writ vpon thâ— tenters of our owne dispositions would so amaze him that shall reade ouer with aduisement the controuersies of these times as he shall think some of them rather discourses to trie masterie then otherwise sincere trauels imployed for Gods glorie and his Churches good Now God of his mercy grant that once this frowarde crossing worlde may drawe to a Christian harmonie that wee may haue lesse fighting and writing for religion and more indeuouring on all partes to become as we ought more religious that so this little Arke of Christes Church may nowe in the coole of the Euening with a soâ—t gale drawe homewarde and with olde Simeon embracing Christ make readie to depart in peace It is the Wisemans aduise to euerie one Remember thy ende and let enmitie passe And thus much wee beseech at their hands in whose hardest iudgement our cause is so feeble that setting aside all priuate respects they would at last considerwhose gratious protection hath defended so long his and our cause whose louing and watchfull eye hath preserued her who is and God graunt long may bee the staffe of our peace calling to minde that of our Sauiour If you will not beleeue me yet beleeue me for my workes sake For those busie spirits nearer home who would needs gouerne before they haue well learned to obey and that at their first bourding must sit at the helme to guide all how raw how vnskilfull soeuer but experience hath long time since taught the worlde and the ruine of the East Church howe daungerous it is to saile in a ship where the pilots are of a disposition to bee quarrelling within themselues these mens new deuises in matters of meere conceipt haue long seemed vnto themselues better then all the wisdome of the world But may we intreat them at the last to recount with themselues their own follie in making it as they haue done a perfection of godlinesse to call and reckon others vngodly And this cursed scoffing at Noahs nakednesse a sport to delight their sower austerities would to God these strange minded men would listen to the graue counsell of Saint Chrysostome Quod si cupiditate iudican di iudex esse velis sedem ego tibi oâ—tendam quae magnum quaestum tibi conferet nulla animi labe maculabit sedeat meÌ„s cogitatio iudex in animam atque conscientiam tuam adducas omnia delictatua in medium dicastecum quare hoc velillud ausus es If with a desire of iudging thou wouldest needes be a Iudge I will shew thee saith he the iudgement seat which shall be gainfull vnto thee and no way touch thy conscience let thy minde and thought sit downe to giue sentence call forth all thy offences and begin to say with thy selfe why hast thou done this or that This priuate examining of themselues would soone make these publike controllers of all others by plausible pretenses of reformation to looke nearer home and amend in themselues where much is amisse S. Paule blamed their course whose manner was to goe from house to house Esau that lost the blessing was hunting abrâ—â—d but Iacob that had the blessing and the inheritaunce too kept at home The wise man saith Salomon is the first accuser of himself And Iudah spake humblie of an offender when hee said She is more righteous then I. Let these men know that obedience is better then sacrifice and that he who is woont to giue grace vnto the humble is also said to resist the proud Bee they well assured this sleight stuffe will shrinke when it comes to the wetting This counterâ—et coine will proue drosse when it shall be put to the great triall An easier matter is it for deuisers to reproue others then to amend them selues Those who haue a blemish in their eye thinke the skie to be euer cloudie Nothing more common with troublesome dispositions which haue not knowne the way of peace then to bee contending seldome contented what cause soeuer there be otherwise to be thankefull vnto God The Lord by the Prophet Malachie saith I haue blessed you the vnthankful people replied wherein hast thou blessed vs If all be not answerable vnto some mens conceipts all is amisse no blessing of God acknowledged no thankfulnesse at all remembred To let these also go with their childish procâ—edings men are men Truth is truth little need haue we did wee bethinke our selues well in this case to complaine worse we may fearâ— better to come we doe not hope for our rather waÌ„ting then enioying may make posteritte to acknowledge our present good in which case the religious and well disposed may deuoutly say O Lord stablish the thing that thou hast wrought in vs for thy temples sake and Ierusalem A third sort there is who seeing the world deuided into so many parts care in effect for neither of these kinde of men the Apostle could not but with weepinge speake And sure what more lamentable then that men who beare the name of Christians should liue like Pagans and Infidels and say in their hearts with the foole There is no God Is not that of the same Prophet founde true in these mens maners Man that is in houour may bee coÌ„pared vnto the beasts that perish I thâ—nke surely saith Saint Bernard if the beasts could speake they would call godlesse people beasts The â—aunger greâ—â— the perill imminent no feare of God no remembrance of the state present for that to come if euer it were needfull it is nowe needfull comparing what men are with what they should be to call this world to a remembraunce of it selfe If I am a father saith God where is my loue if I am a master where is my feare If there be a heauen where is our caâ—e in directing our liues for the obtaining of the same if there bee anie thing to do these men good a remembrance of their mortalitie and an applying themselues to learne to die shoulde somewhat auaâ—le The hand-writing once against Baltazar caused his verie hart to shake and his knees to knock togither Mene mene tekel peres The worde mene God hath nuÌ„bred thy daies tekel thou art weighed in the ballance I meÌ„ take not heed in time it may bee written of euerie one whose dayes are in the numbring we may feare lest the haÌ„d write peres too which may make al to coÌ„sider both what they are and what they shal be when we see others dead we may coÌ„sider we shall shortly do the like take part in the same lot that they haue done before vs. In the mean seasoÌ„ if death be an enemie as it is saith the Apostle theÌ„ let vs watch it as an enemy preueÌ„t it as an enemy so be a ble to eÌ„dure the assalts therof wheÌ„ need requireth at the houre of our departure rather reioice theÌ„ fear herupon this present discourse of learning to die shall first lay before thee good Christian reader how
bended shoulders shal be a burden when the wheele shall be broken at the Cisterne that is the hart whence the head draweth the powers of life in a word when dust shall turne to dust againe the ioyntes stiffed the senses benâ—mmed the countenaunce pale the bloud colde the eyes closed the browes hardened the whole body all in fainte sweate wearied Heare O earth earth sayth the Prophet Almighty God clothed our first parentes with the shinnes of dead beasts that when they saw what was about theÌ„ they should remember by reason of sinne what shoulde become of them When Christ shewed at his transfiguration vpon the mount Peter and Iames a part of his glory he shewed them withall Moyses and Elyas two dead men are deâ—acted from men which might bee withall a remembraunce of their mortality When the Prophet Dauid spake of mans vncertaine condition and certayne enâ—e in the 49. Psalme because it is so long before the most glorious amongest men in the eye of the world will remember theÌ„selues to be but men First heâ— speaketh vnto all Heare all yee people And least any shoulde thinke themselues exempted theÌ„ vnto all of all estates High and Low Rich and Poore one with an other and because he would haue it knowne to be a matter of importaunce in deede hee sayth My mouth shall speake of wisedome my hart shall talke of vnderstanding vtter inge the selfe-same twise ouer as if wee might wonder what the Prophet had to say which is indeede his own wondering Seeinge that wise men die as well as fooles that death groweth vpon them that their beauty shall consume in the Sepulchre that they shall carry nothing away with them that all their pompe shall leaue them when they go and follow the generation of their Fathers yet for all this they thinke that they shall continue for euer and their dwelling places endure from one generation to another callinge their landes after their owne names this is their foolishnesse saith he And surely as in many other thinges the wisedome of man is foolishnesse with God so is it in this Ioseph of Aramathea a rich maÌ„ as we read in the Gospel had a Sepulcher in his garden Surely in places where we take felicity wee should not but haue a mention by some good thought at least of our mortal beeing In all other affaires wee are often vigilant but in this so remisse as if all wer but a game Did we watch death which in times of our chiefest delighted most watcheth vs and often taketh vs too then would we not liue as we liue and sinne as we sinne but giue a thousande dalliances a bill of diuorce as if for their baggage dealing we would haue no more to doe with them But so long as wee liue wee spend our dayes as if we had an estate of Feesimple or Patent at large to continue as we lift to commit sinne as easily as beasts drinke watâ—r without remorse without feare One of the greatest euils in the life of man is a carelesse neglecte of Gods woorship One of the greatest causes of this neglect is the forgetfullnesse of his ende Therfore saith Gregory doe so many cast off all care of Christian piecy beecause they neuer care at all to minde their present condition of humane frailty When the Prophet Ieremy woulde shewe the state of Ierusalem to haue become altogether irreligious without mentioning many causes hee expresseth the maine cause in briefe as thus Non est recordata finis She remembred not her end So by this wee see Sathan hath no more daungerous deuise to draw men from GOD like Absolom who stole away the hartes of the people when they were goyng downe to doe homage to Dauid their king then by stealing from their hartes this remembrance of their ende The Panther as is written of him knowinge howe beastes flie from him by reason of his oughly head which frayes theÌ„ thrusts onely his head in some secrete corner whilest they gazing on his goodly spotted hide nothinge suspectinge their approaching ende suddenly he breaketh out and prayeth vpon them So this foule headed Panther Sathan perceiuing well how much delight men take in worldly pleasures hideth his deformed head settinge out his fine coulored skinne that is the glory and vanitie of pleasaunt but daungerous delightes whilest in the meane time they neglecting their enemy their ende hee suddenly seeketh to entrappe and deuoure them Wherefore men had neede be prepared and vigilant in thys respect that they may bee euer prouided against his so subtle deceites and Remember their end before it end them that is beefore it be said as vnto Ahaziah Thou shalt not come downe from the bed vnto the which thou art gone vp And that which is chiefest of all beefore the soule by a consumption of sinne pyne to death Blessed Lord who were he not carelesse in the superlatiue degree would not sometimes retire himselfe from this combersome world and remember that which almost hee cannot forgett That he must one day die Why did God leaue saith S. Austen our last day of our life vnknowne to vs was it not because euery day should be prepared of vs which preparing wee may not neglecte vpon paine and perill of losse foreuer Wherefore let them take heede in time who passe ouer their dayes Pharao-like Atheist like sayinge who is the Lorde Wee haue sinned and what euill is happened vnto vs be they well assured that Death like a Sargeant sent from aboue vppon an action of Debt at the suite of Nature her selfe will sooner or later attache and arrest them all and make them aunsweare this high contempt where God himselfe is a party at the Courte of Heauen Let them know that all must yeelde bee they as strong as Sampson as glorious as Herode as mighty as Alexander this tyrant Time will sweepe them all away Moyses vpon the mount Abarim Aaron vpon the mount Hor Methusalath after so many yeares The holiest the healthiest where or when we know not all must downe when death commeth Wee dayly see it and will not sticke sometymes our selues to say as much and yet remember nothinge lesse as if it were onely some arbitrable matter and so wee bring our yeares to an ende as it were a tale that is tolde Of all other we cannot sufficiently maruelle that olde men when as now drooping nature putteth them in minde that their continuance is not long when bended backe makes them looke downe whether they will or no and biddes them thinke of their hearse or graue to see these either addicted to the insatiable desire of gaine or giuen vnto the lightest behauiour of youth shewes them to be far from this religious remembraunce of their ende Sophocles a heathen man would blush for shame to see the most vnseemely matches marriages of our time wherein age and youth are yoaked together a thing so contrary in nature so
all others most louingly keepe and tender it There is none knowes the loue of a mother but a mother There is none knowes the loue of God but God who is loue Wherefore wee are verie vnnaturall to our selues if we should giue testimonie of discontentment when our soules should be deliuered into his handes who is the best preseruer of all Where is our desire with S. Paule To bee dissolued and to bee with Christ. Where is our complayning with the Prophete Dauid That we are not yet come to appeare in the presence of God Where is the longing of Saint Austen to see that head which was crowned those handes which were pearsed for our sins Had wee the loue and faith which these good men had we should rather wiâ—h for the houre of our rest then shewe any vnwillingnesse to departe when God is about to call vs hence Shall naturall inclination ouer-rule the force of Christian hope Can wee forget the prayer of Christ in the garden Father not my will but thine be fulfilled The starres by their proper motion are carried from the West to the East and yet by the motion of obedience to the first Mouer they passe along from the east vnto the west The waters by their naturall course follow the center of the earth yet yeelding vnto the higher body which is the Moone are subiect to her motions The motion of obedience to the will of God who is the first mouer the higher bodie should drawe vs and al our desires how contrary soeuer in nature for hereunto all should yeelde themselues and obediently follow Those who by Alchemie will turne worser mettall into a more pure must first dissolue the worse so if we will change our wils into the will of God wee must cleane dissolue them that his will onely may take place When Christ in the Apocalips saith I come quickly the Saints replie Euen so Amen come Lord Iesus To shew whatsoeuer doeth please Christ coulde not displease them much lesse his comming which is most ioyful to all that feare and loue his name And here we may consider by this meanes of yeelding our selues meekely vnto God wee haue occasion offered to shewe our subiection to his diuine pleasure as Abraham had when God commanded him to offer vp Isaack his sonne nay Isaack his only son and Isaack whom he loued and Isaack in whome rested all the hope of his blessed posteritie Here was a conflict wherein God would see which was strongest in Abraham eyther faith or fatherly affection But Abraham who is called the father of the faithfull and so one that leaues his children an example for the tune to come in this straight resigned his will to the wil of God stood not weighing so high a precept in the light scales or ballance of humane reason but with hope contrarie vnto hope proceeded to the accomplishment thereof The Apostles of our Sauior Christ being willed to launch forth and to passe vnto the other side of the lake stoode not casting timerous doubtes as thus this Genazereth is a danâ—gerous passage yâ— euening draweth on we our selues plaine fishermen none of the skilfullest Pilots but when Christ coÌ„manded them without more ado away they go Now Christ bids vs to put off froÌ„ the shore of our earthly estate what should wee but obediently set â—orward at the other side is heauen the hauen of our hope Againe seeing we must needes away Si aliquando cur noÌ„ nunc If wee must away why not now if not now when There is a time to bee borne saith the Wiseman there is a time to die we came into this world vpon condition to leaue it yeeld vp our liues we must with Codrus that valiant Athenian and that before the field be wonne With the Thebane Captaine let vs not care to change life with death so the victorie may bee ours to say the verie truth we haue no great cause to couet long life in this stony hearted world we see some miseries wise men foresee more the righteous is taken away from the euill to come as God took Iosias because he shold not see the calamitie of the sinfull people For our own estate in particular when deâ—repite age coÌ„meth which we so much wish for before and those fourscore years which is yâ— furthest hope of our strength are wee not theÌ„ combersome to others irksome to our selues In the meane time so many snares and engins are laid by the professed enemie of man to entrap mens soules as wee may with reuerence and loue wonder at the mercy of God in our deliuerie for the time past and peaceablie accept our passage into a place of true securitie now consequently to ensue Last of all a remembrance of the place whither we are going should take vs away as the Angels tooke Lot from Sodome It is vnto a cittie of all continuance Euen that citie where our soules shall liue Let vs send our faith in beleeuing our hope in expecting as losua sent messengers before to view that countrie which God will gâ—ue vs. These messengers will bring vs word that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor the hart of man conceiued the high excellencie thereof which me thinks shold moue men to giue this world a willing farewell To conclude with S. Cyprian let Pagans and infidels feare death who neuer feared God in their life But let Christians go as trauellers vnto their nature home as children vnto their louing father willingly ioyfully One thing saith the Prophet haue I desired of the Lord that I may dwel in the house of my God all the daies of my life The sixteenth Chapter How they may bee induced to depart meekely that seeme loath to leaue worldly goodes wife children friends or such like WHile wee set our affections vpon earthly thinges onely we much affect them and are loath to depart from them but once taking a taste of heauenly we begin to grow out of liking with the basenesse of our former desires and bend all our affections to an earnest expectation of farre better If wee do respect riches Christ hath greater riches in another worlde then all the empire of Alexander can yeelde If honour he hath greater honor then all the thrones of earthly Potentates can afforde For one day in his house is better then a thousand If friends heauen hath the glorious companie of Saintes and Angels who reioyce at our entrance into their common ioy what more â—cceptable then good company together ioyful company The company is good where the righteous liue for euer ioyfull where is nothing but a cheerefull singing of Alleluâ—ah For worldly possessions here we found them here we leaue them The time of our enioying of theÌ„ is vncertaine because we see them ebbing flowing like the sea and we do not possesse them as we ought vnlesse wee are readie at times best beseeming vnto God to leaue them But
vnseemely in reason as nothing more and the inexcusable folly of age to bee so farre from a consideration of that which is seemely both before God and man Tully could say longe agoe of ciuill gouernemente amongest men Aptissima arma senum exercitationes virtutum Olde mens weapons what shoulde they els bee but exercises of vertue In Christianity more fitter wer it a great deale for them to be at their deuotions then to do often as they doe Isaack thoughte it tyme at these dayes to commune of blessing and of his ende My sonne let me blesse thee I am olde and know not the day of my departure They doe as much labour in effect and more that sit at the sterne and gouern as those that toyle and tosse otherwise but to mooue age to this consideration the very beholding of others that goe before them is in reason sufficient When the thirde gouernor ouer Fifty of whome mention is made in the seconde booke of Kings saw but his two fellow Captaines ouer Fifty deuoured before him it went so nere his hart that he came forth fell downe and besought the man of God that his life mighte bee pretious in his sight How many Fifties in late yeares of mortalitie and warre haue we seene or heard to haue beene deuoured by death How many of our fellow Souldiers in this spirituall conflict in which wee all fight haue wee seene die in the fielde How many of our deerest frends haue taken their leaue and gone before and yet for all this there is no comming to make humble supplication I say not to the man of God but to God himselfe that our liues and deathes may be pretious in his sight As is saith Dauid the death of hys saintes The Publicans but hearing the Axe to bee laide to the roote of the tree and that euery tree which did not bringe foorth fruit should be hewen down and cast into the fire it made them come to Iohn the Baptist wyth their Quid faciemus O what shall we doe to avoide these thinges The men of Niniueh hearing but once of their imininent ende it wrought such so great remorse in them as they all out of hand fasted put on sackecloth and sorrowed for their sinnes Often hath God knocked at the doore of our hartes to aduertise vs of our mortalitie For whe is there that hath not sometime experienced in himselfe by feeling the infirmity of his declining nature by auoidinge the perils of apparant daunger beesides the sondry warninges to this effecte whether we must And here wee may all wonder at the mercy and patience of God whoÌ„ by these motiues dooth admonish vs of our approaching ende But yet for all this how little humblinge of our selues is ther before him whose dominion reacheth vnto the endes of the earth whose power is aboue all powers from generation to generation worlde without ende who bringeth to the graue and rayseth vp agayne What a daungerous course is it neuer to awake Christ though the shippe leake and bee often in perrill of drowninge neuer to thinke of God vntill wee stand in neede of him neuer to begin to liue vntill wee are ready to die neuer to call to minde that Time of Times vntill we heare the Trumpe soundinge vntill we see the graues openinge the earth flaming the heauens melting the iudgement hastening the Iudge with all his Angels comming in the cloudes to denounce the last doome vppon all flesh which will bee vnto some wo wo when they shall crye vnto the mountaines to couer them and for shame of their sinnes hide themselues if it were possible in Hell fiâ—e If we haue any feare this shoulde mooue feare If any remembrance this shoulde cause a carefull remembrance of our ende O consider saith the Prophet you that forget God Least he take you away and there be none to deliuer you Saluation is a matter of great earnest Our Sauiour Christ by those parables of the Wise Virgins and Watchfull seruauntes what els doth he teach his Disciples vs all but in so weighty a cause to be carefull in deede Wee haue as much neede as any that euer liued vnder the cope of heauen considering these sinnefull dayes When God saide the wickednesse of men is great vppon earth it was time for Noah to prepare for an Arke to saue himselfe When once the crye of Sodome was ascended to Heauen it was time for Lot to thinke of his departure vnto the Hill countries When this world now after many strong fittes of great contentions beginnes to trifle idlely with euery fancy we may partlye gather by these sickly signes which may it is drawing and say God of Heauen helpe this worlde for it is a weake worlde indeede These bee no dayes to liue securely in but rather time and high time is it for euery one to amend one that God may haue mercy vppon vs all Haue wee not example by them that sleepe vntill the Bridegroomes comminge that euerye knocke will not bee sufficiente warrant to enter By him that wepte for a blessinge when it was too late that euery sigh will not be a satisfaction for our sins T is most sure and we had neede looke to it in time Where the tree falleth there it lyeth And as the last day saith S. Austen of our life leaueth vs so shall the day of Doome finde vs. To let all alone vntill it be too late was their folly who long since were drowned in the floud To cast onely for wealth and ease was his worldly wisedâ—m that made a suddaine farewell from both when that night his soule was taken from him and not yeelded of him To deferre all vnto the last push neuer entringe into a Religious remembraunce of our ende is an effete of that ill spirit called sensuall security which kinde of Spirite is not cast out but by Fasting and Prayer The Third Chapter How behoouefull it is for euery Christian man soberly to meditate of his ende IN the whole Tenure of a Christian life no parte more heauenly then that wee spende in Religious meditation for this Religious meditation no subiect more neerely concerneth the state of man then often to beate vpon a Remembrance of his ende wherin consisteth the Center of al his desireâ— the haruest of all his labours his sâ—re and most happy repose for euer How behoouefull then is it for euery one to sequester himselfe sometimes froÌ„ incombrances of this worlde vacare Deo to bee at leasure for God to call his best thoughts to counsel to this businesse of his soule the manyfold effectes of so good and practise will easily shewe and approoue as much For who is there that with Ezechias will not fall to set his householde his life his soule and all in order when once that of the Prophet mooues his very hart Ezechias moriere Ezechias now God bee
his most great and ample reward wherein there is no ende of his goodnesse no number of his mercies no measure of his wisedome no depth of his bounty So Goâ— doth deale like God himselfe Si tanta in terris moraretur fides quantâ— merces expectatur in coelis if there were so great â—aith in earth as there is reward looked for in heauen saith Tertullian mercifull Lord what loue should wee haue to the life to come Pharao was content at last the people should goe to doe sacrifice but they must leaue their heades of cattell behinde No Moyseâ— will leaue a house in Egipt all our desires must goe with vs in beleeuing that high rewarde of blessednesse so farre aboue all humane desert that is or may be Seneca writeth that Alexander the great giuing a poore man two talentes the man was so astonished with the greatnesse of the gifte as he aunsweared the â—ing Most Princely Sir I am not woorthy to receiue so much to whome Alexander replied I doe not respect good man what thou art meete to receaue but what beseemes me so great a Potentate for to giue God doth not so much regard what we most vnâ—â—oorthy creatures are worthy to receiue as what becommeth him the God of all mercy and magnificence to bestow and giue Herod promised much when hee promised halfe his kingdome but Christ when he giues we finde him giuing an whole kingdome Venite benedicti patris mei accipitote regnum Come yee bessed of my father receiue the kingdome Men are sometimes liberall in promising but more niggardly in performing with God it is not so Againe amongst men the elder or one onely doeth inherite but with God all sonnes are heires all heires inherite and the inheritance too is a heauenly kingdome to raigne to reioyce euer The meditation of this happy ende of man if man did knowe his owne happinesse were inough to make him little respect a thousand worldes nay to say with the Prophet Like as the Hart desireth the water streames so is my soule a thirst for God Oh. when shall I enter those courts of ioy Demetrius Phalerius hearing the Philosophers dispute about the immortality of the soule wretched man that I am quoth he who haue so long liued in the perishing delightes of this crrruptible body â— Wee know not what we loose wheÌ„ we loose opportunity of seeking and buying that pretious pearle for which the prouident husband man should sell all that he hath When the people as wee reade in the two and thirtieth of the booke of Nombers were come to their entrance into the land of promise the children of Ruben and Gad regarding not the promise so often promised desired Moyses that they might stay on the hether 〈◊〉 of Iordan beecause it was a place meete for their droues of cattell which they more respected then their passage into the holy land Are there not some in the worlde not farre vnlike these children of Ruben and Gad. who desire to make their stay heere and would gâ—e no farther for that they esteeme the pleasures and profites of a life temporall more then they doe the incomprehensible ioyes in that life eternall but for the true Israelites all is wearynesse vntill they come vnto the land of rest whereas in other thinges saith Cyprian wee are wont to blame it yet in the expectation of so great a good wee may commend impaciency Woe is me saith Dauid That my pilgrimage is prolonged In thinges that are ordained vnto an ende the rule and measure of all actions is taken from the same which ende is first in the intention and last in the execution Now if blessednesse be mans ende then is it the marke we all shoote at and the scope of all our exâ—erprises whatsoeuer Euery thinge is required for blessednesse and onely blessednesse for it selfe Iacobs seauen yeares seruice seemed but light in regard of Rachell for whome he serued The labour and trauell not of seauen yeares but of all the yeares of our life is nothing in respect of Rachell the fairer the happier state to come And this doth aunsweare the prophane Atheist and meete with the obiection of Iobs frends What good hath thâ— righteousnesse brought thee Or as some would not blush to say in the time of the Prophet Malachy What profite is there by seruing God That most happy reward in the life to come doth strike theÌ„ all dumme that very assistance in the life present may make them amazed Doe but trie me saith the Lord if I will not powre out a blessing vpon you This blessing say the Auncient Fathers is both viae and patriae that is of the way and of the country That which God giueth in the way is spoken of by the Prophet Dauid in the first Psalme where mentioning the state of him that walketh not in the counsell of the vngodlâ— he shal be blessed saith the Prophet and how Looke whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper So saith he of the man that feareth God hee shal be blessed and wherein For hee shall see his childrens children and peace vpon Israell The worlds manner is the Iewes manner who were wont to bring the best wine first Christ he obserues his olde manner and keepes the best vntill the last It is said of Isidot who being at a great banquet and there beholding a great signe of Gods bounty towardes the sonnes of men suddainely he brake out into aboundance of teares and being demaunded the cause why For that quoth he I heere feede on earthly creatures that am created to liue with Aungels as if the remembrance of the time to come did draw his affections as it should do the affections of vs all to a comfortable expectation of the same Our bodiâ—s walke on earth but our soules should bee in heauen by our heauenly desires and wee should frame our affections in forme of a ship thaâ— is close downeward but open vpward in a harty desire of a superâ—our condition The remembrance whereof is like the message of the Angell Gabriell which brought tydines of great ioy which may make the faithfull aunsweare with Ezechias and say The worde of God is good let there be peace and that to peace eternall In the meane tune saith S. Austen Let my minde muse of it let my tounge mention it let my hart loue it and my whole soule neuer ceasâ— to hunger and thirst after iâ— O Lord God of hostes blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee The Sixt Chapter That wee neede not feare Death much lesse to meditate thereof WHen Moses saw his rod turned into a Serpent it did at first somewhat affright him for hee began to step from it but when once God commanded him to take hold thereof hee found afterward by many effects it did him and the people of God much good At first sight Death doth fray our naturall
good or euill my aunsweare is Looke vnto the condition of the life present which if it be passed ouer in vertue O well is thee and happy shalt thou be if otherwise the case is altered Mors peccatorum pessima the death of sinners is worst of all For why they passe ouer their dayes saith Iob in great iollity and suddainely fall into a sea of miseries Because wee know not the day wee should watch euery day because wee know not the hower wee should watch euery hower We see that in matters of waight foresight and deliberation is wont to bring them better to passe The husbandman will take his season the Souldier will watch his fittest time euery one will cast the best way to compasse the businesse hee hath in hande and shall the Christian man be altogether carelesse and negligent in preparing himselfe for his departure God forbid It is the Wise mans wise counsell Ante languorem adhibe medicinam ante iudicium interroga teipsum Before thy languishing griefe consult of the medicine before iudgement examine thy selfe The Prophet Dauid expressing the prouident care and carefull prouidence of an holy man saith Orabit ad te in tempore oportuno Hee shall pray vnto thee in a time conuenient or remember thee O Lorde in a time when thou maist bee found The seruants that saide in their hartes the master dooth deferre his comming the master of those seruantes shall come in a time they thincke not of and giue them their portion where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth But happy are those seruantes who attend his returne these are those that make all cleane and handsomeâ— these are those that sometimes looke foorth sit as Abraham at the entrance of the Tabernacle these are those who haue their loynes girt their lampes burning their oyle ready and waite with the wise virgins for the Bridegromes coming these are those whome their Lord shall finde sic facientes so dooing and therefore make them rulers ouer much take them by the handes and bring them to the participation of euerlasting ioy That menne would well prepare themselues in time while they are their owne men they shall one day finde the benefite of this carefulnesse To him that passeth through darke places one light carried before him will doe him more good then many that are brought after For him that vndertaketh a long iourney abuise beforehaÌ„d wil stand him in stead Of this spirituall voyage the vowe of the Prophet should be the vow and resolution of euery particular man by the assistance of Gods grace Dixi custodiam vias meas I said I will take heede vnto my wayes I religious preparation in time woulde doe men more good then they are aware Christ wepte for the men of Ierusalem whiche would not weepe for themselues and all was because they knew not the thinges that did belonge vnto their peace Antiochus after his many iniuries â—ffered vnto the people of the Iewes and vnto the temple of God it selfe taking sacriligiously froÌ„ thence the ornamentes appointed for Gods seruice when the Lord called him to aunsweare the cause at his owne consistory he could then wish hee had neuer medled with sacred goods onely consecrated ad pios vsus to Church to godly vses When Pharao saw the Sea ready to swallow him hee could then no doubt be sorry that euer hee had wronged poore innocents and oppressed Gods owne portion When sleepe is gone from their eyes and rest from their tossed beds then many may wish that they had vsed lesse oppression then they haue that they had fasted often with the Apostle prayed with Daniell wept with Mary Magdalen liued in meane estate and so haue feared God rather then to haue inioyed the pleasures of sinne for a season which they find to be ful of bitternesse at the last These thinges should be considered in time and here is the time They shall seeke me saith Wisedome speaking of negligent sinners but they shall not finde mee and why because they seeke when it is too late The foolish virgins may call Lord Lord but when the Bridegroome is past and that mild countenance of Christ turnd away the woefull plight of these virgins shal be such as it were inough to breake their hearts with sorrow and such sorrow which shall neuer cease to wound their very distressed soules Had wee not need then in a case of such importance to stande euermore ready by a serious preparation for our ende to hold vs fast in the feare of God and to waxe olde therein as Syrach counselleth vs. Moreouer our coÌ„tinuance here beeing onely certaine in vncertainety and therefore saith one Nobis certam solicitudinem imponat incerta conditio In any case let our vncertaine condition put into vs a certaine carefulnesse of our estate to come If in any thinge that care of the Prophet is to bee remembred who would not suffer his eyes to sleepe nor the temples of his head to take any rest it should surely in this of all other be â—emembred Who would pasâ—e a day in sinnefull security Whâ— would lay him downe in that 〈◊〉 of life wherein hee would 〈◊〉 loath to depart this Tabernacle Doe not many meere with death and are often surprised at places of greatest triumph where men are wonte to thinck of nothinge lesse Now merry within short time mourned for A boane in the meate a 〈◊〉 in the cup. The laying wait of an enemy hath made many a stout champion after manifest peâ—ls escaped in the middest of hatefull enemies to yeeld by so weake a meanes whether they would or no. Many good friendes oftentimes in the worlde shake handes at partinge and wee see their nexte meeting is at heauen Wherefore when wee keepe our solemne assemblies we had neede keepe them religiously minded for we know not whether wee shall euer keepe them any more When wee make our humble repentance to God wee had neede doe it sincerely in deede Sathan hee is busie because his time is short and therefore his wrath is the fiercer But wee remembring the continuance of time should vse all diligence and therefore our care should be the greater to preuent the subtile Serpent The Church doth pray and that in most Christian manner too that the faithfull may be deliuered from suddaine death And surely great cause hath the sober Christians man to desire rather leysurely to yeelde himselfe to God then to bee taken in a moment from the society of men To haue a good departure out of the worlde may bee a good mans prayer and to close vp the course of life with a treatable dissolution is that faire Christian ende wee may all beg at the handes of God Notwithstandinge when the minde is well prepared and euery day resigned to his will who knoweth better then our selues how best to bring vs to his kingdome Though the Christian end the dayes of his transitory life by
a more short riddance from these bodily inâ—rnâ—ities the suddainenesse with Gods helpe is no preâ—â—dice vnto his future good that liues euer prepared for the day of his departure and they are not ouertaken with death how suddainâ—ly soeuer they are gone that dayly mind the tune of their dissolution Wee may remember that if wee respecte our estate and condiâ—ion of life we are all at one and the selfe same stay Considera saith S. Bernard non qualis sis sed qualis fueris consider not so much what thou art as what thou shalt be What is become of all Adams posterity for these many hundred yeares passed excepting a remnant that must shortly follow after are they not all gone Moyses mentioning the age of those who liued before the floud when as yet the dayes of man were of more continuance then they are saith All the dayes of Seth were nine hundreth and twelue yeares and hee died All the dayes of Iered were nine hundreth sixty and two yeares and he died All the dayes of Methushelah were nine hundreth sixty and nine yeares and hee died that same mortuus est and he died will yere long bee the clause appliable to vs all In the meane season we reade the Epitaphes of others follow the Funeralles of some deere friends we see many as those on whom the Tower in Siloa fell gone in a moment warninges sufficient if warninges will serue to make vs liue prepared for our ende Carelesse men saith one are not vnlike dissolute seruitors in princes courts who hauing their allowance of lights spend them out in riot and so at last are faine to go to bed darkling prouident Christians haue a foresight to thinke of the time to come consider this transitorie estate will haue an end and therefore prepare for an other world where they may haue a stay or perpetuity of rest Now then to bee euer in a readinesse for the giuing vp our accâ—unt to God to liue prepared for the day of death the vncertaintie of life the waightinesse of the charge may iustly moue vs all to bee carefull indeed Howe much therfore it concerneth vs in time of health to prouide for another world euery one doth see we haue not two souls that wee may hazard one God willed his people vpon their passage out of Egypt to haue their loines girt their staues in their handes their shooes on their feete that there might be no let when the time of their deliuery should come wee know not how soone God will sende vs from this Egypt Iesus Christ graunt we may keepe our Pasouers with soules prepared to bee gone Who so feareth the Lord saith the Wise man it shall go well with him at the last and hee shall find fauour in the day of his death The Tenth Chapter Wherein is shewed the maner of preparing or the state and condition of life wherein the christian man should stand prepared for death THe meane then to die the death of yâ— righteous is firll to liue the life of the righteous The meane to sit with Abraham is here to walke with Abraham for God hath appointed a vertuous life to go in order before the great reward of eternall life not as the cause but as the consequent of our blessed righteousnesse in Christ our Sauiour What remameth but to frame the premises as we would fine the conclusion To sow as we would one day reape for those that will lie soft must make their bed thereafter and to liue the life wee hope to liue is in a generalitie here to liue religiously The old Christians made the worlde to reade in their liues that they did beleeue in their hearts and Heathen men to say this is a good God whose seruants are so good Therefore then this godly and holy conuersation of life what better state for a Christian man to stand in euer prepared sor his end Was not that a memorable protestation of Samuel when before his death in the presence of all the people he declared as thus his integritie of life Behold here I am beare recorde of me before the Lord and his anointed As if he should haue said giue me my quiâ—tâ—s est at parting whose oxe hâ—u I taken to whom haue I done wrong The peoples replie in effect was now God be with thee good Samuel to whoÌ„ thou art going and so with mournfull heartes they gaue him this testimonie at parting That of Saint Paul when hee tooke his farewell of the men of Ephesus who wept abundantly for the words he spake being chiefly sorie they should see his face no more I take you to recorde this day I am pure from the blood of al men I haue couered no mans siluer or gold After so good a life was not this a good farewell That of Simeon a iust man one that â—eared God and waited for the consolation of Israel who imbracing Christ prayed to depart in peace O good life saieth an ancient father what a ioy art thou in time of distres It made the some father neither ashamed to liue any longer because hee had liued honestly nor afraid to die because he had a good Lord. Plutarch writeth of Pericles that he neuer caused man to weare sorrowfull attire he was so harmlesse And of Lysander that hee was more honoured after his death then euer he had beene in all his life hee was so vertuous But the Wise man speaking of the seruants of God who passed through the darkenesse of this world with lamps in their liues which did both light themselues and others The righteous saith he are had in a perpetuall remembrance their bodies are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore For such is the power of vertue as it makes men not onely honoured when they are aliue but also when they are dead and it is wont to take them out of their graues and cause them to liue in the mention of long posteritie hauing their names registred and inrolled with the Saints of heauen These stood euermore vpon their departure hauing that heauenly treasure of a good conscience hauing peace and tranquilitie of mind When the euill are tossed saith the Prophet Esai as the raging waxes of the sea their name perisheth saith the Wise man as if they neuer had beene Thus the innocent life like the watchfull seruant openeth the doore gladly when his maister knocketh but the riotous seeketh corners being ashamed to be seene the one is quit by a ioyfull proclamation the other found guiltie at the barre of his own conscience He that will say with the Apostle Mors mihi lucrum Death is to mee aduauntage must liue with the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omni bona conscientia with all good conscience Thus much ingenerall of preparing our selues for the time of our dissolution in particular to come nearer home the applying of himselfe to Faith Hope and Charitie is that