of all men R. Euen asmuch as I would desire and more then so much as you did require For what did I desire or you require but to know what God did in euerie mans Death whether he determined of the time or not and whether he fore-knew what he had determined And now whether of these is it which is not here manifested and explained the first or the last surelie surelie neither of both Not the first because he determined the time of Christs death and what agreed to the head agreeth with the parts but Christ is the head and those of the Church are his members If therefore the Death of Christ the head to the whole bodie were fore-seene as fore-seene it was the Death also of euerie member of his mysticall bodie is also fore seene and ordeined also by the speciall decree and appointment of God Neyther yet the seconde because he determined not onelie the time but also the place and manner and ende of Christs death togither with other circumstances thereto appertaining and belonging and he determines nothing which he did not fore-knowe for his fore-knowledge is conioyned with his decree If therefore he so dealt with Christ it cannot be but that so also hee dealeth with others for as the Apostle saith Those which he knew before Rom. 8.29 he also predestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Thus now you see that the Death of Christ is asmuch to the Death of all men as either I desired or you required Q. But you said it was more R. If so I did say It is not otherwise then now I doe say for the more comprehendeth the lesse Q. But yet the more is neuer the more prooued R. Why say you so seeing I euen nowe said that in the death of Christ there was not onelie time when place where and maner how but also persons by whom fore-seene and preappointed by God that in his owne euerlasting Counsell and decree doth not that proue what you latelie saide was vnproued Q. Yes if that were proued R. Neuer if at the matter the saying of the Apostle Peter in the fourth of that Actes latelie rehearsed in the verses 27. and 28. doth sufficientlie proue that for there it is said Herode and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles Act. 4.27.28 and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against Christ Iesus to doe whatsoeuer the hand and Counsell of God had determined to be done Now it is well knowne by the historie of the Gospell written by the Euangelists Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn what was done Nothing therefore of that which was done vnto him at his death in his death or concerning his death was either vnknown and vnforescene or vnappointed and vndecreed by God himselfe Q. Admit that may we not therefore make a doubt touching the death of other men R. No surelie we ought not Q. And why R. For the resemblance that is betwixt Christ and his members Q. What then affirme you that the death of euerie man is not onelie fore-seene but also fore-appointed of God so as Death can neither come sooner nor later in respect of God but iust at the time appointed by him R. Yea that I doe and more too Q. More too what 's that R. That the very circumstances of death as the time when the place where the manner how together with the beginning of the sickenes the continuance in the same with euerie fitte and the ende thereof with euerie pange are all particularlie set downe in the Counsell of God Q. This more is much and more by much then before you spake of R. Whatsoeuer it is It is no more then I may as truelie as boldelie speake For our Sauiour Christ saieth Mat. 10.30 The verie haires of our heads are numbred and a Sparow lighteth not vpon the ground without the wil and prouidence of our heauenlie Father And if God hath care of haires and Sparowes he is not careles of those things which betyde his Seruants eyther in Death at Death or about Death For things are greater thē the numbring of haires and the lighting of Sparowes Psal 139.15 For this cause Dauid saith in the Psalmes My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secrete place and fashioned beneath in the earth thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as there was none of them before For the same cause may euerie one in sickenes say this is thy doing ô Lord heere is no more then thou imposest vpon me thy pleasure it is that thus and thus I should be tormented and afflicted Q. But doth this necessarilie follow of the former R. What else for why should not a man be patient in his sickenes when hee knowes the Lord to be the cause of his sickenes For what man may resist his will Or why should a man immoderatelie feare Death when he knowes God to be the worker of his Death what should he feare that which is both fore-seene ere it comes and fore-appointed when it comes I held my tongue and said nothing Psal 39.10 saith Dauid because thou Lord diddest it Loe the Lords doing was the cause of his patient abiding the Lordes doing also in each mans Death should bee the cause of each mans patient suffering and expecting of Death Psal 135.6 Mark 7.37 For as he doth euerie where whatsoeuer pleaseth him so doth he well anie where whatsoeuer he doth Q. That which you say should be as you say but it will not be R. That is the iniquitie of man and not the infirmitie of this truth What it should be it will be if it be well thought vpon For what should man feare what the Lord will haue to be No man can resist his will euerie man praieth that his will may be done Matth. 6.10 Now when no man can resist his will euerie man praieth for the accomplishment of his will what should anie man immoderatelie feare what he cannot possiblie auoide and what he dailie praieth may betyde It is follie it is vanitie it is iniquitie so to doe When yong Samuel had tolde old Elie all that the Lord had threatned and was purposed to bring vpon his house for the wickednes of the same this was olde Elies saying to yong Samuel It is the Lord 1. Sam. 3.18 let him doe what seemeth him good When faultles death hath seised vpon fearefull man this should bee his saying It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good his will it is I should dye his will I cannot resist his will bee done August sup Psalm 35. It is the Iustice of God that some time thou beest well and sometime thou beest sicke If when thou art well the will of God be sweete and when thou art sicke the will of God be bitter thou walkest not with a right heart Wherefore because
to sleepe hee that dyes knowes not when he beginnes to dye Man knowes not his end He that sleepes rests from al the care and labour he had while he waked he that dyes resteth from all the care and trouble he had while he liued Apoc. 14.13 He that sleeps liues while he sleepes Mat. 22.32 he that dyes when he is dead For the soule is immortall And God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Yet when Abraham and Isaac and Iacob were dead God said I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac Exod. 3 6. and the God of Iacob He that sleepes dreames either of things pleasant or things pestilent he that dyes and is dead Luk. 16.22.23 enioyes either things ioyfull as the ioyes of heauen or things painefull as the paines of hell he that sleepes Iob. 19.25 sleepes in hope to awake againe he that dies dies in hope to rise againe And therefore the Iewes call the churchyarde the house of the liuing because they which there sleepe shall thence in the last daies rise He that sleepes is stronger when he awakes than before he that dies is better when he rises againe than euer he was before He rises in incorruption he rises in power 1. Cor. 15.42 43. Mat. 19.26 1. Cor. 15.25 He that sleepes may easily be waked he that dies may easily be raised The trumpet shal blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible To come to some point now what should a man feare either the laying downe of a burthen or the taking vp of a sleepe being weary hee desires both the one and the other Being wearied with the cares and crosses of this life what should he then feare death no man feares to be cast into a sleepe neither should a sicke man feare much to die As Seneca saith Senec. in prouer Epist It is a foolish thing to be delighted with sleepe and yet to abhor death when as a continuall sleepe is the imitation of death againe Through the feare of death we make vnto our selues an vnquiet life and so great is the madnes of men that some are driuen to die by the feare of death We are to be strengthened least we too well loue our life too much hate our death And we must be perswaded when reason thereto perswades to ende our life but not to feare death A valiant and couragious man ought not to flie but to goe out of his life For himselfe and of himselfe he saith otherwhere It repenteth me not to haue liued because I haue not so liued Senec. lib. de senectyte that I should thinke my selfe borne in vaine And so depart I out of this life as if I departed out of an Inne not as if I departed out of an house for nature hath giuen vs an Inne to stay in but not an house to dwell in Thus by his example he shewed what he himselfe did and by his reason what others after his example should doe if either his example be worth the following or his reason worthie the beleeuing for his reasons sake and after his example he that is sicke and therefore not farre from death should neither immoderatly feare death nor negligently expect death How fearefull soeuer death is if it be looked vpon in the glasse of the law yet is it not so being looked on in the glasse of the Gospell In the one it hath a sting and that a sharpe one in the other it wants a sting and therefore it is no wondrous fearefull one Saith Gregory What is this mortall life but away and consider my brethren what a thing is it in the way to be wearied and to nill that the way should be ended He that trauailes desires to be at his iourneies ende what should he that liues be afraide to die death is the ende of his â—ourney Euery thing reioyces in the ende What should the sicke man feare death death vnder the Gospell to him that beleeues â—s The passage to life not to destruction For be which beleeueth in Christ dieth not Ioh. 5.24 death hath no power ouer him but he passeth from death to life The death of those that beleeue hath another Epitheton than hath the death of those that beleeue not Pretious in the sight of the Lord saith Dauid is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 Sap. 3.19 Bern. in quadam epâ—â—co but horrible saith Salomon is the end of the wicked generation Pretious is the death of the Saints pretious truely as the end of their labours as the finishing of their victorie as the gate of life and the entrance to perfect securitie And againe in the same place saith he The death of the righteous is good for the rest that followes it better for the newenes of that rest best of all for the securitie that is in that rest that both followes it and is new For as the same Bernard otherwhere saith Bern. ser 25. paru serm Three things there are which makes the death of the Saints pretious 1. Rest from labour 2. Ioy of the newenes of that rest 3. Securitie of the eternitie of the same rest But on the contrary part the death of the wicked is most vile It is euill truely in the loosing of the world for without griefe they cannot be seuered from that which they loue it is worse in the seuering of the flesh For their soules are puld from their bodies by wicked spirits it is worst of all in the double suffering of the wormes and the fire For the worme euer stingeth and the fire alwaies burneth neither euer cease to torment Much what to the like effect doth Chrysostome write of the death of the one and the other Although they die at home Chrysost hom 66. in Genes de morte peccator both wife and children being present familiars and acquaintance standing by if yet they want vertue their death is but euill So although he be in a strange countrey though he lies vpon the pauement and what say I though he be in a straunge countrey although he falles into the hands of theeues although he be deuoured of beasts yet if he be indued with vertue his death shall be pretious As Anselmus writeth Anselm It hurts not those which are good whether they be murthered or taken away by sodaine death For they neuer die sodeinly which euer thought they were to die Whether therefore they be slaine with the sword or torne in peeces of beastes or burned with fire or drowned by water or hanged on a tree or haue their legges broken or die by some other misfortune yet euer is the death of his Saints pretious in the sight of the Lord according as it is At what time soeuer the righteous dieth his righteousnes shall not be taken from him And so death hurteth not but profiteth much If therefore he that is sicke or any other doth beleeue he needes not ouermuch to
alwaies vncertaine and vnknowne to thee That thou mayst feare be feruent liue well and flye euill As though there were foure causes which moued God to make death vncertaine 1. Feare 2. Loue. 3. Life 4. Euill Feare of him loue to his word preseruation of life in man and declining of euill Touching the. 1. Gregorie sayth in an homelie of his Our Lord would therefore haue our last houre to bee vnknowne that alwaies it might be suspected Gregorie in hom that whilst we cannot fore see it without intermission wee might make hast vnto it And hence is it that he said Watch therefore Mat. 15. cap. 13. for ye know neither the day nor the houre when the sonne of man wil ceme Touching the 2. another saith The houre of death is vncertaine that thou mightest worke the more feruentlie Were it not so thou wouldest grow slouthfull and desist from manie things which are good for others And hence it is that an Angell sayd once to a Bishop Greg. in Dialoâ— Doe what thou doest worke what thou workest Touching the 3. saith the same author last spoken of Therefore is the day of thy death vnknowne that thou mayest liue the more purely and warilie For as Cyprian saith What kinde of one the Lord findes thee when hee doth call such kinde of one he doth iudge thee when thou art gone But it is a foolish thing for a man to liue in that estate in which he would not dye Touching the 4. saith the foresaid writer Therefore is the day of thy death vnknowne that thou maiest eschew many euilles which of the certaintie of death would ensue For did men know they should liue long they would committe many euils purposing afterwards to repent but did they know they should dye soone they would liue so much the more vnhumanelie determining to haue some pleasure ere they were for the preuenting of these mischiefes the Lord hath made both death vncertayne and the time thereof vnknowne Thus now you see how the ignorance of death both in regard of time place and manner ought to make a man prepare himselfe to death Q. I doe so I thanke you But I pray you is there yet any thing more that may doe the like R. If you remembred but what ere while I said this question might haue been spared for I tolde you that for fiue causes a man was to prepare himselfe to die ere euer he came to die and yet wee haue spoken but of three of them Q. In deede you did so Speake therefore of the two last I praye you as you haue done of the three first R. So I meane God willing In the fourth place therefore a man is to prepare himselfe to die ere euer hee comes to die because the greatest worke a man hath to finish in this worlde is to die As after death there is no worke so greater then death there is no work hee which hath ouercome death hath ouercome all things Aristotle Of all terrible and fearefull things death is the last Q. And why should this moue a man euer the more to prepare himselfe to die R. Because as the wise man saith Syr. 5. 16. He should not doe rashly either in small things or in great Q. Why but is it a doing rashly to dye without preparation thereto R. What else For what is it not a doing rashly to set vpon any thing without aduisement Q. Yes surelie R. The like it is to die without preparation Q. As a man then prepares himselfe to the doing of any great worke so is hee to the vndergoing of death R. Right so Q. But why so R. Because death is not the least of a mans workes in this world Brandmil Con. fun though it bee the last For to die is the greatest worke a man hath to finish vpon earth Q. May you not thereto adde the greiuousest too R. If I die the matter were not great for there are more paines in death Vincent then in any worke vnder the sunne As one sayth for then so diuerse kindes of diseases are wonte to meete and so to molest euery member that sometimes there are moe diseases than members In a sicknes that was not mortall but grieuous Dauid sayd there was not one whole parte in his bodie how much more might another so say in a sickenesse that is mortall and therefore exceeding grieuous For no sickenes so grieuous as a mortall sickenes In the separation of a man from his wife there is much greefe and sorrow in the separation of the soule from the bodie there must needes be much more The coniunction of the two last is greater and of greater continuance than the coniunction of the two first and where there hath beene the longer continuance in affection there must needes be the greater grieuances vpon separation in experience we see that so much the greater the sorrow is at the parting of friends by how much the longer the continuance together hath been from the meeting of friends and by that we may gesse how great the griefe is in the parting of soule and body For soule and bodie are as two friends but what prosecute I this poynt so farre Now haue I little leysure and lesse occasion so to doe and it may be I shall haue more of both hereafter Q. I would you might and I wish you may For it will not be more yrkesome to me then to heare of these things than it is now And now by seeing my silence you may iudge of my delight But to let this passe seeing you would so faine passe what other reason haue you for the first and last place by which a man should bee moued to a preparing of himselfe to death ere euer he comes to yeeld himselfe thereto R. The fundrie preceptes of Christ and his Apostles and prophets tending to that purpose Q. Why haue either the one or the other of these giuen any precepts touching this matter R. Haue they what a question is that thus sayd I say the Prophet to Hezekiah the king Put thine house in order Esa 38.2 for thou shalt dye and not liue And what is that but to prepare to die because thou must die Thus said Christ our Sauiour to Peter and Andrew and other his Apostles and disciples Wake therefore Mat. 24.42.43 for ye know not what houre your master will come Of this be sure that if the good man of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through Therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the sonne of man come And what is this but to prepare to dye because you must dye for Luke the Euangelist recording the same historie saith Be yee also prepared therefore Luk. 12.40 For the sonne of man will come at an houre when yee thinke not 1. Pet. 1.1 And thus said Peter the Apostle to the
by and by be dead Sodayne death wee know seiseth vpon many Q. I many in regarde of themselues but not many in regarde of others for moe dye deliberately vpon their beds than sodainly at their boards R. The greater is the mercie of God towardes vs that it is not so Lam. 3.22 Dan. 9.7 For his mercie it is that we all dye not suddenly we haue deserued worse and therefore that Q. I denie not that R. Presume not then vpon the other Q. Neither will I for the workes of God are merueilous and his iudgements past finding out Rom. 11.33 But I will enquire when a man is to prepare himselfe to death Whether in sickenes or in health or in both R. And I will answere in both and neither in health alone nor in sickenes alone Q. And why that R. Because there is a twofould preparing to dye a preparing in health and a preparing in sickenes a preparing in health because then we are verie vnsure to liue For the healthiest man in the world cannot promise himselfe one howre of life Much lesse can he saie To day or to morrow I will goe into such a citie Iam. 4.13 and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine A preparing in sickenes because then wee are all like to die There is but a step between the sicke man and death As one sayth of men and young men so say I of sickemen and sound men Bern. de Conuers Cler. c. 14. To sicke men death is at the gate to sound mē death is lying in wayte Both in health therefore and also in sickenes he that knowes he must dye must prepare himselfe to dye Q. What needes he prepare in health will it not serue well enough in sickenes R. Truelie no. For first the time of sickenes is not the fittest for such a purpose First because all the sences are then occupied about the paines of the disease And Augustine saith Scarcelie will hee come to true satisfaction Aug. ser 36. whome sickenes doth vrge and paine terrifie especially when the children whome he vnlawfully loued are present and his wife and the worlde do call him vnto them Secondly because then the diuell is most busie to draw a man from all goodnes as knowing that if then he hold him he shall for euer keepe him Olympiodorus in the 9. chapter of Ecclesiastes For as Olimpiodorus saith Such as the day of death doth leaue him such shall and will the day of iudgement finde him And you know it was said to the serpent which was more subtill than any beast of the fielde touching himselfe and the womans seede Gen. 3.15 He shal breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Which as one saith is as much as thou shalt lye in waite against the latter part of his life And well may it be so for that auncient writer Gregorie saith Greg. lib. 6. moral The auncient enemie of mankinde in the time of death is mad through the violence of crueltie to snatch vp the soules of sinners and whome he deceiued while they liued by his flatteries them he tormenteth when they dye by his crueltie Secondly in the time of health it is verie needfull because as in sommer the lillie hath a worme in the roote that doth consume it so in health man hath a worme that doth dissolue him Wheresoeuer he goes hee carries death with him As the lillie that flourishes in the morning is not sure to stand till the euening so man that triumphes in the health of his youth is not sure to liue to the infirmitie of his age Absolon dyes in his health aswell as Dauid in his sickenes And the prouerbe is When health is highest death is nighest Many euen now as it were are aliue and merrie yet in a moment they are dead and gone Sometime death warnes ere she strikes and sometimes againe she strikes ere euer she warnes As therefore it is euill to delay till sickenes so it is good to prepare in health The wise man saith Syr. 18. 20. Humble thy selfe before thou bee sicke and whilest thou mayest yet sinne shew thy conuersion In health the wit of man is greater and the feare of death lesser than in sickenes In health therfore also to prepare for death the time is somewhat fitter Q. Why but it is neuer to late to repent For a man may repent when he will R. The proposition is true if a man doth truely repent But the prouerbe is It is scarse true which is not due It is sicke like him that vseth it As you hearde before out of Augustine August serm 36. He whome sickenes constraineth and punishment affrighteth hardlie to true repentance atteyneth Q. But are you of that minde R. Of what other minde should I be Q. If so you are and other you cannot be of what reason haue you for being of that R. Reason enough and forcible enough to content any man reasonable First repentance should be voluntarie as all other obedience to God should bee But repentance in sickenes is vsually constrayned The feare of death hell and iudgement doth enforce it Zeale loue and religion doe not then alwaies effect it And there is a learned writer that saith Enforced seruices are not pleasing vnto God Greg. Secondly in true and sound repentance men that repent Ambros do forsake their sinnes For as Ambrose sayth True repentance it is to sease from sinne Hugo lib. 3. de Mist ecle And as Hugo saith Repentance is called as it were a punishment because the man himselfe that repenteth doth by his repenting punish in himselfe what wickedly he hath committed For the three things which are in the smiting of the breast to wit the breast the hand and the sound doe signifie that repentance is of those things which we haue offended in by heart voice and worke But in this repentance both raysed by sickenes and neuer vsed but in sickenes the sinnes forsake the men for therefore then many forsake their sinnes because their sinnes forsake them and not because they forsake their sinnes For why their minde is toward them asmuch as euer though their might serues not to follow them so well as euer The historie of Andronicus and the lion of both which it is written This lion is this mans hoste and this man is this lions physitian or chirurgian doth argue that in sickenes the lion the Prince of Beastes doth leaue his crueltie and experience doth testifie that in sickenes man the Lord of lions and other creatures doth lay downe his iniquitie but as the one did leaue his crueltie to the ende he might be cured of his maladie so doth the other lay downe his iniquitie to the ende he may bee freed from his miserie The truth of what I saie is apparant in Antiochus the proud 2. Machab. 2.11 2. Machab. 9.5 For before that a paine of the bowels that was remediles came vpon
your owne skill for all my will for I may minde what is not meete and you may wish what is more conuenient Your enough is nothing too much for that which you said was both pleasurable to heare and profitable to learne And it may be my minde is little amisse For I would learne what I know not and get what I haue not For my part therefore I can be contented to proceede can you so too R. Yea verily for I am now at your direction Q. We will now then to the third thing you say he was to regarde which in prosperous time of life was desirous to prepare against perilous day of death R. As you please for that But doe you remember what it was Q. Very well I thanke you For this it was He must striue by all good meanes he may to enter into the first degree of eternall life R. You say true but what would you touching this point Q. I would first know how many degrees of life eternall there are for your naming of the first argues that there are diuers I would secondly learne what it is to enter into the first degree of eternall life For you say he must striue and striuing argues it is not common nor easie to enter into it Thirdly I would know by what meanes a man may come to enter thereinto For enter a man cannot into any thing without meanes R. And these things in some sorte will I manifest vnto you Touching the first therfore there are three degrees of life eternall The first is in this life when men being iustified and sanctified haue peace with God The second is in the ende of life when the body freed from all diseases paynes and miseries is layd to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is after the daie of Iudgement when bodie and soule being reunited shall be both aduanced to eternall glorie Now to enter into the first of these 3. degrees of life eternall is to haue such peace with God through Christ as he that hath it can say with Paul I liue not but Christ liues in me The meanes to enter heereinto are three Repentance of sin Fayth in Christ and Newenes of life For none can enter heereinto but he that repents him of his sinnes beleeues in Christ and riseth to newenes of life He that repents not perisheth He that beleeueth not is condemned He that walketh not in newnes of life is yet in his sinnes Hence it is that Peter said vnto the Iewes A mende your liues and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Act. 3.19 Hence is it that Paul said vnto the Iayler 16 31. Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine household Dan. 4.24 Hence is it that Daniel said to Nebuchadnezar Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquities by mercie toward the poore Loe let there be an healing of thine errour Hence it is that as Peter said of Ioyning vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge 2. Pet. 1.5 and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlines and with godlines brotherly kindenes and with brotherly kindenes loue if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall So may I say of mixing repentance with faith and with faith obedience and with obedience more if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall for as Iohn the Euangelist sayth Apoc. 20.6 Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power By which is signified that hee which will escape the second death must be made partaker of the first resurrection of which none is in deed partaker but he that is regenerated iustified and sanctified regenerated by the spirit of God iustified by the death of Christ and sanctified with the gifte of the holy ghost for none but such can say with Paule I liue not now but Christ liueth in me Q. I but others than such haue parte in the first resurrection R. In shew they may but in truth they haue not Q. How then may a man come to be able to say with Paule I liue not now but Christ liueth in me R. By three especiall graces in which the first degree of euerlasting life consisteth Q. What three are these R. The first is a sauing knowledge by which a man doth truely resolue himselfe that God the father of Christ is his father Christ his sonne his redemer and God the holy ghost his sanctifier for as Christ sayth This is life eternall to know thee the onely God Ioh. 17.3 and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ The second is peace of conscience Pro. 15.5 Philip. 2. which as Salomon saith Is a continuall feast And as Paul saith Passeth all vnderstanding For as the same Paul saith The kingdome of God is righteousnes Rom. 14.17 peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost And no meruaile for the horrour of a giultie conscience is the beginning of death and destruction Syr. 25. 14. The greatest heauines is the heauines of the heart saith Syrach and the greatest trouble is the trouble of conscience say I. As Syrach also saith Giue mee any plague saue onely the plague of the heart So say I giue me any trouble saue onely the trouble of conscience For as the plague of the heart passeth all other plagues so the trouble of conscience passeth all other troubles Pro. 18.14 The spirite of a man saith Salomon will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare it As one in Plautus saith Seruus in Mustellaria There is nothing more miserable than a mans owne guiltie minde In a prouerbe it is Seneca lib. de moribus Ibidem A guiltie conscience is as good as a thousand witnesses As Seneca saith The conscience goes beyond all the euill the tongue can speake An euill conscience is often safe without daunger neuer sure without care Hmbros lib. 2. de offic Bernar. in serm Bern. 3. considerat ad Euge. But saith Ambrose The peace of conscience makes a blessed life And saith Bernard He prepares a good dwelling for God whose reason neither hath been deceiued nor wil peruerted nor memorie defiled The opinion of good men with the testimonie of conscience is euer sufficient against the mouth of them that speake euil Horat. Hor. Iudgeth it an happie thing for a man to know no euil by himselfe nor to waxe pale through some default Hugo lib. 2. de Ani-cap 9. Hugo therefore speaking in the praise of a good conscience saith A good conscience is the title of religion the temple of Salomon the field of benediction the garden of delight the declinatorie of gold the ioy of angles the arke of couenant the treasure of the king the house of God the habitation of the holy ghost the booke
Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and smote Iob with sore boiles from the sole of his foot vnto his crowne Iob. 2.7 Is all my bodie pained yet is not my case like Dauids when being distressed in soule Psa 55.4 he cryed Mine heart trembleth within me and the terrours of death are fallen vpon me Am I distressed in soule yet is my case vnlike theirs which are in hell 2.49.14 Luk. 16.24 Death gnaweth vpon them and they cannot get so much as one droppe of water to coole their tongue What therefore though one of my members suffer yet is not that to trouble me for God could make all my members suffer as that one and with that one What though my heart paines me yet is not that to disturbe me For God could enlarge my heart and therewithal increase my paine What though my soule bee disquieted within me yet is not that to dismay me God could giue me ouer to desperation the height of all sinne What though I be afflicted both in body and foule yet is not that to astonish me For God could cast both body and soule into hellfire and what should then become of me but see how mercifully the Lord dealeth with me Where he could doe much he doth but little where he could torment me a thousand thousand waies he troubles me but one where he could afflict me in euery part and so leaue me sound in no part he spares me in all the rest due and punisheth me but in one Psal 42.5 c. O my soule then be not thou cast downe nor much disquieted within me Wayte on God for I will yet giue him thankes for the helpe of his presence If I did suffer more than I doe yet would not that be halfe so much as I haue deserued to suffer no more than that which I doe suffer is For what suffer I the aking of my head the pinching of my heart the stopping of my lungs the stuffing of my breast the weaknes of my stomacke the griping of my bowels the torments of my bellie or what else the shaking of my ioynts the quaking of my bones the dimnes of mine eies the dulnes of mine eares the streightnes of my pipes the losse of my taste the want of my legges c. Though I suffer some of these many of these most of these yea all these Rom. 6.23 yet all is nothing to that which I haue deserued to suffer death For death is the wages of sinne and that that death which is the curse of God the fire of hell the confusion both of body and soule which farre exceedeth the other more than either tongue is able to expresse or heart sufficient to conceiue For why it is infinit it is vnspeakable Oh what a happy change is this to change eternall death into a temporall sicknes great oddes betweene a temporall sicknes and eternall death There is no comparison betweene thē too too much to blame were I if I would not take patiently what the Lord doth lay vpon me wisely and louingly As Dauid saith by this I know that thou louest me because mine enemie doth not triumph ouer me so may I by this I know that thou ô God dost loue me because thus and thus thou now dost punish me Heb. 12.6 For the Lord chasteneth whome he loueth Which of all the Saintes of God whome he neuerthelesse loued well hath not in his life time been subiected to the like paines sicknes and diseases that I now am Gen. 48.1 verily none Iacob the patriarch was greatly beloued of God yea so well as God himselfe said of him Iacob haue I loued yet was he visited with sicknes as I am Iob the patient was an vpright man one that feared God and eschewed euill yet so well as Iames the apostle propoundes him as a patterne of patience to the whole church Iob. 1.1 yet was he smitten with sore boiles from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head Elizeus was an holy Prophet of God 2. Kin. 13.14 one vpon whome the spirit of Eliah was doubled yet that notwithstanding he both fell sicke and also died Lazarus was a good man 20.1 so his name signfies for it is asmuch as the helpe of God and one whome Christ loued well behold how he loued him Ioh. 11.1 Yet all this neuerthelesse he sickened and died What should I then once looke to bee free by this my comfort is greater then my crosse my consolation better than my affliction Vpon this I may better say my portion is among the Saints of God then looke how I am hated and abhorred of God For after this sort were they tormented and afflicted and yet all their torments affliction notwithstanding highly were they esteemed and singularly well beloued of God And so may I for all my sickenes paine and griefe August Iohn That which the Lord permitts me to suffer is a whip of him that correcteth not a punishment of him that condemneth by it I am trayned vp to an eternall inheritance shall I then disdaine to be whipped Nothing is that which I suffer to that which I expect It is but sorrow which I suffer it is ioy which I expect the sorrow which I suffer is but temporall the ioy which I expect is eternall Of all temporall paines the Apostle saith Rom. 1.10 The afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory which shall be shewed But of eternall ioyes the same Apostle saith The things which eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither come into mans hearte are which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 Why therefore should I not possesse my soule in patience what will not a man do or abide for a kingdome yea for a kingdome earthly and transitorie for that a man will goe ride runne sue serue and spend What therefore should not I suffer for a kingdome that this heauenly eternall and euerlasting alas what not if well I weigh and consider what weigh and consider well I should Aswell may I now say as once one said Heere burne heere cut that for euer thou maiest spare One that was alwaies as deare to thee as I now am or may be suffered once as many and as great things as I now suffer and moe and greater too ere euer he entred into glory August in lib. de 8. virtu charita as Augustine saith The sonne of God is lead to the crosse he is vnpalmed which is the true palme of victory hee is crowned with thornes which came to breake the thornes of sinners he is bound which looseneth those that are bound he is hanged vpon a tree which lifteth vp those that were throwne down the fountaine of life had his thirst quenched with viniger discipline is beaten saluation is wounded life is killed death for a time slew life Bern. in quodam sermon that death for euer might
of glorie to the seruants of God It is the beginning of a blessed life For the other there is another that saieth Syr. 40. 25. 41. 2. It is better to dye then to begge O death how acceptable is thy Iudgement vnto the needefull and vnto him whose strength fayleth and that is nowe in the last age and is vexed with all things and to him that despayreth and hath lost patience To like purpose saide olde Tobit in the anguish of his Soule Tob. 3.6 It is better for me to dye then to liue because I haue heard false reproches and am verie sorowful For the maine point we driue at there is one that saieth Philip. 1.2 Cor. 5 he which dieth is freed from the miseries of the world he goeth to the Lord from whom he went on pilgrimage so long as he abode in the bodye Also in Death he leaueth sinne labour affliction the slime of the earth the matter of continuall conflict against the spirit of God And that bodie made of the dust of the grounde which he leaues in Death he shall receiue againe in the day of the restoring of all things in farre better case then euer it was in this worlde For then it shal be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Whether therefore you respect the Soule of him that dies or you regarde the bodie yet euer is that sure which I saie that death is commodious to him that dies If you respect the Soule It is freed from the bandes of the bodie to be with Christ It is translated to immortalitie It is conducted to the heauenlie countrey from which it was a stranger If you regarde the bodie it is freed from all miserie It is committed to a most safe and sweete sleepe it is prepared to the glorie of the resurrection the flesh resteth in hope whatsoeuer you respect or regarde yet this at length you must come to Raban lib. 9. in eccl cap. 2. The iudgement of present death is good to those that worship Christ because by it they passe to eternall life Sanctus Idiota By a good death a man chaunges his feare into securitie his labour into tranquilitie his want into sacietie his sorrow into iocunditie by a good death he escapeth all daunger of loosing the grace of God his estate comes to be better then euer it was before While he liued Lazarus was contemned Luk. 26.21 neither Master nor Man would regarde him more compassion was had of him by dogges then by men The dogges came licked his sores but no man gaue him the crummes which fell from the rich mans table but when he was dead Lazarus was esteemed the Angels came and carried him into Abrahams bosome of Christ himselfe Myconius saieth While Christ liued Myconi in euang Mar expos he might see nothing but humilitie and many things horrible and dreadfull but being dead see how honorable his burial was great good men burie him there is a magnificent preparation a new Sepulchre in the gardein in which yet neuer man lay As it fared with these so often fareth it with others by these then may others see what commodities drawes towards them when death comes vpon them some I haue shewed mo at pleasure may be conceiued so good so pleasant so profitable there are as Bassus an olde man once said Ser. 30. episto If there be any discommoditie in death it is the fault of those that die and not the fault of death it selfe In his book of the contempt of death saith Seneca Seneca lib. de contem mortis for the paine that is in death It is light if I can beare it It is but short if I cannot endure it for the commodities that are therein they are many I shal leaue of all possibility then to be sick any more I shall leaue of all possibility to be bouÌ„d any more I shall leaue of all possibilitie to dye any more Sickenes shall haue no more to do with me bondage shall haue no more to doe with me Death shall haue no more to doe with me the power of the one the other and all of them shall be taken from them what in this point Seneca thought was to betide him is surely to betyde others As Seneca therefore contemned death because of the commodities of Death so may they for the same cause stand in lesse feare of Death then otherwise for therefore is it said that there are many commodities in Death that those which are to dye should be well armed against the immoderate feare of Death For it is but follie to feare that which will come and vpon all come and vpon many verie profitably come when it doth come Manie makes a vertue of necessitie and most wonderouslie loue that which brings commoditie saieth Seneca again Seneca lib. de senectu In death there is no greater solace against Death then mortalitie it selfe I see not therefore howe any shoulde ouer foolishlie feare Death it bringing commodities as it doth not only to them that suffer it but also to those that see it by others suffered Q. No more doe I neither should I if there were asmuch prooued as was erewhile propounded R. Why do you make an if what is there wanting Q. The latter part of your saying R. What is that Q. Doe not you know R. Whether I do or do not I would know of you Q. And that I can tell you R. Doe it then Q. So I meane but I doe but quicken your wit a little with this being by other things fully resolued of your will R. I can but commend your wit for so doing But I would heare what is wanting to be prooued of that which was propounded Q. That you shall that death brings commoditie to those that see it suffered is the thing which I speake of R. And that 's the thing you need not much speake of or at the least not so as you haue spoken For that thing is not now vnprooued Remember you not that out of that auncient and learned doctour Gregory I tolde you that The death of the righteous was an helpe to the good thâ—â— saw it and a testimonie to the euill Q. Yes indeede doe I. R. Be not so hastie then heereafter to accuse before you haue iust cause For that saying of Gregorie is proofe sufficient for that in controuersie Q. It is so I can it not deny but I would haue had more R. Why more than enough is too much and the prouerb is enough is as good as a feast Though more should be said yet would it all come to this issue For euer the death of the righteous is either an helpe to the good or a testimonie to the bad or both to either Q. But how the one to the one and the other to the other R. The one to the one by making them to remember their owne ends to wish the like ends and to prepare against their ends The other to
hath any communion or fellowshippe R. What then that seperation for a time notwithstanding they shall againe at length be reunited and ioyned togither and then shall they haue full communion one with another world without end Q. I know they shall so in the resurrection at the last day R. Why then obiect you as you do that knowledge is to strengthen you and any that knowes it against the feare of death with that Dauid comforteth himselfe saying Psal 16.9 Mine heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my Soule in graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holie one to see corruption With that Paul comforteth himselfe and others himselfe when he said Philip. 1.22 In death and life Christ is to me aduantage Others when hee prooued vnto them the resurrection of the dead with that also should you comfort your selfe and others What vse both Dauid and Paul made of it should others also make For why the thing of it selfe is one vnto all And all that beleeue shall haue much alike benefits thereby but I minde not now to speake of them neither neede I for they pertaine to another life and I now glaunce at them but as they yeeld comfort in this life Q. That comfort you speake of should mooue you more fullie to display them for those things which follow after death may in this life yeelde comfort against Death R. You heard me euen nowe professe so much and I like it well you will so soone thereupon confesse so much Q. I must confesse the truth for therefore I learne R. I am glad thereof for therefore I teach you it Q. If I should not make that vse of it both you should teach it in vaine and I learne it in vaine but that that may not betide I will marke both what you doe teach and what I may learne R. In so doing you shall do well Q. I perswade my selfe so and therefore I will doe as I say so neere as I may but now seeing you haue no mind to speake of some things after this life I would you would speake of something in this life R. So haue I alreadie Q. I deny not that in demaunding this but I now speake of a more speciall thing then those which are past R. It is verie like so but what is that that I may soone satisfie you Q. The last of your 4. meditations which you long since said were verie sufficient to comfort the Soule of man against the immoderate feare of Death R. If that be it we shall do well ynough but what would you that I should say touching it Q. First whether that the Lord hath promised his presence to his seruants as you said or not Secondly whether so much will thereupon follow as you inferred or no R. It seemes you doubt at euerie turne but it is no matter to shew you that I speake no more then I will iustifie I will shewe you both the one and the other Q. I thank you for that not because I doubt of what you say but because I would know your ground for that you say R. For the first therefore thus saith the Lord by his Prophet Dauid Psal 91.15 I will be with him in trouble Isai 43.3 and by his Prophet Esaie When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they do not ouerflow thee When thou walkest through the verie fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee and thus by his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus Ioh. 14.18 Mat. 28.20 I will not leaue you comfortlesse I will be with you vnto the end of the world And by these is it not manifest that the Lord hath promised his presence to his Seruants in time of neede and necessitie Q. Yes it is so I neither can nor will deny it but the Lord himselfe is inuisible is he not R. Yes for as the Scripture saith No man hath seene God at any time to Moses he himselfe said Thou canst not see my face Exo. 33.20 1. Tim. 1.17 Col. 1.15 Iud. 13.22 for there shal no man see me and liue of him Manach said vnto his wife We shall surelie dye because we haue seene God When they saw as the text saith but an Angell of God Q. By what meanes therefore doth he manifest his presence that so wee may perceiue a performance of his promise R. By meanes many In number three First by moderating and lessening the paines and torments of sickenes and death as the verie words of his promise by Esaie his Prophet doe plainelie import For he saith Isai 43.3 When thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee that the flouds doe not ouerflow thee and when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee So that if the flouds do not ouerflow a man when he is in the waters nor the flame kindle vpon him when he is in the fire hee may well thinke the Lord is there present restraining both the waters from swelling and the fire from burning For naturally either of them would do the kind if he did not restraine thē so in the paines of sicknes pangs of death if a man findes his sorrowes nothing so greeuous as the afflictions of his life he may well thinke the Lord present for the paines of the one and the pangs of the other are painefull ynough of themselues and ouermuch yrkesome to many Yet this that I now say many haue true indeed found of many such there is mention made in the Acts Monuments of the Church they which haue the booke may looke into it assuredly they shall finde what I heare say neither shall they loose their time whē they haue so done or repent them of their labour in so doing For my part I must now proceed from this meanes of the Lords manifesting his presence though he be inuisible and not to bee seene visibly to the next Secondly therefore the Lord doth manifest his presence in the paines of sickenes and pangs of death by giuing in inward and vnspeakable comfort of his spirit vnto them that are afflicted with the one and distressed with the other for to many then doth he giue a greater portion of his spirit thē at many other times bypast and foregone In one place of scripture the Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe and his afflictions saith thus As the suffering of Christ abounded in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ 2. Cor. 15. And in another place speaking of his owne and his fellowes behauiour in their tribulations hee saith thus Wee reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience c. Rom. 5.3 Now there must bee some thing that must worke this ioye and comfort For as the same Apostle saith Heb. 12.11 No chastising for the present time seemeth to
be ioyous but grieuous And what must that be but the spirit of God for a fruite of the spirit Gal. 5.22 as the same Apostle saith is ioy yea ioy in tribulation and affliction as seemeth by the fruits of the spirit thereto annexed for after ioy followeth peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith and meekenes all which are vertues more to be practised in tribulation than any other time When the Apostle therefore will expresse the cause of all this ioy and reioycing in tribulation he saith Rom. 5.5 Because the loue of God is shed abroade in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Thereby shewing that the holy Ghost which is God is cause of all this ioy And therefore not absent from him or them in whom this ioy is For as he saith 2. Cor. 3.17 Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie So may I say where the spirit of the Lord is there is ioy And where the spirit of the Lord is there the Lord himselfe is For the Lord is the spirit 2. Cor. 3.17 So that by this ioy vz. inward ioy in greefe and vnspeakable reioycing in tribulation a man may gather that the Lord doth then visit him as it were in his owne person and minister vnto him refreshing for his soule hence is it that the Church saith in the Canticles Cant. 2.5.6 She being sicke of loue his left hand is vnder mine head and his right hand doth embrace me And the Prophet Dauid in his Psalmes of him that iudgeth wisely of the poore Psal 41.1 Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble the Lord will keepe him and preserue him aliue The Lord will strengthen him vpon the bed of sorrow thou hast turned all his bed in his sickenes What thence should follow shall hereafter follow for now the third meanes thereby the Lord doth shew himselfe present in sickenes and death is to follow And that is the ministerie of good Angels For then doth the Lord send them to his seruants as nources and keepers to holde and beare them in their armes For as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And as the Psalmist saith Psalm 34.7 The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them And againe hee that is the Lord Shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Psal 91.11 They shall boare thee in their hands that thou hurte not thy foote against a stone So much sundry histories of scripture doe manifest if of it selfe it were not manifest When Hagar Abrahams bond-woman said touching her sonne Ismael I will not see the death of the child Gen. 21.16 The Angell of God called vnto her from heauen and said What ayleth thee Hagar Feare not for God hath heard the voice of the childe where he is Arise take vp the child for I will make of him a great people 1. King 19.4 When Elijah was vnder the Iuniper tree and desired that he might die saying It is enough oh Lord take my soule for I am no better than my fathers the Angell of the Lord came and touched him saying vp and eate for thou hast a great iourney When Christ himselfe was tempted Mat. 4.11 The Angels came and ministred vnto him When he was to be crucified he said vnto Peter labouring to shend him from his foes Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray vnto my father and he will giue me more than twelue legions of Angels Thus euer in trouble they are readie to helpe succour and relieue and that by the speciall decree and appointment of the almightie As Bernard saith Bern. ser 4. sup illud accâ—sserunt ang c. They are present that they may protect They are present that they may profit At death also they are readie to receiue and carrie the souls of Gods seruants into heauen This appeares plaine by the historie of Lazarus for the scripture saith When he died Luk. 16.22 he was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bobosome Thus in their sickenes to their death in their death and after their departure till they being Angels in heauen doe attend vpon those which are Saints on earth And by this their attendance how doth not the Lord shew himselfe present for without his commaundement none of them all doth any thing They all watch what he speakes they all go whither he sends and they all do what he commaunds As the Psalmist saith Psal 104.4 He maketh the spirits his messengers and a flaming fire his ministers Againe if the Lord be present as I haue both said and shewed how will it not follow as I inferred that inordinately and immoderately death is not to be feared for what should he feare that hath the Lord with him and of his side Psal 118.6 The Lord is on my side saith Dauid and therefore I will not feare what man doth vnto me The Lord is with me therefore I will not feare what man can doe vnto me The Lord is with me among them that helpe me therefore shall I see my desire vpon mine enimies Yea saith he though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death Psal 23 4. I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comforte mee And againe Though I walke in the middest of trouble yet wilt thou receiue me thou wilt stretch forth thine hand vpon the wrath of mine enimies and thy right hand shall saue mee What was Dauids comfort either in death or in any other distresse ought also to bee any others comfort in the like case and condition And therefore Paule was confident and vpon his confidence said Rom. 8.31 If God be on our side who can be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword As it is written Psal 44.22 For thy sake are wee killed all the day long wee are counted as sheepe appoynted to the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. Neither is it any thing to bee marueiled at that Paule vpon the consideration of the Lords presence was thus bolde and confident For wee finde by experience that he that is in a foule way in a darke night feares little either the
portions of his fathers goods and landes both bigger for quantitie and better for qualitie than any of all his other brethren Q. Some times I deny not what you say But that alwaies it should be so I doe not greatly well like of for at the time of the fathers death the eldest may be able to shift for himselfe as well as some of the rest but the youngest may bee very vnable And therefore I would thinke greater care should bee had of them than of others Besides that it may bee the youngest shall bee brought vp to some chargeable kinde of life as a schollers life a courtiers life a merchants life c. and therefore some reason as great care should be had of them as of some others R. Whatsoeuer you pretend for ground of your dislike yet this must you euer know and hold that mans inuention must giue place to Gods constitution And though I haue all this while laboured for the preferment of the Eldest as reason is I should yet he being prouided for I neuer stoode neither now doe I stand against the well prouiding for of the youngest If the eldest be once regarded as he ought let the others after him be considered as they may Yet for that point thus much I say whatsoeuer is done let it rather be done vpon reason than affection Many I know are foolishly affected and therefore some of their children are carelesly regarded some haue a great deale giuen them and some againe haue neuer a whit Let euery one in his place be considered and all my words thereof shall be ended Q. It is very like so for if I had not caused thus many fewer I imagine by many would haue been vsed R. Of that you may be well assured For your questions and obiections these many haue procured Q. I suspected so and therefore I say so But pardon mee if I haue runne out of rule touching this rule and I will keepe my selfe better in rule about your last rule R. The more you doe so the better it will be for you no hurt euer by keeping of rule But the last rule is so short as well you cannot runne from it Q. Neither minde I though I might But yet I would gladly know the reason thereof R. Whereof of your wanting possibilitie to runne aside Q. No that is easie But of the rule it selfe which is somewhat harder R. That I gaue you with the rule and haue it againe you may in the rule Q. What is it then R. The Testatours liberty to alter and change his will at his pleasure according to law during his life Q. But why is that the reason R. Because the Apostle himselfe in the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 9.17 The testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force so long as he that made it is aliue If this saying of the Apostle now be reason sufficient your question is aunswered and my dutie is discharged if not you must seeke to the Ciuilians for more Q. Where the first is sufficient the second is superfluous I am so well satisfied with the first as I minde not now to seeke any thing of the last If so it please you therefore wee will now passe to the second thing you said the sicke man was to doe that would in his sicknes seeke to establish good order in his house after his death R. Indeede order requires so much and the Apostle willeth All things to be done â—â— order With what you are therfore conteâ—â—â— I shall not be discontented But concerning that what will you that I say Q. I cannot prescribe you any thing R. But you may propounde me something Q. The duetie it selfe you haue alreadie prescribed but how or whence gather you that a man in his sicknes labouring to procure good order in his familie after his death should admonish all those of his familie wife children and seruants before his death to learne beleeue and obey the true religion of God all their dayes R. I gather it three waies first by the generall commaundement of God secondly by the practise of diuerse godly men mentioned in scripture thirdly by the speciall commendation God himselfe giues to one therefore aboue the rest For first God giues this generall precept Heb. 1.13 Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another dailie while it is called to day least any of you bee hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne And I know little difference betweene exhortation and admonition vnles you say admonition goeth before exhortation exhortation followes after admonition Secondly I finde many good men in the booke of God to haue done thus In the booke of Deuteronomie Deu. 31.32.33 I finde Moses to haue admonished all Israell Ioshua their captaine Leui their Priest and the audience of all their congregation to cleaue vnto the Lord their God and to serue him after his death It is so much to repeate some as I refer you thither to reade all The reading of all there is better by much than the repeating of some here In the booke of Iehoshua I finde Iehoshuah to haue done the like For to all Israel their Elders Iehosh 23.1 2 3. c. their heads and their Iudges and their officers he said I am olde and stricken in age also ye haue seene all that the Lord your God hath done vnto all these nations before you how the Lord your God himselfe hath fought for you And the Lord your God shall expell them and cast them out of your sight and ye shall posses their land as the Lord your God hath sayd vnto you be therefore of a valiant courage to obserue and doe all that is written in the booke of the lawe of Moses that ye turne not there from to the right hand nor to the left neither companie with those nations that is with them that are left with you neither make mention of the name of their gods nor cause to sweare by them neither serue them nor bowe vnto them but sticke fast vnto the Lord your God as ye haue done vnto this day c. Iosh 23. and 24. by the whole In the first booke of Kings I finde 1. Kin. 2.1.2 Dauid to haue charged his sonne Salomon to the like effect saying I goe the way of all earth be strong therefore and shew thy selfe a man and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies to keepe his statutes and his commaundements and his iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the lawe of Moses that thou maiest prosper in all that thou doest and in euery thing whereto thou turnest thee that the Lord may confirme his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy sonnes take heede to their way that they walke before me in trueth with all their hearts and with all their soules thou shalt not sayd he want one of thy posteritie vpon the throne of Israel In the booke of Tobit
Wherefore cryest thou vnto me Exod. 14.15 When death therefore assailes me all sences external failes so as the sicke bee vtterly vnable to pray with tongue yet if through the instigation of others he be willing thereto that his will to praier is as good as if he did pray for as Dauid saith Psal 10.17 145.19 God heares the desires of the poore and he will fulfill the desires of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will saue them And this he speakes as if the sighes sobs and grones of a repentant and beleeuing heart were praiers before God as well as the supplicatory words of a loud and mournfull crying tongue but to stay further speech of this though I might make much more you see many speake and vnderstand well to their last gaspe and they I think may vse their tongues in praier aswel as their hearts Q. There are but a few that doe so and seldome when it is that any doe so R. Yes vndoubtedly they are many that doe so and such times fall out often and neither is greatly to bee marueiled at for why As good words either of God and godlines or to God and his goodnes are sighes of a true and timely faith so often doth God enable many to the last point of their liues both to speake and to vse many good words to his glory their owne comfort and others great good If you will looke either into the Scriptures or into other histories you shall find there many good men to haue spoken to the last and to haue vsed merueilous good words at the last In the nine and fourtieth of Genesis the last words of Iaâ—kob were prophecies of blessings and curses vpon his children the duration of gouernement in Israel and ardent praier for his owne good Amongst all and other things by him there said these are neither least nor last Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah and the Law-giuer from betweene his feete till Shilo come And againe O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In the two and three and thirteth of Deuteronomie Deu 32.35 the last words of Moses were his most excelleÌ„t song conteining the benefites of God toward his people and their ingratitude towards him and Moses his blessing wherewith he blessed the children of Israel before his death the words are better for you there to reade then forme heere to repeat referring you thither therefore there to reade them heere for this time I willingly omit them In the second of Samuel and the three and twentieth Chapter the last words of Dauid were The spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2. Sam. 23.1 and his word was in my tongue the God of Israel spake vnto mee the strength of Israel said Beare rule ouer me c. In the foure and twentieth of the second booke of Chronicles the last wordes of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada 2. Chro. 24.22 when he was stoned were these The Lord looke vpon it and require it the last words of our Sauiour Christ when he was dying vpon the crosse as they were many admirable so they were full of spirituall grace and comfortable Mat. 27.46 First speaking to his Father he said 1. Eli Eli Luk. 23.34 Luk. 23.43 lamasabachtani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 2. Father forgiue them they know not what they doe 2. to the theefe he said Ioh. 19.26.27 c. Verilie I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise 3. to his mother he said Woman behold thy Sonne and to Iohn Behold thy mother 4. Earnestly desiring our saluation he said I thirst 5. Hauing made perfect satisfaction vnto God for mans offence he said Luk. 23.48 It is finished Lastly when body and soule were parting hee said againe vnto God Father into thine haÌ„ds I commend my spirit Act. 7.56.59.60 the last words of Steuen were these 1. Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God 2. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit 3. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge In other writers you may see the last words of others and those very good all spoken at the last cast of life Euseb lib. 4 cap. 15. At the last and as the last thus spake Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna Thou art a true God without lying therefore in all things I praise thee and blesse thee and glorifie thee by the eternall God and high Priest Iesus Christ thine only sonne by whom and with whome to thee and the holy spirit be all glory now and for euer And thus Ignatius Bishop of Antioch Id. lib. 3. c. 30. I care not what kinde of death I die I am the bread of the Lord must be grounde with the teeth of Lions that I may be cleane bread for Christ who is the bread of life for me And thus Ambrose Bishop of Millaine Paulinus in vita eius I haue not so lead my life among you as if I were ashamed to liue Neither doe I feare death because we haue a good Lord. Possidonius in vita Augustini And thus Augustine Bishop of Hippo. 1. He is no great man that thinkes it no great matter that trees and stones fall and mortall men die 2. Iust art thou ô Lord and righteous is thy iudgement Foxe preface to Luthers Comment vpon the Psalmes of degrees And thus Luther comparable to the chiefest as Master Foxe once said My heauenly father God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ and God of all comfort I giue thee thanks that thou hast reuealed vnto me thy sonne Iesus Christ whome I haue beleeued whome I haue professed whome I haue loued whome I haue praised whome the Bishop of Rome and the whole company of the wicked persecuteth and reuileth I pray thee my Lord Iesus Christ receiue my poore soule my heauenly Father though I be taken from this life and this bodie of mine is to be laide downe yet I know certainely that I shall remaine with thee for euer neither shall any be able to pull me out of thy hands And thus Bishop Hooper O Lord Iesus sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me and receiue my soule And thus Annas Burgius Forsake mee not O Lord least I forsake thee And thus Melancthon if it be the will of God I am willing to die and I beseech him that he will graunt me a ioyfull departure and to the like effect many others But to speake of them al were too much the examples of those good men that at the last end of their liues haue expressed their notable faith in God and his Christ are infinite and therefore too many as well for me to recite as for you to remember As these which I haue mentioned may suffice to shew what many haue done so may they well serue to signifie what all should do for good words by the good are
to be a liuing man for so Christ feared it when he sweat water and blood in the garden herevpon said My soule is heauie vnto death Mat. 26.38 Secondly as it is an hurt to the church or common wealth for often by death the church and commonwealth are depriued of those which either were then indeed or might haue been in time a great help stay and comfort to either Q. Otherwise than thus would you not haue him to feare it R. No. Q. And why R. For many causes First because it is vnto him an abolishing of sinne For he that is dead Rom. 6.7 is freed from sinne he then ceaseth to offend God any more as hee hath done Secondly because it is a bettring of his bodies condition for whereas before it was sensible and so perplexed with many miseries it is by death made insensible and therefore freed from all calamities whereas before in life it was both an actiue and passiue instrument for sinne it is then after death neither of both Thirdlie because it is the way for his soule to come to rest life and glorie For they that die in the Lord rest from their labours enioy life and remaine in glory Rest from their labors Apoc. 14.13 Enioy life Mat. 22.32 remaine in glorie Rom. 2.7.10 Dan. 12.3 And they that come to these things must die ere they come at them As one saith There is no other way to come to heauen by but death Q. And what conclude you thereupon R. That which I should viz. that hee which hath faith in Christ should not so feare death as therefore he should be vnwilling to leaue this life Cyprian in serm de mortalitate For as Cyprian saith It is his part to feare death which hath no will to goe to Christ It is his to haue no will to goe to Christ which beleeueth not he shall beginne to raigne with Christ God saith he hath promised to thee departing out of this world immortalitie and eternitie and doest thou doubt this is not to haue known God at al this is with the sinne of incredulitie to offend Christ the maister of all beleeuers this is being set in the Church not to haue faith in the house of faith Let him bee afraide to die who not being borne anew by water and the spirit is mancipated to the fire of hell let him be afraide to die which is not marked with the crosse and passion of Christ let him bee afraide to die which from this death must passe to the second death let him be afraide to die whom the eternall flame shall torment with euerlasting paine so soone as hee departes this world let him be afraide to die vpon whom this by his long stay heere is bestowed that during his abode heere his punishment is deferred but let him neuer bee afraide to die that knowes himselfe to be heere a Pilgrime and stranger that beleeues the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting that loues the Lord with all his heart As the forenamed writer saith What stranger is he that hastens not to returne into his countrey Wee make account that Paradise is our countrey now we haue begun to haue the Patriarkes our Parents Why do we not make hast and runne that wee may both see our countrey and salute our parents A great number of our deare friendes doth there expect vs a mightie traine and troupe of parēts brethren and children now sure of their owne immortalitie and yet carefull for our safety doth wish vs to come vnto their sight and companie what ioy is it in common both to them and to vs What pleasure there without feare of dying and with certaintie of liuing How great and perpetuall felicitie Againe who would be afraide to dye that beleeues the resurrection of the dead For as one saith The most sure trust of christians is the promised resurrection of the dead from aboue And no meruaile when Christ himselfe saith This is the will of him that sent me Ioh. 6.40 that euery man which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day And againe I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me although he were dead yet shall he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye Lastly who would be afraide to dye that loues God sincerely For it is the propertie of him that loues to adioyne himselfe to the thing he loues and to wish that he might enioy it and to grieue at that which doth hinder his enioying of it It is a token therefore that he loues not God as he should that is either afraide or vnwilling to dye for other way to come to God to heauen to immortalitie than by death there is none he that dyeth not commeth to neither And who if hee might would not come to all Except the wheat corne fall into the ground and dye it bideth alone so except a man fall into the earth and dye he bideth alone Eccl. 4.10 and woe saith Salomon to him that is alone but if the wheate corne die it bringeth forth much fruite so if a faithful man dye he attaineth to much fruite He commeth as I said to God to heauen to immortalitie And who would not if he might come to all these None surely that is wise that is godly that is faithfull and beleeuing for to come to God is to come to the fountaine of liuing waters which who so commeth to shall neuer more thirst to come to heauen is to come to the hauen of euerlasting happines which who so commeth to shall neuer more faint to come to immortalitie is to come to eternall life which who so commeth to shall neuer more dye none therefore that is wise that is godly that is faithful that is beleeuing should be afraide and vnwilling to dye for dye any when he wil that is so qualified death shall not hurt him death shall haue no power ouer him death shal be game not losse vnto him Q. I but whensoeuer he shal dye death will be painefull vnto him R. And what then Let him be neuer the more vnwilling to die for that for why the Apostle saith Act. 14.20 By many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God By many and therefore he must be willing to haue the paines of death some we must enter into the kingdome of God and therefore neuer be vnwilling to die for the paines of death for as the same Apostle saith Rom. 8.18 All the afflictions of this life are not worthie of the glorie which shal be shewed vnto vs and therefore the few afflictions in death are vnworthie thereof The paines that are suffered are but temporal but the ioyes which are to bee enioyed are eternall and who wil not be content to suffer a short paine for a long pleasure He is not worthie of any sweete which came away with
no sowre the labourer workes ere he receiues his wages the Souldier fightes ere he winnes the victorie the gamester runnes ere hee enioyes the price 2. Tim. 2.11 And the christian must die with Christ ere euer he shall liue with Christ yea hee must suffer with Christ ere euer he shall raigne with Christ As he that will haue the meare must cracke the shell so hee that will haue the life after death must abide the death that goes before life As for the paines thereof they are neither greatly to be dreaded nor impatiently to be suffered not to be dreaded because they cannot hurt Rom. 8.28 For to them that loue God as they do which beleeue in God all things worke togither for the best not vnwillingly to be suffered because they bring much good For these light afflictions which are but for a moment 2. Cor. 4.17 cause vnto him that suffers them a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory while he lookes not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporal but the things which are not seene are eternall Who now that is wise will not willingly suffer the one that he may enioy the other there is no comparison betweene glasse and gold and verie vnwise is he that wil not doe away the first for the last if hee may euen so there is heere no comparison betweene the paines of death which are to be suffered and the ioyes of heauen which are to be expected So that altogether foolish is hee which will not willingly abide the one that happily hee may attaine the other the paines that ordinarily are suffered in death naturall are nothing to the paines that are suffered in death violent and vnnaturall yet diuerse godlie men haue suffered them willingly that they might after in heauen liue happily Why then should not he that is godly suffer willingly the paines of death naturall that so hee may come to the fruition of ioy celestial for my part I see smal reason to the contrary Q. What then R. Let him then that is vnwilling to die naturally because death is painefull consider of the great and intolerable paines which they haue suffered which died violently and vnnaturally and see if that will not animate him to die willinglie and incite him to beare the paines of death couragiously Q. Shall he find those that haue died violently to haue suffered so great paines R. What else Q. Where shall he find that R. Both in the Scriptures and otherwhere Q. What shall hee find in the Scriptures touching this matter R. That the prophet Isaiah for the hope of euerlasting life suffred his body to be cut asunder with a woodden saw that Ieremiah was stoned to death that Amos after diuerse other greeuous torments was thrust into the temples of the head with a great naile of iron and so shortlie after died Mat. 14 that Iohn Baptist was cast into prison and beheaded that Iames the brother of Iohn was slaine with the sworde Act. 12. that Steuen was stoned vnto death and last of all that Christ our Sauiour was crucified Mat. 27. and nailed to the crosse on which he died Q. And what otherwhere R. That some good men were deuoured of wilde beastes Actes and Monum some burnt with fire vnto ashes some broiled vnto death vpon hote coales some slaine with the sword some hanged vpon gibbets some pearced to death with arrowes some beaten to death with stones some boiled some rent in peeces with hote burning iron hookes some racked some drowned some cruellie murthered in prison some torne in sūder by horses some dismembred by trees some one waies made away some another many an one very badly very beastly and very cruelly Q When this is found what shall he therevpon finde R. That willingly he is to die though in much paine he doth die Q. Why that R. Because willingly they suffered a violent and vnnaturall death Q. That yet appeares not R. In the forenamed places it may and doth soone appeare for many whē they were offered life refused and accepted death Q. Not because they were willing then to die but because they could not as they would longer liue R. As much and more for the first cause as for and then the last Q. Though that be graunted yet is not the other proued R. What other Q. That willinglie he is to die that dies naturally because willingly they died that died violentlie R. What more or better prooued What better instruction may thence be taken what better collection may thence be drawne If they so suffered that otherwhere they might be crowned Why should not others in like sort suffer that otherwhere they may bee blessed Q. I denie not but they should yet I say not that therefore they should R. And in so saying you say not as you ought if any death be to be suffered willinglie a naturall death is much more a naturall death is sometime better if not most what then some other oft times there are therein fewer paines then in some other and what shoulde a man bee vnwilling to die for a fewe paines No Souldiour is vnwilling to fight for a few blowes no fields-man vnwilling to plow for a few blastes no trauailer vnwilling to goe on his iourney for a few showers neither should any christian bee vnwilling to die for a few paines either they are not so many for number or so mightie for measure as they might be or as they haue deserued they should bee and what should he suffer then vnwillingly when as they are neither many nor mighty 2. Tim. 2.5 No man is crowned saith Paul except he striue lawfully Neither say I is any man blessed except he suffers patiently what therefore should he be vnwilling to die that knowes of necessitie he must die and would gladlie bee blessed when he doth die though hee dies neuer so painefully when he doth die yet let him die willinglie that hee may die blessedly as Paul said of his preaching If I doe it willinglie I haue a reward 1. Cor. 9.17 so say I of his dying if he doth it willingly he hath a rewarde Apoc. 14.13 Wis 3.1 Blessed are they which die in the Lord. The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them Though they suffer paine before men yet is their hopeful of immortalitie They are punished but in few things yet in many things shall they bee well rewarded In the time of their vision they shall shine and runne through as the sparkes among the stubble they shall iudge the nations and haue dominion ouer the people and their Lord shall raigne for euer And when so great a reward as this now mentioned is not onely propounded but promised what should hee die vnwillinglie that must die necessarilie the hope of reward should moue much the Apostle Paul was willing
assault the faith by those things which engender faith For as the diuell fought against Christ with the scripture so they often fight against the trueth with the scripture If time would permit and oportunitie did serue I could shew you what I say by those places of the scripture which they pretend for what therein and out they pretend for purgatorie makes wholly and fully against purgatorie But I cannot here and now stand to manifest what I say Q. If you will not confute what others doe say for it why haue you sayd so much against it R. To proue that they which depart hence in the faith of Christ doe goe to better friends and companie than here then they forgoe or euer before they enioyed Q. And might you not haue done that though you had neuer sayd so much against Purgatorie R. No indeede for euer there would haue beene some doubt whether they should not haue gone thither Q. What and though they had been perswaded of that yet should they not therefore haue doubted euer the more of this For as the Purgatorie patrons auouch there comes no bad persons into purgatorie as Origen a fautor of this error saith Origen in Psal 36. homil 3. As I suppose all wee must needes come into that fire yea although it be Paul or Peter R. But they would haue been somewhat the lesse willing to haue dyed and so would any one that is to dye for thither they must all haue gone to paine and no man is willing to goe to paine though he goes to neuer so good companie but all talke of companie in purgatorie is but lies and vanitie for as there is no purgatorie so there is therein no companie Locus and Locatum i. the place and that which is therein placed are relatiues If therefore there be not any such place as purgatorie as in trueth there is not there cannot bee any such thing as better friends than any in this world are to be found placed in Purgatorie but you knowe it is manifest that there is no such place therfore it must be denyed that there is any such company for if the place be not the companie cannot bee the nature of relatiues is such that if the one of them be the other must also be Q. But this ere you goe shall or will any bee euer the more willing to dye because after his death he shall not goe into Purgatorie R. Whatsoeuer any one is euery one should for dying in Christs feare and christian faith euery one shall bee sure to escape all punishment which is painefull and attaine to peace and pleasure which is ioyfull Q. And shall he that doth so come to euer the better friends for that R. What else Heb. 12.22.23 24. For he shall come vnto the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and vnto God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the mediatour of the new Testament and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of Abell And are not these better friends than any here are or are to be found Q. Yes verilie I thinke that for here are none that either may or can doe as these alwaies may and some times doe Neither are there here any that in times past haue done at these haue done But haue you euer read or heard that this hath taken the effect you speake of in any R. Yea in many for such effect it tooke in one whome Tully speakes of in the first booke of his Tusculane questions such effect it tooke in Socrates of whome Erasmus writeth in the third of his Apothegmes and such effect it tooke in Cercidas Ciuis Megalopolita ex Arcadia of whom Aelianus reportes in his thirteenth booke de varia historia Q. Why what say these great writers of those of whom they write R. Of his man Tully recordes that hee should say Cic. lib. 1. Tuscul q. Oh that goodly and pleasant day when it shall be my chance to leaue this filthie and trouble some world and come to their company that inhabite the heauens Of Socrates Erasmus reports Erasmus lib. 3. Apo. that when Crito vpon great affection towards him perswaded him to keepe himselfe aliue in regarde of his little children and his friends that did hang vpon him if he would not in regard of himselfe he thus answered Crito For my children God which gaue me them will take care for them for my friends departing hence from them I shall either finde others like vnto you or somewhat better than you neither shall I long want your company sith shortly you also are to goe thither whither I my selfe now goe Of Cercidas Aelianus writes that being fallen into a most daungerous sickenes Aelianus de varia hist lib. 13. One asked him whether he would die willingly yea or no vnto whome as Elianus saith he gaue this answere why not For after death I shall see the best learned men in all kinde of sciences of the Philosophers Pythagoras of the historiogragraphers Heratious of the Poets Homer of the Muses Olympus which through their monuments of learning haue gotten themselues an immortall name And thus now you haue what these great writers say of these of whom they haue written Q. By how much the sooner I haue it by so much your kindenes towards me is the greater But would you haue the consideration of those his friends to whome he is to goe take as great effect in him that is sicke and ready to departe this world as in these you haue named R. What other thing should I for these things are written for his instruction aswell as others and christians euery way should be as forward in christian conuersation as heathens such as these were euer any way Q. That is true but it is a question among christians whether they being once departed this life shall euer againe sâ—e and know after this life those whome they saw and knew and were acquainted with all in this life and therefore often they are lesse willing to die than in duty they should and in affection they would R. In so being they are the more vnwise for the matter you now speake of there needs not to be any matter of question Q. Is it a matter thinke you so manifest R. Yes verily Q. By what meanes appeares it so R. 1. By reason out of the Scriptures 2. by testimonie out of auncient writers Q. Manifest the one and the other of these and I will soone haue done R. So I will if you will Q. I aske it and therefore I will it R. I promised it and therefore I will performe it Gen. 2.23 Out of Genesis then the thing wee speake of doth thus appeare Adam before he sinned being in the state of innocency knew Euah
but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shal be abolished Now we see through a glasse darkely but then we shall see face to face now I know in part but then shall I know euen as I am knowen and vpon this saying of the Apostle What may a man better inferre then this knowing one another while they are heere they shall not be ignorant one of another when they are gone hence for mine owne part I neither see how this can be infringed nor how a better thing may be inferred but to eche forward thus againe I say where the knowledge of the greater and the better cannot bee denied there I would thinke the knowledge of the lesse must needes be graunted but there the knowledge of the greater and the better cannot bee denied 1. Ion. 3.2 For there we shall know and see Christ as he is Heb. 1.3 which is the wisedome image and brightnes of the heauenly father There therefore the knowledge of the godlie among themselues must needs be graunted for what shall they know their head which is Christ and shall they not know themselues which are members of that head In that I take it there is smal likely-hoode and lesse reason of my minde I am sure are others no meane persons for account in the Church of God Amongst others the principall I will now stand vpon is that ancient and learned father Gregorie who in his dialogues hath this saying Greg. lib. dialog 1.33 There is a certaine thing in Gods elect and chosen people which is to bee marueiled at for they being in heauen doe not onelie know them whom they knew in this world but they know also the good people whom they neuer saw euen as perfectly as though they had afore both seene and knowne them for when they in that euerlasting inheritance shall see the auncient Fathers they shall not be vnknowne to them in sight whom they alwaies knew in worke for when they all with a like cleannesse doe behold God what is it that they should not there know where they know him that knoweth all thinges The next out of whom I will alledge any thing is Brandmiller a Minister and citizen of Basil Brandmil conc funer Conc. 10. who in one of his funerall Sermons hath this memorable saying It is certaine that in the life eternal we shall know those with whom in this life wee haue beene conuersant our parents our children our kinred and acquaintance yea and also all the Patriarches and Prophets Adam Abraham Moses Dauid Esaie Iohn the Baptist Zacharie Elizabeth Marie the mother of our Lord Christ Peter Paul and others as the Apostles in mount Thabor both saw and knew Moses and Elias whē they there talked with Christ though they themselues still were but in their mortall and corruptible bodies For in the life euerlasting we shall not be stockes wanting all sence and vnderstanding as some affirme which say that after this life we shall not one mutuallie know another If we shall know God which we must because it is said Ioh. 17.3 this is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ much more shall we know men As also blessed Gregorie reasoneth in the fourth booke of his dialogues where he saith Because there all in a common cleannes do behold God there is not any thing there whereof they should bee ignorant where they know him that knoweth all things Did not the rich man of whom mention is made Luk. 16. know Lazarus after his death whom before hee had knowne in his life time and also Abraham whom neuer he had seene before did not the disciples also according to their old manner know Christ after his resurrection Furthermore if there shal be loue in the life to come there shall also be knowledge for knowledge causeth loue and loue commeth of knowledge there is no loue or desire of a thing vnknowne but there shal be loue most perfect in the life to come 1. Cor. 13.8 loue neuer falleth away ergo there shall also be knowledge besides all this in the holie Scripture the place and estate of the blessed is called heauenlie Ierusalem and the Citie of the liuing God but what Citie should that bee if therein the citizens should not mutually one know another by the testimonie of these two as I take it and the reasons out of Scripture before propounded there is now at length as much proued as was by mee sometime since promised If further manifestation thereof bee required more is yet at hand to be adioyned many of the better sort among the heathens were so well beaten to the beliefe thereof as they not onely thereupon hartilie desired death ere it came but also tooke it ioyfully and patiently when it came they desired it that so they might goe the sooner vnto the blessed company of immortall Gods they quietlie and ioyfullie suffered it that so much the more certainlie they might see and know not onelie the gods but also all those noble good and vertuous persons that euer liued in this world aswell such as they neuer knew as also those whome in this world they did most perfectly know As Tullie therefore relateth the matter this was the saying of Cato the elder I haue a great desire to see your fathers Cic. lib. de Sene. whom I honoured and loued but I wish not onely to talke with them whom I haue knowne in this world but with them also of whom I haue heard and read yea and I my selfe written If I were once againe going thitherward J would neuer haue mind to returne hither againe and againe this was his saying Oh that noble and pleasant day when it shal be my chance to come vnto that heauenlie companie and blessed fellowship and depart from this troublous and stinking world for then shall I goe not onelie vnto those men of whom I spake vnto you before but also vnto my Cato which was as worthie a man as euer liued and as noble Moreouer as the same author reporteth these were the sayings of Socrates when hee went to his death It is a most blessed and goodlie thing for them to come togither which haue liued iustlie and faithfully Cic. lib. ◠Tuscul q. O what a great pleasure thinke it you to bee friendly to talke with Orpheus Museus Homerus Hesiodus and such like verily I would die full oft if it were possible to get those things I speake of And as ere while you heard this was the saying of Cercidas when one asked him whether he would die willinglie Elianus de varia hist lib. 13. being fallen into a most dangerous and desperate disease Why should I not for after my death I shall see the best learned in all kind of sciences among the Philosophers Pythagoras among the Historians Herateus among the Poets Homer among the Muses Olympus which through their monumentes of learning haue
vnprouided for What then must he therefore be vnwilling to die 1. he might haue prouided for her aforetime he had time enough if he had had a minde thereto 2. is he sure she should haue beene prouided for if he had liued Many the longer they liue the more they spend and the lesse they haue in the end to leaue behinde them Many againe loose more in an houre than they get in a yeare What he might or should doe is altogither vnknowen and to him very vncertaine 3. his wife may be better prouided for than he is aware of 1. God himselfe hath promised to be an husband to the widow And as I thinke he both can and will then better prouide for her than euer he either would or could I am sure he hath prouided wel for many after their husbands death that neuer were well prouided for in their liues you your selfe can produce examples enough I neede not propound any yet that by them you may thinke of others you may call to minde Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of Mahton the widow of Zarephath Ruth 4.10 1. King 17. 2. King 4.1 and one of the wiues of the sonnes of the Prophets 2. his wife may marrie againe to another after his death that will be as carefull for her as euer he was in his life The second marriages are not euer the most second Many speed better at the last than at the first The Roman princes and captaines haue married widowes and the most holy king Dauid tooke two widowes to wife which both had been the wiues of his inferiours The one was Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam wife to Vriah the Hittite 2. Sam. 11.3 the other Abigail the wife of Nabal the carmelite What may betide his he knoweth not It may be a better than himself may ioyne with her What then for her cause should he be vnwilling to die let him leaue the prouiding for her either to him that shall next enioy her if she marries againe or to God himselfe if she keepes her selfe a widowe the one or the other or both of these will so sufficiently prouide for her as he needs not any thing to beate his head about her But. 2. and secondly to his children are vnprouided for what then shall he therefore grieue and grudge to die did neuer any man leaue his children vnprouided for but he or shall they neuer be prouided for because they are not prouided for because they are not prouided for by him or is he sure they shall be prouided for if he doth what in him lyeth to prouide for them many haue left their children vnprouided for because they had not any thing to giue them and yet they haue done well enough Many againe haue left them much because they had enough and yet they in short time haue come to nothing it is neither the fathers prouiding for them nor the fathers nor prouiding that doth anything but the blessing of God that doth all in all If he blesses though the father doth nothing the children shall do well enough his blessing will make them rich If he curses though the father giues much the children wil come to nothing His cursing will make them poore what may shall or wil betide them he is vtterly ignorant It may be a better stepfather may step vp in his place than he euer would or could haue been a naturall father I my selfe haue knowne some that haue come to more by their steede father than euer they could by their owne father what then for their cause should he be vnwilling to die let him leaue the prouiding for them either to him that shall be their stepfather if euer God moue the minde of their mother to marrie againe or else to him that hath promised to be a stedfather to the posteritie of those that loue him The one or the other or both of these wil so sufficiently prouide for thē as he needs not any thing to trouble his mind about them If they be good God himselfe will take better care and charge of them then euer he himselfe did for he wil neuer leaue them nor let them be fatherles he will nourish them teach them from their youth vp vntill their olde age death and graue hee wil not forsake them So will he prouide for them as wel they may say and sing with Dauid my Father and my mother forsooke mee but the Lord hath taken me vp If they be euill what should hee so much care for them as he should be vnwilling to depart the world by reason of them rather let him leaue them to the world to bee corrected by the worlde then prouide for them in the world that yee may haue wherewith to follow the fashions of the world by caring for them hee doth but foster the wickednes that is in them and what should hee care to cherish that which will grow too fast of it selfe wee weede the thistles out of our corne wee cut the nettles out of our gardens we rend the Iuie from our Oakes 1. Sam. 2.23 4.17.18.19 So should we weede cut and rend wickednes from our children Old Eli cherisht wickednes in his children but it spoilde both him and his children they were both slaine and hee fell from his seate backward and brake his neck What others must expect by his example they may learne for mine owne part I must proceede further and therefore I must passe hence I can not stay here Q. But whither will ye R. But whither you would to that which followeth as another stay from dying willinglie Q. Good inough then go to while you speake I will heare R. Thirdlie his goods are vndisposed what of that must he therefore be vnwilling to die First why were they not disposed in the time of his health I hope he might better haue bethought himselfe how they were to bee bestowed then than now the time of death for such a purpose is not the most commendable time though it be the most common time especiallie if a man hath much to dispose and many to care for Secondly why doth he not in as much speede as he may dispose of them If he wil he may make a quicke dispatch the law of the Land doth teach him what hee shall giue to his eldest sonne if hee hath many or any more then one the law of the land doth tell him what hee shall bestow vpon his wife if he hath one and shortened is his care if he hath none Reason and religion can both instruct him what he shall giue vnto others either children or friendes or needie neighbours Why doth hee delay doth hee thinke he shall die euer the sooner for the dispatching of his busines out of the way he is then in an errour and in a vile errour death tarieth not the disposing of his goods manie would neuer make will vpon that condition if he will not dispose of them while hee may when he would he
to kill him called vpon God and sayd Lord Iesus receiue my spirite Act. 7.59 By this example shoud other learne for this is written for others learning if Dauid did it when hee was but in some danger of death much more should others doe it when they are past all hope of life For more is to bee done vpon a certaintie then a ieopardie But Dauid being in some ieopardie did it for thus hee said Psal 31.5 O Lord into thine hands I commend my spirit Others therfore being out of hope of life as all those are that are mortally sicke should not be slacke remisse and negligent in doing it a third reason is because so the soule shall be well kept And it is reason that which a man hath some care of should be committed to his custodie which will keepe it well For things committed to ill keepers are soone lost now the Lord is the best keeper that is Out of his hands he is so powerfull as no man can plucke it Iohn 10.28 And in his hands he is so mercifull as nothing may hurt it Wisdome 3.1 And therefore reason that as it was of him in the beginning receiued so now againe in the ending it should to him be commended as nothing hath better right vnto it so nothing will haue greater care of it The right that is had in it and the care that will be had of it should worke this disposition of it Q. What if it be not then done R. It can neuer after be done After death there is no doing of any such thing Q. If it be not done at all will not God take his owne where he finds it R. Yes it is like that he will take it But it is vncertaine whether he will take it into his owne hands to preserue and keepe it or giue it in to the Diuels hands to plague and punish it It may be for his negligence in not doing it the Lord will so take it as nothing but vengeance shall light vpon it It is good euer to preuent the worst The Diuell lieth alway in wait to deuour but neuer is he so greedy as them For then he knowes that what he gets he for euer gets as then he for euer looses what then he looses Q. Thinke you there is no good man but doth it R. God forbid I should so say so might I soone condemne the righteous and iustifie the wicked doer For God knoweth many a good man dieth sodeinly and hath no time to bethinke himselfe of any thing Q. That a man may both doe it and doe it well what must he of necessitie doe R. First he must resolue himselfe of the power that God hath to preserue his soule if he commends it vnto him Secondly of the will that he hath to take it vnto his custody being commended into him He that is not resolued aswell of the one as of the other of these he cannot surrender his soule into the hands of God as into the hands of a faithfull creatour Q. It is an easie matter to be resolued of the first vz. Of the power of God becaus God is omnipotent and nothing can resist his power Rom. 11.34 But how shall he be resolued of the second that is of the will of God for as the Apostle saith Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who was his counseller Wisd 9.13 And as the Wise man saith What man is hee that can know the counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of God is R. Though no man of himselfe can think know or be resolued of the will of God Iere. 10.14 because by his owne knowledge euery man is a beast before God yet by the spirit of God the righteous may yea shall know it because as Dauid saith The secrete of the Lord is reueiled to them that feare him Psal 25.14 Esa 54.13 Iâ—re 31.3 Ioh. 6.45 and as it is witten in the Prophets they shall bee all taught of God Q. But how shall the righteous know by the spirit of God that God will receiue his soule and keepe it R. By the witnesse it giueth to his owne spirit for the spirit of God certifieth his spirit that hee is redeemed iustified and sanctified by Christ and that in the end he shal be glorified And he that is thus certified and assured may boldlie commende his soule into the hands of God as into the hands of the faithful creatour and that in assurance that it shall be for euer preserued and kept For why Rom. 11.29 Rom. 8.30 the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and looke whom hee calleth him hee iustifieth and whom he iustifieth him he glorifieth This assurance made Dauid commend his soule into the hands of God for a reason why hee did commend it vnto him was the redemption which he had wrought for him For as in these words Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commend my spirit is his action so in these for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth is his reason and this assurance also may make any good man to commend his soule into the handes of his almightie creatour and most mercifull redeemer neither needes he doubt but that it shall be accepted being so commended for what soule soeuer God hath loued to redeeme that soule he will still loue to preserue Q. I thinke well that but how shall he know that the testimonie that is giuen to his spirite is the testimonie of Gods spirit R. By other fruites of the same spirit for the spirit of God is no where without fruit saith the Apostle Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie and saith Christ 2. Cor. 3.17 when he is come i. the spirit Ioh. 16.8 he wil then reproue the world of sinne and of righteousnes and of iudgement c. Ioh. 16.8.9.10.11.13 Q. But what may those fruits of the spirit be by which hee shall knowe the testimonie that is giuen to his spirit to bee the testimonie of Gods spirite R. His liuing and dying in faith and obedience for these are fruits of the spirit of God Gal. 5.22 and he that liues and dies in these is not without the spirit of God for where his fruits are there he himselfe also is Q. Why ioine you these two togither his liuing and dying in faith and obedience R. Because it is hard to haue him die in them that hath liued without them Petrarc Optate bene mori quod ipsuâ—â— nisi bene vixeritis frustra est I know but one example in al the Bible of a man that died in faith which liued without faith and that is the example of the theefe vpon the crosse who is one that no maÌ„ might despaire and one alone and no moe least any man should presume Q. What is the reason that he which liueth not in faith and obedience should hardlie die either in the one or in the other and verie
practise should also be other old mens as well as his What fitted him because he was olde doth also well fit them because they are old His time was short and therefore he was desirous to know to die Their time is short and therefore they should be desirous to doe the like Surely they must away whether it be to night before to morrow or to morrow after to night they do not know Better it is to prepare in time than to say I would I had Had I wist comes to late As it was a great commendation for Mnason to be called an old disciple so it is a great discredit for them to be counted olde dissemblers It is ill for young men to be vitious but it is worse for olde men not to be vertuous It is too bad for men to follow sin when sin forsakes them Nothing doth so much blemish olde men as sinne For old Noah to be drunke for old Lot to be sleepie for olde Sampson to loose his strength for olde Eli to cocker his children it is a great disgrace If olde men regarde ought a good name after their death which is better than great riches in their life I wish them I will them I aduise them to be sober discreet holy righteous and religious in their age Pro. 16.31 Age is a crowne of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnes Syr. 25. 4 5. 6. Oh how pleasant a thing it is when gray headed men minister iudgement and when the elders can giue good counsell oh how comely a thing is wisedome vnto aged men and vnderstanding and prudence to men of honour The crowne of olde men is to haue much experience and the feare of God is their glory But if then they neglect the wayes of God and the works of his commaundements the Lord haue mercie vpon them without his great mercy their estate is euil their condition is all too bad Syr. 25. 2. Three sorts of men saith the Lord my soule hateth I vtterly abhorre the life of them a poore man that is proud a rich man that is a lier an old man that doteth If therefore hated and abhorred of God they will not be let them speedily reformed be If death which is at their gate take them vnawares the thredde of their hope is cut off and perish they must in their sinnes For after death there is no place Ignat. in epist 6. August ad Petr. diac cap. 3. August epist 80. ad Hesychium nor time to cōfesse them In the life to come they shall haue repentance for them but in the sight of God they shall not finde remission of them In what state their owne last day shall finde them in the same state the last day of the world shall finde them for such as euery man in the same day shall die euen such in that day shall he be iudged As Salomon saith If the tree fall toward the South Eccle. 11.3 or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth there it shall be As the apostle Paul therefore saith vnto all While wee haue time Gal. 6.12 let vs doe good vnto all men so say I vnto them while they haue time let them doe good vnto themselues and to doe that let them not linger with Lot till the angell plucke them but haste with Noah while the floud doth warne them least when they would enter with the foolish virgins they haue answere I know you not Mat. 25.12 41.34 in steed of with the disciples from the beginning I haue loued you and when they come to iudgement they receiue with the wicked Goe yee cursed in steed of Come yee blessed sounded to the blessed Sharpe is the word Goe ye sweet is the word Come yee as they like of the sweete Come ye better than of the sharpe Goe yee so let them like better of the meanes to the sweete Come yee than of the waies to the bitter Goe ye Q. As your counsell is good so they had best follow it R. You say true as it is commodious to follow it so it is perilous to forsake it perilous in the time present because it bereaueth thē of the honour due vnto them for who will honour an olde man that is vitious I reproue an olde man saith Cleanthes that hath graye haires Laert. lib. 7. c 2. but hath not a graue heart and perilous in the time to come because it dispossesseth them of the kingdome of heauē for God hath said Apoc. 21 27 Stob. ser 113. No vncleane thing shall enter therein And Metrodorus said An olde man is not blessed except he hath the nūber of good workes absolute And to one that asked Diogenes what thing was most miserable in this life he answered Laert. lib. 6 An olde poore man and that may be an olde man void of good workes as well as an olde man destitute of great riches for poorer is he that is destitute of goodnes than he that is destitute of goods And vnlike it is that he wold cōdemn that in another which he so highly commended in himself for great was the amity that was betweene him and pouerty great also the commendation hee gaue to pouertie when one obiected to him his pouertie he said Stob. ser 95. Oh vnhappy man that thou art what sayest thou I haue not seen any man exercise tiranny for pouerty Idem ser 93 but all men for wealth and riches pouerty is a vertue which is learned of it selfe and an helpe to philosophy for to what philosophy doth perswade by words to that pouertie compells by deedes But what doe I prosecute this thus farre It is no great matter which way it be taken It makes little for the honour of olde men that are vitious neither doth it derogate any thing from the renoune of those that are vertuous By that which I haue said may easily be coniectured what I would haue said It is euery way perilous for olde men to persist in their sinnes and to perseuer in their wickednes Themselues they ouer burthen others they too much corrupt all they hurt In asmuch as I cannot effect with tongue what I affect in minde I beseech God to giue them all grace so to liue while they are olde as well they may die when they do die Q. Amen to that say I. For it is as miserable to die to die as it is pleasurable to die to liue And I would as gladly die to liue as liue to be olde R. Yea I thinke and rather too Of the twaine the first is the best Q. But of the other twaine the last is the best R. I say not that because I know not whether there be any goodnes at all in the first But this I say because I know it that of those two neither the one can be attained nor the other annoyed without liuing wel while they liue and dying well when they die For the scripture
saith Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are they which die in the Lord. It saith not blessed are they which die out of the Lord neither yet blessed are they which die against the Lord. For neither the one nor the other of those can be blessed Nor the first Rom. 8.1 because the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus For thereby he insinuateth that there is nothing but condemnation to them which are out of Christ Iesus Nor the second because the Lord saith 1. Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be despised For thereby it may be gathered that they which are against the Lord both in their life and death shall not be with the Lord after their death For how should they then be despised they are not despised that are receiued of the Lord to be with Christ for euer Greater honour cannot be done vnto them For when Paul desired the best of all he desired to be with Christ which as he saith is best of all Philip. 1.23 desiring to be dissolued to be with Christ which is best of all Q. Whatsoeuer you say by that which you doe say this I find must be said that a good life must goe before that a good death may follow after and both concurre togither that perpetuall blisse may ensue either R. In finding this you haue found the truth For as the second is not often without the first so the third is verie seldome without the two former But that there hath enough been said of this before there might heere now more be said But referring you to that I will rest heere with this For when all is sought that may be sought this will once at length be found that a good life till death and a good death after a good life are the best meanes to an happie life after life and death Q. That we may all finde the last God giue vs grace to seeke the first For as it is his grace that we liue at all so it must be of his grace if we liue well R. True is that you say For as Paul saith By grace wee are saued and without grace wee could not but bee damned Then is a man ouercome by his sinnes while he labours to liue righteously of his owne strength without the hope of the grace of God that deliuereth him Moreouer as the fore named Apostle sayd of himselfe 1. Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God J am that I am so must we say of our selues by the grace of God we are that we are whatsoeuer in goodnesse we are for as that learned man Hierome saith Our righteousnes doth not consist of our merites Hieron lib. 1. aduers Pelag. but of the grace and mercie of God that therefore I may once come to a conclusion I heere say Amen to your petition Q. So much the iuster is my petition by how much the better Amen fittes your conclusion but I see it fittes well and I wonder nothing you sought to conclude For loe we are at the pitch of our parting and I neuer thought thereof Lord how soone and sodeinly is this day gone I had thought we had beene much farther from our parting place then now I see we either were or are But seeing there is no remedie I thanke you hartily for your company most hartily also I thank you for the good documents both touching my life and concerning my death you haue in your conference with mee vouchsafed to deliuer vnto me God make me willing to regard them and able to requite you I esteeme them because they are healthy and I must and will remember you because you haue dealte courteously R. Your kindenes is great yea greater by much than I either euer deserued or nowe desired neither my company nor my conference haue merited what either willingly you saye you gaue or dutifully you saye you owe. The first necessarily you were to haue because thus farre one way did well serue vs both Except one of vs should haue gone about wee coulde not haue gone asunder The last handsomely you could not be denied because as friendly as earnestly it was desired of some thing also we were to be talking whilest togither by the way we were to be walking Q. But you might haue chosen that notwithstanding whether you would haue talked of this matter yea or no R. Not oportunely though lawfully For euery time fittes vs to talke of death because we knowe not howe soone wee must yeelde thereto whether to night before to morowe or now before anone Q. In deede we are at an vncertaintie either when or where we are to expect it but the remembrance thereof to some is yrkesome R. That makes not that conference there aboutes to others should bee lothsome some seeke it many wishe it all must vndergoe it though some cannot abide to heare of it yet there is no reason but some should thinke of it Q. God forbid that any should bee otherwise minded If we thinke of other petite businesses as we doe for what goe wee about which wee thinke not of afore we goe about it much more should we thinke of it It is the last and greatest busines we haue to doe and in their last actions men commonly labour to excell themselues Shall or should they then in this seeke to shame them selues they should not whatsoeuer some will wise men will not whatsoeuer others doe whatsoeuer others doe or will doe God make vs wisely to thinke of it well to prouide for it that strongly to arme our selues against ouer much feare of it orderly we may come to it patiently we may beare it happily we may passe through it and christianly as well as couragiously wee may ouergoe it R. Amen for the well minding of it ere it comes is the right managing of it when it comes he that neuer thinkes of it can hardly abide to vndergoe it and will scarcely labour well to passe through it that makes many so vnwilling to heare of it and so impatient to beare it as they are namely their seldome minding it and their neuer thinking of it Q. I am iust of your minde for that so am I also for all else that hitherto you haue spoken concerning it I could say more but I will not the time that tarieth no man and the way which being vnknowen troubleth euery man doe both call me a way Once againe therefore good master Regulus I hartily thanke you and humbly take my leaue of you R. If there be no remedy but needes wee must breake company the Lord be with you Q. And with you also R. Amen I beseech him for without him neither of vs both can doe any thing the holy Angell of God goe with vs to the places whither we are going and conduct vs to the place which we are euer desiring and protect vs in the places wherein we shal be abiding Q. Amen Amen for so shall now our iourney be prosperous and in the end our arriuall to rest most ioyous but againe fare you well 2. Cor. 13.13 for I must yeelde to time being subiect to time R. Farewell sweete friend Quirinus and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God the father and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost bee with vs and remaine with vs this day and alwayes Amen Amen FINIS