8. If thou die and leaue issue thou maist be frighted and amazed with one of these things For either thou maist bee despised while thou liuest of those for whom thou endurest sore trauaile so as they that shall come after thee doe not reioyce in thee Eccles. 4. 15 16. Or else thou maist leaue the fruite of thy labours to a foole or a wicked wretch For who knoweth whether he that shall rule ouer thy labours shal be a wise man or a foole This very consideration made Salomon hate all his labour which he had taken vnder the Sunne and he went about to make his heart despaire of all his labours that hee should vse all his wisedome and knowledge for attaining of great things and yet might be in danger to leaue all for a portion to him that hath not laboured in wisedom and all this is vexation of spirit Eccles. a. 18. to 24. Or else thou maist beget children thy riches perish before thy death then there is nothing in thine hand to leaue them Eccles. 5. 14. CHAP. XI The miseries of life in respect of our selues THus haue we cause to be weary of life in respect of GOD the euill Angels and the World Now if there were none of these to molest vs yet man hath enough in himselfe to marre the liking of this present life For 1 The remainders of corruption of nature still lye like a poyson a leprosie a pestilence in thee thou art vnder cure indeed but thou art not sound from thy sore thou art Lazarus still This very consideration made Paul weary of his life when he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Rom. 7. And if in this respect wee bee not of Pauls minde it is because wee want of Pauls goodnes grace And this corruption of nature is the more greeuous if wee consider either the generality of the spreading the infection or the incurablenes of it or the ill effects of it 1. For the first this is a Leprosy that spreads all ouer There is no souÌ„d part in vs our mindes our memories our wills and affections yea our very coÌ„sciences are still impure within vs there is no good nature in vs in any one faculty of our soules but there is a miserable mixture of vile infection 2. Secondly this is the worse because this is incurable There lyeth vpon vs a very necessity of sinning wee cannot but offend Of the flesh it vvas wel said I can neither liue with thee nor without thee The flesh is an inseparable ill companion of our liues we can goe no whether to auoide it c. Thirdly if we consider but some of the effects of this corruption in vs as 1. The ciuill warre it causeth in our soules there is no businesse can be dispatched that concernes our happinesse without a mutiny in our own hearts The flesh is a domesticall Rebel that daily lusts against the Spirit as the Spirit hath reason to lust against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. 2. Secondly the insufficiency it breeds in vs for our callings The greatest Apostle must in this respect cryout Who is sufficient for these things Though Gods worke bee all faire worke yet we see that euery maÌ„ is extreamly burthened with the defects and mistakings and insufficiencies which befall him in his course of life 3. It workes a perpetuall madnesse in the heart of a man in some respects worse then that of some lunatickes For they are mad at some times of the yeare onely or chiefly but man is seldome or neuer free from this inward madnesse of heart Salomon saith The heart of the sonnes of men is full of euil and madnesse is in their hearts while they liue and after that they goe to the dead Now this madnesse appeares in this that men can neuer bring their harts to a settled contentment in the things they inioy but Death comes vpon them before they know how to improue the ioy of their hearts in the blessings they enioy whether Temporall or Spirituall This vile corruption of nature diffuseth gall into althat a man possesseth so as it marreth the taste of euery thing 4. It fils our hearts and liues with innumerable euils it ingenders breeds infinitely swarmes of euill thoughts and desires and aboundance of sinnes in mens liues and conuersations so as godly Dauid cries out Innumerable euils hauc compassed mee about and I am not able to looke vp They were more then the haires of his head therefore his heart failed him Ps. 40. 12. 5. It is continually mad to betray vs to Sathan and the world in all the occasions of our life 6. It will play the Tyrant if it get any head and leade vs 〈◊〉 and giue wretched Lawes to the members yea euery sinne which is the brat bred of this corruption is like a fury to fright and amaze vs there is a very race of deuâ—s brâ—â— in vs when Sathan and the Flesh ingender together in vs. 2. And as we are thus miserable in respect of the remainders of corruption so are we in respect of the remainders of the punishment of sinne vpon our spirits Our hearts were neuer fully free since the first transgression our minds are yet full of darknesse that euen godly men do seriously cry out They are but as beasts they haue not the vnderstanding of men in them And in many passages of life they carry theÌ„selues like beasts Prou. 3. 3. Ps. 139. Eccl. 3. 18. The ioyes of Gods presence are for the greatest part kept from vs our consciences are still but in a kinde of prison when they go to the seat of iudgement to giue sentence in any cause they come forth with fetters vpon their legs as prisoners themselues besides the many personall scourges light vpon our soules in this life 3. Lastly the very condition of our bodies should not be ouer-pleasing to vs our deformities and infirmities and the danger of further diseases should tire vs out and make vs account it no louely thing to be present in the body while we are absent from the LORD And thus of the miseries of our liues also Now it remaines that I should proceed to the second sort of contemplations that is those that are remouals namely such meditations as take off the obiections which are in the hearts of men CHAP. XII Comforts against the Paine of death THere are in the minds of all men certaine Obiections which if they could be remoued this feare of Death would be stocked vp by the very rootes I will instance in some of the chiefe of theÌ„ and set downe the answers to them 1. Ob. Some men say they should not be afraid of death considering the gaine of it the happines after death but that they are afraid of the paine of dying It is the difficulty of the passage troubles them Sol. For answere heereunto diuers things would be considered of to shew men the folly of
in if war should come vpon vs with all the desolations terrors that accompany it What if the Pestilence should come againe or we be left in the hands of the violent or God fight against our estates by fire or inundations or the like Who can tell what fearful alterations may be in Religion And is it not best to be in heauen and then are we safe Besides the miseries may fall vpon our own bodies or our children or friends c. And these things should abate the loue of life as wee respect God CHAP. VIII The misery of life in respect of euill Angels NOW secondly let vs turne our eyes to the euill Angels then these things may affright vs. First that they are euery where vp and downe the world in the Earth Aire Seas no place free Those fiery Serpents are euerie where in the wildernes of the world Wee leade our liues here in the midst of innumerable dragons yea they are in the most heauēly places in this life The Church is not free from them A man can stand no where before the Lord but one Diuell or other is at his right hand Ephe. 2. 2. 6. 13. Zach. 3. 1. Iob 1. And sure it should make vs like the place the worse where such foule spirits are the earth is a kind of Hell in that very respect 2. Secondly it should more trouble vs that wee must of necessity enter into the conflict with these Diuels and their temptations and to bee buffeted and gored by them A man that knew hee must goe into the field to answere a challenge will be at no great rest in himselfe But alas it is more easie a thousand fold to wrastle with flesh and bloud then with these Principalities and Powers and Spirituall wickednesses great Rulers of the world Ephe. 6. 13. 3. Besides it adds vnto the distresse of life to consider of the subtilty and cruelty of these Diuels who are therefore like the crooked Serpent and Leutathan and Dragons and roring Lions seeking whom they may deuoure Though these things wil litle moue the hearts of wicked men yet vnto the godly minde the temptations of life are a greeuous burthen Thus much of euill Angels CHAP. IX The miserie of life in respect of the world 3. THirdly cōsider but vvhat the World is in which thou liuest and that either in the apparant miseries of this world or in the vexations that accompany the best things the world hath to offer or giue thee First for the apparant miseries 1. It is exquisitely like a wildernes no man but for innumerable vvants liues as in a Desart here 2. It is a true Egypt to the godly it continually imposeth hard tasks and seruile conditions Life can neuer be free frō greeuous burthens and inexorable molestations 3. This world is verily like Sodome full of generall and vnspeakable filthinesse all the world lyeth in wickednesse scarce one Lot to be found in a whole Citie or Parish If God would seeke but fiue righteous men that are truly or absolutely godly they are not to be found in the most assemblies in the world nay in the Church too 4. Yet more this world is a very Pesthouse spiritually cōsidered Euery man that a godly man comes neere hath a mischieuous plague-sore running vpon him yea the godly themselues are not without the disease so as there is a necessity as it were to infect or bee infected still in all places or companies Oh! who would loue to liue in a Pesthouse that may dwell in a place for euer free from all infection 5. Yet more this world why it is a very Golgotha a place of dead men we liue amongst the graues Almost all we see or haue to deale with are but men truly dead Alas vvhat should wee reckon of the life of mens carkases whē their soules are dead and both soule and body sentenced to eternall death Almost all that wee meete with are malefactors vnder sentence ready to be carried to execution the wrath of God hanging ouer their heads and vnquenchable fire kindled against them shall we be so besotted as to loue the dead more thē the liuing or the societie of vile and miserable malefactors in a prison rather then the fellowship of the glorious Princes of God in their Palace of endlesse and matchlesse blisse 6. Sixtly why should we loue the world that hateth vs and casts vs off as men dead out of minde Are wee not crucified to the world Gala. 6. 14. and doe not wicked men hate vs and enuy vs and speak all manner of euil sayings of vs because wee follow good The World loues her owne but vs it cannot loue because we are not of this world Can darknesse loue light or the sonnes of Belial oare for the sons of God In this world we shall haue trouble and if wee found not peace in Christ we were of al men most miserable Ioh. 15. 19. Ecclos 4. 4. Ioh. 17. 14. 2. Cor. 6. 17. Ioh. 16. 33. And if they hate vs for well-dooing how will they triumph if our foote doe but slippe We should desire death euen to be deliuered from the feare of giuing occasion to the World to triumph or blaspheme in respect of vs. Yea so extreme is the hatred of the World that a iust man may perish in his righteousnesse when a vvicked man prolongs his daies in his wickednes Eccl. 17. 16. and 8. 14. 7. Doe wee fall into any speciall misery in this world Why behold the teares of the oppressed there is none to comfort them We are either not pitied or not regarded or the compassion of the world is like the morning deaw it is gone as a tale that is told our misery wil last but there wil soone be none to comfort vs. Miserable comforters are the most that can bee had in this vvorld and for this reason Salomon praised the dead that are already dead aboue the liuing that are yet aliue Eccles. 4. 1 2. 8. There is vsually no Christian but in this world he hath some speciall miserie vpon him either pouertie or debt or disease in his body or the like c. 9. We daily suffer the losse of our friends that were the companions of our life and the causes of contentment to vs. Now who would tarry behinde them or esteeme of this world when they are gone from vs And thus much of the apparant miseries of this world CHAP. X. The vanities of the seeming felicities of the world NOW it followeth that I should entreat of the vanities that cleaue to the seeming felicities of the world and proue that there is no reason to be in loue with life for any respect of them The best things the world can make shew of are Honours Credit Lands Houses Riches Pleasures Birth Beauty Friends Wit Children Acquaintance and the like Now there be many things which apparantly proue there can bee no sound contentment or felicity in these
this feare First thou lik'st not death because of the paine of it Why there is paine in the curing of a wound yet men will endure it And shall death do so great a cure as to make thee whole of all thy wounds and diseases and art thou so loth to come to the cure Secondly There is difficulty in getting into a Hauen Hadst thou rather be in the Tempest stil then put into the Hauen Thirdly thou likest not Death thou saiest for the paine of it Why then likest thou life which puts thee to worse paine Men obiect not at the paines of life which they endure without death There is almost no man but hee hath endured worse pains in life then he can endure in death and yet we are content to loue life still Yea such is our folly that whereas in some paines of life wee call for death to come to our succours yet when we are well againe wee loue life and loath Death Fourthly we are manifestly mistaken concerning death For the last gaspe is not death To liue is to die For how much wee liue so much we die euery step of life is a step of death He that hath liued halfe his daies is dead the halfe of himselfe Death gets first our infancie then our youth and so forwards All that thou hast liued is dead Fifthly it is further euident that in death there is no paine it is our life that goeth out with paine We deale herein as if a man after sicknesse should accuse his health of the last pains What is it to be dead but not to be in the world and is it any paine to be out of the world Were we in any paine before we were borne Why then accuse we death for the paines our life giues vs at the parting Is not sleepe a resemblance of Death Sixthly if our comming into the world bee with teares Is it any wonder if our going out be so too Seuenthly Besides it is euident that wee make the passage more difficult by bringing vnto death a troubled and irresolute minde It is long of our selues there is terrour in parting Eighthly Consider yet more the Humors of the most men Men will suffer infinite paines for a small liuing or preferment here in this world Yea we see souldiers for a small price will put themselues into vnspeakeable dangers and that many times at the pleasures of others that command them without certaine hope of aduantage to themselnes Will men kill themselues for things of no valew and yet be afraid of a litle pain to be endured when such a glorious estate is immediately to be enioyed in heauen Ninthly Let not men pretend the paines of death that is but a figge leafe to couer their little faith For they will languish of the Gowte or Stone a long time rather then die one sweet death with the easiest conditions possible Tenthly if none of these will perswade yet attend I will shew thee a Mysterie Feare not the paines of death For first Death is terrible when it is inflicted by the Law but it is easie when it is inflicted by the Gospell The curse is taken off frō thee thou art not vnder the Law but vnder Grace And besides for this cause did Christ die a terrible and a cursed death that euery death might be blessed to vs. And further God that hath greatly loued thee in life will not neglect thee in death Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his Saints What shall I say against the terrour of death but this Text of the Apostle Thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ. Hee hath pul'd the sting out of death O Death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 15. 55. Lastly thou hast the Spirit of Christ in thee which will succour and strengthen and ease thee and abide with thee all the time of the combate Why should we doubt of it but that the godly die more easily then the wicked Neither may wee gesse at their paine but the pangs vpon the body for the body may bee in grieuous panges when the man feeles nothing and the soule is at sweete ease in preparing it selfe to come immediately to the sight of God CHAP. XIII Comforts against the losse of the body in death 2. Ob. OH but in death a man is destroied he loseth his body and it must bee rotted in the earth Sol. 1. It hath bin shewed before that the separation of the soule frō God is properly death but the separation of the soule frō the body is but the shadow of death wee haue no reason to be afraid of a shadow 2. The body is not the man the man remaines still though he be without the body Abraham Isaac and Iacab are prooued to be liuing still by our Sauiour Christ though their bodies were consumed in the earth and GOD was their God still It is true Death seazeth on the body but a Christian at the most suffers but aliquid mortis a little of death Death is like a Serpent the Serpent must eat dust now death therefore can feede vpon no more but our dust which is the body it cannot touch the soule wheras wicked men suffer the whole power of death because it seazeth both vpon body and soule too and in their case onely it is true that death destroyes a man 3. Grant that wee lose the body in death yet that ought not to be terrible for what the body is it hath been before shewed It is but a prison to the soule an old rotten house or a ragged garment It is but as the barke of a tree or the shell or such like now what great losse can there be in any of these 4. This separation is but for a time neither we doe not for euer lose the body wee shall haue our bodies again they are kept safe for vs till the day of Christ. Our graues are Gods chests hee makes a precious account of the bodies of his Saints they shall bee raised vp againe at the last day GOD will giue a charge to the earth to bring forth her dead make a true account to him Reue. 20. And God hath giuē vs the assurance of this not onely in his Word by promising it but in his Sonne whom hee hath raised from the dead If any say What is that to vs that Christs body is raised I answere It is a full assurance of the safety and of the resurrection of our bodies For Christ is our head Now cast a man into a Riuer though all the body bee vnder water yet the man is safe if the head bee aboue water For the head will bring out all the body after it So it is in the body of Christ though all wee sinke in the riuer of death yet our Head is risen and is aboue water and therefore the whole body is safe 5. It should yet more satisfie vs if we throughly cōsider that we shall haue our
at the doctrine of death and iudgement Act. 24. 25. But let all the godly hold vp their heads because the day of their redemption draweth nigh Math. 24 c. 5. Shall wee bee afraid of a shadow The separation of the soule from God that is death if wee speake exactly but the separation of the soule from the body is but the shadow of death VVhen see wee men trembling for feare of spirituall death which is called the First Death and yet this is farre more wofull then that wee call the bodily death But as if the death of the body were nothing the Scripture cals Damnation The second death neuer putting the other into the number 6. This feare is called a bondage here in this text And shall wee voluntarily make our selues Vassailes Or shall we be like slaues that dare not come in our Masters sight 7. If we loue long life VVhy are wee not much more in loue with eternall life where the duration is longer and the estate happier Are not wee extremely infatuated that when God will do better for vs then wee desire yet we wil be afraid of him 8. Shall we bee worse then children or mad-men neither of them feare death And shall simplicity or Ideotisme doe more with them then reason or Religion can doe with vs 9. Do not all that reade the Story of the Israelites in their passion desiring to be againe in Egypt and violently murmuring at the promise of going into the Land of Canaan condemne them of vile ingratitude to God and folly in respect of themselues For what was it for them to liue in Egypt but to serue cruell Taske-masters about bricke and clay And was not Canaan the place of their rest and a Land that flowed with milke and hony Euen such is the condition of all those that wish Life and are afraid to Die What is this world but Egypt and what is it to Liue in this world but to serue about bricke and clay Yea the Church that is separate from the world can finde it no better then a Barren Wildernesse And what is Heauen but a Spirituall Canaan And what can Death be more then to passe ouer Iordan and victoriously ouercōming all enemies to bee possessed of a place of matchlesse rest of more pleasures then Milk or Hony can shadow out 10. Adam might haue had more reason to feare Death that neuer saw a man die an ordinary Death but for vs to bee afrighted with Death that see thousands die at our right hand and ten thousand at our left and that daily is an inexcusable distemper The gate of Death is cōtinually open and wee see a prease of people that daily throng into it 11. When Moses had cast downe his Rod it turned into a Serpent and the Text noting Moses weaknesse saith Hee fled from it But the Lord commanded him to take it by the Taile and behold it became a Rod againe Euen so Death at the first sight is terrible like a new-made Serpent and the godly themselues through inconsideration flye from it But if at Gods commandment without feare they would lay hold vpon this seeming Serpent it will be turned into a Rod againe yea into a golden Scepter in our hands made much better by the change Neither do wee reade that euer at any after Moses had any feare of this Serpent when hee had once knowne the experience of it And haue wee often by the eyes of faith seene the experience of this great worke of God and shall we still be running away 12. It is said Rom. 8. 20. that all creatures groane waiting for the liberty of the sonnes of God And shall wee bee worse then bruite beasts Doth the whole frame of nature as it were call for this time of change and shall man bee so stupide or carried with such senselesse feares as to shunne his owne felicity 13. Consider whether it bee more commodious for vs that Death come to vs or that wee goe to Death For one thing is certaine It is in vaine to shun that which cannot bee auoided For it is appointed vnto all men once to die Heb. 9. 24. What man is he that liueth and shall not see death Psal. 89. Death is the way of all flesh Iosh. 24. Now this being granted let vs consider of it Death is like an armed man with whom we must once fight Now if we be aduised wil go to death wee may get on our armour beforehand and so the encounter wil be without danger to vs because the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God wee are assured of victorie through Iesus Christ. Now on the other side to tarry till Death come vnto vs is as if a man that knowes he must fight with a sore Aduersary would through slothfulness goe vp and downe vnarmed till hee fall into the hands of his enemy must thou fight with him at such disaduantage 14. It is most vncomly to feare that which is both common and certaine death of all afflictions is most common For from other afflictions it is possible some might bee free but from Death can no man be deliuered and GOD of purpose hath made that most common which is most grieuous that thereby hee might abate of the vigor and terror of it It is monstrous foolishnesse to striue in vaine to auoid that which neuer man could scape And to teach men their vnauoidable mortalitie the Lord clothed our first Parents with the skinnes of dead beastes and feeds vs with dead flesh that as often as wee eate of slaine beasts we might remember our owne end shall we be euer learning and neuer come to the knowledge of this truth Is this such a lesson as cannot be learned shall wee bee so stupide as daily to passe by the graues of the dead and heare their knells and yet bee vntaught and vnarmed 15. Lastly shall we be afraid of such an enemy as hath been ouercome hand to hand beaten by Christ and thousands of the Saints especially if we consider the assurance wee haue of victory In this combate euery Christian may triumph before the victory 1. Cor. 15. 55. And thus much of the two first points CHAP. IIII. Shewing that a Christian is many waies happie in death NOW I come to the third point which is the maine thing to bee attended and that is the meanes how wee may be cured of the feare of Death and in this we had neede all to attend vvith great carefulnesse The disease is stubborne and men are sluggish and extremely loth to bee at the trouble of the cure and Sathan by all meanes would keepe vs from remembring our later end and the world affoordes daily distractions to pluck vs away from the schoole of Christ herein and our owne hearts are deceitful and our natures apt to bee wearie of the doctrine before we put in practice any of the directions and wee are apt to a thousand conceits that it is either
vnpossible or vnnecessary to attend this doctrine or the like Yea it may be it will fare with many of vs as it doth with those that are troubled with the raging paine of the teeth their paine wil cease when the Barber comes to pull out the tooth so it may be you may finde this deceit in your owne hearts that you wil not feele the feare of Death till the discourse of the medicine be ouer and so let it bee as water spilt on the ground But let vs all awake and in the power and strength of Christ that died to deliuer vs from the feare of death let vs al lay the plaisters close to the sore and keepe them at it till they be throughly whole There bee tvvo vvaies then of curing this feare of Death 1. The one is by contemplation 2. The other is by practice There be some things if we did chuse them out soundly to thinke of them would heale vs wonderfully There bee some things also to be done by vs to make the cure perfect If contemplation bee not auailable then practice will without faile finish the cure The cōtemplations are of two sorts 1. For either they are such meditations as breede desire of Death by way of motiue 2. Or they are such as remooue the obiections which cause in mans mind the feare of Death For the first there bee tvvo things which if they bee soundly thought on will worke a strange alteration in our harts 1. The one is the happinesse wee haue by Death 2. The other is the miseries wee are in by Life Can any man be afraid to be happy If our heads hearts were filled with arguments that shew vs our happinesse by Death we would not be so sencelesse as to tremble at the thought of dying Our happines in Death may bee set out in many particulars illustrated by many similitudes full of life and vertue to heale this disease of feare 1. Death makes an end of all the tempests continual stormes with which our life is tossed It is the Hauen and Port of rest and are wee so mad as to desire the continuance of such dangerous tempests rather then to bee in the hauen whither our iourney tends 2. Death is a sleep For so the dead are said to be asleep 1. Thes. 4. 14. Look what a bed of rest sleep is to the weary labourer such is Death to the diligent Christian. In death they rest in their beds from the hard labours of this life Esay 37. 2. Reu. 14. 13. And was euer the weary labourer afraid of the time whē hee must lye downe and take his rest 3. The day of Death is the day of receiuing wages wherin God paies to euery godly man his penny And doth not the hireling long for the time wherein hee shall receiue wages for his work Iob. 7. 2. And the rather should we long for this time because we shall receiue wages infinitely aboue our worke such wages as was neuer giuen by man nor can bee if all this visible world were giuen vs. 4. In death the seruant comes to his freedome the heire is at his full age and it is such a liberty as i◠glorious neuer such a freedome in the world Rom. 8. 21. Shall the heire desire to be still vnder age and so still vnder Tutors and Gouernors or shall the seruant feare the day of his freedome 5. In death the banished returne and the Pilgrims enter into their Fathers house In this life wee are exiled men banished frō Paradise and Pilgrims Strangers in a far Countrey absent from God heauen In death wee are receiued to Paradise and settled at home in those euerlasting habitations in our Fathers house Luke 17. Iohn 14. 2. Heb. 13. 11. And can we bee so senceless as to be afraid of this 6. Death is our birth-day we say falsely when we call Death the last day For it is indeed the beginning of an euerlasting day and is there any greeuance in that 7. Death is the funerall of our vices and the resurrection of our graces Death was the daughter of Sinne and in death shall that be fulfilled The daughter shall destroy the mother Wee shall neuer more be infected with sin nor troubled with ill natures nor be terrified for offending Death shall deliuer vs perfectly whole of all our diseases that were impossible to be cured in this life and so shal there be at that day a glorious resurrection of graces Our gifts shall shine as the Starres in the Firmament And can we be so sottish as stil to be afraid of Death 8. In death the soule is deliuered out of prison For the body in this life is but a loathsome and darke prison of restraint I say the soule is restrained as it were in a prison while it is in the body because it cannot be free to the exercise of it selfe either in naturall or supernaturall things For the body so rules by senses and is so fiercely carried by appetites that the soule is compelled to giue way to the satisfying of the body and cannot freely follow the light either of Nature or Religion The truth as the Apostle saith is with-held or shut vp through vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18. I say it is a loathsome prison because the soule is annoied with so many loathsome smels of sinne and filthinesse which by the body are committed And it is a darke prison For the soule looking through the body can see but by little holes or small casements The body shuts vp the light of the soule as a dark Cloude doth hide the light of the Sunne or as the interposition of the earth doth make it night Now death doth nothing but as it were a strong wind dissolue this Cloud that the Sunne may shine cleerely and puls downe the walles of the prison that the soule may come into the open light 9. The liberty of the soule in death may be set out by another similitude The world is the Sea our liues are like so many Gallies at Sea tost with continuall Tides or Stormes our bodies are Gally-slaues put to hard seruice by the great Turke the deuill who tyrannically and by vsurpation doth forcibly cōmand hard things Now the soule within like the heart of some ingenuous Gally-slaue may bee free so as to loathe that seruitude and inwardly detest that tyrant but yet so long as it is tyed to the body it cannot get away Now death comes like an vnresistable Gyant and carries the Gallies to the shore and dissolues them and lets the prisoners free And shall this glorious liberty of the soule bee a matter of terrour vnto vs Had we rather be in captiuity still 10. In this life wee are cloathed with rotten ragged foule garments Now the Apostle shewes that death doth nothing else but pull off those ragged garments and cloath vs with the glorious robes of saluation more rich then the robes of the greatest
die because thou wouldst not be taken from thy estate and outward possessions then attend vnto these considerations Sol. 1. Thou camest naked into the world and why should it grieue thee to goe naked out of the world 2. Thou art but a steward of what thou possessest and therefore why should it grieue thee to leaue what thou hast imployed to the disposing of thy master 3. Thou hast tried by experience and found hitherto that contentment of heart is not found or had by aboundance of outward things If thou hadst all the Pearles of the East and wert Master of all the Mines of the West yet will not thy heart bee filled with good by heaping vp of riches thou dost but heap vp vnquietnesse 4. Riches haue wings thou maist liue to lose all by fire or water or thieues or suretiship or iniustice or vnthrifty children or the like 5. They are riches of iniquity There is a snare in riches and nets in possessions thy gold and siluer is limed or poisoned It is wonderfull hard and in respect of men impossible for thee to bee a rich man but thou wilt bee a sinful man especially if thy heart bee growne to loue money and to haste to be rich 6. Thou must leaue thē once and therefore why not now Thou canst not enioy them euer therefore why shouldest thou trouble thy heart about them 7. By death thou makest exchange of them for better riches shalt be possessed of a more enduring substance Thou shalt enioy the vnsearchable riches of Christ thou canst neuer be fully rich til thou get to heauen 11. Ob. Might some one say I should not feare death were it not that I knowe not what kind of death I shall dye I may dye suddenly or by the hands of the violent or without the presence or assistance of my friends or the like Sol. Sith we must dye it is the lesse matter vvhat kind of death we dye we should not so much looke how wee dye as whither wee shall goe when wee are dead 2. Christ died a cursed death that so euery death might be blessed to vs. For hee that liues holily cannot dye miserably Hee is blessed that dieth in the Lord what kind of death soeuer it be CHAP. XXI Shewing the cure of this feare of death by practise HItherto of the way of curing this feare of death by meditation It remaines now that I proceed to shew how the cure is to bee finished and perfected by practise For there are diuerse things to bee heeded by vs in our daily conuersation which serue exceedingly for the extinguishing of this fear without which the cure wil hardly euer be soundly wrought for continuance 1. The first thing wee must frame our liues to for this purpose is the contempt of the world wee must striue earnestlie with our owne hearts to forgoe the loue of worldly things It is an easie thing to be willing to dye when our hearts are clensed of the loue of this world We must leaue the world before the vvorld leaue vs and learne that lesson heartily To vse the world as if we vsed it not Neither ought this to seeme too hard a precept For they that striue for mastery abstaine from all things when it is but to obtaine a corruptible crowne how much more should wee be willing to deny the delights of this world and striue with our natures herein seeing it is to obtaine an incorruptible crowne 1. Cor. 9. 24. We must learne of Moses who brought himselfe to it willingly to forsake the pleasures of Egypt and to chuse rather to suffer affliction with Gods people then to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11. 26. And to this end wee should first restraine all needlesse cares busines of this world and study so to be quiet as to meddle with our own businesse to abbridge them into as narrow a scantling as our callings will permit Secondly wee should auoid as much as may bee the societie with the fauourites and minions of the world I meane such persons as admire nothing but worldly things and know no other happinesse thē in this life That speak onely of this world and commend nothing but what tends to the praise of worldly things and so to the intising of our hearts after the world And withall wee should sort our selues with such Christians as practise this contempt of the world as well as praise it and can by their discourse make vs more in loue with heauen 3. Thirdly we should daily obserue to what things in the world our hearts most run and striue with GOD by prayer to get downe the too much liking and desire after these things 4. Fourthly vvee should daily be pondring on these meditations that shew vs the vanitie of the world and the vilenesse of the things thereof Thus of the first medicine 2. Secondly we must in our practise soundly mortifie our beloued sins our sinnes must dye before we dye or else it will not be well with vs. The sting of death is sinne and whē we haue puld out the sting we need not feare to entertaine the Serpent into our bosome It is the loue of some sin delight in it that makes a man afraid to dye or it is the remembrance of some foule euill past which accuseth the hearts of men and therefore men must make sure their repentance and iudge themselues for their sinnes and then they need not feare Gods condemning of them If any aske me how they may knowe when they haue attained to this rule I answer Whē they haue so long confessed their sinnes in secret to God that now they can truly say there is no sinne they know by themselues but they are as desirous to haue GOD giue them strength to leaue it as they would haue God to shew them grace to forgiue it He hath soundly repented of all sin that desires from his heart to liue in no sin And vnto this rule I must adde the care of an vpright vnrebukeable cōuersation It is a maruelous encouragement to dye with peace when a man can liue without offence and can iustly plead his integrity of conuersation as Samuel did 1. Sam. 12. 3. and Paul Act. 26. 26 27. and 2. Cor. 1. 12. 3. Thirdly assurance is an admirable medicine to kill this feare to speake distinctly wee should get the assurance first of Gods fauour and our owne calling and election For hereby an entrance will be ministred into the heauēly kingdome and therefore haue I handled this doctrine of the Christians assurance before I medled with this point of the feare of death Simeon can dye willingly whē his eyes haue seene his saluation Feare of death is alwaies ioyned with a weake faith and the full assurance of faith doth maruelously establish the heart against these feares and breeds a certain desire of the comming of Christ. Paul can be confident when he is able to say I knowe whom I