vncertaine fraile and brittle condition censuring them all with one iudgement vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Eccles. 1. 2. Came not Craesus the rich Prince to misery for all his wealth Xerxes the King of Persia for all his pompe and glory discomfited Did not Dionisius the King of Siracuse fall from a King to be a schoolemaister Did not Bellisarius fall from a giuer to bee a receiuer from a rich man to be a begger Came not Iob from great riches to miserable pouertie for a time Doe not many florish to day in wealth and to morrow come to extreame pouertie Are we all as grasse and wormes meate why then doe wee make so much of the flesh which shall perish and doe not adorne and decke the soule with vertues which shall be presented to God in the day of iudgement We doe not regard our soules but prefer our bodies before them It is a great abuse when the mistresse shall become an handmaide and the handmaide mistresse so it is a great abuse when the soule is not regarded and the body preferred before the soule Seeing our bodies shall perish as grasse let vs say Christ is to mee in life and death aduantage Phil. 1. 21. When we die we shall be deliuered out of two prisons at once the one so much worse then the other as it is worse to be with-held from perfect blisse then from the libertie of a most painfull and tedious pilgrimage We now liue to die but then wee shall die to liue for euer now liuing we are continually dying but then once dying neuer to die more Wee shall leaue a ruinous and base cottage passe to a most glorious and blessed pallace whose pauement is pure gold and whose gates are pearles Reuel 21. 21. By this wee may ghesse what roomes wee are like to finde where our Sauiour prepareth the place Ioh. 14. 2. Had the Prodigall sonne cause to sorrow when he was to depart from this dirtie village and the company of swine to his fathers house Who would not bee able to cast off a sacke of dunge to receiue long white robes Reuel 7. 14. I hope we shall haue neither oxen to try nor farme to see nor wiues to with-hold vs from going Luk. 14. 18. 19. 20. Wee haue had toile enough in the seruitude of Egypt we haue wandred long enough in the desert in continuall battaile with Gods our enemies and in death the time is come to take our repose and inioy the felicitie of the land of promise Wee haue beene in the mount Sinai with Moses when thundrings began to be heard lightnings to flash and a thicke darke cloude to couer the mount but wee shall come to enioy his glory whose terror we haue already sustained This may reproue such as feare death The sting of death is taken away O death where is thy sting 1. Corint 15. 55. Some would die but they would not die a violent death What cause haue we to feare death wee haue but one life and but one can we loose Goliah was as much hurt by Dauids litle stone 1. Sam. 17. 50. as Sampson by the waight of a whole house Iudg. 16. 30. Ely had as much harme by falling backward in his chaire 1. Sam. 4. 18. as Iezabel by being thrown downe from a high window 2. King 9. 33. All they that stoned Stephan to death tooke no more from him Act. 7. 59. then an ordinary sicknesse did from Lazarus Luk. 16. 19. One death is no more death then another and as well the easiest as the hardest taketh our life from vs. Let vs bee willing to leaue this sinfull world desiring to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ Philip. 1. 23. Why should wee feare that which cannot be auoided The very necessitie of death should make vs not vnwilling to die and the remembrance of our mortalitie should make vs litle feare when experience sheweth vs that we are mortall Liue well and die well we may if please God but liue long not die we cannot We should not thinke our life shortened when it is well ended He dieth olde enough that dieth good and life is better well lost then euill kept Wee goe but that way the which all the world before vs hath gone and all that come after vs shal follow beare vs company 4 If we bee not warned neither will take it for a warning that we are as grasse death may come before we are aware and surprise vs when wee shall not haue time to learne to die Wee must be prepared Luk. 12. 40. We must watch Mark 13. 37. How soone is the grasse cut downe and so how soone doth man die The day of death will come suddenly as thiefe in the night 2. Pet. 3. 10. A thiefe giueth no vvarning vvhen he vvill come but commeth vvhen men are asleepe so the day of the Lord commeth suddenly vvhen men are altogether vnprouided Before a ruinous house fall the rafters cracke and giue warning At a strangers comming the dogge barkes and giues warning before a storme the cloudes giue vvarning and the trumpet biddeth men prepare to battell but the day of death commeth suddenly all the time from the birth to death is a time of preparation When the bird thinketh her selfe safe then is she nearest to death when the ship-master is in sight of land hee may be in greatest danger for commonly in the range or harbour is the Shippe lost the want of care drowneth the Shippe the want of skill is the ruine of the souldiers the want of foode starueth the sheepe and the want of preparation to die casteth thousands into perdition As a flower of the field so florisheth hee Mans life is compared in the Scripture to a span for the shortnesse thereof Psal. 39. 5. To a shadow Psal. 102. 11. First for the cause for as the shadow is formed oflight and a body so is man of an intellectuall soule and a humaine body Secondly for the figure and likenesse as the shadow is sometimes long and sometimes short so some men liue long some but a short time Thirdly for the flight the shadow is changed with the moouing of the body so is the life The shadow in the morning is not as it was at night and the health of the body in the morning is not as it was at night The shadow flieth from a man following it and it followeth a man flying from it hee that looseth his life shall saue it he that will saue his life shall loose it Fourthly for the measure the longer the day the shorter the shadow and the shorter the day the longer the shadow so the higher the day of prosperitie the shorter the life and the shorter prosperitie is the longer mans life seemeth to be Iobs prosperitie was short therefore his life seemed long I will saith hee speake in the bitternesse of my
helpe himselfe in his old age he must be holpen the helper of other creatures must haue his helpe from God the Creator Other creatures can shift for themselues but man is so weake that he must bee fed warmed nurced and nourished by others Hee is subiect to sicknesses to diseases to troubles to sorrowes to the famine to the plague to warre and to many more miseries man is borne vnto trauaile Iob. 5. 7. This life is full of the griefe of things past of labour and paine of things present and of feare of things to come The ingresse into life is lamentable because an infant begins his life with teares as it were foreseeing the euils to come the progresse weake because many diseases afflict vs and many woes vexe vs and the egresse fearefull if we be not in Christ and haue put him on Rom. 13. 14. man beginneth his race with crying and endeth it with grieuing nay all mans dayes are sorrowes Eccles. 2. 23. it is It is full of sorrowes both of body and minde Abraham had in the land of Canaan no ground of his owne to dwell in but onely the inheritance of a sepulchre so man shall haue no more in this life after a fewe yeeres nay moneths it may bee dayes but a plot of lodging This life is rather a death because euery day wee die seeing euery day we consume somewhat of our liues The entrance into life is straight wayes the beginning of death This life is an expectation of death for euery day we looke for death a scene of mockeries a Sea of miseries one onely viall of bloud which euery light fall breakes euery light ague corrupts Though man be fraile and weake yet God loues him dearely and doth regard him and doth respect him hence is it that Dauid saith Lord what is man that thou regardest him Psal. 144. 4. Man is the slaue of death a traueller that passeth away for here wee haue no abiding cittie Heb. 12. 14. We are strangers and pilgrimes 1. Pet. 2. 11. Soiourners as all our fathers were Psal. 39. 12. Lighter then a bubble shorter then a moment vainer then an image frailer then a venice glasse which is soone broken more changeable then the winde more inconstant then a shadow and more deceiueable then a dreame God doth also prouide for man foode and raiment What is here in man to moue God to loue him he is conceiued in sinne and borne ininiquitie Psal. 51. 5. and vnlesse he be borne againe he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 5. His heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things Ier. 17. 9. And the imaginations of the heart euill Gen. 8. 21. The eyes are casements of Lust as to Dauid 2. Sam. 11. 2. The throate is an open sepulchre Psalm 5. 9. The mouth is full of cursing and deceit Psalm 10. 7. The feete swift to shed blood Esa. 59. 7. The hands are extended to all vnmercifulnesse Hee doth breake the yoake and burst the bonds Ier. 5. 5. Hating to be reformed Psal. 15. 17. Saying The Lord shall not see Psal. 94. 7. It is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it if we keepe his commandements Malach 3. 14. By nature man is the child of wrath Ephes. 2. 3. The sonne of disobedience Collos. 3. 6. Nay a beast by his owne knowledge Ier. 51. 17. Yet God loues man and will make him coheire with Christ Rom. 8. 17. Yet not all but the Elect God doth giue to vs we can giue nothing to him nothing doth come to him if we stay in him nor nothing doth depart if wee stay not in him on either side he is our profit whether he stay in vs or we in him To the sicke and weake he is a keeper turning their bed in their sicknesse Psal. 41. 3. To the man of the Palsie he was health Mat. 9. 2. To Lazarus that was dead he was life Ioh. 11. 44. To the blinde he was sight Ioh. 9. 9. To the lost sheep he was saluatiō Luk. 15. 4. 5. 6. To such as goe astray he is the way home Ioh. 14. 6. The second vse may iustly reproue such as neuer minde their weake and fraile condition Wee should meditate on death in life then death would not be so ghastly and fearefull In the morning wee should thinke this may be the last day of our life and in the euening often we goe to bed we should thinke this may be our last night on earth so thinking on death at all times In all our actions we should consider with our selues would we doe such and such like things if we were to die instantly and then come to iudgment We should consider our liues are but lent vs they are no free-hold We came into the world vpon this condition that we should goe out againe yeelding vp all into the Lords hand most men neuer thinke on death but put that day farre from them when there is nothing nearer life then death it alwayes dogges a man at the heeles As the shadow followeth the body so doth death follow life If we die to our selues in life we shall liue in death to God Before wee die sinne must die in vs. Let vs leaue sinne before sinne leaue vs. God will neuer forgiue that we will not forgiue Let the olde man die in vs in this life then Christ will liue in vs in death none are exempted from death of what estate or condition soeuer Salomon for all his wisedome died 1. King 11. 43. Sampson for all his strength Iudg. 16. 30. Absolom for all his beautie 2. Sam. 18. 11. Ahitophel for all his craft 2. Sam. 17. 23. Dauids childe for all his youth 2. Sam. 12. 18. Methushelah for all his age Gen. 5. 27. Lazarus the begger died Luke 16. 22. And the rich couetous cormorant died Luk. 12. 20. Proude Iezabel died 2. King 9. 33. Sarah which was ful of modest humilitie humblemodesty died Gen. 23. 2. Kin. are not exempted from death for Saul Dauid Iosiah died Preachers are not exempted for Paul Peter and many such like haue died Phisitians which kill many though cure some die themselues as sicke Souldiers the cause of many mens deaths die themselues as Cornelius As it is most true some of all sorts shall be saued so it is no lesse true that all of all sorts shall die Death is a port or hauen whereunto we all must saile through the troubles of this world whervnto the sooner we come the sooner wee shall be deliuered It is appointed all shall die Heb. 9. 27. decreed in the Parliament in heauen and Gods decrees are vnchangeable It is but a minute of time which we liue and somewhat lesse then a minute wee are in this world as in another mans house and therefore wee should alwaies minde death If meanes could free men from deaths
TO THE WORSHIPFVL AND MY VERY GOOD FRIENDS M r. IOHN VPTON Esquire and to his vertuous and religious wife Mistresse Dorothy Vpton all prosperous welfare tending to eternall safetie AS one not ambitious but desirous to set foorth the glory of God to declare his truth and publish his mercies I haue presumed to present this small Treatise to your viewe wherein is handled the shortnesse and fewnesse of mans dayes the frailtie and vncertaintie thereof how he is mortall euery day dying because euery day life shortneth the rather because it was preached at the Funerall of your deare Father I knowe Salomon findeth fault with writing many bookes saying there is no end in writing many bookes but they are such doe defend false doctrine and vaine opinions which he taxeth such as set foorth the glory of God he commendeth This inconsiderate age of ours is more willing to entertaine idle Pamphlets vaine toyes with fond inuentions haue excogitated then to embrace such laudable enterprises which further the kingdome of God or perswade the truth of Religion among the sonnes of men I knowe some will not spare to barke at this but I will passe by the Sâ—â—llean dogges and stop my eares as Ierome speakes esteming Zoilus nothing at all nor much regarding 〈◊〉 as carpe at each monument of pietie and in a prejudiâ—â—e 〈◊〉 reiect and discharge their paines who shall 〈◊〉 crosse the watch of their wicked delights I doubt not 〈◊〉 with you and with all good Christians it will finde acceptance It is vnworthy the worlds view being the fruits of a short conception the effect of a distracted study oft hindered and perturbed by sinister courses Thus thankefully remembring my selfe doe commend your wayes to the Lord that they may be prosperous your sorrowes easie your comforts many your vertues eminent your consciences quiet your liues holy your deaths comfortable your election sure and your saluation certaine remaining Yours in all Christian affection IOHN PRESTON A SERMON PREACHED AT THE FVNERAL OF ARTHVR VPTON Esquire in Denon PSAL. 103. 15. 16. Mans dayes are as an herbe as a flower of the field so florisheth he For the wind goeth ouer it and it is not and the place thereof shall know it no more THis Psalme is laudatiue wherein Dauid doth praise God for diuers benefits partly in particular bestowed on him partly on all man kinde and partly on the people of Israel The first part of praise he propoundeth vnder the forme of an ex ortation in the first and second verse The benefits besâ—â—â—ed on him he setteth downe to be fiue 1. remission of sinnes 2. regeneration 3. deliuerance from dangers 4. giuing victuals and necessary foode 5. strength of body all which are contained in the 3. 4. 5. verses The benefit bestowed on the people of Israel were these the opening of his word the remission of sinnes and the moderation of chastisements from the 7. to the 13. then hee amplifieth this moderation from the fragilitie of humaine nature saying God knoweth whereof wee are made hee made vs therefore he knoweth vs he made vs of dust Gen. 2. 7. and he remembreth that we are but dust thou art dust Gen. 3. 14. and dust shall returne to the earth as it was Eccles. 12. 7. And so euery man shall become no man for that which is taken from the earth shall returne to the earth dust shall returne to dust and earth to earth wee are borne that we might die and wee must die that we may liue by dying to reuiue by leesing life to winne the goale of eternall felicitie There is litle cause either to loue life or to feare death and motiues to perswade vs to mourning that our inhabitancels prolonged and our decease adiourned As all riuers goe into the sea Eccles. 1. 7. So all men must goe into the graue Death is the tribute of all the prison of all the mistresse of all and the receptacle of all Mans dayes are as an hearbe as a flower of the field so flourisheth he For the winde goeth ouer it and it is not and the place thereof shall know it no more in which words 2. things are remarkable 1. The fragilitie of humaine nature in the 15. v.  2. A reason at the 16. v. The fragilitie of humaine nature is expressed by a twofold comparison 1. Compairing mans dayes to an hearbe mans dayes are as an hearbe 2. To a flower of the fielde as a flower of the field so florisheth he It is as much as if the Prophet had saide though man be an excellent creature litle inferior to the Angels yet he is a fraile creature soone come and soone gone his dayes are like the hearbe which is the life of the earth and a flower of the fielde which is the glory of the hearbe as the hearbe groweth and as the flower florisheth so now groweth and florisheth and as the hearbe and flower soone wither so man soone fadeth away if the winde blow on the hearbe or grasse it is gone and it commeth not to his place againe so if death blow or depriue man of breath hee is dead hee is gone and the place wherein hee liued hee shall liue no more and the eye which hath seene him shall see him no more Mans dayes The word is Enosh man which is a common name and sometimes particular As Homo is a common name to all men in one tongue so Enosh is a common name of all men in the holy tongue God named the first man Adam let vs make man Gen. 1. 26. Let vs make Adam that is man Adam from Adamah which is moist earth fit to receiue formes and impressions he was so named that he might keepe in memory that he was but earth Our first Parents called their second sonne Habel Gen. 4. 2. or Hebel which is vanitie vanitie is a matter which is nothing or that which soone vanisheth away as the breath which goeth foorth from the mouth Man is vanitie Psal. 39. 5. Like to vanitie Psal. 144. 4. The children of men are vanitie the chiefe men are lies to lay them vpon a ballance they are altogether lighter then vanitie Psal. 62. 4. The sence is if men should bee put in one scale of the ballance vanitie in the other scale men would ascend vanitie descend that is men would be found lighter then vanitie men are vainer then vanitie it selfe He was so named that he might keepe in minde the vanitie of his humaine condition Zeth named his sonne Enosh Gen. 4. 26. which is to be weake or fraile that hee might keepe in memory the frailtie and infirmitie of humaine condition and so it is a common name of man That all men both by name and by nature are fraile and weake mans name doth bring so much to mans remembrance Man brought nothing with him into the world 1. Tim. 6. 7. In his infancy he cannot
arrest Kings Potentates and rich men would not die for they would giue more then halfe their goods to liue If ignorance babbling in an vnknowne tongue might serue the Papists would not if strength the strong would not if skill the Phisitian would not if mirth the bone companion would not if smoake the bewitching vanitie of this time thē the greatest part of men would not in a word if any thing would serue turne then death arrest were not strong enough Death is such a Purseuant that hee will take no baile no bond no day for appearance but the party arrested must presently appeare before the tribunall seate of God 2. Cor. 5. 10. As an hearbe Or as some reade it as grasse or hay This similitude of grasse is vsed in diuers Scriptures to this end The Prophet saith all flesh is grasse Esa. 40. 6. Not by nature not by making not by condition but by similitude of fragilitie The holy ghost vseth this simily to shew the imbecillity of our nature and of our times And the Apostle saith All flesh is as grasse 1. Pet. 1. 24. The world of men may bee resembled to a field of grasse That man is like grasse for the breuitie of his life and suddennesse of his death The grasse is soone come and soone gone so is man soone come and many times soone gone as Ionah his gourd was Ion. 4. 6. The grasse when it is greene is beautifull bearing flowers but being cut downe withereth so man being young hath the greenesse of life then beauty and comlinesse but being dead withereth As the grasse is to day and to morrow cast into the ouen so man liues to day and to morrowe cast into the graue There is difference in grasse a thousand formes in one field yet all are alike in this that they must wither so there is difference in mens places in the world but no difference at all in death As dies the begger so dies the King It is granted he may haue better attendance and hee may haue more cost bestowed on him Healthy bodies must wither as well as sicke bodies The strongest must stoope as well as the weakest The godly must die as well as the wicked and the longest liuer must packe along as well as the vntimely birth As the mower can with few strokes cut downe thousands of grasse so God can easily with the sith of his iudgements cut downe a multitude of men This grasse may be brought to wither many waies if it be eaten by the beasts or troaden by the foote of man or burnt with fire or cut downe with sithe or sickle so man may bee brought to his ende many wayes by fire or water or strangling or murthering or the like When the grasse is cut and dried it is meate and fodder for the beasts of the field so when the flesh of man is laid in the graue it is meat for the wormes I shall say to corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother and my sister Iob 17. 4. Man shall sleepe in the dust and the wormes shall couer him Iob 21. 26. The moath shall eate within vs like a garment and the wormes shall eate them like wooll Esa. 51. 8. Herod was eaten of wormes Act. 12. 23. As a worme did eate Ionah his gourd Ion. 4. 6. So wormes shall eate our flesh The grasse will perish if it be neuer cut downe so man will become as a rotten leafe if he liue long This life is as a short misery Man that is borne of woman is of short continuance Iob 14. 1. I would haue no man say I haue so many yeares to liues yeares are not thine they are but lent thee This answere was made to one saying I haue fourteene yeares to liue thou doest mention fourteene yeares which thou hast not nor maist not haue but thou forgettest the many yeares which thou hast had Iacob saide fewe and euill haue the dayes of my life beene Gen. 47. 9. The time of our life is threescore yeares and ten if a man come to fourescore then there is nothing but weakenesse Psal. 90. 10. All come not to seuentie yeares or to eightie some liue an hundred but most die before they come to seuenthty Some die in their youth some in their old age God hath ordained to euery liuing creature his appointed time wherein to liue grow and increase so to decrease and die and as it pleaseth him to prolong or abridge their liues so doth he dispose of the second causes and meanes whereby hee will haue it brought to passe and so euery one hath his certaine bonds and terme of life set him yet none but God onely can attaine to the knowledge thereof Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth and are not his dayes as the dayes of an hireling Iob 7. 1. Are not mans dayes determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which if he would hee cannot passe Iob. 14. 5. All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my changing shall come Iob. 14. 14. God hath appointed how long euery man shal liue though fourescore yeares be no long course yet there are but few that hold out to the vttermost ende thereof in regard of them that stay by the way Some are cut off euen before they haue begun their course and some in the midde way that through so many sorts of sicknesses with other inconueniences and accidents that a man cannot possibly comprehend or conceiue them all The first vse reproueth such as know their flesh is as grasse yet they seeke things for this life onely they wallow in wealth and haue all things at their wils they are cloathed in fine silke and purple they glitted and glister with gold and pearles their faces are couered with fatnesse Iob. 15. 27. they beate the people to pieces and grind the faces of the poore Esa. 3. 15. They swallow vp the poore Amo. 8. 4. They eate the flesh of the people and flay off their skinne Mich. 3. 3. They are attended with great traines and troupes of men they lead mightie Armies and are carried in Coaches like Princes for aboundance of all things they are as mortall Gods vpon earth yet are soone bereft of all their riches and glory and perish as the grasse what foolishnesse hath wrapt vp their vnderstanding what blindnesse hath possessed their hearts what vanitie hath bewitched and rauished their mindes what mist of error hath compassed them and ouershadowed the light of their knowledge that they seeing the frailtie of their owne estate and condition Can any thing in this life be either durable or very delightsome when life it selfe is so fraile and tickle a thing The Apostle saith The world vanisheth and the lust thereof 1. Ioh. 2. 17. Salomon concludeth all worldly things vnder a most