strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be vnto God which hath given vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Mors Christs mors mortis meae The death of Christ is the death of my death Osee 13.14 saith Bernard O Death I will be thy Death saith hee by the Prophet And Hierome vpon it Illius morte tu mortuaes c. By his death thou art dead by his death wee liue thou hast deuoured and art deuoured thy selfe oh Death Death maketh dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit to returne to God that gaue it saith the word of God and shall not wee be glad of this Shall it grieue vs to returne to God to haue the Spirit goe from whence it came to walke with God to enter into life to goe to the Marriage of the Lambe Is the brute Oxe grieued to be vnyoaked Were Abraham Isacc and Iacob holy men or holy women euer vnwilling Wherefore if men desire naturall sleepe in regard of the good that commeth by it so doe you death and cherefully from your heart say with olde Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace according to thy Word c. Luke 2.29 Sect. 4. The fourth Consideration A Fourth cause making men willing without Note 4 feare to sleepe naturally is that assured hope which they haue to awake and arise againe and shall not you arise from the sleepe of death why then should we shrinke more at the one then at the other wee shall rise againe for Christ our Head is risen and the Members must follow If the dead be not raised then is Christ not risen c. as you read in that singular Chapter 1 Cor. 15.20 The Sunne riseth and setteth againe the Moone waineth groweth againe Of the ashes of the olde Phoenix commeth another the leafe falleth and the sappe descendeth yet both sappe and leafe returne againe Sarahs wombe though dead yet beareth a Sonne when the Lord will so shall the resurrection be of dead bodies The hand of the Lord was vpon mee Ezech. 37.1 saith the Prophet and carried mee out in the Spirit of the Lord and set mee downe in the midst of the field which was full of bones And hee led me round about by them and behold there were very many in the open field and loe they were very dry And hee said vnto mee Sonne of man can these bones liue And I answered O Lord God thou knowest Againe hee said vnto mee Prophesie vpon these bones and say vnto them O yee dry bones heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God vnto these bones behold I will cause breath to enter into you and yee shall liue And I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh grown vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath into you that yee may liue and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noyse and behold there was a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone And when I beheld loe the sinewes and the flehsh grew vpon them and aboue the skinne couered them but there was no breath in them Then said hee vnto mee Prophesie vnto the wind prophesie sonne of man and say to the winde Thus saith the Lord God Come from the foure windes O breath and breathe vpon these slaine that they may liue So I prophesied as hee had commanded mee and the breath came into them and they liued and stood vp vpon their feet and exceeding great armie Such another excellent place is that in the Apocalypse Reue. 20.11 And I saw a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and the heauen and their place was no more found And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the Booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the Bookes according to their workes And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and Death and Hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes Thus you see that as from our naturall sleepe so from death wee shall awake againe and therefore no cause to feare the one more then the other Resurrectio mortuorum spes Christianorum The Resurrection of the dead is the hope of the Christians Faith So Tertullian meaning their ioyfull hope that wipeth away all teares and vnwillingnesse to dye Credo Resurrectionem carnis I beleeue the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Therefore care away Though I dye yet I dye not but onely sleepe in my Graue as in my Chamber till my GOD send his Angels to awake me with his Trumpet that I may enter into ioy that neuer shall haue an end till which time I rest free from all sorrow and paine not troubled with any of the worlds woes but as a man in his bed fast asleepe most free from all offences and vexations Yea euen the selfe same body shall arise to our vnspeakable comforts teach the Scriptures Iob 19.25 Iohn 5.29 1 Cor. 15.42.43 and many other places euen as Christs body arose the same that it was before the same eyes mouth feet hands Luk. 34.32 c. Dixerunt tactis corpreibus c. They said saith Tertullian of aucient Christians touching or laying their hands vpon the bodies wee beleeue the resurrection of this body this body that I touch and lay my hands vpon for the goodnesse of God will giue glory to that body that hath giuen glory to him the selfe-same eye the selfe-same mouth the selfe-same care feet hands c. What an encouragement is this to doe well if you marke it and what an argument to make vs willing to dye being assured of this as we are Sect. 5. The last Consideration The bodyes freedome and the soules Glorification Note 5 THE fift and last cause that maketh vs willing to goe to our naturall rest without feare muttering or any discontent is the chearefulnesse and liuelinesse of body and minde that vseth to follow after sleepe both to body and minde being refreshed thereby so greatly let the same cause make vs willing to dye for there is no comparison betweene the comfort and refreshing that naturall sleepe worketh and that which followeth after death when Christ shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able and subdue all things vnto himselfe when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie If that small glimpse which the Disciples saw made them wish for three Tabernacles and an eternall being there Mat. 17.4 O how shall the whole glory of heauen and heauens blisse rauish vs and make vs glad that wee haue attained to it O no such
the Houses Tents Tabernacles and Campes of many sauage and Scythian Souldiers as in thy house Mahomet hath better seruice in most families of the Turkes and the Diuell of the Virginians then God hath in thy house For Prayer is such an excellent part of Gods worship that it is oft vsed for the whole seruice of God as Gen. 4.26 and else-where being a dutie whereby as man is profited so wherewith God is wonderfully pleased and his name glorified Psal 50.15 euen in all his Attributes both 1. in his Wisedome in acknowledging that hee is infinitely vvise in knowing our wants 2. in his Power in that hee is able 3. in his Mercy in that he is willing 4. in his Omnipotencie and his Omnipresence that hee is alwayes ready and present to heare and helpe his Church and children 5. as also in his Knowledge in that wee confesse him by Prayer to be the searcher of the hart and the onely Intelligencer of the desires of man Now where this principall part of Gods Seruice and Worship is omitted or but slubbered ouer as Elies Sonnes did the Sacrifices in publike or priuate how can a iealous and a zealous God indure it When thou omittest neglectest despitest or despisest this whole Seruice of God how shall the Lord be pleased with thee thou depriuing God of the principall part of his Glory hee will frustrate thee of thy hoped glory for who euer are glorified of the Lord in heauen must glorifie him in some measure on earth I might also examine in this Quere how thou performest other parts of Gods seruice namely those which are Eucharisticall and Gratulatory in praysing God for his blessings temporall and spirituall as did Dauid in his Generation with others Psal 100. Psal 130. A dutie though commanded by God Psal 50.15 and as a part of his Seruice so of his Glory Psal 50.23 yet neglected as frequently as fouly as it was of the nine cleansed Lepers Luke 17.17 and of Ezekias 2 Chron. 22.25 vvhereby Gods vvrath is kindled against many a man and his seede and posteritie as it was against Iudah and Ierusalem Secondly they are both depriued of former blessings for their ingratitude and Gods hand shut from pouring out any new mercies into the riuen dishes of such vnthankfull soules Many moe parts of Gods seruice omitted by an vngratious and vngratefull vvorld might be prosecuted whereby it plainely appeares that there are great troupes and swarmes of profane and godlesse men amongst vs that haue not God in all their thoughts like the Hypocrites in Iob 27.10 that haue no delight in God such Atheists as Dauid describes in the Psalmist Psal 14. Psal 53. and as Zephanie Ieremie Esay Ezekiel and the rest of the Prophets haue still cryed out against that neuer seeke vnto God that neuer call vpon him Nay which thinke it vaine and a thing neither behouefull for them nor beneficiall to them to call vpon God as the cursed Iewes did in Malachie 3. v. 14. Nay alas which is more as many carnall and carelesse Ideots amongst vs discouer vvith their lewd tongues the thoughts of their poysoned and peruerse hearts they thinke it concernes not them to serue God to heare reade pray conferre meditate and doe such duties to which 1. God 2. their endangered soules 3. their generall and speciall callings 4. their vsurped name of Christians 5. their vowes in Baptisme doe obliege binde them and inioyne them but that these things are proper and peculiar to Cleargie-men Church-men learned men Schollers Preachers holy-day-men as they vnholily call vs. They are not booke-learned they say though they be hell-learned from a sophisticall Diuell to dispute against their owne saluation besides they haue other things to doe Iohn 11. Marthaes part to play to looke for the world to prouide for wife and children for such is their Atheisme and Infidelitie they dare not trust God for a ragge or a crust of bread without their owne sinfull carke and worldly care notwithstanding all his promises Mat. 6.33 of giuing them earthly things if they seeke and serue him How few ayme at Gods Seruice in all their waies workes Hence it is as their actions declare their affections many thinke no otherwise of their Creation but that they were borne and brought into the world euen to seeke and serue the world and themselues not God and so to goe to heauen in a string as it were as straight as a line when they are dead Oh how many Husbandmen thinke this the end of their liuing to delue and digge and plow and sow and reape and eate and drinke and get his rents and spend his pence in his Sunday-pots to serue his Cattle Horse Oxen Kine and Sheepe himselfe seruing God no more then the very Beasts and Bullockes amongst whom hee conuerseth These are also the thoughts this the life of many a daily Labourer and Hireling thus also many vnsanctified Tradesmen Merchants Mercers Haberdashers Shooe-makers Taylors c. and other Shop-keepers onely propound gold and gaine as the end of their labours and trauels vnder the Sunne how to load themselues with thicke clay to bestow their Sonnes and Daughters in great matches and high places to giue great portions to their Children Virtus â—ost Nummos rather of goods then of grace and to leaue their substance to their babes and to these ends the seruice of God euen vpon his owne Sabbath must be subordinate his worship must be dispensed with in whole or in part by themselues and those whom they haue in charge Iournymen Seruants or Prentises Thus also some irreligious Seruing-man conceits no other end of his liuing mouing or being of his yeeres strength and vigour but to serue his Master at his Table or at his turnes or his Horse or his Hawke at his appointment besides his misspent time and meanes in the prosecution of his owne seruile and slauish lusts as for the Seruice of God to which me thinkes hee hath as many leasures and opportunities in his vacancies from any needfull morrall imployment as any of the sonnes of Adam hee counts the thought of that ridiculous the practise precisenesse not worthy his generous spirit his time is wholy spent and misspent either in ciuill attendance according to his place Male agendo nihil agendo aliter agendo Seneca or in idlenesse doing nothing or in reading vaine Bookes or seeing Playes or friuolous discourses of Horses or Dogges or worse subiects in which things the heart it seemes is most imployed in priuate else could it neuer so frequently by the tongue vent out such froath In which remisnesse and neglect in and of Gods seruice ioyn'd with that loose prophanenes which accompanies most of their professions I thinke them much secured and hardened by the exemplary irreligious courses and discourses of their Masters for the most part whose ordinary both words and workes in and about eyther the world or their pleasures and traded recreations as their corrupt affections bend
Saints must dye then vnsanctified sinners and so from the specials and by inductions from all particulars the generall may be concluded that all must dye So much the Text giues vs leaue to touch for if we be here as Tully intimates Tanquam in diuerserio as guests lodged in an Inne or as those that come to a Mart a Market or a Faire or as those that come to visite their friends not to inhabite long here but to depart as Simeon here imports Then hoc commune malum this departure is the designed lot to all the worlds passengers Wee here giue no reasons of the point omitting or pretermitting them till we come to distill some comforts against death onely for explanation or further satisfaction Ponder the premises that since the godly which haue no sinne Psal 32.1.2 I meane with Dauid and the Augustane Confession out of Augustine Non vt non fit sed vt non imputetur no imputed sinne must die since children that haue no actuall sinne doe dye because the staine of the roote is propagated to the branches as Augustine Anselme and Ambrose haue in moe phrases explained De praed c. 2. lib. cont Fortunatum cap. 2. In Lucam if Adam himselfe did dye not so much as hee was a created man but as hee was a corrupted sinner Then sure as life was the fruit of his obedience if he had stood à Deo donante from Gods free giuing so death is inflicted vpon his fall à Deo vindicante from God punishing Moriendum est omnibus Tullie Tus 9. lib. 1. And as now it is Gods Statute-Law enacted that all Adams Sonnes partaking of Adams sinnes must die so it must be executed nay wee see it is executed Philosophers and Poets and the learned Heathens who themselues since their workes and writings haue felt the smart of deaths stroke haue acknowledged it Christians haue confessed it Experience hath ratified it in the consumption and consummation of all ages all sects all sorts persons and professions that all must dye omnia peribunt c. I thou hee they and euery man besides that are were shall be this way slides Wee haue Gods statutum est for it that as in Heauen all liue and none must or can dye in Hell all dye an eternall death and none must or can liue so in earth all must dye and none can for euer liue This is an ineuitable yoke imposed on all flesh Nam rigidum ius est c. the Law is strict vnalterable to striue against the streame vnauaileable Lanificas nulli tres exorare Puellas Contigit c. The vnpartiall Fates to whom we all are vnder With rule imperiall cut lifes thread asunder Many meanes haue Galenists and Physitians vsed for the preseruation of life many Workes and elaborate Bookes are extant of the conseruation of health but neuer none writ or disputed of the exemption from death because it were in vaine If any Physitian could administer such a simple that vvould perpetually prolong life if any Lawyer could plead the case with Death not to enter violently vpon their bodie which is his tennant-right and preuaile If any Diuine did preach that sinners should not dye and performe it the first should haue moe Patients the second more Clyents the third moe Auditors then euer had any of their fellowes in their functions But to teach or plead or practise this point which the Diuell guld our first Parents with in Paradise You shall not die were to be a Lyar like him it were to build Castles in the Ayre Hom. lib. 2 ed. 3. sic od 12. od 28. c. to sow the winde and reape the whirlewinde for Omnes vna maneâ— nox c. Deaths tract wee all must tread our life 's faire light Must be obscur'd and set in Deaths darke night How many glorious Lights in the vvorld Kings Kesars Emperours Popes Potentates Dukes Earles Lords Barons c. Learned wise prudent potent c. haue already perished and vanished like Comets and blazing Starres leauing no more tract behinde them then a Serpent that goes ouer a stone of whom wee retaine nothing but the Images corporeall of their bodies or mentall of their mindes by the help of some Painters or their owne or others pens that haue onely shewed to posteritie that such men there once were but now are not What haue wee sauing the Images of moe then an hundred famous Emperours of the East and West Christian and Heathen Amongst the rest vvhere are the seauen Henries the sixe Constantines the fiue Ottoes the fiue Charleses the fiue Lodonicques the foure Leo's the three Theodosij the three Fredericques the three Tiburiusses the two Claudij the two Alberts the two Anastaâ—ij the two Martians the two Rodulphs the two famous Caesars for warre and peace Iulius and Augustus with the rest Is not the lampe of their life extinct Those whose voyces commanded the Nations are they now able to speake as it was said of Alexander those that vvere able once to deliuer others from death could they free themselues Besides where are now more then two hundred of Romaine Bishops and triple Mitred Popes some of whose roaring Buls made once all Christendome quake and shake Where are now the twelue Gregories the nine Bonifaces eight nocently Innocents the seauen Clements the sixe Alexanders sixe Vrbans sixe Adrians twelue Benidicts the fiue Celestines the fiue Nicholasses the foure Sixtusses the foure Sergij the foure Anastaâ—ij the foure Foelixes the foure Eugenij the three Siluesters the three Victors the three Lucij the three Iulij's with the rest Doe they not all know now that which * As Alexander 6. Iohn 11. Iob. 22. c. some of them Atheistically in words in writings and in life haue denyed that their bodies were mortall their soules immortall that there is a Heauen for the godly a Hell for the vvicked but no Purgatory passage to eyther the one place or other for eyther sort The deaths of the worlds Worthies of al kinds epitomized Besides where shall wee seeke but amongst the dead for all the Romane Caesars the Aegyptian Ptolomies the Latine Murrhanes the Albane Siluies the Syrian Antiochusses the Arabian Arabarcques the Argiue Abantiades the Persian Achaminedes the Theban Labdacides the Lybian Lybiarcques and all the rest of those renowned Kings which had such diuers denominations from their worthy Predecessors and from those Countries ouer which they ruled Nay to come nearer home where are all our English Kings that haue awfully swayed the Brittaine Scepter since the Conquest Where are the two Conquering couragious Williams our three Richards our sixe Edwards our eight Henries Hath not Death made a Conquest of them Haue we any remnants of them sauing their Westminster Monuments their Ensignes their Vertues Could their Scepters Crownes Coulours Honours Miters Power or pompe of these Potentates resist Deaths all-subduing all-subiecting rod which brings vnder moe then Mercuries charming wand in the
in the holy Citie when Christ rose and ascended vp to heauen with him Serm. de Passione as Augustine thinkes are all Praeludia Resurrectionis types and figures of our resurrection Illustrations from nature that our bodies shall rise Ninthly we haue many resemblances both in the great Booke of Nature and the little Booke of Grace in the word and in the world Isaacks suruiuing in sacrificing whom Abraham receiued in a figure Heb. 11.19 Aarons dry Rod that budded and blossomed Numb 17.8 Ezekiels dry bones that came together bone to bone flesh to flesh Ezek. 37.8.9.10 Ionas deliuery out of the Whales belly are instances in the Word In Nature the Summer liuing of Trees 1 Cor. 15 36 37.38 Hearbs Plants c. yea of Corne it selfe in their seeming Winters death when their sap is in the roote these beasts as some Beares and Mice c. which sleepe all Winter and seeme to reuiue in the Spring Swallowes Bats Flyes Gnats c. which by the Sunnes heate seeme to reuiue out of their cold sowne the Arabian Phoenix Pompon Mela de situ orbis lib. 3. c. 9. which by her selfe-burning preserues the indiuiduum of her kinde the Sea-Vrchin that rejoynes after her rending in pieces after she tastes the salt water Serpents that are renued by casting their old skinnes the Sea-Lobsters by casting their old shels the Eagle by casting her old bill Mechanicall men that renue many things that are old Image-makers that make againe their brassie pictures by marring them Bell founders that mend their mettall-worke by melting the Silke-worme See the Book writ of the Silke worme that liues in the preseruation of her kinde by inclosing her selfe in her Clue and dying nay man himselfe that in his generation receiues life into his flesh bones sinewes and vitall powers from a little liquid seede that in his preseruation oft liues againe out of sownes and trances seemingly depriued of breath and life that in his augmentation eating and by naturall heate concocting and digesting the dead flesh of Goates Sheepe and Bullockes makes them his owne liuing flesh All these speake vnto my vnderstanding and confirme my Faith that though Death swallow vs that are now liuing as the Whale did Ionas binde vs as the Philistines did Sampson lay vs in our sepulchers and roule a great stone vpon vs as the Iewes did vpon Christ yet we shall come to shore againe breake these bonds as the bird the snare and we shall be deliuered vve shall flourish like Noahs Oliue tree after wee haue beene vnder the water yea these bodyes of ours subiect to diseases crushed crazed bruized distempered payned the head with Megrim the lungs with suffocations the ioynts with Gouts the stronger parts themselues with shrinking in of the sinewes Origen periarct lib. 3. these bodyes which haue borne the burthen of the day shall once with the Angels sing Haleluiah these bodies of ours I say shall rise besides these mentioned wee haue many grounds of it as first the will of God that will haue it so Iohn 6.39.40 Secondly the oath of God that it must needes be so Heb. 6.13 Thirdly we haue double Hostage for it 1 the soules of the Saints lodgers vnder the Altar Reu. 6.9.10.11 2. Their bodies lodgers in the graues as our pledges till all things be restored when they and wee shall be perfected together Heb. 11.40 Fourthly the pawne of the Spirit within vs Rom. 8.11 All vvhich are so many nayles in the Sanctuary to fasten our hope Neyther shall wee onely rise but rise the same bodies for substance though altered for qualitie to our further perfection Wee shall come againe I say the same bodies in which wee haue departed hence the same bones bloud arteries skinne flesh veynes sinewes parts members Iob 19.25 Howeuer I cannot say in the same age for there shall be neyther childe nor old man saith the Prophet that is Esa 65.20 neyther weakenesse of youth nor infirmitie of age but all shall be flourishing and perfect like Adam and Eue in their Creation some say from Ephes 4.13 The consideration of our returne after our departure Vse Of Consolation and of our resuscitation at the generall Resurrection for before that time none are or shall be glorified in their bodyes neyther the Virgin Mary whose Assumption is but a fiction nor Enoch nor Elias nor the body of Lazarus nor of those that rose vvith CHRIST Mat. 27.52 In this Sermon called The Christians Watch. as Mr. Leigh proues pithily against all Papists It is a matter of singular comfort it is the Anchor of our hope the life of our Religion vvherein it differs from Paganisme and Turcisme the hand that holds vp our drooping soules in the Agonies of death Fiducia Christianorum The Christians comfort in the Resurrection resurrectio mortuorum saith Tertullian This made the auncient Martyres goe to the stake and burning place as wee goe to our beds this is that redemption of our bodies vvhich Paul mentions Rom. 8.23 the time of our refreshing which Peter magnifies Acts 3.19 the time of our Iubilie and reioycing vyhich Esay fore-sees in the Spirit and exulteth Esay 26.19 vvhen the hungry shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 when mourners shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 when there shall be no more griefe nor sorrow nor paine when there shall be a yeere of Iubilie an end of our iourney an accomplishing of our warrefare a cessation from labour a wiping away of teares Reu. 17. verse 17. Chap. 21.4 a putting off this mortall and a putting on of this immortall 1 Cor. 15.42 A change of our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious body Phil. 3.22 Oh be glad of this yee Saints reioyce and sing euen as the little Birds are glad when Winter casts off her rugged mantle and Summer brings his flowrie Spring as Beggars vvould be glad to put off their ragges and be clad with Regall Robes Let these comfort themselues in hope of this change and renouation whose bodies are subiected to infirmities weaknesses and maladies De ciu dei lib. 22. c. 20 for then it shall cast away neuer to resume all infirmities impurities deformities tardities saith Augustine Asa shall not be gouty nor Moses stammer nor Mephibosheth lame c. let Cripples Lazars Beggars Bedlams lame Souldiers Hospitall men Spitlers and all other impotent distressed diseased persons apprehend this comfort being conuerted Christians and beleeuers Let all weake and wearyed wights vse this Meditation of the Resurrection as Iacobs staffe to rest and relye on in their passage ouer this worlds Iordan as the clifts of the rockes to the Doues and the stonie rockes to the Conies to shelter them from the feare of death the hunting Nimrod of the world for here is Medicamentum vulneris c. a precious Cordiall in all thy crosses whether publique or priuate of body or minde nay Aqua vitae to reuiue thee when thou art dead sicke or sicke