HOly , but yet afflicted Iob , from the sad meditation of mans fraile condition in generall , Man borne of a woman is of few daies , and full of trouble : and sharpe sense of his owne in particular , verse . 3. deprecates very earnestly Gods judgements , doest thou open thine eye upon such a one , and bringest mee into judgement with thee ? me a man of few dayes , me a flower , me a shadow ? wilt thou looke narrowly upon the actions of mortalls , saith Pineda , and trie them summo jure , in rigour ? wilt thou set an appointed day for man to answere thee as at a fearefull barre of judgement ? wilt thou open thine all seeing eyes to prye severely into this creature ? This manner of expression speakes thus much , it cannot be , thou wilt not doe this thing . Thou wilt not condemne him that in poenitentiall sorrow judgeth himselfe ; nor afflict beyond measure so weake a creature . but v. 6. thou wilt turne from him that hee may rest , and accomplish as a hireling his day .

In briefe Iob inferres from mans frailety that he standeth in neede of the compassion , indulgence , and tender mercies of his maker . A great part of frailty here bewailed , is mans transitory estate , and subjection unto death , man , and doluit , are couched in the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so long as he is man , he is in paine , hee weares away , which momentany condition , Iob expresseth by resemblances taken from a flower and a shadow , the one withereth or is cut downe ; the other suddenly passeth away . The one hath a short being , and the other is nothing .

This flower may signify either whatsoever is of eminency , strength , vivacity , comelinesse in mans life , all which like Ionah his Gourd , is withered as soone as growne up : or it may signifie the spring , and flourishing time of mans age , his youth , which hath no more priviledge against death , then the grasse , and flower of the field hath , against the sithe of the mower .

The flower to which the most flourishing men are resembled hath two properties here laid before us 1. to flourish , 2. to decay , or to be cut downe , it is thus with the flower , it is thus with all the glory of man , heare it and be instructed by it .

First , man is as a flower , it may be admitted in the growth , fragrancy , comelinesse , beauty of a flower , youth hath much of this , and our blessed friend departed had all of it God hath made of meane matter , of a little red earth an excellent fabrick ; hee hath put miris modis , bloud into the veines , into the bones marrow , into the limmes proportion , into the lineaments comelinesse , in the complexion beauty , into the handes strength , the tongue pleasantnesse , the eyes majesty , and the head capacity , that ex venustate & dignitate the beauty of man might be compleat . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Basil . in hexam . hom. 6.

Understand O man thine owne dignity , thou art earth by nature , yet the worke of divine handes ; the worke of those handes , that give the flower out of dust , beauty out of ashes .

This beauty , this flourishing of the flower is not a meane favour , if any be lifted up for this gift , wee say with Saint Austin . lib. 15. d. c.d. c. 28. it is temporale , carnale , infimum bonum , yet let the modest know , let such as cannot heare of beauty without the beauty of a blush know , it is bonum quid , and given bonis . God gave it to Rachel , and David and Ioseph . and Iob cap , 42. verse 15 it is said as a thing to be noted , none were found so faire in all the land as the daughters of Iob , as those daughters God gave him for a comfort and reward after his patient abiding of sorrowes . Their beauty is mentioned , as commending and setting them forth unto posterity , as mentioning a solace to comfort those eyes of Iob , that had seene so much evill and deformity in his owne flesh , when c. 2.8 . hee scraped himselfe with a potsheard , and sate downe among the ashes . Though his body was Leprous by the stroke of Satan , yet he lives to see the most comely issue of his loines , mentioned in Scripture as a gift of Gods power , and goodnesse . The heathen Goddesse not meanly did expresse her power , and kindnesse to her favorite to whom shee would give a fit consort , & pulchrâ faciet te prole parentem , gifts shew the doner .

Beauty is called by Tertullian : foelicitas corporis , de cult . mulier . animae urbana vestis , a holy dayes apparell , which even resurrection will not diminish but augment . But let us heare these things with Sobriety , and adde comlinesse of life , to that of body . Some reade Iob 42.15 . for none so faire , none were found so good in all the land as the daughters of Iob , beauty is then compleat when it is joyned with vertue . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , give mee to be faire in the inward things , Cl. Alex. out of Plato strom : Lib. 1.269 . and whatsoever outward thinges I have , let them be helpfull to thinges within me . would any know when they have this beauty ? goe to the looking glasse , the word of God , into which all of both sexes should looke more carefully for composure of life , then the fairest Bride doth for ornament of body into the clearest Christall , and never should wee thinke our selves well dressed but by direction of that undeceiving Glasse . But now when your beauty is truly amiable like Iob's daughters none so good in the land , like Susanna a very faire woman , and one that feared God . Yet such is Gods ordinance , and mans frailty , you must wither , you must like the flower of the field be cut downe . Hebr. 9.27 . it is appointed to all men once to dye , a decree is gone forth against these beautifull flowers , some lasted a long time , not the Oake now , as the flowers did once , I meane the Fathers before the floud ; yet all came under Adams Epitaph Gen. 5.5 . and he died , so that no man now may presume of a long life , no not when the flower is most vernant , Eccles. 14.12 . remember that death will not be long a comming , but remember it without sadnesse , eamus laeti & agentes gratias . Cic. Tusc. 1.

In the vulgar it is testamentum hujus mundi est , morte morietur , you have the legacy Gen. 2. in the day thou eatest therof morte morieris . And this is falne hastily upon us , our birth is an entrance upon death , beauty is decayed , Libitina and Venus were the same , eâdem Deâortibus & interitibus praesidente . Plutarch . Morall . wise men never put the remembrance of death farre off , Ioseph of Arimathea makes his Sepulchre in his health , and strength , and in his garden amidst his pleasures .

The glory then of man must goe into the dust , and into ashes , as the flower which is cut downe , nay as the flower which though not cut downe will wither and decay . debemur morti , nos nostraque : not wee only that are a mouldring dust , but our stately houses , our curious workes , time will gnaw on them , and consume them , and us . Yet have we nothing to complaine of ; 1 Man is in the hands of his maker , as tenants at the will of the Lord , as money lent , Data est usura vita tanquam pecunia , nullo praestituto die . Tusc. 1. Cic. life is given unto man as mony lent without nomination of day of payment , due in Law presently , God hath his divine purpose in it . Si mors certae constituta esset aetati fieret homo insolentissimus , & humanitate omni careret . Lact. l. 1. c. 4. de opif. Dei. were death appointed at a set age , man would be most insolent , and voyd of all humanity , for that man who is so forgetfull of himselfe now , in this uncertainty , while hee may dye in hoc nunc , I while I am speaking , you while you are hearing ; O how unbrideled would man be if he had certaine assurance that he should not this 20.30.40.50 yeares be called to account , for thinges done in the body . 2 wee cannot complaine that dye wee must , and suddainly we may , every dieing friend may say to us as dieing Calanus to Alex : then in health , and young , brevi te videbo . neither should it daunt us . Socrates triduo concesso primo bibit , having three dayes of death given him , underwent it the first , though his Consolation in death was but philosophicall , the Athenians have adjudged thee to dye , & then nature : he replieth he knew not that through Christ withering is flourishing , death a passage to life , that life that dieth no more , vita vobiscum est & de morte solliciti estis ? Orig. tom . 2 , p , 443. with you is life of angels , & are you troubled at the cogitation of death ? what is the cause saith hee tom. 2. pag , 522 , the mind of wise men , of old men , is hardly brought ut cedat naturae legibus , this Hagar of feare must be cast out , if shee be immoderate shee cannot be he ire with the child of the free woman , Hope of Salvation .

Ejus est mortem timere qui ad Christum nolit ire , ejus est ad Christum nolle ire qui se non credat cum Christo incipere regnare . Cyprian . de mortalit . p , 341 , it is for him to feare death , who would not goe to Christ , and it is for him to be unwilling to goe to Christ , who doth not beleeve that hee doth already begin to raigne with Christ . But some men happily can resolvedly dye , who cannot without great sorrow looke upon deaths stroke in their friendes , such as was our beloved here taken from us , for which losse , I see your great heavinesse , I feele my owne . The councell is good , Eccl. 22 , 11 , if wee could obey it , make litle weeping for the dead , hee is at rest , sorne wee may , nay great mourning for some dead , Gen , 50 , 10 , at the threshing floure of Atad was a great and sore lamentation for Iacob , and from that sore lamentation I will take my exhortation , that according to Saint Paul none do sorrow as men without hope v , 1. Ioseph mourning wept over his dead father , and kissed him . Teares doe expresse sorrow , kisses comfort , wee must mingle in our mourning , our Teares with Kisses , not as if Corporall presence of dead friendes could still be enjoyed . Abraham intreateth roome to bury his dead out of his sight , hee looked for no more of that content , but no doubt hee never ceased upon fit occasions to remember and delight in the manifold comforts once enjoyed : which pious remembrances are as so many Kisses of present and beloved friendes , our kisses take not away our moderate teares , mourne wee may as sensible of our losse , none have lost more , none may sorrow more then my selfe : heare a litle of his person , and you will be very sensible of my sorrow .

This gentleman whose Corps lieth before us , was the only , and most justly beloved child of Sir PATRICIUS CURWEN Baronet , and his vertuous Lady ISABELLA , of a most auncient and noble family in Cumberland : the child I could perceive ( for I looked throughly into him , and may be a competent reporter ) was modestly sensible of birthes priviledge ; & knew ( which much his elders forget ) that of Cicero , nobilitas est nihil aliud quàm cognita virtus , which posterity is to imitate , and perpetuate ; otherwise Et genus , & proavos , & quae non secimus ipsi , vix ea nostra voco .

Plutarch noteth of Lysander that he yeelded nothing to the posterity of Hercules . unlesse they did imitate the vertues of Hercules . and Cicero ad Quint. fratrem : vides ex amplissimis familiis homines , quòd sine nervis sint tibi pares non esse . you do see how men of very great families , are not equall to thee an upstart , because they have not other worth .

Come wee then to what was this gentlemans own , not borrowed from his honourable progenitors , if you consider him in his bodily partes , he was a flowre , a Lilly , wee found it in his fragrancy , I would we had not found it in his withering . gratior est pulchro veniens e corpore vir tus , & such gracefullnesse had he amongst us , he adorned beauty with humility , and modesty , & fortitude even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appeared in his tender yeares , who carried out a weake constitution , with manly patience .