THE Fore-runner of ETERNITIE OR Messenger of DEATH sent to Healthy Sick and Dying Men by H. DREXELIUS 1643 â—NA 〈◊〉 HIS â—SA â—NIS MORE â—UNDâ—â— AEGRIS W. Marshall Sculpsit THE FORERUNNER OF ETERNITY OR MESSENGER OF DEATH Sent to Healthy Sick and Dying Men By H. DREXELIUS LONDON Printed by J. N. and are to be sold by John Sweeting at the Angel in Popes-Head-alley Ann. Dom. 1642. ¶ To the worthy and most virtuous Gentlewoman Mistresse MARGARET DRAPER Widow of Mr. ROBERT DRAPER Esquire MADAME WOnder not that I presume to thrust this Tractate into your hands as not having that Relation to your self usuall in all such Dedications yet finding so great an affinity betwixt your Goodnesse and the Tractate it self so great unitie betwixt your Meditations daily express'd in your Practice and these here imprinted I thought it not onely fit but necessary to prefix your name unto it For it is most just That in whom these Meditations have been continually imprinted she at last should be imprinted in these Meditations Take therefore this Book reade it your self and explain it to others least that Gulf in the Title ETERNITY catch and involve those at unawares that might fore-run it Let the Reader know that it is alwayes to be thought on though never to be understood Let him believe that every moment we travell unto it and shall quickly come to our journeys end that vast place of entertainment the Inne of Eternitie Let him look he bespeaks good Lodging and good Company for the next morning as soon as the Sunne of Righteousnesse appears he shall begin a journey that shall never have end in which he shall still move on yet never proceed for going forward is but as standing still in that motion to which no period is allotted But this you know in a word therefore Take this book now your owne for though your lesse skill in the Latine tongue may deny you to have made the Originall yet the zeal and piety of your Life is the best Translation Shew it therefore to the world that its Meditations whilest you live may be a Pattern for others and when you are dead the Historie of yours So I have brought this Book and you together I know you will quickly be acquainted and talk out the rest therefore now ceasing to trouble you I steal away in silence remaining Yours in all humble service W. CROYDEN ¶ The severall Sections of the three ensuing Books The first Book 1 AN Introduction to the work pag. 1 2 That the remembrance of Death should be daily pag. 3 3 The remembrance of death a medicine against all sinnes pag. 5 4 Of the conclusion of a good life pag. 8 5 That every man is nothing pag. 9 6 Of the short continuance of men pag. 11 7 The same larglier insisted on pag. 13 8 The vanity of the desire of long lise pag. 15 9 That man is dust pag. 1â— 10 That every man is truly miserable pag. 21 11 What man is pag. 24 12 Instruction to the haters of funeralls pag. 27 13 That our life is nothing but weeping pag. 29 14 That God comforteth those that weep pag. 30 15 That our death may be as advantagious as our birth pag. 33 16 That death is every where pag. 36 17 Every mans house is deaths home pag. 38 18 The inexorablenesse of death pag. 40 19 The certainty uncertainty of death pag. 42 20 The suddennesse of death pag. 44 21 An antidote against sudden death pag. 54 22 Our dayes are few and eâ—ill pag. 57 23 How dying young we may be said to be old pag. 59 24 That any one that will may live long pag. 62 25 That we must all die pag. 63 26 The remembrance of death ought to be renewed pag. 66 27 A discourse of Assan Bashaw pag. 73 28 That each day is to be regarded pag. 78 29 The throne of all our pride is our bier pag. 80 30 What our life is pag. 86 31 Our life is a Play pag. 89 32 A type of mans life pag. 91 33 The Prologue Narration Epilogue of mans life pag. 93 34 That the longest life is but short pag. 96 35 Of procrastination pag. 98 36 Deaths haunt pag. 103 37 Of our negligence in meditating of death pag. 105 38 That the present is onely ours pag. 108 39 That we should not rely on to morrow pag. 110 40 The suddennesse comelinesse of death pag. 113 41 That we must watch and pray pag. 116 42 Eight verses out of the Psalms used by S. Bernard for the time of death pag. 119 The second Book 1 THe remembrance of Death recommended to the sick pag. 127 2 The sick mans dâ—scourse wâ—th his friends pag. 131 3 Pleasant things not alwayes best pag. 138 4 Christian valour seen in the contâ—mpt of death pag. 139 5 Examples of death contemned pag. 141 6 Of a mind ready for death pag. 144 8 Three things grievous in sicknesse pag. 147 9 Sicknesse is the school of vertue pag. 150 10 Sicknesse the monitor to eternity pag. 151 11 Of prayer in sicknesse pag. 152 12 What ought to be our thoughts and actions in sicknesse pag. 155 13 The difference of our thoughts in sicknesse and health pag. 158 14 In all our sicknesse we must send holy sighs to God pag. 160 15 Faults of sick men pag. 161 16 Rules to be observed by the sick pag. 166 17 How the sick man should quench his thirst pag. 168 18 The sick mans napk n pag. 170 19 The sick mans bed pag. 172 20 The hope of a better life asswageth our misery pag. 175 21 True hope of a most blessed life pag. 176 22 Tranquillity flows from true hope pag. 180 23 Patience the whole armour of a Christian pag. 182 24 That we are but guests on earth pag. 186 25 The term of our life is uncertain pag. 187 26 A first objection of the sick man pag. 191 27 A second objection pag. 193 28 The sick mans complaints pag. 195 29 The sick mans discourse with himself pag. 199 30 His discourse with God pag. 201 31 His sure confidence in God pag. 207 32 Of constancy in sicknesse pag. 211 33 Severall prayers to be used by the sick pag. 215 The third Book 1 THe Art of dying pag. 233 2 How to redeem the time pag. 237 3 How to make a short life long pag. 238 4 An end of all things but eternity pag. 239 5 Considerations of a dying man pag. 245 6 We ought to prepare for death pag. 246 7 Examples of such as buried themselves pag. 248 8 A consideration of our grave pag. 252 9 Nine forms of Wills pag. 255 10 Nine Epitaphs pag. 261 11 Nine reasons to perswade us to die with a resolved mind pag. 273 12 Death not to be feared pag. 282 13 How the Saints of God may desire yeâ— fear death pag. 285 14 An ill death follows an ill life pag. 289 15 A good death follows a good life
so worke security in him exercised the thoughts of Death in himselfe by this fit similitude As man saith he who is led from prison to the place of execution though hee be led about and seems to go slowly yet he feares Death and is as sure of it as he that goes a neerer way and though his legs be strong his eyes quick-sighted his heart lusty though his stomacke be able for digestion yet this one thought turns all into bitternesse that hee is in the way to a certaine execution And what man is not a prisoner in this kind we are all going on towards our long home we are all in the way and parted but by small distances those which are dead have not so much left us onely they are gone before us but perhaps thou mayst say I am healthy and lusty and finde not nor feele any the least sence of sicknesse nor apprehension of Death well flatter thy selfe if thou wilt for certain thou art in the way and wee all are in the way with thee But thou mayst say thou art not yet thirty years old what then thou wast in the way at twenty at ten at five at three nay even at the first yeare and in the first houre goe on perhaps thou mayst a little further but thou wilt shortly come to thy end but yet thou wilt say thy sleepe is sound thy meat and drinke doe excellently well relish and digest Oh fond man Death regards not such things Wee are in the way looke to thy selfe presently thou wilt perceive the place of execution thou art led on there 's but a little time for thee to breath in shortly shall all thy pompe luxury and strength expire as well as thy selfe all our life is but the pathway to death That Death may happy be to live learn I That life may hâ—ppy be I 'le learne to die § 38. To day for mee to morrow for thee Delrii adag Tom. 2. p. 576. FRancis the first King of Francâ— being taken by Charles the fifth comming to Madrid upon a wall he read the Motto of Charles which was Plus ultra Still further and writ under it Hodie mihi cras tibi Mine to day yours to morrow The Conquerour was not offâ—nded nor angry but gave notice that hee understood the meaning for hee writ this in answer to it I am but a Man and know my selfe subject to mortalitie Elegantly spoke Greg Nazianzen My head saith he begins to be an Almond tree flourishing and therefore my Summer of Age is neer the Sickle is made sharp for work all my feare is lest that terrible Mower should crop me off and cut me downe while I sleepe securely and am not ready for his stroke But thou mayst say Old men indeed may feare but I am yong and green be not thou deceived Death is not limited to any certaine age The same Bier to day may carry an old carcasse to morrow a yong one to day a strong aâ—â—e â—n an to morrow a yong Virgin or 〈◊〉 Child Seneca speaks to the purpose Death saith he stands at the door of a yong man as well as at the threshold of an aged man for all men are registred and inrolled in Deaths Records all must pay their tributes when Death cals forth all must goe out no exemption from his Edict This is the last warning and admonishment that dying men groan forth To day for me too morrow for thee and this is the Graves sentence I fell yesterday thou mayst this day Remember Death Oh remember Eternitie which thou mayst either to day or to morrow begin but never End §. 28. If to morrow why not to day THere is a Chaine and that a weâ—ghty one that holds us bound fast to wit the Love of this Life which as it is not to be utterly cast off yet it is daily to be weakned and the vigour of it abated that when it shall be required at our hands to surrender nothing may withhold us but that we be ready presently to doe that which at one time or other must be performed Saint Augustine the Bishop of Hippo went on a time to visit another great Prelate and Father of the Church lying very sick and at the point of Death who had been formerly his familiar friend at Saint Augustines comming the sick man lift up his hand and said that he was departing this world and going into Heaven Possidonius in vita Aug. c. 27 Saint Augustine replyed that the Church would stand in great want of him and prayed that God would lend him a longer life The sicke mâ—n answered again if he never could be well spared but if at any time he should depart why not now The Death of all men is even and alike but the wayes by which it comes are divers one dyes at supper another in his sleepe a third in the commission of some sin One dyes by the sword another is drowned a third is burned some are poysoned and stung to death by Serpents others are kild by some fall and some Consumptions rid away some are cut off in the flower and beauty of their age some are destroyed in their swathling clothes and some in their decrepit years Others onely salute the World and are gone One mans end is commendable anothers dishonorable but let Death come never so gently or favourably yet it never comâ—s without some horrour and affrightment But that which most of all estrangeth us from liking Death is that wee know the things present and delights in them but whither wee are passing by Death and what things wee shall behold in the bowels of the grave wee know not and wee usually tremble at the report of strange sights therefore are our mindes to bee hardned with the daily exercise and meditation of eternity Eternity I say is to be thought upon night and day as he that will learn to endure hunger must attaine to it by fasting by degrees so the mind must be transferd from transitory things that ever will be expert in the study of Eternity Let him every moment salute and imbrace the threshold of Eternity let this one be the onely square of all his actions I read I write I meditate I watch I speak I worke always to Eternity Hee that ever intends to triumph eternally let his meditation be alwayes fixed and setled upon it § 40. Death is suddain yet comely AS Palladius the Bishop of Helenople testifies Cheremon died sitting as hee was at work Hist c. 92. and well Hee was found sitting with his worke in his hand onely hee was dead Any kind of Death is credited by a vertuous life Philemon an ancient Writer of Comedies as hee rehearsed his Comedies with Menander on the Stage Mad. Philos in Florid p 579 and strove with him for the Bays he was not in any thing reputed inferiour to him He acted a part of a play which he lately had made and being come to the second Scene
a care to preserve with prayers your very footsteps that when the betrayer shall come he may find every part so well guarded that he may have no place to fasten in you to wound you Gerardus both by nature Religion the brother of S. Bernard did publickly demoÌ„strate the same which we here affirme that a good death is always joyned to a pious life but let us hear Bernard himself in this point whom siâ—knesse made wise Would to God I had not lost thee but only had sent thee before Would to God at last though slowly I might follow thee wheresoever thou art gone for no doubt but thou art gone after them whom about the midst of thy last night thou didst invite to prayses as well in words as countenance of gladnesse and didst presently break out into that of the Prophet David to the wonder of those that stood about thee Prayse the Lord from Heaven prayse him in the highest ô my brother thy day sprung forth in the midst of thy night that night was a time of illumination and indeed thy night was turned to day I was called to behold that wonder to see a man rejoycing in death and triumphing over death O Death where is thy victory Death where is thy sting Now thy sting is turned into a Jubilee of mirth Now there was a man who dyed singing and sung dying Thou art now ô daughter of sorrow turn'd into gladnesse Thou enemy of Glory art used for glory and the gate to Hell and the pit to destruction are made the inlet into the Kingdome of Glory and to the finding out of salvation and that of a sinner and justly too for that thou rashly didst use thy power against an innocent and just man ô Death thou art dead and caught with the same hooke thou so greediâ—y swallowedst down which voice is to be found in the Prophet O death I will be thy death and will be thy destruction strucke through I say with that hook the faithfull pâ—ssing through thy loins there is opened through thy sides an happy and joyfull way to life Gerard my bro her fears thee not thou meagre Effigies Gerard my brother passeth through thee to hiâ— heavenly Countrey not onely securely but joyfully and cheerfully with prayses When as I was come and he had come to the end of that Psalme with a loud voice lifting up his eyes unto Heaven said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and often repeating the same word Father Father and so turning himselfe with a cheerfull countenance to mee what a dignation is it of God to vouchsafe to be our Father What a glory is it to man to bee the sonnes and heires of God Hee so sung that he turnd my weeping into mirth and beholding his comfortable joy it made me almost forget my own misery He cannot die ill who hath liv'd well § 17. Like life like death WHen as the weary Huntsman's laid to sleep Yet doth hee dream how 's chase and game to keep To wit what things we have been busied about all day those usually we dream on at night in like manner to what we have accustomed our selves to through our lives those like us best in death Hence is it that for the most part as wee have acted our parts here so wee goe off from this stage of mortality There is an History of a Goldsmith who was so excessively covetous that lying upon his death-bed he dreamt still of gold insomuch that hee neglected the advice of Divines and other his Friends concerning his salvation and hourely had his heart fixed upon his money O wretched man hadst thou but one point of an houre to work out thy salvation and yet couldst thou not think upon it as our dayes have beene employed so will even our last of time therefore those who have made Gold their God or pleasures or other vanities their last end are selâ—ome pious or comfortable How much better did Socrates who even at last gaspe could not forget himself nor vertue Antiochus King of Syria did most miserably vex the Iews and Maximinus the Emperour with cruell Edicts and most bitter tormen s resolv'd to put out the name of Christianity but both of them by the divine Justice fell into a most lamentable and grievous disease and when as neither of them had any hopes of life left them the one besought the Iews the other the Christians that they would pray for them unto their God Both of them like to Asops Crow which when shee was very ill spoke to her Mother not o lament for her but by her prayers to the Gods she entreated her to pray for her health to whom the other answered which of the Gods is it from whom thou hopest to be recovered when as there is none from whose Altars thou hast not stole some part of a Sacrifice Hence even as wee live so wee die and so we shall be judged at last either to punishment in hell or to everlasting happinesse in Heaven § 17. The wish for a good death Num. 23.10 LEt mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like to his Cals out the Prophet Balaam How much righter had hee spoken had hee said Let mee live the life of the righteous that my death may then be like his It is ridiculous to desire to have a good death and yet to shun a pious life to live well is laborious to die well happinesse but the latter depends on the former Hee which refusâ—th to passe through the Red Sea shall never eat Manna Hee which loves Egypts slavery shall never enter into the Land of the living Piously and elegantly in this respect doth S. Bernard speak Vtinam inquit hac morte frequenter cadam God grant I may often fall by that death that so I may escape the sâ—ares of death that I may not be entangled in the mortiferous flatteries of a luxurious life that I may avoid the sense and deceitfull pleasures of lust that I be not overcome with covetousnesse that I be not stirr'd and mov'd to anger to impatience that I be not overwhelm'd with the vexings and distraction of worldly cares and sollicitudes That death is good which takes not life away but changes it onely into a better This for certain is that death that he expects and waits for with all his desires who eagerly pursues that life which shall never know death To be dead to sinnes before death comes is the best death of all § 18. Sleep is the brother of death PAusanias relates that in the City Olympia he saw a Statue called Night in the forme and habite of a woman This held in her right hand a white youth a sleep and in her lâ—ft hand a black youth as if hee were sleeping the one of these she called sleep the other death both of them were counted the sons of Night hence Virgill makes sleep to be Deaths Kinsman Gorgias Leontinus being very old and
pag. 291 16 Like life like death pag. 296 17 The desire of a good death pag. 298 18 Sleep the brother of death pag. 300 19 The forerunners of death pag. 302 20 How we must answer the messenger of death pag. 305 21 A sweet death the worst death pag. 307 22 Deaths blessednesse pag. 312 23 A dying mans farwell to the living pag. 315 24 What should be the words and meditations of a dying man pag. 319 25 Things specially to be observed by a dying man pag. 321 26 What a dying man should do pag. 323 27 Consolation for a sick man pag. 325 28 Holy ejaculations for a dying man pag. 329 29 The dying mans confidence in God pag. 333 30 The last words of a dying man pag. 336 31 Of the conforming our will to Gods will pag. 338 32 The dying mans emulation of the good thief pag. 339 33 Of the Heliotropium pag. 342 34 Prayers for a dying man pag. 345 A YE think DEATH sleeps Take heed he 'll wake ye'll mone B Health makes you skip and dance while sick men grone C Quails shower down to please the gluttons tongue D Sweet Zephyr strows his Flowres Alas how long E Yet Phoebus smiles and walks with goodly grace But clouds ere long will mask his radiant face F When Virtue moves Health gives you stubborn backs Like Rammes when Vice pliant as Virgin-wax G Feast frolick gallants feast drink-swagger rore and kisse But think how on this Point hangs endlesse we or blisse THE FORE-RUNNER of ETERNITIE Or Messenger of DEATH sent to healthy sick and dying men The Remembrance of Death propounded to the Healthy §. 1. Instructions to the Reader and an Introduction to the Work MAny have written comfortable Antidotes against Diseases and Death I determine the same and they are so far from discouraging me that they rather incite my Penne. Some of them with leave be it spoken are too long so that they burthen a sick man with their too too many precepts Others not so much forgetting brevity as a Methodicall Order doe make it too accurate They had not so much offended had they kept their Pens from paper as Apelles desired in Protogenes Plin. l. 35 c. 10. post initium Many have discours'd excellently but as I may say not satisfactory for Practise Theorie is to be commended but here wee must doe and in stead of words set forth action There are others that propose nothing to sick and dying parties but meere terrors and feares and so astonish them yet living I know my Reader that thy desire is to be prepared for Death with small expences I will endeavour to answer thy expectation and Briefly Orderly and Cheerefully I will lead thee to Deaths dore so as thou shalt scarce perceive it 1. Briefly Briefly for I write not a volume but a short Treatise which may be thy dayly companion 2. Orderly I will not observe a strict Order but rather a mixt the way that is plesant seems streight though there be many windings Cheerefully for I will not only treat of Religion 3. Cheerfully but will mix with it verses and fit old Epigrams so that my style shall not only be plaine but relishing of sanctified mirth Thus I thought fitting to admonish thee at the entrance into this subject §. 2. That the Remembrance of Death should be dayly HAppy is that man that spends every day as if it were his last Epictetus doth wisely teach Epictet Enchir. cap. 28. Death saith hee and Banishment and all other evills should be daily before our eyes especially Death So shall our thoughts never be too base nor too ambitious Wretched men why possesse you such large hopes why undergoe you such a great weight of disturbances who to morrow perchance may be dust and ashes Stand sure O man for the sable Goddesse Death daily stands over thy head and when the little remnant of sand in thy houre-glasse shall be runn'd out with a vigilant and undrousie eye expects thy arrivall and canst thou but expect Her as he sung Ortum quicquid habet finem timet i. e. All that a beginning have Doe expect and feare a grave Ibimus omnes i. e. We all must goe To the earth below Nor can any age bribe Death As soone as we are borne we pay tribute and are Deaths hirelings Nay as soone as greedy eyes the first light see Then doe wee even begin to die Death kills the Empresse as well as the Handmaid As the Poet well Horat. lib. 1. ep 4. Because wee dye so fast Think every day thy last Say every Evening This day I stand at the dore of Eternity §. 3. The remembrance of Death is a Medicine against all sinnes THE serious remembrance of Death shakes off all sense of Pleasure and turnes the sweetest hony to Wormwood S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost in his 5. Sermon of wickednesse repulsed pag. 678. The expectation of Death to come will scarcely suffer or give admittance to any carnall delights And truly what doth not the sense of Death work if but entred into the fingers or the pores of the Head much more when it seises upon the whole body it spareth no age no dignity one young man dies another Infant another old man One dies by the sword another by poyson a third by a fall one departs lingringly another suddenly as overtaken with some violent storme or thunder clap Now amongst so many doubtfull changeable and suddain events what security can be expected What courage can there be to sinne amongst such uncertainties And why because we die daily Think of thy houre-glasse though slowly to sense yet certainly by degrees the sands doe runne from the uppermost to the nethermost Cell Apply this to thy fleeting life Every moment some parcell of our life slides away Here 's nothing safe one houre deceives another one moment steales somewhat from another Happy is hee which makes every day his last more happy hee which reckons every houre but most happy that man who accounts every moment He will abstaine from sinne that counts this present moment to be his determined time Oh deceitfull Hopes how many have you deluded While you promise to many the end of their journey old age and yet cut them off in the middest of it in their youth You make men beleeve that may happen to them which many have enjoyed the flourishing of the Almond tree what a number have fallen with innocent hands yet peccant hearts How many have been overtaken by Death whilest they have beene in meditating of wickednesse How many sinners and sinnes hath Death cut off in the middest of their acts How many have smarted for their endeavours to sinne being examples of rashnesse presumption Have not many put a period to their lives and sinnes together What if thou shouldst be one of this number Or why shouldst thou be priviledged beyond others Oh! Scriban in Polit. Christ lib. 1. c. 27. who would think
to find sin in that minde which expects Death with the sinne and punishment by that Death No wise man will play in a storme at sea who in such dangerous precipices will or dare meditate transgressions No man unarm'd can be merry in the middest of an Enemies Armie But much more foolish is hee who knowing every houre every moment to be uncertaine and living in a perpetuated feare of Death yet dares doe those things which for ever will make Death to be most miserable Oh unwise men that we are why doe wee plunge our selves into everlasting punishment and why obey we not good counsels Eccles 7.40 In all thy works saith Solomon remember thy end and so thou shalt no sinne § 4. The conclusion of a good life is of great esteeme TEll me ô Seneca whom doth that great Pliny in his Testimoniall worthy to be envied Plin. l. 14. c. 4. medio call a Prince Say what thinkest thou of Death especially of untimely Death Heare ô young men give eare ô old men so full of complaints Seneca ep st 77. in the end our life is as a tale that is told it matters not how long it is but how well it is performed It is not of any consequence in what place thou doest end end where thou wilt only let thy conclusion be well Epictetus in the same manner saith Euch. c. 23. Remember that thou art but an Actor of a play as thy Master appointeth thee if he sets thee a long part thou must performe it if a short one thy dutie is the same to doe it well Varro speakes not in dissonant termes from these two They live not best who live longest but they who doe live the uprightest Our lives are not valued by the duration of time but by the qualification of our actions Goodnesse in mans life is a quality not a quantity It matters not therefore either where or when or by what means wee die for as God our Master pleaseth so vve must depart Only let us pray that vve die vvell § 5. That every man is nothing Heu heu nos miseros quam totus Homuncio nil est i. e. What wretches ah alas are we All men are nothing verily IN truth it is so But much more wretched are wee in that wee know it not Man is nothing said an ancient Satyrist but I dare say wee begin then to be something when wee acknowledge our selves to be nothing O man know thy selfe know and be wise for Death crops off Lilies as soon as thornes or thistles Oh how vaine and wretched are vve what are vve our learning and Honour is but smoake our selves but dust the one is but a fancie the other but a blast And wee which now speake in the present tense we doe live we are strong and doe flourish in a trice all will be chang'd in the praeter-perfect tense viximus wee have liv'd Here all have the same way Our very life in the encrease decreaseth and we may divide the present day with Death There is a dayly diminution in some part of our lives Our glasse may be turn'd but it 's alwayes running The first sand as well as the last may be said to empty our glasse and the last houre in which we die doth not onely make Death but doth really consummate it §. 6. All men are but of a short time and continuance THe Lily is a flower vvhose life and beauty lasts but a day On the Banks of Hiparis Pliny l. 11. c. 36. a River in Scythia there is a bird called Hemerobios which lives not beyond the compasse of one day but ends her life with the same light she first receiv'd it at sunne-setting In the same shee hath experience of youth and old age shee springs up in the morning flourishes at noone growes old and dies at night but that which is most to be admired in that bird is shee doth in that space provide as much sustenance as if shee should live as long as the Raven Mans life is not unlike to this creature It alwayes is by the flood of flying time and more swift then any bird or arrow And oftentimes hath all his honour and worldly pomp terminated to a day sometimes to an houre and often to a moment Why doe wee then so fondly dreame of yeares and ages when wee are but as the flowers or their shadowes or what can be reckoned to be more vaine or short then either Hee that vvas thirty yeares in making curiously the forme of a man in Glasse had in a twinkling of an eye his vaine labour dash'd to peeces with this vvise answer As I have done to this brittle glasse so may Death doe either to you or my selfe in as short a space how vaine therefore are you in your thoughts But it is most wonderfull that though this life hath by so many learned Divines in all ages been proved to be so swift and short and though all Writers in all times have confirm'd the same yet wretches that we are vve heare not all these loud voyces King Hezekiah cries in the Prophesie of Esay From morning untill night thou will make an end of me Esay 38 1◠The Kingly Psalmist cries out Psal 102 17. My dayes are past away as a shadow And that great man in the land of Huz Iob 14.2 Man commeth forth as a flower is wasted and flieth away as a shadow Behold Oh man thou art but a bubble all thy life is but as the passing of a shadow and expectest thou here an abiding place or a quiet habitation Why doest thou heape up thick day oh thou covetous vvretch When as this night they shall fetch thy soule Why thinkest thou on carking and caring as though thou shouldest live Nestors age When as Death is at thy elbow thou shalt be gone from hence before thou thinkest of thy departure hasten the thought of it early Eternity is before thee §. 7. The same point more largely insisted on and confirmed No mans life but is short theirs is shortest vvho forget things past neglect things present feare not things to come Iob saith excellently And they which have seene him shall say where is hee like a dreame that passeth away and flieth hence Iob 2.7.8 so shall he not be found A dreame is vaine a flight is swift Yet man shal passe away as a vision by night Hee speaks of himselfe thus Iob 9 25.26 My dayes are swifter then a post they are gone and have seene no good This uttered that rich man of the East They are passed by as ships of burthen and as an Eagle to the prey For wee be but of yesterday Iob 8.9 and know nothing are not our dayes as a shadow upon earth truly they are so and tarry not We feast banquet dance yet they tarry not Wee are most secure and sleepe till high-noone and yet our dayes tarry not Wee sport away our time prodigally in trifles
and invent one idle thing after another yet our time stayes not Our yeares doe flit fleete and flie apace no man could ever yet give a ransome to enjoy the next day safely In our very sleepe vvee goe on either to the Eternity of joy in Heaven or of paine in Hell Excellent was that saying of Suidas O Mortals of one dayes continuance Verbo Ephemerii botri pa. 358. cunning for the present not looking to the future Consider of Eternity to vvhich you hasten §. 8. That the hopes and wishes for long life are vaine IT vvas the speech of that foolish rich man to his soule What shall I doe for vvhere shall I lay my fruits This will I doe Luk. 12.18 I will pull downe my barnes and build bigger Alas vvretched man twice vvretched vvilt thou enlarge thy barns thou shalt this night have a grave if not a Hell this night shall they require thy soule then vvhose shall those things be vvhich thou hast provided Thy Vertues hadst thou any thy Vices of which thou hadst too many shall goe vvith thee No other traine or attendants shalt thou have vvith thee hence Much like to this rich mans fall vvas that of Senecio reported of in Seneca Senec. epist. 101 â—â—it Who recounting the swiftnesse of our life which is granted to men by moments and minuts said thus Each day houre doth shew that vvee are nothing doth alwaies by some new Argument admonish us that are forgetfull of our frailty and drives us to looke on Eternity through Death This Senecio Cornelius a Roman Knight a frugall man not only carefull of his patrimony but also of his body having sate all day by a friend of his vvho vvas very ill and almost past hope of recovery having supped very merily vvas suddenly taken vvith the Squinancie in his throat so that hee could scarce draw his breath and vvithin a few houres Hee vvhich had gone thorough all offices and charges fit to be executed by an healthy able man He vvhich both by sea and land had gathered vvealth He vvhich had left no wayes untried that seemed gainfull in the highest pitch of good successe and in the middest of his wealth died suddenly So often comes it to passe that in the confluence of our hopefullest actions vve are gone as the vvinde vvhich vvhen at highest soone is calme and therefore doth Iob ask of God and in a sort complaine Iob 10.8 And doest thou so suddenly destroy me And learnedly Tertullian Tertull. lib de anima There is saith he that force and strength in vessels as they saile by the Capharean rocks though they be not assaulted by any great or raging vvindes nor violent vvaves yet vvith a gentle gale a smooth course all thinking themselves safe are vvith deadly privie overthrow suddenly sunk and lost An Emblem of the suddain events and unlooked for shipwracks of mens lives How foolish therefore is it to dispose of our life vvhen vve know not vvhat shall be to morrow Oh vvhat madnesse is it to lay such large hopes upon such brittle uncertaine beginnings I vvill bâ—y build fell get gaines purchase honour and in old age take my ease When beleeve it even to the most happy all things are doubtfull Iam. 3. Our life is but a vapour saith S. Iames. We cannot promise any certainty of future things and what we enjoy for the present may be easily taken from us or we from it Yet in the middest of these hazards vve propound and resolve upon long voyages and large journeyes by sea and land We lay out for warres for pleasures at Court for quietnesse and ease long businesses an orderly succession of labours heaping offices to offices hoping for Nestors years and Metellus good luck vvhen in the meane time Death stands by us and in these thoughts doth suddenly prevent us and suddenly casts us from the molehill of our hopes into the depth of Eternity §. 9. That man is Dust. Gen. 3.19 REmember this ô man that dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou returne This is a mourning verse vvhich God himselfe declared to Adam and doth vvisely admonish us of our Mortality Plin. lib. 10. cap. 4. The Eagle vvhen she intends to set upon and overthrow the Stagg before she begins her fight gathers a great deale of dust into her vvings and sitting betwixt the hornes of the Stagg vvith beating her wings upon his face strikes dust into his eyes and so drives him upon the Rocks So the Church by the vvise use of Humiliation and Mortification stops many a violent and hastie sinner in his furious course to destruction and drives his soule upon the Rock of Salvation IESVS CHRIST so likewise doth the Priest at burialls vvhen the corps is laid in the Grave he utters these vvords vvhen the earth is thrice cast on the dead party Earth to earth Ashes to ashes Dust to dust These words he speaks not to the dead in the grave but to those Coffines vvhich have living souls abiding in them not for those out of which the soule is departed King Philip of Macedon vvas vvise in this point that every morning had this sung to him to make him the more mindfull of Mortality O Philip remember thou art a man The very Cranes will in this point serve to be our Tutors who when they set their night Sentinels doe hold a stone in one of their feet that if they should chance to sleepe by the fall and sound of that stone they might be wakened the same Birds vvhen they flie over the sea betwixt Maeotis and Tenedos doe carrie sand in their bills Well let the stone in their foot remember us of our gravestone and the sand in their bill of the earth with which wee shall be covered The Calfe which the Hebrewes worshipped was in deed of gold but it was reduced to dust Nebuchadnezzars Image seemed terrible but it vvas mouldred to dust by the stroke of a stone The Apples of Gomorrah indeed outwardly vvere specious and beautifull but vvithin dust and rottennesse Proud men may shew their glory and riches and these may procure some carnall Israelites to vvorship them but they shall end in dust and corruption so that it is excellent vvhich Iob speakes I will say to the worme thou art my sister and to corruption thou art my mother It is not vvisedome to admire present glory but seriously to consider the end Dust man vvas and dust he shall be and his pomp shall follow him do therefore what is best to be done Eternity is nigh at hand §. 10. That every man is truly miserable WE cannot think enough whether nature hath beene a true loving mother Plin. preoemio in lib. 7. hist nat or rather a cruell stepmother to mankinde For among all other living creatures she cloathes man with the wealth of others Shee hath afforded to the rest divers coverings as shells harks skins prickles haire wooll bristles feathers vvings
you see the summe and epitome of al our life Daniel Archbishop of Mentz Elector of the Sacred Roman Empire with his own hands writ these following admonitions 1 Life is short 2 Beauty deceitfull 3 Wealth uncertaine 4 Dominion hated 5 War is pernicious 6 Victory is doubtfull 7 Leagues are fraudulent 8 Old age is miserable 9 Death is felicity 10 The fame of true Wisdome is everlasting To wit of that wisdome which descends from above which establisheth Kingdomes shall never cease but is eternall §. 14. That God doth comfort those that weep HEare the voice of the Comforter and Promâ—ser together Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Ps 33.19 and thou shalt glorifie me And the Lord is nigh to all them that are of a troubled spirit and he will save the humble in heart Aug. in Tom. 8. in Psal 50. Most excellently Saint Augustine Feare not saith hee when thou art troubled as though the Lord was not with thee The Lord is neere to those that are of a troubled spirit Man may prepare a Crown for the Conquerour but hee knows not how to give him strength to conquer But GOD when he beholds the battaile hee strengthens his Champions for that is the voice of the Psalmist that valiant warriour If I said my foot was moved thy mercy O Lord helâ—t me up Assoone therefore as thou art troubled stirre up thy faith and thou shalt know Hee will not leave thee comfortlesse But thou mayst perhaps think thy selfe forsaken because thou art not delivered when thou wouldest Hee tooke the three children out of the fire but he which tooke those three left he the Machabees Far be it to think so He delivered the one as well as the other the one corporally that his and their enemies might bee confounded thesâ— spiritually that the faithfull might in all ages imitate their valour God is high Every good soule is lowly if yee would that the high God should come neere unto you bee humble these are great Mysteries my Brethren God is above all Doest thou lift up thy selfe thou commest not neere him Doest thou debase thy selfe he will come down to thee Call therefore this faithfull Helper to thy succour by prayer Hee will be propitious even at the first sigh if it be from the soule God wil wipe away all tears from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 neither shall there bee any more weeping or mourning or griefe or sorrow because all these are passed away Most truly said the same Father Aug. in Psal 127 circamed How pleasant are the sighs of the soule to God they are more acceptable than the laughter of Fools or Theatres §. 15. That our death may be as advantageous as our Birth EPaminondas the Theban being at point of death said Val Max. l. 3. c. 2. l. 2. c. 6 Iâ— was not so much to bee accounted the period of his life as the beginning For now fellow souldiers may your Epaminondas be said to be born because he so dyes For whether is better to be pampered under griefe in this life or by death to enter into immortality There are a people neer Thrace Herodoâ— lib. 5. Hist Valer. l. 2. c. 1. Quintil. l. 5. institut called the Trausi which agree with the Thracians in al customs save in this particular That the neighbours when an Infant is born doe with great lamentations rehearse the great calamity the Infant must suffer on the stage of his life And they celebrate the Funerals of their Neighbours with great rejoycing in regard they are by death freed from all the miseries incideÌ„t to this life This Nation of some in this very respect hath bin reputed wise and discreet because they celebrate Birth-dayes with teares and Obits with joy The Getes and Causians are said to doe the same Stobaus in Encomio Mortis and to speak truth let but the seeming pleasures which this life promiseth be but exempt which force and inveigle men to many hazards and inconveniences by their allurements and then our end is to bee judged more happy than our beginning Death is not to be accounted an evill Plin. in praf l. 7. Hist but the conclusion of all evils Plinius Secundus saith There have beene some who have judged it best not to have beene born and next to that an carly Death So Silenus when hee was taken by Midas being asked what was best for man was a good space silent but at last answered thus It is the best not be at all and next to that to be but for a moment I cannot omit that fare and seldome heard of passage pleasant to be related of one Ludovicus Cortusius a Counsellour living in Padua who in his Will at his death forbade all mourning for him at his Buriall and willed that all the Musicians and Minstrels should bee present some to goe before and fifty to follow the Clergymen and the Corps and allowed by Will to each of them for their attendance halfe a Ducat and willed further that his coffin should be carried by twelve beautifull Virgins cloathed in a fresh greene habit and that they should sing melodiously as they passed along and gave to all of them such large Legacies that they served for their Dowry and was attended by an hundred torches and in this manner was sumptuously interr'd in the Church of Saint Sophia in Padua with all the Clergy accompanying his buriall the Black Friers onely excepted whom hee debard by his Testament lest they by their fable weeds might move in some persons mourning or heavinesse so that his Funeral was celebrated with as much mirth as a marriage This merry conceited man dyed in the year of our Saviour 1418 Iuly the seventeenth De modo bene viv Serm 70. Idem de transit mal Saint Bernard spoke worthâ—ly saying Let those mourne for their dead which believe not the Resurrection those are to bee lamented who after their death are punished in Hell by Devils not those who are placed in Heaven with the blessed spirits Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Precious indeed as the period of their labours as the consummation of victory as the gate to life and the entrance into perfect rest and securitie Well spoke that wise Hebrew Eccles 7.4 Better is the day of our death then the day of our birth §. 16. That Death is every where THose Wretches who seeke by what means they shall die to whom death is more welcome then life may vex and distract themselves with griefe and anxious sollicitudes and disturbing encumbrances they may sharpen their swords prepare poysons catch at Gibbets looke out for steep Rocks to fall downe from as though the loving yoke and society betwixt the soule and body could not be parted without such exquisite preparation Death is alwayes laying his snares in all places to catch us wheresoever man passeth Death is alwayes
ready where is hee not working whom doth not he meet and strike with his fatall dart How many sorts of deaths are there and all to ruine one poore wretch'd man so that it may be said truly why are so many sorts of deaths assailing Lib. dâ— honest vitae Idem in medit cap. 3. de dignitat animae When all our lives are bubbles quickly failing Heare but Saint Bernard let the daily meditation of death be thy chiefe wisdome for there are divers kinds of death always pinching thee What ever happens to other men saith he may also happen to thee because thou art a man thou art made and composed of earth and art but dust of dust thou takest thy descent and pedigree from earth thou livest of earth and shalt at one time or other bee reduc'd to earth when that last and terrible day shall come which shall come suddenly and perhaps to morrow or this day It is â—ertain that thou shalt dy but when or how or where is altogether uncertaine Seneca saith It is uncertaine in what place Death looks for thee therefore doe thou expect it in every place §. 17. Every mans House is Death's home WE sport and put Death farre too far away And yet it secretly in us doth lurke Yet from our first breath doe our lives decay And Death begins even then ' gainst us to work Each hour doth strive to cut our threds in twain Each moment Death doth somthing from us gain Wee always dye and in one moment passe Vnto Deaths darkest Cels as lights put out Death cuts off time in which our hopes we place Frustrates our hopes with time which wheels about So short oft times are both our hopes and time That oft Death takes them both even in their prime In the Northern Ocean towards Moscovy there is a certaine fish whose name is Death this great devourer of fishes is mightily arm'd with teeth Hie. Cardan l. 10. de subtilitate pag. 336. and as Cardanus reports it sword-hilts are made usually of his teeth Oh mortals our owne bodies are ponds in which this great Devourer Death is nourished wee need not therefore go farre to find it when it is bred in our own bowels In each 〈◊〉 Home Death keeps a Roome §. 18. That Death is inexorable not to be intreated THough Rocks be deafe and Tigres fell And boystrous Seas doe rage and swell Sometimes these are calme quiet pleas'd And all their furies are appeas'd But death nor threats or friendship doth regard But is than Seas Tygres or Rocks more hard Antiquity feignes the three Ladies of destinies to be all inexorable to whom all the power of life and death is only entrusted to whose distaff spinning thread sheares the Gods have transferd humane actions as it is said When Fates in order come Then every one must run Without delay to his home Those Fates are said not to defer the determined time but keepe it exactly Death by Painters is delineated with a Dart in his hand impartially striking Kings Scepters as they that grinde at mill without eares because hee is not mov'd with mortals cryes hee wants eyes so that hee looks not upon mens miseries hee wants a forehead and cheeks so that hee cannot blush hee wants a tongue lips lest he might afford to men some little comfortable syllable Hee wants flesh all over to shew that hee cannot be touched with any sence of humanity onely you shall see him with nerves limbs muscles bones with his arrows and darts ready to strike downe wretched men suddenly and if at any time above all the rest Death showed his cruelty and inexorablenesse it was then when without all pity or compassion hee struck the Prince and Authour of life Iesus Christ with his deadly dart though at this attempt of his the stones rent the earth shooke the stars hid their beauties the Sun was darkned nay the very Angels seem'd to mourne as not willing to behold Life it selfe brought to death Whosoever thou art thou shalt find death inexorable therefore live always mindful of it the time flies as a Post and what I say may instantly come to passe Pers Sat. 5. Settle every day as it may be thy last or first leading to Eternity § 19. As nothing is more certain so nothing more uncertain than Death De Conviv ad Clericos c. 14. SAint Bernard learnedly crys out What is more certaine in all humane affaires than death and yet what can be found more uncertain than the time of it It shews it self in old men it layes ambushments in yongmen therefore wisely said King Salomon Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth so sings that Horace Who knows if Fates will spare us our next breath or aire Hor. l. 4. Od. 7. Saint Iames the Apostle speaks most truly Iam. 4.13.14 Behold you which say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a citie for a yeere and there wee will buy and sell and get gaines when as you know not what may be on the morrow foâ— what is your life but a vâ—â—our which now is and suddâ—nly passeth away whereas you shâ—uld rather say if the Lord will or if wee live we will doe this or that Wee all all of us must passe to the grave for it is said Wee all die 2 Kings 14.14 and are like water spilt on the earth which cannot be gathered up againe Neither can any man plead ignorance of the Law which faith Thou must returne the spirit to him whâ—ch gave it and as no man can die which never did live so no man that ever lived but did die onely the time and date is uncertain Therefore Christ hath stâ—rr'd us up by a wise admonition Watch and pray saith hee for you know not the day and houre and so repeating the words againe Mark 13 33 35 36 37. Watch yee therefore for yee know not when the Lord of the house will come whether at the dawning or at midnight or at the third watch or in the morning lest when he comâ—s he finde you slâ—eping therefore what bee saith Hee saith unto all men VVatch. § 20. Death comes suddenly to many unlooked for almost to all WHo will not watch against the assaults of death who is ready at all houres for execution who never acquaints us with the time hee intends to invade us who sometimes comes creeping sometimes flying sometimes furiously in the twinkling of an eye hastily arrests us unprovided without the least giving us notice without cause without caution in sicknes in health in danger in securitie so that there is nothing free or priviledged from his talons or destroying assaults Was not Tarquinius healthy and merry Pâ—â— l. 7. Nâ—â— Hist c. 7. and suddenly choaked with the bone of a little fish Fabius likewise waâ— well and lusty when presently a small haire which he drunk with his milke
1 Reg. 13.1 In the sacred Writ it is recorded of King Saul that he began to reigne when hee was one yeere old and hee reigned two yeeres over Israel Saul when hee began to reigne was as pure from sin as an Infant of a yeere old and he kept this his uprightnesse and integrity but one compleat yeere although in all hee ruled twenty yeeres Many get to old age before they be so Many never see the flourishing of that worke but in their old and decrepid age they too often reteine the sinnes of youth holy Iob doth speak it His bones are filled with the sins of his youth Sen. Epist 49. ad finem et l. de tranquill c. 3. A life is not counted good for the duration of it but the use it may be so and hath come to passe that hee who hath lived a long time may be said to have lived but a short moment there is nothing more grosse than an old man that hath no other argument to prove himselfe old by than his age and multitude of yeeres Saint Ambrose spake elegantly of Agnes a Virgin Serm. 90. qui est de S. Agnes In yeeres shee was a child but in gravity and sobriety of minde shee was an ancient Matron the sacred Scriptures proclaim that old age is reverend and the hoary head when they are furnished with wisdome Wisd 4 8 9. It is therefore that old men are reverenced not for their antiquity and multiplicity of days but for their holinesse of life and abundance of wisdome Whosoever therefore is ancient in wisedome though yong in yeers is as a Daniel and deserves respect an upright life is the best seniority Hee hath liv'd long enough who hath liv'd wel He hath fought enough who hath got the victorie §. 24. A Paradox That any man that will may live long TVlly saith that a short time is long enough to live well Lib. 1. Tusâ— qâ— Hee never dies too early that if hee had liv'd longer would not have liv'd better That youngling hath lived yeeres enough who hath liv'd to get Vertue to get Eternity Hath not he spoke well that perswades his Auditours by one short sentence or beckning Hath not he run well who hath gain'd the prize Hath not he sail'd far enough that is come happily to his desired Haven Onely have a care that death prevents not our meditations and then the swifter our course the happier it is Curt. lib. 9 c. 12. Mod. Truly I say as the King of Macedon said in Cuâ—tius Hee which numbers not my yeeres but my victorious Conquests computes my husbandâ—y of Fortunes gifts exactly will finde I lived long time but much more trulier Hc who hath consecrated his whole life to God and hath onely studied to please and serve him may say with confidence and comfort if my yeers be not numbred but my manifold desires of pleasing God and Gods great and infinite mercies bestowed upâ—n mee in that time I have lived long §. 25. That wee must all die AVgustus the Emperour having taken the City of Perouse in Hetruria observed many Snâ—â—on in Aug. c. 15 how they beg d their pardons or desired to excuse themselves hee answered them all in this short sentence Dio saith 400. We must all die Thereupon hee forthwith commanded three hundâ—ed of them to be sacrificed upon the Altar built to Iulius Caesar Iust Maâ— in Trip. â—ren l. 5. cont Harâ—seâ— Iustinus Martyr and Ireneus famous writers amongst the Primitive times have wittily observ'd that after the sentence pronounc'd of death against our first parents there was never any mortall man according to Gods sacred account that did ever live out one whole day compleat For the Prophets and Apostles beare record Ps 90.4 2 Pet. 3.8 That a thousand yeeres in Gods fight are but as one day and one day as a thousand yeeres But yet never vvas that man found whose life attaind to such a large extent as to a thousand yeeres therefore according to Gods reckoning never did any live a day outright Thou must dy though thy life goes beyond the compasse of 900. yeeres All those registred in the word of God of whom some lived so many hundred and others so many hundred yeeres yet the finall clause of all of them is this and He dyed This will appeare to be most certain by the sacred oracles by reason and experience Gods word hath in the old and new Testament mentioned this 600. times Moriendum We must die Reason convinceth the same by most evident demonstrations because man is compos'd of contraries and obnoxious to ruine and so of consequence at one time or other Moriendum est He must die Experience the Schoolemistris of wise unwise points as it were with her finger at the immeÌ„se heaps of dead corpses and shews by daily examples that yet there was never man that deluded or shifted off deaths wound it is as manifest as the sunne at noon day Moriendum est that man must goe to his long home This word Death sounds in the eares of all as loud as thunder no man can in this thing bee either blind or deafe will we nil we this voice will peirce our ears Deaths thunder will bee Moriendum est we must all die Even divine Justice and divine mercy herein agree in one all men must die Aeschilus said of old Nat. 99. l. 6. in fine Death only refuseth to be bribed by the very deities The Goddesses with their guifts could not asswage Death It admits not the sweetest and fairest hopes and therefore Seneca said wisely let us have that always fixed in our minds let us always apply this to our souls Moriendum est we must die when thou shalt never know better than presently Death is the Law of Nature and thou must pay this â—ribute when death by law requires it wherefore laying aside all other things meditate seriously this one lest when death comes thou shouldest feare his approach Make death by a frequent meditation thy familiar that when it shall so fall out that death shall call thou mayest willingly and readily salute it with cheerfulnesse § 26. The remembrance of Death is divers ways to hee renewed 1. IT is reported that a dead mans scul dryed in an oven and beaten to powder in a morter and so mixt with oile doth speedely heale the Gangrene and Canker To bruise the braine pan and other the bones of dead men by an holy Meditation and Contemplation doth perfectly cure the Gangrene of the Soule 2 Plato is said to out-strip the sages in this respect S. Hiero. hu ut meminit in C. 10. Maâ— in that with vivacity and courage he did contemplate upon death and read lectures to his Schollers of it Therefore he gave this as a law to his Schollers that being entred on their journey they should never stand still or stop their couâ—s he wisely intimated by this that there departure out
they passed single he had set officers to strip off their old garments and shirts and nâ—w ones were put upon them by force and command By this his subtile craft whatsoever any man had brought with him for his journey as the manner in those parts is to sow or bind it up in his shirt or Turbant he got it all in this manner to himselfe Now it is wonderfull to thinke what a masse of money he gain'd out of so many thousanâ—s of people And although all the people had rather have kept their owne habit though it was not so gay and new as the Bashawes were yet there were no complaints to be received but so it was commanded and so it was to be performed Well all the people lamented and grieved and desired their old cloathes againe but hee as a great politician laugh'd at them and commanded all their cloathes presently to be burned in one generall fire And out of the fire was taken such a masse of Treasure and money as sufficed enough and enough to erect that great famous Temple Now observe just so doâ—h Death deale with us hee takes away from us all our rich garments and wraps us all in an empty winding-sheet Now 2 Cor. 5. v. 4. as the blessed Apostle St. Paul saith wee sigh being burthened and are loth to be found naked yet not willing to be stript of our cloathing but we strive in vaine sterne Death as that greedy Bashaw is nothing mov'd with our complaints will we nill we we must lay aside our old cloathing put off and be gone The same condition binds all of us all that have a birth must partake of death there is a little distance but no distinction But now heare how this covetous mans act was revenged The Turkish Seigneur having Intelligence what was done by Assanus the Bashaw hee presently dispatc'd one Imbraim a Bashaw to him with Letters and charg'd him sorthwith upon the receit of his Letters to send his head to him in Constantinople These fatall Leâ—ters the greaâ— Turke useth to write with his owne hand and to seale them himselfe and so to role them up in black-silke The summe alwayes of these Letters is Mitte mihi tuum caput i. e. send to me your Head which was effected speedily Marke now seriously whosoever thou art King or Kaesar when as the Grand Ruler of heaven and earth sends to thee his black letters by Death his messenger thou canst not resist nor plead excuse thou mayest not to entreat will not availe thee fly or escape thou canst not it is determined above Doe thus then and make a vertue of necessitie what thou must doe by force doe willingly send thy head and thy heart too not to a Tyrant but to a Father not to a man but to God Be not thou onely commanded to set thy house in order and dye but willingly surrender thy selfe for why should it not agree with thy will when against thy will it must be it is of necessitie to yeeld it is of vertue and grace to resigne willingly §. 28. That each day is to be regarded and warily observed MVsonius speakes it that wee cannot spend the day as we ought unlesse wee determine to use it as if it were our last It is wholesome counsell which Saint Austine affords us Tom. 10 Lib. 50. Homil. 13 initio Our last day we know not because wee should look well to every day God hath wisely appointed the day of our death to be uncertaine that wee should noâ— be at any time secure and that every one should reckon this present time his last but if you say it is a melancholy thought to be poring and considering upon death and that it is the onely way to bring on death you are mistaken much A wise man will thinke with contentednesse of death no otherwise than an understanding Mariner will thinke of winds and waves as his ship sailes as meanes to bring him into his Harbour and yet the very thought doth not bring him thither This is all our folly and errour wee will be tost amongst waves and floods and yet wee feare to goe whither by nature and reason we are led Nature dictates this to us One steers-man guides us all At our rising or our fall And for Reason who that is endued with it will deny What tossings turmoylings cares distractions miseries dolors of body and mind are not here Behold an end of them why fearest thou behold the haven why entrest thou not in but indeed as men in prison would faine come forth and might but for the Keeper who locks them fast in So mightest thou but for thy saylor the love of this vaine life He is to be dismiss'd and as thou art able so must thou often consider of that which thou must once undergoe And because thy last day is uncertain and unknown suspect every one for it rely upon none securely by this course thy spirit will be more full of courage thy life will bee more conformable and thy departure more comfortable for what can terrifie or disturbe him to whom The Prince of feares With joy appeares A secret sudden wound is most terrible a meditated death layes us downe gently and joyfully §. 29. The Seat Royall of all our pride is our Beere Gen c. 13. toti ABraham that great Patriarch when by Gods command He went travelling up and downe he desired nothing more then to find a place to rest in Heb. 11. and for the purchasing so much ground as would serve him for a place of buriall This hee desired to have his owne that he might possesse it and wholly enjoy it Hence he without any delay paid to the seller all the money which hee asked for it without any deduction of good and currant money nor would it suffice him to have it publickly pass'd over to him but withall he would that all the Inhabitants should be witnesses for his buying it By which matter the pious man showed that a mans grave or Sepulchre is truly his owne which he might rather than any thing else call his properly By the example of Abraham Every good man will chiefly care for to have a Sepulchre at the time of his dissolution other houses and lands and possessions want no chapmen few men purchase after this manner however the grave is a sure and a quiet possession Maximilianus the first Emperour of the Austrian Family three yeares before his death commanded his Coffin to bee made of Oke and to be put into a great Chest which was carried with him in his Marches and travels and provided by his Will that his dead body wrapped in a linnen cloth should bee lay'd therein without any embalming onely his nostrils mouth and eares to be stopped with lime or chalke what meant this great Monarch onely that having such a Monument of Mortality before him hee should say Remember thou must die And that he might daily say Why doest thou oh my
soule so enlarge thy thoughts why doest thou possesse so much why gapest thou still after more whom so many Provinces and Kingdomes could not hold this little Cabinet must include and why thinke you he desired to have lime and chalke for his nostrils mouth and eares behold the costly Odours and Unguents in which he would be laid downe Oh Maximilian great once thou wert and thy actions and these very things at thy death speake the same Baron Tom. 3. An. 326. â— 96. What shall I speake of the Coffin of Ablavius which was a Praefect and a great Prince amongst other of Constantine the Great his Courtiers an insatiable devourer of gold who meditated more of gold than his grave or heaven Constantine on a time taking him by the hand spake thus unto him How long how long said he shall we heape together wealth of this kind And as hee had spoke the words with a Speare which hee held in his hand he drew the description of a Coffin on the ground Hadst thou said hee a world full of such treasure yet after thy death thou shalt not have a greater place than this perhaps lesse then this forme which I have drawne out Constantine in this prov'd a Prophet for this Ablavius was cut in small peeces so that there was nothing left of him to put into a Sepulchre Charles the fift Emperour of Germany did imitate Maximilian whoÌ„ I named ere-while long before his death he sequestred himself from administring the affaires of the Empire and having transferr'd the government and management of it to his Sonne who was able for his yeares and of judgement sufficient hee himselfe went into Spaine with 12. followers onely into the Monastery of St. Justus to give himselfe wholly to Gods service and forbade any to call him by any other name or title then Charles onely putting farre off the title of Caesar Augustus with the Imployment and contemned all honours whatsoever And moreover it is registred of him that before he relinquish'd the Empire he commanded his Tombe to be made with all furniture belonging to his buriall and had it carried with him whithersoever he went but privately Hee had this funebrious accoutrements five yeares with him wheresoever he was I even when he went to Millaine against the French and had it diligently every night placed in his bed-chamber Some that were about his Person thought that therein hee kept his treasure others judged that in it he kept some rare books containing some ancient Historys Others thought there was some great matter in it but he himselfe knowing for what purpose he carried it would smiling say He carried it about for the use of something which was deare unto him So did this Charles daily meditate of death that at every night he should say Vixi I have lived and so every morning rise with profit and comfort Many others have piously imitated this Emperour Zach. Lippol tom 3. in vit S. Re. 1. Octob. that for long time together have carried their Coffins the monuments of their death with them for contemplation Genebaldus for seven whole yeares together had his bed made like a Coffine in which for that space he lived austerely and exercised himselfe in Mortification There was one Ida Idem tom 3. in vita S. Idae 4 Sept. Hier. Epist 103. a woman famous for holinesse which had likewise her Coffin made long before her death which she filled twice a day with food and nourishment and so often distributed it to the poore liberally The study of piety is the preparatory for death No death pollutes a vertuous soule he will easily despise all earthly things who hath his thoughts fixed upon his dissolution § 30. What our life is IT is as a flower as smoake as a shadow and as the shadow of a shadow It is a Bubble Dust froth It is as deaw as a drop as brittle ice As the Raine-bow a blazing Taper a bag full of holes A ruinous house deceitfull ashes a spring-day a constant Aprill as a dash in musick a broken vessell As a bucket for a Wel a Spiders web As a drop to the Ocean weake stubble A Summers herbe a short Fable a flying sparkle A darke cloud a bladder full of wind as a little Dove a taking her slight a brittle Glasse a fading Leafe a fine weake thred a Sodemes Apple c. And if a shadow bee nothing tell me what is the dreame of a shadow wee may make sixe hundred thousand of such similitudes of frailty and inconstancy and all like to mans life Me thinkes of all others he spake wittily that calls it a very short dreame of a shadow in briefe let us see what life is it is as one hath described it in this distich Somnus umbra vitrum glacies flos fabula foenum Vmbra cinis punctum vox sonus aura nihil i. e. Life 's like a dreame a bubble ice or glasse Like fading flowers vaine fables with'ring grasse It is a shadow dust a point a voice a sound It 's empty ayre well look'd too Nothing found Ah wretches how seeme we to heape up wealth to get honours to follow and hunt after pleasures when all these are as soone vanished as our selves Any of these all of them are but as a dreame and how short and vaine is that Psal 76.5 true is that saying of the Psalmist the proud are robbed they have slept their sleepe and all the men whose hands are mighty have found nothing they dreamt that they were mighty and rich but what have they retain'd or kept of all they gaped after or hoped for these are but meere dreames and fancies indeed and wakening they shall find their losse and grieve in their punishment What therefore is life I will declare it compendiously the time and length of our life is a point our nature is inconstancy our senses are obscurity Our whole body is but a rotting Concretion our mind vagrant Honours are but smoke Riches are thornes Pleasures are poysonâ— And that I may summe up all in word All things belonging to the body are but a passing streame all the minds endowments are emptinesse our life is a warre the loâ—ging of a traveller in a strange City the shop of all miseries and our fame after death is but oblivion Ausonius delivevers this well unto us Mieremur periisse homines Epigr. 3. momenta fatiscunt Mors etiam saxis nominibusque venit i. e. Men being as moments no wonder though they 're gone Death makes our names to faile and Marble-stone It 's a vertue to consummate our life before death knocks at our doores §. 31. That our life is a play OUr life is a Comedy we the stage-players one acts a King another a Beggar a third a Prince another a Physitian another a Clowne What part is imposed upon us we must performe we get no Plaudite unlesse we act well Well said Epictetus Euch. c. 23 Thou art called upon
the Stage it makes not what part thou performest so thou doest it well Sueton. in Aug. 99. Suetonius reports of Augustus Caesar that at the end of his life he asked his friends that were about him if he had play'd his part well or not They answered him yes why doe ye not then said the Emperour afford me a Plaudite Seneca well spake of the life of man compâ—red to a Play Epist 80. in Med. I will often practise my part lest for want of use I grow unskilfull and so get discredit and shame Laertius in Zeno saith that a wise man is lâ—ke a Player that whether he acts Thersiâ—es or Agamemnon he should strive to performe both with diligence Wee are therefore to attend not so much what wee are but what wee shall bee when wee shall have layd downe our persons and put of our Vizards nor matters it when wee perform'd our parts onely if we did them with discretion § 32. The Type of Humane life BArlaam an old man Iohannes Damasceu Hist de his c. 13. ad finem declaring to King Iosaphat the deceitfull joyes of Humane life described them to him after this manner A certain man fled from a Unicern which is a fierce cruell beast in his flight he rush'd suddenly into a deepe pit but in his fall his hands being stretch'd forth he caught hold of a tree and by that meanes stopt his fall while hee was in the tree he contemn'd the danger he was escap'd from but he saw two mice the one was blacke the other white these two lay gnawing the roote of the tree and had almost bit it in peeces then he casting his eyes about espyed beneath him a wondrous deepe ditch and in it was a terrible Dragon threatning death to him if he fell and while he was looking about to save himselfe from dangers hee spyed the heads of foure great venemous Serpents lying forth out of the sides of the ditch yet hee neglecting all these dangers hee lift up his eyes and beheld some Honey dropping from a tree wherefore he supposing himselfe secure forgetting the Unicorne that followed him the Dragon that threatned him the Mice that gnawed the roots of the tree the Serpents that waited him and the sudden fall of that tree hee greedily licked in the Honey and these things said Barlaam doe set forth the folly of our lives and thus he explained it The Unicorne resembles Death which doth pursue all mankind eagerly The Ditch is this world which is stored with all sorts of miseries The Tree which he caught hold on is this life terminated within certaine bounds The two Mice are the night and the day which eat up the root of the tree by little and little The foure Serpents are the foure Elements who if they be out of order or molested Death ensues That great and terrible Dragon designes the fiery Serpent the divel who goes about seeking whom he may devoure The drops of Honey which the man so eagerly desired to tast of are the enticing pleasures and the rotten baites of sinnes being once overcome with the alluring pleasures and deceitfull lusts man neither fears the sudden fall into Hell nor ever mindes the joyes of Heaven but desires to perish in the gulph of these sensuall delights this was Barlaams explication to Josaphat Oh how true most true is all this if we be wise let us remember our ends for from every moment of time depends eternity §. 33. The Prologue Narration and Epilogue of mans life THe Prologue of humane life is to be borne the Narration is to grieve the Epilogue is to die The Appendixes of thâ—se three are grones and teares or joy which is worse than weeping Seneca saith excellently Consel ad Polyb. c. 23. goe too saith he looke circumspectly upon all men and you shall have cause and matter enough to weep Poverty and exigency and extreame necessity calls one forth to his toylsome labour another is vainly sweld and puft up with Ambition another feares in the middest of his wealth a fourth is vexed with care some are weakned with sicknesse and diseases others are turmoyling in great businesses and are troubled with the confluence of Clyents this man grieves that hee hath children a second that he hath lost them a third because he never had them We shall weepe our selves empty of teares before we shall want objects for them Seest thou not what a life Nature promises us whose entrance progresse and egrâ—sse is but a vicissitude of sorrows and an entercourse of miseries and teares in these we begin our life with these we go on and with abundance of teares and wailings wee goe out A great part of our life is spent in doing evill a great deale spent and consum'd in doing nothing and a great part of it wasted in doing other things not the maine Who is he that so prizeth a day as though he should never have any more Hence is it that we carelesly forget things past neglect things present doe not fore-see things to come Well when it is come to the upshot then then shall we with griefe and sorrow know and understand that what time was spent in sinne and idlenesse to be utterly lost Let us therefore walke circumspectly and lay hold on all times and opportunities for our betterment Let us judge each houre our dying houre By this meanes we shall so order our lives that we shall not be afraid to die for while our life seemes to be prolonged it fleets and passes away §. 34. That the longest life is but short at the best Epist. 77. in fine MOst truly said Seneca no mans life but is short For if we respect the nature of things even Nestors and Statilia's were but short who commanded this tâ— be inscribed on her tombe thaâ— shee lived 99. yeares behold the vaine boasting of an old woman what would she have beene haâ— she lived an hundred As it is in the Fables thâ— golden Flour-amour or the Amaranthus was planted next to thâ— Rose and said to the Rose thus Oâ— what a comely flower the Rose is O how beautifull how amiable I doe take thee for a blessed flower for thy sweetnesse colour anâ— comelinesse Oh thou Queene oâ— Flowers To whom the Rose replied I doe indeed oh Amaranthus excell in splendor and sweetnesse but my time of flourishing is but short and though no hand should offer violence to mee yet I doe soon wither of my self but thou art happy for thou alwayes doest flourish never diest I had rather have lesse beauty and longer life Mans life is emblematiz'd in this Rose short and fading and though no violence be offered to him yet he fals of his owne accord into the grave The Prince of Physicians said well Arts are long and durable Hippoc. initio Aphor but life is short Wee have but a little and we spend a great deal of that little in luxury and idlenesse O improvident Mortals the body
wee carry about us is not our dwelling but our June it must be left when once the Master is weary of our company Therefore ô my good Christian hasten to live holily and thinke every day an entrance into a new life Who so fits himselfe this way shall meet death with comfort That man never died ill who lived well § 35. That Procrastination is the greatest damage and blemish to our lives WE put off any thing but wickednesse that not onely takes up the present day but is likewise promised the morrow In sin wee are prompt actors in other things usuall promisers and fair-speakers then wee use to say to morrow it shall be done or next week or next yeere without delay so doe dayes moneths and yeeres slide away while we onely delay and promise but performe not Seneca speaks admirably in this point Lib. de Brev. vit c. 4. Many shall yoâ— heare saith hee who say at fifty 〈◊〉 will take mine ease the sixtieth yeerâ— shall discharge me from all encumbranâ—ces and what surety else desirest thoâ— of a longer life but who will suffeâ— things to goe at thy disposing Blushest not thou to reserve the refuse and the dregs of thy rotten yeeres to God and to destinate onely that time for his service which thou art not able to manage in any other manner It is too late then to begin to live when it is time to leave off work What senslesnesse is it to refuse to follow good counsell till a man comes to fifty or sixty yeeres of age and to resolve there to begin to live where most leave off Sigismund the second King of Poland for his delayings and slothfulnesse in matters of weighty consequence was called Rex Crastinus the delaying King such sure are we though wee know not that wee shall be to morrow yet we hazard the mainer work upon such uncertaine probabilities Wee put off all most willingly would weeâ— if wee could put off death too But death's businesse admits of no delay nor putting off when Death knocks the bars must speedily open Therefore as the Proverbe saith The onely way to be long an old man is to be such an one betimes The King of Macedon obtained such glorious Conquests by being speedy upon his actions Wee lose the best nay all by deferring and delaying Chrysologus said well Most men put off to do well Ser. 125. Med. untill death debar them of time Wee come to death by degrees as men who sleep walking The first day wee put off good duties the second day wee doe them slightly the third day wee forget them on the fourth we are not able to performe them O Mortals to morrows life is too late learn to live to day give earnest to day grieve to day for your sins For who except your owne conceits hath promised you the morrow that which may bee ought to bee done to day why should it be procrastinated to thaâ— which yet is not may perhaps not be time or if it be perhaps not thine to deferre good actions hath always prov'd dangerous Deferrings are obnoxious to our lives Iumb vet You seldome see the slothfull man that thrives Let us make hast therefore and let us but seriously thinke how speedily wee would foot it if wee were sure there was a destroying Enemy behind us Wee would strive to be formost that we might be furthermost from our pursuers It is so we are followed close to hasten is to escape so shall wee enter into eternall rest It is the greatest comfort against deaths approach to have done all our worke before he comes to call for us To the Sick A Winter 's at hand leaves fall Death 'gins to snatch His Ax and spies thy Glasse spent Sick man watch B What th' Presse to Grapes that Sicknes is to thee If thou be ripe as Grapes in Autumne be C The stouping Hern oft gores her towring Foe So outward grief oft frees from inward woe D Sicknes lays men along as hail doth corn Better fall well then stand with shame anâ— scorn E Just now 't was cloudy now Sol shew his face Now clouds again This is the Sick man case F To scape the Scorpions sting and th' Archers dart Sicknes and Death I know no meanes 〈◊〉 art G A Sick man 's like an Horse plunging iâ— sturdy waves Who knows if th' one shall scape the floodâ— the other the grave § 36. Deaths haunt WIlliam the third Duke of Bavaria a Patron of the poore and Protector of all religious and godly men being dead though all men should have held their peace yet the cryes and teares of the poore lamenting his losse would have been sufficient Trumpets to have blazon'd his Princely worth this prayse-worthy Prince I say when he He returned from the Councell of Basil where he in the place of the Emperour sate chiefe returning to Munchen dreamed such a dreame as this following Hee seem'd to see a lusty great Stag which carried upon one horne little bels and upon the other divers wax Tapers and Torches lighted there was a nimble Huntsman and a pack of hounds who withall swiftnesse and eagernesse had this Stag in chase at the last the Stag having no other way leapt into the Churchyard in which there was a Grave made for a Mans buriall which was open into which the Stag fell and there was taken and killed at the sight of this the Prince wakened and was wondrous desirous to know what this Dreame should mean on the next day he told it to his Lords and this Dreame was variously interpreted which when Duke William had heard presently replyed I am said he this great Stag which Death so eagerly hunts and will shortly and speedily take me and end my days and I will be buried in that Church All things were ordered accordingly and these presages had their events answerable For in short space after this worthy Prince did yield to Death and commended his soule to God piously and was there interâ—'d where hee desired A good Death is the introduction to a blessed Eternity § 37. Why though wee daily are Spectators of Burials yet we doe not meditate on Death THe Devill being skilful in the perspective art useth this cunning policy that those things which are furthest off hee makes them seem neer unto us and those which are neer unto us he makes seem a great way distant from us Thus he represents Death to us that though it be so neere us that it is ready to lay hold on us yet it appeares a great way off hence in a vaine security wee promise to our selves many yeares and put the evill day far from us to our great disadvantage Hence is it that wee looke upon other mens Burials as though ours were not to be this long time and though we are decaying daily yet for all that we fancy an eternity to our own souls Sir Thomas Moore our Countriman lest any age should promise him a long life and
of the second Act thinking in it to stirre up more delight and liking in the people On a sudden there fell such a violent storme that the people could not stand to heare him at that time but he promised the people that on the next day they should heare it all finished So on the next day there was a mighty company of people assembled every one strove to place himselfe in the fitted seat either for sight or hearing they that came something late beckned to their friends to make roome for them they that came last were mainly streightned for room The whole Theatre was cram'd with Auditors and there was a wonderfull throng their discourse was divers some talked of what had bin acted the day before others that knew not the former action came to behold the sequell Nothing now was expected but Philemon well the time past on yeâ— no Philemon appeared some blamed his stay others excused it but when as most did thinke they had stayed longer then was fit and yet so no appearance of the actor they sent some speedy Messengers to call him but they that went found all their expectations frustrated for Philemon was dead in his bed and stiffe and lay in his bed as if hee had bin meditating his part with his hand on his Book but his soule was fled out and so his Auditory failed The Messengers that entred were struck at first with astonishment of this sudden alteration yet wondred much to see how comely hee was laid In his bed Well they returned to the people and told them that Philemon who should have acted a fained part had acted at home a true Play for hee had to all worldly things given his farewell and Plaudite Whereupon divers did grieve amd lament the showre the day before was now seconded with a showre of teares and the Comoedian was now turned Tragoedian If wee looke onely on our present life a then Death will be wished for and that man dyes well who dyes without the feare of Death but yet happier by far is he that is found of Death so doing and who dyes in his worke So that Death it self shal find him busie St. Cyprian the Martyr wisht Hippo. 4. Septemb. p. 920. that hee might be offered to God by Death as he was in preaching he is worthy of prayse whom never the Devill or Death cuts off in their idlenesse § 41. We must watch and pray BEcuse yee know not the time in which the Sonne of man will come The Romans watched in their Armes though sometimes without their shieid because they would have nothing to leane upon because they would prevent sleep Thou must watch oh man and it is profitable to watch with the armour of God upon thy soule the ardent prayers of Christians are their Armour of proof Hope of long life is the leaning stocke that too many sleep upon The usual words of the Romans when they watched were these Vigila vigila Mars vigila Marc. 13.33 35 37. i. e. Watch oh souldier watch By the usuall termes they stirr'd up one another to watch By the same words oh my soule doth God incite thee to watâ—hfulnesse The very heaven it self by his incessant motion and constant course night and day adviseth thee to rouze up thy selfe Wilt thou grow deafe to such a Lecturer and give thy selfe to sleep heare Christ himselfe saying Watch and pray as Saint Marke testifies Christ at the end of one Sermon did thrice repeat this clause in these words 1 Goe to watch and pray 2 Therefore watch and pray for you know not when the Lord will come in the Evening or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or in the Morning Lest if when he should come suddenly be should find you sleeping 3 What therefore I say to you I say unto all watch S. Matthew often speaks the same Mat. 24.42 25.13 c. 26.41 Watch therefore for ye know not what houre the Lord will come And repeats it againe Watch therefore for yee neither know the day nor the houre And our Saviour inculcates the same at the Mount of Olives Watch and pray that yee enter not into tentation Hee publisheth the same by Saint Luke Watch therefore and continue in prayers Luke 21.36 that same very word Watch how often is it doubled by Saint Paul all these is thunder-claps may serve to rowze up our drowzie souls Wee are deafe nay dead if we startle not at all these quickning voyces Who ever thou art if thou hast bin lulled asleep in thy sins awaken Awake thou that sleepest arise and stand up and Christ shall give thee light Knowest thou that fatall blow of Egypt in the middle of the night the destroying Angell smote all Egypt Remember the Lot of the ten Virgins There was at midnight a great cry made and those Virgins which were ready were admitted into the Bride-chamber but those that slept were excluded Canst thou but remember that gluttonous abusive servaÌ„t Did not his Lord come in a time that he looked not for and in an houre that he dream't not off Canst thou but consider that good Master of the Family He watched at all houres lest at any houre the Thief should enter and spoyle his goods Canst thou oh canst thou but think on thy Saviour Was not he borne in the middle of the night The same as many think will about the same time come at the time of the general judgment Watch therefore oh watch and thinke every day to be thy Exit from hence § 42. Eight Verses out of the Psalmes of David selected by Saint Bernard which he himself used for the time of Death COnsider and heare me ô Lord my God lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleepe of death Lest mine Enemies say I have prevailed against him Psal 13.3 4. Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed mee ô Lord God of truth Psal 31.5 Then spake I with my tongue Lord make mee to know mine End and the measure of my days What it is that I may know what time I have here Psal 39 3 4. Shew me a token for good that they which hate me my see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted mee Psal 86.17 Thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord. Psal 116.17 Refuge failed me no man cared for my soul I cryed unto thee ô Lord I said Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living Psal 142.4 5. A Prayer for an happy departure out of this life O Almighâ—y and Everlasting God who didst give unto thy servant King Ezechiah length of days when as hee in teares besought thy goodnesse Grant I beseech thee to mee thy unworthy servant before my death such a space and time in which I may heartily deplore and lament all my sins and that for them all I may by thy infinite mercies
this and say take heed of sicknesse it is ill to be under it to whom Epictetus answers judiciously It is all one as if one should say and faigne to make three to be foure It is no ill if I rightly esteem of it it cannot then hurt me but rather profit mee So the like use may be made of poverty sicknesse war May not a man gather benefit by any by all of these the same I may say of Death is it not my appointed Steeresman into rest is it not the Messâ—nger that opens the gaâ—e to Eternity is not Death that which takes off all our burthens and easeth us from labour from misery Let Truth honour thee Epictetus how true are all these and squaring with the Law of Christianity This foundation being laid we shal learn to remember Deaths Agony and not to be affrighted at his comming But oh my Reader I would have thee know that these Documents were not onely written for thy use in the time of thy sicknes but I would have thee read these in the time of thy health that they may stand thee in some stead when thou shalt be visited with sicknesse § 42. The sickman speaks to his friends to the Diseasâ— to the entrance into Death it selfe to Christ our Lord. DEpart I pray you as unseasonable with your vaine and fruitlesse mourning Here is no place either for Complaints or Petitions You may thinke I goe from you to soon Too soon look that you bee not deceived I was fit for Death's sicle as soone as I was born nay before I was born Why should I complaine I know what I was born Was I not a weak frail body Cast forth to contumelies the food of Diseases Deaths object whosoever thou art take hâ—pes to thee or undergo thy burthen perhaps thou mayest be dejected to morrow or if no remov'd from hence To the disease ANd is Deaths Harbingâ—r approach'd must I now lie under sicknesse the time is now come I must put my selfe to the triall Valour is not onely seene in a storme or in a batâ—aile Courage may be tried upon a pillow in a bed of affliction I must be sick therefore It cannot be avoided Well I shall either end my Feaver or it me Wee cannot be always together Hitherto I have onely trafficked with health Homil. 13 in Evang. now I must exchange some time with my disease Saint Gregory tels it to me piously and truly The Lord saith he knocks when hee signifies to us that death is neere us by troublous sicknesses to whom we readily open if wee receive with comfort his chastizements Some relations may cause mee to give admittance to this serious Embassadour It is reported of a certaine old man who lay grievous sick and when as Death made an approaâ—h to take him away the sick old man entreated Death to forbeare his blow a little while untill he could make his Will and set things in readines for so long a journey To whom Death replyed ô crooked old man couldst thou not prepare thy selfe in so many years being so often warn'd by me to whom the old man said again I beseech thee lend me thy faith for I doe not remember that ever thou didst admonish me but Death answer'd briefly then I perceive that old men will lie An hundred six hundred a thousand warnings hast thou had from mee when I daily in thy sight to thy griefe not onely tooke away thy equals of which for years there are few left but also before thy eyes young men and little infants Nay I will appeale to thy own soul forgetfull old man didst thou want admonishments when thy eyes grew dim thy haires wax'd white were fâ—lne off thy nose lost its smell thy eares grew deafe and all thy other sences and members grew defective in their performances and thy whole body languish'd wasted these all these were Messengers from me and shoulâ— have been as so many warning pieces to prepare thee to march on These all have knock'd at thy doors though thou wouldst not acknowledge thy selfe to be within Often enough and long enough hast thou bin admonish'd I stay not Come away and enter the Dance of Death now presently He seldome prepares himselfe well which prepares so extraordinary late To his Death-bringing sicknesse WHen I meditate on my life consider the multitude of my sins and the smalnesse of my good duties Alas alas oh my God how am I straitned and how am I beset and encompassed with sorrow but it is better to fall into the Hands of the Lord for great are his mercies and his compassions faile not then that I should adde more days to my years and more sin to my days What an one I would have prov'd thou onely ô Lord knowest Perhaps I might have Apostated and falne from life Since ô death thou art present doe thy message unto me rid mee from misery and the malice of men I am ready and willing to part wi h life onely let me retaine thy Grace ô Lord or rather let it preserve me which I doe earnestly with all my heart beg of thee ô sweet Iesus Christ and through thee Amen To Deaâ—h it selfe DEath why in so long wastings dost thou like What needs there such great charge I doe yield strike What need'st thou empty all thy quivers when One blast w ll drive one puffe will stroy most men For indeed what is man but a tossed and leaking ship which one lusty wave sends to the bottome There needs no furious charge of tempests wheresoever thou ô Death placest thy murthering Ram it will force passage Mans bodie is wove up of weake and fluid materials glistering in outward lineaments impatient of heat cold or travail of it's own inclination apt to languishments gathering corruption even from his sustentation sometimes hurt by want sometimes by excesse his nutriment wants not discommodity a brittle piece of mortalitie preserv'd and upheld with griefe and anxietie holding his very spirit and breath at anothers disposing which easily departs full of innumerable diseases and though he should want diseases to ruine him yet of his own accord he would fall perish and descend to Death Can wee wonder to see that die in which Death is fed and nourish'd and hath a thousand places to enter possesse and if man doth fall is it any such remarkable losse his very smell and taste his wearinesse and watching his humours and food without which he cannot live are all mortiferoâ—s and deadly To Iesus Christ I Would not Death but life hee seeks it right O Christ who in thy love departs to light I am not afraid with them whom thou speakest o in wrath Goe c. I will follow thee ô loving Saviour with will with delight and what should I doe else when as thou thy self callest me to come and approach neerer to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ is much the better This is the height of my desires 1 Phil 1.23
for Chrâ—st is to mee both in life and death advantage § 3. Not always sweet things IN times past as Pliny reports on the Latines solemne dayes when as they strove for victory in their Charâ—ots in the Capitoll Who conquered drunke Wormwood be thou willing to take downe a cup of this bitter drinke that thou maist conquer He scarce deserves to tast the sweet Who with the sowre did never meet § 4. To contemne Death is Christian valour NO man rightly governs his â—ife but he that knows how to leave it Wee cannot be so stupid but thâ—t we must needs know some time or other we must die Yet when Deaâ—h comes wee are frighted tremble grieve But would not hee seeme to be a very Ideot that would weepe because he liv'd not untâ—l a thousand yeers and is not hee his equall who would liâ—e beyond a thousand Thou wast not thou shalt not be Past and future tiâ—e are both at anothers Regimen Wast not thou born to diâ— Diâ— no this happen to thy Father to thy Ancestors to all that were before thee Shall it not be laid upon all that come after thee why should thy shoulders be exempted from the coÌ„mon burthen Thou wouldest not fear to drink to eat to play to sleep with others why then fearest thou to die with others Look but upon the long troop of those before thee of those that follow thee and those that goe along with thee in the same houre with thy self This is a faire prospective View the known and unknown World and it is certain that thousands each moment are born and die and by the same kinde of Death Death perpetually hath bin a safe passage to rest And there is nothing ill in Death but the feare of Death If therefore we would be in quiet hereafter it is best to have our souls ready Shall I feare my end when I know I am not without end But you will say it is an hard thing to bring a mans minde to such an high passe to slight his own soule It is easie to him who knows to live as he sung well A just man's first or last Comes not too slow or fast We deny not but death hath some terrour in it but therefore we are to learne how not to feare it This is an infallible signe of a truly couragious soule not to feare his going out Hee truly knows whither he goes with comfort that knows from whence hee came in teares Theodosius of whom Saint Ambrose makes mention was such an Emperour who used to say I love that man who when he is to die is grieved more for the Churches hazard then for his own dissolution That therefore thou mayst never feare Death always think on it §. 5. Examples of Death contemned NInachetus a great Ruler in Malaca in the Indyes being commanded to leave off his office hee took it for so great a disgrace being ignorant of true honour vertue that forthwith he of Aloes and other sweet precious wood builded a great funerall-fire hard by his seat of judgment all covered with rich Arras from whence hee shining in his Robes of gold and decked with Jewels discoursed to the multitude abouâ— him of all the actions and passages of his life and having laid open and declared the benefits which hee had done for and conferâ—'d on the Portugals in their extremitie he complained that without any demeriâ— on his â—art he was deprived of his dignity then detesting the Portugalls plots such Fire-brands doth ambition inject into the souls of men hee as a contemner of their injuries and of his own death cast himselfe into the fire Aelian l. 5. Var. Hist c. 6. Aelianus records another example not unlike to this former saith hee the end of Calanuâ— is not onely strange but to be counted a wonder which was on this manner Calanus an Indian Philosopher who had bidden adieu to Alexander to the Macedonians and to this life built him in the large Suburbs of Babylon a funeraâ—l Pile of costly sweet wood as Cedar Cypresse Myrrhe anâ— Lawrell and having finâ—shed his daily constant exercise went into the Pile and stood there encompassed with the wood and the Sun shining bright upon him Which dâ—ne he intreated the Macedonians to kindlâ— the fire which burning Calanus stood still and fell not untill hee was dead It is reportâ—d that Alexandâ—r should say of him That Calanus had overcome stroâ—ger enemies than himselfe For Alexander had onely wâ—ged warre and conquered Porus Taxita and Darius but Calanus had overcome travell and Death And shall there be such courage in vain men against Death and shall Christians assisted by God droop their sâ—irits Let us but examine the mat er narrowly if we will believe Seneca Death is Natures best devise the sure remedy of all evils And therfore let us make that a vertue that otherwise will be necessity Certainly every wise ChristiaÌ„ wil do nothing unwillingly hee doth avoid all necessities pressures who is willing to doe what he must Let us therfore with a good heart expect our end or rather our beginning Hee is always of an upright heart who knows how to despise Death § 6. A minde ready for Death ZEno the Stoick as Suidas records it dasht his foot and wounded one of his toes as he went out of Schoole but hee supposing that he had beene called by others struck his hand upon the earth with this word I am comming why ô earth doest thou call me and so without any sicknesse at ninety six yeeres of age the old man died Zeno had so accustomed himselfe to hunger that hee would say hee would eat but little that he might â—ie the easier and sooner This did Zeno that his old age might be the freer from diseases and griefs Hee obtain'd both according to his desired wish Wee need not wonder that our lives are so short and our health so uncertain when as wee wast both health and life at feasting and drinking Large Suppers may please the appetite but they make work for the Physician a ful gluttonous belly is the Embleme of a swelling moving grave O fools by that way wee should prolong wee cut off and shorten our days And it proceeds from hence that wee will not be perswaded of the vertue of a Christian abstinence Vid. Leon. Less Hyg But experience pronounceth that saying to be true the lesse thou eatest the lonâ—er is â—hy life but to the purpose this by the way Vrsinus as Saint Gregory relates it being comforted with heavenly Meditations would often in his sicknesse cry out I come ô I come I give thanks to thee ô God and as hee related to those that were about him the joyes of Heaven and the beauty of those Celestiall souls he reiterated the same words Behold I come and so surrendred up his soule and died A mind willing to surrender to Death speaks in the present tense I doe come without any demurring or delays It is too late to
trifle time here Nature is not a stâ—pdame but a mother Canst thou accuse her ô my Theophrastus to be more unkind to men then to beasts Certainly men are her choicest pieces and if shee could preserve any from death corruption men should pertake of the priviledge and benefit For which is better quickly to suffer and to cut off all fear or slowly to suffer and still to be subjected to fear horror Nature then quits a man from a lingring torment when shee yields him but a short life We all doe stay For th' appointed day Why therefore art thou affrighted is thy life taken away so is then the feare of death and many evils that betide the life of man there is little difference saith Plinius Secundus betwixt suffering misery and expecting it daily to come onely this that there is some meane in grieving none in fearing For thou mayest grieve onely for so much as is happened but thou mayest feare for whatsoever may happen § 8. Three things grievous in sicknesse IN every disease almost there are thâ—se three things incident The feare of Death the paine of the body and the losse and privation of pleasures But as in the rules of Physick hot diseases are cured by cold medicines and cold by hoâ— so are these to bâ—e cured by Antâ—dotes Let the siâ—kâ— bâ—ware here that he mistakes not or goes not a contrary way There was a yong man who stood in need of old things to allay his heat but he when the Physicians were departed by the perswasion of the servants of the house tooke hot ingredients and anointed his brest with Balme and applyed many other hot medicines to his sicknesse which added fire to fire and almost brought him to Death To cure therefore the feare of Death and to remove it is to love Heaven and the joys thereof a li tle of divine love dispels all the smoak of vain feares Who loves Christ will be willing to lay downe his life and shall be beloved of his Saviour 2 To asswage and mitigate the paine of body is to have peace of conscience An upright soule and an entire conscience doth afford marvellous consolation to the sick bed A pure conscience purged from dead works is a powerfull remedy against all tormentings The sick man wâ—ll beare his sicknesse the easier and more comfortably if he fixeth deeply in his mind this one thing The most righteous Lord God hath imposed this affliction upon me and therefore I will beare It is his good pleasure let him doe as he thinks good 3 The losse of pleasures will nothing trouble nor grieve him who thinks upon heavenly eternall pleasures Those which wee leave are light vaine shâ—rt and filthy and commonly before they are left off they leave their Lovers full of paine oftentimes of diseases But those which our heavenly Countrey promiseth to us and will performe are infinite firme eternall not fading He easily dis-esteems earth whose aime is heaven § 9. Sicknesse is the Schoole of Vertue and Monitor to Eternitie THou sufferest wel saith Bernard if it works compunction Sicknes is aswell the Schoole of graces as the scourge of vices While wee are lusty and strong we rush into sins as the horse into the battle furiously when wee are sick wee better regulate our passions curbe our affections being healthy we are pestered with many hundred severall employments and put God in our last thoughts How many are chast and sober in sicknesse Who in time of health have furiously followed all filthy lusts and pleasures These men were happier and safer under the rod then they can be at liberty God lays therefore many downe that they may looke up and confines them with a Fever or Consumption or such like that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Long sicknesse makes sober minds In briefe Sicknesse seems to macerate the body but it meliorizeth the soul though as Saint Paul saith our outward man decay 2 Cor. 4.26 yet our inward man is renewed daily Hence is it that though sicknesse do seem tedious and burthensome yet it is then Good when it works holinesse in the Patient § 10. Sicknesse is the Monitor to Eternitie WHat a good thing is it that the evils of this present life should afford unto us a taste of everlasting punishments By these light ones here let us learn to keep our selves from those eternall ones From which no Apothecary no Physician no Medicine no Criticall day nor Death it selfe the Medicine for all evils and punishments here can release from The ways to death are diverse but once arrived to Eternity there is no redemption Anaxagoras being very sick his friends asked him whither he would be carried into his Country or not no such need said he and added a reason for every Countrey affords us a way to our grave This answer of his may be as well applyed to Heaven for wee may goe to Heaven from any part of the World O the fortunate and happy scar-fire of Feavers because short ô the fearfull fire of Hell because everlasting § 13. In sicknesse we must always pray PRayer ought to be the sickmans constant exercise Neither is it of too much difficulty for the sick party It is an exercise that 's perform'd without toyle For he may do it by his tongue to God but if his tongue be dulled or if griefe stops his voice then his soule in all humble devotion is to be lift up to God with a quiet composure of body Sometimes also ardent sighes do demonstrate secret conference with God Sometimes the disease is so violent that it not onely depresseth the body but also the soule and the whole man is foâ—c'd as it were wholly to attend on it In his case God accepts a patient and a quiet bearing of these dolours for Prayers Sicknâ—sse mixt with patience and mortification are accepâ—able Sacrifices in the presence of God Hee prayes well that suffers patiently And he doth not onely pray unto God but doth prevaile with God who sends two such wise Embassadours as Compunction and Patience But further though the Sicke man be brought to that passe that he neither by voice nor yet by hearty Ejaculations yea though his patience be overcome yet there is a way to pray left him Can hee look about hâ—m and hee shall see those that stand by him and those that are about him ready prompt to pray for him let but him in his sicknesse speake a word to them ô my good friend ô my dear brother you see how I am conquered wiâ—h pains I prâ—y you lend mee your tongue and your heart and read such and such a Psalme for mee to intreat God to be mercifull unto me Which of his friends will not be ready and willing to performe these things for the sick So though hee cannot by himselfe in words expresse himself to God yet hee may by the prayers of the faithfull Therefore I repeat it again In
flesh by these delays we make a preparation for that Eternall and better life For as the wombe of our mother holds us nine moneths and prepares us not for her selfe but for that place into which we are sent being now fit to take breath and to live abroad so from the space of our infancie to our old age wee are fitting for another birth another spring expects us wee expect another state Wee are not here fit for Heaven but by distance yet here wee are fitted for it Wherefore undauntedly looke for that decretory houre though last to the body yet not to the soule Whatsoever things thou doest here behold looke upon them as bundels of trumperies not worth transportation Wee must passe The day which thou so mightily fearest as thy last is but the birth-day of Eternity The day will come that shall reveale thee and will bring thee out of thy rotten and flitting tent Meditate now on diviner matters Natures secrets shall once be disclosed to thee this darknes shall vanish and light shall shine bright for ever No cloud shall dim or obscure the serenity of that day Heaven shall then perfectly be seen day and night are the courses of this lower Region thou wilt then say thou hast but liv'd in darknes when thou shalt cleerly behold that light which now thou hast but a glimpse off and yet admirest at though afar off What will that â—ivine Light seem to thee when thou shalt behold it in its owne place the thought of this will permit no base or sordid no abjected or inhumane thing to reside in thy minde What can be more holy ô Christians let us always thinke on and mediâ—ate these things no good man dies ill no ill man well Death is the nearest way to Eternitie § 32. Constantly COnstantly I beseech you constantly there is no patience where there is no constancy but some may say this is the second third fourth or fifth or ninth week in which I have layn sick Anothâ—r may say this is the second third fourth â—ifth or ninth moneth since I fell sick There will not want others to object that this is the second third four h fifth or ninth yeare or more that hee hath bâ—en visited Oh good men it is not the signe of a patient man to call to mind and calculate so exactly his days monetâ—s and yeares of visitation Endure I pray you Endure and loose not the recompence of reward for a little suffering res rve your selves for better â—hing That 's but a point of time in which I suffer If I looke upon Eternity All our travaile is short our rest is everlasting There have beene those who have been sick all their life long Saint Gregory commends one Servulus who from his childhood to his dying day was troubled grievously with a Palsie so that he could not lift up his hands to his mouth or turn in his bed and yet he got all the Bible by heart by hearing it read to him what was his life but a lingâ—ing death and as he was daily dying so hee usually had this speech ready God be thanked All his yeeres though so full of misery and pains yet he held them as nothing to Eternitie There was a Virgin at Scheedam called Lydwina who for 38 yeares together was afflicted with divers diseases even as that Beggar was at the fish-poole thou mightest trulyer have said this Maid to have beene dead then alive who spent so many yeares in and amongst so many sorts of troubles and diseases Diversity of torments seemed to have jointly set upon her scarce for those 30 yeers did she eat so much bread as one able man would have done in three days and she was not onely troubled with extream sicknes but also with great povertie and exigencie Yet in her sicknes this Lydwine cried out constanâ—ly Oh! good Jesus have mercy upon mee She was wont to say that these 38 yeers of sicknes wee nothing reckoned to Eternity But I will record another that past Servulus or Lydwina in the number of to ments and sicknesses One Coleta a Viâ—gin of Corbeâ—a who indured an incredible measure of pains for the space of 50 yeers without intermission patiently and scarce slept one houre in eight dâ—ys togeâ—heâ— she was tormented in her minde as well as in her bodie and that which shee reckoned amongst the kindnesses and favours of the Lord was that her torments were answerable to those of the blessed Martyrs One being still sent upon another she would usually say ô could I at once patiently suffer the furie of all Feavers together This fearfull continuation of diseases for above 50 yeeres did this female creatuâ—e patiently go under and bore comfortâ—bly and to her they seemed nothing to Eternitie This blessed Maid said as once Saint Bernard â—y worke is but for one houre or if a little longer I count it â—s nothing for the love I beare to my Saviour That as well the sound as the sick may determine holinesse in their minds and bring it forth in thoir works and actions and from good words proceed to good deeds wee have added â—hese prayers following for the confirming and establishing them in those holy duties A Prayer to be said continually of the sound sick and dying men MOst sweet Lord Jesus Christ in the union of that love by which thou offeredst thy selfe up to thy Father doe I offer up my heart and soule to thee that thy good will and pleasure may be done of me and by me Sweet Jesus I desire and choose thy will to be done let my sufferings be never so great let sicknes and death approach yet I commit my selfe wholly to thy faithful providence and divine will For I hope and entreat that thou wouldst direct me and all that belong unto mee to thy glory and everlasting salvation Amen 2 A Prayer to conforme our selves to Gods will O Lord Jesus Christ which for thy own glory and our salvation minglest jâ—y with heavinesse and for our progresse in grace dost suffer us to partake of adversity and prosperity I give thanks unto thee that thou of thy goodnesse hast caused mee to be troubled and to beare this affliction I desire thy favour ô Saviour to let such fruit and benefit grow from it as thou approvest and desirest and thâ—t it may not be hindred by my impatience or unthankfulnesse Strech forth thy hand ô Lord and come and helpe mee â—hy sicke servant as once thou didst stretch it forth and sav'd Peter thy Apostle from drowning in the waves So let I beseech thee thy arme of power save mee from sinking under this present cross sicknes according to thy power so let thy will be ô Lord I entreat thee to let this present bitter Cup so troublesome to flesh and bloud to passe away from me as thou diddest heare and deliver Ezekias when hee cryed unto thee Notwithstanding not my will but thine which is always righteous and holy be done Thou onely
have not lived as I ought to have done as by grace I might have done I am sorry at my heaâ—t and it grieves mee that I cannot grieve more I humbly beseech thee ô Lord that thou wouldst not deale with me after my sins but according to thy great mercies thou ô God which hast laid stripes on the outward man give the inward man indeficient Patience So that thy praise may never depart from my mouth Have mercy upon mee ô Lord have mercy upon me and help mee for thou knowest what is good for my soul and body thou knowest all things thou canst doe all things to thee bee prayse for evermore Amen A Prayer after receiving of the holy communion to Jesus Christ. GLory and prayse be given to thee ô Christ who in thy gracious goodnesse wouldst vouchsafe to visit and cherish up my poore soule Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word Now I hold thee ô sweet Love I will not let thee go I willingly bid Adiew to the whole World and with joy I come to thee ô my God Nothing at all nothing shall separate mee from thee ô good Iesus for I am joyned to thee in thee I will live in thee I will die and in thee if thou wilt I will remayn for ever I live but not I but Christ liveth in me My soule now is weary of my life I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ For hee is to mee in life and death advantage Now though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I feare none evill because thou art with me ô Lord And as the Hart desires the Fountains of waters even so longeth my soule aftâ—r thee ô God My soule hath thirsted after God the fountaine of living waters When shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Blesse me most loving Iesus and now dismisse me in peace because I am truly thine and I will never for all time part with thee O could this happy union be now made Oh! might I be wholly in thee Oh! that my soul might fâ—r aye rest in thy imbracings and partake always of thy presence What have I any longer to doe or to be pestered with the World ô most loving Iesus Behold whom have I in heaven but thee anâ— whom have I desired on earth in comparison of thee Into thy hands ô LORD doe I commâ—nd my soule receive mee oh sweet Love that I may ever be with thee and that in thee I may lye downe and take my rest for thou onely makest me dwell in safety Amen The conclusion of the second Book To the Reader WEe have said thus much hitherto to the sound and sick partly to recreate them that they may live to excite them that they may watch to strengthen them to overcome that they might always be ready for Deaths assaults It is better to try any course then to dye ill An ill death is not onely the worst of all errours but it is irrecoverable inexpiable Now we come to dying men and prescribe documents for them not onely that they should read them when they are dying but specially in health to profit them against Death To dying Men. A Death strikes and with his Ax fels burly Okes There 's not a Tree that stands his single strokes B Fly hence Your House begins to crack it falls Get under ground there yee 'll find safer walls C Beast Fish and Fowle wee catch with wiles and snares But Death hurls darts at us and no Man spares D Be not dâ—smay'd though Sculs from Heaven drop From mortall seed springs an immortall crop E As Waters from Aquarius pitcher drill So runs Mans life Lib. a tryes Wel or Ill F The Sun goes down but 't is to bring now day So man doth dye that he may live for ay G The game 's our own The Deer's pent up No way to flie Dogs Huntsmen Darts Nets Toyls all tell him He must die THE Remembrance of DEATH is presented to dying Men. The third Book § 1. The Art of dying compendiously handled NOt to know how to die is the most wretched folly that therefore wee may learne that whiâ—h through all our lives we ought to learn fiue things are specially considerable which may make Death good First a free and undaunted mind this is a thing of great value on which do depend the rest An offering of a free heart will I give thee Ps 54.6 Nothing doth more please God noâ—hing more benefits man then an undaunted willing ready soule and a generous confidence in God Tergiversation and giving back argues a will nothing conformable to Gods Therefore if at some time to be done why not now to get such a prompt mind for death is to love and meditate on seriously the passion of our Lord which every day is to be considered on with Prayers The second a speedy and expedite dispatch and disposing of our debts and goods by will It is an errour not to think of making our wils untill Death be entred over the threshold Discharge thy debts dispose thy goods before Pale grimfac'd death doth come to knock at doore Saint Ambrose hath given us an excellent rule and method for the disposing of our own goods Let there be saith hee sincerity of faith quick sighted providence or let charity be joyned with prudence and prudence linked to charity and let him that giveth an Almes or taketh care that it be given let him doe that God may accept of the gift and the person giving The third is a speciall care of our salvation let that be reckoned of in the first place One thing is necessary Luk. 10.42 Bl ssed Saint Augustine the pattern of well dying men ten days before his Death admitted no Visitants onely at a set houre his Physician and a servant which brought in his dyet and hee himselfe was poured out in prayers teares and sighes hee conversed with GOD concerning his life and lâ—ft admonishments to us in these words Nullus Christianorum c. Let no Christian depart hence untill hee have fully and worthily repented him of his sins The fourth is the receiving of the Communion and to this the sicke party should bee ready and prepared this great werke stould not bee too long put off nor deferr'd till Death have possessed him it is dangerous to neglect this many die ill because they seeme to dâ—sire not to die so soone hee that will earnestly repent him of his sinnes let him do it early and contrition of spirit is excellent to a sicke mans salvation The fifth is a pious and entire oblation of himself to Gods good will Every man pâ—rhaps cannot exhibit a mind undaunted in sicknesse but every man oughâ— to shew a minde conformable to the will of God Let therefore the sick party often in the time of his visitation repeat these words of our Saviour Mat. 11.26 Even so Father because it seemed good
of his fore-head hard and rough with wrinkles his countenance is wanne and pale with some yellows sometimes like lead blacke blew hâ—s lips are loosed hanging with weaknesse whitish his teeth are blacke his neck is consumed and growne lean all things are changed so that hee seems as it were to be another person so when God hath changed a mans countenance he sends him to his long home Passe on ô man passe on to thy house of eternity from such a little-little point of time so many Volumes of Ages depend which are not to bee reckoned up by any date of time § 6. We ought to prepare for Death before it comes IT was a wise man saying Moriendum esse antequam mori cogaris i. e that thou shouldst die before thou be compelled to die S. Paul did â—ot onely do so once or often but daily affirming that of himself I die daily 1 Cor. 15 3. Gregory the Great the higher hee gained preferment in the Church the more glorious beams of Sanctity did he send forth this most vigilant Pastor did seem to be dead before death for not long before his Obit hee himselfe described his own condition Such bitternesse of spirit such an assiduous grievance such molestation of the Gout doe afflict mee that my body is as even dryed up already in the grave so that I cannot rise up from my bed Cosmus Medâ—ces being at the pâ—int of death wheÌ„ as he was ask'd of his wife why he shut his eyes before he was dead Answered I do accustome them to that that when they shal be shut up by death they may bear it well This is an excellent kind of death then to shut our eys especially when any deadly pleasure doth intice them be sure thou doest die lest thou shouldst die ô shut them betimes Wisely did Seneca advise Lucilius Doe that before the day of thy death let thy sins be dead before thy selfe § 7. Those that buried themselves PAcuvius being Governour in Syria for Tiberius Caesar did daily so give himselfe to wine and feastings that as hee was carried to his bed from Supper his servants wiâ—h great applause sung these words to him Vixit vixit i. e. He hath liv'd he hath liv'd What was this but every day to be carried about to his buriall Seneca said well of him That saith he which hee did daily out of an ill conscience let us doe by a good one that when wee are gone to bed and about to sleep with comfort and rejoycing we may say Wee have liv'd if God shal lend us the next morning let us entertaine it with cheerfulnessee His a blessed and secure Possessor of himselfe who expects the next morning without distrust or distraction Labienus the Historian for his inveighing writings termed Rabienus was so hated that all his Books were burnt Labienus not enduring this and not willing to out-live his wit did desire to be carried out and buried in the Sepulchre of his Ancestors where he did end and bury himselfe and what is wonderfull liv'd when he was buried and was buried while he liv'd Storax a Neâ—politan not long since a very rich man delicate and a prouâ— Governour or Overseer for the yeerly pâ—ovision of Corne having got this office by base and indirect means the common people hated him exceedingly so that being overcome with hunger they fell violently upon the man he seeking to esâ—ape their fury and rage did hide himself in a Sepulchre in a Church but at last being found and beaten with stones was cut into small Gobbets and his very bloud was lickt up of many so that his bones wanted a Grave Hee had this Epitaph made upon him Storax qui vivus subjit sepulchrum Mirum defunctus caruit sepulchro i.e. Storax who living went into his grave Strange that being dead no sepulchre could have Albertus the Great leaving Ratiâ—bonâ— came to Collen where though strictly being devoted to Mortification and Contempt of this World so that hee forgat all worldly delights yet would hee continually visit the place of his intended buriall Severus President of Ravenna while hee was healthy went into his Tombe and placing himselfe in the middle betwixt his wife which he had had and his daughter there died Philoâ—omus of Galata is said to dwel six yeers amongst the graves of the dead Palladius c. 13. that by this meanes hee might overcome the feare of death Polemon of Laodicea Suidas V. Pole as Suidas witnesseth the Scholer of Timocrates the Philosopher the Master of Aristides the Orator being 56 yeers of age cast himselfe into a deepe Sepulchre being urged thereunto by the bitter paines of the Gout and there died of hunger and before his death his friends and neighbours lamenting his case desired him to come forth by their help it is reported of him that hee answered them thus Provide me a more healthy body and I will come up Wee may wonder at these but not imitate them unlesse in this manner Colos 3. as Saint Paul speaks ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God That Philosophers counsell is good Vive latens i.e. live hid For as another said Hee lives well that lives retiredly This man may be said to be profitably dead and buried the private life is freest from incumbrances and inconveniences Whose life is to publick often dyes unknowne to himself The private life is fullest of quietnesse § 8. A consideration of our Sepulchre Phthia pro sepulchro TErtia me Phthiae tempestas laeta locabit Englished The third great sicknesse shall Give me a glad funerall Thus said Socrates presaging of his own death this word Phthia is meant for nothing else but the Coffin or the grave to which all must come No house may so truly be said to be ours as our graves This Iacoponus a religious man and pleasant taught by a witty Act of his A Citâ—zen of Todi in Vmbria had bought two young Chickens being about to send them home by chance he espyed Iacoponus in the Market to whom he turning said I pray you doe mee that favour and kindnesse as to car y â—hese two Chickens home to my house and be sure you leave them there and doe not deceive me Trust me saith he I will doe as you have bidden me and I wâ—ll carry them indeed unto the house and so forthwith taking them went directly to his Parish Church and came to his Sepulchre which was reserved for him and in that as well as hee could hee hid the two Chickens Well the Citizen comming home to his house presently asked for his two Chickens his servants all deni d flatly that they saw no such thing brought thither so the Citizen going againe into the Market met Jacoponus again And said to him I thought indeed that thou wouldst not doe as thou shouldst and that thou woulâ—st deceive me but tell me in earnest where are my Chickens to whom Iacoponus replyed I carried them
unlearned rich and poore at length have all one Epitaph which Moses hath writ for them Gen. 5. sapius Et mortuus est i. e. hee is dead Emperours at their first Inauguration were asked what kinde of stone they would have their sepulchre made off The same thing almost doe I ô Reader enquire of thee Choose what forme of Epitaph pleaseth thee best Wilt thou nilt thou some or other will doe this for thee though against thy will and will speak of thee when thou art dead though living thou haddest rather be silent then write Funerall Elegies or Epitaphs I will here exhibit a forme of a sepulchrall Inscription which I doe think profitable for mee for thee ô Reader and for most Christians at least for meditation onely change but a few things and this it is Whosoever thou art ô Reader I have somthing to seek out of thee 9 Knowest thou who may dwell in this narrow prison under ground I am the sonne of corruption and the brother of wormes This is my stock aske not after my name that 's vanished with my life which I spent after many teares and weak endeavours in books which almost I shut up with my life ô Guest would I had now given my selfe more to vertue lesse to vices ô would I had before my death dyed more in my affections now thou mayest I cannot perform it Whosoever thou art for I cannot see in this darknesse whilest thou canst be ripe for death before thy death by this means thy life wil be more comfortable by how oftner thou art in this exercise Farewell Reader till the Trumpet shall sound from Heaven at which time I do expect a joyfull resurrection But least we should be ignorant that it is not purple adornments funerall pompe nor the silken covering nor the long traine of mourning friends nor the brave Coats of Arms nor the greatnes of Kinred nor the prayses of the vulgar not the wives lamentations nor the funerall Sermon nor the title of the dead though seeming to live in Marble for they have their Obitâ— too nor all these make an happy death but grace and vertue and a minde not broken nor terrified withall the threatnings of death to have lived well and uprightly is the fairest Epitaph of all others § 11. Nine Reasons to prswade us to die with a resolved minde ABove all things meditate and seriously thinke on the death of thy Saviour 1 Reas and thou wilt then beare thine comfortably Compare I beseech thy Bed to his Crosse thy Couches with his Crown of thornes thy meat with his gall thy drinke to his Vineger thy griefs with his torments Thou art amongst thy Friends Kinred he in the midst of his enemies thou art among all the hands for help but he was left of all land so died for the recovery of thy health what medicines and helps are not used but hee had nothing to quench his thirst Yet he was Lord and chiefe thou but a servant the lowest the vilest all things that were laid upon him he was guiltlesse off and deserv'd them not All things that thou sufferest thou standest guilty off and more Wherefore thou hast no just cause to complain 2 Cause 2 The chiefest favour of the greatest King is a good death but to die well is to avoid the danger of living ill Now he dyes well who dyes willingly Who would not willingly rise from a rough hard bed onely they refuse it who are laid warme in a soft Feather-bed if thy life here had been full of grievances evils and miseries how willing wouldst thou be to passe to a better if thy life hath bin prosperous and rich it is high time that thou shouldst end for fear prosperity which hath destroyed so many should also ruine thee Death is the most unwelcome to riâ—h men Croesus had not come to the fire but for his wealthy old age Many slaves had they died in their youth had died free-born Ah! how many and how great men who are condemned in eternall flames whom if death had taken from hence in their infancy or youth had enjoyed glory and immortality 3 It is the joy of all the Angels and Saints to have us with them but say you then must wee leave all our friends and associats here O improvidently Thou art going to them Thy parents where are they Hopest thou not that they are in Heaven And that thou shalt also come thither Doest thou not also believe tâ—at many of thy Kindred and acquaintance are in joy Coelestiall And doest not thou live here in hoâ—e to passe from hence to them but these things are not certaine they are onely in hope 't is true neither doth any man hope for what he fecth or possesseth therefore God hath afforded thee matter to exercise this Vertue He hath commanded thee to hope for Heaven never did he will thee or promise thee security but thou mayest certainly know thy self to be carried thither in hope whereinto yet thou canst not see The Creditor hath no reason to distrust a faithfull debtor I say it affirmatively that God hath made himselfe the debtor to thee Consider seriously whose Creditor thou art did not he speak it with joy who said I know whom I have trusted 2 Tim. 12 4 Thinke also ô man whose spirit droops or fails that admirable alacrity and ardent study and prompt willingnesse of the holy Martyrs for death who lightly despised all the great preparations to death who underwent the most cruellest torments even with smiling and rejoycing countenances Surely nor death nor the pain of it is terrible onely the feare of both makes both dreadfull Wherefore wee prayse him who said Death is not an evill but it is evill to die naughtily Children are afraid of Vizards and Spirits because of their unskilfulnessâ— is Death a Vizard turne the inside outwards and thou shalt know it to be so Yet neither Infants nor Children nor distracted folks fear Death It is most absurd that reason cannot perform that resolvednesse in us which folly and childishnesse leads us too Death is a Tribute and Custome that all men must pay Why therefore art thou sad and disconsolate when as thou payest no more then thou owest and doest no more then every man else performs No man here can plead exemption or priviledge No man hitherto hath gone scot-free none ever shall this is that hard Battle where none none I say escape The World saith Saint Basil is mortall In Ps 115 and the Region of dying creatures 5. What is the continuation of the feare of Death but the prolongation and extent of torment Doest thou live long Thou art long under pain but say you I cannot but feare the danger that is imminent although it comes on but with a slow pace Then therefore cease to feare when as there is in it that good that may remove and will for certain take away all feare Tertullian spoke admirably That is not to be
feared that frees us from every thing that is fearfull But thou wilt say it is a most fearfull thing in a disease to see death creeping upon us by degrees Oh thou worme what wouldst thou Did not thy Saviour for thirty three yeeres and more foresee his death And art thou better then he but because thou doest not fear death but the fore-running incommodities of it Hear Epictetus who saith Thou goest not out with a good courage but trembling because of thy riches silver vessels and great friends Oh unhappy man Hast thou so hitherto lost all thy time What if thou be sicke thou shalt learn to be vertuous by thy sicknesse But who shall care for thee wilt thou say God and thy friends but I shall lye hard thou shalt but lye as a man but I shall not have a commodious house then knowest thou not how to be sicke in inconveniences but who shall prepare my dyet for me They who provide it for others but what will be the issue of my sicknâ—sse What should be but dea h thou therefore canst not but know that it is the signe of a degenerate spirit and of a fearfull heart to feare not death but the fear of death Exercise thy self therefore against this to this mark let all thy â—isputatioâ—s tend and all which thou hearest or readest then thou shalt know that death is the onely way to plant men into liberty 6. How many evils doth death free thee from to die is but to shut up the shop of al miseries So that Pliny spoke well Such is the condition of humane life that death to the best men is the best Harbour and the chiefest good for nature Caesar speaks in Salust In al miseries death is the Rest not the augmentation of them and that it concludes all the mischiefs that Mortals suffer Therefore a wiseman esteems his life by the quality not by the extent of it For nature hath afforded us an Inne to lodge in not to dwell in and the usury of life is like that of money to be alwayes paid at the set time Why how canst thou complain if money be taken in when the Creditor pleaseth if he limited not the time It was but the condition upon which thou receivedst it to repay it at the pleasure of the lender 7 In the passage to death the prison is set open why fearest thou to goe out rather be glad and be gone Hitherto thou hast been a Captive now thou shalt be free the prison is now open hast out Why hast thou so long studied Phylosophy if yet thou fearest this Phylosophy to die therefore receivedst thou this body that thou shouldst restore it And therefore shalt thou restore it that thou mayest again receive it with great advantage Oh how foolish is that mans hope not to endevour for that happinesse to depart with joy from hence to that which always remayns The prison is open flye aloft to better felicity 8 Death is the rode way yea it is the gate by which wee are admitted into our Country to eternall life to immortall joy Death is not so much the end of life as it is the passage to life Saint Bernard spoke true and elegantly 'T is true indeed the righteous man dyes but securely because his death as it is the Exit of the present so it is the Introite to a better life 9 But the cause of causes is the divine will of God whom it hath pleased from all Eterniâ—y that thou shouldst dye at such a time such a place such a disease What wouldst thou more so it pleased God so it seem'd good in his sight This is that will which cannot will not will that which is ill Therefore as the sonne of Syrach said Ecclus 18 21. Humble thy selfe before thou be sick and in the time of sins shew repentance Therfore I briefly reckon up all the Reasons thus 1 Christs death 2 The favour of God 3 the joy of Angels and Sainâ—s 4 The examples of those that have gone before us 5 It is the end of all things to be feared 6 It is the end of all evils 7 It is going out of prison 8 It is an ingresse into paradise 9 It is the will of God § 12. Death is not to be feared PErforme therefore ô Christian that with willingnes which must be done though against thy will Those actions though difficult if done willingly seem easie and feazable and where the will concurs there it leaves to be necessity A wise man instructs thee â—hus Agree to what thou canst not withstand go on securely without feare Nature is a bountifull parent and makes not any thing dreadfull nor delights in it It is the errour of men not provident Nature that makes Death seeme terrible Wee feare death not for that it is evill but because we are not acquainted with it but if thou hast any generous thoughts or any noble or high resolutions slight those vulgar and base conceits and looke upon high and imitate those religious spirits whose footsteps have beene setled in the rode-way to Glory Wee have innumerable examples and patternes of men whose deaths have bin cheerfull and happy Be not daunted with the words of them which affirme death to be neere at hand Rather folâ—ow him amongst the Ancients who gave this reply to Deaths Monitor without any the least show of anger Morieris Thou shalt dye It is the nature not the punishment of man Thou shalt dye I entred upon this condition that I should goe out Thou shalt dye It is the Law of Nations that what thou hast lent thee that thou must restore Thou shalt dye Thy whole life is but a pilgrimage It is but comfortable when thou hast walkt long abroad that then thou shouldest return home Thou shalt dye I thought thou wouldst have told mee some new or strange thing but as for this I came for the same purpose hither every dayes travell invites me hither Nature laid me out this stint at my birth Why should I be angry I am sworn to this Thou shalt die It 's folly to feare what thou canst not avoid Thou shalt die Nor the first nor the last Many are gone before mee some go with me all shall follow Thou shalt die This is the conclusion of all our work Whither the Universe shall passe thither must I. All things are begotâ—en to this state What hath had a bad beginning must come to an end Thou shalt dye That is not so grievous which is but once suffered It is Eternall that vex us Certainly death is to bee lesse feared now then heretofore For then the way to Heaven was block'd up and all men griev'd and sorrowed at this that Noctes atque dies patet atri janua ditis Hell gates are never shut nor night nor day But wee may sing this with joy that Noctes atque dies patet alti janua Coeli At all times unto Heaven's a ready way Death therefore is to be
entertained with an undaunted spirit Whither it sets upon us violently or easily A vertuous life never thought ill of death and that man loses nothing who gets all things § 13. How the Saints of God may desire yet feare Death LEt us behold Saint Paul saiâ—h Saint Gregory how hee loves that which hee avoyds and how hee avoids that which hee loves Behold hee desires to die and feares to put off the tabernacle of flesh Why so Because although the victory makes his heart to rejoyce yet the paine doth trouble him for the present As a valiant man who is to fight a Combate though he be armed yet he pants and trembles and by his palenes discovers feare yet hee is mainly prick'd forward by valour and courage So a godly and holy man being neer to his death and passion is struck with the infirmity of his nature yet is he strengthened with the firmnesse of his hope and doth rejoyce that by dying hee shall live for ever For he cannot enter into that Kingdom but by the interposition of death yet hee doubts and hopes and rejoycing feares and fearing is glad because hee knows hee cannot attain to the prize unlesse he passeth this midway obstacle Hence it is that even the holiest men have in some measure feared deaths encounter King Hezekiah in the increase of his sicknes doth yet in teares lament Esay 38.10 That in the midst of his days he shall go to the gates of Hell What did not the feare of death cause David to utter that speech Psal 102 25. Take mee not away in the midst of mine age What shall we say of Abraham Iacob Elias Who as we are instructed by holy Writt did something feare death Elias flying from death 3. Reg. 19. yet did entreat for it under the Juniper tree Arsenius a man of an hundred twenty yeers old never assaulted with any disease having served God fifty five yeers in a most austere life being now at his dâ—parting began to feare and weâ—p Those that were present wondring at it said And doe you ô Father lâ—kewise fear death to whom he answered ever since I entred into the state of Religion I have always fâ—ared Seneca spoke excellently often is it seen that even the stoutest man though armed yet at the first entrance into the Combat feares so the resolutest Souldier at the signall of Battle his knees and joynts tremble so it is with the greaâ—est Commander as also wiâ—h the famousest Orator at the composing himself to speake This was observed in Charles the fifth Emperour who though hee was couragious in all warlike Expeditions though hee was not overcome with the greatest dangers nor frighted with the furiousnesse of warlike Chariots nor ever shrunke his head out of the maynest hazards yet for all that at the putting on of his Armour hee would something quake and shiver and shew signes of some feare but when once his head piece was on his sword girded to his thigh his Coat of Maile upon him hee was as a Lyon and like a mighty man of valour would set upon the Enemy Even so the best of men do desire and feare death they would be gone out but they tremble at it But it is better to die with Cato then to live with Anthony Hee is Deaths conquerour who quietly gives up his Spirit when he is câ—ld from hence §. 14. An ill death follows an ill life EVen as a tree falls that way when it is cut downe as it leaned when it stood so for the most part as we have livâ—d and bent our courses so doe we depart As we begun to goe so wee continue a commendable death seldome shuts up a dishonest life What things were pleasurable to us in the course of our lives ee seldome dislike at the time of our deaths A great Courtier of King Cenreds who studied more to please his Sovereigne then his Saviour being at point to die he did not onely seeme to neglect the care of his soule but also to put off the time of his death but hee saw before him a great many wicked Spirits expressing the Catalogue of all his hainous sins before him at which sight in horrour for them in despaire he dyed While wicked Chrysaorius called out for a space even for time but till the next morning he departed Herod Agrippa as his life was full of all impieties so his death was miserable So Herodias aâ— History reports who by dancing g t off Iohn Baptists head had her owne head cut off by the ice So Iezabel and Athaliah Queenes so â—ing Benhadad Balihazar and Antiochus with 600 more as their lives were naught and wicked so were their ends w etched and odious The death of wise men is to be lamented but much more the lives of the foolish Psal 34.22 the death of sinners is the worst It being an irrevocable ingresse of a most wofull eternity of torments Foolishly doth he feare death who neglects life He who lives to luxury and rio is dead while alive § 15. A good death follows a good life MOst truly said Saint Augustine That cannot be reputed for a bad death when as a good life hath always preceded For nothing but the sequell of death proves it ill A good crop of Corn doth seldome or never faile a plentifull sowing A good life is the Kings high way to a good Death That is the beginning middle and end I may compare life and death to a Syllogisme The conclusion is the end of the Syllogisme so death of life but the conclusion is either true or false according to the nature of the Antecedents So is Death always either good or bad according to the quality of our precedent lives So Saint Paul doth most severely pronounce it Whose end saith he shall be according to their works 2 Cor. 1. â— 15. It is reported of a certain man of a most devout life who was found dead in his study with his body so seated that his finger was upon the holy Bible and upon that place where it is said if the just man shall be taken away by Death hee shall be in his refreshing Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints whither it be slow or sudden The mellifluous Saint Bernard being now neere to his dissolution Thus spoke to his Schollers because quoth he I leave you no great examples of Religion yet three things I doe seriously commend to you which I have specially at all times observed 1 To trust my own sences lesse then others 2 That being hurt or injured by any I never fought after revenge 3 I never did willingly offend any man whatsoever fell out cross and thwart I pacified as I could Now being nere Death He wâ—it a Letâ—er to Arnaldus of Good-dale to this effect The spirit is ready but the flâ—sh is we k. Pâ—ay you to our Lord Jesus not to defer my exit but keep me when I shall go have
expecting that hee was come to the mark of his life was suddenly snatcht away by a contrary sicknesse before his death one of his friends gave him a Visit and found the good old man falne into a sleepe When hee wakened hee asked him how hee did find himself to whom Gorgâ—as replyed this sleep begins to deliver mee up to his brother meaning death Whosoever is a good Christian will never permit sleepe to passe upon him before he hath convented his own conscience and haâ—h washed away his offences by a godly sorrow many have begun to sleepe and to die at once and have ended their lives with their sleep and therefore we are to look well to sleep which is deaths brother and as strictly as we can not to go to it warily onely but also chastly Hee which sleeps not in chastity shall not rise in chastity § 19. The Fore-runners of Death DEath is the fore-runner of Eternity dolours and diseases are the most knowne Harbingers of deaâ—h If wee will credit Pliny one manifest signe of death is in the height of sicknesse to laugh in some diseases an unequall and prickling striking of the veins and the eyes and the nose afford to us certain signes of death according to Plinies experience these are Indexes of approaching death when the sick party discourseth of journeys when hee will not abide in his bed when he folds the coverlid or when he puls haires out of it There are beside these many other signes of death not counted vain or false Augustus the Emperour a little before he died complained that he was taken away by forty young men That was rather a presage as Suetonius reports of death then of a distracted mind for when he was dead hee was brought forth by forty Pretorian Souldiers When Alexander the Great was about to saile to Babylon there was a great winde which took away the ornament of his head and the Dia em bound to it the tire fell into the water and the Diadem hung unto a Fen-cane one of the Saylors went to fetch this and because he would not have it wet put it upon his head and so brought it to Alexander the Saylor had a Talent given him for a reward but presently after by the advice of the Chaldees his head was struck off nor did Alexander long escape death which the Diadem taken from his head portended In the yeer of Christ 1185 when that great and last overthrow was neer to Andronicus Cominaeus the Emperour the Image of S. Paul placed by the Emperour in a Temple in Constantinople wept abundantly nor were those teares false presages for presently after the Emperours bloud was shed Moreover Princes and great men have had strange presages of their deaths as the howlings of Dogs unusuall the roaring of Lions the strangnesse of the striking of Clocks Nightly noyses in Towers and many other infallible signes of ensuing deatâ— How innumerable are the signes of death saiâ—h Pliny and certain but not one of security or health What do al they teach us but this one thing let us remeÌ„ber that we are but men Thinke on Eternitie whi her thou art poasting thou must be gone shortly thou art but a guest Enquire the way Looke thou beest ready fit hy selfe for to appeare before the Lords Tribunall How thou hast lived so even so shalt thou be judged § 20. What we must answer to Deaths Messenger BLessed Sainâ— Ambrose having received the Embassadour of death when as his friends wept and sorrowed and desired him to pray to God to spare him a longer life he answered them I have not so liv'd as that it shames mee to live longer nor do I feare to die because wee have such a Good Lord. Saint Augustine did much regard this wise saying and commended them to his Schollers as pure and savoury words And S. Augustine himselfe was nothing troubled at the hearing of death but said what great man can conceit any proud or great thing when as men do die well as trees do fall and other creatures That golden-mouthed Father Saint Chrysostome a little before his death when he was in banishment writ thus to Innocentius this now is the third yeere that wee have endured banishment being exposed to pâ—stilence famine war to continuall incursions to unspeakable solitarinesse to daily death to the Heathens swords and being about to die hee fairely pronounced these words Glory be to thee ô Lord for all things Saint Cyprian being condemned to death for Christian Religion with a noble spirit said thus Thanks be given to God who vouchsafeth to take me out of the bonds of this boâ—y Let the dying man imitate these holy Fathers let him often say this God be thanked Glory be to God for all things I have watch'd long enough amongst thorns I have fought enough with beasts I have toild enough in tempests Now because I see an end of my watâ—hings of my fightings and of my labour God be thanked Glory be to God for all things For certain Death is an advantage to the wise and a gain to them whose lives are irksome § 21. A sweet death but the worst death of all GEorge Duke of Clarence was by his brother Edward the fourth King of England for suspition of aâ—eâ—ting the Crown commanded to die yet he had liberty given to choose his owne death and hee chose a most sweet death for hee caused a Butt of Malmsey to be filled and so placed himselfe in it and others softly and leasurely let him bloud and hee all the while â—ucking in leasurely the sweet liquour So hee left this life being at last drowned in this sweâ—t but fatall ba h. If wee look but upon the manners of men alas how many by ingurgitating themselves with pleasures intemperately by drinking and gluttony do even drown themselves but while they so doe sucke in with eagernesse while they give their whole souls to draw in these vaine short filthy irksome delights alas wretches as they are they doe by little and little drinke downe their own destruction making themselves slaves to their bellies and filthy lusts and by how much the more greedily they doe swallow downe these sugred baits the sooner goe they to the land of darknesse aâ— Iob hath it They spend their days in mirth and in a moment goe down to Hell Most elegantly S. Augustine all things saith he are utterly uncertain but death a child is coÌ„ceived perhaps it is born perhaps not but perisheth an abortive if it be borne perchance it groweth perchance not it may be old perhaps not it may be rich it may be poore it may be honoured it may be an abject It may marry perhaps not it may have children perchance none it may bee sicke it may be devoured by beasts it may escape But amongst all these perhaps and perchances â—in we truly say perhaps or perchance it shall die It is recorded in the Machabees of Alexander 1 Mac. 1 6. and his fate is
so great a multitude does open his mouth in his cause The mayntenance of Christs Cause is therefore devolv'd to the defence of this Thiefe One Thief plâ—ads against another for Christs innocence he mayntains it takes of the others scandals reproves the infinite multitude of paâ—ricide Did not the Son of God blush to have his Cause defended by a Thief No! hee was so farre from being ashamed at his Oratory that hee praysed him in publick nor was his Rhetorick defective in Gods Cause And wee indâ—e justly therefore wee receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse Lu. 23.4 O how justly may I say the same of my self And I do justly die for my offences for I doe but receive the wages of my works but my Saviour What had hee done nothing at all worthy of death nor of such torments Let mee therefore ô God be heard when I use this forme of prayer Lord remember me for now thou art come into thy Kingdome and because thou art in thy Kingdome looke upon mâ—e now languishing and decaying and admâ—t mee to thy self when I depart I beg this of thee ô Jesus by thy scourging Thorns and Crosse by all thy â—orments and by thy precious â—eath What therefore remaynes but â—hat I should for ever cast my soul â—nto his bosome whose dolour and â—ains hee onely weighs and consiâ—ers He knows what conduceth â—o the health of our souls and â—ee from all eternity ha h deterâ—ined by what way wee shall return to him O Lord I have waited for thy salvation § 34. The Heliotropium or Turn sole against all diseases and death the onely Medicine THis Herbe as experience shews it turns with the Sun both at his rising and setting nay even in cloudy weather hee shews his love to the Sun by night as it were for grief he shuts up himself for want of her beautifull Lover Oh could mans will alwayes so follow and attend upon Gods will that at all times it should be conformable to it and and follow it through all afflictions and adversities and not to turn aside in that great cloudy day of death Upon this set day let the dying man imitate this flower and let him fâ—x the eyes of his faith upon that glorious Sun of righteousnesse especially then This doe our Saviours owne words teach us Even so Father Math. 11.26 for so it seemed good in thy sight so even so my â—ying friend speak you In all things that ever you doe in all evils to be endured or suffered by the example of our Lord say always So Father even so good Father so be i◠ô my Father with often ingeminations and specially when the pangs of death doe rage most violently then even then subject thy will in all things to his pronounce these watching in health in sicknesse but at the pinch of death never forget them Lord thou knowest my heart command it Lord I have hoped in thee I have said thou art my God thou shalt mayntaine my lot my heâ—lth my disease prosperity and adversity my life and my death are in thy hands as thou wilt so let all things be It shall be pleasant to me eiâ—her to live or die according to thy good will because thou art my Father Therefore ô Father as thou wilt order dispose permit all things to be done in mee and of mee as may be pleasing to thee let not any thing in mee crosse or thwart thy heavenly disposing So even so good Father let thy will be done from hence-forth and for ever This herb is of wonderfull vertue to all sicknesse evils and death Hee is farâ—e from feare of destruction that is in will so united to his God FINIS Prayers to be said of or to be read to a man dying OH holy Jesus my strength my â—efreshing my defender and my deliverer in whom I have hoped on whom I have believed whom always I have loved who art my chiefe pleasure the fortresse of my strength my hope even from my youth up Lead me forth ô â—hou that art the leader of my life and I will follow thee stretch forth thy right hand of mercy to the worke of thine own hands which thou the Creatour of all things didst make of the dust of the eâ—rth and strengthenedst with bones and sinews to whom thou by death gavest life The time is at hand that dust must return to dust and my spirit to thee my Saviour and blessed Redeemer who gavest it me Open good Lord to mee the gate of life for for mee wretch didst thou the Lord of life hang on the tree and wast reckonâ—d amongst transgressors receive me ô mercifull God according to the multitude of hy tender mercies thou didst kindly and speedily entertain the penitent thiefe upon the Crosse begging of thee I am sick and sore smitten to whom should I run for cure but tâ— thee ô gracious Physician heal thou mâ—e ô Lord and I shall be whole and those that put their trust in thee shall not be confounded in thee ô Saviour have I trusted let me no therefore be put to confusion But who or what am I most glorious God that I should with such boldâ—esse speak to thee I am a sinner borne nay and conceived in transgression a rotten carcasse an uncleane vessell food for wormes Spare mee forgive mee good God what conquest wouldest thou have to contend or sâ—t thy selfe against me who â—m weaker and lighter then the stubble before the winde then the dust or the chaff driven too and fro with every blast Passe by ô Lord all my transgressions and rayse up thy poore dejected servant from the Dunghill Stand up ô Lord and for my defence rayse up thy self and reject not the supplication of thy poore weak servant Let my prayers enter into thy presence and stretch forth thy hand and comâ— and help I am the man that travelling from Hierusalem am taken and wounded of thieves and left half dead be thou thou ô my Saviour the good Samaritan and c mfort me I have grievously sinned in the whole course of my life and my sins are ever before thee From the crown of my head to the sole of my foot there is not one sound or clean member O if thou by thy precious death on the Crosse hadst not helped my soule I should have for my sins deserved eternall perdition I even I am partaker ô sweet Iesu of that inestimable Redemption thou didst shed that most precious bloud for my sake ô thou preserver of men and therefore put me not away from thee I am that sheepe which wandred and lost it self seek mee ô thou great Shepheard and take mee and conduct me into thy fold that thou mayest be true in all thy sayings Thou that hast promised that whensoever a sinner shall repent and return thou wilt have mercy upon him Truly Lord I am not worthy to be called thy son because I have sinned against heaven and before thee