our soule all our mynde all our might all our strength all our force in this his seruice All our members both head handes and heart yea all partes that we possesse are tyde to his obedience The least sinne could not shadowe it selfe but it shewed it in vs not condempning only our outward actes but geuing sentence against our wicked thoughtes yea all our idle motions without consent And therefore since all flesh created of God is corrupted so that the verie imaginations of mans hart are onely euill continually since that by the Law it is coâ—â—inced that there is none that doth good no not one but all are concluded vnder sinne and subiect to the same guilt of damnation Since by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne and that it stoppes euery mans mouth and makes all the worlde subiect to Gods iudgementes and summons them to appeare before his seate since it was added because of transgressions that our sinnes might more appeare and abound therefore it is called to the vnregenerat man an importable yoke the occasion of sinne hence it is called the law of sinne and of wrath the administration of condempnation the oldnes of the letter which can not giue life but pronounceth all our workes accursed And here beholde the strength and sting of death How did death enter By sinne How did sinne appeare and what is the strength of the same The Law of God which giueth sentence of condempnation agaynst all flesh and leaueth not one iustified in his sight And yet notwithstanding all this the Law of God is holy iust and good opening his very will setting a blessing before our eyes as well as a cursse It was not contrary to our nature before it was corrupted but agreeable for the Image of man in which he was first created It teacheth the very patterne of true obedience what is agreeable to God and his nature how much he hateth sinne and delighteth in goodnes It offereth both lyfe and death lyfe to the obeyers death to the breakers Therefore let vs all glorifie God let euery mans mouth be stopped from accusing him or his Law Let vs confesse against our selues our sinnes and say vnto him Shame and confusion belonges vnto vs Death and dampnation is our due the heauie anger wrath and hell are our desartes And thou O blessed God art iust righteous good and gratious in all thy doinges for euer Let vs thus I say giue sentence against our selues that God may be founde cleare euen to the most wickedst men when he is iudged Well then let vs beare in minde that God is not too rigorous in punishing vs with eternall death by reason of our sinnes so conuinced by his lawe and that Gods infinite iustice thus broken disobeyed coulde not otherwyse be answered of man but by infinite susteyning of eternall death Marke therefore I pray you the whole kingdome of the Deuil He first fighteth and warreth with temptations which are as dartes to wounde our soules to death which if we resist not being so tempted but yeelde to sinne then comes the Law against vs with his force and by vertue of the Law death entreth and triumpheth For the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law for it sheweth vs Hel which is the pallace of Death leaues vs in perdition So that you see according to my promise what Death is it selfe what Prince it hath and what strong Souldiers it hath to keepe his kingdome to wit the Deuill him selfe sinne lawe wrath of God and all to vpholde it Wherefore it is no maruel yf the remembraunce of death be bitter to many and that they abhor and hate it I say it is no wonder if all their ioyntes do tremble and shake a sunder for the horror thereof made the Sonne of God oft to pray against it to sweate droppes of bood for the agonie of it and to cry out to his Father as a man forelorne Why hast thou forsaken mee Neither yet was this so strange a miracle to see the Sonne of God so amazed at death for it set both Deuill Lawe Sinne Hell Graue and wrath of God against him all these were armed to ouerthrow him all these were Death his Souldiers and appoynted captaynes to conquer Christ And any or the least of these without him will quite destroy vs. But now to your comfortes that beleeue let vs see who got the victorie whether Christ or Death or which of them was spoyled that so we may learne to confirme our fayth in the middest of our conflictes You haue heard already what death is in it owne nature now heare what it is through Christ Our estate without him we know we are euen holden in the shadow of death being fettered in our finnes The weight of our finnes is the Law of God layde vpon vs. Hel is our prison death is our Iaylor to hold vs. See how we are locked from God yet most iustly as I noted In this distresse and deepe dungion Iesus Christ came to visite vs euen God and Man a right redeemer for vs he takes our cause vppon him and he reasons and wrastles with the Deuill that helde vs captiues This mightie Sauiour tooke flesh and blood to take our part that he might destroy through death him that had power of death that is to say the Deuil and that he myght delyuer all them which for feare of death were all their lyfe time subiect to bondage He suffered for our sinnes the Iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God and was put to death concerning the flesh but quiâ—kened in the spirite that he might be our ransome Marke therefore diligently I beseech you this his combat and conflict For he had to deale with the Deuill who helde vs captiues The Deuill for his defence had the Law euen the righteous law of God which man had transgressed and therefore now worthely subiect to his power The obiections therefore that he made against man to Christ are these Whosoeuer breaketh the Law of God shall die the death but man hath broken the Law of God therefore he shall die the death and by the vertue of the Law sayth the Deuill I will holde him in death Againe the Law of God is according to his nature good holy and righteous And therfore the death of man pronounced by the Lawe is iust and his damnation righteous God the Law giuer is infinite and eternall therefore his death must be endles and euerlasting God is iust and can not denie himselfe He sayd that man yf he should breake his lawe should die the death and therefore death shal hold him God is perfect pure and therefore the satisfaction must be according to his nature His law bindes both soule and body euen thought worde and deede and therefore let man performe this and he shall liue These and many more are the dartes of the Deuil which he throweth agaynst our foules to wound
vs to death the least of which assuredly will pearse vs thorow were it not that the strength of Iesus Christ rebounded them backe and bluntens them He is our sheilde our buckler our helmet of saluation our castle and house of defence he couereth vs with his winges and we are safe vnder his feathers his faithfulnesse and his trueth doth still preserue vs. For all these dangerous dartes and a thousande more are nothing to his power their force is lesse and their violence is weaker then straw or stubble to the furnace Now therefore marke now these darts are dasshed Gods iustice in deede was gon out it could not be reuoked Man must keepe his law or man must die an eternall death Hereupon it pleased Christ to become man for our sakes and so as man to satisfie the Law of God for our sinnes that Gods trueth might not be altered No Angell or Saint could be our sauiour in this case but man who had offended God Now man of him selfe being too weake to beare this heauie burthen Christ was God and man that so he might suffer as man and saue as God Our mediatour was God and man Man and God were foes and therefore being God and man he reconciled man to God And as the first Adam by transgressing brought death vpon all so the seconde Adam through obeying brought life to all beleeuers Gods purest iustice could not exact the thing which he fulfilled not it required the fulfilling of the Law This he accomplished being the ende of the Law and the Prophets He was the very substaunce of all the Ceremonies and the body of all their shadowes of the Law He was circumcised he payd tribute he was obedient in all thinges and was vnder the Law so that his comming was not to breake but to fulfill the Law It required perfect holinesse in man he therefore was a man without sinne conceaued by the holy ghost And therefore he is not afrayde to say to the faces of his foes Which of you can rebuke mee of sinne Yea the Iudge him selfe that condemned him washed his handes as a witnesse of his cleannesse I finde no fault in this iust man True therefore is the saying of the Apostle That he was made sinne for vs that knew not sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God through him He is truely called the Pascall Lambe most pure and vnspotted that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde To him al the Prophetes beare witnesse that iustly through his name is preached the remission of sinnes and that there is no other name vnder heauen by which we can be saued Thus he fulfilled the law for man being man him selfe his obedience was most perfect he left nothing â—nfulfilled And as he kept the Law which man had broken so likewise he â—id pay the penaltie for his trasgression The breach of the Law was the cursse of God and eternall death He thereâ—ore became accursed and susteyned â—eath euen the death of the Crosse acâ—ursed of God And so by death ouerâ—ame death by this cursing brought he blessing of God vpon vs. He canâ—elled the handwriting and obligation â—hat the Deuill and Law had layde against vs he nayled them to his Crosse â—nd made it voyde So that now the â—aythful may triumph through Christ Death being swallowed vp in victorie â—hey may boldly excleayme and say O Death where is thy sting O Graue where â—s thy victorie For the sting of death beâ—ng sinne and the strength of sinne beâ—ng the Law and both sinne and lawe being taken away through Christ there â—s no condemnation that now remayneth And therefore thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs the victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. Foâ— he hath taken our sinnes vppon his backe he hath satisfied the Lawe oâ— God not for him selfe but for vs Hee dyed that wee might liue hee was accursed that wee myght be blessed hee was buried that wee myght rise from our graues hee descended into hell that wee myght ascende into heauen his righteousnes is our righteousnes and our sinnes are his This exchange dyd he make for our sakes And therefore through him by fayth being dead in our sinnes we are reuiued quickened and strengthened All his merites are reputed vnto vs as though they were our owne and our sinnes are truely his for which he suffered and satisfied to the vttermost Christe is our onely Sacrifice the fountayne of grace and vertue the portion of our inheritance our righteousnesse wysedome â—atisfaction and redemption our â—oore to heauen the way the trueth â—nd the lyght our attonement vnto God our Sheppard Maister Lord and King To be short he is all in all to vs that â—re nothyng This our Christ hath brogated the Lawe and hath redeeâ—ed those that were vnder the Lawe nd he him selfe is the ende of the Lawe and that which the Law could â—ot doe he hath accomplyshed And therefore O Deuill let Gods â—eople goe for the Lawe cannot holde â—hem And therefore O Death yeelde â—p thy power thy sting and strength â—s nothyng the Lawe being fulfilled â—nd sinne remoued The seede of the woman hath bruâ—ed the Serpentes head Christ hath â—edde Captiuitie captiue and giuen gyftes to men He hath reconcyled and made as one all thynges both in heauen and earth he hath plucked downe the partition wal in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that remayned There is neither Iew nor Gentile bound nor free Scithian nor Barbarian for all are one in Christ He hath made the Wolfe to dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard to lie with the Kid he hath made the Calfe the fat Beastes the Lions so tame that a litle chylde may leade them the Cow the Beare with their young ones not onely feede buâ— lie togeather the sucking Chylde doth play vpon the hole of the Aspe yea euen the weaned child most safely puts his hand into the caue of the Cockatrice Christ hath now dissolued the workes of the Deuill and broken his snares a sunder that all beleeuing sinners should be made righteous by him wayting for eternall lyfe He hath opened the eyes of the blinde and broughâ— the prisoners from their dungion and them that sate in darknes hath he placed in light To conclude By his death and passion he destroyed sinne and so was death in the same victory maymed For sinne is the sting of death And when death had lost his sting was conquered in Christs resurrection from death Satan also lost his strength and power which rested onely on them which through sinne were in danger of death For the wages of sinne is death Finally because hell only deuoureth them that through sinne and death are slaues to Satan It foloweth that the other three were by him so mightely vanquished that hell also with all the danger thereof was subdued and we deliuered from al their tirrany according to the saying of Zacharie He hath performed the oth which he sware to deliuer vs from
our enemies that we might serue him without feare Now then all we which beleeue are freed from the slauerie of sinne kingdome of the deuill gulfe of hell and chaynes of death So that hencefoorth death is no death to Gods chyldren through Christ but great aduantage and appoynted for a passage to a better lyfe And therefore though wicked reprobates tremble at the name of death to whom they are in thraldome yet Gods chyldren being conquerours through Christ may well triumph for now through him we haue an entrance made to heauen and death is the very doore to life a passage out of this world to the Father from the prison of this body to goe to Christ It is a returning to our heauenly countrey from which we were exiled And this is the cause why the godly sigh and sorrow to be loosed and to be with Christ being subiect to sinne And heere let vs note that whereas death is a dissolution of the soule from the body that therefore the body is nothing els but a prison in which our soules are bound And he that desireth to liue is like a madde Prisoner that is delighted in his giues that may be free from his fetters and cares not that may go out of the Iayle and will not Wherefore we must consider of Death not as it seemes in it selfe but as it is Christ naturally we couet to be and consequently we shunne Death which depriues vs of our being Death is horrible to the best for a while because it is repugnant to their nature but on the other side we see how we are held as in a prison so long as this body of sinne compasseth vs about Therefore wee ought to long for the euerlasting life which is promised vs after death for when wee drawe towards death then come we nigh vnto it and Death is the very gate of life assuring our selues that for asmuch as Iesus Christ hath passed the same way we neede not be afraide that Death shall ouercome vs for it is through him a rebaâ—ed and blunted sword whose point is broken whose edge is taken off so that it cannot hurt vs and although it drawe some bloud of vs yet notwithstanding the same shall be but to purge vs and rid vs of all our diseases Since therefore wee haue learned what Death is in it selfe and what in Christ and knowe the worste since Death is aduantage to the faithfull and the very high waye to heauen let vs learne how to prepare our selues there to which is the last thing which I promised to performe First therefore in this our preparation let vs arme our selues against these temptations with which both diuell world and flesh will mightily assaile vs. What man saith the deuill wilt thou dye why then beholde the company of thy sinnes the wrath of God the graue and hell are ready to deuoure thee the Law is thy Iudge which doth condemne thee To these temptations of the deuill we must oppose Christes righteousnesse satisfactions and merits in which God holdeth himselfe fullye appeased The world it setteth abroche his baites What wilt thou dy O man why see thy goodly buildings thy bags of golde thy landes and liuings thy rents and reuenues thy pastime and thy pleasures thy Iewels and thy treasures thy delights and all that thy heart desireth In deed O worlde this felicitie is good but yet no otherwise then it standeth with the fauour of God it is to be kept but yet so farre foorth as by the keeping of it we loose not God and yet we see the vanitie of thy pleasures the frailtie of thy glory and the ficklenesse of thy goods are therefore nothing in respect of the ioyes of heauen and happy lyfe which after death I am sure to haue Wherefore I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of God who is the keeper of our life For this our life which now we lead is no life in deed but a death for wee are dead and our lyfe is hid with God in Christ we walke by faith and not by sight yea so long as we are at home in this our body we wander and go astray from God our Lorde And O thou worlde which allurest me so to loue this life What is thy wages If I should serue thee I am sure to be a foe to Christ who loues thee not who prayeth not for thee whose kingdome is not of thee and therefore to loue thee is to hate my God which to doe is worse then death Thy rewarde I knowe is nothing but nakednesse for naked I came vnto thee and naked I shall goe from thee And therefore I am willing to forsake thee and desire to be losed and to be with Christ who will couer my nakednesse with the robes of his righteousnesse lastlye comes the flesh with trembling and quaking And wilt thou die O man why see thy friends and thy family thy wife and thy children thy father and thy mother weepe and wayle crye and call vnto thee and wilte thou depart thus wilte thou needs go from them But O thou flesh fight not thus against my soule it is good in deede to tarry still amongst our friends yet so that wee abide not there in Gods displeasure and hereafter to dwell in hell with the diuels in fyre euerlasting There is nothing vnder God but it may be kept so that God being aboue all thinges which wee haue be not lost He that loues father or mother wife or children c. better then Christ is not worthy of his presence And therefore though they lament the losse of my life yet can they not redeeme it for what man is he that liueth and shall not see death And shall hedeliuer his soule from hell No no neither riches nor strength neither power nor pollicie can preuaile in this point for whether we sleepe or whether we wake we drawe towards death God hath set vs our bounds which we cannot passe and as the greene leaues in a thicke tree some fall and some growe so is the generation of fleshe and bloud one commeth to his ende and another is borne wee came not altogether neither must wee returne altogether Therefore O flesh be content O my friends be quiet for needes vvee must departe yet to meete againe vvee are sure And in going from you my fleshly friends I goe to the Saintes of heauen to the mounte Sion and to the cittie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem to the companie of innumerable Angels to the assemblye and congregation of the first borne and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfect men I know that so long as I am in this flesh I cannot please God and therefore I desire to be losed and to be with Christ We haue heere no continuing cittie wee looke for one of God And I know if this my earthly house of this tabernacle be once destroyed I shall haue
a building giuen me of God a house not made with handes but eternall with God in heauen Marke our bodyes be earthly houses Dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne againe They are as Innes wherein wee soiourne for a season they are as tabernacles set vp for a time and quicklye to be remooued being without foundation our bodies are like an olde ruinous cottage still in danger to fall Dauid counted himselfe a stranger vpon the earth and a soiournour as all his fathers were Hereof Abraham obeyed God to go whither hee would hee abode in the lande of Promise as in a strange countric as one that dwelte in Tents For hee looked for a cittie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God Iob called this our body a house of claye therefore the godly grone in this tabernacle being loded with corruption that this mortalitie may bee swallowed vp of lyfe flesh and bloud cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Gods children therefore are greeued not because they beare about their bodies for it is a greefe to them to lay them downe no they sigh for this to be clensed from their sinnes Wretched man that I am saith Paul who shall deliuer me from this bodye of sinne And therefore we ought not to long for this present lyfe which indeed is but an Image of Death but rather loathe it that wee may bee vnloden of our sinnes This preparation to dye perteyneth vnto all for neither riche nor poore olde nor yonge Prince nor people Death lets escape It respecteth no person no sexe no age no condition no estate whatsoeuer no power no riches no learning no pollicie can resist it There is no remedie for this sicknesse no phisicke to be found against it It is the way of all the worlde it is an Axe that heweth downe not onely the low shrubs and Osiers but also the great Elmes and Okes yea all the high and tall trees of Lebanon The dayes of man are but as Grasse and as a flower of the fielde in the morning it is greene and flourisheth but in the euening it is cut downe dryed vp and withered Wee bring our yeares to an end as a tale that is tolde Our life is like a stage on which men play theyr partes and passe away Man is like a thing of naught his dayes are lyke a shadowe God biddeth Esay to crye that all flesh is grasse and all the grace and goodlinesse thereof is but as a flower of the field O that the Lorde would open the eyes of all to see themselues in this bright Glasse What are we all but grasse and shall we wither as Haye alas wee cannot so perswade our selues for if we could it would plucke downe our pride and set our loftie lookes aside It woulde then shorten soone our ruffes so long and make our monstrous attire more modest It would mittigate our madnesse and make vs humble mynded we would then throwe downe our selues with Abraham and say to God We are but dust and ashes this is a common case that all flesh is dust Now for auoyding extreame sorrowe vvhich at the houre of death will mightily assayle vs Let vs against that time bee euen with the vvorlde at agreement with our brethren especially with our owne conscience which then most straightly will accuse vs. The consience is lyke a Chrystall Glasse wherein if vve vvill vvee may lyuely viewe our selues It vvill shewe euery thing that is amisse in soule and body Let vs therefore take our spundg in hand to clense our spots to wit true faith in Christ and good fruites that followe it that so being at one vvith the vvorlde in charitie with our brethren and cleane in our conscience through Christ vve may be ready to goe the waye of all the vvorlde And that this our iourney may bee more easie and this rough waye as it seemeth to the flesh more plaine let vs arme our selues with these contemplations vvhich shall followe let vs saye vnto our soule Why art thou so sad and why art thou so disquieted within mee Put thy trust in God which is the helpe of my countenance and my God Why should a Christian man so feare the force of Death whose sting is quite destroyed Can Death depriue him of Christe which is all his comforte ioye and lyfe No but Death shall delyuer him from this mortall bodye full of sinne and wickednesse which beateth downe the spirite Faine would this fleshe make strange of that which the spirite doth imbrace O saith a godly martyr how lothe is this loytering sluggard to passe forth and goe forwarde in Gods pathe to heauen So that were it not through the force of faith plucking it forward and the bridle of Gods most sweete promises and of hope pricking on behinde great aduenture there were of fainting by the way Who would bee sorry to forsake this lyfe which cannot but bee most certaine of eternall lyse Who loueth the shadowe better then the body Who can loue this lyfe but they that regarde not the life to come Who can desire the drosse of this worlde but such as be ignorant of the treasures of euerlasting ioy in heauen I meane who is afraide to die but such as hope not to liue eternally A greater token next faith in Christ there is not of our election then not to stand in feare of Death which lyke a Tayler putteth off our ragges and arayeth vs with the royall robes of immortallitie incorruption and glorye Shall the brute beastes and sencelesse creatures being subiect to vanitie grone in their kinde for the redemption of the sonnes of God at what time they shall be freed from their slauerie and shall wee which are indued with reason yea and aboue reason inlightened with Gods holy spirite especially when it standeth vpon a ioyfull being and euerlasting dwelling with God in heauen shall wee not I say lift vp our mindes beyond this rottennesse of earth And therefore that these thinges may pearce the deeper let vs brieflye consider for a conclusion of all what this lyfe is that we so loue what death is that we so feare and vvhat is prepared for vs after death vvhich vvee so little regarde Which three considerations for the most part I haue rather partly collected out of others then added of mine owne for that they are so ready at hand and fit for my purpose yea and so exquisite in themselues as that my paines should be but superfluous to trouble my selfe with studying any further for this conclusion First therefore concerning this life you know it is full of misery vanitie vexation and vvoe It is a plaine exile from God for if heauen be our countrie vvhat is this earth but a place of banishment If the departing out of this vvorld bee an entring into lyfe vvhat is this worlde but a graue wherein wee are buried vvhat is it else but to bee drowned in Death If to bee deliuered out of this body is to be
A LIVELY ANATOMIE OF DEATH Wherein you may see from whence it came what it is by nature and what by Christ Togeather with the power strength and sting thereof as also a preparatiue against the same Teâ—ding to teach men to lyue and die well to the Lord. By IOHN MORE preacher of the Gospel Imprinted at London by G. S. for W. Iones and are to be solde at the signe of the Gunne neare Holborne Conduit 1596. Omnia mors aequat Death spareth none estate no pompe no wealth no power at all No threates no prayers can auayle when pleaseth him to call He steemes no more a mightie Prince his Scepter or his port Then Mattocke of a laboring man one of the poorer sort The King and Subiect Rich or Poore in substaunce dead be one No Lyon better is then Cur when both their lyues be gonne So still the glorie of this worlde out of this worlde doth passe With him who lyuing in this worlde once in great glorie was T. P. The Printer to the Christian Reader GEntlemen our Diuines do tell vs that Ioseph of Arramathaea made his Tumbe in his lyfe time and in the middest of his Garden to this ende questionles to put him selfe in minde of death in the middest of his pleasures And seeing the life of a Christian should be continually exercised in the meditation of Death by reason of the continuall conflictes which we suffer not in respect of any open enemie but in regarde of our secret sinnes Euery day euery houre euery moment and in euery place the Deuill fighting agaynst vs the worlde with his delyghtes and the flesh with his pleasures in so hot an assault as doth admit no peace nor suffer any truce I thought good to present you with this Anatomie of Death that in the middest of your delightes you may take a view of him who will in the ende cut off all your delights Accept it as I import it the Pawne of my good desire to pleasure you and Bill for your assurance to receaue greater things at my hand when opportunitie shall serue in the meane time as you tender the health of your body so likewyse care for the health of your soule remembring that Death to the wicked is the high way to Hell but Death to Gods chyldren is the path-way to Heauen Yours in all loue W. Iones To the Worshipfull M. Thomas South Esquire The fulnes of comfort in Christ our Sauiour to supplie the sorrowes for his deceas sed Father GOod Sir I haue receaued your Letters the messengers of your sorrowe and the workers of my griefe for that I now misse alouing kind Neighboure as you do want a kind louing Father And if the most renowned king Dauid notwithstanding the great enmitie betwixt Saul and him did shed as many teares from his eyes when he heard that his enemie was murdered as there did issue droppes of blood from Sauls body when it was wounded I trust my Christian sorrow for my friend shalbe christianly excused sith that it is a naturall thing for one man to haue compassion vpon an other and of all worldly losses which we receiue by death the losse of such a friende is very bitter although now by death he hath gayned an estate which is incomparably betâ—â—r God hauing taken his vnbodyed Spirite to the fruition of his Diuine essence in heauen but left his vnspirited Body to be layde by you on his last bed in the earth and your selfe to the practise of your Fathers forepassed vertues that in the ende of your race you may inioy the benefite of your Fathers foretasted comfortes which I must acknowledge to be the sweete fruites of his godly lyfe And where as I vnderstande by your Letter so many in number so excellent in qualitie so comfortable in his extremitie both for the quicknes of his sence and the quietnes of his conscience and readines of his memorie that if he would haue wished longer lyfe then that he lyued or more Worshyp then that he inioyed or greater wealth then that he possessed yet he could not haue desired at the handes of God a more heroyicall gyft then the grace he had to die in his grace because as punishment is ioyned to his displeasure so glorie is alwayes knit to his gracious fauour Therefore good Sir hencefoorth surcease your sorrow least you be charged to grieue at his solace And seeing the preuiledge to die well is onely allotted to them whom God hath giuen the grace to liue well endeuour as you are by nature so in lyfe and death you may shew your selfe his Sonne that as death tooke Manasses cutting his Corne and binding vp his Sheaues so death when death knockes at your gate may finde your August past and your Haruest at an ende I meane not of your Corne which growes in Swallowclisfe-fielde but of the thoughtes which flowe from your hart To this ende my friende hath bestowed vppon you this litle Treatise made by a Diuine endued with an excellent spirite requesting you to patronize it with your fauour but especially to follow it with your best indeuour For so you shall lyue full of good workes as your Father died full of good dayes and leaue a testimonie of righteousnesse vnto your Chyldren as their Graundfather hath left both to you and them Thus with hartiest resalutations to your selfe your wyfe and syster I commit both you and yours to the Almightie God whose you are and whom you serue London 27. of Ianuarie 1595. Louingly and assuredly yours William Barforde A lyuely Anatomie of Death c. WE see it verefied by experience that all earthly and transitorie things haue their ende to the which they tend Our very yeares are limitted God hath measured out our moneths the dayes of our liues are dated how long we haue to liue So that our first lesson euen at the beginning that we haue to learne is this to thinke of our ending Wee see that the longest day passeth and the night succeedeth howe summer followeth winter and winter summer The sunne it hath both his rising and his setting his shining and his shading The spring time hath his course in couering and clothing the ground with fruites Summer it rypens them Haruest gathers them and winter spends them Thus one thing followeth another and both one and another passe swiftlie to their end The generation of one thing is the distruction of another and the death of one thing is the life of another first is our generation then our conception after comes our birth in wonderfull weakenesse our cradle is our castle when we haue once crept out of that we come to a little strength yet long is the time eare we come to ripenesse And here behold we neuer continue in one state for as our streÌ„gth increased at the first so by little and little it diminisheth at the last As youth succeedeth childhood and age youth so childhood youth and age haue all their end We prooue by
set at perfect libertie what is this body else but a prison a Iayle and a dungeon If to enioy the sweete presence of God be the highest felicitie why then to bee kepte from it is it not the extreamest miserie And certainlye till wee bee escaped out of this lyfe vve vvander abrode from the Lorde If vvee consider that this vnstedfast faultie corruptible frayle wythering and rotten Tabernacle of ourbodie is therefore dissoluted by Death that it afterwardes maye bee restored againe into a stedfast perfect vncorruptible and heauenly glorye shall not faith compell vs feruentlye to desire that vvhich nature feareth If we consider that by Death vvee are called out of banishment to inhabite our Countrey yea our heauenly countrey shall vve obteyne no comforte thereby Alas this our vvretched lyfe is a vapoure a smoake a shadowe a warre-fare a Wildernesse a vayle of vvretchednesse wherewith wee are compassed about on euerye side vvith moste fyerce and fearefull enemies And should vve desire to dwell heere should vvee lust to lyue in this lothesome and laborious lyfe should vvee vvishe to tarry in this vvretchednesse should vve haue pleasure to remaine in this perilous estate Daniels Den is not so dreadfull as is this dungeon vvee dwell in Secondly concerning death as you haue partly heard vvhat is it now else then a Waspe vvithout a sting a sword without an edge a dagger vvithout a pointe What is it else now to all Gods children then the dispatcher of all displeasures the ende of all our trauels the doore of heauen the gate of gladnesse the porte of Paradise the hauen of health the rayle of rest the entrance of felicitie the ende of all miseryes and the beginning of all blessednesse It is the very bed of Downe faieth a godly Father and therfore vvell compared to a sleepe for the dolefull bodies of Gods people to rest in out of the which they shall arise and awake most fresh and lustie to lyfe euerlasting It is a passage to the father a chariot to heauen the Lordes messenger a leader vnto Christ a going to our home a deliuerance from bondage and prison a demission from warre a securitie from all sorrowes and a manumission from all miseries So that the very Heathen in some places did cause the day of their death to be celebrated with mirth melodie and minstrelsie And shall we which are Christians be dismaide at it should we be afrayde of it Shoulde such a friende as it is be vnwelcomed should the foulenesse of his face feare vs from his good conditions should the hardnesse of his huske hinder vs from his sweete curnell should the roughnesse of the tyde tye vs to the banke and shore there to bee drowned rather then the desire of our home driue vs to goe aboard shoulde the hardnesse of the saddle set vs on our feete to perrishe by the waye rather then to leape vp and endure the same a little and so bee where wee woulde bee Lastlye touching the lyfe prepared for vs after death if I should go about to expresse it the more I should so doe the further I should be from it For the eye hath neuer seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man can euer conceiue the ioye mirthe melodye pleasure power wealth riches honour beautie fellowship dainties odours glorye wisdome knowledge treasures securitie peace quietnesse and eternall felicitie which the faithfull shall haue and enioye worlde without ende with God the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghost with Angels and Arche-angels Patriarches and Prophets with Apostels and Euangelists the martyrs and confessors and with all the Saintes of God in the Pallace of the Lorde in heauen the kingdome of God the glorye of the Father O woe to the blyndnesse of our eyes that wee see not this woe to the hardnesse of our hearts that feele not this woe to the deafenesse of our eares that heare not this in such wise as wee should doe where through wee might bee so farre from fearing Death that rather wee should wishe it crying with Simeon Nowe let thy seruante departe in peace And with Dauid When shall I come and appeare before thee Woe is me that my babitation is thus prolonged But alas great is our vnbeliefe full fainte and weake is our fayth or else nighte and daye teares and cryings shoulde bee our Breade and Drinke whilest it is sayde vnto vs Where is your God We should rather wish to bee doore keepers in the house of the Lord then to dwell in these vngodlye tents for one daye in his courte is better then a thousand It is a token of little loue to God to be so lothe to goe vnto him when hee calleth Heerein wee ought to lament the weakenesse of our faith and seeing our neede to prepare for remedye against the time of neede and to begge of God his ayde strength and comfotre against the pinche which vndoubtedly If wee aske with faith we shall obteyne and fynde his promise true Thus to knitte vp all least I should seeme to tyre you my promise I trust in some sorte is performed touching this shorte discourse wherein I haue rather tyed my selfe to the matter then my methode I alwayes preferre the substance before the shadowe and thus I commende you to the Lorde beseeching him for Christes sake to keep vs soules and bodies to his kingdome and glorye and to leade vs order vs and dispose vs as he will in all thinges in all places and for euer that at the length we may come whither we would that is into his owne blessed presence and fruition of immortallitye with Christ and his Saints worlde without ende AMEN