houses of clay will at last tumble down of themselves Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see Death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Mors omnibus communis est 'T is the common path all the world walks in some sooner some later some in Infancy and some in Youth and in middle and some in old age And 't is the best way for thee to put thy life into his hands that gave it and who only is able to preserve it and assure thy self he will dispose of it to thy advantage and if he take it from thee will exchange it for life Eternal for a Believer to dye is but as the putting off an old suit of cloaths 1 Cor. 5.6 and exchanging it for a new and who will fear to put off his old nasty Rags at night for rich Robes in the morning 'T is but to change a Cottage for a Palace Earth for Heaven and the creatures for God and who will not be willing of such a bargain yea of a Peasant to be made a Prince Whatever thou losest for Christ thou shalt lose nothing by him for he will repay thee a hundred fold Mat. 19.29 This is the way to secure thy life or to part with it at the best advantage when otherwise thou wilt lose thy life as the Pharisees did their duties for nothing they prayed they fasted they gave alms but by reflecting upon themselves and not looking at God in what they did they lost their Reward If thou lose thy life and canst not help it what praise-worthy thing dost thou Thousands of men it may be imagined that never intended a life for Christ have yet with others been bloodily Massacred upon a religious account when something else lay at the bottom these have suffered Death without a reward and this may well be thy condition 'T is true thou shouldst not run before thou art sent or expose thy life to danger without a call so maist thou be guilty of thine own death which is murder in the highest degree this is the way to shorten thy life but to hasten thy misery But to dye for Christ is gain and soul-advantage and how canst thou that pretendest to believe a Resurrection to Eternal Life and pretendest an interest in it yet fear to dye which is the only way to enjoy it we sow our seed willingly in hope of a plentiful crop we go to bed willingly in hope of rest and sleep and shall we fear to repose our body in the Grave in hope of a joyful Resurrection O the Ignorance the Infidelity the want of Love that appears in thee for didst thou really believe what thou pretendest to believe or hadst thou that love for Christ which thou pretendest to have thou wouldest long for the time when thou shouldest enjoy this happiness when thou shouldst enjoy this God Mat. 6.21 love would make thee run through fire and water to come to him Love makes labour light it makes a man slight all the difficulties that lye in the way Vbi amor ibi animus and where the treasure is there will the heart be also dost thou believe that at death this mortal shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.54 and this corruptible shall put on incorruption that death shall be swallowed up of victory and that in Heaven thou shalt never hunger more nor thirst more nor have need of any creature supplies and never meet with more losses crosses or afflictions to molest thee but shalt be as the Angels of God which behold Gods face in glory Dan. 12.3 Phil. 3.21 dost thou believe that thy glorified body shall shine as the Sun in the firmament and be fashioned like unto Christs glorified body and yet art afraid to dye and come to glory how can these things be reconciled The question is not Whether thou must dye or no this is determined by an irrevocable decree but it is about the Time and the Manner of thy death who is fittest to dispose of it thee or the great God that gave it wouldst thou have it at thine own will alas thou canst not preserve it a moment and thou canst not preserve it from a violent death and a languishing disease may haply be more painful than the death thy enemy puts thee to thou canst not deny Christ thy life without hazard of eternal death and wilt thou not rather suffer a few pangs than run this hazard and be obnoxious to eternal torments Thou hast a sickly weakly body many distempers hang upon thee from head to foot scarce a free part and subject to more than yet thou feelest and there is no other Physician can cure thee but Death his stroak is the Catholicon the universal Medicine for all distempers and dost thou fear the potion which so many of the Saints have taken and did well nay never any that miscarried under his hands Christ by his death hath destroyed him who hath the power of death Heb. 2.14 15. even the Devil to deliver them which through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Now the only way to be delivered from this fear is to fall under this Stroak for death frees us from this as well as from all other miseries If thou shouldst yet deny thy life and so think to save it thou art much mistaken when God is thine enemy and thine enemy then he will be Every creature will wait for a Commission to take away thy life God can hide Death in the smallest creature With what contemptible things did he torment Pharaoh and his people which had they not been withdrawn upon Moses supplication would have been their destruction as Frogs and Lice and Locusts and Caterpillars c. Nay we may read of many that have lost their lives by such as these some have been devoured by Rats and Mice others destroyed by Leeches some stung to death by Bees Wasps and Hornets some choakt with Flies with Figs with Grapes Ward on Mat. part 329. with the kernel of Grapes with Fish-bones crums of bread an hair in milk some have been eaten of lice others of worms some have dyed in smelling of a flower some with the prick of a pin or thorn and many other such like God needs not muster any great Army to destroy thee the least of his creatures can do it if he give them a commission and if thou deny thy life when he requires it well maist thou fear this commission will be sealed well maist thou fear the bread thou eatest will choak thee the drink thou drinkest will be thy bane and what ever judgment thou ever readest or heard'st of that ever befell a graceless sinner it may be thy portion that the flouds may drown thee as it did the old world and Paraoh and his host that the fire may burn thee as it did Sodom and Gomorrah that the earth may open her mouth and swallow thee up
full of trouble Yet many wish their dayes were three times double The Captive Slaves that in the Gallies lye To end their Bondage yet are loth to dye They flee from death although he be their friend For when he stops their Breath their Sorrows end Life is a warfare Death doth stint the strife We leave not fighting till we leave our life We fight against our sins the world and Devils At death we fully Vanquish all those evils To heavenly Joyes Death opens us the door Where sin and sorrow they shall be no more There 's no Corruption shall molest us there There 's no Temptation that we need to fear Why fear we Death then he this Boon will give Our Enemies shall dye but we shall live Life is the day wherein we labour hard Death is the night and then comes our reward Now we with Tempests on the Seas are driven Death is the Wind that blows us to our Haven Is he less happy that a brisker Gale Drives to the Shore or he that 's under Sail Whom fierce tempestuous winds as yet are driving Who with a thousand dangers yet are striving In life we in the raging Surges be Death comes and lands us in Eternity In life the Saints are Heirs but under age When death comes they receive their Heritage Heaven is our Kingdom but to come thereat There is no other way but through this Gate Life is our Journey Death our Journeys end Life is our Enemy and Death our Friend Death like a Pilot guides us to the Shoar He is the Porter that must ope ' the door We cannot serve our God or Christ enjoy Without distraction till our dying day Death 's but a quiet sleep when wearied 'T is but put off our Cloaths and go to bed Death is Gods pursivant and will compell Gods Friends to go to Heaven his Foes to Hell He is his Messenger none can prevent him None can resist him or the Lord that sent him Both Prince and Peasant drink of the same cup When he invites them home with him to Sup. All men must pledge the health Abel began There 's none exempt the Master nor the man The greatest Potentate cannot escape The way to Heaven and Hell lye through this Gate The high the low the rich and eke the poor When he doth knock must open him the door Nor fear nor favour makes him turn aside He will not be perverted with a Bribe What though some have their lives drawn out at length And we cut down by Death in our full strength What Hurt to us if we receive our pay For one Hours work as much as for a day What dammage to us if Commandment come When others work till night to leave at Noon The weary labourer pants and longs for rest And when he 's in his bed he thinks he 's best The Bed of Death to th' weary will give ease Our sleep's not broken there by worms nor fleas No fearfull Dreams nor Visions of the night Disturb our Fancies there or minds affright Within Death's Sheets the Grave we rest secure Free from oppression and tyrannick Power Our Souls like Captive Birds in Cages sing Death breaks the Cage and then the Birds take wing The world 's a Pest-house sin doth us infect Death 's our Physitian shall we him reject The Soul 's infected with sins foul disease And naught but Death can give us our release The world 's a Prison and we Captives be And only Death our Champion sets us free We mortal are when Death of life bereaves us We dye no more Death doth immortal leave us A thousand Maladies do each day attend us We 're sick to Death and none but Death can mend us In life we languish Death can make us well He 's like Achilles Spear can wound and heal Poor and in want we up and down do wander Death makes us all as rich as Alexander Death levels all both rich and poor do stand On equal ground none serve nor none command When Death hath done his work there 's no man can Discern between the Master and the man The Princes Skull no more than other men Bears the impression of a Diadem 'T is true of terrors Death is call'd the King And well he may while he retains his Sting But to Believers he no hurt can do For he hath lost his Sting and Poyson too In Stinging Christ this Serpent lost his Sting He that brought terror then doth comfort bring Christ conquer'd him and shall we fear to meet A Vanquisht Foe lying prostrate at our Feet For since that he was overcome and foil'd He is no Enemy but reconcil'd To good and bad he shews not the same face He 's Foe to Nature but a Friend to Grace We are poor mortals life is our disease Death our Physitian that can give us ease We groan for pain yet would not be set free We love our Bondage hate our Liberty Rather than over Jordans streams we 'l venture We 'l dye i' th' Wilderness or Egypt enter This Son of Anak Death more terror brings Than all the fiery Serpents with their Stings And though Egyptian Bondage doth torment us Flesh Pots and Leeks and Onions here content us At Death 't is true we must to Ashes turn But God will keep those Ashes in his Urn. And when the all-awakening trump shall sound The smallest Atoms of it shall be found And then by vertue of a new Indenture The Soul into her new-built house shall enter God shall with robes of honour then invest her And sin and sorrow shall no more molest her She shall by Christ her Judge be then acquitted And all her sins and trespasses remitted She shall in glory Halelujah's sing Unto the mighty God the worlds great King And wedded be to Christ in endless Joy And in her Husbands Bosom lye for aye Sorrow and Sighing then shall fly away And Tears shall swallowed be in endless Joy Then set thy House in order for thou must Within a little time return to Dust Lord make me then to know my later end How long the number of my dayes extend That I may know how frail I am before I go from hence and shall be seen no more When will this Joyfull Marriage be oh when Oh come Lord Jesus quickly come Amen Edward Bury FINIS The Author hath in the Press a. Book on the Subject these Poems are of Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside
thy back upon Christ he will turn his back upon thee and be ashamed of thee If thou make light of his Supper thou shalt not tast of his daintes The question thou seest is not whether death be desirable or no Nature it self answers the contrary but whether the first or second death be the greater evil and so whether is to be chosen when both cannot be avoided The question is not whether pain be eligible but whether the pains of death or hell be the greater Not whether life be desirable but whether life or Christ be the better Whatever thy senses may say rectifyed Reason which should govern the sensitive faculties will tell thee the second death is far more formidable and that 't is better to deny thy self than deny thy Redeemer Oh my God is this the reward of Apostacy is this the wages the Devil gives his best servants Through thine assisting grace I will be thine Lord I resolve I will never forsake thee Lord do thou never leave me to my self nor forsake me MEDITAT X. Of Heavens Glory the reward of dying for Christ OH my soul thou hast seen the danger of revolting and denying Christ thou hast had a view of hell which is the reward of this sin thou hast looked into it and had a glimpse of it though it was but a little representation a true map of it the Devil himself cannot make nor give a full discription but here is enough to stay thy stomach how thinkst of it if thou trade for it canst thou make a savers bargain if thou lose thy soul to save thy life For this is the trade thou drivest if thou deny Christ here is the Devils offered wages 't is true he sugers this bitter pill with a promise of a longer miserable life in a cheating world but he cannot make good his bargain though he will not be behind hand with his wages Mat. 25.41 if thou depart from Christ now he will bid thee depart from him for ever what is thy resolution Halt not between two opinions if God be God serve him 1 Kin. 18.27 if Baal be God serve him thou canst not serve two masters God and Mammon If thou pretend to both thou art like to be cast off by both by God and the world as many hypocrites are the world hates them because they look like the godly and God hates them because they are really wicked consider therefore who is like to be the best master and who will give the best wages and if the ballances are yet equally poized I shall put in one weight more even an eternal weight of glory into Gods end which may haply turn the scales though the whole world were in the other end for if thou be faithful to the death thou shalt receive a crown of life and this crown will really over-ballance all that the Devil can put into the other end Thou hast seen there is but a little in the world worth the losing and a great deal in hell worth the fearing let us see if there be any thing in heaven worth the enjoying in the world is nothing but vanity in hell nothing but misery and in Heaven nothing but felicity now what wise man would lose this felicity and endure this misery for a little while to enjoy this vanity Thou hast seen the Devils wages that is the best of it for the worst the Devil himself cannot make thee understand for it is inexpressible and no word in humane language can set it forth to the life yet thou hast had a tast of it and a tast is better than a whole draught Now if thou would'st see what wages God will give thee thou must make a journey also into Heaven and see if there be any thing that may win upon thy affections thou seest already what the Devil and the world have bidden thee see also what wages God offers thee and then choose as thou seest cause see if there be any thing in Heaven to make up all thy losses crosses sufferings and pains which thou must be at for Christs sake and if there be not take thy course and make another choice view those celestial habitations those mansions of glory prepared for those that confess Christ before men and lose any thing for his sake view this purchased Inheritance this Crown of glory and those eternal pleasures that are at Gods right hand and see if God do not outbid the Devil and the World and so best deserves thy affections and consider whether this may not a little allay thy overmuch desire of life and fear of death and make thee willing to be at thy Redeemers will and Makers pleasure one view of this celestial Paradice may make thee disrelish all temporal felicity But how shall we sing the songs of Sion in a strange land or what conceptions can we have of these Heavenly Mansions while we abide in houses of clay Water can ascend no higher than the Fountain-head and Nature cannot transcend Nature what conceptions can a beast have of a rational being much lower must we have of a celestial being for the disproportion is greater how canst thou view those gloryes surpassing a thousand Suns when thou canst not view one Sun when it shines in its splendour but thy weak eyes are offended how canst utter those things which the Apostle that saw them calls inutterable how canst discourse of the Father of Spirits and knowest so little of the nature of a Spirit nay art so ignorant of thy own soul or tell what it is to enjoy God in glory when those little glimpses of him here are inexpressible or how canst thou discourse of that which eye never saw ear never heard of neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of viz. What God is and what he hath prepared for those that love him for as those hellish flames which the wicked suffer cannot be fully described by those that endure them no more can those celestial joyes by those that enjoy them much less by a frail creature that hath had very little tast of those honey-dews that fall upon the heirs of glory In this wilderness of troubles we see few of those Canaans grapes and foretasts of Glory the full fruition no man living can discover Yet let us get a Pisgah sight of Canaan a remote view of glory and judge a little of the worth of the Jewel by the richness of the Cabinet that holds it and haply thou maist by the report as the Queen of Sheba of Solomons wisdom get some conceptions of it that may make thee like her be willing to take the journey though thou hearest not the one half of what there really is to be seen and though thy conceptions reach not the matter in hand yet may they reach thy affections and serve to dazle thine eyes that all earthly glory shall seem little to it To this purpose let us view the bespangled Spheres adorned with those beauty
yet you may find Under that sordid Vest a gallant Mind Though these are scorned by our Gallants gay Yet these do act their parts as well as they Some act Religious parts but most prophane The Hypocrite he is for either Game For he hath Vizards if he please enow To make him seem prophane and holy too For he can one way look and row another In a disguise he 'l cozen his own Brother Where Interest or the Devil drives he 'l goe And shifts his Sails still as the wind doth blow He 'l act you any part Noble or Base With his Apparel he can change his Face Each day like to the Moon his Face is new With the Chameleon he can change his hue Ape-like he 'l imitate whate're he see Proteus never had more shapes than he Like Mercury with Good he 'l seem the best If found with Bad he will exceed the rest Religion is his stalking-horse and he Doth only use it for to take his prey So long as he can get by 't he will use it But if he lose by 't he will soon refuse it Him of his borrowed Robes Death will divest He 'l dye in Earnest though he liv'd in Jest Some more ingeniously shew what they are Rotten they are at heart and so appear Taverns they haunt their Names not States to raise And those in Hell do go for roaring Boyes In Venus Courts some live but most of these Come lamely off or die of her disease Some few stay Natures time most run before Bacchus or Venus opens them the door Some cheat some steal some lye some swear and curse And most though bad enough grow worse and worse But when their part is acted Death will come And clear the Stage and then the Play is done Most are hiss'd off the Stage few get applause For few of acting well observe the Laws Some few to Wisdoms Rules their hearts apply And these know how to live and how to dye Some mind their business most time idly spend Some love their way but few their Journeys end For Riches Honours Pleasures most men strive But to get wisdom is the way to thrive Some court fair Ladies whose bewitching Spells Ruines the State and sinks the Souls to Hell Some few improve their time while God doth lend it When others study vainly how to spend it How for to live most men their thoughts apply But wise is he that studies how to dye The heav'nly Loadstone Grace having toucht the Soul Makes her unsettled till she finds the Pole This World will not suffice for her abode She 's restless here her Polar Starre is God This Heaven-born Eagle mounts and soars too high To feed on Carrion that in Ditches lye This World she hath conquer'd and with Philips Son She 'd weep if there were not more worlds than one This Pilgrim cares not where she lays her head She sleeps securely if God make her bed In a cold Prison she can lye and ease her With Jacobs Visions Jacobs Stone will please her Most men 't is true complain of grief and trouble But few of sin which makes their sorrows double Troubles arise from sin the World and Devil God makes our dayes so few we make them evil The world much like an Inne serves for a day Some only break their fast and so away Some dine some sup and some are richly treated But those that eat most Meals are most indebted If any suffer hardship 't is the best The worse the man the better is the Guest Some feast some drink some game some drab and whore But when they come to pay their reck'ning's more The World 's to bad men as the Earth to weeds She 'l cherish those but choak the better seeds And Stepdame-like she will Gods children serve She 'l feed her own but suffer them to sterve For entertainment she 's much like to Jael She offers Milk when she intends the Nail Who trusteth to her smiles doth quite mistake her The wisest men they be that quite forsake her Well though the way be rough let 's mend our pace Our Journey 's short and then we shall have ease Life 's but a shadow which is alwayes flying For from the Cradle we are alwayes dying 'T is but an Hour-glass and the sands are sins Brimm'd up by Nature turn'd when Life begins Which still is running as each day doth come And when the last fins dropt our life is done Our labour 's near an end our death is hasting And good or bad rewards are everlasting We reach not Nestors dayes with our short span Nor number years with old Methusalem Men lived then five hundred years or more Not one of twenty now can reach Threescore No no our Measure 's cut it well appears Our Fathers Months were longer than our Years The Hart the Stagg the Raven the Eagle free May boast they are long-liv'd so cannot we The withering Grass a Shadow Emblems be That fitly sets forth our Mortalitie A Rose a Blossom or a Flower in May Or Jonah's Gourd that lasted but a day A Dream a Shadow if you will a Span Is long enough to mete the Life of Man For like a Pear or Plumb when ripe we fall Into our Mothers lap for so do all Mans Life is of a thought much like the Dream A Weavers Shuttle or the gliding Stream Or like a hasty Post that swiftly flies For man that 's born to day to morrow dies Life's like a Bubble that 's soon prickt by Death For Man is but a Bladder fill'd with Breath Life hasteth like a Ship that 's under Sails Death cometh like the Tide that never fails Our Time like Lightning full quick doth goe Death hastneth like an Arrow from a Bowe Such is the Life of Man for in a day Man springs and withers like a Flower in May The Sun ne're runs his race in this our age But sees ten thousand marching off the Stage The Life we live is but an inch of time Last day my Fathers was and this day mine The next belongs to the succeeding age Thus one doth thrust another off the Stage My Predecessors they are dead and rotten And I in little time shall be forgotten Great Caesar's Bones Death did to Ashes turn And Alexander's bounded in his Urn. The fair the foul the Holy the Prophane The Rich the Poor are worsted at Death's Game To Mighty Sampson Death did give a Fall Wise Solomon did dye and so must all Though in thy hand all Peru's Gold thou have Death will thee make a Tenant to the Grave Death makes no difference between Poor and Rich The Worm feeds sweetly on no matter which The Fairest Lady and the foulest Slave Death can both wed and bed in the same Grave To God a thousand years is but a day Our life 's then but an Hour that fleets away And of this Hour so many sharers be O Lord how small a part belongs to thee Though life seems long because 't is