And follow thus through death his fore-runne trace Then shall our end be happy for they will Direct vs through this dale to Sions bill Vt terror Mortis tibi sit victoria larvam Aspicias intus Moâ—s fera vita placens Abr. Bush Art Mag. A DESCRIPTION OF DEATH TO euery thing there is a set time Eccle. 3.1 a time to bee borne and a time to die saith Salomon And betweene the time of birth and of death there passed in the first ages sixe eight or perhaps ten hundreth yeares But since the time that mans sinne drew the deluge ouer the whole world Man borne of a woman hath but a short time saith Iob. Iob 14.1 Iacob said that his dayes were an hundreth and thirty yeares Gen. 47.9 and that hee had not attained to the dayes of his Fathers But our dayes saith Moses comming after him Psal 90.10 are but threescore yeares and tenne and at the highest fourescore Yet not one among fourescore times fourescore attaine vnto that age 2 Sam. 12.18 Dauids beloued childe neuer saw the eight day yea the life of some is ended before they bee borne But how well so euer we are deliuered out of our mothers wombe yet hauing taken shipping in this world we still sayle towards our end And whether wee be fewe or many dayes by the way death is our last port vnto it we are all bound and at it must euery one arriue Now what man doth euer commit himselfe to Sea and doth not first furnish himselfe with necessary prouision against all vnexpected tempests How much the more then ought we to furnish our selues against the stormes of death which euery one of vs must certainly looke for hee that intends but a iourney by land enquires for the most commodious way And doe wee thinke to performe our iourney from Heauen to earth without any trouble or forecast at all This is a lamentable carelesnesse For whosoeuer doth then first goe about to prepare himselfe to dye well when he feeles sicknesse vpon him or seeth death before his eyes is like to a Souldier that beginneth then to forge his weapons when hee beholds his enemies on the wall Wee ought to spend the whole course of our life on the meditation of death for hee certainly hath liued well who hath learned well to dye Prouident Ioseph gathered in the seauen yeares of plenty that which fed him and those that were with him in the seauen yeares of famine Gen. 41.43 In like manner ought wee in our youth and health to make prouision of that Spirituall foode that may cherish vs towards our end when wee may chance to bee weake both in body and in minde Hee that is Lord of life and death open the eyes of our vnderstandings and endue vs with his Holy Spirit that hee may lighten and conduct our soules in and thorow the darknesse of death Hee I say that hath by dying ouercome death graunt that we may know it throughly to withstand it valiantly and hereafter as Souldiers vnder his banner happily vanquish it To treate hereof orderly The originall of Death we are first to know that God created not death Hee created the first man immortall in soule and body Zanch de Var. qual 4.1 so that hee might haue liued eternally had hee but obserued the will of his Creator Yet neuerthelesse hee also created him mortall so that hee might dye whensoeuer hee should transgresse the law of his Creator This appeares vnto vs by the words wherein GOD threatneth him on this manner In the day that thou eatest thereof Gen. 2.17 thou shalt surely die speaking of the forbidden tree of knowledge Wherefore Iesus the sonne of Sirach sayes that God himselfe made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his owne counsell Eccl. 1â— 14.17 He set before him life and death sayes he and which hee liketh shall bee giuen him Now when Adam through the Serpents subtilty slighted this diuine warning hee straightwayes became lyable to death both in respect of his body which was dust Gen. 3.19 and shall returne to dust againe as also of his soule for through this sinne was hee adiudged to condemnation Rom. 5.16 And not hee onely but also all his posterity who all died in Adam 1 Cor. 15.22 as the Apostle teacheth So then this death as we may say was begot of the deuill brought into the world by sinne borne in Paradise the Mid-wife Eue the Nurse Adam It hath an abominable mother that mainely doth resist God It is lamentable of it selfe in respect that it is the fruit of our transgression It is ignominious because it is vnto vs as a brand of Gods wrath Yet is it not so abominable as the mother of it sinne it selfe because it doth execute Gods iust iudgement on vs slaying vs three manner of wayes whence it also may bee termed three-fold Death threefold First it killeth the body in separating the same from the spirit which is the life of it for the body without the spirit is dead saith Iames. This kinde of death is common vnto all men It assailes vs out of our owne nature or may be inflicted on vs by others And from this shall all men be freed at the generall resurrection Secondly it slayeth the soule by with-drawing the same from God her Creator Psal 36.9 who is the fountaine of life and from God her Redeemer Pro. 3.22 who is the life of our soule and the word of life This manner of death is also common vnto all those that walke as yet in Vanity and Blindnesse of heart Ioh. 1.11 It befalleth vs by meanes of our sinnes and trespasses Ephes 4.17 Ephes 2.1 And from this in this present life as many are freed Col. 2.13 as Christ hath quickned together with him and hath forgiuen them all their trespasses as the Apostle speaketh And this it is that Saint Iohn termes the first resurrection Thirdly it kills soule and body both together by excluding them both from the blisse of eternall life And of this kinde of death Christ saith If a man keepe my saying Ioh. 8.31 hee shall neuer see death Whereby the contrary is proued to wit that vnto them that do reiect the word of God this death shall befall and will come vpon them by the iust sentence which at the last day God shall pronounce against them Nor shall any of those whom it befalleth euer be released neither in this nor in the world to come These three sorts of dying are all comprehended by Christ in a speech of his where he saith Feare not them which kill the body Iohn 10.28 but are not able to kill the soule but feare him rather who is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Death twofold This hell Saint Iohn in his Reuelation at the last sees throwne into a lake of fire Reu. 20.15 and calls it
the second death And so he makes death but two-fold one corporall in this world the other spirituall in the other world whose diuision we also willingly embrace The death of the body That death then whereof we meane to treate is the first or corporall death to wit that which doth separate the soule from the body and is euery where vsually knowne by the name of death For whatsoeuer we speake or reade of dying as well in the diuine bookes of the Bible as in humane Writers it is for the most part to be vnderstood of this kinde of death This death is also chiefly feared of men and causeth them to bee troubled maketh them faint-hearted and vnconstant and vpon occasion of any euill rumour fearefull Yea that wise Naturalist Aristotle was of opinion Eth. 3. that of all things there is nothing more terrible then death The aduantage of them that doe not feare death If then this death be the most terrible thing in the world how happy is he that is released from the feare of it Yea verily wherwith can the world make him to tremble that contemnes the very vttermost of her power If hee liue in a Citie infected with the plague if hee dwell in a Country flaming with warre if he trauell in danger of theeues or if a tempest at sea ouertake him his spirits are not daunted nor his senses benum'd Hee hath the more rest and yet neuer the more danger Yea rather the lesse because a man that is affrighted by his very frights may bring some sicknesse vpon himselfe and so consequently death But such a resolute man is certaine that come the worst nothing can be exacted of him beyond his life which hee oweth and is willing to surrender where and when it shall please God If hee be called of God to a Souldier condition he fighteth boldly for the defence of his Country Yea certainely hee that oft-times through a cowardly feare would loose the field by this his couragious resolution putteth his enemie to flight Thus is euen our life sometimes lengthened by this willingnesse to dye Besides if such a one liue by enuious persons or vnder tyrannizing Princes he shall not neede to flatter nor to faine against his conscience He is not astonisht though they threaten to slay his body for hee knowes that it must dye whether they threaten him or no. Yea if they put him to death he knowes that they euen then bereaue themselues of power to torment him any farther And is not this a great liberty and worthy to be sought after whereas on the contrary how miserable is that man that is continually encumbred with feare and that not for some thing that hee may hope or chance to escape but for that which vndoubtedly may yea must sometime befall him Truly such a one walkes throughout the course of his life in a continuall flight farre worse then death it selfe The diuision of the Treatise Well then for the better ouercomming of this feare wee will assay for to vnmaske death and disrobe it of all terrible apparition that so wee may behold it naked and in his owne nature And first wee shall endeauour by foure naturall reasons and then by foure other obseruations to demonstrate that it hath nothing in it selfe that should be terrible vnto vs. And secondly proceeding we hope likewise in a foure-fold discourse manifestly to shew that to those that know how to arme themselues against it death is altogether profitable and consequently worthy to bee desired This death then 1 Reason though it be one of the twinnes which together by sin entred into the world Death is not bad Rom. 5.12 yet doth it in no manner of wayes resemble in iniquity the spirituall death its sister For though this death doe vtterly slay the body and the other doth not kill the soule but casts it into a miserable life yet is it better to dye by the first then to liue in the second Yea by meanes of this obtaine wee this benefit and profit that at the last it doth free vs from this toyle-some life to which God since the fall of man hath heere on earth condemned all mankinde In the which were it not that this death preuenteth it wee should continually remaine For this cause then as also for that God doth send it as well to his children whom he loueth as to his enemies whom he hateth it cannot in its owne nature be euill Howbeit God doth diuersly addresse it vnto vs. For the wicked hee consumes in his wrath Eccl. 45.19 as vnworthy of this temporall life But the godly hee takes away in his mercy and peace as esteeming them worthy of a better life 2 Reg. 22.20 And thus is death vnto the Reprobates a passage vnto eternall misery but to the Righteous vnto eternall life Ioh. 5.24 Euen as a Master thrusteth his disobedient seruant out of dores to deliuer him vnto the Iaylor and le ts forth his obedient to set him at liberty for euer Yet is it one and the same doore that both passe thorow Who then will terme this doore or this death euill If death in it selfe be not euill then from it directly no euill can bee expected Let this then be the first reason wherefore we neede not feare death But some may heere object that it is the occasion of this euill that wee by meanes of it loose this temporall life which is sweet to euery one But in sooth for vs to pay that we owe may not bee termed any losse vnto vs. And who knoweth not the condition of this life All things which by birth haue a beginning haue an end by death Whosoeuer therefore feareth the end must not desire the beginning Our life is like vnto a candle if wee desire it to giue light in lightning it must burne and burning draw and come to an end If the Sunne would not descend it must not ascend For the same course that causeth it to ascend causeth it to descend euen so doth this life conduct vs to death And who then can say this life is good and death euill Certainly whatsoeuer is spoken against death opposes life which is the cause of death Epictetus his saying is good Death saith hee is not frightfull but the feare of death Ar. 2. â— and to dye is not ill but to dye shamefully Hence Socrates 2 Reason Death Naturall when tydings was brought vnto him that the Gouernours of Athens had condemned him to dye And so hath Nature them A poph Eras 4. said hee without any farther alteration He knew well that it was no lesse naturall to dye then to liue And this shall be the second reason wherfore death is not to be feared All flesh we read in Ecclesiasticus waxeth old as a garment Eccl. 14.18 for the decree from the beginning is thou shalt dye the death As of the greene leaues vpon a thicke tree some fall and
tied to the legge Seneca hath well obserued how tedious this flesh is to our soule Sen. Now saith he doth the belly ake then the stomacke then the throat Now to there too much blood anon too little And the soule is in this body not as at home in her owne house but as a trauailer in an Inne The soule then is created to a higher degree to wit to liue at ease on high in her owne proper dwelling place Wherefore Maximus Tyrius saith very well Serm. 23. That which men call death is the beginning of immortality and the birth of a future life To wit when their bodies at their appointed time fall away and the soules ascend to their proper place and to their proper life So that this body is to the soule as the egge-shell is to the bird it must breake through it before it can flye into the open ayre Yea Cyrus the great Monarch could say that he alwayes beleeued Cic. desen That the soule being freed from the body then became both purt and wise And although we seeme vnwilling to for sake this body yet that must not breed any ill suspition in vs. At our birth wee seemed likewise loath to reâ—â—one out of our mothers wombe where we were weld and warme Yet now being borne and vsing all our members in the spations world who of vs would be willing to creepe into his mothers wombe againe In like in â—nner the soule once being sâ—â—d out of the cumbersome prison of the body will not desire to returne to the same againe For God hath so appointed three dwelling places for euery one of vs that a man by the two first may in some sort conceiue the third For as while he is in his mothers wombe hee hath nothing neere so much strength comelinesse pleasure and time there to remaine as after his birth he enioyeth on the face of the earth so cannot he obtaine or enioy that here on earth that may in any wise be compared son glory blisse and continuance to that which hee shall enioy when borne againe out of his owne body his soule shall be fetled on high in the heauens That which the most ancient Philosopher Hermes Trismegistus well conceiued Fr. Patr. Trismeg who dying could speake thus As yet haue I liued here as a stranger and one banished now I returne againe in health to my owne Country And when I presently being released from these fleshie bonds shall depart from you take heede you doe not mourne as if I were dead for I returne to the best and happiest Citie whither all Citizens shall come by the meanes of death God is there alone the highest Prince who will fill his Citizens with an infinite delight In respect whereof this that most account life may rather be called death then life If a Heathen could speake thus all Christians certainly must needes be voide of vnderstanding and euen dead while they liue that call in question the future life of the soule Yea this happy estate of the soule did so immeasurably possesse and strangely transport Cleombrotus Cicer. Tuse 1. after that hee had read somewhat concerning the same in Plato that to enioy the same as soone as possible might be he cast himselfe headlong into the Sea But zeale here conquered wisedome and by misusing good things brought forth bad effects Howbeit by this example well may wee shame those that without reason feare exceedingly the day of death whereas the day of our birth is but the beginning of a temporall life but our dying day is the beginning of an euerlasting life so that in respect of the soule death ought not to seeme terrible vnto vs. 3. Obseruation concerning carthly pleasures Some also shunne death because shee bereaues vs of all our earthly pleasures They are vnwilling to part with their honours riches delights their faithfull wife and deare friends as fearing that the want of them will be greeuous vnto them But let vs weigh this also in the ballance of reason Whosoeuer doth so esteeme earthly pleasures which Salomon proclaimed to be vanity of vanities that hee would rather chuse to stay here Eccl. 1.1 and liue in the same then remoue to enioy the heauenly may well be compared to one who because sometimes hee dreameth of pleasant things would rather sleepe continually then awake and enioy reall pleasures For it is certaine that as farre as the reall pleasures of this life excell those that appeare vnto vs in our dreames so much are the eternall future ioyes to bee preferred before the temporall and present The wisest Astronomers perswade vs Som. Scip. that if from the highest heauen wee should behold the Globe of the earth it would seeme no greater vnto vs then a starre now doth and we should esteeme it but as a point And shall we in this point yea in the very least corner of this point to wit that which wee inhabite take such pleasure and bee so fond of it that for the loue of it wee should forsake heauen and the pleasures thereof This world indeed was created for the vse of man but it is the proper habitation of beasts They haue no other home whether they liue or dye but it Whereas man is here with Iacob but as a Soiourner Gen. 47.9 Though hee possessed here with Dauid a whole Kingdome yet with him should he be termed but a stranger here Psal 119.19 Heauen is his Country that is prepared for him and the Angels to be their eternall dwelling place Phil. 3.10 There is his conuersation saith St. Paul Is it not then a direct beastlinesse so to be enamoured on these terrestriall things that for the loue of them we would rather remaine in the habitation of bruit beasts then remoue vnto the habitations of Angels Axiochus though he were an Heathen could before his death be instructed by Platoes reason Ar. Plat. that he did not depart out of this life vnto a death where he should be depriued of all things but toward that place where hee should enioy true goods and where hee should haue pleasures not mixed with this mortall body but pure and such as iustly deserue the name of Pleasures And is it not possible that this should be perswaded vnto vs who will beare the name of true beleeuers to the end that wee might long for it The forgetting of Pleasure But grant this earth to haue as many pleasures as is possible or as faithfull friends as wee could wish Yet shall wee not misse nor desire these things when we are dead Let vs not thinke that our bodies can dye and yet then liue Being dead we shall not haue any members nor eyes nor smell nor taste to vse these things nor any minde to desire them What discommodity then will it be to be without those things which we know not neede not nor wish not for Our wife and children will then moue vs no more then if wee