thou maist be too when thou endest And thus for this once J bid thee farewell in Christ. Thine in the Lord. W.P. A DIRECTION TO DEATH TEACHING MAN the way to dye well that he may liue euer Made in the forme of a Dialogue in which the speakers are QVIRINVS and REGVLVS Quirinus ALL haile to your person good Master Regulus and heere you are well met Regulus The same to you my olde friend Quirinus for you are as well met I am a glad man to see you aliue For it was tolde me that you were in great perill of death yea some said you would neuer goe abroade againe Q. I thought not otherwise my selfe but you may see the doings of God are contrarie to the iudgements of men I that was ere while verie like to dye am now something like to liue R. Thankes be to God therefore Q. Euen so say I for that is my part for as it was hee that brought mee almost to my graue so it was none but hee that hath againe set me vpon my feete the Physicians they all forsooke mee my friends all they tooke their leaue of me my worldlie goods and substance would nothing at all comforte me in my selfe I found little that might encourage me to hope any thing eyther of holding life in me or of putting death from me R. What gather you of this the Lords dealings with you Q. That eyther the time of my departing hence was not come or else that I was not then readie R. Whatsoeuer may be said of the second I am sure what you haue said is sure of the first for had your time been come you must haue gone for the power of death no man can withstand Q. That I thinke if he be fit therefore R. Death standes not vpon the fitnes or vnfitnes of any When it comes be he fit or vnfit it taketh him Q. In asmuch then as I was not fit when it did seeme to come God enable me to be fit against the time it will come R. It is good to wish so that if it may be you may in the end haue it to be so for as Paul saith Philip. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure Q. That made me to say as I did R. It must moue you also to do more then you had said Q. I doe not deny that for it must moue me to be both humble and thankefull R. Somuch in deede that of Paul must moue you to but the vnfitnes to dye that you say was in your selfe must moue you to more Q. What 's that R. To make your selfe fit to dye For as a man prepares himselfe to worke ere he works to heare ere he heares to pray ere he prayes to receiue ere he receiues so must he prepare himselfe to dye ere he dyes Better comes death to him that is prepared to dye then to him that is nothing at all made readie to dye The vnlooked for perill is euer most perillous Q. We both agree that it is meete for a man to prepare himselfe to dye R. It is very right that so wee should For why should not a man prepare himselfe to dye aswell as he doth to sinne A man is no lesse to prepare himselfe to the wages for his worke than to his worke but sayth Paul The wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 As a man therefore in times past hath prepared himselfe to sinne so now must he learne to prepare himselfe to dye For as he hath sinned so must he dye if sinne goeth before death of necessitie must follow after the cause being put the effect must also be giuen As Paul the seruant therefore sayth Rom. 5.12 By sinne death entred into the world so Christ the Master sayth Luk. 12.40 Be ye therefore also prepared Q. But why should a man prepare himselfe to dye R. It is but vaine to aske why the reasons thereof be so many Q. Many how many R. Fiue at the least Q. What may they be R. 1. The communitie of death 2. The proximitie of death 3. The vncertaintie of death 4. The extremitie of death 5. The authoritie of Christ and his Apostles Q. Except you explaine your meaning I shall not bee much wiser then I was For why your wordes to me seeme darke and obscure R. In playner termes then I will expresse my mind 1. Cor. 14.19 for as Paul saith I had rather speake fiue words with vnderstanding than ten thousand in an vnknowne tongue Q. In so doing you shall both pleasure me and profit others R. First then therefore a man is to prepare himselfe to dye Heb. 9.27 because it is appointed vnto him once to die for as Dauid saith What man liueth Psal 89.48 and shall not see death shall he deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue As though none should hee askes the question and as if none might both Elihu in Iob Iob. 34.15 and Salomon in Ecclesiastes do giue answer For Elihu saith Eccle. 12.7 All flesh shall perish together and man shall returne to dust And Salomon saith Dust returne to the earth as it was After the same maner do others giue forth their verdicts saith an old Poet. Est commune mori mors nulli parcit honori Debilis fortis veniunt ad limina mortis It is a verie common thing to dye Death spareth none be he neuer so high The weake together with the strong Comes streaming to death all along Saith Augustine Now dyes one King now another now one Duke now another one Earle one Baron one poore man one rich man death spareth no man because with an euen law it smiteth all things Saith Petrus Blesensis vpon these wordes in the booke of Iob Iob. 42.17 So Iob dyed being olde and full of dayes Death concludeth all the felicity of men for when thou hast published the fayth of Abraham the pietie of Ioseph the charitie of Moses the valour of Sampson the vertue of Dauid the miracles of Elizeus the wisedome and riches of Salomon the conclusion is one and hee dyed After this manner therefore should euery man conclude of necessitie I must dye of duetie therefore I must prepare my selfe to dye for duelie must a man prepare himselfe to that which necessarilie he must doe Duelie a man prepares himselfe to eate because necessarilie he must eate he that daylie eates not long time liues not duelie a man prepares himselfe to worke because necessarilie he must worke 2. Thes 3.10 he that will not worke should not eate euen so duelie should a man prepare himselfe to dye because necessarilie he must dye he that prepares not himselfe to dye dyes ill fauouredlie But this is enough for this first reason why a man that must dye is to prepare himselfe to dye Q. Somewhat then of the second for the second is next after the first as the first is next before the
A DIRECTION TO DEATH TEACHING MAN THE WAY TO DIE WELL THAT being dead he may liue euer Made in the forme of a Dialogue for the ease and benefite of him that shall reade it The speakers therein are Quirinus and Regulus SYRACH 38.20 21. Remember the last ende forget it not for there is no turning againe Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat LONDON Imprinted for Thomas Man 1599. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR THOMAS VANE Knight Lieutenant of her Maiesties Castle of Douer grace and peace in this life and euerlasting felicitie in the life to come IT being my hap right Worshipfull to be abroad of late more than vsuallie I am it was also my chaunce to heare more than otherwise I knewe for mine owne part till then I did but knowe you ex facie And that which then I heard it being spoken by some of good credit if not great calling emboldened me to doe what now you see a dooing for bethinking my selfe to whom I should dedicate what your Worship sees here following that good report which I heard of you both for sinceritie in Religion and integritie in conuersation made mee to resolue my selfe vpon you For well I knowe those two good qualities would fit this simple peece of worke made more for the profit of many others than the praise of any one If I be too bolde with your Worship hauing no acquaintance with you pardon me of your pietie Neither did I purpose to offend you willinglie neither doe I thinke this way to hurt you hastilie If I bee no bolder than I may take well in worth what is done of your courtesie neither is it vnfitting you to defend what is committed to your patronage you being a Knight nor vnbeseeming me to seeke your patrocinie I being an inferior person For the first a sworde was giuen you for the second a tongue was giuen mee As I vse that now so I pray you if neede be vse you the other hereafter as I haue heard you haue done well in the field As I wish doe also wel for the faith that which I commend to your Patrocinie though I speake not to commend it is nothing I hope repugnant therto If it may please your Worship to deigne it the reading you shall soone finde whether I falsifie or no. In labor the prouerbe is there is no losse In this it may be there will be some gaine If so your good shall not be my griefe I would what is done might benefit you any that I might haue somewhat the better hope I commit it to your Worship to patronize Oft the Patrone of the thing workes good for the thing Whatsoeuer your Worship procures for this account it as purchased to your selfe If it may proue any thing worth any thing I shall be nothing sorie whosoeuer else be somthing glad If it will proue nothing or as nothing so your Worship be contented I shal be nothing discontented While that is a working whatsoeuer it be I wil make bold to leaue this which you see with you and so humblie for this time take my leaue of you The welspring of all blessings so blesse your Wor whilest you are here as wel and euer blessed you may be when you goe hence Your VVorships henceforth ready to be commanded William Perneby To the Christian Reader COurteous and Christian reader I know not thy conceite it may be good it may bee bad it may bee indifferent if thou answerest either of the titles J haue giuen thee it cannot be bad Jf courtesie cannot compell thee yet Christianitie may counsell thee to thinke and iudge the best here is nothing done to the preiudice of any if it please God to blesse there may bee something to the benefite of many Though some others haue written of the same matter that J haue written of yet that lets not but J may doe the like as diuerse Musitions may play vpon one instrument so diuerse men may write of one thing J hope J haue iniured no man in writing Jf I haue imitated any as J denie not but J haue J thinke in so doing J haue rather honoured them than hurt them For as J take it it is an honour to be imitated VVhatsoeuer it is that J haue done I referre it to thy Christian courtesie or thy courteous Christianitie to iudge Iudge I pray thee the best my purpose was not to offend thee bee not thou offended with me VVhat is giuen thee with the right hand to doe good with take not thou with the left to doe hurt by thou canst neuer heare too often of that thou maiest here reade of Man is neuer so mindles of any thing as of his owne death for that cause God hath bidden thee remember thy end some haue had those that haue put them in minde of their end and I haue collected this as thou seest to direct thee to thy end As thou dislikest not the marke that sheweth thee thy way though it goes not with thee in the way so dislike not of me for directing thee to death though J go not with thee to death Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed to all men to die once and sure I am that therefore once J must die Certius nil morte Nothing more sure than death VVhether thou or I shall soonest tread the track to death is vtterly to either vnknowne Nescit homo finem suum Man knoweth not his end And as that ancient writer saith Mortis hora incertius nihil Than the houre of death nothing more vncertaine Jf thou goest before me ego te sequar J will nay shall follow thee Jf J goe before thee assuredly thou canst not deny but that thou must follow me That we may goe both well when we goe God giue vs grace to prepare thereto and for ere wee goe though it bee the last to vs in action yet it ought to be the first with vs in meditation First because it is certaine it will come Secondly because it is vncertaine when it will come Thirdly because it is the greatest worke wee haue to doe when it doth come Fourthly because there remaineth nothing but iudgement when it is come and gone Js it euer amisse thinkest thou to be put in mind hereof If thou so thinkest thou thinkest not right the better shalt thou die whensoeuer thou doest die if oft thou beest made to remember thou must die Seldome doth he die well that thinks not oft to die once and euer dies he ill that neuer thinkes to die at all Jf not therefore for curtesie which thou wilt deigne many men yet for Christianitie which thou shouldest not denie any man take it in gree that thus J haue admonished thee This if thou doest J shall thinke my selfe beholding if not J must and will bee contented with that which is assigned Howsoeuer thou handlest me God blesse thee whilest thou readest that thou maist be blessed whē thou hast read and when thou remembrest that so
alwaies vncertaine and vnknowne to thee That thou mayst feare be feruent liue well and flye euill As though there were foure causes which moued God to make death vncertaine 1. Feare 2. Loue. 3. Life 4. Euill Feare of him loue to his word preseruation of life in man and declining of euill Touching the. 1. Gregorie sayth in an homelie of his Our Lord would therefore haue our last houre to bee vnknowne that alwaies it might be suspected Gregorie in hom that whilst we cannot fore see it without intermission wee might make hast vnto it And hence is it that he said Watch therefore Mat. 15. cap. 13. for ye know neither the day nor the houre when the sonne of man wil ceme Touching the 2. another saith The houre of death is vncertaine that thou mightest worke the more feruentlie Were it not so thou wouldest grow slouthfull and desist from manie things which are good for others And hence it is that an Angell sayd once to a Bishop Greg. in Dialoâ— Doe what thou doest worke what thou workest Touching the 3. saith the same author last spoken of Therefore is the day of thy death vnknowne that thou mayest liue the more purely and warilie For as Cyprian saith What kinde of one the Lord findes thee when hee doth call such kinde of one he doth iudge thee when thou art gone But it is a foolish thing for a man to liue in that estate in which he would not dye Touching the 4. saith the foresaid writer Therefore is the day of thy death vnknowne that thou maiest eschew many euilles which of the certaintie of death would ensue For did men know they should liue long they would committe many euils purposing afterwards to repent but did they know they should dye soone they would liue so much the more vnhumanelie determining to haue some pleasure ere they were for the preuenting of these mischiefes the Lord hath made both death vncertayne and the time thereof vnknowne Thus now you see how the ignorance of death both in regard of time place and manner ought to make a man prepare himselfe to death Q. I doe so I thanke you But I pray you is there yet any thing more that may doe the like R. If you remembred but what ere while I said this question might haue been spared for I tolde you that for fiue causes a man was to prepare himselfe to die ere euer he came to die and yet wee haue spoken but of three of them Q. In deede you did so Speake therefore of the two last I praye you as you haue done of the three first R. So I meane God willing In the fourth place therefore a man is to prepare himselfe to die ere euer hee comes to die because the greatest worke a man hath to finish in this worlde is to die As after death there is no worke so greater then death there is no work hee which hath ouercome death hath ouercome all things Aristotle Of all terrible and fearefull things death is the last Q. And why should this moue a man euer the more to prepare himselfe to die R. Because as the wise man saith Syr. 5. 16. He should not doe rashly either in small things or in great Q. Why but is it a doing rashly to dye without preparation thereto R. What else For what is it not a doing rashly to set vpon any thing without aduisement Q. Yes surelie R. The like it is to die without preparation Q. As a man then prepares himselfe to the doing of any great worke so is hee to the vndergoing of death R. Right so Q. But why so R. Because death is not the least of a mans workes in this world Brandmil Con. fun though it bee the last For to die is the greatest worke a man hath to finish vpon earth Q. May you not thereto adde the greiuousest too R. If I die the matter were not great for there are more paines in death Vincent then in any worke vnder the sunne As one sayth for then so diuerse kindes of diseases are wonte to meete and so to molest euery member that sometimes there are moe diseases than members In a sicknes that was not mortall but grieuous Dauid sayd there was not one whole parte in his bodie how much more might another so say in a sickenesse that is mortall and therefore exceeding grieuous For no sickenes so grieuous as a mortall sickenes In the separation of a man from his wife there is much greefe and sorrow in the separation of the soule from the bodie there must needes be much more The coniunction of the two last is greater and of greater continuance than the coniunction of the two first and where there hath beene the longer continuance in affection there must needes be the greater grieuances vpon separation in experience we see that so much the greater the sorrow is at the parting of friends by how much the longer the continuance together hath been from the meeting of friends and by that we may gesse how great the griefe is in the parting of soule and body For soule and bodie are as two friends but what prosecute I this poynt so farre Now haue I little leysure and lesse occasion so to doe and it may be I shall haue more of both hereafter Q. I would you might and I wish you may For it will not be more yrkesome to me then to heare of these things than it is now And now by seeing my silence you may iudge of my delight But to let this passe seeing you would so faine passe what other reason haue you for the first and last place by which a man should bee moued to a preparing of himselfe to death ere euer he comes to yeeld himselfe thereto R. The fundrie preceptes of Christ and his Apostles and prophets tending to that purpose Q. Why haue either the one or the other of these giuen any precepts touching this matter R. Haue they what a question is that thus sayd I say the Prophet to Hezekiah the king Put thine house in order Esa 38.2 for thou shalt dye and not liue And what is that but to prepare to die because thou must die Thus said Christ our Sauiour to Peter and Andrew and other his Apostles and disciples Wake therefore Mat. 24.42.43 for ye know not what houre your master will come Of this be sure that if the good man of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through Therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the sonne of man come And what is this but to prepare to dye because you must dye for Luke the Euangelist recording the same historie saith Be yee also prepared therefore Luk. 12.40 For the sonne of man will come at an houre when yee thinke not 1. Pet. 1.1 And thus said Peter the Apostle to the
Thou knowest not in what place death doth expect thee therefore expect thou it in euery place Sith man knowes not in what place death ought to meete him hee knowes not in what place hee ought most to waite for death in euery place it is to be expected This therefore should be euery mans practise he should not delay to prouide for death for this cause first because euery man is vncertaine of his life For as Salomon saith Man knoweth not his ende c. Eccles 9.12 Secondly because it is good presently to make prouision for the latter ende For as Ieremie saith Lam. 3.27 It is good for a man that hee bare the yoke in his youth What liquor sweete or sowre the vessell first doth take the smell thereof doth aye remaine or hardlie it forsake Pro. 22.6 A childe taught in the trade of his way will not departe from it when he is olde By so much hee liues the more securely so long as he liues 15.15 For as Salomon saith A good conscience is a continuall feast And thereupon Seneca saith It is good before death to make the way thereto and then to waite securely for the other parte of the time By so much he dyes the more blessedly when he dyes For he dyes doubtfully that prouides not for death till he dyes If any man in his last sickenes will take vpon him to repent and doth repent and so departes hence I confesse vnto you we denye him not what he desireth but we presume not Repentance we may giue him saluation wee cannot promise him I say not that he shall be condemned neither doe I say that he shall be saued Wilt thou therefore be put cleane out of doubt repent thee whilest thou arte well If thou doest so I say thou arte safe because thou then repentedst when thou mightest haue sinned If thou wilt repent when thou canst not sinne thy sinnes haue forsaken thee not thou them Thirdly because it is more difficult to do it heareafter than now for then the hearte is more hardened man is more weakened sinne is more strengthened and the diuell is more hardely remoued And of these things thus say auncient writers as now and successiuely I will declare vnto you first of the heart Bernard sayth Bernard in serm A puft vp hearte is harde and voyde of Godlines Ignoraunt of compunction drye from euery dew of spirituall grace A hard heart is that which is neither disseuered with compunction nor softned with religion Id. ibid. Sup. Cantica nor moued with petition which yeeldes not to threatnings but is hardened with scourgings is vngrateful for benefits vnfaithfull for councell cruell in iudgments vnshamefast at filthie things vnfearefull at perilous thinges inhumane to humane thinges rash to diuine thinges forgetfull of thinges past careles of things present nothing foreseeing things to come that it is to which of things passed there is nothing which passeth not but onely iniuries of things to come there is no foresight but onely of reuenge Secondly of man Basil saith Basil in sua Regula Maxim in ser Iohn Baptist Gregor lib. 4. moral August Sup. psal 30. He which acquaints not himselfe with vertue whiles he is young knowes not to depart from vice when he is olde When sinne comes into vse the mind then more weakely resisteth then euer though much it desireth For as Augustine saith to conquere custome is a most hard combat Custome changeth vice into nature Ieremie the prophet therefore saith Can the Blackemore change his skinne or the Leopard his spots Isidor lib. 2. solit Ier. 13.23 Greg. lib. 15. moral then may yee also do good that are accustomed to doe euill Euill customes hold fast whome once they haue caught dayly also they growe more difficult to withstand and are not ended but with the end of the sinners life 3. Of sin saith as I remember the same father last mentioned Gregorie That sin which by repentance is not done away by his owne weight draweth another Forthly of the deuil sayth Beda The deuil by how much the longer he possesseth Beda sup Lunam by so much the hardlier he dismisseth These sayings of the learned if none of them seuerally can moue any thing to that which is moued yet all of them ioyntly should moue much for who should be more vnsure day by day of preparing against his dying day then he is almost at the beginning of his liuing dayes Surely none none therefore but while he hath time should prouide for his latter time He which delayeth this matter sinneth more and worse then ordinarily and against moe then vsually For first he sinneth against God secondly against the Angels thirdly against himselfe fourthly against his neighbour fiftly against the inferiour creatures against God 1. because he mingles gall with his meat according to that saying they gaue me gall to eat A good worke is meate vnto the Lord for he is fed among the lilies that is among good workes But a bad is as poyson psal 5. Saith Dauid Thou art not a God that loueth wickednes Psalm 5.4 neyther shall euill dwell with thee And Iob sayth If I haue sinned Iob. 10.14 then thou wilt streightly looke vnto me and wilt not hold me guiltles of mine iniquitie I haue done wickedly woe vnto mee 15. Secondly because he brings that before him which worst and most displeases him to wit sinne For first he hates nothing which he hates but for sinne had not sinne beene hee had loued the deuill as he did before sinne was Secondly he hath none so good a friende eyther in heauen or earth but he hates him for sinne For sinne he threw Lucifer from heauen for sinne he cast Adam out of paradise for sinne he expelled Iudas from the societie of his disciples thirdly he spared not his owne sonne that he might be reuenged of sinne It is his owne saying Esai 53.8 For the wickednes of my people I haue smitten him Him therefore he had crucified that sinne with him might bee crucified As Augustine sayth The innocent is murthered August super Col. 2. and sinne is crucified Thirdly because he contemneth him whch most mercifully calleth him For God ceaseth not to call the sinner though the sinner listeth not to heare him Matth. 9.13 Mat. 9. Christ sayth I came not to call the righteous but sinners But Prou. 1.24 Prou. 1.24 the same Christ sayth I haue called ye refused Fourthly because hee vexeth him with his slackenes which expecteth him with goodnes For as olde Tobit counted the dayes of his sonne Tobias his absence Tobit 9.4 so God counteth the dayes of the sinners delay And as Tobias sayd of Tobit If I tarie long he will be verie sorrie so may the sinner saye of God Luk. 19.41 If I tarry long he will be very sory Luc. 19. Luke sayth Iesus wept ouer Ierusalem And in one place of his workes Chrysostome sayth God
feare death For what should a man feare that which doth good and not hurte brings profit and not disprofite is beneficial and commodious not vnprofitable and noxious Q. Nothing at all in my minde But what is death so R. Why else say I so Q. Because it pleaseth you to say so R. What must I speake what pleaseth mee Q. You should not R. Neither will I so neere as I can but that will I speake which may please God and pleasure man Q. Because you say then Death doth good and not hurt brings profite and not disprofite is commodious and not noxious to whome is it commodious R. To whom not It is commodious to him that suffers it and it is commodious to him that sees it suffered Q. But not to euerie one of those that suffer it or see it suffered R. Neither did I yet say so It is commodious to euerie one that suffers it either in faith or for faith or both It is commodious also to euerie one that sees it suffered so hee makes right vse of the seeing it suffered For the first these sayings of Scripture make som what 2. Cor. 4.12 Tob. 3.6 Ro◠8.28 Syr. 41.2 Rom. 8.38 Death worketh in vs. It t s better for ◠to dye then to liue to them that loue God a thinges worke together for the best O Dear how acceptable is thy Iudgement vnto the need full and vnto him whose strength fayleth and that is now in the last age and is vexed with a◠things Gregor super Mat. 10. in testimo illis For the other this of Gregory makes much The Death of the righteous to the good is an helpe to the euill a testimonie that thence the wicked may perish without excuse whence the godlie doe take example that they may liue Q. What good brings Death to him that suffers it as you haue sayd R. The goods thereof they are vnspeakeable for multitude they exceede number for greatnes they passe vnderstanding for goodnes they excell all that men heere enioy or may enioy Q. I would I might heare somwhat of thē that so both I others might be benefited by them R. Sith so you will I say so you shall First Death killes his familiar enemie Gal. 5. 1. P◠12.11 Rom. 6.7 to witte his bodie or fleshe with all her lustes fighting against the soule For be that is dead is freed from sinne And what a benefite this is that saying of a learned writer sheweth which thus soundeth Seneca There is no pestilence more forceable to doe an hurt then a familiar enemie A familiar enemie betrayeth Christ into the hands of sinners Secondly Death opens a doore to his poore prisoner out of a filthie prison in which he was held bound and captiue that is Death giues libertie to his Soule to depart from the bodie in which it was deteyned from the presence of God as in a prison For many haue thought the body of man to be as a prison to the Soule of man Pythagoras seeing one of his schollers verie busie about trimming vp of his bodie said this man ceases not to make vnto himself a more troublesome prison What a benefite this is it may appeare by Dauids praier Psal 142.7 and our experience Dauids praier Psal 142.1 Bring my soule out of prison that I may praise thy name Our experience is that prisoners hate little more then lockes and boltes because they must stay them from going out Thirdlie Death deliuers him from the carryage of a coffin full of filthines and vncleannes that is his bodie Plato in Cratylo sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Corpus a bodye Plato in Cratylo dicitur quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be ac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Sepulchrum A graue Sepulchro quid faedius and what more vncleane then a graue Mat. 23.27 Whited tombes sayeth Christ appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones of all filthines such like are the fine and faire bodies of men A corruptible bodie sayth Salomon is heauie vnto the soule Sap. 9 1◠the earthlie mansion keepeth downe the mind that is full of cares And what a benefite this is it may appeare not onelie by Paules speach in one place but also by his great outcry in another For thus he saith in one place Whiles we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord 2. Cor. 5.6 And thus he crieth out in another O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And a miserable thing it is to be absent from the Lord Rom. 7.4 and to be troubled with the bodie of Death When Paul sayth the Ephesians were without God in the world he reckened vp one of the euils the Ephesians were infected with Ephe. 2.12 ere euer the bright light of the glorious Gospell of Christ Iesus did shine vnto them and vpon them but when he said If God be with vs who can be against vs he spake of one of the greatest blessings that is Rom. 8.31 writing therefore to the Philippians he not onelie desireth to bee with Christ but also sayth that so to be is best of all I am greatlie in doubt on both sides desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 which is best of all This therfore was Dauids complaint As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters Psal 42.1 so panteth my Soule after thee ô God my Soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God Psal 42.2 when shall I come and appere before the presence of God And this otherwhere the saying of the Psalmist It is good for me to drawe neere vnto God 73.28 What shoulde be others thereupon I leaue it to others to discerne My meaning is to proceed to another cōmodity that death brings with it to whom it comes and that is this It puts an end to the painefull Pilgrimage he was going on in this world For what is this mortall life but a way Basil hom 1. in psal 1. and that for the hast that euerie thing generate makes to the end What a commoditie this is may many waies appeare but especiallie by that of Salomon Eccl. 7.3 The day of Death is better then the day that one is borne And that of Syrach Death is better then a bitter life If it were requisite Syr. 30. 17. that eyther of these were better proued proofe might soone be produced For the first there is one that sayeth For two causes the day of death is better to the seruants of God then the day of byrth Perald tom 1. pag. 134. One is because Death is the egresse from miserie whereas the birth is the ingresse to miserie sayeth a wise man though Death be not good yet is it the end of all euils Seneca saith Death is the remedy of all euils The second is because Death is the gate
of glorie to the seruants of God It is the beginning of a blessed life For the other there is another that saieth Syr. 40. 25. 41. 2. It is better to dye then to begge O death how acceptable is thy Iudgement vnto the needefull and vnto him whose strength fayleth and that is nowe in the last age and is vexed with all things and to him that despayreth and hath lost patience To like purpose saide olde Tobit in the anguish of his Soule Tob. 3.6 It is better for me to dye then to liue because I haue heard false reproches and am verie sorowful For the maine point we driue at there is one that saieth Philip. 1.2 Cor. 5 he which dieth is freed from the miseries of the world he goeth to the Lord from whom he went on pilgrimage so long as he abode in the bodye Also in Death he leaueth sinne labour affliction the slime of the earth the matter of continuall conflict against the spirit of God And that bodie made of the dust of the grounde which he leaues in Death he shall receiue againe in the day of the restoring of all things in farre better case then euer it was in this worlde For then it shal be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Whether therefore you respect the Soule of him that dies or you regarde the bodie yet euer is that sure which I saie that death is commodious to him that dies If you respect the Soule It is freed from the bandes of the bodie to be with Christ It is translated to immortalitie It is conducted to the heauenlie countrey from which it was a stranger If you regarde the bodie it is freed from all miserie It is committed to a most safe and sweete sleepe it is prepared to the glorie of the resurrection the flesh resteth in hope whatsoeuer you respect or regarde yet this at length you must come to Raban lib. 9. in eccl cap. 2. The iudgement of present death is good to those that worship Christ because by it they passe to eternall life Sanctus Idiota By a good death a man chaunges his feare into securitie his labour into tranquilitie his want into sacietie his sorrow into iocunditie by a good death he escapeth all daunger of loosing the grace of God his estate comes to be better then euer it was before While he liued Lazarus was contemned Luk. 26.21 neither Master nor Man would regarde him more compassion was had of him by dogges then by men The dogges came licked his sores but no man gaue him the crummes which fell from the rich mans table but when he was dead Lazarus was esteemed the Angels came and carried him into Abrahams bosome of Christ himselfe Myconius saieth While Christ liued Myconi in euang Mar expos he might see nothing but humilitie and many things horrible and dreadfull but being dead see how honorable his burial was great good men burie him there is a magnificent preparation a new Sepulchre in the gardein in which yet neuer man lay As it fared with these so often fareth it with others by these then may others see what commodities drawes towards them when death comes vpon them some I haue shewed mo at pleasure may be conceiued so good so pleasant so profitable there are as Bassus an olde man once said Ser. 30. episto If there be any discommoditie in death it is the fault of those that die and not the fault of death it selfe In his book of the contempt of death saith Seneca Seneca lib. de contem mortis for the paine that is in death It is light if I can beare it It is but short if I cannot endure it for the commodities that are therein they are many I shal leaue of all possibility then to be sick any more I shall leaue of all possibility to be bouÌ„d any more I shall leaue of all possibilitie to dye any more Sickenes shall haue no more to do with me bondage shall haue no more to doe with me Death shall haue no more to doe with me the power of the one the other and all of them shall be taken from them what in this point Seneca thought was to betide him is surely to betyde others As Seneca therefore contemned death because of the commodities of Death so may they for the same cause stand in lesse feare of Death then otherwise for therefore is it said that there are many commodities in Death that those which are to dye should be well armed against the immoderate feare of Death For it is but follie to feare that which will come and vpon all come and vpon many verie profitably come when it doth come Manie makes a vertue of necessitie and most wonderouslie loue that which brings commoditie saieth Seneca again Seneca lib. de senectu In death there is no greater solace against Death then mortalitie it selfe I see not therefore howe any shoulde ouer foolishlie feare Death it bringing commodities as it doth not only to them that suffer it but also to those that see it by others suffered Q. No more doe I neither should I if there were asmuch prooued as was erewhile propounded R. Why do you make an if what is there wanting Q. The latter part of your saying R. What is that Q. Doe not you know R. Whether I do or do not I would know of you Q. And that I can tell you R. Doe it then Q. So I meane but I doe but quicken your wit a little with this being by other things fully resolued of your will R. I can but commend your wit for so doing But I would heare what is wanting to be prooued of that which was propounded Q. That you shall that death brings commoditie to those that see it suffered is the thing which I speake of R. And that 's the thing you need not much speake of or at the least not so as you haue spoken For that thing is not now vnprooued Remember you not that out of that auncient and learned doctour Gregory I tolde you that The death of the righteous was an helpe to the good thâ—â— saw it and a testimonie to the euill Q. Yes indeede doe I. R. Be not so hastie then heereafter to accuse before you haue iust cause For that saying of Gregorie is proofe sufficient for that in controuersie Q. It is so I can it not deny but I would haue had more R. Why more than enough is too much and the prouerb is enough is as good as a feast Though more should be said yet would it all come to this issue For euer the death of the righteous is either an helpe to the good or a testimonie to the bad or both to either Q. But how the one to the one and the other to the other R. The one to the one by making them to remember their owne ends to wish the like ends and to prepare against their ends The other to
of all men R. Euen asmuch as I would desire and more then so much as you did require For what did I desire or you require but to know what God did in euerie mans Death whether he determined of the time or not and whether he fore-knew what he had determined And now whether of these is it which is not here manifested and explained the first or the last surelie surelie neither of both Not the first because he determined the time of Christs death and what agreed to the head agreeth with the parts but Christ is the head and those of the Church are his members If therefore the Death of Christ the head to the whole bodie were fore-seene as fore-seene it was the Death also of euerie member of his mysticall bodie is also fore seene and ordeined also by the speciall decree and appointment of God Neyther yet the seconde because he determined not onelie the time but also the place and manner and ende of Christs death togither with other circumstances thereto appertaining and belonging and he determines nothing which he did not fore-knowe for his fore-knowledge is conioyned with his decree If therefore he so dealt with Christ it cannot be but that so also hee dealeth with others for as the Apostle saith Those which he knew before Rom. 8.29 he also predestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Thus now you see that the Death of Christ is asmuch to the Death of all men as either I desired or you required Q. But you said it was more R. If so I did say It is not otherwise then now I doe say for the more comprehendeth the lesse Q. But yet the more is neuer the more prooued R. Why say you so seeing I euen nowe said that in the death of Christ there was not onelie time when place where and maner how but also persons by whom fore-seene and preappointed by God that in his owne euerlasting Counsell and decree doth not that proue what you latelie saide was vnproued Q. Yes if that were proued R. Neuer if at the matter the saying of the Apostle Peter in the fourth of that Actes latelie rehearsed in the verses 27. and 28. doth sufficientlie proue that for there it is said Herode and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles Act. 4.27.28 and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against Christ Iesus to doe whatsoeuer the hand and Counsell of God had determined to be done Now it is well knowne by the historie of the Gospell written by the Euangelists Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn what was done Nothing therefore of that which was done vnto him at his death in his death or concerning his death was either vnknown and vnforescene or vnappointed and vndecreed by God himselfe Q. Admit that may we not therefore make a doubt touching the death of other men R. No surelie we ought not Q. And why R. For the resemblance that is betwixt Christ and his members Q. What then affirme you that the death of euerie man is not onelie fore-seene but also fore-appointed of God so as Death can neither come sooner nor later in respect of God but iust at the time appointed by him R. Yea that I doe and more too Q. More too what 's that R. That the very circumstances of death as the time when the place where the manner how together with the beginning of the sickenes the continuance in the same with euerie fitte and the ende thereof with euerie pange are all particularlie set downe in the Counsell of God Q. This more is much and more by much then before you spake of R. Whatsoeuer it is It is no more then I may as truelie as boldelie speake For our Sauiour Christ saieth Mat. 10.30 The verie haires of our heads are numbred and a Sparow lighteth not vpon the ground without the wil and prouidence of our heauenlie Father And if God hath care of haires and Sparowes he is not careles of those things which betyde his Seruants eyther in Death at Death or about Death For things are greater thē the numbring of haires and the lighting of Sparowes Psal 139.15 For this cause Dauid saith in the Psalmes My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secrete place and fashioned beneath in the earth thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as there was none of them before For the same cause may euerie one in sickenes say this is thy doing ô Lord heere is no more then thou imposest vpon me thy pleasure it is that thus and thus I should be tormented and afflicted Q. But doth this necessarilie follow of the former R. What else for why should not a man be patient in his sickenes when hee knowes the Lord to be the cause of his sickenes For what man may resist his will Or why should a man immoderatelie feare Death when he knowes God to be the worker of his Death what should he feare that which is both fore-seene ere it comes and fore-appointed when it comes I held my tongue and said nothing Psal 39.10 saith Dauid because thou Lord diddest it Loe the Lords doing was the cause of his patient abiding the Lordes doing also in each mans Death should bee the cause of each mans patient suffering and expecting of Death Psal 135.6 Mark 7.37 For as he doth euerie where whatsoeuer pleaseth him so doth he well anie where whatsoeuer he doth Q. That which you say should be as you say but it will not be R. That is the iniquitie of man and not the infirmitie of this truth What it should be it will be if it be well thought vpon For what should man feare what the Lord will haue to be No man can resist his will euerie man praieth that his will may be done Matth. 6.10 Now when no man can resist his will euerie man praieth for the accomplishment of his will what should anie man immoderatelie feare what he cannot possiblie auoide and what he dailie praieth may betyde It is follie it is vanitie it is iniquitie so to doe When yong Samuel had tolde old Elie all that the Lord had threatned and was purposed to bring vpon his house for the wickednes of the same this was olde Elies saying to yong Samuel It is the Lord 1. Sam. 3.18 let him doe what seemeth him good When faultles death hath seised vpon fearefull man this should bee his saying It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good his will it is I should dye his will I cannot resist his will bee done August sup Psalm 35. It is the Iustice of God that some time thou beest well and sometime thou beest sicke If when thou art well the will of God be sweete and when thou art sicke the will of God be bitter thou walkest not with a right heart Wherefore because
thou wilt not direct thy will after Gods will but wilt bend Gods will to thy will that is right but thou crookest it thy wil is to be corrected by that but that is not to be buckled to thine and thou shalt haue an vpright heart Without the conforming of mans will to Gods will mans will is but a peruerse will Q. That 's sure but what may moue him to reforme that which is peruerse and to conforme it to that from which it is auerse R. The first and last meditations I haue yet spoken of Q. I pray God that all you are to speake off may effect what you and I do affect R. So pray I also there is no fault in them if they do not they are all as fruitfull as faithfull so they be faithfull that are to vse them Q. Manifest both in all as you haue done in one R. So will I in time Q Out of time you cannot doe it R. That 's so because nothing is done which is not done in time but yet there is a difference of time there is a due time and an vndue time Q. And this is now a due time for the second to succeed the first and each one to followe another R. You say well if you thinke your selfe satisfied for the first Q. I did amisse else to mooue you to the second for I am vnwilling to remaine vnsatisfied in any thing whereof I may be satisfied by you Being therfore satisfied touching the first what say you to the truth of the second hath it a promise of blessing annexed vnto it R. Hath it If I haue said it you need not to make any doubt of it I woulde not say what I cannot iustifie neither often vse I to doe it but to put you out of all doubt touching that whereof you seeme to bee in doubt consider what is written in the Reuelation of the Euangelist Iohn and then I thinke not but soone you will cause to doubt Q. Why what is it that is there writtten R. Apoc. 14.13 That Blessed are they which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Q. And doth it thereupon followe that Death ioyned with and following after a reformed life hath the promise of blessednes annexed vnto it R. What else for first there is none die in the Lord but they which haue liued in the Lord for liuing sometime in the Lord must goe before dying any time in the Lord for as Augustine saith He hardly dies wel which alwaies liued ill SecoÌ„dly they which so dy are said to be blessed blessed are they which dy in the Lord. Thirdly that blessing then beginneth when as this life endeth For it is said therefore they are blessed which die in the Lord because they rest from their labours their workes follow them In which words there is both an expressing of the time wherein they are blessed and also of the cause wherefore they are blessed The time is the time of their death for it is said blessed are they which die in the Lord. The cause is their resting from their labour For blessed are they which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours c. In both the Euangelist speakes in the present tense hauing an eie in the last to the preterperfect For first he saith they are blessed he saith not that either they were blessed in the time past or they shall be blessed in the time to come but they are blessed in the time present as though they were in blisse euen in their death Secondly he saith they doe rest he saith not that they haue rested or that they shall rest but that they doe rest as though their death were a rest and not a distresse Thirdly he saith from their labours as though death present were a rest from labours past Q. Though the Euangelist saith so yet it followeth not but that they which dy in the Lord both were blessed and did rest before their death and shall be blessed and rest better after their death R. Neither did I yet say that any such thing will thereupon follow For the most of those that at their death are blessed in their life also were in some sorte blessed and all those that are blessed in their death shall for euer after be blessed after death Eternall life is heere in this life begunne and that sometime long before death and sometime in death but it is neuer finished or perfected till the life to come and after death There is perfection heere is but incoation there life is perfected heere it is but incepted He which heere hath it not at any time there enioyes it not On the contrarie part he which heere is entred into it shall there fully be possessed of it To conclude therfore they which are blessed in their death were also blessed in their life and shall be blessed after death with life lasting euer and enduring world without end Q. This being as you say no meruaile though the meditation of that promise be a shield of succour against deaths terrour For of my selfe I can heere collect that too much death is not to bee feared hauing so sweete a promise of rest thereto annexed R. In so doing you doe what euery christian ought to do For what should he ouer much feare death that hath herein a promise made to him of life what should he ouer much feare that which frees him from labour and brings him to rest who would not leaue an house of clay for a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens life rest and a building giuen of God are three things which mitigates in any the immoderat dread of death For the loue of these death should rather be loued than loathed wished than shunned craued than feared Q. You say well if euery death had the promise of these things made vnto it R. Neuer if at the matter for there is no good death which hath them not all promised vnto it Q. There is much difference betweene a good death and any death R. I denie not that But I spake not of any death but only of a good death Neither could I for that place of scripture which I produced for proofe of what I propounded saith not that all are blessed which die but that they onely are blessed which die in the Lord. Q. That a man might come to that what should he doe R. Liue well so neere as he can For as the prouerbe is Such as the life is such will the death be And as Augustine saith as you heard ere while He cannot die ill which hath liued well and hardly doth he die well which hath liued ill Q. August de doctrina chrâ—stiana That should not seeme to be very necessarie First because there are but few that regards it For how euer euery man desires to die well yet not many desire to liue well Balaam
euer to bee spoken so long as a word by them can bee spoken Q What if through the extremitie of their paines and the idlenes of their braines such wordes cannot or will not be spoken shal we think them to be euer the more faithles and vngodly R. Truely no God forbid wee should many good men are silent long before their death many againe through the extremitie of their disease speake hardly and badly at their death though therefore their words neither be as they should be nor as wee would wish them to bee yet must we neither iudge of them by their words nor condemne them for their words not iudge least we our selues come to bee iudged for with what measure wee mete vnto others with the like wil others mete vnto vs as therefore wee would not be iudged of others for any infirmitie in our selues so must wee not iudge others for any infirmity espied in them iudgement is Gods and to him we must leaue it as Paul saith We must iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighten things hid in darknes and make the counsels of the harts manifest that euery man may haue the praise of God Not condemne least therefore we chance to bee condemned euill words at the time of death may proceed of other causes then want either of faith or religion the disease may cause much and in euery disease men are not euer alike affected the more violent the disease is whereof a man dies the more vnseemely are his gestures when he dies of violent sicknesses the companions are often fransies and other vnseemely motions As therefore it is follie to attribute that to one thing which is to bee attributed to another so it is to condemne a man for wordes which come not from him but from the disease that doth possesse him Q. When we see any then at the point of death vsing worse wordes than they should or we would what will you that we doe R. Other thinges than either iudge or condemne Q. That 's like in deed because you dislike them but what are those other thinges you speake of R. First perswade him as you may can to vse better for it is written Leuit. 19.17 Thou shalt plainlie rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne Secondly pray for him as you ought that the spirit of God may put better words in his mouth For no man can say 1. Cor. 12.3 Luk. 11.13 Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit and this spirit is obtained by praier Thirdly looke vpon your owne present loue towards him and for that practise the two former last named but absteine from the two other afore mentioned for as the Apostle saith Loue thinketh not euil 1. Cor. 13.5 but loue beleueeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things and therefore it thinketh not that he is altogether faithles that vseth a word fruitles but beleeueth that he is and hopeth that he may be the childe of God a few bad words notwithstanding Rom. 7.20 For sure it is not he that speaketh them but the sinne that dwelleth in him Fourthly and lastly looke vpon the sickmans life bypast and gone and if that hath beene as it ought to be neuer feare euil nor yet suspect amisse For as that auncient and learned father Augustine saith August de ciuitat dei lib. 1. That is not to bee thought an euill death afore which there hath gone a good life for there is nothing which makes an euill death but that which followeth death Now because thats vnknowen to vs Id. lib. 5. de baptismo ca. 27. because that many that seeme to bee without are within many that seeme to be within are without wee must learne to hope the best and leaue to iudge the worst Q. God graunt that so wee may for prone inough we are of our selues to iudge amisse R. That makes not but that we must restraine our selues Q. Neither doe I say otherwise for that cause I wisht as I did R. And nothing amisse for our nature as it is is to be corrected and not to be followed and that which euen now you vsed is a meane to haue that I speake of practised Q. Therefore I vsed it but to let this point goe and to meddle no further with censuring whether men die in faith or out of faith may it please you to say some thing of the next which is their dying in obedience R. I haue said somewhat thereof already Q. That 's little to that I would haue you say R. Why what would you haue mee to say Q. What it is to die in obedience R. That is soone said Q. The sooner the better R. To die in obedience is to bee willing readie and desirous to goe out of this world whensoeuer it shall please God to call and that without murmuring or repenting Q. No marueile though you say a man in his sicknes is to take care for it It is not easy how shall a sicke man compasse it R. By practising the former For to him that beleeueth all things are possible Mark 9.23 and therfore this easie not impossible Q. Possible peraduenture supernaturally but not portable voluntarily R. Yes no doubt for that faith which makes all thinges possible beyonde nature makes all things portable against wil. Q. That may be and I verily thinke is but that a man should be willing readie and desirous to goe out of this world without murmuring grudging or repining whensoeuer wheresoeuer and howsoeuer it shall please God to call him is very hard rare and difficulte R. Not a whit If a man hath faith Ioh. 5.4 but as a graine of mustard seede for this is the victory that ouercommeth the world as Iohn saith Euen your faith What therefore should a beleeuing man be vnwilling to vndergoe what necessarily he must vndergoe Q. No hee should not that I graunt but what may perswade him that hee shall not this I aske R. And that I answere the very last thing I spake of for voluntarilie that is to be suffered which necessarily must be suffered Q. What then R. Therefore death voluntarily is to bee suffered Q. Wherefore that R. Because death necessarily is to be suffered Heb. 9.26 for as the Apostle saith It is appointed of God that all men shall once die Q. But how shall any of them be perswaded willingly to die R. I haue already tolde you by this very necessitie of once dying Q. All men know they shall once die yet no man almost is euer the willinger to die R. The greater is their sinne and the more is their shame by how much the more certainly they know they shall die by so much the more willingly they should die this knowledge should worke that willingnes Q. I deny not but it should I see not that it doth R. Somewhere you may see it though euery where you cannot see it knowledge is
no sowre the labourer workes ere he receiues his wages the Souldier fightes ere he winnes the victorie the gamester runnes ere hee enioyes the price 2. Tim. 2.11 And the christian must die with Christ ere euer he shall liue with Christ yea hee must suffer with Christ ere euer he shall raigne with Christ As he that will haue the meare must cracke the shell so hee that will haue the life after death must abide the death that goes before life As for the paines thereof they are neither greatly to be dreaded nor impatiently to be suffered not to be dreaded because they cannot hurt Rom. 8.28 For to them that loue God as they do which beleeue in God all things worke togither for the best not vnwillingly to be suffered because they bring much good For these light afflictions which are but for a moment 2. Cor. 4.17 cause vnto him that suffers them a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory while he lookes not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporal but the things which are not seene are eternall Who now that is wise will not willingly suffer the one that he may enioy the other there is no comparison betweene glasse and gold and verie vnwise is he that wil not doe away the first for the last if hee may euen so there is heere no comparison betweene the paines of death which are to be suffered and the ioyes of heauen which are to be expected So that altogether foolish is hee which will not willingly abide the one that happily hee may attaine the other the paines that ordinarily are suffered in death naturall are nothing to the paines that are suffered in death violent and vnnaturall yet diuerse godlie men haue suffered them willingly that they might after in heauen liue happily Why then should not he that is godly suffer willingly the paines of death naturall that so hee may come to the fruition of ioy celestial for my part I see smal reason to the contrary Q. What then R. Let him then that is vnwilling to die naturally because death is painefull consider of the great and intolerable paines which they haue suffered which died violently and vnnaturally and see if that will not animate him to die willinglie and incite him to beare the paines of death couragiously Q. Shall he find those that haue died violently to haue suffered so great paines R. What else Q. Where shall he find that R. Both in the Scriptures and otherwhere Q. What shall hee find in the Scriptures touching this matter R. That the prophet Isaiah for the hope of euerlasting life suffred his body to be cut asunder with a woodden saw that Ieremiah was stoned to death that Amos after diuerse other greeuous torments was thrust into the temples of the head with a great naile of iron and so shortlie after died Mat. 14 that Iohn Baptist was cast into prison and beheaded that Iames the brother of Iohn was slaine with the sworde Act. 12. that Steuen was stoned vnto death and last of all that Christ our Sauiour was crucified Mat. 27. and nailed to the crosse on which he died Q. And what otherwhere R. That some good men were deuoured of wilde beastes Actes and Monum some burnt with fire vnto ashes some broiled vnto death vpon hote coales some slaine with the sword some hanged vpon gibbets some pearced to death with arrowes some beaten to death with stones some boiled some rent in peeces with hote burning iron hookes some racked some drowned some cruellie murthered in prison some torne in sūder by horses some dismembred by trees some one waies made away some another many an one very badly very beastly and very cruelly Q When this is found what shall he therevpon finde R. That willingly he is to die though in much paine he doth die Q. Why that R. Because willingly they suffered a violent and vnnaturall death Q. That yet appeares not R. In the forenamed places it may and doth soone appeare for many whē they were offered life refused and accepted death Q. Not because they were willing then to die but because they could not as they would longer liue R. As much and more for the first cause as for and then the last Q. Though that be graunted yet is not the other proued R. What other Q. That willinglie he is to die that dies naturally because willingly they died that died violentlie R. What more or better prooued What better instruction may thence be taken what better collection may thence be drawne If they so suffered that otherwhere they might be crowned Why should not others in like sort suffer that otherwhere they may bee blessed Q. I denie not but they should yet I say not that therefore they should R. And in so saying you say not as you ought if any death be to be suffered willinglie a naturall death is much more a naturall death is sometime better if not most what then some other oft times there are therein fewer paines then in some other and what shoulde a man bee vnwilling to die for a fewe paines No Souldiour is vnwilling to fight for a few blowes no fields-man vnwilling to plow for a few blastes no trauailer vnwilling to goe on his iourney for a few showers neither should any christian bee vnwilling to die for a few paines either they are not so many for number or so mightie for measure as they might be or as they haue deserued they should bee and what should he suffer then vnwillingly when as they are neither many nor mighty 2. Tim. 2.5 No man is crowned saith Paul except he striue lawfully Neither say I is any man blessed except he suffers patiently what therefore should he be vnwilling to die that knowes of necessitie he must die and would gladlie bee blessed when he doth die though hee dies neuer so painefully when he doth die yet let him die willinglie that hee may die blessedly as Paul said of his preaching If I doe it willinglie I haue a reward 1. Cor. 9.17 so say I of his dying if he doth it willingly he hath a rewarde Apoc. 14.13 Wis 3.1 Blessed are they which die in the Lord. The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them Though they suffer paine before men yet is their hopeful of immortalitie They are punished but in few things yet in many things shall they bee well rewarded In the time of their vision they shall shine and runne through as the sparkes among the stubble they shall iudge the nations and haue dominion ouer the people and their Lord shall raigne for euer And when so great a reward as this now mentioned is not onely propounded but promised what should hee die vnwillinglie that must die necessarilie the hope of reward should moue much the Apostle Paul was willing
as manie as they were they were all pardoned forgiuen and remitted Why then should any doubt or despaire of mercie because his sinnes are great as his sins are great so let his repentance bee good and let him not feare Esa 1.18 Though his sinnes were as crimsin they shall bee made white as snow though they were red like skarlet they shal be as wooll Aug. in lib. â—e â—litoâ—e â—gâ—â—d penâ— Let no man despaire saith Augustine the wickednes which he committed did not so much cause Iudas the traitour vtterlie to perish as his despaire of mercy to the same effect saith Ambrose Let no man distrust let no man being guilty of his old sinnes Amb. super Luâ— lib. 2. despaire of the diuine rewardes the Lord knoweth how to chaunge his sentence if thou knowest how to chaunge thine offence Q. I if he changes it in time but he this hath delaied till death and now he feares it comes too late R. If it comes in life and comes then in truth when it comes it comes not too late as one saith It is neuer too late if euer it be true for the Lord himselfe testifieth that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes he will put them all out of his remembrance and what is he that dares distrust him whom will he beleeue that will not beleeue him it is an hard thing not to beleeue a man when he speakes the truth but it is an harder not to beleeue God when hee sweares to the truth Now saith the Lord as I liue Ezek. 33.11 I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waie and liue Tertullia in hunc loc He inuiteth by reward he promiseth saluation he desireth to bee beleeued swearing O blessâ—d they for whose cause God doth sweare O most wretched we if we do not beleeue the Lord swearing Hee that beleeueth not God saith Iohn 1. Ioh. 5.10 hath made him a liar If hee will not make God a liar which is the truth it selfe and hath sworne by himselfe that that is true which is spoken by himselfe let him beleeue God that his repentance will not come too late if it comes at all that he might not doubt God hath confirmed asmuch by deed as he hath affirmed by word he pardoneth the theefe repenting at the last gaspe when he was vpon the crosse readie to yeeld vp the ghost hee did but say Luc. 23.42.43 Lord remember me wheÌ„ thou comest into thy kingdome and immediatly againe Iesus said vnto him verilie I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in paradise as Chrysostome saith he needed not so much as one day to repent himselfe Chrysost homil 27. vpon Genesis Cyprian in his first treatise against Demetrian what speake I of one day no he needed not one houre so great is the mercie of God toward vs. VVhat Cyprian therefore writeth to another let him take as spoken to himselfe Although thou doest at thy verie departing out of this worlde and going downe of this temporall life pray vnto God for the sinnes who is the true and only God calling vpon him with a faithfull confession and acknowledging both of thine offences and of his truth thus confessing and beleeuing thou hast free pardon and forgiuenesse giuen and granted vnto thee of the meere goodnesse and mercie of God And in the verie death euen assoone as thou hast giuen vp the ghost thou passest vnto immortalitie For as the same Cyprian againe other where writeth Cyprian in his sermon of the Lords Supper In that verie moment of time euen when the soule is readie to depart away from the bodie and is euen at the lippes of the partie to yeeld vp the Spirit the goodnesse of our most mercifull God refuseth not repentance and whatsoeuer is trulie done is neuer too late done August ser 59. de verbis domini and as Augustine saith Whensoeuer anie man turneth himselfe vnto God all things vtterlie are forgiuen him let no man be doubtfull least any thing happily be not forgiuen As Isidore saith Isid de summo bono lib. 2. Let no man despaire of pardon although he turnes not to repentance till the end of his life For God iudges euery man according to his end and not according to his life bypast and againe In the life of maÌ„ the end is to be sought Ibidem because God respects not what kind of ones before wee liued but what kind of ones we were about the end of our life So then it repents him at length of his sins that hath liued long in his sins let him not thinke his repentance comes too late For it is better to repent late then neuer Late workes good as you haue heard neuer brings death as you may reade Luk. 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall perish Neither let him be euer the more vnwilling to die because his repentance comes late For well he dies that dies repenting and what should he be vnwilling to die that shall die well when hee doth die to that a man should neuer be vnwilling which either he knowes he can or hee is sure he shall doe well either ignorance to doe a thing or assurance that he shall not do it wel is that which makes a man vnwilling to doe it at all Insomuch therefore as he knowes hee must die because he is mortall and that hee may die well if he repents let him neuer bee vnwilling to die that is willing to repent but let him repent earnestlie because he repents late that he may die blessedlie because he repents at all Apoc. 14.13 For blessed are they which die in the Lord and die in the Lord do they which by repentance turne vnto the Lord. Q. Your counsaile is good commend it hee must obey it he would but as yet he thinkes not himselfe fitted thereto R. VVat lackes he yet Q. The trimming of his tombe the making of his graue the getting of things necessarie for the celebrating of his funeral R. And is he for these things vnwilling to dye The further hee goes the simpler hee is did he know or consider what it is to be with Christ in heauen he would neuer be desirous for a graue to stay from him here on earth If he neuer hath any at all it is little to him The losse of a sepulture is nothing Hee is couered with heauen which is not couered with earth He that is sure to be couered with that what neede he care whether he be couered with the other There shall no other thing betide him if hee bee so serued than hath betided many other both better and greater than hee And what should that trouble him when hee hath many in the same miserie to accompany him The prouerbe is The miserie of many sweetens the misery of any If he lookes well about him he shall finde many in this predicament Pompey the great
For hee being asked whether he would die willingly aunswered I die willingly for willingly I go out of my body as out of a rotten house Furthermore both in his sicknes after his health in his health before his sickenes I would wish him to crucify his old mā acquainte himselfe with forsaking the world and the things both of and in the world in few words I would wish him to learne to die while he is like to liue For as a drie tree is sooner burnt then a greene so is he more willingly dissolued that is in spirit mortified then hee which yet with the loue of the world is intangled Chrysost Tom. 5. pag. 502. He which contemneth riches saith Chrisostome and pleasures and vaine glorie for whose sake he doth desire to liue cannot but suffer patientlie his going out of this life For as Seneca saith Hee hath contemned to die Seneca in Traged 3. Chrysost ad populum Antio which doth not couet I told you a day agoe saith Chrisostome to the people of Antioche that we feare death not because it is terrible but because neither the loue of the heauenly kingdome doth enflame vs nor the feare of hell trouble vs nor a good conscience remaine in vs will you that of this importune anxietie I relate vnto you the fourth cause not lesse true than the former wee liue not in that asperitie which is fitting Christians but this softe loose and easie life wee loue so that it is verie likely wee are delighted with these present things But if wee would passe ouer this life in fastings and watchings and a thinne diet cutting off our desires restraining our absurde pleasures suffering the troubles of vertue according to Paule chasticing our body 1. Cor. ◠27 Rom. 13.14 and bringing it into subiection taking no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lust of it quickly would wee desire the things which are to come making hast to be deliuered from our present labours c. For this mortifying of the deedes of the flesh by the operation of the spirit is a readie way to make vs willing to die and vnwilling to liue But the cockring of the flesh and the giuing our selues to delight is that which makes vs altogether vnwilling to leaue this present world and wholly desirous euer to remaine and abide in the same For this we finde by proofe that no man is more vnwilling to die than he that desires to followe the delights of the world and to fulfill the lustes of the flesh If therefore any man would be willing to die he sees what is one point of his dutie by one part of the aduise I giue him More he may see by farther aduise to bee giuen him But my meaning is not to burthen him with precepts all that I will further say is this that I would perswade him to recal into his minde some of those good lessons which all his life long either he himselfe hath read or else heard either read or preached by others For the time of sickenes is the time wherein a man is to make vse of al the good things he hath learned al his life long And he that hath not furnisht himselfe with some thing for that purpose hath not so wel prouided for himself as he ought Neither shall he be so able to stand in the euill day as otherwise he might For it is written is a good weapon to fight with against our aduersarie which then will fight hardly against vs. With it Christ himselfe repeld Satan in his conflict Matthew fourth and with it Paul willes vs to withstand him Ephesians the sixt Matth. 4.4 Ephes 6.17 Take saith he the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Happy is he which can euery way so furnish himself therewith as able he may stand in the euill day and that so as the wicked one may haue no aduantage against him But woe vnto him that being vnfurnisht therewith is not able to withstand any assaults of the wicked him hee will conquer subdue and leade captiue to the kingdome of darknes there to be tormented for euer him hee will trouble molest and afflict him hee will plague punish torment him he will so hardly intreate so cruelly handle so seuerely opresse as curse euer he shall the daie wherein he was borne the yeare in which hee liued and the verie moment of time in which he came thither But further to increase his miserie all his yelling and cursing shal be in vaine Q. God then enarme vs that wee may bee able to stand that standing wee may ouercome and ouercomming wee may bee crowned and being crowned wee may reioyce and reioicing prayse and honour and glorie Apoc. 5.13 and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore R. Amen And whensoeuer God calles hee himselfe giue vs grace to answere him patientlie to goe to him quietly to leaue this world willingly that so dying wee may die aswell obediently as faithfully to his great glorie and our eternall felicitie Q. Amen also to this say I for this at his hands are we euer to aske that so once we may speede for of him it must bee or else it will neuer be Iames 1.17 But I will cease further to trouble you in this poynt I see by your petition you are at a conclusion But yet I will not wholly cease as I remember somtime since sayd that euen when the verie pangs of death were vpon him the religious and well minded sick man was to haue care of three things that he might die in the Lord and be blessed the first was that he might die in faith the second that he might die in obedience the third that he might render againe vnto God his soule which once he had of him and hitherto hath enioyed by him Of this third thing what I pray you might or may your reason bee R. As then it was so now it is diuerse one is because God was the first giuer of it and it is reason when a man is a dying if he hath not done it afore that he restore euery thing to the proper owner Now the proper owner of the soule is God for as hee was the first Creator thereof so was he the sole bestower Eccl. 12.7 Genesis 2.7 Another is because so Christ our sauiour did for when he was dying vpon the crosse for vs this amongst others was his saying Luk. 23. Father into thine hands I commend my spirit And it is reason that the seruant in this case should doe as his master did For euerie action of him the master is the instruction of other his seruants he also hath said First learne of me Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 13.15 secondly I haue giuen you an example that yee should doe as I haue done More ouer the first Martyr that euer was after Christs death did thus Blessed Stephen while his aduersaries the Iewes threw stones at him
second R. So I intend for the first cannot be without a second As therefore first I sayd a man is to prepare himselfe to dye because necessarilie he must dye so secondlie I sayd he must prepare himselfe thereto because continuallie he is dying Q. What whilest he liues is he dying R. Yea whilst he liues and when he flourishes For why as one sayth all his life is but a race to death Euery day death is nigher him by a daye His daye passes and his death approaches As soone as hee begins to liue so soone hee begins to dye As Paule therefore sayd of himselfe 1. Cor. 15.31 I dye daylie because either daylie hee was in daunger of death or daylie there was diminished some part of his life So the woman of Tekoah sayd of all 2. Sam. 14.14 We doe all dye and are as water spilt vpon the ground that cannot be gathered vp againe And well sayd she what she sayd because either daylie wee are in perill of death or daylie there is diminished from vs some part of our life At the end of euery daye wee haue lesse time to liue by a day Both Augustine a diuine writer and Seneca an humaine do testifie as much as is said Sayth the first Where wee begin to liue Sap. 5.13 there by and by wee begin to dye according to that of the wise man assoone as we were borne wee began to drawe to our end And saith the second We dye daylie Seneca Epist 24. for daylie is some part of our life done away and euen then also doth our life decrease when we our selues encrease Our Infancie we haue lost after that our childehoode thenceforth to yesterday our youth What time soeuer is past is perished This verie day which now we liue we diuide with death Q. But what of all this should a man therefore euer the more prepare himselfe to dye R. What else Q. And why R. because it tels him that of necessitie hee must dye For fall one day will that tree that euery day is a falling and once dye certainelie shall that man that euery day is a dying for death permittes no truce Q. All this I graunt yet I see not how the other doth thereupon followe R. You may if you will See you not how a man prepares himselfe to fight with that enemie with whom he can conclude no peace Q. Yes R. Then may you soone see how a man is to prepare himself to stand against death with which he can enter no couenant Q. Belike then death is an enimie R. 1. Cor. 15.26 So saith Paul The last enemie that shall be destroyed is death Q. No maruell then though a man bee to prepare himselfe to encounter with death For no man must be careles of his enimie His enemie is euer too carefull of him thereto But passe from this to the next if you please R. As you please for what pleaseth you shall not displease me Q. Say not so at euery time and turne R. No more I doe As you are a man that sometime may please you which displeaseth me and as I am another that may sometime displease you which for the time greatlie pleaseth me But now because it pleaseth you that I should passe from that which was last sayd to that which is yet to be said letting these things passe I wil passe As first then I said a man is to prepare himselfe to dye because necessarilie he must dye and secondly because continually he is dying So now thirdlie I say he must therefore prepare himselfe to dye because hee certainelie knoweth not either when he shal dye or where he shall dye Syr. 18. 8. or after what sorte and maner he shall dye For as Sirach sayth no man hath certayne knowledge of his death Eccl. 9.12 And as Salomon sayth Man doth not know his time Act. 9.12 but as the fishes which are taken in an euill nette and as the birdes which are caught in the snare so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falleth vpon them suddainely Q. But what ought the ignorance of a mans time to incite him to make preparation for his time R. What else both Christ and others seeme to say so For thus sayth Christ Luk. 12.40 Be ye also prepared therefore Wherefore Because the sonne of man will come at an houre when you thinke not This giueth asmuch as I seeke For Christ cōmeth aswell at the particular Iudgement of a man which is at his death as at the generall which shall be at the dissolution And yet you see his reason is from his comming at an houre when he is not thought of be ye therfore prepared for the sonne of man will come at an houre when ye think not And thus sayth Augustine Thou knowest not in what houre he may come Alwayes therefore watch that so because thou knowest not when he will come he may finde thee prepared when hee shall come It may be for this cause thou art ignorant when he will come that thou maiest be readie whensoeuer he doth come Augustine in quad Epistola The last day is vnknowne that all dayes may be obserued then are remedies prepared too late when deaths perils hang ouer the head Thus also sayth Gregorie Gregorie Lib. 12. moral To this ende our maker would haue our ende hidden and the day of our death to be vnknowne that whilest it is alwaies vnknowne it might alwaies bee thought to bee nigh at hand and that euery man by so much might be the more feruent in working by how much he is vncertaine of calling that while we are vncertaine when we must dye we might alwaies come prepared to death Brandmil Con. funebr To the like effect in like sorte sayth another Therefore to no man is the houre of death knowen that euer we might watch and be readie least being vnreadie and in ill sorte secure wee should bee found sleeping And this is his reason If men did foreknow when they should dye they would shew their diligence about that time that they might not therefore be diligent onely in that time but continually he foresheweth neither a generall houre nor a particular that in alwaies looking for him they might alwaies watch For as Theophylacte well sayth vpon the first chapter of the first of Pauls Epistles to the Thessalonians Theophylact in 1. ap 5. If man knew his last day he would indeuour himselfe to doe any mischiefe other dayes then the end of his life approaching he would be baptized Moreouer many if they knew they should dye to morrow would bethinke themselues how many waies they might molest and afflict their aduersaries as though now they did despayre of themselues and did desire to refresh themselues with their enemies bloud Which thing is not now done for the feare of death staying them the loue desire of eternall life recalling them For the houre of death is