A DEFIANCE TO DEATH. Being The Funebrious Commemoration of the Right Honourable, Baptist Lord Hickes, Viscount Camden, late deceased. Preached at Camden in Gloucester-shire, November 8. 1629. By JOHN GAUL. LONDON: Printed by Thomas Harper, for Robert Allot, and are to be sold at his Shop in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the Black Bear, 1630. To the truly Honourable and religious Ladies, julian, Viscountesse Camden, and Mary, Lady Cooper; Daughters to the late right Honourable Baptist, Lord Hickes, Viscount Camden; the blessings of both this, and the life to come. Most Noble, and virtuous Ladies: TO whom should I dedicate the memorial of your deceased Father, but to you, in whom he life's? Who (me thinks) but his Monuments, may challenge his commemoration? Besides the life he was personally possessed of; you are his derived life: and he yet life's, (and long may he) though not in himself, yet in his Successions. Yet (alas!) how much rather had you (I know) to have still enjoyed, then thus supplied his life? But you are not ignorant, how nature abides not always, but succeeds: how God but lends, not binds your friends to your enjoyment. He was given you, to be taken from you: yours he was, to use, rather than possess: yours in his life, name, virtues, graces, to inherit; and not yours, in an earthly being to engross. Therefore had you him, to lose him, and must therefore be contented with his loss: yea, ought indeed to rejoice rather, that once ye had him; then sorrow, that now ye have him not. Grant, it cannot be but a grief to miss him: so neither but a joy to remember him. It was an happiness more delighting, when you might rejoice in his presence: but is an happiness more lasting, that you may yet rejoice in his remembrance. You both (beyond the common lot and hap) were much, and long happy, in a double Parent: the loss of one now admonishes, yea, applauds you, to esteem another Parent, and fear another's loss. But, I spare from further repetitions of your loss; lest (while I would strive to consolate, and appease them) I rather prove but to renew your sorrow; & provoke your fear. For mine own part (who reckon myself not the least in his loss) I count it even as envy, to bewail the happy: and but folly, forlornely to sorrow for him; that certainly rejoices for himself. Nevertheless (for loss of friends) forbidden I no man to mourn, but murmur, and despair. Such our sorrows, are but the late tokens of our love, and must as well be moderate, as unfeigned. Neither should our hearts (in this case) be flinty, nor effeminate: nor our eyes always dropping, nor altogether dry. For me, I like neither to be niggardly, nor prodigal of my tears: neither to be desperate, nor ambitious of my complaints. I say no more of this sorrow and loss, because I would not pack them up, or deck them up in words only. Thus much have I written, because I would not that a private hour should extinguish or engross them. What I have herein presumed, besides the comfort (I trust) you shall receive by it: this also shall comfort me, that you deign to receive it. Your good Ladyships in all humble observance, JOHN GAUL. A DEFIANCE TO DEATH. 1 COR. 15.55. Oh death, where is thy sting? Upright 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 Adam's Sons but live to dye. The sentence of death passed upon us in him; we are but borne to the execution thereof in ourselves. Even as Adam himself, for the necessity of dying, Gen. 2.17. 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. Gen. 5.5. 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 Adam's doom: though God be yet pleased to prolong those things of ours, wherein we must live to dye, accordingly as he hath doomed us. A malefactor is not executed sometimes of one, two, three, four, five, or six days after his judgement: Even so were we all adjudged to dye, before we were; but God (with whom a thousand years is but as one day) hath apppointed 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, than our life. No such need, that he that is not, should be, as that he that now lives, should once dye. The former may be supposed, but this other is expressed: It is apppointed for all men once to dye. Heb. 9.27. 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 dye, and dye from the time that we are borne. Our birthday, what is it, but the beginning of our death-day? our death-day, what, but the end of our birth day? our birthday precedes, or happens before our death-day: but our death-day is preferred before our birthday: The day of death is better than the day that one is borne. Eccles. 7.3 Did we so consider it, our birthday is indeed a punishment, and our death-day (in comparison) a reward. suppliciam non sit nasc●, mors efficit. Death is as the remedy against the miseries of life: and to dye, is but to rest from those labours, and cease from those sorrows, whereunto we were borne. What a plague and punishment were our birthday 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 birthday is the beginning of our death-day: and our death-day but the end of our birthday. 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 dye. Consummate 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 spoke the Prophet of persecutions, We are killed all the day long, Psal. 44.22 1 Cor. 15.31. 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, taketh one day from our lives; and the longer we have lived, the less we have to live. Quotidie morimur, Senec. lib. 3. epist 24. 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. Ibid. Hunc ipsum quem agimus diem, cum morte dividimus: This very day that we now live, do we divide with death. Hieron. ad Heliodor. in Epitaph. Nesoliani. 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 Today, and Today is dying to Tomorrow. Our actions die daily: what is done and passed, 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 dye 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 cast away. Seneca ut supra. Non repent in mortem incidimus, sed minutatim procedimus. We die by piecemeal, 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 fails 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 than other, either the eyes grow dim of seeing, the ears dull of hearing, or else the palate unsavoury 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 gins 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 Mother's womb. The hourglass runs continually, from the time it is turned. Man is an hourglass, but a running sand, or moving dust. And as the sand in the hourglass 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 Traveller goes many days onward to his journey's end. Man is this Traveller, this life the way, and death the journey's end. And is it a strange thing to dye, when our whole life is but the way to death? Sen. ep. 78. Tu non putabas te aliquando perventurum 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? Bern. ser. Miser homo, quare te omni hora non disponis? cogita te iam mortuum, quem scis necessitate moriturum. Wretched man then, who ever thou art, seeing thou diest daily, why dost thou not daily dispose thyself for death? think thyself now dead, whom thou knowest needs must dye. Woe to us wretches all! that so many of us are so near death, and yet put it so fare from us: so near it in the event, and yet put it so fare 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 ourselves: hereof have we daily warning; Eucher: epist: Paraen. yet will we make it unawares. Nihil ita quotidie homines ut mortem, vident; nihil ita obliviscuntur ut mortem. Men daily behold nothing more than 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 Bugbear a Dream, a Shadow, a nothing. O Death, thou art a strange thing consider: Thou art none of God's Creature: Wisdom. 1.13. 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 dye, 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 interest to the dividing a sunder of the Soul and Spirit, thou even dividest 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 colour change, our Beauty fade, our Strength fall, Eccles. 12. 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 shutest 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, Heb. 9.27. thou art doomed to us all. It is appointed for all men once to dye. 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. Eucher: Paraen. Our Fathers are dead, our Friends are dead, and ourselves also must dye. 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 unaus. And thus soon, or late we die all at last. We are borne, with condition to dye: 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 Nature's Law; and to dye, is but to pay Nature's Tribute. It is as natural for us to live, and dye; 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 than Death; but then the hour of Death, nothing more uncertain; Matth. 24.36. Of that day, and hour knoweth no man. That is, of the day of judgement, & 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 honours, another in the field of Pleasures; one abouring in the Vineyard of a Christian Calling, another grinding at the Mill of worldly affairs. Eccles. 9.12. 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 ultimus dies ut obseruentur omnes dies. Aug de discipl: Christiana. 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 Beggars, 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: Eccles. 2.16. How dyeth the wiseman? as doth the Foole. The oldman, thou long threatnest; the young man, thou soon betrayest, Neither sparest thou for Age, Sex, 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 , 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 unafatigat. And thus, by a thousand ways of dying, one Death destroys us all. O Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee, Ecclus. 41.1.2. to a man that live that rest in his possessions, etc. O Death, how acceptable is thy judgement unto the needful, etc. 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, Isa. 38. to have it further added into our days: But in adversity, we can be content every one to wish with Elijah; It is enough now O Lord, 1 King. 19.4. take away my Soul, for I am no better than 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 serpents, and worms; to be separated from ourselves; 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 dye. For our own experience; how are we then aghast, not knowing either what we must be or whither we must go? We are afraid to dye, 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 irk 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, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Chrys. ad pop. hom. 5. but a very Bugbear: and are we (like children) afraid of Hobgobling 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 ourselves? 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 dye, is the only way to prevent the necessity of death. Chrys in Mat. 10. 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. Death's coming is uncertain, and shall any uncertain thing cause in us a certain fear? Incertum est, Sen. ep 26. 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. Sen ep. 30. 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 eyes, Aug. lib. 1. Ciu. Dei. qui necessario merituri sunt, quid accidet, ut moriantur; sed moriendo, quo ire cogantur. Since we must dye, 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, Chrys. ad pop. hom. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: 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 ourselves 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? 1 Cor. 15.26. 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: The Captain's song of victory, as also the Soldier's 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, spoke in the Prophet's words, O death, Hos. 13.14. I will be thy death; and in his power, speaks the Apostle here, O death, where is thy sting? Greg. hom. 22. 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, Leo serm. 8. passion. 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. Heb. 7.14. 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. Chrys. in Math. 12. 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 jonas, (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 Fish's belly (the belly of hell, the jaws of death) to preach repentance to the Ninive 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, Hieron. lib. 1. ep. ad Heliodor. together with the bait. Devorasti, & devorata es. Death thought to have swallowed Christ down in obscurity, and so death herself was swallowed up in victory. Death, that Serpent, was bold to sting Christ; but he made her lose her sting for her labour. His humanity could but receive her sting, of which his Deity did deprive her. So that we may well ask her in him: O death, 1 Cor. 15.56. joh. 1.29. 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 dyeth, and where is he? job 14.10. but we may ask as much of death: Man dyeth, and where is death? yea, we may ask concerning the worst of death, death's sting; O death, where is thy sting? jacob thus bewailed the death of joseph, joseph is dead joseph is not. Gen. 42. And Rachel wept for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not. Math. 2. Because death was there, they thought their children to be no where. But now, death does but convey us where we should be, and death itself is no where. O death, where is thy sting? Death is quite undone since the Cross of Christ. When death entered first into the world, Exod. 15. 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: 2 King. 4. 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, Anselm. in l●. non morte peccamus; Sith we d●e indeed, by sinning, but sinne 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 no where. Death hath now no sting. I am non est stimulus, sed sibilus, immo iubilus. Rejoice all, and be glad; This Serpent may hisse at us, this Bee 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, etc. The death of the godly is not to be called a death, but a sleep, a resting from their labours, 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 for ever. 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. Cypr. de mortal. 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 itself. 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? Rom. 14.8 Whether we live, we live unto the Lord, whether we die, we die unto the Lord: therefore whether we live or dye, we are the Lords: 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 dye. But at the instant of our several flittings, say every one, as a dying Saint; Egredere, quid times? Hieron in vita Hilarion. egredere anima mea, etc. Go forth my soul! why fearest thou? go forth. Learn each soul to say at the last passage of his pilgrimage: what though I dye. I know my Redeemer liveth; though I be dissolved from my self, yet shall I be conjoined with Christ. Lie then down (my body!) and return unto thy dust; mount thou aloft (my soul!) and meet thy Saviour in the air; my body may be but wormes-meate for a while, my soul (I am assured) shall be an Angel's fellow for ever. I have done with my Text as concerning you, before whom it hath been uttered. I am now only to apply it to this honourable party, for whom it was intended. This honourable party, your doletull spectacle, and my Texts untimely occasion; This honourable party, our Master, Father, Brother; this honourable party, whose honour, 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 learned to adapt the prayers and sayings of the faithful, and former Saints, to his own, and instant necessities. Luk. 2. He sang with Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace. He prayed with Saint Paul, desiring to be dissolved, Phil. 1. 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, Reu. 6. Reu. 22. 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 departed, to desire to be dissolved, to call for the hastening, 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 departed; therefore says he, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant departed, etc. He knew well, death could but dissolve him, it could not destroy him; he therefore said, I desire to be dissolved, etc. 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 than 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: beside, a dead man's commendation, is the livings admonition. Then wh● should we forget, whom we ought to imitate? Why should his virtues dye 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 Honourable 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 honeycomb, and withal, was vinegar and gall made his portion to drink: as a large talon 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 than 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, honourably 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 endeavoured the good; His sighs and tears, could witness his tender heartedness; so his prayers, and meditations, his heavenly mindedness. For his Charity, it is well noted, where ever he had any thing to dye, 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 world's eye, than but only a small people's care. What he hath bestowed to pious and charitable uses amount to more than 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 Benefactor 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 harbour 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 any thing 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 for ever, During the time of his sinknesse, his sufferings were both tedious and extreme, so that (comparing h●● pains 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 Rack; 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 Invocations; so improved 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 apppointed, 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 sobs, than words. But I refrain the rather to let lose 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 heats. Comfort we ourselves 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? Letus 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 blessed with thee our only Lord and Saviour, for ever and ever. Amen. FINIS. A just and necessary Catalogue of such Noble and Charitable Deeds, as have been done by the late Right Honourable, Baptist Lord Hickes, Viscount Campden, as well in his Life, as at his Death: recorded to the glory of God, his own Honour, and others good Example. Good deeds done to the Town of Campden, in the County of Gloucester. He built an Almshouse or Hospital for 6. poor men, and 6. poor women, cost 1000 l. Since the year of the foundation of the said Almshouse, sc. 1612. He hath allowed the said 12. poor people, wachely maintenance, to the value of 1300. l. And now at his death, he hath settled 140. l. per annum for ever upon the said Almshouse, allowing each of the said poor Prisoners 3. s. 4. d. weekly, and yearly a Gown, a Hat, and a Tun of Coals. per annum. 140. l. He built a commodious Market-house in the said Town, cost 90. l. By his last Will, he gave to the said Town for the setting of the poor to work, a stock of 500 l. To the Church of Campden. He gave a Bell, cost 66. l. Made a Pulpit, gave a Cloth and Cushion, cost 22. l. Built a Gallery, cost 8. l. Made a Window, cost 13. l. Gave a brass Falcon, cost 26. l. Gave two Comunion Cups, cost 21. l. Built the roof of the Chancel, and new leaded it, cost 200 l. Herepaired the Chapel by the said Chancel, supplied, and new cast the Leads, cost 20. l. He walled the Churchyard round, cost 150. l. Within the County of Middlesex. He built a Session's House for the justices of Middlesex, to keep their Sessions in, cost 600. l. He repaired, and adorned the Chapel of Hamstead, cost 76. l. He set up a Window in the Chancel of Kensington, and beautified it, cost 30. l. He hath given by his last Will to the said Town of Kensington, to be employed for the benefit of the poor, the sum of 200. l. In the City of London. He hath given by his last Will to S. Bartholomewes' Hospital, 100 l. To Christ's Church Hospital. 50. l. To Newgate, Ludgate, and the two Counters, 40. l. He erected a Window in S. Laurence Church in the old jewry, and gave a Pulpit ●lo●th and Cushion, cost 30. l. Impropriations purchased, and bestowed upon the Church. One in Pembrokeshire, to be given to the Town of Tewksbury in Gloucestershire, whereof one moiety to the Preacher, the other to the poor, cost 460. l. Another in Northumberland, whereof one moiety to be given toward the maintenance of an able Preacher in Hamstead, the other to S. Paul's School in London, towards the maintenance of certain Scholars in Trinity College in Cambridge, cost 760 l. One in the Bishopric of Durham, to be bestowed on such Churches as shall have most need thereof, according to the discretion of his supervisors, cost 366. l. Another in Dorsetshire, to be bestowed likewise, cost 760. l. Certain Chauntery Lands also in Lincolnshire, cost 240. l. He hath also given to two Ministers to be chosen out of jesus College in Oxford, to serve in their several places, 40. l. a piece per annum, 80. l. He hath bequeathed Legacies to several Ministers, the sum of 140. l. He hath given to Mr. A. E. during his life, per annum, 100 l. He hath given amongst his household servants 300. l. An Elegy. If sorrows silent be; I should bewray An easiness, that would my sorrow say. But time is, and affection too affords, To breathe from sighs awhile, and breathe forth words. Why should I be close niggard of my grief? Sith to impart it, is to find relief. I wail the loss of one; like Lot of all Is to be wailed, and feared in general. Always the greater loss, the grief the more: While I applaud then, I must needs deplore. Bounty's free hand, ah Bounty now lies bound! Amity's dear heart, hath felt a deadly wound. Piety's pure soul, fare flitted is from hence: Truths simple tongue, is buried in silence. justice's impartial Eye, is shut up fast: Sincerities bright countenance, defaced. Temperance sober palate, paled and cloyed: Chastities unpolluted body, stroyed. Attentions faithful ear, hard stopped with earth: Memories sound brain minds now another birth. Patience meek spirit, humbled to the dust: Devotions zealous Saint, reigns with the just. Experience long days and good, are gone: Nobility is laid in grave alone. Can so great loss in silence now be borne? Or can I say, I miss him; and not mourn? I hate to count, and not condole the loss Of good men: none but bad men slight such cross: And s●●w their teeth, cause others wet their eyes, For loss of Saints; which they nor are, nor prize. Once prized I one, who so prizeworthy was; I daily learn to prise him by his loss. I'll wail a private want; fear th' common dearth Of goodness; since good men so leave the earth. An Epitaph. Reader know, who ere thou be; Here lies Faith, Hope, and Charity: Faith true, Hope firm, Charity free; Baptist Lord Camden's were these three: Faith in God, Charity to brother, Hope for himself; what ought he other? Faith is no more, Charity's crowned; T●● only Hope is under ground. In Baptistam Camdenum. Grati● Baptis●● est, dicit Camdenus hon●●●●: 〈◊〉 homi●● claru●, sanct●● & ille Deo. In Baptistam desunctum. S●●●●buitferr● quandam Baptista 〈◊〉: Baptista his noster sunere succubuit. 〈…〉 non est, qui f●●ere tr●n●u●; Non 〈…〉 nobis mors tulit 〈◊〉 caput. I. G. If to be crowned with honour of the Peers: If to be honoured with a crown of years: If to have wealth, and know the use of it, To have a solid and ingenious wit; If goodly houses, with good store of land; If an unspotted, and an open hand; If strength of mind, and vigour of the sense, A candid breast, and a clear conscience: A noble issue, and a noble race, Endowed with inward, and with outward grace: If love of friends, and friendship without strife; Observant children, and a faithful wife, If a religious and a loyal heart May perfect bliss to any man impart, Then to Lord Campden; who in all this roll Had every gift, in body or in soul: His soul in heaven is a welcome guesti: Then let his bones in quiet silence rest. Memoriae sacrae. Cùm tot faecundos Camdene p●regeris annos; At● tuis largas cùm namerâris opes, Cùm tibisuccreseant illustristirpe Nepotes; Cùm mirâ celsas stru●teris arte d●mes; Cùm tibi partus honor, vict●s● paratus egenis: Quid superest? vitra non super esse. Vale. Hiesius hic situs est; Campi qui gloria Deni: Ternus, & aeternus da● meliora Deus. R. A. Ad Auum defunctum. If good men's death be but a timely sleep, If man two childhoods hath, the first to keep The first watch of his life, then that of age Which with the former stands in equipage Ushering the second better life, when you May in a moment all your years renew, And by the fruitful privilege of death, Claim life again more permanent than breath. Sith man's last breath to man doth life apply, Sith death's the childhood of eternity, Why weep we? rather when you leave this light We'll ask you blessing and bid you good night: 'tis vale long enough now, for anon You'll be awake ' ●th resurrection. Children must sleep then, so must age, and both Are roused from slumbering at their perfect growth: Sleep then in earth thy cradle, secure lie, May Angels requiems be thy jullaby, Till the last trump awake thee, and the fair Council of Elders place thee in their chair, When jointly with the choir of Angels blessed Thou mayst sing Hallelujahs with the rest. Baptist Noel. Prosopopoea Latinis jambis. QVicquid sub Arcto, quicquid in gremio latet Thetidis, vel amplo conditur Ponti sinu, Aut aestuantis febre perpetuâ canis Radians ocellus vidit inter fluctuum Ebullientes riwlos, vel anxius Quaerunt sub undis alacer Jndus, Aethiops, Maurusue pelle nigricante Barbarus. Haec omnia domi nôsse te (charum caput) Testantur Argonautae, & abietum frequens Catena, malorumque siluae mobiles Pontique nemora densa, decumano mari Tota insulas nutante fixas vertice Toties salutantia, iteratis nuncijs Dum tu Liburnarum reuisens navium Orbem stupentem, miscuisti Barbaris Gentem togatam, interfuisti & serijs. Mediante seruo Gangis in negotijs. At ista menti praevolenti viltor Conditiosordet & globisci●ntia Exacta licet & ampla terreni iacet Contempta, & aequatur (quod explanat) solo. Coelestis ardor surgit ad coelestia, Nec sufficit contractus orbis nauitae Terrae marisque conscio, sat semitae Rimaeque cuiusque extimae, sed altiùs Orbem supernum quaeris, illic for sitan Coelestis Eridani fluentis navigans Stellata in Argo coelum aquosum transnatas. Vel forsan undas atri adhuc tranans Stygis 〈…〉 Vale 〈◊〉, & inter viue 〈…〉: Tantum hoc ●●itam lice●● urnam carmin● N●taret ●●tri dicat extremum vale Piet●● N●p●tum, h●c est● sarc●phag● nota Ci●erem●●l●cul● figet hoc Epitaphium. Epitaphium. Transi viat●r N●bili● Et civit hic sepult●● est, At siste gradum, n●m bre●● Videbis istum nobi●●● Redibit, hand m●rabit●r, Resurget extrem● di●. Qui transmarinam navigan● T●t ●rbis ampli litt●ra Expertus, ●mnem novera● Terra marisque semitam, Tandem suam f●●licit●r Mundi Chari●d●i● ab●●en● Adegit ad p●rtum ratem, Sed vela jam si creditis Iterum ●eten●isse, & sua Ventis ●edisse ●ar●asa, Nec s●lsas●rsan erit fides Ergo valete ●●●it, 〈◊〉 Redibit, Exp●cta●iti●, Gaz●phyl●ci●●●●st Ge●●a 〈…〉: 〈…〉 Ad 〈…〉 〈…〉 Adnundi●as Jerusalem Hic nobilis non civis est, At civis illic nobilis, Cor●lla datur hic aurea Illi● c●r●●● gloria. Henricus Noel. ●ymbolum Honoratissimi D. Viceco●● mitis Campden: optumi senis & bonorum patroni. NONDUM METAM. ●Vltu, Canitie, senio venerandus, & annis, Et sanus ment, & corpore sanus eras, ●eltx progenie, felix uxore fuisti, Externisque potens afftuis, Euge! honis: ●isatis haec non sint, meritis & honoribus auctus Diceris ipse genus nobilitasse tuum. Quid! Nondum Metam ais? valde ampla est haec tibi messis. Aeger inops non es, sed nec avarus eras: Quod sivirtutem cupias, humilemque piumque Nobilem & humanum te, placidumque virum, ●rud●ntem, sobrium celebramus, & omnibus aequum, Et Regi gratum dicimus atque Deo. Quid superest ergo? quod supra est, inquis, in orbe Terrarum non est spes, neque meta mea, Non est haec infrà, coelis mihi meta reposta, Christus ubi vivit, regnat & ipse Deus; ●ic mea meta est, hic mea vita, hîc veta fuerunt: Non nisi per mortem huc tenditur? en morior. 〈◊〉 [Nondum Metan] vivus dixisse solebas; Sic Tandem Metam te tetigisse reor. De mortuis nil nisi bonum. HEe who was rich in bounty, as in wealth, In honour humble, mindful of his end, Comely of person, full of days and health, To rich and poor an amiable friend: Envy! thou knowest not him, if thou speak ill, Who neither lived, nor died against his will. Ask not what works of piety be did Now when he died, his life was liberal, From Church and University not hid: He made least noise when he did most of all. Give me the prudent man, who while he life's Doth his good works; and so, sees what he gives. He among men was just, most free from wrong, Sweet-natured, cheerful, loving every way, To God devout; his praises were his song; His prayers, sighs and tears: what shall I say? This Lord is dead; and I am left, as one 'Mong many, to be sorry that he's gone. W. B. Errata. 〈…〉 Age 2. line 10. for an hundred, read 〈…〉: hundred, and l. 25. for things, read 〈…〉. p. 21. l. 10. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 〈…〉 Catalogue, for poor Prisoners, 〈…〉 Pensioners, in the verses, for 〈…〉 read atrae, for cineremque, read 〈…〉.