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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85674	An historical anatomy of Christian melancholy, sympathetically set forth, in a threefold state of the soul. 1 Endued with grace, 2 ensnared in sin, 3 troubled in conscience. With a concluding meditation on the fourth verse of the ninth chapter of Saint John. / By Edmund Gregory, sometimes Bachelour of Arts in Trin. Coll. Oxon.	Gregory, Edmund, b. 1615 or 16.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1646 (1646)	Wing G1885; Thomason E1145_1; ESTC R40271	96,908	160

up of too much sorrow for this being swallowed up too much this over-yeelding up our strength of nature to solitary griefe and mournfull Melancholly gives the Devill many times great advantage of us as he intimates in the 11. verse of the aforesaid Chapter Least Sathan saies he should g●t advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices indeed we ought duly to be humbled and as St. Paul speaks in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. Chapter To deliver over our selves our sencelesse stubbornnesse unto Satan for a time for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus But we must understand also that it is not convenient for us to grieve without measure and without end for certainly it is not the sorrow of heart that doth help us in such disease it may hinder us of help it is the religious cheerfulnesse of a better desire that in time works the cure therefore we may herein advise our selves as St. Paul did Timothy in his first Episte unto him and 5. Chapter To drink no longer water that is not to feed too much on the bread of carefulnesse nor drink in the water of affliction into our souls but to use therewith a little wine I say a little wine Wine which as David saith maketh a merry heart to strive to take comfort and to be merry in the feare of God whereby nature may be the better enabled also to set to her assisting hand in the deliverance Mirth cannot erre as long as it remembers its latter end and the feare of God to enjoy both our selves and Gods blessings in a moderate and cheerfull manner is not only lawfull but necessary for us Religion is no enemy to honest mirth neither doth the Almighty desire the death of sinners but their life their death of griefe but their life of grace Alas we are but weak Creatures and of a short continuance O Lord we have sinned as Iob saith in his seventh Chapter What shall we doe unto thee O thou preserver of men and as he saith againe in his sixth Chapter Is our strength the strength of stones or is our flesh of brasse O Lord we cannot abide the fury of thy wrath for sin nor are we able to behold thy sierce indignation thou therefore that bringest man to destruction humblest him downe to Hell and the Grave and sweetly sayest Come againe yee children of men re-exaltest him to thy favour O consider that our age is short even no more then as a span long we are alas we are but Pilgrimes Strangers and Sojourners here as all our fathers were O spare us therefore spare us a little this little space which remaines of our life that we may recover our strength before we go hence and be no more seene Before we goe thither from whence we shall Returne no more no more no more at all And now me thinks I heare the Body thus speaking unto the Soule O my love wilt thou goe away from me Alas wilt thou goe away from me thou knowest that I have no comfort at all but thee thou art my joy my whole delight and wilt thou be gone and leave me behind here to be utterly cast away to putrifie rot and perish in the earth If the Disciples were so sad and sorrowfull at the departure of St. Baul in that he said They should see his face no more how doest thou think I can chuse but even swoone and dye with conceit that thou wilt thus leave me me poore wretch that can have no being nor subsistence without thee but lo the Soul replies Why dost thou weep my deare though I must goe from thee for a time yet be not discomforted I will come and see thee againe and embrace thee with everlasting embracements I will then never goe from thee more O give me leave to depart for God hath decreed it Nature hath appointed it we cannot live together on Earth as we be but we shal live together hereafter in a most absolute and perfect being we must needs submit to mortality Ah there 's no continuing here my sweet heart Death doth the dearest lovers part For why we are mortall and all must away To take our lodging down in the clay But though we lye down yet shall we rise againe and that even in a while for loe but little while and he that shall come to open the Graves to fold up the Heavens like a scroll and to unbarre the fatall strength of time I say he that shall come will come and will not tarry Oh! but a little while and the Son of man shall appeare like the bright Lightning with the glorious company of his most holy An●els to gather together the foure corners of the earth even the people from the one end thereof unto the other unto a day of Judgement where we shall then stand before the Judgement Seat of God to be setled in a perpetuall and never ending condition wherefore let our spirits O let our spirits and all that is within us with the aspiring Lark humbly mount up to meet the Lord in the Clouds now before hand with this melodious Antheme this song of Sion in our mouthes O blessed Iesu remember us with mercy wh●n thou commest into thy Kingdome O thou that commest ●● judge the world condemn●us not for our sins at the last day O sweet Saviour deliver us from that red Dragon which ●peneth his terrible mouth ready to devoure us O preserve us a while here on earth that we may be with thee for ever in Heaven To see the mighty glory and renowne Of him that is and was and is to come And to that end make us O make us in these few houres which we have to live never to forget the words which thou faidest of thy selfe in the ninth of St. Iohn the fourth verse whilst thou wast on earth amongst us I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke That we may take this thy example for a patterne all our lives long and may turne this thy holy resolution into our practice and meditation continually First that as thou didst worke so must we worke here and not be idle 2. That as thou didst worke the works of him that sent thee into the world so must we also work the will of our father which is in Heaven 3. That as thou didst it in thy day so must we do it in our day this day of our life 4. For as the night the night of thy Passion commeth so our night of death is continually approaching 5. And then no man can work even no man at all can work out his salvation O excellent rule I here is roome enough for our souls to exercise their thoughts day and night even this day of working untill that night of rest this day of life untill that night of death when no man can

that our souls may so wisely esteeme the shortnesse of this life that we may never forget this this I say in the Field in our Journey in our Beds at all times and every where while it is day whilst we live that the night that is our death commeth and then no man can work which is the last observeable thing and the effect of the night No man can worke Man goeth forth to his worke and to his labour untill the Evening Vntill the evening no longer we have done in this life whatsoever we shall doe Mors ultima linia rerum Death is the full period of all our Actions there remaines now no more teares of Repentance no more works of Piety no more sacrifice for sinne no more I say no more for ever Phisick comes too late when the party is deceased Actum est we have acted●our parts here whilst we were in this life all now is done the scene is ended Remember my Sonne that thou in thy life time receiveast thy good things that thou hadst then the opportunity to have made thy selfe happy for ever if thou wouldst but what canst thou now give to redeeme thy soul when instead of good workes thou hast nothing but paine and torment instead of the godly sorrow of repentance nothing but the Hellish sorrow of despaire Oh how many millions of years would the miserable soul be glad to work the hardest work that might be invented if it were but possible for her to work out her salvation O how precious would she esteeme those minutes and gather up those crummes of time which she hath here so foolishly neglected and thus me thinks that lamentable voice of the untimely departed soul doth sound this warning peale in our eares All yee that live by me learne to be wise Your precious time at higher worth to prize For ●oe alas my time was past so soone That night was come ere that I thought it noone And now too late unhappy wretch Idearly lament my headlesse f●lly Spes omnium in bot or be molestiarum est admirabile lenimentum Hope saith Drexelius is an excellent refreshing and comfort in all the troubles of this life as long as there is some hope there is some comfort and be our miseries never so great we are here in possibility to have ease of them but after death there is not the least possibility hope or comfort a● all to be expected the Doome is past no man can work all the world is not able to purchase one drop of ease or refreshing any more O that it is too late too late too late to cry for mercy O that the doore is shut and there is no entering in Give me saith one a River of teares to weep before I dye well might he wish it for he knew there was no weeping to any purpose when he was dead O let me weep weep weep and ne're give o're My sins till I have washed cleane away O let me never cease for to implore My Iudge till I come to the Iudgement Day O let us repent now for we cannot repent in that day if ever we meane to doe our selves good now is the time because we cannot worke when the night is come Let us therefore worke while it is day while we have time while we may vvork Obsecro vos O Christiant per vos perquae salutem vestram c. as Drexelius bespake his Auditers so let me bespeake our soules and selves O yee Christian soules yee souls vvhom Christ hath dyed for let me beseech you for your ovvne sake for your salvations sake for your Saviours sake that yee vvould avoid this Shipwrack the danger is certain if we looke not to it in time as long as life lasts our amendment is not too late doe we fall by sin a thousand times we may rise againe by repentance a thousand times We may begin any day any houre to become better But in death no man remembreth thee O Lord and who can give thee thankes in the Grave As David did concerning Bathsheba's Child so whilst life is in us we may weepe and humble our selves by repentance but in death all hope all possibility of recovery is cut off Whilst we have therefore time let us make use of it I say let us take it whilst we have it for time will stay for no man it is but a while that we have to worke one daies labour will make us happy forever our Fathers have had their daies and are gone and now this is our day I say ours if we lose it not our day and portion of time which God hath allotted us to work● out our salvation in Woe is us then if we work not even triplox vae an woe and an Eternall woe We vvould faine depart and be in Heaven O let us do our taske whilst we are on earth To conclude let not the Sun set upon our wrath upon our lust upon our covetuousnesse upon our pride and the like alas what a dismall what a dolefull night must we then expect Let us not be wearv of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we saint not let us now go on in our way towards Heaven weeping and we shall returne with sheaves in our bosome let us so we in teares and we shall reape in joy let us be found so working now in this day of our life that at the night of our death when our Lord and Master Christ Jesus cometh we may partake of that blessednesse which is promised in the Gospel to that Servant who when his Master commeth he sball finde so doing so shall we receive that e●ge boni servi Well done yee good and faithfull servants enter you therefore into your Masters joy Amen Sit gloria Deo in saecula saeculorum A farewell to the Reader ANd now kind Reader thanking you for your patience that hath vouchsafed to peruse over this my unworthy labour I desire you to understand Each mans a little world and my Booke A Land-Skip is this world to overlooke There may you ken the Cedar tops of pride With thorny cares and buskets on each side The fruits of grace there also may you see Like Apples just as they grow on the tree And then again a River meets your eye Of tears for sin and mans sad misery Mountains of Zeal do here and there swell up Even to the Clouds but 't is enough I stop Not presuming to borrow your patience any longer or trouble you with many things only I shall intreate you to take this unum necessar●um this one necessary thing along with you and well to observe it that the way of the Lord may be thus trackt out in the soul of man First the sight of Gods being seriously apprehended strikes into us a reverend feare of his infinite greatnesse this feare casteth us downe before him into a condemning humility of our sinfull wre●chednesse this humility breedeth an admiring love of the abundance of his mercy towards us in his blessings this love maketh us bold to have trust and relyance on him as our help and defence this trust affordeth patience to hold out and endure in all difficulties whatsoever this patience at length crowneth us with hope of Heaven not a foolish hope built on the sand but a strong hope setled with discretion a hope built on such ground which maketh not ashamed not ashamed in life not ashamed in death not ashamed in the day of Iudgement This hope O Lord grant unto you to me and to us all and so preserve it in us for thy mercies sake that it may end at last in the perfect fruition of thine eternall Kingdome there that we may be together for ever untill which most happytime dearly beloved I heartily bid you farewell in longum valete farewell even a long farewell FINIS Imprimatur John Downham 17. Febr. 1645. ERRATA REad most frequently thrust page 10. line 1. the two first lines p. 17. are to be read as verses for holy seam r. holy stem p. 18. l. 10. for his liberality r. this liberality p. 30. l. 3. for the least of which is many of which are p. 30 l. 27. for who giveth us gives us p. 31. l. 15. for minde wind p. 44. l. 16. for honour humour p. 62. l. 31. for shall he shall we p. 64. l. 13. for not as yet as yet p. 82. l. 18. for outward souls untoward souls p. 85. l. 13. for we can can we p. 104. l. 24. for are not a little offended doe not a little offend 105. l. 26. and l. 29. for even ever for Devil the Devill p. 112. l. 24. For the lesser faults I desire your favourable construction Emblematized thus Psal 101. 1

I say of being in a lesser degree of Condemnation we cannot grant unto our selves for we shall reason chiefly thus If God be most just as he must needs be he cannot but distribute equall right and Justice unto all men and so he may not spare any one person more then other for any favour or respect whatsoever but only for their good behaviour and as they have better husbanded their time and his gifts in them for will the righteous God of all the world judge partially No verily he is truth it selfe farre be it from the Lord as it is in the 34. of Iob and the 10 verse that he shou●d doe wickednesse and from the Almighty that he should commit iniqutty for the worke of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to finde according to his wayes and though there be mercy to be found in Christ for the greatest sinners yet are we notwithstanding me thinks to make account that God certainly requires our good behaviour in amendment of life according to that of Saint Paul in the second to the Corinthians the 5. Chapter If any man be in Christ he is a new creature As the Father is Truth so is the Son and if we meane to be the better for him and come thorough him as the way into Heaven we must follow him as he is the way and the truth in newnesse of life and therefore how can we who be thus in the greatest state of sinne as we conceive our selves to be both in the former passage of our life as also especially now for these present thoughts and tormenting impieties of minde but needs expect and look for the greatest Condemnation of all men so true is that Heathen but wise speech Se judice nemo nocens absolvitur There is no advocate can plead our cause When Conscience once doth prosecute the Lawes For nay yet further me thinkes we doe so much hate what we are and applaud Truth and Justice that unlesse we might be free from sinne from this wretched and hellish condition of minde though God himselfe should now call us into Heaven we would surely stand without we could not nor would not come in unlesse he would shew the like mercy upon all unlesse all other men were bidd●n come in too whom we are of opinion to be farre more fit for it then our selves Well this thought and conceit as it hath some reason in it in that we cannot deject our selves as low as our sins deserve we knovv so much of our selves that vve cannot but think all others better then our selves vvho are so exceedingly bad in our selves I say againe as it hath reason in it duely considering the unhappy state of sin and this transcendent unhappinesse of the minde vvhich is novv so full of the Hell of tormenting distempers and dispaire that we cannot thinke our selves possibly capable of that most holy place and glorious condition vvhich is only fit for the purity of Saints and Angels yet is there no question a kind of close stubbornnesse usually joyned vvith it even in this our lovvest dejection thus I say there may be though vve doe not all perceive it too much stomack in us too much stomack as much as to say Since that God hath not delivered us from these sinnes and vvretched untovvardnesses vve are therefore as it vvere carelesse to be delivered from the punishment as if a Father for some discontent should shut his Child out of doores for an houre or tvvo though perchance the Father aftervvards vvould let him come in yet forsooth he vvill not but in a mogging humour lyes abroad all night So verily in this aforesaid passage and conclusion of minde as I conceive it is not much unlike vvith us as if God had fcarce dealt vvell enough vvith us to let us fall into these snares of sin and distraction therefore novv peradventure in this case vve doe not much care for mercy our Melancholly forsaken soule as David in the 77. Psalm refuseth comfort and as Iacob at the supposed nevves of ●osephs death in the 37. of Genesis vvould not take comfort of his friend so now either we cannot or will not take comfort from others it is hard to tell ●ruely vvhich is the cause for sin These motions have so deep a secresie The truth thereof there 's none can well discry As I say let the cause be vvhat it vvill be either reall or imaginary or deluding for note this that the excesse of Melancholly in many of us is altogether a strong distempered delusion of phansie however sure enough it is to our seeming that vve are not able to receive it because vvhatsoever is said to us by any of our friends or others in the vvay of comforting us novv in this our extream distresse of mind for the most part it is all in vaine and to no purpose as touching the sins vvhich lye upon our consciences like mountaines of Lead too heavy for us to beare If it be urged and applyed that St. Peter forsvvare Christ his deare Lord and Master after that he had a long time received so many gracious courtesies from him after that he had been an ancient Apostle full of heavenly vvisedom and understanding that David committed both Murder and Adultery in his elder age after he had familiarly vvalked vvith God many yeares together and yet both these so great offenders vvere easily forgiven Againe that our Saviour Christ came into this World for nothing else dyed for no other purpose but only to save sinners and that he delighted in mercy whilst he vvas here amongst us rejo●cing to doe his Fathers vvork that great vvork of mercy as appeareth by his generall Proclamation Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden c. and as it eminently appeareth by his manner of conversation upon earth by being usually amongst and familiar with Publicans and sinners by his favourable and kind speech and behaviour to that Woman taken in Adultery to Mary Magdalen and the like Nay ●et once further if it be urged and pressed unto our Consciences that the mighty Jehovah even the Lord God himselfe in his ovvne vvords hath spoken by the Prophet Ezekiel As I live saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked And againe most Pathe●tcally by the Prophet Isaiah Though your sins were as crimson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarle● they shall be as wooll If you vvill I say if you vvill at last but endeavour to be reclaimed if the consent c. as it follovves in the next verse intimating that it is not the greatnesse of our sins that can seperate his mercy from us if there be any desire or inclination to good be it never so little even as nothing for he will not quench the smoking flax nor breake che bruised reed Alas it must needs be a very little fire that doth but make the flax to smoak when as

new birth of the soul and that which we have great cause to rejoyce of for you must understand it pleaseth God differently to dispose of the finall period and conclusion of this our trouble according to his most blessed Will and purpose giving some of us much more joy in the end of it then some as also in some of us continuing it like an ach in the limbs ever now and then to mind us untill our dying day and some of us againe after a while never feele it any more O Lord what reward of thanks can we give unto thy mercy that hast done so great things for us whereof we now rejoyce Verily no Tongue can speak no finite understanding can comprehend it hath never entred into the apprehension of either man or Angell the infinite goodnesse that thou dost extend to the souls of sinners O now with David we may sweetly sing Of Mercy and Iudgement to our heavenly King And hath the Lord God Almighty that is most wonderfull in all his Works done this great Miracle for us in casting out this foul Devill this foming and raging Beelzebub this chief of all misery out of our souls O let us then take heed that we sinne so no more least a worse thing come unto us least he get power to come in againe and bring seven other with him worse then himselfe Here you may take notice as I say That in some of us this our misery is not so fully quencht nor this Devill so cast out but that there remains in us ever now and then the touches of our former misery though the heart of it be broken yet the being is not wholly taken away God in his infinite Wisedome so ordering it perchance to exercise our patience or some other cause which he only knoweth and we cannot fully judge only let this be our chiefest care sithence sin and misery must needs dwell with us whilst we live that if possible we keep our selves within the compasse of patience and humility in all conditions of our life let us in patience possesse our souls and though as St. Paul in the 20. of the Acts when he was going to Ierusalem knew not what things should come unto him there save only saith he That the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying That bands and afflictions abide me so we that are travelling to the new Ierusalem being sure of nothing in our Journey but sure of trouble yet as Aeneas in the Poet comforted his wandering Souldiers whom necessity had banisht from their own Country that the Destiny had promised them in the end a resting place in Italy I say as he thus comforted them Pervarios casos per tot discrimina rerum tendimus in latium sedes ubi fata quietus ostendunt So in like manner may we Pilgrims and Strongers of this world thus cheere up our selves in consideration of our Journies end although that now Thorough many dangers miseries and woe Like Pilgrimes we are tossed to and fro Our comfort is the Fates tell we shall come In death at length to have a resting home Whilst this our trouble is wearing away we shall be for the most part full of charitable and fellow-feeling thoughts to be lovingly affected and doing good unto all especially to the distressed in what case soever even unto our utmost ability as also we shall use to be frequently weeping and condoling our unhappy life weeping I say and sorrowing like melancholiy Heraclitus and wishing that we might dissolve out the residue of our daies into teares in redeeming the time because our daies have been so evill and that the whole action of our momentary life might now be nothing else but a mournfull and Swan-like Song of preparation to our end Our sighing soul with Dove-like melody L●ments her sins and learneth how to dye Iacob when Pharaoh asked him how old he was answered That his daies were few and evill how much more truly may we say of our short and sinfull daies that they are few and evill he was an old man and yet his daies were few he was a good man and yet his daies were evill Oh the short and evill estate of mans life wise men have alwaies accounted their daies but few for that their thoughts are fixt upon God and then saies David Min● age is nothing in respect of thee and againe for that their thoughts are fixt upon the blessed Eternity of the world to come and then they consider with St. Paul That they have no continuing City here but they seeke one to come I say wise men thus esteemed their daies few and they accounted them likewise evill evill in regard of sin for they feele the experience of St. Pauls case That when they would doe good evill is present with them and evill also in regard of misery for Iob saies Man is borne to trouble as the sparkes fly upwards And is it not too true that man is thus borne to trouble If not what meaneth that complayning which I heare Harke how Cai●e cries out in the fourth of Genesis My punishment is greater then that I am able to beare and do you not heare Eliah under the Juniper Tree in the first of Kings the 19. Chapter how he requesteth for himselfe That he might dye and Ionah under the Gourd saying Take away my life for it is better for me to dye then to live Ieremy is even blind with weeping Lamentations the second Chapter Mine eyes doe faile with teares my bowels are troubled my liver is poured out upon the earth and all for the affliction of his people for the misery of man Salomon in the 6. of Ecclesiastes thinks it farre better not to be borne then to undergoe the miseries of this life how often doth Iob lament his daies and David complaine of his troubles the Shunamites Child in the second of Kings cries out O my head my head another perchance cries out Oh my stomack oh my heart oh my Conscience oh my belly oh my feet A capite ad calcem from the top to the toe from the beginning to the end for ought we can perceive there is little true comfort or pleasure in the life of man With teares we came into this life With sorrow we go out againe We live in trouble care and strife And have our labour for our paine We have seen not a little experience of the manifold changes and variety of alterations that are Created for mankind under the Sun and verily me thinks the counsell of Ecclesiasticus in his 38 Chapter and the 20 Verse well weighing the condition of all things is full of wisedom and discretion that is To take no heavinesse to heart to drive it away and to remember the latter end I say To take no heavinesse to heart that is Not to grieve over much or take on out of reason least as St. Paul said of the excommunicate person in the second Epistle to the Corinthians and second Chapter We be swallowed

some recovering or repairing of any thing else that vve lose none at all of time our money our honour our health may be restored again but our time is so pretious that if once lost it is for ever lost Lamachus a Captaine on a certaine time chid one of his Souldiers for committing a fault in the Field the Souldier promised him never to do so againe but he replies in bello non licet bis peccare good fellow thou maist not commit a fault twice in the Battell since that one fault is enough to lose all It is our case Post est occasio calva this opportunity being once lost can never be recalled this day being gone no man can vvorke there is a time vvhen the Virgins may enter in with the Bridegroome there is also a time when the doore is shut there is a time when the poole of Bethesda is troubled by the Angell and there is also a time when it is not vere poenitens de tempore nihil perait saith Saint Bernard the true repentant Christian omits no seasonable time because he cannot tell when he shall have another the wise man bids thee go to the Pismire thou sluggard she ployes her time in the Harvest to provide against winter this is the summer and harvest for our salvation Non estas ita semper erit componite nidos The Summer that is now cannot long last O then provide before it be all past O let us provide I say provide in time Before as Salomon saith the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowl be broken or the Pitcher broken at the ●ountaine or the wheele broken at the Cisterne then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit returne to God that gave it Dum vires annique sinunt tollerate laborem Iam veniet tacito curva senecta pede It is here good to take the Poets advice to worke whilst we have strength and vigour whilst we have marrow in our bones and perfect health in our bodies there is a night of old age too as well as of Death and then no man can well worke we must consecrate the first fruits of our age to Religion and remember our Creator in the daies of our youth Non semper vtolae non semper lillia florent The Violets and the sweetest Lillies they Doe soone put off their brave and rich aray The flower and chiefe of our age will quickly fade so soone passeth it away and we are gone Have we any businesse of moment to be done we will be sure to be stirring betimes about it the worke of our salvation concerns us more then any work then any busines besides O let us then be stiriing betimes about this early in the morning I say the morning of our youth which is the best time of working Collige virgo rosas memor esto aevum sic properare tuum O young man gather the prime Rose of thy time while it is fresh for remember ere night the Sun will make it wither Is there not a season saith the Wise man and a time for every purpose under the Heaven a time to be born and a time to dye c. Our words here answer him There is a day to worke and a night not to worke a day for employment and a night for rest The busie Bee is hot at her labour in the Sunshine whilst lazie man lyes asleep in the shadow O the foolishnesse O the madnesse of man to lose so much time of so little How many excuses do we make rather then we will take the pains to go to Heaven How many daies do we put off with a Cras cras to morrow to moroow when wo is us many times the last s●nd of our life is even now running out this is our wont commonly to procrastinate from one day to another from one moneth from one yeare from one time to another till at last peradventure it be too late the day sure is farre spent and the night is at hand let us take heed it is great folly to say We will live as we should to morrow we must live to day if we will be sure to live at all he that deserreth the time of his working in this life shall not be able to deferre his punishment in the life to come Et acerbissima est mora quae t● ahit penam And that is a most bitter delay saith St. Austine which increaseth our p●n●shment he that doth not prevent it bef●r● shall repent it after when it is in vaine In all other things ●e do finde the danger of delaies and we can take heed to prevent it we will not lose a faire day in Harvest a prosperous gale of wind to set to Sea an advantage to get preferment and the like See in every thing else we can be wise enough save only in this and this only unto salvation I shall wish that for our selves which Moses did for the Children of Israel Deut. 32. and the 29. Oh that we were truly wise that we understood this that we would consider our lat●er end Oh that we would remember with David how short our time is Oh that we would remember with Sa●●mon the end and then we should not do amisse Oh that we would duely consider with our Saviour here that the night is at hand we would doubtlesse worke while it is day because the night commeth which is he fourth Observation and comes next to be thought on for the night the night of our death commeth or is continually approaching the night a long night that shall never have a morning Soles occider● redire possunt Nobis cum s●mel occidit brevis lux Nox est perpe●uo u●● dormierd● The Sun setteth and returnes againe but man dyeth and where is he He shall not returne againe from the Grave and his place saith Job sball know him no more Oh alas no more for ever From all our friends our goods and houses we By death must part to all eternity O woe is us that we must needs away Ne're to come back no more no more for aye Never to see againe be acquainted with or so much as to heare of any of these earthly things any more with which many of us are now so earnestly and wholly taken up as if there were no other thing or being to be thought on O me what pitty is it That most of us so lavishly do spend Our daies as if they never should have end Our thoughts with death we never care to try Till death it selfe doth teach us how to dye Till death seize upon us and the night be at hand wherein no man can work for we must be assured that this long this everlasting night continually commeth on towards us there is no escaping of death no Achitopbels policy is able to bribe or put off this faithfull Pursevant of Heaven we must all all away to our long home and make our beds in the

dust What man liveth and shall not see death or shall deliver his soul from the hand of Hell Omnes eadem sorte premimur Mine thine his and every ones Lot is cast the houre and the minute of our lives is limited farre off it cannot be for it commeth or is comming how soon we cannot tell Watch therefore even watch continually since yee know not the houre Vitae summa brevis spem nos ve● at incboare longam The whole summe of our life is but short how then can we expect death to be farre off David calls our life a shadow Job a smoake Salomon a Ship In a Ship saith a Father whether we sit or stand we are alwaies carried towards the Haven so our life is ever moving towards death no houre but the Sun goes Westward no moment but our age hastens to its end to its long end it will quickly come the longest day hath his night Methusalem hath his mo●tuus est and he dyed I say the longest day hath its night and here it puts me in minde of that our Proverbiall saying All the life-long day the day fitly expressing our life and our life a day a day only a summers day towards the evening the Sun shines out most bright and glorious and loe presently it is downe such is the shortnesse and sudden departure of our life that David in like manner hath most aptly expressed it by a tale We bring our yeares saith he to an end even as it were a tale that is told for when it goes pleasantly on and we expect to heare more of it before we are aware on 't it is ended thus as it were In the midst of life we are in death and are cut away like the flower which fadeth in a moment verily therefore all flesh is Grasse and the glory thereof but as the flower of the field and yet such is most times our folly so to build up our thoughts here upon Earth as if we had an Eternity to live for ever whereas do but we duely consider it every day that goes over our heads bids us be in readinesse for death gives a sufficent Item of Mortality Immortalia nesperes monetannus almain c. So many daies so many moneths so many yeares past and gone so many passing Bells so many Funerals celebrated before our eyes must needs forbid us to expect a long time Saint Chrysostome saith That nothing hath deceived men so much as the vaine hope of a long life who knoweth the Sun may set at the morning of our life or at noone if at neither of these yet be sure the Evening commeth and then it will set The Lord bids Moses in the 19. Chapter of Exodus To prepare the people against the third day although we passe over the first day our youth and the second day our middle age yet at furthest we must be ready against the third day our old age the first or the second day may be our last the third day must needs be our last and therefore saith Seneca Omnis dies sicut ultima est ordinanda Every day ought so to be ordered as if we should not live a day longer Me thinkes Saint Austines experience should be a sufficient warning to us for saith he Experti sumus multos ' expirasse expectantes reconciliari We have seene many to have been cut off whilst they have but begun to make their reconciliation with God too too many alas there be whose Sun hath set ere they thought it to be their Mid-day Let us take heed that death steale not on us as a thiefe in the night Lucius Caesar dyed in the morning putting on his Cloathes Alphonsus a young man dyed as he was riding on his Horse We need not seeke after forraigne Examples there be too many of the same nature at home with us How many have we seene before our eyes some to be snacht from their pleasures some from their sinnes some from their worldly employments whereas they have made their accounts of many years to come so true is that of the Poet Nemo tam divos habuit faventes Crastinum ut possit polliceri diem The Gods no man did ere such favour give That he was sure another day to live There is no certainty of this life not for a d●y not for an houre no not so much as for a moment God hath many means to take us away even in an instant as we go up and downe as we sleep as we do but draw our breath any how good is it therefore that we have a Memento mori alwaies at all times hanging over our heads like that Sword in the Story which hung by a Horse haire over the head of him that sate at Feast putting us in a due feare and warning of the continuall danger that we are in I say alwaies hanging over our heads and so imprinted in our thoughts that we may seriously remember how short our time is how soone our night commeth It is Platoes Opinion That a wise mans life is nothing but a continuall thinging or meditating upon death Philip King of Macedonia had his Page three times every morning to tell him Philip remember that thou art a man that thou art mortall that th●u must dye O excellent Memento and most worthy to be imitated the Emperour of Constantinople was wont sitting in his Royall Throne to have a Mason come to him with his Tooles in his hand asking What kind of stone he would have his Tombe made of intimating that he should not forget how soone all that his Royall pompe might be buried in the Grave And here me thinks I cannot but repeat The famous Act of Saladine the great Who amidst his noble Victories and conquering Triumphs had so much minde of his death and the true end of all earthly glory that he appointed his winding shee● to be carried upon a Speare before him at his Funerall thorough out the City proclaiming thus his intention of minde All these my Riches glorious Pompe and Traine When D●●th is come they are to me in vaine This Winding sheet is all that I shall have Along with me to carry to the Grave The good Father was so mindfull of Mortality that he had alwaies ringing in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Rise yee dead and come to Judgement to the end he might husband his time so worke in this day of his life here that he might not be found an unprofitable Servant when his night came Iohannes Godfridus had these words engraven in Gold Every day I stand at the doore of Eternity And in divers parts of his House he had set up the bones and Sculls of dead men that so his eyes if it were possible might have no other Object to behold then of mortality Sure there are no thoughts doe more concerne us Mortalls then those of Death O then Teach us so Lord to number our daies that wa may apply our hearts unto wisedom