Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	sin_n	sin_v	13,883	5	9.2456	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B14844	Six excellent treatises of life and death collected (and published in French) by Philip Mornay, sieur du Plessis ; and now (first) translated into English.	Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly, 1549-1623.; Cyprian, Saint, Bishop of Carthage.; Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, d. 397.; Cicero, Marcus Tullius.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, ca. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.	1607 (1607)	STC 18155; ESTC S94239	82,027	544

with the winde should threaten thy shipwrack wouldest thou not indeuour to recouer some Port Behold the world how it shakes and is ready to dissolue manifesting in the ende her vtter ruine Why therfore thinkest thou not on God Why reioicest thou not the condition wherein thou standest seeing thy selfe taken betimes out of those ruines shipwrackes and warranted from the blowes that threaten those which suruiue Wee must consider deare brethren and seriously meditate how we haue renounced the world that we reside therin but for a time as pilgrims and strangers Let vs eueÌ„ embrace that day which summoneth euery one of vs to his proper dwelling place which hales and puls vs out of the snares of this life to put vs in possessioÌ„ of the kingdom of heauen He that trauels vp and downe countreys to some farre place desires he not to returne to his owne home If any man be vnder saile in the course towards his countrey desires he not a good winde to fall quickly with the land the more speedily by this meanes to come to the imbracemeÌ„ts of his kinred and friends We call Paradise our countrey and the Patriarkes our Fathers Why run wee not then with all speed to see our countrey and to salute our PareÌ„ts A great number of frieÌ„ds kinsfolks brothers and children already assured of their immortalitie and desirous of our good doe there attend and wish for vs. What a ioy will this bee both to them vs there to review and meet one another what pleasures there are amongst the inhabitants of the heaueÌ„ly kingdom which now feare death no more and are sure to liue for euer There is the glorious coÌ„pany of the Apostles the troups of Prophets reioicing in God the innumerable armies of martyrs who after hauing valiantly fought and suffered are immortally crowned In this place the Virgines triumph which subdued their own concupiscence bodily pleasures by the vigor of true contineÌ„ce the charitable that by almes deedes and diuers other good workes towards the poor shewed themselues the performers of righteousnes and who hauing obeyed the commandements of God heaped vp vnto themselues a treasure in heaueÌ„ where they are richly recompensed My most deare brethren let vs with all affection runne towards them and desire to bee there quickly and so to come vnto our Sauiour God behold our cogitations and thoughts the Lord Iesus Christ vouch safe to cast his eye on the resolutioÌ„ which our hearts in his promises haue vndertaken that they may haue the richest and most glorious rewards that with most ardent and zealous affectioÌ„ desire his presence Amen A Treatise of S. AMBROSE Bishop of Milan who flourished twenty yeers after S. CYPRIAN which is to say 370 yeeres after the birth of CHRIST Of the happinesse of death THE ARGVMENT IN this Treatise being diuided into 12. Chapters S. Ambrose shewes in what sense Death may be called good or euil and how many kinds of death there are Also what it is which the holy Scripture calles life death and what the meaning is of spiritual death Afterwards he prooues that death is happinesse to the faithfull seeing it is an end of sinne and by the same the world was redeemed Hereupon he coÌ„cludes that therfore it is not to be feared teaching vs how wee should meditate thereupon But the better to take away all apprehension and bitternes he discourseth vpoÌ„ al the dangers that in this world enuiron vs and vpon the discommodities of this life And then hee reenters into his former argument shewing that there is nothing terrible in death but the opinion thereof Then he proues that the soule doeth not perish with the body and entreats of the great contentment of soules after this present life as also of the happinesse of the celestiall kingdom and what wayes wee should take to come thereunto Of the happines of Death CHAP. 1. In what sense death may bee tearmed good or euill BEing to intreat of the happines of death wee must first conceiue in what respect it may bee called good or euill If it therefore hurt the soule it appeares to be an euil thing and on the contrary if the soule be endamaged nothing therby it caÌ„not iustly be blamed Now that which is not euil is good for that which is vitious is euill also and so oppositely whatsoeuer is without vice may bee reputed good therfore good is contrary to euill and euill to good In briefe where there is no will to hurt that may be called innoceÌ„ce and him we tearm culpable that is not innocent he that pardons merciful so him cruel that wil not pardon nor remit But some may replie that there are no things more coÌ„trary thaÌ„ life and death If life theÌ„ bee reputed a speciall good must not death be esteemed as great an euill We must then obserue what life death is Life is the enioying of breath and death the priuation thereof Many thinke that it is a great happinesse to breathe to enioy life therefore is a good vnto them and a death it is to bee depriued thereof So the Scripture sayth Beholde Eccl. 15. I haue set before thee life death good and euill calling life good Gen. 2.3 and death euill comparing them one with another And to produce yet a more expresse testimony hereof the first man was placed in the garden of Eden to eate of the fruit of the Tree of life of other fruits in the garden with a precise prohibition that he should not eate the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and euill threatning him that he should that day die the death when he did eate therof He went beyond his coÌ„mission lost the Tree of life being driuen out of the garden tasted of death Wherfore it followes that death is a notable euill seeing it is the rewarde of transgression and condemnation CHAP. 2. That there are three kinds of Death BVt there are three kindes of death The first is the death of sinne of which it is writteÌ„ Ezek. 18. The soule which sinneth shall die The second is death mysticall when any one dies to sinne and liues to God of which the Apostle sayth that wee are buried with Iesus Christ Rom. 6. in his death by Baptisme The third is the end of our course vocation in this worlde which is to say the separation of the soule from the body we see therefore that ther is an euill death that is when we die in sin another good wherin whosoeuer dies he is deliuered from sin and the third betwixt both for honest men repute it good and others stand in feare of it Though it deliuers all men yet are there but a few that take pleasure therein but that proceeds not from any vice that is in death that is in the separation of the soule from the body but from our infirmities in that giuing our selues ouer to the pleasures of the flesh and delights of

our sinnes Math. 6.11 The reward of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 Eternall life which wee lose by our corruption and transgression is restored again vnto vs by Iesus Christ THe gift of God is eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lorde Rom. 6.23 At the same time when we were dead in sinne hee reuiued vs together by Christ by whose grace you are saued Ephe. 2.5 The determination and grace of God is manifested vnto vs by the apparition of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath destroyed death and brought to light life and immortalititie by the Gospel 2. Timot. 1.10 In this the loue of God appeared vnto vs when he sent his onely Sonne into the worlde to the end wee might liue by him 1. Iohn 4.9 And this man is witnesse that God hath giuen vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne 1. Iohn 5.11 To whom eternall life is giuen GOd so loued the world as he gaue his only begotten Son that no man which beleeueth in him might perish but haue euerlasting life He that beleeueth in the Son hath eternall life but he that beleueth not in the Son shall not see life but the wrath of GOD shal remaine vpon him Iohn 3.15 36. Verely verely I say vnto you whosoeuer heareth my words and beleeueth in him that sent mee he hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation but passe from death to life This is the will of my Father which sent me That whosoeuer sees the Sonne and beleeues in him he may haue eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day Verely verely I say vnto you hee that beleeues in mee hath eternall life Iohn 5.24 and 6.40 47. Iesus sayde I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in me although hee be dead shall liue Iohn 11.25 These things are written that you may beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God that in beleeuing you may haue life in his Name Iohn 20.31 God shal giue to euery one according to his workes which is to say to those that with patience in well-doing seeke glory honor and immortalitie eternall life Rom. 2.6 7. Being now deliuered from sinne and made the seruants of God you haue your fruit in sanctification and for your ende eternall life Rom. 6.22 If we be children we are also heires heires I say to God and coheirs with Iesus Christ that is to say if wee suffer with him that with him wee may also bee glorified Rom. 8.17 Seeke peace with all men and holinesse without which none can see the Lord. Hebr. 12.14 The excellencie of eternall life WHen the account is cast I think the sufferances of this present time no wayes equiualent to the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. Rom. 8.18 The things which the eye hath not seene the eare heard and that neuer entred into the heart of man are those which God hath prepared for those that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 This present life is limited THe dayes of a man are short the number of his moneths remaine with thee thou hast set downe limits which hee must not exceede Ioh 14.5 The shortnesse and vanitie of the same WE are strangers and forreiners before thee as our Fathers were our dayes are as the shadow vpon the earth and there is no mention of them 1. Chron. 29.15 Man borne of a woman is but of little continuance and those few dayes are replenished with trouble sorrowe hee cometh out like a flower and is gathered vp hee flies away like a shadow and stayes not Are not his dayes set downe Iob 14.1 2 5. Thou hast assigned my dayes the measure of an hand-breadth and my life time is before thee as nothing in effect there is nothing but vanitie with euery man that liues As soon as thou chastisest a man reprehending him for his iniquity thou consumest all his excellencie like a moth so slight a thing is euery man Psal 39.12 The sonnes of men are nothing they are but the lyers of great Princes so that if they were all put together in a ballance they would bee found lighter than vanitie it selfe Psal 62.10 The dayes of our life are threescore and ten yeeres and of those that liue longest but fourescore and yet the best of them are but affliction miserie they soon passe hence and we our selues flie away swiftly Psal 90.10 The dayes of a man are like the grasse and flourish like the flower of the fielde Psal 103.13 Man is like to nothing his dayes are as the shadowe which vanisheth away Psal 144.4 See thorowout all Salomons Ecclesiastes All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof is as the flower of the field Isa 40.6 I tell you this my brethren that the time is short 1. Cor. 7.29 What is this your life it is certainely but a vapour which appeareth for a while and then vanisheth away Iames 4.14 The end of mans life WHether you eat or drinke or whatsoeuer you doe do it al to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.31 The first death which is the separation of the soule from the body and the second which is eternal death proceede from sinne THe day wherein thou eatest of the fruite of the Tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 As by one man sinne entred into the worlde and by sinne death so death came vpon all men because al men sinned Rom. 5.12 The first death is common to all IT is ordained that all shall once die and after that comes Iudgement Heb. 9.27 The Children of God ought to feare death FEare not those that can slay the bodie and not kill the soule Math. 10.28 Hee that loueth his life shall lose it and whosoeuer hates this worlde hee shall finde it in eternall life Iohn 12.25 We knowe when our terrestrial lodging is defaced we haue a dwelling place in God an house not made with handes but eternall which is in heauen 2. Corint 5.1 I am inclosed on the one side and the other desiring to be dissolued and to be with Christ the which were much better for me Phil. 1.23 Death destroyed by Iesus Christ IEsus Christ hath destroyed Death and brought to light Life and immortality by the Gospel 2. Tim. 1.10 Death is swallowed vp in victorie 1. Cor. 15.54 Who sits at the right hand of God hauing swallowed vp death that we might be made partakers af eternall life 1. Pet. 3.22 What opinion wee should hold of the dead HAppie are those that die in the Lord yea saith the holy Ghost for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Apo. 14.3 We must not mourne for the dead as profane persons doe ALso my brethren I would not haue you ignorant concerning those which sleep to the end you may not be sorrowfull as others are that haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 Their soules which die in the Lord are receiued into rest and glory in heauen ANd it happened that

who honor thee in this world but to resplendent and most excellent verity her self Axi Thy discourse hath made mee change my mind I am now so far from fearing death that contrariwise I ardently desire the same and to expresse my selfe more magnanimiously I am already in a maner out of the world and begin to enter into these diuine and eternall paths so that being wholly eased of my infirmity I am quite become another man than that I was before CICERO in his dialogue of old age towards the end THere remaines a fourth reason which seems to vexe and torment olde age that is to say the approach of Death which at that time can not bee farre off But I think that old man to be very miserable which in the space of so long time before neuer learned that death simplie was not to bee feared but rather to bee coÌ„temned if it destroy the soule as some thinke but according to my opinion it ought to bee desired seeing it leades man to a place where he shall liue eternally Wee cannot finde any one betwixt these two opinions What should I then feare if I either feele no misery at all or if I shall bee happie after death Besides this is ther any man so foolish how yong a Gul soeuer he be to suppose that he hath a Patent of his life but til the euening He is so farre from that that euen youth it self is subiect to many more kinds of death than old age yong men sooner fall into diseases they are more grieuously sicke and hardlier healed so that it is rare to see men liue to bee olde If this were not wee should liue more wisely and happily for old men are indued with the vnderstanding of counsel and wisedome and without them CoÌ„mon-wealths could not stand on foote But let vs come to this feare of present death and in that olde age is wrongfully charged to be subiect to this apprehension feeing this is a more common accident with youth For my part I felt in the death of my sonne your brothers of whom great hope of good hereafter was coÌ„ceiued that death threatens all ages Some body may reply that a yong man hopes to liue long which one aged cannot expect This hope is truely the hope of a yong man that is to say of a light head For is there a greater sottishnes than to make sure and certain of that which is altogether vncertaine and vnsure But an old man hath no reason in the world to coÌ„ceiue any such hope and I affirme that his condition herein is far better thaÌ„ a yong mans in that he hath obtained what the young man doth but hope for and that is long life which the olde man hath passed I pray you what length doe you find in a mans life fet down vnto me the longest of all others Let vs consider the age of the King of the Tartessians for I find in bookes that one Arganthonius reigned fourescore and liued sixescore yeeres but I see that ther is nothing long but tendeth to some period the which being attained vnto all the rest is gone and past ther remaining nothing but what thou hast obtained by Iustice and pietie The howers passe away so doe the moneths that past neuer returnes againe what will come hereafter we knowe not Euery one must be contented with the time allotted him to liue For as hee that playes a Part vpon a stage needes not to repeat the whole Comedie from one end to the other to make him be accompted a good Actor so that in the Part which he properly plaieth he giue contentmeÌ„t to the spectatours no more is it requisite that the wise man should liue as long as the oldest man that euer liued in the worlde because a shorte life is long enough for a man to carrie himselfe therein honestly and vertuously And so if our dayes shoot out at length we must be no more weary of them than labourers that after the beautie of the Spring time see Summer ensue and then Autumne For the Spring time resembles youth and makes some demonstration of the fruits which afterward must be reaped Other ages are proper to gather and lay vp the increase of the earth and the fruit of olde age is the remembraunce of those goods which wee haue formerly purchased whatsoeuer is done according to nature we may place in the rank of good things But what is more naturall than to see old men die The same falles out to youth but somewhat against Nature and as it were in despite of her so that when yong men die me thinkes I see as it were a great fire quenched by an huge quantity of water where as contrariwise old men droppe away of theÌ„selues without any violence offered like to a fire that quencheth of it selfe And euen as apples but greene and vnripe fall not from the trees except we violently pluck them off being ripe they fall off without vsing any great force thereto so also young men seeme to die not without some violence offered to their nature old men quite otherwise The which so cheares mee vp that the neerer I approach vnto death the neerer I discerne my selfe to hale in with that harbor and port where I pretend to anchor after so long dangerous a nauigatioÌ„ All the ages of our life are limited but only old age wherein wee liue vertuously as long as the means yet remaines to labour in our vocation and otherwise to hold death in contempt the which may bee the reason also that old age is more ardent and couragious than youth This is that which Solon answered to the Tyrant Lisistratus who interrogated him concerning vertue wherewith he so braued him and was alwaies opposite to his designes because sayd Solon I am old but the ende of this life is then most sweet and excellent when the same Nature which built defaceth also her worke wheÌ„ a man til the last retains his senses vnderstaÌ„ding entire For euen as the Carpenter or Architect can easily when he lists plucke the ribs and beames of his ship asunder or the other plucke downe that building which he had erected euen so Nature most properly dissolueth a man whom shee before had sodered together of two so different pieces now al kind of Soder and conglutination lately made is hardly dissolued but in that old and long worn it is otherwise and so the remainder of life is not much desired or sighed after by the aged who haue reason rather to be ready to dislodge expecting minutally the great Captains comandement which is God without whose will and pleasure as Pythagoras sayd wee are prohibited to leaue our Guarison Corps du guard wherin we are constituted in this worlde There is a notable saying ascribed to the wise Solon wherin hee would haue his friends to mourne and lament his death which makes me thinke that his meaning onely was herein that they should shewe to

haue made great accompt of him But the Poet Ennius peraduenture hit better vpon this point when he forbade his death to be lamented or that any mourning funerals should bee performed he supposing that such a death was not to bee deplored which was seconded by immortality For the rest if there bee some sense or feeling in death and in our last gaspes it lasts not long especially in a very aged man and as for any feeling after death it is either nothing at all or else a thing to be much desired But wee must haue learned betimes to contemne death for without this Meditation none can haue any repose in minde seeing it is most certaine that die wee must not knowing when and it may be at the same moment or instant of our thought How can that man therefore enioy a peaceable soule if hee fear death which threatens him euery minute of his life I neede not dilate more at large of this wen I call to mind not only Lucius Brutus who was slain in the deliuery of his countrey or of the two Decij who violeÌ„cly plunged themselues the one within an huge deepe Dell and the other within a Battalion of armed men amongst whom he verily thought to haue beene slaine or Marcus Attilius who couragiously returned to cruell punishment choosing rather to lose his life than breake his oath which hee had plighted to his enemies and the two Scipioes that exposed their bodies to the enemies furie for the stopping of a passage or Lucius Paulus who by his owne death defaced the temerity rashnes of his collegued Consull in the discomfiture of the Romanes at Cannas and also Marcus Marcellus who being dead was honored with a Toombe by his most mortall enemie but I will also set before your eyes our moderne Regiments which haue often-times chearefully and with noble courage assaulted those places from whence no one of the troupes euer hoped to come off Should it be sayd that learned old men doe feare that which youth and those rusticall ignorant for the most part valiantly despise And moreouer me thinkes the being satisfied with all things else makes one also well satisfied with liuing Infancie hath certain disports and recreations which young men desire not to put in practise Old age feeles no contentment in the pleasures of youth and men of auncient yeeres seek not after that wherin men delight that are yet in the flower of their age and olde age discernes the very last employments of our life but yet in such sort that all in the end vanisheth away as the exercises of precedent times haue done the which comming to passe to bee satisfied with liuing clearely shewes that then it is high time to die For my part I see nothing that hinders me from setting down my opinion touching death and me thinkes I may speake thereof with good motiue seeing it appeareth so neer vnto me Out of doubt Scipio Laelius I thinke that your fathers which were honorable men my best friends though dead to the world doe yet liue and such a life as onely deserues to bee so called For while we are inclosed within these straite precincts of the body we trauell and we must will we nill wee yeeld vnto the yoak and burden the celestiall soule and off-spring of the highest Tabernacle being ouerwhelmed and as it were buried in earth this being a contrary habitation to eternitie and a diuine nature But I beleeue that the immortal Gods haue planted soules in humane bodies to the end there might be people to replenish preserue the world to contemplate the beautifull course of heauenly bodies to imitate them in constancie and regular life Besides many reasons and arguments which haue induced me to beleeue this the authority and reputation of the greatest Philosophers hath much furthered me I haue heard say that Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans somtimes named the Philosophers of Italy consequently inhabitants of our countrey were alwayes of opinion that our soules were extracted from Diuinity I haue vnderstood also of Socrates his discourse who was iudged by the Oracle of Apollo to be the wisest man of the world toward the later part of his life about the immortality of soules What neede wee any more behold my opinion herein Seeing the soules of men are so pregnant so retentiue and mindfull of things past foresee so discreetly those to come haue inuented so many mysteries and diuers other worthy Sciences excellent matters it is impossible that a nature capable of so great good should be mortal And the soule hauing perpetual motion without receiuing any inferiour beginning thereof considering that she onely moues of her self it must necessarily follow that she shall haue this motion for euer because shee can neuer abandon her selfe Also in that the nature of the soule is simple there concurring in her no mixed difference shee cannot be diuided And so being iudiciall she is by consequent immortall For this is a manifest proofe that men are intellectual before their being born in that children learning the most difficult Sciences doe suddenly comprehend such an infinitie of things that we may suppose they begin not then to knowe what is but onely remember call againe vnto minde These are almost the very words of Plato On the other side the great Cyrus of whome Xenophon hath written at large at the hower of his departure sayd thus vnto his children My deare beloued though I remaine no more amongst you yet do not thinke for all this that I haue afterwardes no more being nor am resident in any place for when I was in your coÌ„pany you could not perceiue my soule but only you imagined it to be within my body by my exteriour actions Beleeue therefore that this soule remaines so still although you see the body no more The vertuous should not be honoured after death if their soules had performed nothing worthy of their memoriall long time before their death I could neuer yet bee perswaded that if soules liue within mortall bodies that euer they can die issuing out of the same or that the soule going out of the body which of it selfe is stupid and senselesse becommeth then also inexistent insensible but on the contrary when she is freed from all commixtion with this body shee then beginneth to be pure and entire then say I shee is mounted vnto the height and top of all wisedome Moreouer it being so that humane nature is dissolued by death wee plainely see whither all other things tend that is to say thither from whence they were first extracted the soule onely excepted the which wee neither see enter soiourne nor issue out of the body But for the rest you see there is nothing which so truely reseÌ„bles death as sleep And the soules of them that sleep clearly in this point shew their diuinitie that being free and in repose they foresee things to come which plainly argues their being after their relaxation from

these corporall bonds The which being granted honor mee then as a thing diuine but if the soule were to perish with the body yet for all this forbeare not to feare the Gods which support and gouerne this principall worke of theirs that is called man the which like to good children performing you shall inuiolably preserue the memoriall of my name This was Cyrus his discourse a little before his death But if I shall not herein bee too burdensom vnto you hearken what I will deliuer vnto you in mine owne behalfe No body shall euer perswade me O Scipio that either your predecessors or other men of great note whoÌ„ it is not requisite to name would euer haue enterprised such memorable exploits to all posterities but that they coÌ„sidered that their being in the world was to no other ende but to procure the good of their successors Think you to speake plainely and after the manner of old men which loue to set foorth themselues that I would haue so trauelled both day and night in warre peace if my renowne and glory should finish with this present life would it not be better then to liue idle and in repose without any trouble or vexation But my soule I know not in what maner gathering together new forces regardeth happinesse with such a penetrant eye as if departing this world shee should but only then beginne to liue And if it were otherwise that soules were not immortall honest men would not aspire vnto a perpetuall glory What is the meaning of this that euery wise man dies willingly and the wicked with great grief Think you not that the soule which sees farre clearer and further off knowes well that shee is going to a better place and on the contrary hee which hath an heauie and disturbed soule sees not the like Surely I desire nothing more thaÌ„ to see your Fathers whom I haue honoured and cherished And besides the desire which I haue to drawe neere theÌ„ that I haue knowen I would willingly also talke with those of whoÌ„ I haue heard which shewed theÌ„selues vnto mee by their bookes and whose names I haue set downe amongst mine owne writings Now that I drawe neere vnto them it would displease me much to hang backward or to bee rowled downe againe as wee might doe with a round ball And if some God had permitted me to returne againe into my infancie and to crie in my cradle I would very constantly and flatly refuse such an offer for seeing I haue almost run my race I would not be called backe again from my goale to the first setting forward Is ther any true commoditie in this life Is it not troublesome through al the periods thereof But admit there are some coÌ„modities therein yet are we far from finding satisfactioÌ„ or obtaining of our wished ends and desires I will not raile against the same as diuers learned men haue often-times done neither repent I that I haue liued for I haue so passed my time that I am of opinion I haue done some good in the world I goe out of this life as out of an Inne not as out of mine own house seeing Nature hath sent vs forth hither for a litle time to passe forward in our iourney and not coÌ„tinually here to inhabit Oh happy will that day be when I shall depart to this celestiall assembly of soules and leaue the rascallitie of this world for I shal not only then bee with those good men aboue-named but also with mine owne sonne one of the best men that euer the earth brought foorth whose body I haue seen brought to ashes wheras in reason hee should rather haue seen the like by mine But see his soule neuer leaues mee but continually fixing her lookes vpon me she is flowen vp now into those places whither she knowes that I must follow I bare this losse patiently as it appeares but yet I confesse that I was much trobled therwith euer comforting my selfe with this MeditatioÌ„ that ther should bee no long space betweene her departure and mine Out of the Epistles of SENECA Epist. XXIIII RVminate I pray thee in thine owne minde what thou hast often heard and as often spoken but then make triall of it by effect if you haue either heard or seriously vttered the same For it would bee too great a basenes in vs as men vse to cast in our teeth that we should only vse the words and not the workes of Philosophie As I remember I haue heard you sometimes handle this common place that we fall not suddenly vpoÌ„ death but march towards the same by little and little To say the trueth wee die euery day for euery day a peece of our life slides away whatsoeuer is past and gone of our yeeres Death hath it already in his hands yea and euer when we our selues doe growe our life decreaseth First we lose our Infancie then our Adolescencie and then our youth Euen to the day before this what time soeuer is past is lost and gone the present day which now we passe we share stakes therein with Death So ought we alwayes to be confirmed both in the one and the other that we doe not too much loue nor hate our life we must end it when reason summons vs thereunto but wee must not desperatly nor rashly leaue it like one that takes his runne to fetch the better rise A wise and magnanimious man must neuer flie nor shun this life except when he is departing there-from but auoide like a rock a vicious passion which surprizeth and layes holde of many which is to say the desire and hastening of death Epist. XXVI DOubtlesse I debate with my self I discusse make exact examination as if my triall were at hande and the day already comne that must giue sentence of al my yeeres and dayes past Whatsoeuer wee haue either done or said hitherto is nothing they are but vaine and slight testimonials of our courage intermixed with much deceit cousinage Death only will assure mee what I haue profited in Philosophie I therefore prepare my selfe without all feare for that day wherein without all sophistication I shall bee able to iudge whether I haue been faint hearted or magnanimious both in word and deed when I vsed to bulke forth so many iniurious and reproachfull words against Fortune Concerning the esteem we are in amongst men it is alwaies doubtfull and declining on euery side also concerning thy studies and endeuors examine well al thy whole life Death shal denounce sentence vpon thee I say that disputatioÌ„s learned discourse sentences collected from the precepts of wise men and speach adorned shew not the true force of courage the greatest cowardes haue many times the hardiest talke then it will onely appeare what thou hast profited when thou commest to combate with Death I am well content with humane condition I haue no feare of this iudgement Thou art yonger what cares he Here is no accompt made of yeeres no man

knowes in what place Death attends him look for him therefore in all places Consider sayd a certain Philosopher whether is most commodious that Death come to vs or we go to Death that we lay hold of him or he of vs. Marke the meaning hereof It is an excellent thing to learne to die but it will bee superfluous mayest thou say seeing we can but once put it in practise Why with the greater reason we should the more carefully vnderstand meditate therupon For we must alwayes studie thereon because till that hower we can make no iust triall of our owne sufficiencie He which exhorts to meditate on Death exhorts to meditate on liberty and he that hath learned to die hath forgotten to bee seruile For this is aboue all other power or at the least out of the power of any other thing whatsoeuer What cares hee for prisons for guardes for yron barres He hath alwaies a gate open There is but one chaine onely which keeps vs bound which is the loue of this life and this must not wholly bee shaken off but extenuated and loosened that when occasion serues nothing may hold or hinder vs. Epist. XXVII BVt aboue all other things we must endeuour that our vices may die before our selues that in like maner wee giue ouer all these vain pleasures the which though they do no great hurt yet they are mutable and soone passe away vertue only is a secure solid perpetual delight if any other thing present it self vnto vs it is but like a fogge or clowd which can neuer obscure the brightnes of the Sunne Epist XXX IT is an excelleÌ„t thing my good friend Lucilius and that which should bee well learned long before to depart chearfully from hence whensoeuer this ineuitable hower comes He hath neuer been willing to liue that is vnwilling to die For Life was giuen vs with a condition to die and with such a prouiso we must merily meet Death the which in no wayes wee are to feare considering there is nothing more certain than the same and vsually we looke after certaine things and feare those vncertaine but Death brings an equall and ineuitable necessitie ouer all Now who can complaine for being of such a coÌ„dition as from which no man else is exempted for the first and chiefest point of equity is equalitie and wouldest thou neuer stand in feare of Death why then thinke thereupon continually Epist. XXXII OH what a goodly matter it is to perfect accomplish our life before our deaths Oh when shalt thou see the times when thou mayest know that thou hast nothing to do with Time that thou shalt be quiet and still not carefull for to morrowe and plentifully replenished onely with thy selfe Epist XXXVI A Childe that were borne in Parthia would quickly learne to bend a bowe If it were in Germany euery ladde would throwe a Dart. If in our forefathers dayes he would bee expert in riding of an horse and to charge the enemie These be things which the discipline of each couÌ„trey enioineth and layeth vpon euery one What then of this Marry hereupoÌ„ we must consider that against all kinds of darts against al kinds of enemies there is not any thing more properly preualent than to make no reckoning of death which surely no man doubts but that it hath in it some thing terrible that offends our mindes and courages which nature hath compounded and framed with a loue of themselues for otherwise there were no neede of any preparation or fortification of our selues against that whereunto we all did willingly run out of a naturall instinct and desire as wee vse to goe in cases of our preseruation and defence Out of question no man learnes how he should lie if need were vpon a bed of roses but how hee might endure torments rather than to speak any thing against his faith how if necessitie required hee might passe an whole night without sleep being sore wounded how to be wary of leaning so much as against a Pike for feare sleep surprize him not when he thus rests himself But death hath no discommodity in it at all For then ther must needs be somthing in the same thus incommodious For if thou desirest greatly long life thinke that of all things which are hidden from thine eyes and are concealed in nature by whoÌ„ either they are already or preseÌ„tly to be brought forth nothing is cleane consumed They finish indeede their time but so they perish not And the death which wee so much feare and flie takes not from vs life but giues it only a truce and intermission for a little time A day will come to bring vs again to that light which many would feare but that they shall be reduced to such a state as wherein they shal not remember whatsoeuer is past But hereafter I will more precisely declare that all this which seemes to perish doth onely but change He should depart willingly that goes to come backe againe Obserue how all things returne in their due season Thou mayest see that in this world there is nothing vtterly extinct but it descends and ascends againe by turnes The summer is it past The next yeere brings it againe The Winter is it done his due moneths will reduce it again Hath the night obscured the sight of the Sunne why the next day will discouer it againe The course of the starres is performed through the same circles which before they passed Alwayes some part of the heauens riseth vp another goes downeward In briefe to conclude I affirme that neither children nor mad men feare death and how base a part would it then bee that reason should not be as able to furnish vs with security as they are fortified by their simplicitie and idiotisme Epist. L. THe swiftnesse of time is incomprehensible and so it appeares principally to those that looke backward to it For it deceiues them that are too intentiue on present things So swift is the passage of so precipitant a flight that which we liue is but as it were a minute nay and lesse if it were possible then a minute and yet notwithstanding as little as it is Nature hath distributed and diuided it as if it were some long space Of this minute she hath allotted part to our Infancie another proportion to Adolescencie the other part to those yeeres which decline from youth tending to old age and to another part old age it selfe Marke but howe many degrees shee hath constituted in so narrow roumes Euen now I pursued it and this very now is a portion of our life of which one day wee shall conceiue the breuitie Somtime I thought not time swift footed but now his violent course seems vnto me incredible wherefore I wonder at those that in this little space employ the greatest part thereof in superfluous things wee must no longer amuse on these matters of nothing we haue a greater businesse in hand Death pursues me Life flies from mee Arme mee

thouendest it is all one end where thou wilt so thou concludest with a good periode Epist. XCIIII WE chide Destiny euery day why takes not death such an one why takes he him in the middest of his course why doeth such an one tenter out an old age irkesome to himself and others I pray you which is more reasonable that Nature should obey you or you Nature why takest thou care at what hour thou shalt depart seeing froÌ„ hence thou art sure to go We must not be careful how to liue long but how to liue suficiently To liue long depeÌ„ds on Destiny to liue sufficieÌ„tly depeÌ„ds on thine owne will That life is long which is accoÌ„plished then it is accomplisht fulfilled when the will is content when the mind enioies her happinesse and is settled in her own power What good hath such an one by hauing idlely passed ouer fourescore yeares Hee hath not properly liued but soiourned in this life He died not slowely but long seeing his life was no other but a death But thou wilt say hee liued fourescore yeeres thou must obserue froÌ„ what day thou reckonest his death for the vnprofitable part thereof hath been but death On the contrary another although he died in his vigor and strength discharged the offices of a good citizen a good friend a good childe hee omitted nothing of his duety though his age were vnperfect yet his life was perfect Why then dear friend Lucilius let our life bee vnto vs as the most precious things are let vs measure it not according to the time but according to our actions not according to the continuance but after the effectes of the same Wee may commend and repute him happy that wel emploied the little time he had to liue Age is an externall thing and without ourselues Though I be here yet this depends of another thing but to be an honest man depends on my selfe Require you of mee that I passe not my time obscurely as it were in darkenesse that I leade a true life that my time bee not lost demaunde you which is the longest life It is to liue while we attaine to wisedom he which comes to this point though he arriue not to the longer mark at least yet he hath obtained the principall Death passeth ouer all He that killed followes him that was slain It is nothing for which we take so much care And what matter is it how long thou auoidest that which in the ende cannot by any meanes bee auoided why fliest thou backe from that which thou canst not shunne Epist. C. OBserue the swiftnes of time consider the shortnesse of this carriere the which we also runne so speedily Marke the following on of all humane kind tending all to one place They which seem to be farre off followe notwithstanding hard after others Hee who thou supposest to bee dead is but onely sent before Can there bee a more vnreasonable matter than when thou must necessarilie performe the same iournie to weep for him which hath out-gone thee in the way Whosoeuer lameÌ„ts for any ones death laments onely because hee was a man One selfe all the world Whosoeuer was first born must afterwards die We are distinguished by measurable space but equall in the issue One goes before another followes but both goe the same way All things are dissolued all things passe into their contrary this being Dame Natures pleasure In all these revolutions of humane things there is nothing certaine but Death and yet euery one coÌ„plaines of that which neuer failed nor deceiued any body But he died being an infant I will not in this point also affirme that it was the better for him to be so soone dispatched out of this life But let vs come to him that hath liued to olde yeeres I pray you what great matter hath hee gained of this Infant In vnderstanding and ideally propound vnto thy selfe this wonderful distance of time and comprehend it all together Afterwards compare me with this Infinite the ordinary age of man then thou shalt see how small a matter it is that wee desire and how little it is that we extend out in length And yet of this age let vs but consider how much is spent in griefe how much in cares how much in the conceit of death before it comes to our wished desire how much in sicknesse how much in fears briefly how much in our yong and vnprofitable yeers And notwithstanding of all this we euen sleep out the moity Adde hereunto the troubles sorows and daungers you shall see that in the longest life of all the time which we truly liue is the least of al. Life is neither good nor euill but it is the place of good or euill Hee that dies in his youth in that by all likelihoode hee might aswell haue impaired as ameÌ„ded is like one that hath lost a die wherwith he might rather haue lost thaÌ„ won In briefe for the breuitie of age if you compare it to the infinitie of time we are al equally young and old for the most extended age of a man is but as a point or minute Epist CII EAche day eache hower teacheth vs that we are nothing by some very fresh and vnanswerable argumeÌ„t puts vs in minde of our fragility wheÌ„ we would otherwise forget it vrging vs to haue an eye vnto death when intellectually we conceiue in our selues some eternitie Graft Pear-trees plant vines in order said a certain man Oh what a foolish thing it is to proportion out our age we haue not so much as the power of to morrowe in our hands Oh what a wonderful foolerie their hopes come vnto which enter into long and tedious affairs I will buy I will build I will put out for profit I will exact I will purchase Honors and then in time wee come to these resolutions but I am old and my old age being satisfied in all these things I will lead it in repose and quiet Beleeue that euen to those deemed most happie all things are doubtfull No man can promise any thing to him selfe of future things and that which we hold slippes euen out of our hands that hower it self which we instantly run some incommodity or other glides betweene our fingers Time passes away according to a certaine and immutable lawe but coÌ„cealed from vs. Now what haue I to doe whether this bee certain and knowen vnto Nature or not seeing it is vncertaine and vnknowen vnto me We many times propound vnto our selues long nauigations not to returne againe in a long time while we haue run vaging about and discouering many straunge coastes wee propound to our selues the wars and the slowe recompenses of our military indeuours briefly of place honours and aduancement from one office to another And in the meane while Death comes vpon vs without euer thinking thereon if it bee not sometimes exposed to our eyes by the examples of others mortality which takes no longer impression

also in our mindes than wee woonder at the same But what greater sottishnesse is there then to woonder that the thing which falles out euery day should happen one day Our limites are expresly set downe where the inexorable necessitie of Destinie hath placed them but no man knowes howe neere the time is Let vs therefore so frame our minds as if it were already come vnto the point Let vs not deferre nor procrastinate Hee that setteth his last hand euery day to his life hath nothing to do with time Therefore my friend Lucilius make haste to liue and thinke that as many dayes as thou leadest so many liues thou liuest Hee that liues in hope the neerest time euer slippes him and he is possessed with such a greedinesse of liuing that the feare of death maketh him most miserable Lame him of an hande of a foote of a thigh breake his back dash out all his teeth so hee liueth it is enough for him all goes well Moreouer is it such a miserie to die He desires the extreamest euils and that which is most hard to endure he wisheth to prolong and vndergoe a great time And at what price for what reward To obtain long life But then what maner of life is this A lingering death Is there any one that would request to linger in torment to perish member after member or that would rather lose his life by little and little than to be suddenly and quickely dispatcht Denie now therfore if you can that it is not a great benefit of Nature this necessitie of death imposed vpon vs. Many are ready to make worser bargaines to betray their friends for to liue longer themselues to prostitute their owne children that they may see the day of testimoniall of so many impieties We must shake off this desire of liuing and say it is no matter when wee suffer seeing that one day suffer it wee must It imports not how long thou liuest but how wel And long life is often a preiudice to liuing well Epist. CIII WE attend another originall and state of things Wherfore without fear expect this diffinitiue houre which shall fetch thee from hence All that thou seest about thee suppose it to bee but moueable the necessaries of thine Inne thou hast further to go Nature satisfieth men at their departure as well as at their entrie Wee carrie away no more than wee brought all that couers thee must be taken away thy skinne shal be thy last couering And this thy skin also thy flesh thy blood dispersed diffused ouer al thy body these bones these veins and sinewes which nourished the fluent parts shall bee snatcht and taken away froÌ„ thee The day which thou fearest to bee thy last shall be thy natiuity to an eternall life Thou criest and lamentest so doeth hee that is borne Wherfore art thou sad so ordinarily is hee So the couerings and swathing bands of those that are borne perish come to nothing How louest thou these things as thine owne these are things wherewith thou art but couered But a day wil come wherein thoushalt be laid opeÌ„ that shall drawe thee froÌ„ the habitatioÌ„ of this stinking corruptible body From this time forward meditate on higher things The secrets of Nature shall one day be discouered vnto thee There shall be a dissipation of this darkenesse and a most cleere light shall reverberate on all our parts Imagine to thy selfe that it shall be the resplendence of a number of starres ioyning their lights together There shall be no more vapor or shadow to obscure the cleere ayre all quarters of heauen shall be equally relucent the day and the night which come by turnes are but accidents of this inferiour ayre Thou wilt say thou liuedst here in darknesse when being perfect and entire thou beholdest the whole light it selfe which now thou hast but a glimpse of by the narrowe casements of thine eyes and thou admirest it a-far off What wilt thou then thinke of diuine light when thou seest it in the proper place This contemplation will suffer nothing base abiect or vile to creepe into the minde It intimates vnto vs that God is a witnesse to all our actions it coÌ„mands vs to approue our selues before him to prepare our selues hereafter for him to set before our eyes that eternity the which whosoeuer compreheÌ„ds in his intellect he is afraid of no armie nor daunted with the sound of the trumpet nor trembleth for any threates that can bee vsed against him For what can he iustly feare which hopes to die CoÌ„ceiue how beneficiall good examples are and then thou wilt see that the memorie of worthy men is no lesse profitable than their presence Epist. CVIII WHy it is no such excellent thing to liue Thou art entred into a long and tedious way thou must fall and rise vp againe droop be weary Here thou leauest one companion there thou cariest another to his graue and in another place art put thy self in the same fear Must this rough and vneuen way bee passed amids so many obstacles Must we needs die Let the minde be prepared against all things Let him knowe that hee is come into a goodly place where teares and cares make their residence where pale sicknesse and sad olde age haue chosen their habitation We must necessarily passe our life in such company These things cannot bee auoided Thou mayest well contemne and make litle reckoning of them But you cannot make this slight regard when you often think theron and cast your compt as of things that must come to passe There is no man but he approaches more couragiously to that whereunto of long time he hath been prepared and makes the more forcible resistaÌ„ce whereas contrariwise a man taken on the sudden not prepared is astonished with the least matters Now seeing all things are cumbersome thogh it were but for their instability and noueltie by ruminating thereon coÌ„tinually thou shalt be not apprentise or vnskilfull of any euil Let vs admire nothing wherunto we are born And none can coÌ„plaine of them because they are equall to all equall I meane in this point in that he which once escaped them is subiect to incurre them another time For the law is not sayd to bee iust and equall because all men equally vse the same but in that it was iustly constituted for all Let our mindes bee reduced to an equity and without complaining of our mortall nature let vs pay our tribute chearfully Doth Winter bring colde why colde is necessary The Summer is it hot why heate also wee must haue Doeth intemperate ayre preiudice our health Sicknesse cannot be auoyded Somtimes a sauage beaste encounters vs and an otherwhile a man more pernicious thaÌ„ the wild beasts themselues Fire consumes one water another We cannot tel how to change the nature of things The best is to pay that we cannot be released of and to second and follow the will of God without murmuring from whoÌ„ all

things haue their originall It is the part of a badde Souldier to follow his captain mournfully Destiny leads him by the hande that goes willingly and drags him along that goes by coÌ„pulsion So must we liue so must we speake that Death may finde vs ready iocund not hanging back He is truely of an haughty and generous courage that thus rangeth his own mind and contrariwise that man is degenerate and base which striues against it thinking corruptly of this worldly ordinance that will rather correct God than himselfe Epist CXXI A Man is neuer so diuine as when hee considereth well of his mortall nature and conceiues that he was borne a man to die and that this body is not his proper habitation but rather an Inne nay and that but a baiting place the which hee must presently leaue It is a great argument of a spirit descended from aboue if he esteeme these places where hee conuerseth base and incapacious not fearing to depart from theÌ„ce For in that he knowes froÌ„ whence hee is come and often calles the same to mind he also knowes whither hee must returne Doe wee not see how many discommodities wee vndergoe and that this bodie of ours euill befittes vs One while we complaine of our bellies another of our breasts and then of our throats sometimes our sinewes and then our feete torment vs one while a deiection and then some distillation Now there is too much blood and then too little we are tempted and harried hither and thither For so it ordinarily fals out with him that dwelles in another mans house And notwithstanding being endowed with such a goodly body wee here propouÌ„d vnto our selues eternall things and as farre as humane age can extend it selfe so farre wee promise to our selues by hopes Wee are content with no riches with no puistance Can there bee a more shamelesse or sottish thing than this Wee were created to die and yet euen when wee are ready to die nothing seems enough vnto vs. For euery day wee are neerer to our last periode and there is no hower which spurs vs not forwarde to the place wherein we must be layed See how humane vnderstanding is dazeled And therefore a great spirit which in the end comes to discouer a better nature than this bodily structure takes an order to beare himselfe industriously and honestly in the place allotted vnto him as for the rest of all the things before him he esteems not one of them his owne onely vsing them as belonging vnto him for a time like to the Pilgrim and Traueller Out of the first Booke of tranquillitie of life ALl our whole life is but as it were a seruice and we must inure our selues to the coÌ„dition thereof complaining as little as may be and imbracing all that which hath properly any commodity in it self There is nothing so harsh wherin a mild spirit may not find some consolation He liues euil that knowes not how to die He that feares death shall neuer performe any man-like action while hee liues but he that vnderstaÌ„ds how this was allotted vnto him from his conception will liue regularly and with like courage take order that whatsoeuer may happeÌ„ it light not on him suddenly or vnlooked for Sickenes imprisonment decay of estate fire none of these will bee sudden to him For saith the wise man I know in what a tumultuous house Nature hath placed mee So many times the alarme hath bin giueÌ„ hard by me so many times there haue bin vntimely funerals gone by my gate oftentimes the fall of a ruinus house hath thundred in mine eares one night hath taken from me many of those which the Court and familiar conuersation had conioined with me and cut them off euen hard at mine elbowe I wonder that so many daungers coÌ„ming about me they haue alwayes failed But see on the coÌ„trary the greatest number of men when they embark they neuer dreame of a storme No man thinks how the same which happens to one may fal out to any other whosoeuer For euery one that had but made a goodimpression of this euen in his bowels and diligently obserued other mens harmes the same hauing as free accesse to himself he wold be well armed long before his being assailed It is too late after a danger to frame his courage to beare perill patiently but rather hee sayes I thought such a thing would neuer haue beene I could neuer be brought to beleeue that it would haue come thus to passe And why not Where are the riches which pouertie famine and beggerie doe not followe steppe by steppe Where are the dignities the Augurall and Consular roabes that are not subiect to putting out of their place or banishment to some blemish of infamie or to some extream ignominie Where is the kingdome whose ruine is not threatned whose executioner and heads-man is not at hand c. Out of the Booke of the shortnes of life PAulinus the greatest part of mortall men complaine of Natures malignity that wee are begotten for so short an age and that the time allotted vs passeth so violently swiftly away that life then leaues the greater part of men when they haue scarcely made their preparatioÌ„ for to liue But the time which wee haue is not smal only we lose much thereof Our life that is giueÌ„ vs is large long enough to coÌ„passe great matters if it were well employed But when it runnes away in delights idlenes when we employ it in nothing that is good extreame necessitie pressing vs in the end wee then perceiue our life is gone without discerning how it went away Thus much it imports we receiued not a short life but haue made it so short our selues We are no waies indigent of life but prodigall Euen as great opulencie and wealth when it comes into the hands of an euil husbaÌ„d is wasted in a moment and mean riches on the contrary increaseth by the imployment of a thrifty man the more that hee vseth the same so this our age is wonderfully extended by him that can dispose well of it Why complaine we then of Nature she hath beene very courteous and benigne towards vs. Life is long enough if thou canst but tell how to vse it One is possest with insatiable auarice another vexeth himself with double diligence in superfluous labours one is imbrued in wine another languisheth in idlenesse this man is tormented and tossed with an ambition depeÌ„ding on anothers voice and suffrage that man with an hope of gaine in the precipitant desire of trafficke runnes ouer al Countreys and Seas Others are in trauaile with a great desire of warre being euer occupied either in their own daungers or in perswading other men to perils There are also some who like to follow no course but Death layes hold of them languishing and gasping with annoy and wearinesse so that I make no doubt of the truth of that which the greatest amongst Poets pronounced by way of oracle Of

off from them wickednes ill thoughts corrupt counsels couert luxuries and auarice which is alwaies prying into other men Hee guardes them himselfe and keepes them close by him would any body peradueÌ„ture require of God to guard their goods and chattels also They discharge God of this labour in making no account of externall things Among others Democritus remooued all his wealth farre off he supposing that it would but bee a burden to a good vnderstanding Imagine therfore that God thus speaketh vnto thee Why complaine yee of mee you that haue delighted in equitie I haue enuironed others with false prosperities occupied their spirits with a long and lying dream I haue outwardly adorned theÌ„ with gold siluer Iuory wheÌ„ as inwardly they are of no value Those which at the first sight seem happy if you but obserue them well not in the place where you meet them but secretly some where else they are sordid base and miserable and are but like their owne walles outwardly painted set forth This is not true and perfect felicitie it is but a rinde or barke and that also but slight and thinne And therefore while they can hold out shew themselues in no place but where they like best they glitter and abuse mens iudgements but if an accident fall out that doth but discouer and display them then we may easily perceiue what deepe villany lies hid vnder adulterate shewes But to you on the contrary I haue giuen certaine goods and those that wil continue The oftner they are turned or beheld on euery side the better and more resplendent they will seeme which is to say lightly to esteem of any thing that is feared and to disdaine that which ordinarily is desired you doe not shine outwardly all your goods stand inward So doth all this world it contemnes external parts being content with the contemplation of it selfe All the wealth thereof is inward Your felicitie is to haue nothing to doe with worldly happinesse A Sermon of Saint CYPRIANS Bishop of Carthage concerning Mortalitie THE ARGVMENT IN this SermoÌ„ made for the consolation of such Christians as then were visited with the plague Saint CYPRIAN exhorteth all those that truely loue the Lord chearefully to leaue this earthly life when God calles them away confirming the same by diuers reasons and shewing afterwards that death is a way which the wicked also must goe and hee teacheth euery one how to obserue the difference betwixt the one and the other that is to say the good are called to happie rest and the wicked to eternall punishment THough many amongst you my deare brethren haue your vnderstaÌ„dings so settled your faith so firme and your soules so eleuated vp to heauen that they are not so much as shaken by seeing the plague on all sides to sweep away so many but like a rock immoueably planted they withstand without bouging the violent stormes of the world breaking the raging waues of this present life in stead of being battered or broken by them finally are not ouerthrowen but only proued by temptations Yet seeing some amoÌ„g the people halfe daunted and discouraged either for want of good resolution by reason of their little faith respect of the loue which they beare to this world or through the tendernesse of their sexe or which is worse for want of good instruction so as wee can not see them employ that celestiall force and vigor wherwith their hearts should be armed I could not contain my selfe according to my weake power from suppressing this effeminate cowardize by a preualent discourse taken out of the holy scripture to the end that those which haue begun to feele that God is their Father and Iesus Christ their Sauiour they may doe nothing vnworthy of a Christian or of the true childe of God For most deare brethren he that fights vnder the ensigne of God which inhabiting in the celestiall pauilions aspireth to none but high matters hee must truely knowe himselfe and wee must not in any wise be deiected or astonisht at the torments or tempests of this worlde seeing God hath aduertised vs that these things must come to passe instructing and teaching vs by the exhortation of his louing carefull voice and preparing and fortifying the people of his Church to beare such things as must happen patiently he hauing declared fore-told that the earth should be afflicted in euery quarter by warre famin plagues earth-quakes As also for feare we should fall into despaire through the strangenesse of so many euils at once oppressing vs hee hath divulged before that the afflictions should be far sharper in the later times Seeing whatsoeuer hee foretold is now accomplished let vs conceiue hereby that all his other promises in like manner shall be fulfilled as hee himselfe hath spoken When you see all these things come to passe know that the kingdom of heauen is at hand My dearest brethren this kingdome hath already begun to come vnto vs for the reward of life the ioy of eternall saluation perpetuall blisse the possession of Paradise which were lost by sinne returne vnto vs so soone as wee leaue the world Now when celestiall things succeed the terrestriall great those but little and eternall those transitory and fraile Is ther then any occasion to be in griefe and anguish of minde and who is that affrighted and daunted man but he that is destitute of Faith hope In effect it only belongs to him to feare death that would not go vnto Christ and he refuseth to goe vnto Christ which beleeueth not that then hee begins to raigne with Christ It is written Abac 2. Rom. 1. The iust man liues by faith If thou beest iust and liuest by faith firmely beleeuing in God why art thou not forward to go to Christ who calles thee Why doest thou not imbrace Gods promises Why reioycest thou not to be deliuered from the power of the wicked Simeon the iust which in true faith yeelded himselfe to Gods obedience knowing by reuelatioÌ„ that he should not die before hee had seene Christ and the little Infant called Iesus being come into the Temple with his Mother hee knew then that Christ was born whom hauing seene hee knew that the ende of his life approached wherfore reioycing in his death so neere at hand and being assured that God would presently call him hee tooke the Infant in his armes praising God hee cried out and said Lord thou sufferest now thy seruant to depart in peace according to thy Word for mine eyes haue seen thy saluation By this hee did declare and make euident that Gods seruants are in peace and enioy a free and quiet repose when wee are drawen from the violent waues of this world and that we enter into the Port of eternall securitie and safety when after the defacement of this present life we attaine to most glorious immortality For this is our repose our assured peace our firme and perdurable security and in this

is not his like in the worlde Tobias after so many religious workes and so high commendations of his charitable pitie became blind and yet for all this he feared and blessed God in his afflictioÌ„ and he was the more worthy of praise in withstaÌ„ding his wiues temptation who would haue corrupted him saying Where are thy good deedes Tob. 2. Thou soundly feelest now the euils which thou endurest but hee being settled in the loue of God and armed with the reuerence of his name to support all affliction he yeelded not in furie to such an assault but honoured the Lorde the more by this his second patience so that afterwards this testimoniall was giuen him by Raphael saying It is an excellent thing to vnderstand and magnifie the workes of God for when thou and thy faire daughter Sarra prayed I presented the same before the face of the Lord. And when thou didst bury the dead with out delay rising eueÌ„ froÌ„ the table for this purpose I was sent to proue thee and to heale thee and thy faire daughter Sarra for I am Raphael one of the holy Angels which assisteth and am coÌ„uersant before Gods brightnes The righteous alwaies shewed themselues patient and the Apostles knew well the Lordes meaning herein that his seruaunts should not murmure in aduersitie but couragiously and patiently endure whatsoeuer fell to their share in this world There was no sinne that the Iewish people ran oftener into thaÌ„ this of murmuring and impatience against God as he himselfe declareth wheÌ„ he addeth Let them cease from despiting me and they shall not die Dearest brethren wee must not murmure in aduersity but patiently and constantly indure whatsoeuer may happen calling to minde what is writteÌ„ that an afflicted spirit is an acceptable sacrifice Psal 51. vnto God and that hee reiects not the humble and contrite hart The holy Ghost also speakes by the mouth of Moyses The Lord thy God shal afflict thee send thee famine to make thee looke into thine owne hart whether thou keepest his commaundements or no. Also Deut. 8.13 the Lord your God tempteth you to knowe whether you loue the Lord your God withall your heart and with all your soule Obserue how Abraham was acceptable vnto God when to obey him he made no account to lead his owne sonne to death and so was ready to be a paricide Thou which canst not loose thy sonne hee being subiect to death as others are what wouldest thou doe if God should sentence thee to put thy selfe to death Faith the feare of God should make thee ready to performe whatsoeuer his pleasure is Though thou losest thy goods though diseases vexe and torment thee on all sides though thy wife thy children thy friends be haled froÌ„ thee by death all this should not make thee to shrink although such blowes bee very heauie such trials ought not to quaile and daunt the faith of a Christian but rather stirre vp his force and courage to fight considering that the assurance of a future good should make vs contemne the annoyaunce of all present euils There can bee no Victorie before the battel fought if after the comming to hand-blowes the fielde bee left by either side then the victor obtains a glorious crowne A good Pilot is discouered in the storm and a good souldier in the conflict It is but ridiculous to braue and brag when blowes are far off to set vp the bristles against aduersitie is a certaine brand and marke of vertue The tree deep rooted in the earth is not shakeÌ„ with the blustring of windes the ship that is well keeled and strongly ribbed may well bee tossed but neuer pearced by the waues when wee winnowe the corne in the open ayre the sounde graine feares not the winde which quickly blowes away the straws and chaffe Euen so the Apostle S. Paul after his shipwracks whippings long and durable afflictioÌ„s of body protested that such trials hurt him not at all but rather did stand him in great stead so that in the full course of all these calamities hee profited the more in good An angel of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. said he the sting of my flesh was sent to buffer mee for feare that I might bee puffed vp for the which I thrice prayed vnto the Lord that it might bee remooued from mee and hee sayd Let my grace suffice thee for my vertue is perfected in infirmitie When as therefore some infirmitie weaknesse or other aduersity doth rage then our vertue is made more perfect If proued faith perseuer at last it is crowned according to that which is sayd that the furnace tries the potters vessels and temptatioÌ„s righteous men For the rest they which knowe not God differ from vs in this point that they murmure and complaine in aduersity and contrariwise afflictions are so farre from distracting vs from pietie and Iustice that wee are rather fortified by them amidst griefes and sorrow it selfe If the bloody fluxe did weaken vs if heate make the infirmities of our mouthes more grieuous if our stomacke be sore with continuall vomiting if our eyes looke red like blood if any one lose his feete or other members when hee is constrained to cut them off because they are ready to fal away in pieces if by diuers laÌ„guors maladies happening to the body the strength of the legs come to diminish the hearing be deafened or the sight dulled all this learnes vs to profit more and more in the grace of God What notable valour is this to enter couragiously into the field against so many plagues and euils Can any man obscure his excellencie that stands firme amidst so sundry resolutions without declining or falling to them that put not their trust in God Hee must vnfainedly reioyce and thinke the time well employed when in making trial of his faith and trauailing couragiously we march vnto heaueÌ„ by the strait gate to receiue from Christ our Iudge the reward of our faith and of eternall life Let him feare death who hauing neuer beene regenerate with water and the spirit is ordained to hell fire He that hath no part in the crosse and death of Christ hee that enters by the first into the second death he that when he leaues this present life is tormented with perpetuall flames hee that onely stands through Gods patience whose sorrow and griefe is only differred and not forgotten Let such an one I say feare death Many of our brothers are dead of this plague which is to say many of them are deliuered out of the worlde As such a mortalitie is a plague to the Iewes Painimes who are Christs enemies so is it a comfortable departure to the seruants of God Though the iust die aswell as the vniust yet think not that good men die the like death as the wicked The children of God are taken into a place of ease repose but the reprobate are drawen to the punishment of eternal fire the beleeuers are presently taken

ofteÌ„ hath the Lord vouchsafed to teach vs How often hath he coÌ„maunded mee to protest and preach incessantly before you al that you should not lament for your brethren wheÌ„ it pleaseth God to call and to deliuer them out of this worlde seeing I knowe that they do not perish but precede and go before those that remaine behind and that we may be grieued or a little touched for them as for friendes that remooue to some other place or that embarke themselues to arriue in a good Port But wee must not lament nor weare mourning weeds for them here belowe on earth seeing they haue now put on white roabes in heauen We must not giue the Painims iust occasioÌ„ to tax reprehend vs when they shal see that throgh immoderate loue wee seem to iudge those perished forgotteÌ„ whoÌ„ otherwise we affirme to be liuing with GOD wheÌ„ they perceiue that by euident testimoniall of our thoughts we coÌ„demne the faith wherof we make profession by mouth In this wise we should ouerthrowe our hope and beleefe that which we say would but proceed froÌ„ hypocrisie It is nothing to appeare couragious in wordes if we subuert the trueth by effects The Apostle S. 1. Thes 4. Paul condemnes sharply reprehends those that are too sorrowfull for the death of their kinsmen and friends Brethren said hee I would not that you should bee ignoraunt concerning those that sleep to the end you may not lameÌ„t like those that haue no hope For if we beleeue that Iesus Christ died and was raised again in like manner they that sleepe in Iesus God will bring theÌ„ vnto him He sayes that they which are void of hope sorrow for the death of their friends But we that liue by hope which beleeue in God which are assured that Christ died and rose again for vs remaining in Christ rising againe in and by him why should we refuse to goe out of this worlde why do we mourn and lament for our friends which GOD takes to himselfe as if they perished Why giue we not eare to our Lorde and God Iesus Christ admonishing vs and saying Ioh. 11. I am the resurrectioÌ„ he that beleeues in me though he be dead shall liue and whosoeuer liues and beleeues in me shall neuer die If wee beleeue in Iesus Christ let vs giue eare vnto his sayings promises that in stead of dying eternally we may vndoubtedly and ioyfully come vnto our Sauiour with whom we shal liue and reigne for euer For this our temporall death it is but a passage vnto immortality and we cannot attaine to euerlasting life before we dislodge and remoue out of this world Death is not a going foorth but a passage and transportation out of the way of this life to eternall rest Who is he that doth not merrily go forward when there is any possibility of his honor profit Who refuseth to be traÌ„sformed chaÌ„ged into the image of Christ and quickly to come to the graces of God Our conuersation Phil 3. saith S. Paul is in heauen froÌ„ whence we look for the Lord Iesus Christ who shal chaÌ„ge our vile bodies to the end they may be conformable to his glorious body Our Lord Iesus Christ promiseth that we shall be such when he intreated his father for vs that we might bee with him that wee might liue in his eternal mansion and that wee might reioice in his heauenly kingdome Father said he I desire that those whom thou hast giuen me may be where I must be and that they may see the glory which thou gauest mee before the world euer was He that is to go to the Court of Iesus Christ into the light of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ should not weep and lament but rather according to the promise of the Lord and the certaintie of his word he should reioice at his departure and transportation To this end we read that Enoch was traÌ„slated it so pleasing God and the holy Scripture affirming in Genesis Gen. 5. Enoch walked according to God and was no more seene for God tooke him vp See what it is to please God for it is to be taken froÌ„ the corruptions contagions of this world The holy Ghost also teacheth vs by the mouth of the wise man Eccle. 14. that those whom God loues he quickly deliuers out of this world for feare lest soiourning there too long they might be infected with the ordures thereof Wisd 4. The iust man saith he was takeÌ„ away to the end that malice might not depraue his vnderstanding for his soule pleased God and therefore made haste to be remooued from out the midst of iniquity In the self same maner the faithfull deuout soule runs a great spirituall pase towards her God saying Psa 84. O God of armies my soule sighes makes haste towards Gods Courts For the rest it belongs to him that takes all his pleasure in the worlde that suffers himselfe to be caught with the bait of earthly delights and the flatteries of the flesh such an one I say it concernes to desire to tarrie long in the world But seeing the world hates the childreÌ„ of God why louest thou thine enemie why folowest thou not rather Iesus Christ thy Redeemer who so ardently loues thee Saint Iohn admonisheth vs very earnestly in his first Epistle saying Loue not the worlde 1. Ioh. 2. nor the things that are in the world If any man loue the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world that is to say the concupiscence of the flesh the desire of the eyes the pride of life are not of the Father but of the world The world and the desires thereof passe away but hee that performes the will of God liues for euer euen as God himselfe is eternall Let vs therefore deare brethren attend patiently whatsoeuer God sends with a pure vnderstanding an assured faith and a constant resolution Let vs driue away far from vs the apprehension of death and bee mindfull of the immortality which is to succeed Shew we our selues such as our profession imports not to lament the death of our frieÌ„ds but our hour being come let vs merrily and chearfully goe to the Lord when hee calles For seeing Gods seruants should bee alwayes prepared to this point they ought most of all to be so now considering how the world declines it being assieged with infinite euils that ouerwhelm it We haue seene and passed many dangers these are but slight euils in respect of those that are to come we may therfore thinke our gaine great in going out of the same so quickly If the wals of thine house shake with age if thy roofe totter if thy hole edifice not being able any longer to stand presage a neer fall and ruine wouldest thou not make more thaÌ„ ordinary haste to bee gone If thou wert sayling in the main sea and that a furious storme swelling the waues

this life wee are afrayde to see so quicke an ende of this our earthlie course wherin notwithstanding there is more gall than honie Vertuous men such as feare God haue alwaies done otherwise for the long continuaÌ„ce of their trauels in this world made them to mourne and think it much better to bee separated from this body Phil. 2. to bee with Iesus Christ so that some of them haue growen to such a point as to detest the day of their birth witnes he who said Iob 3. And let the day wherin I was borne perish For what pleasure is ther here in this life ful of anguish care replenished with a million of calamities miseries with the tears and lamentations of the afflicted wholly destitute of all consolation Therefore it is that Salomon in his booke of Ecclesiastes rather coÌ„mends the conditioÌ„ of the dead than of the liuing Eccles 4. and further addeth Nay and I thinke him better than them both that neuer was borne for he neuer sawe the wicked workes that are committed vnder the Sunne In another place hee holds opinion that the dead infant is in better state and condition than an olde man by reason hee neuer sawe the euils that are wrought in the world hee neuer came into this darknes he neuer walked in the vanities of this present life and therefore he that neuer entered into the worlde enioyes more peace repose thaÌ„ he that is come into the same And in deed what good can a man reape in this world that walkes therein but as an image and can neuer be satisfied with the desires thereof If there be any wealth to deuoure hee loseth his peace being constrained to haue his eye alwaies ouer that which with miserable greedines he sought after most miserably to possesse that which can staÌ„d him in no true stead could there be a greater slauery thaÌ„ to see a man labour to amasse and heap those goods together that bring him no profit If this present life then be a continuall and insupportable burden we must needs couÌ„t the same for a great coÌ„fort This end is death and comfort is a good thing it followes therefore that death is a good thing That was the cause why Simeon so reioyced who knowing that hee should not die before he had seene the annointed of the Lord when they brought Iesus into the Temple he tooke him in his armes and sayd Lord thou lettest now thy seruant depart in peace as if hee before had remained in this life rather by compulsion then of his own free-will hee requiring to be set at libertie as if being hampred in some bonds he had then gone to take possession again of his freedome This bodie is as it were chained yea and which is worse with the chaine of temptations which shackles bindes torments outragiously by reason of the cruelty of sinne For we see in dying how the soule of man loseth it selfe by little and little from the bands of the flesh and beeing let out by the mouth flies away being deliuered out of the dungeon of this body Dauid made haste to go out of this temporall course saying I am a stranger Psal 39. and pilgrime before thee on the earth as all my Fathers were wherfore as a stranger he ranne speedily towards the common countrey of all the Saints requiring before death pardon of his sinnes wherewith he was defiled while he soiourned on the earth For hee that obtaines not pardon of his sinnes in this world shall neuer attaine to eternall life And therefore Dauid addes Let me retire my selfe suffer that I may bee refreshed before I goe and be no more Why pant we therfore after this life wherin the loÌ„ger any one remains the more he is surcharged with sin The Lord himselfe sayth Euery day is content with his owne miserie Mat. 6. And Iacob complained that the hundred thirty yeeres of his life Gen. 47. were short and irksome not that the dayes were tedious of theÌ„selues but because malice here increaseth as the dayes passe away For there is not a day that passeth ouer our heads wherein wee doe not offend And therefore the Apostle sayde very well Phil. 1. Christ is gain vnto me both in life and death in the one hauing relation to the necessity of his life for the seruice of the Church and in the other to the particular benefit which he receiued by dying as wee also liue in seruing of Christ towards whoÌ„ his seruants must needs shew their good affection in deliuering vnto others the doctrine of his Gospel And as for Simeon who said Now thou sufferest thy seruaÌ„t hee stayed because of Christ who is our King so that wee may not omit nor reiect his commandements How many men were there that the Romane Emperors caused to remaine in remote and strange Regions in hope of future recompense and honors Came they from thence without their masters leaue and without all comparison is it not a more excellent thing to obey the will of God than of men CHRIST therefore is gaine to the beleeuer as well in life as in death for in the qualitie of a seruant hee refuseth not to serue in this life and as a wise man hee embraceth the gaine of death It is a great gayne to bee out of the haruest of sinne to be remooued from euill and in full possession of good Saint Paul also addeth My desire is to remooue and be with Christ which were far better for me but for you it is more necessary that I should remaine in the flesh Hee set down this word necessary by reason of the fruit of his trauels and the worde better by reason of his celestial grace and thrise happie coniunction with Christ CHAP. 3. What death is and what life according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures and of spirituall death SEeing then the Apostle teacheth that whosoeuer leaues this mortall bodie goes to Christ if he hath truely knowen serued him let vs a little consider what death what life is We knowe because the holy Scriptures auerre it that death is a loosing of the soule froÌ„ the body and as it were the separation of a man For in dying the soule is disioined froÌ„ the bodie Dauid therefore seems to allude hereunto when he sayes Thou hast broken my bonds Psal 116. I will offer thee sacrifice and praise The precedent verse of this Psalm because the death of the Saints is precious in the eyes of the Lord sheweth that by these bonds is vnderstood the coniunction of our bodies with the soule And therefore foreseeing euen then that hee was in the number of those faithfull that had deuoutly rendred their liues into the handes of Christ he reioyceth on his part hee also faithfully offring vp himselfe for the people of God to fight with huge Goliath hand to hand and by himselfe alone to remoue the opprobrie peril which then threatned the

people of God In which when he presented himselfe frankly vnto death to appease the wrath of God being readie in the name of all others and for their comfort to beare the scourge of GOD he knew well that it was farre greater glory to die for Christ than to raigne in this world can there bee a more excellent thing than to offer vp our selues vnto CHRIST Although therefore the Scripture speaketh of diuerse Sacrifices of Dauid yet is there a mentioÌ„ of this one particular in this Psalme which sayth I will sacrifice vnto thee praise and thankesgiuing hee said not I doe sacrifice but I will minding hereby to inferre that a sacrifice is then perfect wheÌ„ euery beleeuer is deliuered out of the bandes of this body to appeare before the Lord then presents himself to him in a sacrifice of praise because no praise nor thanksgiuing is perfect or accomplished before death and no man can be truely praised in this life by reason of the vncertaintie of that to come Death therefore is a separation of the soule from the body for that which further remaines we said before howe S. Paul declared That to be dissolued be with Christ he esteemed a farre better thing than to tarrie here still What else procureth this separation but the dissolution of the bodie and bringing of it to repose as for the soule it is her freedome introduction to peace ioy that is to say to liue with Christ if it beleeue The chrildren of God therefore do nothing in this worlde but purifie theÌ„selues froÌ„ the contaminations of the body which are as bands to tie vs in labor to free theÌ„selues from these difficulties renouncing of pleasures shunning dissolutenes the flames of coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce Is it not theÌ„ true that euery faithful soule liuing here belowe is conformed and ioyned vnto death wheÌ„ she studies to die in her selfe to all carnall delights and to all the desires and allurements of the world Thus was the Apostle dead when hee said Gal. 6. The world is crucified to mee and I to the world In fine to the end wee might knowe that death is in this life and that it is good he exhorteth vs to bear in our bodies the death or mortificatioÌ„ of our Lord Iesus for he who hath in him the death of the Lord Iesus hee shall haue his life also in his body Death therefore is necessarie in vs to the end that life may be necessary also There is a good life after death that is to say a great felicitie after victory a good life at the end of the combate wheÌ„ the law of the flesh can no more contradict the lawe of vnderstanding when death striues no more against the bodie but that the victory ouer death is inclosed in the same And I knowe not whether of these two are more effectual 2. Cor. 4. this life or this death considering the Apostles authentike testimony who sayth Death therefore is necessary in vs life in you How many nations were reuiued by the death of one man The Apostle then as you see 2. Cor. 4. teacheth that those who enioy this present life must also desire this present death to the ende that the death of Christ may appeare in our bodies and that wee may participate of this felicitie by which our external man is destroyed to the end that heauens mansion place may bee open vnto vs. He therefore conformes himself well vnto death that retires from the earnest desires of the world that looseth the bands wherof the Lord speaks in Esay Loose the bands of vnrighteousnes Esa 51. break the obligations of vniust exchange let them goe free that are troden vnder foote vntie the knots of wickednes Hee approcheth neere vnto death that strips himselfe of the pleasures of the world that disintangleth himselfe from terrestriall cogitations and raiseth his minde to the heauenly Tabernacle within the which Saint Paul was conuersant euen while he liued here belowe otherwise hee woulde not haue sayde Phil. 1. Our conuersation is in heauen the which may also be applied to the zeale meditatioÌ„s of this holy man for his thoughts were there there his soule frequented the studies and indeuours of his minde were raised vp thither the limits of this body being indeed too strait to comprehend the apprehensions of a man truely wise who aspiring to such a good separates for the time his soule from his body and hath no more to doe with the same in contemplating of that trueth which he desires openly to see for which cause he seekes nothing more than to bee freed from the snares darknesse of this body For wee cannot with our hands with our eyes or our eares conceiue this celestiall trueth because things visible are temporall and those inuisible eternal And besides our sight is oftentimes deceiued and we discerne things farre otherwise than indeed they are our hearing also deceiues vs and therfore wee must looke to inuisible things if wee will not bee deceiued When may we then be assured that our foule is not deceiued When is it that she layes hold on the throne of veritie euen when she is separated froÌ„ the body which then can abuse nor deceiue her no more The same deceiued her by the regard of the eyes by the hearing of the eare therefore it is necessarie that she should leaue abandon it And therefore the Apostle minding to shew that it was not by bodily repose but by the eleuatioÌ„ of the soule the harts humility that had found out the trueth he sayth that our conuersation is in heauen He therfore sought in heauen that which is trueth and shal so remaine for euer And thus retiring his thoghts and all the force of his vnderstanding without reuealing himselfe to any other but knowing and considering well of himselfe resoluing to followe that which he tooke to bee trueth and perceiuing that to be false flitting which the flesh desires and chooseth fraudulently he rightly blasoned this body calling it the body of death For who can discerne with his eyes the brightnesse of vertue Who can gripe righteousnesse with his hands or see wisedom with his bodily eyes Briefly when we meditate on any thing wee would not willingly see any body we like not to heare any noyse about our eares hauing somtimes our minds so fixed as wee see not that which is before our eyes And in the night our cogitatioÌ„s are more firme and we conceiue the better of that in our hearts which serues for our document and instruction where-vnto that saying of the Prophet in the 4. Psalme hath reference Ponder with your selues vpon your beds Often-times also diuers men cloase their eyes when they would profoundly consider of any affaire auoiding at such a time the impediment of sight Otherwhiles we seeke out solitarie places to the end that no body may trouble vs or by his prattle turne vs out of the right way

into some straying and by-path Euen so this bodie procures diuers occupatioÌ„s which dull the soules point and slacken our intentions so as the holy man Iob said well to this purpose Iob. 10. Thou hast made mee of clay and slime If this body be of clay we are onely plaistered therewith but it dissolues not nor distempers the soule with the filth of his IntemperaÌ„ce Thou hast apparelled me saith he with skin and flesh thou hast interlaced me with bones and sinewes So that our soule is confined and extended thorow the sinewes of the bodie many times shee is as it were stiffe and otherwhiles crooked Hee addeth Thou hast not exempted me from iniquitie but if I bee wicked accursed be I yet if I were iust I durst not lift vp my head because I am all confusion for thou hast inuironed me with temptation What is this life but a place ful of ginnes and snares We walke amidst the nets and conuerse in the thickest of many daungers Before Iob had said The life of man is it not a battell vpon earth It is very materiall that hee said vpon earth for there is a life for man in heauen Iob 7. His life addeth he is like a labourers work which is to say spent in toy e and trauel consuming it selfe in vanities ebbing away in words hauing a mansion place in dust a life in slime and clay without resolution or constancie In the day he desires night before he eates he cries and weeps at the time of his repast there is nothing but teares in this life grief feare carefulnes incessant troubles trauell without solace anger and horrible anguish Many wish death cannot obtaine it if they obtaine this good they reioice because it is only death that bringeth a man to repose CAAP. 4. That Death is altogether good aswell because it procures an end to sin as in that the world is thereby redeemed BVt I heare some replie how it is written that God made not Death that life was in the Garden of Eden wherein God had planted the Tree of life and life is the light of men and so consequently the death that entred in is euill I demaund in what sense one may tearme it euill if according to the opinion of the heathen it hath no more feeling or if according to the Apostle Christ is gaine with whom it were better to be How then can death be an euill thing if after the same wee haue no feeling at all For where there is no sense of feeling there can bee no griefe seeing to be grieued is to feele ones selfe euill Or if there be any sense and seeling after death there is then life after death and the soule which vseth sense and hath life suruiueth the body after a separation by death But seeing the life and soule remain after death that which is good continues it not being annihillated by death but contrariwise it is augmented for there is no impediment of death that can detaine the soule but shee labours with the more efficacie being intentiue on those things that properly belong vnto her without being tied to the body which in stead of pleasuring ouerchargeth makes the soule to sinke vnder her burden What euill then receiues the soule if it be maintained in puritie that is to say in the knowledge and feare of God But if she haue done otherwise death notwithstanding is not euill but the life which was not a true life for wee cannot rightly call the course race of mankind a life which is so dayly assaulted and corrupted by sinne Why then doe we accuse death which doeth giue the reward of life or else which finisheth the afflictions miseries of the world I conclude therfore that either death enioyes the happines of his repose or is tormented by reason of the euill of a precedent life Now consider me this point well If life be a burden death is then a discharge and releasement thereof if life bee a punishment death is a deliuerance if there be any iudgement after death there is then a life after death Shall wee then say that such a death is not good WheÌ„ as life heere belowe is good how caÌ„ the death out of the world be euil seeing there is no apprehension which wee neede to feare during this life What makes this mortall life good but pietie righteousnes Life therfore is not good in respect of the soule bodies vnioÌ„ but because by the feare of God it putteth to flight this euill and obtaines the happinesse of death more performing that which concerneth the good of the soule than that which pertaines to the society and coniunction of the soule body together If we call life good which is the mirrour of the soule separated from the body and if the soule be good which raiseth and retireth it selfe from the coÌ„pany of the body out of question death is good which frees and deliuers the soule from the society and company of the body In what sense therfore soeuer wee take it death is good both because it separates two aduerse parties for fear lest they should ruine one another and in that it is a Port of refuge to those who hauing roued vp and downe the sea of this world search by faith the hauen of repose as also because it makes not our condition worse but reserues vs to a iudgement to come such as particularly wee are found hereunto may be added that it holds vs at rest it withdrawes vs froÌ„ their malice that suruiue in the world and replenisheth vs with the enioyance of those things which before we desired expected To this we may also annexe that it is in vain for men to fear death as if it brought an end to Nature For in calling to minde that God made not Death but man after he fell to sinne receiued the sentence of his disloyaltie and reuolt which was that he should returne to dust out of which hee was framed wee shall finde that death is the ende of sinne for feare least if life had beene prolonged sinne might the more haue augmented The Lord therfore suffered Death to enter into the world to the ende that sinne might cease And to preuent that Nature might not end in death he hath set down a day when all shall rise againe so that Death doeth extinguish sinne and makes our nature perdurable for euer And thus death is the portion of all the liuing And thou must passe it with a good courage for so we go from corruptioÌ„ to incorruption from death to immortalitie from labor to repose Let not therefore the very name of death terrifie thee but rather reioice in the commodities of so excellent a passage For what other thing is death but the funerall of our vices and resurrection of our vertues and therfore there was one that said very truely Let my life die the death of the Iust which is to say let it finish for the laying

vs conclude that death in it self is not an euill thing for there is no death either for those in this world or those out of it For the liuing it is nothing to them because they liue and for the dead they are out of his clouches And so it is no euill or discommoditie to the liuing who haue nothing to do therwith nor to those which in respect of the bodie are insensible and in their soules freely deliuered from the same CAAP. 8. That it is not Death it selfe of which men are afraid the opinion and apprehensioÌ„ therof only terrifies IF death be redoubted of the liuing I say it is not death it selfe but the apprehension thereof as euery one applies the same to his owne affections or in respect of his conscience as it is touched therwith whose wounds we may well accuse and not the sharpnes of death For the rest death is the gate of repose to the righteous as on the contrary it is the shipwracke and ruine of the wicked Out of question it is not the passage of death that offendeth them that feare to die but it is the apprehension and horrible conceit of this passage that thus tormenteth them In briefe as I saide before death greeues vs not but the apprehension thereof Now this terrible apprehension is grounded vpon a precedent opinion of our infirmitie and contrarie to trueth for veritie encourageth opinion daunteth vs. I will further auerre opinion it selfe hath a reference to life and not to death and we shal find that it is life it self which we iudge grieuous wher upon it appeares that the apprehensioÌ„ which we haue of death must not be referred to death it selfe but to life for if we haue done nothing in our liues whereof to be afeard wee haue no iust cause to feare death for punishment deserued by reason of offences committed feareth those of true iudgemeÌ„t and to commit sinne is an action of the liuing and not of the dead Life therefore hath relation to vs and the vigor and propagatioÌ„ of the same is supposed to be in our power but death which is the separation of the soule froÌ„ the body doth preiudice vs nothing at all The soule is deliuered and the bodie returnes vnto dust from whence it came The deliuered part reioiceth the body which goes to the earth feeles nothing and consequently hath no apprehension therof But if death bee an euill thing how comes it to passe that young men feare not to growe old and flie not the neighbour age vnto death From whence proceeds it that one which foresees his owne death dieth more willingly than another whom death surpriseth of a sudden So that I suppose they are very well satisfied which tooke death to be an euill thing and it were but for this onely reason amongst many others that by life we passe to death and by death we return to life for none can rise again except he first die It is true that fooles feare death as the worst thing that can befall them but the wise desire it because it is the ease of their labours and the end of their trauels For that which otherwise may bee said there are two reasons why fooles feare death one is that they call it death annihilation which in deed caÌ„not be coÌ„sidering that the soule liues when the body is reduced to ashes besides the bodie it selfe also must rise againe Another is because they fear the torments punishments wherof Poeticall books make often mention that is to say the barkings of Cerberus the terrible profunditie of the riuer Cocytus the Ferri-man Caron the troups of Furies the Infernall depths wherein the monster Hydra remaines that deuoures all where wee may see Titius whose intrailes renew growe again after they haue been eaten by a great huge Vulture which neuer ceases to torment him In like manner Ixion who rowles incessantly the great stone with the huge rock hanging iust ouer their heads that make good cheare beeing ready to fall vpon them These be the Poets fables But so that wee must not denie but there is punishment after death And if wee referre that to death which happens after it let vs also referre vnto life that which fals out after life Punishment therefore must haue no relation vnto death the which as before was deliuered is but a separation of the soule from the bodie And this separation is not euill seeing that to be dissolued Phil. 1. and liue with Iesus Christ is the best thing of all others saith the Apostle It followeth then that death of it selfe is not euill True it is that the death of sinners is euill From whence I collect that therefore all death in generall is not bad but that only of sinners in particular for Psal 14. 116. the death of the righteous is precious the which once more declares that the euil lies not indeath but in sinne The Grecians expressed death by a word which imported to haue end because it is the end of this earthly life The Scripture also calleth death a sleep witnesse hereof that which IESVS CHRIST sayde Iohn 10. Our friende Lazarus sleepeth but I will goe and wake him Sleepe is a good thing for then wee take repose according vnto that which was written Psal 3. I slept tooke my rest awaked againe because the Lord receiued mee into his protection The sleep of death therfore is a sweete repose Furthermore the Lord awakes and raiseth vp them that sleepe for he is the resurrection Ther is also a notable senteÌ„ce in the Scripture which sayth Eccle. 2. Praise no man before his death for euery one is knowen at the end of his life and he is iudged in his children if he haue taught and instructed them in his owne knowledge for the childrens misgouernment is euer ascribed to the fathers negligence And because euery liuing man is subiect to offend old age it selfe not being exempted here-from we read that Abraham died in a good old age because hee continued still constant in the good affection which he had to serue God Death therfore serues for a restimonie to a precedent life For if the Pilot be not worthy of his commendation before he hath brought his ship secure into the Porte what reputation can we holde a man in before the houre of his death Hee is his owne Pilot amongst the stormes and waues of this life as long as here hee soiournes he is in danger to perish The Captaine receiueth not his triumphaunt Crowne before the victorie be wonne the Souldier layeth not aside his Armes nor hath his due recompense before the ouerthrowe of the enemie The conclusion is that death is the full and entire payment of the faithfull mans wages it is the summe of his rewarde and his finall Quietus est Let vs also consider what Iob sayth Iob 29. That the blessing of the dead came vpon him for though ISAAC blessed his children dying and

IACOB also blessed the Patriarkes these benedictions can not bee referred to any further matter but to that which the benedicents considered in those whoÌ„ they blessed or to their fatherly affection But here we neither see the one nor the other more then the priuiledge onely of death the benediction of him who dies being of such efficacie as the holy Prophet desired to be made partaker thereof Let vs meditate and consider well on this verse to the end that when wee see the poore man die we may assist him and euerie one of vs say the blessing of the dead come vpon me If we see any body sicke let vs not abandon him if hee bee forsaken of others let not vs drawe backe but let vs remember to desire that the benedictioÌ„ of the dead may come vpoÌ„ vs. How many men hath this short verse procured to be blessed How often hath it made me blusn when I forgot the dying when I visited not the sicke when I despised the poore when I haue suffered the poore captiue to be oppressed in prison or when I contemned and neglected the auncient man Let this therefore bee deeply imprinted in our hearts for the spurring forwarde of the more dull and for the further encouragement of all those which are already in a good course Let the last wordes of a dying man resounde in thine eares and let his soule issuing out of his body carrie with it from thee this benediction Deliuer him that is ledde to die and who had perished without thy succour to the end thou mayest then iustly say to thy selfe The blessing of the dead light vpon mee CHAP. 9. That the soule perisheth not together with the bodie WHo can then make any doubt but that death is good seeing that which troubleth vs that maketh vs ashamed that is our enemie that which is violent tempestuous alluring to all vices remaineth then vnprofitable for the earth and as it were inclosed in an iron cage that is in the graue On the contrary Vertue Science Honor Iustice and Pietie flie vp to heauen the soule continues with immortall goodnesse being conioyned and dwelling in him Act 17. from whom shee had her being as one sayd very well that we are his line progeny For the rest it is most certain that the soule dies not with the body for it is not of the body as the Scripture proues by diuers reasons Gen. 2. Adam receiued from our Lord God the spirit of life was made a liuing soule And Dauid sayde Psal 116. My soule return to thy rest because the Lord hath done good vnto thee But wherein He hath sayd he deliuered my feete from destruction Thou seest how he reioyceth to be assured of this death wherein all error takes end where sinne and not nature faileth Afterwards being stripped and at full libertie as it were hee addeth I will please the Lord in the land of the liuing Heauen is the land of the liuing where foules haue repose and where sinnes enter not but where vertues haue their true force and vigor But the world is a region full of the dead because it is replenished with sinne and in all reason it was well sayd Mat. 8. Let the dead burie the dead It is sayd in another Psalme Psal 23. His soule shall lodge amidst riches and his seed shall haue the earth to their inheritance which is to say His soule that feareth God shall bee placed in the middest of riches and wealth so as it shall remaine neere amidst the same This may also be vnderstood of him that liues in the body who inhabiteth in the middest of riches conuerseth in celestiall places if he feare God possesseth his bodie and the soueraignty therof hauing brought it into seruitude briefly he enioyes the inheritance of glory and the promises of saluatioÌ„ If we would therefore bee placed amidst wealth and riches after the death of this body let vs take heede that our soule be not coÌ„bined mingled nor vnited to this body for fear it drawe her out of the right way and make her stagger to fall like a druÌ„ken man being disturbed by the illusions of the same let her defie it and the recreations therof that she may not be ouer-ruled by the external senses For the eye may runne into errour and be fondly deceiued by reason this member may be mistaken the like may fall out to hearing and taste In summe it is not in vaine that the wise man saith vnto vs Let thine eyes beholde that which is right Prou. 4. let not thy tongue vtter peruerse things wherof we should not be admonished were it not that the senses erred very often If thou hast beheld a shamelesse woman hast been taken in her lookes or hast lusted after her as she was faire thine eyes haue looked astray they haue seene pernicious things and haue reported that vnto thee which they ought not to haue done For if they had behelde as they should they would haue discouered the villanous desires of this impudent woman her detestable impudencie her shamelesse immodestie her stinking ordures her infamous villanie the woundes of the soule and the scarres of the conscience Hee hath committed adulterie with a woman in his heart whome hee beheld at any time to desire her Thou seest that such an one sought after deceit in desiring the Adultresse and not truth because he desired to see to couet and not to vnderstand trueth The eye therefore lookes astray when the affection leaues the true path the which deceiues as the eye also doeth and therefore it was sayd vnto thee Bee not taken that is Let not thy soule be taken by thine eyes for a woman takes the precious soules of men Prou. 6. The hearing also deceiueth and by speach alluding vnto wantonnes hath often seduced abused and cousined euill instructed youth Let vs therefore defie these traps and snares which deceiue and surprise for hearts are tempted and thoughts intangled by the senses In stead of following these allurements let vs adhere to that which is good and prosecute it For the presence and communication thereof makes vs the better this company giues tincture and glosse vnto our maners for he which cleaueth to good drawes good there-from The soule that cleaues to the inuisible immortal good which is God flying abandoning frail earthly and mortall things becomes like vnto the good which she desires wherein she liues finds true nourishment so leaning to that immortall she is no more mortal The sinful soule dies not because she turns to nothing but in that she dies to God and liues to sin On the contrary the soule which workes not iniquitie dies not at all for she remaines still in her first substance afterwards in her full perfection and glory How can the substance therof perish seeing it is the soule that giues life he that receiues the soule receiues life and when the soule departs life flies

away The soule therfore is life for how can that die which is directly opposite to death For as snowe cannot receiue heate but that it presently melts light doth not receiue but dissipates all darkenesse by his claritie as at the approach of heate the yce turns to water euen so the soule which creates life cannot receiue death nor anie wayes die CHAP. 10. Testimonies of Scripture to proue that the soule dieth not with the body but remaines immortall TO the reasons before deduced let vs adde that which the Lord saith I haue power to leaue my soule and to take it againe You see therefore that it perisheth not with the body seeing hee might leaue in and take it againe after he had recoÌ„mended it into the hands of God the Father But because thou shalt not replie that Christ had this particular power althogh we might answere thee that he was like vnto vs yet hearken what hee sayth to exhort vs not to linger out the time at length Luk. 13. What knowest thou whether this night thy soule may be demaÌ„ded of thee Said he thy soule shall die this night within thee No but it shall bee redemaunded That is redemaunded which remaines not that which perisheth for how should the soule perish of which the wisdom of God saith Mat. 10. Feare not those that can kil the bodie and cannot kil the soule Of which the Prophet speaketh Psal 119 My soule is alwayes in thine hands alwaies saith he and not at certain times onely As for thee commend thy soule to the Lord not only at the departure thereof out of thy body but also as long as it there inhabiteth for it is the Lord which keepeth it and thou knowest not from whence it comes nor whither it goes Thy soule is in thee and with God also Behold here vnder set downe more ample and expresse testimonies of the soules immortalitie CHAP. 11. Of the ioyes of soules after this life FOr the ioies of faithfull soules we must consider it according to certain degrees First they shall bee victorious ouer sin and warranted froÌ„ all the allurements of the flesh Secondly they shall enioy the reward of their fidelitie and of the preseruation of their innocencie without hauing bin defiled with errors and perturbatioÌ„s as wicked soules are nor tormented with the remembrance of their vices or surcharged with boyling appreheÌ„sioÌ„s Thirdly they rest in this testimonie that they pleased God to whose will they haue so applied themselues as they need not be doubtfull or fear the last iudgemeÌ„t Fourthly they then beginne to knowe their repose and to foresee their greater glory in the last resurrection and so being fed with this consolation they peaceably rest in their mansions being enuironed with an infinite number of Angels Fiftly they participate of an inexplicable ioy delight in that they are freed out of the prison of this corruptible body Apoc. 14. to enter into the kingdome of light and libertie where they enioy the inheritance that was promised them Ther is an order of rest as ther is an order of resurrection and as all die in Adam so shall all bee quickened in Christ 1. Cor. 15. sayeth the Apostle euery one in his ranke the first fruits that is Christ afterwardes those that are of Christ shall bee quickened by his comming and then comes the ende There shall bee then diuers orders of brightnesse and glorie as there haue been seruants some more excellent than othersome Sixtly the faithfull shall perceiue a light splendour to enuiron them making them to shine like the Sunne resembling the stars but so notwithstanding as this brightnesse shall not bee subiect to chaunge or decline Seuenthly they shall reioyce in their security and be secure instantly they shall bee merrie without fear hauing no other desire but to behold his face to whom they haue submitted theÌ„selues out of a franke and free will and calling to mind the grace wherof he hath made theÌ„ partakers which is to hate sin and bee wholly dedicated to his seruice they shall receiue the glorious guerdon of their easie trauels and then perceiue that all the suffrings of the worlde are not worthy in any sort to be recompensed with such a glory in heauen Behold the repose of soules and the beginning of their glory to come before that in their eternal habitations they shall perfectly enioy this vnspeakeable happinesse the which they must haue all together in the day of the bodies resurction CHAP. 12. Of the happinesse of the eternall kingdom and how we should endeuour to come therinto BEing thus defensed with authenticke testimonials out of the word of God let vs couragiously march towards the Lord Iesus Christ our Sauiour towardes the assemblie of the Patriarkes and Abraham our Father and when this day is come let vs chearefully aduance forward to the companie of the Saintes and righteous For wee shall goe to meete our Fathers the instructours of our life and though wee bee naked and destitute of good workes faith will assist vs our promised inheritaÌ„ce wil be our warrant we shal goe to the place where Abraham hath his bosome open to receiue the poore as he receiued Lazarus and where all they haue rest that were afflicted in this world Oh most heaueÌ„ly Father I beseech thee extend forth thy hands to imbrace the poore expatiate thy lappe enlarge thy bosome to receiue the great number of beleeuers It is true that iniquity abounds charity waxeth cold though the faith hath taken good increase we shall then goe to meete them that sit at the table with Abraham Isaac Iacob in the kingdome of God and with those who being called to the banquet sought not to excuse themselues We shall goe to the Paradise of true delights where Adam who was once so euill intreated by spirituall theeues ceaseth his lamentations for the wounds hee had receiued and the theefe himselfe there reioiceth because of his entertainement into the celestiall kingdome there are no cloudes there are no thunders no lightnings whirle-winds nor darknesses the seasons there chaÌ„ge not their course frost haile rain the Sun the Moone the stars are not there in vse There shall be no other brightnesse but that of the euerliuing Lorde who wil be a light to all this true light which illuminates all men shal shine vnto all the happy for euer Wee shall all go to those habitations that the Lord Iesus hath prepared for his humble seruants to the end we may be where he is Seeing his pleasure is it should bee so Attend what maner of dwelling places these are Iohn 14. In my Fathers house there are many mansions saith he when at his good pleasure hee declareth that which followes I will come take you to my self that where I am you may be also But thou wilt peradueÌ„ture alleage that he spake this only to his disciples that hee made this promise only to them

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