of Ecclesiasticus a wise though not a canonick book chap. 38. Let tears follow the dead and cover his body according to the custome and neglect not his buriall and then comfort your selves for your heavines for it cannot do him good but hurt you I remember of the Epitaph of one of the kings of Assyria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looking upon me learn to lead a holy and gody life And if the dead would speak they would teach us this Videte quod sumus eritis quod sumus fuimus quod estis See what we are ye shal be as we are we were as ye are To this effect have two eies in buriall one cast upon the dead and so there will be none of us so unnaturall but he will be touched as he who feeleth not the losse but the absence not the captivitie but the libertie not the death but the change of his friend to a better estate And if we do so our cariage cannot but be decent modest circumspect wise charitable in a word ChristiaÌ„ another eie fixed upon God who is al eye and not only beholds the things of this great universe but also the very inward reines and most latent corners of the hearts of men And if we do so there wil be none of us but wil bridle his natural affections secret passions in such fashion that they carry him not beyond the bounds of right reason moderation religion The second is out of St. Paul 1 Thess 4. 13 14. I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we beleeve that Jesus died rose again even so also them who sleep in Jesus wil God bring with him that we may all meet where our last randevous heaven is and there be united to God who is the center of all yea all in all And thus farre of that generall doctrine with the uses thereof Now let me come to some speciall doctrines which are as so many necessary consequences of it The first doctrine by way of consequence is this It is appointed Then there is nothing in this world able to save a man froÌ„ the piercing stroak of death beauty cannot keep Absalom nor strength Sampson nor valour Josua nor wisedome Solomon nor policy Achitophel nor court Haman nor the crown Saul nor an hundreth and twenty seven provinces Ahasuerus nor the palace Nebuchadnezzar nor nine hundred sixty and nine years Methusalem What the best things could not keep the godliest from the same Righteousnesse could not keep Noah nor faithfulnesse Abraham nor meeknesse Moses nor integritie Samuel nor patience Job nor a blamelesse life Zacharias nor the heart of God David The bark defendeth the tree the feather the fowle the scale the fish the feet the Hynde and the Hare and armour one man against another And as saith Epicurus against all other things we may arme our selves but against death there is no armour for it consumeth armour it selfe in which sense Alexander the great said to the Gymnosophists hee could not give them immortalitie And the wise man affirmeth this Prov. 30. 16. The grave the barren wombe the earth and the fire they never say Enough As the barren womb cannot be filled with seed nor the earth with waters nor the fire with fewell so the grave is never satisfied with the dead Death is rigorous inflexible inexorable irrevocable irreparable This is verified in the worthie Patriarchs or Genearchs before and after the floud in the religious judges and kings of Israel in the divine Prophets Evangelists Apostles in the reverend fathers doctours and preachers of the primitâ—â— and reformed churches in all the Martyrs with the rest of Gods elect two being extraordinarily excepted Yea it behoved Christ Jesus God and man in one person hypostatically united albeit he was the prince of life to lay down his precious life for man dead in sinnes and trespasses and so take away the guilt of sinne and the sting of death So that unhappie is that man who seeks and sues by all meanes to flee from death for wheresoever he go it wil meet him either soone or late or whosoever places his chief felicitie here where there is nothing but miserie or thinkes of a brittle and transitory cottage to make a sure and permanent citie for as long as we are in the flesh we are absent from the Lord debarred and sequestrate from our eldest brother who even now is preparing a place for us that shal never be taken from us And by the contrary happie is hee that prepareth himselfe timously that when deaths doome is execute upon him he may be found ready for those heavenly mansions so glorious by creation so beautifull in situation so rich in possession so commodious for habitation Where the king is Christ the law love the life eternitie life without death light without darknes mirth without sadnes health without sicknesse wealth without poverty credit without disgrace beauty without blemish bountie without measure felicitie without any mixture of misery O Lord take us from our selves to thy self there where thou shalt be life to our souls health to our bodies sight to our eyes musick to our ears honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies truth to our wits good to our wills peace to our consciences delight to our affections in a word as saith Bernard where thou shalt be the soule of our soules We say with Augustine Fecistinos domine ad te inquietum erit cor nostrum donec requiescat in te Thou art the center of our soules we cannot be at rest till that once we see thee that in seeing thee we may know thee in knowing thee we may possesse thee in possessing thee love thee in loving thee live with thee and in thee in living with thee and by thee become one with thee receive that palme of victory the garland of triumph that crowne of immortalitie from thee Oh fain would we be at thee but our sins cloy and clog us and pull us downe by the neck and shoulders O Jesus who art our valiant and unconquerable captaine take thy al-piercing sword from thy thigh and cut the fetters of sin the bands of Satan that our souls like so many soaring Eagles may flee out of these base and corruptible prisons of our bodies to those royall palaces of that free new supernall Jerusalem the mother of us all Use of admonition Is death inevitable and the stroak thereof irreparable then let us in time thinke upon it This is the day of salvation if this sun-shine of grace once set it will never rise again and we are either won or lost here and there is no repentance no preaching no conversion no church in hell In the mean time this our naturall life is but a broken reed a cob-web to lean unto which because of the inconstancie uncertainty shortnesse naughtinesse of it is justly
remedia cum mortis imminent pericula It is no time to prepare remedies against imminent death Foreseen dangers harme least But let us studie it in the morning that the evening of our dayes may bee calme and peaceable Yea let us gather our selves together before the supreme decree of death passe out against us at unawares that so wee may meet it with as much readinesse of minde as it is willing with greedines to receive us who should not be drifters off of repentance like Salomons sluggard or any more supersede flatter or foster our selves with vaine and deceitfull conceits of the immortalitie of this melting mortalitie or admire this dying carcasse which the wormes must feed upon ere it be long or be ravished with the astonishing fabrick of our bodies which are but clay tabernacles and death at our flitting will dissolve the pinnes thereof Therefore O young man remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth O strong man go not a whooring from the living God! O old man who hast one foot in the grave already let death be set before thy eyes And thinke not O beastly drunkard O devouring glutton but as thou insultest over thy companions in the excesse of meat and drinke so thy liver will faile thee and the powers of death and of the grave shall triumph over thee ere it be long O leacherous man who sowest where thou darest not reap deflowring virgines defiling the honourable bed of marriage the fierie heat of thy concupiscence shall be quenched in the flouds of oblivion ere it be long O avaricious extortioner O ambitious worldling howbeit now thou canst pledge whole monopolies devoure widows houses eat up the poore rob the altar yet thou shalt get one morsell that thou canst not digest ere it be long O generous man howbeit thy heart now erected in thy breast inthe forme of a restlesse piramide be the fountaine of thy life it shall be dryed up like a summer strype ere it be long And as it was primum vivens so it shall bee ultimum moriens ere it be long O brave man thy noble and straight face which now contemplates the heavens shall bee defaced in the slimie valley ere it be long O wise man who knowest the estates of kingdomes the secrets of princes the mysteries of nature and hast made up a store-house within thee of all commendable vertues thou and they shall perish together ere it be long O eloquent man whom of all men I thinke to be most compleat thy tongue which now floweth like milk and honey and powreth Nectar and Ambrosia upon the famished and thirstie souls of thy hearers and drowneth as it were the soyle of their hearts with a soft-silver running river shall lick the dust ere it be long O thou comely Rachel beautifull Bethsheba alluring Dalilah thy pampered and well covered skinne in the grave shall be like that of a drudge or vile kitchin-maid ere it belong O young gallant who art enamoured with thy beautie thinking thy self another Adonis Nereus Narcissus thou shall be like Aesope or Thersites ere it bee long And whatsoever thou be O man hear what I say Thy force once must languish thy sense faile thy body droup thine eyes turne in thine head thy veines break thy heart rent and thy whole frame like an old rotten oak shall fall to the ground or like a leaking ship shall sinke into the harbour of thy grave The wise man compares thee to a ruinous house which decayeth piece and piece but that comparison is familiar to those who are acquainted with scripture The certaintie whereof should weane and spean our affections from the base things of this earth and should worke in us an ardour of minde a vehemencie of spirit a serious and sedulous endeavour to bee delivered from the prison of this body the Red sea of the miseries of this life the captivitie of sinne the thraldome of our corruption the tyrannie of Satan Yee know if a couragious man be many years in a stinking solitarie and dark prison he would be glad to change his infamous life with a glorious death But if the judge command the jailour to bring him forth to bee set at libertie I pray you when he seeth the brightsome light of the sunne and tasteth of his wonted joyes in meat drink apparell companie is he not ravished within himself Even so it is with us while we are in Mesech in the Egypt of sinne under our spirituall Pharaoh the devil being compassed about with robbers on the land pirates on the sea hereticks in the church few or no godly men we cannot but be plunged in a deep dungeon of grief and sorrow But when it will please that unappealable judge that high possessour of heaven and earth to command the jaylour Death to loose us from the prison of this body then we shall behold the glorious face of the Sonne of righteousnesse and eat and drink of him who is the bread and fountain of life and be clad with the robe of his justice and enjoy the blessed companie of Saints and Angels in the highest degree of happinesse This heavenly meditation so possest many godly ones of old that long before-hand not hating their naturall but longing after a supernaturall life welcomed and invited death This made Moses to preferre the reproach of Christ before the court of Pharaoh This made Elias to cry out It is enough O Lord take my soul for I am no better then my fathers This made David to say Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit because thou hast redeemed my soul This made Polycarpus to say Receive me Lord and make me partner with thy Saints of the resurrection This made Ignatius Pauls disciple Bishop of Antioch to say I care not for things visible or invisible so that I may winne Christ And in another place fire gallows beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crucifying of my body all the torments of the devil together let them come upon me so that I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his kingdome This made Hilarion to say Depart my soule why fearest thou why tremblest thou thou hast served CHRIST now almost seventy yeares and art thou afraid to depart This made Jerome to say Let us embrace that day viz. of death which shall assigne every one of us to his house which shal free us of the snares of this age and restore us to paradise and the kingdome of heaven Which made Gregory Nazianzen to say That that day shall make us partakers of that fruition and contemplation of the soveraigne good and place us in the bosome of Abraham and shall unite us to the assemblie of Saints and congregation of the just where saith Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. The garners are sealed and the time fulfilled and the combate ended and the field empty and the crownes are given This made Augustine to say I desire to die that I may see Christ and I refuse
easie and precious death in the eyes of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an happie death is immortalitie to soul and body for every manner of death how execrable soever shall be sanctified on the tree whereon Christ was crucified And thus farre of all the points of my text Now my Noble Honourable Reverent and well beloved Auditors least I should omit any circumstance of this action looked for by you I come to these two dead corps lying at the lippe of the grave from which yee have received six directions and if they could speak any more they would make up the seventh which is the most perfect number that is to say Learne of us to die for ye must follow after us and we cannot come backe unto you So their mouthes are stopped and we need not to speak unto them any more for they will not hear us therefore wee must speake something of them To pray God for them we should not for it will not availe them to praise them howbeit praise worthie I am assured that criticks and censurers would take to themselves larger matter then perhaps were given them all consenting with one voice and minde that I a friend were driven by the violent streame of affection and the tempestuous storme of passion either upon the Scylla of ostentation or the Charibdis of assentation But I hope the saile of my sinceritie shall carry the ship of my minde from these two rocks to the safe harbour of your favourable audience and sparing censures and that my mouth shall utter nothing but that which the carper himself a framed friend an impartiall judge a charitable christian ought to say to wit That this rare spectacle of one husband and spouse which cannot be severed in death would seeme in the eyes of a naturall man pitifull and deplorable but to us who see with spirituall eyes joyfull and comfortable for they are with God And this is remarkable Their joy was one their grief one their love one their life one their death one their buriall one their tombe one their grave one their glory one And great is our union with them howbeit we be separate for a while for charitie biddeth us say That our baptisme is one our faith one our hope one our love one our reward one our pilgrimage one our race one our warfare one our countrey one our common-wealth one our citie one our religion one our church one our spirit one our Christ one our God one the father of us all above us all in us all all in all These are strait bands betwixt them and us for that same golden chaine of mercie which hath pulled them unto heaven is fastned to our souls that we also in our own time may be drawne hither In the meane time we are banished and strangers they gone home and citizens we in Sodom they in Zoar wee in O Enon they in Salem wee in a terrestriall cottage they in a celestiall paradise we in clayie tabernacles they in glorious pavilions we are on this border of the sea they on the other wee drowned in the sea they in the ark wee in the desert they upon the top of mount Pisgah we in Egypt they in Canaan we tost to and fro they in the harbour mouth Againe we in a labyrinth they in the fortunate Isles and Elisian fields wee hunt after shadows they enjoy the substance wee amongst Bears and Wolves they with the Lambe we fighting they triumphing And what more we sick they whole we blinde they enlightned with that inaccessible light we see through a glasse they face to face wee know in part they fully we poore they rich wee naked they cloathed wee weare clouts and rags they bear crownes and scepters we hungrie they satisfied we feed upon the fruits of the earth they upon that quickning Manna the bread of Angels we imprisoned they set at libertie and that which the ignorant would thinke a wonder wee dead and they living Why go wee then with mourning apparell seeing they have white robes Why weep we any more seeing all teares are wiped from their eyes Why do wee lament seeing they sing songs of triumph upon golden harps and viols with the melodious harmonious sweet-singing-chorestrie of Angels Surely if it were possible that glorified souls were subject to grief they have greater occasion to mourn for us then wefor them whose bands amongst themselves are so unseparable that death cannot break them and greater love wee read not of any two then of these for it is stronger then death O happie couple above the eloquence of man and angel Many a loyall husband and chaste spouse would be glad of such an end And what an end Let the envious Momus and injurious backbiter hold their peace and let me who stand in the presence of God and in the face of his people and in the chaire of veritie tell the truth to wit That honourable Baron whose corps lyeth there in the flower of his yeares in the strength of his youth in the prime of his designes even when young men use to take up themselves is fallen and mowne downe from amongst us like a may flower in a green meadow His vertuous Lady who having languished a little after him howbeit tender in body yet strong in minde and full of courage took her dear husbands death in so good part that shee did not give the least token of hopelesse and helplesse sorrow Yet wearying to stay after her love she posted after him and slept peaceably in the Lord as her husband before her This Noblemen Gentlemen and men of account amongst us have assured mee So then as neither the husbands ancient house nor his honourable birth nor his noble allye nor his able and strong body nor his kinde stout liberall minde nor the rest of the ornaments which were in him alive and which recommend brave gentlemen to the view of this gazing world could keepe him from a preceding death So neither the spouses noble race of generous and religious progenitours nor a wise carriage in a well led life nor the rest of her womanish perfections could free her from a subsequent death both due to them and us for our sins God hath forgiven theirs God forgive ours also They have done in few all that can be done in many yeares They have died well God give us the like grace In the mean time their reliques and exuvies terrae depositum shall lye there amongst other dead corps of their forebears and aftercommers all attending a generall resurrection And their souls the best part of them coeli depositum have surpassed the bounds of this inferior world and are carried upon the wings of Cherubims and Seraphins to the bosome of Abraham for to change servitude with libertie earth with heaven miserie with felicitie and to bee made partakers of that beatifick vision reall union actuall fruition of our God in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are
requested by my near and dear friends yea abundantly warranted by these who have the prioritie of place in church government above me and as it seemeth by your favourable silence and Christian attention invited to speak I have purposed by the speciall concurrence and assistance of the spirit of my God to deliver unto you a brief meditation upon death Pray ye all to God to engrave it by the finger of his all-pearcing spirit in the vive depth of my heart that again by way of spirituall communication I may write it upon the tables of your hearts as it were with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond that both preacher and hearer may lay it up in their memories and practise it in their lives and conversations And I intreat you all and most of all these who are of a tender conscience I entreat you I say in the tender bowels of mercie not to misconstruct my coming hither which ought rather to be a matter of singular comfort then of prejudged censure a matter of profitable instruction rather then of envious emulation a matter of pious devotion then of repining contention I think not shame with the glorious apostle to preach in season and out of season for the converting winning and ingathering of soules I do not say this That I consent to these who contemne and condemne altogether such meetings for albeit I would confesse unto them that the time place and persons were extraordinarie as indeed they may seem to these who have not travailed out of their paroch churches or seen forrein countries yet the customes of the primitive church see Nazianzen Ambrose Jerome c. and of our reformed churches in France Genevah Germanie upper and lower in great Britaine and elsewhere maketh all three ordinarie and the subject of this present meditation viz. Death proveth the same to be common THE SERMON Hebr. 9. 27. For it is appointed for men once to die c. THis is a short a memorable a grave assertion Short because few in words but full of substance Memorable because a remembrance of death Grave because the vive representation of it before our eyes should teach us our frail and transitorie condition in this world But that I may proceed with a clear method without the which there is no solid discourse marke these points 1 The logick analysis of these words 2 The grammaticall and criticall expositions 3 The doctrines conforme with their severall uses inferred upon them 4 And lastly the conclusion of this whole action by way of application to these two dead corps As for the analysis I shall not be curious in it Ye see only the subject of this sentence is Men once to die The attribute Appointed The sentence it self is generall because the appointment is generall Death generall The subject of death Man generall The number of death Once if unitie can be a number As for the exposition There are three words which need to be cleared The first whereof is appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded by worthie Suidas Laid up as a reward and so indeed death is the wages of sinne Phavorinus following that most learned Hesychius turneth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is prepared and so indeed it is prepared for all men once to die But our Greek and Latine ancient and moderne writers translate it ordeined decreed established for all men once to die I embrace their orthodox versions yet they will suffer me to explain this word by others in scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is foreseen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is foreknown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is fore-purposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is predestinate that all men must once die I confesse all these foure words are to man diverse modo percipiendi yet to God they are all one who howbeit he be the first and the last yet in him there is neither first noâ— last So that the meaning is this It is the irresistible will eternall decree unchangeable purpose unsearchable counsel of the wise and everliving God That all men and women living upon the face of the earth must once die Obj. But this may be called into question by two or three instances taken out of the old and new testaments In the old Genes 5. we read That Enoch was no more seen by man but taken by God And 2 King cap. 2. that Elias was caught up in a fierie chariot unto heaven so that they were both translated not to see death In the new we read 1 Thess 4. That these who shall survive at the day of judgement they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and caught up into the clouds for to meet with the Lord in the aire and to be ever with him so that these also shal not taste of death I answer first That some few extraordinarie instances do not altogether break the band of ordinarie courses once set down by God who is without shadow of turning or changing Secondly I answer That Enoch and Elias in so far as they were men they were mortall but in so far as they were such men they were immortall that is In so far as they were types of the resurrection and of the prototype Jesus the immortall coeternall coessentiall Son of God the Father And as for those who shall remain alive upon the earth on that great day their death will not be reall but analogicall not actuall but virtuall or equivalent that is They shall not die as their predecessours a naturall death but their extraordinarie change shall supply or be in stead of an ordinarie death So that ye may manifestly perceive the appointment of God is surer then the center of the earth or the foundation of the heavens for these two are grounded upon it and it upon none except it self the center and fundament of all whose appointment is himself in whom there is no composition no accident Quicquid enim in Deo Deus est that is whatsoever is in God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very God him very self one and the same yesterday to day and for ever And thus far of the exposition of the first word appointed The second word is Death Suidas by a periphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a refuge from evils and as it were a most safe haven after some storme Phavoâ—inus who wrote after the rest of Greek authours giveth foure short descriptions of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A separation of the soul from the bodie A disjunction of the foure elements whereof our bodies are made The loosing of the life The chasing away of cares Scripture calleth it a loosing not a losing or dissolution not a destruction Our Theologues they commonly make three sorts of death First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturall death not that nature is the cause of it for it is sui conservatrix a defender of it self but that it is made common
to all things in nature and under the sun things also above the divine nature onely excepted have their owne changes as well as their influences Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Violent death when the course of nature is interrupted by some strange event common also to all living creatures And the Pagans themselves without any contradiction acknowledged these two sorts The third is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The death of deaths called spirituall death and it is twofold either first when a man is dead in his sins through desertion occoecation obduration impenitence or last when a man because of his continuance in the same is cast away from Gods presence and union as a reprobate and consequently is adjudged to the hells without any recoverie deliverie mercie God preserve us from this estate and happy shall we be if we die before we die for so we shall not die when we die that is if we die to sin before our bodie die for so when it dieth we shall not die spiritually and he that will live when he is dead must die while he is alive that whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we die we die to the Lord Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. For Christ to us in death and life is advantage Philip. 1. 21. For Christ therefore died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. And thus far of the exposition of the second word Death The third word is Man I know the naturalists being blindfolded intoxicate and infatuate with self-love and self-conceipt gave innumerable glorious titles to man and amongst the rest they called him the monarch of heaven and earth the midst betwixt the Creatour and the creature the Lord compend and picture of this world a little world the delight and miracle of nature the miracle of miracles yea a mortall God and as the Stoicks say in one thing lesse then God But it is to be remarked that the most solid Philosophers did call man amongst other disparagements the patterne of imbecilitie the prey of time the pastime of fortune the pourtraict of inconstancy the subject of envie and calamitie Or as Diogenes saith rottennesse in his beginning a beast in his life the food of worms in his death But to leave all exotick observations let us speak of him in the language of Canaan There are three words which in the originall signifie man The first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noble strong worthie excellent man for in the estate of innocencie and integritie he was created perfectly holy in body and soul in which sense Philo Judaeus calleth God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the patterne and man Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effigie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workmanship But alas O man thou hast made a great change and hast lost infinite treasures for earthly toyes of holy thou art become unholy of perfect imperfect and art metamorphosed from the image of God to the image of Satan The second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enosch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 painefull sorrowfull miserable man for by his vile apostasie from his Lord and King from his Master and Father he hath brought shame and punishment upon himself and through him to his whole posterity as water is derived through the channell to the streams or as the sappe of a tree is sent up from the roote to the branches The third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam and this word is almost one with Enosch for it signifieth weak feeble impotent man and so it is distinguished from Isch As in greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differs from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalme 49. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene Isch that is the rich and the poore the noble and the ignoble potent and impotent But this third word Adam signifieth most especiallie the matter whereof wee are made clay earth dust And in this sense Moses Deut. 32. Jer. 22. 29. say O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord that is O man man man earth by constitution earth by disposition earth by dissolution set down in the Latine wel terra quam terimus terra quam gerimus terra quam quaerimus And Chrysostome saith more it is our countrey ournurse our mother our board our house our sepulchre Augustine tearmes it our strange land and Nazianzen our step-mother and this is Gods own conference with man in that terrestriall paradise Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return confessed by Abraham Gen. 18. 27. I am but dust and ashes and by Job ch 10. 9. O Lord thou hast made me as a pot of clay and wilt bring me unto dust again And this is amplified by Solomon Siracides yea the Turks and Pagans who affirme that we were once made of earth must return to it again as waters to the sea And this is Gods owne voice to Isaias ch 40. 6. repeated in 1. Peter 1. 24. All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof decayeth Where first mark the matter of man in the word flesh that is a senslesse dead lump till that the Lord and Prince of life breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and so he become a living soule Secondly the continuance of man and that very short represented first by grasse which the mower cutteth the winde withereth the frost consumeth secondly by a flower which the hand plucketh the winde shaketh the rain walloweth both of small endurance for one winter taketh away both Even so man may in the pleasant flower of his age bud flourish fructifie but when the smiting winde of Gods decree bloweth on him he withereth decayeth dieth And when hee is gone were he ever so glorious in this life there is no more memorie of him then of a beautifull flower in a mowen meadow his loyall wife his loving children his neare friends his dear companions all forget him and howbeit in the vanitie of their ambitious spirit and pride of their loftie heart they would erect sumptuous tombes speaking trophees gorgious monuments onely times prey upon him he is not sensible of such things for Esay 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not and after this life he must be in one of these two estates without a third either in hell sempiternally confined and if he bee there what comfort can hee receive of funerall preparations multitudes of convoy bearing of branches and such like superfluities which reach not beyond the span of this life or if he be triumphing in heaven no earthly pompe no humane magnificence no worldly preheminence can adde any thing to that superexcellent weight of glory no more then a drachme to the weight of the whole earth or
to live that I may live with Christ This made Ambrose to say I am not afraid to die because I have a good master This made the Apostle St. Paul to say I desire to be dissolved to be with Christ for that is the best of al and That al otherthings are but drosse and dung in respect of the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ God worke this desire in us for while wee are at home in these bodies we are absent from the Lord and ground it upon the assurance of the remission of our sinnes and our perfect union and plenary reconciliation with our God in Christ Jesus The Lord give us grace to be perswaded with the Apostle that if the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. But alas here is our miserie that every one of our bodies is a remora to hinder the ship of our soules to stretch sail within the saving harborie of Gods crowning mercies God fasten the anchors of our faith and hope therein that after the tempest of this life we may enjoy peace and everlasting happinesse The third doctrine by way of consequence is this It is appointed Then let no man fear death for it is inevitable and whether we flie from it or goe to it it ever followeth us at the heels it hangeth over our heads as the rock doth Tantalus his head which cannot bee removed There are who desire not to hear tell of it at all and if the preacher urge this point hee becommeth odious To the old Latines this word was so ominous that they periphrased it by another for when they should have said in plaine termes Mortuus est He is dead they said Vixit He lived Abiit ad plures He went to moe for there are moe dead then living As for the vulgar sort they are so besotted with a bruitall stupiditie that they thinke not on death at all But a generous heart should make it its object its butt acquainting it selfe with it at all times representing it before its eyes even in the least occurrences it may seize upon us A king of France died of a small skelfe of a speare in the midst of his pastime An Emperour of the scratching of a pinne Anacreon of one graine of a raisin Aeschylus of the shel of a snaile which fell from the clawes of an Eagle in the aire Milon with both his hands in the clift of an oak Charles of Navarre of the fire of a candle in aquavitae Philemon and Philistion of laughter Dionyse Tyran Diagoras and others of joy O what a feeble creature is man that the very least vermine spider gnat doth kill him and yet feareth death which the Hart the Elephant Phoenix and longest living creatures must yeeld to without any grudging or reluctance Certainly there is no passion more violent in man then feare and produces more strange effects but of all feares the fear of death is the most foolish mad and desperate for it may wel hasten aggravate but never stay or diminish the dint thereof Multi ad fatum venere suum dum fata timent Many precipitate their end in fearing it Seneca in O Edip. Optanda mors est sine metu mortis mori the most desirable death is to dy without fear of death Idem Aristotle the chief of Philosophers calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most fearfull because as it cannot be eschewed so it killeth the man Yet this is a maxime that no sound naturalists will goe from that good and valiant citizens such as Pericles praised in his funerall oration should undergoe it for the defence of their wives children friends citie countrey gods And the Stoicks themselves defend their Philosophie to bee a continuall meditation upon death because the motion of the soule being ravished out of the body by contemplation is a prentiship or resemblance of death And they deemed him to be the best Philosopher who gave the surest precepts against the feare of death So in my opinion he is the best divine who teacheth himselfe and others to doe well to die well Would we die well let us first doe well Qualis vita finis ita such life such death August Non potest male mori qui bene vixerit he cannot die ill who lived well for a godly life hath a happie death The very Paganes of old the Romanes Greeks Egyptians who howbeit they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Rom. 1. 21. and ignored the resurrection of the dead yet they might have taught many of us now adayes by a spotlesse life before the world to die well because they esteemed an easie death should follow after a reproachlesse life But alas men live now as if there were no death to follow no hell to swallow no count to render no judgement to be executed no soul to keepe no God to fear no devill to torment or else they lull themselves asleepe on the devils pillow the cradle of carnall securitie And with the Epicure Sardanapalus and the rich glutton they never thinke upon death till it surprise them and they either care not because they conclude there is no pleasure after this life or else they despaire casting themselves headlong into horrible agonies and inextricable perplexities In the mean time ye may wonder that Pythagoras Socrates Anaxarchus Codrus Cleombrotus Curtius Seneca Cato Cleopatra died resolvedly and yet they knew not where they were going Why then are we pultrons and cowards seeing we are assured to go upon the wings of angels to the bosome of Abraham Their naturall courage made them to disdaine it Mors non metuenda viris Manhood is not daunted with death Lucanus Shall not then our spirituall knowledge perswade us that our death is nothing but a passage to life a passe-port to immortalitie a doore to paradise a seasure of heaven a chartre upon glory or as saith Bernard a passage from labour to rest from hope to reward from the combate to the crowne from death to life from faith to knowledge from pilgrimage to our long home from the world to our father And as another saith It is a change of the crosse unto the crown of the prison to the palace of captivity unto liberty Scripture is more pithie it calleth it A sleep a rest of our flesh in hope a going to our fathers a gathering to our people a recommending of our spirit to God a rendring up of the ghost a walking with God and the Lambe Object But some may say here Why should we not fear seeing worthie persons yea reverend church-men who led a godly life and exhorted sundrie not to fear were mightily troubled at their death and when they should have had most peace they were most disquieted I answer Their fear was a diligent not a diffident a holy not a hellish a filial not a servile a godly not a
devilish fear because they feared God as a judge and they hoped in him as a Saviour they feared him and so they sued for him appealing from the tribunall of his justice to the throne of his mercie ab irato Caesare ad placatum from an offended God in the height of his justice to a pacified God in the depth of his mercies And I would have the simple ignorant people to know here that outward disturbances in fits of heavie exasperate inveterate sicknesse are not evident and infallible tokens of a totall or finall desertion for the godly patients may have inward joy glorious and unspeakable which the standers by see not And by the contrarie some who have led a lewd life without any remorse of conscience or compunction or contrition of heart may seeme to have a peaceable death and say that they are ready for their God when in the meane time their heart giveth their mouth the lie Others desire to die because of great povertie or intolerable paines or losse of goods good name friends c. But God make us not to fear death because we are assured of his favour in the pardon of our huge and manifold transgressions and imputation of Christs righteousnesse for that is only the thing which justifieth us before God Use of encouragement Then why should we fear death Agathias calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of tranquilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stayer of sicknesse Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest remedie of evills Aeschylus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the medicine of incurable diseases Anacreon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deliverie from travels which after trouble giveth us rest healeth our sicknes taketh away our povertie endeth our greatest feares and cares It is the way of all flesh and it is common to kings and beggars as well to die as to be borne And one of the seven sages Thales saith that they are both indifferent But to Christians they are both profitable for Christ in life and death is advantage Philip. 1. 21. If it please the Lord we live let us employ our life well for it is a talent given to us for the use of our Master if to die what need we to fear for all these who are gone before us cry out Come come after us there is no danger in death all the hazard we incurre and jeopardie wee run into is in our lives Is not this life a continuall miserie a perpetuall tempest a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common hostage and receptacle of all calamities and our death is an issue of these miseries the harbrie mouth leading us to the most sure haven the heaven of heavens the bridegroomes chamber 1 Object Death is most dangerous and so most fearfull because it is the way to hell from the which there is no regresse Answer To the wicked indeed it is such but to the godly it is the gate to heaven and hither you must make your progresse 2 Object It takes away my life which is so near and dear unto me Answer Upon a condition to give a better which shall never bee taken from thee 3. Object But my losses are great Answer Let me never hear that of thee againe that it is a great losse of such a mans life or that thou losest any thing in death that is an idle querimony to the which Socrates answereth O dii boni quantum lucri est emori O what great gaine is it to die for ye may leave an earthly possession for an heavenly patrimonie uncertaine goods for a certaine treasure the company of the wicked for Saints and Angels earth for heaven basenesse for glory unsufficiencie for alsufficiencie 4. Object But there are paines in death Answer There is nothing without paines and the better the thing be the greater paines but to speak properly it is the remnant of thy life that tormenteth thee and not thy death for what is it but a not being in this world for when we are death is not and when death is wee are not Now a not being hath no dolour for as when wee were not at all wee found no dolour so when we shall not bee wee shall finde none Wherefore then fearest thou the day of death for every day of thy life is a preparation to it and that last period of dayes is not properly thy death allenarly for every day contributeth to it And as the last drop emptieth not nor filleth the bottle and the last path wearieth not nor the last stroake cutteth downe all the trunke of the tree but every one helpeth another so every day we go to death and the last wee arrive at it So that it boats with us it rideth behinde us and leaveth us no more then the shadow of our bodies till at last it cut the thred of our desires and lives and take us from the world and from our selves So that we die at all houres and all moments and if we desire to live long we enjoy a languishing death victorious in many assaults So that Epictetus answered well to Hadrian demanding this question Which is the best life he answered The shortest And Solomon saith That the day of our death is better then the day of our nativitie for this is the beginning of our dolours and that is the end and our accesse to supreme happinesse for then this body shall returne to the dust and the spirit to God the giver with whom we shall enjoy a full life and our passions shall be buried and our reason enlarged and the whole man placed in his owne element the heaven his countrey from the which hee was banished Furthermore did not Cicero Seneca and before them Theophrastus Crantor Xenocrates leave rare monuments and documents against immoderate dolour in death as also against the fear thereof but thou art better taught then those that death is the very entry to that eternall day nunc stans feast Sabaoth with the Ancient of dayes and that the separation of the soule from this body is nothing but an union and communion with God And shall naughtie souldiers under their temporarie captaine hazard their mispent life at the mouth of the canon in a furious skirmish for the pennie-pay and thou not lay down this tedious life for the kingdome of heaven whereunto thou hast undoubted right by thy triumphing generall the captaine of thy salvation the Lord Jesus the Lord of Hosts 5. Object But the pangs of death are insupportable who can abide these cruell and deadly wounds Answer That same Jesus by his glorious and meritorious death hath sweetned seasoned sanctified them to thee in such fashion that they shall be unto thee like the launcet of a Chirurgion which pricketh and healeth together like worme-wood or the potion of a skilfull mediciner which is sowre but wholesome 6. Object But the feare of judgement after death maketh me afraid Answer That same Lord Jesus judge of judges thy eldest brother shall be thy
judge in that great day of retribution and remuneration and hee cannot but looke upon thee with compassionate eyes seeing he is flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bones and thy cause is his cause for he is thy advocate and intercessour daily 7. Object But the paines of hell which are unspeakable universall eternall are very fearfull and much affright me Answ That same Jesus thy redeemer as he made the grave his bed so hee keeps the keyes of hell and the gates thereof cannot prevail against thee To conclude then let us all resolve couragiously to attend death laying aside all fear ever hoping that the Lord shall be with us to the end and in the end Blessed shall we be if we die in him for so we shall rest from our labours and in death celebrate three solemnities First our birth day for wee shall revive Secondly our mariage day which shall be accomplished with Christ Thirdly our triumph day for through Christ we shall triumph over the world our own flesh sinne death the grave hell the devill principalities and powers whatsoever and receive that crowne of glory So that through Christ we are more then conquerours who saith I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction Hosea chap. 13. 14. Are wee gods in Christ let us not fear death Lethum non omnia finit Propertius Death puts not a period to all things I say more death maketh us endlesse Cicero affirmeth that after death hee shall bee immortall Horace that the best part of him shall live Ovid that the best part of him shall be carried above the starres The Egyptians Brachmanes Indians Thracians Persians Macedonians Arabians Americanes and all polished nations have consented to the immortalitie of the soule But here wee surpasse them that after death and resurrection our bodies shall live for ever This is an essentiall and fundamentall point of our belief THE SUBIECT Men once to die NOw let me speak of the subject of this assertion Man once to die It is not said in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men because indefinite propositions in matters necessary are universall The meaning is All men and women must once die Ovid Tendimus huc omnes we tend all to death and that once Horace saith very well Omnes eodem cogimur Omnes manet una nox calcanda semel via lethi This is a passage common to all and let it be so wee should live again wee must runne over the same race Catullus and Epictetus say That as our life is but one day so our death is but one night The doctrine upon the subject is this As there is nothing more certain then death so there is nothing more uncertain then the time place and manner thereof This doctrine hath two points I prove the first that there is nothing more certaine then death leaving the former reasons First from the word fatum which expresseth the nature of death so called a fando because the Lord hath spoken it his word is his work And seeing he hath uttered this sentence That all men must once die it cannot but come to passe So that there is a fatall infallible inexpugnable necessitant necessitie laid upon man once to die Man is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a visible God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compend of this great world and as the heavens and earth wax old and perish so he the resemblance of both must follow the patterne I confesse with Zoroaster and Trismegistus that he is an admirable piece of nature because both natures superior and inferior uncreated and created do meet in him And if these visible creatures bee as so many scales to climbe to that invisible Creator man must be one of the most curious steps of that ladder If we look within the intrals of the earth we may see there rich mines of silver gold and precious stones If we behold the face of it we shall finde there such a varietie of herbs flowers fruits trees creatures which may breed admiration in the dullest spirits And is the sea lesse admirable by reason of the flux and reflux thereof the quantitie of fishes and monsters therein nourished And is the aire any thing inferior to these two full of fowles clouds raines snow haile lightnings thunder and innumerable meteors But when wee lift up our eyes to the astonishing vault of heaven whose curtaines are spread over these enlightned with the sunne and moone and twinkling stars with their towres retowres aspects effects influences we cannot but be ravished with a more singular and divine contemplation Yet here is a greater wonder that all these things are abridged in thee O man of seven foot-length And as the world is a book in the which God may be read in capitall letters so both the world and God may by the most ignorant easilie be read in thee as in a written table seene in thee as in a clear glasse Thy flesh represents the dust thy bones the rockes thy liver the sea thy veines rivers thy breath the aire thy naturall heat the fire thy head the heavens thy eyes the stars thy joynts moving so actively sinnews stirring so nimbly senses working so quickly like the secret resorts of nature But I pray thee enter within thy inward parts so excellent thy spirit so supernatuall thy reason so divine thy appetite so infinite thy soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the engraven image of God thou maist justly say that thou art ultimus naturae foetus the last essay and effort of nature and the theater whereupon God may be seene with mortall eyes representing the foure corners of the world thy face the east thy back the west thy right side the south thy left the north And whereas other creatures have their countenance downward towards their naturall mother the earth thine are upward toward thy spirituall father God that thou mayest raise thy self from all earthly vanitie to a serious contemplation of the divinitie wherein are placed thy unchangeable comfort thy unspeakable contentment thy unconceivable felicitie Whence I inferre this Whatsoever of us is like to the creature must die but that which hath received the indeleble character of God is perpetuall So that our souls are immortall our bodies are vassals and slaves of death in which respect wee are all said to die And that this doctrine may bee the more clear I shall prove it in the second place by way of induction Look to the vertues the stout as well as the rash or the coward the temperate as well as the untemperate or stupid the liberall as well as the prodigall or avaricious the magnificent as well as the niggard or vainglorious the magnanimous as well as the proud or pusilanimous the modest as well as the ambitious or base
A TREATISE UPON DEATH First publickly delivered in a funerall Sermon anno Dom. 1630. And since enlarged By N. C. Preacher of Gods word in Scotland at Kilmacolme in the Baronie of Renfrew Hebr. 9. 27. For it is appointed for men once to die c. EDINBURGH Printed by R. Y. for J. Wilson Bookseller in Glasgow Anno 6â—5 Christian Reader IN this changeable vicissitude of decaying time and continuall succession of dying ages there is nothing more certain then death which is painted forth in the face of all living creatures Man not excepted the noblest of all who in all sexes rankes and conditions must once die and then enter into judgement For this radicate moisture must drie up and this naturall heat must grow cold this soaring breath must flie up and this surmounting soul must flit out of this earthly tabernacle that it may returne unto its native soil where it shal rest eternally in these heavenly mansions stately habitations and most pleasant paradise of God Whereunto Christ the spoiler of principalities and powers our captain forerunner and perfect Saviour is victoriously and triumphantly gone before us and now according to his comfortable promise is preparing a sure place a royall palace for all those who with a godly sorrow groane under the unsupportable burthen of their grievous sins and with assurance of faith beleeve in and long after his saving and glorious appearance So that we need not sorely and immoderately lament for the absence of those whom we once dearly loved in this sower valley of tears and wearisome pilgrimage of many stations every houre whereof is more dangerous then another Seeing they have joyfully and happily arrived at their journeys end heaven and at last are crowned with incomprehensible glory strengthened with never fading immortalitie replenished with exquisite joyes of Gods favourable presence and drowned with over-flowing pleasures at his right hand for evermore These points with many others in that kinde I have handled in this subsequent meditation first publickly delivered by me in a Sermon at the buriall of an honourable Baron with his religious Ladie both laid in their grave at once whose names of blessed memorie I conceal from thee for such reasons as I thought good Which meditation surely I had buried with them or at least closed up in my study if not the good opinion of conscionable and zealous hearers had raised it up again from the grave of oblivion by their diligent search and lecture of manuscripts here and there dispersed far from my expectation former intention So that I was forced to review and inlarge the originall copie by the advice of my learned and much respected friends such as reverend prelats doctours and pastours of our church who have best skill in such matters of spirituall importance For I have ever been of that minde that every wise man should make choice of some intire and trustie friends who will be so far from flattering and fostering him with a self conceit that by the contrary they will plainly admonish him of his errours and infirmities and give him sound and ripe counsel when there is any businesse in hand that may especially concerne his credit and estimation Amongst the which the operations which flow from the gifts of the minde have the first place seeing none how capable so ever is fully adorned with them he should seek help of others For God hath not given all gifts to every one and he who is shorter-sighted then I may see a spot in my face which I cannot see my self and it were to be wished that there were more premeditation in this age so fertile of invention wits and writs Did the Greek oratours and Poets go to their Athenaeum and the Latine to their Aedes palatinae for to consult with the most learned of their time about the divulgating of their monuments and we who have more divine documents then ever any paganish Writer could dream of bring forth so abortive fruits As for my self I will not answer for others but if I had had no other to take counsel by surely this lucubration should never have seen the face of the sun or come unto the hands of these censuring and critick dayes where there is nothing so good but it hath its own carpers and enviers nothing so bad but it hath its own favorers and embracers In it I meddle not with curious and fruitlesse questions new doctrines dangerous tenents accompanied with varietie of ostentative and sophisticate learning and farded with the abused colours of pratling and adulterate eloquence wherewith too many seek their own praise by disgracing their sincere profession by venting their loftie presumption by scandalizing their holy mother the church by defiling the white robe of Christs righteousnesse laid abroad to us in the gravitie integritie simplicitie and majestie of divine scriptures which ought to be the only square and rule of our actions the touchstone of our speculations and the soveraigne judge of all our controversies Which controversies alas to the unspeakable grief of the better sort to the pitifull seduction of some miscarried simple ones from the puritie of truth to the impuritie of errour to the inevitable destruction of many obdurate ones to fearfull and damnable inconveniences what by sects schismes and heresies this long time ago what by oppressions murthers massacres as bloudy consequences have troubled the peace of this Christian world Neither did I suffer this sermon to come to open light because it was my own brood and first issue upon that grave purpose which requireth moe years deeper learning sounder judgement longer experience then I a youth can attain to for the present but because of two reasons which I adde to the former The first is because there is no meditation more familiar to me then that of death Out of the countrie many thousands did fall on every side of me and in my countrie since my admission to this painfull and dreadfull cure of souls one speciall point of my charge is to visit those good Christians over whom I watch at their last farewell to this world that I may render a joyfull and comfortable accompt of them to my Master the great shepheard of the flock The second reason is because of two men whom I highly honoured during their pilgrimage here The one was a principall nobleman of my paroch who in his journey to heaven took such pleasure in reading this meditation that he himself did dict it to one of his servants a little before his death And I dare say without flatterie that his generous and religious soul did even in this life in a singular manner taste of the glorie to come O what divine sentences O what comfortable speeches did he utter to us who attended on him O what ravishing contemplations and private soliloquies had his soul with God on his death-bed These as so many antidotes preservatives corroboratives he used against that last agony By these as so many scales
he climbed up to the heavens The other was my dear honourable father who before his departure out of this mortall life delighted much in reading hearing meditating on this discourse and hoping that others should get instruction direction and consolation thereby commanded me to publish it So that I could not disobey him who was Gods instrument to bring me unto this world to train me up in the fear of the Lord and who both in and out of the country did prosecute me with his tender fatherly affection in my painful travels and dangerous expeditions for the golden fleece of vertue whose life was a clear mirrour of Christian charity yea above his power oftentimes which he did recommend to his children for the Lord blessed him with abundance to the end and in the end crowned his former favours with a pleasant and peaceable death which he oft craved at Gods hands and which was a matter of greater contentment to me then if he had left me heire of whole territories which with the rest of the toyes of this perishing world have but transitorie joyes like clouds rising in the morning but dissolving ere night without any memorie of them at all Neverthelesse honourable birth good education the patterne of worthy acts and the immortall fame of renowned ancestors either in church or policy communicated to the emulous posteritie for imitation is not the least portion of humane inheritance and he who follows their famous examples ingraven with letters of gold in chests of cedar or in tables of marble in the never-decaying temple of sacred memory he I say is not only in the way to worldly honour and preferment but also their footsteps lead him from grace to glorie which is the most precious purchase a Christian can acquire Without the which all is but dung and drosse for one drachme of goodnesse is better then a whole world of greatnesse even as a little pearle is of greater worth then a big rock of flint or as the sun is higher esteemed then the whole body of the firmament spangled with stars every one striving with another in beautie To be short then it is no inbred opinion of my self who am conscious of many infirmities in this body of death that maketh me to acquaint thee O Christian Reader with this funerall meditation which perhaps may live when I am dead In the mean time I wish it may teach thee me and other mortall men our Christian duety in this point rest with us familiarly at home warne us in our journey remember us of our present mortalitie guard us against our last enemie prepare us for that future immortalitie and full happinesse of soul and body conquered to us by the victorious death and meritorious passion of the only son of God our only Saviour In whom I rest ever Thine to power N. C. Ad Lectorem SI procul obscuri tenebris ab inertibus Orci Sit tibi propositum succinctae stamina vitae ' Ducere per virtutis iter dum fata diesque Suppeditant animam ne mors inopina labantem Auferat incauto neu formidabile Lethi Imperium quod cuncta domat terrorve sepulchri Vltricesve mali furiae aut quascunque sinistro Nox genuit faetu pestes quodve horridus Orcus Spirat inexhaustum flagranti pectore sulphur Solicitent miseram trepid â formidine mentem Huc ades en Campbellus opem tibi praebet anhelo Ante ferens gressus Vt quae velut orba carina Remige Jactatur variis impulsa procellis Fortunae instabilis tandem mens edita coelo Assuescat patriam paulatim agnoscere sedem Ille etenim ingenii nixus pernicibus alis Judicioque nitens memori quae docta vetustas Naturae ê tenebris hausit ratione sagaci Et quae sancta cohors patrum quos inclyta virtus Reddidit aeternos veriquoque fontibus hausta Mandavit scriptis quae ter maximus orbis Conditor indulsit divina oracula terris Hoc except a tulit tenui comprensa libello Ex quibus instructus triplici penetralia Ditis Agmine perrupit saevi mortisque ferocis Spicula contundens vinclis dare colla coêgit Qud tu magnanimo superat â morte volatu Aethereas subeas sedes lautaeque Deorum Accumbas mensae factus novus incola coeli PATRICIUS CAMPBELLUS A preface before the Sermon YE are all here conveened this day to performe the last Christian duties to a respected and worthy Baron with his honourable Lady who both have lived amongst you in this land and whose embalmed corps both yee now honour with your mourning presence and happy farewell to their grave I am here designed to put you all in minde by this premeditate speech that the next case shall be assuredly ours and perhaps when we think least of it Therefore that I may acquaint these who need information in this point with the nature and matter of such exhortations let them remember with me that there are two sorts of funer all sermons approved and authorized by our reformed churches in Europe The first whereof I call for orders sake Encomiastick or Scholastick because it is spent in the praise of the defunct and only used in schooles colledges academies and universities by the most learned And this is ordinarily enriched with pleasant varietie of strange languages lively lights of powerfull or atorie fertile inventions of alluring poesie great subtilties of solid Philosophie grave sentences of venerable fathers manifold examples of famous histories ancient customes of memorable peoples and nations and in a word with all the ornaments of humane wit learning eloquence Which howbeit I might borrow for a while yet I lay them down at the feet of Jesus and being sent hither not by man but by God whose interpreter and ambassadour I am I prefer before them the smooth words of Moses the stately of Esay the royall of David the wise of Salomon the eloquent of saint Paul and the ravishing of saint John with the rest of divine writers Gods pen-men out of whose inexhausted treasurie of heavenly consolation and saving knowledge I wish to be furnished with the secret preparation of the sanctuarie and to be accompanied with the full power and evidence of the spirit of my God For there is another second sort of funerall sermons which I call Ecclesiastick or popular viz. when the judicious and religious preacher only for the instruction and edification of the living frequently assembled at burials and earnestly desiring at such dolefull spectacles to be rejoyced in the spirit of their mindes taketh some convenient portion of scripture and handleth it with pietie discretion moderation to his private consolation the edification of his hearers and the exaltation of the most high name of God So that having no other ends but these three and taking God to be my witnesse that I abhor all religious or rather superstitious worship given to the dead and being naturally obliged to come here and oftentimes
worlds would not hold us back from them for if there were so many they would not bee able to content our illimited desires and infinite appetites What is then able to fill them I answer the soveraigne good the great GOD with the superabundant treasures of his free grace and undeserved favour and bottomlesse ocean of the multitude of his medicinall compassions O Lord drowne us therein that the deep of our uncurable miseries may be swallowed up by the deep of thy restaurative and preservative mercies for this is the life of thee our everloving everliving God in Christ Jesus Sweet hearts pray that ye may bee once inspired by this and surely heaven shall bee your home God your portion strength salvation with whom if once ye dwel there yee shall lacke nothing What would yee have Is there a better then eternall life it is there Would yee have a crowne Is there a bettter then an incorruptible crowne of uncomprehensible glorie it is there Would yee have a kingdome Is there a better then that which cannot be shaken it is there Would yee have an inheritance Is there a better then an immortall undefiled that fadeth not away it is there And where where the poorest begger of you shall bee richer then all the kings of this earth for putting a way his clouts he shall put on the glorious robe of Christs righteousnesse and receive that crowne of justice weightier then the whole masse of this earthly globe because it is the eternall weight of glorie and so is more precious then all the diadem's and scepters of Alexander Caesar with the mightiest princes who now are turned into muddy dust filthie stinke dreadfull horrour perpetuall oblivion for death is able to make us know our selves one day It will tell to the proud that he is abject to the rich that hee is a beggar to the beautifull that hee is evill favoured to the ambitious whom now territories and dominions will not content then seven foot of ground shall cover him with these two short words hic jacet here he lyeth quem terra non cepit urna capit Hee whom the universe could not containe his ashes lye in a little pitcher The second doctrine by way of consequence is this Is it appointed c Then man should prepare himself not onely for the end of this decrepit world that is come upon us but also for his own end with a generous and masculous courage saluting and inviting that which he cannot shunne The thing that makes us so negligent is our not preparation at all for the day of our dissolution is assuredly at hand death is at the doore where it knocks it must enter no iron or brasen gates are able to resist it it will take the man whom God hath pointed out with his finger with its flooked arrow it wounds him to the heart and like a rigorous sergeant layeth hold upon him and imprisoneth him till that his life which is our debt for sinne be payed This is the King of kings great taxation from which there is no redemption exception exemption from Caesar to the cotter For how thinke ye death will reason with all and every one of us whatsoever part of argument we hold it will overcome us for our obligation is personall or individuall none can sit the summons Come O king from thy throne come O counsellor from thy counselhouse come O courtier from thine attendance come Oswaggerer from thy cloaths of silver and gold come O nobles from your pastimes come O prelats preachers from your chayres come O husbands from your wives come O merchants from your shops come O craftsmen from your trades come O beggars from your brats come Caesar come cotter sleep all in the dust And howsoever ye differ in ranks qualities sexes conditions there is no distinction of persons king and subject rich and poore noble and ignoble young and old all are equal here Juvenal saith Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat Death equalls the mace with the mattock And Horatius Pallida mors aequo pede pulsat pauperum tabernas Regumque turres Pale death levelleth the countrey cabine and the kingly palace both alike Ambrose more clearly Nulla distinctio est inter corpora mortuorū nisi forte quia gravius foetent divitum corpora luxuriâ distenta There is no difference betwixt dead corps but that rich menscorps stink worse then others Chrysostome more pathetically Proficiscamur ad sepulchra ostende mihi patrem ostende uxorem tuam ubi est qui purpuram induebat nihil video nisi putrida ossa vermes differentiam nullam video Let us go to the sepulchres shew thy father shew thy wife where is he who was cloathed in purple I see nothing but rotten bones and wormes no difference can I perceive Therefore laying all worldly considerations aside the king his scepter the counceller his robe of justice the courtier and swaggerer their roaring shewes the nobles their sword the scholar his pen the labourer his spade the merchant his purse the tradesman his instruments the beggar his bagge Every one of them promiscuously and indifferently must conclude thus O rottennesse thou art my father O worme thou art my mother and my sister Beleeve me saith Augustine in opened sepulchres have been found in dead mens sculs earth-toades in their nerves serpents in their bowels worms This is a grave meditation and profitable contemplation to thee O man and I pray thee consider it deeply with mee I am assured to die ere it be long but thou art hewen out of that same rock thy mothers bellie with mee and art made of that same stuffe dust and ashes with mee I am conceived in sin so art thou I am born in sin so art thou I am fostered in sin so art thou I am in the prime of my years but alas in the strength of sin I know not if thou be in the first I know well thou art in the last and worst estate God immortall pitie us mortall men and prepare us in time to redeeme our mispent time and to number our dayes one by one for feare when the decretorie day of death is come we have not oyle in our lamps and our loyns girded towards our Masters coming And againe we beseech thee O gracious Father who delightest not in the death of sinners prepare us of all sinners the most for endlesse and unspeakable are the torments of an unprepared man before at and after death O dissolute and desperate sinner then make no more delay and let thy conscience be troubled at this let thy spirit tremble at it let thy heart smart for it and let all the faculties of thy soul be afraid of it that when it is come ye need not to fear at all Use of exhortation Therefore let us not be so foolish and sluggish as those who onely learn to die upon their death-bed as if it were an easie and momentanie lesson Augustine Sero parantur
minded the meek as well as the angrie or angerlesse the courteous as well as the flatterer or churlish the sincere as well as the dissembler or bragger the civilized man as well as the rustick or the scoggen or the officious pleasant the just as well as the unjust must all once die The stout man may fight against death the temperate man keep a sober dyet to prolong his life the liberall propine it the magnificent make expences the magnanimous disdain it the modest smile at it the meek embrace it the courteous cherish it the civilized welcome it the just man execute judgements upon others but none of them can overcome death Look to the superiour faculties The religious divine in foro poli the curious lawyer in foro soli the skilfull mediciner in his shop must all once die The first of these may teach of it the second may make a testament after it the third may prescribe a recipe against it but none of them can cast off its yoke Look to the arts and sciences the experimented Grammarian may finde out sundrie significations of the word Death in divers languages the dainty Poet may make an Epitaph or Epicede the flowing oratour a funerall Sermon the subtile Logician may dispute pro contra the ingenuous moralist may discourse trimly upon it but what can these do but what mortall men can do after all that they can do die Therefore let not the beaten warriour thinke that all his stratagems can defend him or the polished polititian dreame that all the maximes of Matchiavel or the counsell of Achitophel can preserve him Let not the Geometer bee so busie as to search out the place or the Arithmetician number the day or the Astrologue tell the manner of his death let not the profound naturalist wade into the deep thereof nor the transcendent Metaphysician flee from it for there is no art nor science under heaven which will learn a man not to die Looke to the ages the embrion in its mothers bellie the babe on its mothers breast the wanton child the rash young man the strong man the wittie man the old man the decrepit man all must once die Look to the conditions of men Prince pastor and people all must once die And to compendize that which I thought to enlarge both elect and reprobate all must once die they for the abolition of their miseries and position of their happinesse these for the position of their miseries and remotion of all happinesse They to be glorified in soule and body these to bee damned in both So that the godly die that they may live to God and with God in heaven the ungodly die that they may live to the devill and with the devill in hell God preserve us from hell and reserve us to heaven I prove the second point of this doctrine which is this There is nothing more uncertain then the time place and manner of death as a poet saith Nemo novit mortis tempusve locumve modumve The time whether in the spring summer harvest winter of the year or of mans years whether at the point of the day morning mid-day evening night midnight it is uncertain He that dieth early in the morning is the babe he that dyeth at the third houre is the young man he that dieth at the sixt houre is the strong man he that dieth at the ninth houre is the old man and he that dieth at the eleventh houre is the decrepit man And therefore the Greek poet compareth man to an apple which is either pulled off before the time or else in time falleth off on the ground And Epictetus to a candle which is exposed to winde it may shine a little and then goeth out The place whether in thy house or in the temple in thy bed or at the table in the mountain or in the valley in the wildernesse or in the fields on sea or by land in or out of thy countrey it is uncertain The manner whether by sword famine pestilence sicknesse heat cold hunger thirst racke rope by peace or warre by a naturall or violent death it is uncertain Of all these I might bring both exotick and domestick examples but I leave them to your daily reading and hearing of divine and profane histories Onely I inferre these uses upon the precedent doctrine by way of direction from the dead and consequently from these two dead corps lying before us Receive first then three directions upon the first point viz. The certainty of death The first direction is Vive memor lethi fugit hora Persius In thy life remember of thy death for thy houre slippeth Time is precious but short and this is a hard lesson Memento mori This was accustomed to be said to the Emperours in that great triumph at Rome Memento mori homo es mortalem te esse memineris Remember to die man thou art and remember that thou art mortall All these did follow Philip Alexander the greats father who commanded his chamberlain thrice every day to round the same sentence in his eares To this effect when the Egyptians did solemnize their natall dayes they had a dead scull upon their table to put them in minde of their mortalitie One Church-yard in Paris I remarked hath moe sculls then there are living heads in Scotland St. Jerome was wont to have in his studie before him a dead mans scull with a running glasse But alas such is our follie that scarcely can wee remember of death when wee see the same painted upon the mort-cloath wee may lose a legge to day an arme to morrow an eye the third day and these will not teach us to prepare our selves towards it Consumption in the lights a stone in the bladder the gout in our feet the palsie in our hands 2000 known sicknesses in our bodies to omit unknown for every member of our bodie is subject to diverse diseases will not advertise us Our house is ruinous but we cannot flit out of it Chance telleth us that death is latent infirmitie that it is patent old age that it is present as saith Hugo What for all this we cannot be enough admonished And this is it that Jerome findeth fault with Quotidie morimur quotidie commutamur tamen aeternos esse credimus We die daylie we are changed daily yet we think our selves eternall In the mean time in our most lively life we may perceive the verie print and footstep of death For we do see continually and hear the cryes of mothers for their children of spouses for their husbands of servants for their masters visitation of sick mediciners preachers in our houses at our bedheads all warning us that we are besieged by death The second direction is Fac hodie quod moriturus agas so lead thy life as if thou wert even now dying Every day that we live complaineth Anselmus wee come from our countrey to our banishment from the sight of God to darknesse from