A SERMON Preached at Stanton-Harcourt Church, In the County of Oxford; At the FUNERAL Of the Honourable the LADY AND HARCOURT, Who Deceased Aug. 23. 1664 Together with Her Funeral Speech.  
OXFORD, Printed by A. & L. Lichfield, Printers to the University, Anno Dom. 1664.   

To the Right Worshipful Sir PHILIP HARCOURT Kt. Of Stanton-Harcourt, in the County of Oxford.  
SIR  
IN obedience to Your Commands (for such to me are your requests) and that I might give a public testimony of my gratitude for all your Favours, and bounty towards me, I have Pressed the ensuing Sermon for Your Service, & prefixed Your Name, as having the greatest right thereto.  
'tis the first Sermon, of this kind, that ever I made, and I hope 'twill be the last on so sad an occasion. I acknowledge that not long before, at the entreaty and tears of two poor Orphans, and the importunity of their Friends, I (having, God is my witness, no other end then charity, to save the distressed Orphans charges, and Bury their dead Father decently) Preached at his Funeral, a Sermon made long before upon another occasion. This innocent act, some have endeavoured to asperse, pretending (as you have heard) that some Men of worth and note, have highly censured me for it. Which I cannot believe; 'tis below their worth to wrong open innocence. Indeed we read of a man of a great Name (Alexander) that wronged St Paul; but of no worth, he was a Coppersmith. I cannot think men of worth, let their names be never so great, will take up here the Tinker's office, 'tis too smutty for them.  
Sir, the Core lies here; Your pitching upon so worthless and inconsiderable a person as myself, for such honourable employment as this, has begot a heartburning in some narrow breasted persons, which breaks out into such kind of groundless aspersions: as if I affected popularity, and Pharisee like desired to be seen and heard in public: whereas (the Lord knows) I no more delight in it, than the deformed Cripple, to be seen on a Theatre. Had I sought this honour, so much grudged me, I acknowledge I had justly deserved the censure of being arrogant: had I denied you, who, that knows my obligations, could accuse me of less than high ingratitude? I am confident, persons of far higher worth were invited first to this noble task, and 'tis our unhappyness we enjoyed them not; their high parts would far better have become this Scene: but, but let me say, none could have more pathetically performed the part of a mourner than myself. Many might have done it with greater skill and parts, but none with stronger affection.  
Sir what I here have brought, is so mean, that with grief and blushing I present it. I know your goodness will bate it something, upon the score of grief, that stupefyes, and at that time I was overwhelmed with. You must expect nothing that's florid either in Sermon or ensuing Speech.  
Non est conveniens luctibus ille colour.  
I presume you'll find truth plain and pertinent in them both. The last is justly culpable, none in regard of what is, but what is not (that aught to be) said: All there is generally known to be truth; but that All, amounts not to Half of what's due to Her you justly loved so dearly. However, knowing that your modesty had rather I erred on this, than the other extreme; and presuming your generosity will courteously accept of weak things well meant; I humbly put myself at your feet, and this poor thing into your hand, and beg nothing but your pardon for it: Do Yourself, and it that right, in reading it as to agnoscere quod Dei est, and vouchsafe the Author the favour as to ignoscere quod hominis est, so will you eternally oblige  
Sir Your most humbly devoted Servant E. Hall.   
Ezekiel 24. v. 16. Son of man, behold, I take away the desire of thine eyes with a stroke. 
THis Sable Scene bespeaks our sorrow and has drawn us hither, as you see, to tread the mournful stage this day in a drooping stateliness, whether we are come to pay the last kisses of an honourable farewell, in a tribute of tears, justly due to the Hearse of the Lady AND HARCOURT.  
For this end, I have chosen this apposite Text, which when I have repeated, I may close my book, sit down in sorrow, and in tears take up our Saviour's words and say, this day is this Scripture fulfiled in your eyes.  
It sounds like thunder in all our ears, and like a thunder bolt thrown from the hand of the Almighty, seems to shiver that soul of her nearest relation, who erst while was giving it up to her, that She might live.  
But that must not be, Heaven's decree must be as well obeyed as feared, which speaks this day, as it did to this holy man of God here in my text; Son of man behold I take away the desire of thine eyes with a stroke.  
The Text is a sorrowful and unexpected, but peremptory message from God to the Prophet.  
In it we may observe, the Agent, and the Patients. The Agent, God. The Patients are, 1 the Prophet the loser, and the Person lost his Wife. But we shall take the words as they fall, wherein there are these Five things observable. 1. The Title given to the Prophet Son of man. 2. His duty enjoined him, employed in the word behold. 3. The Author of this, l. 4. The sad message expressed take away the desire of thine eyes. 5. The manner how, with a stroke. Of these I shall briefly touch in their order.  
1. Of the Title given to this eminent servant of God, Son of man, in the Hebrew tis ben Adam. Adam, was the name of the first man, the father of mankind, and he had his name from red earth, out of which he was form. This Name, though it be common to his posterity, yet since the fall, the Scripture useth thereby to denote the weakness or the wickedness of man, as job 25.6. Bildad styles been Adam, a worm, i. e. a weak inconsiderable creature, non solum quia sicut vermis ex corruptione nascitur; sed quia abibit tandem in vermes. Pineda ex Philip. A creature of no continuance, or stability, worm's meat. In 1 Sam. 26.19. there, ben Adam, signifies a wicked man: If they be Children of men that have stirred thee up against me, Cursed be they: there been Adam signifies wicked men, the incendiaries of a King against his loyal subjects are wicked men, and deserve to be accursed. Likewise in Ps. 57.4. my soul is amongst Lions, even the sons of men, i. e. wicked men.  
The Hebrew language wants not words to set forth a man of worth; they style him is, from esh, Fire, importing Life, Spirit, and Vigour inhi Ps. 49.2. We find both here mean men, and men of worth set down under a various expression: gam bene Adam gam bene is; which our English for want of fit words have in our language rendered both high and low, but learned Tremelius more aptly in the Latin, tum nati plebeo homine, tum nati praestanti viro. After the same manner the Grecians distinguish of men; they call the vulgar men by the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a suspiciendo sursum. i e. he looks upward for help, being helpless in himself, but men of worth and quality, they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitruous. We find both these in Herodotus speaking thus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. There are (saith he) many men, but few virtuous magnanimous men in the world.  
But can there no better title be found for Ezekiel, then been Adam, which is a diminutive title at the best? His Name, Birth, worth, and Parts be speak him great; his Name, says Origen and Hierom, signifies Dei imperium, seu fortitudinem Dei, and such as his name was, such was he, strengthened by God, and mighty with him; his Birth was Honourable, and his Parts, and Piety answerable to his birth; St. Hierom on Ezek. c. 47. calls him for his profound parts, Scripturarum Oceanum & mysteriorum Labyrinthum, & in another place, sui seculi portentum. Epiphanius and Adricomius say he was an eminent Martyr: Certainly with men, he was great; but now God comes to speak to him, he'll make him know that he is but been Adam, a poor, weak, helpless, inconsiderable creature, full of sin, and imperfection.  
Obs. 1. When God comes to deal with men of high degree, and eminent parts, He'll make them know they are but low, worthless, mean and helpless creatures.  
Great men in Learning, are apt to idolise their gifts and endowments; they, for the most part, sit without the gunshot of control; few dare say to them, what dost thou? they have more flatterers than friends, who, as suitors for their favour, by their flattering applauses, stand like magnifying glasses before them, and make them seem bigger than they are. Thus Herod's eloquence must be extolled to the skies, and he deified. A Scholar that by his parts has got the popular applause, how strangely, oft times, may we observe him to be puffed up, how he states it, and struts it in his fancy, thinking the heads of his betters, scarce ground good enough for him to put the sole of his foot upon. 'tis not only so, with men of great gifts, but graces also; which made our learned and religious Fox say, he got hurt by his graces, and good by his sins, His graces puffed him up.  
Thus also 'tis with men of great Wealth, as Solomon observes, the rich man's wealth is his strong city, which he opposeth to any right or reason; it exalts them in their thoughts and words; might, and power, and honour, and majesty, is the common dialect they discourse in. Dan. 4.30. Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty. Hence it comes to pass, that they quite forget themselves; and now God comes as their remembrancer.  
job was a man eminent in gifts and graces, and so highly confident he was of them, that in the end of his last defence job 31. he challengeth God to come forth against him: and in c. 38. God comes forth to cool the courage and pull down the confidence of job; now you find job chap. 24.6. altered of a sudden. He that shone in his integrity before, like the Sun; when divine brightness appears, now goes out, he shrivels himself now to nothing, and creeps into the dust again from whence he came. 
* Nihil me facio· Chrisost. Verbum originale significat nauseare, reprobare, cum fastidio abjicere. Pined. in loc.  I abhor myself in dust and ashes.  
Thus doth God, when he comes to deal with men of great power and wealth, he humbles them, he makes them know themselves. So he dealt with that lofty King Nebuchadnezar, he made him know that all his honour and wealth and power, was not in his own keeping, and he makes him confess it.  
St Hierom observes in his Hebrew questions on 2 Chron. 24.17. that King joash being exalted to the Throne, 
Adoraverunt eum ut Deum, & acquievit eorum obsequiis delinitus, ut se ut Deum coli permitteret. Hierom.  became so proud, that he permitted himself to be worshipped as God. And Cassian observes, that God punished him with such loathsome diseases that all his friends forsook him, and God did it, saith he, Instit. lib. 16. cap. 21. Ut carnis ignominiosa contagio patefaceret immunditiam cordis ejus occultam, quam superbiae mal● contraxerat, ac manifesta pollutione corporis probaretur impurus, qu● elatione spiritus factum se non sentiebat immundum; that the ignominious contagion of his flesh, might open the secret uncleaness of his heart, which by the evil of pride he had gotten, and by the manifest pollution of his body, he mihgt be proved impure, who by the pride of his heart did not perceive himself to be capable of pollution. When great men will make themselves Gods, God will make them know they are but a lie, they are been Adam, gods of red earth, and unto that their godships must return: And when God comes to sit amongst these gods, he'll make them know so much. Psal. 82. I have said ye are Gods, but ye shall die like men.  
This should teach men of great gifts and graces, and those of high place and eminency, to carry themselves humbly, remembering always that there's one higher than They, that always eyes them. He is no respector of persons, he hates pride in great men as much as in men of low degree, and when he comes to deal with the Mighty monarchs of the earth, he'll make them confess as Nebuchadnezar did, that those that walk proudly, he is able to debase them; He'll not spare any be they never so near or dear to him. The blessed Virgin herself the Mother of our Lord, if She meddle with things to high for her, though Christ as man be her Obedient Son, yet as God he will sharply rebuke her, 2 joh. 4. Woman what have I to do with thee? these words (what ever the Papists and some other say) are acknowledged by the Fathers to be a sharp rebuke. 'Tis uox indignationis says Athanasius and Chrysost. 'tis vox reprehensionis, 
Athan. Serm. 4. adv. Arian. Chrysost. Hom. 4. in l●c. Aug. l. 2 de Symb. c. 6. Irenae. l. 3. cap. 18▪  says Augustine: 'tis vox repulsae, says Irenaeus. I conclude this then with the words of the Psalmist, blessed is he that feareth always; 'Tis the safest way for great men in gifts and eminency to walk in a reverential fear, and holy awe of him who is higher than they.  
I pass from the title given to the Prophet to the duty enjoined him.  
2. Behold, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hinne God was now about to bring the dreadfullest National judgement that ever befell Judah. The Temple of Solomon, the Ark of the Covenant, together with the City and its glory, are now to be taken away from them, which was the delight of their eyes, and the crown of their glory. And as a certain and infallible sign of this, God will by a sudden and heart cutting stroke upon the Prophet's family make that the type of it; and therefore the Lord enjoins the Prophet here to behold it.  
Behold. It implies attention joined with trembling & wonder. And then, behold, so as certainly to be assured of what I am about to do: so much the word in Scripture carries in it.  
2, Obs. God's severe judgements upon a family or nation call for our most serious attention. This is that God looks for from his people when he afflicts them, Isay. 22.12, 13: at such a time the Lord by his afflictions calls for weeping and mourning and guirding with sackcloth. This the Saints have practised, Ps. 119.120, my flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements. If the Lion roar the beasts of the forest tremble, and shall not the creature tremble when the Creator thunders out with his judgements upon them?  
'Tis senseless stupidity, madness, and folly to be smitten by God in our Persons, relations, or families and not to feel it, not to grieve for it, nor bewail it.  
He that thinks to gain the name of valiant by a sturdy outfacing his grief under the afflicting hand of God, is quite mistaken, for he shall but gain amongst the wise the name of frantic and fool hardy madman; so says St. Augustine, Gloriatur de viribus propria voluntatis tanquam de stupore morbi, non de robore sanitatis, insania oft ista gloriatio, non est patientiae sed dementiae, August. de patient. cap. 23. Hear how the Prophet jeremiah complain● of such, cap. 5. vers. 3. Thou hast smitten them but they have not sorrowed, they have made their faces harder than a stone, there is no stone so hard but the hammer will break it, but God's hammer of affliction did not break them▪ Moses smote the rock and it gushed out water; but God smits' the hard hearted sinners in their relations, estates, and no penitential waters flow from them; these are such desperate sinners, that they seem to be past hope of recovery; there is as much hope of a clod of earth to be made rational as these to be reclaimed, and the same Prophet insinuates as much, 22. jer. 30: when he leves senseless sinners and cries out, o earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord, what's the word? why write this man childless, a man that shall not prosper; he is rather an inanimate clod, than a man hat takes not to heart such judgements; yet such stocks there are that are twice dead, the●r consciences being feared with hot irons of hell; mark the doom of such desperate contemners of God's judgements; since God intended them as instruments of their conversion, and they abuse them, 22 Isay 13; instead of mourning and weeping there was joy and gladness, slaying of Oxen, and killing of sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die. Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die; after contempt of God's judgements upon us comes death.  
Oh beloved take heed how you carry yourselves under the hand of God afflicting you. Behold it with such serious meditation of the goodness and severity of God, as that it may raise up suitable affections in you, Rom. 11.22. Eye his severity with submission, fear and trembling; eye his goodness with adoration and thankfulness. Behold them so as to bewail them, chiefly the cause of them. Though fools may make light of such doleful dispensations, yet the prudent will lay them to heart, Amos 3.6.  
But what is it, the Prophet is enjoined to behold?  
This leads me to the Third thing observable in the Text; which is the object matter of the injunction, which is:  
The Judgement expressed, with the Author and the Manner of it: we cannot separate them.  
The Agent, is the Lord, I, the Sovereign of the universe: The Judgement expressed, is, take away the desire of thine eyes: The manner how, with a stroke.  
The desire of thine eyes. I'll omit the various readings of the phrase, since they all agree in the sense▪ The desire of thine eyes, is thy Wife, a wife being to every virtuous man the delight of his eyes, the only amiable and delightful object God in the world hath given him; nihil enim (says Hierom on the place) vire, uxore bonâ amabilius, quae a Deo homini providetur.  
She might be the desire of his eyes, as a beautiful person; and without sin, since by instinct of nature all men owe a kind of homage to it; beauty being the gift of God, as heathens and Christians grant; 
* Forma dei donum, Ovid. de Am. Aug. de civ. Dei l. 15. cap. 28. Turtul. de cultu Foem.  hac tua sunt, domine, bona sunt, quia tu bonus ista creasti. 'Tis the bountiful advantage of divine creation says Tertullian, and the comely ornament of the Soul; 'tis to the gracious Soul as a rich enamel to a choice jewel.  
As she was (which in charity we may judge, being a Prophet's wife) a gracious Woman, she might be the desire of his eye, and joy of his heart. Or merely as she was his Wife, she might justly be the desire of his eyes, 1 Cor. 11.7. St. Paul says, the Woman is the glory of the man. How his glory? That he should be the head of a creature equal to him, in understanding, will, liberty, and in all other divine privileges, as wisdom, grace and glory, of which she is capable. To be the head of so excellent divine a creature, is the top of his glory. She is (says Salmeron) in●●gne viri ornaementum. So that she might well be, as his Wife, the desire of his eyes.  
Well, be she so to him, however, God is now about to take her away, but how? by a stroke, morte repentina, suddenly, some think by the plague, but that's uncertain, the word being of general use for all the Plagues in Egypt. However 'twas suddenly, for vers. 18; he preached in the morning to the people, and she died in the afer-noone.  
Now lay all this together, and what a sad face of sorrow will here appear? That she who was his Wife, and the bosom Friend, the Cabinet of his heart, where he safely laid up all his secrets, his Comforter in sorrow, his Physician in sickness, his loving and pleasant Friend in prosperity, and his sure and trusty Friend in adversity: That she should suddenly, unexpectedly, be taken from him; That she who last night laid her lovely face in his bosom, and with her loving arms embraced him, should this night lay them in the grave; What can we gather hence? Will fruit be found upon such thorns as these? Yes, from these thorns we may gather these grapes.  
3. Obs. That the choicest comforts and the dearest employments of this life are uncertain and mutable.  
And then for the circumstantial aggravation of this affliction, 'tis on a sudden, and the Prophet is called upon to attend. Who would not have gladly shut his eyes, and stopped his ears at this? but 'tis otherwise, the Prophet is called as 'twere to stand at the block while the fatal blow is struck, he must behold it; the good man nearest concerned, must be the chief spectator.  
4. Obs. That God oft times exerciseth his choice and eminent Servants with most sharp and sore temporal losses and afflictions.  
Lastly, As this affliction was a type of future judgements to come upon the nation observe.  
5. Obs. That many times sharp afflictions on the godly are certain presages of the wickeds judgement at hand. we return to the 3d Obs.  
3. Obs. That the choicest Saints of God can call none of these earthly enjoyments certain good things: God can take them away by a stroke, they are mutable. Riches are God's blessings, but they make themselves wings and fly away as well from Saints as Sinners, as well from job as Nebuchadnezar. He that to day had his table spread with dainties, that could wash his footsteps in butter, to morrow may have none to put in his belly. This word, take away, spoils all. If God the great housekeeper of the world say, take away, before we have half satisfied ourselves, the full table is presently voided, and then (as Hugo Victor, in Psal. 24.) dum gustu appetitum provocant, transitu desiderium fraudant. Whiles they provoke the appetite to taste of them, they deceive the desire in their sudden departure.  
A good wife is a great blessing and gift of God, but they we see are uncertain to.  
Faithful Abraham's Sara the wife of his bosom dies away from him. And holy Iacob's Rachel, beautiful, and best beloved Rachel, fruitful Rachel, this fruitful tree is cut down in the time of fruit bearing.  
A good name is the greatest of temporal blessings; Christ had it most deservingly, yet he could not keep it; they counted him a wine-bibber, a friend to Publicans and Sinners. They laid to his charge two of the higest crimes against first and second table; blasphemy, and usurpation. They accounted of him but as a Magician, on that wrought by the Devil's help.  
Our time of living here, 'tis the choicest talent that we have, upon it depends our eternal woe or welfare. Life, it is that which gives the main enjoyment to all the comforts we possess. Who can define it? he best defined it that did not define it, that said, 'twas nescio quid, a certain sweet thing I know not what, 'tis beyond all parallel; yet see what the Scripture says of its uncertainty; 'tis compared to grass, to the flower of the field, that is subject to be eaten up by cattle, or trodden down, or gathered by the Passenger. If it outstand these, ere long it blossoms, withers, and dies; such is our life, in our best estate we are altogether vanity, because uncertain and mutable, Psal. 39.5: therefore Solomon in Prov. 31.8. calls the Sons of men, been haloph children of change.  
job compares our life to a Post, a Ship, and an Eagle hasting to her prey. Observe the climax: a Post makes haste, stays not, rides night and day; but he will at last tire, and then he must lie down: therefore he takes up a stronger comparison, and compares our life to a Ship sailing, that tires not: but wind and tide may fail and then she stands still; therefore he compares our life to an Eagle, sharp set in pursuing her prey. An Eagle is the swiftest and strongest of long winged Hawks, what flies stronger and swifter than she? Such is our time here, it flies away upon a swift wing, and death when it makes a stoop at us makes no canceleire.  
Well then, since all our earthly enjoyments are of no certain continuance, le's learn hence these three lessons.  
Be not vainly confident in the possessing of them; 'tis a vanity in a great Person to build strong presumptions upon worldly props that are tottering and weak; the Psalmist excellently turns their hearts outward, Ps. 49.11 that the posterities to come may decline that vanity; he speaks of worldly rich men, and tells you their purposes, thoughts and designs; God has blest them with estates and prosperity; and now their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever; do they think to live for ever? no, but they intent their posterity shall live for ever, and keep up the state and grandeur of the family, therefore they call their houses after their name, says he; they think, now God has blest them with a numerous offspring, that nodosa quadam aeternitate, their name shall be kept up for ever: but what says the Psalmist, this their way i. e. their contrivance, is their folly, vers. 13: to build such high presumptions on such rotten props is their folly: and they find it so, for in the next words, says he, they go down to hell like sheep, and death feeds on them: How like sheep? why, like as silly sheep in a fat pasture, feed and play, and fear nothing, though the Butcher come and fetch away, now one, than an other; which startles them for the present, but that being over, they fall to feed and play again, until the Butcher by little and little fetch them all away at last. So do these worldly Confident men, who are fed to the full, and have enough to keep up greatness to posterity, who securely, wantonly and haughtily, vaunt it in their thoughts that they shall continue for ever; find death like a Slaughterman ever and aanon come amongst them, now taking a daughter, than a son, anon a wife, till at last all the props they trusted in be taken quite away. How oft do we see it come thus to pass, that many great families are quite taken away from their great estates (like sheep out of a fat pasture) and the estate passes into an other name and family. I will conclude this with that wise King's counsel, Pr. 27.1. Boast not thyself of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. The word halal signifying to boast, signifies also to be mad. q. d. 'tis madness and folly in men of wealth and greatness, to think to build their nests among the Stars, when they are not sure of enjoying any thing they have a whole day. The family of Eli, which was the greatest in Israel in the morning, its props were cut down ere night, and the rest destined to perpetual beggary; And job lived to see himself in one day stripped of all that he could call good in this world. The Chaldee therefore reads the text thus, for thou knowest not what this day may bring forth. That day that Belshazar was priding himself in his greatness, he fell. Let me speak then to you rich and great men in the Apostles word, Charge the rich in this world that they be not high minded▪ nor trust in uncertain riches. The more confident you are, the less secure, especially if you belong to God, qualibet elatio tanto citius rumpitur, quanto amplius inflatur. Greg. Ep.  
2. Moderate your affections to the world, and the things of the world. You are certain of nothing but this, that you have not long time in them. We are no freeholders' here, at most but tenants at will. You that are great Lords of Lands you may set for three lives: but you yourselves have but one in your estates, and that a short uncertain one. Observe the inference, Paul draws from this, the time is short, 1 Cor. 7.29. What then? not, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die; but, Let them that have Wives be as if they had none, and they that weep, as if they wept not, and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not, and they that buy, as if they possessed not, and they that use this world as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passeth away.  
The time is short, for so much as remains of it to be folded up; so learned Beza and Pareus read it, making no comma in the words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Beza so reads it from the authority of many ancient copies. Paraeus saith, the Apostle useth here a metaphor taken from sails (quae cum navis prope portam est, contrahi solent. When the Ship comes near her port, the Sailors take in the main sails, leave only one small one abroad then.) So that the meaning seems to be this, that time which hath for 5000 years been furling up, is now drawn into a narrow compass, the end is at hand, we are entering the haven of eternity: if time be short, than all the things that depend upon it are short: if time itself shall be no more, after a few days, than all these things we enjoy must be no more: Then 'tis high time to moderate your affections towards houses, lands, children, wives, and every thing you possess, for they are not to be yours after a few days; use the world as a Pilgrim his Inn, saith Augustin tract. 40. In johan. Utere mundo quemadmodum viator in stabulo; utitur mensa, chalice, urceo dimissurus non permansurus: and the Argument in the close of the Apostles words is cogent; For the fashion of this world passeth away, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ the pageantry, the show, the things of this world are but mere outside things; like a pageant, gold without and pasteboard within; and then, they pass by as a show that goes along the streets: it's soon gone▪ The heathen could say of worldly things, hoc unum scio omnia mortalium opera mortalitate damnata: inter peritura, vivimus: Sen. Ep. 91. Oh beloved, think oft with your selus what it is you so dote on, you so love, so insatiably thirst after; why 'tis that that is vanity, & of no continuance. Who would venture his life, for the gathering a flower that he knows will soon wither in his hand? Tertullian wonders at the Romans, that they should endure such hardship, and run such hazards, to gain a Consulship, which was but for a year; 'twas but, saith he, unius anni volaticum gaudium; may not we much more wonder at Christians, who spend all their time, wits, strength and spirits, to enjoy that which for aught they know, is but unius horae volaticum gaudium; for aught they know, God may say, this night shall all be taken from thee.  
2. Since the choicest of our earthly enjoyments are perishing, mutable and uncertain: Let this teach us to put a true estimate on those things that are eternal, that are perminent. Had the Young Man in the Gospel, but considered, what was promised him, if he would sell all, he would, no doubt have cheerfully performed what Christ required. 'twas Treasure in Heaven was promised him. The least treasure of heaven is worth all the world's possession, because eternal: had the young man put eternal into the Scale with his great possessions, they would have seemed no more great in his eye; But this curse of the young man's, is that which falls upon us; men are like bruit beasts, wholly taken up with sensuality, and devoted to temporal things; but the things which are not seen, which are eternal, are contemned and slighted and laughed at; their carnal minds are enemies to such things, they are foolishness to them: the reason is, because they see no farther then what they sensually apprehend, they cannot see (as St. Peter says) a far off; and therefore men affect, what they sensually apprehend, which can go no higher than sensual things, things which are seen, which are temporal.  
Pray therefore, again and again, that God would enlighten your minds, by Faith, to see the excellency of things that are eternal; nothing but this, will lessen the world to you; what are great possessions, honours, crowns, to eternity? to be made a King for a day, and ever after a beggar; what comfort can this be? but he that hath an interest in Christ, is made a King for ever; what is it to have an hour, or two's pleasure, and ever after live in a dungeon? these profits, pleasures, honours, riches, are but for a moment, and leave a sting behind them, but the pleasures, profits, honours, of heaven are eternal; life eternal, joys and pleasures at his right hand for ever more, Crowns incorruptible, and many such scriptural expressions. This made Moses throw away his honours, titles, court favours. Heb. 11.24. Egypt's treasures: and what did he exchange these things for? he exchanged these things for suffering, v. 25. for reproaches, for the wrath of the King. Reason would think the man mad. Indeed had this been all he had exchanged for, he had been of all men most foolish and miserable; no, Moses could see that Egypt's greatness, power, dignity, was uncertain; had he been invested in it all, it could not long have continued: that would have gone from ●im, or he from that. But he, v. 27. saw him that is invisible, by faith he looked to an eternal reward, to the favour of an eternal King. How little do Wives, Houses, Honours, seem to that soul, that by faith, sees an eternal Bridegroom, a House eternal in the heavens, and an eternal Crown fitted for his head; they seem no more than Mole hills to mighty Mountains.  
From the circumstantial aggravations of the affliction to this holy Prophet, as the nearness, and dearness of the person taken from him, the suddenness of it, with a stroke, and the certainty of it, God himself saith it, and who can reverse? and the Prophet that was nearest concerned, must be the first informed of it, and the chief spectator of this dreadful blow.  
Obs. 4. That God oftimes exerciseth his choicest servants with sharpest afflictions, with heart cutting lashes of providence, and that suddenly, unexpectedly,, and very heavily.  
In handling this (which I chiefly intended) I'll do these Three things: 1. Show that 'tis so, 2. Why 'tis so, 3. Apply it.  
1. That it is so, Scripture examples prove it. Examples of this, are as old as the world. So soon as God set up a School, a Church, in the world, we find a severe rod in it; 'twas signed with the Cross in its infancy. We may begin with Adam and Eve (the true servants of God we believe:) When God had blest them with an offspring, the greatest of temporal blessings, therein sweetening their sorrows with the pleasure of society; no sooner are the two Sons (the Crown of their Parent's glory, and the ground of their future hope) grown to be useful to their Parents, but they are both in a moment taken from them; the one by murder, the other, by banishment: Thus their Sun sets at noon: Abel the delight of their eyes, is become the mornfull object of their tears; probably this their dear son, was one of the first ghastly sights of death that they had seen, which must needs be irksome: the Son of their joy, is become the subject of their sorrow, their Cro●n of glory, is quickly turned into a Crown of thorns.  
Abraham a faithful servant of God, a choice one, yet we find him loaded also with the Cross, has he rich kindred, and great and fair possessions, richly seated? he must leave them all, and turn Pilgrim: has he a beautiful and beloved Sarah, the wife of his bosom, the desire of his eyes, the one half of himself? we find Gen. 12.1 to 10. his fear to be such (amongst Barbarians not groundless) that he sacrifices this half of himself to their lusts, to keep his other half secure: this must need be a heart cutting act: how hard was his condition that while, think you, that was enforced upon such inconveniencies to seek his bread.  
Trace him on in the passage of his life, and every step he treads, almost, is upon a thorn. Pregnant Hagar, from whom he hoped to have issue, must be turned out of doors; no fruitful tree must stand in his Orchard long: Let his kinsman and companion, grows to great to stay with him, they must part to prevent further mischief. Hagar's received again, she brings forth an Ishmael, Abraham's joy; but of a sudden root and branch mun be plucked up, and thown away, they must go into perpetual banishment. But now the heart piercing affliction of all comes upon him; Isaac the son of the promise, the prop of his future hopes, the delight of Abraham; and Sarah's eye, the joy of their lives, and the very marrow of their souls, must now by the command of God be sacrificed, and who must cut his throat, but the Father that begat him.  
job the Servant of God, none like him for piety, nor any like him for sufferings. He that was so rich in outward good things, was in a day bereftof all, and made poor even to a Proverb. But the soul piercing affliction was, the taking away his seven Sons & three Daughters with a sudden stroke; the staff and comfort of his old age was broken in a moment. Reflect a little, you that are Parents, upon this affliction. Would it not be think you, a sad sight to see one of your godly neighbours following ten of his children's hearses to the grave at once? jobs case is yet worse, for he must first pull his children's torn limbs out of the jaws of this cruel Lion, he must repleive them out of deaths hold, before he could lay them in nature's bed, the grave: he must go forth now to stare on grisly death dressed in its most ghastly shapes: Here he must pluck out one dear child in his gore blood, there another with his limbs broken and mangled, here a Daughter ded in her Brother's arms, there another, but which he knows not, her wounds have so disfigured her; perhaps another, or two anon he finds gasping out their last, and then expiring for want of timely succour▪ are not these things probable: but throw away these black surmises, and at the best, judge how sad would it be for a man to have Ten children all alive and lusty in thee morning, and all of these to be laid dead at his feet before night! this was holy jobs case This to our purpose is observable as an aggravation of all his afflictions, they are brought in with a kind of behold, to the good man; one still is let escape, to bring the unwellcome news to him. read job 1.  
David a man after Gods own heart, designed for greatness from his youth: he had as fair a stock to begin with, as ever man had, he was both honoured and beloved at once of all the people, the city and the country, the army and the court, all they cry up David for the only Worthy, and high deserving man, they all put the garland upon his victorious brow, the King gives him his Daughter to Wife. Who in his condition would have dreamt of crosses? But alas! his rise is intended for his ruin. Saul intended to make a halter of his garland; the Court had like to have been David's charnall house; David's fingers did not play there so quick upon his Harpstrings, as Saul's envy played upon David's Heartstrings. On a sudden the desire of his eyes, his new betrothed wife is taken from him, he banished the Court, and enforced to fly for his life; he that was yesterday the King's son in law, is to day proclaimed Traitor. Thus 'tis evident, that God hath exercised his choicest servants, with sore and unexpected crosses and afflictions.  
Reas. The second thing to be inquired into, is, Why God thus exerciseth them?  
To give a reason of the various dispensations of his providences to men here below, is so grand a mystery that reason cannot find it out. This job excellently clears. C. 28. v. 12. he propounds the question, and in the following verses answers it, that 'tis not by humane invention to be found out, the depth saith 'tis not in me, and the sea saith 'tis not in me, neither can gold or precious stones purchase this knowledge. That it should go well with the wicked, and ill with the Godly, hath not only staggered the Heathens, but hath made sometimes the Saints in a pet to quarrel at it. Psal. 73. v. 2. to 13. it made David repiningly say, I have cleansed my heart in vain, for all the day long have I been plagued; and when he seeks to know the reason of this, v. 16. he confesseth 'twas to hard for him. What does he do in this case? v. 17. he went into the sanctuary of God. So let us, to find a reason of these things, and there we shall find that the alwise and gracious Father, sees affliction necessary for his choicest servants, in order to their good. Nulla causa (saith August.) probabiliter occurrit, cur justi homines in hac vita laborant, nisi quia hoc iis expedit. 'tis needful for them to be afflicted.  
there's a twofold good, Privative, and Positive that God aims at in afflicting his servants.  
1 In order to their privative good, a necessity of afflicting them ariseth from two evils that the best of Saints are infested with in this life: Sin within, and Temptations without.  
1. Sin with in them: Original sin is still an inmate in the regenerate; though it be pardoned & mortified that it shall not reign in them. They attain (saith Aug.) to a ne regnet, yet they do not (as he saith) attain to a ne sit of s●n: The relics of the old man still remain in us, it came with us from the womb, and 'twill bear us company to the grave, till death part us. Though the tree be cut down, the root remains, and will without diligent watching sprout, and bring forth bitter fruit to our sorrow: as it did in David and Pe●er, and other Saints.  
God whose spiritual eye looks through and through us, sees in the best of us many secret enormous lusts, as pride, covetousness, luxury, spiritual sloth, hypocrisy, security and the like, which we in our prosperity discern not; that lie in our breasts secretly and hiddenly, like Toads and noisome vermin in dark sinks and sells, which we walk over unconcerned, because we see them not. Now God calls to Saints in their prosperity by his providences, (for they have a voice) and by the ministry, to cleanse these hearts and cast out these vermin, that are a provocation to the pure eyes of his holiness. How oft has God by his word called to us, Love not the world, nor the things of the world; Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, No unclean person shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, Remember thou & all thy family to keep holy the Sabbath, Pray more constantly, Be more fervent in prayer: God calls but we turn the deaf ear, and slight these calls of God, and God observes it. jer. 22.21. I spoke to thee in thy prosperity, and thou saidst, I will not hear: Now God in mercy for prevention is enforced to take his rod into his hand.  
2. God is necessitated to afflict his people for the prevention of evil that would arise from temptations without us; for Saints are not free from temptation neminem prorsus Dei gratia facit intentabilem, saith Gratian.  
There are two Tempter's, the Devil and the World, without us.  
1. The Devil, 1. Pet. 5.8. He goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour, like a Lion he's greedy, subtle, active, and powerful, he lies always at the catch for us; but because he has not immediate power over us, he useth, as his bait,  
2. The World, the other temptation, which holds out, as a rich Merchant its guilded ware, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life; this holds out the bait, that lays the snare: the Devil baits his hook with that he thinks our constitutions will soon bite at, and so catches us: So he caught David with the lust of the eye, so he caught Solomon with the pride of life, and lust of the flesh.  
These pleasures, and profits, and honours of the world, are usually the Saints greatest tempters; for the concomitants of ease and plenty, are luxury, carnal confidence, security, which draw off the heart from God, dull their appetite to spiritual things, take off their hunger after a Sacrament, and make them neglect coming to it, cool their affections, and allay that ardency which should be in prayer. As the best ground brings forth the rankest weeds in the heat of summer, when the Blow is still & comes not over it; so many times, doth the warmth of prosperity, cause many lusts to break forth in the lives of the Saints. Raw fruit breeds worms in healthy persons: so do worldly pleasures excite lusts in the best Saints many times, as looseness, wantonness, and pride; let David have but a little ease, and his molehill presently grows, in his proud fancy, to be a mountain. I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved; what rank blood, did a little prosperity breed in this holy man? his success in war, and strength of allies raised in him presumption, that nourished lust, lust stole his ardency of affection from God, and that intercepted his confidence; and now his mountain has stole his heart from God, was it not time for God to set his mountain on fire about his ears, in raising Absolom against him, that he might fly back to the rock of his salvation. You see God is necessitated f●om the evils that are within the Saints, and from the tempters without them, to afflict them for their good privatively.  
Now from Gods afflicting the Saints, there ariseth a threefold privative good.  
1. God by afflicting them, redresses sin in them, it makes them feel what an evil and a bitter thing it is to sin against the Lord, it makes the Saint to search his ways and turn unto the Lord; so it wrought upon David, before I was afflicted I went a stray, but now I have learned thy word; afflictions like hard weather kill those sins, that the warmth of prosperity nourished.  
The Devil by pleasures and profits invites us, as Absolom did the King's sons to his banquet, purposely to murder Ammon: So he invites us to our ruin in the gluttonns' language, eat, drink, and be merry, thou hast enough, wealth enough, time enough, opportunity enough, rejoice o young man and let thy heart cheer thee: Now God in mercy to us, when he finds we are sat down to banquet, riot, and frolic it in the world, he by a rousing affliction unexpectedly comes amongst us, as Absoloms' murderers came in, when their hearts were merry, and made all the King's sons fly to the King their Father to Jerusalem; so God sends afflictions to drive us from our Lusts and deceitful pleasures, unto him, oculos quos peccatum claudit, poena aperit,  
2. Another privative good that comes by Gods afflicting of the Saints, is, hereby sin is prevented, he like a merciful Father and most wise Physician knows our tempers, and what our spiritual diseases are, better than ourselves, and therefore to prevent them he bloods them in the right vein; when a Saint immoderately loves any earthly enjoyment, so that God seeth it draws his affections from heaven and glory; and from himself (which he takes grievously) than God in wisdom and mercy takes away that earthly comfort that his affections may turn into the right channel again; hereby God shows us the mutability, inconstancy & vanity of these things, and that there is no safe footing for our affections upon them. God many times dashes our designs all in pieces, to prevent that security and carnal confidence, which he wisely foresees would follow, if they should take. God in mercy provides a thorn for Paul to prick the tympany of Pride, if it should rise in him. 'Twas an excellent pious speech of our King Henry the Sixth, I thank God, saith he, that hath given me a weak, and infirm body, that it might not be a lustful body. A Saint has as much cause to bless God for his afflictions, as for his ordinances, we shall never be able to understand the one half of our privative mercies which afflictions have been the cause of, till we come to heaven to account them there, to the praise of his grace and wisdom that mercifully did inflict them: Lord whether would our lusts have carried us, hadst not thou by thy corrections called us back.  
3 By afflictions God prevents our damnation 1 Cor 11 32 We are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world: God hates the men of the world, and therefore chastens them not here so often as his children; he throws the reigns in their necks, and bids them fill up the measure of their iniquity: which is the greatest curse that can befall them; in this sense that saying is true, tum Deus irascitur cum non irascitur. The Heathen could say, nothing is more unhappy to a man, then to be free from affliction, nihil mihi videtur infoelicius eo, cui nihil unquam evenit adversi, Senec. de Provide. Here it is true, there can no greater evil befall a man, then to have his heaven here. Son remember that thou receivedst thy good things in this life (saith Abraham to Dives in hell) and Lazanrus evil: now thou art tormented and he is comforted. God gives his Saints their hell here, but their heaven hereafter; purposely casts them into the furnace of affliction here, that he may keep them out of the fiery furnace of hell hereafter. A Saint may take this for his Motto, Periissem nisi Periissem, had I not been undone in this world, I had been undone to eternity: The Prodigals poverty brought him back to his Father's family.  
Thus you see a necessity for the best Saints afflictions in order to their good privatively.  
2. God exerciseth his Saints with smart afflictions, in order to their Positive good, and that, these three ways.  
1. As they are instrumental to the turning them to God. 2. As they are exercises of their graces. 3. As they are the means of increasing grace.  
1. God useth them as a means to call home and convert the Elect to him. I do not say they Physically operate, for many men are the worse for affliction: but they by the gacious ordination of a divine hand, have a moral influence upon men to their conversion. Acts 16.26, 27, 30. by an earthquake on a sudden that shook the foundations of the prison, and threw open the prison doors, and knocked off all the prisoners fetters; the keeper at first apprehension of this astonishing providence would have killed himself, his conscience was so overborne with fear, but when his Judgement had got the throne, he considers this could be no other but the mighty hand of God, and in the full conviction of this his will is resolved to fall down to the command of God, & now with trembling he asks what he shall he do to be saved. Oh blessed earthquake, might the gaoler say, that wrought such a heart-quake in him as to make him turn to God.  
Thus Saul Acts 9.3, 4. by a sudden stroke from heaven, which struck him to the ground, v. 6. and filled him full of trembling & astonishment, it was the instrument of his conviction: hereby conscience being filled with fear, made the mind serious, and being under full conviction, it in an instant raised his will to a resolution, and that resolved, now commands all the affections to attend its motion, & now he cries Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Thus afflictions, they are like a gun discharged amongst wild fowls, it startles all but it makes some fall into the fowler's hands, into Christ's, that by these afflictions brings them to his hand. God by sudden and unexpected afflictions comes upon a soul, as Samuel came upon the Bethlehemites, 1 Sam. 16.4. he makes them tremble at his coming, but he makes a King in the family ere he depart.  
2. God hereby tries and exercises his Saints graces. Although God doth never afflict any, but where sin is, yet he hath other ends besides afflicting them for sin; therefore Gen. 22.1. God tempted or tried Abraham, 'tis not said he corrected Abraham, when he said offer up thy Son Isaac. So God permitted all those afflictions to come upon job, for the trial of his graces and the exercise of them: you have heard of the patience of job, saith the Apostle, had not God exercised him with such great afflictions, we had never heard of such an eminent Saint, he would have stole to his grave without being taken notice of. Therefore Peter saith (1 Ep. c. 1.7.) to the afflicted Saints, ye are now in heaviness for a time throw manifold temptations, for what purpose? that the trial of your faith might be found to praise, and honour, and glory; the Saints that shall hear and see your heavenly, meek, selfdenying frame of heart under all your afflictions shall praise you, & praise God for you, you shall honour the gospel, the cause you suffer for, and God shall be glorified by you, and in you. As Mutius Scaevola got more renown & glory to the Romans by his Sufferings then by his Actions. So doth a Saint to the cause of the gospel. A Saint by sufferings seems to say to all the world, as he, tam vile est corpus gloriam spectantibus. So contemptible are all those terrene things to us, who seek after eternal glory. If God should not thus try a Christians graces, we should never come to know half their worth, nor they their own. Senecae counts him an unhappy man that never was in affliction; because neither he nor any other could know his worth. Miserum te judico quod nunquam fuisti miser, transiisti sine adversario vitam; nemo scit quid potueris, ne tu quidem ipse. As sharp encounters prove who are valiant, who cowards; so do afflictions, who are sound, who rotten, who are built upon the sands, who on the rock. A Saint has cause, as to praise God for bestowing grace, so for sending him afflictions to try the truth of his grace, for this brings him in unspeakable comfort that he is sincere. If the heathen could say, egi gratias fortunae quod experiri voluisset quanti aestimarem fidem, I thank fortune that she would try me, how much I esteemed honesty; this I ought (saith Seneca) to prise at a high rate, non debet mihi parvo res tanta constare; if he a heathen could say thus, how much more ought we to praise God, that hath been pleased by his trials of us to manifest to our own consciences and the world, that our faith and patience and self denial is sincere; a tried Christian is a happy Christian, and God by afflictions tries them.  
3. God exerciseth his choice Servants with great afflictions for the increase of their graces. As strong and great winds and storms make trees fruitful, so do sharp afflictions make Christians. Every branch in Christ must bring forth fruit, and God by afflictions will prune them that they may bring forth more fruit.  
Christians that have grace in the habit, St. Bazil compares to the earth, which though in its nature it be fruitful, yet unless the Blow and harrow break and tear it, it will not only not be fruitful, but it will bring forth briers and thorns: so will Christians, unless God exercise them with afflictions grow secure, lazy and sensual. This made chrysostom say, that affliction is the mother of Christian virtues, because it exerts the habit into act.  
Christians that have grace in the habit, are like an Organ that is well in tune; but for want of bellows to blow, and an hand to play, they make no music. Therefore God raiseth his east wind of affliction to blow, and lays his hand upon them, and then they are melodious. As Birds sing sweetest in wet weather, so do the Saints sing most melodiously amidst the storms and showers of afflictions.  
Sharp sauces do best quicken the appetite, Heb. 12.11: no chastisements seem for the present to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them that are exercised therewith; like soil that's unpleasant in the carrying forth, yet returns a fruitful crop.  
By affliction a Saint gets this farther advantage of increase, that not only the habit of grace is excited into act; but by those frequent acts the habit also is enlarged. What St. Hierom says of the Cedar (may be said of the Saint) that for every branch it suits out above, it sends forth a root beneath, and this advantage it hath from the strong winds which by shaking the body, loosens the earth and makes way for the root to spread.  
So that by one storm it gathers strength to stand against the next. Thus 'tis with the Saint in the valley of Bacor, he grows from strength to strength; afflictions make him increase both in the habit and acts of grace; he grows downward in the habit as well as upward in the acts of grace by affliction.  
Thus God sees afflictions good for his Saints both privatively and positively; give me leave briefly to add this one more.  
3. God sees afflictions necessary for his Saints in order to their eternal good, and that upon a twofold account.  
1. By afflictions he fits and prepares them for glory, and that by drawing up their hearts and affections where their treasure is; should not God embitter Egypt to us by heavy burdens, we should never long for, nor prepare to go into the promised land, God makes our good things here mutable and fading, that we may set our affections on things above, which are permanent and unchangeable.  
2. Afflictions sweeten and the more endear glory to come: the sharper our sorrows here, the sweeter our glory hereafter, 2 Cor. 4.17. Our light afflictions work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  
Since we find this doctrine to be an evident truth, and this vast congregation are sealing it with their tears; God hath taken away an eminent Servant of his by a stroke, a stroke to the rich, and a stroke to the poor, a stroke and a heavy one to Stanton Harcourt; but especially to the family of the Harcourts, what should this teach us? let not me, but the Apostles exhort you, Heb. 12.5; My Son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. This exhortation branch itself into two heads. 1: despise not, 2: faint not: the first you may think needless, and at this time I may think so to; but such is the deceitfulness of our hearts, and the hardness of them, that though they now drop tears like rocks in a sudden storm, yet when the storm is over, they are soon dry again, and as hard as ever; therefore the first branch is not unseasonable: despise not, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ne parvi facito. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is as if you should say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, parvam curam habere, to slight and never mind a thing, to make light of it, as Servants do of their Masters chiding: they stand demurely and look sadly for the present; but when the Masters back is turned, they laugh and make light of it. Of all things beware of this; God hath a farther end in such dreadful strokes as these, than to make us hang down our heads for a week or two, and then forget all; this is indeed to make light of God's correcting hand upon us. There are a sort of Epicureans in this age, that professedly against all sense and reason, endeavour to deface what of man they have in them, natural affection; like the brutish Stoic that made no more of the death of his Son, than of the breaking of a Jugg; heri vidi fragilem frangi, hodie vidi mortalem mori; they contemn God and his providence, they say all things come alike to all, and sooner or later we must all die, and what should we sorrow for that we cannot remedy. Upon such men's foreheads you may write fool (if the rule hold true) without injuring them; for consideration, and fools are always contraries. Well let us in the fear of God learn this wisdom, not to despise or disregard God's judgements and chastisements upon us.  
Then a Christian may be said not to despise God's Corrections, when he learns those lessons God points him to by the chastisement; as 1: seriously to search after the cause why God afflicts us, 3 Lam. 39.40: this the Holy Ghost points us to, why doth living man complain, i. e. repiningly, man for the punishment of his sin? while 'tis for his sin that he is punished; 'tis but just that he should be punished: le's therefore search our ways and turn unto the Lord our God; that's the lesson punishment should teach us: so in the 7th josh. 6. Up says God to joshua, search for the sin that hath caused me to smite you; thus a Christian should search when God's hand is on him; what personal sins, what relation, what family sins, as a husband, master or father he is guilty of, and stone those achan's, that so God may graciously return in his favours again to us.  
2. In a humble submission to vindicate God's justice in all that befalls us, and with the Church to say, thou hast smitten us less than our deservings, and o Lord thou art righteous in all that is come upon us, Isay 9.13.  
3. Patiently to submit to the hand of God upon us. I was dumb (says David) and opened not my mouth, because it was thy doing, 10 Levit. 3. When God took away two of Aron's near relations, his Sons, with a dreadful stroke the text saith, Aron held his peace; proprobably Aron was faulty in not restraining his Son's presumption, and therefore think it but meet & just, that he that had been sinfully silent under God's dishonour, should now be submissively silent under his displeasure.  
4. To buckle on our Armour, and to stand always prepared to encounter afflictions; Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, not through two or three but many, God knows what our next trial will be; le's therefore by this affliction, be so Armed with faith and love, and patience, and selfe-denyal, that we may be able with more facility to stand against the next: job now finding the world to ring none but changes, and sad ones too, in his ears, hath learned to wait all the days of his appointed time, 'til his change come.  
5. Often and seriously to reflect upon our souls, what privative or positive good they have got by afflictions; for they make us better, or leave us worse.  
These are some of the lessons God sets us to learn by our afflictions; which who so learns may truly be said, not to despise the chastisements of God.  
2. The last clause of the exhortation speaketh to us thus [nor faint when thou art corrected of him] this is the other extreme we must avoid. Extremes are dangerous, fly not one so as to fall into the other, this nature condemns as folly, Stulti dum vitant vitia in contraria currunt, saith Horace. Aristotle defines virtue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the middle of two evils; nature teacheth us to grieve, let not the sensual facultes swallow up the rational; Let not the Servant overtop his Master. 'Tis a wise man's character, that as he seeth farther into evils than other men, so he can better command his passions than others: hence Aristostle l. 4. c. 3; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; a magnanimous man cannot be overcome with sorrow and passion, because the rational faculties keep the sensitive within their bounds. Should I go about to stop your eyes for so great a loss; I should but endeavour contra torrentem brachia: but let me persuade you to mourn as Christians: though the chastning be grievous, yet 'tis no worse than what God's Saints and Prophets of old have undergon. Are we better than they? or have we deserved better than they? le's comfort ourselves in the text, that God owns us for Sons under all our afflictions, and intends our good by them; let us then take courage that God is our Father still, and though death like a Lion hath come amongst us and devoured our glory; yet out of this eater there will come forth meat, and out of the strong sweet; if we by faith and patience can wait upon the Lord, in this his way and method of dealing with us.   

A Funeral speech.  
ANd is this Scripture fulfilled this day in our eyes? is the Crown of our glory, the Lady Anne Harcourt, that curious piece of grace and nature taken from us by a stroke? And must her virtues be closed up with her eyes? must they be coffined up with her corpse in the silent grave? Was not her name as precious ointment? & must it not be poured forth to give a fragrancy to posterity? shall we let her go unmentioned, unlamented? it may not, it cannot be; The Country and the City too, yield praficae abundant, to ring aloud in all men's ears her funeral knel in doleful threanes: besides, each sad face in this doleful assembly, seems to bespeak itself, should I be silent, her funeral Orator. 'Tis pity we have not here an Eloquent Ambrose to perform so lofty an undertaking. I am sorry I have not skill answerable to my affections; but must, when I have done my utmost, leave her, as that Painter left Antigonus, drawn, Imagine lusca, with a half face. I must acknowledge with the Comedian, de illâ non possum ita magnificè loqui, id virtus quin superat sua, so that you that knew her, will have just cause to say, much like that of the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomon, the one half hath not been told us of what we know; to which I can only thus reply in the Poet's words; 
Quod si digna tuâ minus est mea pagina laude.  
at voluisse sat est.—  In order to what I have to say, I must go one step retrograde; For when I consider what two glorious luminaries have successively rose in this noble & ancient Family of the Harcourts, & how suddenly, & unexpectedly they have set, I cannot but adore the goodness, and tremble at the severity of God towards it; I am at a stand with Valeria: Max: on the death of Cornelia's husband, whether to say, it was more happy in the once enjoying of them, or unhappy in the loss of them.  
The first was a Daughter of the right honourable family of the Pagets, and wife to the Famous Soldier Sr. Simon Harcourt (to whose Tutelary sword the Protestants in Jreland owe much) she set at high noon, in the prime of her age, and left only one Son as the inheritor of both their virtues and honours.  
This last (being the Wife of the now sorrowful Sr. Philip Harcourt) she set in the morning of her youth, before she had completed twenty years, and hath likewise left one Son behind her, God make him the inheritor of her virtues. Both of these Ladies for beauty, breeding, parts, prudence, and piety, were eminently known to be as honourable and Princely Dames as have trod the Stage of English earth for many ages; each of their goodness which made them great, was as high as their extract, which made them honourable. This last was in all probability like to outshine the first, from whose raise she received her first light and heat. Her natural and moral endowments of body and mind were both amiable, and admirable; what is said of King David's Darling, 2 Sam. 14.25: was the voge of all who e'er had seen her; that in all the Land there was not one to be so much praised for beauty as she; from the sole of her foot to the crown of her head there was no blemish in her.  
And as her Person, such were her parts: her deportment was courteous, humble, and affable, yet with all, majestic; she was skilled in every thing that became so high a Lady; she was knowing in History, in Physic, in Music, in what not, she was more full of spirit and life than language; yet was her discourse for the most part weighty and witty: she perfectly hated idleness; she was all the day time either retired in her closet at her devotions, or else writing, or reading, or playing on some musical instrument, or ordering the affairs of her house, or busied in making medicines for the poor that had no helper: Her apprehension was so quick, that a worthy gentlewoman her neighbour, with whom she much conversed, told me that she admired her above all persons for her exact knowledge in all domestic affairs; There was nothing within or without doors that concerned a family, but she had an insight in it. But oh! this heart cutting word (she's dead) has shipwrackt all our hopes, and filled us full of deep despondency; like a new rigged ship richly freighted, no sooner is she launched forth into the world, but sinks with all her store; she had but newly shaken hands with childhood, and now, behold! grisly death like a churlish and (may we say) unwelcome Sargeant arrests her, and she must forthwith shake hands with husband, child, kindred, and bid us, and all the world eternally farewel. What heart relents not here? 'tis worse than marble if it do not: marble itself will weep at change of weather, and shall not we at such a change? especially we that knew how sweet her disposition, how gracious her conversation was among us. Wonder not then if I your Orator make tears my fluentest Rhetoric at this funeral; broken sentences, ●nd inconsistencies may pass, at this time excusable, if not commendable, from him, whose eyes make up the paragoge. The Person that here lies in state before us, and is thus become the sad object of our sorrow, was of no low extract, she was the daughter of the honourable Sr. William Waller. On the Mother's side, she descended of the Right honourable family of the Finches, the Earls of Winchelsie. But these things she counted but membrana dignitatis, she no more valued the gaudy pageantry of the world, than her body now minds this her pompous funeral, being dead, and herein she showed herself, like that honourable Lady and St. Marcelia (of whom St. Hierom thus speaks) quod facta est contempta nobilitate nobilior, that she did the more ennoble herself in disregarding her noble birth. That which she most delighted, with a holy kind of boasting, to triumph in, was the truly noble and religious education she received from her Mother in law, (for her own Mother died in her infancy) of whose excellent virtues she never thought she could spoke enough; I have oft heard her most devoutly bless God for that Mother in law: like Alexander the great that praised his Instructor beyond him that got him. 'Tis highly probable she was the instrument of instilling grace into her heart in her tender years, which made her, so heartily praise the God of grace for her; nor was there any love lost betwixt them; for so highly did the Mother in law prise this her Daughter in law, that she bestowed the chiefest jewel she had in the World upon her, her only Son; as conceiving her Son could be in none more happy, than in this Person: she really being for sweetness of nature, amiableness of Person, quickness of wit, solidity of judgement, nobleness of Spirit, innocency of life, & heavenliness of affection, the crown and glory of her age and Sex. What single excellencies made other Ladies eminent, as this for wit, that for beauty, one for modesty, the other for affability, you might have found them all concentred in this single Person, and shining there in their full lustre. Take her in any, in every of her relations, as a Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mistress, Friend, she filled up each of these to the top. I must but touch on these. As a Daughter how full of duty and affection? who can come forth and tell the time that ever she willingly displeased either her Father or Mother in all her life time? As a Sister from the nurse's breasts to nature's bed, the grave, she lived and died topful of hearty love and tender respect to them, their tears for the loss of her, sufficiently testify to the world this truth. As a Wife she was so full of respect, tenderness and overflowing love to her Dear, (as she called her husband) that you would have deemed their whole life to have been but one wedding day. There was no ebb to be seen in the tide of her affections, 'twas always high, they seemed always ravished in each others love, she was to her Husband as the pleasant hind, the desire of his eyes, and the joy of his heart. I may truly say of them, as David said of jonathan and Saul, they were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and I may add this too, in their deaths they were not divided, for at her departure, his soul as unwilling to stay, now struggled in a tide of tears to launch out after her. This current runs still too strong, which calls rather for our pity than our blame, and of the two extremes, this is the more allowable, as bespeaking the Person, generous and noble hearted; for none but fools, and sordid Cowards are hardhearted. Therefore Homer describes his valiant men, his Heroes, to be, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, tender hearted compassionate men, men full of tears: but what need excuses here? she was his Wife, the one half of himself, the comfort of his life, the crown of his glory; how many losses are comprehended in this one? the loss of a good and gracious Wife? none can tell but they that feel it. As a Governess of a family, her prudence and piety was eminent, she had such a provident and diligent inspection into every thing, that she seemed to be every body in it: and with such facility and sedatenesse she ordered all things, as if she had been no body in it. I know many great families, but never yet did I see any that was governed with so little noise or tumult, and so free from disorders; no oaths, no drunkenness, no railing or dissensions to be heard or seen amongst any. 'Tis true, the family was extraordinary happy in a stock of civil, knowing, faithful, and religious Servants; and 'twas her goodness made them so. Such was her pious care of her family, that she desired that all her Servants might be the Lords; and therefore twice a day she commanded every one (all business laid aside) to be present in her chapel at prayers, and the hearing of God's word read; and once a week every servant from the chiefest to the meanest, she had chatechized in the principles of religion by her Chaplain in the open Chapel. On the Lord's day her care was, that she and her house might serve the Lord, therefore she strictly commanded all that possibly could, to attend her to the public ordinances, whether she constantly resorted to hear the word of God; and if any Servant were negligent or tardy, I have heard them sharply rebuked. After the public ordinances were over she commanded all her Maid Servants into her chamber, where she examined them all what they remembered of the Sermon, and would encourage the diligent hearers. After this she would repeat the Sermon for the help of their memories, & then She would conclude with prayer. Thus this Princely Lady, to her eternal honour, disdained not (as too many great Ladies do) to become the handmaids of the Lord in using all good means to save others souls as well as her own.  
As a Neighbour, she was so familiar, humble, courteous and compassionate, that you need not wonder to see Stanton Harcourt so full of tears for the loss of her. Such was her charity to any in distress, especially to those that were religeous, (and therefore modest,) that when she heard or supposed they were in distress, she would send privately to them, not pence, but pounds. Such was her privasy in it, that nothing, but the gratitude of the receivers, since her death hath informed me of this truth. By this we may guess at her enlarged noble heart; we shall never hear all her good deeds of this nature, till God call her out & reward her openly.  
That of her public charity, you that hear me of this parish can witness, and my eyes have seen, that there was not a day in the week, but several hungry bellies were filled from her Kitchen▪ once a week there was purposely made provision for them, and once a year Six of the poor of the parish were new clothed by her, so that we may aply jobes' words to her, the blessing of those that were ready to perish came upon her. How oft has she sent and come to your houses when you have been sick to visit, succour and comfort you? what good office did she ever neglect amongst you? she was as eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a physician to the sick, and a mother to the poor. I may apply St Hieroms words of Nepotian to this Lady, ita curam gessit pauperum quasi ab eos genuisset, ita servivit quasi ab iis geni●a fuisset; she wasso tender of the poor as if she had been their mother, so serviceable, as if their daughter.  
As a private Christian, she was (by report of her Chaplain and others most intimate with her) one of a thousand, her discourse would be so spiritual & heavenly, that the Godly hearers have professed themselves even ravished with it. She was much in fasting and prayer, in reading, meditation, & searching her heart. I might here insert all which that learned Oratorin his funeral speech hath said of the Mother in law, so exactly did she tread in that holy Lady's steps.  
She kept in her Cabinet a large paper book, so privately that none, no not her husband knew of it; since her death I have seen it, and only seen it. 'twas a book, I perceived, designed to be her souls looking-glas, or rather her souls recreatory, both; In this book (I perceived by the several heads in it) she laid up haet spiritual Cordials, to refresh her soul in time of need: Here she had set down Gods gracious and remarkable providences to her and her family, to excite her soul to thankfulness: Here she laid up spiritual directions how to order her life. One paper being loose I obtained it, I will give it you word for word, & by this you may guests at the rest.  
April 14, 1664. I have this day upon serious examination of my heart, found this to be my condition. 1. That I do desire to love God, and to love him for himself above all things. 2. That I am (if my heart deceive me not▪ extremely more in love with the ways of God then ever. 3. That I find my heart unfeignedly sorry for all my frailtyes and sins committed, and duties omitted, and I do here in the presence of God promise, & engage to strive against all my beloved sins, and serve him more constantly than I have done, & I hope through God's grace, that as he has begun that good work in me, so he will according to his promises perfect it in me. Thus I have given you a glimpse of this young Saints Closet works; she was not perfuming herself with essences, painting her face, or trying where a black patch would set with most advantage, and best ensnare the eye of the wanton; but she was tiring her soul for her Lord the Bridegroom's coming. Oh thou blessed Soul! he whom thou hast served so secretly, will one day reward thee openly.  
I cannot omit one remarkable thing, which happened a little before God called this young Saint to her sick bed: I received it since her death from a Person of good credit, who heard her tell it: She had a dream that an Angel came to her, and told her she must suddenly die, whereat she was afraid and trembled, but the Angel told her, she need not fear, she should go to heaven to Christ, who would welcome her there, whereat she was filled with joy.  
Now though I lay little stress upon dreams, as knowing it to be dangerous, it being hard to discern them from Diabolical delusions; the Papists ridiculously impose upon the world their Friar's dreams, to prove their fopperies, and erroneous opinions, as if with the Heathen, we were to believe. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every dream came from God, whereas the Devil many times is the Author of them: A wicked man may dream he shall go to heaven, Caesar a little before his death, may dream he shall go to the immortal God, but no wicked man, shall ever go thither. Yet for all this it must not be denied, but that God doth many times foretell to his Saints their deaths in dreams: Polycarp that Saint and Martyr (you may find him in the book of Martyrs) had his death foretold him, & the kind of it▪ He dreamt that his bed was on fire under him; and St. Cyprian foresaw in a dream the Proconsul writing his sentence to be beheaded, 
Pont. Diaco. in vit. Cyp.  whereupon he desired him to set his house in order, and 'twas granted him; and just so it fell out as he had dreamt. We might instance in many more if it needed. For my part I believe this dream of this holy Ladies, was a favour extraordinary from God to such a precious young Saint. And I the rather think so, because it so fell out as she had dreamt; for soon after this, she unexpectedly fell sick of a violent fever, which was the forerunner of death at hand. And although she did not die of that fever, yet before she had recovered her strength she lost by it, God in his wise providence (resolving to exercise her graces before she went hence) called her back again to her sick bed, which at last proved her death bed. In this Sickness God exercised her with more tormentive pangs, both in her back and bowels then before; which enforced most bitter groans and sighs from her, to the piercing of the hearts of those about her: yet under all those heavy pressures she did not charge God foolishly, though she groaned, yet she did not murmur or repine, but in the midst of those pangs she still lifted up her hand and eyes to the God of her salvation: That time of ease God gave her between her fits, she was careful to redeem by prayer, and other holy exercises with her Chaplain, whom she highly prized in her health, for his singular good parts and piety. Some few days before her death, when her excessive pangs had so devoured her strength, that they left her speechless, and the company gave her up for a dying, departing person, I came to her bed side, and perceiving her to move her head and her eyes, which was more than she had done for some hours before, I asked her Ladyship whether she were capable of discourse, and she answered me, yes, but let it be good, let it be heavenly: So careful was she to redeem her sick bed time; you may guess where her treasure was by her heart. The day before her death was (to all our joy and admiration) the most refreshing day she had had in all her sickness. Sic Phoebi j●mj●m cadentis dulcius esse solet lumen: As a fair day often rears exhalations into a cloud, which next day returns in showers upon us, so did this pleasant Monday return its dark clouds of sorrow and showers of tears on Tuesday; for than her disease seizing her head took away her speech, and so deprived us, no doubt, of many gracious speeches which would have fallen from her dying lips. Yet what she could not do in words, she did in signs. She some hours before her death took her woman by the hand, and shook it, to let her know she was heartily reconciled to her notwithstanding some tart words, that had some days before passed betwixt them. In the afternoon of Aug. 23. 1664. God was pleased graciously to release her of all her pangs: Her soul willingly and joyfully departed, and hath left behind, what of mortality it had for us to lay up in the house of all the living.  
And now, what can alleviate our sorrows for so great a loss? But, is she lost? no, the loss is ours, she's the great gainer. As L. Florus saith of the City Alba, 'twas pulled down, to be set up in Rome to its higher honour & advantage: this Lady is but taken down here, to be set up in heaven to her unspeakable honour & advancement. Let us not then too deeply lay ●o heart this blessed Saints Translation; could we but still our sorrows a little while, & lend an ear to listen what the Saints on the otherside the lake of death do say, it would not be the voice of those that cry for being overcome, but the voice of those that sing, the voice of those that shout for victory, that we should hear.  
Do we believe the person that's departed was a true servant of God? I think you do: and we may as confidently say of her, a St. Hierome does of Nepotian, Scimus Nepatianum nostrum esse cum Christo; we verily believe she is with Christ. Why then do you so immoderately grieve? Cur doleas (saith Tertullian) si periisse non credis, cur impatienter feras subductum interim quem credis reversurum esse? So say I, why do we so take on for her who we know is not gone to be lost, but only with drawn for a time, and we believe will return again? did the Church mourn when Peter was delivered out of Prison, and his shackles knocked off? A Saint at death is freed from prison, and all his fetters are then knocked off. Did Mordicai weep and grieve, or had he cause, when the Emperor of the world took his Niece from him out of love he bore her, to advance her above all other women, and make her Queen? This This is the case (only the former parallel is too short) the great Creator of the world in great compassion and tender love to this young Lady, has taken her betimes from the dirty country to prefer her at Court, he has called her early from this beggarly low earth, to advance her amongst the mighty in the heavens.  
The Heathen Menander could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, whom God loves best he ●akes soon. Her soul being fledged betimes, took wing for heaven, and this curious robe of mortality, which she put off at her departure, we now are carrying with all solemnity into the suburbs of heaven after her; for Saints graves are no otherwise, they are next door to heaven. They are the Saints sleeping Chambers for a little while, till God call them up again. The silence of the grave is but a kind of Pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a restraint only for a time, and that but a little time, the time is short. Death the last enemy, shall reign but a little longer; he must resign his keys ere long. When the trumpet sounds, death triumphs cease, till then the Saints bodies in the grave are in the safe custody of Christ, as their Souls in heaven, and Christ at his coming will as certainly unite them and cloth them with immortality and glory. Wherefore let us comfort one another upon this sad occasion with these meditations.  
One living relict of this Lady, now with God, remains still with us, (her Son) and is her lively picture; for whom I pray, as Eloquent St Ambros at the death of Theodosius, the Emperor, (only changing one Article) Tu solus domine, invocandus, tu rogandus es, ut eam infilio repraesentes. That he may resemble her in soul, as well as in countenance. God make him virtuous, as she, in this life, and let the glory of his famous Ancestors rest upon him. That he may keep up religion in the family (which is the crown of its glory and the true innobling of it) as his Mother, his Grand Mother and other his ancestors have done before him: that so after a happy and holy life here, he may go with honour, to them, who are now with Christ, God blessed for ever, in unspeakable glory.   

ERRATA.  
Pag. 1. l. 15 r. the. p. 13. l. 25. r. enjoyments. p. 15. l. 22. r name. p. 32. l. 16. r. he. p. 34. l. 26. r. Here. p. 35. l. 28. r. shaken.  
FINIS.