Others haue fallen into bodily dead sownes by their heauenly visions and rauishments of the inward man as Iohn surnamed the Diuine Reuel 1.10.17 such Daniel Dan. 8.16.17 when groueling on the ground hee lay as dead so Ezekiel by the Riuer Kebar with many moe Now Reasons why the godly haue oft extraordinary rauishments the Reasons why God doth thus delight and oft as it were ouer-ioy his Children are First to giue them some taste and feeling of his loue and fauour to them euen as a Master will oft shew to his Seruant some argument of his loue and a Father declare to his childe some testimonie of his fatherly affection so deales God with his Secondly to incourage them against crosses the Marriners heart would breake if he should alwayes be tossed in such stormes as Ionas and Paul tryed without euer any merry gales The Traueller would be too much perplexed with continuall showrings and tempests without any intermission or interposition of refreshing Sunnie beames so were the world and worldly woes insufferable and intolerable to a weake and wearied Christian if the holy Ghost the Comforter should not wonderfully blow and breathe and reflexe vpon vs. Thirdly that they may haue some good relish and feeling of those better and more lasting and euerlasting ioyes of which they shall haue ere long the fruition of which these are certaine Images and Ideaes sparkes and reflexions for euen as the wicked and the reprobate in the rage and hell of their conscience feele oft-times certaine flashings of hell-fire which are as it were summoners to iudgement Heraulds of their damnation and Prologues of their Tragicall execution so God distils into the hearts of the righteous hidden and holy heates as it were drops of that fountaine of life with which they shall be refreshed and glimpses from the Sunne of Righteousnesse with whose beames they shall be rauished Vse 1 Of Redargution This then first reformes their mindes or refutes their madnesse that thinke the estate of Grace to be most comfortlesse Many millions in the world thinke the Professors of the Word to be depriued of all inward and outward ioyes men as retchlesse as richlesse as forlorne in their soules as forworne in their bodies they appeare to them as budlesse and beautilesse Trees and withered branches and why because they cannot discerne any thing in them but sighing and sobbing and wayling and weeping and Melancholy and solitarinesse they will not be sociable vvith their neighbours in gossipping and company-keeping in walking abroad and talking in pratling and prating at home in meetings and merriments in Tauernes and Tipling-houses in feasts and frolickes in sports and pastimes in dallyances and drinkings in gurmundizing and gluttony they neyther care for worldly play as Carding or Dicing c. nor to see Playes the Baudes of loose lust therefore they maruell how they liue since they are neuer merry Hence the Lords owne Simions gracious and godly men such as haue set their faces to Sion framed aright their life and fitted for death are censured and derided as dastards and dotards as silly and simple as Monkish Monasticall Stoicall and vnciuill men nay as fantastiques and fooles hence comes the hellish Prouerb Gods followers Gods fooles that Gods Sheepe Gods Geese Gods Ganders and such like Blasphemies but alas poore deluded Soules they must know that as our Sauiour Christ had meate to eate vvhich the Iewes knew not of and as he was to goe whither his Disciples wist not of so the true Christian and beleeuer hath comforts here that the world knowes not of and is to goe to endlesse and prizelesse comforts hereafter such as worldlings wot not of here they haue the testimony of a good conscience as had * Acts 24. The description of a good conscience Paul which is a continuall feast a continuated Christmas alwayes Iubile yeere the golden bed of Salomon the beautifull Porch of the Temple Fidus achates a holy and a happy companion Secondly they haue the loue of God shed abroad in their hearts by the Spirit of God Thirdly they haue those extraordinary ioyes and sodaine extasies chiefely in their Soliloquies and deuotions with God the Sunne of his goodnesse shining vpon them in the heate and light in the comfort and power of the Spirit euen after they haue rayned powred and showred downe their teares into the Lords bosome which they would not exchange for Crownes and Empires Fourthly like Steuen and Paul and Simeon here they are euen filled with the holy Ghost tasting of such ioyes which are but the first fruits of the Spirit and the earnest of their inheritance in heauen as none know but those vvhich experimentally feele For as none knowes the loue of a Parent to his Childe but those that are Parents nor of a good Shepheard to his Sheepe a good Pastour to his people but hee that is a good Shepheard indeed so none knowes the comfortable condition of a good Christian liuing and dying but hee that is a Christian indeede a common Christian a naturall man a wicked man a ciuill honest man knowes it no more then a young childe doth Greeke and Hebrew discernes it no more then a blinde man doth colours feeles it no more then a stocke or a stone or a dead man esteemes it no more then Esau doth his Birth-right or the Prodigo his patrimonie then Aesops Cocke 1 Cor. 1.23 a Pearle accounts of it as the Iewes and Gentiles and all profane men account of the Gospell euen meere foolishnesse and therefore they so blatter and blaspheme and like bruite beasts speake euill of those things Iude v. 10. and those persons which they know not but I will assure thee how ere thou thinke the poore and penitent Christian the sincere and zealous to raue as the Iewes thought of Ieremy to be distract or mad or besides himselfe as Festus thought Paul Act. 26.24 as Christs Country-men thought of our Sauiour to bee simple men and fooles c. yet neuerthelesse they know with Dauid that it is better to be a doore-keeper in Gods house nay to suffer affliction with Moses and Gods people then to inioy the pleasures of sinne then to inioy all the priuiledges in Pharaohs Court then to reioyce here for a while with Diues Luke 16. Eccles 12. and Salomons young man and then to quake in Iudgement and be damned in hell yea they euen in this vaile of teares haue more ioy in their fasting then thou in feasting more in praying then thou in playing more in sighing then thou in singing for euen in the midst of mirth the heart of the vvicked is heauy vvhen GOD strikes and Conscience gnawes but the godly are merry in prison are comforted in persecution Act. 16.25 reioyce after stripes Acts 5.41 Ionas 2.1.2 prayse God in the deepe and in the Whales belly blesse GOD after hee hath smit them and exult in Spirit in their old yeeres as did Simeon Besides thy
inexorable as vnresistible with his Trophies ouer all 283 We must not too much loue this life which we must shortly leaue 287 Those that loue life must hate Sinne the cause of death 289 Death onely makes the Prince and the poore man equall 291 Deaths effect in equalizing all illustrated by fit similies 296 Sixe Reasons further shewing the necessitie of dying 299 How euen in liuing wee dye and are dead in part 301 By how many meanes we dye 304 Diuers examples of seuerall sorts of deaths violent and naturall 305 Some cut off in the midst of their lawlesse lusts 309 Our dayes abbreuiated in respect of the long liues of the Patriarkes 316 Foure causes of the long continuation of things 318 Because our life is short we must spend it well 319 Our many sinnes to be mourned for and why 320 The practise of Epicures and profane men reproued and threatned 321 How wee must sow in teares in this short seed-time 323 Further vse to be made of our short time 325 Our life is laborious and miserable euery calling hauing his crosse 328 No place priuiledged from foure things 1. Sathan tempting 2. The hearts wandring 3. Ill tongues biting 4. The world crossing 330 Examples of humane calamities 331 Twelue meanes to get that peace with God which the world wants 334 The vanitie of life with all the things in life truely discouered 336 The world truly described by eleauen similies 340 How Christ in his practise crossed all the worlds proceedings 342 The benefits of death to a Christian vnder the Crosse 343 God oft cals away the best soonest 345 How death is fearefull and not fearefull 347 Death is onely a departure out of life not a finall destroyer 348 Eight Arguments prouing the Resurrection of our bodies 351 Illustrations from Nature that our bodies shall rise 352 Foure Reasons besides from the Word 354 The Christians comfort in the consideration of our Resurrection 355. 356 That wee may rise ioyfully we must liue holily in tenne particulars 359 Tenne Arguments to proue the soules immortality 362 Seauen moe from the Word 364 Death vnmasked what it is to the godly 365 Reproofe of those that respect the body more then the soule 367 The seruants of God alwayes dye in peace 369 The godly oft haue their desires at before and in their deaths 372 The very last words recorded which the Saints vttered in their death beds 374 How great men haue liued and dyed good men 377 Reasons why the godly depart in peace 379 Nine Obiections answered that seeme to contradict the peaceable departure of the Saints 380 Nine Reasons that his death may be good that dyes of the Plague 384 How selfe-murther doth not alwayes imply a wretched death 387 Hee that would dye well must liue well 389 The fearefull ends of wicked persecutors in euery age 391 An ill life the vsuall Prologue to a Tragicall death 395 None can repent when he will 397 The Word layes downe a way to a blessed death 402 Death is certaine yet vncertaine 403 The paines of Hell without remission or redemption 405 Repentance is not to be deferred till death 406 The danger of deferring discouered 408 The Theefes Repentance vpon the Crosse examined 412 Sixe effects of Deaths meditation 417 The life of Faith brings dying Peace 429 Repentance the meanes of peace with God 430 How to dye daily three wayes 433 How to leaue the damnable custome of Swearing 434 Eighteene things to be prayed for that death may be prosperous 437 A good conscience in life brings peace in death 442 Sixe causes of sickenesse besides sinne 445 With fiue duties to be done in sickenesse 446 The sicke man must send for a Minister before the Physitian and carnall friends 451 The necessitie and lawfull vse of Physicke proued and vrged 455 Rules obseruable in the vse of Physicke 457 Against seeking to Witches and Charmers in sickenesse 459 Reconciliation and Restitution vrged 461 Fiue Reasons why a sicke man must make his Will 465 Foure Rules in making all Wills 466 A Christian carriage prescribed in the houre of death 468 Twenty seuerall Comforts in the death of friends 1 Because God takes them away 470 2 The Saints haue beene patient spectators of the deaths of their deare friends 471 3 If he dyed in the faith of Christ he is translated from this life to a better 472 4 He is blessed being dead in the Lord. ibid. 5 Hee is returned home to his Fathers house ibid. 6 He is inseperably vnited vnto God the chiefest good 473 7 He is marryed vnto his Bridegroome Christ ibid. 8 His warfare is now at an end ibid. 9 Being here a pilgrime hee is returned into his owne Country 474 10 Thou hast not lost but left him ibid. 11 He shall be restored vnto thee againe at the Resurrection ibid. 12 Ere long thou shalt goe vnto him 475 13 His better part is yet liuing ibid. 14 His estate is bettered by death ibid. 15 Thou sorrowest for that could not be preuented 476 16 Thou hast many companions in thy sorrow ibid. 17 Thy impatient sorrow hurts thy selfe 477 18 Thy extreame sorrow is as fruitles at faithlesse ibid. 19 The Lord thy best friend is still liuing ibid. 20 They are insensible of thy sorrow 479 Twenty Cordials against the crosse of sicknes 482 And Meditations how to beare the intollerable burthen thereof 499 Eight seuerall Consolations against the vnkindnes of mercilesse Friends 500 1 Thy case is not singular but ordinary ibid. 2 The Saints haue had the same measure 501 3 Christ himselfe was maliced of his owne brethren ibid. 4 There hath beene hatred amongst the nearest friends by nature ibid. 5 Though thy friends forsake thee yet God careth for thee 502 6 As thy friends are vnkinde to thee so thou hast beene vnthankefull to God ibid. 7 God hath elected thee though man reiect thee 503 8 Though thou canst not see thy friends here with comfort yet ere long thou shalt see God as hee is ibid. Thirteene Preparatiues against Pouertie 504 1 It is the prouidence of God that thou shouldest be poore 504 2 Thy crosse is not singular 505 3 Pouertie is no token of Gods displeasure ibid. 4 A little with the feare of God is better then great riches of the vngodly 507 5 As well Pouertie as Riches fals out to the best to them that feare God ibid. 6 The Lord knoweth what is best for thee ibid. 7 Pouertie hinders not the acceptance of thy Prayers 508 8 If thou be poore in spirit thou art rich in Christ 509 9 Pouerty is no hinderance to thy saluation 510 10 The lesse thou receiuest the lesse shall thine accounts be 511 11 The Lord hath a care of thee euen for the things of this life 512 12 And can blesse a small portion vnto thee 514 13 Christ himselfe and the most excellent Saints haue beene poore on earth 516 MOSES His sight of Sion applyed to encourage and direct euery Christian to
in their Christian courses fourthly thy sinceritie in thy profession approued fiftly Gods graces in thee magnified sixtly and aboue all his name glorified 15 It is the good inheritance of the godly and the horrour of the vvicked 15 In thy death thou shalt be distinguished from a carnall and a prophane man for commonly the sicke bed shewes the sicknesse or the health of the soule the death shewes the life diuiding and iudging the estate of the visited as Gideon diuided his company by lapping of water Iudg. 7.1 and as the Ephramites were distinguished from the Israelites by pronouncing Shiboleth For looke at the godly from time to time and the last acts they did and the last words they spake were the most sacred seasoned and sanctified of their whole life but it hath beene contrary in the wicked and God is the same God to thee that hee was to them if thou beest a beleeuer Looke into particulars the last speeches of dying Saints as they haue beene full of grace so they are worthy relating and remembring and applying Acts 7.60 The last period of S. Steuens life was prayer for his enimies and for his owne soule 1 Kings 2. v. 1. to 11. the last words of Dauid holy exhortations to his Sonne Salomon to obserue the Statutes and Ordinances of the Lord and the disposing of some particulars of which hee gaue him cautions the last acts of old Iacob Gen. 48. Gen. 49. Prayer and prophecying concerning his sonnes and posteritie the like comfortable end made Abraham Iob old Simeon Moses Gen. 25.8 Iob 42.17 Luke 2. and other of the Saints in the old and new Testament The like wee read of Ambrose whose conclusion in his death-bed was that hee was neyther ashamed to liue nor fearefull to dye because he had a good Lord. Vide cent Magd. sic Grin in Apotheg morientium Bernards death was grounded vpon the sure hope and Anchor of Gods mercy though hee liued in corrupt times Oecolampadius told his visitors newes in the last speech hee vttered namely that hee should shortly be with the LORD IESVS Mr. Caluin with Dauids heart repeating Dauids Psalmes mourning in the Spirit for his sinnes his soule was sent out of his body like Noahs Doue out of the Arke Melancthon in his last farewell to life professed he was exceeding willing to dye because it was the Lords will praying for a happy and ioyfull departure hee had his desire presently sealed Peter Martyr gaue a comfortable farewell to his brethren and deare friends acknowledging saluation onely in Christ the Redeemer in which faith as he liued so he dyed That halfe miraculous man Luther in his death abounded as with prayer so with praises and thankesgiuings that the Lord had reuealed Christ vnto him and made him an instrument to discouer Antichrist and to oppose him Annas Burgius cryed in her last cryes Lord forsake not mee least I forsake thee Mauritius the Emperour in his last fainting gaue glory vnto GOD that was righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes Saint Augustine wept vpon his sicke couch for many dayes together and so was his soule ferryed to Christ in a floud of teares as Peter walked to Christ on the Sea of waters I might giue your meditations matter enough to worke vpon in reflexing vpon infinite examples related by Authors to which euery faithfull Minister that vseth to performe this dutie of visiting the sicke like a spirituall Physitian discerning the estate of the soule addes his Probatum est in ioyfull experience of many whose dying hath beene suted and sorted to their liuing both gracious both glorious Why then shouldest thou feare for to the righteous there shall be peace at the last Esay 57.2 therefore liue by Faith beleeue the Promises and apply them and be comforted in Gods mercy to others but as for the wicked it is not so with them they shall bee like the chaffe scattered in the winde for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esa 57.21 the prolong of their wicked life ends in a fearfull Tragedie in death for though in respect of the body and the outward man Eccles 2.16 there is the same condition to the vvise and the foolish to Nabal and Salomon godly Ionathan perishing in the field as well as wicked Saul 1 Sam. 31.2.3 Ezekias strucke with the plagues boyle Esay 38.21 Asa goutie in his feete nay 2 Chron. 35 23 euen good Iosias wounded in the Battell and the rest of the godly being afflicted in sickenesse as pittiously and dying oft times as painefully whether in a naturall or a violent death euen as the wicked as appeares in the exquisite torments of the Martyres in the Primitiue Church in the crucifying of Peter and Paul with their heads downewards Ar. in probl de cruce c. yea euen in the very Passion of Christ himselfe yet in respect of the inward man and dispositions of their soules in death there is as great difference betwixt them as there was in their carriage and conuersation in life And therefore as you haue heard the godly praying or praysing and blessing GOD speaking graciously sending out their spirits ioyfully and dying comfortably so prophane men dye eyther carelesly and blockishly for the most part their hearts being frozen and their consciences benummed and seared without any touch in soule or remorse for sinne which kinde of dying though our sottish silly common people commend as the most happy and blessed death when they goe away quietly like Lambes as their stupiditie and blindnesse thinke yet indeede they dye like Beasts and Dogs without any life of grace or feeling of the Spirit in the power or comfort of it nay senslesly like stockes and stones as is said of Nabal whose heart was like a stone within him 1 Sam. 25.37.38 or else desperately and ragingly impatiently as impenitently belching out blasphemies against both the Maiestie and the Mercy of God Thus Iudas cryes hee hath sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Mat. 27.3 but hath no Faith to apply that bloud to the washing away of his bloody treason 2 Mach. 9.13 Thus Antiochus Epiphanes dying is tormented inwardly with the gripes and conuulsions of conscience as with the rage of his sickenesse so Iulian the Apostate in his last act of life from his infected lungs sent out venome against Christ calling him in dirision victorious Galilean Thus Eccius dyes execrating his Popish on-setters in frustrating his golden hopes when they had clapt their hands to animate him to barke at Luther and the Protestanâ—s The like end made Latemus Hoff-maister Spira and other Antichristian Champions being not vnlike in their sinne Thus Gardiner dyes confessing that hee had sinned with Peter but could not repent vvith Peter Cornelius Agrippa cursing his attending Spirit that stood by him in the forme of a blacke dog Others paralel in the like sinnes making like proportioned ends vnlesse it be in
the end of life when a man is halfe dead yea when he lyes drawing on and gasping for breath as though we were able then to worke Miracles and recouer him If I knew not these things by experience â—f I had not beene present with some of whose sickenesse I neuer heard till I came to the closing vp of their dying eyes if I had not spent much spirits with some that were no more intelligent what I prayed or what I said then stockes and stones who for a good space before in their sicknesse had strength of Memorie and naturall powers I should not now so occasionedly haue giuen thee a caueat to preuent the like preposterous course when God casts thee on thy sicke-bed Now followes such duties as concerne the body of the sicke man they are two 1. vsing 2. right vsing the meanes The meanes is good and wholesome Physicke which we must esteeme as an ordinance of God for our recouery in this case For how euer many chiefely the vulgar and common people despise Physicke as a thing needlesse and vnprofitable hauing from blindnesse and ignorance a preiudicate opinion of it yet the Scriptures approue it Mat. 9.13 the Saints of God haue practised it Ezekias by the Prophets prescription applyed to his boyle a lumpe of dry Figges 2 Kings 10.7 which Figges Galen lib. 1. de arte curat c. 6. euen Galen prescribes as an ordinary medicine to soften and ripen tumours in the flesh therefore the cure was not altogether miraculous as some thinke but in part naturall Besides The lawfull vse of Physicke plainely proued did not the Samaritane Luke 10.34 poure into the wounds of him that trauelled from Ierusalem to Iericho Wine and Oyle which Valesius makes a right Physicall practise Wine seruing to clense the wound and ease the paine within Oyle to supple the flesh and asswage the paine without to which kinde of curing it seemes Esay hath relation Esay 1.6 Besides as the phrase is as there is no sore but there is a salue for it so God hath giuen vnto some men Art and Skill how to apply the medicinable vertues that are in Beasts Birds Fishes Hearbes Plants and Fruits c. to the cure of man which who so neglects neglects the meanes and so directly tempts God in which respect his death can neyther be so comfortable nor conscionable as if hee had submitted himselfe to this ordinance of God Therefore since thou maist vse Physicke lawfully and commendably let it be thy care in the second place to make choise of such a Physitian as is skilfull and conscionable I know there are some of great h Forrest de vrâ—â— Iudicijs lib. 3. Lang. lib. 2 Epist â—1 iudgement that doe accept against the skill of those Physitians that administer to their Patients vpon the bare inspect of their Vrine without further knowledge of their estates affirming this iudging by the vrine to be very deceitfull since the water of him that hath the Plurisie or the Inflamations of the Lungs or the Squinancie as also of him that hath a quartan or any intermitting Feauer chiefely if they haue kept a good dyet from the beginning lookes for substance and colour as the water of a vvhole man Others take also exception against those which will administer no Physicke nor vse Phlebotomie without the direction of iudiciall Astrologie a supposed Art in which there is much superstition little certainetie i See Heidon against Iud. Astro So Haiword his preseruatiue against the poyson of supposed prophesies whereas it is thought that it is a farre better course to consider the matter of the disease with the disposition and ripening of it as also the courses and Symptomes and Crisis of it then to minister Purgations and let bloud no otherwaies then they are counselled by the constitutions of the Starres But I meddle not with their Mysteries I see but with others eies in this case I know the Cobler is not to goe beyond his last onely make thou choyse of a meete Physitian for thy health as thou art carefull of a good Lawyer for thine estate and of a good Diuine for thy soule Meddle not with Emperickes Quacksaluers Women-Physitians and the like who oft doe more harme then good Now in the third place What to doe in taking Physicke vse this meanes of Physicke conscionably 1. Let it be sanctified vnto thee as thy meate and thy drinke by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.3 Commend it to Gods blessing for restoring of thy health if it be the will of God 5. Rules obseruable in the vse of physick 2. Humble thy soule that God may heale thy body 3. Perswade thy selfe that it can neyther preuent olde age nor death but still prepare thy selfe for thy departure 4. Relie not onely vpon the meanes but waite Gods leasure in blessing the meanes 5. If thou recouer be thankefull to God a dutie much neglected as it was of Ezekias as also of the nine clensed Lepers in the Gospell so of many in our daies for which the Lord is angry euen as hee vvas vvith them 2 Chron. 32.24 25. Luke 17.17 vvherein they are more vnthankefull vnto God then the Ephesians were to Esculaepius that writ in Tables all the cures done by Physicke and hung it vp in Diana's Temple where Hipocrates found it Thus thou hast the dutie to be performed in sickenesse both in respect of thy soule and body for the furtherance of thy peaceable departure I should now conclude but that the cursed custome of the world cals mee in conscience to condemne the practise of those that contrary to these prescriptions from the Word in their sicknesse seeke for help from Sathan as Ahazia that sent to Baalzebub the God of Ekron and that eyther directly or secondarily when they runne to Coniurers Southsayers Charmers Inchanters Witches Wizards Wise-men and Wise-women as the vnwise deluded Country-people call them who are in farre more respect with the common people and some great ones too and more sought after then eyther God is sought to by prayer or the Physitians for Physicke for if any of these simple soules be in any extremitie by sicknesse or diseases or their Wiues Children c. euen as they doe also like beasts for their beasts and Cattell such a Wise-man such a Wise-woman such an old Hag such a white Witch such a shee-Diuell must be sent to Earnest inuectiues against such as in extremities seek to Witches and Charmers with disswasiues from such Idolatry Alas what is this but to runne from the God of Israel to the God of Ekron from Samuel in Ramoth to the Witch at Endor from the Riuers of Samaria to the Waters of Damascus from the liuing to the dead from God to the Diuell What is this but to fall downe and worship the Diuell to sacrifice to him with the poore Virginians and the Heathenish Sauages Oh Atheisticall Sots is there not a God in Israel Therefore take