PRINCE HENRY HIS SECOND ANNIVERSARY. ECCLESIASTICUS 50.6. Who was as a morning star in the midst of a cloud. BY DANIEL PRICE Doctor in Divinity, one of his highness Chaplains. AT OXFORD, Printed by joseph Barnes and are to be sold by john Barnes over against St Pulchers Church. 1614 TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE PRINCE CHARLES Duke of CORNWALL the happiness of the present, & hope of posterity. MOST Gracious PRINCE, my vowed Annual service to the memory of your blessed Brother craveth your shelter; for, under the shadow of your Princely Cedar, I humbly desire to spend my days. Not only the praise of the dead, but also the profit of the living be my inducements to this work; both which I hope, willbe acceptable arguments to your Highness. I am encouraged the rather hereunto, because I see your Princely spirit dare look death in the face, and can be content to hear, that as your renowned brother's fortunes, so his fate also shall one day be yours. Many, and happy be your highness days, that you may so long continue in the world, as the world shall continue; that goodness may guide, and Religion may guard you, both which will assure more safety to your precious soul, than the Prevention of the world, and presumption of the Court can afford you: for these will sanctify the Circumspection of the wise in helping you, and terrify the Circumvention of the wicked from hurting you. So shall your Highness remember your Creator in the days of your youth, and walk in the paths of Abraham before God, till you come to the passage of Henoch to walk with God. In the mean time the great Palmoni the numbrer of times make your days as happy as the days of Henoch, whose years were as many as the yearly days of the sun: that in your felicity, you may ride on prosperously because of truth, of meekness and righteousness; and having ended your course in Grace you may begin never to end in glory. Which is the daily prayer of your highness most observant servant DANIEL PRICE. Ex. Coll. Novemb. 6. the fatal day of Prince HENRY'S decease. PRINCE HENRY'S SECOND anniversary. 1 MIsprission may assail, and Envy seek to silence, the memorial of those gracious instruments of God's glory, who being delivered out of the burden of the flesh, be in joy & felicity, but religious Piety towards God; and obsequious duty towards man, do both warn and warrant, our grateful and faithful remembrances of those Worthies, of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. 11.28. Rev. 14.13. who now rest in the Lord, and are free from their Labours, which may seem to be the motive of salomon's speech, Eccl. 4. ●. Eccl. 4.2. I praised the dead, which are already dead, more than the living which are yet alive, and of the Reverend Practice of ancient times, which did adorn the names of the good, the wise, the just, the valiant, and not only honoured their Persons in their lives, but bemoaned the world's loss by their deaths, and by their praises, held out the light of their virtuous Lamp, to lead others into those ways, which these worthies had walked in, with comfort, & in which, they had finished their race with Conquest. Rude and polite, Divine, and Profane history doth countenance the continuance of such Customs, and therefore though Snakes may bite, & dogs may bark, and nothing within the Circumference of heaven can be, without the compass of censure, duty only being my Apology, with a patiented content and contempt of gainsayer, I proceed in my professed, service, to the Annual remembrance of my blessed Master Prince HENRY, S. Augustine's rule being my reason, Nec laudantem movet adulatio, Austin nec laudatum tentat elatio, when neither he that praiseth, is moved with flattery, nor he that is praised, can be tempted with vainglory, when neither affection enticeth, nor opinion entangleth, it may be both lawful and useful that the righteous, may be had in everlastinst remembrance. 2 It being now therefore the entrance of the third year, * The fatal 6. of Novemb. since it pleased the Lord to deliver the Princely first borne out of the misery of this sinful world, and that the Winter Sables of November do now represent our former sorrows, it will be not unseasonable to remember the holy passage of that heavenly soul, which was freed from Adam's body, to be translated to Abraham's bosom, and his spirit to return to God that gave it. So in our observance running with Peter and john to the Sepulchre now, our eyes have lost him, & our feet cannot follow him, our spiritual ambition may lead our contemplation where he is, and season our souls with joy, to know what he is. For, what other is he (if we dare look upon the sacred blaze of eternity) than a Celestial spirit, and glorious Saint, a Pillar in the Temple of God, one of those fed with that Manna, clothed with the white rob, called by the new name, carrying the triumphant Palm in his hand, following the Lamb, whether soever he goeth. An immortal glorious Creature, Partaker with the best, & most blessed of Saints, more beauteous than the stars, & equal to Angels, A Divine separated soul, refined and inflamed, by beholding Gods unutterable majesty, in enjoying whereof the Angels are insatiable, and incessant in the Love and Lawd thereof. A fixed star, whose lustre is as full of beauty as glory. A substance more pure than the heavens, more orient than the rising of the Sun. How excellent is HE in thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts, where being delighted with all manner of satiety: satiety breeds no manner of dislike, where now HE hath the endowments of an heavenly inhabitant, and knows the difference between the conditions of a momentary, & eternal life, and though the Immortality of his body have not yet enjoyed the rights of that world, eternal bliss, of the soul, shall one day entertain the body with eternal beauty. 3 It was David's precept to Solomon his son, 1. Chr. 28.9. Solomon my son know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and willing mind, and it was josiahs' practice, that in the eight year of his reign, when he was yet a child, 2 Chr. 24.3. he began to seek after the God of David his father, where, as Alexander was incited by Achilles' example, and Caesar by Alexander: So David moveth Solomon, and josias is inflamed by David's religious profession. These Renowned worthies began early, Psal. 19.5. and gloriously came forth as a bridegroom out of the Chamber, and rejoiced as Giants, to run their course, Prince HENRY was the true representation of these. In him God had set a Tabernacle for the sun, Wisdom, Religion, Valour, did shine in his blooming, his first fruits showed that the Lord had showered upon him the gracious dew of his inheritance, Esay. Mat. 6.33. he did first seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness there of, & referred the administration of other things to the hand of Providence, judgement did master opinion, and by early accustoming his taste to the truth of spiritual pleasure, he contemned the false and abhorred the filthy pleasures of the world, lust or pride could not fasten upon him a desire to spend, nor avarice a thirst to spare, fear or favour could not cause him to prefer shadows, or neglect draw him from rewarding the meanest deservers, Ambition drew him not to hasty adventures, nor danger ever put him to distrust, the sun beams of his morning were most radian, yet his thoughts calm, and a heavenly peace in all his passions, his blessed mind was never racked with desire or fear, nor ever troubled with the sad burdens and consuming CANKERS of this life, never afflicted with the surbate of cares or surfeit of riots, frothy praise he avoided as infectious goodness was his aim, which being the cause, led him on in the course of all those most honourable actions, he intended, in all which, he was free from the taint, much more from the stain or sting of ill: Sophocles his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Sophoc. Xenoph. or Xenophon in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, nay with all reverence to holy records, Solomon or josias so soon, did not so much, the later and the better of these began but in the 16th year of his age, in the 8 year of his reign, 2. Chron. 1.3. but blessed PRINCE HENRY as if he had been consecrated from the womb, in the morning watch of his life, was a morning star in his lustre, and considered that the Fear of God which the preacher made to be the end of all things in the end of his Ecclesiastes the same is the beginning of wisdom in the beginning of his Proverbs. Eccles. 12.13. Prov. 1.7. Neither differing nor dissembling had place in him, or power over him, no excuses no refulals stayed him, he Remembered his Creator in the days of his youth, he thought it good for him to bear the lords yoke in his youth, Lam 3.27. he studied wherewith a young man might cleanse his ways, lovely Isaac, loving joseph, Princely josiah, true hearted David, beloved Daniel, holy Samuel, faithful Timothy were his patterns, Psal. 119.9. to consecrat his first & best endeavours to God, Not only his martial & Scholastical exercises did honour him with that title which Livy gave to M. Cato, Si arma sumpsisset in armis natum crederes, T. Livius Dec. 4. lib. 1. si se ad studia convertisset inter litter as educatum, but his daily holy conversing with God in the path of goodness, his spiritual progress in grace and favour testified that from his youth up, his conversation was in heaven, this was the grace of his child hood, and garland of his youth, this blessed his life, & comforted him at death, and shall commend him to all posterity. 4 Learn hence ye young Gallants, that put far from you the day of the Lord, ye that neither in the morning nor meridian of your lives, Prepare yourselves to meet the Lord, or care that when he cometh he may find you watching and working. To die well, is a long art of a short life, and a speedy beginning is the shortest method to this longest art, Solomon telleth of a time, Eccl. 3.2. 2. Cor. 6.2. Eccless. 3.2. Tempus mortis, But as if that were too general, Paul confineth that time to a day. 2. Cor. 6.2. dies salutis, and Christ limiteth the time of that day to an hour, Mat 25.13. Mat. 25.13. Hora acceptationis, In the Revelation Babylon is lamented that in one hour her judgement is come, Rev. 18.10. that in one hour so great riches came to nought, vers. 17. and that in one hour she was made the solate, vers. 19 But times & days & hours are scantled yet shorter, 1. Cor. 15.52. by the Apostle, judgement shall be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trump, that as God gave his law with the sound of a trumpet, Exod. 19.16. So he shall call for account of it with the sound of the Trumphet, Ex 19.16. 1. Cor. 15. Hieron. 1. Cor. 15.52. How shrill should this trump be still in our ears as S. Hierome witnessed of his own, ever sounding and echoing this, that the surest way to a good life is to begin betimes, considering that though God's mercies oftentimes affords us, many years to repent, yet his justice affordeth not an hour to sin, Greg. Peccanti Crastinum non promisit saith Gregory, he promiseth not to morrow to the offender, who is always ready to receive the penitent: How should this consideration draw us on, Trahit enim non cogit Deus, Austin. & lead us along by the waters of comfort, and admonish us all if hitherto we have neglected, to fasten upon the first opportunity of seasoning our souls with that blessed spirit of Janctification, while they be fit for impression, and that by a gracious meditation we consider the race we are to run, and the many encumbrances which always cross us, That, delay augmenteth difficulties, and more do perish by this Temptation then by all the toils & guiles of Satan, the longer we persist in sin, the more God plucketh his grace and assistance from us, our good inclinations are the weaker, the under standing more darkened, the will more perverted, the appetite more disordered, the passions are more strengthened, that at length the stupid and benumbed soul, may lose the spiritual light of grace, & natural light of reason, and retain only the sensual twilight of affections, common with bruit beasts, & so the the youth being il spent, Satan will plead possession in age, & therefore the dawning, springing, morning, time of life must be consecrated to God, it was not only the piety of job to rise up early in the morning of every day to sacrifice and sanctify his son. job. 1.5. job. 1.5. But his own practice in his own young years in the morning of his life, in the days of his youth, the secret of God was upon his Tabernacle. job. 29.29.4. For this is the time as S. Ambrose describeth it, job. 29.4. Ambros. wherein the element of fire predominateth in the sons of men, calore corporis fervent, estu sanguinis vapor antis ignescente, viribus invallida, consilijs infirma, vitio calens, illecebrosa deliciis, est Adolescentia, This is the spring of life, and how easily may a springtide drown all the summer hopes of youth, the time of strength and beauty both easily inflamed by heat of vanity, the time of growth & activity, both soon nipped with the frost of mortality, Aug. now visus acutior, auditus promptior, incessus rectior, vultus iucundior, now the sun of the understanding doth most appear, and the stars of the senses most gloriously shine, than the 4. humours resembling the 4. Elements, the liver as the sea, the veins as the rivers, are in their most pure, most active operation, the heart unmovable as the earth, is most fruitful, and the countenance so amiable is, as the heaven beautiful, Goodness then appearing is like Adam in his innocency, it maketh the possessor to be noted and called the child of God this character is bonae spei nuncia, bonae indolis index, virga disciplinae, gloria conscientiae custos famae laus naturae insignae gratiae virtutum primitiae, as S. Bernard reverently collecteth the attributes. Alas? how is that spark of understanding, the small portion of the vulgar dimmed with the mist of prejudice, & obscured with the Tempest of Passion, that the natural youngling, will not perceive the things that are of God, contenting himself with salomon's young man, to rejoice in his youth, and let his heart cheer him, to walk in the ways of his heart and in the sight of his own eyes, Eccl. 11.9. but not considering, that for all these things God will bring him to judgement, growing hereby to that Epidemical case that S. Chrysostome describeth in such a one, Chrys Hom. 1. ad Pop. Difficilis fallibilis vehementioribus aegens fraenis Adolescens. unfruitful thorns then choking the good seeds of Religion and grace, customable evil actions being his controllers of judgement, seducers of will, betrayers of virtue, flatterers of vice, underminers of courage, slaves to weakness, infection of youth madness of age, curse of life and reproach of death. Is it not a witchcraft that any should be so chained with enchantment, of a momentary estate, as scarce to think upon the Condition, which never shall have end, to satisfy the flesh, a nest of worms and to neglect the soul a Companion of Angels, to desire rather to fill up met am naturae, Beaux. Nature's aims of long life, then mensuram gratiae, Grace's full measure of a good life, or Coronam gloriae to attain Glories Crown of eternal life; crooked ways, base wealth, false pleasures, vain hopes, lying promises, sweet poison, and senseless sensual satisfaction enticing their souls, to joy in those things, whereof they will be ashamed seeing the end of those things is death. Adam's apple, Esau's broth, judas sop, Babylon's cup, are more powerful, with these sons of disobedience, then Henoks whirlwind, Eliahs' Chariot, Paul's assumption, or john's Revelation, and hereby many sweetly tempered dispositions. And worthy spirits are swallowed up, & led a way Captive like the Gallant in the Proverbs, who went to the house of the Harlot, the way to hell going down to the chambers of death, Prov 7.7. in the prime and spring, coming to the fall of their leaf, continuing their life, in a wintry stormy Tempestuous course, the surges of lust beating the ship, till the sails of pride be torn with the winds of violent passions, punishing themselves with that horrid curse, Peccatum poena peccati, the guilt of one sin becometh the punishment of another. 5 I call to witness against such this Princely Saint, who having obtained a gracious report and received the promise is now a triumphant Chieftain in the army of Saints: whose Scutcheon bore this * In the Lottery, Armoury, and Funeral. Motto, Et nos fas extera quaerere regna, as if he had come into the world but to learn to die, and as Israel came through the wilderness of Sin, to pass through it towards the land of Caanan, he began to seek as the text speaketh of josias, 2. Chr. 34.3. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original importing not only to seek & to inquire with all diligence, as Avenarius rendereth it. Aven. But to consult, to deliberate, to search with all care, for any thing that pertained to the worship of God. Not so to seek as Pyrrhus' ambition trained his thoughts from Macedon to Greece, from Greece to Italy, Plut in vita Pyrrhi. from Italy to Sicily, from thence to Africa, and so to Carthage, it was no earthly, no worldly adventure, his chief aim was at; though so far as the Royal rights of his Puissant Ancestors, and the service to his Sovereign Father, in a just war might have given cause, our undaunted Alexander, needed no encouragement, for he was so nobly furnished with all habiliments of a strong body, and valiant disposition: as if victorious joshua had revived to edge, these ill, & dull, and resty times, drowsed, and almost drowned in the sweet haven of Peace, Peace being alienated from its own grace, and become the truce of lust, and rust of valour, the death of the army, and decay of the navy. And even then when this high borne Champion, the grace of the Court, and hope of the Camp, might have recovered, if not improved the limits of this kingdom, when all good spirits not only affected, but addicted themselves to honourable Martialisme, expecting generally a day wherein they might hear young Caesar's Venite, & his brandishing sword, the joy of the soldier, drawn by right, edged by valour, might have been attended with victorious acclamation of Conquest: even then, so did he season & sanctify his Martial exercises, & Princely studies of arts, and fortifications, that he remembered the weapons of a Christian warfare, were not carnal but spiritual, and howsoever in the flesh, he warred not after the flesh, 2. Cor. 10.3. as the blessed Apostle doth distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, making that holy use of that useful knowledge of fortifications, as that he used them in a spiritual sense, as S. Paul counseleth, to the pulling down of strong holds, to the casting down of imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every of his thoughts to the obedience of Christ. 2. Cor. 10.4. 2. Cor. 10.4, 5 So did he enter combat, and receive conquest of both his enemies and himself, and bare before him a shield which was never miss, yet never pierced. It was strange in S. jeroms opinion, Hieron. in Ep. ad Theod. quod corpus assuetum tunicae potuit sustinere onus Loricae, that the emblem of Arts, the Gown, and the ornament of Arms, Armour, should fit one & the same; that so tender, Courtly, Princely breeding could afford so well set a soul, a body as willing as able to have endured the Laborious watching, toiling, fight, bleeding life of a Campe. But that which is more wonder appeared in him, that the Cankers or vipers of a Courtly life, Lust, Pride, Ambition, Irreligion, never durst approach him, no nor the worms or moths of greatness, sloth, or flattery, or vanity ever receive acquaintance, much less entertainment with him. All which creeping, or crying sins, be as visible as indivisible from such Courtly places: which may be some cause that the word aula, which the Greeks translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Athen. is by Athenaeus interpreted to be perflatilem ventis domum; like the house in the Gospel beaten with the winds, furious passion tearing, or climbing Ambition overturning, or envious contention breaking, or lustful dalliance blasting, as by violent storms the fairest and most hopeful fruits of Court & kingdom, have been often, not only blemished but demolished. That we fitly might take up for such Palaces, that Lamentation of David for Mount Gilboa, o ye Mountains of Gilboa, ●. Sam. 1.19.21.23. how are the mighty fallen! how hath the beauty of Israel been slain upon thy high places! they that were swifter than Eagles, stronger than Lions are fallen in the midst of thee, Pillars and Cedars in salomon's house have sunk down even to the ground, & yet this excellent Mirror of Princes stood as a centre unmoved, & retained his station. His liberty more, opportunities more, power more, & incitations more than other great ones, yet he more free, because more faith full than others, yea, so free that infernal malice, nor the curious inquiry of Popish pioneers could ever fasten any taint of blemish, either before or since his death, upon his Saintlike life. I abhor flattery, and dare call evil, evil, were it in bethel the king's Chapel: let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Courtier & flatterer be the reciprocal terms of those that tune their tongues to enchantments; I had rather be a Citizen of Verona then Placentia, and with S. Austin, mallem pati supplicium, Aug. ep. 68 quàm foedâ adulatione consequi beneficium, I had rather endure punishment for truth, then get favour by flattery. Diogenes the Cynic contemned it and joined together linguam adulatoris & manum interfectoris, Diog in Laert, and blessed Prince, who now is in heaven, in his life laughed flattery to scorn, and held that as the Tyrant among the wild, so the flatterer among tame beasts is most pernicious. It may be Aulica Rhetorica, to give more than is due to great ones in their life, but that candle being extinguished how busy are tongues and pens to break open the sepulchres of the deceased, a thing more common than commendable in this age. But to give the amplest testimony of truth as well as of affection, Testimonia virtutis & veritatis, Bern. is an office in S. Bernard's judgement that we are bound unto, Piety as well as duty requireth it, & quitteth herein flattery, that a sea man when he is come to the haven, and a warrior when he is brought to his triumph, and the blessed that die in the Lord and rest from their labours, Rev. 14. they that have been the great lights of our firmament their works following them, propter opera & exempla accipiant benigna hominum verba & judicia, may be honoured in the monuments of their memorial by just praises, not issuing from Hypocrisy or flattery, to neglect which service, were profane ingratitude, or to deride it impious presumption. For, to any honest mind, how unworthy will it seem to deny, or malign virtue its due, which so abundantly, did appear in this triumphant Saint, the living glory of the Protestant, and rising envy of the malignant world, as if the Graces had been midwives at his birth, the Muses his nurses, the virtues his attendants, and goodness as a good Angel, his guide to direct him in all his ways. And as if acquainted with Saturn the Planet of Contemplation, and with jupiter the Planet of Action * Quaerere. Quaerere was the word best liked him, the work that best fitted him. As if he had duly considered our Saviour's council, Primù quaerite, first seek; Cum dicit quaerite en diligentiam, Mat. 6 33. cum primùm quaerite en sapientiam, diligence in seeking, Chrys. wisdom in seeking first. It was the fruit of both, in josias to begin to seek God the first time of his reign when he was a child, in Mary Magdalen to come to the sepulchre the first day of the week before the dawning of the day, in those that were first admitted into the vineyard, that they were in the market the first hour the Master came to hire; the firstlings of the cattle, first borne of the children, first fruits of the earth, first hopes of the promise, first tithes of the year, & first times of the day were ever dear & acceptable to God. To instance in the last only, the first opening of the day, seeing, there is no word unnecessary in the book of God, every jot therein, affording observation, if not Admiration, why so precisely is this time of the day the morning mentioned in scripture? the Angels hastening Lot out of Sodom in the morning▪ Gen. 19.15. Abraham his preparation by rising early to go to sacrifice Isaac in the morning, Gen. 19.15. Gen. 22.3. jacob to set up a pillar at Bethel rose up early in the morning, Gen. 22.3. Gen. 28.18. Moses commanded to stand before Pharaoh early in the morning, Exod. 9.15. joshua in his care in the conviction of Achan rose up early in the morning, Josh. 7.16. Elkanah and Hannah their early worship, 1. Sam. 1.9. 1. Chr. 33.30. job. 1.2. Chr. 31.3. jer. 17.13. the Levits early standing before the Lord, job early sanctifying of his sons, Hezekias early sacrificing, David early praying, jeremy early preaching, and Christ early rising, with infinite other examples of the morning service that the Saints have performed. I say wherefore is this especial circumstance so exactly placed in the front of so many of the sacred histories, if it did not note unto us, Aquin. how acceptable the first fruit of time is unto the Lord, and therefore first to seek, in the beginning of our day, whether as Thomas distinguisheth, it be in the morning of the natural day, or of our human life, or of our state in grace, or passage to glory, the Prime of our Calendar to be consecrated to God, and the sun no sooner to display its light upon the earth, than we to lift our souls unto the heaven. As was the daily and early course of this devout Prince, who in his private morning prayer, early seeking the God of his Fathers, communed with his own heart in his chamber, and was still. Psal. 4.4. It was a gracious promise made in the time of the Law, If thou seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, Deut. 4.29. & ever since it hath been the precept, or rather the sum of all precepts to seek the Lord, as appeareth by the Phrase of Scripture, either faciem quaerendo, by seeking his face, Psal. 24.6. or bonitatem quaerendo, by seeking his goodness, Esra. 8.22. Or mandata quaerendo, by seeking his Commandments, Psal. 119.100. Or misericordiam quaerendo. Dan. 2.18. etc. and the blessing promised is, that the hearts of them shall rejoice that seek the Lord, 1. Chr. 16.10. Yea the hearts of them shall live that seek the Lord, Psal. 69.32. Which made the Royal Psalmist so experimented, that he proclaimeth, they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou O Lord never failest them that seek thee, Psal. 9.10. Which may serve as a brief application to all his acknowledgements of deliverance, from the paw of the bear, the jaw of the Lion, the javelin of Saul, Goliahs' spear, Achitophel's trap, Absalon's treason, Doegs' slander, Shemei his curse, from the mouth of the sword, the murrain of his people, the horrors of his sins, & the rebellion of his own sons. S. Austin in his meditations on the Psalms asketh the question upon David's speech, Quaerite faciem eius semper; Si semper quaeritur, quando invenitur, Aug. in Psalm. inventus est, & tamen quaerendus est? Seek his face evermore? why if he must be sought evermore, when shall he be found, is he found, and yet is he to be sought? and answereth himself thus, Deum invenit fides & adhuc eum quaerit spes, charit as autem & invenit eum per fidem & eum habere quaerit per spem, faith hath found God, and hope seeketh him, but charity both hath found him by faith, and seeketh to have him by hope. According to the measure of which method our now Immortal, then mortal Prince, did seek the Lord, being steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, & rooted in charity; he hath passed the waves of this troublesome world, and is come to the Land of everlasting life, and there hath found the Lord. 6 Learn hence then from the Cedar ye fir trees, and shrubs of the forest, ye that ever lived under his shadow, or now are in the sunshine and countenance of greatness, learn to seek the Lord: this is the whole duty of man, the sum of all Gods will revealed in his word. Ye may see in the natural agents, whether they be to bear rule, as the Sun and Moon, which are placed in the firmament, or be ruled, as the Elements and parts of this lower world, they all work, as if they knew what they wrought, and in their several courses seek to perform his will, as if they were acquainted with his wil How much more doth it concern men, whom in a manner he hath made partakers of the divine nature, to seek his glory, seeing that by his glory, they seek their own good? The Orbs & Arches of heaven, with their stars and planets, and the whole fabric of nature, were ordained to finish their course by motions and operation: and so man as he was created to a more, nay to the most, happy and blessed end, should attain thereunto, not by sloth and idleness, which (as the worm in the guord) be the devourers of goodness; but by endeavour which is the spirit, and by ambition the spur, should stir on in the ways of grace, being in the glorious liberties of the sons of God. How commonly known be those notions, that our life is but a journey, a race, a votage, a combat, & we are but travelers, soldiers, workmen in the vineyard, etc. All which are with many more notes of seeking and labouring, which should edge a good mind to wish as Heathen Seneca did, Seneca. that he might ever be in action, Malo enim (saith he) ut me fortuna in castris suis, quàm in delitijs habeat, he had rather be fortunes warrior then her wanton, & rather dwell in her Camp then in her Court. Erasmus professeth that he had no time to be sick, or opportunity to take Physic: and the former Seneca, that he had scarce leisure to sleep, Nullus mihi per otium dies exit, partem noctium studijs vendico, Sen. Ep. 8. non vaco somno, etc. neither day nor night, eating or sleeping could withdraw him from studies; & the devise of Aristotle, who by letting a ball fall into a basin, kept himself waking. Which starlight of good in them should stir us up, who are in the sunshine of grace, & lead us on to the search and discovery of Immortality. These meditations should lead us on further to the Queen of the South, 1. King. 10. seeking by a long journey to come to hear Solomon: she and the Ninivits, Gen. 2. and other Heathens, may justly arise in judgement against this generation, and condemn us Christians. For not to flatter ourselves in a matter of so great importance, we cannot plead ignorance, neither can we excuse negligence, in the care of our searching, and manner of our seeking. The devouring sword, terrible shot, wounds, outcries, alarms, groans of the dying, danger of the surviving, cannot keep the valiant warrior from seeking the laurel of victories. The untamed Sea, and tottering ship, the storms, or calms, or rocks, or sands, or shipwreck of others cannot detain the Mariner from seeking for his hoped for commodities. And yet the one in the height of his honour maketh his way through blood, and the other, as if borne under Aquarius wastes his life in the waters: whereas many, whose whole life never partakes of any painful interruption, whose belly God hath filled with treasure, and satisfied with all manner of content, have not begun to seek, nor cared to find the God of their Fathers; thinking it then time enough, when the cloud of sickness portendeth the Tempest of death, which like a damp puts out all the light of pleasure. How dear therefore ought that counsel to be, Seek the Lord while he may be found, (i) to seek him while we may seek him: for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Time is fixed on a wheel, Athe. that incessantly whirleth, and draweth with it us, & all our actions. And our lease of life is, as the ancient Hebrews have by calculation of the years observed, so short, that if we would with all our forces and studies endeavour to achieve some matter of worth, we should be in danger of wanting day light. For if the days of our age be threescore years and ten, or if men be so strong that they come to fourscore, which was the longest date of years that Moses afforded; Psal. 90.10. deduct first the time of eating and sleeping, which is the greater moetie of man's life; & then deduct the days of childhood, which is an ignorant folly, and innocent simplicity, then deduct the days of youth, which is no better then and indiscreet heat, rash and heady, and as Solomon calleth it, an inconstant vanity; deduct yet the days of age, which is life's waist, and man's winter, a hoar frost, cold and unhealthy: and when we think this Survey and substraction is ended, and we have seen all the travel, that God hath given unto the Sons of men, to be exercised therein; yet deduct the days of Sorrow, the souls fever, an eating viper, a fainting misery, a little cold to pinch us, a little heat to parch us, the aching of a tooth or finger, able to distract our studies, or sports, or labours; in sickness weak, in discontent withered: and all these hours of childhood, youth, age, sleep, sickness, sorrow, substracted, where is that life of man threescore years & ten? Which if it were full, it were but the number of the years of Babylòs captivity. Nay where is the year, the day, the hour, that man may be said to live? The life of man is but a span long, nay less, it is but instans temporis, a moment. Number & weigh the time past, it is spent, it weighs nothing. Number and weigh the time to come, it is uncertain, we cannot weigh it. Number & weigh the time present, is is not a dram, a grain, a mite, it is but a moment. Eudaeus, Villalpanda, nor all the measurists have weight or measure to express such a fragment, a moment, being not so much in proportion to eternity as the least moat in the air, to the body of the whole earth. Wherefore, if God, even beyond the course of the natural compass of life do vouchsafe those whom he hath chosen from the world, & called out of the world to endow them with the life of grace, to the end they may seek his glory, and even in the frailty of life to afford many so blessed & gracious opportunities to seek him▪ let us gird up our loins, and seeing the day star hath shined in our hearts, and the day sprang from on high hath visited us, let us run with patience unto the race that is set before us, Heb. 12.1. looking, seeking, striving, earnestly endeavouring, and pressing hard to the mark, unto jesus the author, and finisher of our faith; whom if we seek we shall find, and with him all things necessary for us. To which glorious acquisition as this blessed Prince was faithfully addicted, so now is he of it, in soul, fully possessed. 7 Whose noble thoughts aimed at more, then either his Royal birth could design him, or Regal succession assure him, desiring to improve his Patrimony: * Regna extera. Regna extera, that is, coelica Regna, or * Pithagorei vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex adverso sitam Terram. Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 5. cap. vlt. Regna extera quaerere that is, Regna ex terra, or extra terram; celestial kingdoms, were his aim, & hope, a kingdom that hath no end for termination, no confines for limitation, far above principalities and powers, wherein no man can resolve whether his sanctified ambition were more high or more happy. For had his desires levelled, at the regaining of a neighbour kingdom, which either by match hath been conjoined or by prowess hath been conquered, the example had not wanted followers, nor the enterprise honours. Our Chronicles have bequeathed a testimony unto all posterity in this kind of a * renowned Prince of Wales, whose honour shall not lie in the dust, * The victorious Black Prince. while the life and light of books, shall remain whose much honoured example, no doubt, did much add valour, to Great HENRY'S disposition of warlike honour, in the achieving of some Princely adventure, and giving life to that honourable, though now lamentable estate of English Martialists. Whose valiant service, against Popish and Turkish enemies, hath been sealed with their blood, and they had in high esteem among all the military men in the world, whose renown had enjoyed a resurrection, had this Lodestar of honour appeared longer. But his designs being directed to a more spiritual mark, heaven was his hope, beginning his voyage to glory in the way of grace: through which kingdom of grace he passed, not as an alien, or traveller, but as an inheritor, not as a servant but as a Prince lie son, an heir, a coheir, acquainted in his passage, with the word, and accompanied with the Angels of God. Seeing all worldly things, beneath him, he esteemed them as sublunary, neither altogether worthy of contempt, nor any way as able to afford content to his spirit, which like an Eagle fled up into the sphere of divine contemplation: and so far was he above his nature by grace, as he was by Royal birth in nature above other men. A kingdom he might have affected: for worldly honours sanctified, may be sought by those whom God hath thereunto appointed. Gen. 49.1. jacob besides his legacy of spiritual blessing, left temporal legacies to his sons, the blessing of the Sea to Zabulon, blessing of fruits of the land to Issachar, judgement to Dan, victory to Gad, staff of bread to Asher, Eloquence to Nepthali, fruitfulness to joseph, the sceptre to judah, & so of the rest. And it was David's acknowledgement, The king shall rejoice in thy strength O Lord, exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation. Thou hast given him his hearts desire, & hast not denied him the request of his lips. Psal. 21.3. Thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness, thou hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head, Psal. 21.3. When the kingly Prophet confesseth with much joy the blessings he had received from the Lord generally here as in other places, particularly he nameth these blessings of good things, how he was chosen before his brethren, wiser than his teachers, worthier than the ancients, stronger than his enemies, and not only expresseth God to be the author of his Royal power, but also of his Martial prowess, Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight, my goodness, my fortress, my tower, my deliverer, my shield, Psal. 140.1. Psal. 140.1. Yea and the preservations of him in utero, ex utero, ab utero, to bring him to that dignity, by covering him in his mother's womb, Psal. 139.13. by receiving him from the womb, Psal. 22.10. yea by taking him out of the womb, Psal. 71.6. All religious Princes will acknowledge Tuum est regnum Potentia & gloria: his was the Practic well as the Theoric, he put kingdoms in the scales of judgement to examine as well the weight of their worth & God's blessing in so great gifts, as the weight of their labyrinths of cares, & fears, and mad'st of troubles; he found the honours to be transcendent, that good kings were the Darlings of God, his deputies, stars in his hands, signets on his finger, the great lights of his firmament; those, to whom he not only partaked his sceptre, his power, his honour, but even of his own omnipotent Titles, not only as the woman of Tekoa gave the attribute to David, 2. Sam. 14.17. My Lord the king is wise, as an Angel of God, but God bestowing his own name, Dixi quod Dij estis, I have said ye are Gods, Psal. 82. and his son's name, Nolite tangere Christos meos, Touch not my Christ's, Psal. 105. and not only the name, but the power and speech of his spirit, as in David, Spiritus Domini locutus est per me, the spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me, 2. Sam. 23.2. and, that they have ever been esteemed the chiefest of the sons of men, the chariots of Israel, Oracles of wisdom, Champions of valour, Guardians of justice, the Gems & Diadems of governments beauty. Yet, in all this Sovereignty, they are subject to more violence of storm, than their subjects, they are no more free from emptiness, weariness, thirst, heat, cold, sweat, labour. They are like the heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, which have much respect and no rest, ever in motion, never freed in their persons, actions, or times; being in great state, they are greatest strangers to themselves, & have (if they duly execute their great places) small time to attend the health either of body or mind. Nay more than others their provident watchfulness expressed in the Egyptian Hieroglyphic, Pier. Hierog. sceptrum cum oculo showeth that day nor night, any intermission should exclude their cares, for the state they govern, by the influence of their goodness: seeing as the dignity, so the burden of duty is so great, as that Seneca his speech upon this occasion is found most true, Quis quámne regno gaudet? O fallax bonum, Quantum malorum, quàm fronte blandâ tegis! The best of Kings finds, that sometimes he wears a Crown of thorns. Coronets and Chapplets of Olives, or Lilies, or Laurels, or Roses, or Violets, or Gold, or Pearl, are not without somewhat that will often vex the wearers, and they will confess that within that small circle there is the weight of a world. The boisterous troubles attending on which caused the heathen to profess that if a Crown lay before him on the ground, he would not think it worth the taking up; Cassiodor confirming that by the neglect of the heathen, Regnum est, nolle regnare. Cassiod. Ep. 3. And therefore did our Blessed Prince lay his project for a kingdom, out of compass of trouble, or treason. Howsoever by the dues of Nature, and custom, and succession he was hair apparent to three Crowns, yet he took up the motto of that Reverend * St. Thomas Bodley. Centurion, who built us a Synagogue, Quarta Perennis, and most divinely considered, that an earthly kingdom was like the place, where Paul rested called the fair havens, Act. 27.8. yet Eur oclydon, Act. 27.8. a tempestuous easterly wind may arise, no safety in a king's Palace, be it never so strong: not in his dining Chamber, Belshazzar was astonished there; nor in that Privy chamber, Eglon was slain there; nor in the bed chamber Ishbosheth was slaughtered there; nor in the Chapel, Zenacherib was murdered there: Only, safety is to be expected there, where never harm entered in, since Satan was put out, where there is a kingdom, where the Prince is verity, the laws Charity, and the limits Eternity, where the meat is Manna, the exercise rejoicing, the music Haleluiah, the company Saints, and the Choir Angels. Not only a kingdom of Priests, as in Exod. 19.6. or a kingdom of Prophets, as in Luk. 13.28. but a kingdom of kings, Rev. 1.5. but a prepared kingdom Mat. 25.34. A heavenly kingdom, 2. Tim. 4.18. An eternal kingdom, 2. Pet. 1.11. The kingdom of heaven Mat. 18.3. The kingdom of Christ, Eph. 5.5. The kingdom of God, joh. 3.3. A kingdom where there is power and glory. Into which kingdom, power and glory, that triumphant Saint, blessed Prince Henry is already entered, and having kept his faith, fought his fight, ran his race, and finished his course, he hath obtained a Crown laid up for him, the Crown of life, jam. 1.12. a Crown of righteousness, 1. Tim. 4. an immarcessible Crown of Glory, 1. Pet. 5.4. 8 Learn hence ye dunghill muckwormes, whose base earthly and beastly thoughts never strain further than to be ambitious of Mammon, and to lay up treasure where the rust and moth doth corrupt & where thieves do break in, and steal; never partaking any spark of a noble spirit, whose soul is not only encouraged, but enraged & inflamed with the desire of a kingdom. How ought this ambition of the soul, to be of force, to darken and dull all sensual senses & worldly regards, and to carry ye up, upon the wings of desire and hope, that ye may perform the passage with more alacrity, to come to this kingdom: that when ye are no longer capable of this world ye may be established in a kingdom of most happy condition. It was the speech of Philip to his son Alexander, Idoneum & compar tibiregnum fili invenias, quoniam Macedonia tui capax non est, Son seeing Macedonia is not a place fit for thee, thou mayst find a more compatible and capacious kingdom. The world is not capable of us, it is a limited finite small compass, the soul though it be but the inmate of the body, is a celestial transcendent creature, and being rightly guided, is ever ascending upwards, not here transported, either with desire of that which she hath not, or with carnal delight of that she hath, never entertaining at one time and together, those two extremes, the love of God and of the world; her single eye not being able to behold heaven, and earth together, and therefore neglecteth riches as a thorn, pleasure as a spur, glory as a blast, beauty as a flower, lust as a fire, and joy as a fury. It was Cyrus' proclamation to animate his army, and to draw valiant spirits to his party, that, whosoever would serve him in that war should worthily be preferred, Plut in vitae Pyrrbi. whatsoever his condition were. If he possessed a Cottage, he would give him a village; If he had a village he should be governor of a City; if Ruler of a City he would make him Prince of a Region, or king of some Country. What he promised to the best of his, God proclaimeth to the least of his even a kingdom, even a kingdom of such majesty, that neither in desire this can wish, nor in hope aspire, nor in imagination feign any greater glory. What empty and spongy creatures than be they, who desire to satisfy their fill with any thing, and bestow all their lives in seeking only those things, which be wished sine providentia, and kept non sine poenitentia. What fruit can appear in those things, Quae possessa onerant, Aug. in 119. Ps. amata inquinant, amissa cruciant, in possessing whereof they burden, in loving whereof they defile, in losing whereof they torment themselves. S. Chrysost. fitly proposeth a great man in the highest sphere of earthly Elevation, and thus bespeaketh him, O man, Chrys. Is es quem sensus fallit, tempus deserit, etc. Thou art he whom sense deceiveth, and time forsaketh, whom Pomp hurteth, and age changeth; the greater fret thee, and the lesser flatter thee; ever in fear, never in rest; all this but golden misery. When Satan tempted our Saviour with the greatest temptation, Mat. 4. he presumed to offer him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. It was a great offer, all the kingdoms of the world, and yet small glory, that it could be showed ictu oculi, in the twinkling of an eye, as S. Luke readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an instant of time: the glory that is in the Celestial kingdom, Non videt oculus, no eye hath seen. It was a great trance in Peter, when at Christ's transfiguration he cried out, Let us make three Tabernacles one for Thee, Mat. 17. one for Moses, one for Elias: Moses Tabernacle was dissolved, he must have none, he had no commission to make a new one: Elias was taken up into heaven, he rested on the holy hill more glorious than to abide in a Tabernacle, he needed none; Christ would not enjoy so much as a hole to hide his head on earth, much less a Tabernacle on a hill, he would have none. It had been glorious to be present at the majesty of that meeting, where in body, were represented Elias from heaven, Moses from the grave, Peter and others from the world, nay where Pater in voce, filius in carne, spiritus sanctus in nube, where the blessed Trinity, as at the Baptism before, so now again at the Transfiguration, were all present, the Father in the voice, the Son in the flesh, the holy spirit in the cloud, as the ancients have collected. Upon this short show of the glorious presence of Christ, Peter was in an ecstasy, faciamus Tabernacula, yet this felictie had been but momentary, if made Tabernacles had served, though S. Peter had made them; for Saint Paul telleth us, Non manufactum Tabernaculum, it is not a Tabernacle made with hands will serve, but the true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not man, Heb. 8.2. and which David asked of in his 15. Psalm, Psal. 15.1. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle, who shall rest upon thy holy hill? The monarchs of the earth that shall enter hereinto, may cast away their crowns, as Elias left his cloak, and repent of nothing, save that they came no sooner hither. It was as it seemeth an honourables, and a Commendable ambition in the Disciples, that there was a strife among them who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Mat. 18.1. Their other ambitious thoughts were not so law full. It was, I confess a monstrous sight to see the Saviour's servants, (who should not have savoured of earthly things) disputing who should be the greatest among them, as in Mark 9.34. & a much more prodigious spectacle to behold a contention among them, in an ambitious manner at the Lords table in the time of the Passeover, Luk. 22.24. nay of the last Passeover that ever Christ did eat with them, which he had desired with such a desire to eat with them: it was much to dispute it, more to strive for it, much to question in the way, contention for it at the Table, much to do it, when their Lord heard them not as in Mark, when no danger near their Lord: more now when their Lord heard them, and they saw him in sorrow, when it was but the day before his death, & bitter Passion, than his comfort a quarrel of his Disciples; this Passover was truly eaten with bitter herbs. Both these contentions were grievous in common men, more grievous in the lights and fathers, & Chariots, and horsemen of Israel. But the question propounded in S. Matthew 18.1. may seem tolerable, Mat. 18.1. for our Saviour had taught them, Primum quaerite Regnum Dei, first seek the kingdom of God, and now they desire but to learn Quis primus in regno Dei, who should be the first and greatest in the kingdom of God. And in the answer to this seeming tolerable, and Commendable question, Christ not only teacheth but taxeth them for the swelling ambition of that question, and answereth them that unless they were converted, & would become as little children, they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mat. 18.4. He instanceth in a little child thus, Whosoever therefore shall humble himself, as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven: teaching thereby that Humility is the gate to heaven, that though the children of God must lead an inoffensive kind of life, yet they think meanly of themselves, and the more holy a man is, the more hath he sense of his own corruption. He must walk with God, & yet humble himself under the mighty hand of God. No opinion in his own wisdom, no confidence in his own power, no hope in his own works, he must deny himself if he profess Christ. And here by the consequence of the instance, he reproveth his disciples that did confound the good motion, by the swelling disposition of their mind, not content to be inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, but took upon them, to strive for superiority in that kingdom, where the meanest inhabitant shall be a king, the meanest reward a Crown, and all shallbe like the Angels of God. Where our new-born Prince now is, and enjoyeth a permanent triumph, most glorious among them, that follow the Lamb whither so ever he goeth, among those which are redeemed, from among men, and are the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb, having there the Royalty of happiness, as he had here the right of inheritance. 9 Ambition could not tempt him, nor slander stain him, that ever his thoughts did seek that which was not lawful; neither in his intentions did he approve nor in his actions did appear any show of unjust acquisition. * Fas. Fas was the limitation of all his resolutions. The ancient revenues which his Royal progenitors had designed in his Principality and Dukedom, he regained from the unjust possessors (for the Patrimony of Prince & Priest hath been, & is intruded upon,) but such Princely clemency herein appeared, that law having restored their lands and revenues unto his Highness, his gracious bounty restored the possessors upon small considerations unto that which without right they formerly had detained. Hereby giving a taste as well of Provident managing of his state, as of his benign regard of any, that had any tenure under him, as if his law had been rather Ius Praetorium, than Ius Censorium, and he had affected the rules of Chancery, more than the king's bench: what Equity did yield him, his Clemency moderated, and law in his breast was attended as Virgo in heaven, as with Leo on the one side the power of a Prince, so with libra on the other side, scales to try the weight of right, wherein, as in the divine scales of omnipotency, so in his weights, the worth of mercy, outweighed the right of justice. So far was he from gathering the Treasures of wickedness, by the balance of deceit, from countenancing Laws to be snares to good minds, or quirks to mercenary wits, from denying the King's measure to any man, or turning judgement into wormwood, that in many things he desisted from acquiring his own right: when the right hand of equity led him thereto: though the heathen observed that justice is a virtue in nature, so conjoining with the heart of man, that there is no greater sympathy between the Loadstone & Iron, then between justice and the heart. So that in a Prince especially, absolute justice in its rigour, cannot seem deformed; that of Heraclitus being most true, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prince the Image of God, Heracl. the Law, the work of the Prince, and justice the end of the Law; yet such a sweet match was in the temper of the absolute Prince, that as he never passed over the Line of justice, in wresting any thing from the true owner, so did he not neglect the exercise of much clemency, even unto those that unjustly, & some of them unmannerly had intruded into, and continued long in the Rights of Princely domains. As all that had occasions to negotiate with his highness worthy officers of Revenues in the settling of estates, cannot but confess out of a due consideration, if any spark of truth and integrity be in them; as I acknowledge much in many of them, contemning the viperous tongues of malignant and mad Detractors. Right was the level, and square that ruled him; kingdoms or Empires were not forcible enough, much less the possession of some small Cantons, or Countries able to withdraw his eye, and heart, and hand, from a just proposal, or his foot from the path of lawful proceeding. His soul abhorred the speech of Polynices in the Tragedy, Imperia precio quovis constant benè kingdoms in his opinion were not to be bought at any rate. Sen. Trag. He esteemed Power without justice, our of course, as a Lion broke from his cage, furious & unsatiable: unjust suits he held blots of the Courts and enemies of Conscience; unjust wars abuse of force, the usury of fraud; unjust claims, Contentions fire, and Opinions falsehood; unjust possessions as Ahabs' vineyard, though the acts of power, yet the dwellings of horror. Injustice in any case, was not only distasted but detested by him, he yielded no countenance, no encouragement to such acquisitions. Rapine durst never fly for shelter under his shadow, it feared, nay it fled his countenance; neither his practice, nor protection yielded favour to that horrid Pyoner & Monster of the Palace, Injustice: Fas est, was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Aristotle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as S. james termeth it, an unwritten, yet a Royal law to him. The Portion of the Levite he esteemed sacred, sacrilege he accounted as neighbour to blasphemy; the Church was as happy by him, as he by it holy: he wished the Ark and Aaron their dignity and dues; not the meanest of that tribe, but had from him upon any occasion, more respect than from the most of that time; and for their maintenance, by his Religious Arithmetic, he intended rather addition to it then substraction from it, whatsoever to the contrary was thought by some hot spirits, Herostratus heirs, who think to get honour by setting fire on the Temple: No place complained of any Injustice in him, much less God's house, or the maintenance thereof. The Temple was his high way to heaven, and righteousness his guide, felicity the Patrimony he expected, and yet violence the means by which he sought it. Was violence the means? Sacred Prince! he was another Moses, the meekest that ever his name styled great, Anger was a stranger, and Passion an exile with him, his pulses equal, speeches temperate, his countenance as the sun in itself, always fair, his entendments just, and actions judicious. Where then had violence either dwelling or lodging in him? Nec irritabilis nec implacabilis; he was not easily angered, yet easily pleased, a storm could not smite him, nor the violence, which shipwrecked others, shake him. Coelum non patitur, this celestial creature was not subject to the passive motions of distempers: the change of the moon had not power, nor the violence of Planets predominancy in his Nativity. In all his sailing, he was in a calm, he had learned the lesson which was taught to trajan, Nec minus se hominem esse quàm hominibus praeesse, Pliny. His practice was as much in the politics to obey, as in his Economics to rule: and how then was violence the means of his acquisition? I say again Violence was the means to obtain his felicity, even that holy sanctified violence, which our Saviour exhorteth unto, Mat. 11.22. Mat. 11.12. The kingdom of heaven must suffer violence, and the violent take it by force. The Saints of God shall drink of the Flood of life, Ps. 36.9. The holy spirit descended in a fire, Acts 2. And what more violent than a flood, or fire? In what is so much earnestness showed, as in a race, or a Combat? yet these be the terms of Scripture, to incite to a more urgent violent pace in our passage towards heaven. Which Course, as this Peerless Creature knew, so did he with his best affections bend towards it, Spiritual pride, and carnal security were rocks on either hand him, which he avoided, a continual remembrance of his Creator, the Lord that directed him, and as if his vessel had been more speedy than ordinary, he happily passed through the waves of this troublesome world, and anchor in the haven of heaven, unto which he had the height of inheritance. 10 Learn from this Holy pattern, all ye that torture justice, and extend the limits of right to your own ends, using the Law, as a Law of liberty, blanching of bad, darkening of good courses, changing the face & speech of justice, making her pronounce as the heathen Oracles, often ambiguity, if not falsities. Behold a Prince, whose power might have betrayed his will, and his will corrupted the Law, but he walketh upright before his maker, violence or cruelty had no place in his habitations, all his intentions were weighed, with how lawful, not how gainful they were: the kingdom of heaven to which he had right by adoption is his aim, is his desire; to seek other things if this were any hindrance to this atchieument he forbore: hereby teaching the unrighteous Ahabs' of this time, who seek for all things else but heaven, by all means else but right, how great their offence is, who in the placing of their officers be like Nero, Eras. Apoth. whose speech was to his servants, scitis quibus mihi opus. & hoc agamus ne quis quid habeat, as if his treasures should have been the Ocean into which the rivers of private men's states should have emptied themselves: Vox praedone, quam principe dignior, a speech fit for a Pirate, Lang loc. Com. than a Prince, as one censureth him. Where if such would be content, to pray only on the great ones, the fault were less, as Tibullus telleth the great thieves of his time, At vos exiguo peeori furesque lupíque Tibull. Farcite: de magno praeda petenda grege. It caused David's anger to be greatly kindled against the rich man in nathan's parable, who took away from the poor man, 2. Sam. 12. the one, and only little ewe Lamb, which he had bought and nourished up; and David sentenceth it thus, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore the Lamb fourfold because he did this thing, and because he had no pity, 2. Sam. 12.6. And not to heap testimonies, that one of Cassiodore is enough, Cass. lib 5. Ep. Vltra omnes crudelitates est divitem velle fieri ex exiguitate mendici. Amentur honesta lucra, horreantur damnosa compendia. Pudeat ab illus tollere quibus inhemur offer. It is cruelty in the abstract that any man should grow rich by excorting from the poor; honest gain is lawful, damned rapine hateful: the extreme of shame is to take from them, to whom we are commanded to give. God heareth their cries, remembreth their sighs, putteth up their tears; their complaints as darts pierce heaven. The observation of S. Chrysostome is worthy, that of all the blessings of our Saviour in the Mount, the blessing of inheritance is only given to the meek, Mat. 5.5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Which is mainly contrary to the course of the world? for if meekness were the best fortress for possession, how so one would the snares and subtleties of Law-wresting underminers, prevail! wherefore the violent Nebuchadnezars' of the world, by usurpation rather than by possession, retain their seats, & may be said rather to inhabit then inherit the land. But unto the Godly saith God; What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose, his soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed shall inherit the land, Psal. 24.12. Not only the meek themselves but their seed, shall not only possess but inherit, not only the earth but the land of the living; when as the unjust Intruders shall make but the spider's nest, or build their houses, as upon the sands, a wind will come to cast down their Palaces, & to root them out of their possessions, & to rot their memorial from of the earth. When as, they that by right & righteous dealing have enjoyed the blessing of inheritance, shall shine by their good works while they live, and by their good name when they are dead; as now this Gracious Glorious Triumphant Saint doth, whose name shall be had in everlasting remembrance. It a in singulis virtutibus eminebat, He was so eminent in every virtue, to use S. Hieroms words, that with out much amplification the Apothegms of his own life, will furnish a large discourse. He was never beaten down with his own passions, but did conquer his own conquerors; his anger served only to inflame his zeal, height of spirit, to despise the world, Fear, only to abstain from sin, joy to praise God, sadness to repent, hatred, to pursue vice love, to ensue virtue; so his passions, being subdued as Rebels, were singular helps in the exercise of virtue. And for himself, and his worthy followers, the words of Hierome of Nepotian will fitly serve the close of this discourse Domus eius, & conversatio, magistra erat publicae disciplinae, Hier. his own Princely conversation, & the course of his house was a mistress (or rather a mirror) of public discipline, the model of a wel-managed state. Mars & Minerva dwelled in his Palace, which in itself was a second Paradise. Religion was of his privy chamber, and virtue a great officer in his house, knowledge was a companion with him, good inclinations had breeding here, and good men preferment, and his Countenance did change the face of the times. But as Cestius in Seneca spoke of Altius Flavius, Senec. Lib. 2. Cont. con. 1. Tammaturè magnum ingentum non esse vitabo, it proved to be a fatal Truth in him, that so great a spirit, so soon to appear, was a prodigious sign of the loss, which ensued by the end of his life, such an Epiphany was the speedy forerunner of his mortality. No prevention could stay the wheel running at the Cistern of his life, his days were numbered, the stealing steps and insensible degrees of death did approach even like the sun, which maintaineth a very swift motion, yet doth not the eye perceive it to move. Death the Tyrant, exercised his rage, with the greatest cruelty upon this Princely subject, and suddenly cropped of, this fairest of Nature's flowers and overthrew him in the Principal strength, and beauty of his age: at which blow, the world staggered, & being old and nought it feared the date of its own dissolution. All natural things, must increase and decline, the sun shall end the course & consume, heaven shall be wrapped up as a scroll, and the stars shall fall, Psal. Death doth restrain the spirit of Princes and is wonderful among the sons of the earth. It was the last lesson that ever this excellent Prince was publicly taught, that though common men, dare not be acquainted with kings, yet death is more commonly boisterous and more violent with kings, than other men, Of all the kings of judah, from Rhehoboam down to Zedekiah, there were in number twenty, and six of them, that is almost a third part slain; of the kings of Israel from jeroboam to Oshea, there were also in number twenty, and ten of them a just half slain, yea look into our own stories and our English Chronicles are all bloody from the Conquest downward of three & twenty deceased, eight which is more than a third part slain: whereupon the * M. Wilkinson, who preached at S. james that day his Highness sickened. Reverend Preacher concluded, it were a most fearful thing amongst the common sort of men, if one, in every three were subject to such violent death. But Death durst not come with such violence, nor so rudely intrude into this Princely Sanctuary, it came in by stealth, yet being entered, it severely did exact obedience, it expugned all desences against it, & undermining all Physic, was not content with blood, but command's life: when Nature's frame seemed firm, and a countenance of continuance appeared in this Divine Prince, Death led him into the unavoidable passage of the farthest & fairest path of nature, & kept him 13. days in this Labyrinth. In which time, daily changing, daily dying, HE, though entangled in the snares of disease, yet avoided the snakes of distrust or distemper, & with a noble Courage like the sun, did show greatest countenance, in this lowest state, and with a brave yet blessed behaviour in contempt of death, gave a grace to the greatest extremities the Tyrant could devise: for when the Tragické Monster, stopped his breath closed his eyes & drew the curtains, the Princely soul took wing and with troops of Angels fled to heaven. It is not without warrant, O Death! that God disclaimeth any interest in thee, thou Infernal yet Imperial Commander: he hath pronounced by the mouth of the wiseman, that he never made thee, but that thou hadst thine entry into the world by the very malice and subtlety of the Devil. Wisd 1.13.2.24. Hast thou hurried about the world, and compassed the whole earth to and fro? and hast thou considered Great Henry, who was perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil, and hast thou privily shot at him that was true of heart? Cursed be thy anger, for it was fierce, and thy wrath it was cruel! Didst thou mistake jehoshaphat for Ahab? 1 King. 22.32 this holy Prince, for some Idolatrous Pagan? or was thy aim only at this beauty of the world? Why hadst thou not gorged thy hollow hellish appetite, with some blasphemous Rabshaked, or cursed Sanballat, with some aspiring Haman, or Church-robbing Nabuchadnezzar? joseph lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 5. Hosp. de Grig. fist pag 48. Novemb. 12 November was the dismal time death fitted for this Tragedy, a time noted by the Orator disastrous. It would rather fill a Library, than a volume to descend to particulars. It was the Month of the Flood, as josephus among the ancient, & Hospinian among the modern do affirm: and if ever a second Cataclysme fell upon the earth, the Tears shed in the sorrow of this loss, may deserve a Chronicle; many expectations were sunk, and some Gallants went to heave thy water, sorrow killed them. What hopes were shipwrecked in this storm, and what a general deluge, over streamed all honest hearts, will never be forgotten, while that black day, the 6th of November shall appear in our Calendar. Quintus intendit, Sextus intulit. The 5. day was by the Sons of Beliall a day dedicated to our destruction, a day by Hesiod, and Virgil, and all the heathens, as Hospinian collecteth, most ominous: but the Lord was more careful in the prevention, than we thankful for preservation herein; therefore what was but threatened on the fift day was showered down the 6th day, at which time the storm fell upon us. It was a strange prodigy, that on the fift day at night, about the hour of 8. a Rainbow appeared, seeming as it were by the sight and judgement of some, to compass the house of S. james. I refer the Learned to those that have written of prodigies: for my own part I have learned that lesson, In pluribus Domini operibus non esse curiosum, Eccl. 3.22. not to be over curious and inquisitive in many works of the Almighty. Lactantius much inveigheth against those, De fals. sap. lib. 2. c. 20. whose chief delight was, Inconcessa/ crutari, to search for unlawful things; and I know that jacob striving with an Angel, got the shrinking of a sinew: yet that the covenant of the flood, sold so dysastrously appear in the month of the flood, in the night beyond the rules of Nature, and course of custom, did certainly portend somewhat. Indeed after the flood God hung up his bow in the Cloud, in token of reconciliation unto men, and the bend and arch of the bow is turned from us, Lib. de operibus create. cap. 3. as Zanchius observeth. But he hung up his bow, saith Ambrose, Arcus habet vulneris indicium, non vulneris effectum, the bow maketh a show of hurting, but it doth not hurt, it is the arrow that woundeth. But now God seemeth for our sins, to have taken down his bow again, it was an arrow he shot with the fervency of his fury, the Court was wounded, the Commonwealth; the Church, the whole Protestant world received a wound, in the death of God's darling, the Renowned Prince now in heaven. 13 Let all the world stand in awe of their powerful commander, that shooteth his arrows of desolation among the Children of men. All the trees of the Forest must know, that the Lord hath brought down the high tree, hath exalted the low tree, hath dried up the green tree, and hath made the dry tree to flourish as he threateneth Ezek. 17.24. and that all the sons of men are under one common condition. Our lives are short in all things except miseries and troubles, our continuance is only certain in uncertainty. God hath reserved our times, unknown, because we should be always ready. Quò propior quisque est, servitque fideliùsaegro In partem laethi citiùs venit. By how much the nearer men come about dying persons, by so much the sooner should they consider their own deaths. Wherefore Noble and worthy Gentlemen, who were sad spectators of the blessed passage of his Princely soul, sequester all human wisdom and policy, all Court vanity or glory, look upon the Glass of mortality; the more ye are entangled either in the delights or affairs of this life, the more grievous death will be to you. It will be unseasonable, when the pains and perplexities of the souls departing from two friends of so long familiarity, the body and the world, shall draw your powers from true repentance. Seek therefore the Lord while he may be found, blow the dying fire of your devotion. Look back, and esteem the whole race which ye have run, as a short step, look forward, and behold the infinite space of eternity, wherein by grace ye may continue: here ye have no abiding city, your service is no inheritance. Lift therefore your minds to heaven, and discover the most bright and beautiful glory; your life is your candle, wast it not in idle play, it was allowed you only to light you to ed. Finally, whosoever of you beholdeth the present Princely family, and saw it in her first glory; doubt not but God will make good his word to this house, which he promised in Haggci, The glory of this later house shall be greater than the former, Hag. 2.9. saith the Lord of hosts. Lord make this promise good. Bless our most hopeful Charlemagne with all thy choice graces. Let the enemy have none advantage of him, nor the wicked approach to hurt him: but for ever let thy mercies compass him, give unto him the doubled spirit of his now blessed and immortal brother; endue him with the hand of Gedeon, the heart of David, and the head of Solomon. Grant him in health and wealth long to live, that at the length he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FINIS.