or indeed the least sorrow Matth. 27.27 Then the souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the Common-hall and gathered about him the whole band Ver. 28. And they stripped him and put upon him a scarlet robe Ver. 29. And platted a Crown of thorns and put it upon his head and a reed in his right-hand and bowed the knees before him and mocked him saying God save the King of the Jews Ver. 30. And spit upon him and took a reed and smote him on the head Ver. 31. Thus when they had mocked him they took the robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him Ver. 33. And when they were come unto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculls Ver. 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Ver. 35. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might be fullfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Psal 22.18 They divided my garments amongst them and upon my vesture did cast lots Ver. 36. And they sate and watched him there Ver. 37. They set up also over his head his cause written This is Jesus the King of the Jews Ver. 38. And there were two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left Ver. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and Ver. 40. Saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy self if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Ver. 41. Likewise also the High-Prists mocking him with the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders said Ver. 42. He saved others but he cannot save himself if he be the King of Israell let him now come down from the crosse and we will beleeve him Ver. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Sonne of God Ver. 44. That same also the thieves that were crucified with him cast in his teeth Ver. 45. Now from the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land untill the ninth hour Ver. 46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Ely Ely lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ver. 47. And some of them that stood there when they heard it said This man calleth Elias Ver. 48. And straight way one of them ranne and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink Ver. 49. Others said Let be let us see if Elias will come and save him Ver. 50. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice again and yeelded up the ghost Now then let us be glad and rejoyce to goe to him our Saviour our joy our peace what way soever he is pleased to call us through the most bitter torments of minde or body by weaknesses sicknesses and imperfections and let us be most assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Tim. 2.3 Let us therefore suffer afflictions as good souldiers of Jesus Christ For it is a true saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also raign with him if we deny him he also will deny us Yea 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren which are in the world As many as our Saviour loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth Be zealous therefore in the truth and amend and rejoice alwayes that the will of God in Christ Jesus thy Saviour is therein done which is the best for thee Amen X. A fift Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going from sorrow to joy Isa 17.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come 2 King 22.19 20. But because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants of the same to wit that it should be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I have also heard it saith the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place this was the great love of God to King Josiah See 2 Chron. 34.28 Luk. 16.22 Lazarus by a blessed dissolution is eased of all his pains sores diseases fears and troubles is called for out of the prison of the body and presently by the happy messenger of death is made fit and carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome where all the elect are in joyes incomprehensible freed from sinne and sorrow forever Amen XI A sixth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our being gathered to our nearest alliance our kindred and our parents 2 King 22.19 20. Josiah was gathered to his fathers in great abundant mercy as I mentioned before See the most sweet and gracious call of the eternall mercy to Moses Deut 32.48 49 50. which I lately mentioned And the Lord spake to Moses the self same day saying Goe up into the mountain of Abarim unto the mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up unto and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 The Abraham yeelded up the spirit and died in a good age an old man and of great years and was gathered to his people Numb 20.26 Almighty God commanded Moses to take Aaron and Eleazer his sonne and to bring them up into the mount Hor and to cause Aaron to put off his garments and to put them upon Eleazer his sonne saying Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there Numb 30.1 2. Almighty God doth bid Moses avenge the children of Israel of the Mideanites and in token of acceptance and reward faith afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people Gen. 15.17 And Ishmaell yeelded up the spirit and died and was gathered to his people Chap. 35. ver 29. And Isaak gave up the ghost and died and
thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy and all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest Psal 112.6 The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance A fifteenth Comfort in Death We may well rejoyce at Gods gracious messenger of Death because it is the wiping of all tears from our eyes and the finall end of all our troubles and sorrows the world the flesh the devill shall no more oppresse distract and hurt us with their distractions delusions and deceits Eccl. 4.1 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sunne and behold the tears of the oppressed and none comforteth them Ver. 2. Wherefore I praise the dead which now are dead above the living which are yet alive Hos 13.14 Hear what comfort our loving God gives us I will redeem them from the power of the grave I will deliver them from death O death I will be thy destruction repentance is bid from mine eyes A sixteenth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is the imitating of our Saviours passion as farre as we are able that we may see his glory Matth. 10.38 He that taketh not his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me And Chap. 16. ver 24. If any man will follow me let him forsake himself and take up his crosse and follow me And somewhat more Luk 9.23 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse daily and follow me And Chap. 14. ver 27. Whosoever beareth not his crosse and cometh after me cannot be my Disciple 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also raigne with him if we deny him he also will deny us Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they which thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Matth. 10.24 The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Belzebub how much more them of his houshold A seventeenth Comfort in Death It is our freedome from sinne death and hell and all our enemies The day of death saith Solomon is better then the day of birth therefore is that day a day of rejoycing to us St Paul desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ and saith it is the best of all Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed from sinne Ver. 11. Likewise think ye also that ye are dead to sinne but are alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. An eighteenth Comfort in Death It is our taking possession of the fullnesse of rest in the communion of Saints in the love of the eternall God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and therein peace for ever therefore rejoyce Lazarus is said to be presently carried into Abrahams bosome where most sure he had immediate possession in a high degree of eternall peace Gerrards Meditat. p. 25. Death is the beginning of a holy life Isa 57.1 2. The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before him Matth. 11.28 29. Hear our gracious Saviour Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Take my yoak on you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls 2 Thes 1.7 And to you which are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from Heaven with his mighty Angels And if then surely also from our severall changes till then Heb. 4.3 9. For we which have beleeved doe enter into rest There remains therefore a rest for the people of God for he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his let us study to enter into that rest Job 3.12 13. Why did the knees prevent me and why did I such the breasts for so should I now have lyen and been quiet I should have slept then and have been at rest A nineteenth Comfort in Death Jesus Christ is in Death and Life to us gain and causeth death to be to us advantage the end of unexpressible evils the beginning of unexpressible and eternall joy Phil. 1.21 For Christ is to me both in life and death advantage All the miseries of Lazarus end in his death and his eternall joyes begin in Abrahams bosome Our Saviour Jesus entred by the gate of death into his glory and thereby hath prepared joyes 2 Cor. 2.9 such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive for them that love him Isa 35.10 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with praise and everlasting joyes shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flee away A twentieth Comfort in Death Doubt not of the all-sufficient love of God to thee in his Sonne Jesus He that gave thee a body when thou hadst none can give thee a heavenly body so soon as thou art at liberty from this of earth and will most certainly dispose of thee in Jesus as of his servants which is the best for thee His power and his will is sufficient to give thee joyes beyond thy thoughts Have thou true faith and true belief that God is and that he is the rewarder of them that seek him Give him thy whole soul and spirit and humbly crave the assistance of the eternall God that he will for his Sonne Christ Jesus his sake fully and freely enable thee to give to the Sacred Trinity in Unity three Persons but one Almighty God Father Sonne and holy Ghost all honour glory and praise as his most obedient servant for ever And say with true faith and love O gracious Father Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven And in thy most free and gracious love to a poor sinner in Jesus Christ thy only Sonne my Saviour doe thou compell my unworthy and corrupted will to doe unto thy most Sacred Majesty true and perfect service Doe thou O blessed Father for thy free goodnesse sake convert me wholly into that service for thou art my only Lord God and I am thy servant so come Lord Jesus come quickly and receive my spirit Amen Amen Matth. 19.26 With God all things are possible Gen. 17.1 I am God all-sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect Chap. 15. ver 1. Fear not I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward Psal 50.7 Hear O my people and I will speake hear O Israell and I
of our Fathers for we have sinned against thee 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him 1 Sam. 7.3 And Samuel spake to all the house of Israel saying If you doe return unto the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange god Ashteroth from among you and prepare your hearts to the Lord and serve him only 1 Cor. 28.7 I will establish his Kingdom if he be constant to doe my Commandements and my judgments as at this day Prov. 4.5 Get wisdom get understanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Ver. 6. Forsake her not and she will preserve thee love her and she will keep thee Ver. 26. Ponder the pathes of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established Eccl. 5.13 There is a sore evill which I have seen under the Sunne namely riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt And Chap. 8. Ver. 9. There is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Joh. 2.16 For all that is in the world the the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world Ver. 17. And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Isa 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters cribbe but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Job 16.3 Shall vain words have an end Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord Stand in the wayes and see and ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein and you shall finde rest for your souls Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have mercy upon us he will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the depth of the sea 2 Cor. 10.4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing thot exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Matth. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you And 18. Ver. 14. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven James 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Job 22.9 When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Deut. 30.15 19 20. See I have set before thee this day life and good death and evill I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou maist love the Lord thy God and that thou maist obey his voice and that thou maist cleave unto him for he is thy life Matth. 17.27 Notwithstanding least we should offend them goe thou to the sea and cast in a hook and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of money that take and give unto them for me and thee Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be is becomes the Gospell of Jesus Christ Amos 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israell Psal 40.1 I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Psal 106.13 They soon forgot his works they waited not for his counsell Isa 25.9 Loe this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Sam. 2.15.26 Behold here I am let him doe unto me what seemeth good unto him Psal 89.30 If his children forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements Ver. 31. If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my commandements Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with stripes Psal 74.19 O deliver not the soul of thy Turkle Dove unto the multitude of the wicked Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill Numb 11.4 And the mixed multitude fell a lusting Prov. 24.1 My sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Ver. 22. For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knowes the ruine of them both Gen. 2.18 It is not good for man to be alone Matt. 4.4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Devill Joh. 6.14 And Jesus departed into a Mountaine himselfe alone And c. 8. v. 16. I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me And c. 16. v. 32. Ye shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me Phil. 4.11 I have learned in what estate soever I am in therewith to be content Eccl. 6.9 Better is the sight of the eyes then the wandring of the desire 1 Tim. 6.9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Eccl. 7.3 Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully Prov. 15.2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright but the mouth of the foolish poureth out foolishnesse Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his coversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 15.5 He that doth these things shall never be moved And 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Psal 101.2 I will behave my selfe wisely in a perfect way And 119.98 Thou through thy Commandements hast made me wiser then my enimies Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sinne but he that refraineth his lips is wise And 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a foole then of him And 10.14 Wise men lay up knowledge but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction Psal 11 â—5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with
was gathered to his people And Chap. 49. ver 26. Jacob saith I am ready to be gathered to my people bury me with my fathers Observe There is no sign or shew of sorrow in him for he might well rejoyce to exchange earth for Heaven And Ver. 33. Then Jacob made an end of giving charge to his sonnes and plucked up his feet into the bed and gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people It is an infinite and an incomprehensible mercy of God that his love in Jesus is to call us in his good time from our disserving rather then serving of him here and that with thousands of fears cares and griefs to be gathered to his servants our fathers and nearest friends in peace XII A seventh Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our entrance into the true communion of Saints By the Gospell we are joyned to the Angels and Patriarchs even in this life much more shall we be united to the true heavenly serving our eternall mercy with them when we shall cease from sinne Heb. 13.22 23. Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestiall Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first-born which are written in Heaven And to God the Judg of all and to the spirits of just and perfect men Ver. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new Testament Col. 1.9 The Apostle saith For this cause we pray for you and do desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding Ver. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Ver. 11. Stengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfllunesse Ver. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Ver. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne Ver. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinnes Ver. 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature Ver. 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Ver. 17. For he is before all things and by him all things consist Ver. 18. And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Ver. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Ver. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven Ver. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight 1 Thes 3.12 13. The Lord increase you and make you abound in love one towards another and towards all men to make your hearts stable and unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints Jude ver 14. Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints Rev. 7.9 I beheld saith the Apostle and behold a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Ver. 14. And an Elder said unto me These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their long robes and have made their long robes white in the blood of the Lambe Ver. 15. Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell amongst them Ver. 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them neither any heat Ver. 17. For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall govern them and shall lead them unto the lively fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes XIII An eighth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our ceasing from sinne and the entrance into our eternall rest and peace Heb. 4.9 10. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God For he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his Chap. 6. ver 20. Let us study therefore to enter into that rest least any fall through disobedience Into which peace the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus that is made a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec Job 3.13 For so should I now have lyen and been quiet I should have slept then and been at rest Ver. 14. With the Kings and Counsellors of the earth which have builded themselves desolate places Ver. 17. The wicked have there ceased from their tyranny and there they that laboured valiantly are at rest Ver. 18. The prisoners rest together and hear not the voice of the oppressors Ver. 19. There are small and great and the servant is free from his Master XIV A ninth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going to doe the will of God our most loving and mercifull Father in Jesus Christ without sinning against his most blessed and sacred Majesty In dying we doe the will of God Heb 9.27 For it is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgement Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sinne Joh. 14.28 When our Saviour had acquainted his Disciples of his departure from them by his passion they were sorrowfull For which our Saviour seemed to reprove them and said If ye loved me ye would rather rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. XV. A tenth Comfort in Death It is the love of our good God unto us to take us away from the evill to come therefore rejoyce at this his gracious call of infinite mercy to that heavenly mansion which our blessed Saviour hath prepared for us in his Fathers house Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions or dwelling places if it were not so I would have told you I goe to prepare a place for you 1 King 11.11 12. The Lord said to Solomon I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it because of David thy Father but I will rent it out of the
non habent 1 Thos 4. Melior est dies mort is Eccl. 6. die nativitatis laudavi mag is mortuos quam viventes Mors est munus necessarium naturae tam corruptae quae non non est fugienda sed potius amplectenda Qui credâ—t ei qui misit me habet vitam aeternam Joh. 5. et non in judicium veniet sed transiet á morte in vitam Cum infirmor 2 Cor. 11. Jam. 1. tunc potens sum Reatus qui suffers tentationem quoniam cum probatus fuerit accipiet coronam vitae quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se Estote misericordes Luk. 6 sicut pater vester celestis misericors est Estote imitatores Dei sicut filij carissimi Christianus christi nominis similitudinem tenet Aug. morum quoê™ similitudinem habere debet nam Christiani nomen ille frustra sortitur qui Christum minime imitatur Judicium sine miserecordiâ ei fiat qui non fecerit misâ—ricordiam Da pauperibus habebis thesaurum in caelo Mat. 9 Prov. 14. Mat. 5. Mat. 25. Qui miseretur pauperis beatus erit Beati misericordes quoniam misericordiam consequentur Veuez bien heureux de mon pere entrezeu la possession du Royaume qui vous est preparé dés la creation du monde car i' ay en faim vous m' auex donné a manger c. Quod uni ex meis minimis fecistis mihi fecistis A subitaneâ improvisâ morte libera nos Domine Non potest malé mori qui bené vixerit Aug. vix bene moritur qui male vixerit Vobis datum est non solum utin Christum credatis Phil. sed ut pro ipso patiamini Cupio dissolvi Phil. 1. 1 Cor. 2. esse cum Christo Oculus non vidit auris non audivit nec in cor hominis ascendit quae praeparavit Deus diligentibus se Quelle chose y a il en ce monde pour contenter l'ame Aug. rien de tout il n' y a que Dieu seul Inquieâ—um est cor nostrum donec quiescat in te Ps 6. satiabor cum aparuerit gloriatua Deus fecit hominem Aug. ut summum bonum intelligeret intelligendo amaret amando possideret possidendo fueretur Gaudium in caelo erit super una peccatore paenitentiam agente Luk. 15. quam super nonaginta novem justos qui non indâ—gent panitentiâ Jesus Christus venit in hunc mundum peccatores salvos facere 1 Tim. 4. Dimissa sunt â—i peccata multa qui a dilexit multum Luk 7. Jam non est is hospites Eph. 2. advena sed est is cives sanctorum domestici Dei. Beati servi illi quos cum venerit Dominus invenerit vigilantes Luk 2. Nihil occultum quod non seiatur Mark 4. nihil opertum quod non revelatur De die illâ nemo scit ne quidem Angeli Calorum neque filus hominis Talem te judicat Deus Mat. 24. Cyprian Luk. 12. qualem te invenerit cum vorat Beati servi illi quos cum venerit Dominus invenerit vigilantes scilicet in statu gratia in peccatis non dormientes Ante juditium Eccl. 8. Joh. 14. Psal 110. para justitiam tibi ante languorem ad hibe medicinam Diligamus Deum quiaipse prius dilexit nos Initium sapientiae timor Dei qui timet Deum faciet bona A timore tuo concepimus spiritum salutis Quoties in quit Hier. diem judicij considero toto corpore contre misco sive enime comedarn sive bibam sive quid aliud faciam semper videtur illa tuba terribilis insonare auribus meis surgite mortui venite ad juditium Non intres in juditium cum servo tuo Domine Psal 104. quia non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens Vix justus salvabitur miser peccator ubi parebunt Nolite omni spiritui credere 1 Pet. 4. 1 Joh. 4. Aug. Heb. 11. sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint Noll intellegre ut credas sed crede ut intelligas Fides est substantia rerum sperandarum argumentum non apparentium Quod fui Domine ignosce quod sum corrige quod cro dirige Serva comissum expecta promissum cave probibitum Adversa corporis animae remedio sunt agritudo carnem vulnerat sed mentem curat For the mortification of the flesh VVHat man is he that liveth and shall not see death It is decreed in our first parents so to have been instituted that if they had not sinned they should not have died In what hour thou eatest thou shalt die Man when he was in honour understood not but is compared to the beasts that perish and is made like unto them The envy of the devill brought death upon all the earth The devill is the murtherer from the beginning A man is fallen into the hands of thieves c. that is to say into the hands and power of devils which spoiled him of his garment of originall justice of the robe of grace of innocence and of charity and by the wounds of sinne left him half dead but Jesus Christ our good and true Samaritane As in Adam all are dead even so in Christ shall all live It is appointed to all men once to die We die daily and continually our life in some part diminisheth and while we increase our lives decrease As the Hart desireth the rivers of waters so desireth my soul to come to thee O God My soul thirsteth to God the living fountaine when shall I come and appear before the face of my God The Apostle St Paul saith My desire is to be dissolved from this flesh and to be with Jesus Christ which is much better After this the judgment Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The just shall be had in eternall remembrance The death of sinners is the worst death The face of the Lord is against those that doe iniquity The sinners shall be blotted out of the book of the living and with the just they shall not be written Live thou to say with St Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith therefore there is reserved for me a Crown of justice the which my God the just Judge shall give me in that day and our good God of his infinite pity shall say to thee Thou hast called to me out of the deep and I have heard thee c. Remember the end in all things and thou shalt not sinne to death Ye have said we have made a league with death and with hell an agreement The Prophet answers them Your Covenant with death shall be dissolved and your agreement with hell shall not stand By the envy of Satan and by sinne death hath taken dominion
and pleasing our naturall and corrupted affections Q. What is the principall gift of God to a man in this life A. True Wisdome Q. What is true wisdome A. To be wise to the soul Q. What is perfect folly A. Foolishnesse and neglect towards the soul Q. What are corrections A. They are the chastisements of almighty God and contrary to corrupted nature Q. What use are we to make of them A. To move us to a willing submission to the will and dispose of our Creator Q. Should they move us to contemn life and desire death A. No but rather to rejoice in the longest and hardest work of his sacred pleasure Q. Ought we most to rejoice when we enjoy the fullnesse of this world A. No but rather to fear it to be the portion of the ungodly Q. What understand you by almighty God A. I understand a Spirit not to be seen by the outward eye of the body Q. How is he to be seen and known A. By the eye of the soul Q. What is the eye of the soul A. Faith and reason Q. How shall Faith and reason be guided A. By the Law of Nature and by the holy Scriptures Q. What doth the Law of Nature shew us A. That there is one almighty God for ever to be worshipped and obeyed by us who hath created and made us and hath power ever our souls and bodies for ever Q. What further teacheth it A. That mortality belongeth to the body and immortality to the soul Q. What further A. That there is good and evil and that the good will be rewarded and the evil-doer will be punished by the Creator especially after this life is ended Q. What are the holy Scriptures A. They are sacred instructions and Lawes sent unto us by almighty God Q What is the scope and intent thereof A. To admonish teach and instruct us to holinesse and righteousnesse in life and conversation Q. What doe they further teach A. True Faith and saving belief Q. What is Faith A. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Q. What is belief A. It is a pure perswasion grounded on the word of almighty God Q. What is the true belief concerning the sacred Trinity A. That of the Apostles called the Apostles Creed Q. Rehearse that Belief A. I beleeve in God the Father Almighty c. Q. What doth this Faith and true belief shew us A. That there are three Persons but one Eternall God Q. How are these three persons named and divided A. Into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Q What is the Father A. We beleeve that the Father is the incomprehensible begetter of the Sonne thereby fitting him to receive an earthly body like to ours sinne onely excepted that so he might therein and thereby satisfie the justice of his Father due for sinne by us committed in our earthly bodies which could no otherwise have been satisfied for but in the just destruction and damnation both of our bodies and souls for that the sinne of the body in its due desert slayeth the soul Q. What is the Sonne A. We believe that he is the only Mediator betwixt the Fathers justice and mans sinnes and that he intercedeth and maketh peace by his merits with the Father for us and that besides him we have no Mediator Q. What is the Holy Ghost A. We believe that he is the sacred Spirit of mercy proceeding from the Father and the Sonne whereby our hearts are guided unto all the true performances of saving duty Q. Are there not then three Gods A. No three Persons but onely one God Q. Is the power and operation of all the three Persons upon the creature one and the same A. We believe their power to be equall as one God but severally instrumentall to mans salvation as three Persons which seemeth plain by the holy Scriptures Q. Do the Scriptures then shew this sacred Trinity in Unity three Persons but one eternall God their power and proceedings towards the creature and the duty of the creature to this Creator A. Yes verily and there is no other means to know it more truly Q. Is it not then most necessary to be perfect in the Scriptures and to meditate on them continually A. Yes surely for thereby we are made wise to salvation Q. What is the Good of this life A. A free and joyfull submission to the good providence of almighty God and a diligent walking in his Lawes Q. What is the evill of this life A. An unsatiable desire of such things as will not satisfie the soul Q. What is the soul A. It is the unexpressible invisible immortall spirituall man Q. What will content the soul A. Things onely like it self pure spirituall and eternall Q. What is time A. It is the passage of our life and pilgrimage in this world Q. What is our chief work in our time A. To fit our selves by the assistance of the holy Spirit for a happy eternity Q. What is Eternity A. It is chiefly to us after this life it is entred into by us at our death and is without end Q What are earthly things A. The things visible in this world given us to use with praise and thanks to the giver Q. What are heavenly things A. All that we can conceive by happinesse but they are onely negatively demonstrated to us Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can mans heart conceive these unexpressible mercies of our Almighty Creator Q. What is our duty in this life A. It is joyfully and willingly to bear the burden and heat of the day in the service of our Creator during his pleasure untill he call us to our rest Q. What is it to be dissolved and to be with Christ A. It is to be separated by death from this earthly tabernacle and to be received into the communion of the blessed souls who are dissolved from their earthly bodies and are with him Q. How ought we to use the present enjoyments of this life A. As if we used them not and to keep our selves unspotted of them Q. How are we to provide for the life to come A. By an humble diligent and watchfull walking in the wayes and Commandements of almighty God Q. What are the chief and summe of the Commandements of the Almighty A. Those which he gave to Moses written in Tables of stone Q. How many of them are there A. Ten. Q. Which are they Rehearse them A. The same which almighty God spake c. Q. What is Religion A. It is to extoll the Almighty above the highest and to cast down man below the lowest Q. What is pure Religion A. Pure Religion and undefiled before almighty God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and the widow in their necessities and to keep our selves unspotted of this world Q. Are we able of our selves to live unspotted A. No we must humbly crave the almighty power and strength of the holy