him euery minute of this life There is not a more dangerous enemie against a mans selfe then himselfe by his follies his fantasies his vanities his surfetting and excesse his lust his anger his feares and the rest of his affections whereof within his breast he fosters a Forrest full That man is onely a free man which feares not death and contrarily life is but a slauerie if it were not made free by death for death is the onely stay of our libertie and the common and readie remedy against all euils and the onely meane to all good It is then a misery and miserable are all that doe it to trouble their liues with the feare of death and their death with the desire of life For a man to torment himselfe with the feare of death is great weakenesse and cowardlinesse for there is no passion in the minde of man so weake but can master the feare of Death and therefore death is no such enemie when a man hath so many followers about him that can conquer him reuenge triumphs ouer death loue esteemes it not honour aspireth to it deliuery frō ignominie chuseth it griefe flyeth to it feare preoccupyeth it what an extreme madnes is it then for a man to torment himselfe for nothing and that willingly Scienter frustrà niti extremae dementiae est Death beeing then so necessarie and ineuitable it is to no purpose to feare it for such things as are certain as Death we must attend and in things past remedy we must be resolute therefore making of necessity a vertue we must welcome it and receiue it kindely for where there is not vertue and willingnesse to death life is but a seruitude and to bee truely free from the feare of death is to thinke continually on death so shall wee thereby bee the more couragious against the necessitie of our departure Reasonable and iust To dye is a thing reasonable and iust for it is but reason that we giue place to others since others haue giuen place to vs and since we haue enioyed the places offices and heritages of them that were before vs it is but equall that those that doe come after vs should likewise possesse thē accordingly It is a thing generall and common to al to die Why should then any feare to goe whither all the world goeth where so many millions haue gone before and so many millions are to follow after They whom wee suppose to be dead do not perish but precede they are only sent before whom we must presently follow after in which meane time notwithstanding there is no long time betweene their meeting and ours for euery moment of this life is the death of the other the time past is lost and gone death is already possessed thereof onely the time present we haue share with death so that euery day we die by little and little why then should any feare that once which is acted euery day The death which wee so much feare and flye takes not from vs life but only giues it a truce and intermission for a little time and as for our bodies they haue no more damage by death then hath the seed for hauing a little earth harrowed ouer it Let euery one therefore indeuour to make euery day as it were his last day for to spurne against death is to striue against nature against our faith against all dutie Yet euery one hurries on his life and trauels in the desire of future things and wearinesse of present times but hee which bestowes his whole time to learne how to die well neither desires nor feares what may happen the day after for vvhat can hee iustly feare that hopes to die according to that answere of the Lacedemonians vnto Antipater who threatned them cruelly if they yeelded not to his demand It is not said they in thy power O Antipater to threaten vs with any thing that is worse then death death is welcome to vs. CHAP. 7. How to carry our selues concerning Death TO feare and flye death as an euill is a thing not approoued by men of vnderstanding though by the greater partie it be practised to desire death argues we are out of charitie with the world to contemne life is vnthankfulnesse to nature to attend death is good but to flie and feare death is against nature reason iustice and all dutie If wee consider death as in it selfe then naturally wee feare it but if we consider it as a meane to bring vs to Christ then ought wee to imbrace it The feare of death in contemplation of the cause of it and the issue of it is religious but the feare of it for it selfe is a testimonie of great weakenesse Men feare death as children feare to goe in the darke and as that naturall feare in children is increased with tales so is the other There is not a thing that men feare more then death and there is nothing that hath lesse occasion or matter of feare then death or that contrarily yeeldeth greater reasons to perswade vs with resolution to accept of it for if it bee an euill it is of all euils the least euill and the euill that doth least harme nay it is so farre from beeing an euill that it is the onely remedie against all euils for in this life euils and dangers attend vs continually whereas by death our life is exempted from all euils and filled vvith eternall ioyes Moreouer if it bee an enemy it is of all enemies the least or rather of all friends the best for he brings vs out of all danger of enemies into the protection and safegard of our best and most assured friend for euer Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and Redeemer Wee must then thinke that it is a meere opinion and a vulgar errour that hath wonne the world to conceit so hardly of death It is not death it selfe that men are afraid of but the opinion and apprehension of death that onely terrifies now this terrible apprehension is grounded vpon a precedent opinion of our infirmitie and contrarie to truth for veritie incourageth opinion danteth vs. Opinion bands it selfe against reason and seekes to deface her with the maske of death it may bee the spectacle of death displeaseth because they that die looke gastly but this is not death but the maske of death that which is hid vnder it is beautifull for death hath nothing in it that is fearefull Death then in it selfe is not euill therefore not to be feared CHAP. 8. This life is but a prison a pilgrimage a warfare and as a voyage vpon a tempestuous Sea DEath is the soueraign good of Nature and the onely pillar of our libertie whereas this life is but a prison a pilgrimage a warfare as a voyage vpon a tempestuous Sea In this life wee are alwayes in prison and our Soule inclosed in the body as in a prison which desires releasement as the thirsty doe coole fresh waters Our life is but a
by day by night at home and abroad and neuer missing let all estates at all times and in all places be alwayes ready armed against the assaults of Death CHAP. 6. Against the feare of Death DEath is the ineuitable Law of nature therefore to feare that which cannot bee auoyded is meere folly But our feare of death proceedes from doubt and doubt from vnbeliefe and our vnbeliefe chiefly from ignorance because wee know not the good that is elsewhere and doe not beleeue that our part is in it so that true knowledge and true faith driues away all feare of death Assurance of heauenly things makes vs willing to part with earthly Hee cannot contemne this life that knowes not the other and he is not worthy to liue in the other that is vnwilling to die in this to despise this life is to thinke of heauen and not to feare Death is to thinke of that glorious life that followes it If we can endure pain for health much more ought wee at our last to abide a few pangs that cannot last for an euerlasting glory How fondly doe wee feare a vanquisht enemie ouer whom Christ hath already triumphed by whose death death is swallowed vp in victory and we thereby deliuered from the tyranny thereof It is enough to vs that Christ died for vs who had not died neither but that wee might die the more willingly and with greater safety Death is necessarily annexed to nature and life is giuen vs with a condition to die and our Creator in his mercy continues the vse of our life to this end onely that we may learne rightly to die There is but one common rode to all flesh and there are no by-paths of any fayrer or neerer way no not for Princes Haue we bin at so many graues and so oft seene our selues die in our friends and doe wee shrinke when our course commeth Imagine thou wert exempt from the common Law of mankinde yet assure thy selfe death is not now so fearefull as thy life would then be wearisome Thinke not so much what Death is as from whom he comes and for what Wee receiue euen homely Messengers from great persons not without respect to their Masters and what matters it who he be so he bring vs good newes and what better newes can there be then this That God sends for thee to take possession of a Kingdome Let them then feare Death that knowes not Death to bee the messenger of Gods iustice and mercy To die is a thing naturall necessary and reasonable Naturall Naturall for it is the generall Law of the whole world that all must die and our very essence is equally parted into life and death for the first day of our birth sets vs as well in the way to death as to life Death is the condition of our creation and life is giuen vs with an exception of death to die therfore is as naturall as to be borne and as foolish is hee that feareth to die as to be old To be vnwilling to die is to be vnwilling to be a man for all men are mortall Death being then a thing so naturall why should it be feared The feare of griefe and paine is naturall but not of death Children and mad men feare not death why should not reason then be as able to furnish vs with security as they are fortified by their simplicity idiotisme Beasts feare not death therefore it is not nature that teacheth vs to feare death but rather to attend and receiue it as sent by her whose seruant it is Fooles feare death and wise men attend it It is folly to grieue at that which cannot be amended therfore when Dauid vnderstood of the death of his child he ceased to sorrow any longer for him saying While he liued there was hope but being dead there was no remedy and so his care ended Death is a debt of nature which must be payd whensoeuer it is demanded It is no taking day with God when his will is to call for it Therefore it is in vaine to flie from that which wee cannot shunne and those things which of necessity must be performed of vs ought to be done cheerefully not by compulsion as Chrysostome saith Let vs make that voluntarie which is necessarie and yeeld it to God as a gift which we stand bound to pay as a due debt Death is a happines to the faithfull because it is a deliuerance both of soule and body from all misery and sinne By death the world was redeemed to such therefore as doe beleeue in Christ their Redeemer death is to them an aduantage and a thing rather to be desired then feared for they onely are affrighted and daunted with the feare of death that are destitute of faith and hope If thou beleeuest in God why art thou not forward to goe to Christ who died for thee There cannot be a more happy thing then deuoutly to render thy life into his hands who to spare thee spared not himselfe but gaue his life for thee Christ saith Saint Paul is gaine to me both in life and death holding it for a wonderfull gaine to be no more subiect to sinne It is a more grieuous thing to liue in sinne then to die for as long as a wicked man liues his iniquity increaseth if he die his sinne ceaseth the euill therefore of death is only in sinne Necessarie Death brings an equall and an ineuitable necessitie ouer all therfore did nature make that common to all which commonly was feared of all to the end that such an equality might asswage the rigour and seuerity of death and that none might iustly complaine of death from which none was euer exempted 1 Two causes that lets men from dying willingly Lacke of faith But one chiefe cause that lets vs from dying willingly is lacke of faith for had we faith we would night and day desire this messenger of the Lords Iustice and Mercy to deliuer vs out of this miserable life that wee might enter into the fruition of eternall felicity for hauing confidence in GOD wee shall finde death to be as a guide to bring vs to our euerlasting home 2 Loue of the world Another cause of the feare of death is the loue of the world for they feare death most that most loues the world and giues themselues most to the pleasures and delights of this life which they feare to be depriued of by death To feare death is for a man to be enemie to himselfe and to his owne life for he can neuer liue at ease and contentedly that feareth to die therefore to contemne death is a thing one should learne betimes for without this meditation none cā haue any repose in minde seeing it is most certaine that die we must not knowing when and it may be at the very instant of our thought how then can any enioy a peaceable soule who feares death Improuidence ads terror vnto death which threatens
Vae vobis qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis Woe vnto you that doe draw iniquitie in the ropes of vanitie These ropes are those vanities of vaine-glory Promotion Dignity Nobilitie Beauty riches delights which alwayes draw with them some iniquity and sinne Beatus vir qui non respexit in vanitates insanias falsas Blessed is the man that hath not respected vanities and the false madnesse of this world The second part of the Parable sheweth How worldly vanities are deceits how this world with the commodities thereof are not onely vanities but also deceits for that indeed they doe not performe vnto their followers those idle vanities and trifles which they doe promise Can there be a greater deceit then to promise renowne as the world doth to her followers and to forget them as soone as they are dead Who now remembreth one of 10000. iolly fellowes that haue beene in this world who once thinks or speaks of them now hath not their memory perished with their sound as the Prophet foretold Did not Iob promise truely that their remembrance should bee as ashes troden vnder foote and Dauid that they should bee as dust blowne abroad with the winde Infinite are the deceits and dissimulations of the world It seemeth goodly faire and gorgeous in outward shew but when it commeth to handling it is nothing but a feather when it commeth to sight it is nothing but a shadow when it commeth to weight it is nothing but smoake when it commeth to opening it is nothing but an Image of plaister-worke full of old rags and patches within O miserable and most deceitfull world saith Saint Augustine whose sorrows are certaine and pleasures vncertaine whose paines are permanent and repose transitorie whose toyles are intolerable and rewards most contemptible whose promises are princely and paiments beggerly whose miseries are void of all consolation and whose happinesse is mingled with all kinde of misery It hates them that loue it deceiues them that trust it afflicts them that serue it reproacheth them that honour it damnes them that followe it and soonest of all forgets them that labour most of all for it vpon great cause then said the Prophet Dauid O you children of men how long will yee bee so dull hearted Why doe you loue vanity and seeke after a lye He calleth the world not a lyer but a lye it selfe for the exceeding great fraud and deciet which it vseth How pleasures of the world are thorns How pleasures of the world are Thornes for that with the prickes of their carefull cogitations they teare and make bloudy the mindes of worldly men for euen as a mans naked body tossed and tumbled among Thornes cannot but bee torne and made bloudy with the prickes thereof so a worldly mans soule beaten with the cares and cogitations of this life cannot but bee vexed vvith restlesse pricking of the same and wounded also with many temptations of sinne which doe occurre This doth Salomon signifie when he doth not only call the riches and pleasures of this world Vanity of vanities that is the greatest of all other vanities but also affliction of spirit Of all the miseries and vexations that God layeth vpon worldlings this is not the least to bee tormented with the cares of that thing which they esteeme their greatest felicitie Which notwithstanding like an vnmercifull tyrant giues them no rest either by day or by night The fourth point of the Parable how this word Misery and calamitie Aerumna that is misery calamitie may be verified of the world and of the felicitie thereof Among many other miseries the first and one of the greatest 1. Breuitie is the breuitie and vncertaintie of all worldly prosperitie O how great a misery is this vnto a worldly man that would haue his pleasures constant and perpetuall O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee vnto a man that hath peace in his riches 2 Discontentment Another misery ioyned to the prosperitie of this world is the grieuous counterpoise of discontentments that euery worldly pleasure hath with it The possession of riches Riches is accompanied with infinite feares and cares The aduancement of honours Honour is subiect to all miserable seruitude that may be deuised The pleasure of the flesh Pleasure though it be lawfull and honest is yet accompanied with tribulation of the flesh but if it be with sinne a thousand times more it is inuironed with all kinde of miseries 3 Miseries of body who can reckon vp the calamities of our body so many diseases so many infirmities so many mischances so many dangers Of minde Who can tell the passions of our minde that do afflict vs now with sorrow now with enuy now with fury Of goods Who can recount the aduersities misfortunes that come by our goods Of neighbours Who can number the hurts and discontentations that dayly ensue vpon vs from our neighbours one calleth vs into Law for our goods another pursues vs for our life a third by slander impugneth our good name so that there are not so many dayes nor houres in our liues as there are miseries and contrarieties in the same And more then this The prerogatiue of euill the euill hath this prerogatiue aboue the good in our life that one defect onely ouerwhelmeth and drowneth a great number of pleasures together As if a man had all the felicities heaped together which this world could yeeld and yet had but one tooth out of tune all the other pleasures would not make him merry GOD shall raine snares vpon sinfull men Pluet super eos laqueos that is God shall permit wicked men to fall into snares which are as plentifull in the world as drops of raine from heauen Temptations and dangers Euery man almost is a deadly snare vnto a carnall loose-hearted man euery sight that he seeth euery word that hee heareth euery thought that he conceiueth c. all are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchfull Facility of sinning The last and greatest misery of all others in this life is the facilitie whereby worldly men do runne into sinne and make no scruple of the matter as Iob saith Bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem hee suppeth vp sinne as it were water that is with great facility custome and ease aduentureth hee vpon any kinde of sinne that is offered him as a man drinketh water when hee is a thirst The fifth point of the Parable How the world choketh strangleth vs. how the loue of the world choketh and strangleth euery man whom it possesseth from all celestiall and spirituall life for that it filleth him with a plaine contrarie spirit to the Spirit of God Si quis Spiritum Christi non habet hic non est eius If any haue not the Spirit of Christ that man belongs not vnto him The effects of the Spirit are Charitie Ioy Peace Patience c.
The effects of the spirit of the world are fornication vncleanenesse wantonnesse c. Whoso desireth to bee a friend of this world is thereby made an enemy to God therefore nolite conformari huic seculo nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt so that wee may neither loue it nor conforme our selues vnto it vnder the paine of the enmitie of God and of eternall damnation Seeing then this world is such a thing as it is so vaine so deceitfull so troublesome so dangerous who would bee deceiued or allured with the vanity thereof or bee stayed from the noble seruice of God by the loue of so fond a trifle as is this world How we may auoid the dangers of the world The sixt point of this Parable how wee may auoid the dangers of the world and vse them to our owne gaine commoditie The onely way is to vse the refuge of birds in auoiding the dangerous snares of Fowlers that is to mount vp into the aire and so to fly ouer them al Frustrà iacitur rete ante oculos pennatorum the net is laid in vaine before the eyes of such as haue wings and can fly And as the Fowler hath no hope to catch the bird except hee can allure her to pitch and to come downe so hath the Diuell no way to entangle vs but to say as he said to Christ Mitte te deorsum throwe thy selfe downe vpon the baites which I haue laid eat and deuoure them enamour thy selfe with them tye thine appetite vnto them and the like which grosse and open temptation hee that will auoid by contemning the allurements of these baits by flying ouer them by placing his loue cogitations in the mountaines of heauenly ioyes eternity hee shall easily escape all dangers and perils S. Paul past ouer these dangers when he said that he was now crucified to the world the world vnto him and that he esteemed all the wealth of this world as meere dung and albeit he liued in the flesh yet liued he not according to the flesh Which glorious example if we would follow in contemning despising the vanities of this world and fixing our minds on the noble riches of Gods eternal Kingdom to come the snares of the Diuell would preuaile nothing at all against vs in this life Now how to vse the riches and commodities of this world to our aduantage Christ hath plainely laid downe the meanes saying Facite vobis amicos de Mammona iniquitatis Make vnto you friends of the riches of iniquitie How easily then may rich men bee happy if they will what a plentifull haruest may they reape to themselues if they were wise hauing such store of seed by them and so much ground offred them dayly to sow it in O you rich men therefore deceiue not your selues for what a man soweth that shall hee reape Rom. CHAP. 14. 14 Against procrastination Our conuersion is made harder by delay LEt vs turn to the Lord and put not off from day to day for many inconueniences insue procrastination If wee doe sleepe in security and accustome our selues with sinning our custome will wax to be our nature and hard will it be to rise from sinne in which wee haue been so long and so deeply buried for continuance of sinne bringeth custome which hauing gotten roote in vs will hardly be rooted out of vs. Secondy the longer we persist in our sinfull life the further off is Gods helpe from vs and the more doth hee plucke his grace and assistance from vs for by delay wee exasperate Gods iustice and heape vengeance on our owne heads Thirdly by longer custome of sinne the habit is more deepely rooted in vs and the power and kingdome of the deuill more established confirmed in vs our minde more infected our iudgement more weakened our good desires extinguished our passions confirmed our body corrupted our strength diminished and all our whole Cōmon-wealth the more peruerted Fourthly it is dangerous in respect of the sudden taking away of man who is often so suddenly smitten that hee hath no time to thinke vpon God much lesse to call vpon him with true repentance The fifth danger is that in driuing off to the last houre we shall finde hard time then to turne vnto God for sicknes will sore disquiet vs Satan will extremely tempt vs Friends with talking and crauing will molest vs the terrour of our vgly conscience will astonish vs so that it will bee very hard to be rightly mindfull of our end and in our extremity to call to God for mercy Miserable is that soule which placeth the ankor of his eternall wealth or woe vpon so tickle a point as is his conuersion at the very last houre It is said to be tickle in regard all Diuines speake very doubtfully of it and albeit they doe not absolutely condemne it in all but doe leaue it as vncertaine vnto Gods secret iudgement yet doe they encline vnto the negatiue part and do alledge foure reasons The first for that the extreme feare and paines of death which are most terrible doe not permit a man commonly so to ga-gather his spirits and sences at that time as is required for the treating of so weighty a matter with Almighty God as is our conuersion and saluation for scarcely can any fixe his minde earnestly vpon heauenly cogitations at such time as hee is but troubled with the passions of Chollick or Stone or other sharp diseases how much lesse in the anguishes of death The second is for that the conuersion which a man makes at the last day is not for the most part voluntary but vpon necessity and for feare The third reason for that the custome of sinne cannot be remoued vpon the instant being growne now as it were into nature it selfe for which cause God saith to euill men by the Prophet Ieremie If an Aethiopian can change his blacke skin or a Leopard his spots then can you also doe well hauing learned all dayes of your life to doe euill The fourth cause is for that the acts of Vertue themselues cannot be of so great value with God in that instant as if they had beene done in time of health before for what great matter is it then to pardon thine enemie when thou canst hurt him no more To giue thy goods away when thou canst enioy them no longer To abandon thy Concubine when of force thou must forsake her To leaue to sinne when sinne leaueth thee He is a carelesse and a gracelesse man who knowing all this will venture notwithstanding the eternitie of his saluation and damnation vpon the doubtfull euent of his finall repentance But what ingratitude and iniustice is this towards Almighty God hauing receiued so many benefits from him already and expecting so great a matter hereafter as is the Kingdome of Heauen to appoint out the least last and worst part of thy life vnto his seruice and that whereof thou art