box: his word is a healing word, he himself was sent to heal the broken hearted; he only can rightly bind up ou • wounds; his Salve is only fit for our Sores.

Your La. is one who hath experience in the ways of God: I doubt not but you will travel humbly to submit yourself to God's will, and to reverence his Majesty, as well in his taking, as in his giving: Death is a Way that he hath prepared for all flesh▪ To great men he hath said, I have called you gods, but ye shall die like men: What man is he that liveth, saith the Psalmist, and shall not see death? The greatest Monarch is not ex • emed, for as Job saith. His days are determined, the number of his months are with God, he hath appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.

As for his Lo. who is removed▪ he hath been removed by God, and not by the hand of man: * In time of war he hath died in peace; he walked with God in his life, God was with him in his death, and now he is with God, with whom he shall remain for evermore, in the company of Saints and Angels. * We are like a ship on the sea he is in the harb • rie: We are here Pilgrims in a strange land, he is at home; we are in the way, he is at his journeys end, where he rests with his LORD; for a thousand worlds he would not return but for the space of a day, to enjoy all the pleasures of the earth.

See here, Madame, with the eye of faith what GOD hath done to your Ladyship's Son, my dear LORD, and most loving Chief: We may lament him: it is permitted by GOD'S word; but our grief must not be like these who have no hope of the resurrection: * We will never be happy, until we be where he is, never content, until we see what he seeth; never filled with joy, until we hear what he heareth, the songs of heaven, and most sweet sounding harps of God, in the presence of Christ Jesus, the chiefest among ten thousand; To his special comforts I recommend your La. wounded heart, and so I rest,

To the right Noble, and religious Lady, D. Christian Hamiltoun, Lady BOYD.

MAny reasons oblige me to wish your La. comforts, yea and to pray earnestly for them: your Lord whom you have faithfully served hitherto, will be to you a Husband, a Son, and a Brother: He himself will fill the room of all those that he hath taken from you: By his doings he hath been taking away your earthly roots and tenons, which might have fastened your heart to the ground: When these whom ye loved best on earth, are above with him whom ye love above all things, your heart will the more freely mount up towards your true home: Who should not desire to be with Christ, the chiefest among ten thousand? This will help your d • sire, when ye remember, that these whom ye loved best, are ever in his company; a few days will join all the godly together to their head Christ in heaven; what have we here but toile and trouble? Wherefore came we hither, but to make a voyage to the Heavens? What is our life, but the heat of the day in a vineyard of pains ' At death we receive the ponnie: Our life is a warfare, at death we receive the pay: It is great weakness of faith, to be too grieved for the death of God's Servants, which is the time they receive their rewards. If good education of children, a good child living, and dying in the fear of God, beloved of all good men, honored by the best; if all these things can bring comforts to an heart assaulted with sorrows, your La. hath such a measure, that I may say they overflow: We will go to him, but he will not come to us: The day of the resurrection will bring all friends together: This is the chiefest Cordial the Apostle could find to comfort these that mourned for the dead, that at the resurrection, we all together should meet the Lord in the air, and after that should be with the Lord forever.

What shall I say more? Can a mother forget her child? All earthly sorrows were they never so sharp, will at last grow blunt; and will be meekened and skinned over by time: Now what time can do to a Pagan, let grace do it to your La. a Christian, both by grace, profession, and name.

To the right Noble, and religious Lady, D. Anna Fleemin, Lady BOYD.

WHen God sends troubles to his Servants, it is to stir up their heart to prayer, and also to try their patience: It is written of Aaron, that when God had slain his two sons, He held his peace: David likewise in his great grief said, I will not open my mouth, because thou hast done it: God said likewise to Ezekiel in his sorrow, Be silent. forbear to cry. The Hebrews call a widow Almanah, from a word that signifieth dumb, to teach her to seal her mouth with a reverent silence, and to stoup humbly under God's hand. I confess that your La. grief must be great, for great was your love: your flower hath been cropped in the bud, ye gote but a short sight one of another, when God came, and made the separation: We must adore God in all his doings, * We must bless him as well when he taketh, as when he giveth, except we would say, We love the gift better than the giver. The LORD hath taken your Lord, and of a Lord hath made him a crowned King: He was but a Lord and Colonnel at New castel; it was your comfort to hear that he was well there; let your faith tell you where he is now, and what he is in that Jerusalem that is above; his honors there are without hazard; his life there is eternal; his company are Saints and Angels; his great General and King is Jesus Christ; he is without the reach of all sorrows and sores; his joys cannot be told; for Picks, and Musquets, and Canons, he seeth nothing but peace, and heareth nothing but harps, sounding the praise of his Lord, and he with the rest is singing Hallelujah; he enjoyeth that which we all should desire; Should we not all rejoice to go to our rest? within a few years your Lord and your La. will meet with greater joy in Heaven, than ye could be able to have on Earth: God's Spirit be your La. Comforter.

In obitum D. Roberti Bodii, Bodianae Familiae principis, qui diem suum obiit 17 Novemb. Anno Dom. 1640 hora nona vespertina. postquam foeliciter in Anglia magnâ cum laude Tribunatum gessisset.