for Christ He hath left him an example 1. Pet. 2.21 that he should follow his steppes It is more for his profit so to doe than he is aware Who would be an enemie to his owne good he cannot cease to sinne except he die why should he be vnwilling to escape so great an euill he shall neuer come to the true life where felicity both ioyfull and eternall is except he die why should he neglect to attaine so great a good he shall neuer haue the fruition of Gods maiestie and the blessed company of heauenly spirits except he die why should he not pray daily to be deliuered from this present euill world vppon condition he might once come to enioy the most glorious presence of the almighty The very heathens which knew not God aright but only dreamed of the immortalitie of the soule as those that look'te for a better life after this though they knew not what that life was or might be both wished death ere it came and died valiantly and ioyfully when it came and shall he being a Christian one which knoweth both God and his word and hath the promise of ioy hope and comfort after this life both abhor death ere it comes and refuse to vndergoe it when it comes oh fie for shame that it should be so If an Ethnicke said thus Cic. lib. 1. quest Tuscul Oh immortall God how is that pleasant and ioyfull iourney to be wished for which being once done and past there remaineth no sorow no care no pensiuenes ô that goodly and pleasaunt daie when it shall be my hap to leaue this filthy and troublesome world and come to their companies that inhabit the heauens Id. de senectute If God would suffer me that I being of this age might become an infant and sucking childe againe I would vtterly refuse it neither would I by any meanes call the race that I haue runne backe againe that I might againe be young For what pleasure and commoditie hath this life yea rather what displeasure incommodity paine trauell and trouble hath it not but let it be graunted that it hath pleasures certes yet hath it either saciety or measure And nature in this world hath giuen vs a place to tarrie in for a while but not to dwell and continue in for euer What should a Christian say to him should death be much better and lesse bitter than to an heathen Of him therefore should death be better accepted than of any heathen But it is a world to see the world the heathen writers in their monuments call death a chaunging for a better life a quiet sleep are-mouing frō mortalitie to immortalitie from trouble to quietnes from the shadow of a life vnto a very perfit and vncounterfet life from sorrow to ioy from euill to good and hauen of rest a solace of the minde and end of all euill and wickednesse and a beginning of all true ioy felicitie and pleasure and therefore they were vnwilling to liue The Christian professours acknowledge all this and more too and yet they are vnwilling to die What must follow heereupon but that they must therfore be their iudges It is said that one once hauing read a little booke of Platoes touching the immortalitie of the soule did therefore make a way himselfe being thereto incensed by too great a loue to eternitie a better life How much more should he that hath read the whole booke of God touching the happie estate of soule and bodie after death be willing well to welcome death when God doth impose and lay the same vpon him 1. In Gods booke of life there are better reasons found to perswade by thereto than in Platoes booke of the immoratlitie of the soules there are any to enforce the making away of a mans owne life 2. God hath more authoritie ouer the soule of man to recommaund it againe to himselfe at his pleasure than man hath ouer his life to deceiue himselfe of it when he will God is the first giuer and therefore should be the first receiuer Man is the sole recaller therefore should be the safe keeper But not longer than the first doner is content he should enioy such a gift All good men haue euer desired to depart with it when God was purposed to recall it And what should not he that is sicke doe the like either his sicknesse hath made him good or it ought to haue made him good For sickenesse is euer sent for good and Gods great mercy it is that he warnes with sickenesse ere euer he strikes with death If it hath made him good why is hee vnwilling to lay downe his life when God doth call for his life if it hath found him good why would he longer detaine it life than he may If it be to make him good why doth he hinder the working of it be he good or hath he a minde to be good it is not his part to be vnwilling to die So farre from being vnwilling to die haue sundrie of the godliest wights that euer were in the world been as earnestly they haue longed wished desired and prayed for death That Princely Prophet Dauid cryeth out and saith Woe is me and sorie am I for it Psal 120.5 that I must yet longer abide in this world like as the hart desireth the water broookes Psalm 42.1 so longeth my soule after God My soule is a thirst for God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God Psalm 84 1 And againe O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hostes my soule hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they shall alway bee praysing thee One day in thy courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of vngodlinesse In another Psalme he prayeth after this manner Psal 142 7◠Deliuer my soule out of prison that it may come and praise thy name That good olde man Tobit Tobit 3.6 made thus his prayer vnto God and said O Lord deale with me according to thy will and 〈…〉 commaunde my spirit to be receiued in peace For more expedient were it for me to die than to liue How desirous of death the holy Apostle Paul was these his wordes doe manifest Christ is to me life Philip. 1.21 23. and death is to me aduantage And therefore againe he saith I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ What should I speake of that auncient and godly father Simeon whose historie is knowne laid down in the second of Luke how did he desire to die as soone as he had seene Christ in the flesh and know him to be the Sauiour of the world Was not this thereupon his present saying Lord now lettest thou thy
rule of others so both must take care for others If he be ecclesiasticall he must cast as much as he can for the continuance of the good estate of the Church ouer which he is placed It is little for a man to care onely for himselfe and his owne time and to regard nothing the time that is to ensue By the historie of the Gospell it is euident what care the chiefe shepheard and Bishop of our soules had of this matter for both before his death and at his death and after his death he was mindfull and zealous of this busines before his death he chose certaine to succeed him in the ministry of the word at his death as hee commended Iohn to Mary Ioh. 19.26 so he commended Mary to Iohn to her hee said woman behold thy sonne to him he said man Mat. 28.19 behold thy mother After his death hee gaue his Disciples commission to teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer he had commanded them In the second Epistle of Peter the Apostle it is easie to be seene how carefull hee was to persist in his masters steppes in regarding what hee regarded for there this was his saying 2. Pet. 1.15 I will endeuour alwaies that ye also may be able to haue remembrance of these things after my departure from both there may wel be collected what I haue wisht to bee considered this I am sure is the saying of Christ himselfe Ioh. 13.15 I haue giuen you an example that ye should doe as I haue done and that which was spoken by Paul himselfe may well be taken as spoken by Peter 1. Cor. 11.1 Be you the followers of men euen as I am of Christ but I mind not further to dilate this point as now I meane to proceed if he be a magistrare he must prouide before he dies as much as hee can for the godly and peaceable estate of the Towne Citie and common wealth whereof and in he is magistrate ruler and gouernour So did Moses so did Iehoshua so did Dauid and so should he for what fitted them being magistrates fittes him also being a magistrate Q. What if he bee a priuate man and yet hath some gouernement of others as wise children and seruants what must he then doe R. If he be an housholder and master of a familie he must endeuour himselfe what hee may to set his familie in order before he die for thus said the Prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah the king being sicke Isai 38.1 Set thine house in order that is make thy testament that so thou maiest preuent the braules and iarres that otherwise may arise among thine heires tell thy household-folkes what thou wilt haue done when thou art dead or as Ionathan hath it commend thine house to some good honest godlie and religious man for why thou must die and not liue and what was here spoken by the Prophet to Hezekiah the king we must thinke spoken by God to euerie man For as one Apostle saith 2. Pet. 1.20 no prophesie in scripture is of any priuate motion or interpretation For the Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holie men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost And another saith whatsoeuer things are written aforetime Rom. 15.4 they are written for our learning that we thorough patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope And againe 2. Tim. 3 1◠the whole scripture being giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may bee absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes and therefore also this part and peece thereof Q. I denie not what you say yet if you will giue me leaue to speake you shall heare what I will say R. Take leaue and say on Q. You haue all this while spoken of troublesome matters for how shall either the magistrate prouide peace for the cōmon wealth after his death or the minister the word for his people or the householder loue for his heires when it neither is in the magistrates hands to appoint a new nor in the ministers power to place another nor in the householders compasse to make heires R. How troublesome soeuer they bee as you say yet must they all be cared for as I say neither shall it be so difficulte as you imagine to doe what I say if each of them will doe as I say Q. What say you then each of them is to doe R. If the magistrate will haue peace among his people aswell after his death as in his life in his life he is to procure the maintenance of true religion and vertue and to establish the due execution of Iustice to seeke by all meanes the outward peace of his people and common wealth this if he doth there is no doubt but he shall prouide peace for his people for sometime after his death Some I am sure there are mentioned in scripture who by taking this course while they liued procured peace to their people when they were dead When Moses was an hundreth twentie yeres olde and was no more able to goe in and out before the people of Israel he called them before him and signified that the time of his departure was at hand and therefore tooke order for their welfare after his death First of all hee placed Iehoshua ouer them in his steed to be their guide to the land of promise Secondly he gaue speciall charge to all his people to be valiant and couragious against their enemies and to obey the commandements of God how they speed heere through the book of Ioshua better manifests then I can mention Yet in a generalitie thus much can I say that here through they sped wonderous well their enemies they vanquished the land of promise they obtained and much peace and plenty they therein enioyed Iosh 23. the like course to Moses tooke Ioshua when he was a dying the like effect thereto that like taken course tooke among the people for in the book of Ioshua it is said that all Israel serued the Lord all the daies of Ioshua and all the daies of the Elders that ouer-liued Ioshua 1. Kin. 2.1.31 what should I speake of king Dauid who when he was to goe the way of all earth lying sicke vpon his death bed placed his owne sonne Salomon vpon his throne and therby prouided happily for his common wealth subiects by these it may be gathered what might be said of others but for magistrats these presidents are inough To come to the minister now if hee will haue the word to sound in his Church no lesse after his death then it did in his life in his life he is diligently to preach it to his people and christianly to walke according to the same and at
thou maist be too when thou endest And thus for this once J bid thee farewell in Christ. Thine in the Lord. W.P. A DIRECTION TO DEATH TEACHING MAN the way to dye well that he may liue euer Made in the forme of a Dialogue in which the speakers are QVIRINVS and REGVLVS Quirinus ALL haile to your person good Master Regulus and heere you are well met Regulus The same to you my olde friend Quirinus for you are as well met I am a glad man to see you aliue For it was tolde me that you were in great perill of death yea some said you would neuer goe abroade againe Q. I thought not otherwise my selfe but you may see the doings of God are contrarie to the iudgements of men I that was ere while verie like to dye am now something like to liue R. Thankes be to God therefore Q. Euen so say I for that is my part for as it was hee that brought mee almost to my graue so it was none but hee that hath againe set me vpon my feete the Physicians they all forsooke mee my friends all they tooke their leaue of me my worldlie goods and substance would nothing at all comforte me in my selfe I found little that might encourage me to hope any thing eyther of holding life in me or of putting death from me R. What gather you of this the Lords dealings with you Q. That eyther the time of my departing hence was not come or else that I was not then readie R. Whatsoeuer may be said of the second I am sure what you haue said is sure of the first for had your time been come you must haue gone for the power of death no man can withstand Q. That I thinke if he be fit therefore R. Death standes not vpon the fitnes or vnfitnes of any When it comes be he fit or vnfit it taketh him Q. In asmuch then as I was not fit when it did seeme to come God enable me to be fit against the time it will come R. It is good to wish so that if it may be you may in the end haue it to be so for as Paul saith Philip. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure Q. That made me to say as I did R. It must moue you also to do more then you had said Q. I doe not deny that for it must moue me to be both humble and thankefull R. Somuch in deede that of Paul must moue you to but the vnfitnes to dye that you say was in your selfe must moue you to more Q. What 's that R. To make your selfe fit to dye For as a man prepares himselfe to worke ere he works to heare ere he heares to pray ere he prayes to receiue ere he receiues so must he prepare himselfe to dye ere he dyes Better comes death to him that is prepared to dye then to him that is nothing at all made readie to dye The vnlooked for perill is euer most perillous Q. We both agree that it is meete for a man to prepare himselfe to dye R. It is very right that so wee should For why should not a man prepare himselfe to dye aswell as he doth to sinne A man is no lesse to prepare himselfe to the wages for his worke than to his worke but sayth Paul The wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 As a man therefore in times past hath prepared himselfe to sinne so now must he learne to prepare himselfe to dye For as he hath sinned so must he dye if sinne goeth before death of necessitie must follow after the cause being put the effect must also be giuen As Paul the seruant therefore sayth Rom. 5.12 By sinne death entred into the world so Christ the Master sayth Luk. 12.40 Be ye therefore also prepared Q. But why should a man prepare himselfe to dye R. It is but vaine to aske why the reasons thereof be so many Q. Many how many R. Fiue at the least Q. What may they be R. 1. The communitie of death 2. The proximitie of death 3. The vncertaintie of death 4. The extremitie of death 5. The authoritie of Christ and his Apostles Q. Except you explaine your meaning I shall not bee much wiser then I was For why your wordes to me seeme darke and obscure R. In playner termes then I will expresse my mind 1. Cor. 14.19 for as Paul saith I had rather speake fiue words with vnderstanding than ten thousand in an vnknowne tongue Q. In so doing you shall both pleasure me and profit others R. First then therefore a man is to prepare himselfe to dye Heb. 9.27 because it is appointed vnto him once to die for as Dauid saith What man liueth Psal 89.48 and shall not see death shall he deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue As though none should hee askes the question and as if none might both Elihu in Iob Iob. 34.15 and Salomon in Ecclesiastes do giue answer For Elihu saith Eccle. 12.7 All flesh shall perish together and man shall returne to dust And Salomon saith Dust returne to the earth as it was After the same maner do others giue forth their verdicts saith an old Poet. Est commune mori mors nulli parcit honori Debilis fortis veniunt ad limina mortis It is a verie common thing to dye Death spareth none be he neuer so high The weake together with the strong Comes streaming to death all along Saith Augustine Now dyes one King now another now one Duke now another one Earle one Baron one poore man one rich man death spareth no man because with an euen law it smiteth all things Saith Petrus Blesensis vpon these wordes in the booke of Iob Iob. 42.17 So Iob dyed being olde and full of dayes Death concludeth all the felicity of men for when thou hast published the fayth of Abraham the pietie of Ioseph the charitie of Moses the valour of Sampson the vertue of Dauid the miracles of Elizeus the wisedome and riches of Salomon the conclusion is one and hee dyed After this manner therefore should euery man conclude of necessitie I must dye of duetie therefore I must prepare my selfe to dye for duelie must a man prepare himselfe to that which necessarilie he must doe Duelie a man prepares himselfe to eate because necessarilie he must eate he that daylie eates not long time liues not duelie a man prepares himselfe to worke because necessarilie he must worke 2. Thes 3.10 he that will not worke should not eate euen so duelie should a man prepare himselfe to dye because necessarilie he must dye he that prepares not himselfe to dye dyes ill fauouredlie But this is enough for this first reason why a man that must dye is to prepare himselfe to dye Q. Somewhat then of the second for the second is next after the first as the first is next before the
alwaies vncertaine and vnknowne to thee That thou mayst feare be feruent liue well and flye euill As though there were foure causes which moued God to make death vncertaine 1. Feare 2. Loue. 3. Life 4. Euill Feare of him loue to his word preseruation of life in man and declining of euill Touching the. 1. Gregorie sayth in an homelie of his Our Lord would therefore haue our last houre to bee vnknowne that alwaies it might be suspected Gregorie in hom that whilst we cannot fore see it without intermission wee might make hast vnto it And hence is it that he said Watch therefore Mat. 15. cap. 13. for ye know neither the day nor the houre when the sonne of man wil ceme Touching the 2. another saith The houre of death is vncertaine that thou mightest worke the more feruentlie Were it not so thou wouldest grow slouthfull and desist from manie things which are good for others And hence it is that an Angell sayd once to a Bishop Greg. in Dialoâ— Doe what thou doest worke what thou workest Touching the 3. saith the same author last spoken of Therefore is the day of thy death vnknowne that thou mayest liue the more purely and warilie For as Cyprian saith What kinde of one the Lord findes thee when hee doth call such kinde of one he doth iudge thee when thou art gone But it is a foolish thing for a man to liue in that estate in which he would not dye Touching the 4. saith the foresaid writer Therefore is the day of thy death vnknowne that thou maiest eschew many euilles which of the certaintie of death would ensue For did men know they should liue long they would committe many euils purposing afterwards to repent but did they know they should dye soone they would liue so much the more vnhumanelie determining to haue some pleasure ere they were for the preuenting of these mischiefes the Lord hath made both death vncertayne and the time thereof vnknowne Thus now you see how the ignorance of death both in regard of time place and manner ought to make a man prepare himselfe to death Q. I doe so I thanke you But I pray you is there yet any thing more that may doe the like R. If you remembred but what ere while I said this question might haue been spared for I tolde you that for fiue causes a man was to prepare himselfe to die ere euer he came to die and yet wee haue spoken but of three of them Q. In deede you did so Speake therefore of the two last I praye you as you haue done of the three first R. So I meane God willing In the fourth place therefore a man is to prepare himselfe to die ere euer hee comes to die because the greatest worke a man hath to finish in this worlde is to die As after death there is no worke so greater then death there is no work hee which hath ouercome death hath ouercome all things Aristotle Of all terrible and fearefull things death is the last Q. And why should this moue a man euer the more to prepare himselfe to die R. Because as the wise man saith Syr. 5. 16. He should not doe rashly either in small things or in great Q. Why but is it a doing rashly to dye without preparation thereto R. What else For what is it not a doing rashly to set vpon any thing without aduisement Q. Yes surelie R. The like it is to die without preparation Q. As a man then prepares himselfe to the doing of any great worke so is hee to the vndergoing of death R. Right so Q. But why so R. Because death is not the least of a mans workes in this world Brandmil Con. fun though it bee the last For to die is the greatest worke a man hath to finish vpon earth Q. May you not thereto adde the greiuousest too R. If I die the matter were not great for there are more paines in death Vincent then in any worke vnder the sunne As one sayth for then so diuerse kindes of diseases are wonte to meete and so to molest euery member that sometimes there are moe diseases than members In a sicknes that was not mortall but grieuous Dauid sayd there was not one whole parte in his bodie how much more might another so say in a sickenesse that is mortall and therefore exceeding grieuous For no sickenes so grieuous as a mortall sickenes In the separation of a man from his wife there is much greefe and sorrow in the separation of the soule from the bodie there must needes be much more The coniunction of the two last is greater and of greater continuance than the coniunction of the two first and where there hath beene the longer continuance in affection there must needes be the greater grieuances vpon separation in experience we see that so much the greater the sorrow is at the parting of friends by how much the longer the continuance together hath been from the meeting of friends and by that we may gesse how great the griefe is in the parting of soule and body For soule and bodie are as two friends but what prosecute I this poynt so farre Now haue I little leysure and lesse occasion so to doe and it may be I shall haue more of both hereafter Q. I would you might and I wish you may For it will not be more yrkesome to me then to heare of these things than it is now And now by seeing my silence you may iudge of my delight But to let this passe seeing you would so faine passe what other reason haue you for the first and last place by which a man should bee moued to a preparing of himselfe to death ere euer he comes to yeeld himselfe thereto R. The fundrie preceptes of Christ and his Apostles and prophets tending to that purpose Q. Why haue either the one or the other of these giuen any precepts touching this matter R. Haue they what a question is that thus sayd I say the Prophet to Hezekiah the king Put thine house in order Esa 38.2 for thou shalt dye and not liue And what is that but to prepare to die because thou must die Thus said Christ our Sauiour to Peter and Andrew and other his Apostles and disciples Wake therefore Mat. 24.42.43 for ye know not what houre your master will come Of this be sure that if the good man of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through Therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the sonne of man come And what is this but to prepare to dye because you must dye for Luke the Euangelist recording the same historie saith Be yee also prepared therefore Luk. 12.40 For the sonne of man will come at an houre when yee thinke not 1. Pet. 1.1 And thus said Peter the Apostle to the
of Israell was punished There went vp to Ai about three thousand men but the wrath of the Lord being kindled against the children of Israell for the trespasse committed by Achan in the excommunicate thing they fled before the men of Ai and the men of Ai smote of them vpon a thirtie and sixe men Against the inferiour creatures hee sinneth because they for the sinne of man are after a sorte punished For as the Apostle sayth The creature is subiect vnto vanitie Rom. 8.20 not of it owne will but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope For wee know that euery creature groaneth with vs also and trauaileth in payne togither vnto this present In so much that euery of them in the day of iudgement may put vp his bill of complaynte against such a driuing and delaying mate And the Sunne may say for his sake I lost my light the moone for his sake I became darke the Starres for his sake we fell from heauen the Earth for his sake I became cursed and brought forth thornes and thistles the Aire for his sake I became corrupt and breed plagues and pestilences the Water for his sake I became polluted and brought forth frogs euen in kings chambers all creatures for his sake we became rebellious yeelded not that obedience which had not his sinne been wee both would and should haue yeelded What man now is he of any wit and discretion that sinning would sinne against all the forenamed his God himselfe his neighbour the Angels the other creatures Q. For my parte I thinke none I hope none I knowe none R. Neyther should there then be any of any wisedome that should delay till death to prepare for death For in so doing hee sinnes as I haue said against all these of whome I haue said and in so doing he hurtes himselfe more than now can bee sayd The estate of such a man is perilous Whiles he liues the sworde of Gods iustice hanges drawen and readie to fall ouer his head and when hee dyes it serues to seuer his soule from his bodie and to cast it into hell Ioh. 3.36 For he that obeyeth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him While he liues he liues in the land of his enemies and when he dyes if he dyes as he liues he falles into the hand of his enemies For the deuill is the God of this world Origine and is seized and possessed of all those that remayne in ignorance Into his hands also fall all they which dye either out of the Lord or against the Lord. While hee liues there is but a wall of glasse that stayes his enemies frō hauing him in their hands This wall of glasse is his body behinde which the deuill standes and this wall you know is soone broken and beaten downe One little stone of a three or foure poundes weight batters it in peeces and layes it leuell to the ground When he dyes the wall is broken and his enemies enter to make spoyle of all they finde within While hee liues as his dayes goe from life so he goes to death His whole life is but a course to death When hee dyes as his dayes are ended so is his life For he liues no more to his owne ioy or others comfort The way of sinners is made plaine with stones saith Syrach but at the ende thereof is hell darkenes and paynes Whiles he liues Syr. 21. 10. he stands at the gates of death according to that saying They drew neere vnto the gates of death Psal 107.18 But when hee dyes hee goes soone into hell Iob. 21.13 according to that saying They spend their dayes in wealth and sodeinlie they goe downe to hell Q. If his state bee so perilous it is good for him to thinke of his wayes and to turne aside his steppes least euill take him vnawares and he perish in the time of vengeance R. It is so and a foole he is if he doth not so Q. A foole may say not so Matth. 5.22 Whosoeuer shall say foole shall be worthie to be punished with hell fire R. I if he sayth it With a minde to hurte and a will to destroy But I haue no such minde such a minde be farre from me I that cannot make a man what should I marre one Q. Still then you deeme him as you did R. I doe so for hee is a foole that being fallen into the mire makes no hast to get out such a foole is he that being fallen into sinne makes no hast to rise from it For there is no greater vncleannes than the vncleannes of sin Before sinne the deuill was a most beautifull creature to looke vpon An Angell he was of light but since his sinne no man is able to abide the looke of him so vgly and monstrous is he now become Againe he is a foole that hauing a iourney to goe makes no hast to beginne it such a foole is he that hauing to trauell from earth to heauen makes no hast to set vpon his way Q. But why if a mā may aske you is he a foole R. Iob. 14.1 First because the time hee hath to goe this iourney in is but shorte For the dayes of man are but shorte and it is folly to thinke a man may goe a great iourney in a little time Secondly because the way is long as much as from earth to heauen and it is folly to thinke a man may goe a long way in a shorte space To Elias it was said vp and eate for thou hast a great iourney And yet his iourney was but from the wildernes of Bersheba vnto Horeb the Mount of God 1. Kin. 19.7 a iourney of fourtie dayes and fourtie nights walking a iourney nothing comparable to the iourney from earth to heauen for more is the distance from earth to heauen than was the distance betweene the desert of Bersheba and Horeb the mounte of God There are that expresse it but how truly I minde not heere to examine It is myne heere rather to shew why he is a foole that hauing to trauell hence thither makes no hast to set vpon his way than that and that sith I haue begunne to doe it I minde to doe Thirdly hee therefore is a foole because hee is looked for of great persons for the whole hoste of heauen expects his comming and it is folly to make great persons stay for a meane man Gen. 19.20 When Lot prayed that hee might escape to Zora that there his soule might liue God bad him hast thither to saue himselfe there for he could doe no thing till he were come thither Haste thee saue thee there Gen. 19.22 for I can do nothing till thou be come thither Fourthly because he is looked for to his great good For he is looked for to a kingdome Math. 25.34 Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father inherite ye the kingdome
prepared for you c. And it is follie not to hasten for a kingdome Know ye not saith Paul 1. Cor. 9.24 that they which runne in a race runne all yet one receiueth the price so runne that ye may obtaine And euery man that proueth masteries 25. abstaineth from all things and they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crowne 26. but we for an vncorruptible I therefore so runne not as vncertainely so fighte I not as one that beateth the aire Fiftly because of the lettes and hindraunces that he may haue as he goes He that went from Ierusalem to Iericho fell among theeues Luk 10.30 what he may is vnknowen It is follie to presume Keepe thy seruant saith Dauid from presumptuous sinne Sixtly Psal 19.13 because the gate may bee shut against him if he comes late Mat. 25.10 The fiue foolish virgins could not enter when they would into the bride chamber because they would not when they might And it is follie to come when he cannot get in To come in time is the chiefest of al things Seuenthly because he must make the more hast when he beginnes They which delay longere they goe must recompence their stay with speede when they goe If not they shall neuer come whither they labour to goe And it is follie to labour to effect that in an houre which askes for the well doing of it no lesse than the life Hardly is that done in a shorte time which is to bee in doing all the time Q. That a man then may neuer be vnprepared at euerie time he is to prepare R. It is iust so For he which is euer in preparing therefore shall neuer bee vnprepared therein Q. But why ought a man at euery turne to prepare himselfe R. First because it is a meete thing for a man so to doe For it is a meete thing to doe the commaundement of God Mat. 24.44 Luk. 12.40.31.36 And this God hath commaunded Mat. 24. and Luc. 12. Mat. 24.44 Therefore be ye also readie Luc. 12.40 be ye also prepared therefore Luc. 12.36 watch therefore and pray continually If a man be to goe from one citie to another it is good to prepare himselfe to his iourney much more then is it good so to doe when he is to goe from this world to heauen It is no lesse meete that he prepare himselfe to goe that is to goe to Ierusalem which is from aboue than it was for the Israelites which went but frō Egypt to Canaan which was heere below yet Exod 12. Exod. 12. they made great preparation therefore 2. because it is honest and laudable for a man so to doe for it is laudable Luk. 16.8 in the time present to prouide against the time to come Luc. 16. Christ commendeth the vniust steward for doing wisely and Prou. 6. Pro. 6.6 the Lord sendeth the sluggard to the pismire to learne husbandrie Now the wisedome of the first consisted in this that while he was steward he prouided against the time in which he was to bee no more steward and the husbandry of the latter consisted in this that in summer she prouided her selfe of victualles for winter The saying of the wiseman therefore is this Syr. 11. 25. In thy good state remember aduersitie and in aduersitie forget not prosperitie When thou hast enough remember the time of hunger and when thou art rich 18.24 thinke vpon pouertie and neede From the morning to the Euening the time is chaunged and all such things are soone done before the Lord. Thirdly because it is a pleasant thing for a man so to doe for it maketh him to dye so much the more willingly To him that is vnprepared for death it is yrkesome and troublesome to dye O death saith Syrach how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions Syr. 11. 1. vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all things yea vnto him that is yet able to receiue meate Fourthly because it is profitable for a man so to doe Luk. 12.43 for saith our sauiour Luc 12. Blessed is that seruant whome his master when hee commeth shall finde so doing Blessed are those seruants whome the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking And Theophilact saith Theophilact Blessed is euery one that shall bee found waking in what watch soeuer that is age he be found walking not behauing himselfe negligently in working that which is good Fifthly because it is necessarie for a man so to doe for why as Christ himselfe saith Luk. 12.40 The son of man wil come in an houre when yee are not aware of him And as Chrysostome saith Chrisost With the ouerthrow of those that sleep is that day to come For as a theefe spoileth the master of the family which watcheth not so doth death spoile vs which are not prepared for it Before death therefore and in life whilest a man doth liue and may liue he is to prepare for death least death in death and at death doth take him vnprepard and so make a worse dispatch of him than he would For as one saith of this very pointe Brandmil con funeb If any man will then first of all prepare himselfe when he ought in deede to be prepared let him take heede that he comes not too late with the foolish virgins which had the gate shut against them when they would haue entred while they went to buy oyle for their lamps that they might haue entred Repentance in death is daungerous enough And the reason thereof is at hande because in holy scripture there is but one founde which truely repented in the ende He truely that no man might dispayre he alone that no man might presume He therefore is propounded as a patterne of consolation not as an example of imitation that thence we may learne that no repentance is too late if it be true vnfeigned according to that of Cyprian Cipri tract 1. contra de metrian So long as a man remayneth in this world there is no repentance too late Thus now I haue aunswered your question and satisfied your request Q. You haue so I thanke you But yet I haue not done R. What will you further Q. That thou speake aswell of the manner how a man is to prepare himselfe to death as you haue done eyther of his preparing or the time of his preparing R. I will not denye you this no more than I haue done the former Q. How then I pray you should a man prepare himselfe to death R. According as his condition is after one sorte in health and after another in sickenes Q. Why is there a double kinde of preparing to death R. Yea that there is For there is one a generall preparation and another a particullar Q. What is the one and the other the first and the second the generall and the particular R.
prayer Hence an holy man in his contemplations of death saith O most mercifull Lord Iesus Christ Idiota in suis contemplationibus de morte the continuall remembrance of death profiteth much to the humiliation of a man Whereupon our forfathers willing to humble themselues did put ashes vpon their heades in remembrance of death and that they were to returne to ashes according to that which is written Remember man that thou art ashes Syr. 10. 12. and shalt returne to ashes And other where Earth and ashes why art thou proud O Lord Iesus Christ it profiteth also to the dryuing away of sinnes for nothing doth so recall from sinne as the often meditation of death 7.36 According as it is written Whatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember thy ende and thou shalt neuer doe amisse And saith another By right doth hee abhor sin which thinks of death because hee knowes that it was brought in for sin Hence a certaine abbot saith Be thou alwaies mindfull of thine end and there shall neuer be sinne in thy soule Furthermore O Lorde Iesus Christ it profiteth to the depressing of carnall desires and to the driuing away of diuers tentations which separate the soule from thee For nothing doth so much auaile to the taming of lustes as to thinke what kinde of thing death it selfe wil be Also O Lord Iesus Christ it profiteth to the giuing of almes for Lord those are not the goods of a man which he cannot carrie with him for onely mercie is the companion of the deceased But O most louing Lord Iesus to what doth it furthermore profit to the prouoking and inducing of a sinner to repentance Effrem For as Effrem saith It is impossible that hee should not repent which did euer see death to be present When Hezekiah had heard that he must dye hee wept bitterly and then thou Lord proroguedst the sentence of death against him and gauest many yeares of life vnto him Thus now you see the profite that comes to a man by meditating vpon death Q. I do so and I am nothing sory for it but how I pray you shall a man be induced to meditate of his owne death that so much the sooner he may come to receyue profit by his meditating thereon R. How by well regarding of two things Q. What are those R. These 1. that he cannot heere continue long but that shortly he must go hence 2. that often hee is to make his prayer vnto almighty God that euery day and alwayes hee may be enabled to resolue himselfe to dye Q. But how shall he be induced to either of these R. Well enough To the first two wayes 1. by expresse scripture 2. by manifest experience For. 1. the scripture goeth thus Iob. 14.1 Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue his dayes are as the dayes of an hireling yea a winde and nothing So saith Iob. Iob the fourtenth and the first verse and Iob the seuenth and the first Againe All flesh is grasse Esai 40.6 and all the glorie of man as the flower of grasse Psa 103.15 assoone as the winde goeth ouer it it is gone and the place thereof knoweth it no more So saith I saie I saie 40.6 so saith Dauid Psal 103.15.16 Our life is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and there vanisheth away So saith Iames Iames. 4.14 Iam. 4.14 Our dayes on the earth also are but as a shadow and there is none abiding they are like a bubble on the water like a weauers shittle like a smoke they are like a thought soone conceiued and soone ended So saith Dauid so saith Syrach so say others Experience also saith no lesse For with our eye we daily see that by some storme or other the greene Apple falleth before the mellowed fruite the lambe is brought to the slaughter house aswell as the sheepe the chicken is killed for the broth aswell as the cocke and sooner too young men passe away aswell as olde So short is our life so swift are our dayes Luc. 12. there was one that perswaded himselfe he had a long time to liue and because his goods encreased exceedingly he therefore saith Luk. 12.17 I will pull downe my barnes and builde greater and therein will I gather all my fruits and my goods and I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laide vp in store far many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime but God said vnto him O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee and then whose shall these things be which thou hast prouided arguing thereby they are but fooles that thinke they may liue long and not soone possesse the graue There are too many such fooles but I wil leaue them to their folly if neither Scripture nor experience may weane them therefro for whome these two will not perswade that long they cannot tarie heere and that soone they may departe hence nothing will perswade And what should a man spend time with those whome he cannot perswade though he doth perswade Speake not in the eares of a foole Pro. 23.9 Syr. 32. 4. saith Salomon Powre not out wordes where there is no audience saith Syrach And giue not that which is holy vnto dogs Matt. 7.6 saith Christ Hearing the one marking the other obeying the third I cease For by that which I haue said it may easily be perceiued how to the first of the twaine that mooues a man to meditate of death a man may be induced And now I must to the second to which by two meanes againe a man may be induced First by the necessitie of death 2. by the practase of the godly For first necessarily a man must dy and therefore dutifully he is to thinke of his death For by so much he shall dye the better by how much he resolues himselfe to dye The sooner the expected death is the more blessed death He seldome dyes happily that dyes vnpreparedly 2. dutifully the godly haue prayed that they might be resolued to dy and therefore carelessely he is not to passe ouer his life without some serious meditatiō of death For what was not vnseemely for thē is not vnsightly for him For death is more fitting any of vs now than it was any of them then For we liue to encrease our sin and to do no good they liued to diminish their sinne and to do muh good The glory of God the benefit of his Church was the chiefe of their studie the offence of God and the hindrance of his church is not the least of our practise If therefore they laboured to be enabled to resolue themselues to dye much more should we but for this they much laboured for for this they much prayed Dauids prayer is to be seene Psal 39.4 Moses his prayer is to be seene Psal 90. and 12. Tobits prayer is to bee seene Tob. 3. and 6. The first
mans words were these Psal 39.4 Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is let me know how long I haue to liue The second these 90.12 Teach vs so to number our dayes that wee may apply our heartes vnto wisedome The third these Tob. 3.6 Deale with me as seemeth best vnto thee and commaund my spirit to bee taken from me that I may be dissolued and become earth for it is better for mee to dye than to liue For this therefore should we both labour and pray a worke of nature it is not to bee prepared for death but a worke of grace must proceed from God not from man That which proceedeth from God must by prayer be asked of God That man therefore may meditate of his death he must craue grace of God to enable him to frame himselfe to death that so he may not altogether be vnprouided for death and thus you see by what a man may be induced to thinke of his death which is the first thing that he is to regarde in his life that he be not taken vnawares by death Q. I doe so and I remayne your debt our therfore But now hauing seene what was there well worthie to bee seene I will craue that we may passe to the second that there I may also see what meete is to be seene R. Your will be done Q What therefore may be the sting of death which you sayd he was daily to take from death which was desirous in life to prepare for death R. Nothing else but sinne For as the Apostle Paul saith 1. Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sin Q. But why is sinne compared to a sting R. For the likenes that sinne hath with a sting For as those things which haue stings do wound by their stings so doth death by sinne For death entred into the world by sinne Rom. 5.12 Had not sinne been death could neuer haue done hurt Againe as those things which haue stings can do no hurt if their stings be out for a man may cary a snake in his bosome the sting being out so no more can death if her sting be out sinne being gone death hath no more dominion Q. But how shall a man get this sting out R. By two meanes 1. by humbling himselfe in the time present for all his sinnes past partly confessing them against himselfe with the prodigall child Luk. 15.21 and partly crauing pardon of them at Gods hands with the poore Publican 2. 18.13 by turning of himselfe vnto God for the time to come euer carying as in him lies a purpose resolution and endeuour in all things to reforme both heart and life affection and action will and worke according to the direction of Gods most blessed word Q. Are you sure of what you sa yt R. I were else to blame so to say For it is written Deut. 27.18 Cursed be he that maketh the blinde goe out of his way And he maketh the blinde goe out of the way that teacheth the ignorant contrary to the right way Q. Can you make it to me to appeare R. I verily if you will see when it doth appeare Q. I pray you do it then for I will see it if you doe it R. And I will do it that you may see it For the first therefore thus saith Salomon He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Pro. 28.13 but he that confesseth them and forsaketh them shall haue mercie Psal 32.5 Thus also saith Dauid I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee O God neither hid I mine iniquitie For I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Selah Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found surely in the floud of great waters they shall not come neere him Rom. 10.13 Selah Thus also Paul Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And I thinke by the vndoubted testimonie of these three that very thing doth appeare which I would haue to appeare for where two are enough three will well serue But to proceede because I must not dwell where I am Ezek. 18.21 for the second Ezekiel sayth thus If the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and not dye all his transgressions that he hath committed shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnes that he hath done he shall liue Haue I any desire that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God or shall he not liue if he returne from his wayes Againe When the wicked turneth a way from his wickednes that he hath committed and doth that which is lawfull and right he shall saue his soule aliue because he considereth turneth away from all his transgressions that hee hath committed he shall surely liue and shall not dye And Daniel counselling Nebuchadnezar the king how to escape the wrath which he feared and saw threatned saith thus Dan. 4.24 Breake off thy sins by righteousnes and thine iniquities by mercie toward the poore loe let there be an healing of thine errour Besides by these meanes the Prodigall sonne tooke away the sting of his death the Publican the sting of his death and Zacheus the Tribute-taker the sting of his daeth the one had no sooner said Luk. 15.21 Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee am no more worthy to be called thy sonne but his father saith to his seruants bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feete and bring the fat calfe and kill him and let vs eate and be mery For this my sonne was dead and is aliue againe and he was lost but he is found againe The other had no sooner sayd 18.13 O God be mercifull to me a sinner but it was said of him this man departed to his house iustified The third had no sooner said 19.8 beholde Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore If I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefolde but Iesus againe said vnto him this day is saluation come into thine house for asmuch as thou also art become the sonne of Abraham By the same meanes also some others did the like By their doings others also may learne For what was effectuall in them will not be vnfrutefull in others so others be as faithfull as they For as the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope But it may be I haue spoken enough of this matter and you haue a good minde to heare somewhat of some other Q. You are to vse
sealed and shutte and to be opened in the day of iudgement But inough for this if not too much for I had almost forgotten my selfe and now if I looke not backe it may be euery one will not looke right the third grace therefore of the three I told you of is the regiment of the spirite by which the heart and life of man is ordered according to the word of God For Paul saith that They which are the children of God Rom. 8.14 are led by the spirit of God But if any man hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his 8.9 that is not Christs By these three as I tolde you shall a man come to be able to say with Paul I liue not now but Christ liueth in mee for why to haue Christ in him is to haue Christ by his spirit to guide and gouerne him Q. But when may Christ be said to doe that R. When the thoughts wil and affections of man together with all the powers of bodie and soule are ordered by the worde of God For then is man guided by the spirit of Christ when these things forenamed are all directed by the worde of Christ Q. So may it well be because the word is the rule after which a man must direct his goings R. And so is it for that cause for when Dauid asked the question whereby A young man should cleanse his wayes Psal 119.9 he streight waye returned this answere euen by ruling himselfe according to thy worde Q. So much I acknowletdge to make no more wordes therefore about this when a man hath attained to this grace by these graces which you haue spoken of what must he nexte doe that hee maye bee so much the better prepared against death R. Hee must inure himselfe by little and little to die before euer hee comes in deede to die For the more a man in health inures himselfe to die the lesse vnwilling in sickenes hee shal be to die for death after affliction is lesser than before hence is it that Paule saith in his first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15.31 By the reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord I die dayly dayly because he was often in danger of death by reason of his calling and dayly because in all his dangers he inured himselfe to die from this example should all that woulde well die learne dayly to die this dayly dying is the right way to well dying for he that dies dayly when he dyes dyes happily hee neuer puts death farre from him hee neuer makes death a stranger to him he neuer thinks death altogether against him oh that men would more inure themselues to die then woulde they be more religious and lesse superstitious more vertuous and lesse vitious more bounteous and lesse couetous more appliable to good and lesse inclinable to euill and to say at once then would they haue lesser affection to liue and greater delight and desire to dye their not acquainting themselues with death makes them seldome when well prepared for death Of another minde than many and of a better then was that good man and Martyr the Martir Bilney in the daies of Queene Marie for he to the ende he might well suffer did often ere hee suffered inure himselfe to suffer oft before he was burned did he put his finger into the flame of a candle not onely to make tryal of his ability in suffering but also to arme himselfe against greater torments in death Of the like minde before death should others bee in life that so they might neuer be vnprouided against death Q. I acknowledge as much as you affirme Men should bee thus minded in life that they might neuer bee ouertaken by death But how should a man inure himselfe to dye that so hee might not be ouertaken R. How many wayes By thinking of his owne death by calling to minde his friends death by preparing of things necessarie for death by frequenting the funeralles of those that haue yeelded to death by viewing the faces of those that are at the gate of death For by all these and many more hee may gather and conclude that necessarily he must dye Q. And what then R. That asmuch as he may he is to inure himselfe thereto For who doth not buckle himselfe to that he must needs doe Q. I thinke there is none which doth not R. Neither should there bee any which should not inure himselfe to death Q. Neither doe I denie that For the duetie of all is one But when should a man inure himselfe to dye R. When not daylie hourlie continually Q. Why that R. Because death is euer vncertaine vnto him vncertaine in regard of time vncertaine in regarde of place vncertaine in regard of manner for no man knoweth either the time when he shall dye or the place where he shall dye or the manner how he shall dye The time of his death is as vncertaine as the place the place as vncertaine as the time the manner as vncertaine as either place or time He may be taken to night before to morrow at his board aswell as in his bed with that that should preserue him as with that which will destroy him He is void of securitie at each time in euery place after all sorts No time can warrant him no place can priuiledge him Nothing can preserue him Q. But what must he do nothing in the time present but inure himselfe to dye that well he may dye R. Yes Whatsoeuer good thing else hee doth he must do it in the time present he must not delay till the time to come For why this is the aduise of Salomon Eccl. 9.10 Eccl. 9.10 All that thine hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power That is with all speede assoone as thou canst without delay This also is the counsaile of Paul Gal. 6.10 Gal. 6.10 While we haue time let vs doe good vnto all men arguing thereby that euer we shall not haue time And as good is the counsaile of the one as the aduise of the other For as he giues twice which giues quickly so he doth a thing twice which doth it quickly Twentie to one it is but he that taketh not time while he may haue time shal misse of time when he would haue time For occasiō is bald behind The foolish virgins that would not enter when they might could not when they would Syr. 5. 6. The watch word of Syrach therefore fits one man aswell as another and each conuert asmuch as one Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not of from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeance If it may fitte you and me and him you cause me to speake of I shall bee glad Q. If it doth not I pray God it may R. Euen so doe I.
to sleepe hee that dyes knowes not when he beginnes to dye Man knowes not his end He that sleepes rests from al the care and labour he had while he waked he that dyes resteth from all the care and trouble he had while he liued Apoc. 14.13 He that sleeps liues while he sleepes Mat. 22.32 he that dyes when he is dead For the soule is immortall And God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Yet when Abraham and Isaac and Iacob were dead God said I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac Exod. 3 6. and the God of Iacob He that sleepes dreames either of things pleasant or things pestilent he that dyes and is dead Luk. 16.22.23 enioyes either things ioyfull as the ioyes of heauen or things painefull as the paines of hell he that sleepes Iob. 19.25 sleepes in hope to awake againe he that dies dies in hope to rise againe And therefore the Iewes call the churchyarde the house of the liuing because they which there sleepe shall thence in the last daies rise He that sleepes is stronger when he awakes than before he that dies is better when he rises againe than euer he was before He rises in incorruption he rises in power 1. Cor. 15.42 43. Mat. 19.26 1. Cor. 15.25 He that sleepes may easily be waked he that dies may easily be raised The trumpet shal blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible To come to some point now what should a man feare either the laying downe of a burthen or the taking vp of a sleepe being weary hee desires both the one and the other Being wearied with the cares and crosses of this life what should he then feare death no man feares to be cast into a sleepe neither should a sicke man feare much to die As Seneca saith Senec. in prouer Epist It is a foolish thing to be delighted with sleepe and yet to abhor death when as a continuall sleepe is the imitation of death againe Through the feare of death we make vnto our selues an vnquiet life and so great is the madnes of men that some are driuen to die by the feare of death We are to be strengthened least we too well loue our life too much hate our death And we must be perswaded when reason thereto perswades to ende our life but not to feare death A valiant and couragious man ought not to flie but to goe out of his life For himselfe and of himselfe he saith otherwhere It repenteth me not to haue liued because I haue not so liued Senec. lib. de senectyte that I should thinke my selfe borne in vaine And so depart I out of this life as if I departed out of an Inne not as if I departed out of an house for nature hath giuen vs an Inne to stay in but not an house to dwell in Thus by his example he shewed what he himselfe did and by his reason what others after his example should doe if either his example be worth the following or his reason worthie the beleeuing for his reasons sake and after his example he that is sicke and therefore not farre from death should neither immoderatly feare death nor negligently expect death How fearefull soeuer death is if it be looked vpon in the glasse of the law yet is it not so being looked on in the glasse of the Gospell In the one it hath a sting and that a sharpe one in the other it wants a sting and therefore it is no wondrous fearefull one Saith Gregory What is this mortall life but away and consider my brethren what a thing is it in the way to be wearied and to nill that the way should be ended He that trauailes desires to be at his iourneies ende what should he that liues be afraide to die death is the ende of his â—ourney Euery thing reioyces in the ende What should the sicke man feare death death vnder the Gospell to him that beleeues â—s The passage to life not to destruction For be which beleeueth in Christ dieth not Ioh. 5.24 death hath no power ouer him but he passeth from death to life The death of those that beleeue hath another Epitheton than hath the death of those that beleeue not Pretious in the sight of the Lord saith Dauid is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 Sap. 3.19 Bern. in quadam epâ—â—co but horrible saith Salomon is the end of the wicked generation Pretious is the death of the Saints pretious truely as the end of their labours as the finishing of their victorie as the gate of life and the entrance to perfect securitie And againe in the same place saith he The death of the righteous is good for the rest that followes it better for the newenes of that rest best of all for the securitie that is in that rest that both followes it and is new For as the same Bernard otherwhere saith Bern. ser 25. paru serm Three things there are which makes the death of the Saints pretious 1. Rest from labour 2. Ioy of the newenes of that rest 3. Securitie of the eternitie of the same rest But on the contrary part the death of the wicked is most vile It is euill truely in the loosing of the world for without griefe they cannot be seuered from that which they loue it is worse in the seuering of the flesh For their soules are puld from their bodies by wicked spirits it is worst of all in the double suffering of the wormes and the fire For the worme euer stingeth and the fire alwaies burneth neither euer cease to torment Much what to the like effect doth Chrysostome write of the death of the one and the other Although they die at home Chrysost hom 66. in Genes de morte peccator both wife and children being present familiars and acquaintance standing by if yet they want vertue their death is but euill So although he be in a strange countrey though he lies vpon the pauement and what say I though he be in a straunge countrey although he falles into the hands of theeues although he be deuoured of beasts yet if he be indued with vertue his death shall be pretious As Anselmus writeth Anselm It hurts not those which are good whether they be murthered or taken away by sodaine death For they neuer die sodeinly which euer thought they were to die Whether therefore they be slaine with the sword or torne in peeces of beastes or burned with fire or drowned by water or hanged on a tree or haue their legges broken or die by some other misfortune yet euer is the death of his Saints pretious in the sight of the Lord according as it is At what time soeuer the righteous dieth his righteousnes shall not be taken from him And so death hurteth not but profiteth much If therefore he that is sicke or any other doth beleeue he needes not ouermuch to
the other by making them more obstinate in their sinnes more peruerse in their actions more loose and licentious in their liues and conuersations For when a good man sees another die he then bethinks himselfe that he also must die he wishes that such a death he may die Let me die the death of the righteous Num. 23.17 and let my last ende be like his He prepares what he may to come to such an end But whē an euill man sees a good man die he then is either raised from his sinne to righteousnes or hardened in his sinne against all godlines Raised it may be he is if he see him die a good death i. A death in his estimation good but hardened if he see him die an hard death i. A violent death an vnnaturall or a troublesome death For he thereupon presently reasons this mans life was not so good as hee himselfe thought it and some other iudged it For then should he not haue had so hard an ende For such as the life is such the death is And as Augustine saith He cannot die ill Ang. de doctrina christian which liued well and hardly he dies well which liues ill For mine owne part therefore what course I haue taken that will I hold what waies I haue walked them will I walke what things I haue done them will I still do They that haue done as I doe haue died a better death than he this that would in no wise doe as I haue done Q. But is this his reasoning good and laudable R. How thinke you Q. I aske you R. And I you Q. I thinke it not good R. No more doe I. Q. But why doe neither of vs both thinke it so R. Because there is no reason either of vs both should thinke it so For a good man may haue an harde ende In outward shew the death of our Sauiour Christ was but an hard death he died the death of the crosse and we know what was said in the law Deut. 21.23 Gal. 3 13. Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree Yet I hope wee may not say that therefore Christ died a bad death Q. God forbid we should For by his death we are deliuered from death and I hope that was no bad death to him which was so good a death for vs R. In worse sorte we are not to iudge of the death of any good man For he cannot die badly Aug. lac sup citat Aug. de ciuit-dei lib. how hardly soeuer he dies that hath liued godlily For as the same father saith That is not to bee thought an euill death before which there went a good life For there is nothing makes an ill death but that which followeth death Q. Leauing the wicked then in and to their wickednes let vs returne For I see that that which is of it selfe good they will make bad R. Tit. 1.15 That is right so For vnto the pure are all things pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled But because you speake of returning whither would you we should returne or to what Q. Either to that wee were in hand withall or to that which is to follow R. Vnlesse you will wee haue done with that wee were in hand withall For I haue shewed you how death was commodious both to him that suffered it and also to him that saw it suffered Q. You haue so and no little comfort haue I gotten thereby For thereby I haue learned against the daies of necessitie how to fence my soule against the inordinate feare of death R. Right vse in so doing haue you made thereof For thereto and for haue I said thereof what I haue said Q. I know so much and therefore I acknowledge it But as I remember you said that by meditations aswell as by practises he that is sicke and that mortally may arme himselfe against all excessiue and immoderate feare of death R. I did so and in so doing I did not amisse For by the one as by the other is that to bee done which I said was thereby to be done Q. As you haue shewed then how it might be done by the one so I would you would shew how it may be done by the other R. In this point I will what you will As then by practises foure waies the sicke man might munite his soule against the immoderate feare of death so may he by meditations also fower waies doe the same Q. But how R. First by meditating that his death aswell as the death of any other man and the death of euerie man is not onely foreseene but also foreappointed of God Secondly by thinking that death following after and ioyned with a reformed life hath a promise of blessednes adioyned vnto it Thirdly by thinking that he which dieth beleeuing in Christ dieth not forth of Christ but in Christ hauing both his body soule really coupled to Christ according to the tenour of the couenant of grace Fourthly by considering that God hath promised his speciall blessed and comfortable presence vnto his seruants in all their needes and necessities Q. But touching these matters there may be a double doubte One touching the truth of them another touching the effect of them R. I deny not but there may be but I auouch that there neede not be For the truth in them is as I haue pronounced of them and the effect of them is like the truth to be found in them Q. Is it true then that the death of euery man is not onely forescene but also foreappointed of God R. Why else say I so vse I my tongue to lie and my mouth to deceiue you neede neuer make question thereof if either you consider the saying of Iob touching this point or the historie of Christ his death Q. Why what saieth Iob touching this point R. That 's to bee seene in the seauenth of his booke where he makes this question Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth Iob. 7.1 are not his daies as the daies of an hireling in the 14. where he giues this aunswere 14,5 The daies of man are determined and the number of his moneths are with thee O God Q. And what is the historie of Christ his Death R. That part which I speake off that which is thus recorded in the Actes of the Apostles Act. 4.27.28 Doubtles against thine holie Sonne Iesus whom thou haddest annointed both Herode and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy Counsell had determined before to be done Q. What gather you thence R. That which the Text doth giue to wit that in the Death of Christ there came nothing to passe but that which the foreknowledge and eternal Counsell of God had appointed Q. But what 's that to the death of another man or to the death
of all men R. Euen asmuch as I would desire and more then so much as you did require For what did I desire or you require but to know what God did in euerie mans Death whether he determined of the time or not and whether he fore-knew what he had determined And now whether of these is it which is not here manifested and explained the first or the last surelie surelie neither of both Not the first because he determined the time of Christs death and what agreed to the head agreeth with the parts but Christ is the head and those of the Church are his members If therefore the Death of Christ the head to the whole bodie were fore-seene as fore-seene it was the Death also of euerie member of his mysticall bodie is also fore seene and ordeined also by the speciall decree and appointment of God Neyther yet the seconde because he determined not onelie the time but also the place and manner and ende of Christs death togither with other circumstances thereto appertaining and belonging and he determines nothing which he did not fore-knowe for his fore-knowledge is conioyned with his decree If therefore he so dealt with Christ it cannot be but that so also hee dealeth with others for as the Apostle saith Those which he knew before Rom. 8.29 he also predestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Thus now you see that the Death of Christ is asmuch to the Death of all men as either I desired or you required Q. But you said it was more R. If so I did say It is not otherwise then now I doe say for the more comprehendeth the lesse Q. But yet the more is neuer the more prooued R. Why say you so seeing I euen nowe said that in the death of Christ there was not onelie time when place where and maner how but also persons by whom fore-seene and preappointed by God that in his owne euerlasting Counsell and decree doth not that proue what you latelie saide was vnproued Q. Yes if that were proued R. Neuer if at the matter the saying of the Apostle Peter in the fourth of that Actes latelie rehearsed in the verses 27. and 28. doth sufficientlie proue that for there it is said Herode and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles Act. 4.27.28 and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against Christ Iesus to doe whatsoeuer the hand and Counsell of God had determined to be done Now it is well knowne by the historie of the Gospell written by the Euangelists Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn what was done Nothing therefore of that which was done vnto him at his death in his death or concerning his death was either vnknown and vnforescene or vnappointed and vndecreed by God himselfe Q. Admit that may we not therefore make a doubt touching the death of other men R. No surelie we ought not Q. And why R. For the resemblance that is betwixt Christ and his members Q. What then affirme you that the death of euerie man is not onelie fore-seene but also fore-appointed of God so as Death can neither come sooner nor later in respect of God but iust at the time appointed by him R. Yea that I doe and more too Q. More too what 's that R. That the very circumstances of death as the time when the place where the manner how together with the beginning of the sickenes the continuance in the same with euerie fitte and the ende thereof with euerie pange are all particularlie set downe in the Counsell of God Q. This more is much and more by much then before you spake of R. Whatsoeuer it is It is no more then I may as truelie as boldelie speake For our Sauiour Christ saieth Mat. 10.30 The verie haires of our heads are numbred and a Sparow lighteth not vpon the ground without the wil and prouidence of our heauenlie Father And if God hath care of haires and Sparowes he is not careles of those things which betyde his Seruants eyther in Death at Death or about Death For things are greater thē the numbring of haires and the lighting of Sparowes Psal 139.15 For this cause Dauid saith in the Psalmes My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secrete place and fashioned beneath in the earth thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as there was none of them before For the same cause may euerie one in sickenes say this is thy doing ô Lord heere is no more then thou imposest vpon me thy pleasure it is that thus and thus I should be tormented and afflicted Q. But doth this necessarilie follow of the former R. What else for why should not a man be patient in his sickenes when hee knowes the Lord to be the cause of his sickenes For what man may resist his will Or why should a man immoderatelie feare Death when he knowes God to be the worker of his Death what should he feare that which is both fore-seene ere it comes and fore-appointed when it comes I held my tongue and said nothing Psal 39.10 saith Dauid because thou Lord diddest it Loe the Lords doing was the cause of his patient abiding the Lordes doing also in each mans Death should bee the cause of each mans patient suffering and expecting of Death Psal 135.6 Mark 7.37 For as he doth euerie where whatsoeuer pleaseth him so doth he well anie where whatsoeuer he doth Q. That which you say should be as you say but it will not be R. That is the iniquitie of man and not the infirmitie of this truth What it should be it will be if it be well thought vpon For what should man feare what the Lord will haue to be No man can resist his will euerie man praieth that his will may be done Matth. 6.10 Now when no man can resist his will euerie man praieth for the accomplishment of his will what should anie man immoderatelie feare what he cannot possiblie auoide and what he dailie praieth may betyde It is follie it is vanitie it is iniquitie so to doe When yong Samuel had tolde old Elie all that the Lord had threatned and was purposed to bring vpon his house for the wickednes of the same this was olde Elies saying to yong Samuel It is the Lord 1. Sam. 3.18 let him doe what seemeth him good When faultles death hath seised vpon fearefull man this should bee his saying It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good his will it is I should dye his will I cannot resist his will bee done August sup Psalm 35. It is the Iustice of God that some time thou beest well and sometime thou beest sicke If when thou art well the will of God be sweete and when thou art sicke the will of God be bitter thou walkest not with a right heart Wherefore because
these times R. Much. The one was a good time the other was a bad time That was a good time wherein the one theefe reprooued the other but that was a bad time wherein they both reuiled and rayled on the sonne of God Q. It seemes all was at one time For it was all at their and Christs death R. One generall time if you will but not one particular Mat 27.45 For there was three howres distance betweene Christ his crucifying and his dying Lu. 23.44 At the sixt houre he was crucified at the ninth he died And in three houres space many things happened Q. But what happened in these three houres R. The rayling of both the theeues on Christ Iesus and the repenting of one of them In the beginning of the three hoth might raile as Mathew seemes to speake before the ending of the three the one did repent as Luke assuredly doth recorde Q. Be it so what inferre you thereupon R. That which before I defended and you denied Q. Why that R. Because he which you say died in the Lord did sometime also ere he died liue to the Lord. Q. How doth that appeare R. Aswell as any thing may appeare For the same scripture which speaketh of his dying in the Lord speaketh also of his liuing to the Lord. Q. Why what saith the scripture thereof R. More than that which you haue heard yet somewhat you haue heard Q. Haue I heard any thing that makes for this purpose R. I that I hope you haue Q. What was that R. That when one of the euil doers which were hanged rayled on Christ Iesus saying If thou be the Christ saue thy selfe and vs. Luk. 23.39 The other answered and rebuked him saying fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation we are indeede righteously heere for we receiue things worthie of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse Q. And what is there more which I haue not heard but may heare R. That which followeth what you haue heard And he the same that before reprooued his fellow said vnto Iesus Lord Luk. 23.42 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome Q. And what doe these things prooue that the same theefe which once died in the Lord did some time ere he died liue to the Lord R. What more manifest for what is it to liue to the Lord but to liue according to the will of the Lord and he that thus liued ere he died as you haue heard how did he not liue according to the will of the Lord in three things doth the will of the Lord consist 1. In this that a man turnes from his wicked waies to him For as by his prophet Ezekiel he saith Ezek. 18.23 Is it my will that the wicked should die saith the Lord God or rather that hee may returne from his waies and liue As I liue saith the Lord God I will not or I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue 2. In this that a man exercises himselfe in liuing godlily For by his blessed Apostle he saith 1. Pet. 2.15 So is the will of God that by well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 3. In this that a man continues in well doing to his liues end For saith the beloued Sonne of God Ioh. 6.39 This is the fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing Now perseuerance in doing good is that which makes that a man is not lost because it is said Mat. 10.22 He that endureth to the end he shall be saued Saith Hierome It is not the point of vertue to haue begunne but to haue continued and perfected what was begunne And saith Remigius Rewarde is giuen not to those that beginne but to those that perseuer For as Isidore saith Then doth our conuersation please God when we finish the good which we beginne by holding out to the ende In which of these three did not he we speake of according to the will of the Lord in the first the second or the third in neither Not in the first for there he turned from his wicked waies he had been a theefe now he was none he had been an euill doer now he was none he had been a reuiler of the sonne of God now he was none Not in the second for there after that once he was conuerted he exercised himselfe in doing of good He sorowed for his sinnes he confessed them he prayed for pardon of them he suffered quietly some punishment due to them he reprooued his fellow theefe for continuing in them he iustified Christ the Messias from the guiltines either of them or the like vnto them the text which recordes the historie of him prooues asmuch as I say One of the euill doers which were hanged railed on Christ Iesus saying Luk. 23.39 If thou be the Christ saue thy selfe and vs. But the other aunswered and rebuked him saying fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation There is a shew of his owne conuersion his fellowes corruption We are indeede righteously heere There is his confessiō with a continuatiō of his fellowes corruption For we receiue things worthie of that we haue done There is his patient suffering of punishment with a reasō of his fellowes corruption But this man hath done nothing amisse There is his iustifying of Christ And he said vnto Iesus Lord There is his acknowledgment of Christs power Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome There is his prayer for his sinnes remission and his soules saluation Neither yet in the third for there he perseuered as long as life lasted After once he put his hand to the plough he neuer look't backe In what hee sometime ere his death liued in that he once at the ende of his life died In faith and hope and loue he liued for the time after his conuersion that he liued and in faith hope and loue hee died when the time wa this life ended In asmuch then as in his life from his conuersion to his death he liued according to the will of the Lord it is thereby certaine that ere he once died in the Lord he sometime liued to the Lord. And so at length that is manifested which long I haue laboured to manifest Q. In deede the certaintie of the theefes liuing sometime to the Lord once dying to the Lord is thereby manifested but the necessitie of euery ones liuing so that faine would die so is neuer the more prooued R. In that you are deceiued For the action of one man that is good is the instruction of euery one that would be good Whatsoeuer good the theefe did he thought duety for him to doe and other than duety the like no man can thinke because he that taught him to doe what he did teacheth no man but what is dutie Q. Why who
taught him to do what he did R. No other schoolemaster than the spirit of God Q. How know you that R. By the word of God Q. Why. It saith not that the spirit did teach him R. But it implieth it and that 's as good Hicron in Ep. ad Gal. ca. 1. for as Ierome saith The Gospel is not in the words of the scripture but in the sence Q. But whether doth the word imply what you say it implieth R. Where it saith the theefe said vnto Iesus Lord Luk. 23.42 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome Q. Why say you so R. Because the Apostle Paul teacheth me to say so Q. Where R. In the first of his Epistles to the Corinthians the twelfth Chapter and the third verse Q. What saith he there R. That No man can say 1. Cor. 12.3 that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Q. And doe you by this prooue that the spirit of God taught the theefe to doe what hee did R. What else For. 1. in the fore place you see he called Iesus Lord. Luk. 23.42 And he said vnto Iesus Lord c. 2. in the eight to the Romans besides many other places the holy Ghost is called the spirit of God Rom. 8.9 Rom. 8.9 Now ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit because the spirit of God i the holy Ghost dwelleth in you and Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God Ephes 4 30 they are the Sonnes of God And Ephesians the fourth greeue not the holy spirit of God by whom ye are sealed vnto the day of redēption Q. Well then I yeeld and seeing it is necessarie for him that would once dye wel sometime to liue well I would that all which desire to dye well would regarde much to liue well R. You do well to wish it It is a thing to be wished though it wil neuer be performed for as Seneca saith Seneca Epist 78 As it fares with a play so it fares with life It skilles not how long it be ere it be don but how wel it is done while it is in doing Q Seneca Epist 22. But as the same Seneca saith No man considereth how well he liues but how long he liues R. This their misdemeanour is more to be pittyed thē praised for as Augustine saith No man will either haue or suffer a long supper euill August in serm and what should any wishe a long life and euill If it be a great thing that we liue it is a great good to liue well Id. de doct Chir. It is better to liue well then to vnderstand soone For he which liues well deserues to vnderstand more he which liues ill shall loose euen that which he vnderstands Seneca therefore saith Seneca in Epist A wise man doth euer thinke what kinde of life his life is and not how great or how long his life is Idem in Epist 78. For it is not good to liue but to liue wel It is no great thing to liue all thy seruants and cattell do liue Socrat. insuis ex hortation He liues not in whose minde there is nothing but that he may liue eate and drinke that thou maiest liue wel Thou maiest not liue that thou maiest onely eate and drinke Q. What counsell therefore do ye giue R. The same that ere while I did viz. that he which desireth once to die well hath euer a mind to liue well Q. But it is not inough to haue a minde to liue well vnlesse he also labour to liue well R. That 's so but vnlesse he mindes well to liue well Mat. 12.34 he will neuer labour well to liue wel For as out of the abundance of the heart mouth speaketh so of the abundance of the minde the man himselfe worketh the heart maketh the tongue to speake and the minde causeth the hand to worke Q. All this is true I cannot deny it R. VVhy did you then contend so much about it Q. Because I was desirous euerie way to be resolued R. Are you so now Q. Yea for this matter R. VVhat haue you other that you put in this Q. I hope you are not ignorant of that for as yet you haue spoken but of two of the fower meditations which you said long since were much auaileable against the immoderate feare of Death R. In deede I haue yet spoken of no moe Q. That you may speak aswel of the rest that follow as you haue of those that are gone before leauing that where abouts we haue so long contended we wil proceed to the first of those which are to succeed R. And what will you with that Q. No other then with the former R. There needes not all that for I knowe no doubt touching eyther the truth or the effect thereof Q. What to you is needeles for me is needfull for I yet know no more touching this point nowe comming into hande that that which you long since taught me to know R. If you know that you know all which for our intended purpose you are to knowe for the truth and the effect of it are the things which for our purpose are needfull to bee knowen Q. And those are the thinges I am yet in doubt of R. Without cause if you be For the truth thereof it is this he that dyeth beleeuing in Christ dyeth not out of Christ but in Christ For he which beleeueth in Christ is in Christ he that is in Christ by beleeuing in Christ hath both his bodie and soule really coupled to Christ according to the tenour of the couenant of Grace so that though after Death body and soule be seuered one from another yet neither of them are seuered and disioyned from Christ For the coniunction which is once begunne in this life remaines for euer in the life to come and he that is thus conioyned to Christ what needs he doubt any thing touching the effect of the same coniunction what neede hee immoderately or inordinately feare Death Death cannot hurt him Death is but a passage to life vnto him Ioh. 5.24 He which beleeueth in him that sent me saith Christ hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from Death vnto life and saith Paul Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Q. I but you know when a man dyes that his soule goes from his bodie and that his body being left of his soule rottes in the earth R. What then yet is he neuer the more to feare Death for that for his coniunction with Christ still holdes though the soule goes from the body and the body rots in the earth yet are they both still in Christ both in the couenant both in the fauour of God and that asmuch as they were before death Q. But they are both seuered one from another so as neither soule with bodie nor body with Soule
hath any communion or fellowshippe R. What then that seperation for a time notwithstanding they shall againe at length be reunited and ioyned togither and then shall they haue full communion one with another world without end Q. I know they shall so in the resurrection at the last day R. Why then obiect you as you do that knowledge is to strengthen you and any that knowes it against the feare of death with that Dauid comforteth himselfe saying Psal 16.9 Mine heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my Soule in graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holie one to see corruption With that Paul comforteth himselfe and others himselfe when he said Philip. 1.22 In death and life Christ is to me aduantage Others when hee prooued vnto them the resurrection of the dead with that also should you comfort your selfe and others What vse both Dauid and Paul made of it should others also make For why the thing of it selfe is one vnto all And all that beleeue shall haue much alike benefits thereby but I minde not now to speake of them neither neede I for they pertaine to another life and I now glaunce at them but as they yeeld comfort in this life Q. That comfort you speake of should mooue you more fullie to display them for those things which follow after death may in this life yeelde comfort against Death R. You heard me euen nowe professe so much and I like it well you will so soone thereupon confesse so much Q. I must confesse the truth for therefore I learne R. I am glad thereof for therefore I teach you it Q. If I should not make that vse of it both you should teach it in vaine and I learne it in vaine but that that may not betide I will marke both what you doe teach and what I may learne R. In so doing you shall do well Q. I perswade my selfe so and therefore I will doe as I say so neere as I may but now seeing you haue no mind to speake of some things after this life I would you would speake of something in this life R. So haue I alreadie Q. I deny not that in demaunding this but I now speake of a more speciall thing then those which are past R. It is verie like so but what is that that I may soone satisfie you Q. The last of your 4. meditations which you long since said were verie sufficient to comfort the Soule of man against the immoderate feare of Death R. If that be it we shall do well ynough but what would you that I should say touching it Q. First whether that the Lord hath promised his presence to his seruants as you said or not Secondly whether so much will thereupon follow as you inferred or no R. It seemes you doubt at euerie turne but it is no matter to shew you that I speake no more then I will iustifie I will shewe you both the one and the other Q. I thank you for that not because I doubt of what you say but because I would know your ground for that you say R. For the first therefore thus saith the Lord by his Prophet Dauid Psal 91.15 I will be with him in trouble Isai 43.3 and by his Prophet Esaie When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they do not ouerflow thee When thou walkest through the verie fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee and thus by his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus Ioh. 14.18 Mat. 28.20 I will not leaue you comfortlesse I will be with you vnto the end of the world And by these is it not manifest that the Lord hath promised his presence to his Seruants in time of neede and necessitie Q. Yes it is so I neither can nor will deny it but the Lord himselfe is inuisible is he not R. Yes for as the Scripture saith No man hath seene God at any time to Moses he himselfe said Thou canst not see my face Exo. 33.20 1. Tim. 1.17 Col. 1.15 Iud. 13.22 for there shal no man see me and liue of him Manach said vnto his wife We shall surelie dye because we haue seene God When they saw as the text saith but an Angell of God Q. By what meanes therefore doth he manifest his presence that so wee may perceiue a performance of his promise R. By meanes many In number three First by moderating and lessening the paines and torments of sickenes and death as the verie words of his promise by Esaie his Prophet doe plainelie import For he saith Isai 43.3 When thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee that the flouds doe not ouerflow thee and when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee So that if the flouds do not ouerflow a man when he is in the waters nor the flame kindle vpon him when he is in the fire hee may well thinke the Lord is there present restraining both the waters from swelling and the fire from burning For naturally either of them would do the kind if he did not restraine thē so in the paines of sicknes pangs of death if a man findes his sorrowes nothing so greeuous as the afflictions of his life he may well thinke the Lord present for the paines of the one and the pangs of the other are painefull ynough of themselues and ouermuch yrkesome to many Yet this that I now say many haue true indeed found of many such there is mention made in the Acts Monuments of the Church they which haue the booke may looke into it assuredly they shall finde what I heare say neither shall they loose their time whē they haue so done or repent them of their labour in so doing For my part I must now proceed from this meanes of the Lords manifesting his presence though he be inuisible and not to bee seene visibly to the next Secondly therefore the Lord doth manifest his presence in the paines of sickenes and pangs of death by giuing in inward and vnspeakable comfort of his spirit vnto them that are afflicted with the one and distressed with the other for to many then doth he giue a greater portion of his spirit thē at many other times bypast and foregone In one place of scripture the Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe and his afflictions saith thus As the suffering of Christ abounded in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ 2. Cor. 15. And in another place speaking of his owne and his fellowes behauiour in their tribulations hee saith thus Wee reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience c. Rom. 5.3 Now there must bee some thing that must worke this ioye and comfort For as the same Apostle saith Heb. 12.11 No chastising for the present time seemeth to
be ioyous but grieuous And what must that be but the spirit of God for a fruite of the spirit Gal. 5.22 as the same Apostle saith is ioy yea ioy in tribulation and affliction as seemeth by the fruits of the spirit thereto annexed for after ioy followeth peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith and meekenes all which are vertues more to be practised in tribulation than any other time When the Apostle therefore will expresse the cause of all this ioy and reioycing in tribulation he saith Rom. 5.5 Because the loue of God is shed abroade in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Thereby shewing that the holy Ghost which is God is cause of all this ioy And therefore not absent from him or them in whom this ioy is For as he saith 2. Cor. 3.17 Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie So may I say where the spirit of the Lord is there is ioy And where the spirit of the Lord is there the Lord himselfe is For the Lord is the spirit 2. Cor. 3.17 So that by this ioy vz. inward ioy in greefe and vnspeakable reioycing in tribulation a man may gather that the Lord doth then visit him as it were in his owne person and minister vnto him refreshing for his soule hence is it that the Church saith in the Canticles Cant. 2.5.6 She being sicke of loue his left hand is vnder mine head and his right hand doth embrace me And the Prophet Dauid in his Psalmes of him that iudgeth wisely of the poore Psal 41.1 Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble the Lord will keepe him and preserue him aliue The Lord will strengthen him vpon the bed of sorrow thou hast turned all his bed in his sickenes What thence should follow shall hereafter follow for now the third meanes thereby the Lord doth shew himselfe present in sickenes and death is to follow And that is the ministerie of good Angels For then doth the Lord send them to his seruants as nources and keepers to holde and beare them in their armes For as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And as the Psalmist saith Psalm 34.7 The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them And againe hee that is the Lord Shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Psal 91.11 They shall boare thee in their hands that thou hurte not thy foote against a stone So much sundry histories of scripture doe manifest if of it selfe it were not manifest When Hagar Abrahams bond-woman said touching her sonne Ismael I will not see the death of the child Gen. 21.16 The Angell of God called vnto her from heauen and said What ayleth thee Hagar Feare not for God hath heard the voice of the childe where he is Arise take vp the child for I will make of him a great people 1. King 19.4 When Elijah was vnder the Iuniper tree and desired that he might die saying It is enough oh Lord take my soule for I am no better than my fathers the Angell of the Lord came and touched him saying vp and eate for thou hast a great iourney When Christ himselfe was tempted Mat. 4.11 The Angels came and ministred vnto him When he was to be crucified he said vnto Peter labouring to shend him from his foes Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray vnto my father and he will giue me more than twelue legions of Angels Thus euer in trouble they are readie to helpe succour and relieue and that by the speciall decree and appointment of the almightie As Bernard saith Bern. ser 4. sup illud accâ—sserunt ang c. They are present that they may protect They are present that they may profit At death also they are readie to receiue and carrie the souls of Gods seruants into heauen This appeares plaine by the historie of Lazarus for the scripture saith When he died Luk. 16.22 he was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bobosome Thus in their sickenes to their death in their death and after their departure till they being Angels in heauen doe attend vpon those which are Saints on earth And by this their attendance how doth not the Lord shew himselfe present for without his commaundement none of them all doth any thing They all watch what he speakes they all go whither he sends and they all do what he commaunds As the Psalmist saith Psal 104.4 He maketh the spirits his messengers and a flaming fire his ministers Againe if the Lord be present as I haue both said and shewed how will it not follow as I inferred that inordinately and immoderately death is not to be feared for what should he feare that hath the Lord with him and of his side Psal 118.6 The Lord is on my side saith Dauid and therefore I will not feare what man doth vnto me The Lord is with me therefore I will not feare what man can doe vnto me The Lord is with me among them that helpe me therefore shall I see my desire vpon mine enimies Yea saith he though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death Psal 23 4. I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comforte mee And againe Though I walke in the middest of trouble yet wilt thou receiue me thou wilt stretch forth thine hand vpon the wrath of mine enimies and thy right hand shall saue mee What was Dauids comfort either in death or in any other distresse ought also to bee any others comfort in the like case and condition And therefore Paule was confident and vpon his confidence said Rom. 8.31 If God be on our side who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword As it is written Psal 44.22 For thy sake are wee killed all the day long wee are counted as sheepe appoynted to the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. Neither is it any thing to bee marueiled at that Paule vpon the consideration of the Lords presence was thus bolde and confident For wee finde by experience that he that is in a foule way in a darke night feares little either the
thus in the 17. verse of the 1. Chapter of the second booke of Kings it is said 2. Kin. 1.17 So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken Q. I but yet it appeares not that it had been better for Ahaziah to haue died of his sicknes then to haue askte counsell of Baalzebub the God of Ekron touching his disease R. No death what hinders First he dies for his sending and it may bee he should not then haue died if he had not sent VVherefore and therefore are words that imply much in this history they are both vsed 2. King 1. verse 4.16 Secondly ere he dies he looseth an hundred men and two captaines through his sending which he should not haue lost if he had not sent and doe not these things approue what a longtime you haue driuen me to proue Q. Yes for him but not for others R. Yes yes for others and him too they which are alike in offence shall not be vnlike in punishment what Aheziah once gatte by vsing vnlawfull meanes for health that often get others by doing the like good neuer get any The author of mischiefe by whom all Charmers and Coniurers doe worke neuer doth good though for the present I deny not but it may seeme good and other good then that which he doth they get not Euery seruant liues at his Masters expences and therefore his seruants must fare no otherwise then he will allow them Q. You are an eger man against Coniurers and Charmers sith you cannot abide that they should be sought to in sicknes for health answere me to this May the helpe and counsaile of allothers but these be both asked and vsed R. Yea if they bee as before I said for knowledge skilfull for practise fortunate for conscience vpright and religious Q. Your If argues not that euery others helpe beside Coniurers and Charmers is either to be craued or practised R. It is very like so if they be not qualified as before is specified Q. Why require you so much in a Phisitian R. Because with lesse he is no good Phisitian and I would haue none so foolish as to put himselfe into the hands of the vnskilfull infortunate and vngodly it is ill committing of a mans selfe to him that is skilfull if he bee both infortunate and vngodly but it is worse to him that is neither cunning luckie nor godly though he be zealous to do good a man may haue little good by him if he hath neither knowledge to direct him nor successe to follow him and therefore surely he may look for lesse where all are wanting oft times a man fares the worse for another mans vngodlines how much more shal he fare amisse when all three euils meete in one Q. I but that is seldome when R. Too oftē if it be but once for bad is the first that is ignorance it is the mother of all errours but worse is the second that is infortunacie the infortunacie of one is infortunate to another but worst of all is the third that is impiety for one mans impiety hinders another mans prosperity Q. I confesse none of them all is good R. And dare you affirme that one is not worse then another Q. I neither dare nor doe yet that which is in the comparatiue or superlatiue must also be in the positiue R. That 's true because neither comparatiue not superlatiue can be without the positiue but why stand you vpon those things Q. Because you haue driuen me to them R. If I wist that I would draw you from thē for it is not for vs now to stand vpon thē Q. Yet we may well speake of them R. I withstand not that Q. Neither do I withstand you in the qualities of your Phisitian but yet I would craue a reason of that his condition R. I haue giuen one already will not that content you Q. That 's a very generall one R. Is it euer the worse for that Q. I say not so but still me thinke it is for somwhat that you wish a Phisition whom a man in sicknes should seeke to to be so conditioned as before you haue mentioned R. It is so and that somewhat I haue told you for I would haue him good that is to be sought to because I would haue the sick seeke to none but him that is good Q. Your will is good but who is so good R. He that practiseth well Q. What is he R. He that practiseth religiously in regard of himselfe and commodiously in regard of his patient Q. Doe not all practise alike R. No diuerse practise diuerselie some worke onely by the inspection of the vrine some againe hand ouer head some other by Astrologicall rules Q. And doe you finde fault with euery of these R. Yea that do I and not without cause for the first may be deceiued the second sooner kill then cure the third effect lesse good then they otherwise might Q. Why is it not good to iudge by the vrine R. Forest de vrin iudicijs lib. 3. Lang. lib. 2 Epist 4. Yes but it is not euer safe to minister according to the vrine for as the learned in that faculty auouch that kind of dealing tends rather to kill then to cure and sundry men are indeed killed thereby Q. Why is that R. Because iudgement by the vrine is very deceiptful for the water of him that is sicke of a pestilent feuer euen vnto death lookes for substance and colour as the water of a whole man and so doth the water of him that is sicke of a quartane or of any other intermitting feauer specially if they haue vsed good diet from the beginning so also doth the water of him that hath the plurisie or the inflammation of the lungs or the squinancy oft times when he is neere death Q. May one the same vrine then fore-signifie both life and death and may be a signe of diuerse and different diseases R. Yea that it may for a thinne crude and pale vrine in them that be in health doth betoken want of digestion but in them that are sicke of a sharpe or burning ague it betokens the frensie and is a certaine signe of death at hand to ensue Q. I muse then why most Phisitians worke by the inspection of the vrine R. You neede neuer long muse thereat the reason is soone found they are sent vnto by many and that often by simple soules women and seruants such as can giue them no further instruction then they themselues extorte from them by questioning with them vpon inspection of the vrine they are sent for but by few so that their absēce from their patients is a cause why they worke as they may vpon their patients no doubt but many would worke otherwise then they doe did they see and know the conditions of their patients Q. It seemes then there is fault aswell in them that should vse them as in themselues R. You may be
portions of his fathers goods and landes both bigger for quantitie and better for qualitie than any of all his other brethren Q. Some times I deny not what you say But that alwaies it should be so I doe not greatly well like of for at the time of the fathers death the eldest may be able to shift for himselfe as well as some of the rest but the youngest may bee very vnable And therefore I would thinke greater care should bee had of them than of others Besides that it may bee the youngest shall bee brought vp to some chargeable kinde of life as a schollers life a courtiers life a merchants life c. and therefore some reason as great care should be had of them as of some others R. Whatsoeuer you pretend for ground of your dislike yet this must you euer know and hold that mans inuention must giue place to Gods constitution And though I haue all this while laboured for the preferment of the Eldest as reason is I should yet he being prouided for I neuer stoode neither now doe I stand against the well prouiding for of the youngest If the eldest be once regarded as he ought let the others after him be considered as they may Yet for that point thus much I say whatsoeuer is done let it rather be done vpon reason than affection Many I know are foolishly affected and therefore some of their children are carelesly regarded some haue a great deale giuen them and some againe haue neuer a whit Let euery one in his place be considered and all my words thereof shall be ended Q. It is very like so for if I had not caused thus many fewer I imagine by many would haue been vsed R. Of that you may be well assured For your questions and obiections these many haue procured Q. I suspected so and therefore I say so But pardon mee if I haue runne out of rule touching this rule and I will keepe my selfe better in rule about your last rule R. The more you doe so the better it will be for you no hurt euer by keeping of rule But the last rule is so short as well you cannot runne from it Q. Neither minde I though I might But yet I would gladly know the reason thereof R. Whereof of your wanting possibilitie to runne aside Q. No that is easie But of the rule it selfe which is somewhat harder R. That I gaue you with the rule and haue it againe you may in the rule Q. What is it then R. The Testatours liberty to alter and change his will at his pleasure according to law during his life Q. But why is that the reason R. Because the Apostle himselfe in the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 9.17 The testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force so long as he that made it is aliue If this saying of the Apostle now be reason sufficient your question is aunswered and my dutie is discharged if not you must seeke to the Ciuilians for more Q. Where the first is sufficient the second is superfluous I am so well satisfied with the first as I minde not now to seeke any thing of the last If so it please you therefore wee will now passe to the second thing you said the sicke man was to doe that would in his sicknes seeke to establish good order in his house after his death R. Indeede order requires so much and the Apostle willeth All things to be done â—â— order With what you are therfore conteâ—â—â— I shall not be discontented But concerning that what will you that I say Q. I cannot prescribe you any thing R. But you may propounde me something Q. The duetie it selfe you haue alreadie prescribed but how or whence gather you that a man in his sicknes labouring to procure good order in his familie after his death should admonish all those of his familie wife children and seruants before his death to learne beleeue and obey the true religion of God all their dayes R. I gather it three waies first by the generall commaundement of God secondly by the practise of diuerse godly men mentioned in scripture thirdly by the speciall commendation God himselfe giues to one therefore aboue the rest For first God giues this generall precept Heb. 1.13 Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another dailie while it is called to day least any of you bee hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne And I know little difference betweene exhortation and admonition vnles you say admonition goeth before exhortation exhortation followes after admonition Secondly I finde many good men in the booke of God to haue done thus In the booke of Deuteronomie Deu. 31.32.33 I finde Moses to haue admonished all Israell Ioshua their captaine Leui their Priest and the audience of all their congregation to cleaue vnto the Lord their God and to serue him after his death It is so much to repeate some as I refer you thither to reade all The reading of all there is better by much than the repeating of some here In the booke of Iehoshua I finde Iehoshuah to haue done the like For to all Israel their Elders Iehosh 23.1 2 3. c. their heads and their Iudges and their officers he said I am olde and stricken in age also ye haue seene all that the Lord your God hath done vnto all these nations before you how the Lord your God himselfe hath fought for you And the Lord your God shall expell them and cast them out of your sight and ye shall posses their land as the Lord your God hath sayd vnto you be therefore of a valiant courage to obserue and doe all that is written in the booke of the lawe of Moses that ye turne not there from to the right hand nor to the left neither companie with those nations that is with them that are left with you neither make mention of the name of their gods nor cause to sweare by them neither serue them nor bowe vnto them but sticke fast vnto the Lord your God as ye haue done vnto this day c. Iosh 23. and 24. by the whole In the first booke of Kings I finde 1. Kin. 2.1.2 Dauid to haue charged his sonne Salomon to the like effect saying I goe the way of all earth be strong therefore and shew thy selfe a man and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies to keepe his statutes and his commaundements and his iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the lawe of Moses that thou maiest prosper in all that thou doest and in euery thing whereto thou turnest thee that the Lord may confirme his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy sonnes take heede to their way that they walke before me in trueth with all their hearts and with all their soules thou shalt not sayd he want one of thy posteritie vpon the throne of Israel In the booke of Tobit
heere a poore life but great good shall we haue if we feare God and depart from all sinne and doe well Well the blessing of God be with you Tob. 4. For I must ere it be long away from you Farewell Thus I thinke I haue shewed you as much as hitherto you haue desired of me Q. You haue so and I hartily thanke you therefore For thereby I learne how to instruct and admonish them that are with me and vnder me but I haue not yet done For how euer death be the last ende of this life yet it is not the least thing to be regarded in this life as before you haue signified My request now therefore is to know how the sicke man in the agony of death is to behaue himselfe for no doubt he must aswell care to order himselfe aright in death as to prepare himselfe aright to death R. I will satisfie you in your petition because you please me in your reason For to a good death there is aswell required a good disposition in death as a right preparation to death In the very agony of death therefore the first thing the sicke man is to haue care of is that as he hath liued in faith so he may also die in faith For such as he dieth such shall he be iudged And such as the last day of this life doth leaue him such shall the last day of the world finde him Eccles 11.3 As Salomon saith In the place that the tree falleth there it shall be The second that as he hath spent the former part of his life so hee may also spend the latter for obedience is better than sacrifice and without obedience his death cannot be acceptable to God because he seemes to goe vnto God of feare and constraint as a slaue to a maister and not of loue and good will as a childe to his father The third that as in the beginning he receiued his soule of God so now in the ende he renders it againe to God For as he was the first giuer so he is the best keeper Q. I hope you wil heere deigne me the same libertie that hitherto you haue that so it shall be as lawfull for me to question with you about these things as before it hath been about others R. I should else do little for you For whom at all times I would doe asmuch gladly as I might fitly Q. By how much the more you are at all times readie to doe for me by so much the more I am alwaies bound to thinke my selfe beholding to you All this is courtesie in you no desert in me R. Let such words passe least time ouerpasse leauing what you could say goe to what you would say Q. I will then Touching the first thing therefore you spake of what is it to die in faith R. It is with all thy heart wholy to relie a mans selfe vpon Gods special loue and fauour and mercie in Christ according as it is reuealed in the volume of the booke of God Q. But why is the sicke man in the agonie of death to looke to this R. Because that is the most speciall time of all his time for him to put his faith in practise Q. Why that R. Because then all things in and of the world doe faile and forsake him His friends his riches his pleasures his outward senses yea and his temporall life too do then all at once leaue and forsake him What helpe soeuer in times past they yeelded him yet then they faile him and yeelde him no helpe at all Q. And what can faith then doe for him that so much you wish him to establish it in him R. It can make him go wholy out of himselfe and to despaire of comfort and saluation in respect of any earthly thing and cause him with all the power and strength of his heart to rest on the pure mercie of almightie God Q. Hath it euer effected so much in any R. Yea that it hath in many Q. Where haue you an instance thereof R. In the first booke of Samuel the thirtieth Chapter and the sixt verse Q. Why what is there said R. 1. Sam. 30.6 That Dauid comforted himselfe in the Lord his God Q. What doth that make to the purpose you speake of R. As much as may bee For the time when Dauid did this was then when the people intending to stone him there was nothing before his eyes to bee seene but present Death Q. And what made him then to doe it R. The application of the mercifull promise of God to his miserable and distressed soule For thus he saith vnto God and of his promise in one place Psal 119.49 50. Remember thy promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust it is my comfort in trouble for thy promise hath quickned mee And thus of himselfe in another place and the comfort hee found in his trouble My soule she failed and my heart also Psal 73.26 but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Q. But doth it hereupon follow that it will effect as much in some other R. What else for wherefore else is this written of Dauid but for our instruction what agrees to and with the generall will not I hope disagree to and with the particular But for the generall Paul saith Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning Rom. 15.4 That wee through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope And therefore for this particular you may soone know what I might say For written you see it is and therefore for our learning written it is Q. But it may be we may learne some other thing thence than this R. Though that may be yet it followeth not therefore that this is not thence to bee learned I stand not against other things but for this Q. What reason haue you therefore R. More then that which is shewed I haue the efficacie of faith For if faith bee faith worketh Saith Iames the Apostle Faith without workes Iam. 2.26 August in serm 22. is dead and saith Augustine that learned Clerke Faith is called Faith of that which is done two syllables doe sound when faith is named the first is of that which is done the second is of God I aske thee therefore whether thou doest beleeue thou sayest I beleeue Doe what thou saiest and it is faith and saith our Sauiour Christ Mar. 16.17 These tokens shal follow them that beleeue In my name they shall cast out diuels and shall speak with new tongues and shall take away Serpents And if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recouer Q. But faith may then worke some other thing then that which you speake of R. But this is then the proper worke of faith and that then is the due time for that worke Nom. 21.9 As the
euer to bee spoken so long as a word by them can bee spoken Q What if through the extremitie of their paines and the idlenes of their braines such wordes cannot or will not be spoken shal we think them to be euer the more faithles and vngodly R. Truely no God forbid wee should many good men are silent long before their death many againe through the extremitie of their disease speake hardly and badly at their death though therefore their words neither be as they should be nor as wee would wish them to bee yet must we neither iudge of them by their words nor condemne them for their words not iudge least we our selues come to bee iudged for with what measure wee mete vnto others with the like wil others mete vnto vs as therefore wee would not be iudged of others for any infirmitie in our selues so must wee not iudge others for any infirmity espied in them iudgement is Gods and to him we must leaue it as Paul saith We must iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighten things hid in darknes and make the counsels of the harts manifest that euery man may haue the praise of God Not condemne least therefore we chance to bee condemned euill words at the time of death may proceed of other causes then want either of faith or religion the disease may cause much and in euery disease men are not euer alike affected the more violent the disease is whereof a man dies the more vnseemely are his gestures when he dies of violent sicknesses the companions are often fransies and other vnseemely motions As therefore it is follie to attribute that to one thing which is to bee attributed to another so it is to condemne a man for wordes which come not from him but from the disease that doth possesse him Q. When we see any then at the point of death vsing worse wordes than they should or we would what will you that we doe R. Other thinges than either iudge or condemne Q. That 's like in deed because you dislike them but what are those other thinges you speake of R. First perswade him as you may can to vse better for it is written Leuit. 19.17 Thou shalt plainlie rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne Secondly pray for him as you ought that the spirit of God may put better words in his mouth For no man can say 1. Cor. 12.3 Luk. 11.13 Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit and this spirit is obtained by praier Thirdly looke vpon your owne present loue towards him and for that practise the two former last named but absteine from the two other afore mentioned for as the Apostle saith Loue thinketh not euil 1. Cor. 13.5 but loue beleueeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things and therefore it thinketh not that he is altogether faithles that vseth a word fruitles but beleeueth that he is and hopeth that he may be the childe of God a few bad words notwithstanding Rom. 7.20 For sure it is not he that speaketh them but the sinne that dwelleth in him Fourthly and lastly looke vpon the sickmans life bypast and gone and if that hath beene as it ought to be neuer feare euil nor yet suspect amisse For as that auncient and learned father Augustine saith August de ciuitat dei lib. 1. That is not to bee thought an euill death afore which there hath gone a good life for there is nothing which makes an euill death but that which followeth death Now because thats vnknowen to vs Id. lib. 5. de baptismo ca. 27. because that many that seeme to bee without are within many that seeme to be within are without wee must learne to hope the best and leaue to iudge the worst Q. God graunt that so wee may for prone inough we are of our selues to iudge amisse R. That makes not but that we must restraine our selues Q. Neither doe I say otherwise for that cause I wisht as I did R. And nothing amisse for our nature as it is is to be corrected and not to be followed and that which euen now you vsed is a meane to haue that I speake of practised Q. Therefore I vsed it but to let this point goe and to meddle no further with censuring whether men die in faith or out of faith may it please you to say some thing of the next which is their dying in obedience R. I haue said somewhat thereof already Q. That 's little to that I would haue you say R. Why what would you haue mee to say Q. What it is to die in obedience R. That is soone said Q. The sooner the better R. To die in obedience is to bee willing readie and desirous to goe out of this world whensoeuer it shall please God to call and that without murmuring or repenting Q. No marueile though you say a man in his sicknes is to take care for it It is not easy how shall a sicke man compasse it R. By practising the former For to him that beleeueth all things are possible Mark 9.23 and therfore this easie not impossible Q. Possible peraduenture supernaturally but not portable voluntarily R. Yes no doubt for that faith which makes all thinges possible beyonde nature makes all things portable against wil. Q. That may be and I verily thinke is but that a man should be willing readie and desirous to goe out of this world without murmuring grudging or repining whensoeuer wheresoeuer and howsoeuer it shall please God to call him is very hard rare and difficulte R. Not a whit If a man hath faith Ioh. 5.4 but as a graine of mustard seede for this is the victory that ouercommeth the world as Iohn saith Euen your faith What therefore should a beleeuing man be vnwilling to vndergoe what necessarily he must vndergoe Q. No hee should not that I graunt but what may perswade him that hee shall not this I aske R. And that I answere the very last thing I spake of for voluntarilie that is to be suffered which necessarily must be suffered Q. What then R. Therefore death voluntarily is to bee suffered Q. Wherefore that R. Because death necessarily is to be suffered Heb. 9.26 for as the Apostle saith It is appointed of God that all men shall once die Q. But how shall any of them be perswaded willingly to die R. I haue already tolde you by this very necessitie of once dying Q. All men know they shall once die yet no man almost is euer the willinger to die R. The greater is their sinne and the more is their shame by how much the more certainly they know they shall die by so much the more willingly they should die this knowledge should worke that willingnes Q. I deny not but it should I see not that it doth R. Somewhere you may see it though euery where you cannot see it knowledge is
to be a liuing man for so Christ feared it when he sweat water and blood in the garden herevpon said My soule is heauie vnto death Mat. 26.38 Secondly as it is an hurt to the church or common wealth for often by death the church and commonwealth are depriued of those which either were then indeed or might haue been in time a great help stay and comfort to either Q. Otherwise than thus would you not haue him to feare it R. No. Q. And why R. For many causes First because it is vnto him an abolishing of sinne For he that is dead Rom. 6.7 is freed from sinne he then ceaseth to offend God any more as hee hath done Secondly because it is a bettring of his bodies condition for whereas before it was sensible and so perplexed with many miseries it is by death made insensible and therefore freed from all calamities whereas before in life it was both an actiue and passiue instrument for sinne it is then after death neither of both Thirdlie because it is the way for his soule to come to rest life and glorie For they that die in the Lord rest from their labours enioy life and remaine in glory Rest from their labors Apoc. 14.13 Enioy life Mat. 22.32 remaine in glorie Rom. 2.7.10 Dan. 12.3 And they that come to these things must die ere they come at them As one saith There is no other way to come to heauen by but death Q. And what conclude you thereupon R. That which I should viz. that hee which hath faith in Christ should not so feare death as therefore he should be vnwilling to leaue this life Cyprian in serm de mortalitate For as Cyprian saith It is his part to feare death which hath no will to goe to Christ It is his to haue no will to goe to Christ which beleeueth not he shall beginne to raigne with Christ God saith he hath promised to thee departing out of this world immortalitie and eternitie and doest thou doubt this is not to haue known God at al this is with the sinne of incredulitie to offend Christ the maister of all beleeuers this is being set in the Church not to haue faith in the house of faith Let him bee afraide to die who not being borne anew by water and the spirit is mancipated to the fire of hell let him be afraide to die which is not marked with the crosse and passion of Christ let him bee afraide to die which from this death must passe to the second death let him be afraide to die whom the eternall flame shall torment with euerlasting paine so soone as hee departes this world let him be afraide to die vpon whom this by his long stay heere is bestowed that during his abode heere his punishment is deferred but let him neuer bee afraide to die that knowes himselfe to be heere a Pilgrime and stranger that beleeues the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting that loues the Lord with all his heart As the forenamed writer saith What stranger is he that hastens not to returne into his countrey Wee make account that Paradise is our countrey now we haue begun to haue the Patriarkes our Parents Why do we not make hast and runne that wee may both see our countrey and salute our parents A great number of our deare friendes doth there expect vs a mightie traine and troupe of parēts brethren and children now sure of their owne immortalitie and yet carefull for our safety doth wish vs to come vnto their sight and companie what ioy is it in common both to them and to vs What pleasure there without feare of dying and with certaintie of liuing How great and perpetuall felicitie Againe who would be afraide to dye that beleeues the resurrection of the dead For as one saith The most sure trust of christians is the promised resurrection of the dead from aboue And no meruaile when Christ himselfe saith This is the will of him that sent me Ioh. 6.40 that euery man which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day And againe I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me although he were dead yet shall he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye Lastly who would be afraide to dye that loues God sincerely For it is the propertie of him that loues to adioyne himselfe to the thing he loues and to wish that he might enioy it and to grieue at that which doth hinder his enioying of it It is a token therefore that he loues not God as he should that is either afraide or vnwilling to dye for other way to come to God to heauen to immortalitie than by death there is none he that dyeth not commeth to neither And who if hee might would not come to all Except the wheat corne fall into the ground and dye it bideth alone so except a man fall into the earth and dye he bideth alone Eccl. 4.10 and woe saith Salomon to him that is alone but if the wheate corne die it bringeth forth much fruite so if a faithful man dye he attaineth to much fruite He commeth as I said to God to heauen to immortalitie And who would not if he might come to all these None surely that is wise that is godly that is faithfull and beleeuing for to come to God is to come to the fountaine of liuing waters which who so commeth to shall neuer more thirst to come to heauen is to come to the hauen of euerlasting happines which who so commeth to shall neuer more faint to come to immortalitie is to come to eternall life which who so commeth to shall neuer more dye none therefore that is wise that is godly that is faithful that is beleeuing should be afraide and vnwilling to dye for dye any when he wil that is so qualified death shall not hurt him death shall haue no power ouer him death shal be game not losse vnto him Q. I but whensoeuer he shal dye death will be painefull vnto him R. And what then Let him be neuer the more vnwilling to die for that for why the Apostle saith Act. 14.20 By many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God By many and therefore he must be willing to haue the paines of death some we must enter into the kingdome of God and therefore neuer be vnwilling to die for the paines of death for as the same Apostle saith Rom. 8.18 All the afflictions of this life are not worthie of the glorie which shal be shewed vnto vs and therefore the few afflictions in death are vnworthie thereof The paines that are suffered are but temporal but the ioyes which are to bee enioyed are eternall and who wil not be content to suffer a short paine for a long pleasure He is not worthie of any sweete which came away with
to the bodie this whether an hedge or a wall doth vphold it it little skils Know yee this men are as well couered with gale as with golde Contemne ye the rest which superfluous labour makes as an ornament remember yee that there is nothing merueilous but the soule to which being great there is nothing great 2. There are fiue or sixe things which may or should draw the founders of them and dwellers in them frō so much loue vnto them as should make thee vnwilling to depart from them 2. The curse that is denounced against those that loue them Esa 5.8 and Iere. 22.13 2. The hatred that God beareth against the houses that are so loued Amos 6.8 The Lord God hath sworne by himselfe saith the Lord God of hostes I abhor the excellencie of Iacob and hate his palaces 3. The examples of sundry good ones whose steps we should follow who neither much loued them nor any thing esteemed them In his birth our Sauiour Christ for his house had but an Inne Luk. 2.7 and at his death a tombe Matth. 27.60 all his life he had not where to rest his head Matth. 8.20 For Abraham the father of the faithfull Rom. 4.11 the Apostle saith Heb. 11.9 By faith he abode in the land of promise as in a strange countrey as one that dwelt in the tents with Isaac and Iacob heires with him of the same promise for he looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God For others he saith Heb. 11.37 38. They wandred vp and downe in sheepes skins and in goates skins being destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dens and caues of the earth great faire costly and sumptuous buildings strong stout and stately habitations huge high and honourable houses for some one other amongst many It is reported of him that he had his house in the maner of his sepulchre And when the Emperour that then was asked him why he fitted his house to his body hee answered him this is sufficient for a man that must dye and thereto he added It is better leapt into heauen out of a cottage than out of a pallace 4. The iniurie that is offered others in the making of them For there often the builders lay which at will they should haue giuen to the poore and therefore Paul of whom Hierome writes would not lay out his money vpon such stones as should perish with the world but vpon liuing stones which are tumbled vpon the ground and of which the citie of the great king is builded 5. The accusation that the stones often in such houses make vnto God against those that there layde them and being layde too to much loued and esteemed them for as the Prophet Habakuk saith Hab. 2.11 The stone shall crie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it 12. Woe vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood and erecteth a citie by iniquitie 6. The follie that is shewed in building of fine houses and committed in louing them when they are builded For first mens liues are shorter now than euer they were and yet now they must haue brauer houses than euer they had and what wise man thinkes not that a follie Secondly mens soules are as pretious now as euer they were yet now they will haue better houses for their bodies than for them and what religious man knowes not that a follie The care for the soule should not be lesse than the care for the bodie he that saith for the bodie Care not for the bodie saith for the soule Keepe thy soule diligently Matth. 6.25 Deut. 4.9 and he that will be worshipped in Spirit because he is a spirit wil be glorified with the body because the spirit remaines in the bodie as the Apostle therefore saith in one place 1. Cor. 6.13 The bodie is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the bodie So againe hee saith in another Therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit for they are Gods And betweene both Knowe yee not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid and againe Know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God And ye are not your owne Thirdly the Apostle saith Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth yet now they haue such loue to their houses as for their houses they are loath to goe to God loath to yeelde to nature vnwilling to goe the way of all earth and what good man deemes not this a folly Howsoeuer men loue their houses here yet for loue of them they should not bee careles of the houses they should seeke otherwhere 2. Cor. 5.2 We sigh saith the Apostle desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen and they sigh because they must forgoe their house which they haue on earth and yet the Apostle by his speech sheweth what house their loue should bee most to their house from heauen their house eternall in the heauens How much soeuer they loue their houses yet will not their houses here continue neither shall they euer get any thing by the loue they beare them Fourthly their houses shall and will decay the temple of Ierusalem was a fine house a finer house I guesse than the finest they haue yet as fine as it was Matt. 24.2 Iesus said of it when his Disciples shewed him the building of it there shall not be left a stone vpon a stone which shall not bee cast downe If that might not stand which was built at Gods appoyntment and for his seruice they may well thinke theirs shall not which are built at their owne assignement and for their owne pleasure and delight theirs haue no such priuiledges as that had What the Lord spake against the houses of Iaakob Amos 3. they may well thinke spoken against theirs Amos. 3 1◠Surely in the day that I shall visite the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel and the horne of the altar shall be broken off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the sommer house and the houses of iuorie shall perish and the great houses shall bee consumed saith the Lord. And thereupon conclude that what betided them will also in time betide theirs for among the signes which shall goe before the day of iudgement Hierome recites this as one that all buildings shall fall and therfore theirs too because els al shal not for none is exempted where all are expressed Secondly though they should or could stand yet they should get nothing by their loue towardes them For our Sauiour Christ sayth Whosoeeuer shall forsake houses or
his death he is to propound to his and his Churches patron a man for gifts sufficiently qualified for manners of many well commended and of his people much esteemed this if he doth there is little doubt but that that after his death will bee obtained which at his dying was greatly wished for he and his people ioining togither they shall either in deede with this patron preuaile or verie hardly misse and if it happen that both misse what they would they may there-through notwithstanding speed better then otherwise they speed for he is extremely stiffe that will not bow at the ardent requests of many when that which is requested tendes specially to the good and comfort of many But to passe ouer this and post to the next If the householder will haue loue to holde and quiet to continue amongst his heires after he is dead whilst he liues and before he dies he is to dispose of the goods be they many or few which God of his goodnes hath heere vouchsafed him This if he doth it is not to bee feared but that will fall out which I haue said for wheÌ„ euery one knowes his part and portion how shal they not accord and agree the ignorance of his portion causeth each man to striue for a portion that thinks he hath right to a portion This made one come to Christ saying Luk. 12.13 Master bid my brother deuide the inheritance with me And this makes much braule amongst many now But if order in the house bee established there is no such adoe Euery man knowes what he must hold him to and therefore they all are at quiet Grieue they may that one is not as good as another but striue they cannot one with another A barre is set that no breach may be made Q. What barre R. Order Q. And if that be set wil there be no breach made R. No not if that be kept Nazianzene de moderat in disputâ—â—â—nibus â—eruande For that as Nazianzene saith is the mother and preseruer of all things Q. But for the procuring of that vz. good order in his family what must the man of whom and for whom we all this while speake doe R. 1. He must dispose of his lands goods that he then in the time of his sickenes hath in his hands 2. he must admonish charge those of the family wife childreÌ„ and seruants to learne beleeue and obey the true religion of God that is the doctrine of saluation set downe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles Q. You make it it seemes a matter of dutie for a man in time of his sickenes to make his will if it be then vnmade and not a matter of indifferencie R. I doe so and in so doing I hope I doe no more than I may doe neither yet any thing lesse than that which euery man ought to doe for that which God by Isaiah the prophet spake vnto Hezekiah the king being sicke I take as spoken to euery man being sicke aswell well as to Hezekiah For what is spoken in the scripture to one man is spoken for the instruction of another man And that I may the more boldly thinke it to be so taken the admonition of the wise man to his sonne in the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach doth perswade mee For thus there and by him it is said Syr. 33. 22. At the time when thou shalt ende thy dayes and finish thy life distribute thine inheritance But whether it be or no the matter is not much For I haue at hand the practise of many auncient and worthie men which doe prooue that it ought to be such Gen. 25. Abraham before his death makes his will and giues legacies Gen. 25.5 Abraham gaue all his goods to Izaak but vnto the sonnes of the concubines which Abraham had Abraham gaue gifts Gen. 27. so doth Izaak ver 28. and. 29 and ver 39.40 and Gen. 49. So doth Iacob Gen. 49.3 And so doth Christ our Sauiour vpon the crosse to his father hee giues his soule Luk. 23.46.52 father into thine hands I commend my spirit to Ioseph of Aramathea he giues his bodie Iohn 19.27.21.15 Luk. 23.43.34 to Iohn he giues his mother to Peter he giues his church to the repentant theefe he giues paradise to the souldiers he giues his garments And of these I gather what I haue said and in my iudgement nothing amisse both because their actions are to vs good instructions and also because the action it selfe is aunswerable to Christian conuersation For first by Christianitie a man is in his life so to dispose of those goods which God hath lent him as that his disposition of them may make much to the glory of God after his death Secondly a man is so to dispose of his goods in his life time as there may be none occasion of strife and contention betweene any of those he leaues behinde him after his death Thirdly a man in sickenes is so to dispose of his goods as his goods may nothing disquiet him in his sickenes nor any thing distract him from prouiding for his latter ende Now by making of a will in sickenes if then it be vmade a man may so dispose of his goods as thereby he may geatly glorifie the name of God which gaue them throughly breake off strife and dissension betweene them which shall haue them and singularly quiet himselfe that is to depart from them And therefore I iudge it conuenient for a man to make a will and not indifferent to make or not to make For first in all things a man must seeke the glorie of God For the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10 32 Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God Secondly aboue all things a man must put on loue 1. Pet. 4.8 1. Cor. 1.3.6 for as Peter saith Loue couereth a multitude of sinnes And saith Paul Loue reioyceth not in iniquitie And our Sauior himselfe saith Mat. 18.7 Wee be to the man by whome the offence commeth It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Rom. 16.18 They which cause diuision and offences are such as serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies saith Paul And therefore againe otherwhere he saith 1. Cor. 10.32 Giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God 1. Pet. 3.4 Thirdly A meeke and quiet spirit before God is a thing much set by As Peter the Apostle in the first of his Epistles anoucheth But to draw home and driue to a point the one and the other and euery of these are this way gotten For a man making his will well and wisely doth thereby prouoke others to glorifie God for giuing him will and wisedome so to dispose of the things of this life and to imitate him in the