Affliction that he is upon his Journey Thus are we all carried to the Gibbet of Death we are all upon the way only parted by some little Intervals They do not leave us at our Death but go before us But thou wilt say I am in Health I perceive no likelyhood of Death Whatever thou sayst thou art upon thy Journey and we are upon the Road as thou art But I sayst thou have not attained my Thirtieth year Thou wert in the way at Twenty yea at Ten ev'n at one year nay at the first Hour only go on shortly thou wilt be at thy Journeys end But I sleep well relish my Meat and Drink well Fool that thou art Death minds none of these things We are in the way see where the Gibbet threatens thee But a little while and thou shalt expire and with thee all thy Pomp and Luxury dies All our Life is the way to Death Sect. 41. A most Compendious and the best Permeditation upon Death Happy to be in Death first learn to live That thou mayst happy live to dye first strive THis is the Sum of all this is the Art of Arts. To live well we must learn as long as we live and which some perhaps may more admire all our life long we must learn to dye So many great Men leaving all their lumber behind when they had renounced their Riches their Pleasures and their Offices have employed themselves in this one thing to the last that they might know how to live But many of these confessing they had not learnt their Lesson have departed this Life But how shall they know this that never endeavouted to learn Most Mortals care not for living well but for living long Some then begin to live when they are ready to leave the World Hence it is that we are empty of all those Comforts which we desire at the end of our Lives fearful of death and ignorant of living VVhoever then desires to learn the Art of living let him first learn the Art of dying Perhaps some may think that needless to be learnt which is but once to be made use of Therefore it is that we are with all diligence to apply our selves to this Study For that is always to be learnt of which whither we know it or no we can never make the Experiment The great matter is not to live the great matter is to dye Sect. 42. To day for me to morrow for thee FRancis the First King of France being tak'n by Charles the Fifth when he had read at Madrid Charles's Impress upon the Wall Plus ultra Farther yet added thereto To day for me to morrow for thee The Victor took it not ill but to shew that he understood it wrote underneath I am a Man there is no humane accident but may befal me Elegantly Gregory Nazianzene The Head quoth he grows gray the Summer of Life is at Hand The Sickle is sharpn'd against us and I fear least while we are asleep and lull'd in hopes the terrible Reaper come But thou wilt say old Men fear I am young Be not deceived Death is not perfixed to any Age. The same Bier to day carries an old Man to morrow beautiful Youth to day a strong lusty Man to morrow a Virgin or an old Woman Seneca speaks to the purpose Death saith he ought to be set before the Eyes of young as well as old Men For we are not summoned by the Censers Books wherein the Ages of every one are set down Such a Partial Citation might serve for War but not for Death The last Farewel and Admonishment of all dying Men is this To day I to morrow Thou But the Dead alter the Sentence and they crie I yesterday Thou to day Be mindful of Death be mindful of Eternity which I yesterday thou to day or to morrow shalt begin never to end with either Sect. 43. Therefore Live while thou hast NOT for thy Wit not for thy Body not for thy Pleasure not for thy Vertues sake but for Heaven and for Gods sake Live and Act as well suffering for God as acting and labouring For thou knowest not how long thou shalt subsist nor how soon thy maker will take thee away Most wisely admonishes the wisest of Preachers Whatever thou takest in Hand to do that do with all thy power for in the Grave that thou goest unto there is neither Work Counsel Knowledg nor Wisdom Therefore as the Apostles exhorts us Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not While we have therefore time let us do good unto all Men. Thou hast begun to Labour prosecute thy labour begun with a coâ—…tinual Industry Never cease nor intermit that Labour which may bring to Heaven For there is no moment of thy Life wherein thou mayst not gain and increase thy Heavenly Treasure In this manner therefore labour without ceasing The time of rest shall come which no labour shall ever interrupt The Life of Man is a Warfare upon Earth and like the days of a Bond-Servant are his Days A Hireling saith St. Gregory allwages the Pains of his Labour with the thoughts of his wages A Hireling is sollicitous least any day should pass him without work for he knows that the Night is for rest and that the Day is appointed for Labour Do thou therefore Labour while it is day while thou hast an opportunity to Work The Night cometh says the voice of Truth when no Man can work Therefore work while the Sun favours thee There is one that will pay thee for thy Labour Thou hast a perpetual and most accurate Overseer of thy work who is God who keeps the number of the Haires of thy Head so doth he keep an account of thy least Faâ—…lings and of the smallest of thy Actions done in Honour of Him Never question it he numbers all thy steps With one leap yea with one step thou hast finished thy whole Journey to Eternity but take heed that thou fiâ—…est thy â—…et right For such shalt thou be to Eternity as thou weâ—…t at thy Death Sect. 43. If to Morrow why not to Day THere is â—…ut one and that a most ponderous Chain that holds us fast the Love of Life which as it is not always to be contemned so there is an allay to be allowed it so that nothing may hinder us but that we may be always prepared to do that presently which is at some time to be done Life is not imperfect so it be upright VVhere-ever thy end happen if thy Life be good thy end is safe St. Austin Bishop of Hippo went to visit another Bishop of his Familiar Acquaintance lying in Extremity to whom as he was lifting up his Hands to Heaven to signifie his Departure St. Austin replyed That he was a great support of the Church and worthy of a longer Life to whom the sick Person made this answer If never 't were another thing but if at
glory All motions tend to rest Return then to thy rest O my Soul for God hath dealt bountifully with thee But Lord spare me a little before I go hence and be seen no more that my DEATH-BED THOUGHTS may be all imployed in the Contemplating of that Eternity into which I am now a launching Sect. 1. The Daily Remembrance of Death HAppy is he who always and in every place so lives as to spend his every last moment of Light as if day were never to return Epictetus most wisely teaching this Death saith he and Banishment and all that we look upon as Evils let them be daily set before thy Eyes but of all most chiefly Death So shalt thou think upon nothing that is too low nor too ardently covet anything Miserable diminitive Mortals wherefore d' ye teach long Hopes Wherefore d' ye undertake such a vast heap of Business That shall be perhaps to Morrow a meer Spark and Ashes Walk curiously O Man That dismal Goddess continually hovers over our Heads and waits for the last Sands of our Lives Hour-glass with an unwearied and never-sleeping Eye and wilt not thou watch after her What e're beginning has an end doth fear We all must go Old EAcus within those shades below Whips on the Moments that protract us here Nor can any Age struggle with Death As soon as we are Born we are subject to that Tribute and are the Stipendiaries of Death When first our trembling sight Beholds the dazling Beams of unknown light Then we begin to die The same Death meraces the Queen that threatens the Handmaid Therefore believe every day that shines to be thy last Say every Evening this day I stand at the Gate of Eternity Sect. 2. The remembrance of Death is a powerful Remedy against all Sins THE serious remembrance of Death shakes off all sense of pleasure and turns Honey into Wormwood The Expectation of Death saith Chrysostom suffers us not to be sensible of the Delights and Pleasures we injoy And indeed what is it not able to do when consider'd not only in the Extremities of the Fingers and as it were in the Hair but over the whole Body Death spares no Age nor no Degree of Dignity Here dies a young Man there an Infant there an old Man Another by Poyson or a Fall another by a slow Rhume another by a quick descent of Humour here lyes another oppress'd with a mighty Shower or the Waves there lyes another struck with Thunder Among so many doubtful so many various so many sudden Accidents what security or what mind to sin among so many Incertainties Therefore since we daily die think upon the Hour-glass whether the old fashion'd one running Water or the new one running Sand. Do ye not find that by dropping of the Water and the passage of the Sand the upper Glass empties and the lower Glass fills Consider that it is so with Life every moment something slides away the present Life empties and flows into another Nothing is here safe not the Hour of the Hour nor the Moment of the Moment Happy he to whom every day is the last more happy he to whom every Hour most happy he to whom every Moment is the utmost period of his Thoughts He will abstain from the wickedness of his hands who believes every Hour decreed every Moment his last O vain Hope How many dost thou deceive How many to whom thou promisest old Age dost thou cut off in the midst of their Course Believe therefore that may happen to thee which happ'ns to many How many has Death prevented in the midst of their wickedness and cut off half the Crime How many fall with a revengeful Mind though with an Innocent Hand How many snatch'd away in the attempt have receiv'd the reward of their Impiety Many in the very Moment of a wicked Action begun have been forc'd to leave their ill designs unfinish'd What if thou shouldst be in the number of those What Hour or Moment is more certain to thee than to another Now who can expect a Crime from such a Thought as with the Crime expects Death and with Death Punishment No prudent Man plays or sports in the midst of a Storm No Man at the brink of a Precipice meditates mischief No Man is merry unarmed in the midst of his Armed Enemies More stupid is he whom the perpetual fear of Death when every Hour is doubtful every Moment uncertain dares those things that procure an unhappy Death to Eternity O Fools Whither do we run to be punish'd for ever Wherefore do we not follow the Council of the Son of Syras In all thy work saith he remember thy last and thou shalt not sin Sect. 3. The end of a good Life is all Out of Seneca TELL me my Dear Seneca whom Pliny with an Elogy to be envy'd calls the Prince of Learning tell me what thou thinkst of Death especially immature Heark'n Youth give ear complaining Age like a Comedy so is Life which it matters not how long but how well it is acted It imports not where thou mak'st an end leave off where thou pleasest only put a good period No other is the Opinion of Epicteâ—…us Remember faith he that thou art the Actor of the Fable as the Poet directs If short of a short if long of a long Fable No otherwise said Varro They live not best who live longest but they who live most uprightly Most plainly so it is it matters not where when or how we end When God pleases we must die but let us put a good period to our Lives Sect. 4. All Men no Men. Out of Arbiter Heu heu nos miseros quam totus Homuncio nil est Alas What miserable things are we The frame of Man is only Vanity VErily so it is But alas by much the more miserable by how much the less we acknowledge our selves to be so The whole little Man is nothing as the ancient Satyrist well observes but if I may dare to say so then he begins to be something when he knows himself to be nothing O Man know thy self and be wise For Death equals Lillies with Thorns O miserable and vain Men What are we Learning and Fame are Smoak We Dâ—…st that meer Opinion the other Wind And we that are alive vigorous and flourishing shall shortly be reduced to say We have liv'd This single Exit all Men make Our Life decreases by increasing and the very day we breathe in we divide with Death For every day some part of our Life is diminish'd As the last drop does not empty the Glass but what flow'd out before so the last moment does not alone bring Death but only consummates our Being Sect. 5. Mortals are of one little Day THE day Lilly is a Flower whose Beauty perishes in a day There is also a Bird haunts the River Hypanis called Haemerobios or the Bird of one day ending its Life the same day that it begins dying with the dying Sun and
Death who Conquers all Conquered him for having made his Will he received the Sacrament and earnestly prayed for the Churches He on the Seventh of May Anno Christi 1562. yielded up his Spirit into the hands of his Maker dying in the 55 Year of his Age. His Funeral Solemnities were performed at the Charge of the Senate almost all the City being present He being Buried as himself desired in the Church-Yard where a stately Tomb was erected to his Memory The Death of William Farellus WHere ever he came Romish Malice attended him being so powerful in Prayer and Preaching that he gained thereby no small Congregations When he heard of Calvin's Sickness he could not satisfie himself though he was seventy years old but he must go to Geneva to visit him He surviv'd Calvin one year and odd months and died aged 76 years Anno 1553. The Death of Vergerius THE Devil stirred up many Adversaries against him especially the Friers who accused him to the Inquisitors but to avoid their Rage he went to Padua where he was a Spectator of rhe miserable Estate of Francis Spira which so wrought upon him that he resolved to go into Exile and accordingly he went into Rhetia where he preached the Gospel of Christ sincerely till he was called from thence to Tubing where he ended his days Anno 1565. his Brother being dead before him not without the suspition of Poyson The Death of Strigelius AFter his going through many Troubles he fell sick and said He hoped his Life was at an end whereby he should be delivered from the Frauds and Miseries of this evil World and enjoy the blessed Presence of God and his Saints to all Eternity He died Anno 1569 aged 44. The Death of John Brentius FAlling sick of a Fever he was endued with Patience saying That he longed for a better even an eternal Life He died Anno 1570. aged 71. was buried with much honour and had this Epitaph With Voice Stile Piety Faith and Candor grac'd In outward Shape John Brentius was thus fac'd The Death of Peter Viretus HE went to several places and carried on the Work of Reformation with Vigour and Success but Popish Malice lurked in Corners insomuch that they attempted to poyson him and laid wait for his Life He was very learned eloquent and of a sweet Disposition He died Anno 1571. aged 60. The Death of John Jewel IN his Sickness going to Preach he was desired by a Gentleman to return home the Gentleman alledging that one Sermon was better lost than by Impairng his Health to lose so good a Pastor But his reply was That it best became a Bishop to die preaching in a Pulpit That his great Master the Lord Jesus's Words might be fulfilled who says Happy art thou my Servant if when I come I find thee so doing And thus continued this good Man till his Sickness encreasing and Nature visibly decaying in him he was obliged to take his Bed and so far was he from fearing Death that he rather desired as longing to enter his Masters Joy often repearing the Words of old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation One standing by prayed for his Recovery which he hearing said I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live longer neither do I fear to die because we have a merciful Lord a Crown of Righteousnes is laid up for me Christ is my Righteousness Father let thy Will be done thy VVill I say and not mine which is depraved and imperfect this day let me quickly see the Lord Jesus And so in a certain and assured hope of everlasting Happiness he resigned his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1571. and of his Age Fifty The Death of Zegedine HE was driven by Popish Cruelty from several Places but where ever he went he took so much delight in breeding up Youth in Religion and Learning that he called it his Recreation Many hardships he endured in his Travel for being taken Prisoner by the Turks he was made an Object of their Fury for refusing to abjure the Christian Religion yet God delivered him out of all his Trouble and he died in Peace Anno 1572. aged 67. The Death of John Knox. FAlling Sick he gave order for his Coffin and being asked whether his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all Troubles and the beginning of Eternal Joys Often after some deep Meditation he used to say Oh serve the Lord in fear and Death shall not be troublesome to you Blessed is the Death of those that have part in the Death of Jesus One praying by his Bed-side asked him if he heard the Prayer Yea said he and would to God that all present had heard it with such an Ear and Heart as I have done adding Lord Jesus receive my Spirit He ended this Life 1572. Aged 62. The Death of Peter Ramus HIS Fame grew so great that he was chose Dean of the University and Studied the Mathematicks wherein he grew exquisite The Civil Wars now breaking out he left Paris and fled to Fountain-bleau but not being safe there he went to the Camp of the Prince of Conde and from thence into Germany When the Civil Wars was ended he returned to Paris and remained the King's Professor in Logick till that horrible Massacre happened on St. Bartholomew's day wherein Thousands were slain by the bloody Papists He was then Lock'd in his own House till those furious Villains brake open his Doors and in his Study ran him thorow and being half dead threw him out of the Window so that his Bowels issued out on the Stones then they cut off his Head and dragged his Body about the Streets in the Channels at last they threw it into the River Sein Anno 1572. Aged 57. The Death of Henry Bullinger MR. Bullinger fell Sick and his Disease encreasing many Godly Ministers came to Visit him but some Months after he recovered and preached as formerly but soon Relapsed when finding his Vital Spirits wasted and Nature much decayed in him he concluded his Death was at hand and thereupon said as followeth If the Lord will make any farther use of me and my Ministry in his Church I will willingly obey him but if he pleases as I much desire to take me out of this miserable Life I shall exceedingly rejoice that he will be so pleased to take me out of this miserable and corrupt Age to go to my Saviour Christ. Socrates said he was glad when his Death approached because he thought he should go to Hesiod Homer and other Learned Menâ—…de ceased and whom he expected to meet in the other World then how much more do I joy who am sure that I shall see my Saviour Christ the Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Holy Men which have lived from the beginning of the World These I say I
Change Yea saith he many a Day have I sought it with Tears not out of Impatience Distrust or Perturbation but because I am weary of Sin and fearful to fall into it In his Sickness he used these private Meditations Now my Soul be glad for at all Parts of this Prison the Lord hath set to his Pioneers to loose the Head Feet Milt and Liver are failing yea the middle strength of the whole Body the Stomach is weakned long ago Arise make ready shake off thy Fetters mount up from the Body and go thy way I saw not my Children when they were in the Woâ—…b yet there the Lord fed them without my knowledge I shall not see them when I go out of the Body yet shall they not want a Father Death is somewhat Driery and the Streams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiously but they stand still when the Ark comes Let your Anchor be cast within the Veil and fastned on the Rock Jesus let the End of the Threefold Cord be backled to the Heart so shall you go through He died Anno 1619. The Death of Andrew Willet GOing from London his Horse threw him and by the Fall broke his Leg which was presently set by a Bone-setter and being confined to his Bed he would meditate upon Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery Isaiah 38. especially on the 9 10 13 and 15 Verses Hearing a Bell Toll he peradventure had apprehensions of Death which occasioned him to discourse with his Wise concerning Death and our blessed Hopes after Death and the mutual Knowledge the Saints have of one another in Glory Then he repeated the first Verse of the 146 Psalm and said it was a most sweet Psalm but stirring to ease himself he fell into a Trance his Wife crying out he looked up and used these last words Let me alone I shall do well Lord Jesus and so departed Anno 162â—… Aged 59. The Death of David Pareus AT Anvilla he wrote his Body of Divinity which having Finished he said Lord now let thy Servant depart in peace because he hath Finished that which he desired He earnestly besought God that he might lay his Bones at Heidleberg which not long after he returned thither safely where he was received with much joy but his former Disease of a Catarrh returning upon him being sensible of approaching Death he frequently opened his Mind to Henâ—…y Alting and others and so quietly departed Anno 1622. Aged 73. His Works are in 3 Volumes The Death of Robert Bolton MR. Bolton falling sick of a Quartane Ague and finding himself weaker and weaker he Contemplated upon the four last things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell and being asked if he could be content to live if God would permit him He said I grant that Life is a great Blessing of God neither will I neglect any means that may preserve it and do heartily desire to submit to God's Will but of the two I infinitely more desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. When the Pangs of Death were upon him he breathed out I am now drawing on apace to my dissolution hold out Faith and Patience your Work wiâ—… quickly be at an end He died Anno 1631. Aged Threescore The Death of William Whately IN his Sickness he comforted himself with that Promise Psalm 41. 1 2. Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in the tâ—… of trouble the Lord will strengthen him upon the Bod of languishing c. A little before his death a Friend praying with him That God wold be pleased if his Time were not expired either to restore him or put an end to his Pains He lifting up his Eyes towards Heaven one of his Hands in the close of that Prayer gave up the ghost shutting his Eyes as if he was fallen into a soft-Slumbeâ—… Anno 1639. Aged 56. The Death of Anthony Wallaeus HE was much troubled with the Stone in the Kidneys and Hypocondraical Wind which still encreasing upon him he called his Family and exhorted them to fear God then taking his leave of them he fell asleep out of which he never awaked only strived a little when his Pains came upon him so on the Sabbath-day at a Eleven of the Clock he resigned up his Spirit to his Maker Anno 1639. Aged 66. The Death of Henry Alting HE sell sick at Groning of a Catarth and Feaver accompanied with great Pains in his Back and Loins which caused often Paintings The day before his death he sang the 130th Psalm with great Fervency In the Evening he blessed his Children and exhorted them to fear God and to persevere in the Truth of the Gospel Being sensible of the time of his Departure by his Prophetick Spirit he accordingly died about Three of the Clock August 25. Anno 1644. Aged 57. The Death of Frederick Spanhemius HIS last Sermon he preached at Easter upon Phil. 3. 24. Who shall change our vile Body that it may be like his glorious Body c. He prayed earnestly to God to continue his Blessings to his Family and never suffer them to be seduced to Popery he prayed likewise that in the Pains of Death he might with all his Soul breath after God and migh before-hand have some taste of the Glory of Hea ven Having ended his Prayers his Voice and Strength failed him and so about Sun-setting he quietly departed and slept in the Lord 1649. Aged 49. The Death of Sir John Oldcastle HE was sent for before the Council when the Bishop proffered to absolve him he replied He had never trespassed against him and therefore had no need of his Absolution When they told him unless he would recant they would condemn him as a Heretick He bid them do as they thought best for said he I am at a Point that which I have written I will stand to it to the death Then kneeling down he lifted up his Hands towards Heaven and said I shrive me here unto thee O Eternal and Ever-living God in my frail Youth I offended thee O Lord by Pride Coverousness Wrath Uncleanness and many Men have I hurt in my 〈◊〉 and committed many other horrible Sins for which good Lord I ask thee forgiveness And so with Tears in his Eyes he stood up and turning to the People he said Lo good People for breaking God's Laws and his holy Commandments they never yet accused me but for their own Laws and Traditions they handle me most cruelly and therefore they and their Laws by God's promise should be utterly destroyed Then they proceeded farther to examine him but he returned such Answers to their Questions as made many wonder at his Wisdom yet they proceeded to read the Bill of Condemnation against him as a Heretick After which he lifting up his Eyes towards Heaven said Lord God Eternal I beseech thee of thy Infinite Mercy to forgive my Persecutors After that he was sent to the Tower The Sentence against him was That like a Traytor
he should be drawn through the Streets of London to the Gallows in St. Giles in the Fields and there hanged and afterwards burnt upon the Gallows as he hung The Death of Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex HIS Enemies durst not bring him to a Tryal but procured an Act of Attainder whereby he was Condemned before he was Heard yet the King after his death repented this Haste and wished he had his Cromwell alive again Being mounted the Scaffold he made an humble Confession and begged the Prayers of all those which were present then in a pious Prayer he recommended himself into the Hands of the Almighty and at one Blow his Head was severed from his Body Anno 1541. The Death of the Lady Jane Grey THE Morning before her Exit from this World her Husband the Lord Guilford Dudley was conveyed to a Scaffold on Tower-Hill where he penitently ended his Life his Head and Body being laid in a Cart all bloody was brought to the Chappel and exposed to the Sight of this sorrowful Lady a Spectacle more dismal than the kneenest Axe of her Death And now her own part is to be acted upon a Scaffold erected upon the Green within the Tower where being mounted with a chearful Countenance she looked upon the People and with great Constancy directed her self after this manner That she was come thither to die for an Offence which was committed by a Device not of her own seeking then wringing her Hands and protesting her Innocency she desired them to take notice that she died a good Christian and requested their Prayers Then kneeling down she repeated in English the 51 Psalm after which her Gentlewoman helped her off with her Gown and the Hangman on his Knees asked her forgiveness which she forgave him freely and prayed him to dispatch her quickly Looking upon the Block and kneeling she said Will you take it off before I lay it down No Madam replied the Executioner then she tied a Handkerchief before her Eyes and feeling for the Block said What shall I do Where is it Where is it Being guided she laid her Head upon the Block and giving the Sign she said Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Then receiving the Fatal Blow she ended this Life Anno 1554. Aged 16. Her Death was much lamented but did not go unpunished for the Judge which passed her Sentence shortly after fell distracted crying out continually Take away the Lady Jane from me The Lady Jane Grey had a curious Vein in Poetry In her Troubles she composed these Lines Think nothing strange which Man cannot decline My Lot's to Day to Morrow it may be thine If God protect me Malice cannot end me If not all I can do will not defend me After dark Night I hope for Light This Epitaph was also made on her My Race was Royal sad was my short Raign Now in a better Kingdom I remain The Death of Sir Philip Sidney SIR Philip lay for the space of 25 Days enduring his Pains with admirable Patience and at length resign'd up his Spirit into the hands of his Redeemer October 16. Anno 1586. Upon him was made this Epitaph Apollo made him wise Mars made him stout Death made him leave the World Before his Youth was out The Death of Galeacius Carracciolus SIckness the Harbinger of Death seizing upon him which proceeded from abundance of Rheum this was produced by his long and wearisome Journeys which he had formerly taken by Land and Sea for his Conscience sake His Physicians despairing of his Cure he wholly sequestred himself from all Worldly Cogitations and taking his Farewell of his Wife and Friends saving He would lead them the way to Heaven Then he desired God to receive him and acknowledge him for his own and so quieâ—…ly departed 1592. Aged 74. The Death of Katherine Bretterg ONce she took the Bible in her hand and joyfully kissing it said O Lord 't is good for me to be afflicted that I may learn thy Statutes The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and sâ—…ver Then she desired her Husband to be ware of Popery and to let her little Girl be brought up in the Fear of God saying So shall I meet her in Heaven whom I must now leave behind me on Earth Once she was very dull in Prayer and when she came to Lead us not into Temptation she said I may not pray I may not pray for Satan interrupts me yet her Friends left her not till she had gained the Conquest She repeated often We have not received the Spirit of Bondage to fear again but the Spirit of Adâ—…tion whereby we cry Abba Father The Verse of Psalm 13. ult she often repeated chearfully Many Pious Meditations she used but the last was this My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever He that preserveth Jacob and defendeth his Israel he is my God and will guide me unto Death Then she departed this life without any motion of Body May ult Anno 1601. Aged 22. The Death of John Lord Harrington Baron of Exton FRom the First-Day of his last Sickness he apprehended the approach of Death and so readily prepared himself for it he made Confession of his Sins and oft confessed his Faith and undoubted hope of Salvation in Christ and when Death approached he breathed out O my God when shall I be with thee And in the midst of these longing Desires he departed Anno 1613. Aged 22. The Death of Phillip de Mornay Lord of Plessis Marley BEing displaced from his Government of Samur he betook himself to a Private Life and made his Will for the peace and good of his Family being seiz'd upon by a continual Fever and no hopes of Recovery he would often say I fly I fly to Heaven and the Angels are carrying me into the bosome of my Saviour then would he repeat the words of Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I shall see him with mine eyes and I feel I fell what I now speak He dyed in the 74th Year of his Age. The Death of John Bruen of Bruen-Stapleford in the County of Chester Esquire FAlling Sick the morning before his Death divers Friends took their leaves of him and hearing some make motion of Blacks he said I will have no Blacks I love no Proud nor Pompous Funeral neither is there any cause of Mourning but of rejâ—…icing rather in my particular Immediately before his Death lifting up his hands he said The Lord is my portion my help and my trust his blessed Son Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Redeemer Amen Even so saith the Spirit unto my Spirit therefore come Lord Jesus and kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth and embrace me with the Arms of thy Love into thy hands do I commend my Spirit O come now and take me to thy own self O come Lord Jesus come quickly O come O come O come So his
is their Life and Trade All as a sleep and like the grass whose beauty soon doth fade verse 6 Which in the Morning shines full bright but fadeth by and by And is cut down ere it be night all withered dead and dry verse 10 Our time is threescore years and ten that we do live on mold If one see fourscore surely then we count him wondrous old verse 11 Yet of this time the strength and chief the which we count upon Is nothing else but painful grief and we as blasts are gone 1 Cor. 15. Ver. 19 20 21 22 26 50 51 52 53 54 55. IF in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death Now this I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Behold I shew you a mystery We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy Victory THE HOUSE OF Weeping Sermon I. John 11. 35. Jesus Wept WE may learn from the Example of Our blessed Saviour how we are to behave our selves what we are to do in the Sickness and Death of Friends In this World we are all Bennonies the Sons of Sorrow The way to Heaven is by Weeping Cross The Kalender tells us we come not to Ascention Day till the Passion Week be past It is the great work of a Preacher to consider the state of the people to whom he preaches so to prepare his work before hand as that he may hit the mark The Preacher sought out acceptable words now generally those words are most acceptable to and best received by the hearers that are suited to their present condition I considering therefore the secret hand of God upon this Congregation in taking away an eminent Servant of Christ thought it incumbent upon me to speak something at this time that might be suitable to the present dispensation of of God towards you and in meditations this Scripture was cast in Jesus Wept The occasion of this text is known unto you in the beginning of this Chapter you read that Lazarus was sick and the news thereof immediatly sent to Jesus who notwithstanding he dearly loved him yet as the sequel of the story acquaints you he doth not presently go up to Bethany to visit sick Lazarus but maketh a stay for several days the reason wherof is at hand viz. That a sentence of death might pass upon beloved Lazarus and he be laid in the grave and a stone rouled upon him and all this in order to the manifestation of the glory and power of Christ in his resurrection After Lazarus had been in the grave four days Christ he comes up to Bethany and the sisters of Lazarus viz Martha and Mary they come out to meet Jesus first Martha she cometh ver 20. and she saith Lord If thou hadst been here my brother had not died ver 21. After this comes Mary vers 32 and she falls down at Christs feet saying Lord If thou hadst been here my brother had not died When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled and said Where have ye laid him They say unto him Lord come and see Jesus wept There is very much wrapt up in the bowels of this little Text Here we may take notice of the humanity of Christ it appears by Christs weeping that he is perfect man as well as perfect God That Christ wept is to be referred not to his Divinity but to his Humanity and so we shall find that Christ was subject as to this so to all natural infirmities as hunger thirst weariness c. which may comfort the Saints that groan under natural as well as sinful infirmities and that from the reason why Christ was made in all things like unto his brethren namely That he might be a merciful High-priest Hebr. 2. 17 18. And though Christ be now in glory yet he is touched with the feeling of the infirmities of his people here on earth Hebr. 4. 15. so touched as that he cannot but have compassion on them under all their pressures and grievances whatsoever Do'st thou then groan under natural weaknesses and infirmities Go boldly to the Throne of grace and Christ will enable thee to bear up under these weaknesses until mortality shall have put on immortality The Subject Matter of this Chapter is Lazarus redivivus it is a Relation of the miraculous raising up of Lazarus from the Dead From vers 1 3. we may observe thus much that a Believers interest in the distinguishing love of Christ doth not exempt him from outward Troubles or bodily Distempers He whom thou lovest is sick From vers 4. We may observe thus much that the darkest Dispensations of Providence they oftentimes usher in the brightest manifestations of God to the Soul or Gods Glory is most manifested in the Creatures Weakness From Vers. 6. We may take notice it was ever in Christ's intention to manifest his Love and Goodness to Lazarus and yet he comes not near him for the present but rather goes away and leaves him upon his sick Bed and suffers him at last to give up the Ghost From Vers. 14. We may observe that Christ his absence or the suspension of divine Grace and Love they are in infinite Wisdom ordered for the further advancing of Soul Comfort Had not Lazarus been sick had he not been dead and buryed the Wisdom Power and Goodness of Christ had never been so eminently discovered as it was towards him Martha and Mary cry out v. 21 32. Lord if thou hadst been here our Brother had not died It is true Christ might have recovered Lazarus upon his sick-bed but to fetch him out of the Grave after he had lain stinking four days was a higher demonstration of his Love Wisdom and Power There is not the like ground that Christ should shew forth his miraculous Power in raising up our dead Friends from the Grave as was then yet this special and useful conclusion may by way of Analogy be deduced from this instance namely That such Comforts and Mercies as are fetched out of the Grave as
it Prov. 10. 22. Take heed therefore to your selves and let him be in all your thoughts for even for them ye must account at his great Tribunal Take heed unto your Words that they give none offence either to God or Man There is a sort of people who bless with their mouths but they curse in their inward parts Psal. 62. 4. I would not have you be of the number of them for as they love cursing so it shall happen unto them they delight not in blessing therefore shall it be far from them Psal 109. 17. As they cloath themselves with cursing like as with a Garment so it shall come into their Bowels like Water and like Oyl into their Bones vers 18. Take heed also unto your Actions that there be not wickedness in the intent nor sin in the prosecution of them for howsoever they shall appear in the Eye of the World they will be strictly and justly examined by the righteous judge First be ye sure that ye bless your God and then ye may expect a blessing from him When ye have eaten and are full then ye shall bless the Lord your God Deut. 8. 10. Remember the Congregation of Israel how they blessed the Lord God of their Fathers and bowed down their heads and worshiped the Lord 1 Chr. 29. 20. Remember how the Levites encouraged the People unto it and said unto them Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious Name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Neh. 9. 5. Remember how the Psalmist moved them unto it when he cryed O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Psal. 66. 8. Be thankful unto him and bless his Name Psalm 100. 4. Remember how David resolved saying I will bless the Lord which hath given me counsel Psal. 16. 7. Remember how he decreed saying I will bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy Name Psal. 63. 4. Remember how he encouraged his Soul to this Duty saying Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Psal. 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits vers 2. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy disease vers 3. Remember how he practised it when he blessed the Lord before all the Congregation and said Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever 1 Chr. 29. 10. Thine O Lord is the greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord aâ—…d thou art exalted as head above all vers 11. Both Riches and Honour come from thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all vers 12. Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name vers 13. And remember how Ezra blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen Amen with listing up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their Faces to the ground Neh. 8. 6. Thus if ye bless him if ye love him if ye honour him if ye obey him he will so bless you that ye shall delight in his Service and be filled with his Goodness Carry in your minds those words of the Psalmist Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Psal. 128. 1 2. Blessed is the Man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Jer. 17. 7. Remember how after the Death of Abraham God blessed his Son Isaac Gen. 25. 11. So he may you and so he will you when I your poor feeble Mother am stretched forth and returned to the Earth if ye will hear his voice and observe his statutes If so you will do then the Lord your God will bless you in all the works of your hands which ye shall do Deut. 14. 29. He who created man in his own Image both Male and Female and blessed them Gen. 1. 27 28. Even the same Lord will bless you if ye be Righteous Psal. 5. 12. And with favour he will compass you as with a Shield Psalm 115. 13. He will bless them that fear him both small and great 2 Tim. 4. 6. And now my Children I have not much more to say to you for the time of my departure is at hand If you do heartily love your God I know that ye will affectionately love each other Ye will be observant to your Guardians and Instructors Ye will be courteous unto all Be not dismayed at any Cross or Affliction at any loss or poverty which may fall upon you Mat. 6. 33. but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and then all other things shall be added unto you Deut. 28. 8. Then the Lord shall command the blessing upon you both in your store-Houses and in all that ye set your hands unto Exod. 23. 25. He shall bless your Bread and your Water and take away sickness from tlâ—… midst of you Deut. 28. 3. Blessed shall ye be in the City and blessed shall ye be in the field vers 4. Blessed shall be the fruits of your bodies and the fruits of your grounds and the fruits of your Cattel and the increase of your kine and the flocks of your sheep vers 5. Blessed shall be your basket and your store vers 6. Blessed shall ye be when ye come in and blessed shall ye be when ye go fortâ—… c. 7. 13. The Lord will love you and will bless you and multiply you He will also bless the fruit of the Womb unto you and the fruit of your Land and your Corn and your Wine and your Oyl and the increase of your kine and the floâ—…ks of your sheep in the places where ye shall live c. 28. 12. He will open unto you his good treasure the Heaven to give the rain unto your land in his season and to bless all the work of your hands and ye shall lend unto many and ye shall not borrow Gen. 49. 25. He shall help you and bless you with the blessings of heaven above blessings of the deep that lyeth under and blessings of the breasts and of the Womb. And that he may thus bless you the same Lord direct your hearts and preserve yoù in his Blessing All that I can do now is to pray for you and my weakness will hardly permit me to do that Yet so long as I can speak I trust I shall pray and in my petitions remember both my self and you While I am yet alive it is my duty to pray for you and it is your duty also to pray for me The Lord
yea they are ready waiting on the Soul to conduct it safely into Abraham's Bosom I do not say but the Devils oft-times are very busâ—…e doubtless and attending the Saints in their Sickness yes and no question but they would willingly deprive the soul of Glory But here is the comfort as the Devils come from Hell to devour the soul if it be possible at it's departure so the Angels of the Lord come from Heaven to watch over and conduct the soul in spight of the Devil safe into Abraham's bosom David had the comfort of this and speaks it forth for the comfort of his Brethren Psal. 34. 7. saying The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Mark the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about his Children to deliver them From what From their Enemies of which the Devil is not the least This is an excellent comfort at any time to have the holy Angels of God to attend a Poor Man or Woman but especially it is comfortable in the time of distress at the time of Death when the Devils beset the Soul with all the Power that Hell can afford them but now it may be that the glorious Angels of God do not appear at the first to the view of the Soul nay rather Hell stands before it and the Devils ready as if they would carry it thither but this is the comfort the Angels do always appear at the last and will not fail the soul but will carry it safe into Abraham's bosom Ah! Friends consider here is an ungodly man upon his Death-bed and he hath none to speak for him none to speak comfort unto him but it is not so with the Children of God for they have the spirit to comfort them Here is the ungodly and they have no Christ to pray for their safe Conduct to Glory but the Saints have an Intercessor John 17. 9. Here is the World when they die they have none of the Angels of God to attend upon them but the Saints have their Company In a word the unconverted person when he dieth he sinks into the bettomless Pit but the Saints when they die do ascend with and by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom or into unspeakable Glory Luke 23. 34. And so let us consider the fourth and last part which is the Death of the Rich Man The Rich Man died also c. Here we may again see that Death is the way of all flesh Death shaketh Cedar and Shrub Death calleth away the Rich man from his pleasure and Lazarus from his Pain and all must obey when Death calleth It is not the Majesty of a Prince nor Holiness of a Priest strength of Body feature of Face Wisdom Beauty Riches Honour nor any such secular regard can plead against Death or priviledge a man from the Grave Statutum est omnibus semel mori The Decree is out all must die once all must taste of this distasteful cup of death Let us know then that the Pale Horse and he that sitteth thereon whose name is Death comes running on towards us fall that is within us and without us are Remembrancers of Death The Sun rising in the East and setting in the West sheweth our rising and alling our coming in and going out of this World All cry unto us we must away we must away we must hence as Christ said My Kingdom is not of this World Death is a separation of the Soul from the Body the Husband separated from the Wife of his youth the Father separated from his Children whom he dearly loved the Children from their Parents the Master from his Servant and the Servant from his Master thus Parents and Friends ' and all must part The first circumstance of the Rich man is to know what became of his Body It was honourably buried But here we see that honourable Burial doth not profit the damned soul. Tares are sown as well as Wheat in all times if the one grow up for the fire the other for the barn Gather the Tares in bundles and burn them but gather the Wheat into my barn Matth. 1. 30. But let us lastly consider what became of his Soul And being in Hell Torments c. But because none can so well relate miseries and none can describe the torments of Hell so well as he that hath felt the same let the Rich man himself speak and let us hear him what he saith he being in Hell torments he thus beginneth O wretch that I am why did I suffer Lazarus to starve at my Gate for which I am shut in the Gates of Hell Why did I not give Lazarus a â—…rumb of Bread for which I cannot have here now one drop of Water to cool my tongue Why did I shew Lazarus no mercy on Earth for which no mercy is shewed to me in Hell What shall I do for I aâ—… tormented in this flame I will cry unto Abraham Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue I am tormented here Abraham I am torn in pieces here Abraham I am plagued and continually pained here Abraham here my purple Rayment is flames of fire my light is darkness my day night my companions are Devils O how they hale me O how they pull me O how they vex and torment me Here my feet are scorched my hands are seared my heart is wounded my eyes are blinded my ears are dulled my senses confâ—…unded my tongue is hot it is very hot send Lazarus thereâ—…ore Abraham with a drop of Water to comfort me one drop good Abraham one drop of Water But Abraham answered him Thou damned wretch once thou didst disdain Lazarus once thou didst reâ—…se Lazarus once thou didst scorn Lazarus now Lazarus shall disdain refuse and scorn thee once thou stoppedst thine ears from the cry of Lazarus now he stops his ears from thy cry once thou turnedst away thy face from Lazarus now he turneth away his face from thee once thou deniedst crumbs to Lazarus now he denieth water to thee not a spoonful not a drop of water Oh Abraham but now if I had my goods I would give Lazarus all for a drop of Water Now if I had a million of Gold I would give it all for a drop of water now if I had a world of wealth I would give it all to Lazarus therefore good Abraham one drop But he answered No not a drop Not a drop Then cursed be the day wherein I was born and cursed be the night wherein I was coâ—…ceived cursed be my Father that begot me and cursed be my Mother that bare me cursed be the place that kept me cursed be the delicate Robes that cloathed mâ—… cursed be the delicate Meat that fed me let me be most accâ—…rsed of all creatures both in Heaven and Earth And so leave we him cursing who indeed was most accursed and learn that the souls of the damned being separated
with all alacrity and chearfulness of Heart you may endure all things for Christs sake Fourthly you must get your selves furnished with Humility Virtue which when the Lord of Heaven beholds it in you which caused him to sink into your Hearts Fifthly you must get your selves furnished with Hope of Everlasting Faith and Salvation And then sixthly and lastly with Faith which is an evidence of things not seen thus you must get your selves set in order c. And thus far of the matter of this Admonition and earnest Exhortation Now I should come to the Reason which is twofold affirmative and negative Affirmative thou shalt die and Negative and not live Set thy House in order for thou shalt die and not live Now of these severally and first of the reason affirmative thou shalt die Now there are three kinds of Death First the Death of the Body which is a natural Death Secondly the Death of the Soul which is a Spiritual Death And then thirdly and lastly the Death both of Body and Soul which is Eternal Death But that which good King Hezekiah was warned of was but only the Death of the Body which according to the Statute Law Decreed in that High Court of Parliament of Heaven all Men shall once taste of no Man can escape it for so saith St. Paul it is appointed unto all Men that they shall once die to all once to many twsce for there is a second Death and that is truly a Death because it is Mors Vitae the Death of Life the other rather a Life because it is Mors Mortis the Death of the Death after which there shall be no more Death Now as Job saith Mans time is appointed his Month determined and his day numbered yea and as Christ Jesus the Worlds Saviour saith his very last hour is limited he was made of the Mould of the Earth he shall return again to the Earth And as all have one Entrance into Life the like going out shall they have to Death Nothing we brought in nothing we shall carry out Naked come I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return A Change then shall come which of the wicked is to be feared of the godly to be desired and of all people to be daily and hourly expected Remember them that have been before you and that shall come after you that this is the Judgment of the Lord over all Flesh to taste of Death All Men shall once die for as much as all have sinned and been disobedient unto the Laws of God This Death of the Body is not a dying but a departing a transmigration and Exodus of our Earthly Pilgrimage unto our Heavenly Home yea a passage from the Valley of Death unto the Land of the Living Although our Souls and Bodies are separated for a while yet shall they meet again in the receptacle of Blessed Saints and Angels with much joy and receive an incorruptible Crown The Body is a Prison to the Soul and Death a Goal-delivery that frees the poor harmless Soul of those Grievances which formerly it did endure Length of days is nothing unto us but much grief and Age the duance of long Imprisonment wherefore if that you would but seriously consider this you might find Death to be rather a Friend than an Enemy and by consequence rather to be desited than shun'd as Simeon did as it is evident Luke 2. 29. saying Now Lord lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word which by some is used thus Now Lord I hope that thou wilt suffer me to depart in peace and keep my poor Immortal Soul no longer within the small circumference of this Mortal Body The Thief upon the Cross laid down his Life most joyfully because he saw Christ and did stedfastly believe that he should pass from a place of pain and misery unto a Paradise of Pleasure and so did St. Stephen Acts 7. 56. The Royal Preacher King Solomon lest that his Son should be deprived of such Happiness doth by an Emphatical Irony disswade his Son from those youthful Lusts and sensual Pleasures whereunto he feared that he should naturally be addicted and that by the consideration of that dreadful account he was to give unto God at the great and terrible day of the Lord desiring him most earnestly not to let his House stand out of order but ever to remember his Creator in the days of his youth for old Age will come saith he and then thou shalt not be so fit by reason of much weakness and infirmities Or else Death may seize upon thee For Dust shall return unto the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Eccles. 12. 7. In a moment yea at the twinkling of an Eye when once this Tyrant Death comes it will sweep us all away It is the Custom among us here to let Leases one two or three Lives but God lets none for more than one and this once expired there is no hopes of getting the Lease renewed he suffers Man sometimes to dwell in his Tenement threescore Years and ten Psal. 90. 10. Sometimes to fourscore but secures none far from home and that for several Reasons First to bridle our curiosity left that we should search after things too high for quae supranos nihil ad nos those things that are above us are nothing to us Secondly to try out patience whether that we will put our whole trust and confidence in him although we know not the time of our departure and dissolution and then thirdly to keep us in continual watchfulness for if that we should know when Death would come with a Habeas Corpus to remove us it would make many more careless than they are though indeed the best of us are careless enough Here Men do know the date of their Leases and the expiration of the Years but Man is meerly a Tenant at will is put out of Possession at less than an Hours warning Wherefore now while it is said to day set your Houses in order seeing that you must die and not live It is not sufficient at the last Hour of Death to say Lord have mercy on me or Lord into thy hands I commend my Soul But even in all our Life-time yea and especially in our youth we must strive ever to set our Houses in order for we shall die and not live Samson was very strong Solomon very wise and Methusalem lived many years yet at last they with many more were brought to Mother Earth If it seem pleasant unto you at the present to let your rotten and ruinous Houses stand out of order yet with all remember what the Prophet saith The day of Destruction is at hand and the times of perdition make haste to come on Art thou a young Man in the April of thine Age and hast thou thy Breasts full of Milk and doth thy Bones run full of Marrow as Job speaks and thereupon dost
of old used to lament at the Birth of their Children but rejoice at their Funeral The time will come that we must part with our Isaac's our Benjamin's nearest Friends and dearest Comforts Then remember my Text if they die in the Lord take no care for them they are Blessed they are at their Rest. But some will say Shall we meet with our Friends again departed in the Faith Yes without peradventure if we walk in ways of Obedience to the end It was David's Comfort upon the death of his Child While the Child was living he fasted and wept and lay upon the Ground but when it was dead he arose and anointed himself aad eat Bread His Reason is very strong and convincing 1. An impossibility of Recovery He shall not come to me 2. An assured Hope of meeting again in Heaven But I shall go to him He shall not come to me that would be for his loss to part with his Rest in Heaven for a restless condition on Earth but I shall go to him I have not lost him for ever we shall meet again as comfortably as Jacob and Joseph met in Egypt meet again in Heaven and never part Now you know it never troubles us to see the Sun set because we know it will rise again in the Morning it never troubles us to part with a Friend when he goes to Bed because we hope to see him again in the Morning Beloved the Death of a Friend is but like the setting of the Sun or the uncloathing of a Man when he goes to Bed there will be a glorious appearing in the Morning of the Resurrection and therefore St. Paul condemns immoderate sorrow for the dead I would not have you sorrow as those that have no hope Nature will be sorrowful but let Grace moderate the sorrow and keep it within the bounds of hope and the ground of hope is set down If ye believe that Jesus died and is risen again even so also them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 'T is true the Scripture mention some that shall not die as they that shall be found alive at the Coming of Christ to Judgment St. Paul tells us in plain terms we shall not all sleep but we shall be changed The meaning is they shall not so sleep as to continue in the state of the dead but be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye yet such a change as they shall have a dissolution and in the same moment a redintegration a real Death and a real Resurrection though no sleeping in the Grave of Corruption You see one Generation passing and another Generation coming one Friend and Neighbour drops into the Grave after another and when your turn shall be you know not This you may be assured of Death will come certainly and it may be speedily it may be suddenly What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death Psal. 89. 48. Now I beseech you embrace and improve these few directions in order to a Pious Life and a Peaceable Death First if you would live to the Lord and die in the Lord labour for exemplary purity of Life Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom but he that doth the Will of the Father Secondly If you would live to the Lord and die in the Lord give the World a Bill of Divorcement otherwise it will clip your Wings and clog your Souls and hinder your pursuit of Heaven there is nothing in all the World that is worthy of your Affections nothing but what is transitory and unsatisfactory and therefore look on it and pass away Gregory Nazianzen speaks of a Land which had abundance of Curious Flowers in it but no Corn for Bread to satisfie the Peoples Hunger the World is very like that Land here are many Flowers which may please our Sences and our Phantasies but here is no Corn for Bread no substantial satisfying Comforts As Death should be the Subject of your Meditatâ—…on so Heaven the Center of your Affections Richarâ—… the First sometimes King of England gave charge that his Bowels should be Buried at Charron but his Heart at Roan the Faithful City the City of his Love Truely the World deserves but our waste parts we may Bury our Bowels in the Earth but our Hearts should be laid up in Heaven the Royal City the New Jerusalem That so after a troublesome Life we may have a peaceable Death and after Death a glorious Reward of Everlasting Rest in Heaven according to this voice from Heaven in the Text. Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labâ—…urs and their Works follow them I have now done with the Text and now come to address my self unto that sad occasion which hath given my present Discourse this Mourning Suit The occasion of our present meeting is to Solemnize the Funeral of our deceased Neighbour and Friend to do our last office to her Body by aâ—…ording it the benefit of a Christian and Comely Burial Concerning whom I might upon very good and warrantable Grounds enlarge my Discourse in the description of the blessedness both of her Life and Death but as the Orator said Quid opus est verbis What need is there of words when her deeds are so manifest She died the death of Moses he died leisurely God gave him notice of his Journey before-hand for his better preparation Go up to the Mount and die So departed she from the World not before she expected Death not before she provided for Death God was pleased in Mercy to give her warning before she flitted to ring her Passing-bell in her Soul many days before she died and whereas many are flattered with hopes of Life till the very Hour of Death yet she was upon a meditation of Death from the first beginning of her sickness Death was not sudden to her either in respect of Expectation or Preparation she had her Wedding-garment on and her Lamp trimmed with Faith and a good Conscience she was ready for Death and ripe for Eternity behold she is coming to the Grave and she comes as a shock of Corn from the Field in due Season Hopes of a joyful Resurrection SERMON XIII JOB 19. v. 25 26 27. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy shis Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Then I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not another though my Reins be consumed in me AS if he had thus argued He that waites by Faith in the Redeemer of the Resurrection of his Body to eternal Life after Death hath done its worst is not a wicked man or an Hypocrite as you have charged me But such is my Faith I believe in the Redeemer and I look to rise after this body is consumed and eaten of Worms to an eternal happy Life therefore
travelling through the Ages of Childhood Youth and Old Age in one day In the Morning it is hatch'd at Noon it flourishes in the Evening it grows old and dies But this is more to be wonder'd at in that winged Creature that it makes no less provision for one little day than if it were to live the Age of a Crow or a Raven To this little Animal the Life of Man is most fitly to be compar'd It inhabits by the River of gliding Time But more fleet than either Bird or Arrow And often only one day determines all its Pomp oft-times an Hour and as often a Moment Wherefore then do we think of Years and Ages frequently no longer had then Flowers or the shadows of Flowers or then any thing if any thing can be more short and fading than those Flowers It is a wonder greatly to be admir'd that this swift Brevity of Life should be divulg'd by all the Prophets be confirm'd by the Writers of all Ages and yet that miserable Men should be deaf to all their Exclamations Ezechias cries out by Isaiah the Prophet From the Morning till the Evening thou shalt conclude my days The Royal Psalmist cries out My days have past away like a shadow Josiah the King cries out Man springs up like a Flower and is trod down and vanishes like a shadow Behold Man is like a Bubble all thy Life is the flight of a shadow Canst thou then dream of any Mansion or Abiding place here Wherefore dost thou covetously scrape together wherefore dost thou scrape and rake as if to live the Age of Nestor Death is at thy Back Thou shalt go hence before thou fear'st thy departure unless thou art afraid betimes Make haste Eternity is at hand Sect. 6. The same is deliver'd with greater Confirmations THE Life of no Man is otherwise than short but the shortest of all is their Life who forget what is past neglect the present and are in no fear of the future Most excellent is the saying of Job they that saw him shall say where is he Like a fleeting Dream he shall not be found yet Dreams are vain and nothing swifter than flight he shall pass away like a Nocturnal Vision My days saith he were swifter than the Racer they fled away and saw no good this said the most Wealthy of Men. They took their flight like Birds carrying Apples like an Eagle flying to his prey Because we are of yesterday and understand nothing because our days are like a shadow upon the Earth Truly our days are but a shadow upon the Earth and there is no delay We Banquet and Revel and there is no delay We indulge to sleep and snore till Noonday and there is no delay Prodigal of our time we go to Plays and invent voluptuous ways of Idleness and yet there is no delay Our years pass glide and fly away No Man has so much the â—…avour of Heaven as to promise himself to Morrow Thus while we dream we pass to Eternity either the Celestial or the Infernal It was an excellent saying of Suidas Olâ—… Mortals but of one little day that only know the present not foreseeing future things consider that Eternity to which ye are going Sect. 7. The Hope of Long Life and VVishes are vain WHat shall I do said the Rich Man in his Heart because I have not room for 〈◊〉 Fruits of my Land I will do this I will pull down my Barns and Build bigger Miserable Soul alas Thrice miserable Wilt thou inlarge thy Barâ—… To Morrow the Grave shall be thy Habiration Oh that it prove not Hell This Night thy Soul shall be taken from thee and who shall inherit what thou hast scrap'd together Thy Vertue if thou hadst any thy Vices shall go with thee Neither shalt thou take with thee any otherCompâ—…nions hence Most like the Fate of this Rich Man was that of Senecio in Seneca who considering this fleeting Life of ours which we enjoy at Mercy Every day saith he every hour shews us what nothingâ—… we are and by some new Argument still admonishes us of our frailty while they compel us covetous of Eternity to look after death Senecio Cornelius a Roman Knight a Man of extream â—…rugality no less careful of his Patrimony than of his Body when he had sate all day till night by his friend sick a Bed beyond all hopes of recovery when he had Suppâ—…d well and cheary was taken with a violent Distemper the Quinsey scarcely retained his Breath within his contracted Jaws till Morning so that he deceas'd within a few hours 〈◊〉 he had performed all the Duties of a sound and healthy Man He that turn'd and wound his Money both by Sea and Land He that left no sort of Gain untry'd in the very Flood of his Prosperity in the very Torrent of his overflowing heaps expir'd Thus it happens that when men most spend their time in toyl they spend their last Breath Like the Winds that when they blow most vehemently loose their force most quickly then allay'd when they have rag'd most furiously The most admirable Job almost by way of complaint interrogates the Deity And dost thou so soon cast me down Learnedly Tertullian and truly thus saith he The Sailing Ships free from the Capherean Rocks not tost by Tempests nor tumbl'd by the vast Waves but steering with a flattering gale making swift way on a sudden with one shâ—…g loose all their hopes of safety No other are the Shipwracks of Life and the Calm Events of Death How stupid a thing then is to dispose of Age We are not then Lords of to Morrow How great is the madness of those that commence long hopes I will buy I will build I will sell I will appoint I will bear honours and then I will repose my old Age in seisure But all things believe me are uncertain to the Fortunate No Man can promise himself any thing of what is to come What we enjoy slâ—…ps through our hands that very Hour a chance may happen and disappoint all We propose to our selves long Voyages and tedious stays e're we return to our Countrey Affairs of War and Council slow Actions prolix Business a long Series of Toyl Labour and Employment We begin Suites hoping the long Life of Nestor and the Fortune of Metellus When in the mean time Death is at our Elbow and from the Precipice of Life throws us headlong into the Sea of Eternity Sect. 8. Man is Dust. REmember Man that thou art Dust and to Dust shalt return This sad Verse our Mother the Church repeats when she covers the Heads of her Children with Dirt and admonishes â—…s of our Mortality at the same time when we least think of it Herein the Church imitates the Eagle Who when she would encounter the Hart shakes the dust which she has gather'd upon her Wings into the Hart's Eyes and fixing her Taloâ—…s between his Horns she claps his Head with her Wings till he fall headlong
putting on his Shoes he breathed his last The Rhodian Ambassador had pleaded his Cause in the Senate even to admiration but expired going over the Threshold of the Court-house A Grape-stone killed Anacreon the Poet and if we may believe Lucian Sophocles also Lucia the Daughter of Marcus Aurelius died with a little prick of a Needle Cn. Brebius Pamphilus being in his Pretorship when he asked the time of the day of a certain youth perceived that to be the last Hour of his Life The Breath of many is in haste and unexpected Joy expels it As we find it happened to Chilo the Lacedemonian and Diageras of Rhodes who embracing their Sons that had been Victors at the Olympick Games at the same time and in the same place presently expir'd Lastly Death has infinite accesses through which he breaks into our Houses Sometimes through the Windows sometimes through the Vaults sometimes through the Copings of the Wall sometimes through the Tyles and if he cannot meet with any Traytors either in the City or in the House I mean the humours of the Body Diseases Catarrhs Pleurisies and the like which he makes use of as Ministers in his Councils He tears up the Gates with Gunpowder Fire Water Pestilence Venom nâ—…y wild Monsters and Men themselves as bad he leaves no Engines untryed to snatch and force away our Lives Mephiboseth the Son of Saul was slain by Domestick Thieves as he was sleeping at Noon upon his Bed Fulco King of Jerusalem as he was Hunting a Hare fell from his Horse and was trampled to death by his Hoofs gave up the Ghost Josias of all the Kings of Judah David excepted for Piety Sanctimony and Liberality the chief was unexpectedly wounded with an Arrow and died in his Camp The Holy Ludovicus in the 57th year of his Age upon the African Shore in the midst of his Army the Pestilence there raging died of the Distemper Egillus King of the Goths a most excellent Prince was killed by a Mad Bull which the madder people not enduring the severity of his Laws had let forth Malcolm the first King of Scotland after mâ—…ny exâ—…mples of 〈◊〉 while he was taking cogniâ—… of the Actions of his Subjects by Night â—…as 〈◊〉 a sudden 〈◊〉 Have not many gone well to Bed that have 〈◊〉 found dead in the Morning Of necessity the 〈◊〉 ought to stand upon its guard Uzza a peâ—…son of no small Note in Davâ—…as Lifeguard whâ—… he attempted to stay the shogging Ark as it was carry'd in Triumph to Jerusalem was presently struck from Heaven so that he died by the Ark. The hand of God arm'd a Lion out of a Wood against the Prophet that had eaten contrary to his command The sudden voice of Peter compelled Ananias and Saphira to expiate their Crime by as sudden a death whose Souls the greatest part of Divines believe to be freed from Eternal Punishment thereby But enough of Ancient Examples In the year 1559. Henry the Second King of France was slain in the midst of his Pastimes and Triumphs and in publick Joy of the people For while he Celebrated the Nuptials of his Daughter at Paris in a Tilting the Splinter of a broken Lance flew with that violence and pierced his Eye that he died immediately In the year 1491. Alphonsus the Son of John the Second King of Portugal being about Sixteen years of Age a Prince of great Hopes and Wit took to Wife Isabella the Daughter of Ferdinand King of Spain whose Dowry was the Ample Inheritance of her Fathers Kingdoms The Nuptials were Celebrated with the preparations of six hundred Triumphs Every Plays Running Racing Tilting Banquets So much Plenty so much Luxury that the Horse-boys and Slaves glistered in Tissue But Oh immense Grief hardly the seventh Month had passed when the young Prince sporting a Horseback upon the Banks of Tagus was thrown from his Horse to the ground so that his Scull was broken and he wounded to death He was carried to a Fishers House scarce big enough to contain him and two of his Followers There he lay down upon a Bed of Straw and expired The King flies thither with the Queen his Mother There they behold the miserable Spectacle their Pomp turn'd into Lamentation the growing Youth of their Son his Vertues Wealth like Flowers on a sudden disrobed by the Northwinds blast and all to be Buried in a miserable Grave O the sudden Whirlwinds of Human Affairs O most precipitate Falls of the most constant things What sha'l I remember any more Basilius the Emperor was gored to death by a Hart while he was entangled in a troublesom Bough The ancient Monument in the Camp of Ambrosius near Aenipontus witnesses That a Noble Youth though under Age set Spurs to his Horse to make him leap a Ditch twenty foot broad The Hâ—…rse took it but the Rider and the Horse fell by a sudden and almost the same kind of death That the Spoils of the Horse and the Garments of the Youth speak to this day But this sudden Fate is common as well to the good as to the bad neither does it argue an unhappy condition of the Soul unless any person in the Act of burning Impiety feel himself struck with the Dart of Divine Vengeance Such was the Exit of Dathan and Abiram whom the gaping Earth miserably swallowed up obstinate in their Rebellion against Mâ—…ses Such was the End of those Souldiers whom for their irreverence to Elijah Heaven consumed with Balls of Fire Such was the End of the Hebrew whom the Revengers Sword pass'd thorough finding him in the Embraces of the Midianitess turning his Genial into his Funeral Bed So many Pores of the Body so many little doors for Death Death does not shew himself always near yet is he always at hand What is more stupid than to wonder that that should fall out at any time which may happen every day Our Limits are determined where the inexorable necessity of Fate has fix'd them But none of us knows how near they are prefixed So therefore let us form our Minds as if we were at the utmost extremity Let us make no delay Notes upon the first Paragraph DEath has infinite accesses So it is indeed and to what I have said I add It is reported that a certain person dreamt that he was torn by the Jaws of a Lion He rises careless of his Dream goes to Church with his Friends in the way he sees a Lion of Stone gaping that upheld a Pillar then declaring his Dream to his Companions not without Laughter Behold said he this is the Lion that tore me in the Night So saying he thrust his hand into the Lions Jaws crying to the Statue Thou hast thy Enemy now shut thy Jaws and if thou canst bite my hand He had no sooner said the word but he received a deadly wound in that place where he thought he could have no harm For at the bottom of the Lions Mouth lay a Scorpion which no
young Men but stricken in years Barlaam the Hermit an old Man of Seventy years when Jehosaphat the King asked him how old he was answered Forty five at which when the King admired he reply'd that he had been absent from his Studies Twenty five years as if those years which he had spent upon the Vanity of the World had been quite lost So Similius being Buried in the Cares of the Court and living rather for his Emperors sake than for his own caused this Inscription to be put upon his Tomb. Here lyes Similius an old Man of Seven years of Age The Book of Samuel relates of Saul that he was the Son of one year when he began to Reign but that he Raigned Two years over Israel Saul at the beginning of his Reign was as free and Innocent from all wickedness as a Child of one year old but he continued in this purity but one year though he Reigned Twenty years in all Many attain to old Age betimes and before they are old But the most of Men never who when they are old yet retain the Vices of Children still so that they die Children of a hundred years of Age. The Happiness of Life consists not in the length or extent thereof but in the use of it And it may often happen that he that has lived long has not lived at all Wherefore there is nothing more infamous than a childish old Man who has no other Argument to prove his long Life but his Age. Elegantly St. Ambrose concerning St. Agnes Infancy was reckoned in her year but a vast Age of mind The Oracle of Divine Venerable old Age is not lasting nor to be computed by number of years But the Senses of men are grey and old Age is an immaculate Life And therefore the Manners rather than the Hairs of men are to be esteemed Venerable Only he is worthy of more reverence who is old betimes An honest Life is the best old Age. Yet you will say a man so early dead might have proved a great Man and serviceable to his Countrey Rather which is more to be feared he might have become like others Behold young men whom Luxury drives into all Vice over whose Head there passes not a day without some signal Crime Therefore he is taken away left Evil should change his Intellect or lest a Fiction should deceive his Soul Whoever comes to the Extremity of his Fate he dies an old Man Oft-times in a long Life the least thing to be considered is that he has lived 'T is much more glorious to be old in Vertue than in time He has lived long enough who has said well He has sought well that overcomes Sect. 23. A PARADOX Whoever will has liv'd long enough A Short time of Age is long enough to live well saith Tully No man dies so soon who intends not to live better than he has done A Beardless Youth has numbered years enough who has lived to Vertue and Eternity for which he was Born Has he not spoke enough that can perswade with one word or a nod Has he not said enough who arrives happily at his Port. But best of all he that soonest attains it So that death prevent not our Meditation the swifter the more happy it will be But I saith the Macedonian King in Curtius who number not my years but my Victories if I number the Gifts of Fortune have lived long enough How much more truely he who Consecrates all his Life to God and only studies to serve and please his Master faithfully may say I who count not these years wherein I serve God but my desires if I rightly compute the Benefits of my God have lived long enough So it is most certainly he lives a Hundred yea a Thousand years yea Ages themselves and serves God whoever sincerely and cordially desires to serve his God so long were it permitted him so long to live For God accepts the will for the deed With whom to intend a pious Action is oft-times as much as to have performed it So he may be a Martyr and expend his Blood with a Christian Valour though he die in his Bed So a Man may live long and act and suffer couragiously for Christ whoever earnestly desires to live to that end There is no man that dies not at his day whoever dies by the Decree of the Divine Will Sect. 24. You are to Die to Die AUgustus the Emperor Peragia being taken punished abundance of the Citizens and to those that 〈◊〉 his pardon or desired to excuse themselves he only made this short answer Moâ—…iendum est You are to die Thus he caused three Hundred to be slain like Victims upon an Altar Built to Julius Caesar. Justin and Irenaeus most noble Writers among the Ancients smartly observe that after the Sentence of Death pronounced against Adam that never any Mortal according to Gods Kalender live a whole day For as the Prophets and Apostles testifie one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day But no man lived a thousand years therefore no Man ever lived a whole day Thou art to die Though thou hast attained nine hundred years and upward thou art to die This is most certain from Divine Oracle from Human Reason and Experience Divine Oracles six hundred times proclaim Moriendum est You are to die Reason it self by evident demonstrations convinces that whatever is composed of contraries is liable to Corruption and therefore Thou art to die Experience the Mistress both of Fools and Wise Men pointing to the vast heaps of the Dead perswades our Eyes that never yet any one of all the number of Mortals could escape the power of death Thou art to die is clearer than the Sun Thou art to die Does any Thunder from Heaven more loudly pierce our Ears like this Sentence Thou art to die Here no Man must be deaf will they nill they they are forced to admit these dreadful sounds This thunder pierces their unwilling Ears Thou art to die whether in the favour or in the wrath of God Aeschylus of old Death said he is the only Goddess among all the rest that regards not Bribes nor admits the least particle of sweet hope Wherefore wisely Seneca Let us afflict our selves saith he with this thought Let us repeat this often to our selves Thou art to die When It is better thou shouldst not know that Death is the Law of Nature Death is the Duty and Tribute of Mortals then to be paid when it is exacted Wherefore laying all other things aside meditate upon this alone that thou maist not fear the name of Death Make that by frequent Contemplation familiar to thee That if it should so happen thou maist be willing to meet it Sect. 25. The Remembrance of Death is variously to be renewed 1. THey say that the Skull dryed in a Furnace and beaten to powder and mixed with Oil cures a Gangrene or a Cancer To grinde
any time why not now Death calls upon all Men alike Thither we must all come sooner or later of that we are certain we doubt not of that thing but of the time VVhat then Does not he seem to be the most fearful and imprudent Creature of all who with so much earnestness desires the delay of Death Would not he be the Laughing-stock of others who being Condemned among many should beg to be the last Executed Yet this is the Folly we are guilty of We think it a great happiness to die last The Capital Punishment is destined to all and by a most just determination Now what matters it whether we go out first or last out of this Life as Men go out of a Theater We must depart it then at any time why not now To day perhaps Death spares us That 's nothing to Morrow he will be with thee The Sword will seize thee a Stone waits for thee a Fever lyes in Ambush Thou art never nor in no place safe There 's a necessity of going If then to Morrow why not to Day If at any time why not now Sect. 44. Why Death is Terrible DEath is the same to all Men but the Wages by which it happens are various One expires while he is feeding another slumbering falls into an Eternal Sleep another in the act of Impiety extinguishes Here one drops by the Sword another Drowns in Water another Fires consumes Some by the sting of Serpents die while others are Buried in the sudden fall of Ruins Others by the Contraction of their Nerves are tortured to Death Others are cut off in their Youth others in their Cradles Sometimes an Infant comes into the World to take its farewel of Life The Exit of some is milder of others harsher But how mild and gentle Death may seem to be however it brings something of Horrour with it and that for this reason because it seems to deprive us of many Happinesses and to take us from that plenty to which we are accustomed This love of our selves and desire of self-preservation is the Chain that clogs us There is also a natural fear of darkness to which Death is thought to be our Conductor which has engaged the Wits of many to augment the Terrours of Death But that which most augments the fear of Death is this that present things we know whither we are to go we know not and therefore are afraid Therefore is the Mind to be enured by much Exercise that it may not be afraid of that Eternity into which we are to enter Eternity is that we are to think upon day and night as they that would bring themselves to endure hunger must enure themselves to fasting by little and little So the Soul that is to be translated from this inconstant World to a stable Kingdom must accustom it self to endure Eternity Let it every day salute the Gate of Eternity every Moment believe that it waits there Whatever it acts let it act for Eternities sake and only observe this one form of action I read I write I paint I meditate I watch I speak and all for the sake of Eternity Whoever aspires to Eternal Triumphs let him learn to Combat Eternity Sect. 45. Death is sudden but beautiful CHaeremon as Palladius Bishop of Helenopolis witnesses while he sits while he works while he acts as a healthy person dies So sitting so working he was found but dead Vertue can beautifie any sort of Death Philemon a Comedian contested with Menander perhaps not his Equal yet his Emulator This Person recited upon the Stage a play that he had newly made But when he was moving the more sprightly Affections in his third Act a sudden shower scattered the Auditory Thereupon he promised the rest the next day The next day a vast multitude met together in so much that the Theater was thronged but no Philemon came Some blam'd the slowness of the Poet others excused him But at last tyred with expectation and sending to seek him the Messengers found him dead in his Bed His Book was in his Hand and his Eyes fix'd upon his Book So that the Messengers stood a while astonished at so sudden an Accident and the Miracle of so lovely a Death Returning to the people they related that they expected Philemon had finished his last act at Home leaving the World to give him their last farewel and plaudite to his Friends a sad occasion of Mourning and Lamentation For that now a Noble Poet having put off the Mask of Life his Bones and not his Verses where to be read If we look at this present Life the most wish'd for death is to die not fearing death But much more desireable is it to die in action and to be busie at our work that death it self may not prove idle It was the wish of Cyprian the Martyr to be slain for the sake of God while he was discoursing of God It is a high Encomium for any Man that not only the Devil but neither Death himself should find him idle Sect. 46. VVe must watch and pray BEcause ye know not at what Hour the Son of Man will come The Romans watched in their Arms yet sometimes without their Shields that they might have nothing to lean upon to invite them to sleep It is thy duty to watch O Man and to watch armed Ardent Prayers to God are the true Arms of Christians The Shield that encourages sleep is the vain hope of a longer Life The frequent Cries of the Roman Souldiers in their Watches were Wake wake Mars wake Thus they encouraged one another to constancy in watching The Heaven it self day and night waking and incessantly toyling admonishes thee to watch Dost thou grow deaf or art thou falling asleep Hear the voice of Christ watch and pray According to the relation of St. Mark Christ made a Sermon in the Conclusion whereof he thrice repeats these words first Take ye heed watch and pray Secondly Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the House cometh at even or at midnight whether at the Cock-crowing or at the dawning lest if he come suddenly he find ye asleep Lastly And that I say unto you I say unto ye all watch With the same Admonitions and by the Mouth of St. Matthew he cries to us Watch ye therefore for ye know not what hour the Lord doth come And again Watch ye therefore because ye know neither the day nor the hour The same he repeats upon Mount Olivet Watch and pray lest ye enter into Temptation Upon the same Text he preaches in St. Luke Watch ye therefore at all times praying The same watch ye how often doth St. Paul reiterate These claps Thunder upon us to shake off all sleepiness and drowsiness from us We are deaf yea dead indeed if these loud Exhortations will not wake us Whoever thou art that sleepest in Vice awake Thou knowest the Fate of the Egyptians The slaying Angel enter'd Egypt
Therefore a happy end is so desired from none but God Of which I will annex a short Example First Prayer Eight Verses chosen out of the Psalms of David by St. Bernard which he is reported to have repeated every Day for a Happy Hour of Death ENlighten my Eyes that I sleep not in death lest my Enemies say I have prevailed against him Psal. 12. v. 3 4. Into thy hands I recommend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth Psal. 31. v. 6. At last I spake with my Tongue Lord let me know my end and the number of my days that I may know how long I have to live Psal. 39. v. 4 5. Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Psal. 86. v. 17. Thou hast broken my Bands in sunder I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord Psal. 116. v. 14 15. I had no place to fly to and no Man car'd for my Soul I cry'd unto thee O Lord and said Thou art my Hope and my Portion in the Land of the Living Psal. 142. v. 5 6. Omnipotent Sempiternal God who didst prolong the Life of Hezekiah miserably imploring thee grant me thy unworthy Servant before the day of my Death so much time to live that I may be able to deplore all my Sins and may obtain from thy Compassion Pardon and Favour Omnipotent Gracious and Merciful God I most humbly beseech thee by the Death of thy Son grant me a happy and a blessed Hour when my Soul shall depart out of my Body Lord Jesu Crucified Christ by the Bitterness of the Death which thou didst suffer for me upon the Cross chiefly when thy Soul departed from thy Body have Mercy on my Soul at the last Hour who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and for ever Amen The Second Prayer For a Happy Departure MOST Merciful Lord Jesu if this be the Condition of a Dying Man if in such Dangers and Extremities my Spirit must depart out of this Life whither shall I fly but unto thee Oh my God Do thou take care of my Soul that it may not perish in that dreadful Hour Grant me I beseech thee according to the multitude of thy Mercies and by that servent Love and Grief wherewith thou who art Life it self didst die for me that I may have the Combat of Corporal Death always before my Eyes and that living I may so do as dying I would desire to have done and that I may expend my time and study in nothing more than that I may Spiritually die to my self and may mortifie all the Passions of my Sences that so after this Life I may live with thee Happy and Blessed to all Eternity The Conclusion of the first Chapter To the Reader DO this meditate upon this O Man and while thou art well learn to be sick learn to die To do both is a rare piece of Art which whether thou knowest or no it is not lawful for thee to try but when thou canst not err without the loss of Eternal Felicity We err but once in dying but that Error is never to be amended to all Eternity Therefore to abide as being still to depart But for the most part abide within thyself and search every cranny of thy Conscience Whatever thou enjoyest look upon it as the Lumber of a place where there is no Habitation Thou art not suffered to carry out any more than thou broughâ—…est in with thee Therefore act and bestir thy self Approve thy self right in the sight of God Thou art to go hence Believe that thou standest always at the Gate of Eternity Eternity is that we must look after Pleasure is short Punishment Eternal The labour is Easie the reward Everlasting Therefore we have given wholesom Instruction we have taught that Death is to be contemn'd but the thoughts of it never to be laid aside Now we will give the same Admonitions to the Sick CHAP. II. The Remembrance of Death is Recommended to the Sick Sect. 1. The Introduction and whether Sickness be an Evil CAunus is a Town in Caria in a Pestilent Air and unwholesom for the Inhabitant These People when Stratonicus the Musician and witty Man beheld he recited the Verse in Homer to them Like as the Leaves just so the People are Thereby he taunted their Icterical Yellowish and Wan Complexions But when the Caunians had given him a very rugged Entertainment for defaming their City as sickly and unwholesom Stratonicus return'd upon them again Must I not dare said he to call that a sickly place where the dead walk More wittily and more smartly than before But why do we deny and lift up our Noses We are most like to Leaves Very plainly Job Wilt thou break a Leaf saith he driven to and fro As if he had said When I am but a Leaf liable to all the Inconveniences of Life afraid of every Gust wilt thou hasten me with the wind of thy indignation I shall fall of my self without any constraint of thine Are not Men Leaves whom Sickness like dry Leaves and juiceless Flowers tosâ—…es to and fro and variously sports with Clement of Alexandria being of the same Opinion Go to said he Men of an obscure Life like the Generation of Leaves infirm Creatures Images of Waâ—… things like shadows frail unsledg'd living but the Life of one day Certainly we are Leaves shaken by every puff of wind Sometimes a little Fever what do I say Nay a little Cough a little drop falling upon the little wicket of the Throat mortifies this Leaf and throws it into the Grave But whether or no is Sickness a Benefit and Death an Evil No Mortal no it is not saith Epictetus Health well us'd is a good thing ill us'd a mischief And therefore we may reap Benefit by Sickness What dost thou say of Sickness I wil shew thee its Nature then I shall be quiet I shall think my self well dealt with I shall not flatter the Physician I shall not wish for Death What wouldst thou more Whatever thou shalt give me that will I make happy prosperous honourable to be desir'd But there are some that deny this and say Take heed of being sick 't is an ill thing To them Epictetus again That is as much as to say saith he Take heed that thou dost not feign three to be four 't is an ill thing How evil If we so think of it as we ought What harm will it do me Rather will it not do me good If therefore I so think of Poverty Sick or Troubles of Church or State as I ought is not that enough to me will it not be profitable Truth Love thee O Epictetus How agreeable are all these things to Christian Doctrine This Foundation being laid we shall here teach ye to be mindful
Death Hast thou not learnt in so many years calmly quietly and undisturbedly to die What art thou afraid oâ—… Commit thy self entirely to the wil of God and thy business is almost done If thou wilt believe those who have had a large prospect into Truth All life is a punishment Here I seasonably cite to thee the words of the wise Roman Being thrown saith he into this deep and unquiet Sea flowing with uncertain Tydes now advancing us with sudden encrease of Riches now again leaving us upon the barren Sands of greater Losses we can never stand fixt in any place We float up and down are washt one against another and sometimes we make an absolute Shipwrack but are always in fear Neither is there any Port but that of Death to them that sail in this stormy and tempestuous Ocean But every Mans Credulity deceives him and a willing forgetfulness of Death for the sake of those things which he loves Daily we behold the Funerals of persons known and unknown yet we mind other business and account that unexpected which was foretold us all our life-time before 'T is not the injustice of Nature but the depravedness of humane Reason that takes it ill to forsake that place to which it was admitted but of Courtesie He is unjust who will not leave the disposal of the Gift to him that gave it And an extream piece of Covetousness it is not to look upon what a man has received as gain but what he restores as a loss Ingrateful is he that calls the end of Pleasure an Injury A Fool who thinks there is no good but what is present immediately all pleasure leaves us and is snatcht away almost before it comes Over-narrow and circumscrib'd are his Joys who thinks he possesses only what he has and sees Therefore let us rejoyce for what is given and restore it when 't is requir'd Death seises upon one at one time he will pass by none Therefore let the Soul lie upon the watch and never be afraid of that which will necessarily happen which is uncertain and always to be expected I know not whether it be a greater piece of Folly to be ignorant of that Law of Morality or more impudent to deny it All Men all Creatures look toward their latter end who ever is born is destin'd to die and prepared for an Eternity Sect. 21. Certain Theses which the Sick are to contend against with all their might The first Concerning God T Is an Impiety against God the chief Parent of the World to complain in the least as if he should send a Sickness either too troublesome or too unseasonable Rather let us say with Job As the Lord pleases let it be done the Name of the Lord be praised And with the blessed Quire let us sing He hath justly done all things For whether God wound or heal he shews the Care and Affection of a most compassionate Father towards us The second Concerning the sick Party himself A more violent Disease requires not longer or more constant Prayers but a longer and more constant Patience by which whatever is accounted difficult is more easily performed The seasonings that make Sickness pleasant are frequent Groans to Heaven the remembrance of Afflictions suffered by all the Saints Repeated Ejaculations sometimes to the Holy Trinity sometimes to Christ for constant Patience and a happy passage out of this Life The Third Concerning other Men. We are to submit as well to the Physicians of the Body as the Soul To those that come to visit us in Sickness we are to shew a good Example of Patience and a composed Mind And though the Disease be grievous though many things afflict us though some things displease us other things are not done to our minds never to fret and murmur All our Troubles are to be season'd with the hope of Reward Our Deeds and Sayings to be rendred commendable by Submission and Patience Sect. 22. The Thirst of a Sick-man how to be cur'd MOst sick People are afflicted with Thirst especially they that are in Feavers We will shew them Fountains whence they may take their fill A Thief notorious for the murther of several was taken in the lower Austria and fastned to the Wheel where his Thighs were first broken to prolong the Torment of an extraordinary Criminal for a terrour to others But this Malefactor shew'd himself a man and began to be a most Religious Christian in the midst of his Torments for at every word he breath'd out nothing but Patience and Repentance He called upon God continually implor'd Pardon for his Crimes and like a Preacher began to dehort the Standers by from wicked Courses such as he had taken By this it grew towards Evening when the Multitude flockt some as Comforters of so great a Sufferer though indeed only as Spectators of a generous Patience For he prostrate to his Punishment that he might find a better Life asswag'd his present Pain with the Hope of future Happiness and gave God thanks who in his Wrath had remembered Mercy and had chastiz'd him to spare him But in that slow Torment which it was thought would have lasted three days he only pray'd a quick Death to end the Fury of his Pains or the opportunity of a Shower to asswage his burning Heat and Drought It was observ'd that he had the Assistance of both for towards Sun-set there fell a plentiful Shower and in short while after his Torments and his Life ended both together Behold O Christian thou hast also thy Wheel though a more gentle one thou art ty'd to thy Bed as to that Wheel And perhaps not only Pain but Drought may afflict thee Therefore that a seasonable Shower may fall upon thee cause thy Bed to be made in Golgotha at the foot of that Cross to which the Saviour of the World was nail'd from whose Body fell Showers of Blood There drink there refresh thy self there satisfie thy self being we'lassured that thou shalt be the more perfectly cured the more largely thou drinkest Sect. 23. The Sick-man's Handkerchief CRosildis the Queen of the Franks as Gregory Turonicus reports being cruelly used by Amalanc her Husband sent a white linnen Cloth dipt in her Blood to her Brother Childebert as much as if she should have wrote to her Brother and have sayd Seest thou these Marks Childebert and canst thou brook them Canst thou behold the Sufferings of a Sister and wink at them Wilt thou not revenge and defend me Behold O Sick-man Christ sends thee a Handkerchief nay two the one from Mount Olivet liliberally dyed in his Blood in the other thou feest his Face besmear'd with Sweat Spittle Blood and Tears while he dragg'd his own Cross to Golgotha These linnen Cloaths Christ sends to thee be-purll'd with his Blood wherein he has wrote these words This Sweat O mortals your Sins forced from me Can you see these and not abandon your former wicked life Certainly no person more truly bewails
shouldst fear and wish for death and which is more that thou shouldst never know thy condition nor when thou wert safe Besides that every thing of future is uncertain only that we are certain to decay for the worse the Journey to Heaven is more easie when we have dismissed our Thoughts from worldly Conversation For so they become lighter and freer from Dregs Great Genius's never covet a long stay in the Body they long to be gone they hardly brook these narrow they desire to wander through sublimity and take a prospect from above of things below Therefore it is that Plato cries out The Soul of a wise Man always leans towards Death This it desires this it meditates upon covetous of higher Objects And how clear is that of Plato concerning a better Life He saith he that spends his Life in the study of Wisdom seems to be the person who will die with confidence full of good hope that he shall obtain great rewards if he die This the Ancients saw in the dark and thou canst not see it by the light of the Sun What then my sick Friend do the things of the Earth trouble thee Shortly thou shalt inhabit Heaven Thither aspire and whatever miseries thou feelest thou wilt feel them the less Sect. 30. True Hope is a Blessed Life I Do not for this make use of either Poets or Philosophers 'T is a serious thing I will drink to thee out of the Fountain of Divine Eloquence Therefore lay aside thy sadness and with a certain hope say with the Doctor of the World I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Wherefore art thou afraid O Man of short hope hear the Son of Syras Who feareth the Lord standeth in awe of no Man and is not afraid for the Lord is his hope and strength Blessed is the Soul of him that feareth the Lord in whom putteth he his trust and who is his strength The Eyes of the Lord have respect untâ—… them that love him he is their mighty protection and strong ground a defence for the health a refuge for the hot of noon day a succour for stumbling and a help for falling He setteth up the Soul and lightneth the Eyes he giveth health life and blessing The Kingly Prophet how Câ—…uragious is he how undaunted having a prospect of his own Funeral I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety What that safety is he expresses in another place For thou hast been my hope and a strong Tower for me against the Enemy I will dwell in thy Tabernacle for ever and my trust shall be under the covering of thy wings But thou wile say my Impatience makes me hope ill Here I will help thee again Cry with David Thou art my hope even from my youth Frequently this King cry'd out God is my Salvation God is my Hope and also exhorts others to do the same Trust in him O ye people pour out your hearts before him Wherefore dost thou not follow him that goes crying so loudly before thee Say therefore from thy Soul O think upon thy Servant according to thy word wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust The same is my Comfort in my Trouble And with Jeremy the Prophet I nevertheless obediently followed thee as a Shepherd and have not taken this Office upon me uncalled Thou knowest it well Be not thou terrible unto me O Lord. For thou art he in whom I hope when I am in peril Hear him in another place Leave off from weeping and crying with-hold thine Eyes from Tears for thy labour shall be rewarded c. Job is most confident in this Though he slay me I will trust in him The same he utters upon the brink of Death After darkness I hope for light Was there ever saith the Son of Syrach any one confounded that put his trust in the Lord Whoever continued in his fear and was forsaken Or whoever did he despise that called faithfully upon him For God is Gracious and Merciful He forgiveth sins in the time of Trouble and is a defender of all that seek him in the Truth And Hosea Therefore hope still in thy God for whoever put their trust in God are not overcome Besides That the Lord is good unto them that put their trust in him and to the Soul that seeketh after him The good Man with stilness and patience expecteth the health of the Lord. Truly saith Nahum the Lord is Gracious and a strong hold in the day of Tribulation and knoweth them that trust in him And we also know saith St. John that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every Man that has this hope in him purgeth himself even as he is also pure Hope therefore most firmly in the Goodness of God and thou shalt walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living Sect. 31. Tranquility proceeds from true Hope TUrn again O my Soul into thy rest for the Lord hath rewarded thee Art thou wearied with so many sorts of Labour behold the Lord is at hand and he will put an end to all thy Labours The beginning of thy rest is Sickness and Death Cease therefore O my Soul to be willing to be miserable and to consume thy self with so much turmoiling Painful Beginnings thou wilt say 'T is very true But thou knowst that no days are less quiet than those that are next to rest No days less Holidays than those that precede Festivals So it is with thee But thy rest shall be Eternal The preparation tires thee shortly the Paschal without end shall follow Go to then and expend a little Labour and Grief By and by thou shalt behold the Gate not that which leads out of this Life but that which leads to Eternity Then hadst thou but begun to labour it would prove sufficient if he for whom thou labourest think it so Therefore O my Soul dismiss vain things to vain people and turn thee to the Lord who hath rewarded thee His Mercies toward thee hath been innumerable thou maist sooner number the Sand of the Sea than them by which he designs to open thee the way to Heaven Bernardus Clarevallensis recommended this particularly to his Friends to cast the Anchor of their hope in the safe Bay of Divine Mercy Therefore let that Verse of the Psalmist In thee O Lord. have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion Sect. 32. Comfort in Pain THen should I have some comfort yea I would desire him in my pain that he would not spare for I will not deny the words of the Holy One. With this Comfort therefore while my pains do burn me I will warm my Zeal and recollect my Courage when the Excess of my
Torments shall bring me certain hope of Death For I know that while the pains as it were of Childbirth Crucifie me the Rest and Tranquility of another Life is preparing for me and that the Mercy of God shines over me either inflicting Death or defending my Life Therefore let not God be delayed through any commiseration of me For if I die I shall escape free and secure from my Sins nor shall I ever any more resist the will of God as one that has left this Life and the Inconstancy of Mortals Yet I am very much afraid of my weakness left I should faint in the right road and in my holy purpose Seeing then that hitherto through the Mercy and Grace of God I have remained stedfast in the truth I would not depart from the Innocency of my Life though I have a firm hope that it will never be that I shall contradict the will of God but rather that I may be always able to attend and wait upon it Which when God shall be pleased to fulfil in me I am so far from praying against it that I shall rather esteem it as a great favour For when I ought to endeavour to be holy there is nothing which I can receive at the hands of the most holy and pure of Spirits God that can be harmful if not rather profitable for me Come then pains and exercise my patience as God has given ye leave To begin to die and not to be in pain scarce happens to any Man Through pains we pass to Death That is the high road A little while we must be in pain that we may not be in pain to Eternity Sect. 33. Patience mitigates all pains PAin is a sharp cruel horrid sad bitter thing contrary to Nature hateful to the Sences yet which by the assistance of our Age may be mitigated or else little or nothing felt He that in this Combat unwillingly turns his Back but makes a resistance cordially and with all his might is always Superior always gets the Victory Why O Clay dost thou murmur against the Potter He designed from Eternity one Vessel for Honour another for Dishonour another for another use yet all Brittle and Mortal Wherefore then dost thou repine Complaints and Repinings are but an addition and increase of the Distemper For nothing so much exasperates the heat of a Wound as the impatience of enduring the pain All repining turns to its own Torment Thus while the wild Beast moves the snare he is taken Thus while the affrighted Birds disorder the Lime-twig they hang by the Feathers There is no Yoke so strait that does not less hurt him that bears it willingly than him that resists There is but one mitigation of terrible pains which is to suffer and submit to necessity Wherefore then dost thou add a Disease of mind to sickness of Body Making thy self more miserable by murmuring and provoking him the more thereby who beholds the Sufferings of Men from above and considers their Patience with a design to reward it But the sick Man objects thou canst not make me not to feel what I feel My tender sick Friend if no where else at least suffer patience to inhabit in thy Ears I do not deny pain to be pain but I say it may be lessened by patience Which if it take not away all sence of pain yet it gives thee the Victory over pain while thou hast strength to endure it manfully Therefore the Mind is to be roused up to be armed and embattelled against its Enemies An unprepared and impatient mind is dejected at the least Misfortunes like a Coward that upon the sight of the Enemy throws away his Arms and flies thus the thought of pain Exanimates a sluggish mind which had it held but out the Buckler of Patience had proved a Victor over pain Patience not only augments the Courage of the Mind but mitigates the sharpness of the pain So that if it be never so violent however begin then to hope Excess of pain promises an end For extremity of Grief is the beginning of Joy This is the Law of Contraries the one arises from the conclusion of the other But are we not ashamed that so many Christian Boys and Girls have joyfully endured what we Men could not bear without weeping and complaints Why tremblest thou Resume thy Courage hope in God the end is at hand The pains are terrible but short And it is a Noble thing for a true Christian neither to give way to pleasure nor to pain Sect. 34. An Example of Patience in a Beggar BEhold I beseech thee lying at the Pool of Bethesda a Beggar a Beggar do I say Yea a diseased Beggar Alas Poverty it self is a disease long and tedious enough If pain of the Body attend it the evil is redoubled which cannot be endured but by a double portion of patience as in this Paralytic He was so indigent that no body would help him into the troubled Waters No body would so much as compassionate his Poverty Ah. What a hard case it is to be at the same time both poor and sick This Mans Disease was not of a Months or a Years standing He had lost the uâ—…e of his Limbs Thirty and Eight years a breathing Carkass a Funeral before Death and buried while he yet lived Sick people think a Day a Month a Month a Year a Year an Age How many Ages could this Man but think so many Years Yet behold his patience he lost not his meekness of Mind Neither in this desperate Sickness had he wasted all his hope and patience He envied no body he repined at no body he reproaches no body He accuses no Man condemns no Man wishes no Man his ill Fate Neither does Curse himself nor the day of his Birth nor blame Fortune nor his Parents much less does he murmur against God complain of Heavens Cruelty or stand upon his own Innocency nor does he chide the slowness of Death Nor does he prepare to make himself away but patiently expects help and still hopes nor is he importunate with Christ contentedly satisfied that he had only not concealed his Miseries from his Saviour Thou who art sick canst thou imitate this poor Man Certainly thou oughtest or else thou canst not hope for Heaven Sect. 35. A Type of Patience in a Great Prince THou maist complain that either still Saints or vulgar and mean people are propounded as Examples of patience Why then O Man canst thou not imitate Christ upon the Cross St. Lawrence upon the Gridiron Imitate Lazarus waiting for the scraps Imitate Alexius in the narrow Dungeon and there ending his Life But there are State Examples Certainly there are not wanting Examples for thee to follow Behold great Princes who but few years ago so took care of their Bodies as not to neglect the health of their Souls Bishop Daniel when complaints were brought him that the wild Beasts spoiled the Corn. 'T is well said he I will soon
perpetual which though it be not here to be found yet is here to be sought But I die sayst thou when I intended to do good There are some that are always intending to do good but can never find the way to begin Thou I believe art one of those But if thou once beginst to do well never doubt though thou dost not compleat thy Work but that the insailible valuer of all things will deduct nothing from thee the reward shall be entire not only of thy Deeds but Intentions He of good Courage the direct and short way to reward is to die Sect. 45. Against other Complaints of the Sick THE Complaints of the Sick are almost innumerable they can hardly speak without murmuring How often do we hear them cry out Oh miserable me Oh afflicted me Oh who so overwhelm'd in Pain as I am But they that more narrowly examine the business will change their Notes and cry 'T is well 't is very well 't is Gods pleasure O happy O blessed me corrected not by a Tyrant but by a Father God be praised Glory be to God Heaven reward all my Benefactors This is that my sick Friend that becomes thee and behoves thee Seneca admonishing the same thing Do not saith he make thy miseries more grievous to thy self than they are Complaints of past Griefs are idle and these common Sayings Never had any man such a time on 't What Torments what Miseries did I feel No body thought I would ever have recovered and the like They may be true but they are past what signifies it to remember past Troubles and to be miserable because thou wert so Therefore lay aside two things the Fear of what is to come and the Remembrance of past Sorrows Wherefore then dost thou complain in vain and fester thy Wounds with the Nails of Impatience I am miserable thou sayst Rather blessed Humanity is in a good Condition in regard no man is miserable but through his own fault Blessed is the Man whom God chasteneth for whom he loves he chastiseth He maketh a Wound and he healeth he wounds and his hand maketh whole again Knowest thou not that the Wound which the Chirurgeon makes is the beginning of the Cure Do thou therefore nor mind the Wound but the hand of him that wounds and thou wilt confess thy self to be much more in health than when thou wert at the best But sayst thou I feel a most vehement pain No question if thou endurest it effeminately But as the Enemy makes the greatest slaughter upon them that flie so is all pain more heavy to him that succombs under it But the Torture is intolerable It is not for the stout to endure slight Pains Think upon so many hundreds of Couragious Martyrs Seneca relates That there was a certain person who while the Veins of his Legs were cutting read in a Book all the while But sayst thou My Disease will let me do nothing How nothing Alas it is thy Body that is only infirm and sick not thy Mind Therefore if thou beest a Racer thy Feet are only bound if a Smith or other Handicrafts-man thy hands are not at liberty But if thy Mind fail thee not thou mayst hear thou mayst learn thou mayst remember though sick What more dost thou believe thou dost nothing if thou art temperate in sickness If thou shewest that thy Disease may be overcome at least endur'd There is room for Courage in the Bed of Sickness Thou hast business enough strive with thy Disease and thou hast done enough Sect. 46. The Sick-man to himself against himself WHat do I do Must I thus die before I am gray We are all in this Errour that we think none fit for Death but the Aged when Infancy and Youth also go An immaculate Life is an old Age and the most lovely Age of all is an honest Life It is better that the Intellectuals of Men than their Heads should be gray He is wealthy in the endowments of old Age who worships God leadsa prudent life and lives well It is more noble to be aged in Vertue than by the gift of Time But there is that coverousness of Life that when we come to die though never so decrepid we think our selves all to be young men But why dost thou number thy few days God hath wrote down thy time of living in the Tables of his Providence In the other World there are not that accuse God because he did not spare them a longer Life but because he lived no better Therefore do thou mind that and remember Eternity It is no loss to lose a point of Time and gain Immortality Most generously said the Macedonian King I measure my self said he not by the Span of my Life but by the Scene of Perpituity Do thou measure thy self so not by the end of thy Years but by Eternity that has no end Sect. 47. The Patient Man to God MY God the desire of my Heart 〈◊〉 I a most miserable Creature a most vile Worm lie here ty'd to my Bed without the use of Hands or Feet an idle sloathful benumb'd unprofitabe Servant a burden to the Earth enduring nothing for thy sake Yet I desire O God I desire to labour for thy sake to suffer Heat Cold Weariness Affliction Anguish nay Torments for thy sake This the blessed Dominie taught me who being oppressed with violent Pains and advised by his Friend to desire of God to deal more mildly with him made this answer If I did not believe thee to speak out of Ignorance I would not endure thy sight And then throwing himself upon the bare Ground I give thee thanks said he my most kind Lord for these Miseries which thou hast sent me to endure Encrease my Pains multiply my Torments send me a hundred Infirmities for I know thou wilt send me Patience with all Can I say more than this It is too little that I suffer O God add still more and more to my Pains I have deserved more severe Chastisement than thou inflictest upon me O my most merciful God Spare me not Lord burn cut and tear my Flesh so thou grant me Eternity Had I a hundred Bodies I would endure a hundred Crucifyings so I might please thee and be reckon'd in the number of thine O most merciful Father Thy will bedone Lord with me for I know how easie it is to serve thee who equally rewardest both the Deed and the reallity of Intention I am by thee composed to rest O King of Goodness but the Night is coming werein I can work no longer Yet though my Sickness has taken from me the pain of working it has not taken from me the Will nor the Desire I am willing Lord I am willing and while any Breath remains in me I am prepared to suffer what thousands of thy Servants at this time suffer for love of thee I am willing to suffer Contempt Reproaches and false Accusations for thee Stripes and Scourges for thy sake and to
thou hast lost all thy time What if I prove Sick Thou shalt be honestly Sick Who shall Cure thee God I shall lye hard But as a Man I shall not have a convenient House 'T is an inconvenience to be Sick What shall be the issue of the Disease Nothing but Death Therefore dost not thou believe that the Fountain of all Evil is the chief mark of a degenerate and dastardly Mind is not so much death it self as the fear of Death Therefore exercise thy self against it make use of whatever thou hearest or readest as weapons to Encounter it So shalt thou know there is no other way for Man to gain his own Liberty 6. From how many Evils art thou freed by Death To die is to shut up the Shop of all Miseries Excellently well said Pliny That is the condition of Life that Death becomes the Heaven for the best of Men and the chief benefit of Nature And therefore let every one provide himself of this as one of the principal Cures for his Mind that of all the Benefits which Nature affords Men there is none better than a seasonable Death Caesar in Salust affirms Death to be a Cessation from Misery to the afflicted and no Torment Therefore the Wise Man always considers what manner of Life he led and not how long For Nature provided us a place to Lodge and Sojourn in but not to inhabit lends us the use of Life like that of Money are not payable at a certain day Why then dost thou complain if she call it in when she pleases since she lent it upon that condition 7. The Prison Doors are set open by Death and dost thou fear to go forth Rather rejoice Hitherto thou wert a Captive now thou shalt be free How foolish a thing it is to depend upon Hope or Happiness and be afraid to go at large to that which always remains and to change for a moment of dying a perpetual Immortality The Prison is open haste thee to a better place 8. Death is the way yea it is the Gate that leads us into our Countrey to Eternal Life to Immortal Joy For Death is not so much the end of Life as the beginning of Life Learnedly said St. Bernard The Just Man dies but securely whose death as it is the Exit out of this present Life is the Entry into a better But thou wilt say To live long how pleasant a thing it is but how uncertain is it whether Divine Grace will not forsake thee before thy Sin And who is there that has not often reason to be afraid for his perseverance which no holiness of Life can merit 'T is a Gift and given gratis Therefore he that desires this Gift let him reconcile himself to the Giver 9. But the Reason of Reasons is the Will of God whose Eternal pleasure it was that thou shouldst yield to Nature at this time in this place and through this Disease What wouldst thou more It was Gods will it so seem pleasing to God This is that will that can will no evil Therefore the Son of Syrack gives this advice Humble thy self afore thou beest sick and while thou maist sin shew thy Conversation But all these Reasons I do shortly sum up thus 1. The Death of Christ. 2. The Grace of God 3. The Invitation of the Saints 4. Examples of those that were before us 5. The Things to be feared 6. The end of all Evils 7. Enlargement out of Prison 8. Entrance into Paradice 9. The will of God Sect. 3. Therefore Death is not to be fear'd THerefore do willingly O Christian which otherwise thou wouldst be forc'd to do unwillingly VVhat is done by a willing Mind becomes light and ceases to be necessity where the will takes place The wise Man is so instructed as to consent to what he cannot withstand Therefore I am secure and fear nothing Nature a most kind Parent never made any thing terrible 'T is only the Error of Men that makes Death formidable VVe are afraid of Death not because it is evil but because it is not known to Men. If thou art revolving any thing sublime in thy Mind if thou art rearing any high or lofty structure despise those low and poor mistakes of the Vulgar and admire those Precepts whose imitation leads thee the true way to Glory VVe have innumerable Examples of those that die happily and cheerfully Rather imitate him among the Ancients that made this Dialogue between himself and the Minister of Death Thou shalt die Since the Fall 't is the Nature not so much the punishment of Man Thou shalt die Upon this condition I came into the VVorld Thou shalt die 'T is the Law of Nations to repay what has been borrow'd Thou shalt die Life is a Pilgrimage when thou hast travell'd as far as thou hast design'd thou must return home again Thou shalt die I thought thou wouldst have told me some News I came for this purpose As soon as I was Born Nature set me my Bounds VVhy should I be offended Thou shalt die 'T is a vain thing to fear what I cannot avoid He that stays the longest cannot fly it Thou shalt die I am not the first nor the last many went before and many shall follow Thou shalt die VVhat wise Man ever took it amiss to be set at Liberty VVhatever begins must end Thou shalt die It is not grievous because but once to be suffered They are Eternal Pains that torment Now is Death less to be fear'd than formerly For then the Gate of Heaven being not so open all Men bewail'd for this Noctes atque Dies c. Both day and night stands ope th' Infernal Gate Of swarthy Dis But now we can Sing Both day and night to Zealous Faith and Hope The splendid Gate of highest Heav'n stands ope So that it matters not how terrible and threatning Death appears 'T is the most inconsiderable what he desires of us He never thought of Death that liv'd well nor loses any thing who gains all things Sect. 4. How the Holy Men do desire yet fear Death LET us behold Paul saith Gregory how he loves what he seeks to avoid How he avoids what he loves He desires to die and yet fears to be spoil'd of his Flesh. Why so because though the Eternal Victory over-joy him yet the present pain disturbs him And though the Love of the Recompence overcome him yet he cannot be unsensible of the twitches and pangs of Torment For as a Couragious Souldier just before the Battel palpitates trembles looks pale yet is still instigated by his Anger So a Holy Man seeing the approach of his Suffering is shaken by the weakness of his Nature fears the approach of Death and yet rejoices to die And because there is no passage but through Death therefore trusting he doubts and doubting trust rejoicing he fears and fearing rejoices Because he knows he shall not attain the Garden of Repose unless he get over the Hill that lyes
about her Neck but fourteen days before she died the Marjoram-Tree dried up the Birds the next Night were all found dead and after that the Chain broke in two in the middle Then Barbara calling for the Abbess told her that all those Warnings were for her and in a few days after died in the Seventeenth Year of her Age After her death above twenty other Virgins died out of the same Nunnery Several other Presages there are that foretold the death of Princes and great Men As the unwonted Howlings of Dogs the unseasonable noise of Bells the Roaring of Lions c. Therefore said Pliny The Signs of Death are innumerable and that there are none or very few Signs of Safety or Security What do all these things Admonish us but only this Remember O man that thou art a man think upon Eternity to which thou art hastening Go to prepare thy self thou art called to that Tribunal of God as thou didst live shalt thou be judged Sect. 20. What Answer is to be given to the Messenger of Death SAint Ambrose having received the News of his Death when his Friends bewailed him and begg'd of God to grant him a longer space of Life I have not lived as to be ashamed to lieve among you neither do I fear to die because we have a gracious God Saint Austin nothing troubled at the News of his Death He never shall be great saith he who thinks it strange that Stones and Wood fall and that Mortals die Saint Chrysostom a little before his Death in Exile wrote to Innocentius We have been these three Years in Banishment exposed to Pestilence Famine continual Incursions unspeakable Solitude and continual Death But when he was ready to give up the ghost He cryed out aloud Glory be to thee O God for all things Let a dying Christian imitate these most holy Persons and repeat these Sayings often to himself Thanks be to God Glory be to thee O God for all things I have watcht long enough among thorns labour'd long enough in Storms Now because I see the end of my Watching and my Labour Thanks be to God Glory be to God for all things For Life is tedious Death a certain gain Sect. 21. Death is better than a sorrowful Life IT is better once to Die than to be always Dying We daily Die we have lost our Childhood our Youth is gone All our Time even to Yesterday is slid away These things Gregory Nazianzene comprehending in a few words There is no good among men with which there is not something of evil mixt Riches are a Snare Poverty a Fetter Honour a meer Dream Empire dangerous Subjection troublesom Youth is the Summer of Life Grey-hairs the Sun-set of Life Matrimony a Bond Children the growing Crop of Care Fulness breeds Petulance Want begets Impatience Whatever we behold in this World is like the World in a perpetual motion Whatever seemed stable is now doubtful contending with the perpetual volubility of Day-night Labours Diseases Sorrows Pleasures and Calamities Death is most certain Elegantly St. Austin Death saith he is only certain all things else uncertain A Child once Conceived perhaps is born perhaps not but perishes in Abortion If he be born perhaps he grows up perhaps not perhaps he grows old perhaps not Peradventure he shall be Rich peradventure Poor perhaps he shall attain to Honour peradventure live Contemned perhaps he shall have Children it may be not perhaps he shall die in his Bed it may be slain in the Field But who can say perhaps he shall die perhaps not The first Book of Maccabees thus describes the Death of Alexander Then he fell sick and when he perceived that he should die Alexander had wished for several Worlds in hopes of Victory and thought with himself that he had performed Atchievements that deserved Eternal Annals Nevertheless after so many and such great Victories overcome at length he fell not only into his Bed but into his Tomb contented with a small Coffin Peter Alfonsus reports That several Philosophers flockt together and variously descanted upon the King's Death One there was that said Behold now four Yards of Ground is enough for him whom the spacious Earth could not comprehend before Another added Yesterday could Alexander save whom he pleas'd from Death to Day he cannot free himself Another viewing the Golden Coffin of the Deceased Yesterday said he Alexander heaped up a Treasure of Gold now Gold makes a Treasure of Alexander This was their Learned Contention yet all ended in this Then he fell sick and died Thus forgetful of our selves what Mountains do we raise to our selves in Thought We revolve in our Minds Immortal I wish they were Heavenly Things whilst Death surprizes us in the midst of our vast Undertakings and that which we call Old Age is but the Circuit of a few Years Wherefore do we trust to Death Behold through what slight Occasions we lose our Lives Our Food our Moisture our Watchings our Sleep are unwholesome to us without their due measure A small hurt of a Toe a light pain of the Ear a Worm in the Tooth make way for Death The little Body of Man is weak frail subject to Diseases this Air these Winds those Waters offend him Therefore let us believe the Son of Syras Death is better than a bitter Life and Eternal Rest better than continual Sickness So that it is much better to be an Inhabitant on Earth than a Pilgrim in Heaven Sect. 22. The Happiness of Death BLessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them To die in the Lord is the same thing as to die a Servant of the Lord as the Scripture speaks concerning Moses Moses my Servant is dead As if God had said saith Cajetan Though he were once a Sinner and was not then my Servant nevertheless he died my Servant He so died that whatever he was or whatever he did was mine for a Servant wholly belongs to the Master And let such a Servant of the Lord sing that Song of Simeon at his death Lord now let thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word Altogether in peace and that Eternal in the beginning whereof all the Warfare of good men is at an end never more to be rekindl'd For such Servants of God die in the Lord who dying rest in the Bosom of God and so resting sweetly sleep in death Thus Stephen among so many Showers of Stones in such in the midst of the Tumult and Dinn of the Enraged Multitude slept in the Lord. Thus Moses the Servant of the Lord died by the command of God Thrice happy and blessed are such that never more shall be miserable The death of the Just saith St. Bernard is good because of its Rest better because of its Novelty best of all by reason of its Security Blessed and again thrice blessed are such for their Works follow them They
grows a Worm which afterwards comes to be a Bird of the same Nature Aâ—… plain Symbolum of the Resurrection Mirmeius the Roman Orator a great Antagonist of the Christians see saith he how for our comfort all nature points out our Resurrection The Sun sets and rises the Stars fall and return Flowers decay and reflourish the withered Trees recover their Vendure Seeds return their several species Thus the Body deceased like Trees in Winter cover their Vigour with a feigned dryness We are also to expect the Spring of the Body I know that my Redeemer Lives and that I shall rise again at the last day Sect. 29. The hope of Heaven WHat wouldst thou What desirest thou Wouldst thou live And wouldst thou not die So live then that thou mayst once live happy For to live and not to live happily is a kind of death or the way to death In Heaven thou shalt live never to die Therefore thou shalt live happily for thou neither shalt nor canst suffer pain because there is none there There thou shalt enjoy thy Wishes nor canst thou 〈◊〉 be put out of possession Eat O ye Cant. 5. 1. Friends drink and be merry O ye beloved This Banquet has no end St. Austin cries out O sempiternal Life and tempiternally blessed where joy without sorrow rest without labour dignity without fear health without sickness life without death happiness without calamity where all good things perfect in charity The Gates of Jerusalem shall be built of Saphyrs and Smarayds and of precious Stones the whole Circuit of her Walls The Streets of the City shall be pure Gold transparent as Glass and through her Villages shall Allelujahs be sung Therefore blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be alwaies praising thee I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Sect. 30. Sighs to Heaven Exod. 35. SHew me thy Glory Shew me all thy vers 18. Good Isa. 61. 3. When wilt thou give unto them that mourn beauty in stead of ashes joyful Ointment for sighing pleasant rayment for a heavy mind Job 6. 8 9. 10. O that I might have my desire and that God would grant me the thing that I long for O that God would begin to smite me That he would let his hand go and take me clean away Then should I have some comfort yea I would defie him in my pain that he would not spare for I will not deny the words of the Holy One. Job 7. 2. For as a bond-servant desireth the shadow and as the hireling would fain have the reward of his work Psalm 15. 1. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy place Psalm 27. 45. One thing have I desired of the â—…ord which I will perform even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple Psalm 42. 1 2. Like as the Hart desireth the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God My Soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God When shall I come to appear before the presence of God Now when I think thereupon I pour out my heart by my self I went by with the multitude and brought them forth to the house of God Psalm 55. 6. O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest Psalm 60. 9. Who will lead me into the strong City Ps. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and receivest unto thee he shall dwell in thy Court. Ps. 73. 1. Truly God is loving unto Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Vers. 24. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee Vers. 25. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psalm 84. 1. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts Vers. 2. My Soul hath a desire and longing to erter into the Courts of the Lord V. 10. For one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand years Psalm 116. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living Psalm 120. 5. My Soul hath long dwelt among them that be Enemies to peace Psalm 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 138. 1. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion Ver. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand finger forget her cunning Ps. 142. 9. Bring my Soul out of prison that I may give thanks unto thy Name Which thing if thou wilt grant me then shall the righteous resort unto my company I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ. Sect. 31. An Abstract of the Comforts against Death FIrst Death kills our familiar Enemy the Body There is no mischief more pestilential than a Bosom-Enemy The Flesh lusteth contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit contrary to the Flesh Gal. 5. 17. These are contrary one to another 2ly Death breaks the Door of the Prison wherein we are lockt up But as old Prisoners many times long acquaintance with the place detains us not unwilling in the midst of our Fetters and Sufffferings But the best of Kings desired to be delivered out of Custody 3ly Death eases us of a vast Burthen for why a corruptible Body is heavy to the Soul and the Earthy Mansion keepeth down that Understanding that museth upon many things No man can swim with this Burthen 4ly Death puts an end to our Pilgrimage What is Mortal Life saith St. Gregory but a way Consider my Friends what it is to be aweary upon the way Our present Life is full of pain a perpetual strugling and yet we cannot forsake it without Tears 5ly Death brings us out of all Danger The most Fortunate Man that lives is subject to many Dangers and Danger is hardly avoided without danger He has only escaped all Dangers who is out of this Life 6ly The necessity of Death Nobly said the wise Roman There is no greater comfort in Death than Death it self He would not live that would not die Death carries with it an impartial and unvanquishable Necessity For the first part of Impartiality is Equality 7ly The Death of Christ. To the Contemplation of this St. Paul exhorts us Let us saith he run with patience unto the Battel that is set before us Looking unto Jesus the Captain and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross. To the Members of this Head this is the greatest Consolation For that the Members should not fear Death the Head endured the utmost violence of Death The Author of Life by dying set open the Gates of Heaven Why do we fear to die
8ly The Hope of Resurrection Wherefore do we expostulate with Death He does not deprive us but introduces us into Life The Day will shine that will recal us from our Graves We shall all rise Which sundry Arguments demonstrate unto us as has been already shewed 9ly Immortality it self Death is the end and passage the end of Calamity the passage to Calamity Hence the death of the Just is called their Birth-day Hence also that other Saying Death is but a Sport to a true Christian. And that no man might fear this Sport Prudentius in his Hymns has these Lines That which you see believe me is no pain And but a minute doth prolong its raign Nor doth it silly man of life deprive But life reforms by keeping life alive Thus the best and all the best of men have the same beginning of Happiness as end of Mortality Sect. 32. Against those that Die unwillingly SO it is we generally fear Death neglect Life and die unwillingly And yet this is Ingratitude not to be content with our time allotted They will always be but a few Days saith Seneca if they be numbred The Prolongation of Life nothing avails to Happiness How much more satisfactory is it to put a good Value upon our own than to value the Years of another Did God think me worthy of this time This is enough He might have added more but this is a Favour Here opportunely Horace But having his compleated time enjoy'd Let him like a full Guest the Room avoid Who would endure a Guest that at the end of a Banquet should cry I have not filled my Belly Who can praise that man who departing out this life shall complain and say I have not lived long enough and bemoan himself as if his life were broken off in the third Act 'T is not only a shameful but a ridiculous Complaint The bounds are set but whether a long Life or a short there is to be an end of it So it pleases the Author of Life Th' hast eat and drank enough enough hast plaid And now Time calls that will not be delaid Most admirably Epictetus Thy Honour is at end be gone depart gratefully modestly give place to others Others must be born as thou wert and being born they must have Habitations and Food But should not the first depart what would be left Why art thou insatiable why art thou not satisfied why dost thou stifle and croud the World But more admirably than Epictetus St. Austin At what time soever God would have thee make thy departure let him find thee ready For thou art a Stranger and not Master of the House The House is only let to thee nor hast thou any certain Lease of it What said the Lord thy God When I please when I say the word be gone depart I will turn thee out of thy Inne but I will give thee a House Thou art a Pilgrim upon Earth thou shalt be a Tenant in Heaven He more earnestly expects more confidently hopes for Heavenly Pleasures who denies himself Earthly Delights Who life doth count severe Less cause hath death to fear Sect. 33. Delay is the Rock of dying People WE have admonished the Healthy the Sick we must also admonish the Dying to beware of this Rock Delay How many thousand People have made an ill end only because they have denied those things which were not to be delaied Why O dying Friend dost thou set apart to Morrow or the next Day for thy Salvation To Morrow is not thine to Day is To Day this very Hour even now do what is to be done Where wilt thou be to Morrow or next Day Emylius and Plutarch that the approach of the Theban Exiles being reported to the Magistrates of the Thebans they being in the midst of their Jollity took no notice of it At the same time Letters being brought to the Chief Magistrate wherein all the Counsels of the Exiles were discover'd and deliver'd to him at the same Banquet he laid them under his Cushion Sealed as they were saying I defer serious Business till to Morrow But this Deferrer of Business with all his Friends was that Night surprized and killed Thus Death uses to surprize those that delay while they deliberate while they muse while they defer he comes and strikes with his unlookt for Dart. Staint Austin a most faithful Monitor thus instructs one that promises I will live to Morrow God has promised thee pardon but neither God nor Man has promised thee to Morrow If thou had lived ill live well to Day Fool this Night thy Soul shall be taken from thee God calls thee now exhorts thee now expects that thou shouldst now repent and dost thou delay He is not so patient in suffering as never to be just in revenging 〈…〉 divided his times Do not say then Tomorrow I will repent to Morrow I will serve God Fâ—…r enough God has promised thee Pardon he has not promised to add to Morrow to thy delay Delay not thy Conversion to God for then God will be angry and destroy the work of thy hands The Day is to be prevented that so often is accustom'd to prevent Sect. 34. A ready Mind I Will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. This Cup is bitterer yet my Saviour drank it up and from the bloody Cross drank the same to me that I should pledge him This Cup is the fatal Cup of Death which Christ which those most dear to Christ which all Mortals drink through an inevitable necessity Why should I alive refuse it Who ever began to live must ceaâ—…e to be that he may begin that life that never shall decay Both Good and Evil Life and Death Poverty and Riches proceed from God What meanest thou then vain Fear wouldst thou not that I should drink the Cup which the Father provided for me which Christ mingled for me I am Mortal and do I wonder at Death When Alexander the Macedonian lay sick and that some of his Spiritual Flatterers seemed to hint to him as if Philip his Physician had mingled Poyson in his Physick the King receiveâ—… Philip just then coming to him with the Poyson prepared with one hand he gave him his Friends Letter with the other he received the Poyson from him and as he put it to his Mouth he fixed his Eye upon the Physician 's Face to try whether he could discover any Marks of Guilt in his Face but perceiving none and being thereby confirmed in the Fidelity of his Physician he forthwith drank off the Poyson So will I do when my dear Jesus my Physician and Saviour shall reach me that wholesome Cup that is to procure my Eternal Rest while I drink it I will fix my Eyes continually upon this Physician 's Face upon the Countenance of my Crucified Lord wherein I shall read his Love toward me and fearless I will take off the Cup which the more of Love it has the more it has of
my Saviour Christ in his Glory And so gave up the Ghost Anno Christi 735 and of his Age 64. Some affirm that whilst he was Preaching to his Congregation a loud Voice was heard but from whence it came none could tell Well done Venerable Bede Upon his Tomb was found this Epitaph Here lyes Entombed in these Stones Of Venerable BEDE the Bones The Death of JOHN DAMASCENE DAmascene having finished his Course he yielded to Death in certain hope of a Glorious Crown of Life and Immortality dying about the Year 750. He wrote many Books but especially his Three Books of Parallels of the Holy Scriptures and his Four Books of the Orthodox Faith The Death of THEOPHILACT HIS Chief Work was to reform the Churches into which many Errors had crept especially in Bulgaria so that continuing a Faithful Pastor for about three years he then yielded up the Ghost and exchanged for a better Life He was a Man of great Patience Mild and Meek in all his Actions exceeding most of his time in Learning He used to say That comes forward in the World goes back in Grace his Estate is miserable that goes Laughing to Destruction as a Fool to the Stocks of Correction The Death of ANSELM HE used to say That if he should see the shame of Sin on the one hand and the pains of Hell on the other and must of necessity chuse one he would rather be thrust into Hell without Sin than go into Heaven with Sin A while after his return to England he dyed in the Ninth Year of King Henry the I. Anno 1109. Aged 76. The Last Sayings of NICEPHORUS HE was one of great Learning and Judgment He wrote an Ecclesiastical History in Greek and Dedicated it to Andronicus He used to say Christ asked Peter three times if he loved him not for his own Information but that by his threefold Profession he might help and heal his threefold denial of him He lived under Andronicus Senior 1110. The Death of BERNARD HE lived with great applause till the 63 year of his Age when retiring to his Monastery he fell sick and calling all his Disciples about him when he perceived them weep he comforted them saying My Fatherly love moves me to pity you my Children so as to desire to remain here but on the other side my desire to be with Christ draws me to long to depart hence therefore be of good comfort for I submit to the will of our Heavenly Father to whose protection I leave you And thereupon he resigned his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1153 and in the Sixty third year of his Age. Upon entring the Church at the Door he usually said Stay here all my Worldly Thoughts and all Vanity that I may entertain Heavenly Meditations The Death of PETER LOMBARD HIS usual Sayings were these There is in us evil concupiscence and vain desires which are the Devils Weapons bent against our Souls whereby when God forsakes us he overthrows us with deadly Wounds Let none glory in the Gifts of Preachers in that they edifie more by them For they are not Authors of Grace but Ministers The Instruction of words is not so powerful as the Exhortation of works for if they that teach well neglect to do well they shall hardly profit their Audience He dyed on the 13th of August 1164. and lyes Buried at Paris and has this Inscription upon his Tomb Here lyeth Peter Lombard B. D. of Paris who composed the Book of Sentences and the Glosses of the Psalms and Epistles The Death of Alexander Hales HE was Born at Hales in Gloucestershire carefully Educated of an Excellent Wit and very Industrious His Sayings were of Patience A Soul patient when wrongs are offered is like a Man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other who could wound but will heal Of Faith What the Eye is to the Body Faith is to the Soul it 's good for Direction if it be kept well And as Flies hurt the Eye so little Sins and ill Thoughts torment the Soul Of Humility An humble Man is like a good Tree the more full of Fruits the Branches are the lower they bend themselves He dyed Anno 1245. The Life of Bonaventure TO keep himself imployed he wrote the Bible over with his own Hand and so well used it that he could readily Cite all the material Texts by heart After this he was made Doctor of Divinity in which he continued for a considerable time doing all the deeds of Charity that lay in his power to perform likewise perswaded others to do the like So that at last spent with tedious Studies Nature decayed in him and he falling sick gave up the Ghost dying Anno Christi 1274 Aged 53 and was Buried in a Stately Sepulchre in the Cathedral The Death of Thomas Aquinas VVHen any one offered him promotion he was wont to say I had rather have Chrysostom 's Commentary upon the Gospel of St. Matthew In all his Sermons he framed his Speech to the Peoples Capacities and hated Vice in any though he loved their Persons never so well He dyed as he was going to the Council Summoned at Lyons Anno Christi 1274. His usual Sayings were these of Spending our Time Make much of time especially in that weighty matter of Salvation O how much would he that now lyes frying in Hell rejoice if he might have but the least moment of time wherein he might get God's favour Of Death The young Man hath Death at his Back the old Man before his Eyes and that 's the most dangerous Enemy that pursues thee than that which marches up towards thy Face Of Repentance Remember that though God promises forgiveness to repentant Sinners yet he doth not promise that they shall have to morrow to repent in The Death of John Wicklif HE was an English Man by Birth descended of godly Parents who sent him to Morton College in Oxford where he profited in Learning and in a short time was Divinity Reader in the University which he so well performed that he obtained a general Applause from all his Auditors he was a Man of great Piety often bewailing the vicious Lives of the Clergy After all the Persecution and Malice of his Enemies he dyed in peace Anno Christi 1384. But after his Death many of his Famous Writings were burned by the Popish Clergy The Death of John Huss IN Degrading him they were so cruel as to cut the Skin from off the Crown of his Head with Shears and to disannul the Emperors Letters of safe Conduct they made a Decree That no Faith should be kept with Hereticks After which they prepared for his Execution and put a Cap upon his Head painted with Devils the which he joyfully put on saying That since his Lord and Master wore for his sake a Crown of Thorns he would not disdain for his sake to wear that Cap when he had put it upon his Head a
Execution the fire being kindled he lift up his Hands crying Lord I believe so yielded up his Spirit unto God Anno 1531. The Death of William Tyndal THE English Merchants at Antwerp hearing of his Imprisonment became suitors for his Deliverance but Philips with his Money prevailed beyond their Entreaties Being at last brought to his Answer although his Enemies could lay nothing to his Charge yet the Attorney proceeded to condemn him and delivered him to the Magistrates to execute him When brought to the Stake he cried with an audible voice Lord open the Eyes of the King of England then being strangled fire was set to the Wood and he consumed to Ashes Anno Christi 1536. Within a short time after the Judgment of God overtook Phillips who betrayed him insomuch that he was eaten up with Lice The Death of Bertholdus Halerus HE was born in Helvetia 1502. and from his Child-hood much addicted to Learning Several Disputations he held with the Helvetians especially with Eccius the Pope's Champion In his time Popery was extinguished in many places and shortly after he died with an immature Death Anno 1536. aged 44. The Death of Urbanus Regis ON Sunday in the Evening he complained of a pain his Head yet was chearful and went to Bed early in the morning rising out of his Bed he fell upon the Floor and seeing his Wife and Friends mourning he comforted them and commended himself to his Maker and within three hours he died May 23. Anno 1541. He often desired God he might die an easie and sudden Death wherein God answered his Desires He wrote several Treatises which his Son Ernest digested together and Printed at Norenburg The Death of Caralostadius HE underwent great Afflictions by Printing some of his Books concerning the Lord's Supper the Senate of Zurick forbidding their People to read them but Zuinglius exhorted them first to read and then to pass judgment on them saying Caralostadius knew the Truth but had not well expressed it He went to Basil where he taught ten years and there died of the Plague Anno 1541. The Death of Capito HE went to several places as Strâ—…burg where he met with Bucer whose Fame spread so far that the Queen of Navarre sent for 'em so that France oweth the beginning of her Reformation to Capitâ—… and Bacer He was prudent eloquent and studious of Peace the better part of his time he employed in Preaching and giving wholsome Advice to the Churches 〈◊〉 length returning home in a general Infection he dyed of the Plague Anno 1541. aged 63. The Death of Leo Judae HE Translated part of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew but the work being so Laborious and being Aged he dyed before he had finished it Anno. 1542. aged 60. Four days before his Death sending for the Pastors of Zurick he made a Confession of his Faith concerning God the Scriptures the Person and Offices of Christ concluding To this my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my hope and my salvation I wholly offer up my Soul and Body I cast my self wholly upon his mercy and grace c. And so recommended to God the Senate and People of Zeriâ—…k The Death of George Spaladius HE was born at Noricum and brought up in Learning especially in the knowledge of Humane Aâ—…rs wherein he profited so much that the Elector of Saxony made him one of his Privy Council He continued in his Office till the time of his Death which fell-out Anne 1545. aged 63. He wrote many Treatises but especially a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to his time The Death of Myconius IN several Countries he preached the Gospel sincerely and purely though to the hazard of his Life at last he fell into a Consumption and wrote to Luther That he was sick not to Death but to Life He dyed Anno 1546. aged 55. The Death of John Diazius FInding he could not pervert his Brother Diazius from the Truth he acted the Hypocrite and told him he was in love with his Doctrine then he would have persuaded him to go into Italy Spain Rome and Naples and there privately spread his Doctrine but John Diazius refusing his Brother then took leave of him in order to his Journey but privately he and the Cut-Throat stayed at a Village and purchased a Hatchet of a Carpenter then going disguised the Villain pretended to bring Letters from his Brother which whilst John was reading the Executioner struck the Hatchet into his Temples upon which he died immediately The Murtherers were afterwards apprehended but by the practice of Papists who highly applauded the Fact and to hinder the current of Justice they pretended the Emperor would have the hearing of the Cause himself Six years after Alphonsus hanged himself about the Neck of his own Mule a fair reward for so foul a Fratricide The Death of Gasper Cruciger HE was a Man of great Learning very Religious and delighted much in Luther's Books and Doctrine He often contemplated the Foot-steps of God in Nature saying with St. â—…ul That God was so near unto us that he might almost 〈◊〉 felt with our Hands Considering the Vicissitude or Earthly Things he often repeated this Verse Besides God's love nothing is sure And that forever doth endure In his sickness he caused his young Daughters to repeat their Prayers before him and then himself prayed fervently for the Church and those his Orphans concluding I call upon thee with a weak yet with a true Faith I believe thy Promises which thou hast sealed to me with thy Blood and Resurrection c. He spent the few days which remained in prayer and Repentance and so quietly ended his days November the 16th Anno 1548. aged 45. The Death of Matthias Zellius HE was not only famous for Learning but for other Christian Vertues especially Modesty Temperance and Charity having a special care of the Poor for being invited to Supper by one of his Colleagues and seeing much Plate was offended and went his way without eating but afterwards so far prevailed with him that he sold his Plate and was more open-handed to the poor he dyed 1548. aged 71. The Death of Vitus Theodorus HE often disputed with his Papistical Adversaries and overthrew all their Arguments at length he was called to be a Pastor at Norimberg his own Country where he preached the Gospel with great Zeal and Eloquence to the great Advantage of his Auditors he dyed Anno. 1549. The Death of Paul Fagius FAgius died of a burning Feaver or as some say was poysoned by the Papists so that Anno 1550. he was intombed at Cambridge from whence in the Reign of Q. Mary the Papists having condemned him for a Heretick took his Bones and burnt them The Death of Martin Bucer IN his Sickness Learned Men came to visit him especially Doctor Bradford who one day taking leave of him to go preach told him he would remember him in his Prayers whereupon Bucer with tears in his
with a Christian Zeal If you love my Soul away with it and then three Iron Hoops being brought to fasten him to the Stake he said If you had brought none of these I would have stood patiently and thereupon he took one of them and put it about his middle When the Reeds were set up he embraced and kissed them putting them under his Arms where he had two Bags of Gunpowder The Fire being kindled he continued three quarters of an Hour in praying and crying out O Jesus thou Son of David heve mercy upon my Soul Thus fell this blessed Martyr in the bloody Persecution under Queen Mary Anno Christi 1555. The Death of Rowland Taylor THE Night before his being carried to Hadly to be burned his Wife Children and Servants were permitted to come to him with whom he prayed very servently and gave them all his Benediction The next Morning the Sheriff received him and by the way he was greatly solicited by the Sheriff of Essex to Recant To which he only answered Well I perceive that I now have been deceived my self and shall deceive many in Hadly of their Expectations At which the Sheriff told him It was a gracious Saying and desired him to explain it hoping he intended to Recant Why said Doctor Taylor I did propose to my self once that I should have been buried in Hadly Church-yard in which I now see I shall be deceived and as for my deceiving of others of their Expectations is that I being a man of a Corpulent Body might have fed many Worms who now must be content without me Bing come within two Miles of Hadly a great number of people came to meet him greatly lamenting the state into which he was fallen but he comforted them saying Be patient as for me I thank God I am almost at home and have not past two Miles more to go over before I come to my Father's House When the Fire was kindled he extended his Arms toward Heaven and with a Voice ravished with Joy continued saying Most merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake receive my Soul into thy Hands till one with a Halbert beat out his Brains Thus died this blessed Martyr Anno 1555. The Death of John Bradford VVHhen he came to Newgate several came to visit him to whom he gave Ghostly Consolation and the next Morning the Sheriff came and conveyed him together with a Youth of about 18 years of Age to Smithfield where the Stake was prepared When he came at the Stake he kissed it as likewise a Faggot that he took up and then falling flat upon his Face in token of Humility he prayed for a good space till the Sheriff ordered him to rise putting off his Raiment he was together with the Youth fastned to the Stake when as he cried with a loud Voice Repent O England of thy Sins beware of Idolatry beware of false Antichrists take heed they do not deceive thee Then turning to the young Man who was an Apprentice to a Merchant in London he said be of good comfort Bothers for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord this Night And then embracing the Reeds he said Strait is the Way and narrow is the Gate that leadeth unto everlasting life and few there be that find it The Fire being kindled he held his Hands in the Flames and with a Christian patience suffered the burning without so much as stirring the Body dying a Glorious Martyr in the Bloody Year Anno 1555. The Death of Nicholas Ridley AFter his Degradation he was delivered in order to his Execution At Supper-time his Keepers Wife weeping to think he must suffer the the next day he comforted her saying I pray be patient and chearful as I am for by this Grief you express 't is plain you love me not and with a chearful Countenance invited them all to his Wedding saying To Morrow I shall be married And when some offered to watch with him he refused their kindness saying That he should fleep as well that Night as ever he did in his life When the Morning was come the Sheriff and others came with a great Guard to convey him to the place of Execution also Dr. Latimer who was Condemned with him Dr. Ridley dressed himself in his Episcopal Garments and shaved himself as if he had been going to an Earthly Wedding Upon his way he looking behind him espied Dr. Latimer coming after and called to him with a chearful Voice saying O Brother are you there Yes said Dr. Latimer I have after you as fast as I can Then turning to Dr. Latimer at the place of Execution he embraced him and bid him be of good comfort For said he God will either asswage the heat of the Fire or give us strength to endure its Fury with patience And so going to the Stake he kissed it then kneeled down and prayed for a good space when rising up and being about to speak to the people the Popish Locust run and stopped his Mouth When the Smith was knocking in the Staple that fastned the Chains he said I pray thee good Fellow drive it in fast for the Flesh will have its course The Fire being kindled he stood in the Flame a long while before he died by reason of the ill making of the Fire and then saying Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord receive my Soul he gave up the ghost suffering Martyrdom Anno Christi 1555. One thing is worthy of Note and may be counted a Prophecy which was this Dr. Ridley then Bishop of London long before King Edward's death as he was crossing the Thames in a Boat the Wind arose so high that all that were with him were in fear of present drowning but he comforted them saying Fear not for this Boat carries a Bishop that must be burned and not drowned The Death of Hugh Latimer WHen he was brought to the Stake he looked with a chearful Countenance not being dismaied at the approach of Death After he had prayed awhile he unstripped himself and said to Bishop Ridley Brother be of good comfort and play the Man for I trust by God's Grace we shall this Day light such Candle Candle in England as shall never be put out adding That he knew God was Faithful and would not suffer him to be tempted above what he was able to bear Then embracing Dr. Ridley he was bound to the Stake and the Fire kindled then he cried with a loud Voice O Father of Heaven receive my Soul and stroaking his Face with his Hand he gave up the ghost dying a glorious Martyr at Oxford Anno Christi 1555. The Death of John Philpot. WHen he came to Newgate he was put into a place by himself and had word brought him the next Morning that he must suffer when with a cheerful Countenance he replied I am ready God grant me strength and a joyful Resurrection And after having retired awhile to pray he came forth and was