to go hence and be seen no more that I play not loath to depart my last parture I will bear in my remembrance and for ever 9. Before the day of battel what a world of preparation the war beginns when death comes its wisdom before it come to make ready 10. They call death Charons boat I am sure it wasts the soul from a materiall to an immateriall world my advice eye the barge before thou enter all one with remember thy end 11. I have but one step to eternity it is from life to death I will be preparing this body of mine to win the Garland of a blessed immortality 12. O the serious thoughts while I live How I must die these do so make me run that I may obtain a Crown of Immortall glory 13. In my life I will oft meditate on death when death doth come it will be more welcome 14. He that thinks not of his end till ready to die his unthought of ending is like an Enthusiasts sermon poor stuff 15. This sound of the passing Bell assures me there is some to dya likly to die Is it so nigh night it is high time then to work out my salvation left the night of death put in and none can work 16. I have a taske set will take up all my time viz. to die well while I live then I will learn to die lest being found unprepared it be said thou fool this night thy Soul shall be required of thee 17. There is one and it will not be long ere he come and call and knock at thy door his name is death with Martha thou hast been troubled about many things O this unum ⋆ That I must die necessarium let it not be forgotten 18. As thou camest by the womb thou must go by the grave Learn then in life how to be freed from death 19. Maximilian the Emperor made his Coffin alwaies to be carried along with him to this end that his dignity might not make him forget his mortality 20. How many messengers have brought word that death will quarter here sad newes wouldst thou sweeten them far God and keep his commandments The second part of the soules departing Ditty Statutum est omnibus semel mori 21. WHat was long since decreed in heaven God hath sent warrants to eâ—â—cute on earth semel mori for us once to die 22. King Xerxes standing on a Mountain and having many hundred thousands of his souldiers standing in the plain fell a weeping to think upon it how in a few years and all those gallant valiant ment must die 23. Adam he lived 930 years and he dyed Enoch he lived 965 years and he dyed Metbusalem lived 967 years and he dyed O the longest day hath its night and in the end man must die 24. The Princes of the Nations passe sentence of death upon others Well it is not long but their turn will come semel mori once to die 25. When the keepers of the house trenible the grinders cease the lookers out of the windowes be darkned then man is taking his journey to his long home to die 26. As is the Law of the Medes and Persians Irrevocable so is that universal sentence i semel mori for all men once to die 27. It is reported how there is a white and black Mouse which continually gnawes at the root of a Tree untill the Tree fall down Man 's the Tree the day and night the white and black Mouse in a small time these hew man down and he dies 28. Baruch and Gideon and Sampison they are all gone and we are to follow after and to die 29. Better is the house of Mourning than Mirth this teacheth me to live in pleasure and die in pain that learns me in this life to die to sin that now I must die I may live with God 30. But where are these Heralds who blaze that coat of death The yeares Autumne the Seas Ebbing the Suns Setting these assure me how man never continues in one stay Man in honour lasts not long 31. It is not long and the Sun sets the Tyde turnes and the Leaf falls and man must as assuredly expect a change 32. Dira at vera Terrible but true newes it is this not long and the gathering Hoast of Dan must sweep us clean away 33. Many of us live where our Parents lived live of the same lands which they lived of It is not long and our children shall do as much for us For we must go hence and be seen no more 34. Some ride Post some Hackney pace at serius citius sooner latter all arrive at the common Inne the Grave and die 35. Some have the Palsie some the Apoplexie some a Feaver some an Ague some a Consumption some none of them yet the sick the sound they all meet in the end at the same Rendevouz at the house of Death and they die 36. The Scholer thinks to delude death with his fallacies the Lawyer puts in his demur the Prince his plea is State-affairs at equo pulsat pede Death knocks at all dores alike and when he comes they all go hence from their houses to their graves 37. None leads more a Christian life then he who all his life thinks of death O all my daies I will wait till my change come 38. Joseph the Jew in his best health made in stone-Coffin be cut out in his Garden to put him in mind to his Ego abeo I go hence 39. The Persians they buried their dead in their houses to put the whole houshold in mind of the same lot Semel mori once to die 40. Simonides when commanded to give the most wholesome rule to live well willed the Lacedemonian Prince ever to bear in mind se tempore brevi moriturum ere long and he must die 41. A sort of imprudent people put a fortasse upon all things in the world they might have excepted death it comes not ⋆ Not by chance but by force forte sed fort ter and none can rescue from the Jawes of death 42. God hath hid from me the day of my death that every day I may make ready to die 43. There is nought more sure then to die so then live as if to day to dy 44. As all the Rivers come from the Sea and run in again into the Sea so we all come from the earth and to the earth we must return again 45. The Mower cuts all down as much will death do for all us leave none standing 46. The Adder layeth one eare to the ground the other the Adder covereth with her Tail and all that Charm the Charmer never so wisely she may not hear As deaf is death it stops its ear and will not hear hâ—c magnos paervosque terit the storm of death roots up Shrubs and Cedars 47. They say a Wolfe if he seeth a man first secludes the man from the use of his tongue how true is that I know not
THE PASSING BELL. Job the 14th verse the first Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble By James Harwood B. D. Printed in the yeare 1655. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LADY CAPELL DOWAGER THe Honour I ever bare to that bright shining Star of Loyalty your late deceased Lord obliges me to Dedicate these few lines to your singular goodnesse they will occasion serious thoughts in sad times and point you out the way to life by Death I know a great part of your joy on earth is gone to Heaven And since Death made a way for your Noble Lord I trust in the Lord this shall sweeten to you the thought of the approach of Death I have made bold to set a sad object before your eyes you may mixe it with your worldly injoyments as the Israel tes did their bitter hearbs with their pleasant passover It may seeme at first to kill but cures onely removing our Landmarke from a Coppy-hold at will to a fee-farme of Eternity These after Noyse may seeme as harsh as Jacobs hands were Rough but I hope not so to you who in life have learnt to dye A short lesson yet to some too long a learning God hath blessed your Honour with long dayes yet some by them have been overcast with a black cloud of worldly calamity which many mouthes put all your family and deare friends into mourning weedes What was this but the messen ger of death sent to one to warne you and all yours and all others to make ready to die Madam pardon my presumption I only put you in mind of * Death him of whom you have too timely an assurance he will spare none what I here present to you is not to terrifie you with Death but put you in minde what you may gaine by dying And know Right Honorable that as none was admitted into the Temple of Honour but such who fist went through the Temple of Uertue so none can come to the life of glory till they have made their passage by the death of the body your high hopes in reversion will sweeten the thoughts of that messenger of mans mortality which the more you thinke of the better you will bee prepared for your long journey And this I take to be the thiefe cause why the Emperours of Const antinople in their Augurations on their Coronation dayes had a Mason who came and shewed them severall stones and willed them to chuse which of those stones should be made fit for their Grave-stones You see at the Espousalls of Emperiall Crownes it was thought fit to Caroll out this dolefull ditty Memento mori O Man remember thy end It shall not be my last but everlasting suit in this you would mitate the Princes of the Nations and whilst by Divine Goodnesse you are Inheritrix of large possessions at the same time to bebare in mind how here we have no continuing Citty God for his goodnesse and Christ for his merits blesse you and all yours which shall be Dum spiro the prayer of Your devoted servant to command JAMES HARWOOD TO HIS BELOVED WIFE In his long absence from her Deare Heart HEre wee have no continuing City our dayes passe as a take that is told In the prime of our Age The world smiled upon us in our middle Age she seemed to hold out unto us her golden Ball but in this our old age and worst of times all worldly Joy hath turned her back upon us So that after a sad and serious Meditation Hist I found all Earthly pleasure like Plinies flies borne at Morne in their prime at Noone and dead at Night They came to us like Oxen slowly they have taken Pegasus his wings and flowne from us The uncertainty of these unstable contents hath made me cast an eye up to heaven and seeke after an eternity of Blisse My best beloved know it there is no way to a life a Glory but by the death of the body I therefore beg of you every day to think of your end that by the thought of death you may be prepâ—red for a life of Glory in the kingdome of Heaven In my long absence from you I thought good to commend these few sentences to your every daies perusall They will put you in mind of your long Home and bespeake you in private to worke out your salvation with feare and trembling And now considering much of our time is spent so small a reverse remains The Lord grant we may both of us remember our ends that we may never doe amisse This is his prayer who will live and die Your Loving and faithfull Husband James Harwood The passing Bell. Job the 14th verse the first Man that is borne of a Woman is of few dayes and full of evill My Soule is embarked in a crasie Sculler Here is the passenger and here is the vessell My Soule is sayling on from a Transitory life of vanity to an eternall lif of Glory In all my Spirituall Sea-sicke passage behold and heare a Change of Notes No more Soule take thy ease No more Faciamus tria Tabernacula No more quid dabitis ego tradam vobis No all the noyse is vanity upon vanity all is vanity The Pilot sicknesse Calls on me to embarke and now Naboths Uineyard Belshazars bouls Jona's Gourd these give no content Yet this my p resent visitation I bid welcome knowing it is the back-doore whic letts me 〈◊〉 into the Kingdome of Heaven And therefore goe toll the bell that all good people may take notice how nigh I am to my eâ—d Let them goe toll the bell whilst I tune my tongue to the passing bell My Ditty is Mortality my Tune Lacrymae my time short Semiquaver time which will admit of no rest Give me leave to enchant your eares with a Language will put every one of â—s in minde of our ends I have and for this cause bethought me of some select sayings worthy of your Remembrance Every sentence shall give you notice of your end and how here you have no continuing Citty THE FIRST PART OF THE SOULS DEPARTING DITTY Quod faciendum est semel Deliberandum est diu 1. I Have a ⋆ To passe from life to Death work to do I am but once to do it and I am undone if it be not well done 2. Let me take more pains to die well then to live long otherwise my long life will bring me to an ill end 3. To return from the dead impossibles All my life then I will prepare for death 4. When death will come I know not that it will come I am sure of it but once O make ready 5. This life is a summers day before death Death followes after Set thy house in order 6. Hath God given me lenghth of daies It is that in life I may prepare for death 7. He that dieth daily hath done his work before the night of death shuts day in 8. I have but once
this is true I am sure of it death leaves us speechlesse lifelesse Whilst therefore thou hast life prepare for death 48. I have heard of Abraham at Confession confessing himselfe to be dust and ashes and David how his dayes are but a hand bredth The shortnesse of this the Britleness of that tels me in my eare I have no long time to stay here 49. Solon to pull downe mans proud heart made this inscription on the Post of the gates of Delphos Nosce te'psum quasi tunc cogitabls know thy selfe and then thou wilt quickly know thou must dye 50. I have read of a sort of people that use dead mens bones for money and the more they have they are counted the more Rich herein consists my richest treasure to beare that about me will make me all my life remember my end 51. Great Sultan Saladan Lord of many Nations and Languages commanded upon his death-bed that one should carry upon a Speares point through all his Campe the flag of death and to proclaime for all his wealth Saladan hath nought left but this winding-sheete an ensured ensigne of Deaths triumphing over all the sonnes of Adam 52. I uncloath my selfe every night I put off all but what may put me in mind of my winding-sheet and thus day after day uttereth speech and night after night sheweth knowledge how Ego Exeo I goe hence 53. Anaxagoras having word brought him his onely sonne was dead his answer was scio me genuisse mortalem I know he was borne to dye 54. The Epicure in his life takes his fill of pleasures yet feares one day death will deprive him of all his pleasure let us unlearne his first lesson let us take out his latter lesson and remember that death one day will deprive us of all our earthly joyes 55. The Meditations of Death are the politicks of Saints and therefore saith the wiseman Remember thy end and thou shalt never doe amisse 56. Philip of Macedon gave a boy a pension every morning to say to him Philippe memento te hominem esse Philip remember thou art a man and therefore must die 57. Since man is subject to dye so soone as he begins to live it shall make mee now that I know I live to beare in mind I must die 58. The body at best is but a living Coffin to the Soule when the Soule departs from the body the grave shall be the dead Coffin to that late living Body 59. We reade of Philostrates how hee lived seven years in his Tombe that he might be acquainted with it against the time he came to bee put into it Oh an Apprenticeship of yeares is time little enough to make us perfect in the mystery of mortality 60. Causinus in his Hieroglyphicks makes mention of an Indian Fountain out of which Gold is drawn in Earthen pitchers yet none can get the Gold but hee that breakes the earthen pitcher Est vita fictile the life of man is the earthen pitcher The Gold contained the earnest of all Heavenly happinesse which none can in full attaine till this corruptible put on incorruptibility and this mortall Immortality after the night of death comes that day of joy Let mee welcome that cloudy evening promises so faire a sunshine let us make fit to die that we may be counted worthy to live hee that liveth well cannot die ill he that dieth well his death is a passe from a miserable life on earth to live a life of glory in the Kingdome Heaven Which God for his mercies send all of us Divine Meditations arising from the contemplation of these sad and serious sentences 1. Med. Is it not high time to make fit to die considering the Passing-Bell doth Tole Well I will go take my Dough upon my shoulders and march from this carnall Egypt to that spirituall Canaan Let the foolish Virgins slip their time to lay in Oyle yet lest the gates of heaven be barr'd up I will up and on and buy without mony or mony-worth My want is great my time is almost run If I make not Market to day I am not sure to doe it to morrow O the uncertainty of life shall be the Alarum-Bell to give me NOW notice to work out my salvation with fear and trembling 2 Med. I am now sole Cesar I have and what not at my disposall Jobs Goods Naboths Vineyard Iohn Baptistâ—s head in a Charger I am of potent power who dare controll me O consider ere long it 's not long and whereas mightie territories could not stint thy ambition Death will come and make a seisure of thy SELFE and bereave thee of all thou hast all but an evill CONSCIENCE Think upon it Death hath hitherto hewed all down and art thou able to withstand Him Go and give him a peaceable meeting who with all thy force there is no resisting The Firmament wil endure but one Sun but the THOUGHTS of God and the Grave may take up their lodging in the same Inne O I am never so nigh my God as when I think of my end FRIEND let death be in thy thoughts and God will be in thy heart 3 Med. Consider well what 's said Cor sapientum est in Domo luctus the Heart of the wise is in the house of Mourning Death brought Tears to the house and Teares assure us that Wisdome is got within dores There is no fear of God where no wisdom no wisdom where no serious thoughts of our end I wil think of my end that I may be numbered among the wise wise to God-ward while I have an awfull fear of his death-blow Come let me embrace that thought of DEATH which fits me for the day of life even a life everlasting 4 Med. Meditate what new men we ought to be who are here to day gone to morrow whom it 's not long and death will arrest and then we must answer for all done in the flesh what a sudden triall will it be if we get not pardon before the cause be call'd on What a fearfull reckoning if before the day of Death the Lord of life strike not off all our reckoning Lord I am deep in debt to thee I owe thee more than my goods lands and life can redeem my debt surmounts my time to discharge its nigh at hand O let the certain and swift summons by death cause me forthwith to think upon a way to compound with my grand Creditor I disclaim MERIT I hold fast by MERCY For thy antient mercie 's sake for our blessed MESSIA's sake in the houre of death and in the day of judgment accept the blood of thy Son and save my Soul 5 Med. Meditate since man must die Lord what danger in dying unprepared this is Maxima miseria a miserie of miseries St. Augustine gives the reason quoniam qualis in isto die moritur talis in illo die judi cabitur For that look how a man goeth to that Prison the Grave so he goeth to the Judgment-Hall to be tryed and now consider of it well if thou be not able to give a Gospell-answer to the Judge of Heaven and Earth comest to answer but knowest not what to say had it not been better thou hadst never been born than to be born to die and be damned not considering thy own end A wise-man hath his answer before-hand prepared to pacifie wrath to come whereas the fool forgets what 's to come and dieth in his folly 6 Med. Let me all my life bear in mind how I have to do with an enemie that hath no mercie he bears all down before him Peasants and Princes O the thought of this quite astonishes let me make readie to die since I am sure to lay down my life let me lay up for a life to come since Death will come and deprive me of This life Before death throw me into the bowells of the earth let me lift up my heart to the God of Heaven O God who can praise thee in the PIT While I have life then I will praise the Lord of Life and yet while at the best of works and best in health Here is the grim visage of pale coloured Death lookes me in the face O thou common Butcherer of human Nature after thy great stroak be struck I am not dead but asleep Blessed be thou my God who hast made my grave my bed in which after I have taken some silent rest the noise of the Arch Angell with his Trumpet shall awake and raise me from a death for sin to a life of glory Death is the way we must all walk to life And as it is not the least in my thoughts that death will quarter here so it is the uppermost in my Note book and stands upon Record That after death I shall live with God and for ever FINIS