12.19 thy time is not yet come yet it is good being heere Whereupon the Lord sendeth his third Sumner that is all grieuing sicknes which paineth the bodie vnquieteth the minde which maketh their wonted pleasures very irkesome to them yet d 2. Cor. 16.12 sicke man then feedeth himselfe with a vaine hope of life seeketh to the Physition but not to God and if to God yet then it is with his hartiest prayers that he might liue Whereupon the Lord seeing the sonnes of Adam thus to shift his presence he sendeth forth his last Sumner fearful death which perforce without delay or farther shifting bringeth man before he is prepared to Gods high court of iustice there to receiue his finall doome this is that which is heere mentioned Thou must die thou shalt not liue Although thou wast a Dan. 4.11 that goodly tree of which Daniel maketh mention whose top reacheth vp to heauen and whose branches ouer-spread the quarters of the earth yet if the most high shall send his watch-man to hew thee downe downe thou must thou canst not stand thy leaues shall wither thy fruit shall fall Although thou wast as faithfull as Abraham pious as Daniel powerfull as Eliah beloued as Dauid and mights liue so many hundred yeeres as the Fathers are said in the first age of the world yet in the end of thee it shall be spoken which was said of them b Gen. 29.5.27.5.5 And they died Nay although thou haddest the vtmost of Physickes skill and the Physitiō waited in thee euery change although thy friends the comfort of the sicke enuiron thy bed and thy pious children powre forth tearefull prayers for thy longer life yet loth to depart thou must take them by the hand and if thou wilt not set thine house in order yet thou must die Thus must all flesh kisse the earth with Brutus which is our mother and the very price of beautie c Iob 17.14 must say vnto corruption Thou art my father and to the wormes rottennes thou art my brother thou art my sister For we al d Iob 1.21 came naked into the world and naked we must returne nay e Gen. 3.19 we were all taken out of the earth and vnto earth we must returne againe f Hebr. 9.7 It is decreed that all must die All there is none excepted must there is no remedie When Saladine the great conquerer found himselfe arrested by death he caused a spade and a winding-sheet to be carried about his campe and proclamation to be made These are the conquests of Saladine Heare O ye bladders puffed with pride which hunger after the glory of the world and in your desires haue swallowed vp the riches of the earth that a spade and a winding-sheete are the conquests of Saladine the forth and fruit of your desires I was all things said Seuerus the Emperour dying at Yorke but now am nothing this all things O ye great ones with which now you braue and please your selues vnto you dying shall be as nothing Awaken therefore your sleepie soules and giue eare to this summons God sendeth to you know that you were borne to die And pray vnto God as Dauid in the Psalme g Psal 90.12 Teach me O Lord thou canst not teach thy selfe thy wealth and world enchaunts thy mind to number my daies that they are h Gen. 47.11 but few and euill as Iacob said that so at the length thou mayest applie thy heart vnto wisedome to attaine that life which euer shall endure where thou shalt serue God without sinne line without all feare of death where thou shalt neuer be taken away from the sweete companions of thy blessed life nor they frō thee Then shal a Philip. 1.23 death feared of other be desired of thee and in the russe of all thy greatest prosperitie thou shalt haue a longing to be with thy Christ b Psal 27.13 there to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing You haue heard the summons sent vnto you from the Iudge of the world you must all die you shal not liue Now consider the reason why this summons is sent vnto you euen to this end and for this cause that you should set your house your selues in order By thy house if thou vnderstand thy temporall affaires set them in order dispose of them in time leaue not thy substance a matter of variance to thy posteritie and for that which is thine let thine heire be beholding to thee and not to other For often times it falleth out when men die intestate and without a will that they haue much of their goods whom they would to haue little and they that haue most do little thanke them because they haue it not of their gift but by an ordinarie course of Law Dispose therefore of thy temporall affaires and bind the receauers of thy goods in a thankfull remembrance vnto thy selfe when by thy made will they see that that which thou hast giuen vnto them thou mightest if thou wouldest haue bequeathed to other And doe it in time for why shouldest thou cause the world to fasten on thee that deserued rebuke that thou wouldest still liue and art loath to die or that loath to leaue them thou wouldest carry thy goods with thee vnto thy graue Yea doe it in time for vnto what times hast thou reserued these thoughts when thou shouldest wholly busie thy selfe in making thy soule ready for thy God thē as a bird taken in alime-bush the which the more she fluttereth the more she is limed thou weariest thy musing soule in thy secular affaires without all free thought or care of God And indeed what time is this Bernard conc ad diuites as Bernard speaketh to make thy wil and to dispose of thine estate when thy head aketh thy hand shaketh thy tongue faultereth thy hart groaneth and thy many grieuous paines doe so trouble thy thoughts that neither thy writing nor thy words can well expresse or make knowne thy mind A weake soule thou art then easily led to do that thou neuer mindest Thy wil then not thine but the will of some other which may best perswade thee And if then thine euen as thou wouldest yet see how one word inserted in some place may alter thy meaning in some maine matter how two or three witnesses carry away all In time therefore dispose of thy worldly affaires whilest thy thoughts are free affections stayed and when at thy leasure thou maiest maturely peruse that which before time thou hast done So shall thy testament be testatio mentis a witnes of thy mind and the will thou hast made thy wil and not the will of another man And if thou oughtest thus to dispose of thy worldly affaires how much rather shouldest thou seeke to prepare and dispose of thy soule to cast vp thy reckonings since thou art forthwith without all delay to giue account of thy stewardship vnto God For as
it is a Hebr. 9.27 decreed that all must die so is it also by the same God said that after death all shall enter into iudgement b 1. Cor. 5.10 all must appeare before the tribunall seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill All therefore thou must there is no shifting appeare thou canst not bee hidden there to receiue what thou hast done whilest thou haddest a bodie whilest thou liuedst And what shall then become with thy vnreadie soule which vnprepared before she looked and before she had cast vp her reckonings made vp her accounts is to bee presented before her Iudge Alas how canst thou looke for thy quietus est or how canst thou but feare thy euerlasting ruine Thou hadst a time to make thy peace with God now that his blacke tents are pitched vp and vnder the arrest of death thou standest before him to receiue thy doome thy time is gone c John 9.4 Worke therefore whilst it is day as thy Sauiour aduiseth the night commeth wherein no man can worke Vpon which words saith Cyrill d Cyril in Iob. lib. 6. cap. 14. euery one of vs haue our day and haue our night Our day is the space of our whole life in which it is giuen vs of God to work that which shall make to our euerlasting good our night is the time after our naturall death in which no man can worke or wipe away those death-bringing staines which in the day of his life he hath contracted It may be then it shall grieue thee that thou hast euill done yet then as Austine speaketh a August de fid ad Petr. diaco cap. 3. thy sorow shall be without fruit because then it shall finde no mercie in the sight of God The which Ambrose speaking of those words of Dauid b Psal 39.13 Forgiue me that I may be refreshed before I goe hence and bee no more seene most plainly sheweth c Ambros de bon mortis cap. 2. Dauid desires to haue his sinnes forgiuen him before he died for he which here doth not receiue remission of his sinnes he shall not there The reason whereof Austin giueth because there may be d Jnter Aug. opera de rectitud Cathol conuers poenitentia dolorem habens sed medicinam non habens A repentance which hath griefe but not a repentance which brings reliefe And as in another place he saith there may be e August de fid ad Petrum diac cap. 3. stimulus poenitudinis the prick of sorow but there cannot be correctio voluntatis amendment of the minde Wherefore whilest thou liuest prepare thy soule and make haste vnto thy God and pray with Ambrose f Ambros in Psal 38. Here forgiue me my sinnes where I haue sinned except thou forgiue them here I shall not finde the restfull comfort of forgiuenes there Neither doe thou repose thy vnprepared soule vpon the vaine staies of deceiuing Poperie all the Masses and Dirges and other shewes of pietie which in a blind zeale thy well willers shall procure for thee when thou art dead shall nothing boote thee or make thy soule finde fauour with her God For as Chrysostome speaketh the g Chrysost ad Top. Antioch Homil. 49. mariners when the ship is drowned cannot helpe nor the Physitians when the partie is dead Wherefore now prepare thy soule for h Basil Quest. diffuse explic now is the acceptable time as Basil speaketh now is the day of health this world is for thy repentance that for thy recompence this for thy working that for thy rewarding this for thy patience that for thy comfort now God is helping to all them that doe repent them of their euill liues then he will be a seuere examiner of their deedes Wherefore now whilest thou liuest set thy house in order prepare thy soule and make it readie for the Lord. And that thou maist the better know well to doe it lay before thine eyes the example of Hezechtah and remember well what he is here said to doe First he turnes from his Princes and Nobles he turnes to the wall of Gods temple he turnes to God euen so in the bed of thy sicknes turne from the world turne to God For whither wilt thou goe if thou goest not to him or of whom wilt thou receiue helpe and comfort if not of him If thou lookest on thy friends and children they may bewaile thee but they cannot helpe thee If thou remembrest thy wealth and worship they may be matter of thy griefe and sorow but cannot then affoord thee any small reliefe Wherefore turne thy selfe and soule from them withdraw thy thoughts and consecrate that little remainder of thy life in an holy meditation vnto thy God Neither doe thou feare his angrie countenance because of thy many and grieuous sinnes for if in a true faith and an heartie sorrow thou then turnest to him a Luke 15.20 he will meete thee in the way he will embrace thee with his armes of mercie kisse thee with the kisses of kindnesse take away from thee the ragges of thy sinnes and clothe thee with that costly robe the righteousnesse of his all iustifying Sonne Turne thee therefore from the world vnto thy God and when thou canst not turne thy feebled bodie turne thy minde For as b Genes 8.9 the Doue that was sent out of Noahs Arke flew here and there ouer the face of the waters but found no rest for the soles of her feete till shee returned into the Arke againe so the soule of man sent by God from the highest heauen flieth here and there and wearieth her self with the things of this world but findeth no true rest nor pleasing content till she returne vnto her God againe Wherefore returne thy soule vnto her maker and there seeke for that which in the whole world thou canst not finde True it is that the wicked which are at no peace with God nor haue any hope or confidence in his mercy they c Genes 3.8 flie from his presence as the theefe doth from the face of the Iudge But alas whither will they flie from his presence or which of Gods creatures can yeeld them comfort when he in anger shall set himselfe against them or to what end doe they slacke their comming which anon perforce must be brought before him and receiue euen for this their contempt a more heauie doome Wherefore let not thy soule bee like one of theirs neither doe thou tread in their distrustfull steps but in this be thou like this good King Hezechiah turne thy selfe and soule from the world turne to God And when thou hast thus turned from the world vnto thy God then in the second place consider what Hezechiah here doth he prayed to his God saying Now O Lord I beseech thee remember mee Euen so doe thou for vnto whom shouldest thou make thy
the person by whom it was done by Isaiah the Prophet sent vnto him from the Lord. Fourthly the message it selfe Set thine house in order Fiftly the reason why the King is aduised so to doe Thou must die thou shalt not liue In the behauiour of Hezechiah when this message was thus deliuered to him we are to consider these three especiall points First that he turnes his face vnto the wall Secondly that hee prayeth Now I pray thee Lord remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is pleasing in thy sight Thirdly that he wept sore Of which when wee haue briefly spoken wee will seeke to applie it first to this auditorie and then to this our brother deceased First of the first Concerning the time of Hezechias sicknes and so consequently of this message done vnto him there is great question among the learned Of whom a Rab. D. Kymhs Rab. Salomon Lyran. Bullinger some in their writings deliuer that it befell him during the time that Senacharib had enclosed him in Ierusalem and there lay in siege before it b Ierom. Rabanus Caluin VVolphius Other whose opinion I think more meete to follow that not then but shortly after euen c Jsai 37.36 after that the Lord had sent his Angell to destroy of the armie of that proud vaunting and blaspheming Prince an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand and d 2. Reg. 18.28 had put an hooke in his nostrils and had led him back the same way he came without any hurt done to Hezechiah or Ierusalem Thus then when Hezechiah and his people were ioying in this their so great and strange deliuerance Hezechiah their King the very light of Israel and breath of their nostrils is strooken with a grieuous sicknes and hath this message sent vnto him from the Lord that he must die and shall not liue O earth how vnstable are thy ioyes and how are all thy sweetes sauced with sowre The brightest sunne of mans prosperitie is often clowded nay it hath a time appointed by the highest wherein it must set The second thing to be considered is the partie to whom this message was sent it was to King Hezechiah which was then grieuously sick Behold Kings haue no priuiledge from sicknes no charter from death nay it was to a good King 2. Reg. 18.3 which did vprightly in the sight of God like as Dauid before him whom God prospered in all things that he tooke in hand yet was this good King as though he were vnworthie to enioy the late deliuerance giuen to his people strooken with the plague the very feare of the world and marke of Gods wrath If God deale so with Kings what are we to looke for the very meane of the people If thus with good Kings and them of the household of faith what shall hee doe vnto those which walke in the waies of the world and haue not God before their eyes Let therefore all flesh heare the message sent vnto them from the Lord Thou must die thou shalt not liue You heare to whom this message was sent now in the third place consider from whom he receiued it It was from Isaiah the Prophet It was from that Isaiah Jsai 37.4 to whom a little before he sent the chiefe of his Princes to entreate him to lift vp his prayers for them to the Lord. Vers 29. It was from that Isaiah which in their greatest feare prophecies deliuerance to the people destruction to Senacharib and his host It was from that Isaiah whose words he honoured as the oracles of truth and whose person as the beloued seruant of the most high God from him hee receiued this comfortlesse speech Set thine house in order thou must die thou shalt not liue And yet not from him but from the Lord for hee was but Gods mouth Gods messenger and therefore here he saith Thus saith the Lord Set thine house in order thou must die This cut off all his hopes this put an end to all his desires this stopped the mouthes of all such of his Princes and seruants which fed his sicke soule with a vaine hope of life and hurt some desire of his recouerie Whatsoeuer man saith or thou wouldest thus saith the Lord. And what is that hee saith which is the fourth thing we proposed to be obserued Giue order for thy house or set thy house in order dispose of the estate of thy kingdome and of thy worldly affaires make thy will and that with speed lest thou be preuented by death What meanest thou Isaiah thus to speak thou seemest to many to be a miserable comforter of the sick too much to daunt his fainting spirits too much to trouble his affrighted soule And indeed with such speeches not only the sicke but the standers by are seldom pleased Yet this was the word which the Lord God put into the mouth of his Prophet and which he commanded him to deliuer to his sicke King Put thine house in order thou must die Heare O my brethren of the Ministerie which should be the children of the Prophets what plainly without all mincing you should speake and heare O ye worthies and great men of the world what with patience on the bed of your sicknes you must be content to heare set your house in order you must die Neither must you thinke that this was only required of Hezechiah to set in order his house and temporall affaires but principally and aboue all other he was to set his soule in order to make it ready for the Lord. For he knew that a Heb. 9.27 after death he should bee brought into Gods presence b Luke 16.2 to giue account of his stewardship how hee had liued how he had ruled and c 2. Cor. 5.10 to receiue according to the things he had done in his life were they good or euill To the end therefore that he might haue a prepared soule and bee as d Reuel 21.2 the Bride that had made her self ready that he might with aged Simeon e Luke 2.29 depart in peace and with ioy approch the presence of his Master the King is here aduised by the Prophet to set his house himselfe his soule in order Marke the reasō which the is fift thing we obserued in the message a forcible motiue to perswade Hezechiah to set his house in order Thou must die thou shalt not liue Men for the most in the extremitie of their sicknes do hope for life and if they bee beaten from their hopes yet they will not be driuen from their desires But here to the end that the King might be driuen from all hope and desire of life he deliuers this message to him from the Lord Thou must die and lest he should feede his soule or be fed by other with any vaine hope of life he further addeth Thou shalt not liue This seemeth a very hard and distastfull speech to
prayers but vnto him which best knoweth thy neede and which hath bound d Psal 50.15 Joel 2.32 Iohn 14.13 himselfe by promise to helpe thee in this time of thy neede Although e Psal 121.1 thou art to looke vnto the hils to follow the examples of holie men yet as Austin vpon that Psalme obserueth f August comment in Psal 121. thou must still acknowledge that thy saluation commeth from the Lord. Wherefore to him lift vp thy soule in prayers and with thy heart crie when thou canst not with thy weakned voyce Now O Lord I beseech thee remember me And then doe not boast of thy merits and well doing as though God were therefore bound to helpe thee and to yeeld reliefe but rather let thy merits be Gods mercie as Bernard speaketh a Bernard in Cantic serm 61 Shall I sing of my righteousnes nay I will remember thy righteousnes onely for that is mine And yet that thou maist the better assure thy staggering soule of Gods fauour to thee in this time of thy neede remember with Hezechiah Gods former mercies before-time shewed to thee in the progresse of thy life for that God which hath giuen thee to walke before him in truth and with a perfect heart that God which hath giuen thee to doe that which is good and pleasing in his sight he will not now leaue and forsake thee but he will then heare thy prayers and as thou beseechest he will then remember thee Alas beloued in this time of thy neede what can thy wealth and worship steed thee what can thy friends and well willers helpe thee what can then better comfort thy fainting soule than thy harmelesse and well deeded life which thou hast passed in Gods feare these b 2. Pet. 1.10 Ephes 1.4 thy good workes will assure thy soule that thou art an elect vessell chosen of God c Matth. 7.17 John 15.5 these fruits of thy beleeuing faith will witnes to thee that thou art a blessed plant whom Gods right hand hath planted d Rom. 8.14 Ephes 5.8 these holy actions of thy spirituall life will speake to thy soule that thou art liued of God and that hee liueth in thee by his grace This his e Ezech. 9.5 6. marke God doth see and will acknowledge in thee and these f Reuel 14.13 fruits of thy faith workes of pietie when all things else will leaue and forsake thee will not forsake thee but will accompanie thee vnto the heauens and there will present themselues with thee to thy God How studious therefore should wee bee in pietie how fruitfull in good workes how prouident for this oyle how carefull to do that which is good in Gods sight since these in the time of our greatest need make so much for our comfort and reliefe Surely to a man that g Ierem. 17.5 maketh not flesh his arme but h Philip. 3.8 1. Corin. 1.20 reposeth himselfe on the mercie of Christ and on his all sufficient merit a well deeded life will make much for his comfort Insomuch that in a good confidence of hope he will say with Dauid i Psalm 31.5 Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit for thou Lord of truth hast redeemed me And when thou hast thus according to the good ensample of Hezechiah prepared thy selfe do not thou forget that which in the last place he is said to do and that is hee wept very sore for when the seruants of God do see that k Psalm 23.6 God still followeth them with his helping grace how l Mat. 14.27 Luke 12.32 in the middest of their troubles he still speaketh words of cōfort to their soules when a Rom. 8.11 16. Ephes 1.13 Hebr. 11.15 they find that inward witnes of Gods spirit testifying to their spirits that when b 2. Cor. 5.1 this earthly tabernacle shall be destroyed they shall haue a building not made with hands but which is eternall in the heauens yea when God so farre openeth their eyes that c Matth. 17.2 2. Cor. 12.2 they see some part of that his goodnes which he will fully shew vnto them in the land of the liuing then d 2. Cor. 5.2 Jerem. 31.18 Ezech. 16.61 all ashamed of themselues and full of teares they bewaile their sinnes and neglected duties because they haue not sought Gods glorie in a more forward zeale nor more carefully haue honoured him in the course of their liues e Psal 126.5 O blessed soule which thus sowest in teares for thou shalt reape with ioy O blessed soule which thus doest f Matth. 5.4 mourne and bewaile thy sinnes for thou shalt bee comforted the Lord shall not forget thy teares but hee shall put them into his bottle Nay hee shall forthwith giue thee a g Reuel 14.13 life in which thou shalt serue GOD without all sinne rest from thy labours and h Jsai 25.8 Reuel 7.7 haue all teares wiped away from thine eyes Wherefore O ye that heare me this day since you are all the sonnes of Adam and must to earth from whence you came since to euery of you the heauenly voice hath said You must die and shall not liue Set an order to your housen prepare your soules and whilest you liue before you bee preuented by death cast vp your reckonnings and make your selues ready for the Lord. With this good King Hezechiah turne your selues from the world your wealth and worship and turne vnto the Lord. Vnto him powre forth your prayers and in the bed of your sickenes say when all helpe of friends and physicke do faile now O Lord I beseech thee remember mee And that he may the better bee moued to heare you then and to giue you succour to your content during this your earthly pilgrimage and small abode in this decaying world walke with your God faune not on the world in truth not in falshood with a perfect not a dissembling heart euer seeke to do how irkesome soeuer it be to thy flesh and vnpleasing to the world that which is good and pleasing in Gods sight And when thou hast fayled in these thy duties bewaile thy sinnes and ouersights and with an humbled soule come to the feete of thy blessed Sauiour grieue not to wash them with the teares of thine eyes which hath washed thee with his most precious blood Thus much in the applicatiō of this text to you Now resteth it that we should somewhat speake of this our brother for whose sake wee are heere assembled For since it hath been an ancient and most laudable custome vsed by the holy Fathers in the Primitiue Church and continued throughout all ages vnto this day to commend vnto the people of God in their Funerall Sermons many vertuous men and women and that to these ends that they might shew their thankefulnes to God for giuing such grace vnto men performe their last dutie to the deceased and might stirre vp their hearers