MOSES His sight of Canaan With SIMEON his Dying-Song Directing How to liue holily and dye happily BY Steuen Jerome late Preacher at St. BRIDES Seene and allowed Nascentes morimur finisque aborigine pendet LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his Shop neare to the Conduit in Fleetstreete 1614. The chiefe Contents of the two subsequent TREATISES In Moses his sight of Sion these things are obseruable 1 THE Case of the Inheritance of Daughters propounded page 1 2 How Cases are wisely to be carryed before the Magistrate pag. 3 3 The true Rule of iudging Cases Consultation with God pag. 4 4 The Case adiudged and spiritually applyed pag. 6 5 Moses is forewarned to dye and how God forewarnes vs. pag. 9 6 All must dye 13 7 God prepares his Children to dye as hee did Moses by shewing them Canaan 14 8 Moses his obedience to Gods summons a patterne to vs. 15 9 Fifteene Resemblances of Death to Sleepe 16 10 Fiue Considerations to imbrace Death as willingly as we sleepe naturally 23 11 Sixteene Comforts against the feare of Death in these ensuing particulars 35 1 GOD who infused the Soule cals for it againe 36 2 Sinne the sting of Death is taken away by Christs death 37 3 God as a Father is present at the death of his Children 39 4 Death is no death but a dissolution to the godly 41 5 The Saints shall know and enioy their friends in glory 43 6 Death frees the soule from her spirituall enemies 44 7 It deliuers from euils present and to come 47 8 It ends Sinnes Conflicts with Heauens Tryumphs 48 9 It frees vs from conuersing with the wicked 51 10 It secures vs from corrupting by the wicked 55 11 It secures from the malice of the mighty 56 12 Our good name is cleared in Death which calumny ecclypsed in life 57 13 Death tryes and declares the sinceritie and measure of grace 63 14 It is the inheritance of the Saints as it is the terrour of the wicked 64 15 The Christian should in death desire Christ who by death desired him 71 16 Death is the common Inne of all flesh where the Saints are refreshed 75 In Simeons dying Song these are the chiefe Notes both from the Doctrines and the Vses THE force of Examples eyther for imitation of Vertue or detestation of Vice 77 The vaine Songs and Sonnets of our age iustly reproued 79 Our singing as corrected so directed 80 The ground of all our reioycing must be in and for Christ 81 The sensuall and sinnefull ioyes of worldlings iustly taxed 83. 84. c. Wee must be truely thankefull for Christ 86 Tenne Reasons to incite vs to the duty of gratulation with the vses 88. 89 The great mistery and greater mercy of Christ incarnate 92. 93. c. Wee must be borne againe to CHRIST and and hee borne in vs as hee was borne for vs 95 The glorious Name of the Lord must not be vsed vpon euery triuiall occasion 97 How bootlesse it is for the wicked in death to cry Lord Lord. 99 The godly haue diuers raptures and secret ioyes in life and death 101 These Ioyes demonstrated in sixe particulars 103 Three Reasons of these extraordinarie Rauishments 105 Worldlings farre wide that thinke Christians Melancholicques and comfortlesse 106 Foure Comforts of the Christian which the world neyther knowes nor feeles 107 All the Patriarkes and Prophets since the promise haue expected the Messias 110 Wee see Christ more clearely then the primitiue Saints 111 How Christ came to them how to vs. 112 How wee should entertaine Christ with Redargution and Commination of the Iewes and our ingratitude 113 Our desire of long life must be simply to glorifie God 116 Reproofe of the worlds practise in Ministers Magistrates Masters and all sorts ayming at themselues not God 120 The better Christian the more willing to dye 126 Twelue Reasons which cause this willingnesse 127 The point applyed by examination 133 Christ most willing to dye of all the Sonnes of men 135 Seauen Reasons why Death is vnwelcome to the wicked 136 Wicked men may die willingly for sinister respects as Heretiques haue done 143 Fiue meanes to be vsed to make vs willing to our dissolution 144 God manifests his presence at the death of his three wayes 148 How God workes in sinne permissiuely disposingly c. but neuer workes sinne 151 Euery death for Time Place Matter Manner is determined by God 153 Iust inuectiues against Heathenish Fortune 157 The rash censures of men concerning diuers deaths condemned 160 Comforts in that God sees the cause and effect of euery mans maladie 161 Patience perswaded in that it is Gods rod which strikes 162 No meanes can protract or detract from our dayes besides their limits 164 Foure maine Obiections answered 165 Meanes must be vsed both for life temporall and spirituall notwithstanding Gods decree 168 Vnlawfull for any priuate man to take away life from himselfe or others 170 Twelue disswasiue arguments against Selfe-murther 171 The sinne reproued and the frequencie of a deplored 174 Twelue things from experience and Heathenish examples occasioning selfe-killing 179 How to preuent this sinne 188 Euery obstinate sinner from causes naturall and supernaturall accused of selfe-murther 189 The chiefe delight and desire of euery man must be to be Gods Seruant with foure reasons why 196 Multitudes that liue vnder the meanes are ignorant how God should be serued 201 Multitudes reproued that haue as little will as skill to serue God 202 How few ayme at Gods seruice in all their wayes expostulated in particulars 210 Ciuill honest men most enemies to Gods true Seruants and sincere seruice 216 Many in the rancke of Christians serue the Diuell and their owne lusts 218 All the members that haue serued sinne directed to serue God 221 Sixe Motiues perswading to serue God 1 From the end of our Creation 227 2 From our Preseruation 231 3 From our Vocation 233 4 From our Redemption 235 5 From our Profession 237 6 From the Reward ibid. First Reward of Gods seruice Wealth and Riches 238 Second Honour and Dignitie 239 Sinne brings shame and all other iudgements 240 Gods hand vpon his enemies in many iudgements 243 Holinesse is the way to Honour 245 God is most liberall of all Masters 246 Gods seruants best rewarded and regarded in eight particulars 248 God grants the suites of his seruants 252 The godly haue a taste of Heauen here enioyed hereafter 253 God blesseth the wicked oft for his seruants sakes 255 God deliuers his seruants from generall iudgements sixe wayes 257 God and Sathan cannot be serued together 258 The case of Sathans captiues opened 259 Seauen Reasons why the godly must dye as well as the wicked 263 Tenne sins that haue prouoked the Lord to sweepe away the wicked 268 That all must dye exemplified and amplified by many instances 269 The deaths of the worlds Worthies of all sorts epitomized 274 Fiue naturall causes of death 282 Death is as
smite together the sound of death to them is the most harsh of all sounds and puts them sometimes in a deadly sowne the noise of the roaring Canon is not so fearefull to the fainting Souldier nor the Lightning and Thunder was so terrible to Nero as the summons of death to such naturall men whether by the Harbenger thereof Sickenesse or from the condemning voice of a Iudge or by such meanes for these reasons before mentioned What doth this argue but a guiltie conscience a secure soule a hardned heart a carnall minde and a maine measure of infidelitie incredulitie and want of faith in the remission of sinnes the resurrection of the body the immortalitie of the soule and hope of a better life which considerations as they haue moued the ancient and moderne Martyres Ignatius Policarpus Laurence Cyprian and others in our precedent age French Germaine and English to subiect themselues to the mouthes of Lions flames of fire and all other tortures and torments which Madnesse and Malice could inuent c. So the diffidence of these the want of the perswasion of Gods loue and expectation of wrath and vengeance after this mortalitie makes wicked men entertaine Death as Ahab did Elias euen as their greatest enemie as their Iaylor their Serieant their Butcherer their Executioner as the curber of their delights and procurer of their curse Yet that I be not mistaken I doe not here condemne all feare of death and make it such an essentiall note of Gods childe as though euery one that feared God did not at any time or in any respects feare to dye or that wicked men might not sometimes and vpon some seruile respects with some shew of alacritie vndergoe death for First I know that there is in all men a naturall desire to liue which caused Ezekias to mourne when hee was to dye Esay 38.10 And Dauid to pray that his soule might liue Psal 6.4 and Psal 119. As also our Sauiour Christ to desire the Passage of the cuppe from him Luke 22. There being a naturall desire in the best of Gods Saints to liue Nature fearing her dissolution and the body and soule being as loath to part as two friends that a long time haue liued and loued together Secondly besides I know Gods Children may be desirous to liue as to glorifie God more so for some other good ends propounded as for the better setting their estates to their successiue seed for the establishing their houses for to dispose of their Children in some religious courses which was the cause that Ezekias desired to liue say Interpreters because when the Prophet brought this message of death to him hee was without issue and left none to suceede him in his Kingdome as Gods promise was to his Father Dauid 1 King 8 15â—3 Thirdly a godly man is sometimes in distresse and perplexitie of minde as Dauid was vvhen hee made the sixt Psalme at which time hee is vnwilling to depart till GOD shine vpon him againe with his fauour Fourthly a godly man may pray sometimes against some kinde of death as our Sauiour Christ did praying not simply against death but against that cursed death of the Crosse fearing not death but the curse of the Law that went with death Fiftly I know that euen naturall men haue made light account of death such as the Decians and the Fabritians Curtius and Codrus with others amongst the Romanes and Athenians that exposed and spent their liues for the good of their Country I know euen of obstinate Heretiques such as the Gnostiques and the Circumcellions more lately Michael Sernetus many moderne Papists yea the late Arrian burnt in Smithfield haue some of them vndergone death more willingly and chearefully then those that haue had in them farre more grace and sanctification Wicked men may dye willingly for sinister respects but some of these haue imbraced death so welcomly out of a morall desire of doing good to their Country or out of vaineglory to be spoken of like those Heathen or out of obstinacie or desperate madnesse or peruersenesse against the truth or Diabolicall delusions or erronious conceits or Atheisme or opinion of merit or chiefely pride of heart to be magnified and famoused of their fauourites or some other sinister ends not for Gods glory or hope of any better condition after this life as these Heretiques So that my conclusion still holds notwithstanding these doubts and scruples that Grace kisseth Gods rod though in the hand of Death Nature barkes and bites at the hand that holds the rod Gods Sheepe going quietly to their graues like Lambes to be sacrificed carnall men gruntling and complaining like Swine to be butchered Thirdly since that Grace is willing Nature Vse 3 vnwilling to her dissolution all are to be exhorted to vse the meanes to helpe forward their spirituall part to be more willing to curbe their carnall part Meanes to make vs dye willingly in it nilling The meanes are two first priuatiue for the remouall of the impediments which lye in the way secondly positiue in incouraging vs to enter the way of all flesh What the causes are that cause the carnall man to sing Loath to depart you haue heard as namely the losse of his pleasures profits preferments promotions here with the like in all which things wee must looke to our hearts and be watchfull Centurions ouer our affections least they be carryed with too violent a course and torrent in the prosecution and pursuite of these terrestriall and earthly things wee must not be mad vpon the world as worldlings are let vs not place our affections on things below but on things aboue where CHRIST sits at the right hand of GOD let vs vse this World as though wee vsed it not as wee vse Physicke and wines modice medice with moderation and mortification as a Student vseth recreations for necessitie not vanitie let vs not fall downe and worship the Diuell though hee would giue vs it all let vs not bowe the knee to Baal nor adore the golden Calfe nor sell our soules for the trash and the dongue the * Siluer and Gold white and red dust of it as Iudas did let vs touch riches tenderly with our hands not with our hearts as wee doe Thornes because they are Thornes let vs not loue vaine pleasures least after their Beeish honie wee feele their Waspish sting when these charmers charme to delude vs let vs be as wise as Serpents stopping both our eares as shee doth with the taile and the earth remembrance of our ends of which the taile is an embleame and of our earth whither wee shortly must Thus must wee first learne to practise this hardest point of Christianitie in dying to the world ere euer wee can be willing out of faith and feeling to dye out of the world for alas what causeth men that they haue as little heart to goe into their Mother-earth as the Moale hath to come out of the earth but onely
of Albina slaine by their wiues Agamemnon by Clitemnestra King Sarematar by Circes Antoninus the Emperour by his Wife Luulla Or if wee ponder Wiues butchered by their Husbands as Poppea was by Nero Queene Glosinda by Chilpericus Fausta the Empresse by Constantine as also the Wife of Mithridates the King of Pontus of Egnatius Calphurinus Periander and diuers others who haue perished by the mischiefe of their Mates Or if wee reflexe vpon Seruants that haue murthered their Masters as Zimri slew Elah his Lord 1 Kings 16.9.10 Or apostate Subiects vile Traytors that haue effused the bloud of the Lords Annoynted as Iaques Clements and Rauallack in their assarsinations and massacrings of the two renowned French Henries c. Or lastly one man killing another eyther sodainely as Ehud slew Eglon with his Dagger Iudg. 3.21 or treacherously as Ioab did Abner and Amasa as Rehab and Baanah did Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 4.5.6 or combatingly in a Duellie in the field or any other vvayes in all these with all the rest of this nature wee must say as the Apostles said of Pilate Herod and the Iewes concerning the death of Christ that these murtherers haue done whatsoeuer the Lords hand and councell had determined before to be done Acts 4.28 For who is he that saith it commeth to passe and the Lord commanded it not Lamen 3.37 For euen all things that are and that happen Deus disponendo praesciuit praesciendo disposuit saith Tertullian God hath fore-knowne them fore-seene them and disposed of them If of all things then of the liues and deaths of men yea euen of murthered men for though God prohibite and forbid murther Exod. 20. yet hee decrees that act which in man is murther but in God is but an act of Iustice Againe the very materiall part or subiect is of God I say the naked act of murther as it is an act as it is from the liuing soule as it is from the motion of the hand is from God without whom neyther the hand nor any part could moue in any naturall motion but the formall part and deformitie of the act vvhich makes it properly murther that is from the Diuell and from corruption yet not without Gods permission by the substraction of his grace which Hugo cals the cause of all sinne from the Agent and for some righteous ends in respect of the Patient The life of this point Of Redargution like the bloud in the Vse 1 veynes lyes in the vse if meetes with the corruption of these that referre not death vnto his true cause and ground erring not knowing the Scriptures for is any man strangely afflicted with wondrous and wofull diseases Death comes not by fortune as the Gout Stone Stranguillio Sciatica c. Is any infected with the plague smit with Leprosie wounded or slaine by his enemie bruized by falling from his Horse or the like but chiefely is he taken away sodainely in his full strength in his ease and prosperitie when his breasts are full of milke and his bones full of marrow Iob 22.24.25 Presently we breake out into these tearmes Sure he had ill lucke hee had bad chance hee had ill Fortune or else wee shoote our fooles bolts as the Listrians against Paul when the Viper stucke to his hand Acts 14. Sure this man was a great sinner c. or as the Iewes of those vpon whom the Tower of Silo fell and vvhos bloud Pilate mingled with their Sacrifices Luke 13.2 Sure he was a greater sinner then the rest or as others of the blinde man Iohn 9. wee must needes know whether he or his Parents haue sinned For the first it is a pittifull thing that Christians liuing so long in the heate and light and Sunne-shine of the Gospell should be so darkened in their vnderstandings and so vaine in their imaginations like the once vnconuerted Gentiles as to turne the glory of the immortall God into a vile and abhominable Idoll to attribute that which is proper and peculiar vnto God vnto Heathenish Fortune a word which as Augustine and Lactantius in their dayes banished to the Pagans from whence it came so I wonder that the light of Preaching hath no more discouered the blindnesse of it and no more reformed the errour of it that it is no more rooted out of our hearts and vnsetled out of our heads but that wee must needes make it as the Ephesians their Diana some great Goddesse as the Sorcerer Simon made himselfe some great man I wonder that with the Romanes wee must build Temples and sacrifice vnto it in disgrace and despight of God and disparagement of his prouidence taking the Crowne from the Creators head and placing it on an Idoll vvhich is a meere Idaea a fiction and Chimera in nature not knowing or at least not acknowledging with the Scripture with Antiquitie with Ierome Augustine Ierom. in Ier. c. 12. Aug. de gent. cont Manich. c. 2. and others called now Fathers as Iames and Iohn were called Pillers that there is no euill in the Citie that is euill of punishment in which predicament Death is which the Lord hath not wrought that nothing comes to passe fortuito casu sed iudicio Dei by chance but by choyse nothing happens by hap-hazzard but by the peculiar preuidence and prouidence of God that the will of God is the supreame cause of all things that are Not a hayre falling from our heads Mat. 10.29 30 not a Sparrow falling to the ground much lesse a sickenesse or a disease growing vpon our bodies much lesse a day or an houre or a minute falling from our life without the determination and permission of him that hath numbred our dayes and set downe the period of our age Therefore let vs banish all thought and opinion of Fortune vnto the very Getes and Sauromatanes Exhortat Let vs also suspend our thoughts and our opinions of our Brethren when God doth sore afflict them in life or sodainely inflict vpon them some strange death let vs not iudge least wee be iudged let vs not enter into rash and precipitate censures of others wee may be further deceiued in Gods mercies towards them or his proceedings with them then was Eliphaz Iob 2.3.4 Bildad and Zâ—phar in the case of Iob then the Disciples were in the case of the blinde man Iohn 9.12 For it may be that this man whom thou seest lying sicke a Lazar by the high-way begging with those blinde men in the Gospell him whom thou seest groaning in an Hospitall rauing in Bedlam c. nay whom thou seest drowned in the waters stabbed in his bowels led to execution to be topt off like a fruitlesse Tree at Tyburne is not a greater sinner then thou neyther hee nor his Parents haue sinned more then thou and thine but that the glory of God might be made manifest that he might be an example vnto thee that thou maist take warning by his harming least thou also perish for Gods
as Argobastes after he had caused Valentinian the younger to be strangled at Vienna So Ecelinus the Tyrant after innumerable slaughter of others made hauocke of himselfe Lesser Crosses haue occasioned others selfe destruction as the losse of friends scandall of name miscarrying of some things which they ouer-weeningly loued in life as Terence that drowned himselfe because some hundred and seauen Comedies which he had turned out of Greeke into Latine perished by Sea Hor. in Epodâ— so Hipponax the Poet made Bubilas the Painter hang himselfe by his ierking Iambickes In all which particulars these desperate salues that they vsed were worse then their sores These were Heathens that knew not God nor the soueraigne good nor the true being or beatitude of man the most of them they wanted illumination from the Sunne of Righteousnesse and Sanctification from the Spirit of Grace they were in the shadow of death both in life and death and were vnder the power and Prince of darknesse Acts 26.18 who ruled so powerfully in them and ouer them that oft times they haue made away themselues for little or no cause as haue also some in the rancke of Christians as Celius and Crinitus write of one Laurence a learned Florentine who threw himselfe into a pit in the health and strength of body as also of one Peter Leonius an excellent Philosopher and a singular wise man that did the like no probable cause being knowne or suspected in eyther Let vs feare the Fates and the vntimely fals of such Cedars whom God hath cut downe with the Axe of death put into their owne hands let vs by faith in CHRIST and repentance from dead workes be reconciled to that God who by our prouoking sinnes may iustly deale with vs as he hath done with them in giuing vs ouer to Sathan and our selues But aboue all things let vs feare to commit sinnes or liue in sinnes against conscience for the rage of conscience the effect of witting willing vnconscionable and customarie sinnes is the blatrant beast that kils so many in selfe-murthers The spirit of a man may beare his infirmitie but a wounded conscience who can indure saith hee that was once Salomon no doubt touched in conscience for the sinnes with which his soule was soiled Lastly let vs take heede of Cains sinne despayre of mercy least it worke that effect in vs that it did in him and Iudas both who offended GOD more in this sinne chiefely the last in effusing his owne bloud then in shedding the bloud of Abel or of Christ himselfe Apply the promises to thy soule by faith fons vincit fitienteus Augustine there is a fountaine of Grace and a Well of the water of life Mat. 5.6 Mat. 11.28 alwayes open to the thirsty sinner which Fountaine is greater then the puddle of sinne and hath a stronger mundifying vertue and abstersiue power to cleanse the soule then Iordan to purge and purifie Naamans Leprous body I might prosecute another vse against those who by a continuated custome of sinne are indirectly and effectiuely though not intentionally for euery man in sinne commits it Omnia appetunt bonum Immo malum sub specie boni sub specie boni vnder the shew of some deluding good as our first Parents did a truth which euen Philosophers saw but I say in respect of the effect selfe-murtherers for there is no sinne wherein a man practically and actually liues but as it is damnable to the soule so it is preiudiciall and dangerous to the body the death of both and that if wee consider it in his causes and effects whether naturall or supernaturall Naturall instance in some doth not fond lust cause dry bones doth it not consume the moysture dry vp that radicall humour which is the nurse and fountaine of life doth it not inflame the bloud cause burning Feauers c. To speake no worse in bringing such diseases that euen modestie suffers me not to name as that French or Neopolitan disease that Anthonies fire vvhich burnes to the consumption of the body and confusion of the soule Doth not Drunkennesse cause Dropsies doth not strong drinkes ouer-heate the bloud For to whom is woe to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whom is murmuring to whom are wounds and to whom is the rednesse of eyes Euen to them that tarry long at the Wine to them that seeke mixt Wine which Wine though it be pleasant both in the colour and the taste yet at last it bites like a Serpent and hurts like a Cockatrice Pro. 23. v. 29.30.31.32 The like may be said of all other intemperancies in meates by the immoderate excessiue abuse whereof many haue laid their stall-fed pampered carkasses vntimely in the dust Insomuch that Physitians considering the innumerable diseases that flow from that vncleane sincke of Epicurisme and gluttonizing haue set it downe as an Axiome Plures gula quam gladio that the insatiable belly hath slaine moe then the Blade What should I speake of Auarice and Couetousnesse which wastes and consumes the spirits by a mad and eager pursuit after the world euery crosse and losse whereof goes to the hart of the wretched worldling like a dart or a dagger Of Enuy which frets the heart as the Moath the Garment and eates into it as the rust into the Iron with the destroying and deadly effects of other such sinnes I might be large in the causes supernaturall in confirming that Diuinitie which not onely Protestants commenting Aret. in locum Bernardin de sena art 3. cap. 4 but Papists alledging that place in the Apocalypse chap. 3. vers 3. If thou watch not I will come on thee as a theefe c. haue taught and affirmed that GOD accustometh for the punishment of carelesse and negligent sinners to cut off time from them and to shorten their liues for their misimploying and mispending the same in omitting all good duties and committing outragious sinnes God taking from them that which they haue or at least seeme to haue * Mat. 25.29 Tom. vlt. ser 13. art 3. 4. Tom. vlt. ser 18. which is Time a Iewell so precious that as zealous Bernardine de sena oft acknowledgeth if the traffique and marchandize of it might be carryed to hell to be sold for one onely halfe houre there would be giuen a thousand worlds if the damned had them Hence it is that wee see many murtherers riotous persons malefactors swearers swash-bucklers cut off by the Sword of the Magistrate or of the enemie in warre or priuate quarrels or by Gods sword the deuouring Plague or such meanes euen in their youth and strength when by the course of Nature they might haue liued longer according to the threat of the Psalmist that bloudy and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 And that Propheticall threat of Iob Iob 15.32 that the sinfull man shall die ere hee accomplish his dayes and that his hand shall be
haue on a good Gantlet the hand is safe which Gantlet being pluckt off or broken the hand is exposed to danger So Man being naturally mortall yet being armed with originall righteousnesse against the stroke of death being tyed and chained with the golden chaine of speciall grace should not haue moued in the naturall course of death but as soone as euer man by the instinct of Sathan tyed himselfe with the cords of sinne God tooke away that other chaine of Grace disarmed him of munition and armour and exposed him to be carryed through the swift torrent of this present life by the violence of the contrary qualities of the Elements euen into the dead Sea or Sea of Death Mare mortuum Secondly because of the reliques and remainders of their originall sinnes and corruption which are still resident and fixed in them howsoeuer pardoned by Christ the godly must dye that so these remnants may be quite taken away and abolished and the root of old Adam absolutely stocked vp Thirdly flesh and bloud of which they partly consist cannot inherit the Kingdome of God but must first be changed 1 Cor. 15 vers 50. Fourthly that as by other crosses and afflictions so by dying they may in some sort be made conformable to their head Christ in his death and sufferings Rom. 8.29 Sixtly that the godly might haue experience of Gods power in the resuscitation and raising vp of their dead bodies Seauenthly that the godly may haue sweet and comfortable experience of the difference betwixt this mortall life and that immortall glory in the life to come which will be so much more ioyous as they shall taste their prepared ioyes through the iawes of death as Sampson did his Honie in the Lyons belly for as it is a misery to haue beene happy Miserum est fuisse fâ—elicem so it sets a better edge and relish on any mercy when it comes by an exemption from a former experienced misery euen as deliuerance was more gratefull to the Israelites after their Aegyptian yoke and as hony is more sweet to him that hath beene dyeted with Aloes so ioy in glory shall be more ioyous extracted out of the paines of life and pangs of death vnto the godly Vse of Consolalation Hence let the Saints sing clap their hands and reioyce let the ioyfull shout of a King be amongst them in the sweet contemplation of the vnlimitted mercies of God towards them that whereas in Adam as they were branches of his stocke and so fruitfull in vnrighteousnesse in his sinne so indammaged and indangered by their originall corruptions besides their actuall transgressions that God might in iustice haue punished them both with the first and second death according to that menace in Paradise to our Protaplasts In that day which you eate of the forbidden fruit you shall dye the death Aug. lib. 3. de ciu Dei Qua die me deserueritis per inobedientiam ego vos deseram per iustitiam c. as Augustine interprets it in that day which you forsake me by rebellion I will forsake you by my iust iudgements execution yet it hath pleased God so farre to mitigate both the guilt and the punishment of both that in and by Christ they being redeemed from that second that eternall sempiternall death of the soule the temporall death which is onely a change of a worse life for one infinitely better is so farre inflicted or rather imposed as makes for Gods glory and their owne greater good Secondly 2. Vse of Commination let this withall terrifie the wicked which are out of CHRIST and as yet haue no more part in him then the Diuell and Iudas by reason of their witting and willing sins by which voluntarily and frequently they crucifie him againe to themselues that if the godly must haue their teeth set on edge in dying the first death of the body Phil. 3.17 for these sweet fruits which proued sower Grapes that Adam and Eue tasted in the Garden by reason of these remainders and reliques of corruption that are in them how much more shall they as they are threatned as God hath decreed and denounced drinke the dregs of Gods wrath euen to the bottome not onely in tasting the first death but the second not onely that which is the separation of the soule from the body but which separates both body and soule eternally from God as they are corrupt and fruitlesse trees twise dead so if the godly which are trees of righteousnesse planted by the riuers of Grace Cum concutitur Cedrus Paradisi quid faciet Virga Desarâ—i be pluckt vp that they may be transplanted in glory much more shall they by stockt vp by the Axe of death cut downe in wrath like the barren Fig-tree and throwne into Hell fire yea as they are called dead coales Psal 17. and God a consuming fire Deut. 9. Hebrewes the last c. so they are as sure to burne vnlesse quenched by repentance as they are fit to burne Neyther doth the Lord take such avvay ordinarily by a naturall and peaceable death as hee did Simeon here but oft-times in the whirlewinde of his wrath by some vnnaturall and violent and sodaine death as the fruit of their prouoking sinnes 1. Sometimes for their abuse of his worship as hee did Nadab and Abihu so Iudas that came from the Communion and hanged himselfe as also the Corinthians who dyed for their vnworthy receiuing the Sacrament 2. Sometimes for rebellion against Magistrates as Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. 3. Sometimes for abusing the Seruants Prophets and Ministers of God as the two and fortie Children whom the two shee Beeres slew the two Captaines with their fifties that came to lay hands on Elias 4. So for murthering the Saints as Achab and Iezabel So the tenne persecutors infamously famous for the abundance of Christian bloud which they shed came all to fearefull ends according to the curse threatned Psal 56. Psal 139. Math. 26. that Bloudy men shall not liue out halfe their dayes and They that smite with the Sword shall perish by the Sword 5. For gurmundizing gluttonie and drunkennesse as Iobs Children Iob 2. Baltazar Dan. 5. and the Israelites slaine whilst the Quailes were in their mouthes Numb 11. 6. For couetousnesse as Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. 7. For Lust and Luxury as Cosbee and Zimri and the vncleane Israelites Numb 25. 8. For Tyrannie and oppression as Pharaoh and his Hoast Exod. 14. 9. For Pride against God as Herod Acts 12. 10. For the effect of pride and malice Blasphemie against heauen as Senacharib and his pestilent Parasite Rabsekah 2 Kings 19. as also for other sinnes But now wee are to hoist vp sailes into a Sea of matter Doctrine All must dye which flowes eyther necessarily from the Text or by consequence of this last proued point and by argument from the greater to the lesser from the better to the worse that if Simeon and the
Ant sees it will not alway be Summer the Crane and Storke thinke it will be another season the Birds take the Spring prime to build their nests store thou vp faith with her fruits chiefely Repentance from dead workes Now beginne Ars longa vita breuis Life is short but the Art of well liuing and well dying which is the Art of Arts euen that vvhich the best Master taught in the best Chaire Christ vpon the Crosse that is long therefore Nulla dies sine linea Euery day learne some line take out some lesson in this Art sing not out thy time here with the foolish Grashopper loyter not with the idle men of Bâ—lial least thou incurre Christs checke play not the fat bellyed Monke and Epicurish Abbey-lubber least thou smart for it as the * When the Abbies were visited in king Henrie the 8. time Cloysterers once did in this Land in the day of the Lords visitation Learne to liue the life of grace that thy death may be gracious and precious in the sight of GOD as one of his Saints that so thou maist dye not onely naturally like a man as thou must but Christianly like a Christian man as thou oughtest which that thou maist the better doe as in other things thou contriuest how to doe well that which thou purposest to doe as thou forecasts thy building ere thou build thy iourney ere thou trauell So oft remember how thou maist dye well since thou must die and that is by liuing well whilest thou here runnest the short race of thy life A good man like a good Tree brings forth fruit tempore suo in his due time and season this Life time is tempus tuum thy time Death is tempus suum Gods time therefore begin to mend the ship of thy soule in the hauen in thy health not in the tempest of sickenesse not in the Sea of death I end my counsell as I begun this life is as short as sinfull therefore spend it well 2 Point Secondly in that Simeon here desires his departing Life is laborious Miserable the nature of the word signifying a loosing or an vnyoaking being a Metaphor taken from Oxen loosed out of the yoke after labour or from Prisoners set at libertie may well and warrantably administer vnto vs the consideration of the nature of that life which wee leade to be as miserable as mortall as laborious to the body as dolorous to the minde as also it may open our eyes to see something more clearely into the nature of death vvith his bounties and benefits in that it is not onely a curber of Sinne but a curer of Crosses an vnlooser from labours For the first that whether you call it a curse or a command which was imposed on the first man that in the sweate of his browes hee should eate his bread till hee returned to his earth from whence hee came Gen. 3.19 all mans seede since in their seuerall generations haue beene exposed to Doe wee not feele yet the smart of the forbidden fruit Are not our teeth set on edge by it Are not all things vnder the Sunne full of labour Are not the workes of Grace the workes of Nature painefull the actions of the body the actions of the minde the operations of the soule and spirit laborious Is it not a paine to pray a paine to repent a paine to study to contemplate to discusse to discourse to number to diuide Is it not painefull to write to indite to preach to counsell to exhort to perswade disswade vrge moue Let euery knowing man and experienced spirit speake Are not workes manuall and mechanicall painefull euen as the Arts liberall are Is it not paine to plow delue digge sow mow to work in Coale works Mettall-mines in brick and clay is an Aegyptian bondage Nay is there not onus as well as honos a labour as well as an honour in euery Calling Are not Princes and superiour Magistrates Gouernours in houses Colledges and Corporations like the heauenly Bodies as much in motion and labour as in veneration Vertues vices pleasures profits riches pouertie vvanton youth couetous old age all haue their burthens What callings without their crosses from the Scepter to the Sheepe-hooke what sexe without his sorrow No place is priuiledged from foure things Whither shall a man flye 1. from Sathan tempting 2. from the vanitie of his owne heart 3. from the bitings of venemous tongues 4. and from the crosses of the world I haue oft thought if there were any place in the foure parts of the world to auoid these foure thither to flye but there is no Asilum or Sanctuarie from them or any of tnem vnder the Cope of Heauen These alwayes follow as the shadow the body and like proud Tarquin in Rome challenge a perpetuall Dictatorship in the whole life of man What day sets ouer our head without his euill eyther of Sinne or Punishment Adam must eate his bread in his browes sweate Cunctis diebus all his dayes in hear and sweat toyling and moyling man must wearie his body and weaken his spirits till hee keepe his eternall Sabbath in Heauen Bring me the man that hath not yet drunke of the common cup of humane calamities incident to life and I shall more admire him then the Graecians did Achilles that could not be wounded I neuer read of any but Policrates who was thought to be without the Gun-shotte of Fortune by the deluded Heathens yet his death was as dolorous as his life prosperous I am sure mitred Popes crowned Kings inuested Emperours tryumphant Conquerours haue seene the turning of Sesostris wheele and haue experienced so many miseries that they haue cryed out some of them Miserum est fuisse foelicem it is a miserie to haue beene happy others solus viues Vacia that the priuate life of Vacia the Romane was farre safer then their publique guilded guilefull pompe others with Cyrus and Augustus haue thought the Regall Crowne not vvorth stooping for others haue left voluntarily their Courts and Palaces for secure and penitent Cels. If wee had no moe examples of the miseries of greatnesse eyther by birth bloud command Examples of humane calamities or desart then in Nabuchadnezzers deiection amongst Beasts being one of the greatest of men in Manasses his imprisonment in Sampsons grinding in the Mill in Agag hewed in peices in Adonizebecks eating crummes like a Dogge vnder his enemies Table in Alexander poysoned and left vnburied in Caesar stabbed by his pretended friends in Bellizarius a blinde Beggar after his Conquests in Baiazets Iron Cage in Socrates and Seneca's poysoning in Cleopatra's Iezabel's Agrippina's and other infamously famous Queenes and Queanes perishing to omit all the rest in this kinde it might verifie the Paradoxe that Humana vita non est vitae sed calamitas Mans life is no life Vita vix vitalis an imaginarie life and a reall calamitie in which anni pauci aerumna multae the yeeres are
these and these particulars before their deaths Thirdly the godly expresse the hidden ioy The last words of holy men are holy and inward peace which they finde within their soules by their seasoned and sanctified words of grace which they breathe out as a sweet Perfume from holy hearts to the refreshing of others vpon their sicke beds with which they vsually winde vp the thread of their life words so good so gracious that they are worthy to be writ in Letters of Gold and for euer to be remembred as they are recorded in the sacred Cannon and collected by holy men from the Saints of latter times For example vvhat a sweet gratulatory speech is this of Simeons in his farewell to the world Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. Euery word hauing his waight and Emphasis Ponder the last Sermons that Moses and Ioshuah and Samuâ—l these faithfull Seruants of the Lord made immediately before their deaths vnto the Israelites Gods chosen people how zealously they perswade to the seruice of the true God disswade from Idolatrie and false Gods enumerate Gods speciall mercies exhort to obedience dehort from rebellion against God and their Superiours proclaime the promises to the obedient pronounce mercies to allure denounce iudgements to terrifie the disobedient blessing GOD by gratulatory Songs for his benefits and blessing the people in their Tribes Deut. 32. ch 33. Iosh 12. 1 Sam. 12. and a man shall see the peace they had in their hearts by the grace of their lips The last words of Iacob were blessings and prophecies Of Ioseph were admonitions and cautions the one to his Sonnes the other to his Brethren See 1 Sam. 22. 23.1 Gen. 49. Gen. 50. The last words of Dauid were his charge to Salomon his Son concerning Gods worship and the gouernement of his Kingdome 1 Kings 2. vers 3.4.5.6 c. The last words of Steuen the first Martyr after CHRIST were prayers for his Persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Acts 7.60 Last words reuealed of the Theefe on the Crosse Gregorie that bonus Latro good Theefe that so happily stole Paradise were Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome Luke 23. The seauen last words that Christ spoke vpon the Crosse to the Daughters of Ierusalem to his virgin Mother to his beloued Disciple Iohn to God his Father De Passione to the penitent Theefe as recorded by the Euangelists explained by Ferus Nabumius and Gueuarra these and all these of holy men in the sacred Cannon Mons Caluariae and of Christ himselfe as one speakes of Cyprians Epistles referunt pectus ardore plenum shew their deaths were full of peace as their liues were full of grace If I should instance in all the rest of this kinde and set downe at large What speeches the Saints haue vttered in their deaths the gracious words like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Siluer that haue proceeded out of the mouthes of Saints euen when they lay vpon their sicke couches drawing their last breath testifying their faith in Christ their hope of Heauen their zeale for Gods glory their sorrow for sinne their sealed pardon Or when they were to be martyred and sacrificed by fire as they are collected and recorded by Ecclesiasticall Authors Eusebius Nicephorus Apotheg morientium the tripartite History the Centuries Mr. Foxe his Martyrologie Grineus Mr. Perkins and others to whom I referre you It would easily appeare that where the Premisses are Grace in Life the Conclusion will be Peace in Death Let vs chew the cudde in the Meditation of some particulars How to dye well Euseb lib. 3. cap. 30. Idem lib 4 c. 15. The last words of Peter in his crucifying death were thus to his wife O Coniux memento Domini Oh Wife remember the Lord Iesus Of Polycarpus were prayses and prayers Of Cyprian Salus mea virtus mea Christus Dominus Christ the Lord is my strength and my saluation Of Ambrose Nec pudet viuere nec piget mori c. I neyther am ashamed to liue nor grudge to dye because I haue a good Iesus both in life and death Of Augustine Paulin. in eius vita It is no great matter that wood and stones fall and ruine or that mortall men dye vsing that sentence of Dauids Psalmes which also Mauritius the Emperour vsed Possidon in eius vita Oswaldus Miconius de Zwinglio anno 1536. when hee was slaine by Phocas his Centurion Iust is the Lord and righteous is his iudgement Zwinglius thus when hee was wounded in the wars mortally Well goe to they may kill my body my soule they cannot Erasmus dying in the house of Ierome Strobenius breathed out his soule crying thus Chare Deus c. Deare God oh God my mercy deliuer me make an end oh Christ and saue mee Peter Martyr saith Simler and Bullinger that were present at his departure confessed his faith acknowledged Christ his Sauiour expounded and applyed Scriptures exhorted his Brethren and in his death was wholy diuine Obijt anâ— Christi 1564. So was Oecolampadâ—â— that burning Lampe in Gods house who supplyed with the oyle of grace gaue a wondrous light euen in his death as appeares by Grineus his Epistles to Fabritius Capito and others Luthers death resounds ioyfull prayses for Gods reuelation of the truth vnto him and victory ouer the Romish Antichrist Caluin as Beza reports that heard him with Dauids heart dyes not speaking but sighing out Dauids Psalmes * See a little Book from the Martirologie gathered called The deaths of holy Martyres Ridley Latimer Hooper Saunders with many moe constant Professors dyed desirous of the fire saluting the Stake professing their Faith confirming their Brethren and calling vpon God If I should ascend a little higher How great men haue liued and dyed good men and looke into the sicke Couches of Emperours Kings Queenes Dukes Earles Nobles which like those Boreans Acts 17. were truely noble indeed I should occasion you to magnifie Gods mercies in calling some great ones vvho by their workes and words as liuing so dying testified that their Graces did equalize their Greatnesse I might instance in Charles the fift in Theodosius the great in Maximilian the second in Stephen King of Poland in Fredericks the third Prince Elector in Ferdinand in Queene Anne Bullen in Ioahn Gray the Duke of Suffolks Daughter with diuers of others To omit the last words of Chrysostome dying in his exile of deuout Bernard of Ignatius the Martyr of these Belgicke Lights Phillip Melancthon Tremellius Musculus c. with maâ—y moe some whereof thankefully recording the benefits they had receiued from God in life spirituall and temporall some pouring out their soules for the good of the Church which they haue bequeathed vnto Christ some discoursing of the vanities of this life of the fruits of sinne of the miseries of man some reioycing in the Spirit for the mitigation
this Serpent vvas chiefe actor more in Sathan the agent then in man the patient Fiftly many Selfe-murtherers liue after the selfe inflicted fatall stroke and repent ere they dye Let vs iudge the best of them and pray to GOD to giue vs grace neuer to yeeld to the like temptations Amen And now these Doubts discussed these Obiections remoued we come to the Vses The first is this Vse 1. Of Instruction is it so that the Seruants of the Lord doe dye in peace wee must then if wee meane to dye well as the Lord shall inable vs learne to liue well Hee that would die well must liue well If wee will dye in peace wee must liue the life of grace for it is not tam vetus quam verum so prouerbiall as true Qualis vita finis ita as is the life so is the death Instance in all particulars in the Scripture from the first line in Genesis to the last Letter of the Reuelation and wee shall neuer see otherwayes excepting one example of the Theefe vpon the Crosse which is particular miraculous vpon a speciall occasion to magnifie the effect of Christs bloud and the power of his Passion to eternize his mercy that gaue life euen at his death and to shew and demonstrate his Deitie that at the lowest ebbe of his crucified Humanitie was able to saue a soule to strengthen the Disciples and allure the vnbeleeuing Gentiles I say excepting him which is an extraordinary example and not to be propounded as a president by any presumptuous soule wee shall not finde any one that liued ill and dyed well but that had the Prologue of their euill life shut vp with the Tragedie of a damned death Gen. 4. Looke vpon Cain the murtherer that desperate Runne-a-gate Gen. 7. Gen. 4.24 Gen. 38.8 on the licentious Worldlings on Lamech the seauentie times auenged Polygamist on polluted Onan and wicked Err on vncleane Sodome Those that haue liued wickedly died wretchedly with her Sister Gomorrha Gen. 19 2â— on rebelling Israel hard-hearted Pharaoh obdurate superstitious and irreligious Aegypt Exod. 6.7.8 ch 14. on disobedient Saul 1 Sam. 15. on lving Iesuitically aequiuocating Gehezi Examples 2 Kings 5. on theeuish Achan treacherous Achitophel traiterous Iudas adulterous and murtherous Herod bloudy Ioab couetous Ahab persecuting Iezabel deluding Ananias deceiuing Saphira cruell Antiochus proud Hâ—mman vsurping Athalia rebelling Absolon with millions moe looke at their liues obserue their deaths peruse their Stories paralell their doings with their sufferings and tell mee if they haue not sealed vp and concluded sensuall and sinfull liues with cursed deaths Amos 6.2 nay as the Prophet saith Goe yee to Calneh and see and from thence goe you to Hamath the great then goe to Gath of the Philistines looke vpon Iâ—ppa behold Tharsus wonder at Niniuie the pride of Assur Esay 13.19 gaze vpon Babilon the beautie of all the Chaldees honour And as you passe by cast your eye vpon Ierusalem that virgin Daughter Sion And if you please reflexe vpon proud Troy renowned Carthage famous Constantinople learned Athens rich Thebes warrelike Numantia populous Samaria ancient Rome old Antwerpe and when you haue viewed them all in the Map of your retyred Meditations tell these renowned places these wonders of the vvorld that sinne hath sackt them that pride hath beene their period that their faults haue caused their fals that they haue beene miserable because vnmindfull of God and of themselues that they with their inhabitants because they haue wanted grace haue wanted peace But if these be to generall for thy application descend into particulars The fearefull ends of Heretiques and Persecuters in euery age runne ouer Histories read the Tragicke parts that wicked men haue acted vpon the Stage of this world and marke their ends when Death hath struck them Non-plus Leaue all other sinnes and sinners looke on these that eyther haue broached errours Heretically or resisted or persecuted the truth obstinately and cruelly and you shall see them dying horribly you shall see blasphemous Cerinthus killed with the ruines of an house Euseb lib. 7. cap. 20. Theod. lib. 1. c. 14. as he was sitting in a Bath at Ephesus Manes the Father of the Manichees exposed to the teeth of Dogs with his skinne flaine off by the command of a Persian King Arius Sabellicus lib. 5. c. 4. that hellish patrone of the Arians Euagrius lib. 1. c. 7. voyding out his bowels with his excrements Olimpius strucke with Thunder by a three-fold Dart from Heauen for his blasphemies against the Trinitie Anno 1553. Nestorius perished in Aegypt by the rotting of that tongue of his which denyed Christs humanitie Tandemus Euseb lib. 10. c. 8. that Gygantean and profane contemner of the Word and Sacraments clouen to the braine by a sailing Priest Eus lib. 3. c. 13. Oros lib. 7 c. 11. Michael Seruetus burned at Geneua Maximinian the Tyrant smit with a sodaine plague from GOD his eyes swelling his whole body burning so dyed Cruell Domitian the next persecuter after Nero. slaine by his Wife and Seruants and buryed like a Dogge Eus lib. 9. Lucius Verus cut off by an Apoplexie the eleauenth yeere of his cruell raigne Maximinus the Thracian murthered by his Souldiers Decius drowned in a puddle Valerian King Sapors slaue after his persecutions had his skinne pluckt off his rotten carkasse Dioclesian with his Collenge butchering seauenteene thousand Christians in thirty dayes consumed miserably in his Frenzie by a lingring disease and his fellow hanged himselfe Vide Zonaram annalium lib 2. Eus lib. 8. Valeus the Arrian Emperour burned in his Inne by his pursuing enemies What neede I giue Coale-worts twice sod and set before you againe those dishes that haue beene cooked by all authenticke Ecclesiasticall Authors that are of credit concerning the miserable death of Iulian the apostate whose bloud his owne hands threw into the ayre Cent. 1. c. 12. Hist Eccles of Aurelian smit with a Thunderbolt Commodus strangled of Paulinus possessed with a Diuell after hee had martyred Martinian and Processus with diuers others in which the Antichristian Popes as they haue acted the chiefe parts in filthinesse blood-guiltinesse and superstition so if wee obserue their ends as they are recorded by Platina Onuphrius c. and their owne Writers wee shall see they haue dyed fearefully and desperately as they haue liued damnably as may be instanced in Siluester the second Alexander the sixt Heldibrand c. and others all which instances with all other examples that Iewes or Gentiles the Christian or Pagan world afford vnto vs are nothing else but comments vpon that Maxime which S. Augustine drawes from his owne experience when hee saith Nunquam memini male mortuum c. I neuer remembred any to haue dyed ill that haue liued well and hardly doth hee dye well that hath liued ill Therefore to extract another Vse from these premisses Vse 2.
refreshing can come from our earthly beds and naturall sleepe here Wherefore with ioy let vs welcome the houre of death and blesse God for it tenne thousand times following the foot-steps of worthy Fathers and Saints in the Church whose feeling of this point God hath directed them to leaue behinde them in their writings O tu vita quam praeparauit Deus ijs qui diligunt eum vita vitalis vita beata vita secura vita tranquilla c. O thou life saith Augustine prepared of God for them that loue him thou liuing life thou blessed life thou secure life thou quiet life thou beautifull life thou life that knowest no death thou life that knowest no sadnesse thou life without blot without sorrow without care without corruption without perturbation without any varietie or change Would God that laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into thy ioyes O quam fortunatus ero si audiuero c. O how happy shall I be if I might heare those sweet Songs of thy Citizens and those honey sweet verses but O more happy if I my selfe may finde grace and fauour to sing a song vnto the Lord Iesus Christ of the sweet Songs of Sion O verè foelices qui de Pilago c. O truely happy they that come out of the Sea of the World to the Hauen of Heauen out of Banishment to their owne Country and out of a soule Prison to a glorious Palace O Coelestis domus luminosa ad te suspirat c. O Heauenly House full of glorious light to thee tendeth my pilgrimage that he may possesse mee in thee that made both mee and thee Inter Brachia Seruatoris mei viuere volo mori cupio In the Armes of my Sauiour I wish to liue and desire to dye Many such feeling speeches I could repeate from the auncient militant warriours in this mortalitie whom we call Fathers when they went to the Father of Spirits shewing how farre they were from any vnwillingnesse to die which if wee make vse of as wee ought assuredly they will vvorke in vs through the blessing of God the same effect To shut vp this the godly cry come Lord Iesus come quickely Now they are in the world then they shall come to their owne now they are in the skirmish then shall they be in their victory now in the tempestuous Sea then in the quiet Hauen now in the heate of the day then in rest and coole euening now in place absent from Christ then with him following wheresoeuer hee goeth Now their life is hid with Christ but then shall they appeare with him in glory and that glory for euer and euer without change or end 1 Iohn 4.2 Comforts against the feare of Death by which the Christian Soule may be made willing to her Dissolution CHAP. V. THE feare of death is not one of the least temptations to a weake Christian for Death is not onely fearefull to a naturall man whose hope is in this world being in it owne nature the most terrible of all terribles as Heathen men haue tearmed it for which cause wicked men are agast at the apprehension of it as appeares in the example of Baltazar of Hamon and others being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare vnto the Stake and the Swine vnto the Shambles but euen the godly themselues haue some combats and conflicts in this kinde as had our Sauiour Christ himselfe Ezekias and Dauid c. by reason that Nature abhorres her owne abolishion and feares the dissolution of the soule and body which are naturally as vnwilling to be seuered and sundered as two friends that haue beene borne and bred and brought vp together are loath to depart and to take their long leaue eyther of other therefore to make that easie and facile vnto thee which of it selfe is harsh and difficult that thou maist submit thy selfe willingly to that which all flesh haue vndergone and must vndergoe of necessitie Arme Grace against Nature and the Spirit against the Flesh with these comfortable considerations 1 God cals for they soule 1 Consider that by corporall death God onely cals againe for that soule which at the first hee created and infused into the body to informe and animate it and that this Soule of thine flits not out of her terrestriall tabernacle by chance or hap-hazard or casualtie or fortune or by the Climactericall yeere the reuolution of seauens and nines or by the position of the Heauens or course of the Starres or by thy disease or sicknesse occasioned by bad dyet superfluities of meates or drinkes ouer-great heates or taking of cold or the like accidents which are but meere instruments of thy mortalitie but looke at the superiour Agent GOD himselfe who hath now determined and disposed thy death Hab. 9.27 who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy limits who turnes thy dust into his dust Gen. 3.19 thou being a Sonne of Adam and cals for thy Spirit to returne to him that gaue it Psal 90.3 Eccles 12.7 And therefore seeing it is the Lord that cals be thou as willing to sleepe with thy Fathers as Samuel was to awake out of his naturall sleepe at Gods call 1 Sam. 3.10 Thinke that thy Soule is giuen vnto thee as a precious pledge to be safely kept and therefore grudge not to returne thy holy pawne to God the chiefe owner when hee requires it but commit it to him as into the hands of a faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer Why should the Tenant at will stand out with his Land-lord for an old rotten Cottage when he would remoue him to a better Mansion why should the Souldier be refractorie to leaue his station and place to be otherwaies disposed of by his Generall and Commander Now thou art here but a Tenant at will thou hast no fee-simple of thy life thou art a war-faring Souldier professed in Baptisme therefore like the Centurions Souldiers be willing to goe when thy Captaine bids thee goe Mat. 8.9 2 Let this comfort thee that thy sinnes 2 The sting of death is taken away the cause of thy death is taken away by the Messias Christ in whom thou beleeuest by whom thy sinnes being pardoned thou art blessed Psal 32.1 his death being the death of Sin and the conquest of Hell Hos 13. 1 Cor. 15. And therefore comfort thy selfe with Dauids holy Meditations encouraging thy soule to returne vnto her rest because the Lord hath beene bountifull vnto thee since he hath deliuered thy Soule from death euen the second death thine eyes from teares and thy feete from falling and since thou shalt walke before the Lord euen with the foure and twentie Elders in long white roabes in the Land of the liuing Psal 116.7.8.9 For all thy bitter griefe in corporall death which yet is sweetened to the Elect the Lord will deliuer thy soule from the pit of corruption for hee hath cast all thy sinnes behinde his backe as hee did Ezekiahs Esay 38.17 And
therefore as there is no danger in handling an Adder or Viper or any other Serpent when her sting is taken away so there is no perill in Death since Sinne which is the sting of Death is to thee not imputed but in the mercies of God pardoned and in the merits of Christ couered 1 Cor. 15. Rom. 8.1 3 Ionas 4.2 Exod. 34. God is present at thy death 3 Remember that God is the same God vnto thee in thy death that hee was in life good gracious propitious mercifull and mindefull of thee in thy last and greatest exigent Enoch found it so who walking vvith God in his life vvas taken away by the same God in his death that he was no more seene Gen. 5.24 Therefore it was Iobs dying comfort that his Redeemer liued whom as hee desired so hee hoped to see with the eyes of his body as he had beheld him with the rest of the Patriarkes with the eyes of Faith Iob 19.25 This consideration made him confident in the midst of his combats that though the Lord should kill him yet hee would trust in him Iob 13. This made prophecying Iacob ioyfull in his last farewell out of the few and euill expired dayes of his Pilgrimage in the inioying that Shilo the blessed Messias and his saluation which so long hee had waited for Gen. 49.18.33 This made old Simeon so comfortably caroll out his Swan-like song a little before his death euery particular of vvhich dittie expresseth his delight to dye and his desire to depart when hee had the worlds Sauiour in his armes and his Spirit in his heart Luke 2.25.26.27 28.29 And sure if thou haue the same grace and feele God in so many particulars now gracious vnto thee in thy life as did Enoch Iob Iacob and Simeon thou oughtest vpon the same grounds to settle thy heart in the sweet assurance of Gods speciall presence in thy last dissolution that hee will make thy bed in thy sickenesse and send thee that very Comforter his owne Spirit which according to his promise he sent his Disciples euen when all externall comforts faile if thou now worship him in spirit and in truth Iohn 4.24 For Salomon the wisest of men from the wisdome of God taught what Dauid his Father blessedly felt 1 Kings ch 1. v. 48. ch 2. v. 1.2.3 v. 10.11 that the righteous hath hope in death Pro. 14.32 euen then when the wicked is cast off by reason of his malice as was Antiochus Epiphanes Herod and others And therefore you of the Israel of God you the Seede of Abraham the friends of God feare not for the Lord is vvith his Seruants with those whom hee hath chosen and he will be with you and not cast you away but vvill strengthen help and sustaine you yea againe I say Feare not thou worme Iacob and yee men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel Esay 41. v. 8.9.10 v. 14. If the Lord be thy friend as hee vvas a friend to Abraham to Lazarus Iames 2.23 and to his Disciples and is still to all that seeke him and his grace the sure hee will play a sure friends part hee will sticke fast to thee in thy last conflict in this thy vvarrefare remembring thee euen in death as hee did his friend Lazarus Iohn 11.11 Therefore apply Dauids meditation as balme to thine owne sore in thy feares and say to thy soule Why art thou sad oh my Soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee still trust in God and giue him thankes for the comfortable helpe of his presence Though I walke through the shadow of death yet will I feare none euill for thou art with mee thy Rod and thy Staffe shall comfort mee Psal 23.4 God is my God euen the God if whom commeth my saluation God is the Lord by whom I escape death by whom indeede death is no death Psal 68.20 4 Remember what death is properly to the godly not a dying but a departing 4 Death is no death to the godly Luke 2.29 not an abolishion but a dissolution Phil. 1. a loosing out of Prison a Goale-deliuery to the soule not a curse but a blessing a freedome and a libertie out of captiuitie not pernitious but precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints Psal 116. A walking with God Gen. 5. A going to our Fathers in peace A gathering to our people and A yeeldding of the spirit Gen. 25.8 Gen. 49.33 A sweet sleepe Deut. 31. A rest of our flesh in hope Psal 116. 116. A resting from our labours Reu. 14. with diuers such Epithites that the Scripture giues speaking of the death of Abraham Iacob Moses Dauid Iosias c. and the rest of the Saints of God Oh then why shouldest thou feare thy freedome Doth any Iewish Turkish Romish or Athenian Bond-man take it ill to be infranchized Doth any Apprentise distaste to be made a Free-man Is any Prisoner daunted vvith the newes of his deliuery out of colde Irons Is any Captiue discomforted when hee perceiues the meanes of his ransome oh then why shouldest thou be daunted with that messenger that is sent from the King of heauen to deliuer thee from all the maladies and miseries of this life from all the distresses crosses and cares that are incident to this mortalitie in bonds sickenesse diseases paines of body burthen of minde incurable sores with an hundred such like afflictions which make life to be loathedly vnpleasant and vnprofitable besides Vita vix vitalis Is any man afraid of his bed is not rest comfortable to a iournying foot-man to a trauelling pilgrime or a drudging labourer Oh how glad is hee to repose his wearyed limbes in his wished couch Oh how acceptable is sleepe to refocillaite and recouer the ouer spent spirits and to reuiue the decayed powers Now thy death is but a sleepe as the Word testifies there being such a proportion betwixt death and sleepe that the Heathen could tearme sleepe the Image of Death Semnus Imago mortis Frater mortis Homer and the elder Brother of Death and our graues are our beds in which our bodies resting and sleeping the holy Ghost vvhose liuing Temples they were vvatching ouer them vvhen they are dead shall rouze them vp at the last day in beautie glory and splendor like the Sunne refreshed like a Gyant ready to runne his Race 5 Further to inlarge and diffuse this meditation a little further doth any man dislike to accept of these opportunities 5 Wee shall know and inioy our friends in glory where hee shall not onely see and visite but inioy the company and conference of his friends his longed for his louing and beloued absent friends their sight is gracious the communion and conuersation with them is more gracious now by death we come to enioy a Gen. 11.15 and to ioy in the presence of our friends vvho haue broke the Ice
before vs Numb 27. and haue led the way to this common Inne of death Deut. 32. we shall see the face of CHRIST wee shall looke vpon him whom our sinnes haue pierced behold his wounds in his glorified body as the Angels now behold them wee shall inseperably be vnited vnto him and so ioy in him that our ioy shall be full in those blessed mansions which hee hath gone before to prepare wee shall liue and conuerse with Abraham Isaack and Iacob and the ancient Patriarkes with Dauid Iosias Ezekias c. and all religious Kings with Samuel Esay Ieremie Iohn Baptist and all the holy Prophets with Peter Andrew Phillip and all the blessed Apostles with Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the sincere Euangelists with Paul Steuen Peter and Iames and all the constant Martyres zealous Confessors and Professers of the Truth yea and all the rest of the faithfull whom we shall know to the increase of our ioy especially those whom wee haue here knowne and seene euen as Adam knew Eue in the Creation Gen. 2.23 Mat. 17.4 and Peter knew Moses and Elias in Christs Transfiguration a type of our Glorification whom before they had neuer seene To conclude therefore now is the time when in the Church triumphant all that haue beene within the Couenant of Grace and vnder the Gospell in the Church militant shall come to the Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Assembly and congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Heb. 12.22.23.24 Now what great harme is there in going to our friends especially such friends as these be who in knowledge and wisedome in glory and excellencie in loue and amitie doe farre surpasse all friends vpon earth 6 Death frees from sinne and from thy soules enemies 6 Consider the fruit and happy effect of Death in freeing thee from sinne and all miseries the punishments of sinne that stroke that kils thee will kill also a monstrous Mother and a wretched Daughter Sinne and Sorrow for as Death is the death of the body so it is the disseuering of sinne from the body Sinne that brought forth Death is destroyed by Death euen as the Viper kils the damme that bred him and as Nero murthered Agrippina that bore him that which puls downe the house of the body destroyes Sinne the troublesome and vnruly Tenant that dwelt in this house Now is it not a ioy to thee to be rid by any meanes of such an vnworthy and vnwelcome guest as Sinne which is alwayes quarrelling with thy best friends as the Spirit and the Grace of GOD within thee Art thou not glad to be freed from such a Make-baite as this body of sinne this old Adam which is alwayes stirring vp ciuill broyles and combats within this little world of thy selfe alwayes plotting and contriuing the ruine and destruction of thy better part thy Soule Art thou not glad to haue such a fire quenched as thy burning lusts and rebelling concupiscences the worst burning Feuer that euer came to man Art thou not glad to be rid of a sloathfull luxurious riotous vaine wanton vicious rebellious Seruant which is alwayes grieuing and offending thee prouoking thee to euill hindering thee from good sluggish to doe well forward to all euill such a guest such a quarreller such a fire such a rebell such a seruant is thy Flesh dull and dead and lumpish slow and sluggish to euery good dutie priuate and publique prone and propense to euery sinne alwayes solliciting importuning trying and tempting thee with as great importunitie as Potiphars Wife did Ioseph to abase and abuse thy soule and body in euery filthy pollution to commit spirituall whoredome with the world and the flesh still grieuing thy God and offending his maiestie abusing his mercy crucifying Christ turning his grace into wantonnesse vexing his Spirit quenching the motions and hindering the operations of his Grace taking part with Sathan thy forraine enemie like an inmate traytor and domesticall conspirator Now Death dislodgeth this guest quels this quarreller hangs vp this Achitophel quencheth this lustfull fire executes this rebell cashiers this seruant for euen as the Iuie dyes that twines about the Oake when the Oake is cut downe so the cutting downe of the body is the curbing and curing the sinne in the body which sinne liues and dyes hath his birth and death with the subiect wherein it is resident for he that is dead is freed from sinne Rom. 6.7 Therefore Mors metuenda non est quia est finis peccatorum Ambrose Now as it frees thee from sinne so the cause ceasing the effect ceaseth also it frees thee from all the miseries that grow as fruits from this cursed Tree euen all the paynes and labours of body and vexations of spirit that are incident to this mortall condition This made the Wise-man praise those that were dead before those that are liuing Eccle. 4. and to preferre the day of death before the day of life Eccles 7. And made some of the Philosophers in their Heathenish Paradoxes affirme that it was best for a man neuer to be borne the next best to dye soone because in respect of the many miseries of this life which they saw into with their naturall eyes they thought Nature was a Mother vnto all other Creatures and a Step-dame vnto man Theophrastus therefore Iob that drunke as deepe in this cup of common afflictions incident to humane nature as euer any meere man in this respect desired death Euen as the Seruant desired the shadow and as the Hireling looked for the end of his worke Iob 7.2 7 Consider that God doth not onely deliuer thee from the euill of sinne and the euill of punishment present 7 It deliuers from the euils present and to come but by taking thee now away hee hath a purpose to free thee from future temporall euils which perhaps hee purposeth to bring vpon that place and people amongst whom thou art for indeede this is the Lords ordinary proceeding to deliuer his Seruants from the euils to come whilest the wicked are chained in earth and reserued for further plagues Thus hee tooke away good Augustine ere the Gothes and Vandals ouer-ranne Hippo where hee vvas Bishop this the Lord promised as a speciall mercy to good Iosias that before hee vvould accomplish his threat against Iudah he should be put into his graue in peace and that his eyes should not behold the euill 2 Kin. 22.20 And thus hee saith of the mercifull men and righteous that they are taken away from the euils to come that Peace shall be vpon them and they shall rest in their beds when the Witches Children the seede of Adulterers and Whores a rebellious people shall perish and consume Esay 57.1.2.3 Apply this
in their Christian courses fourthly thy sinceritie in thy profession approued fiftly Gods graces in thee magnified sixtly and aboue all his name glorified 15 It is the good inheritance of the godly and the horrour of the vvicked 15 In thy death thou shalt be distinguished from a carnall and a prophane man for commonly the sicke bed shewes the sicknesse or the health of the soule the death shewes the life diuiding and iudging the estate of the visited as Gideon diuided his company by lapping of water Iudg. 7.1 and as the Ephramites were distinguished from the Israelites by pronouncing Shiboleth For looke at the godly from time to time and the last acts they did and the last words they spake were the most sacred seasoned and sanctified of their whole life but it hath beene contrary in the wicked and God is the same God to thee that hee was to them if thou beest a beleeuer Looke into particulars the last speeches of dying Saints as they haue beene full of grace so they are worthy relating and remembring and applying Acts 7.60 The last period of S. Steuens life was prayer for his enimies and for his owne soule 1 Kings 2. v. 1. to 11. the last words of Dauid holy exhortations to his Sonne Salomon to obserue the Statutes and Ordinances of the Lord and the disposing of some particulars of which hee gaue him cautions the last acts of old Iacob Gen. 48. Gen. 49. Prayer and prophecying concerning his sonnes and posteritie the like comfortable end made Abraham Iob old Simeon Moses Gen. 25.8 Iob 42.17 Luke 2. and other of the Saints in the old and new Testament The like wee read of Ambrose whose conclusion in his death-bed was that hee was neyther ashamed to liue nor fearefull to dye because he had a good Lord. Vide cent Magd. sic Grin in Apotheg morientium Bernards death was grounded vpon the sure hope and Anchor of Gods mercy though hee liued in corrupt times Oecolampadius told his visitors newes in the last speech hee vttered namely that hee should shortly be with the LORD IESVS Mr. Caluin with Dauids heart repeating Dauids Psalmes mourning in the Spirit for his sinnes his soule was sent out of his body like Noahs Doue out of the Arke Melancthon in his last farewell to life professed he was exceeding willing to dye because it was the Lords will praying for a happy and ioyfull departure hee had his desire presently sealed Peter Martyr gaue a comfortable farewell to his brethren and deare friends acknowledging saluation onely in Christ the Redeemer in which faith as he liued so he dyed That halfe miraculous man Luther in his death abounded as with prayer so with praises and thankesgiuings that the Lord had reuealed Christ vnto him and made him an instrument to discouer Antichrist and to oppose him Annas Burgius cryed in her last cryes Lord forsake not mee least I forsake thee Mauritius the Emperour in his last fainting gaue glory vnto GOD that was righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes Saint Augustine wept vpon his sicke couch for many dayes together and so was his soule ferryed to Christ in a floud of teares as Peter walked to Christ on the Sea of waters I might giue your meditations matter enough to worke vpon in reflexing vpon infinite examples related by Authors to which euery faithfull Minister that vseth to performe this dutie of visiting the sicke like a spirituall Physitian discerning the estate of the soule addes his Probatum est in ioyfull experience of many whose dying hath beene suted and sorted to their liuing both gracious both glorious Why then shouldest thou feare for to the righteous there shall be peace at the last Esay 57.2 therefore liue by Faith beleeue the Promises and apply them and be comforted in Gods mercy to others but as for the wicked it is not so with them they shall bee like the chaffe scattered in the winde for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esa 57.21 the prolong of their wicked life ends in a fearfull Tragedie in death for though in respect of the body and the outward man Eccles 2.16 there is the same condition to the vvise and the foolish to Nabal and Salomon godly Ionathan perishing in the field as well as wicked Saul 1 Sam. 31.2.3 Ezekias strucke with the plagues boyle Esay 38.21 Asa goutie in his feete nay 2 Chron. 35 23 euen good Iosias wounded in the Battell and the rest of the godly being afflicted in sickenesse as pittiously and dying oft times as painefully whether in a naturall or a violent death euen as the wicked as appeares in the exquisite torments of the Martyres in the Primitiue Church in the crucifying of Peter and Paul with their heads downewards Ar. in probl de cruce c. yea euen in the very Passion of Christ himselfe yet in respect of the inward man and dispositions of their soules in death there is as great difference betwixt them as there was in their carriage and conuersation in life And therefore as you haue heard the godly praying or praysing and blessing GOD speaking graciously sending out their spirits ioyfully and dying comfortably so prophane men dye eyther carelesly and blockishly for the most part their hearts being frozen and their consciences benummed and seared without any touch in soule or remorse for sinne which kinde of dying though our sottish silly common people commend as the most happy and blessed death when they goe away quietly like Lambes as their stupiditie and blindnesse thinke yet indeede they dye like Beasts and Dogs without any life of grace or feeling of the Spirit in the power or comfort of it nay senslesly like stockes and stones as is said of Nabal whose heart was like a stone within him 1 Sam. 25.37.38 or else desperately and ragingly impatiently as impenitently belching out blasphemies against both the Maiestie and the Mercy of God Thus Iudas cryes hee hath sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Mat. 27.3 but hath no Faith to apply that bloud to the washing away of his bloody treason 2 Mach. 9.13 Thus Antiochus Epiphanes dying is tormented inwardly with the gripes and conuulsions of conscience as with the rage of his sickenesse so Iulian the Apostate in his last act of life from his infected lungs sent out venome against Christ calling him in dirision victorious Galilean Thus Eccius dyes execrating his Popish on-setters in frustrating his golden hopes when they had clapt their hands to animate him to barke at Luther and the Protestanâ—s The like end made Latemus Hoff-maister Spira and other Antichristian Champions being not vnlike in their sinne Thus Gardiner dyes confessing that hee had sinned with Peter but could not repent vvith Peter Cornelius Agrippa cursing his attending Spirit that stood by him in the forme of a blacke dog Others paralel in the like sinnes making like proportioned ends vnlesse it be in
sinnes which cleaue so fast on which they cannot shake off Sinne with which they are at opposition and deadly feud dogs them at the heeles like a Serieant waytes on them like a Catchpole insinuates into them like a claw-backe creepes into their bosomes as a Serpent stings them at the heart like an Adder followes them as their shadow stickes close to them like their shirt vpon their skinne their skinne vpon their flesh and their flesh vpon their bones insomuch that it burnes and frets them as Diaâ—â—raes poysoned shirt did Hercules and as the Ticke vexeth the Oxe which makes them crye out in the anguish of their soules In me duo armati Amor Odium Iacob Esau Caro Spiritus c. Hier. vvith Paul and the faithfull Rom. 7. Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of sinne They complaine of the strife of the Flesh and the Spirit as Rebeccah of the strugling betwixt Iacob and Esau Now death comes and rescues and makes thy baile and playes the Mid-wife and ends the broyle therefore welcome to the well disposed Fiftly they are here Pilgrimes and strangers 1 Pet. 2.11 as was Dauid and the rest in their ages they are here exuls and banished men as Children put forth to nurse from their Mothers as Schollers and Pupils sent to forraine Schooles and to farre Vniuersities and therefore their returning home to their owne Country their restitution to their prouided Kingdome their fetching home to their Father and friends their retyring to their Fathers house though it be through the shadow of death must needes be acceptable Sixtly they know that the day of their death is better then the day of life Eccles 7.3 because they dye prepared their soules purged their hearts by Faith purified As they haue entered into the first degree of eternall life in this life when they beleeued and receiued the gifts of the Spirit the earnest of their Saluation so they enter into the second degree in death August in Iob. Qui cupit dissolui essecum Christo non patienter moritur sed patienter viuit delectabiliter moritur when their soules are carryed into heauen and they dye in assurance of the third degree when body and soule shall be re-vnited to participate of happinesse as they haue liued together in holinesse Seauenthly they dye as with a desire so in an expectation to see and behold the face of Christ of which with Steuen they haue some glimmering in their deaths and therefore death to the godly so farre as regeneration rules is no more burthensome then the stripping off the cloathes vnto a louing Spouse to goe into the Marriage-bed of her contracted Bridegrome Hos 2.19 Eightly they haue kept a good Conscience with God and man like Paul Acts 24. And therefore they feare not iudgement no more then a true man feares to looke the Iudge in the face Ninthly wherein they haue offended God they haue their sinnes remitted and therefore feare not to hold vp their hand at the barre since they are quit before by Proclamation of all the promises in the Gospell and haue the Kings Pardon sealed them in the Sacraments Iacula praeuisa minus ferunâ— Tenthly they haue oft in life invred themselues to thinke speake record and meditate of death euen as did Christ their head and his Seruants Iacob Moses and Paul as appeares in the Word and therefore Deaths dart foreseene Praemoniti Praemuniti wounds them lesse being fore-warned of it they are fore-armed for it Euen as the Souldier that hath beene long trayned and in many skirmishes is more couragious in the maine Battell and as hee that hath long exercised himselfe in foyles is more hardy to fight with sharpe so the petty conflicts that the godly haue had in their owne breasts vvith Deaths feare make them more hardy to encounter Deaths force Eleuenthly they entertaine it as a reward for their worke as a rest from their labour as willingly as the hired labourer receiues his hire and reposeth his wearied limbes Dan 12. Esay 57.2 Twelfthly they are perswaded and haue their Faith grounded in an happy and blessed change they expect a Metamorphosis and an alteration a comfortable transmutation of Earth for Heauen of the Sea for the Hauen of Griefe for Glory of the outward Court for the Sanctum Sanctorum of a Mortall for an Immortall body of Enon for Salem Sodome for Segor Aegypt for Canaan the Wildernesse of Sin for the Land of Promise of a House of clay terrestriall for a House celestiall aboue the Clouds 2 Cor. 5.1 And therefore they are as willing to make this exchange as a poore begger would be to exchange his poore rags for some Princes robes or some poore man to leaue his smoaky rainy Cottage for a pompous Pauilion and decked Chamber in the Court. To reape the Vintage of this discourse Vse the vse to vs is first of examination in that it is an argument of a good man to be willing to dye as here was Simeon Lay thou thy hand on thine heart and search in thy soule what propensitie and disposition thou findest in thy selfe to dye Many arguments there are in the Word and tryals both of a holy and a happy man both affirmatiue in shewing what hee doth and negatiue in shewing what he auoids Dauid points at him in the first Psalme as also in the 32. Psalme verse 1.2 as also in the 15. Psalme So doth our Sauiour Christ in the first eight Verses of the fift of Mathew So the Apostle Paul in the 2. of Cor. ch 7. ver 11. with other such places as namely delighting in the Word meeknesse mourning for sinne hunger after righteousnesse c. care to please God Feare Zeale Indignation against sinne not letting Mony to Vsury and the like yet sure there is no greater euidence of an honest and holy heart then so to walke vprightly with God in life as alwayes to be willing to imbrace the strictest Summons of death to be as ready to depart out of this world as the Israelites were to depart out of Aegypt Againe it is most vsually a note of a soule eyther altogether soyled in corruption or indued with a smaller measure of Sanctification to be violently possessed with a continuated feare of death and therefore in this particular finde out thy selfe and trye in what case thou standest for the more vnwilling thou art to dye commonly the more Nature rules in thee the more earthly fleshly and carnall thou art the more willing commonly the more Grace raignes the more thou art holy heauenly and spirituall in which case you shall obserue that the desire to liue or not to liue to dye and not to dye hath oftentimes ebbed and flowed according to the measure of grace or corruption of sinne or of sanctification Euery man may finde this in his owne heart vsually vpon the search Hence it was Luke 8.33 that our Sauiour Christ
hauing the greatest measure of grace was most willing to dye amongst all the sonnes of mortall men as appeares in the Gospell by his often speaking of his death as desiring it Mat. 10.38 So 16.21.17.22.23 by his hastning Iudas the actor in it Iohn 13. in calling Peter Sathan that disswaded him from it Mat. 13.23 yea in accounting it his Baptisme Luke 20.50 yea his meate that he was to eate Iohn 4 32. yea his exaltation ver 28. yea a thing that hee desired Luke 22. And when hee came to act the bitter part in this dying Tragedy how voluntarily did he send out his soule Hee gaue vp the Ghost saith the Euangelist the spirit was not taken from him for no power could doe that but hee gaue vp his Spirit into the hands of GOD his Father Emisit non amisit Spiritum hee sent out his Spirit as Noah sent the Doue out of the Arke willingly it was not taken from him compulsorily Now that which holds in the Head Christ in some proportion holds in the Saints his Members who are conformed into the similitude both of his life and death the nearer they come vnto Christ by the vnion of Faith the more they participate of the Spirit of Christ in life the more willing they are to goe to Christ and to haue a further communion with him in and after death Note 2. It is not so with the wicked for the further they runne from God in life the lesse ioy they haue to be fetcht before him by death the lesse grace the more griefe to dye the more vile sensuall and sinfull their dayes the more they desire to prolong them being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare to the stake or the Bull to the ring The reasons are these Reasons why wicked men are vnwilling to die First because they haue their pleasures in this world to which they are wedded and with which they are intoxicated and bewitched as Vlisses and Diomedes companions with Circes charmes and Calipsoes Cups till they be turned into beasts Now what delight hath the beast but in fayre feeding and carnall companying according to his kinde neyther they being as loath to leaue these pleasures as the childe his bable or the foole his folly Secondly Death depriues them of their worldly promotions Acts 12. it throwes Herod from his seate and Baltazar from his Throne Dan. 4. it expulseth Monarchs from their Countryes and with as great a sway as that Antichristian man of Rome kickes off their Crownes deposing Kings disposing Kingdomes laying their honours in the dust And therefore no maruell that the proud Impes of Lucifer feare it as hautie Hammon did the Gallowes Thirdly it pluckes them from their profits it takes Nabal from his Sheepe Ahab from his vsurped Vineyard and Midas from his Gold which worldlings are as vvilling to leaue as the dogge the Flesh-pot as the hungry Kite the sauory carrion to liue in the earth alwayes it is their desire as much as the water is desired of the fish and the Ayre of the Bird and the earth of the Moale they are as content to build tabernacles here as Peter was vpon the Mount Mat. 17. but to goe into the earth that is darus sermo a harsh vvord they are as willing to leaue the world as the Bird the Beast and the Fish are to forsake their nourishing Elements as the starued childe is to part with the desired dugge Oh Death how bitter art thou to a man whose portion is in the world saith the Wise-man Oh mors mordens bitter indeede as gall and worme-wood Fourthly Death depriues the wicked not onely of their goods but of their Gods what euer they make their Idols and giue their hearts vnto which Idols they as vnwillingly leaue Iudg. 17. Gen. 31.19 as Michay did his and as the Papists their Idolatrous Masse as Rachel did her Fathers Idols vvhich shee concealed and couered Fiftly Death takes them away from their pleasing companions which they are as loath to part fro as Elisha was to leaue Elias as Ruth to leaue Naomi but most vnwilling to exchange them for the company of Diuels and Hell-hounds Sixtly they are vnfitted and vnprepared for Death they haue not made their accounts straight they haue not Oyle in their Lampes they haue abused their Talents of gifts externall and internall and therefore they quake to be brought by Death to render an account of their Stewardship with the wicked Steward to meete the Bridegrome with the foolish Virgins to be called in coram before their great Master with the wicked Seruant that smote his fellow-seruants and with the other vnprofitable Seruant Seauenthly they haue no hope in death except a vaine and wanne hope such as perisheth like the vntimely fruit of a woman Death like Michay to Ahab neuer prophesieth any good to a wicked man and therefore he is as vnwilling to dye as a Theefe and Malefactor to be brought before the Iudge as a bad debtor before his creditor as a Swine to the slaughter for as the Swine by a naturall instinct knowes that hee is good for nothing but the Shambles so the wicked by the rage of his owne conscience which is like the flash before hell fire and by an Historicall Faith whereby hee beleeues there is a hell and euerlasting fire for such as hee is Fornicators Esay 30.33 Mat. 25.41 Reuel 21. â— 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Iude 4.13 Mat. 7.23 whoremongers drunkards wantons theeues couetous impenitent vnbeleeuers and all other workers of iniquitie hee knowes that hee is good for nothing but to be burned and to be stubble and fuell for that flame And therefore as the Swine shewes his dislike of the Shambles and his slaughterer by whining and crying and repining so the hoggish Epicuri de grege porcus Epicurish carnall man shewes his discontent and disobedience vnto God and to his summons by death by muttering murmuring barking against heauen and blaspheming If wee apply this poynt by vse vnto our times Vse wee shall finde infinite millions and multitudes of carnall and wicked men swarming like the Aegyptian Locusts and Grashoppers amongst vs for alas how many are there which beare vp their heads high and set vp their crests exalt their hornes and prancke vp their Peacockes plumes lifting vp themselues aboue others in the pride of their harts boasting like Braggadochies of their birth valour learning wit wealth parts and prowesse shewing much drunken and swaggering and irefull and reuengefull valour in their base and bruitish passions and yet the same at the imagination and apprehension of death shew themselues as arrand cowards as the Arcadians Clineas or Dametas altogether daunted and dismayed like Gorgon at the sight of Medusaes head they quiuer and quake like an Aspen-leafe shake and tremble like the Aguish sicke man at the thought of it their heart trembles their bloud is coniealed and like Baltazar in the like case their countenance is changed and their knees
that they loue the earth too well being desirous euer to liue vpon the earth but neuer to lye in the earth Why list not worldlings returne to their dust but onely that as true children of the old Serpent the curse of the Serpent is vpon them to licke the dust minding earthly things here their end being damnation hereafter Phil. 3.17 Secondly when this is performed in breaking off thy desires from the world which is Terminus à quo the place which thou leauest then fixe thy eye vpon another world Terminus ad quam the place whither thou goest Looke not too much at the grisly face of Death which will agast thee but at the end of it where thou shalt see as many comforts as Elishaes Seruant saw to encourage thee Euen as hee that is to passe ouer some great and deepe Riuer must not looke downe-ward to the water but must cast his eye to the bancke on the further side so looke ouer the waues of death and fixe the eye of thy faith vpon eternall life Looke not at Death in the glasse of the Law in which it is set out as a curse and the downe-fall to the gulph of destruction but in the Christall Glasse of the Gospell as it is changed and altered so by the death of CHRIST that it is a sweet sleepe and resting coole harbour First therefore consider how there is a blessing accompanies and attends thy death pronounced by the Spirit it selfe Reu. 14 13. which is alone sufficient to stay the rage of thy affections in the ordinary feare of death for who feares blessings since euen profane Esau sues for a blessing and euen the very Heathens so much desired that blessednesse which their Philosophers of all sorts so much disputed but neuer so soundly determined as God doth here Secondly the same Spirit cals it A resting from thy labour Now euen the Oxe Horse and Asse desire resting from labour to be vntyed from their taskes vnloden from their Burthens all the creatures and the Elements which groane vnder vanitie desire cessation from motion euery thing aymes at his quies and rest and dost not thou Now death I pray thee what is it but a buster of bonds a destruction of toyle an arriuing at the Hauen a Iourney finished thy consummatum est thy quietus est thy laying away of an heauy burthen euen sin it selfe which as Erasmus wittily is heauier then Gold Siluer Lead and Iron in that the weight of it weighed and pressed downe the Angels of light into the pit of hell and payned Christ our Sauiour our substitute on the Crosse What I say is this death but the shaking off of gyues and an end of banishment a period of griefe an escape of dangers a destroyer of all euils Natures due Countryes ioy Heauens blisse Woes Hauen the Key to ope the dore to Christians as it did to CHRIST Luke 24 26 of blessednes rest and immortalitie dignifying nay almost Deifying whom God hath elected Nil boni in vita nil mali in morte and called in grace and called to the graue this is the right partition of it into his parts and passages as Antiquitie hath christned it and our age hath called it and the godly haue found it Oh then why shouldest thou boggle at it since there is as little hurt in death to the good as there is little good in life to the bad as we shall further proue in some particulars hereafter Thirdly let this cogitation animate thee to sing Simeons Song in being at least willing if not desirous to depart because God takes thy part in thy departing if thou beest his thou hast as the Promise so the Performance of his comfortable presence It hath beene the Lords constant and continuated custome to be with his Children like a friend at neede in their distresse whose exigents and extremities haue beene his opportunities Thus hee was present with Noah in the Floud Gen. 7. with Lot in Sodomes flames Gen. 19. with Iacob in his flight from Esau Gen. 33. with Ioseph in Dodons pit and Putiphars prison vvith Moses when hee went to Pharaoh when he was with Pharaoh and fled from Pharaoh with Israel in the Red Sea Exod. 14. vvith Dauid in Sauls pursuite 1 Sam. 19. with Eliah in the Desart 1 Kings 19. with Elisha vvhen the Syrians came against him 2 Kings 6. with Hezekiah in his sicke-bed Esay 38. with the three Children in the fire Dan. 3. with Daniel in the denne of Lyons Dan. 6. with Ioseph and Mary and the wise Magi flying from Herod Mat. 2. with Christ in his combat with Sathan Mat. 4. and hee will be vvith thee in thy last conflict and tryall for this is his Promise which he keepes more inuiolably then the Decrees of the Medes and Persians to be with thee when thou passest through the waters and through the riuers through the fire that thou shalt neyther be ouerflowne nor ouerblowne in any temptation Esay 43.2.3.4 5.6 c. Now God will manifest his presence with thee these three wayes eyther in moderating or mitigating thy paines as the words of that Propheticall promise doe import making death no more dolorous to thee then many ordinary crosses and afflictions which haue befallen thee in life as some of the Saints haue tryed it Or by the inward and ineffable comfort of the Spirit which occasioned Paul to reioyce in tribulation since euen then the loue of God was shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.35 yea euen in his grieuous sickenesse it seemes when hee had receiued the sentence of death as the suffrings of Christ did abound in him so his consolations did abound through Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 God is the chiefe Physitian and chiefe visitor when any of his Patients are afflicted in his owne person ministring vnto them staying them with flagons comforting them with apples vvith his right hand holding vp their heads and vvith his left imbracing them Cant. 2.9 Thirdly he sends a victorious Host a guard of Angels to be keepers and Nurses vnto his Seruants to hold them vp and beare them in their armes as Nurses doe young Children and to be their champions and guards against the Diuell and his Angels Psal 30. All these comforts with many moe going along vvith thee like the Cloud and the fiery Pillar with the Israelites should cause thee to march valiantly euen through the Pikes of death to thy appointed Possession And so wee passe in this passage of Simeâ—n to the third Point His acknowledgement of the Diuine Permission In these words Lettest thou IN which phrase obserue that what euer comes to passe is by the letting and permission of God whether in life or death for there is nothing done in the world but that which the Almightie will haue done eyther by permitting it to be done or by doing it himselfe Or as the same Augustine All things are eyther done by Gods helpe or suffered to be done by his
chusing his fishing Disciples in dying vpon the Crosse hee crossed the couetousnesse of it by possessing nothing not so much as Foxes and Birds in commending the godly poore Mat. 5. in dying naked vpon the Crosse hee crossed the lusts of it in his innocent and spotlesse chastitie in being borne also of a chaste Virgin so thou if thou be a right Christian after him if one of his Church despise these terrestriall things seeke for celestiall Col. 4.1.2.3 c. trample the Moone these momentanie things vnder thy feete vse the world as though thou vsed it not looke at it and the things of it as at a Lyon in a grate subiect not thy selfe to it be not the slaue of it come not within the reach of it it will teare thee and as the Panther and Hiena deale with Beasts by fawning deuoure thee looke at it therefore and like it as a Pilgrime a strange Country as a Traueller his Inne onely to lodge in it for a few dayes or nights alwayes be in readidesse with old Simeon to depart as the Israelites were ready in a trice to depart out of Aegypt loue this life so that thou wilt willingly lay it downe as thou puttest off thy garments when thou goest to bed when GOD cals thee to sleepe in thy graue Thirdly both from these premisses 3 Vse vvee may gather an vse of Instruction as also from the Text wee may ground a doctrinall obseruation concerning the nature of death comfortable to the godly to whom all things yea death it selfe happens for the best chiefely if they grone vnder the Crosse for Rom. 8. if life be so burthensome death must needes be beneficiall that vnlooseth our yoake and takes the burthen from our vveakened natures vvearyed shoulders The benefits of death to a Christian vnder the crosse Therfore death comes to the good man to the crossed Christian as Moses to the Israelites in Aegypt to deliuer him it comes to the godly as Pharaohs Daughter to Mosos fluctuate on the waters as the Arke to Noah as Obediah to the persecuted Prophets to preserue them as the Angell to Lot in Sodome as Abraham to Lot in captiuitie as Dauid to his captiue Wiues to rescue them as the Angell to Peter in Prison to set them free as the Angell to CHRIST in his Agonie as Ionathan to Dauid to comfort them in extremitie as Iosephs Chariots to old Iacob to reioyce them nay as Gods Chariot to Elias to carry them into the place of ioy as the Angels to Lazarus to carry them into Abrahams bosome What shall I say more as Ionas his Gourd to coole Ionas in his excessiue heat like Saul to those of Mount Gilead to help them in time of distresse like the yeere of Iubilie to the Bond-man like the long lookt for husband to a louing wife like newes from a farre Country like meate to the hungry and drinke to the thirstie like a messenger from GOD with this message Afflâ—xite non affliâ—am amplius I haue afflicted thee I will afflict thee no more Aug. as God said in effect to Abraham saith Augustine thou hast had tentationem fidei the tryall of thy Faith now receiue benedictionem pro fide a blessing for thy Faith blessing vs as the Angell did Iacob after we haue wrastled with the worlds woes Therefore the godly dead as the Latine beares it as is well obserued are not so much said to be dead as deliuered as remoued as redeemed from the worlds warfare Mortui id est emeriti quia rude donati absoluti à militia Therefore Plutarch cals death Malorum remedium portus humanis calamitatibus euils relieuer and calamities calmer vitae ianua saith Bernard perpetua securitatis ingressus the gate of life and ingresse to a sempiternall securitie the onely Physitian that askes no fees not so much as thankes and yet cures all cares inward all diseases outward better then Homers Moli then the Balme of Gilead or that marueilous Linguists Mithridate yea it cures all Dat cunctis legem recipit cum paupere Regem De conso ad Apol. It spareth none and yet befriends euen Kings And cures the cares of poore meane vnderlings And therefore God oft-times as our Prouerbe is takes them away soonest whom hee loues best as many Parents know that oft-times lose their Iosephs euen that child whom by the appearance of graces in them God and they loue the best the rest being left them whom they doe not so deseruedly loue Hence it is that when there were but foure in the world Adam Eue Caine Abel God tooke away Abel the best of them for hee permitted his death though Caine gaue the stroke and hee suffered the worst of them to liue still saith Ambrose as the greatest blessing to the one Lib. de Cain Abel and for a continuated plague and punishment to the other Yea Christ himselfe the spirituall Abel whose bloud speakes better things for vs then Abels was cut downe like a flower in the prime of his yeeres at the age of three and thirtie in the midst of his age which hee might haue liued by nature though hee was beloued of his Father aboue all creatures Angels and Men. Lazarus was not a little loued of Christ as the Iewes noted Iohn 11. in his resuscitation yet hee dyed young and though hee wept when hee raised him vp againe to shew his power hee wept saith Grauatensis because hee was reduced and brought backe againe to the miseries of life Hence it is not altogether a Fiction in Herodotus if his Workes as they are * By Mr. Stephens in his World of wonders defended are no Fables that when the Father of Leobis and Biton intreated the Gods for the greatest blessing vpon these his two Sonnes in the morning they were found both dead in their beds The like Boone was graunted to Trophomius and Agamedes that built the Delphicke Temple to Apollo the Morrall at least of all which and such like is this that to many a speedy death is better then a prolonged miserable life nay that wee neuer beginne truely to liue till wee dye Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 14. c. 25 Iustus non viuit c. The iust man neuer liues as hee would till he come to that place where he cannot dye Therefore let the Meditation of these things comfort vs in death and encourage vs against the terrors and feare of death I confesse as wee haue already inlarged another poynt that death is fearefull to all flesh both man and beast Exhortat much more to a wicked man stout stomacks haue beene agast and turned crauens at his griefly face euen as all the Troopes of Israell were affrighted when they saw Pharaoh behinde them and the red Sea before them the two lawes of death ready to swallow them And surely euen a resolued Christian cannot free his soule from reluctation when hee lookes onely at the corruption of the
dottage that in other things are politique Gallio's and plotting Iezabel's yet in this are witty fooles in preferring the Purse before the Gold the Caske before the Wine the Hiue before the Hony the Body before the Soule How many spend yeeres and moneths nay all their precious time in hawking hunting whoring carding dicing c. in scraping and gathering yealow dust together in doing workes morrall or sinfull their owne workes or the Diuels how many in doing nothing or doing euill or as good as nothing How many women spend many dayes and houres in tricking and trimming the painted sepulchers of their soules I meane their bodies in a Glasse who neuer considering how the glasse of their time runnes spend not a moneth in a yeere a weeke in a moneth a day in a weeke an houre in a day in the publique or priuate worship of GOD in looking into the Glasse of Gods word prayer meditation c. How many Citizens and Countrimen of all sorts spend the vvhole sixe dayes in catering and purueying for the body who grudge God his Sabbaths for the prouision of their soules such men eyther they thinke they haue no soules or that their soules shal die with their bodies like the beasts liuing like Libertines and Epicures as their faith is like the Saduces which denied any Spirit or Resurrection or soules immortalitie as Iosephus testifies of them Iosephus antiq lib. 8. c. 2. de bello Iud. lib. 2. c. 7. Oh we had need cry to such deluded franticke men and tell them that they haue soules and soules immortall to raigne with GOD or to be plagued with the Diuels after their departing out of the body His hoped Pacification In these words In peace NOW followes the last part of this holy Hymne Simeons Quietus est or his Pacification God suffering him to depart in peace Caluin and Bucer renders Simeons minde thus Nunc libenter sedato quieto animi moriar Lord now I depart willingly with an appeased heart and a setled soule since I haue seene thy Christ From whence I gather Doctrine that a good man that liues piously alwayes dyes peaceably It appeares here in Simeon so in the rest of the Saints as in Abraham to whom it was promised Gen. 15.15 that hee should goe vnto his Fathers in peace Godly men alwayes die in peace and should be buryed in a good age which promise was plentiously performed to Abraham for he yeelded the spirit dyed in a good age an old man and of great yeeres Gen. 25.8 So Isaack the Sonne of Promise gaue vp the ghost and dyed peaceably being old and full of daies Gen. 35.29 Neither was the death of good Iacob that preuailing Israel discrepant to his holy life for he dyed quietly making an end of his charge vnto his Sonnes hee pluckt vp his feete into his bed and gaue vp the ghost Gen. 49.33 After the like manner was the death of chaste and mercifull Ioseph Gen. 50.26 of penitent and patient Iob after hee had seene his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes euen foure generations Iob 42.16 Of zealous and sincere Dauid 1 Kings 2. after hee had counselled and charged his Sonne Salomon to walke in the wayes and Statutes of the Almightie Deut. 34. Of Moses the faithfull Seruant of the Lord who dyed when his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated though he were an hundred and twentie yeeres old God himselfe being present at his death and buriall So Iosuah that couragious Leader of Israel Iosh 24.29 Aaron the Lords Priest who dyed before the Lord in the Mount Hor Numb 20.28 Eleazar Aarons Sonne Iosh 24.33 Samuel the Lords Prophet 1 Sam. 25.1 with all the rest of Gods Children Patriarkes Prophets Iudges Kings Martyres Confessors the learned Lights of the Church such as Ambrose Augustine c. as they haue liued holily they haue dyed happily of which in their seuerall Histories they haue giuen demonstrations most of them if not all in these three particulars First Three things demonstrate that the godly dye in peace that they were gathered to their Fathers in a mature and full age full of yeeres reaped like a Ricke of ripe Corne into the Lords Barne taken like mellow Apples from the Tree of life in which full age Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioshuah Iob with the rest before mentioned as also the Patriarkes before the Floud which out-liued them with others of the faithfull did blessedly yeeld their spirits and quietly slept in the Lord which blessing of long life being the promise annexed to that fift Commandement of Obedience is peculiarly incident to the godly rather then the wicked whose sinnes as the Iuie kils the Oake ordinarily abbreuiate their dayes or if any of the faithfull dye young or in their middle age before they haue attained to the yeeres of their Fathers eyther by a naturall dissolution as Iosias or by a violent death as the auncient and moderne Martyres eyther they are taken away from the euill to come as Augustine was immediately before the siege of Hippo by the Gothes and Vandals or else because they are ripened already in grace and come to that maturitie which GOD in his fore-seeing wisedome knowes they would or could attaine to and so are fitted for glory or else they testifie the truth here to others confirmation Gods glory and their owne consolation Secondly the Elect vsually haue their wishes The godly oft haue their desires before at and in their deaths and the fruition of their desires ere their departure to the great satisfaction of their soules the contentation of their hearts the corroberation of their faith and the scaling pledge of Gods speciall loue vnto them thus Simeon ere his death had CHRIST in his armes which was the desire and longing of his heart So Abraham saw Christs day before his death in the spirit and reioyced what did old Israel so long after in the whole world except the sight of Shiloh the Messias in the flesh as to see his darling Ioseph which longing of his the Lord satisfied at the full ere his death for his dying eyes did not onely see Iosephs face but his seede Ephraim and Manasses Gen. 48.11 What did Moses desire more then the fruition of Canaan the promised Land Now euen before the Lord shut his dying eyes the Lord tooke him vp into a mount and as a rellish and a taste of his fauour gaue him a sight of Canaan Deut. 34 ver 1.4 In what could Dauids heart be more setled then to see his Throne setled in Salomon his Sonne which his desire was accordingly accomplished for his eyes did see what his heart desired for which hee blessed God 1 Kings 1.48 And the like ordinarily fals out as many aged Christians at this very day can bring in their experienced probatum est as many that are fallen a-sleepe before them could haue testified how the Lord hath heard their requests and granted the desires of their soules in
Ridiculous and Childish Oathes as by Fay How to leaue the damnable custome of Swearing Fakins Trokins Bodikins Slid Sounds Cocke and Pye with the like whereby thou seekest to mocke and deceiue God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. Thirdly then invre thy selfe to leaue thy Superstitious Oathes as by the Masse Rood Crosse by our Lady and by Popish Saints c. Fourthly so proceede against thy Heathenish and Idolatrous Oathes in swearing by the Creatures as Laban and Iezabel by their Idols Gen. 31 53. 1 Kings 19. verse 2. as by men by S. Peter and by S. Iohn c. by the Heauens the Earth by Fire Sunne the Light Meate Drinke Money c. or by the parts of thy body as Hands or the like or by thy Soule all condemned Mat. 5. ver 34. Iames 5.12 And so with a courage set vpon thy impious horrible fearefull damnable blasphemous Oathes as by the Lord by God the eternall God by Christ by Iesus and such like or by the parts and adiuncts of Christ by tearing his Humanitie as the Iewes did his body by diuiding him as the Souldiers did his garments Mat. 27.35 in blasphemie by his Death Passion Life Soule Bloud Flesh Heart Wounds Bones Sides Guts Armes Foote Nayles c. of all which I tremble and quake to thinke write and speak◠though thou makest no more scruple of such Hell-bred Oathes then of thy ordinary words so deale with all other sinnes of which thy soule is as full as a Serpent is full of venome and a Toade of poyson Crucifie them by degrees and dye to them daily else thou dyest for euer if thou dye 〈◊〉 in them By this course thou shalt take away the sting of Death which is Sinne for the strength of Death is Sinne 1 Cor. 15. euen as the strength of Sampson laid in his hayre Iudg. 16.17 which sinne when it is subdued Death it selfe is as easily conquered as weakened Sampson was by the Philistines verse 21. yea it can doe thee no more harme then a Dragon Viper or angry Waspe which haue lost their stings Secondly dye daily to the world Secondly dye to the world loue it not nor the things of it that so thou maist more happily dye out of the world and more hopefully entertaine thoughts of a better world And in this case doe as Runners vse who oft runne ouer the Race before they runne for the Wager that so they may be better invred and acquainted when they come to try their abilitie or as is said of Belney the Martyr that being to suffer by fire many dayes before he would hold his hand a pretty while in the flame so to prepare himselfe to sustaine the paines of Martyrdome which he was to vnder-goe Thirdly Beare crosses patiently Thirdly dye daily by invting thy selfe to take Crosses and Afflictions patiently as sickenesses in body troubles in minde losse of goods of friends and of good name c. which indeede are little deaths euen pettie deaths not onely Prologues of death but Preparatiues to death for which cause GOD sends them to his children more then to the wicked euen to weane them from the world and prepare them for death as the Nurse weanes the Childe from the Teate by doing bitter Aloes vpon it and sure he that beares Crosses most patiently is well prepared to dye peaceably as appeares by S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 who by making good vse of afflictions dyed daily it holding commonly that Mors post crucem minor est Death is lesse dolorous after the crosse Fourthly Prayer oft preuailes for a peaceable departure Fourthly pray seriously for a peaceable departure it is confirmed by examples of all ages and experience of all Gods Seruants that hee that prayes well speedes well Iacob and Abrahams Seruant had Gods blessings vpon their Iourneyes as an effect of their Prayers Gen. 24. Gen. 27. Thou shalt finde Gods presence euen in that houre of the last iourneying of thy soule from her earthly Mansion to her heauenly Country if thou pray for this grace particularly and effectually therefore as thou oughtest to pray continually for other a Lu. 18.1 Eph. 6.18 things 18 Things to be prayed for that death may be prosperous so euen in health and prosperitie pray frequently and feruently 1. That God would make this backeward repugnant and nilling nature of thine willing to her dissolution 2. Prepare thy vnprepared soule 3. Subdue thy corruptions 4. Purge out the drosse of thy sinnes 5. Giue the patience to kisse his correcting Rod when hee whips by sicknesse or diseases 6. Succour thee in thy last and greatest conflict 7. Support thy weaknes 8. Aide thee against Sathans force and fraud 9. Strengthen thy Faith 10. Renew thy decayed graces 11. Giue thee the power and comfort of his owne Spirit 12. Not to visit thy sinnes in Iustice but in Mercy 13. To preserue thy soule from the Hunter and thy darling from the Lyon 14. To giue his Angels charge ouer thee in thy extremitie 15. To keepe thee from 1. Impatiencie 2. Frenzie 3. Distraction 4. Idle fancies 5. Rauing 6. Raging 7. Blaspheming c. least thy death be scandalous 16. To touch thy tongue with a coale from the Altar that thou maist speake 1. to Gods glory 2. and to Edification 17. To dye the death of the righteous 18. Lastly to receiue thy soule into that new Ierusalem which is aboue Such Prayers we haue vpon record in holy Writ as of Dauid Psal 39. and Moses Psal 90. true patternes of our Prayers in this kinde And sure who euer approacheth oft to the throne of Grace and supplicates to a pittifull God from faith and feeling in these and the like petitions he shall be sure to finde an answere from God euen when hee lyes vpon his sicke-bed as the fruit of his former desires Besides that his former acquaintance with God in speaking to him and talking as it were with him oft-times in life by Prayer will increase in the sicke Patient euen a holy boldnesse in a filiall feare to come to that God as one friend to another in extremitie with whom he hath so oft conuersed and conferred with by the Word and Prayer in health and prosperitie Fiftly that thou maist depart in peace make sure to thy soule the inheritance of life eternall euen here in this thy life naturall for as worldlings are something at quiet vvhen they haue made sure such houses lands leases and purchases as they haue long gaped after so assurance of life eternall is the onely pacification to the spirituall man this is the lot the portion and inheritance that his soule longs after the estate that hee preferres before all the flesh-pots of Aegypt or the Iewels of Aegypt Now for the purchase of a fixed place in the heauenly Canaan thou must prouide these treasures 1. sauing Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Sanctification of more price vvith God then Gold Pearle and precious Stones with men For the first
12.6 Secondly since it is the Lord say with Eli Let him doe what seemes good 1 Sam. 3.18 His will be done on mee in mee and by mee on me in suffering in me by his grace working by me in obeying Thirdly Christ thy high Priest and Intercessor is euen touched with a fellow-feeling of all thine infirmities Heb. 4.15 Fourthly against deaths feare Short furnitures against the feeling of sickenesse and feare of death 1. consider the estate of thy life which life is but a vanishing Vapour Iames 4.14 a Weather-cocke which turnes at euery blast a Waue which surgeth at euery storme a Reede blowne vvith euery winde a Warfare as doubtfull as dangerous feare not the vanishing of a Vapour the turning of a Weather-cocke 2. Consider thy body as a body of sinne Rom. 7.24 the soules prison the mindes iayle the spirits cage no Bocardo dungeon sincke puddle pit is so noysome to the body as it selfe is to the heauenly inspired soule Now since death is the leauing of this body of sinne as Augustine cals it b Super Iohan. it is not to be eschewed but imbraced saith Chrisostome c Super Mat. 11. Other incouragements I leaue to their due places 4. Reasons why the sicke man should set his soule in order The second dutie which concernes the soule is this thou must set in order thy soule reconciling and recommending vnto God this desolate darling of thine after the manner afore-said for as the sickenesse of the body oft comes from the sinne of the soule so the curing of the one oft procures the health of the other but if thy sicknesse be to death by this course 1. thou shalt dye more quietly 2. more comfortably 3. giue good example to thy visitors 4. leaue a comfort to thy suruiuing Friends Now for the performance of these things the better others ought to assist thee as others brought the sicke of the Palsie to CHRIST Marke 2. Iames tels thee that the Elders of the Church must be sent for Iam. 5.14 which Elders were not onely Apostles but auncient men endued with the spirit of Prayer and gift of Miracles a gift which not onely many Parents had but euen Christian Souldiers saith Tertullian de corona militis c. 11. In these times S. Iames his rule still holds though then those gifts cease yet make thou choyse of such Christians as haue the spirit of Admonition Exhortation Prayer c. for to their prayers for thee a blessing is promised Iames 5.15 their prayers if they be feruent may preuaile for the restoring of thy spirituall life or corporall health as the prayers of d 1 King 17 17 Elias e 2 Kin. 4.31 Elizeus f Act. 20.10 Paul and our g Ioh. 11.14 Sauiour Christ preuailed for whom they prayed but chiefely send for thy Minister or some faithfull Preacher for hee will play the part of a spirituall Physitian 1. hee can vnrip thy vlcers 10. Reasons why the sicke must send for his Minister search thy sores better then thou thy selfe 2. set before thee thy sinnes 3. cast thee downe by the Law 4. raise thee vp by the Gospell 5. comfort 6. direct 7. instruct thee 8. speake a word to thee in due season from God 9. be thy mouth to speake from thee and for thee to God 10. pronounce thy pardon on earth vvhich shall be ratified in heauen vpon tryall of thy Repentance Iohn 20.23 The practise of the world and worldlings is condemnable in this case for alas instead of sending for knowing and zealous men which could comfort them with such consolations wherewith they themselues haue beene comforted 2 Cor. 1.4 and in some measure restore them Gal. 6.1 they send for their carnall friends entertaine and welcome profane men that come to visit them from whom they receiue as much comfort as Iudas did of the Scribes and Pharisies when hee was in despayre Mat. 27.3.4 First eyther they say nothing to them like Iobs friends that were silent seauen dayes Iob 2.13 and in silence looke vpon them like a Deere at gaze The small comfort that a sicke man gets from carnall visitors Secondly or else they speake to little or no purpose saying to the sicke partie they are sorry to see him in such a case they would haue him take that which themselues want a good heart and be of good courage and comfort but wherein and by what meanes they cannot tell Others more vainely and profanely that they doubt not but hee shall doe well enough and recouer and that they shall be merry and drinke and carouse together as they haue done before c. and they will pray for them if they will when alas all their prayers are nothing else but the Apostles Creede or the tenne Commandements and the Lords Prayer vttered without Faith Feeling and Vnderstanding and this is the common comfort that sicke men get of their neighbours and friends when they come to visite them alas we may say as Iob of his friends miserable comforters be they all Secondly herein many men are also culpable 1. that they eyther send not for a Minister at all 2. or else for such a one as is as good as none a cloud without raine a dry pit without water such a one as wants the tongue of the learned to speake to him or the heart of the humble to pray for him vnlesse in saying as they say some set prayers which good Sir Iohn is as farre from truely praying as the sicke Patient is from profiting by them Or thirdly if they send for a Minister it is preposterously when it is too late in some maine exigent when they see no vvay but one The Minister is to be sent for before the Physitian Oh then send for a Preacher send for a Minister as Pharaoh in his deepe distresses knowing no meanes of euasion sends for Moses and sends for Aaron Exod. 9.27 whom in his welfare hee both despised and despited If Iannes and Iambres Astronomers and Astrologers could haue helpt Pharaoh Moses and Aaron should neuer haue beene sought to nor God by their meanes If Physitians and Galens Art Natures Simples nay with some if Sorcerers and white Witches and Sathans power or the vertues of the waters or ought else could comfort their soules or cure their bodies the Preacher should be vnsought to or vnsent for of many that in their health haue hated him and his doctrine as much as Ahab hated Michay and his Ministery 1 Kings 22.8 Vbi definit Theologus ibi incipit Medicâ—â— Oh what an vnequall course is this that although till help be had for the soule and sinne which is the roote of sickenesse be cured Phisicke to the body seldome auailes for which cause the Physitian should beginne where the Diuine ends yet vsually the Diuine beginnes when the Physitian makes an end nay oft when life is making an end the Physitians are sent for in the beginning of sicknesse wee in