at all the present Time we enjoy tarries but a moment and then takes Wings and flys away and never returns again already we are dead to all the years we have liv'd and vain 't is to expect to live them over again But the longer we live here the shorter is our Life and in the end we become a Lump of Clay and a Feast for Worms CHAP. I. Several Notions of Death what it is its Author Name and Nature FIrst If we would know what Death is the Philosopher tells you To die is to be no more Vnhappy and if we consider Death according to the right Notion it is but a departed Breath from dead Clay enlivened at first by Breath cast upon it Now Job tells you Death is a Moth and as the Moth breeds out of the Garment so Death do's out of the Body The Heathens were of Opinion that Death was an Eternal Sleep the Fear of the Rich and the Desire of the Poor but Pious St. Augustine often breathed forth this heavenly Wish saying O that I could see Death not as it was but as thou O Lord hast now made it Death is the supremest Monarch in the World as he hath the Dominion over Sin and he is the antientest King whose Reign began from Adam yet St. Paul tells ye 1 Cor. 15.26 at last this King shall be vanquished the last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death and Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life pronounces this Sentence O Death I will be thy Death II. Whoever was the Author and Father of Death Sin was the Mother for the Apostle tells ye 1 James 15. that Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death and Eve the Mother of all Living was delivered in Child-bed of Death Now Adam falling Sin follows him and Man being tempted Death assaults him and by Sin Death enters Every Parent is an Adam to his Child infusing Corruption in his Generation Since then Death by Sin crept in at the Window or rather at the Ear which is prone to listen to Evil Counsel let us cast it out by the Sense of Faith in hearkning to God's Word which will make us wise unto Salvation III. As for the Name of Death it is called a Sleep so St. John terms it Chap. 11.11 Our friend Lazarus sleepeth and of St. Stephen it is recorded in Holy Writ after he had done praying for his Persecutors When he had said this he fell asleep 7. Acts 60. it is likewise said of the Patriarchs and Kings of Judah that they slept with their Fathers and Job expresseth That man lieth down and riseth not he shall not be awaked out of sleep till the heavens shall be no more Likewise Saint Paul mentions in his Mystery We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 The Night is the Emblem of Sleep and Mortality Now Sleep is but the Shadow of Death and where the Shadow is the Substance cannot be far off Lastly the Grave it self is but a withdrawing Room to retire in for a time it is going to Bed to take rest which is sweeter than Sleep and when it is time to awake and rise we shall as the Royal Psalmist says be satisfied IV. Next as to the Nature of Death few or none know it though all must sensibly feel it there is nothing after Death and therefore Death is nothing it is without Essence or Substance but a privation which kills he Creature therefore curiously to â—quest the Efficiency of it were but to employ the Eye to behold Darkness Salomon in his Book of Wisdom Chap. 1.13 mentions that God made not Death but created all things that were good this caused good St. Augustine to breathe forth this Supplication Lord thou hast not made Death wherefore I beseech thee suffer not that which thou hast not made to reign over that which thou hast made Now Death came into the World by Man only whose Soul was affected to know that which God never made which was the Evil of Death thinking it had been very good by desiring to know the worst of Evils But so Divine a thing is Knowledge that we see Innocency it self was ambitious of it from whence that Proverb is derived That Evil is not known but by good V. Pet no Learned Man knows so much but Ignorance may suffer him to commit Evil for none of a sound Judgment and right understanding can be guilty of Wickedness and there is no fear of knowing too much Good but there is much Fear of practising too little But since the Almighty has revealed in his word more than we can comprehend and enough to work out our Salvation let us attain to sober Knowledge and not repine but be content with our Ignorance Indeed Knowledge and Power are the Worldling's Idol but let every Man endeavour fully to know himself and then Pride and Ambition will soon vanish CHAP. II. That Death hath no respect of Persons but we are continually dying whilst we live ALthough Men cannot or are unwilling to pay those Worldly Obligations they lye under yet they must pay this Debt to Nature and it is a Favour afforded by Nature that what she hath made most vexatious she hath made Common that the Equality of Fate might mitigate the Cruelty of it and this Question the Psalmist asketh What Man is he that liveth and shall not see death II. Our Saviour told the Jews their Fathers did eat Manna in the Wilderness and are dead 6 John 49. and the Apostle tells ye Phil. 2.8 that Christ being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross. So that we see it is as natural to die as to be conceived and born yet it is improper for us to say Men die Naturally for Man dies not as a Beast by an Annihilation but by a Decree from Heaven it is appointed for all Men once to dye Heb. 9.27 III. Sickness the Messenger of Death respects not the best Complexion the Sores of Lazarus will make as good Dust as the Paint and Washes of Jezabel and like Jonas his Gourd we come up in a night and are gone in a moment we come naked into the World and no sooner we are born but the Grave waits for us but to continue in the Body is not the request of those which desire Heaven for the Apostle he desired to be dissolved and the Psalmist crys out As the hart pants after the Water-Brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God Psal. 42.1 Death only shortens Time not Life and the Merit of Death is the Debt due to Sin both impos'd on Mankind for Sin IV. Now if we cast never so bright a Lustre in the World yet alas our brittle Bodies how quickly are they broken Man says Jeremiah fades like a leaf and sin like a wind takes him away Let a Man live never so long yet at last Death seizes him but to consider aright
is not a Shadow but a Substance not a Lease but an Inheritance not Vanity but Felicity and shall be far more in the Fruition than it is in the Expectation VII Are our Friends for the present in a flourishing Estate Take we heed how we Launch out either our Hopes or Love too much towards them considering that they are but Vanity and therefore our Hope which is placed on them will end in Shame and our Love in Vexation VIII Why so big with Expectation of Advantage or Advancement from thy Rich Ally Honourable Lord Potent Friend Alas thou dost but set thy Foot upon the Water which cannot bear thee why so inflam'd with Affection to thy beautiful Wife Child or near Relation Alas thou dost but embrace a Shadow in thine Arms which cannot nor must not stay long with thee but set thy Affections on Heaven to the possession whereof he will bring us who hath purchased it for us IX Now because Death daily attends us let us wait for it and consider well these Four things First Whence thou camest now this thou art told That Sinners begat thee in Sin and miserable Wretches brought thee into this Vale of Misery So that thy Conception was Sin thy Birth Misery thy Life a Punishment and thy Death a Torment and the longer thy Life is the more Sin thou wilt have to answer for But perhaps thou wilt say To what end is this humane Life lent thee Why only to gain a Heavenly Life and this is all Divine Love aims at that thy Life may seem shorter and thy Labour less X. Secondly Consider whether thou goest thy Life which like a Flower is subject to fade and decay tells thee That thou art in a passing State but let it rejoice thee to think that thou goest to thy Fathers and be comforted in this hope thou shalt be buried in a good old Age therefore let it not trouble thee to live nor affright thee to Dye but live in Patience and dye in Desire though thou dost here for a while bewail thy Sorrow thou wilt at length forget thy Banishment and return to thy own Country XI Thirdly to express what thou art what Language can that unfold Dust and Air this thou knowest and to Dust thou shalt return that is certain Man is a sickly diseased empty thing and every Man shall be turned into nothing This none can plead ignorance in for our Metal is a moist Humour and the Mould no better in an unclean Womb condemned sooner than born that 's our condition our best Stock is the Seed of Abraham and with Job we say to Corruption thou art our Mother and to the Worms thou art our Brethren and Sisters these are our great Kindred our dwelling is amongst Insects our quantity vile our weight lighther then Vanity our worth nothing What then is our being a Dream and Sorrow XII Fourthly Consider what thou shalt be thou knowest what thou art and therefore dost know thy self not to be but yet thou dost desire both to be and to know what thou art for to see God and to live with him is to enjoy him and this is eternal Safety and secure Eternity this may be admired though hardly understood yet better understood then can be expressed therefore to thy Soul say O Soul that art ennobled with the Image of God adorned with his likeness espouto him by Faith redeemed by his Blood endowed with his Spirit ranked with his Angels What hast thou to do with Flesh but to contemplate on that brightness that sweetness and pleasure which remaineth for thee in that Vision where thou shalt behold Christ Face to Face for evermore THE TABLE THe Introduction Page 1 Chap. I. Several Notions of Death what it is its Author Name and Nature 6 Chap. II. That Death hath no respect of Persons but we are continual dying whilst we live 10 Chap. III. The Certainty of Death Practically Considered 14 Chap. IV. Several Motives to remember Death Practically Considered 17 Chap. V. Of Sin the means of Death of Sickness Youth and Old Age. 26 Chap. VI. Several forerunners of Death which may Warn Men to prepare for it Practically Considered 37 Chap. VII Of the Separation of Soul and Body with other Memorials of Mortality Practically Considered 46 Chap. VIII Eternal Life Described and Practically Considered 57. Chap. IX The Christian's Map of the World wherein the Vanity of it is shown in the shortness of Man's Life and that this World is not a Place of long Continuance Considered Practically 68 Chap. X. That Man himself is Frail and is no Continuing City or has any Duration here Practically Considered and Emblematically Discussed 78 Chap. XI That there is nothing in this World Worthy of taking off our Affections from Heavenly things Practically Considered 89 Chap. XII Several Instrumental means to be used in the seeking and attaining of a Heavenly Kingdom Practically Considered 101 Chap. XIII A Prospect of the Heavenly Jerusalem which we are to seek Practically Considered 113 The Second Branch How to Fortifie our Selves against the Fears of Death CHap. I. That if we dedicate our Lives to Christ the Advantage of Death will be to our Selves 125 Chap. II. Of the Fears of Death and how to Fortifie our Selves against them Practically Considered 136 The Third Branch CHap. I. Containing Spiritual Remedies against Immoderate Grief for the Loss of Relations and Friends Practically Considered 150 The Close 160 FINIS
able sufficiently to declare that we cannot yet make an Estimate of it AND as our Sorrows cannot but be justly Expressed in the Loss of so Excellent and so Vertuous a Queen yet let us offer up our Praises unto God from whom every good and perfect Gift cometh that he has not left us Comfortless that he has not cut down the principal Cedar that he has not deprived us of our chiefest Support and Royal Defender but that we enjoy and have a good King to Sit upon the Throne to Sway the Scepter and to go in and out before us to Protect us from the force of France and the danger of all Europe and that our Dear and Dread Soveraign may be for ever Happy in us his Loyal Subjects and we in so Good and Gracious a Prince let us Implore the Divine Powers to Protect Guide and Defend him in Spirit Soul and Body as for his Enemies let them be Cloathed with Shame but upon himself let his Crown for ever Flourish and let all the People say Amen AND now O all you Sons and Daughters of Sorrow and Affliction that faithfully Lov'd and Honour'd our Renowned Princess Lament your Loss but seem not to Bewail her Felicity do not immoderately drown your Eyes because God has Wiped away all Tears from hers and though in such a National Concern of highest Grief Natural Duty shews us to be Mortals yet let us not forget to be Christians and as our Saviour said to the Holy Women so may I with all Awful Reverence Express Weep not for her Blest Soul but for your selves that you are not so Happy AND this Sweet Advice Saint Hierom gives us Let us not Mourn as for one Lost but rather be thankful that we have had so Good and so Gracious a Pattern nay that we still have her for all still live in Christ yea though they die and whomsoever he thus takes unto himself are still within his Family THINK that you heard her Royal Tongue Express the great Farewel and in the most Tenderest Affection was pleas'd to say Farewel my dearest Soveraign Lord farewel I hear Heaven's call and the mighty Hour is come that we must part farewell my Royal Family and all my mournful Subjects now farewell each in your own order all must prepare to follow me Follow her then first in her Pious Example Fight the good Fight keep the Faith finish your Course as she did and henceforth is laid up for you what she Blest Saint hath now received a Crown of Righteousness which God the Righteous Judge hath prepared for all those that Love and Fear him G. B. Advertisement For more particular Concernment in Devotion read these Books following THE Whole Duty of Prayer Containing Devotions for every Day in the Week and for several Occasions Ordinary and Extraordinary By the Author of The Whole Duty of Man Necessary for all Families The Fourth Edition Price 1 s. THE Whole Duty of Divine Meditation in all its Various Parts and Branches By the Author of The Whole Duty of Man Price 1 s. Both Printed for John Back at the Black-Boy on the middle of London-Bridge THE Whole Duty OF Mourning AND THE GREAT CONCERN Of Preparing Our Selves for DEATH Practically Considered PSALM lxxxix ver 68. What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of the grave The INTRODUCTION THat needs no Proof where all are Examples to themselves such is that easiest and hardest Lesson that all must die that Death is the undoubted issue of Sin and that it is a Separation of the Soul from the Body for a time but because it stealeth on as they that sleep in a Ship-under Sail who arrive at their Port while they think not of going so we go on with a restless pace to the Grave and Silence and the unknown Limit of our present Life consuming while we are not sensible of it and because it is terrible to flesh and bloud our main care must be to inform our selves first what Preparation we are to make that neither our Life may prove uneasie nor Death terrible Secondly How to fortifie our selves against the Fear of Death And Thirdly How to comfort our selves with Spiritual Remedies against immoderate Grief for the Loss of Relations and Friends These Three Branches shall be the Heads of my Discourse I. First We must prepare for Death for Solomon tells ye 11 Eccles. 3. in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be and as Death leaves us so Judgment shall find us now as the Passage to the promised Rest which was a Type of Heaven to the Israel of God appear'd terrible Deut. 1.19 so likewise is our Journey to the Celestial Canaan we are instantly ripe though not ready for dying are all subject to this pale Prince to whom we are visiting every moment this day we now live we divide with Death and that which is gone is irrecoverably lost II. The Hour is uncertain to all Men but they are certainly Happy who are then provided Luke 12.37 many are apt to watch against the coming of Thieves who can take nothing from them but only that which a little Time must then what a stupid Negligence is it not to watch and provide for Death which they know will certainly and may quickly come and take away Body and Soul nay Heaven it self to all Eternity from the securest Sinner Thinkst thou of Youth and Strength alas how many that are young and in the Vigour of their Age have died before thee Dost thou at the Funerals of others think with the proud Pharisee Luke 18.11 God I thank thee that I am not as other men are seeing then that thou art exempted from the Privilege of Immortality of Body let not Satan delude thee but seriously prepare for that day which may prove thy happiest III. Consider That God is the Great Creator of the World and the Sovereign Judge of all Mankind Remember he sits above on his glorious Throne in whose hands are the Keys of Life and Death that whatever he pleases he brings to pass and none can resist his Almighty Power whatever he does is surely the best and none can accuse his All-knowing Goodness IV. Next If we consider our own sinfull State we may well cry out and say Unhappy we the Children of Dust and Ashes Why were we born to behold the Sun Why did our Mothers conceive us and bring us forth to a miserable World and unkindly rejoyce to hear us cry Whether alas has the Errors of their Lives lead us and in how deplorable a Condition do's our Birth engage us We enter this vain World with weeping Eyes but upon Death's Summons we go out with sighing Hearts V. All the few Days we live are full of Folly and Vanity and our choicest Pleasures are mixt with Bitterness the Time that 's past is vanish'd like a Dream or Shadow and that which we expect to come is not yet
Body for hunger is a Worm gnawing the Intrails calling for Meat or threatning Death Jer. 11.22 Lam. 4.9 Men being hungry and thirsty their soul fainteth in them Psal. 107.5 and by this infirm condition whereunto God hath subjected our nature he calls us to think on Death IV. Our Table as oft as we come to it is the Memorial of our Mortality and our food before it enters the Body for nourishment is diversly prepared as Corn and the like are made to grow by the dung of beasts Luke 13.8 and from hence is the strength of our corruptible Life So that we may say with Holy Job to Corruption thou art my Father chap. 17.14 But this not all but we feed upon Death it self and that by the allowance of the Almighty Gen. 9.3 in taking away the lives of other Creatures to maintain our own this is seriously to be thought upon as a wonderful Work of God that our lives are preserved by the Death of the Creatures our living Bodies are sustained by their dead Carcasses in their Blood Swims our Life and from their pangs of Death spring the Pleasures of our Life our Feasts and daily Food Now if those that in part were maintained by Sin-Offerings were said to eat Sin Hos. 4.8 then those that in part were maintain'd by the death of Creatures may be said in the like Phrase to eat Death So often therefore as we eat the Flesh of the dead Creature and make our bodies to become their Graves So often are we called to remember our own Death and our own Grave in the body of the Earth V. Another Help to preserve our frail Bodies is our Apparel which God hath given us to cover and defend them from Cold to preserve Health and herein we have a double or treble memorial of Death considering that our Apparel was given us when by our Sin we came first into the World to the state of Death Gen. 2.25 and when God first gave us our Garments he took 'em out of Deaths Wardrobe they being made with the death of the Creatures from whence they were taken God made coats of skin for Adam and his Wife and his Posterity Gen. 3.21 Heb. 11.35 our Garments therefore being Badges of Mortality and Cognizances of Death so oft as we look upon them we are called of God to remember Death and so oft as we cloath our selves with them to be mindful that we put on the Livery of Death VI. As Food and Raiment are Means to preserve Life so Labour of Man in his Vocation is a means to get both Food and Rayment and therefore an Help of Helps to maintain Life and yet in and by this Labour also we are called to remember our Latter End and to think of Death for upon Labour attends Weariness and Faintness even a failing and decay of Life Painful Labour sometimes maketh Men weary of their Lives and to think of Death and wish for it as for hid Treasure Ex. 1.14 Job 3.17.22 considering that in Death Men rest from their Labours Rev. 14.13 VII And above all consider the Labour Vigilancy and Care that is found in the highest Callings how many Thorns is there platted in every Crown Likewise in the Magistracy what Troubles is there in distributing Justice and in the painful Work of the Ministry who watch over Souls all these have through their indefatigable Weariness in Affairs of Church and State have thought it as the best Expedient to think of Death nay even to wish for it and consequently to prepare for it Numb 11.15 1 Kings 19.4 VIII And not only by the Weariness thereof but by the divers Kinds of Labour in several Vocations God takes occasion to shew the Vanity and Shortness of Life present and summons them by their Callings and by the Quality of their Works to think of Death For the Weaver by finishing every Web God teacheth him how his Days are cut off and the Web of his Life finished Isa. 38.12 yea before the Web is finished by the running of the Shuttle at every Stroke and every Thred added to the Web the Lord admonisheth how swiftly the days of his Life run away Job 7.6 Then the Shepherd in the Field by the removal of his Tent or Fold he is taught to think of the Removal of his Life IX The Travel that Men have by Land is appointed of the Almighty to put us in mind that our days are swifter than a Post Job 9.25 that we ride Post as on Dromedaries that run by the way in all hast to their Journeys end And the Voyages that Men have by Sea in the most swiftest sailing Ships is mention'd by the Almighty to represent the swiftness of our Time that carries us night and day sleeping or waking to the Haven of Death Job 9.26 and according to this Wisdom of God and his Example should Men make right use of their respective Callings Employments and Affairs of the World to see before their Eyes continually their Lawes End X. As Labour and Toil in the Day so Sleep and Rest in the Night-Season is also a necessary Help to preserve this Mortal Life and this Sleep is a lively Image of Death for in Sleep Men lye down as dead Men without Sense or Motion ceasing from their Works and taking no notice of the things that are done by others and therefore the Holy Scriptures describeth Death by the Name of Sleep or lying down to sleep Job 14.12 Psal. 76.5 Matth. 27.52 John 11.11 1 Cor. 11.30 1 Thes. 4.13 Now when Sleep assails us and like a Giant throws us down we ought to think of Death and by sight of our Bed to remember our Grave to look upon it as a Tomb or Sepulchre and every Night before we go into it to labour for reconciliation with God that so we may lie down and sleep safely IX Whenever Sleep seizes upon us let us seriously meditate and think how securely and sweetly do they sleep that take care to go to Bed with a just and quiet Conscience who after a toilsome day of Faithfull Diligence and Industry in a Course of prudent just and pious Living lay down their carefull and wearied Heads in Peace and Tranquillity and safely rest securely in the Bosom of the Almighties Providence if they awake at midnight their Conscience void of Offence comforts them in the dark and with Christian Courage bids them not tremble or be afraid at the Shadow of Death no nor even at the grim Majesty of Death it self but confidently and with good Assurance look up with the Eye of Faith and long for the Dawn of that Eternal Day this indeed should be our chiefest care to note and censure and correct our selves to strive for Mastery over our Passions and to dismiss from our Thoughts what no ways concern us CHAP. V. Of Sin the Means of Death of Sickness Youth and Old Age. OVR Sins the Works of the Flesh in Scripture are called dead Works Heb. 6.1 and 9.14