A SERMON preached on September the 20. 1632. In the Cathedral Church of Christ at Canterbury, at the Funeral of William Proud, a Lieutenant Colonel, slain at the last late siege of Mastricke. By Francis Rogers, Doctor in Divinity. 2. SAM. 3.38. Know ye not that a Prince and a great man is fallen this day in Israel? LONDON, Printed by john Norton, for William Adderton, and are to be sold at his shop in Bethlem without Bishopsgate. 1633. To the Honoured and Worthy, Sir Dudley Digges, Sir William Monins, Sir Peter Heyman, Sir Thomas Palmer, Sir john Wild, Sir Thomas Wilford, Sir Christopher Harfleit, Sir james Oxenden, and Sir Edward Masters. MUCH Honoured and Worthy Countrymen, this Sermon was preached at the Funeral of Lieu-tenant Colonel Proud, our Countryman; who was slain at the late siege of Mastrick. I know not to whose protection better to commend it, then to yourselves, who are all Gentlemen of good worth, and to whom the chiefest charge of military discipline for our East parts of Kent is committed. Ye were all attentive hearers: may it now please you to accept these my poor endeavours favourably, and to censure them charitably, I have what I desire. And so wishing all health and happiness to yourselves and your families: I rest, your ever loving Countryman, and faithful Servant in Christ jesus, FRANCIS ROGERS. From St. Margaret's in Canterbury, Octo. 29. 1632. A Sermon preached at the Funeral of William Proud, a Lieu-tenant Colonel, slain at the last late siege of Mastricke. 2. SAM. 3.38. Know ye not that a Prince and a great man is fallen this day in Israel? WE read before in this chapter, that King Saul being dead, there was great war between Ishbosheth and David for the Crown: Ishbosheth claimed it as son to King Saul: David did challenge it as anointed by Samuel, and appointed by God. Abner General for Saul his house, being rebuked by Ishbosheth for going in to his father's concubine, took it very indignly, and threatened to forsake Ishosheth and to unite himself to David, for which purpose he sendeth messengers to David to make a covenant with him: David being a wise King aswell as a godly man, thought it no 〈…〉 neglect such 〈◊〉 opportunity, and therefore he doth embrace Abners' love, he entertaineth him royally, and dismisseth him peaceably. After this, joab David's General coming to the Court, and whether out of malice, because Abner had slain his brother Asael, or out of ambition, fearing that Abner might have his command, or out of affection to David, being his nephew, he is very angry, and telleth David that Abner came but as a spy to watch David's going in and going out, and therefore it was not wisdom in David to suffer Abner to departed from him and when he had done speaking to the King, he hasteneth after Abner, who coming to joab, mistrusting no evil, was, under pretence of friendship, most treacherously killed by joab. This murder so odious in the sight of God and man, doth astonish David: for now Benjamin and all saul's Allies are likely to hate David perpetually, yea his own servants and kindred have great cause to suspect David's tyranny: wherefore David, to clear himself from so foul a blot, First, he detesteth the fact. Secondly, he wisheth a curse upon joab and his posterity for the same. Thirdly, he causeth his Nobles to lament, and himself followeth Abners' corpse to the grave; he weepeth, and he bewaileth his death: and he saith, Know ye not, that a Prince, and a great man is fallen this day in Israel? In which words three things are observable. First, that there is a difference and a degree between man and man, in this title given to Abner, a Prince, and a great man. Secondly, that Princes and great men are subject to mortality: A Prince, and a great man is fallen this day in Israel. Thirdly, notice is more especially to be taken of such men's deaths, Know ye, & c? For the first: this difference of man and man, is not in respect of our Creator, nor in respect of our first earthly father, nor in respect of our matter, for we are all made of the same earth: but it is in regard of the use and service of men in a civil state, for parity breedeth confusion both in Church and Commonwealth, and God is the God of order. See this in unreasonable creatures: The Bees have in the Hive a master-Bee, whom they observe and follow: the Cranes march forth in orderly array: yea, among the devils there is a superiority and an order, for Belsebub is the Prince of them, Acts 17.11. There are Nobles: these were Noblemen, and there is a degree in Nobility: These were more noble men than those of Thessalonica: For better understanding this point, observe four sorts of Nobility. The first is natural, which is by birth, descending from ancient progenitors, and God promiseth Abraham, that Kings shall come out of his loins. I, but the old Stoics object, Nature is alike to all, she is a stepdame to none: are not all borne alike into the world? are not all subject alike to casualties in the world? and do not all dye and go alike out of the world? where is then any inequality? Likewise the new Swissers say, God did not make two adam's, one of silver to beget Gentlemen, another of earth to beget common people: Coats, and Crests, notos magis facit quàm nobiles: they make men rather known then noble. No more for shame: let not that sin rule among us which Esay speaks of, That the vile presume against the honourable: They are, me thinketh, as Esdras the 1. book the 3. chapter saith, the words of men in wine, who never remember their King, nor their Governors: doubtless, it is a great blessing of God, to be borne of honourable parents: for Christ himself, though he lived so poor, as the Foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests, but he had not where to lay his head: yet he would not be borne base, he would be borne a Gentle man, he was of the blood Royal, and true heir to the Crown of judah: for he descended from the lineage of David according to the flesh. In metals of the same kind (which Plato resembleth to the soul of man) some are fare purer than are others: In plants there is a great difference of seeds and branches: Est in iunencis, est in equis patrum virtus Forts creantur fortibus et bonis. If a man have a Horse, he esteemeth him better, according to the sire and dam he cometh from. Even so among men, it doth often much avail from what stock they descend: and the Scriptures call men nobly borne, The famous of the congregation, The worthies of the land, The glory of the Kingdom, The strength of Israel: and it was one high degree of sorrow in judah her captivity, that her nobles were slain. But Generatio optima, corruptio pessima, best things corrupted, prove the worst: Angels, if they fall, do become devils: and Gentlemen, if they degenerate, become the utter ruin of the Church and Commonwealth, they are as so many Lucifers fallen from heaven: Hence we do learn, not with the jews to boast we have Abraham to our Father, not to stand so much upon the blood we have, as upon the good we do. It little benefiteth a foul river to flow from a clear spring. It is small comfort for a blind man, to say his father could see well: it is no reputation for a debauched liver, to say that he is nobly descended. If we be the children of Abraham, let us do the works of Abraham: and the better we are borne, the better we must live. Noblemen must be like trees planted by the rivers of water, which bring forth their fruit in due season, that their leaf may not fall, nor their name perish from the face of the earth. The second kind of Gentry is Civil nobility, which is by riches; shining in the goods of fortune. Hence Simonides esteemed those to be noble, which in a long course of time, were descended from wealthy progenitors: and though it often fall out true, divites in arca, pauperes in conscientia: Men rich in the coffers, are poor in the conscience: yet are riches reckoned a part of nobility. First, because they make it popular. Secondly, because riches are the instruments by which virtue and Gentry are or may be maintained. Lastly, because being gotten, they serve as means for virtue and gentry to manfiest themselves in action: yet be not proud of wealth, and think not because thou art rich, that therefore thou must be honoured: this is to make men idolaters, to worship a golden Calf, or a silver Ass. Riches, saith Bonaventure, are but as a dog following two men which walk together, so long as the men are together, you cannot discern to whom the dog belongeth, but let them part, and then the dog will follow his true master: so, while man and the world live together, we do imagine riches belongeth to the man, but if the man leave the world, than riches serves him but a dogged trick, and as the man did come naked into the world, so his executors will be sure he shall go naked out of the world, he shall only have his winding-sheete. A man throweth a stone into the water, which begetteth circle upon circle, and every one bigger than other, yet suddenly they all vanish away: so is it with riches, they are quickly gone. As a bird hoppeth here, and there, and no man knoweth where she will light: so is it in getting riches, which have wings like an Eagle, to fly away, Luke 12. Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be taken from thee, and then whose shall all thy goods be? Strive not thou so much to be rich in wealth, as to be rich in faith. He in Plutarch which had a golden , said: I, but no man knoweth how it wringeth me: so, to have a golden purse, and a galled conscience, will make all joy and honour to be but a dream at the last. The world is as the sea, men as fishers, things as fishes, none can tell what he catcheth, till his net come out of the water: neither can we tell until we are dead, what will become of our souls: then lay up thy treasure in heaven, and not in earthly possessions. Purse-nobility, though it glitter in the eyes of worldlings, yet it is seated in the hands of fortune, quae vitrea est, saith Seneca, a very brittle she friend: See in Haman, to day the King's only Favourite, yet to morrow hanged. See in Gellinor that puissant Prince of the Vandals, yet driven so low, as he begged a loaf of bread to slake his hunger, a sponge to dry up his tears, and an harp to solace him in his misery. Bellizarius that valiant General, his eyes put out, would cry, Date obelum Bellizario: Give one poor farthing to relieve Bellizarius. Henry the fourth, a rich and a victorious Emperor, he had fought fifty two pitched battles in the fields, yet he was driven to that exigent, as he begged a Prebend in the Church of Spira to maintain himself, and could not obtain it, no, not of that Bishop whom himself had preferred: but he answered, Per corpus Francisci non habebis: By St. Francis thou shalt not have it. Therefore labour to be rich in grace: For, not many rich, not many noble, but God hath chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom of heaven. The third kind of Nobility is moral, which a man doth purchase by virtue, and good living. Socrates asked what nobility was? said, Est animi corporisque temperantia: It is a good composure, and temperature of the mind and body. Aristotle esteemed him a Gentleman, which accounted it a glory to give, and a stain to his honour to take. And Plato said he was gentle, which is adorned with his own, not with others virtues: so thou to be truly generous, is to be in life and behaviour well governed, disdaining to become subject to vice, or to be infected with bad manners, to be just and faithful in promise, patiented in suffering wrong, apt to pardon injuries without revenge, mild in countenance, courteous in speech, sober in carriage. Nobles may not be like the noblest trees, for they are the most barren, or without good fruit, as the Oak, the Beech, the Laurel, the Myrtle. They must not be like beasts, whereof the noblest are the cruelest: neither are they true virtues of nobility, such as in these days are used, as to dice well, to drink well, to waste lavishly, and to wanton it ventrously: this is the way to bring ruin to yourselves, for Now as the axe laid to the root of the tree, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewed down & cast into the fire: and these courses will bring ruin to your posterity: for the seed of the wicked shall not be renowned for ever. This moral nobility acquired by virtue, is like Abishai one of David's Worthies, he was the worthiest of three: so this excelleth the other two: but if we compare it with divine Nobility, it is but as joseph to Pharaoh, the second in the Kingdom. The fourth nobility is divine, to be a true Christian, to be a new creature. St. Paul a jew, was a Citizen of Rome, a Pharise, a great Rabbi, brought up at the foot of Gamaliel, of the Tribe of Benjamin, and circumcised the eight day: being a Christian, he was rap't up into the third heaven, yet he did esteem all as dung, in comparison of being a new creature in Christ jesus: for then to be the true servants of God, exceedeth all other honour in the world: Therefore after Moses was dead, God said to joshua, Moses my servant is dead. If God had so much regarded worldly titles, he might have termed him another Noah: for as when all the World was drowned in the Flood, only Noah & his family were preserved alive in the Ark. Even so, when Pharaoh commanded all the male children of Israel to be drowned in the river, there was only Moses preserved alive in a basket. God might have called him another Enoch, for as Enoch walked with God, and was translated from men: even so Moses went into the mountain Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, and was never seen more of men. God might have called him the familiar Prophet, one which spoke to God face to face, but all this laid aside, God only saith: Moses my servant is dead: to show us, that to be a true Christian, and to serve God, is most honourable, yea to be God's servant, is a Title most durable: for if any ask me what was great Alexander? I answer, that while he lived, he was a valiant Monarch, one which did conquer the Eastern parts of the world: but if you ask me what Alexander is now? I say, he is a damned * This is said according to the Tenent, Without the Church is no salvation. As for God's secret Council, we may not dare for to meddle with it. soul in hell. But if you ask me, what was Abraham? I answer, Abraham, while he lived, was the father of the faithful, and now he is dead, he still is and ever will be Gods faithful servant in heaven. In divine nobility, wilt thou know thy pedigree, and thy kindred? Then know, God is thy Father, Christ jesus is thy brother, the Holy Ghost is thy preserver, the blessed Angels thy attendants, thy food is more precious than Manna, for it is the bread of life which came from heaven, of which he that eateth, shall never hunger, not thirst any more. Alexander the great, had a monster brought forth, whose upper parts had a manshead, and breast, but these were dead: but the lower parts were full of monsters of all kinds, and these were living: this, said the Soothsayers, did foretell the death of Alexander: So is it in noble houses. The head with a man's face and breast, is religion: If this be dead, than nothing but all monstrous sins will appear, which will bring ruin and destruction to all honourable families: Wherefore let me labour to stir you up to be divinely noble, and to become true Christians: and because our meeting is to do honour to a worthy Soldier, and to a brave Commander, give me leave to use for this purpose some few examples drawn from military discipline. First, Soldiers in the field may not use their weapons as they will, but as they are commanded. The Musketeere must not discharge when he listeth, but when the Officer bringeth him up and saith, Present fire: so likewise the Cannoneere. In our spiritual warfare, Christ is our General, we are his soldiers to fight under his banner, our weapons are our souls with their faculties, and our bodies with their members, and these must be used as God commandeth, not as we desire. Our understanding must know God aright, our will must choose what is good, our affections must love God above all: and for our bodies, we must not abuse them to perform the lusts of the flesh: or make them brewers horses to bear much quantity of wine and beer: but We must give up our members weapons of righteousness to true holiness: our tongues must praise God, or pray to God: our eyes must not look on strange women to lust after them: our ears must hear God's Word: our taste must eat Christ's flesh, and drink his blood, in the blessed Eucharist: our hands must relieve the poor: our feet must carry us into God's Temple, and to visit the sick and such as are in misery: In one word, we must offer up our souls and our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable serving of God. Secondly, Soldiers execute what the Commander willeth, without arguing and ask why they should do so: as let the General send to such a Colonel to enter such a breach, to make good such a place, he presently obeyeth, for they know that the General his office is for direction: the Officers and Soldier's duty is, to put his direction into execution. Even so, look what our General Christ hath commanded in his Word, that must we execute, without discussing by our natural reason, as did Abraham in offering up Isaac, and as the jews said unto Moses, Whatsoever the Lord commandeth, that will we do. Even so, let us rather dye, than not perform all God willeth and commandeth us to do. Thirdly, Soldiers which beleaguer a Town, use two kind of stratagems. First, they make themselves masters of the rivers, they cut off all springs of water which succour the Town, they enquarter themselves and block up the Town, so that no relief of Ammunition, of Victual, or of men, shall any way relieve the Town. Even so must we do: sin is our great enemy: then take heed that we take away from the strength of sin, and flee sin and all occasion of sin: Add not to our original corruption, evil thoughts, evil words or evil deeds. If any man had two swords, and being to fight with his enemy, should lend him one: this were the next way to have his throat cut with his own sword. Hence every one coveteth to disarm his enemy: so must not we add sin to sin, this were for to bring final destruction to our own souls. Secondly, they do not only endeavour to withhold all necessaries from the Town, but they use all the means to offend the besieged: for they raise their batteries to make breaches, they make their approaches, build their galleys, spring their mines, they have ladders to seal the walls, and all this, to force the Town. Even so, we must not only avoid sin, and weaken our corruption, but we must take into our hands the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, whereby we may be able to kill all the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. Fourthly, Soldiers in the field no more fear the report of the Cannon, than the report of the Musket: as I have heard it related of that true noble Peer, and valiant Commander, Sir Horace Vere, Baron of Tilbery, that when in the Palatinate a Council of war was called, and there being debated whether they should fight or not: some Dutch Lords said, that the enemy had many pieces of Ordnance planted in such a place, and therefore it was dangerous to fight. That noble Gentleman replied, My Lords, if you fear the mouth of the Cannon, you must never come into the field. Even so, oft times men fall into diverse and great temptations: as for to despair of God's mercies, for to make themselves away: yea the devil oft times tempteth men by voice, by appearing in some shapes and the like. Yet a Christian courage must not be daunted at any crosses or temptations, but he must endure constant to the end: for God is faithful and just, and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to endure. Be we assured, all the temptations of that roaring Lion the devil, are but like the Frenchmens assaults in war. Prima Gallorum p●aelia sunt plusquam virorum, secunda minus quam faminarum. At first he doth come on like an Emperor, he chargeth home bravely: but resist him then: and at the second encounter he is more effeminate than a woman. Even so, resist Satan at the first, and he will flee from you: for the devil is but like a coward. If a coward deal with a man whom he knoweth he can overmatch, or be in place where he is sure he may not fight, than none will give prouder words, nor make more brags then a coward: but if he have to do with a man, with whom what he speaketh with his tongue, he must make good with his sword, and if he be in place where they may conveniently buckle, than none is more base or submiss than a coward: Even so, resist Satan, and he will avoid thee, but give the least way to his temptations, and then he will fetch seven other devils, and they all at once will enter into that man, and make his end fare worse than his beginning. All this that we may better perform, let us take to us the shield of faith, and pray to God, that all our thoughts, words, and deeds, may be begun, continued, and ended, to his glory. And so I pass to the second thing. Princes and great men are subject to mortality. Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede Pauperum domos, Regumque turres. Death seizeth on the King in his Palace, as well as on the beggar in his cottage. It is determined for all men to dye once. Death, God's Bailiff, returneth not his writ with a Non est inventus in balivanostra: but death bringeth corpus cum causa to the King of heaven's bench. A King may love his friends, and advance his followers to honour, but to adjourn death, or to fill the empty veins with lively blood, or the dry bones with marrow, or redeem life from the power of the grave: in these things, nor David, nor any other is a King, 2. Reg. 5. 7. Am I God, saith the King of Israel, to kill, and to give life, or can I heal Naamans' leprosy? The Uses of this Doctrine are these. First, let every man persuade himself that he shall dye. This may seem a paradox: for it any so sottish as to imagine he shall never dye? Beloved, be not deceived, I am persuaded, few men do dream of their own death: for there is none so old, but thinketh he may live one year longer, and then another, though in general we say all shall dye: yet in numbering our particular lives, we think ourselves shall never dye. Two ships meet on the sea, they in either ship think themselves stand still, and the other to be swift of sail, whereas both sail, though the one faster than the other. Even so, men are as ships: see we an old man with a staff in his hand stooping downward? Alas, poor old man, say we, he cannot live long. Hear we a passing-bell? Oh one is going out of the world. Visit we a sick friend? We think he can hardly live till morning. Thus we imagine, all other men are dying, but we stand still: whereas alas, they may go a little before, and we are sure to follow after. Secondly, let this teach us to prepare ourselves to dye, that if death be sudden to us in regard of expectation, yet death may never be sudden to us in regard of preparation: death is like the Basilisk: It is reported, if a Basilisk first see a man before the man see him, that then he killeth the man: but if a man first see a Basilisk, than the Basilisk dieth. Thus is it with death: If death first lay hold on a man before he is prepared to dye, than death killeth that man, body and soul for ever: but if a man first look on death, and every day prepare to dye, than death is but an entrance into everlasting happiness. It is a worthy thing which hath been related to me, of that brave soldier, of a noble Family, Sir john Burrough, who receiving a mortal wound in the Island of Rees, and being advised not to fear death, but to prepare for another world, he answered: I thank God, I fear not death, and these thirty years together, I never arose at the morning, that ever I made account to live till night: so let every true Christian every day when he awaketh, commend himself to God's protection, whether he live or dye, and at the evening none knoweth, if That night's bed shall be his grave, or That night's sleep shall be his death: therefore before his eyes do sleep, or his eyelids slumber, or the temples of his head take rest, make his peace with God for all sins: that whether he live or dye, he may live and dye to the Lord, and jesus Christ may be to him advantage. And so I pass to the last thing. Notice is to be taken of a great man's death. Know ye not, etc. The death of a great man, and of a mean man is like the report of a Cannon and of a Musket: a Cannon is heard many miles, but a Musket for a little space. So, if a great man dye, all men speak of it: as, such an Earl, such a Bishop, such a Commander is dead. But if a poor man, or a common soldier dye, few of his neighbours and friends accompany him to the grave, and there is an end of him. But i● a great man dye, which is able to do his Country service, notice shall be taken of it to lament his death: so is Abner here bewailed both of King and people. In Esay the 3. chapter, God threatneth it as a plague, He will take away the strong man, and the man of war. Therefore as Lament. 1.15.16. The Lord hath trodden under foot all the valiant men in the midst of me: for this thing I weep, mine eye, even mine eye casteth out water, because the Comforter which should refresh my soul, is fare from me. God taketh away good men, and great men in mercy and in judgement. In mercy, when God taketh away a bad Prince, and giveth a better, as he took Saul, and gave David. He took away from this land Queen Mary and gave us Queen Elizabeth. Or when God taketh away a good Prince, and giveth another good one in his place. Thus he took away Moses, and gave joshua: thus from us he took away King james, and gave us King Charles, whom God long preserve among us: God taketh away great men in judgement, either when he taketh good Governors, and raiseth up none in their stead. Thus when all the Rulers were dead which knew Moses & joshua, God gave the jews no Rulers: for in those days there was no King in Israel, but every one did what seemed best in his own eyes. Or else God taketh away good Rulers, and raiseth up bad, as he took away Samuel, and gave Saul. Let us consider, if within these few years God hath not taken away many of our brave Gentiles, and worthy Soldiers: but where have we a succeeding generation? What are our Ships without Saylors? What are our Guns without men? What are our men without discipline? And how can we have discipline, without brave Commanders, and experienced Soldiers? Philip, King of Macedon, accounted the Athenians happy, because they were able every year, to send out ten worthy Commanders, whereas he only had Parmenio. Hence did this Nation flourish heretofore, and was a terror to all Nations. Yea Charles the eighth of France attired his soldiers like Englishmen to make them more fearful to his Rebels: but now alas, of late God hath not gone forth with our armies, but for our sins he hath made us an hissing and a by word to other people. Oh, now Abner hath leave to dye, and men of action by the sword never less regarded, never better spared. Well, blessed be God for our peace, and pray we all for the peace of our jerusalem: Let them prosper which love it: yet let not us be secure. The sons of Zeruiah may be too mighty for us, though our enemies abroad do sleep, and the Papists at home are not plotting treasons: yet the devil all this time may rock the cradle, and God may one day suffer the child to awake: & therefore let not so many Abners', nor this worthy Abner before us dye, without sense of a public loss, and an universal condolment of the whole State. For so saith my text, Know ye not that a Prince, & c? A Prince, that is, a prime man, a principal Commander, a valiant Soldier, and a worthy Warrior. And having finished my text, give me leave to speak of this present occasion. Ptolomeus asketh a question, What course men noble in birth, & quality of mind, yet oppressed with poverty, should take to live by, and to be fruitful members in the Commonwealth? He answered, They may in no wise practice any base or mechanical trade, but they must addict themselves, either to the service of their Prince, or be Priests of God's Altar, or else give themselves to chivalry, and a military life. This latter kind of calling, our Countryman this noble Commander undertook. What, to be a soldier? Nulla fides, pietasque viris qui bella sequuntur. There is neither faith nor piety in men of war which live by their sword: But God's Word will gainsay this. Abraham the father of the faithful, was a soldier, when with 300. armed men he arose and rescued Lot, and the Kings which were taken prisoners. jacob his grandchild was a warrior: for, Gen. 48.22. he gave to joseph a portion above his brethren, which, said he, I got out of the hands of the Amorites by my sword and by my bow. David a godly man was a soldier, for God did teach his hands to war, and his fingers to fight, and he entered the lists and fought a private duel with great Goliath, that monster of the Philistines, and he did cut off his head with his own sword. In the new Testament, the Centurion was so believing, as Christ said, Verily I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. And Cornelius, Captain of the Italian band, Acts 10. was a devout man, who feared God, with all his household, which did give much alms to the people, and prayed God continually. Thus we see, soldiers may be, and often are, very religious. And they are necessary members for the Commonwealth. Hence Gabriel Simon did picture julius Caesar standing upon a Globe of the world, holding in his left hand a book, & in his right hand a sword drawn, with this Motto: Ex utraque Caesar: to show that the Empire was gotten, and held by arms and good letters. And the great Turk, going into his Oratory to perform his devotions, the Talesman with a loud voice willeth him to remember, that as the Empire was gotten by justice, and military discipline, so it must be maintained by the same weapons: for as in the body natural, if the head advice never so well, the eye see never so clearly, and the tongue speak never so pleasingly, yet if the arms be dead or disjointed, the body can neither offend other, or defend itself. Even so, in the body politic: If the head, that is, the King, by his Council advice never so well: if the eyes, that is, the reverend Bishops and Clergy, see never so well, and expel all mists of error, superstition and idolatry, if the tongue, that is, the learned judges and Lawyers administer justice never so uprightly: yet if the Strong men, the men of war, which are the arms of the Kingdom, be dead, or disarmed, we can neither offend any other, nor defend ourselves from the invasion of an enemy: All which do show the necessity of the Honourable profession of a Soldier. To come now to my subject: This valiant Soldier first went for his Country's service, Portugal voyage. Then he served in the wars of Britain. Thirdly, He went Cales voyage. Next the Island voyage. Fiftly, He went into Ireland, where he was Colonel to a troop of Horse, which being cassiered, he was made Lieutenant to a Foote-company. After all these travels, & dangers, he went to Ostend, the most famous siege that ever was, or I think, ever will be. The enemy valiantly assaulted, the besieged valiantly repulsed them. The then General, the honour of our Nation in this latter age, Noble Sir Francis Vere, employed him being but a private Gentleman, in a sally: in which he got the first badge of his honour, being shot into the thigh with a musket bullet. And the General observing his valour, and his stout and discreet answer, took such liking of him, as shortly after his return he made him a Lieutenant, and in a little space after, he made him a Chieftain, we say a Captain, which he always to his dying day would acknowledge with a most thankful mind, to be the ground of all his honour and fortune. And such was his fidelity ever after, to that noble General, as he would not endure any man to speak basely of him, or in the least measure to detract from his worth. Having gotten this honour, he so carried himself, for valour, for diligence, for insight in his Office, as that the late Prince of Orange of famous memory, and the now illustrious and victorious Prince, and all the army noted his worth and merit. And still he advanced himself to higher place, being made a Sergeant Maior of a Regiment, and after that a Lieutenant Colonel. Degeneres animos ●imor ●rguit, heu quibus ille Ia●●●us vemis, quae bella exhausta canebat, saith Queen Dido of brave Aeneas: so this worthy Captain never harboured the least thought of base cowardice in his breast. How many dangers? How many battles? How many skirmishes? How many sieges hath he passed thorough? yea, with loss of blood, but always with gain of honour. I may say of him, as is said of Ulysses, Omnia pericula intrepide pertransit, he ran thorough all dangers with an undaunted resolution: and as Seneca of another, fuit vir vere fortis, gloriam maluit quam vitam, he was a man truly valorous, he had rather maintain his honour then to preserve his life. And which is more, he did not abuse God's blessings, as many do, to riot and waste, but knowing he is worse than an Infidel, which provideth not for his family: yet abhorring a base and sordid course, he lived in a fit equipage for his place and dignity, and yet left a large possession behind him for his posterity. So I may truly say of him, Ille suis maioribus virtute praeterit, he surpassed all his Ancestors in virtue and valour, and withal non fuit finis, sed principium familiae: He was not the end, but the beginning and foundation of his family. He hath so raised his house, as that his Heir may live nobly, and consort himself with the prime Gentlemen of his Country. julius Caesar, when he saw great Alexander's Monument, and that it was written on his Trophy, That at 32. years of age, he had conquered the Eastern parts of the world: did presently weep, to think, that himself being thirty four years of age, had done no memorable Act, to purchase honour to his Country, or to himself. And so me thinks, this pattern of true Nobility before us, should stir up the brave spirits of our Gentlemen: specially, the younger brothers of families, not to spend their days in idleness, in a Tavern, or the like: but they should endeavour by some virtuous profession to augment their fortunes, and to add lustre to their Families. But to go forward, Abner in my text did fall: so did this our Abner: but as David said, Died Abner as a fool? thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet tied with fetters of brass. So, did this brave Commander dye like a fool? as a base man that is whipped in the stocks? or as a malefactor which is led bound to execution? No surely, but as we say, O portet imperatorem mori stantem: An Emperor should dye standing. The comfortablest bed for a Preacher to dye in, is the Pulpit. So, a Soldier should dye honourably in the field. And thus did this noble Leader dye in the bed of honour, in the field, in the execution of his Office, and the face of his enemies. And as David, the Nobles, and the people, buried Abner nobly, and mourned for him: so the Prince, and the whole Army bewailed this Soldier's death: and they did bury his bowels there, in an honourable manner. His body is brought to be interred in his own City, and Country. And as when King josiah was buried, all juda and jerusalem mourned, and came to his burial: Even so, Sic enim paruis componere magna solebam. all the Country round about, of the prime rank, for Knights, Clergy, and Gentlemen, with the grave Citizens and others came to perform their last duty of civil humanity, and Christian charity, to his deceased corpse, desiring to give him that honour, which while he lived, he worthily purchased to himself by his valour. I, but all this may be said of an Infidel, as of Alexander, Caesar, Scipio, Hannibal. Mark then for his soul, and for him, a true Christian Noble. His custom, when he came into England was observed, still on the Sabbath, and on the Lecture days, to frequent God's Temple, for to hear God's Word: and where he lived, I am credibly informed by diverse, that twice every day in his private chamber, he did use to pray hearty, and fervently to God on his knees, both for the forgiveness of his own sins, and for a blessing upon his family: and he did daily use to read in the Bible, and in other good books. But some week before his death, he was fare more devout, and given to holy exercises then ordinary. Sic ubi fata vocant, udis abiectus in herbis, Ad vada Maeandri concinit albus olor. As the Swan, so this Christian noble Lieutenant Colonel, ready to leave the world, did sing more sweetly, then ever he did before. And he carried into the army, not only sword and spear, weapons for a Soldier: but for his Christian warfare, he had his Bible, his Prayer book, and other Authors of holy devotion. What should I say more? He which in his life-time gave such a testimony of a lively, and of an unfeigned repentance: and he which died in the quarrel of God's true Religion, and for his Country's firm Allies: I doubt not but in the Canon of charity, I may apply to him the saying of S. Paul, He hath fought a good fight, he hath finished a good course. Therefore he is now crowned with glory in the Kingdom of Heaven: where we leave his soul singing with the heavenly Choir, Amen, Halelluiah, glory, honour, and majesty be given to God, & to the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne for evermore. And we commit his body to the grave to sleep and rest in peace, till the general resurrection at the last day: where they which have done evil, shall arise to everlasting damnation, and they which have done well, shall arise to everlasting salvation. Now, God of his mercy make us partakers of this latter Resurrection, for Christ jesus sake. Amen. FINIS.