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
C. BRETTERG DEATHS ADVANTAGE LITTLE REGARDED AND THE soules solace against sorrow Preached in two funerall Sermons at Childwal in Lancashire at the buriall of Mistris Katherin Brettergh the third of Iune 1601. The one by William Harrison one of the Preachers appointed by her Maiestie for the Countie Palatine of Lancaster the other by William Leygh Bachelor of Diuinitie and Pastor of Standish Whereunto is annexed the Christian life and godly death of the said Gentlevvoman The second Edition corrected and amended PHIL. 1. 21. Christ is to me both in life and in death aduantage REVEL 12. 17. Then the dragon vvas vvroth vvith the VVoman and vvent and made vvarre vvith the remnant of her seede vvhich keepe the commaundements of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston 1602. TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader grace and peace in Christ be multiplied IF any doe wonder why I would presume to publish this rude Sermon in these bright Sun-shine daies of the Gospell wherein so many learned bookes profitable treatises be alreadie set forth by others and yet are little regarded by the people I wish them to vnderstand that I was drawne hereunto by the importunitie of some who hearing it preached earnestly desired to haue it printed their request being importunate and yet reasonable I could not well deny it And yet I hope it wil not be hurtful to any but profitable to sorâ—e I know that speaking hath alwaies been accounted more powerfull than writing and therfore Papias a companion of Polycarpus thought he did not profit so much by the writings and bookes of the Apostles followers as by the authoritie of the persons and the liuely voyce of the speakers And Hierome said that the liuely voyce had a secret force and being powred from the mouth of the speaker into the eares of the hearer hath a stronger and more powerful sound Whereupon Aeschines when he had read the oration which Demosthenes had made against him and perceiued that the people did greatly wonder at the force and excellencie of it answered them What would you haue thought if you had heard him pronounce it with his owne mouth Yet writing hath his vse and profit both for the instruction of those which did not heare the doctrine deliuered by liuelie voyce and also for the helpe of their memories which before heard it Our Sermons are like an vntimely fruite which dieth so soone as it is borne they are forgotten so soone as they are heard And therefore as Paul was not grieued to write the same things to the Philippians but thought it a sure thing for them so wee neede not to be ashamed to write those things which before we preached that the people may the better vnderstand and remember the same Moreouer I was willing to giue a publike testimonie of that godly Gentlewomans death at whose buriall it was preached to cleere her from the slanderous reports of her popish neighbors who will not suffer her to rest in her graue but seeke to disgrace her after her death It is not vnknowne to them which either reade the histories of these later times or are acquainted with popish practises that the religioÌ„ of Papists was first set vp and is still maintained by crueltie and lyes By crueltie in murthering the Martyrs in persecuting the Protestants and now of late in these parts in beating and wounding the bodies in killing spoyling the cattell of those which withstand them by publike authoritie By lyes in teaching forged miracles to confirme their owne doctrine and in spreading abroad false reports against our best professors to hinder our doctrine as they haue bitterly reuiled them for the course of their liues so haue they most shamefully slaundered them for the manner of their death It would make a mans eares to tingle to heare what malitious slaunders and manifest vntruths some of the Romish faction haue published concerning the death of Luther of Caluine and Bucer worthie instrumeÌ„ts of Gods glorie and faithfull teachers of his truth As also concerning the death of the Lord Cobham of Richard Hunne of Thomas Bilney and of Perotine Massie holie Martyrs which sealed the truth of Christ with their owne blood Yea haue not some of that sect scattered abroad slaunderous Libels of Master Beza his reuolting at his death when he was liuing and able to answere them with his own hand-writing No marueile therefore though their followers treading in their steps do now vniustly reproch them which professe the same doctrine and being dead indeede cannot answere for themselues It were better for them with Balaam to desire to die the death of the righteous then thus to slander them after their death I will not blame them with cursed speaking seeing Michael the Archangell would not so deale with the diuell but I shall pray vnto the Lord to forgiue them and to open their eyes that they may see his truth And God grant that we which now professe his truth may so liue and die as that we may giue them no occasion to speake euill of it Amen Thine in the Lord WILLIAM HARRISON Analysis of Deaths aduantage little regarded Concerning the death of the godly meÌ„tioned Isai 57. vers 1. these 4. points may be obserued 1. The persons which dyed who are described by two titles 1. The righteous where wee may consider 1. The causes by which they are made righteous namely by 1. Faith applying Christs merits to make them righteous before God 2. Sanctification and the fruites thereof to make them righteous before men 2. The markes whereby they may bee knowne to bee righteous which be foure 1. The generalitie of their obedience if it extend it selfe to the whole course of their life 2. The end of it if it be directed to Gods glory 3. Their perseuerance if they continue therein vnto the end 4. Their affection to righteousnesse in others which is shewed in Labouring to make them righteous which yet be not Louing them which be alreadie righteous 2. Mercifull men so called Passiuely because God hath receiued them to mercie Actiuely because they shew mercie vnto others both to their Bodes and Soules 2. The manner of their death expressed by two phrases 1. Doe perish which must be vnderstood Not in regard of their soules for they are immortall and incomptible But in regard of their bodies for they perish yet only for a time and during that time remaine members of Christs mysticall bodie by vertue whereof they shallrâ—e againe 2. Are taken away and that is in respect of their Soules anâ— so their death differeth much from the death of he wicked Bodies anâ— so there is no difference betwixt them and the vicked 3. The careles regarde in others which is declared by two seuerall sentences 1. No man coÌ„sidereth it in heart 2. No man vnderstaÌ„deth it Concerning which consideratioÌ„ 3. points are obserued 1. The reasons why all
should consider their death 1. Because it is Gods worke 2. Because it is a thing precious in Gods sight 3. It tends to Gods glorie 4. It serues for the instruction of theÌ„ which remaine aliue 2. The matter what thinges we should coÌ„sider at their death 1. The certaintie of our owne death 2. The nature of death in all defacing Gods image and making a separation betwixt them and those things which they loued most deerely 3. The cause of their death for they are taken away either in Iudgement or Mercie 4. The manner of their death for thereby we may learne how to dye 3. The abuse of it which is committed by Not considering their death at all CoÌ„sidering it amisse and that Fondly through naturall affection when our friends and kinsfolke are taken away Frowardly thinking theÌ„ to die il because 1. Their death is sudden and extraordinarie 2. They are strangelie assaulted with temptations 3. They speake idlâ—e and blasphemously by reason of their disease 4. The ende of their death to free them froÌ„ euils to come which euils be Ordinary and that either Corporall as diseases losses and all maner of crosses Spirituall in their soules namely 1. Their combat with the diuell 2. Their practise of sin 3. Their societie with the wicked Extraordinarie to wit those iudgements which for some late and grieuous sinnes the Lord was readie to bring vpon the people amongst whom they liued W. Harrison Deaths aduantage little regarded ISAI 57. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart And mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is takeÌ„ away from the euill to come THe holy Prophet of the Lord in the 9. verse of the Chapter immediatly going before hath fore-told of a fearefull iudgement which was like to fall vpon the Iewes He calles for the wild beasts of the field and the forest to come and denoure them meaning thereby the Gentils which should bee the executioners of the Lords iudgements vpon them And because the Lords iudgements are alwayes righteous hee afterwards shewes the causes which would prouoke him to inflict them The first cause is set downe at large in the rest of the verses following in the same Chapter the blindnes idlenes couetousnes and securitie of them which were appointed for teachers among them the neglect of their dutie being a speciall occasion of the peoples sinne is alleadged as the first cause of the iudgement ensuing The second cause was in the common people set downe in the first verse of this Chapter and that was their carelesse regard of the death of righteous men though many of them were taken away to forewarne them of some strange iudgement to come yet they regarded it not but still proceeded forward in their sins and therefore were like to caste of some miseries from which the righteous were freed by their speedy death In these words foure seuerall circumstances are to be obserued 1. The persons who did dye 2. The manner of their death 3. The contempt and carelesse regard of their death 4. The end of their death 1. The persons which dyed are described by two properties 1. the righteous 2. mercifull men 2. The manner of their death is set foorth by two seuerall tearmes perisheth are taken away 3. The contempt and carelesse regard of their death is also set downe by two phrases no man considereth it in heart and no man vnderstandeth it Lastly the end wherefore they dyed was to preuent future euils the righteous is taken away from the euill to come of these in order 1. For the persons which dyed the Prophet saith the righteous perisheth Concerning whom two things are to be considered first the meanes by which men are made righteous secondly the markes by which wee may know who are righteous For the former you must know that by nature all are corrupt and vnrighteous but yet may be made righteous by iustification and sanctification for there is a righteousnes of imputation and also a righteousnes of sanctification the one to make vs righteous before God the other to make vs righteous before men The righteousnes of imputation is the righteousnes of Christ imputed vnto vs by faith for our iustification Our owne inherent righteousnes is not sufficient to make vs truely and perfectly righteous before God and therefore this Prophet saith afterward in the name of himselfe and of all the people All our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes And Daiud one of Gods faithfull seruants thus framed his prayer vnto the Lord Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth bee iustisted And Paul thus speaketh of himselfe in regard of his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified Nothing can satisfye the iustice of God and make vs appeare righteous in his sight but onely the righteousnes of Iesus Christ imputed to vs. And therefore the same Saint Paul said I haue counted all things losse and do iudge them to be dung that I might winne Christ and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith The same doctrine he taught vnto others whose saluation he desired as well as his owne As by one mans disobedience saith he many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many bee made righteous Whence we may reason as Augustine and others haue done against the Pelagians that as Adams eating of the forbidden tree was imputed to all his posteritie though they neuer tasted of the fruit with their lips so the righteousnes and obedience of Christ shall make all them which are of him righteous before God though they themselues haue as yet practised no righteousnes Againe hee saith that God hath made him sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him As therefore Christ was made sinne for vs not by infusion of sinne into his person but by imputation of our sinnes vnto him so must we be made righteous before God not by infusion of righteousnes into our owne persons but by imputation of Christs righteousnes vnto vs. As the Moone and all the Starres borow all their light from the sunne so the Church and euery member of it borow all their righteousnes from Christ the sunne of righteousnes If this he true then the heathen Philosophers and wise men which liued most vprightly in the sight of men and yet wanted the knowledge of Christ and faith in him could not be righteous before God They wanting the law did by nature many things contayned in the law yet could not be made righteous thereby that was but a righteousnes by which an vngodly man is lifted vp that he might fall into punishment And in this respect the Iewes which reiected Christ how holy soeuer their
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
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
lie is taken you all do well know which haue any experience in the world whither he is brought the Apostle teacheth when hee saith Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the companie of innumerable Angels And to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the mediatour of the new testament Who would be vnwilling thus to be taken away And why should the righteous be afraid of death by which they are thus taken away Had the Israelites anie cause to be vnwilling or to feare to be taken out of the land of Egypt the house of boÌ„dage and to bee caried as it were vpon Eagles wings into the land of Canaan a land that flowed with milke and honie No more cause haue the righteous to feare death which would carie them from the bondage of this world to the heauenly Canaan a place of eternall rest And why then should we mourne immoderately for the death of the righteous WheÌ„ Ioseph was taken from prison to be made a chief ruler in Egypt if his father Iacob had bin in prison with him and had beene acquainted with his preferment should he haue had anie iust cause to be grieued So soone as hee heard of it he reioyced and was willing to go vnto him When Saul was takeÌ„ froÌ„ seeking his fathers asses and annointed to be king ouer Israel had his father Kish any reason to lament WheÌ„ Dauid was taken from following the Ewes great with yong ones and ordained King to feed the Lords people had his father Ishai anie iust occasion of sorrow No more cause haue anie of vs to bewaile the death of the godly seeing they are as highly preferred as any of theÌ„ When Hester was takeÌ„ from Mordecai who had brought her vp as his own daughter to be maried vnto king Ahashuerosh and crowned as Queen did he lament it was he not most willing to leaue her Why then should anie man be so vnwilling to leaue either daughter or wife though neuer so deare vnto him seeing that shee is but taken vp into heauen there to be maried vnto Christ the husbaÌ„d of his Church and there to be crowned as a Queene to raigne in glorie with him But in this taking away there is great difference betwixt the godly and the wicked They are also taken away but why The godly are taken out of the world because the world was not worthie of them but the wicked are taken away because they are vnworthie to liue in the world Those are taken away in mercie these in iudgement those in the Lords fauour and these in his displeasure And whence are these taken or whither They are taken from the practise of sinne to suffer punishment for sinne from ease to torment from the first life to the second death from men to diuels from earth to hell from prison to the place of execution In a woful taking shall they be when they are thus taken away Their lamentable taking away is described in him that will not in time be reconciled to his brother The iudge deliuereth him to the sergeant the sergeant takes him and casts him into prison whence he must not come till hee haue paide the vtmost farthing Likewise in him that would not forgiue his fellow seruant an hundred pence his master being wroth deliuered him to the iayler who tooke him and cast him into prison till he should pay all that was due Also in him that wanted the wedding garment at the marriage feast of the kings sonne the king saith to his seruants binde him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Likewise in the vnprofitable seruant which would not imploy his maisters talent the talent must be taken from him he must be taken and cast into vtter darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Lastly in them which would not suffer their king to raigne ouer them he shall say those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me It is a grieuous thing for one that is making merrie among his companions to be sodainely apprehended by a sergeant or officer for a traitour theefe or murtherer and presently without baile or mainepâ—ise to be taken from his companie and carried to prison and from thence to the place of execution As grieuous is it for a wicked man that liues in the pleasures of sinne to be taken away by death which is the Lords sergeant to apprehend him and bring him to the prison of hell As his entrance into the world was euill and his continuance in the world was worse so his taking out of the world shall be worst of all Oh then let vs take heede least we be thus taken away Let vs learne to liue in the world as the righteous doe and then shall we be taken away as the righteous are Balaams wish is vsed by many Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his And yet they will not liue the life of the righteous but few of these obtaine their desire Looke what way a tree boweth while it stands and groweth the same way it commonly falleth when it is cut downe euen so looke how men are inclined in their life time to righteousnes or vnrighteousnesse so shall they fall at their death Men can hardly begin righteousnesse at their last end Late repentance is seldome sound repentance Men drawing neere to their end shall be so affrighted with death so troubled with paine and grief that they shal not be able to set themselues to repent soundly They shall then rather seeke ease for their bodies then mercie for their sins or grace for their soules The beginning of euerie thing is hardest and therefore he which hath begun wel is said to haue done halfe his worke As it is in other things so is it with repentance it is a harder matter to begin repentance at the first then to renue it afterward therfore the fittest time should be taken for the beginning of it that is rather the time of our life then the time of our death rather the time of our health then the time of our sicknesse In the time of our life and of our health we be scarse able and fit to begin serious repentance but much more vnable and vnfit shall we be in the time of sicknes death We read in scripture but of one which became righteous at his last end the theefe on the Crosse wee reade of one that no man might despaire though hee haue deferred his repentance so long we reade but only of one that no man might presume to deferre it so long The surest and safest way is to begin
in time make no delayes least afterward it be too late 3 The third circumstance to bee obserued in the text is the carelesse regard of the righteous mans death No man considereth it in heart It seemes that manie godly persons were already dead their death did declare that God had some speciall worke in hand yet the common people which were left behind them did little regard it This carelesse contemning of their death doth shew that the harts of the commō people were possessed with great securitie to make so small reckoning of such a strange worke of God All the workes of God are carefully to be regarded of vs who are set in this world to take a speciall view and to make an holy vse of them And therefore Dauid thought the wicked deserued to be broken downe and not built vp againe because they regarded not the workes of the Lord nor the operation of his hands Now the taking of the righteous away is one of his speciall workes For to him belong the issues of death It is he that turneth man to destruction The number of his moneths are with him he appointeth his bounds which he cannot passe If a sparrow shall not fall on the ground without our father in heauen then the righteous which are of more value then many sparrowes cannot perish without his will and appointment Certaine it is that none die sooner or later then he sends for them The works of Princes are much considered and often talked of among the people and ought not the Lords workes be much considered of vs Their works may be done foolishly rashly and vniustly but the works of God are done in number waight and measure in wisdome iustice and mercie Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints and shall their death bee vile and contemptible in our eyes People most commonly do highly esteeme those things which are deare and precious among Princes and shall the death of the righteous which is so precious in the Lords sight the Prince of all Princes be lightly esteemed of vs his people None of them liueth to himselfe neither doth any die vnto himselfe Whether they liue they liue vnto the Lord or whether they die they die vnto the Lord whether they liue therefore or die they are the Lords Yea they do glorifie God both by life and by death And therefore we should not lightly passe ouer their life or their death But consider how they haue glorified God by their death and by their life and praise him for the same But why are we to consider their death What may we learne thereby We learne these foure things First the certaintie of death Secondly the nature of death Thirdly the cause of death and lastly the manner how we must die First by considering their death we may learne the certaintie of death in our selues that we must dye as well as they in which respect Salomon saith it is better to goe to the house of mourning then to goe to the house of feasting because this is the end of all men and the liuing shall lay it to his heart That is to say hee which remaineth aliue by seeing one dead shall consider in his heart that all men shall so die and that he himselfe shall die as well as others The death of others is as a looking glasse wherein we may clearly beholde the vncertaintie of our owne liues We may call their death as some doe the sacrament visible verbū a visible word or sermon teaching vs our owne mortality for we haue no better assurance of our liues then they had what we now are they haue beene and what they now are wee may be and we know not how soone He which hath taken them away now may within a while if it please him take vs also away and bring vs vnto them As death assaulted them so will it assault vs and we cā no more resist it then they could but must yeeld as they did We are ready to forget death and the forgetfulnesse of death maketh vs to forget our dutie vnto God let vs therefore consider the death of others thereby to be put in mind of our owne 2 Secondly by their death we may know the nature of death in al others for it deals with all alike We may there see how death doth deface that image of God which was in the bodie and how it doth destroy the bodie which was a temple for the holie Ghost to dwel in If one see a faire house of a noble man to bee much defaced fallen to ruine so as one stone is scarce left vpon another it will pitie his heart so should we be moued in our hearts to see the bodie of a righteous man which was an house for the holie ghost to dwel in to be so pitifully ruinated by death Againe we may see what strange separations death doth make The soule and the body which haue a long time liued together as two familiar cópanions are put asunder by death and no man knowes how long it shal be before they can meete together againe Besides this death makes a separation betwixt old louing friends The husband is separated from the wife of his youth with whom hee reioyced the wife is separated from her husband who was her vaile to shield and to saue her parents are taken from their tēder childrē which they leaue as orphans in the world not knowing what will become of them children are taken from their kind parents who could haue beene content to haue gone in their steed yea familiar friends whose soules were knit together in affectiō whose loue exceeded the loue of women as did the loue of Dauid and Ionathan are seuered one from another by death the knot of their friendship is broken their mutuall kindnes can be no more shewed by one to another W 〈…〉 griefe it is for louing friends to depart one from another we may see in Pauls friends and hearers when he tooke his leaue of them and told them that they must not see his face any more They wept all abundantly and fell on Pauls necke and kissed him being chiefly sory for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more We had need therfore by the death of others to be put in mind of this separatiō before-hand y◠when it comes we may be the better prepared for it Lastly death makes a separation betwixt the rich man and his wealth We brought nothing into this world neither must we carry any thing out of this world Yea men leaue their riches they cannot tell vnto whom If that question be asked many that are ready to die which was demanded of the rich man who had laid vp store for many yeeres This night shall thy soule be taken from thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast prouided they might truly answere that
they cannot tell Men heape vp riches and cannot tell who shall enioy them they bequeath them to some and others goe away with them We had neede to thinke of this before hand that we may vse this world as if we vsed it not and when we haue foode and rayment to be therewith content and to be more willing to leaue these things when death approcheth If a man doe not in his heart deeply and seriously consider of these things a long time and often before death he shall be as vnwilling to leaue all these things at the howre of death as the young man was to sell his goods and giue them to the poore when he was commaunded by Christ. In things that be of waight and importance and yet very difficult it is needful to vse preparation before hand for without it we shal be vnfit when we come to the pinch Souldiers which be chosen and appointed for the wars do exercise themselues with their weapons before hand and are content to be trained by others which haue better skill experience that so they may learne in time of peace how to behaue themselues in time of war So had we need in time of our life to learne how to die and to be taught by others which die before vs what we must do at the howre of death 3 Thirdly we must coÌ„sider the cause or end of their death Some of the righteous are taken away in iudgement and some in mercie In iudgemeÌ„t when God in displeasure doth strike them with death to correct them for their sinnes Thus was the man of God taken away which came out of Iudah and cried out against the Altar in Bethel that Ieroboam had set vp because he beleeued the lie of an old prophet in Bethel and did eate and drinke with him there contrarie to Gods commandement a Lyon met him by the way and slew him Thus also were many of the Corinthians taken away for abusing the Lords supper For this cause many were sicke and weake and many did sleepe yet they were righteous persons as Paul before had testified of them Ye are washed yee are sanctified yee are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God afterward he reputeth them which were sicke and did so sleep to be iudged of the Lord because they should not be condemned with the world The Lord is sometimes so sharp with his owne children that for the example of others hee will inflict a bodily death vpon theÌ„ as a correction for their sinnes That should be regarded of all others that their harmes may make them wise moue them to speedie repentance least they be more sharpely dealt withall For as Christ saith If these things be done to a greene tree what shall be done to the dry And as Peter saith If iudgement first begin at the house of God what shall the end be of theÌ„ which obey not the Gospell of God If the maister of a family do sharpely correct his owne children for their faults let not the seruants thinke that they shal escape vnpunished if they coÌ„mit the like faults If any one which sitteth at table with vs by eating of some dish or drinking of some cup do surfet or fall sick or into a swoune or die presently it will greatly moue vs and we cannot bee perswaded by anie to tast of that dish or drinke of that cup for feare of the like Euen so when we see Gods children that liue amongst vs to bee taken away by death for practising of some sinne it should greatly moue vs and wee should so abhorre that sinne that nothing in the world could perswade vs to practise it Againe others are taken away in mercy for their benefite and for a reward of their righteousnes to free theÌ„ from those iudgements which the Lord intendeth to bring vpon the world and thus were these righteous men taken away which here are mentioned Their death should be considered as a warning giuen vnto men of some fearfull iudgement to come therfore should cal theÌ„ to repentance that they might preuent the iudgement but of this I wil speake more afterward in the last circumstance 4 Lastly we must consider the manner of their death for thereby we may learne how to die it may be as a patterne or example to direct vs in our death The wicked die either sottishly or impatiently or else desperatly Sottishly like blocks idiots hauing neither penitent feeling of their sins nor comfortable assurance of saluation Being like vnto Nabal whose heart ten daies before his death died within him and he was like a stone Such men die like lambes and yet shall be a pray for the deuouring Lion they go quietly like fooles to the stocks for correction Others dye impatiently who doe not willingly beare the Lords correction deserued by their sinnes but rage fret and murmure as if God dealt too rigorously with them and through impatiencie will vse vnlawfull meanes for their recouery as Ahaziah did who being sicke sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron if he should recouer of his disease Others dye desperately their consciences accusing them most terribly for their sins without any hope of pardon as Caine who said my sinne is greater then can be forgiuen or Iudas who despairing of pardon for his sin in betraying our Sauiour went and hanged himselfe The consciences of many wicked men lye quietly and neuer trouble them all their life time but are stirred vp at their death and then rage and torment them like a mad dog which is lately awaked out of sleep But the righteous die most comfortably they beleeuing in Christ and hauing repented of their sinnes are assured in their owne soules that all their sins are pardoned in Christ they will make confession of their faith and giue testimonies of their repentance vnto others for their comfort and example They will patiently indure all the paines of their sicknes â—s Iob did knowing that al comes from the Lord and that it is his fatherly correction and a signe of his loue because he chasteneth whom he loueth yea they receiue their sicknesse as the Lords messenger speaking to their soules as the Prophet Isaiah did to Hezekiah Put thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not liue and therefore they prepare themselues for another world Yea further in their sicknes they can pray most feruently as king Hezekiah did Isai 38. and then they will giue most fruitfull and comfortable instructions to those which they leaue behinde As the Swan sings most sweetly a little before his death so the righteous speake most diuinely a little before their end Whosoeuer searcheth the scriptures may reade the diuine prophecy of Iacob vnto the twelue Patriarches Gen. 49. the holy blessing of Moses vpon the twelue tribes Deut. 33. the godly exhortation of Ioshua to the people of Israel placed by him
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
liue are subiect vnto these as wel as others yea oftentimes more then others He which will bee Christs Disciple must take vp his crosse daylie and follow him Through manie tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Iudgement begins at the house of God The Lord doth chastise his children by his iudgements least they should be condemned with the world A father hath two sons the one offends and is corrected the other also offendeth is not corrected why is the one corrected and not the other because the father hath hope of his amendment and reserues the inheritance for him but he hath no hope of the other and therefore will not correct him but doth disinherite him and cast him off so doth God deale with men Those which hee seeth incorrigible hee letteth alone though they offend yet he seldome correcteth them but casts them off but others which may by correction bee brought to repentance and kept in awe he often correcteth and for them is reserued an inheritance immortall and vndefiled in heauen yea the world hateth them because they are not of the world yea among men they shall oftentimes suffer euill for righteousnes sake And God hereby will make triall of their faith of their patience constancie and herein make them examples vnto others so that they must looke for afflictions so long as life lasteth but death makes an end of them al. Life and miserie are two twins which were borne together must die together And therefore Iohn heard it from heauen was commaunded to write it for the comfort of men on the earth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Then shall God wipe all teares from their eyes then shall there be no more sorrow nor crying nor paine Then shall they haue euerlasting rest and no labour continuall ioy and no sorrow perpetuall pleasure and no paine great plentie of all good things and no want all manner of happines and no miserie The spirituall euils from which they are freed by death are three First their combat with the diuell Here we are in continuall warfare this is the militant Church so long as wee liue and abide in it wee must fight as the Lords souldiers not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers and against worldlie gouernours the Princes of the darkenesse of this world and not for a naturall or temporall but for a spirituall and eternall life not for an earthlie but for an heauenlie kingdome And in this battell there is no time of truce If the diuell be ouercome at one time he will on a sodame and none knowes how soone giue a fresh assault againe but death ends tho battell not as if the diuell got the victorie by our death as it is commonly seene among warriours on the earth if the one die in fight the other getteth the vpper hand but the faithfull at their last end get a finall conquest and then ascend to heauen there to triumph The diuell cannot assault them there He may compasse the earth but he cannot enter within the lists of heauen He neuer came thither to assault any since he was first cast out though he tempted Adam in the earthly Paradice and got him thrust out of it yet can he not tempt any in the heauenly Paradice to cause them to be thrust thence And therefore as a souldier which hath endured an hard and dangerous battell a long time doth greatly reioyce when he hath gotten the victorie so may the faithfull reioyce at the houre of their death because then they make a finall end of their spirituall enemies and begin their triumph ouer them 2 Another miserie from which they are freed is the practise of sinne Who liueth and sinneth not as Salomon saith In many things we offend all Though we be â—ruely sanctified yet it is but in part and therefore we may say with S. Paul I allow not that which I doe for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I. And further I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto sinne And nothing is more grieuous vnto a true Christian heart then the practise of sinne and therefore euerie one in this case will cry out with the same Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death But death destroyes sinne Sinne brought in death and death driues out sinne After death all the righteous shall be perfectlie sanctified and made like the Angels to do the will of the Lord readilie willinglie and cheerefullie As herbs and flowers breed wormes in them yet those wormes at last will kill the hearbes and flowers so sinne bred death in it selfe but at last death will kill sinne And as Sampson could not kill the Philistims who were his greatest enimies but by his owne death no more can the righteous kil sin which is not their least enimie but by their own death At the first death was ordained as a punishment for sinne but now it is vsed as a meanes to stop the course of sin It was then said vnto man if thou sinne thou shalt die the death but now it is said thou must die least thou sinne that which theÌ„ was to be feared that men might not sin must now be suffered least they should sinne Sinne hath taken such deepe roote in our bodies that it cannot be destroyed vnlesse the bodie be as it were quite plucked vp by the roots least any roots remaining new buds of sinne doe sprout from the same If a wild figgetree doe grow in the walles of a faire temple and spread the roots of it al along ouer all the stones of the whole building it will not cease from springing till all be pulled downe if the stones be pulled downe they may afterward bee set vp a gaine in their owne places and the temple made as faire as euer it was and so the fig-tree may be pulled vp by the rootes will grow no more this comparison haue the learned vsed In the same manner the Lord a skilfull workeman hauing made man for his temple there sprung sinne in him like a wilde figtree which was spread wholie ouer all parts of man and it could not be destoryed vntill the bodie was destroyed by death and God hauing destroyed the bodie by death that so hee might quite roote out sin will build it vp againe to be a new temple vnto him yea mans bodie was in this respect like vnto a faire and beautifull picture of gold which an enuious and ill disposed person doth so mangle and disfignre as that it cannot be brought vnto the same forme and beautie vnlesse the owner doe melt it againe and fashion it all a new 3 Furthermore it
is some euill for the righteous to dwell among ill neighbours It greatly greeueth them to see others commit sinne and dishonour God Lot being righteous and dwelling among the Sodomites in seeing hearing their vnlawfull deeds vexed his righteous soule from day to day And Dauid said Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keep not thy law And also woe is me that I remaine in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Keaar Hee which is truelie grieued for sin in himselfe wil also be grieued for sinne in others Now the world is so fraught with sinners that if a man would not keepe companie with fornicators or with the couetous or with extortioners or with idolaters then as Paul saith he must go out of the world Death therefore frees men from this euill because it taketh them out of the world and suffereth them not to behold eyther the sinnes which men commit against God or the euils which God doth bring vpon them yea death doth carrie them into heauen to the holie angels and spirits of iust and perfect men which sinne not at all but fulfill the will of God in all perfection They shall haue cause to reioyce for them and not to be grieued at them There be also extraordinarie euils from which the righteous are deliuered by death and those are extraordinarie iudgements which the Lord bringeth vpon the people and countrie where they dwelt for some late and grieuous sins Thus was a young child of Ieroboam dealt withall The Lord threatned to bring euill vpon the house of Ieroboam and to sweepe off the remnant of his house as a man sweepeth away dung til it be all gone Yea the dogs should eate him of Ieroboams stocke that died in the Citie and the foules of the aire should eate him that died in the field yet that childe should die in his bed and all Israel as it is said shall mourne for him for he onlie of Ieroboam shall come to the graue because in him there is found some goodnes toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Ieroboam Thus also was good king Iosiah dealt withall The Lord told him before hand because thine heart melted and they hast humbled thy selfe hast rent thy clothes and wept before mee behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place And thus was Luther dealt withall as some haue obserued who was taken away in peace not long before the Lord brought that miserable calamitie vpon Germanie which he had often foretold would come vpon that people for the contempt of the Gospel Who also desired that hee might be called out of the world before he saw those grieuous punishments which hee greatly feared Though this be no perpetuall law for sometime the righteous perish in the common destruction among the wicked as Ionathan did with Saul other Israelites in battell against the Philistims And in the Pestilence Christians haue dyed with the Infidels Sometime God spareth the wicked for the righteous mens sake which liue among them The Lord promised Abraham that if he could finde ten righteous men â—n Sodome hee would not destroy the citie for those tennes sake And Iob sayd The innocent shall deliuer the yland and it shall be preserued by the purenes of his hands Yea wheate and tares must grow together till the haruest that is good and bad must liue together in the world vntil the end of the world Yet oftentimes God pluckes his children out of fire which shall consume the wicked and prouides a place of safety for them in heauen before he powre forth his iudgements vpon the earth Lot was commaunded to make haste vnto the citie of Zoar to saue him there because the Lord could doe nothing vnto Sodom till hee was come thither And when the Lord would destroy Ierusalem for the abominations committed in it he shewed to the Prophet in a vision the destroyers comming forth with their weapoÌ„s to destroy yet they must not touch any vntill they were all marked in their fore heads which mourned for all the abominations done in the midst of it And the destroying Angels must not hurt the earth neither the sea nor the trees till the seruants of God were sealed in their foreheads As the righteous are carefull to serue the Lord so is he carefull to preserue them As they haue not bin partakers with the common sort in the practise of sin so shall they not bee partakers with them in suffering punishment He takes them from among the wicked and then executeth his iudgements vpon the wicked alone The Egyptians did vse to gather their corne out of the fields and laid it vp in their barnes and then caused the Israelites to gather the stubble to make bricke withall and in some Countreys Farmers first carry the corne into their barnes and then burne the stubble in the field where it growes so the Lord first gathereth the righteous into the kingdome of heauen and then consumeth the wicked on the earth It is farre from the iudge of all the world to slay the righteous with the wicked 1. In this respect those which suruiue the righteous haue iust cause to feare some present euils and labour by vnfained repentance if it be possible to preueÌ„t them Their death is a plaine prognostication of some euils to come and should be as a trumpet to awaken others out of the sleepe of sinne Many of the wicked reioyce when the godly are taken away froÌ„ them they loue their roomes better then their company they hated them and their profession in their life time because as they say they are not for our profit and they are contrary to our doings they checke vs for offending against the law it grieueth vs to looke vpon them for their liues are not like other men and therefore at their death they are glad that they are rid of them when indeede they haue greater cause to howle and weepe for the miseries that shall come vpon them The righteous need not to imitate the vngodly practise of Herod who being ready to dye thinking that his death would be a great ioy to many shut vp in prison some noble men of euery towne and required his sister Salome her husband Alexa that so soone as he was dead they should kil those noble men and then all Iudaea would lament his death The Lord himselfe doth often make the death of the righteous to be lamented by sending of extraordinary iudgements immediatly after their death When Noah enters into the Arke the world is drowned with the floud when Lot departs out of Sedome it is burnt with fire 2 In this respect also yâ— righteous haue no cause to feare death but rather to desire it for what is it
but an ending of some troubles and a preuenting of others They may with Paule desire to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all It is true which Salomon saith That the day of a mans death is better then the day of his birth For the day of a godly mans birth is the beginning of his misery but the day of his death is the end of his misery Indeede the day of a wicked mans death is the most wofull day that euer befell him for hee is not taken away from the euill to come but he is taken vnto euill to be tormented in hell for euermore And therefore he feares death as much as a malefactour feareth a Sergeant that commeth to carry him to prisoÌ„ where he is like to abide till the day of execution That is true in them which the Diuell sayd Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life And as the Gibeonites were content rather to bee bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water then to be killed by the Israelites as other nations were So they had rather indure any kinde of misery then to die as others doe because they feare a worse estate after death and therefore must bee pulled from the earth with as great violence as Ioab was pulled from the hornes of the altar vnto which he had fled as to a place of refuge But the godly knowing what an happy exchange they make by death they desire to dye so soone as it pleaseth the Lord. Indeede none ought for the ending of present calamities or preuenting of future miseries to shorten their own dayes as Saul did by falling on his owne sword nor yet for the present enioying of eternal happines procure their own deatâ— as Cleombrotus did who reading Plato his booke of the immortalitie of the soule cast himself headlong from a wal that he might change this life for a better He onely who gaue life must take it away and the Lord may say to such I will receiue no soules which against my will haue gone out of the body the Philosophers which died so were martyrs of foolish philosophie Yet seeing that death freeth the righteous from present and future miseries they may be most willing to dye so soone as the Lord calleth for them and when death approacheth may say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace 3 Lastly in this respect we must learne not to mourne immoderately for the death of the righteous Though we receiued great comfort and inioyed some benefit by them while they were aliue yet seeing that death is an aduantage vnto them we should be content patiently to beare our owne losse in respect of their great gaine If two friends should lye in prison together or should dwell together in a strange countrey where both of them were hardly vsed were many wayes iniured endured great want and sustained much miserie though they loued one another dearely and the one were an helpe and comfort to the other yet if the one should be taken from the other and brought to his chiefest friends and among them be not onely freed from all such miseries as before he had endured but also be aduanced to great preferment will the other which is left behind him be discontented at it Will he not rather wish himselfe to be there with him in the like case then desire that either he had stayed with him or might returne againe This our life is as a prison or straunge countrey in which we indure great miserie and may euery day looke for more if therefore our deerest friends be taken from vs freed from these miseries and aduanced to great glorie with Christ and his Saints in the kingdome of heauen we haue no cause to wish that either they had stayed longer with vs or might returne againe vnto vs but rather desire that we might quickly go vnto them to be glorified in like sort Though we may thinke that they dyed too soone for vs yet they dyed not too soone for themselues for the sooner they come to rest and happines the better it is for them Their condition is farre better then ours for they are freed from misery we are reserued for further misery they are already arriued at the hauen of eternall rest and we are stil tossed on the sea of this world with troublesome waues and dangerous tempests they haue ended their iourney with lesser trauaile and making a shorter cut and wee are yet trauailing with wearâ—â—omnesse in our iourney If any one of them could speake after their death he would say vnto those which weep for him as Christ sayd to the daughters of Ierusalem Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children because of the dangerous dayes which shall ensue Or as Christ said vnto his disciples If ye loued me ye would verily reioyce because I go vnto the Father But if examples do moue any thing at al I may apply al that hath bin spoken to our present occasion A righteous woman is perished a mercifull woman is taken away let vs lay it to our hearts and consider that she is taken away from euill I am fully perswaded that she is deliuered from ordinary euils and it may be her death hath in her self preuented some extraordinarie iudgements which remaine for vs that are left behinde Sin is now so riâ—e and ripe among vs that we may iustly feare some strange future euils God graunt that as she hath preuented them by her death so we may preuent them by our vnfained repentance I know that she being receiued into the society of the Saincts in heauen neither careth for nor seeketh mans praises she neither needeth our prayers nor yet our prayses if she desire any thing it is our imitation Yet to praise the dead is a thing lawfull in it self and profitable vnto the liuing If it had not bin a thing lawfull neither Dauid would so highly haue commended Ionathan for his feruent and constant loue 2. Sam. 1. 26. neither would the holy Ghost haue commended king Iosiah for his integrity aboue all others 2. Chro. â—5 23. Neither would the author to the Hebrews haue so greatly praised the Patriarchs and Prophets for their excellent works of faith Nâ—ither would Christ haue commaunded that wheresoeuer the Gospell should be preached throughout all the world that which the woman had done in â—anointing him should be spoken of for a memoriall of her God would not haue the vertuous deedes and holy examples of the righteous to bee buried with them but to bee kept in remembrance for the imitation of others Christ commended some while they were aliue as the Centurion for the greatnes of his faith Math. 8. Iohn Baptist for his constancie his â—obrietie in his apparell and the dignitie of his office Math. 11. May we not then praise the dead For
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
mother Paula Let vs not mourne because we haue lost such a one but let vs rather giue thankes that we haue had such a one yea rather that we still haue such a one for all liue vnto God and whosoeuer returneth vnto the Lord is reckoned in the number of the fanstlie Let vs learne to imitate those good things which were in her let vs be stirred vp by her death both to consider the vncertaintie of our owne liues and also to prepare our selues for our last end that it may be the beginning of our euerlasting glory The Lord God graunt that euery one of vs may doe it Amen FINIS THE SOVLES SOLACE AGAINST SORROW A funerall Sermon preached at Childwall Church in Lancashire at the buriall of Mistris Katherin Brettergh the third of Iune 1601. in the afternoone of the same day By W. LEYGH Bachelor of Diuinitie and Pastor of Standish PSALME 126. 5. 6. 5 They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy 6 They went weeping and caried precious seede but they shall returne with ioy and bring their sheaues IONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston 1602. To the reuerend man of God and faithfull Preacher M. William Leygh Bachelor of Diuinity and Pastor of Standish in Lancashire William Brettergh wisheth increase of all good graces for the gathering of Gods Saints and building vp of his Church and for his owne euerlasting saluation in Iesus Christ. GOod Sir after I had read with comfort that which I gayned from you with much intreaty I meane a copie of your Sermon preached at my wiues Funerall I was so ful and pregnant of the birth that I could beare no longer but must needs bring foorth the same and lay it in the lap of Gods children which how euer I vse it in the nursing was from your selfe a perâ—est birth Happily you will deem I do you wrong to publish the same without your futher warrantie indeede you may and my selfe should thinke none other but that fearing vpon a second intreaty you might either perswade me in your loue or ouer-awe me by your authority to desist from printing the same I haue thought good rather to venture vpon all carthly replies theÌ„ to hazard the want of so heauenly a solace Good sir pardon my boldnes for and if you would giue me your house full of gold I cannot keepe in what God will haue out nor can I bee silent where God will speake The best is I lacke no priuiledge The Lord hath giuen good success The Examiner full allowance The Learned good approuall And my conscience is cleare within I doe it neither to your praise or my own but with a single heart to set out the Lords glory And for the wantonnes of the world the iniquitie of the time and the multitude of malicious wreslers of whom you speake let them alone whilest they but pine themselues in feeding vpon our best things The Lord giue you grace countenance and continuance in the bleshed worke of the Ministery for his Sions sake London this 20. of Nouember 1601. Your assured in Christ Iesus William Brettergh The Soules Solace against Sorrow ISAIAH 57. 2. Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euerie one that walketh before him IT was the preparation day before the Saboath when Ioseph of Arimathea with Nichodemus and the women that came from Galile begg'd of Pilate the bodie of Iesus wrapt it in sindon imbalm'd it with spices buried it and so gaue him the last dutie of eternall obsequie As that was honourable in Christ the head so is it not dishonourable in vs his members And for that I hold this day you haue done well who haue followed the hearse of this our deare sister to giue her the last honour of buriall though last I say yet not the least of Christian duties All which on your behalfes blessed preacher and blessed people how readily and religiouslie hath beene performed I rather ioy to feele in my heart then can finde the way to expresse with my tongue howbeit in lieu of my vnfained loue to her that resteth now in peace as also of you my deare brethren who yet a while must indure the warres of this wofull world giue me leaue in respect of both to charge my selfe with a dutie more particular more abounding For as the Maries could not bee satisfied with al that was done by Ioseph and Nichodemus for their maister Christ vnlesse their poore balme went withal so can I not content my self with al you haue done though most sufficient vnlesse I bring some sindon of mine owne and buy some balme to bestow vpon this Saint As loue is full of labour so it spareth no cost and for that I say with Dauid I will not offer burnt offerings vnto the Lord my God of that which cost me nothing so then being called vnto this place by him who may commaund me much for that his praise is in the Gospell I meane the saddest Saint in all the assemblie I did not consult with flesh and blood but haue as you may see most willinglie obeyed the heauenlie call Desirous by my best endeuours sweetest balme to comfort the liuing by commending the dead so did Isaiah in this place as you haue heard from the former Angell who tooke the commination to himselfe out of the verse going before of Gods peremptorie summons of all by death iust and vniust righteous and vnrighteous faithfull and faithles and hath left the consolation for me thereby to raise you vp from deepe despaire and put you in a place of peace lay you in a bed of rest with the Saint that gone is and all such as walke before the Lord. That all must die as hath bin told you there is no remedie for wee come by the wombe and goe by the graue and ere you come to the sweet running waters of Shilo that runneth softlie you must passe the turbulent waters of Iordan that goe roughlie Death is the Lady and Empresse of all the world her seasure is without surrender and from her sentence there is no apple It is not the maiestie of the Prince or holines of the Priest strength of bodie feature of face learning riches or any such secular regard can pleade against death or priuiledge any person against the graue nay I say more be thy dayes neuer so few or thy yeeres neuer so full count with Adam and tell with Methusalem 969. yeares truelie told yet die thou must be they many or be they few all is one yeeres are no priuiledge against the graue For the generall then I thus conclude statutum est omnibus semelmori The decree is out all must die Balthashars embleme is vpon euerie wall and his imprese is vpon all flesh Mene Mene Tekel Vparsin Numerauit appendit diuisit God hath numbred thy dayes he hath laid thee vpon the ballance thou art found wanting thy kingdome is diuided and giuen to the Medes and Persians Say
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
heads burning the corn of the Philistims whilest Israels sheaues staÌ„d vpright I meane consuming themselues whilest they cauill with vs about a birth of no being for if they could but agree at home ere they warre abroade 1. where the place is 2. when it began 3. how long it shall continue 4. who is there punished 5. what is the paine 6. and lastly who be the tormentors happily it might make vs to sound a retreate and moue a parley But when in all or most of these they are at ods with themselues I trust by the grace of God they shall neuer be at euen with vs or with any that feare the Lord in truth It would require a longer discourse then now I can stand vpon to descend into each of these particulars beeing limited with the time mine owne weakenes and your wearines yet if any man doubt let him demurre with mee vpon a further tryall and conference when I shall if God will satisfie him to the full that in all these seuerall points they doe nothing else but agree to disagree in the meane time I dare auouch as first I did that purgatorie is not at all 1 That is was neuer knowne in the Church of Israel or a doctrine sprinkled vpon that people with the blood of the old couenant by Moses who was faithfull in Gods house and deliuered all hee saw vpon the mount 2 That purgatorie hath no foundation in the new testament and that the blood of Christ neuer taught it in that couenant but was of it selfe sufficient to purge and preserue tam à poena quam à culpa though our aduersaries say contrarie 3 That neither the Primitiue Church nor the Fathers of the same for the space of manie ages did euer acknowledge the purgatorie of the Church of Rome I say God neuer ordained Scripture neuer taught spirit neuer guided father neuer agreed vpon such a doctrine but as they that were conuerted to Christ at the first whether from Iudaisme or froÌ„ Paganisme did bring with them eyther their ceremonies or their opinions so in this errour as in others Plato taught it in his schooles Virgil in his rythmes both Pagans Papising Bonauenture at all aâ—enture and Durand not dangerous of the doctrine haue taken it vp both Papists Paganising To iustifie what hath bin said of old Pictoribus atque poetis quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas To Painters to Poâ—ts to Papists of skill Hath euer bâ—â— graunted to same what the will For the proofe of al these assertions I referre you to the worthie writings of that noble Berrean Lord Phillip of Mornay lumen Galliae maâ—tix Romae in his treatise of purgatorie laid downe in his third booke of the sacrifice pretended in the Masse And now for conclusion of this point in clearing of the truth pitifullie dearned with these clouds of errour let these few Scriptures and Fathers dispell the fogge so as the sunne of righteousnes may shine in your hearts and beget you to a better hope A voice from heauen hath said it you may beleeue it Blessed are the deaâ— that die in the Lord Amodo euen now for they rest from their labours In blessednes is no pain in rest is no toyle if this happinesse be Amodo Euen straight vpon the dissolution there is no daunger by the way there is no delay by purgatorie Paul hath said it you may beleeue it Christ is to me both in life and in death aduantage desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of al as if he should say neuer can I lose by Christ in life hee is my grace in death he is my glorie when I am gone I shall bee where he is not in paine but in blis where no fire shall purge nor water wash hauing alreadie dipt my stole in the blood of the lamb Christ hath said it you may beleeue it his word is a warrant to your wearie souls Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen me It is his will and who dares wrest it the head will haue his members the bridegroome his spouse God his elect and Christ his redeemed and where will he haue them but where he is and that is in heauen Popish purgatory is no Palace for Christ his abode ergo no place for Christians to behold his glorie Nor hath Christ said it but sworne it to in supplementum fidei to help faith that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie First promise and Secondlie oth wee might haue strong consolation His oth is this neuer to be reuersed Verilie verilie I say vnto you he that heareth my words and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life O happie hearers but thrise happie beleeuers for whose cause the Lord hath sworne in certaintie of your saluation and speedie passage from death to life without tuch of fire meede of merit or need of Popish indulgence One saith well velox est sermo dei velocem desiderat habere sequentem The word of God is swift and it requireth a speedie follower if speed in following much more in attaining if speed in the bodie much more when it hath put it off if vnder the crosse we grone and goe forward with how much more speede shall wee haste to the crowne when teares shall bee wiped from our eyes and wee shall be translated out of this world to raigne with God for euer And if it bee true of a glorified bodie that Augustine hath corpus est vbi volet animus The bodie is straight where the minde will how much rather shall a sanctified soule disburdened of the bodie passe with speed to him that gaue it Lazarus died and was straight waies caried into Abrahams bosome The theefe vpon the crosse died was that verie day in Paradise Stephen called and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and shall we doubt of his desire euen then answered Christ cryed vpon the tree father into thy hands I commend my spirit and gaue vp the Ghost not downe the ghost speedily and without delay yea and I am perswaded that it is with euerie Saint of God in his particular death as it shall be at the generall doome all shal be chaunged at the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpe for the trumpet shal blow and the dead shall rise so all shall be changed at the last gaspe euen in the twinkling of an eye shall the bodie turne to earth from whence it came and the soule to God that gaue it Nescit tarda moliâ—â—â—a spiritus dei gratia The gifts and graces of God are without delay no delay in the creation no delay in the redemtion no delay in
godlines Much like vnto many wantons in these our dayes who deeme that diuinitie may goe by the drum whilest they vrge pyping to bring on preaching and minstrilsie to grace our ministerie with multitudes in the afternoones of many our wofull and solitarie Saboaths But to the matter in hand and point of pardons I say with Augustine O vanitie selling vanities to them that will heare vanitie and vaine are they that will beleeue it Nay rather beleeue your owne Poets who durst freely say If wee haue any thing from Rome they be trisles it receiueth our gold and deceiueth our soules Say with Veselus one of your owne Doctors Among vs in Rome Churches Priests Altars Masses Crownes Fire Incence Prayers and Heauen are set to sale yea and God himselfe among vs may be had for money Say with Budaeus The Popes Canons seeme not now to guide mens liues but if I may so say they rather serue to make a banke and to get money Say with Becket one of your owne Bishops Rome our mother is become an harlot for money reward laieth her selfe to sale If then for coÌ„clusion my deere brethreÌ„ beloued in the best loue that euer was which is of Iesus Christ if Saints helpe not for that they heare not if Purgatorie case not for that it is not and lastly if pardons preuaile not for that they reach neither quicke nor dead why doe wee listen to these vngodly Sirens who blacken the ayre with the fogge of their dearne diuinitie and driue away al comfort from distressed soules with these wofull outcryes and doubtfull voyces Helpe Saints Purge fire Pardon Pope Away away get you hence for who euer required these things at your hands saith my God Let onely the price of the bloud of my Lord auaile me vnto the perfection of my deliuery He is my peace he is my rest in life and in death Christ is to me an aduantage O death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie Pope where is thy pride Purgatorie where is thy gaine Thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs victorie peace and rest thorough our Lord Iesus Christ. And now who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall coÌ„demne it is Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God maketh request also for vs. And what shal diuide vs froÌ„ his loue Shall tribulation or anguish or persecutioÌ„ or famine or nakednes or perill or sword shall life or death In all these we are more then conquerours in him yâ— loued vs. And I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come neither height nor depth Pope nor Purgatorie shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Venâ—endo veniet Peace shall come they shall rest from their labours euery one that walketh before him Thus you haue heard I hope to your comfort of peace after war rest after toile life after death and a blessed being after a miserable bondage to all Gods children vpon the last farewell with this wofull world It now remaines we come to the second part and declare out of the text to your further comfort who are partakers of the blessing euen all such as are parties to the cause and none but such as haue walked before him All haue not faith so saith Paul All haue not peace so saith the Prophet Not euery plant is for this Orchard Not euery tree is for this building each peeble stone may noy lie with the Carbuncle Topaze or Chrysolite in the habitation of his holinesse For without shall be dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolators and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lyes But blessed are they that doe his commandements that their right may be found in the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the citie Blessednesse with the Apostle is to such as doe his commandements Peace and rest with the Prophet is to such as walke before him Both absolute in the promise of God both defeaseable on the condition of man It is an ouerruled case in schoole diuinitie Comminationes promissiones diuinae sunt hypotheticae comminations promises from God are conditionall euer limited within the bounds of our obedience or disobedience Yet fortie dayes and Niniue shall be destroyed if Niniue repent not and I am perswaded that yet not many yeares the whole world shall bee destroyed if the world amend not Excellent things were spoken of thee thou Citie of God but now execrable things are done to thee for that thou art fallen from God Bethel is become Bethauen the house of God the house of iniquitie Heudomus antiqua quam dispari domino dominare Thy ruines are relickes of thy sinne and iudgements of thy God God promised a Priesthood of continuance with an eternall couenant and said he would neuer faile Salomon of a sonne to succeed in that throne of gouernmeÌ„t if his children would doe right and walke in his waies but when they failed in the condition the Lord failed in his promise that they might know his promises are conditionall and his mercies euer with limitation Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you so saith Christ a mercifull Messias but with this implication if yee aske not yee haue not if yee seeke not yee finde not if yee knocke not it shall not be opened vnto you And I pray you what is implied in all the titles and dignities of Christ where either he saith of himselfe or others of him that he is the way the truth and the life but that we should walk in him shine through him and liue by him or what of this that he is the doore the shepheard and the vine but that wee should enter be guided and grow together in him A Priest hee is to please our God A Prophet to instruct our soules and a king to conquer our enemies All defeaseable on our behalfe if we yeeld him no sacrifice no care no obedience I say for conclusion whatsoeuer Christ is to me I am nothing to him if Eccho-like and by reflexion I doe not answere to his holie and heauenlie call with my true faith and due obedience Qui fecit te sine te non saluabit te sine te Hee that made thee without thee will neuer saue thee without thee We are his workemanship created to good workes that we should walke in them In which walking I doe further obserue out of the text that God is no respecter of persons but euerie one that walketh shall haue peace and finde rest whether Iew or Gentile circumcised or vncircumcised man or woman rich or poore bond or free master
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
for he killed himselfe what did Dauid reioyce or lament Though Saul in his life time was alwaies his deadly enemie yet mourned hee and wept for Saul and Ionathan saying Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in the streetes of Askelon least the daughters of the Philistims reioyce and the vncircumcised triumph This did Dauid which was a man after Gods owne heart though you as it should seeme rather delight to solace your selues with the falles and infirmities of Gods children then once to be touched as feeling members of one bodie with an inward sighing and sorrow for the same But now touching the death of this Gentlewoman whereat some of your Romish faction haue bragged as though an oracle had come from heauen to proue you Catholicks and vs Hereticks Blessed be God and our Lord Iesus Christ the Diuell and you are all deceiued and God euen our mightie Iehouah hath you in derision and shall laugh you to skorne who hath not only frustrate your fond expectations but made your follie manifest to all men This Gentlewomans life being more holie and her death more comfortable then possiblie any of yours can be so long as you continue Papists The trueth whereof I haue compendiously set foorth in this present treatise following as will be testified by persons of honester note and condition then any of your generation And thus for this time I end praying God to forgiue you your sins because you know not what you doe and to open your eyes that you may see your errors and come out of Babylon Amen That by some taste of the truth of that which befell the vndoubted child of God Mistris Katherin Brettergh in the time of her sicknes neere before and at the instant of her death the mouth of the sclanderer which was soone opened might be some deale stopped the expectation of the godly in part satisfied and preiudice in all happilie suspended one both an eye and eare-witnesse thereof caused these few lines as an Epitaph to be fixed nigh her Hearse Id est Katherina quia Christi sanguine mundata igneaque teâ—tationum exploratione purgata Mundis eodemqus modo purgandis omnibus tum quae passa est tum etiam eorundem exitum testatissim cupit TRue it is I strone But 't was against mine enemie Strongly I struggled It was my strongest aduersarie Strongly not in my selfe but in my euer-helper strong Strongly alas weake woman weakely strong Strongly though faintly which was fleshes infirmitie Strongly and doubtfully through my soes lying subtiltie Strangely I grant till streÌ„gth it selfe in weakenes was sâ—eâ—â— strong And Sauiour mine did in the battailes throng Plainely display his banner-booke in open field VVhich seene mine aduersaries all gan shrinke fall yeeld So Christ the victor searching the spoiâ—e taking his pray Me found for him tooke to him So I past from you away VVitnes hereof my often'pplied faith's confessions VVitnes my prayers plainâ—s tearefull eyes hart yearning meditatioÌ„s VVitnes my sweate strong trembling thirst my biâ—ning â—caâ—e Peace ioy passage all harts that present then with mine did beate But be all silent One for me the truth will tell My witnes now in heauen with whom I crowned dwell And learne by me with God and 's word your childhood to acquaint Then aged finally though hap's at times you shall not saint Si non testantis side Monentis charitate Moueamini Anâ—iphonicâ—s eidem IT 's not vnlike Christ's deaâ—e such conflict you endur'de The members must be like the head vve are assur'de 'T vvas not amisse you did so fiâ—rce hot sirie triall bide To haue pure gold some seauen times is tride It were vnmeete the seruants better then their Lord should finde The Captaine passe the pikes the souldiers stay behinde 'T is meete for vvhom Christ dranke off all that bitter cup They of the same vvith him a little dram should sup And though your life your birth your vertuous education Your holy course in Reading Prayer Meditation Meekenes patience pitie and religious chastitie Both in your maried state and free virginitie Did vvorthilie import you vvere the same You did professe and as did sound your name Yet that your death prou'd cleerer seuen fold You t'he Christ's member seruent souldier and gold Noutheticon LEarne all by this and others more iust Abrahams breede Borne in the Church nurst of her brests begotteÌ„ of immortal seâ—d Learne you that stand haue peace feele ioy see light Partake God's spirit tasting his grace and heauenly gift The time may come that you may fall war rise peace seeme straÌ„ge You ioy vvith anguish light for deaths shadovv may exchange Satan may buffer Gods spirit driue you to the vvildernes The booke mouth sweetning be to your bellies bitternes Learne ye that in these heauie changingâ— be God changeth neuer neuer doe his graces die Graces fountaine runneth euer it floweth aboundantly We doe not alwaies thirst seeld called come oft drinke we sparingly Learne you that in these blessed feelings haue no pâ—â—t Nor of the bitter changings feele the smart Your wretched state who liuing are as dead withouten sence Who dead shall euer liue tormented going hence Learne all iudge not before the time happie and bless'd is he VVho of the sillie humbled poore doth iudge aduisedly Edw. Aspinwall Katherina Pura Christo quâ—â—â— purgata Vita Christo praparata Morte Christo dedicata Coelis Christo coniâ—gata W. F. The holie life and Christian death of Mistris Katherin Brettergh THis Gentlewoman was borne in Cheshyre the daughter of Iohn Bruen of Bruenstapleford Esquire well descended and of an auncient house Her education before her marriage was such as became the profession of the Gospell in godlinesse and puritie of life and Religion and well beseemed the house where she was brought vp The Scriptures she knew from a childe and by reading thereof gained such knowledge that she was able readilie to applie them when occasion was offered as wee may see at the time of her death and that so fitly and effectually that she seemed to haue made them her daily meditation For the things of this world she was moderate and sober and by her Christian life and death she might teach many Gentlewomen how vaine the pleasures and fashions of this world are and how farre vnable to bring that peace to a distressed heart that the embracing of true Religion can She vsed not to gad abroad with wandring Dinah to dancing greenes markets or publike assemblies but rather with Hannah did chuse to tread vpon the dust of the sanctuarie and walke in the waies of Sion yea with Dauid rather to be a doore keeper in the house of God then to haue societie with the wicked or to dwell in the tents and Tabernacles of the vngodlie The Sabbaoth day was alwaies deere and welcome to her what time she would not be without the word preached though many times she went farre for it Her delight was still to
of her sicknes after the Lord had once enlarged her heart from the temptations of Satan But vpon Saterday about eleuen of the clocke in the morning the Lord disclosed himselfe in mercie to her more plentifully then euer before and as I may say he dealt familiarly with his hand-mayd for from that time to her very death which ensued the next day the feeling of Satans temptations seemed quite to bee banished from her so that she made no shew of them her thoughts were not occupied with yâ— world husbaÌ„d child or any thing els to our thinking neither was her sicknes troublesome to her as before it had beene but as one raised from death to life or rauished in spirit so seemed she to vs that stood by her countenance ioyfull her tongue flowing with the praises of God and her voyce as most heauenly musicke and melodie of peace sounding praise and honour and glorie to God in a wonderfull manner as followeth About eleuen of the clocke she began to tremble and quake a little and withall she asked her husbaÌ„d if he would help her with prayer to God against the tempter saying will yee neither pray with me nor bring some godly man that may put holie things into my minde whereby I may be able to resist Satan Hauing thus said she vttered these words O Lord God of my saluation help my weaknes pleade thou my cause O God of truth for in thee doe I trust After this they prayed together and she answered Amen to euery petition Then after this she required him to reade some part of the scripture whereupon he read vnto her the 8. to the Romans the 91. Psalme and the 17. of Iohn the which as hee read and came to the 4. verse I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to do and now glorifie me She desired him to pause a while and theÌ„ said Blessed be thy name O blessed Sauiour perfect the worke I humbly beseech thee which thou hast begun in me Then as he read the 9. verse I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast giuen me for they are thine she interrupted him againe saying O Lord Iesu doest thou pray for me O blessed and sweete Sauiour how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull are thy mercies Reade on said she the blessedst reading that euer I heard the comfort whereof doth sweeten my soule Then reading verse the 22. And the glorie which thou gauest me I haue giuen them that they may be one at we are one With marueilous ioy she vttered the words of Dauid many times ouer I confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men for he hath satisfied my soule and filled my hungrie soule with goodnes When he came to the 24. verse Father I will that they which thou hast giueÌ„ me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Stay said she and let me meditate on the goodnes of the Lord for this is the sweetest saying that euer came to my soule for now I perceiue and feele the countenance of Christ my redeemer is turned towards me and the bright shining beames of his mercie is spread ouer me Oh happy am I that euer I was borne to see this blessed day Praise praise ô praise the Lord for his mercies for he hath brought me out of darknes and the shadow of death he hath deliuered my soule from the snare of the hunter and hath taken me out of the den of Lyons euen from the iawes of Leuiathan that piercing crooked serpent and hath set me in a place of rest and sweete refreshing Oh praise the Lord O my soule al that is within me praiseh holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which for giueth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion This she often repeated And then againe remembring the 21. and 22. verses of the 17. of Iohn she said O my sweete Sauiour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father And wilt thou glorifie me with that glory which thou haddest with the father before the world was And doest thou so loue me which am but dust and ashes to make me partaker of glorie with Christ What am I poore wretch that thou art so mindfull of me Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is thy loue Oh thy loue is vnspeakable that hast dealt so graciously with me oh I feele thy mercies and oh that my tongue and heart were able to sound forth thy praises as I ought and as I willingly would doe oh that you all would helpe me to praise the holy one of Israel the God of all consolations And thus for the space of fiue houres together at the least she continued praysing and lawding the Lord with such a gladsome and heauenly countenance testifying such inward ioy from a comfortable feeling of the mercies of God in her soule and vsing such sweete senteÌ„ces and sâ—gred phrases of perfect and holy eloquence as the trueth thereof if it could haue been taken were admirable continuing so many houres together some part whereof was this O my Lord oh my God blessed be thy name for euermore which hast shewed me the path of life Thou didst O Lord hide thy face from me for a little season but with euerlasting mercie thou hast had compassion on me And now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come yea Lord thou hast had respect vnto thy handmaid and art come with fulnes of ioy and abundance of consolations O blessed be thy name ô Lord my God Then she repeated part of the 16. Psalme saying The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth Thou wilt shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore oh that I could therefore praise the Lord as he is worthie to be praised I will sing to the Lord I will sing to the praise of the God of Israel come come saith the and helpe me ô helpe me to praise the Lord. And with yâ— she began to sing the third Psalme and continued to the end of the Psalme as perfectly and with as sweete a voyce as euer she had before in her health and concluded with the 49. verse of the 106. Psalme The Lord the God of Israel be blest for euermore Let all the people say Amen praise ye the Lord therefore And after this she said O praise the Lord for hee hath filled me with ioy and gladnes of hart and brought me from the gates of hell and of death repeating that of the 16. Psalme My line is fallen vnto me in a pleasant place yea I haue a saire heritage for the Lord is the
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
me then the Garden of Eden Oh the ioy the ioy the delight some ioy that I feele Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is this ioy O praise the Lord for his mercies and for this ioy which my soule feeleth sulwel praise his name for euermore And these praises of God she sounded forth like Dauids harmonie being indued with Dauids spirit to the praise of the eternall and mercifull God continuing all night in such like prayers and praises to God except some small time that she was silent and quiet Master Harrison praied twice with her that euening as also in the morning being Whit sunday After hee had prayed once with her going then toward his publike charge she sent for him to pray once more with her before he went which he did to the ioy and gladnes of heart both of her and all that were present and so he tooke leaue of her and departed Another faithfull man or two came presently in that morning and diuers other well affected who were with her at the time of her death and often prayed with her that forenoone she still abounding in spirituall comforts and consolations sometimes as one awaking out of sleepe shee would say the Lord was her keeper and deliuerer Againe one saying vnto her the Lord blesse you Yea said she and the Lord Iesus blesse vs all And so seeming to sleepe a little while and awaking againe she said Lord I trust in thee haue mercie vpon me giue me strength to praise thee defend and preserue me in the houre of temptation and lay no more vpon me then thou wilt enable me to beare Afterwards being asked if she would haue them ioyne in prayer together againe with her O yes said she for Christs sake I desire it saying thus to her selfe Heare O Lord and haue mercie vpon me Lord be thou my helper thou hast loosed my sacke and garded me with gladnes therefore will I praise thee O Lord my God I will giue thankes to thee for euermore With that all that were present did ioyne in prayer with her and in conclusion vsing the Lords Prayer which she said with them to thine is thy kingdome her strength then being gone her tongue failed her and so she lay silent for a while euery one iudging her then to be neere death her strength and speech failing her yet after a while lifting vp her eyes with a sweet countenance and still voyce said My warrefare is accomplished and my iniquities are pardoned Lord whoÌ„ haue I in heauen but thee and I haue none in earth but thee my flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer He that preserueth Iacob and defendeth his Israel he is my God and will guide me vnto death guide me O Lord my God and suffer me not to faint but keepe my soule in safetie And with that she presently fell a sleepe in the Lord passing away in peace without any motion of body at all and so yeelded vp the Ghost a sweete Sabboaths sacrifice about foure of the clocke in the afternoone of Whit sunday being the last of May 1601. This was the death of that vertuous Gentlewoman happily dying in the Lord and reaping the benefit of a holie profession wherein we cannot but acknowledge and reuerence the mercie of God who in our greatest infirmitie makes his grace to shine most cleerely A sure testimonie of the truth of our profession seruing to incourage vs therein and to moue vs to a godly life It must needes be a diuine Religion and a truth comming from God that thus can fill the heart and mouth of a weake woman at the time of death with such admirable comfort And a wretched conceite and meere antichristian is that religion which so hateth and persecuteth this faith which is thus able to leade the true-hearted professors thereof with such vnspeakeable peace vnto their graues Her funerall was accomplished at Childwal Church on Wednesday following being the third of Iune 1601. And now for conclusion seeing this blessed Gentlewoman is taken from among vs and receiued into the holy habitations of the heauenly Ierusalem there to remaine in ioye glorie and blessednes for euermore let vs lament for our losse but reioyce for her gaine and let vs pray that in heart wee could as willingly wish to bee with her as she is now vnwilling to be with vs. Salomon saith The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prou. 10. 7. FINIS a Rernard epist. 314. b Euseb. eccles hist. lib. 3 cap. 39. c Habes nâ—scio quid latentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viua vox in aures discipuli de authoriâ— ore transfusa fortius sonat Hier. Paulinâ— d Quid si ipsam audissetis bestiam sua verba resonantem Hier. ibid. Philip. 3. 1. e Bellarm. de not Eccles. 4 17. ex Cochleo Lindan c. f Bellarm. dâ— not Eccles. 4. 8. g Lindan de sug Idol cap. 11. h â—ox Act. mon. p. 520. ex Alan Cope dial i Alan Cope â—iaâ—og More dial Act. mon. sag 743. k More praefat contra Tindal l Harding reioynd against Iuel fol. 184. See Act. mon. p. 1766. Iude 9. 1 Isal. 646. Psal. 143. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 4. Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 5. 19. Sicut ille ex semesips nascentibus licès non man â—â—cauerint de ligno factus est causa mortis ita Christus qui ex ipso sunt tametsi nihil iusâ—e egerunt factus est proâ—isor iustitiae quâ— per crtiâ—em nobis omnibus condâ—naâ—is August cont â—ulian Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 2. ex Ioh. episcâ—p Delicta nostra sua delicta â—ecit vt iustitiam suam nostram iustitiam facâ—res August in Psal. 21. Bernard in Cant. ser. 71. lla est iustitâ—â— per quaÌ„ impâ—uâ—erigitur vt cadat in poenam â—ulgent de incar grat Chri. cap. 27. Rom. 10. 3. Quod lex operum minaâ—do inperat lex fidei credendo impeirat De spirit lit cap. 13. Rhem. Test. 2. Cor. 8. sect 3. 2 1. Ioh. 3. 7. Iam. 2. 21. Vers. 24. Th. Aquin. in hunc locum Ro. 3. 20 28. 2 Pro. 30. 1â— 1 Luk. 1. 6. Iam. 2. 10. 2. King 5. 18 Mar. 6. 20. Greg. mag moral 11. 19. cap 17. Eccles. 10. 1. 2 Matt. 5. 16. 1. Cor. 10. 31 Matth. 6. 3 Rom. 11. 29. Ezek. 18. 24 Hes. 6. 4. Phil. 3. 13. 4 Psal. 16. 3. Psal. 51. 13. Luk. 22. 32. 2 1. Tim. 1. 13 Rom. 9 23. Prou. 28. 13 Rom. 4. 6. Vers. 7. Prou. 11. 17. Matth. 5. 7. Math. 18. 33 Iam. 2. 13. Math. 9 36 37. Math. 15. 32 Tho. Aquin. secunda secunda qu. 32 arâ— 2. â— Heb. 9. 27. Iosh 23. 14. 1. King 2. 2. Eccles 7. 4. Eccles. 2. 15. Eccles. 3. 19. Question Answere Morâ— minimè quidem adhuc abesse cogitur sed cogitur non obesse Bernard in trans