weather now he is calme and temperate anon he is clouded with cares one while he is gladsome and cheerfull then the Sun shines another time chafed and angry then it thunders another while he weeps then it rains but this change of the Text follows all our appointed dayes which is onely death Death is a great change indeed First we change from health to sicknesse then our cheerfull looks are changed into ghastly palenesse our strength into pain and weaknesse the whole man into another man happy if into a new man The next change is from sicknesse to death a great change indeed our handsome habits are changd into a shroud our habitation into a Coffin our Lands into a Grave nay we into our Lands our lively heat into an everlasting cold our mirth into sable mourning Man goes unto his long home and the mour ners walke about the streets the Bells ring of these changes by this the Family changeth too the Wife is become a Widow the sonne fatherlesse the master without a servant the servant masterlesse these changes once in fifty yeers renew the face of the world Death doth change a marriage into a divorce life is the union of the soul and body death the separation the soul is sent back to her heavenly Father the body to her Mother the Earth this is a great change indeed that two that lived so long and so lovingly should be separated so long and into places so remote Death is a change of a compounded body into his native principles the Aire receives our breath the Sun our heat the Sea our moisture the Earth that which we had of her our dust these Elements which were ere while knit in one common building are now distructed into all the world where will you look for the parcels of your dead friend his breath perhaps helps to drive a ship in some remote Sea his moisture perhaps went up into the grasse which grew on the grave and the Horse hath eate it you must look quickly for the rest of his carcase ere the worms have eate it perhaps the fisher hath baited his weels with the worms that fed on your friend here is a change indeed Death is a change from variety of forme and condition into all alike among the living there is much difference one is noble another base in death Diogenes as great as Mansolus Menippus as good a man as great Alexander In this life some are rich the rest poore In death there is not respect of riches the carcase of Irus may boldly stink by Craesus without any offence Among the living some are faire some ill-favoured among the dead there is not a pin to choose between Sappho and Hellen Thersites and Aeneas all are bald pate hollow-eyed flat nosed chap fallen and grim alike Amongst us there is difference of wits one is sharp and subtle another blunt and simple let them lye a little in the grave together and you will not discern the wise man from the foole the grave Politician from the canting beggar If that this change were much in our mind who then would be proud of wealth that anon must be stript of all of wit whose fine head must be filled with musty mould of birth that must descend into the bowels of the earth of beauty which will wither into deformitie of his person which lice and wormes must eate of any thing since anon all will be alike the worst in the world as good as he 5. But yet Beloved this change is no robbery although we suffer a little we shall not loose by it we are not lesse men with God he numbers and reckons the dead he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. We cannot loose by this dissolution it is impossible that any thing should perish into nothing else there would be vacuity and God must create a new to repair the losse no the earth will give back our dust the Sun our heat the aire our breath the water our moisture each part of the world each part of every man and the dead shall live againe Observe Jobs blessed confidence I shall see God in my flesh not with other but with these same eyes how possible is it to presume a resurrection when God Almighty that so made us at first out of nothing hath now all the former materials and the soule entire ready and disposed for the work Nay we are so far from loosing by this change that we get much by it to change labour for ease and rest is a good bargain life is torne and distracted with many cares in the grave is no noise or disturbance Blessed are the dead they rest from their labours to change corruption for incorruption is a great bargaine the lying in the Grave doth draine away our poyson and corruption and returns it pure and perfect to change a lease of few yeers into a free and perpetuall tenure is great gaine by dying we turn our Copy-hold for life into life immortall to change the world for Christ is a glorious advantage all things compared to Christ are losse and dung by being dissolved we come to Christ In a word if glorious and crowned liberty be better than continuall bondage if a state triumphant be better than a militant if fulnesse be better than famine and substance than shadow heaven than the dunghill earth and eternitie than doubtfull time then are we much better and more happy by this change of death Hence it is that holy Job looks and longs for this change as he saith in my Text All the dayes of my appointed time c. Of this one word 6. If Job waits for the salvation of God then hath he faith towards him for we doe not wait for that which we thinke will not come If wee will make this change of death happy and beneficiall unto us we must like Job expect the mercy of God beleeve that he is and that he is a faithfull rewarder of them that seeke him that this God hath salvation in his hand for them that will stretch forth the hand of faith to receive it from him If Job wait then hath he hope to receive all expectation is mixed with hope if heaven be not hoped for it cannot happen to us if we want this anchor we may oft try to land and be as often driven back in the troubles of the labouring deep This expectation cannot be without contented patience He that is impatient will not wait You have heard of the patience of Job you know the passion and patience of the Lambe Christ Jesus If we will follow him we must take up our crosse if we will raigne we must suffer it is fit we should suffer somewhat for glory in heaven were cheap and contemptible if we might attain it easily This waiting and expectation supposeth preparation every one that hath this hope faith the Apostle purgeth himselfe as he is pure How doe we wash and combe and trimme our selves when call'd to
A SERMON PREACHED IN THE Cathedrall Church of Worcester the second of Febr. last being Candlemas day at the funerall of Mris ALICE TOMKINS wife unto Mr Thomas Tomkins one of the Gentlemen of his Majesties Chappell Royall BY JOHN TOY Master of Arts and one of the Petty Canons of the said Cathedrall Church London Printed in the yeere 1642. A Sermon preached in the Cathedrall Church of Worcester at the funerall of Mris ALICE TOMKINS JOB 14. part of the 14. vers All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come NOt to deduce this Text by long descent from precedent verses this whole Chapter is a short discourse of the course of mans life how full of miserie how miserably short which holy Job considering armes himselfe with devout resolve All the dayes of my appointed time c. Which resolve may bee resolved into these sixe heads 1. First we have but our time 2. Secondly this time is but of dayes very short 3. Thirdly this time nor comes nor goes by chance but by Divine appointment 4. Fourthly after this time comes a change death 5. Fifthly this change is not terrible but by all good men to be desir'd and expected 6. Sixthly this expectation by Job's example should remaine with us all our daies All the dayes c. 1. Yea indeed he that is the Map masterpiece and wonder of the world hath man but this time Why did God make his chiefest vessell for use and honour of such brittle stuffe which would serve him but for a season why did he build so gloriously to throw it downe again so soon wherefore would he print his image in common clay and adorne with such art a piece of mouldring earth O the pitie that wormes should pull in pieces so Divine a Forme or that an immortall soule should be married to worms meat a rotten carcase the starres above far beneath man in dignitie hold still their place and splendour and shine as cleare as when fresh from the hand of the Creatour man like a bearded Commet blazeth a while with troubled flame and anon consumes to nothing or rather like the sparkle flies up with heat and haste as if it meant to visit the Celestiall fires and vanisheth by the way within few yards of the earth If any thing of the vast creation were worthy an immortall being man more yet alas nothing more frail and mutable then he Why and who may be thanke himselfe and his sinnes Had he kept that Righteousnesse with which God invested him in Paradise he had equall'd the dayes of heaven though this building were of clay in the calm aire sun-shine of Gods favour it might have stood for ever our sin turned his favour into fury and tempest and so our Cottage cannot abide the blasting of the breath of his displeasure the sparke deserves to die that in pride flies away from the fuell that did feed it so did man the commet merits darknesse that bearded the starres blazeth with pride and terrour fils the world with blood and feares so did man what is the clay fit for but abjection that hath lost the stampe and image that ennobled it above common dirt Why should not worms have justice if man trespasse on their kingdome why may they not avenge it they have little reason to spare him not only these Creepers but even the whole Creatures groane under a curse for him that God formed so glorious a Creature out of clay teacheth us his power who ex omni ebore can worke wonders out of meane materials that he made us of clay kin to the dung-hill and dirt in the kennels was to teach man humilitie nor hath he wrong'd the celestiall part the soule by cloathing her in clay would she keepe it cleane from sin God himselfe desires no better dwelling the Son of God Christ Jesus did not disdaine to become man Yea and we may thank the mercy of God that we are thus confined to time sin so adheres to our tainted nature that we can never cease to commit till we be committed to the earth death doth enlarge us from the slaverie of sinne since the earth is curst with thornes our hearts hedg'd with cares since nature is become our stepmother and the good which should satisfie our soule withdrawen it is an happinesse that we shall once die and cease from our labours yea periissemus nisi periissemus we had lost by our righteousnesse we got by our sin the goodnesse and wisdome of our God hath wrought a greater weight of Salvation for us out of our ruines if the first Adam had stood wee had enjoy'd but an earthly Paradise the second Adam hath made us heires of a celestiall Inheritance 2. As this life is but for a time so this time is but of dayes very short The summe is but short where all the figures are but pence the journey not long that may be measured by Inches the lease may well bee termed little whose date is but for dayes Were the life of man reckoned by Olympiads decads lusters ages or yeares we might expect a spatious being betwixt the Cradle and the Grave but there needs no such large Arithmeticke no puzling composition of numbers to fathom the life of man minutes multiplyed will make houres a small passage of ours will dispatch a day and a few dayes will measure the life of man many doe but just looke upon the world disdaine and die many rather commit patricide and kill their mothers in the wombe then they will daigne to looke on such a world How many come only to suck a Bib or shake a Ratle and returne again to earth I dare say the third part of mankind do not attaine to a moneth Our common phrase is All the dayes of our life the same phrase is most frequent in holy Scripture Jacob had lived an hundred and thirtie yeares ere he descended into Egypt yet he cals them but dayes Few and evill have my dayes been Adams time was called but dayes though 830. yeares Gen. 5.5 They whose possession is but for their naturall life are allowed in Law to set but from three yeares to three yeares and truly the taker doth presume and sometimes suffers for it well then may we reckon humane life by dayes when our whole was casuall and incertaine and every piece of a day a severall mercy hence it is I thinke that day is declin'd with the doubtfull Gender But indeed dayes is a large expression if you will consider it more narrowly all is but a day yesterday was as to day and to morrow will not much differ all dayes are sisters so like that there is little or nothing more then a numericall distinction between them he that sees but one day hath seene the Sun arise and set he that lingers to an hundred yeares hath seene but little more It is true the yeare like a Gentlewoman varies oft her attire but the person and substance is alwayes the same
many amongst us are Prophets and have with certain prediction pointed out the time of their departure if their departure were not definite and certain how could they foresee when they should expire This more especially appears by our many hairebredths escapes of death and danger who is alive to day that hath not been often at the gates of death Joseph was thrown into the pit the pit did not shut her mouth upon him Daniel to the Lions the Lions did not open their mouth to hurt him Moses tottered in an Arke of sedge that simple boat brought him a shore and landed him in the armes of a Princesse the three children were thrown into the furnace the fire could not singe them Jonah in the tempestuous sea all the waters would not drown him Paul was in perils oft in death oft yet still reserved a sacrifice for Rome how oft stood Caesar in the face of death amongst his enemies to be at last slain in the Capitoll by his friends how many deaths did that Romane avoid to be at last choakt with a haire how many come safe from battle over the dead bodies of those that stood round about them behold how the pestilence that walks in darknesse picks and chooseth out of some frequent families but one out of others all but one Who would not admire how those floate upon the deepe three or foure years within three or foure inches of death where every wind and wave threatens death yet return with safety to the shore yea in a common shipwrack how many have the broken peeces of the vessel saved when the whole one could not what was all this chance let Atheists and Heathens say so we Christians must explode it certainly it appears to me by this that God Almighty hath allotted each man his fate which no danger how great or near can alter That to every man is an appointed time appears also in part by this that the shadow of death flies him that pursues it and follows him that would fly it death hovers over him that delights in life and declines him that despiseth it It seems death dare not strike but like the Clock till the just numbers of minutes be accomplished Why else should he not come when called and importuned I have heard some disdaine and call death partiall that they cannot die I have seen him hit others in the height and vigour of strength and beauty with unexpected and most unwelcome stroke the yong and frolike bullock falls for the shambles the old oxe reserved to groan in the accustomed yoke Nor seems it any wonder to me that man should be appointed his time he was not born at his owne appointment much lesse is it fit that he should dye at his own discretion The keyes of life and death belong to God If it be in my power to grant the lease it is also of my right to limit the time 'T is not man alone that hath his time appointed but even every creature the sparrow falls not to the ground but by Gods decree yea the whole creature there is a day and hour set downe when the whole world shall determine when the Elements shall melt the Moon be turned to bloud the Sunne eclipsed for ever and the great Machin of the world shaken and dissolved From the consideration of this point wee may make to our selves these wholesome uses First not to love life too much not to be too anxious and sollicitous to produce and extend it nor to trust in diet herbs aire or art as if length of dayes were to be had from hence Let us not like Asa seek to a second first the physitian rather then the Lord Let us look up to Jehovah submit our selves to his pleasure and appointment Let us not presume of that which is not in our power but refer our selves to God and accept of every day as a new life and mercy Grata superveniet quae non sperabitur hora. A second use is of patience to wait the Lords leisure and salvation not like the fresh bullock to shake the yoke of affliction make it worse by our anger bear thine affliction patiently t is by his appointment Wilt thou not suffer a little for the Lords sake the Lord Jesus suffered all afflictions for thee nay but it is appointed for thy sake out of this furnace thou wilt come like gold refined this fire was but to purge thy drosse and burnish thee for heaven Shall we receive of God good and not evill Shall we not welcome the evil that comes for our good be patient a while anon thy pain will cease 't is our a finite evill our dayes have their date our life anon determines this heavy night may have a cheerfull morn Dabit Deus his quoque finem A third use is against too much mourning for the dead this is our great fault we mortals love mortall things as if the fruition and use were immortall Me thoughts it was a brave voice of that Romane that at report of his sonnes death said Scio me mortalem genuisse I knew I did not beget a God that could not dye Thy friend is dead what hath he lost his lease is expired he had his time appointed thou deservedst to loose that wouldst build on lease-hold as tenure free for ever Cadant lacrymae non fluant let tears fall not flow Can the hot waters of thy tears recover him the voice of thy grones awake him Thy friend is dead couldst help canst recall him that griefe is to no purpose which will doe no good I will allow you to shed a few tears over the herse as a ceremony of your friends funerall and a monument of your love that you are not flint or iron but men sensible of others evils endued with naturall affection no farther But why should we mourn our friend is not lost but gone before anon thou must goe the same way if he did thee wrong to dye before thee forgive him he will never doe so any more thou wilt anon shew others the same trick kick up the heeles and lead others mourning after thy hearse Thy friend is not dead but sleepes disturbe not his rest with thy noise Thy friend is not dead but divided and like a foule watch taken asunder his materials remain Thy friend is not dead but changed so my Text cals death All the dayes of mine appointed time will I wait till my change come 4. Mutability and mortalitie like ice and water beget each other man was at first perfect but mutable his mutabilitie made him mortall and his mortalitie makes him again mutable by this change Job must needs understand death 'T is true man as if he had been the sonne of the Moone is full of change no one man is two dayes alike the weather varies oft the face of Heaven is sometimes lowring sometime serene sometime maskt with clouds sometimes bathed in mists man varies with the weather yea and more then the