a Tragedy of transitory shewes and disguised persones Sometimes to a birds nest made of straw and dung that the winter soone dissolueth There is another calleth it a childs game that buildeth houses of sand on the shore where euery waue washeth them away Is our life so short then it is better to die then to liue and the day of death is better then the day of birth Eccles. 7. 3. The day of death is not a perishing but a parting The soule is not lost to the body but onely sent before it to ioy If the soule bee painefully laid off it is ioyfully laid vp Through our natiuity wee come to the race through death to the reward through birth to the floud through death to the hauen through birth to the fight through death to the victory through birth to labour through death to rest by birth to sorrow by death to ioy by birth to life which is full of all sorrowes and troubles by death to life eternall which is free from all sorrows Death is rather the flight of sinne then the detriment of man dying because to the iust death is not the end of nature but of sinne as a Father saith To leaue this world and inherite a better should seeme nothing Death is a passage from sinne and corruption to glory and immortality from this earth to heauen from the company of sinners to the company of Saints from sorrow to solace from paine to peace from sicknesse to safety from persecution to triumph from the bondage of Pharoah to the liberty of the sons of God The consideration heereof made Salomon who for wisedome might seeme a God for gouernement deseruedly might be King and for learning might bee a Prophet to say All things vnder the Sunne are vanity and vexation of spirit Eccl. 2. 11. Seeing all things in the world are vanity better is a good death then a bad life and the day of death better then the day of birth When we are borne wee are mortall but when wee shall rise againe wee shall bee immortall wee are aliue in the wombe to die in the world but dead in the graue to liue in heauen Our life is not compared to an ell or yard to a pace or to a cubite to a mile or to a furlong to a fathome or to a foote but to an hand bredth a very short measure Man that is borne of woman is of short continuance Iob. 14. 1. Few and euill haue the daies of my life bene Gen. 47. 9. The time of our life is three score yeares and ten if a man come to foure score then there is nothing but weaknesse As Ionah his gourd was soone come and soone vanished Ionah 4. 6. so man is soone borne and soone dead This world is as a Stage and man as an Actor when he hath plaid his part hee is gone Our liues shorten as if the booke of our daies were by the pen-knife of Gods iudgement cut lesse Before the Floud they were in Folio they liued almost a thousand yeares Methushelah liued nine hundred sixty and nine yeares Gen. 5. 27. the whole chapter will shew vs how long the men liued before the Floud After the Floud in Quarto then they liued an hundred and twenty and an hundred and seuenty Gen. 25. 7. In Dauids time in Octauo three score and foure score yeares but with vs in the daies of the Gospell in Decimo sexto in the least volume now at forty fifty or sixty yeares old men and so we are dying almost so soone as we beginne to liue The Elements are more mixed drossie and confused our new sins call for new plagues the aire is more infected and contagious and our sinnes of drunkennesse and surfeiting do not want to second all the rest we may obserue that neither planers aboue nor plants below yeeld vs expected comfort So God for our sinnes doth cause the heauen to be as Brasse and the earth as Iron and the aire with the winds to bee tempestuous and so almost euery thing which was created for mans vse is become his enemy and all because wee turne all things to vices corruption which were giuen for natures protection and therefore what wee haue diuerted to wickednesse God hath reuerted to our reuenge Wee are sicke of sinne and therefore the world is sicke of vs. How soone doth the sand runne downe in the houre-glasse how quickely doth the Sunne beginne to set so speedily doth our time passe away Future things are alwaies beginning present things alwaies ending and things past are dead and gone while wee liue we die and then we leaue dying when we leaue liuing Better it is therefore to die to life then to liue to death because our mortall life is nothing but a liuing death and life continually flyeth from vs and cannot be with-held and death hourely commeth vpon vs and cannot be with-stood No armour resisteth no threatning preuaileth nor no entreaty profiteth against deaths assault If all perils spare our life yet time and age in the end will consume it As a riuer that riseth in the Forrest passeth by many rockes runneth and tumbleth and maketh a noise yet in the end entreth into the sea so fareth it with mans life he commeth into the world with paine and beginneth his course with pittifull cries and is daily molested with sicknesses and neuer ceaseth running till in the end he fall into the sea of death As euery man hath his Genesis so hee must haue his Exodus and as we are borne to liue so we are borne to die Our dying on earth is but the taking of our iourney to heauen Why are we vnwilling to loose that which cannot be kept The good Pilot sitteth at the sterne to guide his ship and so a good Christian to direct his life must thinke on death death is the dore whereby we must go out of bondage and therefore as he that is in prison taketh great comfort to sit vpon the threshold that when the doore is opened he may the sooner get out so we must alwayes haue our mindes fixed vpon death for passe wee must but how or when wee know not Emosinarius hauing his Tombe in building commaunded that it should bee left imperfect and that his seruants euery day should put him in minde to finish the same that so hee might prepare to dye The vse of this doctrine is forasmuch as our life is short and nothing almost shorter let vs prepare for death for we must dye Bee yee prepared for the sonne of man will come at an houre when yee thinke not Luk. 12. 40. All estates of men are exhorted to prepare old and young rich and poore Prince and Peasant the danger is great if men be found vnprepared as death leaueth men so the day of iudgement shall finde them If the tree fall toward the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth there it
shall be Ecâ—le 11. 3. As Ishbosheth being found asleepe was killed by Rechab Baanah 2. Sam. 4. 6. 7. euen so if we be asleepe in sin and vnprepared we shall be killed by Sathan Because the fiue foolish virgins had not oyle to maintaine their lampes the Bridegroome said I know you not Mat. 25. 12. Because the man which came to the wedding was not prepared he was cast into vtter darknesse Mat. 22. 13. As he is left behind that is vnprepared when the winde serueth and the ship vnder saile euen so he is left in damnation that is not prepared for the Lord when death commeth Many men prepare for life which is vncertaine and forget death which is certaine I say vnto all men Watch Mark 13 37. The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night 2. Pet. 3. 10. a thiefe as well for stealing on vs as stealing from vs he comes in the darke when no body sees treades on wooll that no body heares watcheth an houre that no body knowes It may be he will come when men are banqueting as on the old world Luk. 17. 27. Or when they are drunken as on Belshazzer Dan. 5. 25. Or when they are committing filthinesse as on the Israelitish man and the Moabitish woman Num 25. 8. Or when they are coueting as on the rich man Luk. 12. 20. Or when they are gormandising as on the glutton Luke 16. 22. Or when they are lying as on Ananias Acts 5. 5. No thunder now can beat into them a feare of that which then no power shall ease them of We know Christ will come let vs prepare for his welcome We are all housholders our bodies are our houses our soules our goods our sences are the doores and windowes the lockes are faith and prayer The day of our death will come as a thiefe a thiefe commeth when men do not looke for him so the day of death commeth suddenly A thiefe commeth not when the maister of the house is watching but when he is asleepe so many times the day of the Lord commeth on men not when they seeme to watch but when they are secure and carelesse let our repentance watch let it neuer sleepe least we perish But men now put farre away the euill day and they flatter themselues with the remotenesse the vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he prophesieth of the times that are farre off Ezek. 12. 27. Surely there is no peace to the wicked Esa. 57. 21. Their rose buds are not withered their dances are not done sleepe conscience lye still repentance they will not prepare for death God made garments for Adam of dead beasts skins Gen. 3. 21. to put him in minde that he was condemned to dye and to make the remembrance of death familiar vnto him that the losse of life might not affright him who alwayes ware the liuery of death vpon him so we feed daily vpon dead creatures this should teach vs to prepare to feed dumbe creatures Secondly because our liues are short and sinfull it should worke in vs a willingnesse to dye Blessed are they which die in the Lord. Reu. 14. 13. First they are blessed in respect of the place for if we consider the world wherein we liue it is a vale of misery a prison and a place of vexation and trouble as the Apostle saith Wee know that euery creature groaneth with vs also and trauelleth in paine together vnto this present Rom. 18. 22. But heauen is a place of ioy rest and of comfort This place is of no certaine continuance here we haue no abiding Citty but wee looke for one to come Heb. 13. 14. But heauen is of continuance for the foundation thereof is God Secondly they are blessed in regard of their company for here we liue among the wicked and sinfull men but there we shal enioy the company of innumerable Angles Heb. 12. 22. It was an excellent change when Dauid was called from a Sheepheard to be a King so was it an excellent change in Saul when hee was called from seeking his fathers Asses to be a King yet this is nothing in respect of their estate which are called from this world to heauen where there is light without darknesse wisedome without ignorance vnderstanding without error reason without obscuritie memory without obliuion and ioy without sorrow where whatsoeuer shall be desired shall be present neither shall any thing bee desired which is not comely where God shall be seene without end loued without lothing and praised without wearying Thirdly in regard of their condition they are blessed for they rest from all their labours for they which dye in the Lord or for the Lord are with the Lord. Paul desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Death considerd in Christ and ioyned with a good life is to Gods elect an aduantage Phil. 1. 21. nothing else but a bridge ouer this tempestuous sea to Paradice Gods mercy made it so not by making death in it selfe good but an instrument of good to his Why is any man vnwilling to dye Death doth not separate vs from God but it maketh vs draw neere to God then doe wee draw neere to God when we are separated from the body As Pharaohs Butler could not see the face of the king when hee was in prison but beeing loosed from his bonds he both saw him and gaue the cup into Pharaohs hand Gen. 40. 21. So as long as we are in the prison of our bodies we cannot see the face of God but being loosed we shall see God face to face 1. Cor. 13. 12. and enioy that vnspeakable good which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2. 9. Hast thou feared God in life then do not feare death for the sting of death is taken away by Christ so that as hony is not truely hony when it hath lost its sweetnesse nor vinegar truely vinigar when it hath lost its tartnesse nor Aloes truly Aloes when it hath lost its bitternesse so the death of the righteous is not truly death hauing lost his sting fearfulnesse and terrors in the godly The dying out of this world is not a death but a life rather and therefore as Iulian said to Christ O Galilean thou hast ouercome me so may death say to them O Christian thou hast ouercome me What is death that thou fearest it it is a departure from this wicked world a dissolution of the bodies of the godly from bonds that they may be with Christ it is a returning to our heauenly Countrey from this pilgrimage it is a deliuerance from the misery of the world it is a returne from banishment to our fathers house it is a preparation for the glory of the resurrection Why dost thou feare death Death hath onely the name of death not the sting of
stirre vp our attention It is like the sounding of a Trumpet before some waighty Proclamation or like the ringing of a great Bell before the Sermon of a famous Preacher it is set downe to moue vs to attention to heare for afterward Esay 42. 23. One figure may stand for many hundreds one counter for many pounds one little boxe may containe many iewels So one word of the Scripture may point out vnto vs many things worthy our obseruation and what can bee greater then to heare to learne and to learne to know how short our life is Let him that hath an eare heare Reuel 3. 6. The vse may reproue such as will not be warned by any marke or note nor stirred vp to heare but become voluntary deafe Adders refusing the voyce of the charmer though he be most expert in charming Psal. 58. 4. 5. They will not heare Christ crucified Gal. 3. 1. They are enemies of the crosse of Christ Phil. 3. 18. who is able to kill our sinnes and quicken our soules When the balme tree is cut in summer that the sweete liquour drop forth the inhabitants preserue it in viols when the Word which is the spirituall baulme is diuided by preaching 2. Tim. 2. 15. the people should bring empty pitchers with them as the widdow did at the command of Elisha 2. King 4. 5. the empty pitchers should be attentiue eares but either they are without mouthes or without bottomes without mouthes to let in one drop of grace or without bottomes that when we haue put it in and looke to see it againe in your liues behold it is runne throughout as water through a siue and scarce leaues any wet behind it It is not enough to eate meate vnlesse the stomacke retaine it so it is not enough to heare vnlesse men lay it vp in their hearts as Mary kept the sayings of Christ in her heart Luk. 2. 51. We must haue eares of atention and hearts of retention In vaine doth the Preacher open his mouth vnlesse God open the heart when God opened Lidiaes heart then she attended to the things which Paul spake Act. 16. 14. As men come so they speed and as the affection is so is the profite If they bring empty pitchers they may be filled but if their vessels be full of wickednesse they can neuer be filled with goodnesse As we do Gods workes to holinesse so we shall finde comfort to holinesse It is to bee feared least many go home with vnfallowed Hos. 10. 12. nay with vnhallowed hearts Secondly for instruction to vs where God is an admonisher there let vs be admonished where hee is a Teacher there let vs be schollers and if he haue made our daies as an hand bredth then let vs resolue to die and prepare for death It is decreed in the high Court of Parliament that all shall die euen in heauen Heb. 9. 27. for we must die and wee are as water spilt on the ground 2. Sam. 14. 14. which cannot bee taken vp againe Wise Salomon godly Dauid religious Iosiah faithfull Abraham iust Lot righteous Noah zealous Moses trusty Ionathan dilligent Peter and carefull Paul haue dyed it is certaine we shall die but the time vncertaine and the place The time is vncertaine God came to Dauids child in his infancy 2. Sam. 12. 18. to the widdowes sonne in his yourh Luk. 7. 12. to Iacob in his old age Gen. 49. 33. God hath ordained and limited to euery liuing creature his appointed time wherein to liue and grow and next to decrease and die and as it pleaseth God to prolong or abridge their liues so he disposeth of the second causes and meanes whereby he will haue it brought to passe and so euery one hath his certaine limits and terme of life set him Iob saith Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth and are not his daies as the daies of an hireling Iob. 7. 1. Againe Are not mans daies determined the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which hee cannot passe Iob. 14. 5. In the same chapter All the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my changing shall come 14. God hath appointed how long euery man shall liue and though foure score yeares be no long course yet there are but few which hold out to the vttermost end thereof in regard of thē that stay by the way Some are cut off euen before they haue begunne their course and some in the mid-way and that through so many sorts of sickenesses with other inconueniences and accidents that a man cannot possibly comprehend or conceiue them all As death spares not any person so it respects not any place A man may be murthered in the field as Abel was Gen. 4. 8. A man may fall backeward sitting quietly in his chaire and breake his necke as Eli did 1. Sam. 4. 18. Or dye in the Temple as Senaherib did Esay 37. 37. Or at the Altar as Ioab 1. King 2. 34. While Iobs sonnes were feasting the house fals vpon them Iob. 1. 19. While the scoffing boyes were mocking Beares came from the wildernesse and deuoured them 2. King 2. 24. While Corah and his company were contending the earth opened and swallowed them vp Numb 16. 31. 32. While the Captaines and their fifties were fetching the Prophet perforce to the King fire fals from heauen and consumes them 2. King 1. 10. Thus death doth follow vs wheresoeuer we goe and is ready to ceize vpon vs wheresoeuer we are Thou hast made my daies as an hands bredth Some say thou hast set my daies short some thou hast made my daies mourning some thou hast made my daies of foure fingers wide Taphat signifieth the measure of the palme of the hand which is of foure fingers The meaning of the Prophet is this Thou Lord hast made my life short like the palme of an hand which is of foure fingars which is one of the shortest measures Seeing the life of man is but as an hand bredth it affoordeth this doctrine that mans life is short and of no long continuance Our life is compared to grasse Esay 40. 6. which withereth To a shadow which passeth Psalme 102. 11. To smoake that vanisheth Hos. 13. 3. To a bubble that is dissolued To a weauers shuttle for swiftnesse Iob. 7. 6. To a spiders web which is soone swept away To a cloud that goeth away Iob. 7. 9. To a flower that fadeth Iob 14. 2. To a vapour which is soone dispearsed Iam. 4. 14. Remember that my life is but a winde Iob. 7. 7. No meruaile if when the winde bloweth the leafe fall if when the death appeareth the night end There is one saith our life is an heauy sleepe fed with false and imaginary dreames and he calleth it a Comedy or rather in our daies
death As the brazen serpent in the wildernesse had the forme and shape of a serpent but not the life a serpent nor the sting of a serpent Num. 21. 9. So death hath the likenesse and semblance of death but it hath no sting it hath no venome it hath no poyson If a Bee sting a dead carkasse she looseth not her sting but if she sting a liuing man she looseth her sting so death stinging vs which were as dead flesh did not loose his sting but stinging Christ he hath lost his sting therefore we may now say O death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 15. 55. Thy sting is no sting vnto vs but a crowne of reioycing 1. Thess. 2. 19. It is a Midwife to bring vs out of the wombe of this world into the land of the liuing Psa. 27. 13. Death is as a ship wherby we faile from earth to heauen Do not feare the graue for thou sowest but a carnall and corruptible body to reape an incorruptible and spirituall in the resurrection Be willing to change drosse for gold and corruption for incorruption If one enemy finde fauour at another enemies hand why should a dutiful child feare to go home to his heauenly father a penitent soule to his sweete Sauiour and an obedient member to be ioyned with his head If he came into this world to redeeme vs why should we doubt but at our death he will receiue vs. He that accepteth his enemies will hee reiect his friends He that bought vs so deere will he refuse his penyworth If he affected our company so much on earth as that hee sayd My delight is to be with the children of men Pro. 8. 31. Hath he now so forgotten his old loue as not to admit vs into his company in heauen Hee came hither to buy vs an inheritance and hee went from hence to prepare it for vs. Ioh. 14. 2. And when wee are to enter into possession will he exclude vs No no The eyes of the Lord are vpon them that feare him to deliuer their soules from death Psa. 32. 18. 19. Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal. 116. 15. Pretious as the end of labours as the consummation of victory as the gate of life and the ingresse of perfect security Let vs remember his loue in adopting his truth in promising and his power in performing and our feare of death wil soone be altered into a desire of the same He come to open heauen gates and what meant he but that wee should enter in He came to vs on earth to innite vs to him and why departed he from the earth but to haue vs follow him He abandoneth none but abandoned by them Hee is easily found where hee hath been carefully sought Well death to the good is counted a quiet hauen and to the bad it is counted shipwracke The wayfaring man doth willingly demand where his mansion and stay shall be The seruant doth often account when his yeare is ended the husbandman doth alway expect haruest and a woman with childe doth wait for her time of deliuery so the seruants of God do thinke of their death so looke where their treasure is there will their heart be also Math. 6. 21. If a Prince should command a Beggar to cast off all his ragges and bid him prepare himselfe to come into his presence and liue daily in his company would the beggar delay or be sorry because hee shall enioy the company of a Prince Much lesse should wee delay or bee sorry when God the Prince of Princes calleth vs by death into his priuy chamber of heauen Therefore let beasts and heathen adulterers and murtherers feare death because they thinke and it is certaine that all their ioy ends with their death and let not Gods children feare death because it is an entrance into ioy and eternall felicity in heauen And my age is nothing in respect of thee Some read it age some substance some life in the originall My time is nothing in respect of thee nor this life nothing in respect of the life to come It is some thing in the eyes of men which see onely things present but before God which seeth things to come which is eternity which wanteth all measure it is altogether nothing This teacheth vs that our life how long soeuer it be being compared with the eternity of God is as nothing and worldly prosperity beeing compared with eternall felicity is as nothing God is infinite and our life is finite it were a most vnequall valuation to compare and much more to preferre things which are in no proportion of goodnesse to the things which are vnder-valued for betweene temporall and eternall heauenly and earthly things can be no proportion One day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2. Pet. 3. 8. I am Alpha and Omega saith God Reu. 1. 11. the first and the last without beginning and without end But man had beginning for hee was made of the dust of the earth Gen. 2. 7. and man shall haue an end of his time for hee shall returne to dust Gen. 3. 19. What proportion is there betweene God and man God is the Creator man the creature God is Immortall man mortall God the Maker man made by God God the Potter man the vessell of earth God is mighty man is weake If persecution happen saint not God is mighty if pouerty shrinke not God is wealthy if thy conscience grieue thee runne to God hee is mercifull if thy ignorance dismay thee run to God hee is wisedome Worldly prosperity is of short continuance but heauenly happinesse shall continue for euer This serues to instruct vs to preferre the life to come before this life for in the world to come there is life without death rest without labour health without griefe light without darkenesse day without night and happinesse without end The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither came into mans heart what God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2. 9. In heauen there is no sickenesse nor sorrow no crying out nor complainig There is no neede of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it and the Lambe is the light of it And the people which are saued shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shall bring their honour and glory vnto it And the gates of it shall not be shut by day for there shall be no night there Reu. 21. 23. 24. 25. As God is our light heere so hee will be in heauen Hee is the Sun which borroweth not light from another Hee is the Way Ioh. 14. 6. The Dore Ioh. 10. 9. The Vine Ioh. 15. 1. The liuing Bread Ioh. 6. 51. Hee is the light by