you go into a Potter's Shop and see a great Company of earthen Pots and should ask the Owner which of these would break first he would tell you Not that which was first made but that which first got a Fall 'T is common for them to go first to the Winding-sheet who came last from the Womb. We are earthen Vassels brittle Ware and may quickly get a Knock or Fall and crack and break How many Persons have lost their Lives by very strange and sad Accidents Some and great ones too have fallen suddainly by an Ehud's Dagger a Ravilliack or Felton's Knife A poisoned Torch did serve to light the Cardinal of Lorrain to his long home Fabius surnamed the Painter as [k] Bp. Taylor in his great Exemplar p. 557 558. See also Dr. Patrick's Div. Arithm. p. 26 27. a learned Bishop has with variety remarked out of History was choaked with an Hair in a Mess of Milk Adrian the fourth with a Flie Anacreon with a Raisin Drusus Pompeius with a Pear Casimir the second King of Polonia with a little Draught of Wine Tarquinius Priscus with a Fish-bone Lucia the Sister of Aurelius the Emperour playing with her little Son was wounded in her Breast with a Needle and died The great Lawyer Baldus playing with a little Dog was bitten upon the Lip instantly grew mad and perished So far that great and excellent Author A little Bruise on the Toe is said to have killed Aemilius Lepidus I have heard of several that have died by the cutting of a Corn upon their Toe a Place remote from the Heart and have read of a Person who after sixteen Years Travel and enduring much Hardness abroad returning home died of an Hurt in his Thumb [i] Mr. Edward Terry Mr. of Arts and Student of Christ's-Church in Oxford in his Voyage to the Eust-Indies Anno Christi 1615 ells us of a Nobleman in the great Mogul's Court who fitting in Dalliance with one of his Women had an Hair pulled by her from his Breast This little Wound made by that small and unexpected Instrument of Death presently festred and turning into an incurable Cancer killed him God needs no bigger a Lance than an Hair to kill an Atheist as this dying Lord acknowledged Purchas Pilgrims vol. 2. The plucking but a single Hair off the Breast of a Nobleman in the Great Mogul's Court caused an incurable Cancer in his Flesh and proved as mortal as the tearing out his very Heart [k] See Instances in the Gr. Exemplar p. 558. How many Persons have died in the midst of Sport and Merriment excessive Laughter and too great a Joy and what a Number have been found unexpectedly and suddenly dead in their Beds We are obnoxious to numerous perilous Diseases subject to various violent Passions and exposed to a thousand Casualties and Contingencies any one of which may quickly be the Death of us We are in Danger of perishing by falling into the Water or into the Fire by the firing or Fall of some Part of an House by the Fall of a Coach the Fall of an Horse or a Fall off an Horse We know not how soon a Vein may break and let out our Blood and Life How soon an Ague may shake us to Death as [l] 27. Jan. 1402. Knolles's Hist of the Turks p. 235. it did the great Tamerlane in the midst of his great Hopes and greatest Power when he was preparing for the utter rooting out of the Othoman Family and the Conquest and Overthrow of the Greek Empire We know not how soon a Dropsie may drown us how soon a Fever may burn us up how soon a Quincy may stop our Breath how soon an Apoplexy may bereave us of our Senses and of our Lives how soon we may groan under deadly Gripes how soon the Pestilence may smite us and cleave unto us till it has quite consumed us Every Pore in our Bodies is a Door at which Death may enter in If we had as many Hands as Hairs on our Heads they would not be able to stop up all those Passages at which Death may creep in unawares We know not but that some Disease is now breeding in our Bodies which will shortly make an End of us Blessed be God we are now free from Pain but ere long we may be even distracted with it To day we are well and in good Health but to morrow we may be sick heart-sick sick unto Death and the next Day laid in our Coffins and lodged in our Graves Many are gone before us who were likely enough to ontlive us and who knows but our turn may be the very next This Night mine thy Soul may be requied of us and to morrow Morning the Bell may give notice of our Death We are apt to imagine that we may continue in the World till we have effected all we design and yet we have no Promise of God's nothing but our own Presumption to secure us of longer Life And to be sure the Greatness and Multitude of our Sins give us Cause to fear the Fewness of our Daies and Shortness of our Lives to fear lest every Sickness should prove our Death and lest our Death should prove our Damnation If we consider how little need God has of us how many better than our selves go before us how useless and worthless how unprofitable and unserviceable we are in the World what an hgih Provocation our heinous Sins are unto God's infinite Holiness and Justice and how many Waies there are of snatching us away and removing us hence we cannot but confess that it is a thousand to one if ever we reach to an old Age. You that are old indeed have reason to conclude that your Time is sufficiently short your Pulse can beat comparatively but a few Strokes more your Sun draws low is almost set your Glass is almost run your Life is almost done you have one Foot in the Grave already you stand upon the Brink of Eternity and tread upon the borders of another World And will you be guilty of such prodigious inconsideracy still [m] San. de brev vit cap. 4. velut ex pleno abundanti perdere when you have but a few Daies or Hours remaining to spend as extravagantly as if you had all your Years before you You that are weak and infirm sickly and crasie have reason to reckon your Time uncertain and not to flatter your selves and say that threatned Folk live long You that are more eminently useful and holy zealous and forward in the Profession and Practice Maintenance and Defence of the Christian and Reformed Religion your very Religion which will save your Souls may possibly cause you to lose your Lives For your Activity in your Duty to God and your Country you may be [n] Preached on the Lod's-Day after the Discovery of the Murder of Sr. Edwund Berry Godfrey strangled or stabbed by the barbarous Hands of the butcherly bloody Papists But especially you that are
extravagantly The often renewed Meditation of the great Vncertainty of the Time of the Departure This will be a Means to hasten thy Repentance which if defer'd may prove too late And will surely help thee so to carry thy self continually [p] Id ago ut mihi instar totius vitae sit dies Sen. ep Ille qui nullum non tempus in usus suos comfert quiomnes dies tanquam vitam suam ordmat nec optat crastinum nec timet Idem de brev vit c 7. as one that reckons and uses a single Day as if it were a whole Life To live every day as if it were [q] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musonius apud Stob Serm. 1. â—ic ordinandus est aies omnis tamquam cogat agmen consummet atque expleat vitam In somnum ituri loeti hilar ésque dicamus Viâ—i quem dederat cursum fortuna peregi thy very last Not to promise thy self a Morrow and to neglect thy present Work in Hope and Expectation of it but to order thy self immediately as if thou didst never look to see and enjoy it and to count it as [r] Crastinum si adjecerit Deus laeti reciptamus Ille beatissimus est securus sai possessor qui crastinum sine solicitudine expectat Qussquis dixit vixi quotidie ad lucrum surgit Sen. ep 12. pure Gain as may be if God shall be pleased to afford thee the Light and Benefit of a new Day As the Bird guideth her Flight with her Train and the Ship is governed at the Stern or hindermost Part so the Life of Man is directed and ordered by frequent Meditation of his latter End 3. Think moreover of the great Change that will at last be made by Death which is lively represented in a Story related by a learned [s] Bishop Taylor in his rule and Exercise of holy Dying c. 1. §. 3. Doctor of a fair young German Gentleman who while he lived often refused to be pictured but put off the importunity of his Friends Desire by giving way that after a few Daies Burial they might send a Painter to his Vault and if they saw cause fo rit draw the Image of his Death unto the Life They did so and found his Face half eaten and his Midriff and Back-bone full of Serpents and so he stands pictured among his armed Ancestours Think how the Case will shortly be much alike with thee that Death in a Moment will turn thy Colour into Paleness thy Heat into Coldness thy Beauty into Lothsomness and will so alter and disfigure thee that thy ver Husband or Wife or Child will stand afraid and start at thee That thy nearest dearest kindest Friends who delighted in thy Company whilst thou livedst took thee to their Board took thee to their Bed and put thee in their Bosom will as soon as thou art dead take a speedy Course to remove thee out of their Sight yea to put thee under Ground because by Death thou wilt become not only useless but offensive to them And what a frightful Spectacle thou wouldst be if thy Body should be viewed when once the Vermin have bred in it and shall have devoured and consumed some Parts of it Think how Death will make a Change in thy Body a change in thy Mansion Habitation Companions That when thou art dead thou shalt quickly change thy Bed for a winding Sheet thy Chamber for a Coffin thy House for a Grave thy Friends for Worms This Consideration will be hugely instrumental to beat down Pride of any beauty Health Strength or Ornaments of the Body and be useful to cause thee to walk humbly and soberly and will instruct thee to say to thy self Why should I glory in any such transitory Enjoyment As fair and fine as I may be apt to think my self I know I shall be but a sorry Creature when Death comes Why should I delight to stand long at the Glass and there to view my own Face and Features and Dresses now since Death will one Day so change me that my most intimate loving familiar Friends will hardly endure to behold me Why should I pride my self in any rich Attire and brave Apparel who must ere long be strip'd to a winding Sheet Why should I bestow so much cost upon that Tenement which I shall dwell but a while in and which will decay and fall to utter Ruin when I have done all I can Why should I make my Belly my God which must be destroyed and be Meat for Worms Why should I be so high and stately as to think no House good enough no Room fine enough no Fair dainty enough for me who must quickly be brought as low as the Grave and be forc'd to make my Bed in the dark and to lay my Head in the Dust to lodg yea dwell in a black lonely desolate Hole of Earth to say to the Grave Thou art mine House to say to Corruption Thou art my Father and to the Worm Thou art my Mother and my Sister Why should I spend all my time in pleasing and pampering this base Flesh and in over-caring for this changeable vile Body which must shortly suffer Rottenness and Corruption Shall I not rather take care to beautify and adorn my inner Man to get a Change wrought in my Soul by the good Spirit and Grace of God before I suffer a Change in my Body a Change by Sickness a Change by Death and so to live that when I am dead it may not be said of me Here lies one that was dead while he lived and whose Soul then stank worse by sinful Corruption than his Body now stinks by Putrefaction 4. Consider once more What a sad and uncomfortable Thing it wil be to be found unprepared to die at the point of Death and how happy a Thing it will be to be in a readiness and preparation at the Hour of Death 1. Think well with thy self how miserable a Thing it will be to be wholly unprepared for Death when you come to die indeed [t] Cù a illos aliqua imbecillitas mortalitatis admonuit quemadmodum paventes moriuntur non tanquam exeant de vita sed tanquam extrahantur Seneca de brevitate vitae cap. 11. to be driven away in thy Wickedness as the * Prov. 14.32 Wise Man speaks and forced to go to thy own Place whether thou wilt or no. To say as Theophrastus of old Dii boni nunc Good God must I go now How discompos'd and disorder'd amaz'd and terrified wilt thou be when thou art surpriz'd What a disconsolate Condition was that of Cesar Borgia who when through the Errour of a Servant he had unawares drunk of the poison'd Wine which he and his Father Pope Alexander the sixth had mingled and prepared for some rich Cardinals and verily expected it would prove his Death is said to have broke out into this or the like Expression I had made Provision against all possible Disasters
〈◊〉 Eâ—asm Apophth l. 3. gather'd to blessed and perfected Spirits and be made it Welf equal to the Angels and so become sit Company for them That thy Soul shall be in an happy Condition and be secure and certain that it shall never be dispossess'd and ejected out of it depriv'd or bereaved of it Such Thoughts as these will never suffer thee to let thy Soul sleep in thy Body which will surely wake when it is out of it This Meditation is likely to preserve thee from living and acting sensually and brutishly as if thy Soul were material and mortal and capable of no greater Happiness or higher Preserment than to be imprison'd and buried in this gross dull Flesh This will cause thee to take care that thy Soul may exercise and maintain a due Superiority over thy Body that thy Soul may * 1 Cor. 9.27 keep under thy Body and bring it into subjection and not be servilely and sordidly subject to it since thy Soul is able to live without it and shall from the Day of Death till the Day of Resurrection live better without it than ever here it liv'd with it This will mind thee to bring thy Soul which is a Spirit to converse now with the Father of Spirits and help thee to live like an Angel here on Earth who after Death shalt be as an Angel of God in Heaven Farther the Consideration or a State of Bliss to departed Souls will make thee labour to become fit for this State by getting thy Soul made like to God by true Holiness that God may love his own Image and Likeness in thee and delight to do good to the Soul he loves By striving to lead a good and holy Life here which is by the Ordination of God the direct and ready Way to an happy and eternal Life hereafter By looking that every Action and Carriage of thy Life be worthy of thy Hope of eternal Life [o] See to this purpose Mr. Baxter's Reas of the Christ Rd. 1 part p. 138 139. If a State of glorious Immortality were but a Likely hood and Probability you would notwithstanding in all reason do any thing suffer any thing part with any thing that if at last it should prove a reality you might make sure of it and render your self capable of obtaining and enjoying it because if it should prove true and you should miss of it no present Enjoyment could any way countervail the Loss of an eternal State of Bliss And if it should not prove true the denying thy self these earthly sensual Pleasures would be no considerable Loss or great Unhappiness to thee 't would be but the Loss of a transitory short impure imperfect Pleasure which even in this World has Pain and Torment mixt with it and has often sad Rellishes and a bitter Farewel at the End of it If there were but a bare Probability of such a State the most obscure Notices and thy uncertain Hopes of it were enough to make thee diligently look after it Surely then thou wilt much more seek and press after it when God has given thee an absolute Certainty of the Thing and the highest Satisfaction that can rationally be desired of the Truth of it And this Meditation will be a Means as to fit thee for thy Translation so to make thee with * Phil. 1.21 23 St. Paul have an earnest Desire to depart to go hence to go home To breadth out [p] Melch. Adam in vit Calv. p. 100. Calvin's Ejaculaton Vsquequo Domine How long Lord To cry out as holy [q] Aug. Cons l. 9. c. 19 §. 4. Monica did when she had newly been largely discoursing with her Son St. AUstin of the heavenly Kingdom Son as for me I now take no delight in any thing in this Life Quid hic facio What do I here And to use such Words as those of Mr. Herbert [r] Home What have I left that I should stay and groan The most of me to Heav'n is fled My Thoughts and Joies are all packt up and gone And for their old Acquaintance plead 2. Bend thy Mind to think of the Resurrection of the Body to a State of Glory Consider that as thy Soul at Death is not extinguished so that thy dead and buried Body shall not finally perish and be quite lost but at last be reproduc'd and restor'd again to thee by the Agency of an omniscient and omnipotent God That if thou †Joh. 5.29 hast done good thou shalt come forth to the Resurrection of Life come out of thy Grave as Jonah out of the Whale's Belly as Daniel out of the Lions Den as Pharaoh's chief Butler yea as the innocent honest Joseph out of Prison to an high and honourale Condition Think how the very same Body that fell by Death shall be raised again at the last Day as Lazarus rose with the same Body which had lien in the Grave four Daies and as Christ rose with the same Body that was crucified and buried How congruous it is to the Wisdom and Goodness and governing Justice of God that the same Body which was Partner with the Soul in good Actions should be a Sharer with it in everlasting Rewards That that very Body which was the Temple of the Holy Ghost and whose Members were the Members of Christ and Instruments of Righteousness and did God Service and labour'd and suffer'd for Christ here should be raised and rewarded hereafter And how reasonable to conclude that God having planted in the Soul a natural Inclination to its own Body will surely one Day satisfy the Soul's Appetite by reuniting it to the same Body Think how thy Body shall rise the same for Substance but not the same for Qualities and Endowments that it shall be raised * 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44 49 50. in Incorruption in Glory in Power raised a spiritual Body and put on Immortality That thou shalt bear the Image of the Heavenly That this Flesh and Bloud shall be changed and altered with a perfective Alteration that it may be capable of inheritng the Kingdom of God That Christ shall †Phil. 3.21 change thy vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body and that thou shalt ‖ Mat. 13.43 shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of thy Father These Thoughts will warm and affect thy Heart and move and incline thee to study and endeavour to get thy Soul and Body fitted and qualified for a Participation of a blessed and glorious Resurrection To get thy Soul now transform'd and made like unto Christ's gracious Soul that thy Body hereafter may be transform'd and made like unto his glorious Body to get I say a sanctified Soul here that thou maiest not sail of a glorified Body hereafter for the Body follows the Condition of the Soul Not to spend thy Time Care Cost Pains in decking and adorning in trimming and [s] Qui se pingunt in hoc seculo aliter
hearty Thankfulness to Christ for it your Obedience to your Lord who does not only vouchsafe it as a Priviledge but command it as a Duty Do this in Remembrance of me Perform this easie sweet Command of thy dying Lord and Saviour who has freed and delivered thee by his Death from the heavy Yoke and grievous Bondage of Jewish Sacrifices and Observances O let our Hearts at such a Time be broken and bleed at the Remembrance of our Sins which brake Christ's Body and shed his Blood Behold in the Sacrifice and bloody Death of Christ represented in this Sacrament the odiousness and baseness of your own Sins and resolve to be the Death of that which was the Death of Christ and rather to die than willingly to do that for which Christ died Abhorr the Thoughts of wilfully choosing so great an Evil as once brought so great a Punishment upon so great a Person as the holy Jesus the well-beloved Son of God Consider seriously upon this Occasion that if God would not spare Christ when he who knew no Sin was by voluntary charitable Assumption of our Guilt to answer for our Sins to be sure then he will not spare us if we wilfully run on in Sin and obstinately allow our selves therein notwithstanding so convincing a Demonstration of his sin-hating Holiness and vindicative Justice Upon due Meditation draw this Conclusion which is the excellent Reasoning of the [p] Facilis est collectio si Deus ne resipiscentibus quidem peccata remittere voluit nisi Christo in poenas succedente multò minùs inultos sinet contumaces Grot. de Satisfact Christi learned Grotius that if God would not pardon the Sins no not of penitent Persons unless Christ did substitute himself in their Room and stand in their Stead to bear the Punishment much less will he suffer unreclaimable Rebels and contumacious Sinners to go unpunished When Christ is set forth in this Sacrament crucified before your Eies think how he intended and aimed at our Mortification and Sanctification in his Death and Passion * Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works †Pet. 2.4 Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness Let us yield that Christ should have his End in his Death and never allow our selves to live in Sin which will render us uncapable of receiving the Benefit of Christ's Death Think how the Unholiness of our Lives is a greater wrong to Christ than the Jews being the very Death of him because as the [q] D. Jackson Vol. 3. p. 343 344 345. learned Dr. Jackson notes it is more against the Will and Liking and good Pleasure of our Saviour whose Will was regulated by Reason and was a constant Rule of Goodness for though a painful shameful Death and that inflicted by his own People went much against his human Will yet he chose rather to die and to suffer the most afflictive Circumstances of Death for us than to suffer us to live and die in our Sins and in the Servitude and Power of Satan Shall we pretend when we approach to the Table of our Lord affectionately to remember a loving dying Saviour and to desire to have his Memory continued and transmitted to Posterity and yet so much forget him upon the return of any Temptation as to repeat that which was the Death of him Shall we weep at the Sacrament and seem to be hugely troubled for those Sins which were the Cause of Christ's Sorrows and yet go about again to destroy and to crucify Christ afresh Shall we commemorate at the Lord's Supper our wonderful Redemption by the precious Blood of Christ and when we have done shall we do the Devil more work and service than the Lord Christ O what a Reproach is this to Christ and what a Sport to the Devil that they that pretend to remember Christ's Dying for them should not find in their hearts to live to him [q] Ego pro istis quos mecum vides nec alapas accepi nec flagella sustinui nec crucem pertuli nec sanguinem fudi nec familiam meam pretio passionis cruoris redemi sed nec regnum illis coeleste promitto nec ad paradisum restitutâ immortalitate denuò revoco Tuos tales Christe demonstra vix tui meis pereuntibus adaequantur qui à te divinis mercedibus praemiis coelestibus honorantur Cypr. de Opere Eleemosynis p. 220. St. Cyprian brings in the Devil boasting and bragging against our Saviour and insulting over us silly and sinful Wretches in this manner I have endured no Buffetings nor born Smitings with the Palms of Men's Hands I have suffer'd no Scourgings nor under-gon the Cross for any of these nor have I redeem'd my Family with the Price of my Passion and Blood-shedding yet shew me O Christ so many so busy so painful so dutiful Servants of thine as I am able to shew thee every where of mine Bring forth if thou canst such a Number of Persons who devote themselves and give their Labours Estates and Time to thee as I can easily produce of those who do all this to me When thou professest to remember that Christ died for thee O die to that for which he died Offer thy self to him and lay out thy self for him who once offered himself for us and in the Sacrament offers himself to us Think no Duty too much for him For Shame for Shame do not serve any longer a bloody Murtherer instead of a blessed Saviour and merciful Redeemer Let our Thoughts and Meditations dwell upon the Demonstration given us in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper of Christ's exceeding incomparable Love to Mankind See there how contrary the sweet and kind Nature of Christ is to the cruel and execrable Nature of the old Tyrant the Devil For as the learned [r] His Mystery of Godliness p. 133 245. Dr. More very well observes whereas the Devil who by unjust Vsurpation had got the Government of the World into his own hands tyrannizing with the greatest Cruelty and Scorn that can be imagined over Mankind thirsted after humane Blood and in most Parts of the World required the Sacrificing of Men which could not arise from any thing else but a salvage Pride and Despight against us This new gracious Prince of God's own appointing Christ Jesus was so far from requiring any such villainous Homage that himself became at once one grand and all sufficient Sacrifice for us to expiate the Sins of all Mankind and so to reconcile the World to God Shall not all this disengage us from Sin and Satan and win and gain us over to Christ And let Christ's Death make thee study to do something answerable to the dearest Love of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has
spread so far and wide among us When so many so boldly deny the Providence and very Being of God the Immortality of the rational Soul and a Life and State of Retribution in another World the Divine Authority Perfection and Perspicuity of the sacred Scriptures the eternal Duration of Hell-torments the Divinity and Satisfaction of our Saviour Christ the divine Institution of the Lord's-Day deny the Necessity of the Moral Law disown Original Sin and any such Thing as Special Effectual Discriminating Grace infallibly securing the Event as to the Elect assert Perfection contend for Papal Infallibility plead for Idolatry and gross Superstition and design and endeavour and hope to make Popery become the Religion of the Nation it concerns you surely carefully now to redeem the Time The Evil of Errour mightily prevails in these our Daies Seducers and Impostors are subtil and industrious and Errour is of a catching spreading Nature therefore as St. Paul said to the Corinthians * 2 Câ—r 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty so your Minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Christ. Take heed that the Leprosie get not into your Head In that case you know the Priest was to pronounce a Man †Levit. 13.44 utterly unclean That Errour take not Possession of your Mind for that is the Eye the leading Faculty and it it slip into the Mind and Judgment it will steal and creep into the Conscience and that is so active a Faculty that it will engage all O do your utmost and best endeavour to keep your selves clear and free from the foul and infectious Errours of the Times you live in ‖ 2 Pet. 3 17. Beware lest ye being led away with the Errour of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness 1. Be not too credulous (*) 1 Joh. 4.1 Believe not every Spirit not every one that pretends to a Spirit of Truth acting and breathing in him Now the Air abroad is so pestilentially infected take heed what Air you suck in be very wary what Money you take since the Markets are so full of adulterate Coin 2. Be careful to avoid the Meetings and to shun the Society of Seducers From (†) 1 Tim. 6.5 Men of corrupt Minds and destitute of the Truth from such withdraw thy self Don't venture to keep them Company and to take their Breath who have the Plague of wicked Errour upon them and whose Converse is Death and the eternal Ruin of your Souls Forbear to hear their Discourses or to read their Writings You are bidden indeed to (‖) 1 Joh. 4.1 try the Spirits that is to try all you hear but you must not be bold to hear all when you can shift it The Wise Man forbids that * Prov 19.27 Cease my Son to hear the Instruction that causeth to err from the Words of Knowledg Remember the sad Event of Eve's Rashness in venturing to listen to the Discourse of the Serpent 3. And that you may be the better secured from Errour labour to get a good Understanding of your Catechism to be well grounded in the Principles and Essentials and setled in the radical sundamental and practical Truths of Religion and throughly acquainted with the Necessaries to Salvation Do not stick to say with [h] Fateor me Catechismi descipulum Luther I confess I am still a Learner and Studier of my Catechism Learn it your selves and teach it your Children and Servants understandingly The want of Peoples being well instructed and throughly grounded in the Principles of Religion is a great [i] If this Duty of Catechising be neglected we may preach our Lungs our if we will but wich little Effect When we have spent all our Wind upon the Ears of our People their Hearts will be still apt to be carried away with every Wind of Doctrine Ep. Hali's Peace-maker p. 202. Reason of the many Errours that have been so rife in these late Times Men have not lyen fast in the Building upon the Foundation and therefore it is that they have so easily been tumbled up and down like loose Stones Converse with your Catechism 4. And confirm your Belief of the Divinity of the Scripture by getting rational Evidence and an inward Sence and Experience of it And search and study the Scriptures and compare the Doctrines taught by Men with the Word of God and try and examine them by that Rule 5. Again Beg the Spirit of Truth to lead and guide you into all necessary Truth As it is not a strong Constitution that will secure you from the Plague so it is not your best Parts that will preserve you from the Infection of Errour if the Spirit of God do not keep and protect you if the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Truth withdraw from you 6. Add to all your earnest Endeavour to get your Hearts * Rom. 12.2 Heb. 13.9 2 Pet. 3.17 18. renewed and seasoned and * Rom. 12.2 Heb. 13.9 2 Pet. 3.17 18. stablish'd with Grace which will prove an excellent Preservative a soveraign Antidote and Defensative against the Contagion and Infection of Errour Any Errour will easily slip into an ignorant uncatechized Head and an unmortified unsanctified ungrà cious Heart The †2 Tim. 3 6. silly Women that were led captive were such as were laden with Sins led away with divers Lusts So they were ‖ Jude vers 4. ungodly Men who turned the Grace of our God into lasciviousness and denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ They that walk in loose Garments soon take Wind Loose Lives will gather in and breed loose Principles If you don't take in sufficient Ballast of Grace to settle you you will be tossed to and fro and carried about with every Wind of strange Doctrine If you want a good Biass of Sincerity for God carnal Interests and Ends will easily mis-lead you If you be devoid and destitute of Grace you will be proud and conceited rash and unwary you will never distrust your selves you will never weigh and consider Things well before you take them up Want of Grace will also breed an Itch of vain Curiosity in your Minds and cause you to linger and hanker after Novelties Further your depraved Wills will have a malign Influence on your Understandings and your carnal Affections will too often bribe and pervert your Judgments so that whatever your Wills and Affections are vehemently set upon must be allowed by the Authority of your Judgments and secretly if not openly maintained and pleaded for Those various Opinions about the Chief Good might arise and proceed from their Over-affection to some created and inferiour Good Your foul Stomach will infect your Brain your unsound Heart will cause a corrupt Head And an ill Life will engage you to entertain and take up such corrupt Principles as may favour and foster your Viciousness give allowance and countenance to your Wickedness Your Sin
hitherto stood still or mov'd but slowly let 's now with the Sun rejoice to run our Race Saint Paul had a long time been out of the Way but when once he was led into the right Way he pressed toward the Mark * Phil. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very same Word by which he expresseth his former Persecution †Acts. 2 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As he eagerly pursued the one so afterward he as earnestly followed the other He was as zealous in the Practice as he had been before in the Suppression of Christ's Religion It is our Duty to redeem the Time because much Time is mis-spent already 'T is ‖ â— Pet. 4.2 3. St. Peter's Argument that we should no longer live the rest of our Time in the Flesh to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God [c] Certè hic acerrimus stimulus nobis esse debes ad bene currendum dum reputamus nos magnd parte vitae extra viam â—â—rasse Calv. in â—â— c. v. 3. For the Time past of our Life says he may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles when we walk'd in Lasciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries We have heretofore done much for Satan little for God and God knows little enough for our own Souls We have lived to very ill or to very small Purpose in the World ever since we came into the World and are at present lamentably behind-hand Now then it 's high Time for us to lay out our selves to purpose to lay out our selves to the utmost for God to be zealous and active for God and to go about doing good And it greatly concerns us to be pious and religious in such Instances in which we have formerly been vicious or incurious and to bestow our Time especially in the Performance of those Duties and the Exercise of those graces that are contrary to our former sinful Practices or gross Neglects The third Additional Reason It concerns us highly to redeem the Time because the Time that remains is very short and uncertain and our special Opportunities far shorter and more uncertain a nd the Work we have to do very great 1. The Time that remains is very short Our whole Life-time is but a very short Space now in Comparison of what [d] Methusâ— lah lived 969. Years and Enoch the shortest lived of the Patriarchs before the Flood lived 365 Years as many Years as there are Daies in one Year Job 14.1 7.6 9.25 26. 8.9 Psal 102.11 103.15 16. 90.5 6 9. James 4.14 Psal 39.5 Men liv'd before the Floud but a few Dates and those swifter than a Weaver's Shuttle than a Post or Racer on the Land They pass away as the swift Ship upon the Sea as the Eagle that hasteth to the Prey Our Daies upon Earth are like a Shadow that declineth that changeth and is liker Darkness every Moment like Grass which in the Morning flourisheth and groweth up in the Evening is cut down and withereth We spend our Years like a Tale that is told Now if a Tale be pleasant you know Time passeth away so quickly in the telling of it that it is scarce perceived either by Speaker or Hearer Our Life is as a Vapour a Smoak 't is gone presently Our Daies are as an Hand-breadth The whole of our Life is but a Span and it may be the Remainder is but an Inch. Our whole Life is but a Day and it may be we have past the greatest Part of it already and a few Hours or Moments will serve to measure all that is left behind [e] Infinita est velocitas temporis quae mdgis apparet respicientibus Sen. ep 49. If we look back on our past Years the longest Life will seem but a short Space and why should we reckon the Remainder by any other Measure which with many in the very Course of Nature is but small and short in Comparison of the former The succeeding Part of our Lives will be gone and quite past over ere we are aware It is not so proper to ask when we shall die as when we shall make an End of dying for surely [f] Quotidie mcrimur quotidie enim demitur aliqua pars vita tunc quoque ùm crescimus vita decrescit Hunc ipsum quem agimus diem cum morte dividimus Quem admodum clepsydram non extremum stilliciaium exhaurit sed quidquid autè defluxit sic ultima hora qua esse desinimus non sola mortem facit sed sola consummat Sen. ex Lucilio ep 24. we have been dying ever since we were born we have been going out of the World ever since we came into the World As not only the Sands that fall last of all but all that run out from the very first do properly empty the Hour-glass So the last Hour in which we cease to be doth not alone effect but only finish our Death Quicquid aetatis retro est mors tenet says Seneca Ep. 1. We are dead already to yesterday and t'other Day and all the former Daies of our Lives Death is possess'd of all that is past And how does Death seise as on our Time so on our Bodies by Degrees As it is in the Decay of an House there falls down a Window then a Piece of a Wall then a Door So 't is with the House of this earthly Tabernacle Death seised upon our teeth and makes the * Eccles 12.3 Grinders cease because they are few upon our Eyes and makes us dim-sighted upon our Ears and makes us thick of Hearing upon our Feet and Hands our Limbs and Joints and makes them weak and feeble stiff and cold We decline and hasten apace to our long Home and are fitly said to be †Psal 39.4 frail or ceasing Our Life is [g] If we did seriously think how many of our Years are spent before we can do any more than a Beast and how many we cast away without considering after we are Men and how many necessary Refeshments by Meat and Drink and Sleep will still devour we would not be so prodigal and lavish of the small Number that remains but save them for good Uses and the Service of our Souls D. Patrick's Div. Arithm. p. 20. short And 2. It is uncertain how short it may be Young ones may be snatch'd away in their Childhood or Youth There were as many Lambs and Kids facriliced under the Old Law as Goats and old Sheep They that have escaped in their Youth may be cut off in the midst of their Daies The strongest may go as well as the weakest and the lustiest of all may go soonest Iron and Brass may melt as well as Clay molder Possibly some Fruit may hang on till it 's so ripe that it falls and drops down of it self but most of the Fruit is violently pluckt or shaken down while it 's raw and green If
assisted him [l] In his Life centracted and translated out of French by Mr. Edward Stern Fellow of P. Hall in Cambridg among Mr. Clark's Lives p. 74. fol. I have a great Account to make having received much and profited little So the painful and pious Dr. Robert Harris when a Friend told him in his Sickness Sir you may take much comfort in your Labours you have done much good His Answer was [m] In his Life written by Mr. W. Durham p. 55 56. Oh! I am an unprofitable Servant I have not done any thing for God as I ought Loss of Time sits heavy upon my Spirit Work work apace Assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when you come to dy than that you have done no more for God who has done so much for you Yea the Reverend and holy Bp. Vsher a most laborious and sedulous Servant of God a Prodigy of Industry a Person that never was known to lose an Hour by was ever employed in his Master's Business either praying preaching studying writing reading or hearing others reade to him either resolving of Doubts or exhorting instructing giving good wholsome and holy Counsel to such as came to visit him yet as [n] Pag. 110. Dr. Bernard relates in his Life the very last Words that ever he was heard to utter in praying for Forgiveness of Sins were these But Lord in special forgive my Sins of Omission If the choicest Saints on Earth the faithfullest Servants of God in the World who have surpassed and transcended us by many Degrees do close and end their Lives with an humble Confession and earnest Petition for Forgiveness and Pardon of their Sins of Omission Surely then we have reason to conclude that we our selves do what we can shall repent at last of doing too little and not repent and complain of having done too much And if those that have well redeem'd their Time complain especially at the Hour of Death that they have lost too much of it What a case then will the careless negligent World be in when their sleepy Consciences shall be roused and awakened and they be hastened and hurried out of this world and their Souls and Bodies shall be just a parting and they shall look behind them upon an idle loose and lazy Life and look before them upon a dreadful horrible terrible Judgment I have done with the Motives to press you to the Duty In the next place I shall give you some Directions which may be so many Means to help you to regain the Time and redeem the Opportunity Take these twelve following CHAP. VII Direction 1. If ever we would redeem the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinc'd of the great value and real worth of Time In respect of the Price paid for it In regard of the use and end to which it serves Considering what precious Thoughts the more improved Heathens had of Time And what damned Spirits and dying Persons who have not made their Peace with God think of Time Direct 2. If we would well redeem the Time we must often examine our selves and call our selves to a serious strict Account for the spending of our Time This was the Precept of Pythagoras and Cicero and the Practice of Sextius Seneca and Titus Vespasian Direct 3. That we may rightly redeem our Time let Conscience have some Authority with us and procure some reverence from us Stand much in aw of thy own Conscience which will either acquit and absolve thee or surely judg and condemn thee Direct 4. If ever we would redeem the Time we must live and act and do every thing as in the sight and presence and under the eye and inspection of God The apprehension of God's all-seeing all-searching Eye will be of excellent Vse and Advantage to us at 4 times especially 1. Actually consider that God sees you when you ordinarily visit one another and at any time feast and make merry together 2. When Buying or Selling remember you are manifest in God's Sight that God stands by and sees your dealings 3. Consider this in your secret Retirements and in your private Families 4. Whenever we come to the publick Worship of God let us seriously consider that we stand in his Presence and are in his eye Direct 5. That we may wisely redeem the Time let 's be sure to propound a good end to our selves in all our Actions and do nothing deliberately but what we can safely and freely warrantably and comfortably ask God's Assistance in and Blessing upon when we go about it Direct 6. We must be sure to give our selves to Prayer as a special way in which and principal means and help by which we may redeem and improve our Time aright And here 1. Be careful to keep up set and stated times of Prayer of secret Prayer and Family-Prayer 2. Be ready to betake thy self to Prayer upon special extraordinary emergent Occasions 3. Vse thy self to frequent suddain ejaculatory Prayers to God This is the Priviledg of Ejaculation that it is a gaining of Time for the Exercise of Religion without any prejudice or hindrance to your Calling Direct 7. We must set our selves to the frequent diligent reading and serious studying of the sacred Scriptures For 1. This is a gaining and making advantage of all that Time past which the Scripture gives us the History and Account of 2. Our reading the holy Books of Scripture is a well improving the present time that is imployed in this religious Duty for 't is an honouring of God and a means of attaining divine Knowledg heavenly Grace and spiritual Comfort 3. It is moreover a means and help to the right redeeming of our Time for the future Direct 8. If we would effectually redeem the Time we must give our selves to frequent and serious Meditation Set some Time apart for this Duty Think of the 4 last things especially 1. Of Death of the Day of thy own particular Death and of the Time of the General Dissolution of this World 2. Of the Day of Judgment 3. Of the Joys of Heaven 4. Of the Torments of Hell Direct 9. If you would redeem the Time you must labour to spiritualize even your ordinary worldly Employments and must take care that your natural as well as civil Actions partake of Religion Direct 10. if we would wisely redeem the Time we must make a good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance and a good Improvement of our Company and Society with them Direct 11. We must remember and consider perform and answer our solemn Sacramental Vows and Sick-bed-Promises and Resolutions Direct 12. Lastly If we would redeem the Time we must not give way to any Delay but strengthen and settle our Resolution against any farther procrastination The First Direction IF ever we would redeem the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinced of the great Value and real Worth of Time Consider 1. How precious Time is in respect of the Price paid for it That
smell of Remember and consider 1. That Death thy Death is certain 2. That the Time of thy Death is very uncertain 3. That when Death comes a great change will be made by it 4. and lastly Consider seriously what a sad and uncomfortable Thing it will be to be found unprepared to die at the Point of Death And how sweet and happy a Thing it will be to be in a readiness and preparation at the Hour of Death Consider 1. It is sure and certain thou must die at last Death entred into the World by Sin The Wages of thy Sin is thy Death It is now appointed unto Men to all Men once to die Death is the way of all the Earth Every Thing plainly points thee to it Thy very Sleep is an Image of thy Death The very Meat thou eatest as it breeds thy Nourishment so it breeds thy Diseases Thou hast apparently died already in thy Friends and Relations Neighbours and Acquaintance Thou hast lost thy Parents or Husband or Wife or Children or Servants and therefore thou hast reason to think thou shalt one Day lose thy own Life and certainly die in thy own Person Some one it may be that lately lay in thy Bed and lay in thy Bosom is now laid out of thy Sight laid in the Grave and Time will come when as lively and brisk as thou art thou shalt lie by them and be gather'd to them Surely every Sickness every Disease every Tooth-ach Head-ach every Pain and Distemper and bodily Weakness is an Harbinger and Fore-runner of thy Death and a plain Remembrancer to thee of thy latter End Thou seest enough in others thou findest enough in thy self to make thee to know thy own Frame and to cause thee to remember that thou thy self art but Dust Xerxes viewing his vast Army wept over them to think how within a few Lustres of Years there would be none of them all remaining Be affected to think how a few Years will wear out and carry off thy self and all thy Family the numerous Company of thy Friends and Relations Neighbours and Acquaintance The close Meditation of the Certainty of thy own Dissolution this will keep thee from living here as if thou wert to live here alwaies which is a common Fault among Men reprov'd and censur'd of old by [h] Tanquam semper victuri vivitis Seneca de brev vit cap. 4. Seneca And from building here as if thou shouldst here continue for ever as [i] Diogenis dictum est Megarenses obsonant quasi crastinâ die morituri aedificant verò quasi nui quam morituri Tert. Apolog. c. 39. Diogenes once severely charg'd the Megarenses When thou rearest thy Building this Course will cause thee to think of thy own Tomb and Grave and that thy earthly House of this Tabernacle must be dissolved And this will enable thee to live loose from the temporary Enjoyments of this present World and to have lower Thoughts of all earthly Pleasures which are but for a Season and would engage you to be [k] Vivere totâ vitâ discendum est quod magis fortasse miraberis totâ vita discendum est mori Seneca de brev vit cap. 7. learning to die as long as you live The frequent Thoughts of thy latter End would prompt thee to say thus to thy self How shall I dare to live in Jest who am sure I must die in Earnest Am I afraid to die and yet shall I use all Means I can to make Death dangerous and terrible to me Shall I venture [l] St. Jerom said well He deserves not the Name of a Christian who will live in that State of Life in which he will not die Bp. Taylor 's great Exemplar p. 558. to live in that State of Life in which I would not die 2. Consider farther That the Day and Means of thy Death is as [m] Ah stulte quid cogitas te diu victurum cùm nullum diem habeas securum Quam multi decepti sunt irsperatè de cerpore extracti Quoties audisti à dicentibus quia ille gladio cecidit ille submersus est ille ab alto ruens cervicem fregit ille manducando obriguit ille ludendo finem fecit Alius igne alius ferre alius peste alius latrocinto interiit sic omnium finis mors est vita hominum tanquam umbra subito pertransit A Kempis l. 1. c. 23. n. 7. uncertain as thy Death it self is certain Think when thou art eating that then thou maiest be digging thy Grave with thy Teeth and when thou art drinking that then thou maiest find and meet with Death in the Cup or Pot. When thou art ready to take thy Rest consider that God this Night may require thy Soul of thee and before Morning may take away the [n] Vine's Essex's Hearse p. 12. diry Difference between Sleep and Death Here practise according to Seneca's Direction [o] Dic tibi dormituro possum non expergisci Dic experrecto possum non dormire ampliùs Dic exeunti possum non reverti dic redeunti possum non exire Sen. ep 49. Cùm mane fuerit putate ad vesperum non perventurum vespere autem facto mane non audeas tibi polliceri Semper ergo paratus esto taliter vive ut nunquam te imparatum mors inveniat A Kempis l. 3. c. 23. n 3. Say to thy self when thou goest to sleep it may be I shall never wake again and when thou risest it may be I shall never sleep again Say to thy self when thou goest out it may be I shall never return home and come in alive again And when thou comest in at any Time say to thy self It may be I shall never go out of doors again Consider when thou art going a Journey that thou maiest be going to thy long home When thou art riding upon the Road that thou maiest be posting unto thy Grave that the Horse thou ridest on may be the pale Horse and his Name that sits upon him though unseen may be Death Conclude with thy self I must die shortly I may die instantly This Day may be the last that I shall see this Hour the last that I shall spend this Word the last that I shall speak this Deed the last that I shall persform this Place the last that I shall breath in When thou goest into any Company consider that it may be the last time that ever thou shalt come in the Company of those Persons that therefore it behoves thee to behave thy self among them and to spend thy Time and bestow thy Hours with them like a Man and a Christian not like a Beast or an Heathen to demean thy self there soberly and temperately and with good Government of thy Appetite and Passions and with the Exercise and Improvement of thy Reason and of Grace in some useful Discourse and profitable Converse not childishly and unmanly intemperately and luxuriously rudely and uncivilly wildly and
but only Death for I did not think I should have died so soon How troublesome will it be to thee when thy Soul is about to be divorced from thy Body to be at best uncertain then what will become of thee To express thy self with dying Aristotle [u] Dubius morior quò vadam nescio I die doubtful not well knowing whither I am going Or with the Emperour Adrian [w] Animula vagula blandula Hospes com esque corporis Quae nunc abibis in loca Pallsdula frigidula nudula Nec ut soles dabis jocos Ah dear departing wandring Soul the old and sweet Companion of my Body into what Region art thou now going surely thou wilt never be so merry and pleasant as thou hast been How intolerably vexatious will it be to change for Vncertainties or to make a certain Change for the worse To die unsatisfied what will become of thee as to thy future unchangeable State Or sure and certain that thou shalt enter into a worse State and Place and shalt be miserable to all Eternity To see then but a Step but a Breath between thee and everlasting Death To have all the horrid and heinous sins of a whole misled and misspent Life fiercely fly in thy very Face and thy enraged furious guilty Conscience to be then most active to torment thee the nearer thou apprehendest thy self approaching to the End of thy mortal Life As usually bodily Aches and Wounds do prick and pain and shoot most the nearer it draweth unto Night What a lamentable sad Case was that of Cardinal Wolsey to cry out in his extreme unhappy Circumstances Had I been as careful and diligeut to please and serve the God of Heaven as I have been to comply with the Will of my earthly King he would not have left and for saken me now in my gray Hairs and old Age as the other has done So think what a doleful Case it will be for thee in thy last Hours to pour forth thy Soul in such Words as these If I had served my God as earnestly and unweariedly as I have constantly served the world served diverse Lusts and Pleasures served the Devil himself Had I been at Church when I was in Bed been in my Closet upon my Knees when I was sitting tippling upon the Ale-bench or was quaffing at Tavern and drinking of Healths upon my Knees Had I satisfied the Reason of a Man as I gratified my brutish Appetite and sensual Desire Had I done the Will of God and of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as I have done the Will of the Devil the Will of the Flesh and fulfilled my own carnal corrupt Will I had then been own'd by God and approv'd by my own Conscience inwardly strengthned and supported and sweetly comforted and refresh'd who now am deserted and rejected by God and miserably perplexed and disquieted rent and racked torn and tormented in my own Conscience Then thou wilt certainly count and call thy self unhappy and him the only happy Man who as dying [x] Beatus es Abba Arseni qui semper hanc horam ante oculos habuisti Bibl. Patr. Theophilus said of devout Arsenius has had the Hour of his Departure ever before his Eyes That is the first Conider what a dreadful Thing it is to be found unprovided at the Hou◠of Death When Friends and Physicians cannot keep thee and God and his good Angels will not take thee O then O then what will become of thee 2. Seriously think on the other hand what [y] Considera quà n pulchra res sit consummare vitam ante mortom deinde expectare securum reliquam tempor is sui part m◠Sen. ep 32. an happy and comfortable Thing it will be to find your Time well improved and your self prepared to die before you die 'T is a true Saying of the Wise Man that to a good man the * Eccl. 7.1 Day of Death is better than the Day of his Birth For is not that Day which perfectly frees and fully delivers a good Man from the many Vanities and great Vexations which the Life of Man is obnoxious to and the Troubles and Sufferings which the Life of a Christian is expos'd to far better than that Day which let 's him into the Possession of them Again The Time when a Person has attain'd the End of his Being made good the Hopes of others answer'd god's and Man's expectation concerning him walked himself in the Fear of the Lord brought up Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord walked worthy of his Vocation fill'd up every Relation with suitable Duties and Graces serv'd his Generation according to the Will of God liv'd and acted with reference to Eternity The Time when he most willingly leaves this wicked World and leaves an holy Seed to stand up in his room and stead leaves a good Name and a good Example behind him and goes to Heaven to the Spirits of just Men made perfect goes to God his heavenly Father and to Christ his Redeemer to receive the gracious and glorious Reward of all his Works and Labours and the Crown he has striven and contended for Surely the Day when this falls out which is the Day of his Death gives cause of more abundant Comfort than can the Day of his Birth together with all the Daies of his Life Is not that Day better wherein a Man has truly and really answered the Ends of Life than that in which he only began at first to live Is not that Day better in which he has fully and compleatly acted his Part well quitted and behav'd himself like a Man and Christian and is gone off the Stage of this lower world with Credit and Esteem Approbation and Applause of God himself good Angels and Men than the Day of his first appearing upon the Stage or Theater of this World in a way of Probation and Trial and in Hope of his future good Performance Is not the Day of his actual Admission and honourable Reception into a blissful Condition and happy Mansion far better than the Day of his Entrance into a State of Preparation for it Think well with thy self what a joyful Day what a [z] Cùm ecquid lumen molestiae afferret rogarent pectus tangens Oecolampadius abundè lucis est inquit Melch. Adam in vita Oecolamp p. 56. lightsome Hour what a Time of refreshing it will be to thee to be able to say with thy Saviour a little before thy Departure * Joh. 17.4 Father I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work which thou hast given me to do And with the Apostle St. Paul †2 Tim. 4 6 7. The Time of my Departure is at hand I have fought a good Fight [a] Vixi quem dederat cursum fortuna peregi I have finished my course I have kept the Faith ‖ 2 Cor. 1.12 My rejoicing is this the Testimony of my Conscience that in
Simplicity and Godly Sincerity I have had my Conversation in the World To say with Hilarion as St. Jerom reports in his [b] Egredere anima quid times Egredere quid dubitas Septuaginta prope annis servisti Christo mortem times Hier. in vita Hilar. Life Go out my Soul why art thou afraid go out why lingrest thou thou hast served Christ well nigh these seventy Years and dost thou now fear Death To see that it has been to thee * Phil. 1.21 to live Christ and to be able to look on thy Death as thy Gain And with good old [c] His Life inserted among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten emin Div. p. 123. When his good Sister said to him in his Sickness Brother I am afraid to leave you alone VVhy Sister said be I shall I am sure be with Jesus Christ when I die Ib. p. 123 124. Dr. Gouge in thy last Sickness to term Death thy best Friend next to Jesus Christ With †Phil. 1.23 St. Paul to desire to depart and to be ready to utter such Language as this Oh loose this Frame this Knot of Man unty That my free Soul may use her Wing Which is now pinion'd with Mortality As an entangled hamper'd Thing As the pious [d] Home Mr. Herbert pathetically expresses it in one of his sacred Poems Dwell upon these Considerations That the Loss and Misimprovement of Time will make a Death-bed uneasy to you and that the right redeeming of time will render a Death-bed comfortable to you And this will be very apt to move you to prepare for Death by dying to Sin dying to the World and living to Righteousness before you die 'T will help you to live every Day so indeed as others wish that they had liv'd when they come to lie upon a Death-bed To live so now that you may with comfort think of dying and may be freed from the slavish Fear of Death and be held no longer ‖ Heb. 2.15 in bondage by it 'T will cause you to live the Life of the Righteous that so you may die the Death of the Righteous die safely and die comfortably 'T will make you careful to set not only your House but your Heart in order your Life in order and so to dispatch your work and Business that when you come to die you may have nothing to do but to die and freely and cheerfully to resign your Spirit to the Father of Spirits and to surrender your Soul to your faithful Creator and gracious loving Lord Redeemer In a Word it will enable you so to live that you may have * Prov. 14.32 Hope in your own Death and that when Friends shall mourn for your Departure they may not sorrow without †1 Thess 4.13 Hope And so much shall suffice for your Direction as to your Meditation of Death your own particular Death in order to your Redemption of Time 2. Meditate here moreover of the general Dissolution of all Things at least in this inferiour World Think well of what (*) 2 Pet. 3.11 St. Peter informs you that all these Things shall be dissolved Consider that the Description which is there given of this Dissolution is too august and [e] Dr. ore's y st of Godl p 214. big by far for so small a Work as [f] Of which Dr. Hammend in eâ—prets it the Destruction of the City of Jerusalem That the Scoffers arguing there against the Promise of christ's coming that (†) Verse 4. all Things continue as they were from the Beginning of the Creation does clearly shew that this Coming of Christ was not understood by them and consequently not by St. Peter of the Burning of a City by War a Thing which might as probably and easily happen to Jerusalem as it had already fallen out in many other Places of the World But of the final glorious Coming of Christ to judge the World which [f] Superest I 'e ultimus perpetuus judicis di s ille nationibus insperatus ille derisus cùm tanta secult vetusta tot ejus nativitates uno ignt haurientur Tertull. lib de Spectae cap 30. Judgment the Conflagration of the Earth is to attend Think very seriously with thy self that * Verse 7. the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved unto Fire How †Verse 10. the Heavens shall one Day pass away with a great Noise and ‖ Verse 12. being on Fire shall be dissolved and the (*) Verse 10 12. Elements or [g] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordine mitiari incedo The host of the Aethereal Heavgens are the Stars and Planets The Host of the Aereal Heavens are Clouds and Meteors Fowls and flying Creatures Hosts shall melt with fervent Heat the Earth also and the Works of Nature or Art that are therein shall be burnt up That though the superiour Aethereal starry Heavens may be exempted as [h] He that considereth both the super-eminent Nature and Immensity of the Aethereal Heaven and of those innum rable Bodies therein in regard of which the whole Sublunary VVorld is but a Point or Centre and that it no way can be prov'd that ever those Bodies received any Curse for Man's Sin or Contagion by the VVorld's Deluge or that any Enemies of God dwell in them to pollute them He that considereth this will not easily be induced to believe that the Fire of the Day of Judgment shall burn them It remaineth therefore that the Sublunary Heavens only with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be the Subject of this Conflagration Mr. Mede's Works p. 614 615. some with probable Reason conceive yet that without dispute or doubt [i] Dr. More 's Myst of Godl p. 231. the Globe of the Earth and the circumjacent Air with all the Garnishings of them shall be burnt up That this Air and Earth shall be strangely and wonderfully alter'd though not annihilated That the present Order and comely Beauty of the Compages and Frame of this visible lower World shall be dissolv'd That this great House and goodly Building made for Man to dwell in shall be taken down and all the Furniture wherewith it was fitted for his Use and Service shall be destroyed That it will be an Act of Wisdom for God to abolish these Things when the Time appointed for Probation and Trial of immortal Spirits cloathed with Flesh is ended and expired and Men shall enter into so different a State in which there will be no need of any Thing that serves and ministers to this terrene and animal Life And though God think good to continue this World for a while that it may be a Theater whereon his Wisdom Goodness Mercy Patience and other his glorious Attributes may be displayed and made conspicuous yet it is convenient and reasonable that this Stage of God's Acts and Works of Providence when all is finished should be taken down And
quà m creavit Deus metuant ne cùm venerit resurrectionis dies artifex creaturam suam non recognoseat Cypr. beautifying thy Body but to dress and adorn thy Soul with true Grace and Holiness here that so at the Day of Resurrection thy Body may be made very glorious and beautiful indeed and then may be changed for the better never to suffer any Change more Yea thy Meditation of the Resurrection of thy Body will make thee labour to get thy Body sanctified that it may be glorified 'T will make thee pray that thy * 1 Thess 5.23 Body may be preserved blameless unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and cause thee as thou wouldst have thy Body rais'd to Glory to keep under thy Body here and not to suffer its Members to rise in Rebellion against God 'T will help thee to use thy bodily Members holily here that they may fare well and happily hereafter Considering how unfit it is that God should raise the Instruments of Iniquity to a State of glorious Immortality How unmeet that Christ should take that Body which in this Life vigorously oppos'd him and busily and violently acted against him and fashion this wicked hellish Body like unto his heavenly and glorious Body How incongruous that they * Rom. 3.13 that live after the Flesh and †Cal. 6 8. sow to their Flesh should in their Flesh see God that they who use their Eyes chiefly to let in sinful Objects should at the latter Day ‖ Job 19 26 27. see God for themselves and that their Eyes should behold him with Comfort and Joy Thy Meditation concerning the Resurrection will direct thee to say upon any Temptation Shall I offer to abuse and dishonour this Flesh to abuse and dishonour God with this Flesh which I look that God should so highly honour and greatly glorify at the last Day Shall I sin against God with this Body of mine which I hope shall shine at the Resurrection as the Sun in the Firmament and as the Stars for ever and ever and be chang'd and fashioned like the glorious Body of Jesus Christ This will engage thee to strive with the Apostle (*) Phil 3.11 if by any means thou maiest attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead a Resurrection to a glorious Immortality To study to be just that thou maiest be Partaker of the (†) Acts 24 15. Resurrection of the Just To labour to have part in the (‖) Rev. 20.6 first that thou maiest partake of the second Resurrection [*] Jo. 5.25 28 29. To hear now the Voice of the Son of God speaking by his Word and Works and Spirit and hearing to live a divine and spiritual Life that when thou art dead and rotten in thy Grave thou maiest at last hear his Voice and come forth to the Resurrection of Life and lift up thy Head with Joy in the latter Day To labour to be a true Member of Christ and to live to Christ that so thou maiest [†] 1 Th. fl 4.14 sleep in Jesus and by the Power of God be brought from the dead with him To feast and refresh the Bodies of the Poor that thou maiest be * Luke 14.14 recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just To endeavour to act spiritually and lively as thou hopest to partake of the Resurrection unto Life To be careful to have alwaies a †Acts 24.15 16. Conscience void of Offence in Hope and Expectation of an happy Resurrection and in Intuition of the Promise of it with the ‖ 26.7 12 Tribes to serve God instantly Day and Night To refuse at any time to (*) Heb 11.35 accept Deliverance upon base and unworthy Terms and sinful Conditions that thou maiest obtain a better Resurrection To be willing to put thy Body to any Pains Labour Suffering for the sake of God and Christ who will not suffer so much as thy Body to be a Loser To (†) 1 Cor. 6.20 glorify God in thy Body since God hath promised to glorify this Body To resolve that Christ shall be (‖) Phil. 1.20 magnified in thy Body whether it be by Lise or by Death since Christ will raise even thy dead Body and give this very Body of thine an (*) 1 Cor. 15.58 abundant Recompense of Reward at last In a Word to have thy Conversation [†] Phil. 3.20 21. in Heaven from whence thou lookest for thy Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to change thy vile Body 3. And lastly Meditate much and often of that perfect State of heavenly Glory that is to be enjoyed upon the Reunion of Soul and Body Think when thy Soul shall recover its own Body what a glad and joyful Meeting there will of those old Companions and intimate Friends which have been parted and separated so long and how the Glory of thy Body will be an Addition to the Joy and Happiness of thy Soul and that from the Day of Resurrection not only a Part but thy whole Person consisting both of Soul and Body will be setled in a perfectly happy Condition 1. Apply thy Mind to think in general of enjoying an * 1 Pet. 1.4 Inheritance incorruptible and undesiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you of taking Possession of an heavenly Kingdom and receiving a Crown of Life That if thou beest a real good Christian †Col. 3.4 when Christ who is thy Life shall appear thou also shalt appear with him in Glory That neither ‖ 1 Cor 2.9 Eye hath seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart if Man the Things which God hath prepared for them that love him Think of an excellent State of heavenly Happiness which cannot indeed be fully understood till it is enjoyed but yet at present is sufficiently revealed to provoke our Desires after it and to encourage our Endeavours to gain and obtain it The Meditation of heavenly Happiness and Glory in the general will cause thee to beware of such (*) 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.19 20 21. Eph. 5.5 6. Rev. 21.27 Sins as will meritoriously exclude thee from the Kingdom of Heaven and formally unfit thee for the Enjoyment of it and will make thee careful to get the Qualifications proper to a Person to whom it belongs and to perform the necessary indispensable Conditions upon which the promised Benefit depends To labour to be (†) Col. 1.12 made meet to be a Partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in Light by Grace to become capable and susceptible of Glory to * Joh. 3.3 be born again that thou maiest see the Kingdom of God to be a †Rom. 9.23 Vessel of Mercy sitted and prepared unto Glory To bow thy Knees to God that he would work this Meetness and Fitness this spiritual Aptitnde and Idoneity in thee that he would prepare thee for the Inheritance of the Saints and Inheritance ‖ Acts 20 32. among them which
voluntary Crimes and according to the measure of them And think again That as thou shalt suffer variety of Punishment Punishment of Loss and Punishment of Sense so thou shalt undergo extremity of Torment That thou shalt be forc'd to depart into Fire †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 25.41 the Fire emphatically which whether it shall be material or metaphorical speaks the sharpness and severity of thy Torment That thou shalt be cast into Fire prepar'd suffer a contrived Punishment that falls under the solemnity of a Preparation Prepared by God the wise and just Lord and Judg For the Devil and his Angels A great and inevitable Punishment such as the Devils must suffer and such as thou must suffer with the Devils That if thou servest the Devil here thou must dwell with him in Hell-fire And if it be so great an Affliction to the People of God who have a true Sense and a right Judgment of Things to be necessitated to live among * Ps 120.5 the Wicked here in this World Think then what a grievous Misery it will be to thee when thy Eyes are open'd in Hell to see thy self under a necessity of dwelling continually with the Devils and cursed Fiends of Hell Think how it would [d] Shepheard's S C. p 95. scare thee almost out of thy wits to have the Devil frequently appear to thee here and what Horror then shall fill thy Soul when thou shalt be banish'd from the Face of God and Presence of Christ and from Angels Society and be joined in Fellowship with the Devil and his Angels be shut up in the darkest Den with that roaring Lion and be chained with the Devil in fiery Fetters Nor will it at all relieve thee to have Companions in all thy Pain and Distress in Hell But the more there be that shall suffer with thee there the less ease and comfort shalt thou enjoy for as [e] Dr. Jackson 3 vol. p. 495. one of profound Judgment well observes there will be no Concord or Consort there nothing but perpetual Discord which is alwaies so much the greater by how much the Parties discording are more in number It being a Thing too well known that to live in continual Discord though but with some few is a kind of Hell here upon Earth Think yet further That thy Punishment in Hell will be perpetual thy Torments be endless as well as easeless thy †Mat. 25.41 46. 3.12 Fire everlasting and unquenchable That thou shalt be * Rev. 20.10 tormented in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone day and night for ever and ever That if it were possible for one Eternity to be spent for one ever to expire and come to an End there should be another ever for thee to be tormented in That in Hell †Mark 9.44 46 48. thy Worm shall never die That thou shalt be punished with ‖ 2 Thess 1.9 everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord That thou shalt be destroyed in a moral not in a natural Sense That thy Essence and Being shall be everlastingly preserv'd but thou shalt be everlastingly depriv'd of God and Glory and of all that makes to thy well-being and everlastingly afflicted and punished with all that tends to thy ill-being That as Nero refus'd to put [f] Philostr in viâ—a Apoll. Tyanaei Apollonius to Death who was very desirous to die because he would not so far gratify him And as Tiberius Caesar when a certain Offender petition'd him to hasten his Punishment retur'd this Answer [g] Suetonius l. 3. c. 6. Nondum tecum redii in gratiam Stay Sir you and I are not Friends yet So if thou provest a damned Person that God won't be mov'd by all thy entreaty to grant a quick and speedy Dispatch to thee nor after [h] See Mr. Bolton's 4 last Things p. 107 108 109 110. If thou hadst an Head as big as Archimedes and couldst tell how many Atomes of Dust weâ—e in the Globe of the Earth yet think that such a vast number is but as one little Atome in compare with those endless Sorrows and those endless Joys Let this be thy Impress or Motto let this be writ upon the minâ— that a learned man writes upon all his Books Aeternâ—tatem cogita Think of Eternity Johan Meursius D. Patrick's Div. Arithm p. 40 41. thousands and millions of Years spent in Torments yield to let thee die at last And that the Eternity of thy Torments will be the Hell of Hell and the very Sting of the second Death That the Eternity both of Loss and Sense will even break the very Heart of thee If good Men here do grieve and mourn when God withdraws and absents himself but for a Moment from them Think then how lamentably and intolerably it will perplex and punish thee to be made sensible hereafter that God will hide his Face from thee for ever That if here thou art unable to bear a tedious Fit of the Tooth-ach Head-ach Cholick Gout or Stone what then thou wilt do to endure those akings of Heart and wounds of Spirit and convulsions of Conscience and complicated torments of Soul and Body which will be the Portion of damned Persons to eternal Ages And if it be so sad a Misery for any to be burnt to Death here Think then how incomparably greater a Misery it will be to be alwaies burning and frying in Hell and yet never to be burnt to Death there Nay if here to lie long on a Bed of Down or on a Bed of Roses and not once to rise in several Years together would prove a grievous sore Trouble and heavy Affliction what an overwhelming Thought is this then of lying in Flames to all Eternity Consider here that so great is the Folly of Man's Mind and the Hardness of his Heart and the Power of present sensual Allurements that [i] See Baxter's Reas of the Christ Rel. p. 171. nothing less than the Threatning of an endless Misery was an apt and sit Instrument of God's ruling and governing the World That Men would not have been sufficiently awed and effectually restrain'd and deterr'd from Sin and kept in order and obedience if God had not intimated and foretold that the obstinate Sinner shall certainly suffer perpetual Punishment in another World That it is too evident that the Denunciation even of eternal Pain and infinite Torment does [k] Id. ib. p. 164 170. not move and sway the greatest part of Men and therefore that the Threatning of meer Annihilation or of some lighter and shorter Punishment would surely have less prevail'd and wrought upon the World And now when everlasting Punishment is plainly threatned that the just and holy Law-giver doth not intend to affright thee with a Lie or with an uncertainty That his Threatning is not like the prediction of an Almanack It may be so it may be not But that he meaneth really to execute and inflict the Penalty of eternal
potation◠nque d ligebat c. Poslidonius de vita August Possidonius and [o] Mensam habebat magis srugiseris sermonibus quà m exqu sitis e luliis opiparam Eóque firè velsacram lectionem adhibebat mensae vel de re quaptam frugisera commentabatur ut non minùs ammt convivarum resi erentur quà n cerpora Lrasm epist ad archiep Toletan ante Op. August Erasmus certify us concerning St. Austin that he had a Table richly furnish'd rather with fruitful Discourses than exquisite Dainties That he took great care that their Table-talk should be serious and pious or some way profitable at least charitable and innocent To which end he ordered that a certain Distich or two Verses should be written on it or hung at it as a necessary Law forbidding those that fed at his Table to gnaw the good Names of others or to fasten their Teeth in them by back-biting of them by detracting from or speaking evil of absent Persons A Disease as Erasmus there well observes almost peculiar to those who otherwise make a profession of Piety when nothing is more alien from true Piety for this Pest usually steals upon Men under a shew of Probity and guise of Goodness while it would appear to be an hatred of Vices and a Zeal of Vertue Which great Evil was so abhorr'd by this holy Man that sometimes he would not yield to the Authority of the very Bishops but when some of his most familiar Fellow-Bishops were forgetful of that Writing and spake what was not agreeable to the Direction of it he would very sharply reprehend them and be so mov'd as to tell them Let them either blot out those written Verses or he would rise from the Table in the midst of his Refection and go to his Chamber if they would not forbear such Tales and Stories He would not suffer his Table to be polluted with such Talk but either required some Scripture to be read while he sat at Table or held some useful Disputation or discours'd concerning some fruitful Matter at Meals that the Minds of his Guests might be no less refresh'd than their Bodies How instructive and edifying were the Table-colloquies of the excellent Luther and the holy Mr. Greenham And [p] In the Life of Bp. Usher p. 57 58. Dr. Bernard acquaints us that the Discourses which daily fell from Bp. Usher at his Table in the clearing of Difficulties in the Scripture and other Subjects especially when learned Men came to visit him were of great advantage to such as were capable of them To others he would apply and accommodate himself with wonderful Humility and Condescention to their meaner Capacities to inform and satisfy their Minds and to work upon their Affections in practical Matters and in his Discourses would sometimes rather incline toward such than to others more learned It put me often in mind saies that worthy Doctor of that Speech of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon Happy are these thy Servants that continually stand about thee and hear thy Wisdom We should all ordinarily stir up our selves to use savoury Expressions and shew holy Affections when we are eating We should still taste and commend the Goodness of God in the variety of his Creatures we partake of and give God solemn hearty [q] A young man lying upon his Sick-bed was alwaies calling for meat but as soon as he saw it was brought to him at the sight of it he shook and trembled dreadfully in every part of his Body and so continued till his Food was carried away and thus being not able to eat he pined away and before his Death acknowledged God's Justice in that in his Health he had received his meat ordinarily without giving thanks Mr. Swinnock's Christ man's Call p. 409. thanks after every Meal for his satherly Care of us and seasonable bountiful Provision for us and ours and charge our selves to spend the Strength we receive from his Creatures in doing him faithful and cheerful Service And as we should be spiritual and heavenly in eating and drinking so we should use Recreations and Sleep to holy ends that by doing for the present little or nothing we may become more apt to do some good thing to be usefully occupied and worthily employed The tenth Direction If we would wisely redeem the Time we must make a good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance and a good Improvement of our Company and Society 1. A good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance The sense Man has of his own Weakness and Indigency makes him naturally much [a] The Philosopher sitly calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addicted and strongly inclin'd to Company and Society which he apprehends so necessary for the * Gen. 2.18 Eccl. 4.9 10 11 12. Help Relief and Comfort of his Life But of all Society that is the most inward and intimate which has its Rise from Choice and Election In the making of which Choice great Caution and Consideration Care and Prudence is to be exercis'd for Men are either made or marr'd as to the forming of their Manners and further'd or hindred as to the Improvement of their Time and their Preparations for Eternity according to the Company they sall in with And therefore we need Direction in no Action of our Life more than in the Choice of our Company especially of our Friends our closest and most familiar Companions They are excellent Counsels that are given by [a] Bp. Taylot of the Measures and Ossices of Friendship p. 14. Pythagoras and [b] Bp. Taylot of the Measures and Ossices of Friendship p. 14. Theognis to guide and conduct our Choice [a] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pvvhag Aur. Carm 5. Where Vertue dwells there Friendships make [b] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theogn sent 113. But evil Neighbourhoods forsake [c] Virtutum amicitia adjutrix à natura data est non vitiorum comes ut quoniam solitaria non posset virtus ad ea quae summa sunt perventre conjuncta sociata cum altera perviniret Lael apud Cic. de Amic Tully tells us that Friendship is given and intended by Nature to be an Assistant Helper and Advancer of Vertues and not a Companion Prompter and Promoter of Vices It therefore greatly concerns and becomes you so to pick and chuse your Friends and Acquaintance as may best serve some excellent End of Vertue And yet we sind when Persons are to chuse their most bosom Friends the Companions of their Youth and Age that they and their Relations who are their Guides and Governours do too commonly regard bodily Beauty and worldly Portion more than Piety and Religion and all the Riches and Ornaments of Grace and Helps for Salvation and Advantages of living and growing in the Knowledg and Faith and Fear of God Laelius in Cicero relates of Scipio that he was wont to complain that Men were exceeding diligent in all other Provisions would
did so early and so solemnly dedicate our selves Souls Bodies and Interests to God and vow to give our Time and Opportunities to his Service We are in Justice obliged to keep this Promise to pay this Vow which if we fail to do we are miserably perjured and forsworn 2. And then for the other Sacrament that of the Lord's Supper In our preparations for the receiving of it we have it may be searched and tried proved and examined our selves inquired into our hearts and waies taken special notice of many passages of our misled Lives and mis-spent Time seriously considered our many partial Covenant-breaches renew'd and repeated our Baptismal-contract with God and our Lord Jesus Christ determined to mortify those hateful Sins which crucisied our Saviour setled our purposes of returning to our Duty with greater care and diligence than ever strengthned and reinforced our Covenant of reforming our Lives and redeeming our Time and resolved upon a stricter Observance of God's Laws for the rest of our daies And at every time of our participation of the holy Communion we openly offer'd and publickly presented ourselves our Souls and Bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively Sacrifice unto God O let 's remember and stand to our Word and take care in God's Fear through Christ strengthning us to perform the Covenant we have so often ratified and frequently reiterated 2. And then again When God hath roused and startled us by some awakening Ordinance or Providence When some * Mark 3.17 Son of Thunder has plainly preach'd as if Death were at our backs which was the Character King James once gave of a lively Minister that preached before himself Or when some affectionate zealous Ambassadour of Christ coming to us in the Spirit of St. Paul has so convincingly reason'd of the Judgment to come and brought his Discourse so close and home to our very Consciences as to cause us to tremble again with Felix we then came to sudden Resolutions and speedy Purposes of Emendation of our Waies Or when at any time God has cast us upon Beds of Sickness brought us to the very brink of Death the very Mouth of the Grave when Friends and Physicians have been doubtful of our Lives when all our own Hopes of Life sickned and died when our Souls have almost sat upon our Lips O then what [a] Si aliqua nos aegritudo corripiat si signa aegritudinis vicinam mortem denuncient inducias vivendi quaerimus ut peccata nostra desleamus eas cum magno aestu desiderit setimus quas acceptas modô pro nihilo habemus Gregor Homil. 12. in Euang. fair and large Promises and specious goodly Resolutions have we made if God should ever restore us lend longer Life to us and try and trust us once again to become new Men to turn over a new Leaf to lead a new Life to improve our Time to all possible Advantage to do God more Service in a Day than we did him in a Month before Have we not been sometimes so sick that we verily concluded we were really seized by the Arrest of Death and seemed to hear God saying to us in particular * Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou maiest be no longer Steward and thought of nothing but the tolling of the Bell and expected some of us that the several parts of us within a few daies or hours should be shared and divided between the Grave and Hell Then we experienced in our selves Philosophantes metus aegrae fortunae sana consilia to use the elegant expressions of the most ingenious [b] Sen. ep 94. in fine Nam quasi ista inter se contraria sint bona fortuna mens bona ita melius in malis sapimus secunda rectum auferunt Ibid. Moralist Then our Fears read Lectures of Philosophy Lectures of Divinity to us and the sad and sorrowful circumstances of a sick and declining and dangerous condition did minister salutary Counsels and healthful Advices to us Let 's recollect and remember what were our serious secret Thoughts the inward workings of our Hearts the lively stirrings of our Consciences yea our open Confessions free Professions and large Promises and Protestations at such a time as that Men are too commonly of a Temper much like that of Naevolus in Martial of whom we find there this [c] Securo nihil est te Naevole pejus eodem Sollicito nihil est Naevole te melius c. Esto Naevole sollicitus Martial l 4. Epigr. 83. Character that when he was secure and prosperous none was more arrogant and insolent but when he was solicitous and press'd with care none was more modest and humble and of better condition and carriage than he We generally appear sensible and serious ready to reform and forward to enter into Vows and Engagements in Affliction and Adversity in grievous Calamities and deep Distresses and to do this especially when confin'd to our Chambers by malignant Distempers violent or painful Diseases and forced by Sickness to take and to keep our Beds Plinius Secundus writing to his Friend Maximus acquaints him with this observation of his The late languishing Condition of a Friend of mine taught me thus much saies he that we are usually [d] Optimos esse nos dum insirmi sumus best when we are sick and weak for what infirm sick Person is amorous or lascivious ambitious of Honour or covetous of Riches How little soever such a Person possesses he reckons he has enough because he supposes he must shortly relinquish what ever he has Then a Man remembers that there is a God saies he and that he himself is but a Man Then he envies admires despises no body then he does not hearken to nor feed upon uncharitable Discourses nor is he malicious or injurious to any but only designs if he should continue longer in the World to lead an innocent and a happy Life And he ends that notable Epistle with this very wise and wholsome Counsel What Philosophers endeavour to deliver in many Words and Volumes * Vt tales esse sani perseveremus quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi Plin. l 7. Ep. 26. that I may thus briefly hint by way of Instruction to thee and to myself saies he * Ps 85.8 That we continue to be such when we are well as we promise we will be when we are sick When Sigismund the Emperour enquired of the Bishop of Colen what he should do to be happy eternally he only advised him to take care to live as he promised to do the last time he had the Gout or Stone O let 's but pay our Sick-bed Vows and we shall redeem the Time indeed Let 's be the [e] Ille promissum suum implevit qui cùm videas illum cùm audias idem est Sen. ep 75. same when our Actions are seen as when our Words are heard Let 's never offer when we recover
of his Humiliation When Christ was almost entring into his Grave he begg'd and intreated that Christ would remember him when he came [g] Tò ev ponitur pro eis into his Kingdom Which of the Eleven were heard to utter so gracious a Word to their Saviour in his last Pangs and dying Agonies This penitent Thief prayed in Faith and look'd for ‖ Mal. 4.2 Healing from the Wings of this Sun of Righteousness when this glorious Sun rose from the West as I may say He was so humble that he would not presume to ask of Christ a participation of his Kingdom or any great and high Honour in it but only requested that he might not be forgotten by him the way of remembring and considering him he left wholly to him He shewed a very exemplary Patience upon the Cross he did not murmur against God or the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but owned the Dueness and Justice of his Punishment and was content to bear it and desired not the removal or abatement of it he meekly and quietly accepted his corporal temporal Punishment being only solicitous for his Soul's Salvation He charitably [i] Luk. 23.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat repreleâ—do anterdico Gerhard Harm in loc reprehended his Fellow-Thief and [i] Luk. 23.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat repreleâ—do anterdico Gerhard Harm in loc forbad him to proceed in his Blasphemy invited him to Repentance and sought to further the Salvation of his Neighbour Thou canst not expect ever to meet with such an Occasion to try and exercise thy Faith and Obedience and therefore thou hast no imaginable reason to nourish up thy self in Security upon presumptuous Hopes of faring as he did since thou canst not do as he did 6. And lastly Suppose thou shouldst at last redeem thy Time so well as by God's help with the good Thief to act and exercise unfeigned Repentance upon thy Death-bed yet I pray shew me and help me a little to understand how thou art likely to get that Comfort and gain that sweet Peace of Conscience which a more early Redemption of thy Time would in all probability bring thee in and bless thee with in thy last Hours A thinking understanding Heathen will tell thee [i] Mortem venientem nemo hilaris excipit nisi qui se ad illam diu composucrat Sen. ep 30. He only can chearfully entertain and gladly welcome Death when it comes who has a long time been fitting and preparing himself for it The Thief upon the Cross had indeed full Assurance that his Soul was in a good Condition at present and sure Ground of strongest Confidence and most comfortable Acquiescence that he should be very quickly in a pure and holy a blissful and happy State in another World But it is not to be expected that thou shouldst arrive to such Assurance in the same or the like way that he did for Christ then hung upon the Cross by him and had compassion on him and reveal'd it to him that his Repentance which was God's extraordinary gracious Gift was Repentance unto Life that his Person was accepted and his Prayer heard and that a higher Favour should be shewn him and a greater Good be bestowed upon him than was expresly desired by him That his Lord was ready to take the Key of Paradise into his hand and would very quickly open the Door and let him in and give him entrance into the Joy of his Lord. All which is included in Christ's gracious Answer to the humble Petition of the penitent Thief which he strengthned and confirmed with an earnest Asseveration Verily I say unto thee I will not only be mindful of thee but thou shalt be with me and that not only some time hereafter but [l] Nee sine grave causa expressum illud hoâ—le Censebant enim Judaes non quorumvis animas statim in selicem Paradisi statum recipi sed eas demum quae bene purgatâ— ex hac vita excederent Grot. in loc to day immediatly after thy Death and Departure To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise be joyfully received and pleasurably entertain'd in that happy Repository and Receptacle of Spirits which God hath prepared for holy Souls But when thou shalt come to lie upon a Death-bed and be conscious to thy self that thou hast led a very sinful and ungodly Life all thy daies and that this is the first time that thou hast in good earnest minded this great Work Suppose that the workings of thy Heart should be sincere how canst thou evidence thy Uprightness to thy self prove and make out to thy self and satisfy thy self in any ordinary way that thy Conversion is true and real sound and sincere When thou shalt plainly apprehend that thou art changing thy Place and Habitation State and Condition all of a sudden thou canst not but conclude that it highly concerns thee to humble thy self to God to beg his Pardon and promise him fair and to resolve by all possible means to shake off thy Sins which are too grievous and dang erous Companions to carry along with thee into the other World to cast away thy Sins at loost as a Man in a Storm begins to cast away his Goods because if he keeps his much valued Goods he must lose his dearest Life But dost not thou remember the famous remarkable Story of * 2 Mac. 9. Antiochus who when the Judgment of God followed him and smote him with an incurable and invisible Plague with a Pain of the Bowels that was remediless and sore Torments of the inner Parts so that the filthiness of his Smell was noisome to all his Army and no Man could endure to carry him for his intolerable Stink and he himself could not abide his own Smell Then he began to leave off his great Pride This wicked Person vowed also unto the Lord that he would set the holy City at Liberty make all the Jews equals to the Citizens of Athens garnish the holy Temple with goodly Gifts become a Jew himself and go through all the World that was inhabited and declare the Power of God But the Lord would now no more have Mercy upon him having suffer'd grievously he died most miserably And hast not thou [k] I never knew nor heard of any unwrought upon under conscionable means who after Recovery perform'd the Vows ... not counted as error and Promises of a new Life which he made in his Sickness and times of Extremity For if he will not be moved with the Ministry God will never give that honour unto the Cross to do the deed Mr. Bolton's Instructions for a right Comf afflicted Conscience p. 255. known some and heard of others who being condemned by Law or cast upon Beds of Sickness have outwardly manifested as great and probable signs of true Repentance upon seeming near approaches of Death and Judgment as thou canst now be well supposed to do and yet when God by