nor cannot long be deferred nor delayed for as rauening Time this old deuouring Saturne hath already swallowed downe all former ages so he comes with as swift a foote to deuoure vs and all the earths children in his gurmundizing iawes Swiftly indeede for as an Arrow out of a Bow as a ship on the Sea as a Bird in the Ayre nay as our thoughts so swift is our time and how euer wee runne on in sinne yet euery day runnes on with vs to our graues marching vehemently with Iehu our life sliding away whether wee eate drinke walke or talke like the Ship that sailes how euer the Passengers perceiue not nay Tune quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit euen when wee grow and increase then our life doth decrease Yea so mortall are wee and so momentanie our life that euen whilst vvee liue wee may be said to be dead not onely potentially dead as hee that is poysoned or the theefe condemned is said to be but a dead man though the one be yet wrastling for life and the other vnexecuted because the one is potentially the other ciuilly dead in Law euen so wee are dead in Law as Adam and Eue were because wee haue sinned like them but vve are for the greatest part euen actually dead For let vs take the life of man as it is diuided into seauen parts Infancie Childe-hood Adolescencie Youth Man-hood Old age and the Decrepit olde age Now in these successiue ages what is the latter alwayes saue the death of the former as both Inchinus and Seneca haue wittily noted What is Childe-hood but the abolition and death of Infancie what Adolescencie but the death of Childe hood Youth of Adolescencie Man-hood of Youth Old age of Man-hood and Decrepit age of Old age and of Decrepit age Death it selfe is the Death Which truth though our eyes be blinde to see and our hearts dead to ponder yet our tongues like Caiaphas his prophecying against our wils confesse it For I pray you when an old man or a man of middle yeeres findes an vnaptnesse and vnablenesse in himselfe to performe that which in his youth he did and delighted to doe what is his phrase Oh saith he that whorld is past with me intimating that he is dead and departed from the world in respect of that age Oh then how had euen the very Childe neede to prepare for his finall departure since one part of his life is dead already his Infancie how the youthfull Ephebus that hath two parts dead and but fiue at furthest to liue how the youth that hath three parts dead in him and but foure to liue how the lusty man that hath foure parts of time spent certainely and hath but three parts to liue and those vncertaine how the old man chiefely that hath acted fiue parts of his life already and hath but two to act vncertaine by reason of his faultring tongue and dryed braine whether hee can act these or no before Death strike him non plus But chiefely the Decrepit gray-headed man who is dead sixe times and now hath but one age vpon his weake and wearyed backe about to rest him in his graue How should these premeditations excite our preparations that as we are compared to fruit in the Scripture being called the fruit of the wombe the fruit of the loynes c. so betimes to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance ere we fall like mellow fruit from the tree of life If wee haue past some ages wee are dead to those euen as in fruit the flower is the death of the bud and the fruit is the death of the flower Therefore let vs be fruitfull in doing good ere vvee be pluckt away and be no more Oh how soone fruit perisheth How soone doth it ripen how soone rot How doe the Wormes that breede of it and in it consume it The North and East winde blasts it the Mill dew infects it Caterpillers spoyle it now by violence it is pluckt from the tree now rotten-ripe it fals and so festers So it is with all the seede of man the fruit of woman wee haue all one manner of grafting and of growing but a thousand different wayes of decreasing and decaying Omnibus est eadem laethi via noâ— tamen vnus Est vitae cunctis exitijque modus All haue one way to life one way to death Yet many wayes doth stint our vitall breath Moe wayes lead to the Sepulcher then to any Princely Palace Molle patent adiâ—us c. Meanders Labyrinth had not so many windings as Death hath wayes Hos Bellâ— hos aequora poscunt c. Warres waters fancies frenzies loue mad lust Besides diseases doe dissolue our dust As Seneca and Silius once sung as pithily as Poetically Histories of all times places and persons Sacred and Humane consort and confirme this experienced truth The old World wee know was drowned so was Pharaoh with his Aegyptians Sodome and Gomorrah Ziglah the two Captaines and Companies of fifties that came against Elias Nadab and Abihu Achan and his familie burned Herod eaten with wormes Daniels accusers deuoured with Lyons the mocking children vvith shee Beares the Philistines smit with Emerods the Israelites cut off many thousands in the dayes of Moses and Dauid by Plague and Pestilence Bethlems Children and the Sichemites butchered by the Sword Ierusalem and Samaria by the sword and Famine Er and Onan killed by the Diuine power Ananias and Saphira throwne downe dead by an Apostolicall Spirit Simon Magus his necke broke by Peters Prayers Iulian killed with a Dart by the Prayers of the Church If wee would wade into Heathenish Stories vvee might adde to the Catalogue vvithout number such as haue perished by vvater as Hylas in his Colchos voyage Orontes Lucaspis Palinurus Iearus Laeander Sappho Menander c. whom Virgil and Ouid so oft mention by fire as Sardanapalus Empedocles in Aetna Phaeton Dido in the Poet. Some destroyed by wilde beasts as many Martyres in the Primitiue persecution as Saturâ—einus by a Bull Ignarius Policarpus by a Lyon Felicitas by Leopards Milo the wrastler by a Wolfe Baâ—ilâ—ns slaine by a Hart Hatto the Bishop of Mentz eaten with Mice louely Adonis cunning Dedalur prophecying Idmon torne in pieces by Bores Some by Dogs as Euripides the Poet dogged Diogenes weeping Heraclitus Philosophers apostate Lucian c. How many haue beene strangled vpon the Crosse not onely Martyres as Andrew Peter Gorgonius Simeon the Son of Cleophas Peter Aulanus c. following their head Christ but euen many Kings as Policrates the Spartan Leonides Sindualdus Arnulphus Hanno of Carthage c. Besides Malefactors such as Helen the Graecian Whore Daphitas the Grammarian c. and such as haue hanged themselues as Iudas Achitophell Phillis Erigone Biblis Some haue beene stoned to death by others or shot with arrowes as Achillis by Paris Procris by Cephalus Acron by Romulus Hyrene by Sisinnius yea a stone from a wall as vpon Abemelech out of a
NOW followes the last part of this holy Hymne Simeons Quletâ—s est or his Pacification God suffering him to depart in peace Caluin and Bucer renders Simeons minde thus Nunc libenter sedato quieto animo moriar Lord now I depart willingly with an appeased heart and a setled soule since I haue seene thy Christ From whence I gather that a good man that liues piously alwayes dyes peaceably It appeares here in Simeon so in the rest of the Saints as in Abraham to whom it was promised Gen. 15.15 that hee should goe vnto his Fathers in peace and should be buryed in a good age which promise was plentiously performed to Abraham for he yeelded the spirit dyed in a good age an old man and of great yeeres Gen. 25.8 So Isaack the Sonne of Promise gaue vp the ghost and dyed peaceably being old and full of daies Gen. 35.29 Neither was the death of good Iacob that preuailing Israel discrepant to his holy life for he dyed quietly making an end of his charge vnto his Sonnes hee pluckt vp his feete into his bed and gaue vp the ghost Gen. 49.33 After the like manner was the death of chaste and mercifull Ioseph Gen. 50.26 of penitent and patient Iob after hee had seene his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes euen foure generations Iob 42.16 Of zealous and sincere Dauid 1 Kings 2. after hee had counselled and charged his Sonne Salomon to walke in the wayes and Statutes of the Almightie Of Moses the faithfull Seruant of the Lord who dyed when his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated though he were an hundred and twentie yeeres old God himselfe being present at his death and buriall So Ioshuah that couragious Leader of Israel Iosh 24.29 Aaron the Lords Priest who dyed before the Lord in the Mount Hor Numb 20.28 Eleazar Aarons Sonne Iosh 24.33 Samuel the Lords Prophet 1 Sam. 25.1 with all the rest of Gods Children Patriarkes Prophets Iudges Kings Martyres Confessors the learned Lights of the Church such as Ambrose Augustine c. as they haue liued holily they haue dyed happily of which in their seuerall Histories they haue giuen demonstrations most of them if not all in these three particulars First that they were gathered to their Fathers in a mature and full age full of yeeres reaped like a Ricke of ripe Corne into the Lords Barne taken like mellow Apples from the Tree of life in which full age Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioshuah Iob with the rest before mentioned as also the Patriarkes before the Floud which out-liued them with others of the faithfull did blessedly yeeld their spirits and quietly slept in the Lord which blessing of long life being the promise annexed to that fift Commandement of Obedience is peculiarly incident to the godly rather then the wicked whose sinnes as the Iuie kils the Oake ordinarily abbreuiate their dayes or if any of the faithfull dye young or in their middle age before they haue attained to the yeeres of their Fathers eyther by a naturall dissolution as Iosias or by a violent death as the auncient and moderne Martyres eyther they are taken away from the euill to come as Augustine was immediately before the siege of Hippo by the Gothes and Vandals or else because they are ripened already in grace and come to that maturitie which GOD in his fore-seeing wisedome knowes they would or could attaine to and so are fitted for glory or else they testifie the truth here to others confirmation Gods glory and their owne consolation Secondly the Elect vsually haue their wishes and the fruition of their desires ere their departure to the great satisfaction of their soules the contentation of their hearts the corroberation of their faith and the sealing pledge of Gods speciall loue vnto them thus Simeon ere his death had CHRIST in his armes which was the desire and longing of his heart So Abraham saw Christs day before his death in the spirit and reioyced what did old Israel so long after in the whole world except the sight of Shiloh the Messias in the flesh as to see his darling Ioseph which longing of his the Lord satisfied at the full ere his death for his dying eyes did not onely see Iosephs face but his seede Ephraim and Manasses Gen. 48.11 What did Moses desire more then the fruition of Canaan the promised Land Now euen before the Lord shut his dying eyes the Lord tooke him vp into a mount and as a rellish and a taste of his fauour gaue him a sight of Canaan Deut. 34. ver 1.4 In what could Dauids heart be more setled then to see his Throne setled in Salomon his Sonne which his desire was accordingly accomplished for his eyes did see what his heart desired for which hee blessed God 1 Kings 1.48 And the like ordinarily fals out as many aged Christians at this very day can bring in their experienced probatum est as many that are fallen a-sleepe before them could haue testified how the Lord hath heard their requests and granted the desires of their soules in these and these particulars before their deaths Thirdly the godly expresse the hidden ioy and inward peace which they finde within their soules by their seasoned and sanctified words of grace which they breathe out as a sweet Perfume from holy hearts to the refreshing of others vpon their sicke beds with which they vsually winde vp the thread of their life words so good so gracious that they are worthy to be writ in Letters of Gold and for euer to be remembred as they are recorded in the sacred Cannon and collected by holy men from the Saints of latter times For example vvhat a sweet gratulatory speech is this of Simeons in his farewell to the world Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. Euery word hauing his waight and Emphasis Ponder the last Sermons that Moses and Ioshuah and Samuel these faithfull Seruants of the Lord made immediately before their deaths vnto the Israelites Gods chosen people how zealously they perswade to the seruice of the true God disswade from Idolatrie and false Gods enumerate Gods speciall mercies exhort to obedience dehort from rebellion against God and their Superiours proclaime the promises to the obedient pronounce mercies to allure denounce iudgements to terrifie the disobedient blessing GOD by gratulatory Songs for his benefits and blessing the people in their Tribes Deut. 32. ch 33. Iosh 12. 1 Sam. 12. and a man shall see the peace they had in their hearts by the grace of their lips The last words of Iacob were blessings and prophecies Of Ioseph were admonitions and cautions the one to his Sonnes the other to his Brethren Gen. 49. Gen. 50. The last words of Dauid were his charge to Salomon his Son concerning Gods worship and the gouernement of his Kingdome 1 Kings 2. vers 3.4.5.6 c. The last words of Steuen the first Martyr after CHRIST were prayers for his
vsually both in this and other things The life before and the profession and confession of a true Faith ought to giue all men satisfaction if not let them remember that saying well Who art thou that iudgest another mans Seruant hee standeth or falleth to his owne Master and Lord. To the wicked indeede that haue wallowed in sinne without feeling sodaine death is fearefull eyther in warre when the bullet taketh him or at Sea when hee is drowned or any other way whatsoeuer when Ammon is nailed to the wall by his Brother Absolon 2 Sam. 13.28.29 when Pharaoh and his Companie be sodainly drowned in the Seas Ezod 14.27.28 Corah Dathan and Abiram sodainely swallowed vp of the earth Numb 16.32 When Zimry and Cosbee the Israelitish and Moabitish wantons be sodainely destroyed by Phineas Speare or Gods plagues in their filth or after Numb 25.4.8 The old Worldlings and Sodomites sodainely consumed by fire or water Baltazar Antiochus Herod the rich Churle with others sodainely swept away like dung from the face of the earth with the besome of Gods wrath and strucke with Gods reuenging hand in the midst of their drunkennesse crueltie pride couetousnesse and such sins their case is fearefull Sect. 2. That all must die BVt though Moses be not sodainely taken away yet away hee goeth it is very true and so must all flesh therefore let vs reckon of it The reward of sinne is death Rom. 6.21 And since all flesh is sinfull to all is appointed once to die Heb 9.27 hodie an cras c. whether it be to day or to morrow it must be it will be a debt it is and must be paid saith S. Augustine Hodie mihi cras tibi I to day you to morrow till wee be all gone nothing more vncertaine then the time nothing more certaine then the thing They that liued so many hundred yeeres as Adam Methusalem Noah Sem and the other Patriarkes of euery one it is said Et mortuus est and hee dyed the longest time had an end and at the last death knocked for him hee must away And as no time so no vertue can auoid death but euen Moses himselfe as worthy a man as the earth hath carried as the Word testifies of him Iosh 1.2.13 Heb. 3.2.5 yet this Moses must die But if a man maruell at this why such men should dye since sinne which is the cause of death is pardoned forgiuen them through faith in Christ let him know that this is done for two causes First for those reliques of sinne and corruption which hang vpon and by death must be purged and taken cleane away God then perfecting that sanctification which was begun before Secondly that wee might be made conformable to our Head Christ Iesus who as hee by death ouer-came death and rose from death to life so must wee by him both which ends yeeld vs great comfort because they shew that death is not laid vpon the elect as a punishment but as a mercy vouchsafed by a sweet father for the ends named Sect. 3. God prepares his children to dye as hee did Moses by shewing them Canaan BVt before hee dye and passe this way of all flesh God will haue him goe into the Mountaine and see the Land of Promise this was done in sweet goodnesse that with more ready will hee might make an end And assuredly thus dealeth God with his louing children at their latter ends euen giue them a glympse a sight and taste of the true Land of Promise that heauenly Canaan which hee hath prepared for them after death But as Moses to see this pleasant sight must ascend vp into the Mountaine so must wee raise vp and lift vp our hearts our soules our thoughts and the eyes of our mindes as it were aloft to an high Mountaine that so wee may see what will make vs most willing to depart that our ioy may be full and endlesse as in Peter That Moses entered not into Canaan but onely saw it it had two ends first the punishment of his Incredulitie when hee strucke the Rocke spoken of here in the 14. Verse of this Chapter and secondly for mysterie Vt significet nos per Legem cuius Minister c. that it might signifie that by the Law whereof Moses was Minister wee may see as it were afarre off eternall life and saluation but neuer enter into it that way because through corruption of our natures wee are not able to performe it which being not performed shutteth vs out and subiecteth vs to a curse Sect. 4. Moses obedience to Gods summons a patterne to vs. THat Moses went vp into the Mountaine to dye Deut. 34.1 is an example before our eyes of most singular obedience for hee grudged not hee grieued not he shrunke not backe but yeelded to Gods blessed pleasure and was most willing and ready to dye O that wee may finde grace and mercy with God so to doe when time commeth saying with tongue and saying with heart behold here am I thy seruant be it vnto mee as thou my blessed God wi lt Is my time come and must I away Lord then I come and desire to be loosed and to be with thee Againe that Moses endured so patiently the deniall of him to enter into the Land which no doubt hee much desired let it euer teach vs and strengthen vs to doe the like when God denieth vs our desires for assuredly God will doe better for vs as here he did for Moses if vvee rest on his good pleasure It is a true saying it is a good saying let it neuer goe out of our mindes Semper Deus suos exaudit c. God alwayes heareth his Children if not vnto their will yet vnto their saluation and good CHAP. III. The nature of death sweetned to the Saints with fifteene resemblances of death to sleepe OBserue it againe carefully that death is not mentioned vnto Moses in any terrible words but in sweet wordes Ibis ad Patres Thou shalt goe to thy Fathers and so still is the death of Beleeuers spoken of in the Scriptures that we might draw sweet comfort from it against any feare that fraile flesh may conceiue of death For there is a death which most men feare and that is the seperation of body and soule our naturall death and there is a death which too few feare and that is the seperation of the soule from God Vita carporis anima vita animae Deus the life of the body is the soule and the life of the soule is God Against this naturall feare oppose this and the like phrases in Scriptures You goe to your father therefore feare not Socrates a Heathen was much comforted at his death that hee should goe and meete with those learned Poets Orpheus Homer Hesiod and such like how much more may wee ioy to meete with God the Father and God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost with
conuerse or commerse with such more then with bruit Beasts and wicked Spirits that commit such sinnes as Intemperance and Luxurie and Drunkennesse which beasts and Diuels commit not Now ponder well Deaths lenitie in this corasiue Death stops thine eares from hearing the Blasphemies of the multitude wherewith they blaspheme Death hoodwinckes thine eyes from beholding such vaine and filthy obiects as made the Heathen Democritus plucke out his eyes that hee might not behold Death chaines thy tongue from talking with or talking of such obsceane subiects Death Gods Messenger pluckes thee away as the Angell did Lot out of the Sodome of this world and carries thee to Zoar a Citie of refuge the new and true Ierusalem from whence thou shalt come againe with thy Sauiour in the clouds to see these wicked ones cast into burnings Mat. 25.41 but neuer to heare them more blaspheming from vvhich Iudgement thy soule shall returne to heauen againe with her old companion the body now awakened out of the dust and glorified where thou shalt alwayes after to eternitie heare the Quires and Melodies of Angels and heauenly Spirits carrolling out their new Songs and Haleluiahs to the glory of the Lambe Apoc. 5.9 10 As Death frees thee from the conuersation so from the corruptions of wicked men which as it is not the least safetie so it should not be the least ioy and tranquillitie to a Christian and the rather because the danger of infection by them is here so imminent as fearefull If any thinke himselfe safe and sound and on a sure ground in this kinde as too many are too bold let him know that it is as safe for sound Apples to lye amongst the rotten for sound Sheepe to feede amongst the scabbed for cleare eyes to looke earnestly on those that haue sore eyes for a healthfull body to conuerse with the infected in the Pest-house as for thee to liue and conuerse with the wicked and not to learne wickednesse with the froward without frowardnesse nay it is as easie to touch pitch and not be defiled the experience of Gods Saints leaue it recorded that when the Saints are amongst sinners first eyther by Imitation of them secondly or compulsion by them thirdly being brought into straites by their wiles fourthly by their temptations and seductions fiftly in extremities amongst them sixtly by the ouer-swaying of their owne humane passions or by some such meanes they are infected with them these things occasioned Ioseph to sweare by the life of Pharaoh amongst the Aegyptians Abraham twise to vse simulation dissimulation or aequiuocation in two prophane Courts Dauid to faine madnesse in the Court of Achish 1 Sam. 21.13 Peter to deny his Master amongst the high Priests Seruants Mat. 26.74 the true Prophet to eate bread with the false Prophet 1 Kings 13.15.16 the Children of Israel to commit Adultery and Idolatry with the Daughters of Moab Numb 25. All these haue failed or fallen for company as one breach brings downe another amongst wicked men which is thy case now and hath beene Now Death deliuers thee from euer conuersing much more from corrupting by wicked men 11 Let another of Deaths commodities comfort thee in that it very much doth priuiledge thee from the madnesse and malice of the maleuolent Monsters of the vvorld thou art now secure from the pushing hornes of the Buls of Bashan from the sword of iniustice from the arme of tyranny Though mad Saul send for deuout Dauid to kill him in his sickenesse 1 Sam. 14.15 yet none can harme the body of a dead man first it may by kept vnburied for a time as great Alexanders was secondly arrested for debt into which a good Christian may fall in life 2 Kin. 4.1 thirdly be wounded and mangled as Hectors was by the Grecians liuing Hares may leape ouer a dead Lyon fourthly digged vp againe as Pope Formosus body was by Stephanus his successor and as Bucers was by the Papists an act more befitting Swine then men yet it cannot be hurt or harmed because it is insensible of paine and therefore neede not feare Phalaris his Bull nor the Persecutors wilde beasts nor the Papists fire and Fagot and burning chamber nor the most exquisite tortures of the greatest Tyrants for thy spirit it returnes to the Father of spirits thy soule to God that gaue it euen as the beames of the Sunne reflect vpward againe towards the Sunne from whence they came 12 Besides thy good name that especially is cleared by death for wee oftentimes see that by the aemulation of aequals the enuy of inferiours the hatred of superiours and the wickednesse that is in the hearts of all good men in their life time by Gods permission for causes best knowne some secret some reuealed haue beene vvondrously abased and abused censured calumniated and scorched by the malicious and maleuolent tongues of such as haue beene set on fire by Hell oftentimes to the very eclipsing of their good name for a time being poysoned and besmeared with their Aspish venome vvhose good names it pleaseth God to restore againe vnto them at or after the houre of death making the lustre and splendor of their graces then to breake out like the light at the noone-day dispersing all the clouds of scandall which haue in their vapours ascended from the foggie and filthy Quagmires and Marrish of ignorance and Malice Who eyther denies or doubts of this may see it in the Glasse of the Word and obserue it in the experience of other ages and our owne What oppositions had Moses the meekest man on earth the faithfull Seruant of GOD in his life time in the place of his Magistracy amongst a rebellious people though hee discharged the greatest function that euer was committed to any meere man the best that euer any did that was but flesh and bloud yet how was hee vpbrayded scandalized and slandered his Commission from God contradicted hee vvas thought to take too much vpon him accused as a destroyer or at least a deluder of the Lords people concerning the promised Canaan yet the same Moses had beene worshipped as a God of these ancient Idolaters after his death if the Diuell could haue had his purpose in exposing his dead body vnto them being resisted by the Angell Iude 1. v. 9. So was Dauid not a little disgraced by the mockings of his wife Michol 2 Sam. 6.20 the raylings of Shemei 2 Sam. 16.5 the calumnies of his tyrannous enemies by whom hee was esteemed as a foole reuiled as a murtherer verse 6. accounted as an Hypocrite and vile man ver 7. yea euen the drunkards made songs of him in his life time now Dauid is esteemed as the sweet Singer of Israel as the man after Gods owne heart after his death So in our times what broyles and turmoyles had that worthy Caluin zealous Luther reuerent Beza iudicious Zanchy moderate Melancthon learned Peter Martyr Oecolampadius and others in forraine Countries
sling as Dauids against Goliah or throwne with the hand as that which Patroclus threw vpon Câ—brion in the Troyan warre besides the fall of wals such as that of the Tower of Shilo hath beene the death of many I cannot reckon all the meanes of our mortalitie Hoc opus hic labor So many Creatures as I contemplate nay so many things inanimate as I see me thinkes I see so many Actors in the Tragicke fall of man The Thunder in the heauens hath slaine many in earth if that which Virgil writes in the first third and sixt of his Aeneidos of Enceladus and other Gyants slaine by Iupiter Aiax by Pallas Ouid of Typheus Propertius of Semele be a fiction yet the report receiued of the death of Anastatius the Emperour Zoroastres the Magitian Tullius Hostilius by Thunder and that which wee haue heard and seene in this kinde is Authenticke What heapes and hauocke the Sword hath made in warre let these millions speake that haue perished not onely in the vvarres betwixt the Kings of Israell and Iudah in which in one battell there sell fiftie thousand betwixt Ahas and Ieroboam saith Iosephus as also betwixt the Iudges and Kings of Israell vvith their enemies when Achab slew an hundred thousand Syrians Gideon an hundred and twentie thousand Midianites But euen in thâ—se amongst Christians when Charles Martill in one battell slew three hundred and fiftie thousand Gothes In those amongst Pagans Caesar bragging of an eleauen hundred and nintie thousand that had fallen vnder his conduct besides those in ciuill warres betwixt him and Pompey Scylla and Marius c. besides those that fell in Tamberlaines Trophies ouer the Medes Albanes Mesapotamians Persians Parthians Armenians Turkes c. In Sicinius Conquests in fortie fiue set battels of Hannibals ouer Cornelius Scipio Sempronius Flamminius Aemillius and Terentius where there were slaine at once fortie Senators of Alexander ouer Darius slaughtering an eleauen hundred of Crassus killing twelue hundred of Spartacus Armie Lucullus two thousand of Mithridates Troupes Ptolomie fiftie thousand of Demetrius hoast Others moe in many maine battels recorded by Sabellicus Liuie Plutarch Volateran testifie how much humane bloud the sword hath effused how many Tragedies poyson hath acted not onely the sodaine and frequent fals of so many Mitred Popes out of Peters supposed vsurped Seate doth declare but the dismall deaths of famous Emperours and Kings as of Constantine the Sonne of Heraclius Zimisces after one yeeres raigne of Carolus Caluns of Henry of Lucelburge Lothar of France Lodouicus Balbus Dioclesian of Dalmatia Lucullus of whom Pliny nay of Alexander himselfe with infinite others who were as certainly poysoned as Socrates and Pope Victor Nay so easily is the thread of our life cut so soone our web vntwisted like Penelope's or rather swept away with the Spiders that euen in our meates and drinkes wee may suspect that Mors in â—lla Death is in the pot haue we not the testimonie of Sextus Aurelius that ingurgitation of meate and too much repletion not being concocted in the stomacke occasioned the deaths of Septimius Seâ—erus and Valentinian Emperours Doth not Ignatius ascribe the fall of Iouinian to the same cause as also Gâ—egory Turonensis imputes the sodaine death of Childericus the Saxon being found dead in his bed to the same crudities and suffocations by intemperancie The like censure giues Eusebius of Domitius Apher that ouercome of his meate dyed at Supper Neyther doth Hermippus indite any thing for the death of Archisilaus but his excessiue ingurgitating of Wine As I my selfe once in Cambridge saw a drunken dogge in forme of a man vent out his soule with disgorging his exonerated stomacke Neyther are wee onely subiected to our dissolution by too much repletion occasion of so many diseases yea of death it selfe that plures gula quam gladio the panch destroyes moe then the sword but the defect of meate and drinke hath contracted the liues of many in all parts and those no lesse mighty Millions haue tryed wofully the massacres of famine in the siege of Ierusalem and Samaria Narriners by Sea Cities in siege Souldiers in the Campe and the poore in dearth yea this hath beene the cruellest death that Tyranny and Ielousie could inuent Thus was Richard the second dispatcht of his Countrimen thus was Boniface the eight plagued by Phillip Boniface the sixt by one Cincius a Romane Citizen Aristo the Poet by the Athenians Earle Vgoline by his vngratefull Countrimen thus were Orator Fortunatus Foelix and Silinus Martyres pinched at Alexandria and perished Nay so soone wee are and are not that God doth not onely sometimes with his owne stroke immediately from himselfe cut vs short sometimes mediately by man for and in the midst of our lawlesse lusts as Cosbie and Zimbri were slaine of Phinees Arcibiadeâ— of Lysander saith Plutarch Iohn the twelfth by the Husband of a Whore in the midst of their filth as it is reported by Tertullian that Spensippus the Platonist by Pontanus that Beltrand Herrerius by Paulus Diaconus that Rodoald King of the Longobards by Cornelius Tacitus that Tigillinus the Ruler of the Watch by Celius that fayre Phaon by Pliny lib. 7. that Cornelius Gallus and Heterius Romane Gentlemen and by other Authors that others haue perished in their pollutions in the very venerious act but we perish sometimes euen in and by our lawfull affections euen the ouermuch opening and dilating of the heart in ouer-ioying and the too much contracting of the same againe by ouer-sorrowing hath brought thousands to their graues without gray hayres How many Authors haue we to testifie that which seemes more incredible that an ouer-ioying may presently depriue vs for euer after inioying any of the ioyes of life What vvas the reason that Sophocles and Dionisius both of them being victorious in the censure of the Critticques for their exquisite Tragedies dyed sodainely saith Plinie lib. 7. c. 37. euen of an ouer-ioy as Valerius and Volateran also think how euer Lucian and Sotades alledged by Crinitus thinke contrary The like is reported of Chilo imbracing his Sonne crowned at the Olympicke games of a Romane woman at the safe returne of her son which she thought was slaine in the wars at Canna of Philippides when his Laureat Poems were preferd of Diagoras of Rhodes when his three sonnes saith Gellius lib. 3. nott at or his two sons saith Tullie lib. 1. Tusc were victorious in the publicke Wrastlings of Philemon when hee saw an Asse eate Figges prepared for the table all who tell vs that euen this affection of Ioy with a sweet tickling like that stinging of the Serpent Dipsas may kill much more may sorrow as Iacob confesseth and Iudah intimateth in Genesis hasten our heads to the graue ere our haires be very gray Griefe being to the heart vnlesse it be godly griefe for sinne which neuer hurts but heales 2 Cor. 7.10 that the Moath is to the garment the Catterpiller to the fruit eating the heart like
Lords Tribunall vvhither it is approaching that so as it is said of the Doue and the Eagle that when they haue plunged their vvings in the water they are better fitted for their flight thou plunging thy selfe into the troubled Bethesda poole of thy repentant teares distilling from the Limbecke of a remorcefull heart thy soule may take the wings of a Doue and flye out of the Cage and Coate of thy body to her eternall rest in Abrahams bosome Now with Simeons heart sing Simeons Song now awaken all thy powers to praise the Lord so as in singing wee ascend to higher notes thy soule leauing the earth of thy body shall with the Larke mount still higher and higher nay it shall be carryed vp on the wings of wayting Angels till it be transcendent amongst the Quires of those heauenly Hierarchies that sing continuall Halleluiah's vnto the once incarnate now deified Lambe euen Simeons Lord that sits vpon the throne To whom with the Father and the eternall Spiriâ— a Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie as his due and our duty from the ground of our hearts and soules be ascribed all Honour Glory Power Maiestie and Mercy of vs and all Churches now and for euermore Amen Necessary Incouragements and Comforts against the grieuances of seuerall Crosses Because that many are too much deiected and disconsolate at the death of their friends Parents for Children Children for Parents Husbands for Wiues and Wiues for Husbands Brother for Brother and Friend for Friend mourning like Rachel for her Children and will not be comforted let these Motiues moue thee to take truce with thy teares and not to sorrow as did the Heathens without hope 1 KNOW and acknowledge that it is GOD that hath taken away thy friend the pleasure of thine eyes thy Wife or the like therefore as God said to Ezekiel in the like case Mourne not nor weepe neyther let thy teares runne downe cease from sighing and make no mourning for the dead Ezek. 24.16.17 Murmure not as did the rebellious Israelites when their Brethren were taken away Numb 16.41 Kicke not against the pricke Act. 9.5 resist not God with a stiffe and vncircumcised heart Act. 7.51 but like an obedient childe imbrace the stroke of thy Father and kisse the rod. 2. The Saints of God haue beene patient spectators of the deaths of as neare and deare friends as any thou hast parted withall whose Patience in this crosse I propound vnto thee to imitate as Iames propounds Iobs Patience to be imitated in euery crosse Iames 5.11 Thus Adam and Euâ— saw the death of their sonne Abel Gen. 4. Noah the destruction of the whole world by the Deluge Gen. 7. Abraham of Terah his Father Gen. 11.32 so of his deare Wife Sarah Gen. 23.2 Lâ—t of his Wife Gen. 19 26. Isaack of his Mother and of Abraham his tender Parents Gâ—n 25.8.9 Iacob of his Father Isaack Gen. 35.29 of his beautifull and beloued Rachel Gen. 35.19 Thus when Aaron saw his two sonnes Nadab and Abihu deuoured with fire from the Lord hee held his peace Leuit. 10.2.3 Iob blessed God as well when his Children were slaine as his goods imbezeled Iob 1.21.22 for Eli lamented the losse of the Arke rather then the slaughter of Hophni and Phinees for which his Daughter in-Law also was more moued then for the death of her Husband 1 Sam. 4. v. 18.19.20.21.22 Dauid more bewayled the spirituall death of the soules of Ammon and Absolon then the corporall deaths of their bodies thy dying in their sinnes of Incest and Treason 2 Sam. 14.14 Lastly the Virgin Mary and Iohn the Disciple stood by the Crosse of Christ in his Passion onely with compassion without that outward lamentation which Christ condemned in the Daughters of Ierusalem and in them immoderate mourning in all Mat. 27.56 Luke 23.28 which particulars chiefely the last as Ambrose applyed them in his Funerall Oration of Valentinian the Emperour so they must be laid to heart in our application and imitation in euery Funerall 3 If hee dyed in the Faith of Christ hee is translated like Enoch from this life to a better from this vaile of misery to eternall glory hee is a Citizen of Heauen an inheritor of a Kingdome Sorrow not for his triumph he is gone to possesse a Crowne in Glorification which was granted him in Predestination promised him in Vocation 4 Hee is blessed being dead in the Lord Apoc. 14. 5 Hee is returned home to his Fathers house hee is gone to his better friends euen to the companie of innumerable Saints and Angels and to the Spirits of the iust Heb. 12.22.23 Mat. 22.30 Reu. 15.11 Mat. 8.11 1 Thes 4.17 6 Hee is inseperably vnited vnto GOD the chiefe and perfect Good first whom to see is Tranquillitie secondly whom to rest in is Securitie thirdly to enioy is Felicitie Being incorporated into that Citie first whose King is Veritie secondly the Lawes Charitie thirdly the Dignities Equitie fourthly the Life Eternitie in which hee shall be sempeternally blessed ioying in and inioying first a certaine Securitie secondly a secure Tranquillitie thirdly a safe Iocunditie fourthly happy eternitie fiftly an eternall felicitie 7 He is now married vnto his Bridegroome CHRIST to whom his soule was contracted in earth and the Marriage-feast is now solemnized in Heauen now thy mirth not thy mourning becomes a Marriage Hos 2.19 Mat. 22. Phil. 1.23 Iohn 12.26 17.24 Luke 33.43.46 Reu. 7.17 8 Consider that his warre-fare is now at an end his iourney is finished and his worke is accomplished if GOD had had any more worke for him to haue done hee should haue liued longer for as God sweepes away the wicked when they are at the height of sinne as hee did Er and Onan Gen. 38. the Sodomites Hophni Phinees and Absolon so the godly in the height of Grace 9 He was here a Pilgrime and a stranger as were the Patriarkes Abraham Isaack Iacob Dauid and the rest now he hath hoyst vp sailes hee is gone home into his owne Country therefore why shouldest thou grieue at his happy voyage and safe arriuall 10 Thou hast not lost him but left him hee is not dead but departed nay as Christ said of Iairus his Daughter and Lazarus thy Friend thy Damzâ—ll thy Daughter be it hee or shee is not dead but sleepeth and as Martha beleeued there shall be a time when they shall waken Now what mother grieues that her vnquiet childe sleepes and takes the rest many weepe because their Children will not or cannot sleepe few because they doe sleepe 11 Hee shall be restored vnto thee againe at the Resurrection of the iust euen in his body Psal 17.15 Iob 19.25 Iohn 5.29 as his soule is now immediately gone to God as did the soule of Lazarus Luke 16.22 of Stephen Acts 7.69 of the penitent Theefe Luke 23.43 yea of CHRIST himselfe verse 46. where it remaines in ioy Mat. 25. v. 21. 23.
SEAVEN Helpes to Heauen Shewing 1. How to auoid the Curse 2. How to beare the Crosse 3. How to build the Consciencè 4. How with Moses to see Canaan 5. Simeons dying Song directing to liue holily and dye happily 6. Comforts for Christians against distresses in Life and feare of Death 7. Feruent Prayers to beare sicknesse patiently and dye preparedly The second EDITION much enlarged by Steuen Ierome late Preacher at S. Brides Seene and allowed IOB 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his Shop neare to the Conduit in Fleetsheete 1614. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY HONOVrable good Lord RALPHE Lord Eure Baron of Malton and Wytton and Lord President of his Maiesties Honourable Councell within the Principalitie of Wales and the Marches of the same all Blessings be multiplyed temporall and Graces spirituall MY Honourable good Lord it was once an Axiome in the Ethnicke Schooles that the whole life of a wise man should be a continuall meditation of Death which as it was a Principle amongst them so it was the practise not onely of the Saints and Seruants of GOD the auncient Patriarkes Primitiue Christians retyred Hermites mortified Anchorites and zealous professors of Religion but euen of the wisest and worthiest of the Heathens themselues The euidence of which will easily appeare to those that are studious in the Word diuine or conuersant in Authors Ecclesiasticall or humane Let vs reflect vpon Adam the first man as his name signifying Red earth the Command giuen him mixt with the curse of tilling the earth his Sinne the cause of the dissolution of that part which was earth his Garments made of the skins of dead Beasts cloathing his members which were like the rest of the Creatures nought but earth his Sickenesse and Distempers the fruits of his sinne and preambles of his death Gods Statute-Law that he should returne to his earth tolde him truely contrary to the Sâ—rpent and the Woman that he was a sinfull man and therefore mortall so it seemes these remembrancers not onely occasioned but caused his meditation of his death For though he called his eldest Sonne Caine or Possession yet he called his younger Sonne Abel or Vanitie as being now experienced and schooled in that misery in life and mortalitie in death which was incident to him and all his originally and actually sinning seede In this Meditation to omit Noah the worlds restorer Sem or Methushaâ—em that Prince of peace Enoch that walked with GOD with the rest Abraham the Father of faithfull men imitated Adam the Father of men who in his suite for Sodome confessed himselfe to be but dust and ashes Isaack who after the death of his Mother Sarah went out to meditate no doubt as of her death so of his owne Iacob that in his greatest crosse humiliation thinkes how his gray head should be brought to his graue and in the height of his earthly ioy and contentation speakes from the abundance of his heart of the few and euill dayes of his Pilgrimage Ioseph thaâ— amongst all his honours in Aegypt thinkes and tels of the carrying his dead bones into Canaan so the rest had their thoughts mortified from the world and fixed on their mortalitie which appeares as by other proofes so by two demonstrations in their Buildings in their Buyings The first being not seiled houses or gorgeous Pallaces like Nabuchadnezzars Babell Nimâ—ods Tower or Cyrus his House but silly Tents like Shepheards Cottages or Boothes in a Faire or Lodges in the Campes such as the Zwitzards vse ready euery instant for remouall The second being onely limited in a burying place for their dead for that is the greatest purchase that euer wee reade any of the Patriarkes made and the possessions which they most frequently mention What should I mention these Fathers that liued vnder the Law Ioshuah the sonne of Nun the Seruant of the LORD faithfull Caleb Aaron the Lords high Priest or Moses himselfe the greatest of Legall Prophets who mindefull of his mortalitie euen before the Lord tolde him as hee did Ezekias that hee should dye made that Prayer which the Fathers say the people of GOD vsed daily as a forme of Prayer pathetically inserting this Petition that God would so teach them to number their dayes that they might apply their hearts to wisedome the rest succeeding sympathizing in the like thoughts Iob wayting till his changing should come Dauid making no more reckoning of himselfe then of a Pilgrime and stranger here amongst men summoning others also to the consideration of their vncertaine condition and certaine end I might extend the line of this vnlimited practise from the Patriarkes to the Prophets from the Prophets to the Apostles Paul as oft desires as hee deliberates of his dissolution Peter counts his continuance here but as an abode in a Tabernacle Reflect backe to Christs Disciples hee no sooner speakes of the death of Lazarus but their thoughts worke vpon dying with him nay CHRIST himselfe as most frequently hee talkes and discourseth of his death in the Gospell so in that Transfiguration of his the reflection and Idea of his Glorification to strengthen his Disciples in their dying meditations hee not onely tels of his owne death when he comes from the Mount but euen in the Mount there appeares two dead men with him Moses and Elias And with the rest here old Simeon the subiect which in all obsequious dutie submisly I present to your Honour as desiring your Honourable patronizing and deseruing your holy practise euen when hee had in his armes the Lord of Life seeing Canaan with Moses and the Heauens open with Steuen to receiue his flitting soule as Abrahams bosome did Lazarus thinking of his death and dissolution to his dust hee sings that truely Cygnean and Swan-like song recorded Luke 2.29 Which Song I haue diuided into his parts and according to those talents and parts which Grace and Nature hath lent mee haue descanted vpon by Illustration Explication and Application to our secure sensuall and sinfull times wherein I haue reuealed to the world what GOD hath reuealed vnto mee by all meanes vsed speculatiue and practicall from Reading Study Meditation Conference with the Learned and Reference of the Labours of approued Authors both testimonially and exemplarily to the sacred Cannon of the Orthodoxe Truth but principally from that young yet true experience which GOD hath taught mee by obseruing as a Physitian his Patients the seuerall carriages and conditions of diuers men in their healths sicknesses liues and deaths occasioned by those frequent visitations of the sicke which by reason of my place I vsed these last yeeres in a great and populous Parish in which particulars the searcher of the heart and reynes and the intelligencer of all Spirits euen the Father of Spirits knowes that I haue not aymed at any base seruile or sinister
may testifie thus much truely that I haue not beene penurious in paynes For since I vndertooke this taske in as many weekes as Virgils Poems yeeres I haue polished it as I could as the Beare her Whelps by licking pervsing some Authors for this purpose drinking deeply at their Wels where I thought the waters sweet decking this for Gods Israell with Aegiptian Iewels euen some Heathenish Illustrations as is lawfull and laudible in this kinde For the manner of penning you haue my good will if not skill in cooking what is catered if I adde sometimes sowre Sauce let it relish the better with you what is vntoothsome to a fleshly palate will proue wholesome to a sound soule For my words I haue not beene very curious though cautelous God and Nature haue administred them to my Pen as to my Tongue without martyring my selfe about them if I haue erred it is rather on the right hand then the left in the excesse then defect as some haue taxed the one in Osorius others the other in Lipsius rather chusing to flow and ouerflow as Tully once did before Athens brought him within his banckes that I may be intelligible in expressing the notions of my soule then with an affected concise Lipsian and Laconian breuitie to be obscure as is said of Aristotle Theophrastus and others who for their stiles are said to write to torment their Readers I haue laboured to giue a good garment to a good body to clothe a good subiect in words fitted not affected For the matter you haue here not what Sathan shewed Christ the World with her glory and her pompe but a Map of mans Miserie a Modell of his Mortalitie of the Worlds Vanitie Lifes Breuitie so brittle so briefe so short so certainely vncertaine in his flitting in its fading that the Word intitles our life in this world a Pilgrimage Gen. 47.9 a Flower Esa 40.7 a Smoke Psal 102.3 a Weauers shittle Iob 7.6 a House of clay a Shepheards Tent Iob 4.19 Esay 38.12 a Shadow Iob. 8.9 a Dreame Iob 20.8 Vanitie nay Nothing Psal 39.5 All which points with sundry moe I haue according to my Talent laid open at the full with sundry incouragements euery where inserted against such feares as the thoughts of these things naturally possesse men withall It was my purpose also to haue added some comforts as against the feare of death naturall so of death spirituall and eternall in the corroberation of the weake Christian against Sathan the wounds of Conscience and terrours of his owne Soule but the length of these Lines already extended beyond their propounded limits ioyned with weaknesse of body cause me to omit or pretermit this till some other occasion where I shall if it be requisit reueale what I know in this practicall part of Diuinitie in the meane space I referre you to draw cooling waters from those Springs of Israel to whom the Lord hath giuen the tongue of the Learned to speake a word to him that is weary in due season in perusing the Workes of the worthy Perkins D. Sparkes Espmes good old Linakers Comforts for afflicted Consciences Hughes Troubled mans Medicine The Pensiues Practise the Consolatory Letters of that zealous Greenham D. Hil Wilcox c. Ferrarius vpon 51. Psalme Mr. Knox vpon the 6. Psalme Mr. Downams Christian Warfare Luthers Consolations The sicke mans Salue chiefely that best sixe-penny Manuel that I know in English Mr. Fremans Comforters Wolcomb his Sinners salue with all those that haue strengthened the soule directly against desperation Besides if you desire further satisfaction in any point eyther positiue or controuersall concerning death naturally in which these my poore paines doe not content you the zealous learned Lucubrations of men of good parts and paines offer themselues as Mr. Perkins and Lupset Mr. Sutton with D. Hill by their printed Workes as their titles are will teach you how to die well Mr. Draxe lends the sicke man a Guide another a Salue Sr. Thomas Eliot lends a preseruatiue against Death Mr. Bradford writes against the feare of Death Mr. Caue out of French shewes how to remoue that feare Wolcombe lends Armour against Deaths assaults Erasmus shewes Deaths chances Mr. Foxe exhorts the sicke Deaths generall Proclamation is extant in Print with his Trophies and Conquests Couerdaile out of Dutch hath translated a Booke of Death Ars moriendi the Art of dying hath bin long extant Also the learned know what not onely the Fathers but Papists haue writ of this Argument as Pontanus Inclinus c. as also some Germane Protestants as Bibembachius and Brandmillerus in their Funerall Sermons with others both in Latine and English all which I haue seene most of which before and vpon this occasion read and in many of them omitting the principals found small satisfaction so that none by comparing mee with them shall finde me seruilely tyed to any of them or taking any thing so verbally or by sentences from them as it is not mine owne by method digestion and application Neyther I hope will it be more blame-worthy in me to write after these then it was in Curtius to write the life of Alexander in Baptista Egnatius to write the liues of Emperours in Platina to write the liues of the Popes after that seauenteen approued Authors had writ of the same subiect before the first thirteene before the second and fifteene before the third as a warrantable Writer reckons them And now hauing acquainted you what I haue done how and why I send all vnto you as Abraham sent his Seruant away with a blessing euen such a one as I desire and intend With which thought now the custome of all Epistlers cry it is time to conclude least it be too tedious yet beare I pray you with mine error of loue which still extends my lines being vncertain when or whether euer to see all your faces againe in earth by reason of that mortalitie we speake of or to speake to you by audible voyce to commend vnto you as a departing father would some things to his children as dying Dauid did to suruiuing Salomon onely these two things first that you would spend well the time of your short life secondly that you would prepare your selues for death The first makes way to the second as the Needle for the Thread the second for a third euen a dignitie amongst liuing Angels as Grace sits for Glory First therefore because the daies of your pilgrimage are as few as euill as short as sinfull that euen for that cause as the Apostle counsels you would redeeme the time account of it as not onely Christians but euen the Heathens Theophrastus Seneca with others haue prized it as the greatest treasure yea aboue your patrimonies and inheritances from which you will not suffer your selues to be disinherited Beware the losse of it as Lodouicke Blosius and that mysticall Thaulerus counsell amongst the rest of their documents as of the most pestiferous poyson that is knowing that one
or full Points or seeming defect in not alwayes quoting the Chapter and Verse to which I haue reference testimonially or exemplarily which perhaps would haue stuft the Booke too full or in any such circumstances which my farre absence from the Presse might occasion I pray you let your loues make the best construction if any thing be amisse that is mine owne if ought here be good that is the Lords and his Grace in mee to which good Grace commending you and these my poore labours for you I rest as now so euer Yours in the best bond STEVEN IEROME MOSES His sight of Canaan With SIMEON his Dying-Song Directing How to liue holily and dye happily BY Steuen Jerome late Preacher at St. BRIDES Seene and allowed Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his Shop neare to the Conduit in Fleetstreete 1614. The chiefe Contents of the two subsequent TREATISES In Moses his sight of Sion these things are obseruable 1 THE Case of the Inheritance of Daughters propounded page 1 2 How Cases are wisely to be carryed before the Magistrate pag. 3 3 The true Rule of iudging Cases Consultation with God pag. 4 4 The Case adiudged and spiritually applyed pag. 6 5 Moses is forewarned to dye and how God forewarnes vs. pag. 9 6 All must dye 13 7 God prepares his Children to dye as hee did Moses by shewing them Canaan 14 8 Moses his obedience to Gods summons a patterne to vs. 15 9 Fifteene Resemblances of Death to Sleepe 16 10 Fiue Considerations to imbrace Death as willingly as we sleepe naturally 23 11 Sixteene Comforts against the feare of Death in these ensuing particulars 35 1 GOD who infused the Soule cals for it againe 36 2 Sinne the sting of Death is taken away by Christs death 37 3 God as a Father is present at the death of his Children 39 4 Death is no death but a dissolution to the godly 41 5 The Saints shall know and enioy their friends in glory 43 6 Death frees the soule from her spirituall enemies 44 7 It deliuers from euils present and to come 47 8 It ends Sinnes Conflicts with Heauens Tryumphs 48 9 It frees vs from conuersing with the wicked 51 10 It secures vs from corrupting by the wicked 55 11 It secures from the malice of the mighty 56 12 Our good name is cleared in Death which calumny ecclypsed in life 57 13 Death tryes and declares the sinceritie and measure of grace 63 14 It is the inheritance of the Saints as it is the terrour of the wicked 64 15 The Christian should in death desire Christ who by death desired him 71 16 Death is the common Inne of all flesh where the Saints are refreshed 75 In Simeons dying Song these are the chiefe Notes both from the Doctrines and the Vses THE force of Examples eyther for imitation of Vertue or detestation of Vice 77 The vaine Songs and Sonnets of our age iustly reproued 79 Our singing as corrected so directed 80 The ground of all our reioycing must be in and for Christ 81 The sensuall and sinnefull ioyes of worldlings iustly taxed 83.84 c. Wee must be truely thankefull for Christ 8â— Tenne Reasons to incite vs to the duty of gratulation with the vses 88.89 The great mistery and greater mercy of Christ incarnate 92.93 c. Wee must be borne againe to CHRIST and and hee borne in vs as hee was borne for vs 95 The glorious Name of the Lord must not be vsed vpon euery triuiall occasion 97 How bootlesse it is for the wicked in death to cry Lord Lord. 99 The godly haue diuers raptures and secret ioyes in life and death 101 These Ioyes demonstrated in sixe particulars 103 Three Reasons of these extraordinarie Rauishments 105 Worldlings farre wide that thinke Christians Melancholicques and comfortlesse 106 Foure Comforts of the Christian which the world neyther knowes nor feeles 107 All the Patriarkes and Prophets since the promise haue expected the Messias 110 Wee see Christ more clearely then the primitiue Saints 111 How Christ came to them how to vs. 112 How wee should entertaine Christ with Redargution and Commination of the Iewes and our ingratitude 113 Our desire of long life must be simply to glorifie God 116 Reproofe of the worlds practise in Ministers Magistrates Masters and all sorts ayming at themselues not God 120 The better Christian the more willing to dye 126 Twelue Reasons which cause this willingnesse 127 The point applyed by examination 133 Christ most willing to dye of all the Sonnes of men 135 Seauen Reasons why Death is vnwelcome to the wicked 136 Wicked men may die willingly for sinister respects as Heretiques haue done 143 Fiue meanes to be vsed to make vs willing to our dissolution 144 God manifests his presence at the death of his three wayes 148 How God workes in sinne permissiuely disposingly c. but neuer workes sinne 151 Euery death for Time Place Matter Manner is determined by God 153 Iust inuectiues against Heathenish Fortune 157 The rash censures of men concerning diuers deaths condemned 160 Comforts in that God sees the cause and effect of euery mans maladie 161 Patience perswaded in that it is Gods rod which strikes 162 No meanes can protract or detract from our dayes besides their limits 164 Foure maine Obiections answered 165 Meanes must be vsed both for life temporall and spirituall notwithstanding Gods decree 168 Vnlawfull for any priuate man to take away life from himselfe or others 170 Twelue disswasiue arguments against Selfe-murther 171 The sinne reproued and the frequencie of it deplored 174 Twelue things from experience and Heathenish examples occasioning selfe-killing 179 How to preuent this sinne 188 Euery obstinate sinner from causes naturall and supernaturall accused of selfe-murther 189 * The chiefe delight and desire of euery man must be to be Gods Seruant with foure reasons why 196 Multitudes that liue vnder the meanes are ignorant how God should be serued 201 Multitudes reproued that haue as little will as skill to serue God 202 How few ayme at Gods seruice in all their wayes expostulated in particulars 210 Ciuill honest men most enemies to Gods true Seruants and sincere seruice 216 Many in the rancke of Christians serue the Diuell and their owne lusts 218 All the members that haue serued sinne directed to serue God 221 Sixe Motiues perswading to serue God 1 From the end of our Creation 227 2 From our Preseruation 231 3 From our Vocation 233 4 From our Redemption 235 5 From our Profession 237 6 From the Reward ibid. First Reward of Gods seruice Wealth and Riches 238 Second Honour and Dignitie 239 Sinne brings shame and all other iudgements 240 Gods hand vpon his enemies in many iudgements 243 Holinesse is the way to Honour 245 God is most liberall of all Masters 246 Gods seruants best rewarded and regarded in eight particulars 248 God grants the suites of his seruants 252 The
Angels Arch-angels Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and all the holy company of Heauen our fathers our mothers our sisters and brothers our friends and deare ones that are gone before vs O glorious sight O inestimable comfort worthy to make vs cry with the Apostle I desire to be loosed and to be there Come Lord Iesus come quickely Death is an end of all misery and the beginning of all blisse an eternall dwelling with God againe and an aduantage as the Apostle nameth it a sweet sleepe a comfortable rest Vitae via the way of life saith Ambrose Nomen tantum fidelibus death is onely a bare name and no death indeed to the faithfull saith Chrisostome Nemo timet mortem nisi qui non sperat viuere post mortem No man feareth death but hee that hopeth not to liue after death the Lord gaue and the Lord taketh away life as well as goods and shall not wee say with Iob Blessed be the Name of the Lord. If wee hold for tearmes of yeeres or at the will of the Lord must not we be content to relinquish it when our tearme is expired Wee our selues doe looke for it at the hands of our Tenants and would be much offended if they should be disobedient shall wee not performe to God what wee looke for at men Grudge not at the losse but be thankfull for the Ioane wee are Gods Tenants and we ought to giue him his owne when it is due to him Would you keepe a pledge from the true owner that committed it to you for a time Our life is Gods pledge hee hath left it with vs now so long he euer entended to call for it againe and will you not restore it gladly and willingly without murmuring and repining thinke how you would like that at mans hands to keepe your pledge Heathens haue beene strong and shall Christians be weake The Swan is said to sing most sweetly when shee must die and shall Gods Children weepe Blessed blessed are the dead that die in the Lord saith the holy Ghost Reu. 14.13 and will we not beleeue him O ignaros malorum suoruÌ„ c. O ignorant men of the miseries of this life that doe not esteeme and prayse death as the best inuention of nature yea let vs say rather it is the great mercy and goodnesse of God towards man for first it expelleth calamitie secondly it includeth felicâ—tie thirdly it preuenteth the perils of youth fourthly it finisheth the toyles of age Omnibus finis multis remedium nonnullis votum to all an end to many a remedie to some a wish deseruing better of none then of them to whom hee commeth before hee be called for As children feare their friends when they are disguised but when their vizards are plucked off are glad of them so of death Ignorance makes feare and Knowledge ioy Cleambrotus saith Cicero after hee had read Platoes Booke of the happy estate of the dead cast himselfe head-long off from a wall into the Sea that hee might come to that happinesse the same Author speaketh of another Philosopher that so disputed of the contempt of death that many willingly killed themselues whereupon Ptolomy the King forbad him any more to speake of that matter in his Schoole Now alacke what comparisons be betwixt Philosophicall Comforts and Diuine out of the Treasure of Gods owne Wisdome taken from his written Word Shall wee then with our light feare that which they in their darknesse so little regarded God forbid The day of our birth wee neuer feare and The day of death saith God that is euer true is better then the day that one is borne Eccles 7.3 That resemblance of death to sleepe in Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.51 is most fit if you marke it and full of pleasure for 1 As no man can euer wake but of necessitie must sometimes sleepe so no man can euer liue but must needes haue a time to die 2 Be a man neuer so strong sleepe will tame him and so will death as it did Goliah Sampson Milo and others 3 As sleepe maketh vs put off our cloaths and Iewels and that willingly that we may take our rest so dealeth death with vs it taketh away all our pompe and port and layeth vs downe in our beds till the waking time to arise 4 As sleepe commeth of eating so came death also to our first Parents by intemperancie in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 2.17 5 As our dayes doings be our nights troubles by the working of the phantasie so are our lifes sinnes our deaths griefes by the gnawing of the Conscience as appeareth in Iudas Antiochus and Francis Spira 6 Sleepers haue no stormes nor dead men know the worlds woes for Abraham is ignorant of and Israel knowes not the Iewes woes the first things being past c. Reu. 21.4 7 Some fall sodainely or quickely into sleepe and some are long according to the moistnesse or drynesse of their braines euen so some dye sooner as young Iosias and some later as olde Methusalem according to the temper of their radicall moysture as it pleaseth God 8 Some sleepe in their owne houses and some in other mens as did Sisera in Iaels some in the fields some at Sea some here some there in sundry places so doe wee dye some at home and some abroad some by land and some by Sea as God appointeth 9 No man can tell the very time that hee falleth asleepe but onely feeleth it comming and his body disposed to it so no man can tell the very moment of his death but onely feeleth his body faint and his spirits drawing to an end 10 Suanius dormiunt qui relinquunt c. They sleepe much better saith one that leaue all their cares in their shooes which they put off and goe to rest with a quiet minde euen so doe they dye better that haue disposed of all their worldly matters by Will or otherwise whereby they are not troubled or distracted by them 11 They sleepe well againe that haue laboured and taken paines all the day time and so they die well that in their vocation haue not beene idle but imployed both body and minde to doe good 12 As Assuerus when he could not sleepe called for the Chronicles of his kingdom to be read vnto him so assuredly whilst wee wake in this world and the sleepe of death commeth not vpon vs it shall be a most profitable thing to reade or cause to be read vnto vs the chronicle of GOD the sacred and holy Scriptures the treasures of all Comfort and good instructions 13 When the body sleepeth the soule sleepeth not no more dyeth the soule when the body dyeth 14 No man goeth to bed to sleepe but with a certaine hope and purpose to wake and rise againe so must wee dye in assurance of that great and generall Resurrection 15 And as our voyce and calling vpon men awake them so shall that sounding Trumpet doe in that day Our Bed saith another is the Image of
of death and blesse God for it tenne thousand times following the foot-steps of worthy Fathers and Saints in the Church whose feeling of this point God hath directed them to leaue behinde them in their writings O tu vita quam praeparauit Dexs ijs qui diligunt eum vita vitalis vita beata vita secura vita tranquilla c. O thou life saith Augustine prepared of God for them that loue him thou liuing life thou blessed life thou secure life thou quiet life thou beautifull life thou life that knowest no death thou life that knowest no sadnesse thou life without blot without sorrow without care without corruption without perturbation without any varietie or change Would God that laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into thy ioyes O quam fortunatus ero si audiuero c. O how happy shall I be if I might heare those sweet Songs of thy Citizens and those honey sweet verses but O more happy if I my selfe may finde grace and fauour to sing a song vnto the Lord Iesus Christ of the sweet Songs of Sion O verè foelices qui de Pilago c. O truely happy they that come out of the Sea of the World to the Hauen of Heauen out of Banishment to their owne Country and out of a foule Prison to a glorious Palace O Coelestis domus luminosa ad te suspirat c. O Heauenly House full of glorious light to thee tendeth my pilgrimage that he may possesse mee in thee that made both mee and thee Inter Brachia Seruatoris mei viuere volo mori cupio In the Armes of my Sauiour I wish to liue and desire to dye Many such feeling speeches I could repeate from the auncient militant warriours in this mortalitie whom we call Fathers when they went to the Father of Spirits shewing how farre they were from any vnwillingnesse to die which if wee make vse of as wee ought assuredly they will vvorke in vs through the blessing of God the same effect To shut vp this the godly cry come Lord Iesus come quickely Now they are in the world then they shall come to their owne now they are in the skirmish then shall they be in their victory now in the tempestuous Sea then in the quiet Hauen now in the heate of the day then in rest and coole euening now in place absent from Christ then with him following wheresoeuer hee goeth Now their life is hid with Christ but then shall they appeare with him in glory and that glory for euer and euer without change or end 1 Iohn 4.2 Comforts against the feare of Death by which the Christian Soule may be made willing to her Dissâ—lution CHAP. V. THE feare of death is not one of the least temptations to a weake Christian for Death is not onely fearefull to a naturall man whose hope is in this world being in it owne nature the most terrible of all terribles as Heathen men haue tearmed it for which cause wicked men are agast at the apprehension of it as appeares in the example of Bâ—ltazar of Hamon and others being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare vnto the Stake and the Swine vnto the Shambles but euen the godly themselues haue some combats and conflicts in this kinde as had our Sauiour Christ himselfe Ezekias and Dauid c. by reason that Nature abhorres her owne abolishion and feares the dissolution of the soule and body which are naturally as vnwilling to be seuered and sundered as two friends that haue beene borne and bred and brought vp together are loath to depart and to take their long leaue eyther of other therefore to make that easie and facile vnto thee which of it selfe is harsh and difficult that thou maist submit thy selfe willingly to that which all flesh haue vndergone and must vndergoe of necessitie Arme Grace against Nature and the Spirit against the Flesh with these comfortable considerations 1 Consider that by corporall death God onely cals againe for that soule which at the first hee created and infused into the body to informe and animate it and that this Soule of thine flits not out of her terrestriall tabernacle by chance or hap-hazard or casualtie or fortune or by the Climactericall yeere the reuolution of seauens and nines or by the position of the Heauens or course of the Starres or by thy disease or sicknesse occasioned by bad dyet superfluities of meates or drinkes ouer-great heates or taking of cold or the like accidents which are but meere instruments of thy mortalitie but looke at the superiour Agent GOD himselfe who hath now determined and disposed thy death Hab. 9.27 who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy limits who turnes thy dust into his dust Gen. 3.19 thou being a Sonne of Adam and cals for thy Spirit to returne to him that gaue it Psal 90.3 Eccles 12.7 And therefore seeing it is the Lord that cals be thou as willing to sleepe with thy Fathers as Samuel was to awake out of his naturall sleepe at Gods call 1 Sam. 3.10 Thinke that thy Soule is giuen vnto thee as a precious pledge to be safely kept and therefore grudge not to returne thy holy pawne to God the chiefe owner when hee requires it but commit it to him as into the hands of a faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer Why should the Tenant at will stand out with his Land-lord for an old rotten Cottage when he would remoue him to a better Mansion why should the Souldier be refractorie to leaue his station and place to be otherwaies disposed of by his Generall and Commander Now thou art here but a Tenant at will thou hast no fee-simple of thy life thou art a war-faring Souldier professed in Baptisme therefore like the Centurions Souldiers be willing to goe when thy Captaine bids thee goe Mat. 8.9 2 Let this comfort thee that thy sinnes the cause of thy death is taken away by the Messias Christ in whom thou beleeuest by whom thy sinnes being pardoned thou art blessed Psal 32.1 his death being the death of Sin and the conquest of Hell Hos 13. 1 Cor. 15. And therefore comfort thy selfe with Dauids holy Meditations encouraging thy soule to returne vnto her rest because the Lord hath beene bountifull vnto thee since he hath deliuered thy Soule from death euen the second death thine eyes from teares and thy feete from falling and since thou shalt walke before the Lord euen with the foure and twentie Elders in long white roabes in the Land of the liuing Psal 116.7.8.9 For all thy bitter griefe in corporall death which yet is sweetened to the Elect the Lord will deliuer thy soule from the pit of corruption for hee hath cast all thy sinnes behinde his backe as hee did Ezekiahs Esay 38.17 And therefore as there is no danger in handling an Adder or Viper or any other Serpent when her sting is taken away so there is no perill in Death since Sinne which is
Cranmer Latimer Ridley c. amongst our selues at home what filthy blots and aspersions were cast vpon their good names how were their doctrine and doings misconceiued their liues and learnings questioned and censured their workes and writings wrested and misse-interpreted all that they said or did preuerted or corrupted by the malicious enemies of the truth both within and amongst themselues and abroad amongst the Papists insomuch that it was one of Melancthons dying Comforts that by death hee should be freed as his words are from the barkings and bitings of some dogs in the forme of Diuines which was the measure that the rest found as indeede in the whole course of Scriptures the greatest enemies that euer the Church and zealous Teachers in the Church had were of their owne rancke and profession false Priests false Prophets Scribes and Pharisies and false Apostles in which respect as the same Melancthon once hoped and in a manner prophesied that the after-Ages would iudge more candidly and sincerely of him and his Workes after his death euen so hee and others now finde it for notwithstanding the Blasphemies which Romish Rabshakeh's Feuerdentius Cocâ—leus Bolserus and others belch out against these Germaine and Belgicke Lights and the rest of the Host of God whose tongues are no slanders how hath the Lord honoured famoused those worthy labourers in his Vine-yard euen in their good names since their dissolution all of them being accounted pillers notwithstanding the detraction of these Romish Caterpillers in the house God all of them in their zealous and learned Labours like Oecolampadius as his name imports shining as precious Lights in the Church which neuer shall be wholy obscured til he that is the light of the world come againe to Iudgement This wee daily see verified that to the comfort of the suruiuing though zealous Pastors men of exquisite parts and paines haue beene in the day of their Ministrie torne and reuiled amongst these Swine and Dogs to whom they haue giuen holy things counted as fooles and deceiuers as the Iewes and Christs Country-men accounted Christ mad men as Festus thought Paul and rauers and ragers in the Pulpit as the Iewes held Ieremie yet after the setting of their Sunne they haue beene longed for their losse lamented chiefely of the houshold of Faith and their names honoured in the harts and mindes and mouthes of multitudes when the wicked in all their power and pompe being magnified of their fawning Parasites for a time in the sodaine dampe of death haue had the glimmering of their glory put out their honour laid in the dust and their names like their rotten carkasses rotting and smelling and stincking in the nostrils of God and good men as may beseene in the life and death of Herod Antiochus Nero and others For I pray you who is now more famous after death Nero or the persecuted Christians Iulian or the poore Saints which he butchered Herod or Iohn whom he beheaded Pashur or Ieremie whom hee imprisoned Gardiner Bonner and such bloody Butchers or our English Martyrs whom they burned Surely the candle of the wickeds glory is put out and there remaines the impure filthy stincking snuffe of an euill name their glory is their shame Phil. 2.19 but the memoriall of the righteous is precious smelling like Balme and Spikenard diffused yea their name shines like the Starres in the shady night of death or rather like the Sunne the cloud being remoued flourishing in the storme of death like the Laurell which is greene when the Winter is foule Though CHRIST himselfe be counted a Samaritan an imposter one that vvas Belzebubs friend a poore Carpenters poore Sonne in his life yet in and at his death hee is iustified approued and famoused as a righteous man as an innocent as a iust man as the Sonne of GOD by the testimonie that was giuen of him first by Pilate secondly Pilates Wife thirdly the Passengers that smote their breasts fourthly the teares of the Daughters of Ierusalem fiftly the Centurion sixtly and Iudas himselfe seauenthly yea 1. the vaile of the Temple 2. the stones 3. the Sunne 4. the Elements 5. the raised bodies of the dead Saints giue a reall and an honourable testimonie of him 6. thus shall it be with thee if thou beest a member of Christ though thou beest misse-reported and sinisterly censured as Iob was of his friends 7. yet in thy dissolution principally thy name shall be raised like the fire from vnder the ashes of ignominie It was the Heathens Comfort that hee should leaue a good name behinde him so let it be thine it being one of the greatest earthly blessings aboue Gold and Siluer Prou. 22.1 yea as a precious Oyntment Eccl. 7.3 this Oyntment smels the sweetest when the boxe of thy body is broken thou carryest this Oyntment as dead bodies are annoynted euen to the graue with thee and it liues when all other earthly things dye to thee and thou to them Therefore be thou cheared vvith the thought which comforted the Pagan Nemo me c. Let none be-moist my Hearse with helplesse teares From Learnings mouth Fame flyes to vulgar eares 14 In death thou shalt haue an excellent and notable both tryall and demonstration as also exercise of thy graces as first of thy Faith secondly thy Patience thirdly thy Constancie fourthly thy Christian Courage fiftly Fortitude sixtly and the Spirit of Prayer by which first others shall be strengthened secondly the weake shall be confirmed thirdly and all that are present with thee and amongst whom thou liuest incouraged in their Christian courses fourthly thy sinceritie in thy profession approued fiftly Gods graces in thee magnified sixtly and aboue all his name glorified 15 In thy death thou shalt be distinguished from a carnall and a prophane man for commonly the sicke bed shewes the sicknesse or the health of the soule the death shewes the life diuiding and iudging the estate of the visited as Gidâ—on diuided his company by lapping of water Iudg. 7.1 and as the Ephramites were distinguished from the Israelites by pronouncing Shibâ—lâ—th For looke at the godly from time to time and the last acts they did and the last words they spake were the most sacred seasoned and sanctified of their whole life but it hath beene contrary in the wicked and God is the same God to thee that hee was to them if thou beest a beleeuer Looke into particulars the last speeches of dying Saints as they haue beene full of grace so they are worthy relating and remembring and applying The last period of S. Steuens life was prayer for his enimies and for his owne soule the last words of Dauid holy exhortations to his Sonne Salomon to obserue the Statutes and Ordinances of the Lord and the disposing of some particulars of which hee gaue him cautions the last acts of old Iacob Prayer and prophecying concerning his sonnes and posteritie the like
heate of their persecutions being refreshed with the vision of that incarnate Babe Prince of peace branch of Iesse eternall Counsellor which they did preach and of whom they did prophesie In Christ reioyced the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn yea Paul himselfe in the midst of stripes whips and imprisonment In Christ reioyced the ancient Martyres Policarpus Ignatius Cyprian euen like the three Children in the middest of the fire In Christ reioyced the ancient Fathers Augustine Ierome Bernard c. witnesse their words works and writings amongst the rest of him that could say Deus meus omnia my Christ and all things Wife Childe Friend Father ioy sufficient efficient in life and death Nay lastly as with Christ so in Christ and for Christ reioyced the Angels in earth and in heauen be glad then oh yee righteous and reioyce ye that feare the Lord as the Angels to the Shepheards as Esay to the Church For vnto vs a childe is borne and a Sonne is giuen For to vs is borne a Sauiour in the Citie of Dauid which shall deliuer all his Israel from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 Luke 19.10 Many and manifold are the ioyes of the sonnes of men as dangerous as diuers few with those sonnes of God by Creation and Adoption Angels and Saints reioyce in or for Christ but sinners according to the diuersities of their darling sinnes solace their soules in such contents as I may call meerely Antichristian and against Christ and the Lords annoynted in which they please themselues and displease him content their flesh but crucifie CHRIST and grieue his Spirit Nabal and Baltazar the Epicure and Drunkard hath ioy enough in his feasts and festiuals the colour of the wine delights his sight the relish his deuouring sense like a base Bagge-pipe hee makes such Musicke as the Diuell daunceth at when hee is full The Vsurer the worldling and the miserable able miser hath his heart rauished when his eye reflexeth vpon his glittering Idoll and golden God the Calfe that this beast bowes too The impure Onan filthy Fornicator and inexcusable Adulterer which like to Salomons foole goes into the harlots house and like Ieremies neighing horse without vnderstanding runnes after his neighbours wife like the Oxe to the slaughter to his owne destruction delights himselfe as the Swine in the miâ—e as the Toade in the puddle as the Panther with excrements as the Scarabean Flye with ordure and filth as the Diuell his Father amongst filthy Hogs with his vncleane courses and discourses feeding his appetite with strange flesh as the lusting Israelites with loued and loathed Quayles v as the Italian Pselli and Mersi feede on poyson his chiefe ioy is to touch and taste Sodomes Apples and the forbidden fruit his onely Paradise the ioying in and inioying here which hee dreames of hereafter a Turkish Heauen a Mahumetaine portion of Wine and Women as for Christ hee hauing no heart at all Hosea 4.11 can haue no heart to him neyther in delighting in him or desiring him no more then the very Diuels themselues who quaked and trembled and made out cryes and exclamations at the very sight of him Luke 8.28.29 so all other Libertines amongst vs haue some Herodias or other some one beloued sinne which they more loue and like and ioy in then in the worlds Sauiour As some in their carnall companions and vvicked associates vvith whose dispositions and conuersations as they receiue as much infection in their soule as their bodyes from a Pest-house so they haue their refections as Baltazzar and Sardanapalus had with their Queenes and Concubines and so in the rest Well these carnall and common Christians which haue as much zeale to Christ and loue for Christ as common women plainely demonstrate that they haue the spirit of Sathan and not the Spirit of GOD as had Simeon And therefore as they ioy not in Christ neyther doth he ioy in them no more then a chaste Bridegrome in a whorish Spouse as they desire not him he desires not them nor their company in his Chamber no more then hee did the foolish Virgins as they delight not in him he delights not in them no more then a man delights in his crucifier and tormenter as they loue not him so hee loues not them no more then he doth Cain and Esau whom the LORD hated As Peter said to Simon Magus so I say to them They and their money perish together they and their lustfull pleasures perish together as did Zâ—mri and Cosbee they and their Gold perish together as did Achan and his wedge they and their Idols perish together as did the Israelites and their Calfe they and their sinnes perish together as did the murmuring Rebels in the Wildernesse they and their companions perish together as did Corah and his complices cursed be their sinnes and their Societies like Simâ—on and Leui brethren in iniquitie So let them perish Lord that are thine enemies like the vntimely fruit of a woman If any loue not the Lord Iesus let them be accursed Anathema Maranatha If any reioyce not at the birth of a Sauiour here with Simeon let the Sunne of all their carnall ioyes sâ—t and be eclipsed in the cloud of death Secondly as wee must ioy in Christ so wee must ioy and reioyce and be thankefull for Christ yea for all the blessings and the benefits that wee receiue in and from Christ temporall and spirituall externall internall or eternall so was Simeon here his song is Eucharisticall and gratulatory for the reuelation of Christ hee blesseth God that hee liues to see the conduit and the fountaine of all blessings to his Church Christ the Messias And since his Deuotion is our Instruction Christians must be thankefull for Christ Thus all the faithfull and beleeuers when Christ was borne offered vp their tributarie prayses the sacrifices of their soules breaking out into holy Hymnes and Songs The Angel did caroll out Glory be to God on high so the Easterne Magi the zealous Shepheards glorifie God the blessed Virgin magnifies the Lord Elizabeth and the prophecying Babe within her wombe leape and reioyce Anna Zachary and Simeon are not behinde with their parts in continuing their prayses and so must wee with our best hearts and affections make vp the Quire since wee haue no lesse interest in nor no fewer priuiledges by Christ then they The Reasons to inforce this duety are these First if the Saints of God in the old Testament were so thankefull for their temporall protection preseruation and redemption from their outward enemies the Egyptians Amalekites Canaanites Ammonites Moabites Philistines c. by temporall Sauiours Moses Ioshua Gideon Iaphte Sampson Dauid c. as may be seene in the spirituall Songs of Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Deborah and Baruch
in mundum per quem factus est mundus a Mercy neuer enough to be magnified of men and Angels that for our sakes hee should come into the world which made the world that the Creator of Mary should be borne of Mary that Dauids Lord should be Dauids Sonne hee which was long before Abraham the seede of Abraham the Maker of the earth made of the earth that as in the nonage of of the world man was made after the Image of God so in the dotage of the world God should come in the similitude of sinfull man that God should be made man that man should be as a God that God should descend downe to the earth that man should ascend vp to the heauen Oh wonder at this you that wonder at nothing for my part saith Cyprian I doe not admire the beautie of the Sunne the colours of the Raine-bow the glory of the Moone the motion of the Heauens the fixed stabilitie of the earth the ebbing and flowing of the Sea the varietie of the Creatures the alteration and succession of times and seasons nor any thing else amongst all the Creatures Celestiall and Sublunarie but this I admire and for euer will Deum in vtero Creatorem in creatura c. God made man the Creator borne of the Creature and for the Creature yea the mighty God before whom the heauens shake and the Mountaines tremble a little Infant in the armes of a Virgin Mother in the armes of old Simeon an aged Father this is such a worke such a wonder that I say with S. Ierome Quod natura non habuit c. that which Naure had not which Vse knew not which Reason was ignorant of mans Minde vncapable of which the Cherubins conceiued not the Angels till reuealed vnderstood not which all the Powers of created nature vvere amazed at came to passe when CHRIST by his Incarnation did vnite the Humanitie to the Diuinitie in a true naturall reall and Hypostaticall vnion Oh therefore let vs reape the fruit of this Vine since he is come from heauen to earth to marry vs in our owne nature Nam vt Sponsus Sponsa in Thalamo c. for as man and wife are one in the Bride-chamber so God and man one Christ in the wombe of the Virgin Oh let vs labour by faith to be vnited and marryed vnto him to be made members of this Head Branches of this Vine Buildings vpon this Corner-stone parts of his Body Spouses of this Bridegrome that with the vvise Virgins being contracted by faith vnto him here in grace the Marriage may be solemnized in Glory Then shall wee truely be kissed with the kisses of his loue Oh foelix osculum c. Oh happy kisse which is not a ioyning of lips but a ioyning of loues betwixt God and man Secondly was this Lord borne man for vs let vs labour to be borne againe to him in that spirituall new-birth and Regeneration which the Scriptures call a new Creation a holy turning change and conuersion of the whole man in the renouation of all the Powers and faculties of body and soule superiour and inferiour both in the intellectuall parts as in memory will vnderstanding c. as also in the lower faculties irascible and concupiscible this new birth which the Prophets haue continually vrged which Iohn Baptist and the Disciples haue preached which Paul and the Apostles haue continually pressed in their Sermons and writings which our Sauiour Christ himselfe both in his publique preaching and priuate conference with Nichodemus hath so doctrinally explained and by application inforced to be performed of all vnder paine of damnation it is so needfull nay of such absolute necessitie to be practised of all Christians chiefely that till a man bring forth the fruits of it worthy repentance and amendement of life he is but like the barren Figge-tree corrupt and twise dead without either sap of Grace or blossome of goodnesse fit to be hewen downe and cast into the fire nay a beast and no man a foxe a Viper a Dogge filthy and vncleane as were Herod the Iewes and the Cretians nay a horse and Oxe nay worse then the Oxe and Asse then the Horse and Mule without vnderstanding vnwise disobedient rebellious fooles blinde men naturall men without God in Christ aliants from God and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel miserable naked and wretched men for whom is reserued Hell and the second death wrath and vengeance fire and Brimstone storme and tempest exclusion out of heauen and intrusion and eternall inclusion in the bottomlesse pit with the Diuell and his Angels insomuch that as Augustine well Nasci non renasci generari non regenerari for a man to be borne and not to be borne againe to haue the nobilitie of the first birth without the new birth be hee what hee will be Prince or Potentate King or Kesar or the worlds Monarch a second Alexander if hee haue onely generation from Adam without regeneration from the Spirit of Christ the second Adam if hee be not borne to him by water and the Spirit that was borne and dyed for him comming by water and by bloud hee had better as the Scripture saith of Iudas that hee had neuer beene borne nay that a Milstone had beene hung about his necke and hee throwne into the Sea the first houre hee was borne for then he should haue bene damned for his originall sinnes but his damnation shall now be aggrauated for his actuall sinnes chiefely for this sinne of Omission in liuing so long within the Church without the life of grace like a rotten Bough or woodden Legge No part of the root of Iesse or body of Christ without regeneration in not beleeuing in or liuing like that light which for that end came into the world those which before sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death being illuminated should cast off the workes of darkenesse and walke like the children of the light like Disciples of this Lord who was made man to redeeme Sathans slaues into the libertie of his owne Sonnes Secondly in Simeons Compellation Lord let it rectifie our practise wee vse or rather abuse this great and glorious Name in our mouthes at our pleasures not onely in rash vaine and false swearing and forswearing to which sinnes there belongs a swift curse but without reuerence respect or regard in our ordinary and customary talke which at euery word and vpon euery triuiall and friuilous occasion is stuffed out with foolish and vaine admiration as oh God oh Lord oh Iesus oh Christ tossing like a Tennis ball this great and fearefull Name the Lord our God the mighty Iehouah which the very Iewes feare and tremble to nominate at this day Others
againe in their Pharisaicall Orisons Paganish Prayers Heathenish Bablings vse this word Lord in their Tantologies and repetitions as the Papists the word Iesus euen like a Superstitious Popish charme thinking to be heard for their much babling nay imagining which is the grosse and foggy ignorance of our both vulgar and vicious common and carnall people that if euen in the houre of death like the Theefe on the crosse or in their old age with Simeon they cry Lord Lord if they can haue time but to say Lord haue mercy vpon them they are cocke-sure of heauen it is no matter how they liue Ans It is true indeede if they had the Faith of Simeon and the penitent Theefe if they had the Spirit of God and zealous hearts like them they should be heard and helped yea inter Pontem Fontem crying betwixt the Bridge and the Riuer betwixt the Axe and the necke for Velox Spiritus sancti gratia the Spirit is nimble and speedy like the winde in breathing grace and Penitentia vera non sera True Repentance is neuer too late and hee that cals vpon the Lord shall be saued But alas then thou must call vpon the LORD with such an heart as did Simeon for the Lord reiects and abhors all prayers that come not from the heart as hee did Caines Sacrifice as execrable and abhominableh. But now thou that hast liued in sinne in health and in youth in thy old age and in sickenesse by these sinnes art likely to be depriued of Gods Spirit and of thine owne heart For as Sinne quencheth the Spirit as vvater quencheth fire so it takes away the heart Ose 4. verse 11. therefore Nabal vvhen hee dyed hee vvanted his heart it was dead like a stone Now thou Nabal thou foole thou stony heart what profit wilt thou haue in crying Lord Lord thou maist cry so till thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth thou maist howle vpon thy bed like a Wolfe and yet the Lord stoppe his eares from hearing and folde vp his hands from helping The foolish Virgins knocked and cryed Lord open vnto vs yet were shut out so shalt thou Mat. 25. For not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Math. 7.21 But hee that doth the will of God as Simeon did now the will of the Lord is that thou shouldest repent betimes call vpon him pray vnto him and prayse him but all from a touched heart His desires Limitation In this word Now. THE second thing obseruable here is his Desires Limitation in this word Now which denotates the Time present Which word like all the rest in the Scripture hath his weight for as S. Ierome once obserued Nulla Littera nulla Syllaba c No Letter no Syllable nay no Tittle no Pricke wants his energie and force or is vnsignificant in the originall Here Simeons minde may be thus expressed Lord it hath pleased thee of thy mercy not my merit to giue mee a reuelation that I shall not see death vntill I see the Annoynted of the Lord verse 26. now by the motion of thy Spirit comming into the Temple verse 27. I perceiue that this Babe that is brought in hither to be done vnto according to the custome of the Law by his Parents is annoynted and appoynted to be the Prince and Priest and Prophet of his Church therefore Lord now I am willing nay desirous to depart in peace since I haue in mine armes the Prince of peace in my heart the spirit of peace in my conscience inward peace thou hast kept touch and performed what thou hast promised I haue my expectation satisfied my desires accomplished therefore I desire not to liue any longer I am an aged man and ready to be gathered to my Fathers A ripe apple fit to fall from the tree I cannot liue long by the course of nature I desire not to liue long by the instinct of grace it is better for mee to remoue out of this Tabernacle then to runne further in the Pilgrimage of my few and euill dayes better to depart in peace then continue in this worlds Prison I know I must dye neuer so well neuer so willingly as now euen now when I haue in mine armes the conquerour of death the Lord of life Wee see in Simeon that the godly haue oftentimes diuers raptures and sweet ioyes as in life so chiefely in their dissolutions So had Steuen when about to be stoned hee saw the Heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.56 Such feelings diuers of the Martyres haue had at the Stake nay euen in the heate of flames and fires so experimentally that Mr. Glouer knew as well when Gods Spirit came to him as a cold body feeles externall heate or warmth so comfortably that good Craâ—mer indured the burning of his once guilty hand with lesse motion then some abide the Goute or Tooth-ach Many such rauishments and inward comforts diuers of the Saints haue felt how euer at other times with perplexed Iob and penitent Dauid so deiected as though they were reiected of God that they haue desired the Lord a while to with-draw his presence the weake vessels of their fraile nature not being able to containe that fulnesse of the Spirit which they haue felt Such an extasie was Paul in when rapt vp into the third heauens hee heard Verba ineffabilia words not to be vttered himselfe transposed from himselfe whether in the body or without the body hee wist not hee was more then in an ordinary rauishment in his sure Sanctuary that he had against Principalities and Powers life and death c. built vpon the sure anchor and Corner-stone of Gods loue to him in Christ so in his annihilating and vilifying all things as Pharisaicall learning birth knowledge riches and the like as drosse and dongue in respect of the excellent knowledge of Christ IESVS and him crucified so when hee was ready not onely to goe to Ierusalem to bee bound but to dye for Christ so in his expectation and assurance of that Crowne vvhich Christ that righteous Iudge would bestow vpon him hauing fought a good fight and finished the Faith his affections were inflamed his Spirit wondrously reioyced his heart ouer-ioyed and his desires transcendent The like Iubilies haue many of Gods Children kept with their God in such extasies of ioy as haue shewed themselues like the Sunne-beames through a cloud through the vaile of the flesh euen in outward alterations and Symptomies Some in their Meditations hauing their thoughts so sequestrated and their spirit so abstracted from all earthly things that their corporall senses haue not perceiued outward obiects no not so much as the sound of Bels neare ringing Others haue forgot their repast and feeding the loue of Christ being better then wine and the taste of the Spirit sweeter then honey and the honey-combe such things the Papists write
Apollo I would trauell farre on my feete to finde such a Phoenix For the other sort that liue eyther in no calling or in a sensuall sinfull calling such as riotous Prodigoes profane Esau's vaine Gentlemen gull Gallants retchlesse Ruffians licentious Lechers gracelesse Gamesters filthy Brothellers Queanes Curtizans and beastly Bawdes with all the rest of that restlesse and retchlesse crew alas what good doe they in the world what ayme they at but like Swine to feede like the rich Churle to goe brauely and faire deliciously with the Sabarites and Sardanapalus to inuent and wallow in polluting pleasures to feede their fancy please their owne humours content themselues delight the flesh and damne the soule liuing to eate eating to liue the life of sinne doing as much good to others as the Moath to the garment the Caterpiller to the fruit the Cantharides to the Oyntment spoyling and infecting like plaguy people vvhom thy liue amongst Therefore these and all these as they are vnprofitable burthens to the earth they shall be swept away from the earth like Iabin and Sisera and the Sodomites euen into hell Psal 9.17 As they glorifie not God which was the end of their Creation and Redemption which thy forget so God will neuer glorifie them Therefore let vs all both men with Simeon and women with Lidia Dorcas and Deborah c. doe good here in life that wee may receiue good in and after death liue and desire to liue onely to God and for God here that vvee may liue vvith God for euer hereafter Fourthly and lastly here wee are to take notice of that which wee haue obserued in Moses before namely that Simeon is willing to dye for the whole Text imports and carries it that there was in him no vnwillingnes to dye not so much as in show but a great willingnesse propensitie and disposition to his dissolution whether wee take his vvords here as Optatiue Oh that thou wouldest let thy Seruant depart as some doe or Indicatiue Now thou dost let c. or Precatory Lord now let c. or plainely as they are here all import perspicuously that hee dyed voluntarily From whence note that a good Christian is willing to dye wee may see this as in Simeon so in Paul Phil. 1.23 who desired to be dissolued and to be with CHRIST The like might be instanced in the death of Moses who at Gods command went as voluntarily vp to the Mount to dye and to be sacrificed himselfe as Abraham went to sacrifice his Sonne So if wee consider the death of the Patriarkes of Abraham himselfe of Iacob of Dauid c. that dyed naturally as also of Saint Steuâ—n of our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the Scripture as also of blessed Martyres that were put to death violently we shall finde that they went vnto their deaths and into the Graue as voluntarily as Noah into the Arke taking Gods stroke vpon themselues as patiently as Aaron did when God smote his two Sonnes Nahab and Abihu and as Eli did Samuels report of his houses ruine 1 Sam. 3 The Saints very last words being of the same straine and Dialect with Simeons import so much as wee may see Moses Deut. 32. with this good old man here concluding his life with a Swan-like Song So also Dauid 2 Sam. 23. So Babilas the Martyr feared not that his soule should returne vnto her rest neyther did Ignatius care when hee dyed or of what kinde of death hee should dye nay though hee were grinded by the teeth of Lyons because hee was the Lords Manchet and must be made cleane bread for Christ So Melancthon almost in the same words with Simeon If it be the will of God I am willing to dye and I beseech him to grant mee a ioyfull departure With many moe Now the Reasons which make the childe of God so willing to die are many the principall are these First because hee findes no good in this life no ioy no content more then a Prisoner in his bonds a bird in the snare or a beast in the ginne his ioyes being imperfect and mixed with a thousand sorrowes hauing for one Sunny day a hundred tempestuous stormes his best dayes being like Iacobs few and euill his worst many and miserable Secondly because there is nothing in this life which giues true and sollid satisfaction to his soule finding with Salomon all Sublunarie things to be vanitie and vexation of spirit as Honours riches wisedome vvealth knowledge Babels building Moses and Daniels Aegyptian and Caldean learning Cressus and Crassus his wealth Midas his gold Policrates good successe Ezekias his Treasure Nero's Musicke all other things which should doe good to the nature of man or delight the minde of man giuing him no more content then ayre and winde to an empty stomacke for as a Quadrangle cannot fill a Triangle but some corner will be capable of more so the whole circuit of this round Orbe this Quadrangular world cannot content the heart of man which Anatomists say is Triangular in the forme God onely Christ and his Spirit the blessed Trinitie that made the soule can fill it with true delights and fulfill the true desires In which respect the Christian to whom all things else are bitter but Christ is not quieted till hee inioy Christ no more then the animate or inanimate creatures are at peace till they haue their rest in that centre whitherto they moue his heart still trembling till it be with God like the Needle touched with an Adamant still quiuering and shaking till it looke directly to the North Pole and therefore as Noahs Doue sent out of the Arke found no rest to the sole of her foote till shee returned into the Arke againe so the true Christians the Lords mournefull Doues finde no resting place here till their soules returne to the Arke of their strength that God that sent them out into their bodies euen as the Iewish Tabernacle had no rest but was carryed from place to place till it entred into Canaan Exod. 26.1 33.7 Thirdly because of the crosses and afflictions which are incident vnto him in this life for as the whole humane nature is subiected to the Crosse so chiefely the Christian The world which is a Paradise to the carnall is a Purgatory to the Christian Many are the troubles of the righteous all that will liue godly in Christ must suffer affliction euery Disciple must take vp one crosse or other if hee vvill follow Christ which crosse-way is the way to heauen euery childe of God is corrected ere hee be receiued the purest Gold must be in the furnace the Lords owne Wheate is thrashed winnowed and grinded and Gods trees must be pruned Vt vnda vndam as waue succeedes waue so crosse succeedes crosse as Dauids Lyon succeedes his Beare 1 Sam. 17.37 and Goliah the Lyon 1 Sam. 18.27 and the Philistines Goliah and Saul the Philistines 1 Sam. 21. Now the Christians
death is most welcome that changeth his Mâ—ra to Naomi his bitternesse into beauty which deliuers him from dangers and dolours as the Angell did Lot from the fire and the three Children from the flames and Daniel from the Lions death like Zerobabel deliuers the Lords Israel out of Babilon Zach. 4.6 therefore death must needs be welcomed like a day of deliuerance a yeere of Iubilie which brings Ioseph out of Prison Iacob out of seruitude and Iob from the dung-hill Mors enim malâ—râ—m remedium portus humanis tempestaâ—ibus Plutarch de consol ad Apol. Fourthly in respect of their sinnes which cleaue so fast on which they cannot shake off Sinne with which they are at opposition and deadly feud dogs them at the heeles like a Serieant waytes on them like a Catchpole insinuates into them like a claw-backe creepes into their bosomes as a Serpent stings them at the heart like an Adder followes them as their shadow stickes close to them like their shirt vpon their skinne their skinne vpon their flesh and their flesh vpon their bones insomuch that it burnes and frets them as Dianiraes poysoned shirt did Hercules and as the Ticke vexeth the Oxe which makes them crye out in the anguish of their soules vvith Paul and the faithfull Rom. 7. Oâ— miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of sinne They complaine of the strife of the Flesh and the Spirit as Rebeccah of the strugling betwixt Iacob and Esau Now death comes and rescues and makes thy baile and playes the Mid-wife and ends the broyle therefore welcome to the well disposed Fiftly they are here Pilgrimes and strangers 1 Pet. 2.11 as was Dauid and the rest in their ages they are here exuls and banished men as Children put forth to nurse from their Mothers as Schollers and Pupils sent to forraine Schooles and to farre Vniuersities and therefore their returning home to their owne Country their restitution to their prouided Kingdome their fetching home to their Father and friends their retyring to their Fathers house though it be through the shadow of death must needes be acceptable Sixtly they know that the day of their death is better then the day of life Eccles 7.3 because they dye prepared their soules purged their hearts by Faith purified As they haue entered into the first degree of eternall life in this life when they beleeued and receiued the gifts of the Spirit the earnest of their Saluation so they enter into the second degree in death when their soules are carryed into heauen and they dye in assurance of the third degree when body and soule shall be re-vnited to participate of happinesse as they haue liued together in holinesse Seauenthly they dye as with a desire so in an expectation to see and behold the face of Christ of which with Steuen they haue some glimmering in their deaths and therefore death to the godly so farre as regeneration rules is no more burthensome then the stripping off the cloathes vnto a louing Spouse to goe into the Marriage-bed of her contracted Bridegrome Hos 2.19 Eightly they haue kept a good Conscience with God and man like Paul Acts 24. And therefore they feare not iudgement no more then a true man feares to looke the Iudge in the face Ninthly wherein they haue offended God they haue their sinnes remitted and therefore feare not to hold vp their hand at the barre since they are quit before by Proclamation of all the promises in the Gospell and haue the Kings Pardon sealed them in the Sacraments Tenthly they haue oft in life invred themselues to thinke speake record and meditate of death euen as did Christ their head and his Seruants Iacob Moses and Paul as appeares in the Word and therefore Deaths dart foreseene wounds them lesse being fore-warned of it they are fore-armed for it Euen as the Souldier that hath beene long trayned and in many skirmishes is more couragious in the maine Battell and as hee that hath long exercised himselfe in foyles is more hardy to fight with sharpe so the petty conflicts that the godly haue had in their owne breasts vvith Deaths feare make them more hardy to encounter Deaths force Eleuenthly they entertaine it as a reward for their worke as a rest from their labour as willingly as the hired labourer receiues his hire and reposeth his wearied limbes Dan 12. Esay 57.2 Twelfthly they are perswaded and haue their Faith grounded in an happy and blessed change they expect a Metamorphosis and an alteration a comfortable transmutation of Earth for Heauen of the Sea for the Hauen of Griefe for Glory of the outward Court for the Sanctum Sanctorum of a Mortall for an Immortall body of Enon for Salem Sodome for Segor Aegypt for Canaan the Wildernesse of Sin for the Land of Promise of a House of day terrestriall for a House celestiall aboue the Clouds 2 Cor. 5.1 And therefore they are as willing to make this exchange as a poore begger would be to exchange his poore rags for some Princes robes or some poore man to leaue his smoaky rainy Cottage for a pompous Pauilion and decked Chamber in the Court. To reape the Vintage of this discourse the vse to vs is first of examination in that it is an argument of a good man to be willing to dye as here was Simeon Lay thou thy hand on thine heart and search in thy soule what propensitie and disposition thou findest in thy selfe to dye Many arguments there are in the Word and tryals both of a holy and a happy man both affirmatiue in shewing what hee doth and negatiue in shewing what he auoids Dauid points at him in the first Psalme as also in the 32. Psalme verse 1.2 as also in the 15. Psalme So doth our Sauiour Christ in the first eight Verses of the fift of Mathew So the Apostle Paul in the 2. of Cor. ch 7. ver 11. with other such places as namely delighting in the Word meeknesse mourning for sinne hunger after righteousnesse c. care to please God Feare Zâ—ale Indignation against sinne not letting Mony to Vsury and the like yet sure there is no greater euidence of an honest and holy heart then so to walke vprightly with God in life as alwayes to be willing to imbrace the strictest Summons of death to be as ready to depart out of this world as the Israelites were to depart out of Aegypt Againe it is most vsually a note of a soule eyther altogether soyled in corruption or indued with a smaller measure of Sanctification to be violently possessed with a continuated feare of death and therefore in this particular finde out thy selfe and trye in what case thou standest for the more vnwilling thou art to dye commonly the more Nature rules in thee the more earthly fleshly and carnall thou art the more willing commonly the more Grace raignes the more thou art holy heauenly and spirituall in
which case you shall obserue that the desire to liue or not to liue to dye and not to dye hath oftentimes ebbed and flowed according to the measure of grace or corruption of sinne or of sanctification Euery man may finde this in his owne heart vsually vpon the search Hence it was that our Sauiour Christ hauing the greatest measure of grace was most willing to dye amongst all the sonnes of mortall men as appeares in the Gospell by his often speaking of his death as desiring it Mat. 10. â—8 So 16.21.17.22.23 by his hastning Iudas the actor in it Iohn 13. in calling Peter Sathan that disswaded him from it Mat. 13.23 yea in accounting it his Baptisme Luke 20.50 yea his meate that he was to eate Iohn 4 32. yea his exaltation ver 28. yea a thing that hee desired Luke 22. And when hee came to act the bitter part in this dying Tragedy how voluntarily did he send out his soule Hee gaue vp the Ghost saith the Euangelist the spirit was not taken from him for no power could doe that but hee gaue vp his Spirit into the hands of GOD his Father Emisit non amisit Spiritum hee sent out his Spirit as Noah sent the Doue out of the Arke willingly it was not taken from him compulsorily Now that which holds in the Head Christ in some proportion holds in the Saints his Members who are conformed into the similitude both of his life and death the nearer they come vnto Christ by the vnion of Faith the more they participate of the Spirit of Christ in life the more willing they are to goe to Christ and to haue a further communion with him in and after death Note 2 It is not so with the wicked for the further they runne from God in life the lesse ioy they haue to be fetcht before him by death the lesse grace the more griefe to dye the more vile sensuall and sinfull their dayes the more they desire to prolong them being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare to the stake or the Bull to the ring The reasons are these First because they haue their pleasures in this world to which they are wedded and with which they are intoxicated and bewitched as Vlisses and Diomedes companions with Circes charmes and Calipsoes Cups till they be turned into beasts Now what delight hath the beast but in fayre feeding and carnall companying according to his kinde neyther they being as loath to leaue these pleasures as the childe his bable or the foole his folly Secondly Death depriues them of their worldly promotions it throwes Herod from his seate and Baltazar from his Throne it expulleth Monarchs from their Countryes and with as great a sway as that Antichristian man of Rome kickes off their Crownes deposing Kings disposing Kingdomes laying their honours in the dust And therefore no maruell that the proud Impes of Lucifer feare it as hautie Hammon did the Gallowes Thirdly it pluckes them from their profits it takes Nabal from his Sheepe Ahab from his vsurped Vineyard and Midas from his Gold which worldlings are as vvilling to leaue as the dogge the Flesh-pot as the hungry Kite the sauory carrion to liue in the earth alwayes it is their desire as much as the water is desired of the fish and the Ayre of the Bird and the earth of the Moale they are as content to build tabernacles here as Peter was vpon the Mount Mat. 17. but to goe into the earth that is dâ—rus sermo a harsh vvord they are as willing to leaue the world as the Bird the Beast and the Fish are to forsake their nourishing Elements as the starued childe is to part with the desired dugge Oh Death how bitter art thou to a man whose portion is in the world saith the Wise-man Ob mors mordens bitter indeede as gall and wormewood Fourthly Death depriues the wicked not onely of their goods but of their Gods what euer they make their Idols and giue their hearts vnto whicâ— Idols they as vnwillingly leaue as Mâ—â—hay did his and as the Papists their Idolatrous Masse as Rachel did her Fathers Idols vvhich shee concealed and couered Fiftly Death takes them away from their pleasing companions which they are as loath to part fro as Elisha was to leaue Elias as Ruth to leaue Naomi but most vnwilling to exchange them for the company of Diuels and Hell-hounds Sixtly they are vnfitted and vnprepared for Death they haue not made their accounts straight they haue not Oyle in their Lampes they haue abused their Talents of gifts externall and internall and therefore they quake to be brought by Death to render an account of their Stewardship with the wicked Steward to meete the Bridegrome with the foolish Virgins to be called in eoram before their great Master with the wicked Seruant that smote his fellow-seruants and with the other vnprofitable Seruant Seauenthly they haue no hope in death except a vaine and wanne hope such as perisheth like the vntimely fruit of a woman Death like Michay to Ahab neuer prophesieth any good to a wicked man and therefore he is as vnwilling to dye as a Theefe and Malefactor to be brought before the Iudge as a bad debtor before his creditor as a Swine to the slaughter for as the Swine by a naturall instinct knowes that hee is good for nothing but the Shambles so the wicked by the rage of his owne conscience which is like the flash before hell fire and by an Historicall Faith whereby hee beleeues there is a hell and euerlasting fire for such as hee is Fornicators whoremongers drunkards wantons theeues couetous impenitent vnbeleeuers and all other workers of iniquitie hee knowes that hee is good for nothing but to be burned and to be stubble and fuell for that flame And therefore as the Swine shewes his dislike of the Shambles and his slaughterer by whining and crying and repining so the hoggish Epicurish carnall man shewes his discontent and disobedience vnto God and to his summons by death by muttering murmuring barking against heauen and blaspheming If wee apply this poynt by vse vnto our times wee shall finde infinite millions and multitudes of carnall and wicked men swarming like the Aegyptian Locusts and Grashoppers amongst vs for alas how many are there which beare vp their heads high and set vp their crests exalt their hornes and prancke vp their Peacockes plumes lifting vp themselues aboue others in the pride of their harts boasting like Braggadochies of their birth valour learning wit wealth parts and prowesse shewing much drunken and swaggering and irefull and reuengefull valour in their base and bruitish passions and yet the same at the imagination and apprehension of death shew themselues as arrand cowards as the Arcadians Clineas or Dametas altogether daunted and dismayed like Gorgon at the sight of Medusaes head they quiuer and quake like an Aspen-leafe shake and tremble like the Aguish sicke man at the
thought of it their heart trembles their bloud is conâ—ealed and like Baltazar in the like case their countenance is changed and their knees smite together the sound of death to them is the most harsh of all sounds and puts them sometimes in a deadly sowne the noise of the roaring Canon is not so fearefull to the fainting Souldier nor the Lightning and Thunder was so terrible to Nero as the summons of death to such naturall men whether by the Harbenger thereof Sickenesse or from the condemning voice of a Iudge or by such meanes for these reasons before mentioned What doth this argue but a guiltie conscience a secure soule a hardned heart a carnall minde and a maine measure of infidelitie incredulitie and want of faith in the remission of sinnes the resurrection of the body the immortalitie of the soule and hope of a better life which considerations as they haue moued the ancient and moderne Martyres Ignatius Policarpus Laurence Cyprian and others in our precedent age French Germaine and English to subiect themselues to the mouthes of Lions flames of fire and all other tortures and torments which Madnesse and Malice could inuent c. So the diffidence of these the want of the perswasion of Gods loue and expectation of wrath and vengeance after this mortalitie makes wicked men entertaine Death as Ahab did Elias euen as their greatest enemie as their Iaylor their Serieant their Butcherer their Executioner as the curber of their delights and procurer of their curse Yet that I be not mistaken I doe not here condemne all feare of death and make it such an essentiall note of Gods childe as though euery one that feared God did not at any time or in any respects feare to dye or that wicked men might not sometimes and vpon some seruile respects with some shew of alacritie vndergoe death for First I know that there is in all men a naturall desire to liue which caused Ezekias to mourne when hee was to dye Esay 38.10 And Dauid to pray that his soule might liue Psal 6.4 and Psal 119. As also our Sauiour Christ to desire the Passage of the cuppe from him Luke 22. There being a naturall desire in the best of Gods Saints to liue Nature fearing her dissolution and the body and soule being as loath to part as two friends that a long time haue liued and loued together Secondly besides I know Gods Children may be desirous to liue as to glorifie God more so for some other good ends propounded as for the better setting their estates to their successiue seed for the establishing their houses for to dispose of their Children in some religious courses which was the cause that Ezâ—kâ—as desired to liue say Interpreters because when the Prophet brought this message of death to him hee was without issue and left none to succede him in his Kingdome as Gods promise was to his Father Dauid 1 King 8. â—5 3. Thirdly a godly man is sometimes in distresse and perplexitie of minde as Dauid was vvhen hee made the sixt Psalme at which time hee is vnwilling to depart till GOD shine vpon him againe with his fauour Fourthly a godly man may pray sometimes against some kinde of death as our Sauiour Christ did praying not simply against death but against that cursed death of the Crosse fearing not death but the curse of the Law that went with death Fiftly I know that euen naturall men haue made light account of death such as the Decians and the Fabritians Curtius and Codrus with others amongst the Romanes and Athenians that exposed and spent their liues for the good of their Country I know euen of obstinate Heretiques such as the Gnostiques and the Circumcellions more lately Michael Sernetus many moderne Papists yea the late Arrian burnt in Smithfield haue some of them vndergone death more willingly and chearefully then those that haue had in them farre more grace and sanctification but some of these haue imbraced death so welcomly out of a morall desire of doing good to their Country or out of vaineglory to be spoken of like those Heathen or out of obstinacie or desperate madnesse or peruersenesse against the truth or Diabolicall delusions or erronious conceits or Atheisme or opinion of merit or chiefely pride of heart to be magnified and famoused of their fauourites or some other sinister ends not for Gods glory or hope of any better condition after this life as these Heretiques So that my conclusion still holds notwithstanding these doubts and scruples that Grace kisseth Gods rod though in the hand of Death Nature barkes and bites at the hand that holds the rod Gods Sheepe going quietly to their graues like Lambes to be sacrificed carnall men gruntling and complaining like Swine to be butchered Vse 3 Thirdly since that Grace is willing Nature vnwilling to her dissolution all are to be exhorted to vse the meanes to helpe forward their spirituall part to be more willing to curbe their carnall part in it nilling The meanes are two first priuatiue for the remouall of the impediments which lye in the way secondly positiue in incouraging vs to enter the way of all flesh What the causes are that cause the carnall man to sing Loath to depart you haue heard as namely the losse of his pleasures profits preferments promotions here with the like in all which things wee must looke to our hearts and be watchfull Centurions ouer our affections least they be carryed with too violent a course and torrent in the prosecution and pursuite of these terrestriall and earthly things wee must not be mad vpon the world as worldlings are let vs not place our affections on things below but on things aboue where CHRIST sits at the right hand of GOD let vs vse this World as though wee vsed it not as wee vse Physicke and wines modice medice with moderation and mortification as a Student vseth recreations for necessitie not vanitie let vs not fall downe and worship the Diuell though hee would giue vs it all let vs not bowe the knee to Baal nor adore the golden Calfe nor sell our soules for the trash and the dongue the white and red dust of it as Iudas did let vs touch riches tenderly with our hands not with our hearts as wee doe Thornes because they are Thornes let vs not loue vaâ—ne pleasures least after their Bâ—eish honie wee feele their Waspish sting when these charmers charme to delude vs let vs be as wise as Serpents stopping both our eares as shee doth with the taile and the earth remembrance of our ends of which the taile is an embleame and of our earth whither wee shortly must Thus must wee first learne to practise this hardest point of Christianitie in dying to the world ere euer wee can be willing out of faith and feeling to dye out of the world for alas what causeth men that they haue as little heart to goe into their Mother-earth as the Moale hath to
come out of the earth but onely that they loue the earth too well being desirous euer to liue vpon the earth but neuer to lye in the earth Why list not worldlings returne to their dust but onely that as true children of the old Serpent the curse of the Serpent is vpon them to licke the dust minding earthly things here their end being damnation hereafter Phil. 3.17 Secondly when this is performed in breaking off thy desires from the world which is Terminus à quo the place which thou leauest then fixe thy eye vpon another world Terminus ad quam the place whither thou goest Looke not too much at the grisly face of Death which will agast thee but at the end of it where thou shalt see as many comforts as Elishaes Seruant saw to encourage thee Euen as hee that is to passe ouer some great and deepe Riuer must not looke downe-ward to the water but must cast his eye to the bancke on the further side so looke ouer the waues of death and fixe the eye of thy faith vpon eternall life Looke not at Death in the glasse of the Law in which it is set out as a curse and the downe-fall to the gulph of destruction but in the Christall Glasse of the Gospell as it is changed and altered so by the death of CHRIST that it is a sweet sleepe and resting coole harbour First therefore consider how there is a blessing accompanies and attends thy death pronounced by the Spirit it selfe Reu. 14 13. which is alone sufficient to stay the rage of thy affections in the ordinary feare of death for who feares blessings since euen profane Esau sues for a blessing and euen the very Heathens so much desired that blessednesse which their Philosophers of all sorts so much disputed but neuer so soundly determined as God doth here Secondly the same Spirit cals it A resting from thy labour Now euen the Oxe Horse and Asse desire resting from labour to be vntyed from their taskes vnloden from their Burthens all the creatures and the Elements which groane vnder vanitie desire cessation from motion euery thing aymes at his quiet and rest and dost not thou Now death I pray thee what is it but a buster of bonds a destruction of toyle an arriuing at the Hauen a Iourney finished thy coâ—summatum est thy qâ—ietus est thy laying away of an heauy burthen euen sin it selfe which as Erasmus wittily is heauier then Gold Siluer Lead and Iron in that the weight of it weighed and pressed downe the Angels of light into the pit of hell and payned Christ our Sauiour our substitute on the Crosse What I say is this death but the shaking off of gyues and an end of banishment a period of griefe an escape of dangers a destroyer of all euils Natures due Countryes ioy Heauens blisse Woes Hauen the Key to ope the dore to Christians as it did to CHRIST Luke 24 26 of blessednes rest and immortalitie dignifying nay almost Deifying whom God hath elected and called in grace and called to the graue this is the right partition of it into his parts and passages as Antiquitie hath christned it and our age hath called it and the godly haue found it Oh then why shouldest thou boggle at it since there is as little hurt in death to the good as there is little good in life to the bad as we shall further proue in some particulars hereafter Thirdly let this cogitation animate thee to sing Simeons Song in being at least willing if not desirous to depart because God takes thy part in thy departing if thou beest his thou hast as the Promise so the Performance of his comfortable presence It hath beene the Lords constant and continuated custome to be with his Children like a friend at neede in their distresse whose exigents and extremities haue beene his opportunities Thus hee was present with Noah in the Floud Gen. 7. with Lot in Sodomes flames Gen. 19. with Iacob in his flight from Esau Gen. 33. with Ioseph in Dodons pit and Putiphars prison vvith Moses when hee went to Pharaoh when he was with Pharaoh and sled from Pharaoh with Israel in the Red Sea Exod. 14. vvith Dauid in Sauls pursuite 1 Sam. 19. with Eliah in the Desart 1 Kings 19. with Elisha vvhen the Syrians came against him 2 Kings 6. with Hezekiah in his sicke-bed Esay 38. with the three Children in the fire Dan. 3. with Daniel in the denne of Lyons Dan. 6. with Ioseph and Mary and the wise Magi flying from Herod Mat. 2. with Christ in his combat with Sathan Mat. 4. and hee will be vvith thee in thy last conflict and tryall for this is his Promise which he keepes more inuiolably then the Decrees of the Medes and Persians to be with thee when thou passest through the waters and through the riuers through the fire that thou shalt neyther be ouerflowne nor ouerblowne in any temptation Esay 43.2.3.4 5.6 c. Now God will manifest his presence with thee these three wayes eyther in moderating or mitigating thy paines as the words of that Propheticall promise doe import making death no more dolorous to thee then many ordinary crosses and afflictions which haue befallen thee in life as some of the Saints haue tryed it Or by the inward and ineffable comfort of the Spirit which occasioned Paul to reioyce in tribulation since euen then the loue of God was shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.35 yea euen in his grieuous sickenesse it seemes when hee had receiued the sentence of death as the suffrings of Christ did abound in him so his consolations did abound through Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 God is the chiefe Physitian and chiefe visitor when any of his Patients are afflicted in his owne person ministring vnto them staying them with flagons comforting them with apples vvith his right hand holding vp their heads and vvith his left imbracing them Cant. 2.9 Thirdly he sends a victorious Host a guard of Angels to be keepâ—rs and Nurses vnto his Seruants to hold them vp and beare them in their armes as Nurses doe young Children and to be their champions and guards against the Diuell and his Angels Psal 30. All these comforts with many moe going along vvith thee like the Cloud and the fiery Pillar with the Israelites should cause thee to march valiantly euen through the Pikes â—f death to thy appointed Possession And so wee passe in this passage of Simeon to the third Point His acknowledgement of the Diuine Permission In these words Lettest thou IN which phrase obserue that what euer comes to passe is by the letting and permission of God whether in life or death for there is nothing done in the world but that which the Almightie will haue done eyther by permitting it to be done or by doing it himselfe Or as the same Augustine All things are eyther done by Gods helpe or suffered to be done by his permitting Domino
vet adiuuante c. yea euen those things which are done contra voluâ—tatem against the will of GOD yet are not done praeter eius voluntatem besides his will by which will with Hugo I meane his good pleasure his operation and permission yea euen in Sinne it selfe the cause of death God hee hath a worke God workes in euery euill but he workes not euill nor euilly as the Papists slander Caluin to teach Agâ—t in malo c. hee workes in the euill first by permitting secondly by disposing by permitting I say not by prouoking For though God offer the sinner obiects to vse Augustine and Bellarmines Similitudes and leaues a man to himselfe yet hee inclines not his will to euill and therefore is not the cause of euill no more then the Shepheard by setting hay or grasse before the Sheepe is the cause of the Sheepes feeding or the Huntsman by shewing the Grey-hound the Hare or Deere is the cause of his running but onely the dispositions and inclinations of both to runne and to feede Secondly by ordering and disposing sin for this is the propertie of the diuine vvisedome saith Clemens Vti vtiliter c. to vse those things profitably which are done peruersely De malo opere c. God out of euery worke that is euill workes that which is good euen as in the first Creation he brought light out of darkenesse and as a wise Physitian out of poysoned Serpents and venemous beasts extracts a preseruatiue against poyson Thus hee disposed of the Treachery of Iosephs Brethren and the Treason of Iudas against Christ to his owne glory and the good of his Church in the preseruation of old Iacob and his Seede and the saluation of his owne Elect Israel Therefore as in one act of the death of Christ 1. God 2. Christ 3. the Diuell 4. the Iewes and 5. Iudas wrought but not from one cause the Diuell suggestingly the Iewes maliciously Iudas couetously Christ executiuely in deliuering himselfe God decretorily in decreeing and dispositiuely in disposing the death of his Sonne to the sauing of the Elect and condemning of the Reprobate being the rising and falling of many in Israell The like is seene in other sinnes wherein there are diuers agents some sinfull but GOD alwayes sinlesse for Peccatores in quantum peccatores c. God makes not sinners so farre forth as they be sinners but onely ordereth and disposeth them being as the best Creator of those wils that are good so a most righteous disposer and orderer of those wils which are euill But as for Death which it the punishment of sinne not the condition of Nature God is not onely the permitter and prouident disposer but the iust inflicter of it yea vitae necisque arbitrer the author and ordayner as of life so of death for it is he that formes the light and creates darkenesse hee makes peace and creates euill Esay 45.7 What euill Not the euill of sinne but the euill of sorrow of sicknesse of troubles banishment famine yea Death it selfe Leuit. 26. This poynt is worthy our further inlargement namely that all death for the Time of it the Place of it the Matter the Manner the Cause the Occasion of it is immediately from God operatiuely penarâ—ly or permissiuely For the Time if death come in the morning or mid-day in the euening or Cocke-crow of life in the Infancie or childe-hood or nonage or youth or adolescencie or perfect age or decaying declining or decrepit old age of our yeeres if it crop vs in the sprout or the Spring or the Summer or the Autumne or the Winter of our time God that is Palmoni a secret numberer hath numbered our dayes and measured our time for the LORD makes our dayes as it were an hand-breadth Psal 39.5 eclipsing our lifes light as it pleaseth him in the Sunne-rising or in the meridian of our dayes as hee did vvith good Iosias the vertuous Prince Edward the 6. that worthy spirit Picus miramdula our English Iosias Prince Henry with diuers others Againe sometimes hee addes vnto our dayes as hee did fifteene yeeres to the raigne of Ezâ—kias Esay 38. extending and drawing our the thread of our life to a large extent as hee did the yeeres of Abraham Iob and Dauid who dyed all in a good age full of dayes going to their graues as a Ricke of Corne commeth in due season into the Barne Iob 5.26 For the Place whether we dye in the fields with Saul and Ionathan or in our beds vvith old Iacob Gen. 49.33 or on our beds vvith Sisera and Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 4.5 or in the wars with the Amorites and Amalekites or in time of peace as did Salomon or by land or by sea as did the Aegyptians God hath appoynted that place for vs to lay downe our bodyes in and no other euen as hee appointed a dying place for Moses in the land of Moab Deut. 34.1.5 So for the Manner of death whether it be naturall when wee fall from the Tree of life like ripe Apples or if it be violent when we are by force shaken downe like greene Apples God gathers vs to our Fathers God shewes himselfe in this act not onely when immediately hee strikes by himselfe with his owne hands as hee did Dathan and Abiram whom the earth receiued Nadab and Abihu whom the fire consumed Leuit. 10.2 with others for which cause the Lord is said to raine from the Lord fire and Brimstone vpon Sodome Gen. 19. As also to haue smit Naball for his churlishnesse towards Dauid 1 Sam. 25. â—8 but euen those that are cut off by an externall agent whether by Sathan himselfe as vvere Iobs Children or by others voluntarily or involuntarily they are executed by the decree of the supreame essence Thus whether wee consider Children murthered by their Parents as was the Sonne of Constantine the great of Antoninus Caracalla of Brutus of Darius of Cambyses and Medea if wee beleeue Histories Or Parents slaine by their Children as was Senacherib by his Sonnes Esay 37.38 Fredericke by his Sonne Manfrede Agrippina by Nero Semiramis by Ninus Vlisses by Thelegon Phocas by his Sonne Heraclus c. Or the bloud of Brothers effused by Brethren as Abels by Caine Ammons by Absolon Teâ—cles by Polymies Remus by Romulus Argeus by his Brother Ptolomie Philadelphus c. Or if vvee consider Husbands slaine by their Wiues as the Husbands of the fiftie Daughters of Danaus so the Husbands of those thirtie Sisters of Albina slaine by their wiues Agamemnon by Clitemnâ—stra King Sarematar by Circes Antoninus the Emperour by his Wife Luulla Or if wee ponder Wiues butchered by their Husbands as Poppea was by Nero Queene Glosinda by Chilpericus Fausta the Empresse by Constantine as also the Wife of Mithridates the King of Pontus of Egnatius Calphurinus Periander and diuers others who haue perished by the mischiefe of their Mates Or if wee reflexe vpon Seruants that haue
murthered their Masters as Zimri slew Elah his Lord 1 Kings 16.9.10 Or apostate Subiects vile Traytors that haue effused the bloud of the Lords Annoynted as Iaques Clements and Rauallack in their assarsinations and massacrings of the two renowned French Henries c. Or lastly one man killing another eyther sodainely as Ehud slew Eglon with his Dagger Iudg. 3.21 or treacherously as Ioab did Abner and Amasa as Rehab and Baanah did Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 4.5.6 or combatingly in a Duellie in the field or any other vvayes in all these with all the rest of this nature wee must say as the Apostles said of Pilate Herod and the Iewes concerning the death of Christ that these murtherers haue done whatsoeuer the Lords hand and councell had determined before to be done Acts 4.28 For who is he that saith it commeth to passe and the Lord commanded it not Lamen 3.37 For euen all things that are and that happen Deus disponendo praesciuit praesciendo disposuit saith Tertullian God hath fore-knowne them fore-seene them and disposed of them If of all things then of the liues and deaths of men yea euen of murthered men for though God prohibite and forbid murther Exod. 20. yet hee decrees that act which in man is murther but in God is but an act of Iustice Againe the very materiall part or subiect is of God I say the naked act of murther as it is an act as it is from the liuing soule as it is from the motion of the hand is from God without whom neyther the hand nor any part could moue in any naturall motion but the formall part and deformitie of the act vvhich makes it properly murther that is from the Diuell and from corruption yet not without Gods permission by the substraction of his grace which Hugo cals the cause of all sinne from the Agent and for some righteous ends in respect of the Patient The life of this point like the bloud in the veynes lyes in the vse if meetes with the corruption of these that referre not death vnto his true cause and ground erring not knowing the Scriptures for is any man strangely afflicted with wondrous and wofull diseases as the Gout Stone Stranguillio Sciatica c. Is any infected with the plague smit with Leprosie wounded or slaine by his enemie bruized by falling from his Horse or the like but chiefely is he taken away sodainely in his full strength in his case and prosperitie when his breasts are full of milke and his bones full of marrow Iob 22.24.25 Presently we breake our into these tearmes Sure he had ill lucke hee had bad chance hee had ill Fortune or else wee shoote our fooles bolts as the Listrians against Paul when the Viper stucke to his hand Acts 14. Sure this man was a great sinner c. or as the Iewes of those vpon whom the Tower of Silo fell and vvhose bloud Pilate mingled with their Sacrifices Sure he was a greater sinner then the rest or as others of the blinde man Iohn 9. wee must needes know whether he or his Parentâ— haue sinned For the first it is a pittifull thing that Christians liuing so long in the heate and light and Sunne-shine of the Gospell should be so darkened in their vnderstandings and so vaine in their imaginations like the once vnconuerted Gentiles as to turne the glory of the immortall God into a vile and abhominable Idoll to attribute that which is proper and peculiar vnto God vnto Heathenish Fortune a word which as Augustine and Lactantius in their dayes banished to the Pagans from whence it came so I wonder that the light of Preaching hath no more discouered the blindnesse of it and no more reformed the errour of it that it is no more rooted out of our hearts and vnsetled our of our heads but that wee must needes make it as the Ephesians their Diana some great Goddesse as the Sorcerer Simon made himselfe some great man I wonder that with the Romanes wee must build Temples and sacrifice vnto it in disgrace and despight of God and disparagement of his prouidence taking the Crowne from the Creators head and placing it on an Idoll vvhich is a meere Idaea a fiction and Chimera in nature not knowing or at least not acknowledging with the Scripture with Antiquitie with Ierome Augustine and others called now Fathers as Iames and Iohn were called Pillers that there is no euill in the Citie that is euill of punishment in which predicament Death is which the Lord hath not wrought that nothing comes to passe fortuito casu sed iudicio Des by chance but by choyse nothing happens by hap-hazzard but by the peculiar preuidence and prouidence of God that the will of God is the supreame cause of all things that are Not a hayre falling from our heads not a Sparrow falling to the ground much lesse a sickenesse or a disease growing vpon our bodies much lesse a day or an houre or a minute falling from our life without the determination and permission of him that hath numbred our dayes and set downe the period of our age Therefore let vs banish all thought and opinion of Fortune vnto the very Getes and Sauromatanes Let vs also suspend our thoughts and our opinions of our Brethren when God doth sore afflict them in life or sodainely inflict vpon them some strange death let vs not iudge least wee be iudged let vs not enter into rash and precipitate censures of others wee may be further deceiued in Gods mercies towards them or his proceedings with them then was Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar in the case of Iob then the Disciples were in the case of the blinde man Iohn 9.12 For it may be that this man whom thou seest lying sicke a Lazar by the high-way begging with those blinde men in the Gospell him whom thou seest groaning in an Hospitall rauing in Bedlam c. nay whom thou seest drowned in the waters stabbed in his bowels led to execution to be topt off like a fruitlesse Tree at Tyburne is not a greater sinner then thou neyther hee nor his Parents haue sinned more then thou and thine but that the glory of God might be made manifest that he might be an example vnto thee that thou maist take warning by his harming least thou also perish for Gods workes as his Word are for thy instruction whether they be workes of Mercy or of Iustice Vse 2 Secondly is it so that death is by the permission of God Nay is it so that thy death and so the death of euery childe of GOD is not onely fore-seene but fore-appointed of God then the consideration of this speciall prouidence of God must be a motiue amongst others which wee haue vsed and are to vse to incheare vs against death Oh how ought this to adde life and spirit vnto thy faintings that God considers euery circumstance of thy death as the time when and the place where and the
manner how the beginning of sickenesse cause originall continuation and end that euery fit in thy sickenesse nay the very pangs of death are particulerly set downe in the counsell of God Did God so as hee did Dauid when thou wast an Embrio without forme in thy mothers wombe when thou wast made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth Psal 139.15.16 and doth he not now thinkest thou behold thy trouble Will he not strengthen thee in the bed of languishing and make all thy bed in thy sickenesse Psal 41.2.3 In the 56. Psalme v. 8. Dauid prayes that the Lord would put his teares into his bottle Now consider with thy selfe hath God a bottle for the teares of his Seruants much more hath hee bottles for their bloud and much more doth he respect their paines and miseries with all the circumstances of sickenesse and death How did this comfort the Church of Ierusalem in the death of Christ in that nothing came to passe in it but that which the fore-knowledge and eternall counsell of GOD had appoynted Acts 4.28 Thirdly the Meditation of this point must teach thee to possesse thy soule in patience to kisse Gods Rod to subiect thy selfe like an obedient childe to his correcting hand to couch downe like Issacar vnder thy burthen what miserie soeuer in life what manner of mortalitie in death doth befall thee because it is the Lords doings it is a message from thy King an errand from thy Father a summons from thy Iudge a Loue-token from thy Bridegrome a warning from thy Generall therefore to be receiued with all loue and loyaltie submission and subiection without muttering and murmuring belching and barking against God as the manner of some is Oh consider the practise of Dauid Psal 39.10 I held my tongue saith hee and said nothing Why so because thou Lord aidst it The same consideration sealed vp the lips of Aaron when two of his owne Sonnes were consumed with fire Leuit. 10.3 So Eli when hee considered it was the Lord that threatned him and his house was content that he should doe what seemed him good 1 Sam 3.18 Ioseph thus reuiues his brethren when their harts failed them in a great perplexitie Gen. 43. Feare not saith hee for it was the Lord that sent mee before you Oh obserue how the very meditation of Gods permissiue prouidence armes him and his against griefe impatience and discontent open thou the boxe and apply thou these Cordials and Mithridate to thy owne particular I warrant you who euer had a window into Simeons Soule had seene no small Iubilie of ioy in his inward man arising euen from these very thoughts that it was the Lord that let him depart in peace after hee had imbraced the Prince of peace to whom that thou maist conforme thy selfe let this one motiue moue thee besides many moe Namely the greatnesse of this sinne of impatience a sinne not onely condemned in the Word Prou. 14 29. 19. vers 19. if it be but against man much more if against God as that of Iobs was Iob 3.1.2.3 c. but also punished most seuerely in the Lords owne people as yee may see at leasure in euery Chapter almost of Exâ—dus and Numbers it neuer scaping scot-free but bringing a greater iudgement with it then that which did occasion it As doe the people murmure for Quailes for Water c. against God against Moses and against Aaron they shall be plagued vvith Pestilence and Serpents and Death and Murraine and mortalitie Oh then if thou wilt be angry be angry with thine owne sins the occasion of all crosses and of all curses the causer of Terâ—ours and Consumptions and Burning Agues and Biles and Botches and Plague-sores yea of Death it selfe Leuit. 26.16 22. Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinnes Lament 3. Sinne was the cause of Ezekias botch of Gehesies and Miriams Leprosie of the Philistines Emerods of the Aegyptian plagues and therefore Christ bids the blinde man sinne no more least a worse thing befall him Iohn 5.14 For Death by Sinne entered into the world Rom. 5.12 which Sinne still continueth Deaths sting wee carrying that sting in our bosomes that vvill kill vs oh then plucke this sting out drowne Sin in the salt Sea of repentant sorrow as the Marriners cast Ionas into the Sea and the cause being remoued the effect will cease The tempest shall turne to calme when thou turnest to Christ though thou hast outward paine thou shalt haue inward peace and shalt depart in peace Secondly in that God limits and lets and permits our departure it teacheth vs that the dayes of man are so determined as that no man no meanes can protract them or detract from them beyond and besides their limits for God which hath appoynted the seasons and times for euery thing Acts 1.7 ch 17. hath determined also the dayes of euery mans life as hee did Iobs Iob 14.5 which life as it is like a weauers Lombe Esay 38.10 so it must last till the last thread thereof be wouen like an Houre-glasse running till the last minute of time be expired before which time this thread cannot be cut by the power of men and Angels this Glasse cannot be broken all externall created power cannot cause the Lord to alter what hee hath written in the numbring of our dayes no more then Pilate would change what hee had vvritten vpon Christs Crosse Obiect 1. But here a scruple may arise concerning Ezekias who was told from God that hee should presently dye Esay 38.1 yet after there were fifteene yeeres added to his dayes 2 Kin. 20.1 Answ First Gods will is alwayes one in it selfe like God himselfe how euer in respect of vs it may seeme contrary or contradictory as it is secret and reuealed Secondly there was no change of will or decree in God but in Ezekias himselfe who receiued the sentence of death like the Niniuites conditionally as the Theefe may receiue the sentence of death from the Iudge vnlesse hee carry himselfe after more carefully or get the Kings Pardon presently For all Legall Threats as also Euangelicall Promises haue their relation and reference vnto the condition of Faith or Infidelitie of Repentance or Impenitencie by the performance or not performance vvhereof wee auoid or incurre the curses denounced or are capable of or not capable of the promises propounded therefore when God staid the execution and as it were repriued this good King hee did nothing but what hee determined for hee decreed by this threatning to bring him to the sight of his sinnes and so to repentance that hee might liue Obiect 2 Obiect 2. Iob complaines that his breath is corrupt that his dayes are extinct and that the graue is ready for him Iob 17.1 So Dauid complained that the Lord had weakened his strength in the way that he had shortened his dayes yea hee feared that God would take him away in the midst of
like the barren Fig-tree and throwne into Hell fire yea as they are called dead coales Psal 17. and God a consuming fire Deut. 9. Hebrewes the last c. so they are as sure to burne vnlesse quenched by repentance as they are fit to burne Neyther doth the Lord take such avvay ordinarily by a naturall and peaceable death as hee did Simeon here but oft-times in the whirlewinde of his wrath by some vnnaturall and violent and sodaine death as the fruit of their prouoking sinnes 1. Sometimes for their abuse of his worship as hee did Nadab and Abihu so Iudas that came from the Communion and hanged himselfe as also the Corinthians who dyed for their vnworthy receiuing the Sacrament 2. Sometimes for rebellion against Magistrates as Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. 3. Sometimes for abusing the Seruants Prophets and Ministers of God as the two and fortie Children whom the two shee Beeres slew the two Captaines with their fifties that came to lay hands on Elias 4. So for murthering the Saints as Achab and Iezabel So the tenne persecutors infamously famous for the abundance of Christian bloud which they shed came all to fearefull ends according to the curse threatned Psal 56. Psal 139. Math. 26. that Bloudy men shall not liue out halfe their dayes and They that smite with the Sword shall perish by the Sword 5. For gurmundizing gluttonie and drunkennesse as Iobs Children Iob 2. Baltazar Dan. 5. and the Israelites slaine whilst the Quailes were in their mouthes Numb 11. 6. For couetousnesse as Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. 7. For Lust and Luxury as Cosâ—ee and Zimri and the vncleane Israelites Numb 25. 8. For Tyrannie and oppression as Pharaoh and his Hoast Exod. 14. 9. For Pride against God as Herod Acts 12. 10. For the effect of pride and malice Blasphemie against heauen as Senacharib and his pestilent Parasite Rabsekah 2 Kings 19. as also for other sinnes But now wee are to hoist vp sailes into a Sea of matter which flowes eyther necessarily from the Text or by consequence of this last proued point and by argument from the greater to the lesser from the better to the worse that if Simeon and the Saints must dye then vnsanctified sinners and so from the specials and by inductions from all particulars the generall may be concluded that all must dye So much the Text giues vs leaue to touch for if we be here as Tully intimates Tanquam in diuerserio as guests lodged in an Inne or as those that come to a Mart a Market or a Faire or as those that come to visite their friends not to inhabite long here but to depart as Simeon here imports Then hoc commune malum this departure is the designed lot to all the worlds passengers Wee here giue no reasons of the point omitting or pretermitting them till we come to distill some comforts against death onely for explanation or further satisfaction Ponder the premises that since the godly which haue no sinne I meane with Dauid and the Augustane Confession out of Augustine no imputed sinne must die since children that haue no actuall sinne doe dye because the staine of the roote is propagated to the branches as Augustine Anselme and Ambrose haue in moe phrases explained if Adam himselfe did dye not so much as hee was a created man but as hee was a corrupted sinner Then sure as life was the fruit of his obedience if he had stood à Deo donante from Gods free giuing so death is inflicted vpon his fall à Deo vindicante from God punishing And as now it is Gods Statute-Law enacted that all Adams Sonnes partaking of Adams sinnes must die so it must be executed nay wee see it is executed Philosophers and Poets and the learned Heathens who themselues since their workes and writings haue felt the smart of deaths stroke haue acknowledged it Christians haue confessed it Experience hath ratified it in the consumption and consummation of all ages all sects all sorts persons and professions that all must dye omnia peribunt c. I thou hee they and euery man besides that are were shall be this way slides Wee haue Gods statutum est for it that as in Heauen all liue and none must or can dye in Hell all dye an eternall death and none must or can liue so in earth all must dye and none can for euer liue This is an ineuitable yoke imposed on all flesh Nam rigidum ius est c. the Law is strict vnalterable to striue against the streame vnauaileable Lanificas nulli tres exorare Puellas Contigit c. The vnpartiall Fates to whom we all are vnder With rule imperiall cut lifes thread asunder Many meanes haue Galenists and Physitians vsed for the preseruation of life many Workes and elaborate Bookes are extant of the conseruation of health but neuer none writ or disputed of the exemption from death because it were in vaine If any Physitian could administer such a simple that vvould perpetually prolong life if any Lawyer could plead the case with Death not to enter violently vpon their bodie which is his tennant-right and preuaile If any Diuine did preach that sinners should not dye and performe it the first should haue moe Patients the second more Clyents the third moe Auditors then euer had any of their fellowes in their functions But to teach or plead or practise this point which the Diuell guld our first Parents with in Paradise You shall not die were to be a Lyar like him it were to build Castles in the Ayre to sow the winde and reape the whirlewinde for Omnes vna maâ—et nox c. Deaths tract wee all must tread our life 's faire light Must be obscur'd and set in Deaths darke night How many glorious Lights in the vvorld Kings Kefars Emperours Popes Potentaâ—es Dukes Earles Lords Barons c. Learned wise prudent potent c. haue already perished and vanished like Comets and blazing Starres leauing no more tract behinde them then a Serpent that goes ouer a stone of whom wee retaine nothing but the Images corporeall of their bodies or mentall of their mindes by the help of some Painters or their owne or others pens that haue onely shewed to posteritie that such men there once were but now are not What haue wee sauing the Images of moe then an hundred famous Emperours of the East and West Christian and Heathen Amongst the rest vvhere are the seauen Henries the sixe Constantines the fiue Ottoes the fiue Charleses the fiue Lodouicques the foure Leo's the three Theodosij the three Fredericques the three Tiburiusses the two Clandij the two Alberts the two Anastasij the two Martians the two Rodulphs the two famous Caesars for warre and peace Iulius and Augustus with the rest Is not the lampe of their life extinct Those whose voyces commanded the Nations are they now able to speake as it was said of Alexander those that vvere able once to
deliuer others from death could they free themselues Besides where are now more then two hundrâ—d of Romaine Bishops and triple Mitred Popes some of whose roaring Buls made once all Christendome quake and shake Where are now the twelue Gregories the nine Bonifaces eight nocently Innocents the seauen Clements the sixe Alexanders sixe Vrbans sixe Adrians twelue Benidicts the fiue Celestines the fiue Nicholasses the foure Sixtusses the foure Sergij the foure Anastaâ—ij the foure Foelixes the foure Eugenij the three Siluesters the three Victors the three Lucij the three Iulij's with the rest Doe they not all know now that which some of them Atheistically in words in writings and in life haue denyed that their bodies were mortall their soules immortall that there is a Heauen for the godly a Hell for the vvicked but no Purgatory passage to eyther the one place or other for eyther sort Besides where shall wee seâ—ke but amongst the dead for all the Romane Caesars the Aegyptian Ptolomies the Latine Murrhanes the Albane Siluies the Syrian Antiochusses the Arabian Arabarcques the Argiue Abantiades the Persian Achaminedes the Theban Labdacides the Lybian Lybiarcques and all the rest of those renowned Kings which had such diuers denominations from their worthy Predecessors and from those Countries ouer which they ruled Nay to come nearer home where are all our English Kings that haue awfully swayed the Brittaine Scepter since the Conquest Where are the two Conquering couragious Williams our three Richards our sixe Edwards our eight Henries Hath not Death made a Conquest of them Haue we any remnants of them sauing their Westminster Monuments their Ensignes their Vertues Could their Scepters Crownes Coulours Honours Miters Power or pompe of these Potentates resist Deaths all-subduing all-subiecting rod which brings vnder moe then Mercuries charming wand in the Poet No verily Non ducis imperium non regia Mitra coronae Pontificis summi c. Both conquering Dukes and Princely Crownes The mitred Popes proud Cardinals Imperiall Scepters Prelates Gownes Death vassalizeth and inthrals So if wee should continue in this Quere and demand what is become of all those worthy Generals Ioshuah Gideon c. Achilles Hector Aiax Melciades the Gracchies Camillies Fabians Asdrubal Hannibal c. Or those tryumphing Conquerours Cyrus Alexander Scylla Marius Cassius Scipio Metellius Valerius Pompey Caesars Antonie Octauian Claudian Aurelius Death hath carryed them in tryumph as they others Abstulit c. For speedy Death stopt stout Achilles breath So where are those huge and vast Gyants the Sonnes of Anack the Nimrods of the world Tipheus Anteus Enceladus Titius Polypheme Atlas Hercules Cacus Orestes c. as terrible in their times as Goliah was to the Israelites Now it is a wonder no terrour to see their ashes and their bones now fearefull Hares leape ouer dead Lyons as the Grecians scoft at dead Hector So if wee should reflexe vpon these learned Lights and Lampes in Diuinitie or Humane Learning the Fathers of the Greeke and Latine Church graue Tertullian learned Origen wittie Bernard eloquent Chrysostome zealous Augustine iudicious Ierome and the rest Or vpon these wise Heathens deepe Philosophers Aristippus Empedocles Democles Zenocrates Anaxagoras Pithagoras Diogenes Socrates Plato Aristotle the seauen Grecian Sages c. Or vpon these famous Orators Pericles Isocrates Alcibiades Gorgias Pollio Lucius Crassus Zenophon Hortensius Demosthenes Cato Cicero Quintillian Or vpon these Laureate Poets Eschilus Pindar Euripides Aristarchus Hesiod Menander Simonides Sophocles Anacraeon Eunius Statius Persius Claudian Varro Plautus Lucan Homer Terence Ouid Virgil c. Or vpon these famous Legifers and Law-giuers Mercurie amongst the Aegyptians Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians Solon amongst the Athenians Numa amongst the Romanes as also vpon Androdamus Philolaus Beceorus Carneades c. Or vpon these profound and famous Lawyers Vlpian Iason Drusus Bartolus Baldus Iustinian Dâ—cius Or vpon these expert Physitians Hermogenes Disippus Celsus Nicomachus Eschulapius Hippocrates Auicen Galen c. Skilfull Astronomers Astrologers and deepe Mathematicians Thales Manethes Promethius Eudosius Protagoras Berosus Archites Zoroaster Ptolomie Anaximander c. Or subtill Geometricians Polemon Pausanius Marinus Theodorus Diâ—aearchus Nicephorus Euclides Or these accurate and faithfull Historiographers Thucidides Iosephus Herodotus Diodorus Egisippus Isodore Eutropius Liuie Salust Plutarch Appian Plinie Suetonius â—'ossiâ—onius Orosius Eusebius Tacitus Iustin c. Or these exquisite Musitians Zenophocles Himenaeus Amphion Chiron Arion Linus Philades Orpheus c. Or these famous Painters and Caruers Timantes Aristarchus Timagoras Pirasius Zeuxis Apelles Phidias our English Michael and Raphael with infinite moe of worthy spirits eyther inuenters or perfecters of Arts and Sciences whether Liberall or Mechanicall such as haue beene Eupaters well-willers and Benefactors to humane Societies which Antiquitie hath dignified liuing as more then men accounting them as Heroes and Semidians and Deified as Gods are they not all dead like men Haue they not gone the way of all flesh as Dauid saith of himselfe 2 King 2. Yea though some of them were Metaphoricall and terrestiall Gods as Dauid prophesieth of all Princes they are dead like men their honour is laid in the dust an Epitaph writ vpon a marble stone a Monument or Statue erected to them or for them an Enchomiasticque Verse in the numericall lines of some Poet or a narration vvhat they haue beene or what they haue done good or euill in the workes of some Historian is all which is left of them euen as a linnen shirt was that remained of that victorious Saladine yea these whom wee haue deseruedly called worthy spirits as Alexander Tamberlaine Iulius Caesar Prince Arthur in former times as also the rest of those nine Worthies amongst the Heathens and those other nine amongst Christians in former times as also that Noble Sidney that ingenious Picus Mirandula that subtill Scaliger in our times haue now their earthly tabernacles the lodges and organs of such purified spirits and heauenly inspired soules dissolued their bodies descending as their better part ascending and so it shall be with vs and with all of vs. Tendimus huc omnes â—etam properamus ad vnam c. Th' Earth is our common Hauen thither saile we Deaths bonds to breake alas how small preuaile we That which was said to Adam is said to euery one of vs Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3.19 Michael Glyeas amplifies it thus as hee is alledged by Bramamiâ—lerus the Germane Puluis es ex puluere es c. Dust thou art of dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne As if one should say of the congealed Ice Aqua es ex aqua es in aquam redibâ— water thou art of water thou art and into water thou shalt be resolued for the Ice is an excellent embleme of our bodies which are more brittle then Ice Neyther is it any otherwayes vvith our terrestriall bodies in some proportion then with the celestiall For as all the Starres how euer glistering and glorious
rich prizes Old age is venerable youth is lusty but death reuerenceth not the gray hayres of the one for though Adam Enoch Sem Methusalem Malaleel Iaired Noah Heber and others in the primitiue times as also Arganton Nestor Valerius Coruinus Epiminedes Metellus Terentia Clodia Hipocrates Sybill and infinite others amongst Christians and Heathens liued so long that the Historians write and Poets sing that Tercentum Messes c. That they liued their one two and three hundreds yet though their lifes day were very long at last came Euening Song Neyther respecteth it the greene lockes of the young but like an Eagle and Vultur seazeth on the flesh of Infants as in the murther of Bethlems Infants and in the death of many Children younger then Dauids Childe that dyed Experience saith that Prima quae c. The houre that gaue them breath did end that houre in death as Seneca saith of others Yea Mista c. Both young and old Deaths cruell armes infold Et fugacem c. The man can neyther flie him nor the youth passe by him Hazael was as swift as a Roe and Atlanta was too swift for a woman yet Death ouertooke them Goliah was a great fellow but Death was greater Sampson was strong but Death was stronger it killed him that killed a thousand with the iaw-bone of an Asse it cut downe him that pluckt vp trees by the rootes That Enceladus that great darter could not shunne his darts neyther can any for it is like that Ramâ—ne which Daniel saw in his Vision that shakes his hornes against the East and the West the North and the South and the beasts are notable to resist him It is like a Haruester that with his Sickle cuts downe all Corne and Tares good and bad Mors resecat mors omne necat nullumque veretur What ere it meetes with vp it sheares For none it fauours none it feares It is a mad Dog that bites all as it hath his name like the Vsurer of biting so Morâ— mordet omnes c. It bites all yea euen the biting Vsurers and grindes those that grinde the faces of the poore It is a fire vnsatiable burning the greene Iuie and the cragged Oake young and old It is a Tyrant ouer Tyrants bringing them to their graues cum eaede vulnere as it did Nero and Domitian with bloudy heads It is like the Sea terrible not to be dramd not to be turned out of his channell carrying all away with it by as many wayes as there be wayes to the Sea all waters runne to the Sea and all men tend to their earth It is like the Lyon in the Fable to whose denne many Beasts went but none returned It accepts as many as comes like the Harlot in the Prouerbs but none returnes since like those Oxe-like beastly fooles that goe in to a whore they goe into the chamber of death like a couetous Niggard it receiues all but parts with none Spaires none neque moribus nec aetati Nay saith a Papist nec Matri vitae nec vitae neyther the Virgin Mary which they say is the Mother of life nor CHRIST the life it selfe then much lesse will it spare vs for Pallida mors equâ— pulsat pede c. With aequall foote it knockes the gate Both of the rich and poore estate And that so indifferently that as one saith if hee should make choyse of a Iudge in the whole world he would chuse Death it is not corrupted like a corrupt Officer but is as vnpartiall as imperiall Thus much for the necessitie of dying Now it is time by Vse and Application to bring home vvhat hath beene said vnto the heart of euery Reader First therefore from the necessitie of death let it teach vs not too much to be in loue with life or with any thing in this life What a folly is it for a man to set his heart vpon a strange woman in a strange Country whose face it is likely hee shall neuer see more If Sampson had knowne how soone he should haue beene taken from his Dalilah hee would neuer haue so doated on her if Sichem had knowne how speedily his lusting loue to Dinah would haue occasioned his destruction hee would rather haue loathed her before his folly with her as Ammon did Thamar after then haue loued her If wee did but ponder how soone vvee are to leaue these perishing pleasures and profits which will be our ruine and irreuocable destruction wee would cast them from vs as a menstruous cloath wee would hate them as wee doe a Toade detest them as wee doe the Diuell and flye from them as Moses from his rod when it turned into a Serpent Oh the thought of death may moderate euen lawfull affections and curbethem in their idolatrous exorbitancie from being immeasurable least by a violencie of desires they be carryed away after any outward thing that wee doe inioy and may cause vs as it did the holy Patriarks Prophets Apostles primitiue Christians ancient and moderne Martyres to leaue father and mother wife and childe house and land portion and pence for Christs cause voluntarily as Moses did the pleasures of Pharaohs Court since as Horace hath it Linquenda tellus c. Wee must leaue them will we nill wee Necessarily and sure if vvee ought to leaue in affection the good things that vvee liue by much more vvee ought to leaue both in Affection and Action the sinnes that vvee perish by ere vvee leaue the vvorld least wee dye as vvicked men haue dyed before vs as wretchedly as vvickedly Secondly since wee must all dye and that as wee haue heard because vvee haue sinned then if wee loue life as all doe naturally let vs hate sinne that depriues vs of life A man that loues his Wife dearely cannot loue him that would make a breach betwixt them or deuorce him from her hee that loues his life me thinkes should not loue the intentiue murtherer that plots and contriues his death This disturber this destroyer is Sinne It is a right Faux a plotter of thy perdition a right Cateline a conspirator of thy calamitie it watcheth opportunities as the Foxe doth the Hare as the Lyon doth the Dogge as Iael did Sâ—sera as Iudith did Holofernes and as Delilah did Sampson when to deceiue thee when to destroy thee yea euen when it fawnes vpon thee and flatters thee and playes with thee then like the Cars play with the Mouse it purposeth to prey vpon thee Thus it fawned and flattered vpon Adam and Eue and offered them as Witches and poysoners offer Children an Apple to play withall but by this Apple it killed them so hath it done all mankinde besides and wilt thou fauour it Zealous was his spirit that once expostulated with one as I now with thee Peccatum omnes maiores tuos occidit tu fouis Sin saith one hath slaine all thy Predecessors and Ancestors and wilt thou
Village Tradesmen or the like when their businesse is well dispatcht saith Chrisostome returne into the Citie with ioy againe so the Christian soule that comes from the new Ierusalem the heauenly Citie to traffique here in the low Countryes of this earth by the Organs of the body if it haue well executed the duties of Pietie Charitie and Christianitie to GOD and man may with ioy returne like a Ship Royall loaden with precious Marchandize from whence it came for such a man dyes not but departs From whence we slide into the third point briefely concerning the Epithite which Simeon here giues to death hee cals it a Departure From whence we may see partly into the nature of that which wee call Death it is onely a Departure a going or transmigration from one place to another Therefore vvhen Abraham speakes of his barrennesse he vseth this phrase Ego vadā absque liberis I depart this life or goe away without Children Chrysostome notes his phrase and thereupon implies Ecce iustus ille vt philosophatur c. That Abraham doth truely in that word going away philosophize and dispute of death which Basil applying to the auncient Martyres cals Migratio quaedam ad meliora c. A migration to a better habitation Philosophy cals it The priuation of all heate so Plutarch or Priuatio vitae the priuation of life so Sealiger Exercit. 307. Sect. 23. All which titles and tearmes may still hearten the Christian to confront it in the very face couragiously according to Bernards counsell Volo mortem si non effugere c. That since they cannot flye it they should not feare it Iustus mortem etsi non caue◠c. since the iust man is not cautelous to preuent it let him not be too timerous to encounter it nay rather let him enter the lists as the Persians went to battell ioyfully and with a shout since it is but a Bugbeare or a shadow without substance a Serpent without a sting a superficies no positiue thing of it selfe but the corruption of the subiect that God and Nature subiects vnto it at the worst to the worst an Executioner of a Rebell good to the godly a rewarder of a faithfull Seruant Iosephs Chariot to bring good Iacob from the Land of penurie to the Land of plentie Et qu◠non ad meliora festinet saith Cyprian in his Sermon vpon death Who will not hasten to exchange for the better Lastly me thinkes here is notably implyed the immortalitie of the Soule for what is it which departs but the soule out of the body which flyes out when Death opens the doore that held it in like a Bird out of the Cage liuing else where in pleasure or in paine in act◠seperato in a seperated act as also the Resurrection of the body may not vnfitly be concluded for in a departure betwixt man and wife friend and friend there is a constant hope of meeting againe so these two friends which liue and loue together like Ionathan and Dauid the soule and body shall meete together at the Resurrection both which poynts of Christianitie as Simeon beleeued and taught his Schollers being a great Rabbi and a Master in Israel so hee seemes to mee to allude here vnto both and to professe his faith in both To beginne with the baser part the body that it shall rise againe howeuer it be a Mysterie scoffed at because vnknowne of the Iewish Saduces scoffing Athenians Braine-sicke Philosophers stupid Stoickes hoggish Epicures disputing Peripaticians howeuer denyed by all the rabblement of these Hereticall Valentinians Simonians Carpocratians Cerdonians Seuerians Basilidians Hierarchites and all the Libertines yet it was the faith of all the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles from the first houre that by reuelation of the Spirit or by the Word it was manifested to the Church of God it was the faith of Dauid of Daniel of of Ezekiel of Esay Iob Paul Martha Iohn the Diuine of all the Saints and so of Simeon Let these Arguments confirme thine first Christ thy head is risen hee is the first fruits of them that sleepe and the pawne that thou shalt rise being a member of his 1 Cor. 15.20 where my flesh and bloud is there shall I be saith Cassiodorus our Ioseph is in Aegypt before vs. Secondly the redemption by Christ extends to thy body as to thy soule vvhich body must rise againe else Christs Passion were fruitlesse and forcelesse Thirdly the body which like Simeon and Leui was brother here in sinning vvith the soule must in Gods equall remunerating Iustice be raised to suffer in an equall measure and proportion as it hath sinned Fourthly Gods promises which hee hath signed with the finger of his Spirit sealed with the bloud of the Lambe to the Elect of peace and Immortalitie cannot be of vigour and vertue vnlesse their bodies rise Fiftly the inseperable vnion twixt Christ and his Church should be disioyned if the body rise not Sixtly many absurdities vvould follow which Paul addes 1 Cor. 15.14.15.16.17 whither I referre you as that all preaching professing and practise of Christianitie vvere else in vaine Seauenthly if in other cases witnesses be to be beleeued then those fiue hundred Brethren mentioned 1 Cor. 15.5.6.7.8 Cephas and the twelue Iames and the Apostles Mary Magdalene Paul that testifie Christs resurrection by necessary consequence confirme ours Rom. 8.13 which depends vpon Christs Eightly these that haue beene brought to life againe after their departure eyther by the Prophets as the widdow of Sarepta's Son by Elias 1 Kings 17.22 or the Shunamites Childe by Elizeus 2 Kings 4.35 And the dead Souldier by touching Elisha's bones 2 Kings 13.21 or by the Apostles as Dorcas by Peter Acts 3.40 Eutichus by Paul Acts 20.10 or by Christ himselfe as the widdow of Naims Son Luke 7.15 Iairus Daughter Mat. 9.29 Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary Iohn 11.44 and those which appeared in the holy Citie when Christ rose and ascended vp to heauen with him as Augustine thinkes are all Praeludia Resurrectionis types and figures of our resurrection Ninthly we haue many resemblances both in the great Booke of Nature and the little Booke of Grace in the word and in the world Isaacks suruiuing in sacrificing whom Abraham receiued in a figure Heb. 11.19 Aarons dry Rod that budded and blossomed Numb 17.8 Ezekiels dry bones that came together bone to bone flesh to flesh Ezek. 37.8.9.10 Ionas deliuery out of the Whales belly are instances in the Word In Nature the Summer liuing of Trees Hearbs Plants c. yea of Corne it selfe in their seeming Winters death when their sap is in the route these beasts as some Beares and Mice c. which sleepe all Winter and seeme to reuiue in the Spring Swallowes Bats Flyes Gnats c. which by the Sunnes heate seeme to reuiue out of their cold sowne the Arabian
therefore the soules of Abraham Isaack and Iacob are liuing stil though they be dead themselues Secondly was not Enoch translated that he should not see death Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.17 then Enochs soule still liues Thirdly had not Daniels prayer beene an ignorant and friuolous wish as some note praying for Nabuchadnezzar Oh King liue for euer Dan. 2.4 If the life of his soule had not beene the obiect of his wish Fourthly doth not Elias pray that the soule of his Hostesse Childe may returne againe into him therefore it was not dead and extinct it is no matter where it was it is as absurd to say that it was in Limbo puerorum as Papists doe as that the soule of Lazarus and Iairus Daughter was in Purgatorie suppose it were in heauen it was liuing where euer it was euen as the soules of Moses and Elias were liuing and gaue motion to their bodies being vpon the Mount with Christ Fiftly Christ promiseth Paradise to the penitent Theefe Luke 23. the very day of his dissolution of which hee had liuery and seasure and present possession in his liuing soule for his dead body hung all that day vpon the Crosse Sixtly Lazarus dying was carryed into Abrahams bosome what was carryed his Soule Luke 16.22 as the wicked Angels fetcht the soule of the secure Churle to Hell Luke 12. verse 20. Seauenthly Iohn saw the soules of those vnder the Altar that were killed for the Word of Christ Reu. 5.6.9 All which with infinite moe being so many Arrowes shot against Atheisme doe euince that the soule is immortall and that the spirits of the iust here with old Simeons after their departure from the body returne to God that gaue them Eccles 12.7 A truth that the very Heathen saw by the light of Nature as appeares by their Writings by Antiochus his Epistle to Lisius wherein hee thinkes his dead Father translated to the Gods 2 Mach. 11. ver 23. Plato in his Timeo Tully in his Diuinations and in his Booke of the sleepe of Saeipio Pithagoras and the Pithagoreans Thales Milesius Hermes Euripides in his Tragedies Plutarch in his Consolatory Epistles Seneca in his Booke of immature death yea the Poets in their fictions of the Elizean fields and the like ayme all at this more like Christians at least Christian Philosophers and Poets that the Heauens are aeterna animaruÌ„ domicilia the eternall mansions of good soules departed Let vs beleeue this by the light of the Word which they saw by the poore sparke of Nature and let the thought of it still encourage thee which is the Naile that I driue at in all this discourse to looke Death boldly in the face since to the godly it is but Titulus sine re a bare title without any subsisting a bare name a blancke without a Seale good saith Bernard to the good in regard of rest better in regard of securitie best of all as the way to life and immortalitie being as Ambrose cals it alledged by Pontanus the birth day of thy eternitie the repayrer of thy lifes ruines not abolishing but establishing thy best being Therefore Summum nec mâ—tâ—â—as diem c. Feare not thy last fate rather desire it with Paul because it is but thy dissolution be thankfull for it with Simeon because it is but thy departure waite for it with Iob because it is thy changing then feare it or fret at it with the naturall and morrall men of the world For why should that eyther feare thee or fret thee that cannot hurt the best the greatest part of thee If the gold be saued who regards the losse of a rotten purse If the Pearles within be preserued who cares for the breaking of an old chest If the costly Marchandize and loading of the ship be safe what Marchant respects the ruines of a rotten Barge If the liuing soules be not indangered nor the best of the stuffe endammaged wee care not so much for the burning of an old house wee respect not the losse of the Cradle if the childe be safe the mangling of the cloaths if the body be vnwounded Now that which the Gold is to the Purse the Pearles to the Châ—st the Wares to the Ship the good Wines to the Caske the Honie to the Hiue the Housholder to the House the Childe to the Cradle the Body to the Garments that is the Soule to the Body as much more eminent and excellent as the thing contained exceedes the continent If death doe fetter the Body and free the Soule where is the losse what is the crosse Secondly is the Soule immortall and the Body mortall then execrable is the folly of the multitude and lamentable is the dotage of all sorts from the highest to the lowest that spend misspend their yeeres dayes strength vvit vvealth and all their Tallents in pleasing contenting satisfying and fulfilling the desires of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof in decking adorning feeding and pampering this sluggish Asse this rotten Carrion the body which perhaps shall take vp his Inne in the earth to morrow and be meate for wormes in the meane space neglecting and not regarding the soule which is to liue for euer Oh how many millions of men and women to euen amongst common Christians may be arraigned accused and conuicted of this folly and dottage that in other things are politique Galliâ—'s and plotting Iezabel's yet in this are witty fooles in preferring the Purse before the Gold the Caske before the Wine the Hiue before the Hony the Body before the Soule How many spend yeeres and moneths nay all their precious time in hawking hunting whoring carding dicing c. in scraping and gathering yealow dust together in doing workes morrall or sinfull their owne workes or the Diuels how many in doing nothing or doing euill or as good as nothing How many women spend many dayes and houres in tricking and trimming the painted sepulchers of their soules I meane their bodies in a Glasse who neuer considering how the glasse of their time runnes spend not a moneth in a yeere a weeke in a moneth a day in a weeke an houre in a day in the publique or priuate worship of GOD in looking into the Glasse of Gods word prayer meditation c. How many Citizens and Countrimen of all sorts spend the vvhole sixe dayes in catering and purueying for the body who grudge God his Sabbaths for the prouision of their soules such men eyther they thinke they haue no soules or that their soules shal die with their bodies like the beasts liuing like Libertines and Epicures as their faith is like the Saduces which denied any Spirit or Resurrection or soules immortalitie as Iosephus testifies of them Oh we had need cry to such deluded franticke men and tell them that they haue soules and soules immortall to raigne with GOD or to be plagued with the Diuels after their departing out of the body His hoped Pacification In these words In peace
because they haue dyed of the Plague Suppose it be an accursed death did not Christ the penitent Theefe Peter and Paul which were crucified by Nero with their heads downewards dye an accursed death euen the death of the Crosse Fourthly besides is it not Gods visitation like other diseases Fiftly is it not oft-times sent as Cyprian well notes as well for the sinnes of those that liue it of those that dye as appeares in the Plague sent vpon Dauids Sheepe when he the Shepheard sinned in numbring of them Sixtly is it not a disease though sharpe yet short and more tollerable then the Stone Dropsie Gout Palsie or the French disease Seauenthly did not Dauid desire this kinde of death rather then eyther Famine or Warre Eightly nay haue not Gods Saints as namely Iob for many moneths together beene troubled with a more grieuous maladie Ninthly is not God very mercifull to many that dye of the Plague that haue their senses and memories till the last houre are not those blew spots which appeare Gods tokens as they are called fore-warning them that haue them as God did Ezekias to prepare themselues for they must dye Lastly is their any death much lesse this can hinder the soule after her dâ—arting from Gods present and immediate fellowship or the body from a glorious Resurrection and what if none visit the afflicted in this sort the fewer that gaze on them the fitter they are to looke vp to God And what if they dye and vvant solemne buriall what preiudice is that to the bodies resurrection or soules saluation Obiect 7. But some of the godly dye of Famine as did Lazarus from which God promiseth to preserue them Psal 34. Answ First it is vncertaine whether Lazarus dyed for want of food or the violence of his disease Secondly this death is rare and seldome fals out God prouiding for his as hee did for Iacob and Elias euen in Famine but if this happen God armes his with patience and strengthens them with the assured hope of life eternall as hee did the persecuted Hebrewes who were exposed to nakednesse and hunger Heb. 11.38 Thirdly the Promise is conditionall as all others are that concerne these outward things which fall alike to all Ecclâ—s 9. Fourthly some vnderstand the place in the Psalmist concerning the soules of Gods Saints which are fed with the hidden and precious Manna of the Word to life eternall Iohn 6. Apoc. 2.17 Obiect 8. But some are slaine by their enemies these dye not in peace Ans Yes for no death can seperate Gods Children from his loue Rom. 8.38 Secondly though they kill the body as Cain did Abels the Philistines Ionathans yet as Zwinglius said in the like case as you haue heard they cannot kill the soule Thirdly it is a priuiledge if they dye in Gods cause and procures them a greater increase of glory Apoc. 14.13 Mat. 5.8 Obiect 9. Lastly it is obiected that some of the godly as Sampson and Rasis haue killed themselues others haue done the like in our dayes How haue these dyed in peace Ans For Rasis it was a weakenesse in him if hee were a good man or a wickednesse if he were not For Sampson what hee did was typicall as he prefigured Christs death that ouercame dying Secondly it was by a speciall instinct and motion of Gods Spirit inimitable no more then Abrahams sacrificing his Sonne for those which our experience instanceth in I confesse it is a ticklish point and the knot is hard to be loosed I know that Saul Achitâ—phel and Iudas that killed themselues are noted in the Scripture for reprobates And it seemes that those which doe this inhumane deede doe not for the instant thinke of hell torments yet vvhat then God neuer forsakes his chosen Secondly his mercy is bottomlesse from the Ocean of which mercy hee may distill some drop of grace at the last point of time Thirdly this act is done commonly in some Frenzie or predominant Melancholy when they are not themselues Fourthly Sathan is a wilie Serpent that obserues his aduantages and the Lord knowing his malice and wickednesse and mans frailtie and weakenesse punisheth this sinne as he did the first sinne wherein this Serpent vvas chiefe actor more in Sathan the agent then in man the patient Fiftly many Selfe-murtherers liue after the selfe inflicted fatall stroke and repent ere they dye Let vs iudge the best of them and pray to GOD to giue vs grace neuer to yeeld to the like temptations Amen And now these Doubts discussed these Obiections remoued we come to the Vses The first is this is it so that the Seruants of the Lord doe dye in peace wee must then if wee meane to dye well as the Lord shall inable vs learne to liue well If wee will dye in peace wee must liue the life of grace for it is not â—am vetus quam verum so prouerbiall as true Qualis vita finis ita as is the life so is the death Instance in all particulars in the Scripture from the first line in Genesis to the last Letter of the Reuelation and wee shall neuer see otherwayes excepting one example of the Theefe vpon the Crosse which is particular miraculous vpon a speciall occasion to magnifie the effect of Christs bloud and the power of his Passion to eternize his mercy that gaue life euen at his death and to shew and demonstrate his Deitie that at the lowest ebbe of his crucified Humanitie was able to saue a soule to strengthen the Disciples and allure the vnbeleeuing Gentiles I say excepting him which is an extraordinary example and not to be propounded as a president by any presumptuous soule wee shall not finde any one that liued ill and dyed well but that had the Prologue of their euill life shut vp with the Tragedie of a damned death Looke vpon Cain the murtherer that desperate Runne a-gate on the licentious Worldlings on Lamech the seauentie time auenged Polygamist on polluted Onan and wicked Err on vncleane Sodome with her Sister Gomorrha Gen. 19 25. on rebelling Israel hard-hearted Pharaoh obdurate superstitious and irreligious Aegypt Exod. 6.7.8 ch 14. on disobedient Saul 1 Sam. 15. on lying Iesuitically aequiuocating Gehezi 2 Kings 5. on theeuish Achan treacherous Achitophel traiterous Iudas adulterous and murtherous Herod bloudy Ioab couetous Ahab persecuting Iezabel deluding Ananias deceiuing Saphira cruell Antiochus proud Hamman vsurping Athalia rebelling Absolon with millions moe looke at their liues obserue their deaths peruse their Stories paralell their doings with their sufferings and tell mee if they haue not sealed vp and concluded sensuall and sinfull liues with cursed deaths nay as the Prophet saith Goe yee to Calneh and see and from thence goe you to Hamath the great then goe to Gath of the Philistines looke vpon Ioppa behold Tharsus wonder at Niniuie the pride of Assur gaze vpon Babilon the beautie of all the Chaldees honour And
as you passe by cast your eye vpon Ierusalem that virgin Daughter Sion And if you please reflexe vpon proud Troy renowned Carthage famous Constantinople learned Athens rich Thebes warrelike Numantia populous Samaria ancient Rome old Antwerpe and when you haue viewed them all in the Map of your retyred Meditations tell these renowned places these wonders of the vvorld that sinne hath sackt them that pride hath beene their period that their faults haue caused their fals that they haue beene miserable because vnmindfull of God and of themselues that they with their inhabitants because they haue wanted grace haue wanted peace But if these be to generall for thy application descend into particulars runne ouer Histories read the Tragicke parts that wicked men haue acted vpon the Stage of this world and marke their ends when Death hath struck them Non-plus Leaue all other sinnes and sinners looke on these that eyther haue broached errours Heretically or resisted or persecuted the truth obstinately and cruelly and you shall see them dying horribly you shall see blasphemous Cerinthus killed with the ruines of an house as he was sitting in a Bath at Ephesus Manes the Father of the Manichees exposed to the teeth of Dogs with his skinne flaine off by the command of a Persian King Arius that hellish patrone of the Arians voyding out his bowels with his excrements Olimpius strucke with Thunder by a three-fold Dart from Heauen for his blasphemies against the Trinitie Nestorius perished in Aegypt by the rotting of that tongue of his which denyed Christs humanitie Tandemus that Gygantean and profane contemner of the Word and Sacraments clouen to the braine by a sailing Priest Michael Sernetus burned at Geneua Maximinian the Tyrant smit with a sodaine plague from GOD his eyes swelling his whole body burning so dyed Cruell Domitian the next persecuter after Nero slaine by his Wife and Seruants and buryed like a Dogge Lucius Verus cut off by an Apoplexie the eleauenth yeere of his cruell raigne Maximinus the Thracian murthered by his Souldiers Decius drowned in a puddle Valerian King Sapors slaue after his persecutions had his skinne pluckt off his rotten carkasse Dioclesian with his Collenge butchering seauenteene thousand Christians in thirty dayes consumed miserably in his Frenzie by a lingring disease and his fellow hanged himselfe Valeâ—s the Arrian Emperour burned in his Inne by his pursuing enemies What neede I giue Coale-worts twice sod and set before you againe those dishes that haue beene cooked by all authentâ—cke Ecclesiasticall Authors that are of credit concerning the miserable death of Iulian the apostate whose bloud his owne hands threw into the ayre of Aurelian smit with a Thunderbolt Commoduâ— strangled of Paulinus possessed with a Diuell after hee had martyred Martinian and Processus with diuers others in which the Antichristian Popes as they haue acted the chiefe parts in filthinesse blood-guiltinesse and superstition so if wee obserue their ends as they are recorded by Platina Onuphrius c. and their owne Writers wee shall see they haue dyed fearefully and desperately as they haue liued damnably as may be instanced in Siluester the second Alexander the sixt Heldibrand c. and others all which instances with all other examples that Iewes or Gentiles the Christian or Pagan world afford vnto vs are nothing else but comments vpon that Maxime which S. Augustine drawes from his owne experience when hee saith Nunquam memini male mortuum c. I neuer remembred any to haue dyed ill that haue liued well and hardly doth hee dye well that hath liued ill Therefore to extract another Vse from these premisses Is it so that onely the Seruants of God the Lords Simeons dye in peace and none else then the madnesse of those men is to be mourned as Samuel mourned for Saul and their ignorance or obstinacie is to be pittied that flatter their owne soules and secure themselues they shall dye happily when they haue no care nor conscience to liue holily Faine would they with Balaam dye the death of the righteous but they will not liue the life of the righteous they would act Simeons part in death but they will not labour for Simeons Spirit they would dye like Iude but liue like Iudas dye like the Sonnes of God liue like the sonnes of Belial dye like Saints liue like sinners dye like Dauid but liue like Diues in chambering and wantonnesse in surfetting and drunkennesse in delights and dalliance in pleasures and pompe they would be vvith Christ on Mount Sion but they will not follow him to Mount Caluarie they will not be crucified with him nay they will not crucifie one lust nor sacrifice one sinne nor mortifie one member for the loue of Christ for the loue of their owne soules they will not plucke out their right eies cut off their right hands throw away those sinnes that are as deare to them as eyther eyes or hands for gaining of God for purchase of Paradise for conquest of a crowne nay they will rather carrie both their eyes and both their feete all their deare and darling sinnes whither Iudas carryed his Hypocrisie and Herod his Lust euen to death with them euen to the graue with them euen to Iudgement with them then cast them off as the wilde Beast hunted casts away his stones for which hee is pursued to saue their life by dying nay to saue their soules by dying to sinne Doe these men beleeue the Scripture that tels them as they sow so they shall reape Nay doe they beleeue Experience that in euery Garden Field and Seede-plat shewes it Doe they credit the holy Oracles that if they liue after the flesh they shall dye but if they mortifie the deedes of the flesh by the Spirit they shall liue Rom. 8.13 And doe they nay dare they then goe on in sinne and thinke notwithstanding to reape saluation Are they but dead men all their life euen dead in sinne and trespasses without the quickning Spirit Ephes 2.1 ver 5. and doe they thinke to be liuing men in death Doe men vse to gather grapes of Thornes and figs of Thistles they know to the contrary and thinke they that a good death will grow of a bad life let them neuer hope it I aske such men as Iezabel asked Iehu 2 Kings 9.31 Iehu Iehu did Zimri prosper that slew his Master I trow no. So I aske euery licentious loose sinner Did euer any sinner dye well without repenting that offended God his heauenly Master by treasonable sinning Apply all these precedent examples to thine owne soule and make them thy presidents read them ouer againe and remember them and paralell thy selfe with them Art thou a Theefe looke how Achan dyed that was a Theefe Iosh 7. Art thou a Whore-master looke how the Sodomites dyed how Er and Onan dyed Hophni and Phinees that were vncleane A Whore looke how whorish Iezabel dyed A Swearer looke how blasphemous Rabsakeh
1 Kings 16.9.10 Iezabel argues well Can Traitors haue peace looke to it Iehu thou art a Traytor against Ahab sure Traytors seldome or neuer dye in peace Witnesse Absolon Sheba Adoniah our English Traytors Romanized Semenaries treacherous Conspirators Lopus Squire Titchburne Babington Parry c. our late Powder-plotting Pioners the French Rauillack millions moe which being like Ioab men of bloud haue come to their ends as is said of Tyrants cum caede sanguine with bloud and slaughter Oh then how canst thou a worme of the earth a wretched man because a vvicked man liuing in treasonable sinnes with a heart as hard as the neather-Milstone rebelling against so great so glorious so potent so powerfull a God once hope that euer thy gray haires shall come to the graue in peace or that thy soule after her flitting shall rest in Abrahams bosome the place of peace Can a man haue peace in Rome and be opposed against the Pope the vsurping Herod that supposed earthly God as his flattering Parasites call him oh then canst thou dust and ashes be opposed on earth against the mightie Iehouah the God of heauen Christ that opened the eyes of the blinde open thine eyes to see and thy heart to beleeue as hee did Lydia's Acts 16.14 and giue thee at last a resolution to breake off thy sinnes by repentance Dan. 4.84 the enemies of thy peace least God breake thee like a Potters vessell and teare thee in pieces whilst there is none to deliuer thee Psal 50.22 Oh sue for pardon for thy sinnes seeke for peace to him which is the Prince of peace Esay 9.6 seeke for peace by him and his merits which was ordained to be thy peace and to worke thy reconciliation Câ—l 1.20 so thou shalt shut vp the last period of thy life vvith inward peace and goe to keepe an eternall Sabbath with him that is the God of peace Thirdly that thou maist die peaceably invre thy selfe to dye daily and that after this manner First euery day mortifie some sinne nip some Serpent in the head crucifie euery day some corruption set vpon thy lesser sinnes and so get ground of thy greater sinnes as in particular leaue thy dangerous and damnable custome of swearing and blaspheming by these degrees first breake off thy Ciuill Oathes as in swearing by thy Faith Troth Christendome c. Secondly then set vpon thy Ridiculous and Childish Oathes as by Fay Fakins Trokins Bodikins Slid Sounds Cocke and Pye with the like whereby thou seekest to mocke and deceiue God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. Thirdly then invre thy selfe to leaue thy Superstitious Oathes as by the Masse Rood Crosse by our Lady and by Popish Saints c. Fourthly so proceede against thy Heathenish and Idolatrous Oathes in swearing by the Creatures as Laban and Iezabel by their Idols Gen. 31.53 1 Kings 19 verse 2. as by men by S. Peter and by S. Iohn c. by the Heauens the Earth by Fire Sunne the Light Meate Drinke Money c. or by the parts of thy body as Hands or the like or by thy Soule all condemned Mat. 5. ver 34. Iames 5.12 And so with a courage set vpon thy impious horrible fearefull damnable blasphemous Oathes as by the Lord by God the eternall God by Christ by Iesus and such like or by the parts and adiuncts of Christ by tearing his Humanitie as the Iewes did his body by diuiding him as the Souldiers did his garments Mat. 27.35 in blasphemie by his Death Passion Life Soule Bloud Flesh Heart Wounds Bones Sides Guts Armes Foote Nayles c. of all which I tremble and quake to thinke write and speake though thou makest no more scruple of such Hell-bred Oathes then of thy ordinary words so deale with all other sinnes of which thy soule is as full as a Serpent is full of venome and a Toade of poyson Crucifie them by degrees and dye to them daily else thou dyest for euer if thou dye 〈◊〉 in them By this course thou shalt take away the sting of Death which is Sinne for the strength of Death is Sinne 1 Cor. 15. euen as the strength of Sampson laid in his hayre Iudg. 16.17 which sinne when it is subdued Death it selfe is as easily conquered as weakened Sampson was by the Philistines verse 21. yea it can doe thee no more harme then a Dragon Viper or angry Waspe which haue lost their stings Secondly dye daily to the world loue it not nor the things of it that so thou maist more happily dye out of the world and more hopefully entertaine thoughts of a better world And in this case doe as Runners vse who oft runne ouer the Race before they runne for the Wager that so they may be better invred and acquainted when they come to try their abilitie or as is said of Belney the Martyr that being to suffer by fire many dayes before he would hold his hand a pretty while in the flame so to prepare himselfe to sustaine the paines of Martyrdome which he was to vnder-goe Thirdly dye daily by invring thy selfe to take Crosses and Afflictions patiently as sickenesses in body troubles in minde losse of goods of friends and of good name c. which indeede are little deaths euen pettie deaths not onely Prologues of death but Preparatiues to death for which cause GOD sends them to his children more then to the wicked euen to weane them from the world and prepare them for death as the Nurse weanes the Childe from the Teate by doing bitter Aloes vpon it and sure he that beares Crosses most patiently is well prepared to dye peaceably as appeares by S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 who by making good vse of afflictions dyed daily it holding commonly that Mors post crucem minor est Death is lesse dolorous after the crosse Fourthly pray seriously for a peaceable departure it is confirmed by examples of all ages and experience of all Gods Seruants that hee that prayes well speedes well Iacob and Abrahams Seruant had Gods blessings vpon their Iourneyes as an effect of their Prayers Gen. 24. Gen. 27. Thou shalt finde Gods presence euen in that houre of the last iourneying of thy soule from her earthly Mansion to her heauenly Country if thou pray for this grace particularly and effectually therefore as thou oughtest to pray continually for other things so euen in health and prosperitie pray frequently and feruently 1. That God would make this backeward repugnant and nilling nature of thine willing to her dissolution 2. Prepare thy vnprepared soule 3. Subdue thy corruptions 4. Purge out the drosse of thy sinnes 5. Giue the patience to kisse his correcting Rod when hee whips by sicknesse or diseases 6. Succour thee in thy last and greatest conflict 7. Support thy weaknes 8. Aide thee against Sathans force and fraud 9. Strengthen thy Faith 10. Renew thy decayed graces 11. Giue thee the power and comfort of his owne Spirit 12. Not
their deaths they must be catechized as Christ did Nicodemus and Philip the Eunuch euen in the maine doctrines of Faith and Repentance like as some new conuerted Pagans were in the Primitiue Church There be few Ministers acquainted vvith visiting the sicke but they shall finde that men that haue beene vnder the meanes twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres doe at the end of all beginne to inquire as the Iewes of Peter Acts 2. and the Iaylor of Paâ—l Acts 16. what they should doe to be saued not yet knowing the meanes and the way to saluation which argues the great securitie of our age and contempt of God oh take thou heede betimes vse all good meanes before-hand that thou maist be able in sickenesse to put in practise these spirituall exercises of Repentance and Inuocation The second branch of the sicke mans preparation concernes himselfe and that eyther his soule or his body for the soule First the sicke partie must arme himselfe against the feare of death and feeling of sicknesse Death is very fearefull to all men euen to the godly as one obserues well in Dauid for all who though hee were neyther daunted with Sauls malice nor the Philistines hatred nor Absolons Treason nor Achitophels treachery nor in grapling with a Lyon nor in fighting with a Beare nor incountring Goliah yet when Death beganne to close vvith him and lay holde on him then hee cryes out Oh I am troubled aboue maesure Oh spare mee a little Psal 6.3 39.13 Therefore thus incourage thy present feeling and greater feare First that sicknesse and so death is the rod of a Father not the whip of a Iudge the correction not destruction of a Sonne Heb. 12.6 Secondly since it is the Lord say with Eli Lâ—t him doe what seemes good 1 Sam. 3.18 His will be done on mee in mee and by mee on me in suffering in me by his grace working by me in obeying Thirdly Christ thy high Priest and Intercessor is euen touched with a fellow-feeling of all thine infirmitiâ—s Heb. 4.15 Fourthly against deaths feare 1. consider the estate of thy life which life is but a vanishing Vapour Iames 4.14 a Weather-cocke which turnes at euery blast a Waue which surgeth at euery storme a Reede blowne vvith euery winde a Warfare as doubtfull as dangerous feare not the vanishing of a Vapour the turning of a Weather-cocke 2. Consider thy body as a body of sinne Rom. 7.24 the soules prison the mindes iayle the spirits cage no Bocardo dungeon sincke puddle pit is so noysome to the body as it selfe is to the heauenly inspired soule Now since death is the leauing of this body of sinne as Augustine cals it it is not to be eschewed but imbraced saith Chrisostome Other incouragements I leaue to their due places The second dutie which concernes the soule is this thou must set in order thy soule reconciling and recommending vnto God this desolate darling of thine after the manner afore said for as the sickenesse of the body oft comes from the sinne of the soule so the curing of the one oft procures the health of the other but if thy sicknesse be to death by this course 1. thou shalt dye more quietly 2. more comfortably 3. giue good example to thy visitors 4. leaue a comfort to thy suruiuing Friends Now for the performance of these things the better others ought to assist thee as others brought the sicke of the Palsie to CHRIST Marke 2. Iames tels thee that the Elders of the Church must be sent for Iam. 5.14 which Elders were not onely Apostles but auncient men endued with the spirit of Prayer and gift of Miracles a gift which not onely many Parents had but euen Christian Souldiers saith Tertullian de corona militis c. 11. In these times S. Iames his rule still holds though then those gifts cease yet make thou choyse of such Christians as haue the spirit of Admonition Exhortation Prayer c. for to their prayers for thee a blessing is promised Iames 5.15 their prayers if they be feruent may preuaile for the restoring of thy spirituall life or corporall health as the prayers of Elias Elizeus Paul and our Sauiour Christ preuailed for whom they prayed but chiefely send for thy Minister or some faithfull Preacher for hee will play the part of a spirituall Physitian 1. hee can vnrip thy vlcers search thy sores better then thou thy selfe 2. set before thee thy sinnes 3. cast thee downe by the Law 4. raise thee vp by the Gospell 5. comfort 6. direct 7. instruct thee 8. speake a word to thee in due season from God 9. be thy mouth to speake from thee and for thee to God 10. pronounce thy pardon on earth vvhich shall be ratified in heauen vpon tryall of thy Repentance Iohn 20.23 The practise of the world and worldlings is condemnable in this case for alas instead of sending for knowing and zealous men which could comfort them with such consolations wherewith they themselues haue beene comforted 2 Cor. 1.4 and in some measure restore them Gal. 6.1 they send for their carnall friends entertaine and welcome profane men that come to visit them from whom they receiue as much comfort as Iudas did of the Scribes and Pharisies when hee was in despayre Mat. 27.3.4 First eyther they say nothing to them like Iobs friends that were silent seauen dayes Iob 2.13 and in silence looke vpon them like a Deere at gaze Secondly or else they speake to little or no purpose saying to the sicke partie they are sorry to see him in such a case they would haue him take that which themselues want a good heart and be of good courage and comfort but wherein and by what meanes they cannot tell Others more vainely and profanely that they doubt not but hee shall doe well enough and recouer and that they shall be merry and drinke and carouse together as they haue done before c. and they will pray for them if they will when alas all their prayers are nothing else but the Apostles Creede or the tenne Commandements and the Lords Prayer vttered without Faith Feeling and Vnderstanding and this is the common comfort that sicke men get of their neighbours and friends when they come to visite them alas we may say as Iob of his friends miserable comforters be they all Secondly herein many men are also culpable 1. that they eyther send not for a Minister at all 2. or else for such a one as is as good as none a cloud without raine a dry pit without water such a one as wants the tongue of the learned to speake to him or the heart of the humble to pray for him vnlesse in saying as they say some set prayers which good Sir Iohn is as farre from truely praying as the sicke Patient is from profiting by them Or thirdly if they send for a Minister it is preposterously when it is too late in some maine exigent
28. â—9 comforts them with the promised Comforter Iohn 16.7 Thus Peter endeuoured that those to whom hee writ and preached should haue remembrance of what hee taught them euen after his departure 1 Peter 1.15 If Peters pretended Successors stood not so much on their personall succession as they should in the right of succession labouring to imitate the doctrine of Peter of the Prophets and Apostles nay if this care of doctrinall succession were in the Ministers of the reformed Religion wee should not haue here so much blindnesse and ignorance where once was light there so many Schismes Errours and Heresies where once was an vnitie in veritie else-where so many Wolues come into the roomes of faithfull Pastors Acts. 20 ver 29. Thirdly if thou beest a Master of a Familie thou must set thine house in order as the Prophet from God commands Ezekias Esa 38.1 Now for as much as all Scripture is from God 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20 and all examples are for our learning Rom. 15.4 what vvas said to Ezekias is said to euery man Set thine house in ordrr For Order saith Nazianzen is the mother and preseruer of all things Now for the procuring this order in thy Familie doe two things 1. concernes the temporall 2. the spirituall estate of thy Familie For the first make thy Will and Testament thou shouldest make it in thy health as Abraham did who in his health makes a Will and giues Legacies but chiefely in thy sickenesse as did Isaack and Iacob in that propheticall Testament of his Gen. 49. So some thus set downe Christs Will on the Crosse he giues his Soule to his Father his louing Mother to his beloued Disciple Iohn his body to Ioseph of Aramathia to the penitent Theefe Paradise to the Iewes his heartiest desires when hee prayes for them c. Now it is not a matter of indifferencie but a thing that conscience bindes thee to euen to make a Will and to distribute thine inheritance as Siracides counsels Syr. 33.22 for thus discharging a good conscience thou maist more freely depart in peace as a man takes his iourney more freely when hee hath set his house in order Secondly so thou cuttest off many contentions and stayest many suites in Law Thirdly thou takest away scandall and offence and so preuentest a woe threatned Mat. 18.7 Fourthly thou shalt be thought a wise man and not dye like a Nabal and a foole in setting all at sixe and seauen and so shalt leaue behinde thee a good name as a precious Oyntment Eccles 7.3 Fiftly thou shalt in this imitate God vvho is the God of order and not of confusion Now in the manner of making thy Will let the Rules be 1. the Law of GOD 2. of Nature 3. of that Nation whereof thou art a member 4. of common equitie If thy will be against any of these rules it is culpable First then it is Gods will to preferre thine owne bloud in disposing of thy estate before others as GOD tels Abraham that Eliazer a stranger shall not be his heyre but his owne Sonne Gen. 15.4 The like God commaunds the Israelites that if any man dye his Sonne shall be his heyre if hee haue no Sonne his Daughter if no Daughter his Brethren so descending still to the next of kinne Numb 27.8.17 It is a fault then for any man to alienate his goods or lands wholy from his bloud and posteritie the light of Grace and of Nature to condemnes it euen the very Schooles of Plato and Aristotle Secondly those are culpable that giue all to the eldest and little or nothing to the rest or all to Sonnes nothing to Daughters for though it be equall that the eldest haue more then the rest First because he is the eldest the Reâ—ben and first strength of the Father Secondly because Stockes and Families are preserued in their persons Thirdly that they may doe speciall seruices to the Common-wealth yet it is exceeding vnequall to giue so much to the eldest as though he should be my young Master and a Gentleman and the younger borne to beare the wallet as though he onely were a Son and the rest Illegitimate Fourthly in the Lawes of equitie remember him with something or her in thy Will that haue beene trusty and faithfull Seruants to thee gratifie in thy death their loues labours and strength spent for thee deale not with them as the Spaniell with the water shake them not off when thou hast no more vse of them Secondly allot some Legacies to thy friends as memorials of thy lasting loue Thirdly as thou art able remember the Chruch of God and those that are in it poore Ministers or poore Members Fourthly such Societies in the Common-wealth as thou hast liued in Now concerning the spirituall estate of thy Family teach instruct exhort admonish and pray for euery particular person in thy Familie In this reade and imitate the example of Dauid 1 Kings 2. the whole Chapter Exhort thy Wife to be the Spouse of CHRIST thy Children Gods Children thy Friends Gods Friends thy Seruants Gods Seruants so shall God and Gods Spirit giue that testimonie of thee that hee did of Abraham Gen. 18.19 euen for instructing thy Familie after thee The practise of these Precepts concernes thy peace both in sicknesse and in death Lastly when thou feelest Death approaching comming neare to the Agonie and pangs of it then vvith the Marriners stearne aright to get into the Hauen there is the greatest danger and if recouered the greatest ioy Now labour as thou hast liued so to dye by Faith Now apply the Promise to thy Soule trust in it let it quicken thee as it did Dauid Psal 119.49 Comfort thy selfe as that persecuted Patriarke did when Death was before him euen in the Lord thy God 1 Sam. 30.6 Now let God be the strength of thy heart euen vvhen thy flesh fayles and thy heart also Psal 73.26 Now vvith the Israelites looke to him vvith the eye of Faith of whom the brazen Serpent was a figure euen when the Serpent Death imbraceth thee to sting thee Iohn 3.14 Now call to minde all the former mercies of thy God to thy soule and suck spirituall sweetnesse from them Now vvith Moses cry vnto God euen when thou seest the dead Sea as hee the red Sea before thee Exod. 14. Now pray with all thy powers and spirits loue the Lord vvith all thy heart and affections reioyce that thou art going to meete thy Bridegroome now mourne and weepe more then euer that thou hast offended so good so gracious and so louing a GOD Now with Ezekias remember thy former sinnes in the bitternesse of thy soule turne thy selfe to the wall and weepe in the secret silence of thy Soule Esay 38.3 that so thou vvashing thy soule with penitent teares thy CHRIST may at that instant vvash away the pollutions of it vvith his bloud that so it may be presented spotlesse before the
Promethius his Vultur bringing death as the Apostle also saith 2 Cor. 7.10 But if these things be able to ouercome this Microcosme this little world of Man if Fire and Water and Famine and Fulnes and Thunder and Stones be able to sunder vs from halfe our selues our bodies as the furnace can the Mettals if all the Creatures the Lyons paw Bores tuske Buls horne nay the least of the Lords hoast the Gnat the Flye the Louse the Mouse be armed against vs as against Pharaoh and Hatto be able to giue vs our parting-blow to set vs packing hence nay if our owne affections be sufficient to infect vs how much more are wee indammaged and indangered by diseases and sicknesses to which as man is more subiected then any other Creature as Galen and Hipocrates haue obserued because hee hath sinned more then they which sinne of his is the cause of all maladies in the outward man Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Iohn 5.14 So there is not the least sicknesse or disease but it hath conquered where it hath assailed How many hath the Feuer extinguished men of fame Emperours and Kings as Antonius Autipater Vespasian Leo Goâ—fred Tacitus c. Antonie and Columbanus Monkes were forced by it the one sort to leaue their Crownes the other their Cels. As others by other diseases some by the Fluxe as innumerable common Souldiers in seuerall Campes yea Traian the Emperour saith Platina some by the Gout as Septimius Seuerus and Iustin the yonger c. Some by vnknowne diseases running betwixt the flesh and the skin as Heraclius Michael Paphlago c. Some by Apoplexies as Paul the second Pope Valentinian the Emperour saith Diaconus Lucius Ami. us verus saith Aurelius as also Francis Petrarke Some by aches in their bones and sides as Crassus the Orator Boniface the ninth as Gregorie the cleauenth by a paine in the belly nay vvhat member is there in man wherein Death rules not by the helpe of diseases in the head by Apoplexies in the eares by Wormes in the eyes by Inflamations in the nose by Fluxe of bloud in the mouth by Cankers and Putrifaction in the tongue by Vlcers and Tumours in the braine by Frenzies in the temples by Contusions in the brest by Stoppings and Impostumes in the hands and feete by the Gout in the legs by Swellings in the belly by Collickes in the reynes by stony and grauelly matter in the armes by dolour of the Arteries nay in the heart it selfe by Feares Palpitations Convulsions Dilatations and Contractions by varietie of Passions What shall I say more Mille modis lethimiseros mors vna fatigat This Tyrant Death by many a fatall dart Doth wound and wreake each liuing mortall part A Flye is able to choake vs as it did Pope Adrian a Pinne or a Needle or a pricke with a Knife to destroy vâ— the fall from an horse to crush vs as it did Selenchus the Syrian Lego the French-man Earle Fulke Nipheus Leucagus Remulus Thymetes Amicus in Virgil Aeneid 10. Agenor in Ouid. The sting of a Serpent is sufficient to kill vs as it did Laocoon the Troyan mad Orestes desperate Cleopatra Demetrius Ptolomies Librarie keeper vvith others Yea as our life is but a breath and a vapour so the very smoake and vapour is sufficient to choake vs as it did Minos of Creet Luctatius the Orator Zoe the wife of Nicostratus yea Thurinus that sold smoake saith Erasmus in his Adage perished by smoake If I should recite all the casualties incident vnto this dying life of ours and amplifie out of Histories how one hath beene killed vvith the fall of a stone vpon his pate out of the clawes of an Eagle as Eschilus the Poet some by the fall of the house others by the fall of their beds as Eupolis the Poet some by dust blowne into their throates as Iohanna vvife to Andrew Brother to the Sicilian King and the like accidents If I should but recite the multitudes that Gods hath swept away by the deuouring Plague and destroying Pestilence which I thinke since the beginning of the world hath killed moe then there be now in the world or relate the late devastations that it hath made in Belgia Italie France England and other places Or if I should set downe how many haue dyed sodainely euen in their seeming health as Fabius Maximus Volcacius the Senator Alaricus the Emperour some in their iourney as Alphonsus of Spaine some doing the worke of nature as Arrius the Heretique and Carbo the Romane some in their superstitious Orizons and Deuotions as A. Pompey and M. Iunencius vvhen they were sacrificing some in sacking the Temples as Gaudericus the Vandall some in writing Letters as Cardinall Orescence from the Councell of Trent and Terentius Corax some in the first day of their inuesting to Honour as Caninius the Consull some in their mirths some in their meates as Manlius Torquatus and Osilius the Actor others in their Bathes as Sauseius the Scribe besides these that daily experience addes in this kinde it would make the securest Soule meditate of his ineuitable dying and prepare his soule for her speedy departing especially considering that Quid cuiquam contigit id câ—iuis that which happens to any one may happen to euery one All these recited examples of abbreuiated life and approching death being glasses for vs now suruiuing wherein to see the face of our mortalitie euery mans graue shewing vs this Motto Hodie mihi craâ— tibi To day to mee to morrow to thee Death being pictured on euery Tombe to be seene with an vnderstanding eye in forme of an Archer now shooting ouer vs at our enemies now short of vs at our acquaintance now on the right hand at our friends and bloud now on the left hand on our Seruants and attendants with his bow bent and his arrowes drawne and his ayme taken at our owne hearts onely staying till GOD bid him shoote which how soone it will be GOD knowes Quis scit an adijciant c. Who of vs all the sonnes of sorrow Knowes that his life shall last to morrow Nonne fragiliores sumus quam si vâ—trei essemâ—s Are wee not more brittle then glasse saith Seneca nay Vitrum etsi fragile tamen seruatum diu durat Epist â—3 Glasse if it be safely kept continues long but all the dyet and keeping in the world though wee should eate Pearles with Cleopatra bathe daily in new milke with Poppea fare daily deliciously with the rich Churle consult with a Physitian in euery act wee did yet wee could not long continue All the meanes wee can vse will hardly draw out our life to that length that Birds and Beasts liue for Ousels Eagles Harts c. that fulfill their hundreds occasioned Theophrastus to complaine of Nature as a step-dam to man whose limits as Dauid notes are threescore yeeres and tenne for the rest of his life is eyther a death or disease in his decrepit dayes The Patriarkes liued their nine hundreds and
aboue as Adam and so Eue their nine hundred and thirtie Seth nine hundred twelue Enos nine hundred and fiue Caynan his sonne nine hundred and tenne Malalehel nine hundred sixtie and two Iayred nine hundred sixtie and fiue Methusalem nine hundred sixtie and nine Noah nine hundred and fiue c. but wee hardly attaine to our nintie but if a man liue past nintie to nintie and seauen or nintie and eight with Liuia and Perpenna or to nintie and nine with Statilia if hee passe his Climactericall of sixtie and three wee count him an old man but if hee attaine to his hundred as did Valerius Coruinus and Metellus Abbot Paconius and Titus Pauls Scholler wee account him very aged but if hee exceede his hundred as Heroditus writes of some of the Aegyptians and some of Masinissa the Numedian King to an hundred and foure as did Hipocrates or an hundred and fiue with Xenâ—philus or an hundred and seauen with Terentia or an hundred and eight with Homer or an hundred and tenne with Guarinus and Helias the Abbot or an hundred and twelue vvith Cyrus a Bishop but chiefely to an hundred and twentie with Romualdus the Hermite we admire and wonder at him as much as former times wondred at their Hermites And vvell wee may since our life seemes to be but the Epitome and Compâ—ndium of former yeeres so short so momentanie that as the Scripture compares it to a flower to grasse to smoake to clay to dust and chaffe which the vvinde scatters to a bubble a blast a breath a vapour a dreame a shadow a Weauers shittle and such fading things so Antiquitie hath called it a winged woman fruitfull of sinnes yet swift Ambrose saith it is like the glory of the world which the Tempter shewed CHRIST in the twinckling of an eye like the Vision which Esdras saw vanishing in a moment Esdras 1.8 like Ierusalems Temple that was soone destroyed for as one stone was not left vpon another in that materiall Temple so shortly one bone will not be left vpon another in the temple of the best compacted body liuing which saith Inchinus is nothing else but Carneâ—-glacies fleshie Ice or Icie flesh soone thawed and dissolued a clayie frame saith Pontanus standing on the pillers of a little breath ready euery day it is so ruinous to fall in manus Domini into the Lords hands of whom wee haue it as tennants at will The largest limits of our Lease being but a day for so Dauid and Moses when they play the holy Geometricians and Arithmetitians in measuring and numbring their time goe not by yeeres and moneths but by dayes yea and to some it is but a short Winters day to the longest that liued a Summers day in which hee that hath the most prosperous Sunshine may be compared to those Flyes that breede in the Sunne neare the Riuer Hipanis which appeare in the Morne are in their full strength at Noone and dye at Night Whence came the Prouerbe Hominem esse Ephimeron that man is a continuer for a day beyond which determined day hee cannot here abide Other things are continued long by extrinsecall meanes or intrinsecall qualities vvithin themselues some by their extreame cold as all sorts of Mettals some by their exceeding heate as Pepper Ginger and the like some by motion as Water and Wine that by motion are kept from putrifaction some by continuation of the parts with the whole as the Sea that corrupts not in the whole but in the parts as may be seene and felt in the creekes in Essex that come from the Sea but man being made mortall and so hauing that Epithite more fitly appropriated to him then any other creature neither by his naturall composition can nor in the wise Gods disposition must continue long vpon the earth neyther can any Physicall meanes preserue him vnlesse a Metaphysicall power doe vphold him and cause him to hold out to his old yeeres as Simeon here did Is Death so certaine and Life so short then let vs learne to bestow it well so long as God lends it Absolon after a long time knew not how to pacifie and appease his Father we haue but a short time allotted to pacifie and appease our displeased GOD therefore let vs speedily labour our reconciliation let vs worke out our saluation with feare and trembling As Abigall speedily met Dauid and appeased his wrath 1 Sam. 25. and as Dauid speedily met the Lord by repentance after his numbring the people 2 Sam. 24.10 and as Peter went out presently and wept bitterly after the denying his Master Mat. 26. So let vs who in the whole course of our life haue as much displeased as wee haue dishonoured our GOD instantly haue recourse to the throne of grace that the Lord may smell the sweet sacrifice of our broken hearts ere wrath goe from the Almightie to our destruction Oh our dayes are few and our sinnes many wee haue beene barren in good fruitfull in euill plentifull in sinning penurious in sorrowing If Dauids sinnes were moe then the hayres of his head ours are moe then the sands in the Sea and if hee washt his couch vvith teares vvee had neede wash our soules with flouds of vvaters turning like Niobe into fountaines and like that old conuert Pelagia be Pelagus lachrymarum a Sea of sorrow as wee haue beene vncleane sinckes of sinne nay if wee should now for euer shake hands with sinne and haue no more commerce with the flesh and the world but liue retyredly mortifiedly piously and penitently as the old Hermites pretended and if we should liue Noahs and Nâ—stors yeeres and euery day weepe as much as Mary Magdalene did at her spirituall marriage vvith Christ as much for our selues as the Daughters of Ierusalem did for Christ nay if we should weepe out our eyes like some penitents that Cassianus mentions remembring with Ezekias our former vanities in the bitternesse of our soules it were not a sufficient recompence for our fore-past rebellions nor a satisfactorie sacrifice for our former sinnes But what shall wee say to those that in this short life make a long and a continuated custome of sinne neuer redeeming the time or thinking of their few and euill dayes or of the reckoning they must make when they are expired but passing their time in iollitie singing to the Tabret and the Harpe letting the reynes loose to all licentiousnes making their bellies their God planting here their Turkish Heauen of Wine and Women wallowing like Swine in all lusts like Sardanapalus amongst his wantons seruing no other God then Mammon or Goddesses then Venus making Dogs and Horses or such base Creatures their beloued Idols They thinke no more of death then the stiffe-necked Iewes that made a league with the graue and a Couenant vvith Hell such as some lazy Pastors make vvith their people that if these will neuer trouble them they would neuer thinke of these