ALthough Ioseph of Iohn 19. 38. Aramathea , and Nicodemus begged of Pilate the body of IESVS , and on the day of preparation , wrapt it in a fine cleane linnen cloath , embalmed it with odoriferous spices , buried it , and so gaue him the last dutie of Iewish Ceremonies , & the first of Christian Funerals : yet Mary Magdalene , and the other Mary , could not bee satisfied with all that was done by Ioseph and Nicodemus for their Lord and Master Christ , vnlesse in the next day after the Preparation , their poore balme had gone likewise for him . After which imitation of these two Maries , I cannot content my selfe with what hath beene done by others hitherto , for my late Lord and Master , the Duke of Richmond and Lenox ( though most sufficiently ) except I bring some Sindon of my owne now , and buy some Balme , to bestow vpon his Grace . Yesterday you heard how the Lord Keeper most accuratly and affectionatly expressed my Lord Duke his Heroick life : to day ( with permission ) I will represent vnto you and others afarre off , his Deplorable Death , and Christian Funerall .

Behold them then both in this Monument , as better to be considered by the Eye , then by the Eare ; by the Grauers pencill , then by the Writers pen ; by silence , then by discourse . In this Monument which may giue feare to the Faithfull , amazement to the Prophane , and sorrow to all men .

For on the sixteenth day of Februarie last , in the Kings Palace of White-Hall , whiles the Kings Majestie , the Prince , the Peeres , and the Noblemen of the Land , were readie to ride in state vnto the High Parliament of England : Behold , an ancient Statute from the highest Court of Parliament in Heauen , put in Execution vpon this honorable person my Lord Duke of Richmond and Lenox . This Execution was serued vpon him , whiles the people expected a pomp , and whiles I for my part was preparing another Iacob Triumphant , or King Iames Second Triumphs , in Executing his Statutes and penal Lawes against all Popish Policies , and : : : : : : Practises , within his Majesties Dominions .

But , oh , the sodaine change , and strange passage of the peoples expectation , and my design ; from a glorious Pompe on Horse-backe , to a mournfull Hearse followed afoot ; from a Triumph to a Tombe ; from the Trophees of ioy , to the Spoiles of sorrow ; in a moment , all my thoughts turned to a Monument . This is euer the miserable condition of man , to mixe sowre with sweet , or else to ioyne them so inseparably together as a concaue superficies with a conuexe .

In that morning all the Court , and Citie of London were full of mirth , but about noone all in mourning ; then in pleasure and delight , soone after in sorrow and sadnesse . Thus the clearest dayes haue their stormes , the euening is not answerable to the calmnesse of the morning , nor to the cleernesse of the noone-day , but the Sunne eclipses , the Cloudes ouercast , and the Day is changed into Night , or darknesse .

The Statute that was Executed so peremptorily vpon this honourable Person was first enacted in the vpper House of Parliament in Heauen , generally against all men ; All men Heb. 9. 27. must once die ; and then receiued , and resolued vpon of all in the lower House of Parliament on Earth . Here , Gods Word , Reason , and Experience , the three States of our Earthly Parliament , haue ratified and confirmed it , vna voce , without appeale .

God said expressely , In that day wherein thou Gen. 2. 17. eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill , thou shalt die . Though Satan , a lyar from the beginning , said to the Woman , Non omnino Gen. 3. 4. moriemini , Yee shall not die at all ; and our Mother Eue minced the matter , with ne fortè Ibid. v. 3. moriamini , lest perchance yee die ; yet Gods sentence passed vpon her , and her husband Adam , and all their posteritie neuer to be repealed , or reuersed . Dust thou art , and to dust thou shalt returne Ibid. v. 19. againe . As Leui was in the loines of Abraham Heb. 7. 5. when he payed tithe or tribute , so were wee in the loines of Adam , when hee did eate of the forbidden Tree ; his disobedience is in vs vnexcusable , the doome and punishment of Death due vnto vs irreuocable , and all of vs , of what estate , age or degree soeuer wee be , are ( without some rare and extraordinarie dispensation , as that of Enoch and Elias was ) liable vnto the same . We must needs Die , said the wise 2. Sam. 14. 14. woman of Tecoah to Dauid : You a Soueraigne and I a Subiect , you a man and I a woman , Wee must needs die , and are as water spilt on the ground . Dauid confessed so much on his Death-bed , I must goe the way of all the earth . Which 1. Reg. 2. 2. the Prophet Ieremie expoundeth with a threefold Ieremie c. exclamation , or terrible acclamation , O Earth , Earth , Earth , heare the Word of the Lord .

Wee must haue eares to heare them of men , but our eyes only will heare that of God . Wee vnderstand him in seeing these great and terrible accidents vnawares to vs . Earth which commest from Earth : Earth which art fed with Earth : Earth which remainest on Earth : Earth which goes to Earth : Earth in thy birth , in thy life , and in thy end , behold a Great Man of the Earth returnes to Earth .

Emperours , Kings , and Princes , you are but dust , know it ; your Crownes and Scepters depend of God , acknowledge it : your bodie is but of clay , thinke and say it , and therefore you must needs breake , and bee dissolued . Say Prince , say pesant , say rich , say poore , say all and one , with holy Iob. Corruption thou art my Iob 17. 14. father , rottennesse thou art my mother , Wormes and Vermine yee are my brethren and sisters , say , graue thou art my bed , sheete thou art my shrine , earth thou art my couer , greene grasse thou art my carpet , say Death demand thy due , for thy seizure is without surrender ; and from thy decree there is no appeale . It is not the Maiestie of the Prince , or holinesse of the Priest , strength of bodie , feature of face , learning , riches , honour , or any secular regard can pleade against Death , or priuiledge any person from the Graue . Nereus the faire , Thersites the foule ; Pyrrhius the Cooke , Agamemnon the King , Absalon with his beautie , and Lazdrus with his blaines , must once Die . For Statutum est , it is appointed all once to Die . Heb. 9. 27.

It is not eminency of Office , or Dignitie can priuiledge thee : for Dauid who was a King Ps. 82. 6. himselfe , a Prophet , and a man after Gods owne heart , setteth men as high as they may goe , I haue said yee are Gods ( nuncupatiuè not substantiuè ) and the children of the most high . This is mans aduancement . But hee bringeth them as lowe , and hath But for them , But yee shall Die like men : and yee Princes , and Great Ones shall fall like others ; here is his abasement where the names of God and Man here shew their great difference . God signifies force support , and the foundation of all ; but M 〈…〉 imbecillitie , infirmitie , and so feeble a thing , as it cannot stand of it selfe : mortall and Diuine are opposite and contraries . God who made the World at first of nothing can marre the Isa. 40. 23. greatest in a moment : hee bringeth Potentates to nothing , and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie .

It is not the strength or statelinesse of any Place , Palace , or Territorie , Towne-gates , Guardes , or Royall Armies can protect thee from Death . For , pale Death knocketh with the Horat. same fo●te at the Palaces of Princes , as well as at the Cortages of Clownes ; if it enter not at Ier. 9. 3. the gates with full force , it will ascend by the windowes with great feare . And wee see that wise men Die as well as fooles , rich Die as well as poore , Noblemen as well as vulgar or ignoble , in a word , the good and godly men as well as wicked and prophane . For , Ps. 89. 47. what man is hee that liueth , and shall not see Death .

Lastly , as no height of honour or estimation can priuiledge thee , no safety and sweetnesse of place protect thee ; so no power or policie can preserue thee from the fatall dart of Death . The King cannot saue himselfe by the multitude of his Psal. 33. 15. Paul . Iouius de vit. Tamberl . Q. Curc . in vit. Alex. host . Tamberlaine , the terrour of the world , Died with three fits of an Ague , as Paulus Iouius writeth . Alexander that famous Monarch , acknowledged in his owne person this humane frailtie , when in the Olympike Games falling in the dust , and perceiuing therein the length of his body , hee confessed with griefe that seuen foote of ground were sufficient to make him a graue . Death onely , Iu●enal . ( Mors sola fatetur ) sheweth how bigge mens bodies are .

Wherefore bee our dayes neuer so few , or our yeeres neuer so full , resolue wee must , according to Gods Word , Wee must all once Die , wheresoeuer , or what state soeuer wee be , no resisting , God alone can say , Sum qui sum , I Exod. 3. 14. am that I am ; and will bee what I haue beene . Plutarch . Men can say nothing else , but I am and shall not be . Witnesse this the Lacedemonians song of three parts ; Wherein the Elders sang , We haue beene strong and are not now ; The Youth replied , Wee shall be strong but are not yet ; The Middle-aged sang , Wee are now strong but shall not be . What shall I say more ? All mankind must needs sing this : Aut sumus , aut fuimus , aut possumus esse quod hic est : Wee are , or haue beene , or may soone be , such as this Our mournfull Obiect .

Reason , proueth the same , as Plato in Timaeo , Plat. in Tim. De Orthodox . fidei de longit . & breu vitae . Arist. Physic . Euery thing that is composed must be dissolued . Damascen , Euery thing that is made , is subiect to be mard . Aristotle holdeth , that euery bodie composed of contrarie elements , disposed into contrarie humours , must at length haue a naturall date of corruption . Man is thus , who as hee is the King and Master of all things sublunaries , so is hee the most mixed and composed of all creatures . For hee is made of an immortall soule , and corruptible bodie subiect to Death ; his soule ascendeth from whence it came , his bodie boweth and bendeth downewards : the bodie is composed of foure contrarie elements , which in him are still at Deadly warres daily : his soule hath a bright , cleare , neate wit , and vnderstanding in it ; so hath it a blinde will , and foule affections : the one part of his soule is reasonable , the other part altogether brutish and full of sensualitie ; so that Man by Reason of the Philosophers , must Die.

Againe , what saith Nature ? is there a generatur ? there must bee a corrumpitur ; euery oritur must haue a moritur ; is there an introitus , there must bee an interitus ; euery beginning must haue an ending . Wee receiue a life of Nature , to render it ; wee enter into a life , to goe out of it . There is not an intrat without an exit in this life's Tragedie ; a very Tragedie ( I say ) for the most part , because wee are all borne crying , wee crie dying ; wee come in with moane , and goe out with a groane ; let life haue leaue to flaunt and braue it a while on the Stage of the world , yet all but a flourish , all is but a flash , Death still playes Rex , strikes all the Actors , one after one , with a mortall blow ; there may bee a little mirth in the middest , but Death at the last strongly steps vp and grimly comes in with a terrible Epilogue , and concludes all , and Death makes an end , so Death in the end is the end of the Play ; for wee must all Die . God and Nature are agreed vpon the point , her dutifull submission to his Imperious Must , must needes make all men mortall , all men Die .

All , both good and bad are Actors on this stage of Mortalitie , euery one acting a part ( as I haue said ) some of lesse , some of greater dignitie ; and the Play being ended Exeunt omnes , euery one goes off the stage , and as Chesse-men without difference they are swept from the table of this World , wherein one was a King , another a Queene , a third a Bishop or Knight into Earths bagge ; onely this distinction being betwixt good and bad , that the good are Actors of a Comedie ; and howsoeuer they beginne , they end merrily : but the bad , are Actors of a Tragedie , and howsoeuer they beginne , or proceed , yet their end miserable , their Catastrophe lamentable . And to conclude this point , as the tree falleth , so it lieth . Eccles. 11. 3. On euery mans particular Death , his particular iudgement attendeth , either of the soules eternall blisse in heauen , or euerlasting woe in hell , which all the praises , prayers , and preaching of men , Saints , or Angels cannot reuerse .

A consideration by the miscreant Atheist much contemned , by the temporizing Politician greatly neglected , by the carnall Gospeller slightly regarded by the Popes pardon purchasing , and pickpurse-Purgatorie beleeuing Papist corruptly entertained , and by very few of the best Professors so sincerely and seriously thought on and embraced , as it ought to bee . For it is the great fault , not onely of great men , whose greatnesse maketh them too often forgetfull of goodnesse , but euen of vs all , high and lowe , rich and poore , great and small , that wee neuer thinke on Death , or prepare to Die , till wee finde and feele wee can no longer liue . Yea wee so embrace , admire , adore , and dote vpon this glittering World , and are so loath to leaue the ruinous Tabernacle of our corruptible flesh , that wee are not content or willing to goe to heauen , till wee see there is no remedie , wee can stay no longer on earth : yet Die must all .

Experience , likewise teacheth vs we must all Die , to day our Superiours , to morrow our inferiours , euen now our equals Die while wee are liuing . Looke aboue vs , belowe , within , without , and round about vs , all tell vs wee must all once Die . Consider we the things that are about vs , wee shall see the apparell on our backes , made of the wooll of beasts , that are Dead , the silke wee weare , wrought by worms which Died in the worke , the gloues on our hands , the shooes on our feet , the skinnes of Sheepe or Neat , who lost their liues to couer our nakednesse . The meate on our tables , the members of creatures that haue died to maintaine our liues . But what neede haue wee of these demonstrations , and resemblances to conuince vs of our Mortalitie ? since we haue both a continuall sight of it in others , in our parents , brethren , kinsfolke , neighbours , and acquaintance , which are gone the way of all flesh before vs : and also a daily sense of it in our selues by the aches of our bones , heauinesse of our bodies , dimnesse of our eyes , deafnesse of our eares , trembling of our hands , baldnesse of our heads , graynesse of our haires , that very shortly wee must follow after them . Nay , doe wee not consider that our eyes euery night Die to sleepe to shew vs in last wee must sleepe in Death : the haire of our heads , the nailes of our fingers calling so often for polling and paring , tell vs that the whole body must shortly be shaued by Death . Our stomacke still digesting our meate , and crauing for more , sheweth vs the insatiable manner of the graue , that hauing eaten and digested our Ancesters , gapeth for vs , and when it hath deuoured vs , will hunger also for our Successours The wormes take possession of vs , almost as soone as wee doe of life , and haue bespoken vs euen in our cradles , for their fellowes that await vs on earth .

Thus Death is alreadie in vs and on vs , wee it on our faces by wrinkles ; wee beare it in our browes , whose furrowes are the emblemes of the Graue ; wee put it on our backes in our clothes , and are clad in Death from top to toe ; wee cramme it in our mouthes with our meate ; wee haue it in our bones ; wee carrie the hansell of it in our bowels : shew me where Death is not ? yet alas , the Deuill doth dease vs , the World doth so blinde vs , and the sensualitie of the Flesh maketh vs so extremely senselesse , that we neither heare , nor see , nor feele , what lieth so heauie vpon vs . If wee be young , wee feare not Death at our backes ; if sicke , wee feele not Death treading on our heeles ; if old , we looke asquint and see not Death before our eyes : such is our dulnesse that neither Gods Word , Reason , nor Experience can teach vs , We must all once die .

The first proofe of those three testimonies on earth , should perswade al those who beleeue in God ; the second , those who follow the light of Nature ; the third , all sort of people . Though we had neither Reason , nor Experience to tell vs , Wee must die , yet Gods Word is sufficient to euince it : though the Word of God proued it not , yet Reason and Experience would force vs to beleeue it : though we had neither the one , nor the other , of Gods Word , and Reason , Experience alone were enough to open all mens eyes in the World , good or bad , faithfull or vnfaithful , wise or fooles , We must all dye .

How euident then this Statute is you may easily obserue by these three cleere lights of the World , whereof euery one of them apart , or by it selfe is more then sufficient to proue this sentence , We must all once die . Whereof the first sheweth vnto the vnderstanding , things that are aboue Nature , and begetteth faith in it : the second , naturall things and aboue the senses , and giue vnto them knowledge : the third , which is Experience , the Mistris of Fooles aswell as of wisemen , sheweth vnto the senses things that are vnder Reason and imprint in them a feeling . A man that cannot , nor will not learne by these three Arguments , Wee must all once die , hee is a Pagan among Christians , a beast among men , a Dead man among the Liuing .

Nay the verie Heathen or Infidels themselues Pier. in hierogliph . lib. 45. pag. 470. Coel. Rhod. lib. 11. c. 19. Lactant. l. 2. de diuin. Instit. de tribus Parcis . Fusius Euseb. lib. 6. de praepar . Euang. acknowledge this Lesson by their Poets , who painted out vnto them three Destinies or Goddesses , Clothe , Lachesis , Atropos , and haue fained tha● at the birth of men , they doe spinne the life of euerie one , and limit their daies , cutting off their course when they please , either in the beginning or in the middest without any hope of returne . Those three are called Parcae in Latine , by an Antiphrasis , or contrarie speech , because they spare no person : or else , according to the opinion of Varro Aul. Gell. lib. in A. Gellius , from this Latine word Partus , that is to say , child-birth . For as Fulgentius saith in his Mythologick , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth calling forth , is she that bringeth the childe out of the Mothers wombe : whose sudden Lachesis , which is lot or hazard receiueth the child , and drawes the threed of its Life : as Atropos in an instant cutteth the threed of Life without Order , Reason , or Law ; which made Plato call Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , inexorable , or inflexible . So that you see by the verie Pagan Poets , our Life is but a bottome of threed , which the three Destinies winde in their hands to dispose of our Life freely thus .