so great a cloud of witnesses wee doe not cast away euerie thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast oâ— tunning with patience the race that is set before vs and looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God And here me thinks vpon the sense and sight of sin which swarmeth euerie where to the subersion of states and destruction of soules I finde no cause of such so great excesse as that with men there is no passion of their mortalitie there is no impression of their eternitie For and if there were assuredlie then oderunt peccare 〈…〉 i virtutis amore oderunt peccare mali for midâ—ne poenae The good they would not sinne in loue of vertue and the euill they durst not sinne for feare of punishment Did the sinner but think of this that Tophet is prepared of old and that euen for the mightie as well as the meanâ— it is prepared That the gulfe thereof is deepe large and tâ—e burning is fiâ—â— much wood with the breath of the Lord like a riuer of bâ—imstone still to kindle it I say had hee but a passion of these things little do I doubt but his heart would fall his soule would shrinke and he would leaue sinne for feare of punishment To passe ouer a due regard of these things and to come to the tenth of our lost time and carelesse dayes pittifullie spent and wasted in wofull securitie Did we but affoord out soules though extraordinarie yet any the least meditation of the shortnes of our life more brittle theÌ„ glasse more light then smoke more swift then winde 2. Of the day of our death sure in the end vnsure in the time and bitter when it commeth 3. Did we but with feare foresee diem Deum vltionis a day and a God of reuenge by a iudge infallible for his wisedome inflexible for his iustice infugable for his power when to cal vpon the mountaines cadite cadite fall vpon vs fall vpon vs will be too late 4. And finallie to close with hell to the horrour of all hellish hearts could we but feele in heart and semblance the intolerable paines of hell endles easeles and remediles in the damned would much abate the heate of our sinning strike it in the blade breake it in the head and kill it at the heart But alas and woe vnto vs that euer wee liued to see such excesse of sinning with all states in all securitie Hanibal ad portas Imminet mors iudicium det infernus omnia horrenda et quasi nihil ad nos ridemus ludimus peccataque peccatis adiâ—cimus Death is at our doores iudgment is oueâ— our heads hell is at hand all horrible and yet without horror we laugh we leape we daunce we play we lie vpon beds of iuorie and stretch our selues to the full of our follie wee eate the lambs of the flocke and the calues our of the stall â—e sing to the sound of the viollvaine delights and we inuent to our selues instruments of musicke like Dauid as hee to the seruice and honour of his God so we to please our vnsanctified affections and extrauagant lusts But good Lord how long how long without measure shall wee prouoke thy maiestie How long without repentance shall wee behold our miserie How long without compassion shall we looke vpon him whom wee haue pierced how long by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring shall sinne breake out and blood touch blood Oh Lord thou knowest Pedibus timor addidit alas feare forceth flight Oh set thy feare Lord before our face so settle it in out hearts as henceforth wee doe no more consult with flesh and blood but readilie obey thy heauenlie call by flight from sinne for feare of iudgement 2 As for the second cause of our excessiue sinning to wit the insensibilitie of peace to come of future rest of heauenlie being passions of our ioy and impressions of our eternitie I say the want is wofull but the feeling is of force to beate backe Sathan with all his retinue either of sinne death hell or doome It made Paule to forget not only sinne but himselfe to and say whether in the bodie or out of the bodie I cannot tell God he knoweth but I feele things that are vnutterable It made the Disciples in the transfiguration vpon the mount to translate their thoughts from mortall mould say in sense and feeling of that heauenlie being Bonum est esse hic It is good Lord for vs to be here let vs make tabernacles It made Simeon say with solace wheÌ„ hauing layd in his heart what hee lapt in his armes euen sweet Christ the rauishment of his soule Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peâ—ce according to thy word mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I feare no sinne I dread no death I haue liued enough I haue my life I haue longed enough I haue my loue I haue seene enough I haue my light I haue serued enough I haue my Saint I haue sorrowed enough I haue my ioy sweet Babe let this Psalme serue for a lullabie to thee and a funerall for mee Oh sleepe in my armes and let me sleepe in thy peace And here out of Simeon would I raise a doctrine Simeon had it by reuelation from God that hee should not taste of death till hee had seene the Lords Christ nor doe I thinke but that God in like lenitie doth and will deale with al his Saints and neuer suffer the good and righteous to depart out of this world comfortles Moses saw the land of promise before he died Aaron saw his sonne Eleazar in his roome before he died Dauid saw Salomon his successor ere he died Ezekià s saw his house in order ere he died Christ was glorified vpon the holy mount ere he dyed Stephen saw yâ— glorie of God and Iesus standing at the right haÌ„d ere he died And Simeons sight of Christ ere he died shall be to me and I hope to all the Elect of God an assured symboll or sacrament of the certaintie of our saluation by faith in and by the sight of our sweet Sauiour whom wee shall behold in soule and spirit ere we leaue this life Amor transit in amatum nec sinit amantem esse sui ipsius sed amati Loue doth symbolize and the minde is not where it liues but where it loues Terram diligis terra es aurum diligis aurum es Deum diligis non audeo dicere Deus es audi tamen scripturam dicentem an non ego dixi quod dij eâ—â—is Dost thou loue earth thou art earth Dost thou loue gold thou art gold Dost thou loue God I dare not say thou art God yet heare
members of his body And as the husbandman doth make as great reckoning of that corne which he hath sowne in his field and lies hid vnder the clods as he doth of that which he hath laid vp safely in his garner because he hopeth it will come vp againe and yeeld increase so Christ Iesus doth as highly esteeme of those bodies which are laid in their graues as of those which yet remaine aliue because he knowes that one day they shall rise againe vnto glory They are sowne in dishonour but they shall rise againe in honour Their life is but hid for a time and will be found out againe Christ is able to restore that which nature hath destroyed God doth herein deale no otherwise with the bodies of the righteous then a Goldsmith will deale with a picture of gold or a peece of plate that is brused and worne out of fashion he will cast it into the fire and melt it not to destroy it or suffer it alwaies to lie in the fire but to make it a better picture or peece of plate then it was before and therefore will take it out of the fire againe and fashion it according to his mind Wherefore let not the condition of our bodies after death make vs vnwilling to dye If any man entending to reedifie an old rotten house doe first put the inhabitants out of it and then pull down the house and prepare for the building of it againe haue the inhabitants of the old house any cause to be grieued Will they not rather be glad that it is pulled downe because they hope that it will be made better then euer it was before and they may dwell in it with more safty and delight Now our bodies are as old rotten houses for our soules to dwell in if God cause our soules to depart out of them for a time and then destroy them that afterward he may reedifie them and make them fitter habitations for our soules what cause haue we to lament Nay rather if we looke not so much on the present estate of our bodies after death as vpon the glorious estate which they shall haue after the resurrection wee may reioyce and praise God for this his worke towards vs. 2 But another phrase is here vsed to expresse the death of the righteous are taken away The Hebrue word doth sometime signifie to be gathered though as some obserue it be neuer spokē of things scattered and in that sense it is vsed for the death of the righteous whē the place whither they be gathered is mētioned As it is said of Abraham that he died in a good age and was gathered to his people and likewise of Isaac As also the generation which entred with Ioshua into the land of Canaan is said to be gathered vnto their fathers Sometime this word doth signifie to take away as when Rachel said God hath taken away my rebuke and the Lord saith by Ieremie I haue taken my peace from this people And so it is rather to be expounded in this place because it is set downe without any addition Wee may here obserue a seuerall doubling of the same things in this verse two words to set forth the persons which died two words to declare the manner of their death afterward two words also to shew the careles regard of their death among the wicked It was vsual with the Hebrues to repeate things diuers times together either in the selfe same or in the like words Yet we must not thinke that there be any vaine repetitions in the Scriptures seeing Christ forbiddeth vs to vse vaine repetitions in our praiers and will call men to account at the day of iudgement for euery idle word that they speake Wee may not imagine that the holie Ghost did vse any vaine repetitions or idle words in penning the bookes of Scripture These repetitions serue for good purposes In prayers they shew the seruencie of him that prayeth and his earnest desire of the thing which he asketh In Prophecies they declare the certainty speedines of the execution as appeareth by Pharaohs dreame which as Ioseph told him was doubled vnto him the second time because the thing is established of God and God hasteth to performe it In narrations they serue either for cōfirmation to assure the hearers that the matter is true of great importance and worthie to be heard and marked or els for explication the latter clause expounding the former For as nature hath giuen vnto mans bodie two members of the same kinde and vse as two eyes to see withall two eares to heare withall two hands to handle withall and two feete to walke withall that if the one should faile in his office the other might help it so the holy Ghost hath giuen two words of the same kind and signification to many sentences of Scripture that if the one shal faile in his office and not fully expresse the meaning the other might help it And this is the reason why the words are so often doubled in this verse least any should gather by the former phrase that the righteous so perisheth that he hath not any more being at all he now saith that he is but taken away And he may be said to be taken away both in respect of body and also in respect of soule In respect of body for although his body be not translated in such a manner as the body of Henoch was that he might not see death nor as the body of Moses which the Lord took and buried no man knowes in what Sepulcher nor as the bodie of Elias which was carried from the earth in firie Chariots nor as the bodies of them which shall be found aliue at the comming of Christ vnto iudgement which shall not die but be changed and presentlie ascend with Christ into heauen yet is the body of euery righteous man taken from amongst men to be laid amongst wormes from the liuing vnto the dead from aboue the earth to be laid vnder the earth from his house to his graue from a place of watching to a place of sleep frō a place of care labour and trouble to a place of ease and rest from a place of pleasure and pain of ioy and sorrow mingled together to a place where he shall be void of sense to feele any of them 2 In respect of his soule consider terminum à quo terminum ad quem whence and whither he is taken From his body to be brought vnto God from an house of clay to an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens from men to Angels from sinners to them which be perfectly righteous from his greatest enimies to his best friends from the Church militant to the Church triumpliant from earth to heauen from a strange countrie to his own home from a prison to a place of libertie from bondage to freedome from miserie to happinesse from sorrow to ioy Whence
in Canaan Iosh. 23. the wise counsell of Dauid vnto Salomon who was to succeede him in the kingdome 1. King 2. Whosoeuer readeth the Ecclesiasticall histories may not onely see the vertuous liues but also the christian like ends of the Saints and Martyrs in the Church And whosoeuer will be present at the death of those which truly feare God may thereby learne how they themselues ought to dye for when the outward man doth decay the inward man is renewed more and more They shew that the neerer they do approch vnto their end the neerer they draw toward heauen But in these our dayes many may bee found who either do not at al consider the death of the righteous or else do consider it amisse Though it be a matter worth consideration yet some do not consider it at all because they see so many die they make the lesse reckoning of it til death knock at their owne doores they neuer regard it they must needes die themselues before they can be brought to consider of death they care not who sinck so they swimme nor how many die so they may liue yea this is greatly to be lamented that some do regard the death of a Christian no more then they regard the death of a dog But seeing we may learne so many profitable instructions by their death let vs now begin to consider it better then euer we did before Others do consider it but yet amisse eyther fondly or frowardly Fondly through naturall affection arising from kinred affinitie or familiaritie If a stranger dye it nothing moues them but if one of their owne friends dye they sigh and sob they howle and lament If the father lose his sonne hee cryes most pitifully as Dauid did for Absolom O my sonne Absolom my sonne my sonne Absolom would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my sonne my sonne If the mother lose her children she behaueth her self like Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not If children lose their parents they cry after them as Elisha did after Elias wheÌ„ he was taken vp my father my father If a sister lose her brother she weepeth for him as Mary did for Lazarus If the husband lose his wife he weepeth for her as Abraham wept for Sarah Yea he mourneth like a Turtle Doue which hath lost his marrow If the wife lose her husband she dealeth like Naomi who would not be called Naomi that is beautiful but Mara that is bitter because the Lord had giuen her much bitternes If one familiar friend lose another he lamenteth his death as Dauid did the death of Ionathan wo is me for thee my brother Ionathan very kinde hast thou been vnto me thy loue to me was wonderfull passing the loue of women Indeede I can not deny but yâ— we ought in a speciall manner to consider the death of those which are neere and deare vnto 〈…〉 for it may be they are takeÌ„ from vs because we were vnworthy of them or because we gloryed trusted ouer-much in them and were not so thankfull for them as we ought If we had any help by them we must consider whether God haue not depriued vs of them for the punishment of our sins as the widow of Sarepta did at the death of her son saying vnto Eliah Art thou come vnto me to call my sinne to remembrance and to slay my sonne Yet this consideration must be ordered by wisdome it must not be ioyned with excessiue sorrow Neither must we consider their death alone but also the death of others which dye in the Lord and to learne to make an holy vse thereof For as Sampson found sweete hony in the carkas of a dead Lyon so we may finde some sweet instructions in the dead corps of euery righteous man yea the more righteous that they are which do dye the more should their death be considered because it may yeeld greater store of instruction vnto vs. And it may be that God doth take away those which are neere vnto vs because we doe carelesly regard the death of those which be farre off Againe some consider the death of the righteous very frowardly and peeuishly yea I may say malitiously preposterously For if any of them be taken away by a sodaine and extraordinary death they presently censure them as plagued of God and coÌ„demne their former profession thinking that God would not haue so dealt with them if he approued either of them or their profession But they must be instructed in this point by wise Salomon who sayth that no man knoweth loue or hatred of all that is before him All things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and the wicked to the good and the pure and to the polluted to him that sacrificeth to him that sacrificeth not Eli was a Priest and a good man yet brake his neck by falling backward from his â—eate Ionathan was a sworne brother vnto Dauid a godly and faithfull friend yet was he slaine in battaile by the hands of the Philistines That Prophet of God which came out of Iudah to Bethel to speake against Ieroboam and the altars which he had built for idolatry was no doubt an holy man yet was he killed in yâ— way by a Lyon Iosiah was a good King like vnto him there was no King before him neither after him rose any like him yet was he slaine in the valley of Megiddo by Necho King of Egypt Iobâ— children were wel brought vp by their godly father and it is sayd that before Iob offered sacrifice for them they were sanctified yet within a while after as they were eating and drinking in their eldest brothers house a violent wind ouerthrew the house and killed them all We must not therefore iudge of men by their death but rather by their life Though sometime a good death may follow an euill life yet an euill death can neuer follow a good life Correct thine euill life and feare not an euill death he can not die ill that liues well saith Augustine And afterward answeres the obiections of these men and makes this the foote of his song Thou wilt say vnto mee haue not many iust men perished by shipwracke Certainely hee can not dye ill which liued well Haue not many iust men beene slaine by the enemies sword Certainly he can not die il which liued well Haue not many iust men been killed by theeues Haue not many righteous men bin torne in pieces by wild beasts Certainly hee can not die ill which liued wel c. But I wil say vnto such as censure the righteous for their strange and violent death as Christ said of those eighteen vpon whom yâ— tower of Siloam fell and flew them Thinke ye that these were greater sinners then others I tel you nay but except ye repent ye all shall likewise perish
well Isaac sonne of the free woman as Ishmael sonne of the bond woman as well Iacob whom God loued as Esau whom God hated as well chast Ioseph as incestuous Ammon as well meeke Moses as rayling Rabshekah as well zealous Phineas as the luke-warme angell of Laodicea as well Dauid a man according to Gods owne heart as Saul from whom God tooke his spirit and mercy as well Salomon the wise as Nabal the foole as well tender hearted Iosiah as hard harted Pharaoh as well the humble Publican as the proude Pharisie as well poore Lazarus to bee caried into Abrahams bosome as the rich glutton to be caried into hell as well Iohn the beloued disciple as Iudas the traytour as well Simon Peter the Apostle as Simon Magus the sorcerer Mercilesse death doth exercise her crueltie vpon all alike Why should this be so Hath not Christ dyed for the righteous why then should they dye Death is the reward of sinne Christ hath satisfied for all their sinnes wherefore should they beare this penaltie of sinne The righteous must dye the first death though Christ haue died for them and suffered for their sinnes His death shall free them from the second death but not from the first death which is the separation of soule and body He hath onely altered the nature and vse of the first death but not quite taken it away Whereas at first it was ordained for a punishment of sinne he hath made it a passage into heauen it was threatned and inflicted as a curse but he hath turned it into a blessing It did at first depriue men of good but now it putteth them in possession of good Christ hath taken away the sting of it and therefore Paul saith O death where is thy sting So as it can no more hurt vs then a Bee which hath lost his sting It doth not hurt vs but help vs not hinder vs but further vs in obtaining of glory Iacob not long before his death pronounced this as a curse from the Lord vpon the tribe of Simeon and Leui for their crueltie I will diuide them in Iaakob and scatter them in Israel Yet when the children of Leui shewed their zeale and obedience in killing the idolaters at Moses commandement the Lord turned this curse into a blessing Their scattering was a furtherance vnto them to make them more fit to teach the people in euery citie and receiue the tythes of euery tribe So at the first the Lord threatned death at the punishment of sin but by faith in Christ it is made the end of sinne and beginning of glorie He who could at the beginning bring light out of darkenes could afterward bring a blessing out of a curse If Phisicians by their arte can extract an antidote or preseruatiue against poyson out of poysonfull things why may not God by his infinit power and wisdome drawe good out of euill a mercy out of iudgement and a blessing out of curse Yea and as Augustine teacheth death remaineth still for the righteous to exercise their faith withall If immediatly vpon remission of sin there should follow immortality of the body faith should be abolished which waiteth in hope for that which is not yet enioyed Yea the Martyrs could not testifie their faith their patience their courage their constancie and loue vnto Christ in suffering death for his sake But now let vs more particularly consider the titles giuen to the death of the righteous First it is said that he perisheth which must not so be vnderstood as if he were quite destroyed brought to nothing and had no more being as it befalleth bruite beasts at their death whose soules being traduced with their bodies are mortall and perish with their bodies the righteous hath a being euen after death yet may be said to perish in regard of outward appearance in the iudgement of flesh and blood he seemeth to perish Yet we must know that the righteous consists of soule and bodie his soule being immortall cannot perish by any meanes it can liue out of the bodie as well as in the bodie When it leaues the bodie it goes vnto the Lord. This Salomon taught Dust returnes to the earth as it was and the spirit returnes to God that gaue it This Paul wished desiring to bee loosed and to be with Christ. This Lazarus enioyed at his death being carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome And this Iohn in a vision saw performed to the Martvrs vnder the Altar hee sawe the soules of them which were killed for the word of God But the bodie of a righteous man may bee saide to perish because it loseth the forme the nature and propertie of an humane body It is within a short space eaten vp of wormes and turned into dust and ashes so as there can appeare no signes of a body Though wee make neuer so much of our bodies yet can wee not keepe them from perishing though we feed them most daintilie clothe them most costly and cherish them most carefullie yet at last they will become a thing of naught the beautie of them will fade they shall be deformed and most ougly to behold The strength of them will be taken away so as they shall not stirre an hand or a foote the agilitie of them will be lost they shall remaine stiffe and be nummed the parts and members of them shall perish and fall away one after another The flesh blood and bones shall be so strangely turned to dust and earth that there shall not remaine any propertie or qualitie of them and a man if he knew it not before would neuer iudge that dust and earth to haue been flesh and blood and bones of a liuing man yea so greatly shall our bodies be altered that men shall not be able to discerne which dust came of them and which came of the earth Yet one thing I must needs adde for the comfort of the righteous that although his body seeme thus to perish in the iudgement of men yet it still hath a being in the sight of God and doth euen at that time and in that case remaine a member of Christs mysticall body For the vnion betwixt Christ and the faithfull is not of soules only but also of bodies the body of euery faithfull man and woman is truely vnited to Christs bodie And this vnion cannot be broken death cannot dissolue it though death doth breake the vnion betwixt man and wife yet it cannot breake the vnion betwixt Christ and the faithfull As death did not make a separation betwixt the two natures of Christ at the time of his suffering but his soule and bodie being farre distant the one in heauen the other in the graue were at that time and in that case personally vnited to his godhead no more can death make a separation betwixt Christ and the faithfull though their bodies doe putrifie and lie rotting in their graues yet stil they remaine
we may best commend saylers whē they arriue at the hauen and souldiers when they haue gotten the victorie These praises may profit the liuing they may comfort the friends of the deceased assuring them of their happie exchange by death And for this cause the Fathers in their consolatorie letters written to them which lost their friends haue inserted large praises of them they may stirre vp others to praise the Lord for them and likewise prouoke thē to follow their good example As fire whē it is raked into wil cast forth some heate and light and precious oyntment if it be stirred wil cast forth a sweete smel to thē which be neere so y◠praises of Saints departed being mentioned will yeeld some comfort and profit to those which heare them I may the more boldly speake somewhat of this godly Gentlewoman whose soule I doubt not God hath taken vnto himselfe and whose body is now to bee committed vnto the earth because I knew both the course of her life and the manner of her death It pleased God betime to season the vessel of her heart with heauenly liquour whereof it did alwayes tast afterward good seede was sowne in her soule at the beginning which budded and brought forth good fruite vnto the ende She was by nature very humble and lowly not disdaining any very louing and kind shewing courtesie to all very meeke and milde in forbearing euery one so as they which did daylie conuerse with her could neuer see her angrie and hereby she got the loue of all For matters of religion few went before her She gaue her selfe much to reading as Paula did traine vp her maides to read and learne euery day some thing in the Scriptures so did she accustome her selfe to reade euery day eight chapters in the bible and would not suffer any occasiō to hinder her in that taske yea and moreouer at conuenient leasure would reade ouer other godly bookes for her further instruction She was also much giuen to prayer for besides that shee would both morning and euening ioyne in prayer with the family she was espyed to seeke out solitary places for priuate prayer and meditation She did most dutifully frequent the publick exercises in the Church had a speciall care to sanctifie the Sabboth and was greatly grieued if shee might not heare one or two Sermons on that day Although she dwelt farre from the Church yet would she neuer be absent if shee were able either to goe or ride Yea she might be found in the Church when others which dwelt neerer and were able to haue come might haue bin found in their houses or vnfit places for that time By these meanes shee did greatly increase in knowledge not being like those women which are euer learning but are neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth But rather like Dauid who vnderstoode more then the ancient She had a very tender conscience and would often weepe not only for her owne sins but also for the sins of others especially if she espied a fault in those which were neere vnto her whom she loued dearely had a dangerous conflict yet a ioyfull conquest Not long after the beginning of her sicknes being a weeke before her death I comming to visit her found her some what troubled in conscience the enemy had then begun to assault her but within a while by conference with me and others and also by prayer she was comforted But after our departure the enemy did more strongly strangely assault her againe as might appeare to them which were present for she neither would nor yet could conceale it Though I was not present at this conflict yet was I present at the conquest I comming to her the day before her death found her exceedingly rauished with the ioyes of heauen praysing God most cheerefully for his great mercies and wonderfull works of God toward her repeating many verses of the Psalmes and other places of Scripture to expresse the worke of the Lord vnto her and to set forth her thankfulnes vnto him She said the path was smooth and strowed with flowers where she did treade that she was as it were in Paradice and felt a sweete smell as in the garden of Eden that the ioyes which she felt were wonderfull wonderfull repeating that word oftentimes together I cannot rehearse the least part of those heauenly speeches which then shee vttered She often desired others to pray and to praise God for her and when I had once ended prayer within a while after she would desire me to pray againe The next morning which was the day of her death I saw her continue in the like sort though not able by reason of her weakenes to speake so much she then desired our prayers againe for her and when prayer was ended and I gone out of the house toward the Church she caused mee to bee called backe to pray once againe with her and whē I departed wished some faithithfull Minister to help me and thus continued in godly speeches and prayers vntill her last end This was the manner of her death I haue heard that some speake very vncharitably of her by reason of her temptation and thereupon mutter much against religion it selfe but such should remember that which I haue spoken before that the Deuill most assaulteth them which be most godly thinking to hinder all religion if he may preuaile with such and if you yet doubt of this point I could shew the testimony of the best learned to approue it And in temptation the best may quaile to shew how weake wee are and to keepe vs from presumption Yet seeing that as Iacob spake of the tribe of Gad An host of men shall ouercome him yet he shall ouercome in the end so it came to passe in her her enemie for a while seemed to preuaile but in the end was troden downe vnder her feete Wee should rather praise God for the victory then speake euill of her for the combate feare least he who tempted her so strōgly will also tempt vs and therefore let vs put vpon vs armour of proofe that we may be able to stand in the day of tryall I pray God that those which speake euill of her death doe not die worse then shee did Howsoeuer it was I will say with Paul Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant the standeth or falleth to his owne maister I hope she resteth with the Lord and therefore let ill tongues rest and speake no more against her Although her mother haue lost a dutifull childe her husband a chast a louing and discreet wife her brethren a deare and kind sister her nighbours a peaceable and courteous neighbour her friends a religious kinswoman her familiar acquaintance a vertuous companion the poore a charitable relieuer and I my selfe one of my best hearers Yet I will say to all as Hierom did to Eustochium concerning her
a resurrection when the time of refreshing shall come It is an improper speech to say hee resteth who neuer riseth It may be some go to bed who neuer rise strooken with a deadly sleepe or lâ—thargie but none to the graue but out he must at the generall sommons of all the world for the trumpet shal sound and the dead shall rise If a man dye shall he liue againe Then all the dayes of mine appointed time will I watch till my changing do come Againe for the second If after our death we rest in our beds and as it is in another place such blessednes accompanteth saints who dâ—e in the Lord that ther rest from their labours then after death no place of paine no punishment no Purgatory Is there light in darkenes is there truth in error Is there life in death Is there fire in water Is there ease in paine rest in labour good in euill sweete in sowre Is there a purging fire in hell must fyne vs for heauen Sweete Christ where then is thy bloud which alone say we nothing else and none other purgeth our sinne pleadeth our cause and purchaseth our place We neede no other sacrifice we neede no other aduocate wee neede no other key to open to vs the pâ—rt of the paradise of God And if the bloud of Iesus pleade better things then the bloud of Abel for the bloud of Abel cryed reuenge but the bloud of Christ cryed pardon pardon then stay your bulles and drops of your leaden diuinity downe with your Dagon and Babel of all confusion by shrift shrine merit or medall all too light to ballance with the bloud of the Lambe for what is chaffe to corne It pities my heart to see the desolations of Christendome of this my deare Country in many places where millions of souls are â—illily lead by bad and blinde guides factious Iesuits and seditious seedsmen lead I say from the bloud of Christ to the bloud of Hales and Becket from the fire vpon the Mount to the painted fire of Purgatory Poets sayes and heathenish helps Romish institutions decretals apostaticall lying oracles illusions and flattering diuinations This they doe and this they dare doe without care of conscience feare of God of faithfulnes to his cause which wittingly and willingly I verely thinke they do betray to make good their hellish Hierarchie and Babel of all confusion For what grosnes is this besides the impiety to thinke a people euer so foolish as should take out this lesson to carry to their graues from the liuing to the dead yea and that in plea of saluation to from the liuing God to dead idols from the liuing word to dead traditions from the liuing bread in heauen to a dead â—alfe or cake at Dan and Bethel from the bloud of Christ that giueth life to the fire of Purgatory that bringeth death When Christ bleeding vpon the tree had vttered this voyce consâ—mmatum est it is finished he gaue â—â— the ghost Thâ—n he said and 〈…〉 hee â—ustered not for himselfe is a priuate person but for vs his members a publicke good Shall he say it is finished and shal we say it is not finished The Lyon hath rored who will not be afrayd The Lord hath spoken who can but tremble O tremble for feare ye faithles generation who dare yet say it is not finished Pray saints in heauen help fire in hell Purgatory play thy part purge to the full and thou Pope president of this Limbo lake rule at thy pleasure help in help out and if vpon displeasure thou thrust Myriades of soules into hell yet let none be so bold as to aske Why doest thou so It is enough ò it is inough to make good with this all your doctrine Sic volo sic iubeo stet pro ratione voluntas Aske no questions search no scriptures seeke no reasons I haue sayd is inough my pleasure is a precept counsell a commaund and my will is a reason And now mee thinks whilest I heare them say without worde of God or warranty of reason Heare heauen help purgatory pardon pope that is to say pray saints purge fire speake indulgence for the rest and ease of soules departed a check to the bloud of my Christ to the truth of my text quiet of the saints that gone arâ— I cannot but say as Iob sayd of his friends Miserable comforters are ye all Suffer me a little to speake and when I haue spoken mocke on 1 I say the saints in heauen vpon whom you call to whom you pray and before whose images you so prostrate your selues I say they heare you not and for that they help you not they rest from their labours and their works follow them and not yours I say no such works of wickednes as your prayer to them is whereby you rob God to cloth a Saint To the proofe wherof for that you say our doctrine is new and of yesterdayes birth The dayes shall speake and the multitude of yeares shall teach wisedome Saints in heauen heare not Saints in heauen help not Saints in heauen haue no sense of our miseries it is no new doctrine it is ancient it is heauenly and hee that hath eares to heare let him heare Augustine in his booke de cura habenda pro mortuis teacheth Animas Sanctorum in coelis esse nec interesse nostris his terrents negotijs That the soules of the blessed are in heauen nor doe they respect our affaires here on earth as and if he should say cease your praying for no more doth their affection reach yours then your prayer doth reach them And this doth hee proue by these reasons sound and good vnanswerable if truth might preuaile when it pleadeath on earth as wheÌ„ it iudgeth in heaueÌ„ And first he beginneth with his mother Monicha dead and gone whose affection towards him in life was euer such as hee thought could not but reach him from heauen if Saints had feeling of our miseries here on earth Vt volet accipiat quisque quod dicam sayth the Father Let men iudge of my words as they please for that I may say nothing of others yet dare I say of her Si rebus viuentium interessent animae mortuoruÌ„ me ipsum pâ—a mater nulla nocte desereret quem terra marique sâ—cuta est vt mecum vineret If the soules of the dead did respect the affaires of the liuing then my deere mother would neuer faile me night or day who by sea and by land followed me in this life to liue with me Absit enim vt facta sit vita foeliciore crudelis c. Be it farre away that a blessed life should make her more vnkind or cruel so as in all yâ— anguish of my soule I neuer felt her solace who whilest shee liued could neuer abide to see me sad But without al doubt quod sacer
we subscribe to the Vnity and that there is no name vnder heauen wherby men must be saued other then by the glorious name of Iesus Christ. As and if they might say we haue seene in soule we are come in body there is the star O where is the babe Care is in our hearts and cost is in our hands here is our gold let him be crowned a King here is our frankencense let him be deified a God here is our mirth let him be buried a man all his by gift all ours by grace what he gaue vs we giue againe and here we haue it to bestow vpon our blessed Sauiour from a farre countrey haue wee followed him and walked before him and therefore now we feele peace we haue found rest to our weary soules From the generality of Gods gifts and particularity of our receipt come we now to the proper obiect of our faith and walking contayned in these words before him By which indefinit speech I hold the holy ghost hath reference to one Christ the way the truth and the life of all Christians No way but by him no light but from him no life but in him Him I say nor is he expressed in plainer termes for that his name is sâ—â—ret and till Gabriel came from heauen with his sauing name Iesus and statute of additions Luke 1. 31. from the first age to the latter daies I meane from Adam vntill Shilo came they but hacked at it God in Paradise lapt vp this secret in the seed of the woman Iacob in Shilo which by interpretation is sent Moses in this Mitte quem missâ—ruses Send him whom thou shouldest send Daniel thus One of the Saints said vnto a certain one Ieremy thus He that should call he is the lord our righteousnes The Lord in respect of his to deliuer his Church righteous in respect of his doome determinable vpon the world ours in respect of grace appeasing his father What should I say more sometime they call him by the name of Emmanuel sometime they call him wonderfull Counsellor the mightie God the euerlasting father the prince of peace Maher-shalal-hash-baz Make speede to the spoyle hast to the pray with this pregnant prophecy of him that a virgin should inuiron a man And neerer the daies of Christ they called him Israels expectation Israels consolation Israels redemption And now that I haue told thee and thou hast heard all these speake I aske with Salomon what is his name and what is his sonnes name if thou canst tell It is the gldrse of God to keepe a thing secret but the Kings heart will seeke it out And it is an honorable seede that feareth the Lord but a more honorable seede that findeth him Elder times saw him a farre off comming swadled in types figures shadowes ceremonies but we haue seene the truth bodie and substance of our Christ. We haue him comeâ— and the â—â—yle of the Temple is â—ent from the top to the bottome whereby we haue readie passage into the holâ—est of holies euen Christ Iesus the Lord whom the Angels desire to behold We heard of him at Ephrata and wee haue found him in the woods tied to the tree pierced through with his body crost and soule curst for the sinnes of all the world and now sitteth in heauen a mediator and pledge of our inheritance hauing leâ—t his spirit to liue by and his word to go by and this is he whom the Prophet meant in this word him the obiect of our faith and way to walke in No man can ascend but by him that did descend and that is Christ the ladder Iacob saw at Pinael the clowd by day piliâ—r of fire by night which guided Israel in the desert the kings high way to heauen blessed hold of happie dwelling No Paradise without this tree no perfume without this balme no building without this stone no sacrifice without this lambe I say no God without Christ in this wicked world The light of the day is conueyed vnto vs by thâ— Sunne in the firmament so is the brigâ—â—nes of heauen by that Sonne of righteousnes a Planet in the middest of Planets to lighten all aboue and all below as whom blessed Angels desire to behold and blessed men couet to adore Life is conueyed from the â—art through the veines to all the vitall parts so is saluation froÌ„ the Father through Christ to all his liuing members Out of Eden went a riuer to water the garden being deuided into foure heads it compassed the whole world Out of heauen flowed the streame of Gods mercy in and through our Christ whose graces deuided diuersly all the earth is filled with his glorie What should I say more Christ is a mutuall help to the Father one to vs another An hand to the Father by which hee reacheth vs an hand to vs by which we reach him The Fathers mouth by which he speaketh to vs our mouth to the Father by which we speake to him Our God is a consuming fire and without Christ the vayle we cannot abide the brightnes of his glory for what is our miserie to meete with his maiestie but in the temper of his mercie which mercy-seate all is Christ. As then our words are messengers of our mindes semblances of our soules to paâ—ley with our friends so is the Christ the sonne of God the image of the Father and mouth to instruct his deâ—rest Saints nor onely a mouth to speake by but an eye to see by and the foote way to goe by as it is mâ—ny text Peace shall come and rest shall â—e reserued for euery one that walketh before him So then I dare auouch boldly thinke what thou wilt and without Christ it is an euil thought say what thou wilt and without Christ it is an euill word do what thou wilt and without Christ it is an euill deed tread where thou wilt and without Christ it is an euill way Christ is the life of the world heire of al things without whom I can possesse nothing that good is either in grace or in glory He he is the salt Elisâ—â— did throw in to sweeten the waters of â—ericho with these words Thuâ— saith the Lord I haue healed this water death shall no more come thereof neither barrennes to the ground This faith my deare brethren is right for it hits the soueraigne good and thus to walke is to walke before him None but he careth none but he careth none but he guideth non but he saueth and he is but one as you heere see and will be alone in all his courses without mixture â—â—thout â—edley first last middest and all filling all yet â—ined from all in the glorious worke of our repaire None but he bare our sinnes none but he pleadeth our cause none but he purchased our place none but he traceth our
professors In Sionis gaudium Anglo-Papistarum luctum Amen Amen FINIS A BRIEF DISCOVRSE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE and death of Mistris Katherin Brettergh late wife of Master William Brettergh of Bretterghoult in the Countie of Lancaster Gentleman who departed this world the last of May. 1601. With the manner of a bitter conflict she had with Satan and blessed conquest by Christ before her death to the great glorie of God and comfort of all beholders Micha 7. 8. Reiovce not against me O mine enemies though I fall I shall rise againe And when I sit in darkenes the Lord shall be a ligâ—â— vnto me Psalm 37. 37. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston 1602. TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader grace and peace in Iesus Christ. WHen Achimaaz the sonne of Zadoc requested that he might be the messenger to bring Dauid word of Absoloms death Ioab would not suffer him Thou shalt not saith he be the messenger to day but thou shalt cary newes another time but to day thou shalt cary none for the Kings sonne is dead He knew Dauids affection was such that the newes of his childs death would be most heauie to him and the messenger himselfe not welcome for his message sake This is all our infirmity no tidings more grieuous to vs then when wee heare of the death of those whom wee loue The Parent bewayles his Child the Husband his Wife the Friend laments the death of his Friend and we thinke it the losse of another friend to depart with this our griefe Iacob mourned for Ioseph his son that he would not be comforted of a long season but thought he would weepe for him as long as he liued When the Amalekites had burned Ziklag and led away captiue the mens wiues and their children Dauid and his company wept till they could weepe no more When Lazarus dred his sisters Martha and Mary were much discomforted for him Gâ—egory Nazianzen reports that when Basil the great died euen the wisest men in the city stroue to exceede one another in weeping and complaining for his death And as for my selfe saith he now I am bereaued of the fellowship of such a man what shall I do but either dye or liue in miserie Which way shall I turne me What shall I do What counsell shall I take now I haue lost him that was my comfort So heauy a thing we see it is to be seuered for a time from those that are deere vnto vs. One only thing there is which is able in this case much to temper our affections when we see our friend to die in the Lord that is in comfort of conscience assurance of saluatioÌ„ through Christ. And this his comfort he expresseth outwardly vnto vs by performing those duties which are required of a man when he dyes and so he makes a ioyfull and a holy end When our friend departeth this life in this maner we haue iust cause to take his death the more comfortably And thus it pleaseth God many times to stirre vp some especiallie such as in their life time haue a care to pursue Religion and to keep themselues vndesiled of the world at their death to expresse wonderfull comfort of spirit and to shew forth such fruit of Religion that we wonder at it and acknowledge the extraordinary worke of Gods spirit in them They wrastle against temptations they confesse their faith feele the assurance of their saluation condemne their sinnes exhort the beholders praise God sing Psalmes wish to dye that in their death they are better Christians then euer they were in their life This blessed departure God giues to many for diuers good purposes 1. That the world may know that peace is the end of the iust and comfort in death is the portion of the righteous 2. That his eternall truth in our holy profession may appeare to be able to comfort vs not onely in our life but in our death also when all other comforts forsake vs. 3. That our enemies may see our faith is not in vaine 4. That the weake by their example may be incouraged to a holy life when they see it bring with it so happie a death and that they may be strengthened against the feare of death seeing it is alwaies comfortable to those that leade a godly life 5. and finally that the friends of the departed by their heaueÌ„ly departure may be admonished not to mourne so much for their death as to reioyce for their life and to thanke God that euer it was their lot in any degree to be ioined or matched with so blessed seruants of God This Gentlewoman Mistresse Katherine Brettergh was one of this number her life as long as God continued it was deere to those among whom she was as the life of a friend might be Her husband friends kinsfolks brethren sisters and all the godly that knew her inioyed a great blessing of God of her and her death no doubt was grieuous to her husband as the death of a vertuous yoke-fellow And if worldly affection would haue holpen it it was the same in him that Dauids was to Absolom his sonne when he mourned for his death O my sonne Absolom my sonne my sonne Absolom would to God I had dyed for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne But sure her death was such her behauiour in her sicknes so religious her heart so possessed with comfort her mouth so filled with the praises of God her spirit so strengthened against the feare of death her conquest so happy ouer her infirmities that such as loued her most haue greatest cause to reioyce in her death and by seeing the wonderfull worke of God in her to learne to renounce their owne affections This is the thing I thought with profit might be presenâ—â—d to the view of others also that knew her not for when I had for my own priuate vse and the vse of my friends faithfully collected out of the fresh memories of those that were present and eye-witnesses as wel as my selfe and set downe the manner of her sicknes and death I considered that the knowledge thereof could not but be welcome to al those that desire to die the death of the righteous And so the same causes that moued me to collect it gaue me also occasion to publish it I remembred the saying of one That it is great pietie to set foorth the vertues of the departed if they haue excelled therein yea it is a meanes to increase grace in our selues I thought so great mercie of God shewed to one among vs ought not to be forgotten but should remaine to vs our childre an example to teach vs how good God is to them that loue him and to assure vs that he will neuer forsake vs but in like manner as he did her helpe and comfort vs when we shall by death be called vnto him I considered the vngodly
portion of mine inheritaâ—â—â— The place where I now am is sweet and pleasant oh how pleasant is the sweete perfume of the place where I lye It is sweeter then Aarons composed perfume of principall spices how comfortable is the sweetnes I feele It is like that odour that proceedes from the golden censor that delights my soule The taste is precious do you not feele it Oh so sweete it is yea sweeter then mirrh the hony or the hony combe Let me therefore sing againe and againe vnto my Lord and my God Then she did sing the 19. Psalme beginning at the 7. verse how perfect is the law of God c. and so on to the end of the same And after yâ— spirituall reioysing in singing of Psalmes she then prayed vnto God faithfully and praised the Lord againe ioyfully And being still full of these and such like heauenly consolations she did sing againe most hartily vnto the praise of God the 136. Psalm Praise ye the Lord for he is good for his mercy indureth for euer c. In which Psalme for his mercie indureth for euer is 26. times repeated A christian friend comming in at the same time which was about sixe of the clock in the euening marueiling to see her exceeding ioyes and heauenly harmonie wherein she continued with such words and phrases that were so spirituall prayed for the continuance of the same vnto the end whereupon she then burst out relating further of her ioyes saying Oh the ioyes the ioyes the ioyes that I feele in my soule oh they be wonderfull they be wonderfull they be wonderfull And after that she prayed for increase of faith and that God would strengtheÌ„ her against temptations with continuall crauing of remission of sinnes euer meditating of heauenly matters as by her sudden and often breaking out into heauenly speeches and praises did appeare for the same euening she lying still and silent for a while one prayed her to remember the Lord Iesus and that she would in her heart pray for constancie in her ioyfull course whereunto she answered with a delightsome cheerefull countenance and comfortable voyce Oh said she so I doe for the Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare Though an host pitch against me yet my heart shall not be afraid for the Lord hath said I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Indeede I should verily haue fainted but that I beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing And now my heart is readit my heart is readie and prepared yea it panteth after thee O God as the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When Lord when shall I come and appeare before thy presence c. Saying then further Lord sith it hath pleased thee to prepare my heart whether to life or death thy will be done dispose of me to thine owne glory I am thine Lord worke thy blessed pleasure and good will vpon me And after this she fell into a short slumber awaking said as the spouse said vnto Christ in the Canticles Oh come kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth for thy loue is better then â—ine Oh how sweet the kisses of my Sauiour be Then one said vnto her alluding to that place of S. Iohn Reuel 3. 8. and praying that the Lord would annoint her with the eye-salue of his grace that she might see and behold his glorie To whom she answered Mine eyes are opened mine eyes are opened though for a while they were closed vp and shut yet now I thank my God mine eyes are opened and I do feele and see the euerliuing mercies of my Christ saying then further as it is in the 27. Psalme Thou saidst seeke my face my heart answered to thee O Lord I will seeke thy face O hide not therefore thy face from me nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast been my succour leaue me not nor forsake me O God of my saluation And being willed to commit her soule into the hands of Christ she said O Lord Iesus thou hast redeemed me pleade thou my cause for into thy hands alone doe I commit my spirit O thou God of truth And then feeling more ioy to abound one praising God with her for his great mercies shewed toward her she further said I giue thee thankes O father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto me thy poore handmaid which am but dust and ashes O how mercifull and marueilous gracious arâ— thou vnto me yea Lord I feele thy mercie and I am assured of thy loue and so certaine am I thereof as thou art that God of truth euen so sure doe I know my selfe to be thine O Lord my God and this my soule knoweth right well and this my soule knoweth right well which speech of her assuraÌ„ce she ofteÌ„ repeated Presently after this sitting vp in her chaire she sung the fourth Psalme and then being laide downe againe in her bed she confidently spake these words I am sure that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see him at the last day whom I shall see and mine eyes shall behold and though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh with these eyes and none other Then came in to see her toward euening Master William Harrison the Preacher praising God for her continuance in that her ioyfull and most happy course and perswading her to an holie perseuerance in the same she thanked him and desired him to reioyce in Christ with her and to praise God for his mercies to her and said Oh Master Harrison my soule hath been compassed about with terrors of death feare within and feare without the sorrowes of hell were vpon me knots and knorres were vpon my soule which twice or thrice she repeated and a roring wildernesse of woe was within me but blessed blessed blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me cofortles but like a good shepheard hath he brought me into a place of rest euen to the sweete running waters of life that flowe out of the sanctuarie of God and he hath lead me into the greene pastures where I am fed and exceedingly comforted yea he hath restored my soule and lead me into the plaine and easie paths of righteousnes The way that now I goe in is a sweete and easie way strowed with flowers and as a fine sandie way yea it is more easie and soft then the sand for I goe and tread vpon wheate euen vpon the finest flower of wheate Oh blessed be the Lord O blessed be the Lord that hath thus coforted me hath brought me now to a place more sweeter vnto