To be plaine what are we but clay in the great potters hand GOD make us pitchers of mercie and not of wrath vessels of honour and not of dishonour What are we not idle spectators but reall actors in the scene of this world and God is the great playmaster and ring-leader what ever habite or person he commandeth us to take that wee must play well Let us enact a comedie and not a tragedie for this hath a joyfull beginning but a wofull end Lord make us wise actors and not formalists temporizers verbalists hypocrites that in the last act of our lives which either is the most joyfull or the most dolefull wee may prove good solid and persevering Christians that so wee may receive the crowne of life The seconduse is of consolation Is it Gods appointment to take from us by death these whom we love in their life as our other selves such as a dutifull wife an obedient childe a kinde friend then let us say with Job chap. 1. v. 21. The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed bee the name of the Lord. Let us not burst out into womanish complaints O dear father where art thou O sweet son where art thou O loving husband where art thou shall I see you no more Nor unto heathenish and comfortlesse exclamations in cursing the elements or in blaspheming their false gods thirtie thousand in number nor unto the excessive or immoderate lamentations of some Paganes as these of China who burie themselves quick with their dead nor unto the barbarous savage custome of Scythia who burie their dead in their stomacks by eating thē nor unto the vaine super fluities of Indian or Egyptiack lustrations or denicall festivities viscerations funerall playes and banquets called Silicernia invented by the old Romanes nor unto the sottish and blockish stupiditie apathie or indolence of the Stoicks who had no more sense then if they were stocks or stones and defined man to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est well wrought clay who with Epictetus thought no more of the death of their trustie and best friend then of a pitcher fallen broken upon the ground but wee ought to keepe a laudable sobriety golden mediocrity having warrant of God instinct of nature practise of Christ examples of the Saints 1. Warrant of God who commands us mourne with those that mourn for we shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. And if he be moved in the very bowels of his compassion for the sinnes of his people how should wee bee moved for our owne sinnes which procure our death and the death of our best beloved for the Christian heart should not be a marble but a melting not a stony but a fleshie not a hardened but a contrite heart and godly sorrow is one of the passions thereof 2. Instinct of nature not only the tender hearted Pelican but the irony hearted Ostrich wil love her young ones the cruell Lyonesse the fierce Tigre the fierie Dragon the venemous Serpent Viper Basilisk will bring up and nourish their wicked broode and shall a reasonable mother forget her childe or when it is dead before her not let a tear fall or can the son here present see his loving father and compassionate mother lye cold and stiffe and not sigh sob groane weep to testifie his inward howbeit inutterable grief in such case where the eyes are dry the heart must be of stone flint adamant 3. Practice of Christ who wept over dead Lazarus he might have quickened him at the first instant yet to expresse his naturall affection hee wept but we seeing we cannot restore these two unto life let us mourne for them for fear the God of nature thinke us unnaturall who if wee shed moderate teares hee will seal them up in the bottel of mercies till at length he wipe all tears from our eyes that we may see clearly these quos praemittimus non amittimus quos non absumptura mors sed aeternitas receptura est that is whom we lose not but send before us whom death will not consume but eternitie resume as saith Ambrose So that we ought to glory in this that in them as arrha's and pledges and forerunners one part of us is already glorified 4 Examples of the Saints as of Abraham Gen. 23. 2. who mourned for his wife Sarah Of Jacob Gen. 37. 33. who mourned exceedingly for Joseph whom hee thought a wilde beast had rent in pieces Of Joseph againe Gen. 50. 1. who fell upon Jacob his fathers face and wept upon him and kissed him Of David 2 Sam. 1. who lamented with his lamentation over Saul and Jonathan Of Judah and Jerusalem with Jeremie and the singers who mourned greatly in the death of their good king Josiah which is called the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon Zech. 12. 11. Object But yee will say What may we not weep exceedingly at funerals being grounded upon that same publick example of the Israelites 2. Chron. 35. 24 I answer Indeed all occasions are not alike by reason of the divers qualities of the defunct who being all one to God to man are not so Therefore if at any time great lamentation should have place and if the nobilitie ministery commonaltie should utter their inward grief with outward gesture-of cloathes or speeches then it should be especially at the death of good godly and vertuous pr inces who because they are Gods lieutenants deputies and vicegerents and vive representations on earth God himself calleth them gods and will have them to die like men Now as in their lives and reignes we ought them for conscience sake worldly respect and civill honour so in their death we should be affected towards their happie memories as it becometh Christians because oftentimes by the sinnes of the people many princes reigne for our sins alas our sinnes they remove the light of Gods favourable countenance with the best men in church and policie who because we are not worthy of them such as Heroick kings well-affected nobles wise counsellers great officers of state inferiour judges religious prelates zealous preachers who are as so many lamping lights and beautiful stars in the right hand of Christ fixed by God in the firmament of his militant Church are often taken from us in judgement and if they be once eclipsed like the sun they breed darknes upon the horizon of this inferior world Did ye not deeply consider when that God from the heavens did frown upon us in taking away the only Solomon of our time our gracious Soveraigne King JAMES of thrice happy memory two of our speciall pieres two props of our common-wealth with two great divines two pillars of our church followed a little thereafter and yet we had greater occasion to mourn for our sinnes then for them for they were taken away that they might not see the judgements to come But not to digresse overmuch upon this discourse receive these two wholesome instructions The first is out
easie and precious death in the eyes of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an happie death is immortalitie to soul and body for every manner of death how execrable soever shall be sanctified on the tree whereon Christ was crucified And thus farre of all the points of my text Now my Noble Honourable Reverent and well beloved Auditors least I should omit any circumstance of this action looked for by you I come to these two dead corps lying at the lippe of the grave from which yee have received six directions and if they could speak any more they would make up the seventh which is the most perfect number that is to say Learne of us to die for ye must follow after us and we cannot come backe unto you So their mouthes are stopped and we need not to speak unto them any more for they will not hear us therefore wee must speake something of them To pray God for them we should not for it will not availe them to praise them howbeit praise worthie I am assured that criticks and censurers would take to themselves larger matter then perhaps were given them all consenting with one voice and minde that I a friend were driven by the violent streame of affection and the tempestuous storme of passion either upon the Scylla of ostentation or the Charibdis of assentation But I hope the saile of my sinceritie shall carry the ship of my minde from these two rocks to the safe harbour of your favourable audience and sparing censures and that my mouth shall utter nothing but that which the carper himself a framed friend an impartiall judge a charitable christian ought to say to wit That this rare spectacle of one husband and spouse which cannot be severed in death would seeme in the eyes of a naturall man pitifull and deplorable but to us who see with spirituall eyes joyfull and comfortable for they are with God And this is remarkable Their joy was one their grief one their love one their life one their death one their buriall one their tombe one their grave one their glory one And great is our union with them howbeit we be separate for a while for charitie biddeth us say That our baptisme is one our faith one our hope one our love one our reward one our pilgrimage one our race one our warfare one our countrey one our common-wealth one our citie one our religion one our church one our spirit one our Christ one our God one the father of us all above us all in us all all in all These are strait bands betwixt them and us for that same golden chaine of mercie which hath pulled them unto heaven is fastned to our souls that we also in our own time may be drawne hither In the meane time we are banished and strangers they gone home and citizens we in Sodom they in Zoar wee in O Enon they in Salem wee in a terrestriall cottage they in a celestiall paradise we in clayie tabernacles they in glorious pavilions we are on this border of the sea they on the other wee drowned in the sea they in the ark wee in the desert they upon the top of mount Pisgah we in Egypt they in Canaan we tost to and fro they in the harbour mouth Againe we in a labyrinth they in the fortunate Isles and Elisian fields wee hunt after shadows they enjoy the substance wee amongst Bears and Wolves they with the Lambe we fighting they triumphing And what more we sick they whole we blinde they enlightned with that inaccessible light we see through a glasse they face to face wee know in part they fully we poore they rich wee naked they cloathed wee weare clouts and rags they bear crownes and scepters we hungrie they satisfied we feed upon the fruits of the earth they upon that quickning Manna the bread of Angels we imprisoned they set at libertie and that which the ignorant would thinke a wonder wee dead and they living Why go wee then with mourning apparell seeing they have white robes Why weep we any more seeing all teares are wiped from their eyes Why do wee lament seeing they sing songs of triumph upon golden harps and viols with the melodious harmonious sweet-singing-chorestrie of Angels Surely if it were possible that glorified souls were subject to grief they have greater occasion to mourn for us then wefor them whose bands amongst themselves are so unseparable that death cannot break them and greater love wee read not of any two then of these for it is stronger then death O happie couple above the eloquence of man and angel Many a loyall husband and chaste spouse would be glad of such an end And what an end Let the envious Momus and injurious backbiter hold their peace and let me who stand in the presence of God and in the face of his people and in the chaire of veritie tell the truth to wit That honourable Baron whose corps lyeth there in the flower of his yeares in the strength of his youth in the prime of his designes even when young men use to take up themselves is fallen and mowne downe from amongst us like a may flower in a green meadow His vertuous Lady who having languished a little after him howbeit tender in body yet strong in minde and full of courage took her dear husbands death in so good part that shee did not give the least token of hopelesse and helplesse sorrow Yet wearying to stay after her love she posted after him and slept peaceably in the Lord as her husband before her This Noblemen Gentlemen and men of account amongst us have assured mee So then as neither the husbands ancient house nor his honourable birth nor his noble allye nor his able and strong body nor his kinde stout liberall minde nor the rest of the ornaments which were in him alive and which recommend brave gentlemen to the view of this gazing world could keepe him from a preceding death So neither the spouses noble race of generous and religious progenitours nor a wise carriage in a well led life nor the rest of her womanish perfections could free her from a subsequent death both due to them and us for our sins God hath forgiven theirs God forgive ours also They have done in few all that can be done in many yeares They have died well God give us the like grace In the mean time their reliques and exuvies terrae depositum shall lye there amongst other dead corps of their forebears and aftercommers all attending a generall resurrection And their souls the best part of them coeli depositum have surpassed the bounds of this inferior world and are carried upon the wings of Cherubims and Seraphins to the bosome of Abraham for to change servitude with libertie earth with heaven miserie with felicitie and to bee made partakers of that beatifick vision reall union actuall fruition of our God in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are
requested by my near and dear friends yea abundantly warranted by these who have the prioritie of place in church government above me and as it seemeth by your favourable silence and Christian attention invited to speak I have purposed by the speciall concurrence and assistance of the spirit of my God to deliver unto you a brief meditation upon death Pray ye all to God to engrave it by the finger of his all-pearcing spirit in the vive depth of my heart that again by way of spirituall communication I may write it upon the tables of your hearts as it were with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond that both preacher and hearer may lay it up in their memories and practise it in their lives and conversations And I intreat you all and most of all these who are of a tender conscience I entreat you I say in the tender bowels of mercie not to misconstruct my coming hither which ought rather to be a matter of singular comfort then of prejudged censure a matter of profitable instruction rather then of envious emulation a matter of pious devotion then of repining contention I think not shame with the glorious apostle to preach in season and out of season for the converting winning and ingathering of soules I do not say this That I consent to these who contemne and condemne altogether such meetings for albeit I would confesse unto them that the time place and persons were extraordinarie as indeed they may seem to these who have not travailed out of their paroch churches or seen forrein countries yet the customes of the primitive church see Nazianzen Ambrose Jerome c. and of our reformed churches in France Genevah Germanie upper and lower in great Britaine and elsewhere maketh all three ordinarie and the subject of this present meditation viz. Death proveth the same to be common THE SERMON Hebr. 9. 27. For it is appointed for men once to die c. THis is a short a memorable a grave assertion Short because few in words but full of substance Memorable because a remembrance of death Grave because the vive representation of it before our eyes should teach us our frail and transitorie condition in this world But that I may proceed with a clear method without the which there is no solid discourse marke these points 1 The logick analysis of these words 2 The grammaticall and criticall expositions 3 The doctrines conforme with their severall uses inferred upon them 4 And lastly the conclusion of this whole action by way of application to these two dead corps As for the analysis I shall not be curious in it Ye see only the subject of this sentence is Men once to die The attribute Appointed The sentence it self is generall because the appointment is generall Death generall The subject of death Man generall The number of death Once if unitie can be a number As for the exposition There are three words which need to be cleared The first whereof is appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded by worthie Suidas Laid up as a reward and so indeed death is the wages of sinne Phavorinus following that most learned Hesychius turneth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is prepared and so indeed it is prepared for all men once to die But our Greek and Latine ancient and moderne writers translate it ordeined decreed established for all men once to die I embrace their orthodox versions yet they will suffer me to explain this word by others in scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is foreseen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is foreknown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is fore-purposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is predestinate that all men must once die I confesse all these foure words are to man diverse modo percipiendi yet to God they are all one who howbeit he be the first and the last yet in him there is neither first noâ— last So that the meaning is this It is the irresistible will eternall decree unchangeable purpose unsearchable counsel of the wise and everliving God That all men and women living upon the face of the earth must once die Obj. But this may be called into question by two or three instances taken out of the old and new testaments In the old Genes 5. we read That Enoch was no more seen by man but taken by God And 2 King cap. 2. that Elias was caught up in a fierie chariot unto heaven so that they were both translated not to see death In the new we read 1 Thess 4. That these who shall survive at the day of judgement they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and caught up into the clouds for to meet with the Lord in the aire and to be ever with him so that these also shal not taste of death I answer first That some few extraordinarie instances do not altogether break the band of ordinarie courses once set down by God who is without shadow of turning or changing Secondly I answer That Enoch and Elias in so far as they were men they were mortall but in so far as they were such men they were immortall that is In so far as they were types of the resurrection and of the prototype Jesus the immortall coeternall coessentiall Son of God the Father And as for those who shall remain alive upon the earth on that great day their death will not be reall but analogicall not actuall but virtuall or equivalent that is They shall not die as their predecessours a naturall death but their extraordinarie change shall supply or be in stead of an ordinarie death So that ye may manifestly perceive the appointment of God is surer then the center of the earth or the foundation of the heavens for these two are grounded upon it and it upon none except it self the center and fundament of all whose appointment is himself in whom there is no composition no accident Quicquid enim in Deo Deus est that is whatsoever is in God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very God him very self one and the same yesterday to day and for ever And thus far of the exposition of the first word appointed The second word is Death Suidas by a periphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a refuge from evils and as it were a most safe haven after some storme Phavoâ—inus who wrote after the rest of Greek authours giveth foure short descriptions of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A separation of the soul from the bodie A disjunction of the foure elements whereof our bodies are made The loosing of the life The chasing away of cares Scripture calleth it a loosing not a losing or dissolution not a destruction Our Theologues they commonly make three sorts of death First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturall death not that nature is the cause of it for it is sui conservatrix a defender of it self but that it is made common
to all things in nature and under the sun things also above the divine nature onely excepted have their owne changes as well as their influences Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Violent death when the course of nature is interrupted by some strange event common also to all living creatures And the Pagans themselves without any contradiction acknowledged these two sorts The third is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The death of deaths called spirituall death and it is twofold either first when a man is dead in his sins through desertion occoecation obduration impenitence or last when a man because of his continuance in the same is cast away from Gods presence and union as a reprobate and consequently is adjudged to the hells without any recoverie deliverie mercie God preserve us from this estate and happy shall we be if we die before we die for so we shall not die when we die that is if we die to sin before our bodie die for so when it dieth we shall not die spiritually and he that will live when he is dead must die while he is alive that whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we die we die to the Lord Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. For Christ to us in death and life is advantage Philip. 1. 21. For Christ therefore died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. And thus far of the exposition of the second word Death The third word is Man I know the naturalists being blindfolded intoxicate and infatuate with self-love and self-conceipt gave innumerable glorious titles to man and amongst the rest they called him the monarch of heaven and earth the midst betwixt the Creatour and the creature the Lord compend and picture of this world a little world the delight and miracle of nature the miracle of miracles yea a mortall God and as the Stoicks say in one thing lesse then God But it is to be remarked that the most solid Philosophers did call man amongst other disparagements the patterne of imbecilitie the prey of time the pastime of fortune the pourtraict of inconstancy the subject of envie and calamitie Or as Diogenes saith rottennesse in his beginning a beast in his life the food of worms in his death But to leave all exotick observations let us speak of him in the language of Canaan There are three words which in the originall signifie man The first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noble strong worthie excellent man for in the estate of innocencie and integritie he was created perfectly holy in body and soul in which sense Philo Judaeus calleth God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the patterne and man Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effigie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workmanship But alas O man thou hast made a great change and hast lost infinite treasures for earthly toyes of holy thou art become unholy of perfect imperfect and art metamorphosed from the image of God to the image of Satan The second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enosch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 painefull sorrowfull miserable man for by his vile apostasie from his Lord and King from his Master and Father he hath brought shame and punishment upon himself and through him to his whole posterity as water is derived through the channell to the streams or as the sappe of a tree is sent up from the roote to the branches The third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam and this word is almost one with Enosch for it signifieth weak feeble impotent man and so it is distinguished from Isch As in greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differs from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalme 49. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene Isch that is the rich and the poore the noble and the ignoble potent and impotent But this third word Adam signifieth most especiallie the matter whereof wee are made clay earth dust And in this sense Moses Deut. 32. Jer. 22. 29. say O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord that is O man man man earth by constitution earth by disposition earth by dissolution set down in the Latine wel terra quam terimus terra quam gerimus terra quam quaerimus And Chrysostome saith more it is our countrey ournurse our mother our board our house our sepulchre Augustine tearmes it our strange land and Nazianzen our step-mother and this is Gods own conference with man in that terrestriall paradise Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return confessed by Abraham Gen. 18. 27. I am but dust and ashes and by Job ch 10. 9. O Lord thou hast made me as a pot of clay and wilt bring me unto dust again And this is amplified by Solomon Siracides yea the Turks and Pagans who affirme that we were once made of earth must return to it again as waters to the sea And this is Gods owne voice to Isaias ch 40. 6. repeated in 1. Peter 1. 24. All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof decayeth Where first mark the matter of man in the word flesh that is a senslesse dead lump till that the Lord and Prince of life breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and so he become a living soule Secondly the continuance of man and that very short represented first by grasse which the mower cutteth the winde withereth the frost consumeth secondly by a flower which the hand plucketh the winde shaketh the rain walloweth both of small endurance for one winter taketh away both Even so man may in the pleasant flower of his age bud flourish fructifie but when the smiting winde of Gods decree bloweth on him he withereth decayeth dieth And when hee is gone were he ever so glorious in this life there is no more memorie of him then of a beautifull flower in a mowen meadow his loyall wife his loving children his neare friends his dear companions all forget him and howbeit in the vanitie of their ambitious spirit and pride of their loftie heart they would erect sumptuous tombes speaking trophees gorgious monuments onely times prey upon him he is not sensible of such things for Esay 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not and after this life he must be in one of these two estates without a third either in hell sempiternally confined and if he bee there what comfort can hee receive of funerall preparations multitudes of convoy bearing of branches and such like superfluities which reach not beyond the span of this life or if he be triumphing in heaven no earthly pompe no humane magnificence no worldly preheminence can adde any thing to that superexcellent weight of glory no more then a drachme to the weight of the whole earth or
to live that I may live with Christ This made Ambrose to say I am not afraid to die because I have a good master This made the Apostle St. Paul to say I desire to be dissolved to be with Christ for that is the best of al and That al otherthings are but drosse and dung in respect of the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ God worke this desire in us for while wee are at home in these bodies we are absent from the Lord and ground it upon the assurance of the remission of our sinnes and our perfect union and plenary reconciliation with our God in Christ Jesus The Lord give us grace to be perswaded with the Apostle that if the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. But alas here is our miserie that every one of our bodies is a remora to hinder the ship of our soules to stretch sail within the saving harborie of Gods crowning mercies God fasten the anchors of our faith and hope therein that after the tempest of this life we may enjoy peace and everlasting happinesse The third doctrine by way of consequence is this It is appointed Then let no man fear death for it is inevitable and whether we flie from it or goe to it it ever followeth us at the heels it hangeth over our heads as the rock doth Tantalus his head which cannot bee removed There are who desire not to hear tell of it at all and if the preacher urge this point hee becommeth odious To the old Latines this word was so ominous that they periphrased it by another for when they should have said in plaine termes Mortuus est He is dead they said Vixit He lived Abiit ad plures He went to moe for there are moe dead then living As for the vulgar sort they are so besotted with a bruitall stupiditie that they thinke not on death at all But a generous heart should make it its object its butt acquainting it selfe with it at all times representing it before its eyes even in the least occurrences it may seize upon us A king of France died of a small skelfe of a speare in the midst of his pastime An Emperour of the scratching of a pinne Anacreon of one graine of a raisin Aeschylus of the shel of a snaile which fell from the clawes of an Eagle in the aire Milon with both his hands in the clift of an oak Charles of Navarre of the fire of a candle in aquavitae Philemon and Philistion of laughter Dionyse Tyran Diagoras and others of joy O what a feeble creature is man that the very least vermine spider gnat doth kill him and yet feareth death which the Hart the Elephant Phoenix and longest living creatures must yeeld to without any grudging or reluctance Certainly there is no passion more violent in man then feare and produces more strange effects but of all feares the fear of death is the most foolish mad and desperate for it may wel hasten aggravate but never stay or diminish the dint thereof Multi ad fatum venere suum dum fata timent Many precipitate their end in fearing it Seneca in O Edip. Optanda mors est sine metu mortis mori the most desirable death is to dy without fear of death Idem Aristotle the chief of Philosophers calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most fearfull because as it cannot be eschewed so it killeth the man Yet this is a maxime that no sound naturalists will goe from that good and valiant citizens such as Pericles praised in his funerall oration should undergoe it for the defence of their wives children friends citie countrey gods And the Stoicks themselves defend their Philosophie to bee a continuall meditation upon death because the motion of the soule being ravished out of the body by contemplation is a prentiship or resemblance of death And they deemed him to be the best Philosopher who gave the surest precepts against the feare of death So in my opinion he is the best divine who teacheth himselfe and others to doe well to die well Would we die well let us first doe well Qualis vita finis ita such life such death August Non potest male mori qui bene vixerit he cannot die ill who lived well for a godly life hath a happie death The very Paganes of old the Romanes Greeks Egyptians who howbeit they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Rom. 1. 21. and ignored the resurrection of the dead yet they might have taught many of us now adayes by a spotlesse life before the world to die well because they esteemed an easie death should follow after a reproachlesse life But alas men live now as if there were no death to follow no hell to swallow no count to render no judgement to be executed no soul to keepe no God to fear no devill to torment or else they lull themselves asleepe on the devils pillow the cradle of carnall securitie And with the Epicure Sardanapalus and the rich glutton they never thinke upon death till it surprise them and they either care not because they conclude there is no pleasure after this life or else they despaire casting themselves headlong into horrible agonies and inextricable perplexities In the mean time ye may wonder that Pythagoras Socrates Anaxarchus Codrus Cleombrotus Curtius Seneca Cato Cleopatra died resolvedly and yet they knew not where they were going Why then are we pultrons and cowards seeing we are assured to go upon the wings of angels to the bosome of Abraham Their naturall courage made them to disdaine it Mors non metuenda viris Manhood is not daunted with death Lucanus Shall not then our spirituall knowledge perswade us that our death is nothing but a passage to life a passe-port to immortalitie a doore to paradise a seasure of heaven a chartre upon glory or as saith Bernard a passage from labour to rest from hope to reward from the combate to the crowne from death to life from faith to knowledge from pilgrimage to our long home from the world to our father And as another saith It is a change of the crosse unto the crown of the prison to the palace of captivity unto liberty Scripture is more pithie it calleth it A sleep a rest of our flesh in hope a going to our fathers a gathering to our people a recommending of our spirit to God a rendring up of the ghost a walking with God and the Lambe Object But some may say here Why should we not fear seeing worthie persons yea reverend church-men who led a godly life and exhorted sundrie not to fear were mightily troubled at their death and when they should have had most peace they were most disquieted I answer Their fear was a diligent not a diffident a holy not a hellish a filial not a servile a godly not a
devilish fear because they feared God as a judge and they hoped in him as a Saviour they feared him and so they sued for him appealing from the tribunall of his justice to the throne of his mercie ab irato Caesare ad placatum from an offended God in the height of his justice to a pacified God in the depth of his mercies And I would have the simple ignorant people to know here that outward disturbances in fits of heavie exasperate inveterate sicknesse are not evident and infallible tokens of a totall or finall desertion for the godly patients may have inward joy glorious and unspeakable which the standers by see not And by the contrarie some who have led a lewd life without any remorse of conscience or compunction or contrition of heart may seeme to have a peaceable death and say that they are ready for their God when in the meane time their heart giveth their mouth the lie Others desire to die because of great povertie or intolerable paines or losse of goods good name friends c. But God make us not to fear death because we are assured of his favour in the pardon of our huge and manifold transgressions and imputation of Christs righteousnesse for that is only the thing which justifieth us before God Use of encouragement Then why should we fear death Agathias calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of tranquilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stayer of sicknesse Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest remedie of evills Aeschylus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the medicine of incurable diseases Anacreon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deliverie from travels which after trouble giveth us rest healeth our sicknes taketh away our povertie endeth our greatest feares and cares It is the way of all flesh and it is common to kings and beggars as well to die as to be borne And one of the seven sages Thales saith that they are both indifferent But to Christians they are both profitable for Christ in life and death is advantage Philip. 1. 21. If it please the Lord we live let us employ our life well for it is a talent given to us for the use of our Master if to die what need we to fear for all these who are gone before us cry out Come come after us there is no danger in death all the hazard we incurre and jeopardie wee run into is in our lives Is not this life a continuall miserie a perpetuall tempest a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common hostage and receptacle of all calamities and our death is an issue of these miseries the harbrie mouth leading us to the most sure haven the heaven of heavens the bridegroomes chamber 1 Object Death is most dangerous and so most fearfull because it is the way to hell from the which there is no regresse Answer To the wicked indeed it is such but to the godly it is the gate to heaven and hither you must make your progresse 2 Object It takes away my life which is so near and dear unto me Answer Upon a condition to give a better which shall never bee taken from thee 3. Object But my losses are great Answer Let me never hear that of thee againe that it is a great losse of such a mans life or that thou losest any thing in death that is an idle querimony to the which Socrates answereth O dii boni quantum lucri est emori O what great gaine is it to die for ye may leave an earthly possession for an heavenly patrimonie uncertaine goods for a certaine treasure the company of the wicked for Saints and Angels earth for heaven basenesse for glory unsufficiencie for alsufficiencie 4. Object But there are paines in death Answer There is nothing without paines and the better the thing be the greater paines but to speak properly it is the remnant of thy life that tormenteth thee and not thy death for what is it but a not being in this world for when we are death is not and when death is wee are not Now a not being hath no dolour for as when wee were not at all wee found no dolour so when we shall not bee wee shall finde none Wherefore then fearest thou the day of death for every day of thy life is a preparation to it and that last period of dayes is not properly thy death allenarly for every day contributeth to it And as the last drop emptieth not nor filleth the bottle and the last path wearieth not nor the last stroake cutteth downe all the trunke of the tree but every one helpeth another so every day we go to death and the last wee arrive at it So that it boats with us it rideth behinde us and leaveth us no more then the shadow of our bodies till at last it cut the thred of our desires and lives and take us from the world and from our selves So that we die at all houres and all moments and if we desire to live long we enjoy a languishing death victorious in many assaults So that Epictetus answered well to Hadrian demanding this question Which is the best life he answered The shortest And Solomon saith That the day of our death is better then the day of our nativitie for this is the beginning of our dolours and that is the end and our accesse to supreme happinesse for then this body shall returne to the dust and the spirit to God the giver with whom we shall enjoy a full life and our passions shall be buried and our reason enlarged and the whole man placed in his owne element the heaven his countrey from the which hee was banished Furthermore did not Cicero Seneca and before them Theophrastus Crantor Xenocrates leave rare monuments and documents against immoderate dolour in death as also against the fear thereof but thou art better taught then those that death is the very entry to that eternall day nunc stans feast Sabaoth with the Ancient of dayes and that the separation of the soule from this body is nothing but an union and communion with God And shall naughtie souldiers under their temporarie captaine hazard their mispent life at the mouth of the canon in a furious skirmish for the pennie-pay and thou not lay down this tedious life for the kingdome of heaven whereunto thou hast undoubted right by thy triumphing generall the captaine of thy salvation the Lord Jesus the Lord of Hosts 5. Object But the pangs of death are insupportable who can abide these cruell and deadly wounds Answer That same Jesus by his glorious and meritorious death hath sweetned seasoned sanctified them to thee in such fashion that they shall be unto thee like the launcet of a Chirurgion which pricketh and healeth together like worme-wood or the potion of a skilfull mediciner which is sowre but wholesome 6. Object But the feare of judgement after death maketh me afraid Answer That same Lord Jesus judge of judges thy eldest brother shall be thy
judge in that great day of retribution and remuneration and hee cannot but looke upon thee with compassionate eyes seeing he is flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bones and thy cause is his cause for he is thy advocate and intercessour daily 7. Object But the paines of hell which are unspeakable universall eternall are very fearfull and much affright me Answ That same Jesus thy redeemer as he made the grave his bed so hee keeps the keyes of hell and the gates thereof cannot prevail against thee To conclude then let us all resolve couragiously to attend death laying aside all fear ever hoping that the Lord shall be with us to the end and in the end Blessed shall we be if we die in him for so we shall rest from our labours and in death celebrate three solemnities First our birth day for wee shall revive Secondly our mariage day which shall be accomplished with Christ Thirdly our triumph day for through Christ we shall triumph over the world our own flesh sinne death the grave hell the devill principalities and powers whatsoever and receive that crowne of glory So that through Christ we are more then conquerours who saith I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction Hosea chap. 13. 14. Are wee gods in Christ let us not fear death Lethum non omnia finit Propertius Death puts not a period to all things I say more death maketh us endlesse Cicero affirmeth that after death hee shall bee immortall Horace that the best part of him shall live Ovid that the best part of him shall be carried above the starres The Egyptians Brachmanes Indians Thracians Persians Macedonians Arabians Americanes and all polished nations have consented to the immortalitie of the soule But here wee surpasse them that after death and resurrection our bodies shall live for ever This is an essentiall and fundamentall point of our belief THE SUBIECT Men once to die NOw let me speak of the subject of this assertion Man once to die It is not said in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men because indefinite propositions in matters necessary are universall The meaning is All men and women must once die Ovid Tendimus huc omnes we tend all to death and that once Horace saith very well Omnes eodem cogimur Omnes manet una nox calcanda semel via lethi This is a passage common to all and let it be so wee should live again wee must runne over the same race Catullus and Epictetus say That as our life is but one day so our death is but one night The doctrine upon the subject is this As there is nothing more certain then death so there is nothing more uncertain then the time place and manner thereof This doctrine hath two points I prove the first that there is nothing more certaine then death leaving the former reasons First from the word fatum which expresseth the nature of death so called a fando because the Lord hath spoken it his word is his work And seeing he hath uttered this sentence That all men must once die it cannot but come to passe So that there is a fatall infallible inexpugnable necessitant necessitie laid upon man once to die Man is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a visible God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compend of this great world and as the heavens and earth wax old and perish so he the resemblance of both must follow the patterne I confesse with Zoroaster and Trismegistus that he is an admirable piece of nature because both natures superior and inferior uncreated and created do meet in him And if these visible creatures bee as so many scales to climbe to that invisible Creator man must be one of the most curious steps of that ladder If we look within the intrals of the earth we may see there rich mines of silver gold and precious stones If we behold the face of it we shall finde there such a varietie of herbs flowers fruits trees creatures which may breed admiration in the dullest spirits And is the sea lesse admirable by reason of the flux and reflux thereof the quantitie of fishes and monsters therein nourished And is the aire any thing inferior to these two full of fowles clouds raines snow haile lightnings thunder and innumerable meteors But when wee lift up our eyes to the astonishing vault of heaven whose curtaines are spread over these enlightned with the sunne and moone and twinkling stars with their towres retowres aspects effects influences we cannot but be ravished with a more singular and divine contemplation Yet here is a greater wonder that all these things are abridged in thee O man of seven foot-length And as the world is a book in the which God may be read in capitall letters so both the world and God may by the most ignorant easilie be read in thee as in a written table seene in thee as in a clear glasse Thy flesh represents the dust thy bones the rockes thy liver the sea thy veines rivers thy breath the aire thy naturall heat the fire thy head the heavens thy eyes the stars thy joynts moving so actively sinnews stirring so nimbly senses working so quickly like the secret resorts of nature But I pray thee enter within thy inward parts so excellent thy spirit so supernatuall thy reason so divine thy appetite so infinite thy soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the engraven image of God thou maist justly say that thou art ultimus naturae foetus the last essay and effort of nature and the theater whereupon God may be seene with mortall eyes representing the foure corners of the world thy face the east thy back the west thy right side the south thy left the north And whereas other creatures have their countenance downward towards their naturall mother the earth thine are upward toward thy spirituall father God that thou mayest raise thy self from all earthly vanitie to a serious contemplation of the divinitie wherein are placed thy unchangeable comfort thy unspeakable contentment thy unconceivable felicitie Whence I inferre this Whatsoever of us is like to the creature must die but that which hath received the indeleble character of God is perpetuall So that our souls are immortall our bodies are vassals and slaves of death in which respect wee are all said to die And that this doctrine may bee the more clear I shall prove it in the second place by way of induction Look to the vertues the stout as well as the rash or the coward the temperate as well as the untemperate or stupid the liberall as well as the prodigall or avaricious the magnificent as well as the niggard or vainglorious the magnanimous as well as the proud or pusilanimous the modest as well as the ambitious or base