these and these particulars before their deaths Thirdly the godly expresse the hidden ioy The last words of holy men are holy and inward peace which they finde within their soules by their seasoned and sanctified words of grace which they breathe out as a sweet Perfume from holy hearts to the refreshing of others vpon their sicke beds with which they vsually winde vp the thread of their life words so good so gracious that they are worthy to be writ in Letters of Gold and for euer to be remembred as they are recorded in the sacred Cannon and collected by holy men from the Saints of latter times For example vvhat a sweet gratulatory speech is this of Simeons in his farewell to the world Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. Euery word hauing his waight and Emphasis Ponder the last Sermons that Moses and Ioshuah and Samuâ—l these faithfull Seruants of the Lord made immediately before their deaths vnto the Israelites Gods chosen people how zealously they perswade to the seruice of the true God disswade from Idolatrie and false Gods enumerate Gods speciall mercies exhort to obedience dehort from rebellion against God and their Superiours proclaime the promises to the obedient pronounce mercies to allure denounce iudgements to terrifie the disobedient blessing GOD by gratulatory Songs for his benefits and blessing the people in their Tribes Deut. 32. ch 33. Iosh 12. 1 Sam. 12. and a man shall see the peace they had in their hearts by the grace of their lips The last words of Iacob were blessings and prophecies Of Ioseph were admonitions and cautions the one to his Sonnes the other to his Brethren See 1 Sam. 22. 23.1 Gen. 49. Gen. 50. The last words of Dauid were his charge to Salomon his Son concerning Gods worship and the gouernement of his Kingdome 1 Kings 2. vers 3.4.5.6 c. The last words of Steuen the first Martyr after CHRIST were prayers for his Persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Acts 7.60 Last words reuealed of the Theefe on the Crosse Gregorie that bonus Latro good Theefe that so happily stole Paradise were Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome Luke 23. The seauen last words that Christ spoke vpon the Crosse to the Daughters of Ierusalem to his virgin Mother to his beloued Disciple Iohn to God his Father De Passione to the penitent Theefe as recorded by the Euangelists explained by Ferus Nabumius and Gueuarra these and all these of holy men in the sacred Cannon Mons Caluariae and of Christ himselfe as one speakes of Cyprians Epistles referunt pectus ardore plenum shew their deaths were full of peace as their liues were full of grace If I should instance in all the rest of this kinde and set downe at large What speeches the Saints haue vttered in their deaths the gracious words like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Siluer that haue proceeded out of the mouthes of Saints euen when they lay vpon their sicke couches drawing their last breath testifying their faith in Christ their hope of Heauen their zeale for Gods glory their sorrow for sinne their sealed pardon Or when they were to be martyred and sacrificed by fire as they are collected and recorded by Ecclesiasticall Authors Eusebius Nicephorus Apotheg morientium the tripartite History the Centuries Mr. Foxe his Martyrologie Grineus Mr. Perkins and others to whom I referre you It would easily appeare that where the Premisses are Grace in Life the Conclusion will be Peace in Death Let vs chew the cudde in the Meditation of some particulars How to dye well Euseb lib. 3. cap. 30. Idem lib 4 c. 15. The last words of Peter in his crucifying death were thus to his wife O Coniux memento Domini Oh Wife remember the Lord Iesus Of Polycarpus were prayses and prayers Of Cyprian Salus mea virtus mea Christus Dominus Christ the Lord is my strength and my saluation Of Ambrose Nec pudet viuere nec piget mori c. I neyther am ashamed to liue nor grudge to dye because I haue a good Iesus both in life and death Of Augustine Paulin. in eius vita It is no great matter that wood and stones fall and ruine or that mortall men dye vsing that sentence of Dauids Psalmes which also Mauritius the Emperour vsed Possidon in eius vita Oswaldus Miconius de Zwinglio anno 1536. when hee was slaine by Phocas his Centurion Iust is the Lord and righteous is his iudgement Zwinglius thus when hee was wounded in the wars mortally Well goe to they may kill my body my soule they cannot Erasmus dying in the house of Ierome Strobenius breathed out his soule crying thus Chare Deus c. Deare God oh God my mercy deliuer me make an end oh Christ and saue mee Peter Martyr saith Simler and Bullinger that were present at his departure confessed his faith acknowledged Christ his Sauiour expounded and applyed Scriptures exhorted his Brethren and in his death was wholy diuine Obijt anâ— Christi 1564. So was Oecolampadâ—â— that burning Lampe in Gods house who supplyed with the oyle of grace gaue a wondrous light euen in his death as appeares by Grineus his Epistles to Fabritius Capito and others Luthers death resounds ioyfull prayses for Gods reuelation of the truth vnto him and victory ouer the Romish Antichrist Caluin as Beza reports that heard him with Dauids heart dyes not speaking but sighing out Dauids Psalmes * See a little Book from the Martirologie gathered called The deaths of holy Martyres Ridley Latimer Hooper Saunders with many moe constant Professors dyed desirous of the fire saluting the Stake professing their Faith confirming their Brethren and calling vpon God If I should ascend a little higher How great men haue liued and dyed good men and looke into the sicke Couches of Emperours Kings Queenes Dukes Earles Nobles which like those Boreans Acts 17. were truely noble indeed I should occasion you to magnifie Gods mercies in calling some great ones vvho by their workes and words as liuing so dying testified that their Graces did equalize their Greatnesse I might instance in Charles the fift in Theodosius the great in Maximilian the second in Stephen King of Poland in Fredericks the third Prince Elector in Ferdinand in Queene Anne Bullen in Ioahn Gray the Duke of Suffolks Daughter with diuers of others To omit the last words of Chrysostome dying in his exile of deuout Bernard of Ignatius the Martyr of these Belgicke Lights Phillip Melancthon Tremellius Musculus c. with maâ—y moe some whereof thankefully recording the benefits they had receiued from God in life spirituall and temporall some pouring out their soules for the good of the Church which they haue bequeathed vnto Christ some discoursing of the vanities of this life of the fruits of sinne of the miseries of man some reioycing in the Spirit for the mitigation
to death to know that the minute or the moment of thy afflictions here shall be succeeded nay exceeded with an eternall waight of glory hereafter at the resurrection of the iust 2 Cor. 4.17.18 Thus the godly Dauid Iob nay Christ himselfe the afflicted Primitiue Christians that vnder Antiochus were racked and tormented sollaced their soules in the midst of their anxeties with this melodious Meditation of the Resurrection Psal 16.9 Iob 19.25 Acts 2.26 Heb. 11.35 Which onely apprehension puls off the vizard from Death pluckes off his Lyon skinne exposeth him as an Hobgoblin or meere scarre-Crow to the godlies dirision Let Atheists and Epicures feare him that haue their portion in this life let Infidels and vnbeleeuers feare him vvhose hopes of any better estate are languishing and faint and perish with their soules let his name be as terrible to carelesse impenitent worldlings as the name of Tamberlaine and Zisca once to Cowards which like guiltie fellons feare the face of the Iudge but let those that haue learned Christ better and know in whom they haue beleeued entertaine it as Cornelius did Peter as the Galathians did Paul as Peter did the Angell that brought him out of Prison as that which makes the happiest exchange of a Mansion terrestriall for a Citie coelestiall a vaile of teares for mount Sion a region of death for the land of the liuing an earthly tabernacle for an house eternall in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5.1 For who is so improuident or imprudent that desires to stay in an old smoakie decayed Cottage ready euery day to fall on his head when the Land-lord offers to reedifie it and to make it better since euen Mise Rats by Natures instinct flye from an house that is inclining to fall Now this clayie Cottage of thy body which is vpheld by the weake prop of breath and vapour is euery day declining blesse the prouidence of the Worlds great Architect that when it fals by resuscitation will raise the frame and the fabricke a thousand times both fairer and firmer then the first Secondly Vse 2. Of Direction let the thought of the Resurrection be as a consolation to thy heart so a direction to thy life Must body and soule meete together and eyther be blessed together or else for euer burne together after their departure and doth their euerlasting weale or woe blisse or bane depend vpon thy good or euill life here Oh then Let vs liue holily to rise ioyfully spinne the short thread of thy abridged life well and worthily that so it may tye a blessed peace to thy soule runne thy short race here well that thou maist obtaine an eternall Crowne hereafter passe the time of thy dwelling here with feare think as once S. Ierome that zealous spirit thought Quoties commedo c. as oft as I eate or drinke or walke or talke or rise vp or lye downe I alwayes heare the Trumpe sounding Surgite mortui c. Arise yee dead and come to Iudgement Thinke of dying and liuing againe of departing and returning of reuiuing and strict vnpartiall iudging which thoughts let them not perish like abortiue fruit but fixe them by these effects First euery day awake out of the sleepe of some sinne ere the darke night of death come now in this lifes light that God lends thee Secondly let it be a spurre to pricke thee to all good and gratious actions Thirdly a bridle to restraine thee from sin both in the action and affection Fourthly let them be meanes to rouze thee from the bed of securitie and to set thee on thy feete as the Angell did Elias in thy iourney toward heauen Fiftly as water poured out to coole the furnace of thy furious affections euen in thy youthfull and burning bloud Sixtly a Diall or watch to direct thee how to spend thy time well Seauenthly as a Fanne to winnow thee from the chaffe of sinne Eightly as a winde to scatter and disperse thy inordinate passions Ninthly as a paile or Parke to keepe thee within thy limits and bounds Tenthly as a Counseller to redeeme thy time Lastly a holy director as it was to Paul himselfe to cause thee in euery thing to endeuour to keepe a good conscience towards God and man Acts 24.15.16 The immortall soule dyes not but departs Thus wee haue seene that the body must returne to take part with the soule after the dissolution the same foundation vvill beare this truth that the soule is dissolued it dyes not for which cause Paul cals his death a dissolution Phil. 1.23 it departs it dyes not therefore Simeon cals death onely a Departing and in the mouth of these two witnesses it is euicted that the soule is immortall Death kils not the soule but onely lets it out as Noahs Doue was let out of the Arke as a man is let out of prison and fetters for Plato cals the body Ergastulum animae the Prison of the Soule as Luther cals it the Asse of the Soule Sómá i. Sémá. and Erasmus Sepulchrum animae the sepulcher of the Soule Now death onely breakes open this prison doore vnties the fetters of the senses vnlooseth this Asse roules away the stone from this Sepulcher le ts out the soule sends graue deorsum leue sursum the grosse body downeward the soaring soule vpward the soule is put here in saccis vilibus in a base sacke as Ioseph put his golden Cup and siluer treasure in Beniamins sacke Now Death like Iosephs Steward opens the sacke naturally or rips it vp violently takes out the treasure vntoucht if any thing perish the sacke is vnripped the body destroyed the soule is as safe as Iosephs siluer for it cannot die being vnmateriall and a forme abiding in it selfe which forme cannot be taken away like roundnesse or squarenesse from a Table because it subsists not in the matter but in it selfe Secondly the soule is impenitrable insufferable it suffers not of any externall agent from the fires heate or ayres coldnesse it receiues no hurt from the frozen Ice of Norway or the scorching Sands of Affricke therefore receiuing nothing whereby it should decay it cannot corrupt or marre or dye since nothing in the whole world is contrary to it Thirdly man is desirous of immortalitie Now how could hee desire it and discusse of it how should man so labour and seeke for immortalitie some by skill and policie some by martiall exploits as Hercules Thesus c. some by Soueraigntie as Alexander and Caesar some by Bookes nay some by villanies as the burners of Diana's Temple vnlesse mans soule were immortall for Ignoti nulla cupid◠Fourthly God by creation infusing it or by infusing creating it gaue vnto it in the first originall the gift of immortalitie Reasons prouing the soules immortalitie Fiftly the rage of conscience in the wicked their soules accusing them of secret sinnes as Caine and Nero and Herod of their murthers Iudas of his Treason c. their inward horrour appearing by
greater and grosser more pleasing and more profitable sins when thou wilst Canst thou not leaue such sinnes which thou maist as well spare as the dirt from thy nayles namely thy vaine words thy oathes and blasphemies and canst thou leaue these that haue nearer allyance with thee and stand thee in more stead Is an inueterate sore a long raigning Disease so soone cured Is that Diuell that hath taken long possession so soone cast out Can the Aethyopian leaue his blacknesse and the Leopard his skinne then will it be easie for thee to doe well that still accustomest thy selfe to doe euill Besides thou thinkest thou canst repent when thou wilst Thou maist as well imagine that if thou wert dead thou couldst reuiue and liue againe when thou wilt for a wicked man is a dead man liuing in the life naturall dead in the life spirituall thou maist as well thinke to worke a Miracle when thou wilt for it is no greater Miracle to raise a dead body as Christ did Lazarus then to raise a dead soule None can repent when hee will to turne stones into flesh then a stony heart into a fleshie that can repent Indeed if Repentance were in thine owne power there were policie in it to deferre this fight with sinne as Fabritius lingred to fight with his enemies and still to taste the sweet of sinne but it is not in thy power to repent it is the gift of God Acts 5. ver 31. from whom this grace and all other come Iames 1.17 I but thou hast Scripture for thy purpose so hath the Diuell his Scriptum est is it not written saith the ignorant Lay-man or the carnall Cauiller that remembers no other Text but this which hee wisely vrgeth to his owne destruction that At what time soeuer a sinner repents from the bottome of his heart the Lord will be mercifull c. It is true that at what time the sinner repents hee shall be pardoned as Mary Magdalene the Publican and others were but the Lord saith not that at what time soeuer a sinner sinnes hee will giue him Repentance Aug. Qui dat poenitenti veniam nescis an dabit peccanti poenitentiam Repentance is the gift of Grace it comes not from Nature a stone hath as much power to mount vp to the Church Steeple of it selfe as a wicked man to repent of himselfe Therefore dally not with sin be not deceiued God is not mocked If thou couldst leaue the traffique and commerce with sinne when thou wouldest and repent from thy heart sinne might vvith greater shew be retained and with lesse danger but since the longer thou continuest in it the more thy heart is hardened since as the Prophet speakes of Wine and Women so euery other sinne takes away the heart Ose 11. and makes it incapable of any Christian dutie let it be thy wisedome as Daniel councels Nabuchadnezzar to breake off thy sinnes betimes leaue sinne ere it leaue thee beginne at length to liue ere thou dye for as Similis once said of himselfe though thou seest many yeeres thou liuest but those that are piously and penitently spent Now redeeme the time which thou hast misspent now is thy Haruest lead home now prouide against the rainy day of thy last day now in the calme of life arme thy selfe against the tempest of death Oh it will be too late to thinke of leading a good life when life is ended too late to buy after the Market is done too late to traffique after the Mart too late to saile when the Tyde is past and the Sea is rough therefore prepare a medicine before the wound Sero Medicina paratur Heare not the voyce of the Serpent Eritis sicut Dij you shall be like Gods to puffe you vp with pride but feare and beleeue the voice of God Moriemini yee shall dye like men for this death prepare betimes now is the acceptable time now is thy time thy day thy houre thy visitation now the voyce cals Christ knockes the Angell moues the waters Moses and the Prophets perswade the shortnesse of thy life multitude of thy sinne difficultie of repenting thy Houre-glasse running time spending thy former fruitlesse liuing danger of deferring death approaching all vrge moue pleade for a conuerted soule a holy heart a renued life that thou maist dye a blessed death finde a ioyfull resurrection and inioy a happy glorification Lastly to conclude this Text for this time Doctrine and so this Worke hauing exceeded my purposed and proposed breuitie let mee onely offer vnto your considerations this meditation that there is a direct and a certaine method and rule as of liuing so of dying well There is a way laid downe in the word to a blessed death so plaine so perspicuous that some haue vvrit vvhole Tractaites of this subiect from whose Haruest I will not be ashamed to gleane something as Ruth out of the field of Booz and insert their eares into this Garland borrowing some few grounds of him whom I heard as a Master out of Moses Chaire liuing * Mr. Perkins Mr. Sutton in his Booke Learne to Dye and reuerence dying If any therefore demaund in this great and maine poynt of all poynts what course hee is to take that with old Simeon he may die in peace for Resolution of this case of Conscience I say that to dye well there are two things requisite A preparation before death and A right disposition in death This Preparation is two-folde generall and speciall generall is that whereby a man prepares himselfe to dye throughout the whole course of his life to this the Scripture continually exhorts when it inioynes vs straitly to watch and pray to awake from sleepe to prepare to meete the Bridegroome to be in a readinesse euery day like Souldiers that expect their Generall against the second comming of CHRIST to Iudgement not to haue our hearts oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of the world least that day come vpon vs vnprouided as the theefe vpon the carelesse housholder as the snare vpon the Bird as the Floud vpon the old world as fire vpon Sodome as desolation vpon Ierusalem A thing that stands vs all much vpon as a dutie not to be omitted First Death is certaine yet vncertaine because of that vncertaine certaintie that is in death certaine for the matter as before we haue proued vncertaine both in respect of the Time when which none knowes whither morning euening midnight or Cocke crow in Winter Summer Spring or Autumne Secondly in respect of Place for none knowes where whether at home or abroad by Sea or by Land in his bed or in the field Dauid dyed in his bed Ionathan in the field the deceiued Prophet and Amasa in the high-way Abner at the Court Icarus Helle Aegaeus by Sea from whom the Aegean and Icarian Sea and Hellespont were named three Popes Iohn the first Iohn the foureteenth and Caelestine the fift dyed in prison nay some