ready and prepared for it O what an excellent thing it is for a man to end his life before his death that at the houre of death he hath nothing to doe but only to be willing to die that he haue no need of time nor of himselfe but sweetly and obediently to depart this life shewing therby his obedience to the ordinance of God for wee must make as much conscience in performing our obedience vnto God in suffering death as wee doe in the whole course of our liues Our Sauiour Christ is a notable example and paterne for vs to follow in this case And therefore the Apostle saith Let this minde be in you Phil. 2.5.6.7.8 which was also in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen vnto the death of the crosse And although the wicked bee ill affected vnto death as we haue alreadie heard and would if it lay in their power most villanously intreate and handle death 2. Sam. 10.4 as Hamon the sonne of Naash King of the Ammonites did the messengers of King Dauid yet let euery good man when Death shall come for him as it may seeme to him vntimely before the threed of his life be halfe spunne out be heere informed to entertaine it kindly Gen. 19.1 as Lot did the Angels who came to fetch him out of Sodom For though he bee pulled from his seate which was to him as the plaine of Sodom seemed to Lot as a pleasant Paradise yet shall hee finde with Lot that hee is taken away from the iudgement to come howsoeuer he be taken away either by the malice of wicked men or by the mercie of God and that he is separated from the sinnes of this world which grieued his soule yea from sinning himselfe and from his owne sinnes which grieued the Lord his so gratious and kinde Father How can it be but that Death should be a welcome guest this a choice blessing which as a gentle guide leades vs to Christ carrieth the soule to her beloued Husband The resolution of Saint Ambrose was neither to loath life nor feare to die but obediently yeeld vnto Death because saith he we haue a good Lord to goe vnto The third duetie is to die in repentance which must bee performed by vs at all times and especially at this time Tertullian saith of himselfe that he is a notorious sinner and borne for nothing but repentance and hee which is borne for repentance must practise repentance as long as he liues in this sinfull world into which hee is borne vpon this condition that hee must leaue it againe and repent at his end also Repentance is a very sore displeasure which a man hath in his heart for his sinnes euen because they are the breach of Gods holy Lawes and Commandements an offence to God his most mercifull and louing Father which ingendreth in him a true hatred against sinne and a setled purpose and holy desire to liue better in time to come ordering his life and death by the will of God reuealed in his holy word Repentance consisteth of foure parts the first of confession by which the Prophet Daniel saith Dan. 9.4 We acknowledge our owne wickednesse and the wickednesse of our fathers for we haue sinned against thee righteousnesse therefore belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs shame and vtter confusion Father saith the prodigall childe I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight Luke 15.21 and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne He that couereth his sinnes saith the Wise-man shall not prosper Prou. 28.13 but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy 1. Iohn 1 9. If we confesse our sinnes saith the Apostle he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Secondly Contrition Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God saith the Prophet are a broken spirit and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not dispise Isa 57.15 For thus saith the high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of the contrite ones For all these things hath my hand made Isa 66.2 and all these things haue beene saith the Lord but to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words So that this contrition is the bruising of a sinners heart as it were to dust and powder through vnfained and deepe griefe conceiued of Gods displeasure for sinne and this is Euangelicall contrition and is a worke of grace the beginning of renewed repentance Therefore the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of The third is faith For without faith neither by repentance nor by any other meanes are we able to please God neither indeede can there bee any true repentance without faith The fourth and last point is amendment To amend is to redresse and reforme faults repentance is as the roote amendment the fruit Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruit saith Saint Iohn meete for repentance or answerable to amendment of life Repent saith the Apostle Paul and turne to God Acts 26.20 and doe works meet for repentance so that first there must be a change of the heart from euill to good by the gift of repentance put into it of God and then will follow amendment of our liues and manners There is no part of Christian religion of that maine importance wherein men doe more voluntarily deceiue themselues then commonly they doe in this dutie of repentance In respect whereof it will not be amisse but very materiall to deliuer certaine infallible signes and vnseparable fruits whereby we may assure our selues that wee haue repented The Apostle Saint Paul nameth seuen fruits which in some measure alwayes follow where true amendment goeth before 2. Cor. 7.11 Behold saith he your godly sorrowes what care 1 it hath wrought in you yea what clearing 2 of your selues yea what indignation 3 yea what feare 4 yea how great desire 5 yea what zeale 6 yea what punishment Those then who are true conuerts who do vnfainedly amend their liues they are not sluggish or secure in sinne but carefull to redresse what is amisse not hiders or excusers of euill but confessors and by humble supplication clearing their offences they are not contented to dwell in wickednesse but vexed in soule and full of indignation against themselues for their sinnes committed they stand in awe and are afraid of Gods iudgments they desire his fauour as
persecutions into desarts mountaines and holes of the earth But they were worthy and had farre better company hauing a kind of fellowship with Christ and all the Saints that were gone before them So for the faithfull that now liue if the wicked and vngodly make no more of them then of the filth of the World and as of the of scouring of all things as the Apostles speaketh it is because they are too good to liue amongst them and too precious to be cast before swine 1 Cor. 4 13. that so treade and trample them vnder their feet And where they say away with such fellowes from the earth Math. 7.6 for it is not fitte that they should liue Christ will in his due time take them from the earth by a blessed and most sweet death Act. 22.22 to haue the company and fellowship with him his Angels and Saints and with all the holy company of Heauen and then they shall haue their desire Thirdly it is lawfull to desire death in respect of our sinnes to the end we might not offend God any more by sinning And what a miserie and bondage it is to bee in subiection to sin may appeare by the most earnest and feruent prayer of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul vvho feeling the waight and heauie burden thereof 2 Cor. 12.7.8.9 he desired God with earnest zeale and feruencie and with deepe sighes and groanes that hee might be deliuered from it And againe after the long and lamentable complaint that the Apostle made of the Law that was in his members striuing against the law of the Spirit and leading him captiue into the law of sinne hee breaketh forth into this most patheticall exclamation O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death or this body of death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 7.24.25 The Prophet Dauid also feeling the heauy waight of his sinnes maketh his grieuous complaint and mone thereof vnto God saying There is no soundnesse in my flesh Psal 38.34 because of thine anger neyther is there any rest in my bones because of my sinnes for mine iniquities are gone ouer my head as a heauie burthen they are too heauy for me If a man would inuent a torment for such as feare God and desire to walke in newnesse of life and to haue part in the first resurrection hee cannot deuise a greater torment then to be disquieted with this tyranny of sinne and with this vnquiet vnhappy Iebusite euen the rebellion and corruption of our owne flesh and this heauie weight of sinne that doth cleaue and hang so fast vpon vs. O happy therefore and blessed death that dischargeth and freeth vs from so sore combersome and cruell bondage and from further offending of him who dyed for our sins So that death freeth vs from the necessity of sinning also brings vs to bee with Christ And to desire death in this case is not a loathing to liue but a loathnesse to sinne In which case Iob desired death because of his sinnes that he might not offend â—od any more and therefore hee sayth Iob. 6.8.9 10. O that I might haue my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for euen that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off then should I yet haue comfort Now in the meane while till we can haue our desire in this case accomplished Rom. 6.12 wee must resist and striue against our sinnes that they may not raigne in our mortall bodies and let all our endeauor and care increase against our sins that the force of them may be dayly weakened their number lessened and all occasions of sinning auoyded Fourthly it is lawfull to desire death in respect of the miseries calamities and troubles of this life and for the preuenting of the miseries to come And yet this holy desire must not be simple and absolute but it must bee restrained with certain respects and with these reseruations First it must bee desired so farre forth as it is a meanes to put an end to all our miseries to all the dangers of this life to all the corruption of nature and to the necessity of sinning Secondly as it is a gate by which wee enter into the immediate fellowship with Christ and of God And our desire also for these endes must keepe it selfe within these limits wherein two Caueats must bee obserued First it must not bee immoderate exceeding the golden meane Secondly it must alwayes be with a reseruation of Gods good pleasure and with an humble submission and subiection of our willes to the will of God For if eyther of these be wanting the desire of death is defectiue faulty and dangerous Death frees vs from the miseries and perils of this world abolisheth all present and preuents all future dangers and brings vs to be with Christ What man wearied with labour desires not rest what Mariner tossed vpon the seas wisheth not to come into safe harbour What traueller toiled with a tedious and perilous iorney would not willingly come to his wayes end what sicke maÌ„ accepts not health what slaue imbraceth not freedome what prisoner doth not entertaine inlargement what captiue would not welcome liberty what husbandman would be euer toyling and not at length receiue the fruit of his labour what marchant is content to liue euer in danger by sea and by land amongst Pyrats and robbers not to come at last safe home with his wealth And lastly what man hauing the reuersion of a goodly kingdome would be loath to receyue the possession of it And sure wee are all in this case by reason of the manifold miseries incident to vs in this world that wee haue good cause to wish with a holy desire to be loosed from al these miseries and to be with our Sauiour Christ and in the meane time Luk. 21.19 till we can haue our desire in this case Let patience possesse our soules Fifthly and lastly it is lawfull to desire death for the perfecting and full accomplishment of that coniunction and vnion which wee haue in Christ Iesus our head that wee might be where he is to enioy his presence For we are saith the Apostle members of his body of his flesh Eph. 5.30 and of his bones that is we are most straightly coupled to Christ by the spirituall band of our faith which vnion is most admirable For first wee are vnited to his Godhead that is not by transfusion of the diuine substaÌ„ce but by effectual working by the manhood and secondly wee are one with his manhood that is really and substantially Ioh. 15.5 as appeareth by those Similitudes by which this vnion is expressed in holy Scriptures as namely First of the Vine and branches Ioh. 3.29 Rom. 11.18 Eph. 2.20 Eph. 1.23 Secondly of the Bridegroome and the Bride Thirdly of the Oliue tree and the
latter are a separation of the whole man bodie and soule from the fellowship of God The first is an entrance to death the second and third are the accomplishment of it The first is temporarie the second and third are spirituall and eternall The first is of the body onely the second and third are of both bodie and soule The first is common to all men the second and third are proper only to the Reprobates But touching the naturall and bodily death which is the proper subiect of this Diuision it is as we haue said before the seperation of the soule from the bodie with the dissolution of the bodie vntill the resurrection as a punishment ordained of God and imposed on man for sinne though to the godly the nature of it is chaunged For when God had setled Adam in Paradise a place of pleasure giuing him such libertie as these words import Thou shalt eate freely of euery tree of the garden Gen. 2.16.17 yet left hee should presumptuously equall himselfe with his Creator he gaue him this bridle to champe on But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eat for in that day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Adam had soone forgotten this saying thou shalt die and harkened vnto that lying speech of the Serpent Yee shall not die Matth. 15.14 The man gaue eare to the woman the woman to the Serpent they eate of the forbidden tree so the blind led the blind and both fell into the ditch But now when Father Adam hath tasted of that forbidden fruite O how was he bewitched He was once in the state of grace but now of disgrace hee was once the childe of God but now in danger for ought he knoweth to be the slaue of the Serpent God did once care altogether for him but now hee must care and shift for himselfe hee was warme without apparell naked without shame satisfied without labour or paine his meat was put into his mouth But now it is come out of his nostrels and is loathsome vnto him Numb 11.20 And now hee must be pinched with cold and scorched with heate Gen. 31.40 he must trauell hard and in the sweat of his browes must eate his bread Gen. 3.19 While hee kept himselfe within his compasse hee was a happie man for which he was to thank God and now being in miserie hee is accursed and vnhappie for which hee may thanke himselfe A lamentable fall a pitifull case the wrath of God ouerrunneth the whole world as a gangrene through all Adams posteritie for his disobedience his treason hath attainted all his children his whole bloud is corrupted his fall redoundeth to all of vs that came of him Alas then how shall we doe Adam is dust hated of God and ashamed of himselfe he is accursed hee is sicke with sinne hee is dead twice dead subiect to mortalitie and subiect to eternall damnation his children bee in the same case Woe therefore bee vnto vs we are so benumbed with our sinnes that wee feele not the sting of death fixed therein the impostume of sinne lieth hidden in our hearts so pleasingly to our carnall sence as that we thinke our selues whole and sound as if we presumed we should neuer die The incredulous and rebellious broode of Adam will not acknowledge their corruption and mortalitie such and so great is their selfe-love and pride of heart Adam the Father of all Nations was once a free-man a blessed man the childe of God the mercie of God imbraced him on euery side In the earth there were blessings for him ingrauen as it were in the herbes flowers and fruits yea in the heauens and in the waters he saw innumerable tokens of Gods loue towards him But alas wretch that he was when he was in honor he forgot himself he denied God his seruice yea he obeyed his Enemie and therefore became accursed and debarred of all his former blessings He became a bondman a cursed creature the seruant of sinne and Satan ashamed of his nakednesse and trembled at Gods voice So that death and the graue haue obtained the victorie for Adam and his wife are become a cursed couple yea not onely they but all their posteritie they be the roote we be the branches If the roote bee bitter the branches must bee so also they bee the Fountaine we be springs if the fountaine be filthie so must the springs be Sinne and corruption bee the riches that wee bequeath to our children Rebellion is the inheritance that we haue purchased for them Death is the wages that we haue procured vnto them such as the father is such bee the children For wee are all of the same nature and haue eaten the same sowre grape Ezec. 18.2 The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge By one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5.12 and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men in whom all men haue sinned In sinning with Adam wee must all die with Adam and this is the onely difference betwixt him and vs that hee did it before vs and for vs. For if any of vs had beene in Adams stead we had done that which Adam did if not more to procure death And wee receiuing from Adam the infection of our flesh we receiued from him also the corruption of our flesh And this is the cheifest and most principall cause why all must die As the goodnesse of God hath lent vs life so our owne deserts haue wrought our death It is a true and a heauie sentence spoken to euery man Thou must die verified not in one in few in many but in all and vniuersall is this saying in respect of the elementarie creatures All must die A short clause of a long extent containing in it the estate of all mortall creatures whatsoeuer As there are certaine common principles which doe runne through all Arts so this is a generall rule that concernes euery man All must die The truth thereof is daily to be seene and all of vs hereafter shall proue the Lord knoweth how soone by his owne experience Therefore it is said in the second booke of Esdras Esd 2. v. 3.4.5.6.7 O Lord who bearest rule thou spakest at the beginning when thou diddest plant the earth and that thy selfe alone and commandedst the people and gauest a bodie vnto Adam without soule which was the workmanship of thine hands and diddest breath into him the breath of life and he was made liuing before thee and thou leddest him into Paradise which thy right hand had planted before the earth came forward and vnto him thou gauest commandement to loue thy way which he transgressed and immediately thou appointedst death to him and his generation of whom came Nations Tribes and Kindreds out of number And in another place of that book it is said And when Adam transgressed my Statutes Esd 2. v. 7.11.12 then was decreed
done and neither for the error committed by man let vs hate man whom God made nor for the man that is Gods worke loue the sinne that man hath committed And againe here note we must hate none in respect of his creation but in respect he peruerteth the vse of his creation for they beare the Image of God which is louely but they deface and scratch it out to their owne damnation so that we must hate not virum but vitium the wickednesse of the man and not the wicked as he is man The kinds of death as we haue heard in the first Diuision are three-fold Naturall Spirituall Eternall but they may be reduced into two only as the kinds of life are that is bodily and spirituall Bodily death is nothing else but the separation of the soule from the body as bodily life is the coniunction of body and soule And this death is called the first because in respect of time it goes before the second Spirituall death is the separation of the whole man both in bodie and soule from the gratious and glorious fellowship of God Of these two the first is but an entrance to death and the second is the accomplishment of it for as the soule is the life of the bodie so God is the life of the soule and his Spirit is the soule of our soules Againe this spirituall death hath three distiâ—ct and seuerall degrees The first is when it is aliue in respect of temporall life and yet it lies dead in sinne Of this degree the Apostle speakes when he saith 1. Tim. 5.6 Shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth and this is the estate of all men by nature who are said to be dead in sinne Ephes 2.5 The second degree is in the very end of this life when the bodie is laid into the earth then the soule descends into the place of torments Luk. 16.22.23 as the soule of the rich man in the Gospell The third degree is in the day of Iudgement when the body and soule at the resurrection of the last day meete together againe and shal goe to the place of the damned there to bee tormented for euer And this is called by the name of the second death Mat. 25.41 which doth belong onely to the Reprobate Hauing thus found the nature differences and kinds of death it is more then manifest that that place of the Preacher is to be vnderstood not of the spirituall death but of the bodily death because it is opposed to the natiuitie and birth of man The words then must carry this sence The time of bodily death in which there is a separa ion of the soule of man from the body either naturall or violent being called a bodily or worldly death is better to the childe of God then the time in which one is borne and brought into the world Now followeth the second point and that is how this can bee true which the Preacher saith That the day of ones death is better then the day of birth I make not this question to call the Scriptures into controuersie which are the truth it selfe but I doe it to this end and purpose that we might without doubting or wauering bee resolued of the truth of this which the Preacher heere auoucheth for the comfort of all the children of God at their death For there may be sundrie reasons brought to the contrary of this which the Preacher heere auoucheth Therefore let vs now handle the questions reasons and obiections which may be alledged to the contrary which all may be reduced vnto sixe heads The first is taken from the opinion of wise men who thinke it the best thing of all neuer to bee borne And the next best to die quickly as soone as he is borne For Cicero an Heathen man and renowned for his eloquence and learning complaines that nature hath brought man forth into the world not as a mother but as a stepmother with a body naked weake and sickly and with a minde distracted with cares deiected with feares faint with labours and addicted to lusts and pleasures And hence grew this coÌ„mon speech amongst the Gentiles related by Aristotle repeated by Cicero and Plutarch and fathered vpon Sylemus by all three That the best thing in the world was not to be borne at all and the next best to die soonest Now if it be the best thing in the world not to be borne at all then it is the worst thing that can be to die after a man is once borne Answ There be two sorts of men the one that liue and die in their fins the other that doe vnfainedly repent and beleeue in Christ the one goates the other sheepe the one good the other euill Now this sentence and speech of those Heathen men may be truely applied auouched to the first sort of whom we may say as our Sauiour Christ said of Iudas Mat. 26.24 It had beene good for that man that he had neuer beene borne But the saying applied to the second sort is most false For to them that in this life turne to God by true and vnfained repentance the best thing of all is to be borne because their birth is a degree of preparation vnto all ioy and happinesse and the next best for them is to die quickly because by death they doe enter into the possession and fruition of the same ioy and happinesse for their birth is an entrance into it and their death the accomplishment of the same And this was the cause that made Baalam so desirous to die the death of the righteous and to wish that his last end might be like theirs Num. 23.10 And therefore in this respect the Preacher in this place preferres the day of death before the day of birth vnderstanding thereby that death which is ioyned coupled and accompanied with a godly life and this is called the death of the righteous The second obiection is taken from the testimonies of the holy Scriptures and namely these Rom. 6.20 1. Cor. 15.26 Death saith the Apostle is the wages of sinne Death is an enemie of Christ Death is the curse of the Law Gal. 3 13. Hence it seemes to follow that in and by death men receiue their wages and payment for their sinnes and so thereby the day of death is become the dolefull day in which the enemie preuailes against vs for that he which dieth is cursed Answ We must distinguish heere of death it must be considered two wayes first as it is in it selfe in his owne nature secondly as it is altered and changed by the death of Christ Now death by it selfe considered is indeed the wages of sinne the enemie of Christ and of all his members and the curse of the law yea the verie suburbs and gates of hell and so it is still vnto the wicked yet in the second respect it is not so for by the vertue of the death of
Christ it ceaseth to bee a plague or punishment and of a curse is made vnto vs a blessing and become vnto vs a friend and a passage or middle way betweene this life and eternall life and is become as it were a little wicket entrance or doore whereby we passe out of this world into heauen And then in this respect this saying of the Preacher is most true for in the day of birth men are brought forth and borne into the vale of misery but afterward when the children of God goe hence hauing death altered vnto them by the death of Christ they enter into eternall life and happinesse The third obiection is taken from the example of most worthy men who as it should seeme haue made their prayers against death Mat. 26.39 as our Sauiour Christ We reade when our Sauiour Christ was borne it was a ioyfull time at whose birth there was great ioy and mirth Simeon and Anna Luke 2.10.13.28.38 Luke 19.41 Marke 16.10 Luke 23.28.45 Matth. 27.51 yea and the Angels of heauen did sing and they bid the Shepheards sing because they brought them glad tidings of great ioy which should be vnto all the people But when our Sauiour Christ suffered death then it seemed that it was a dolefull time for then there was as much lamentation and weeping Our Sauiour Christ himselfe wept whom we reade to haue wept three times at the destruction of Ierusalem Iohn 11.35 at the raising of Lazarus and in his agony the disciples wept the daughters of Ierusalem wept Heb. 5.7 the Sunne was darkened the vaile of the Temple was rent the stones were clouen in sunder Yea all these and all sencelesse creatures in their kind did weepe and lament the death and passion of their maker And so it should seeme that our Sauiour Christ prayed against death on this manner Psal 6.4.5 Father if it be thy will let this cup passe from me Wee reade also that the Prophet Dauid prayed against death Returne O Lord saith he deliuer my soule O saue me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thankes Againe Esay 38.1 wee reade that King Ezechiah prayed against death for when the Prophet brought him word from the Lord that hee should die and not liue this good king at this newes wept very sore and prayed for further life Now by the examples of these most worthy men yea by the example of the Sonne of God himselfe it should seeme that this should not be true which the Preacher doth heere auouch That the day of death should bee better then the day of birth but rather that the day of death should be the most dolefull and terrible day of all Answ We are heere to vnderstand that when our Sauiour Christ prayed in this sort as we haue heard he was in his agonie and he then as our Redeemer stood in our roome and stead to suffer and endure all things which wee our selues should haue suffered in our own persons for our sins if he himselfe had not vouchsafed to suffer for vs and therefore hee did not pray simply against the bodily or naturall death but against the cursed death of the Crosse for he feared not death it selfe which is the separating of soule and bodie but the curse of the Law which went with death as namely the vnspeakeable wrath and iudgement of God which was due for our sinnes The first death troubled him not but the first and second ioyned together Therefore the Author to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 5.7 That Christ in the daies of his flesh wheâ— he had offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death that he was heard in that he feared By which place it appeareth that Christ did not pray simply against the naturall death but against the cursed death of the Crosse which was the second death Concerning Dauids praying against death we are to vnderstand that when he made that sixt Psalme hee was not onely sicke in bodie but also perplexed with the greatest temptation of all in that hee wrastled in conscience against the wrath of God as appeares by his owne words For hee there saith Psal 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger c. Wherein wee may see that he prayed not simply against death but against death at that instant when hee was in that grieuous temptation for at other times he had no such feare of death And therefore in another Psalme he saith Psal 23.4 Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I wil feare none ill c. Wherefore he prayed against death onely in that sixt Psalm as it was ioyned with apprehension of Gods wrath as our Sauiour Christ did Lastly touching king Hezekiah wee are to vnderstand that he prayed against death not onely because hee desired to liue and to doe seruice to God in his kingdome but also it was vpon a further and more special regard because when the Prophet brought him this message of death he was then without issue hauing none of his owne body to succeede him in his kingdome But then it wil be obiected What warrant he had to pray against death for this cause Answ His warrant was good for God had made a particular promise vnto Dauid and his posteritie after him 1. King 2.4 that as long as they feared him and walked in his commandements with all their heart and with all their soule there shal not faile thee saith he a man on the throne of Israel Now this good king Hezekiah at the time of the Prophets message of death remembring what promise God had made to Dauid and to his seed and how that he for his part in some poore and weake measure had kept the condition in that he had walked before God with an vpright heart and had done that which was well pleasing and acceptable in his sight as he himselfe saith in the same place Isay 38 3. therefore hee prayed against death not for that he feared it but he desired to haue issue of his own to succeed him according to the Lords promise to his seruant Dauid Which prayer of his was so well accepted of God that hee gaue him his request and added vnto his daies fifteene yeeres and three yeeres after God gaue him Manasses Isay 38.5 Againe beside these examples it will be further obiected that the godly haue feared death 1. Kings 19.30 or esse why did Eliah flie from it in the persecution of Iezabel and Christ teach his to flie it in the persecutions of men Mat. 10.23 and Christ himselfe as we haue alreadie heard did pray against the bitter cup of it in his agonie Mat. 26.39 and before his apprehension Answ Those Saints did not nor were to flie from death as it is the end of life and a most blessed end
will haue his course they both keepe their old wont Since the first diuision of waters the Sea hath beene accustomed to ebbe and flow who hath euer hindered it And since the first corruption of Nature Death hath beene accustomed to slay and destroy who hath resisted it Other customes haue and may be abolished a King may command and it is done but what Monarch so absolute what Emperour so potent that can abrogate within his Dominions this custome of dying Nay there is no priuiledge no not spirituall neither can that grace and excellent gift of holinesse and pietie preserue a man from a naturall death viz. the first death out of no Court or Church can a man fetch a writ of protection against this Sergeant no place will preserue no person can bee priuiledged from it Esay 57.1 For heere the holy and good man the righteous and religious man is taken from the earth and dieth Iames 1.18 For if any should be spared he that is begotten againe of Gods owne will by the word of truth he that is borne againe of water and of the Spirit Iohn 3.5 and so borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh Ioh. 1.13 nor of the will of man but of God He that is borne a new not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God 1. Pet. 1.23 which liueth and endureth for euer A man I say would thinke that such if any should not die and yet behold the whole generation of Gods children they all die in their appointed time and vndergoe death not as a punishment but as a tribute as Seneca the Heathen man speakes which euery man must pay for his life The foole dies the wise-man the subiect the Soueraigne I haue said saith the Psalmist yee are gods Psal 49.10 Psal 82.6.7 and yee all are children of the most high but yee shall die as a man and yee Princes shall fall like others and so also the Prophets and holy men of God Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart and yet he died Moses saw God face to face and yet he died Zach. 1.5 The Prophets were indued with a great measure of sanctification yet the Prophet Zachary ioynes them all together in one state of mortalitie Your Fathers where are they And doe the Prophets liue for euer What say I the Prophets Nay Christ Iesus himselfe the Sonne of God the onely Sonne the Sonne in whom he was well pleased more faithfull then Abraham more righteous then Iob more wise then Salomon more mightie then Samson more holy then Dauid and all the Prophets though hee knew no sinne in himselfe yet for taking on him the burthen of our sinnes became subiect to the same condition of mortalitie with vs and he died also Examples of other times experience of our owne teach vs that all of all sorts die and are gathered to their fathers yea the dumbe and dead bodies cry this aloud vnto vs. As Basil of Seleucia saith of Noah he preached without words of Preaching for euery stroake vpon the Arke was a reall Sermon of repentance so euery corpse that wee follow and accompany to the graue preacheth really this truth vnto vs. All the worthiest of the first times and whomsoeuer else the word of God hath well reported of where are they Are they not all dead Doe they not all see corruption our Sauiour Christ excepted Are they not all gone downe into the slimie valley Haue they not long since made their bed in the darke None of them all our Sauiour Christ excepted was able to deliuer his life from the power of the graue Art thou better then Dauid and wiser then Salomon Nay art thou greater then our Father Abraham who is dead and the Prophets which are dead Whom makest thou thy selfe If thou thinkest thou shouldest not die Then surely if the holiest begotten and borne of man doe die then all must die And if holinesse must yeeld then prophanenesse cannot stand out And therfore whether holy or prophane Iew or Greeke bond or free male or female all must die If the tender harted woman that wept for Christ then the stony hearted men that scoffed at Christ If those that imbalmed him then those that buffeted him If shee that powred oyntment on his head then he that spat in his face If Iohn his beloued Apostle then Iudas that betrayed him Man is a little world the world a great man if the great man must die how shall the little one escape We must not thinke much to vndergoe that which all are enioyned vnto necessarily Equalitie is the chiefe ground-worke of equitie and who can complaine to be comprehended where all are contained For there is not a sonne of man in the cluster of mankinde but Eodem modo nodo vinctus victus is liable to that common and equal law of Death And although they die not one death for time and manner yet for the matter and end one death is infallible to all the sonnes of men Lift vp your eyes to the heauens saith the Lord and looke vpon the earth beneath Esay 51.6 for the heauens shal vanish away like smoake and the earth shall waxe old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner But if any shall obiect that Enoch and Elias died not Gen. 23.24 Hebr. 11.6 2. King 2.11 I answere We know not I rather thinke they did and that Elias in his fiery Chariot had his body burnt and Enoch who in his yeares matched the dayes of the Sunne 365. was without paine dissolued when God tooke his soule to heauen or if they died not yet as Origen saith the generall is not therefore false because God hath dispenced in some particulers though one or two died not yet this is an vniuersall truth of all men to be receiued and duely pondered Heb. 9.21 It is appointed vnto all men that they shall once die from which there is no auoidance For the Lord of life and death hath so decreed it the decree was made in the beginning Gen. 3.19 For dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne If it be his decree it must needs haue a certaine effect The decree is certaine the euent is ineuitable Our God saith the Psalmist Psal 115.3 is in heauen and hee doth whatsoeuer hee will Gods will is the deede as saith Saint Cyprian if he hath once willed it it is as good as wrought If he haue decreed it it is as certaine as if it were done It is heauens decree and it cannot be reuoked Dan. 6.1 I haue beene somewhat too tedious in this first Diuision which is somwhat contrarie to the common prouerbe that he should not be tedious that reades a Lecture of mortality but because this is on the one side a matter worthy to be obserued and on the otherside a matter too too much neglected I haue beene somewhat the bolder to
insist the longer vpon it And therefore to conclude with my Statute It is appointed c. It is therefore a care that euery one ought to haue viz. to know that they must die and that they cannot auoid it The decree is gone out against them from the highest court of Parliament of the most High What contempt were it not to take notice of it Euery one therfore ought to labour to number his daies and truely to know his mortalitie the greatest as well as the meanest the wisest as the simplest For if any one then all and if any more then other then the greatest for the greatest are most subiect to death As they challenge themselues to be the finest of the common mould so they must know that by that they are not exempted from the common law of Nature and force of Gods decree But as the finer the mettall or the purer the matter of any glasse or earthen vessell is the more subiect it is to breaking and so the daintiest bodies the soonest gone It behoueth vs all therefore to seeke for spirituall Arithmeticke thereby to number our dayes in a religious meditation of the incertainties of the time and the certaintie that that time will come Let vs therefore liue to die yea liue the life of grace that wee may liue the life of glory And then though we must go to the dead yet we shall rise from the dead and from thenceforth liue with our God out of the reach of Death for euermore The end of the first Diuision THE SECOND DIVISION ON THE MEDITATION OF DEATH THen if Death be thus certaine in the next place the law of reason aduiseth vs to thinke of the worlds vanitie to contemne it of death to expect it of iudgement to auoid it of hell to escape it and of heauen to desire it And thinke it not needlesse or superfluous to bee exhorted to this Meditation that the ignorant may learne the carelesse consider and the forgetfull remember that they all must die For as Saint Augustine saith nothing so recalleth a man from sinne as the frequent remembrance of death For the error of all men for the most part taketh his originall from hence that they forget the end of their life which they ought alwayes to haue before their eyes And of the want of this commeth pride ambition vaine-glory too much carefulnesse of the body too much carking and caring after the things of this life Hence also it commeth that we build Towers vpon the sand For if wee did consider what we shall be after a few dayes our manner of liuing would perhaps bee more humble temperate and godly for who would haue a high looke Psal 131.1 and a proud stomacke if hee did with the eyes of his minde behold what manner of one he shortly after shall be in his graue who would then worship his belly for a god Phil. 3.19 when he waigheth with himselfe that the same must in short time be wormes meate who would be so in loue with money that he would runne like a mad-man by sea and land as it were through fire and water if he vnderstood that he must leaue all behinde him If this were well thought vpon our errors would soone be corrected and our liues bettered Wish therefore rather for a good then a long life It is a thing doubtlesse worthy of euery mans best thoughts and intentions For seeing euery man must die and hath a course to finish which being finished hee must away It is speciall wisdome to learne to know the length of his dayes as it were the length of his lease for as he hath vsed himselfe in his farme he shall enter at the expiration of his time vpon a better or a worse 1. Sam. 13.14 Dauid for his learning a Prophet for his acceptation a man after Gods owne heart for his authority a King was then very studious in this knowledge when after fasting and watching he besought God to be instructed in it Lord let me know my end Psal 39.4 and the measure of my dayes what it is let me know how long I haue to liue Act. 7.22 So Moses wise in all the wisdome of Egypt and Israel accounted faithfull in the house of God Heb. 3.2 prayed yet for this point of wisdome to be informed in it Psal 90.12 and as well for himselfe as others Teach vs so to number our daies saith he that we may apply our hearts vnto wisdome like carefull schollers who forsake their meat and drinke and breake their sleepe and are often in meditation when they beate vpon some serious subiect What thinke you it will profit a man if by his skill in Arithmetike hee be able to deale with euery number and to diuide the least fractions and neuer to thinke on the numbering of his daies with the men of God and yet his dayes are few and euill What will it profit him if by Geometrie hee bee able to take the longitude of most spatious prospects and not be able to measure that which the Prophet hath measured with his spanne Psal 39.51 What will it auaile him if with the astronomer he be able to obserue and know the motions of the heauens and yet haue his heart so buried in the earth that hee cannot thinke of that which passeth away as swiftly as any motion of them all What profiteth it I say If he be able with the Philosopher to search out the causes of many effects and to know the causes of many changes as of the ebbing and flowing of the seas the increasing and wayning of the Moone and the like and be not able to know his owne changes and the causes of them Doubtlesse all this wil profit them nothing all this knowledge will be to little purpose in the end And vnlesse they think vpon death they cannot apply and fashion themselues to a godly life Yea we finde daily by experience that the forgetfulnesse of death maketh vs applie our hearts to all kinde of folly and vanity The holy men in old time were wont to keepe such an account of their dayes and so to think on death that aboue all things they might apply their hearts vnto wisdome So mindfull of these things was Saint Ierome who saith of himselfe that whether he did eate or drinke or whatsoeuer else he did he thought alwaies this sound of the last trumpet did euer ring in his eares Arise yee dead and come to iudgement Which when I consider saith he it makes me shake and quake and not dare to commit sinne which otherwise I should haue committed Likewise that ancient and reuerend father Innocentius the fourth was so carefull to auoid the vengeance to come that to stirre vp all the powers and faculties of his minde with due consideration of the vanitie of this world the vilenesse of his nature the shortnesse of his time the causes of sinne and the punishment for the same he still imagined to
we shall enioy the fellowship of the Angels the societie and company of the Saints and where wee shall liue eternally obey God perfectly and raigne with him triumphantly And besides all this if we spend the time of our health of our sicknesse and of our death in this sort we shall leaue a good name and report behinde vs Eccles 7.1 which is better saith the Preacher then pretious oyntment and is rather to be chosen saith the Wiseman then great riches Prou. 22.1 and it will be like the coates and garments which Dorcas made Acts 9.36 that will remaine behinde vs after that wee are dead and gone for the good example and incouragement of all others which are to follow vs. The end of the fourth Diuision THE FIFTH DIVISION THE COMFORT AT OVR OWNE DEATH THe Preacher saith Eccles 7.1 That the day of our death is better then the day of our birth In which parcel of holy Scripture for our comfort at death three points are to be considered First what is death that is heere mentioned Secondly how it can be truely that is heere mentioned said that the day of our death is better then the day of our birth Thirdly in what respect it is better For the first Death is a priuation of life as a punishment ordained of God and imposed on man for his sinne It is a priuation of life because the very nature of death is an absence or defect of that life which God vouchsafed man by his creation I adde further that death is a punishment more especially to intimate the nature and qualitie of death and to shew that it was ordained as the meanes of the execution of Gods iudgement and iustice Furthermore in euery punishment there bee three workers the ordainer of it the procurer and the executioner The ordainer of this punishment is God in the estate of mans innocēcy by a solemne law then made in these words In the day that thou eatest thereof Gen. 2.17 thou shalt die the death The Executioner of this punishmēt is also God himselfe as himselfe testifieth in the Prophet Esay in these words I make peace and create euill And this is materiall or naturall euill Esay 45.7 to the latter of which Death is to be referred which is the destruction and abolishment of mans nature created The procurer of this punishment is not God but man himselfe in that man by sinne and disobedience did put vpon himselfe this punishment Therfore the Lord in the Prophet Osea saith O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe Hosea 13.9 but in me is thy helpe Against this it may be obiected that man was mortall in the estate of his innocencie before the fall Answere The frame and composition of mans body considered in it selfe was mortall because it was made of water and earth and other elements which are of themselues alterable and changeable yet if we respect the grace and blessing which God did vouchsafe mans bodie in his creation it was vnchangeable and immortal and so by the same blessing should haue continued if man had not fallen and man by his fall depriuing himselfe of this gift and the blessing became euery way mortall And hereof it is that the Preacher saith Loe this onely haue I found that God made man vpright Eccles 7.29 but they haue sought out many inuentions Againe before the fall mans bodie was but subiect to death and could not then be said to be dead but after the fall it was then not only subiect to death but might also be said to bee dead And therefore now in this respect the Apostle saith Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sinne Againe mans bodie in his innocencie was like vnto the bodie of Christ when he was vpon the earth that is onely subiect vnto death for he could not be said to bee dead because in him there was no sinne and this was mans case in his innocencie before his fall Thus it appeares in part what death is And yet for the better clearing of this point wee are to consider the difference betweene the death of a man and a beast The death of a beast is the totall and finall abolishment of the whole creature for the body is resolued to the first matter and the soule rising frō the temperature of the body is but a breath and vanisheth to nothing But in the death of a man it is otherwise For though the bodie for a time be resolued and turned into dust out of which it came yet it must rise againe at the last day and become immortall but the soule subsisteth by it selfe out of the body and is immortall The reason of which difference is for that the soule of man is a spirit or spirituall substance whereas the soule of a beast is no substance but a naturall vigour or qualitie and hath no being in it selfe without the body on which it wholly dependeth The soule of a man contrariwise being created of nothing Gen. 2.7 it is said God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and then man became a liuing soule and so as well subsisting forth of it as in it But when God made the beasts of the earth he breathed not such matter into them but their bloud is as their soule Leuit. 17.14 and their life for the life of all flesh is the bloud thereof Psal 49.20 So that when beasts die they perish as the Psalmist saith and that is their end and their spirit goeth downeward to the earth Eccles 3.21 but the spirit of man goeth vpward saith the Preacher Saint Ambrose takes occasion by this difference from the shape of mans bodie to aduertise our minde what our affections should be It is well ordained saith he that man hath onely two feete with birds and not foure feete with beasts for by this he may learne to flye aloft with the birds and not with beastes encline and decline to the grosser and earthly things of this world Heere then we see that since the fall of man man is not only subiect to death but also may be said a dead man because he shall as surely die as if he were dead already whereas notwithstanding he hath a forme and shew of immortalitie Other things so long as they retaine their forme so long they doe remaine A house falleth not all the time that his forme and fashion lasteth the brute beast dieth not except he first forgoe his life which is his forme but man hath a forme which neuer is dissolued as namely a minde endued with reason and yet he liueth now but a very short time in respect that his bodie by reason of sinne and disobedience is become mortall whereby man is the procuter of his owne death and punishment Therefore it is a true saying of Saint Gregory Man is the worke of God sinne is the worke of man let vs therefore discerne what God hath made and what man hath
of the wicked Barbarians as we may reade in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 28.3 4.5.6 This rash censuring and iudging was also the sinne of the wicked Iewes as we may reade in the Gospell of Saint Luke Luke 13.1.2.3.4.5 wherein they did vtter a secret corruption naturally ingendered in all men that is very sharpely to see into the sinnes of others and seuerely to censure them but in the meane time to flatter themselues and be blind-fold in seeing their owne for these men thought because the like iudgements did not fall on themselues that therefore they were safe enough and not so great sinners but rather highly in the fauour of God euen as many in the world doe now adaies falsely imagine and suppose that they are alwayes the worst sort of people whom God doth most strike and presse with his punishing hand hauing forgotten that God doth not keepe an ordinary rate heere below to punish euery man as he is worst or to cocker and fauour him as he is best but onely taketh some example as hee thinketh good for the instruction and aduertisement of others and to be as it were looking-glasses wherein euery man may see his owne face yea and his owne cause handled and that God is a seuere reuenger of sinne that all men may learne by the example of some to tremble and beware lest they bee constrained in their owne turnes to know and feele the punishment they haue deserued Whereupon our Sauiour Christ is iustly occasioned to correct their erroneous and sinister iudgement and to teach them that they must not reioyce at the iust punishment of others For this is the propertie of the wicked as appeareth in the book of the Lamentations where it is said All mine enemies haue heard of my trouble Lam. 1.21 they are glad that thou hast done it but he that is glad saith the Wise-man at calamities Prou. 17.5 shall not be vnpunished but he should rather be instructed thereby to repent And to all such barbarous vnchristian and vncharitable censurers of the children of God the Lord by his Prophet saith Loe I begin to bring euill vpon the Citie which is called by my name Ier. 25.29 and should yee be vtterly vnpunished Ier. 49.12 Yee shall not be vnpunished And againe Behold they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup haue assuredly drunken and art thou he thou he that shalt goe altogether vnpunished Thou shalt not goe vnpunished 1. Pet. 4.17.18 but shalt surely drinke of it And the Apostle saith The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God And if it first begin at vs what shall the end be of them that obay not the Gospell of God Therefore iudge not thus rashly of those that are thus grieuously handled in this manner but think thy selfe as bad a sinner if not worse and that the like defects may befall thee and thinke some great temptation befell them and that thy selfe shouldest be worse if the like temptation should befall thee and giue God thankes that as yet the like hath not happened vnto thee The fift obiection is this When a man is most neere death then the deuill is most busie in temptation and the more man is assaulted by Sathan the more dangerous is his case and therefore it may seeme that the day of death is the worst day of all Answ The condition of Gods children in earth is twofold some are not tempted and othersome are Some are not tempted I say as Simeon Luk. 2.29,30 who as we read in the Gospel of S. Luke when he had seene his Sauiour Christ brake foorth into these words Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation foresignifying no doubt that hee should end his dayes in all maner of peace And as Abraham Gen. 15.15 For thou shalt goe as God said vnto him vnto thy fathers in peace and be buried in a good old age And as Iosiah that good king Behold therefore saith the Lord vnto him I wil gather thee vnto thy fathers 2. Kings 22.20 and thou shalt be gathered vnto thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place And as for them that are tempted as diuers of Gods children are subiect thereunto though their case be very troublesome yet their saluation is not the further off for God is then more specially present by the vnspeakable comfort of his holy Spirit and when we are most weake he is most strong in vs because his maner is to shew his power in our weaknesse An example whereof we haue in the Apostle S. Paul who was greatly assaulted and tempted by Sathan And lest I should saith he be exalted aboue measure 2. Cor. 12.7,8,9 through the abundance of the reuelation there was giuen to me a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet me lest I should bee exalted aboue measure For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and hee said vnto mee my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse And for this cause euen in the time of death the deuill receiueth the greatest foile when he lookes for the greatest victory The sixt and last obiection is this that violent and sudden death is a grieuous curse and of all euils which befall in this life none is so terrible therefore it may seeme that the day of such a kind of death is most miserable I answere It is true indeed that such death as is sudden is a curse and grieuous iudgement of God and therfore not without good cause feared of men in this world Yet all things considered we ought to be more afraid of an impenitent and euill life then of sudden death For though it be euill as death it selfe in it owne nature is yet wee must not thinke it to be simply euill because it is not euill to all men nor in all respects euill I say it is not euill to all men considering that no kind of death is euill or a cursâ— vnto them that are ingrafted in Christ for that they are free in him from the whole curse of the lawe Reu. 14.13 Blessed are they saith the Sonne of God that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Whereby it is signified that they which depart this life being members of Christ Iesus of what death soeuer they die yea though their death be neuer so sudden and violent doe enter into euerlasting ioy and felicitie Psal 116.15 Againe Precious in the sight of the Lord saith the Psalmist is the death of his Saints Their death therefore be it neuer so sudden or otherwise must needes be precious yea though death commeth vpon the children of God neuer so sharpely Prou. 14.32 and suddenly yet the righteous
will carry the snake in their bosomes without any feare Euen so although we cary death about vs in our mortall bodies yea in our bosomes and bowels yet sinne which was her sting being pulled out by the death of Christ shee can onely hisse and make a stirre and ordinarily looke blacke and grimme but can no wayes annoy vs. Which will be the more manifest if we well weigh how Christ our head and Captaine hath quelled and conquered this mightie Gyant for vs whereby none that are Christs members need stand in feare thereof Death saith the blessed Apostle is swallowed vp in victory and Christ was dead and now liueth 1. Cor. 15.54 Reu. 1.18 and that for euer And he hath the keyes of hell and death as he testifieth of himselfe in the booke of the Reuelation Now he that hath the keyes of a place hath the command of that place It is as much then as if it had been said he had the command of death and power to dispose of it at his pleasure And will Christ then that hath such an enemie at his mercie let him hurt and annoy his deare friends nay his owne members and so in effect himselfe Noe noe he conquered death for vs not for himselfe seeing death had no quarrell to him By his vniust death then hee hath vanquished our iust death as Saint Augustine very excellently saith Death could not be conquered but by death therefore Christ suffered death that an vniust death might ouercome a iust death and that he might deliuer the guiltie iustly by dying for them vniustly Whereunto agreeth that speech The vniust sinneth and the iust is punished the guiltie transgresseth and the innocent is beaten the wicked offendeth and the godly is condemned that which the euill deserueth the good suffereth that which the seruant oweth the master payeth that which man committeth God sustaineth For although because he was man he could die and did so yet because he was iust hee ought not to haue died and hee that had no cause to die for himselfe in reason and equitie should not die for others vnprofitably neither did he surely but to the greatest purpose that the Sonne of God dying for the sonnes of men the sonnes of men might thereby bee made the sonnes of God yea that they of bad seruants might bee made good sonnes And this glorious mystery of our Sauiours Incarnation and Passion must needs bring forth glorious effects this strange and vnspeakable loue of God that his onely Sonne should die for vs that the Lord should dye for disobedient seruants the Creator for the creature God for man this strange loue I say must needs bee of strange operation as it is euen to make of sinners iust men of slaues brethren of captiues fellow-heires and of banished persons Kings and to make of death as it were no death but a very easie passage to eternal life for the death of Christ is the death of our death sith hee died that wee might liue and how can it be but that they should liue for whom life it selfe died Surely Death by vsurping vpon the innocent forfeited her right to the guiltie and while shee deuoured wrongfully shee her selfe was deuoured Yea in that Christ hath vanquished death we may be truely said to vanquish it Rom. 8.37 Ephes 5.30 For in this saith the Apostle we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs he being our head and wee his members and where the head is conqueror the members cannot bee captiues Let vs then reioyce that wee haue alreadie seized on heauen in Christ who hath caried our flesh thither in his owne person as an earnest peny and pledge of the whole summe that in time shal be brought thither Wee may then boldly say that there is somewhat of ours aboue already yea the best part of vs as namely our head from which the members cannot be farre yea we may assure our selues that wee being members of such a head yea bodie to it we are in effect where our head is For S. Augustine saith This bodie cannot be beheaded but if the head triumph for euer the members also must needs triumph for euer And that we haue this benefit by Christs ascension into heauen aforehand for vs Bernard excellently sheweth Be it saith he that only Christ is entred into heauen yet I trow whole Christ must enter and if whole Christ then the body as well as the head yea euery particular member of the bodie For this head is not to be found in the kingdome of heauen without his members In a word the head being aboue water the bodie can neuer be drowned although it bee neuer so much beaten and tossed in this world with waues and tempests Oh but life is sweet and death is fearefull how then may I bee prepared against that houre to vndergoe it in a Christian patience without earthly passions I answer this is indeed the infirmitie of our flesh and the propertie of our corrupt nature that we are more desirous of this life fading then of the life to come that is not flitting and hence comes that feare and terror of death Iohn 10.28 Death in it selfe and out of Christ is as we haue heard very dreadfull and we haue reason to feare it as it is an effect of sinne But we speake not of death considered out of Christ or considered in it selfe but of death altered by the death of Christ for so it is no dreadful thing but much to be desired he is our Pastor we need not feare to be taken out of his hands our Aduocate 1. Iohn 2.1 1. Tim. 2.5 Iohn 8.12 Psal 91.1 Iohn 5.22 therefore we need not dread damnation our Mediator therfore we need not feare the wrath of God our light wee neede not feare darknesse our shadow wee need not feare the heat of hell fire our Iudge we need not feare that sentence shall be denounced against vs our life and therefore wee need not feare death Well may the brute beasts feare to die whose end of life is their end of being well may the Epicure feare and tremble at death who with his life looketh to loose his felicitie well may the faithlesse and impenitent sinner feare and quake whose death is the beginning of their damnation well may the voluptuous worldling whose felicitie consists wholy in the fruition of these transitorie things greatly feare death as that which depriueth him of his pomp and preferment of his honours and high calling robbeth him of his iewels and treasure spoileth him of his pastimes and pleasures exileth him from his friends and country and vtterly bereaueth him of all his expectations solace and delight Which Iesus the sonne of Sirach noting said Eccles 41.1 O death how bitter is thy remembrance to the man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all things yea vnto him that is yet able to receiue
vniust and vnequall if any of lesse merit yea of no merit in comparison of such men shall grieue for themselues or any friend of theirs to indure that which these indured Surely not onely to grieue but not most willingly to welcome what all these men imbraced is tendernesse intolerable folly vnfitting and a fault no way to bee excused Yea the fault is so much the greater by how much either you or your friend are inferiour to these men in seruice and vse vnto the common state Thus did the heathens seek to salue the sore which grew by death of any and to this end many things of like perswasion they heaped vp which I passe ouer as hastening to the word of God without all comparison the fountaine of all comfort This onely I say and pray you to obserue concerning the mention made of the heathen that it is meant only to shew that they were ashamed to feare death in themselues or immoderately bewaile it in any friend and will you faile of the strength of an heathen shall they fight better against foolish affections by the light of nature then you by the power of grace and the most bright Sunshine of Gods word God forbid and as you tender your credit to be iudged truly a souldier that answereth the promise made in baptisme that you would fight manfully vnder Christes banner and not yeeld to your foe and Gods enemy and yours let not Sathan ouercome you in this to make you worse then an heathhen more passionate more impatient more subiect to wil and lesse subiect to reason nay more disobedient to God and of lesse reputation before men for gouernment of your mind then they were You know more performe not lesse then they did you haue seene a light that they neuer saw nor many other worthy men Luke 10.23.24 Blessed are the eyes saith our Sauiour which see the things which ye see for I tell you that many Prophets and Kings haue desired to see those things which ye see and haue not seene them and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them Walk therfore in that light as a child of light that you may bee more comforted for the death of your friends then the very heathen were Seneca saith He that laments that a man is dead laments that he was a man And now to come to the word of God to the Law Isay 8.20 and to the testimony saith the Prophet euen to the sweet fountaine of Israel that cooles indeede the scorching heat of all sorrowes and by name of this when God taketh away any of our friends by death if Moyses and the Prophets will not comfort vs in this case then as Abraham told Diues in another case nothing can perswade Luke 16.31 nor preuaile with vs. Many are the places of holy Scriptures when comfort arise and flow if they be wel and duly considered but meaning onely to giue you a taste some few shall serue at this time to which may be added by your owne diligence some more at your best leisure Iob 1.21.22 The Lord gaue saith Iob and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Where I pray you consider well what Iob lost when he said thus and consider what you haue lost now at this time and you shall finde your caâ—es farre differing Iob had his Oxen and Asses taken away by strangers and his seruants slaine with the edge of the sword This was his first newes The fire of God fell downe from heauen and burnt vp his sheepe and his seruants and consumed them This was the second newes His Camels were taken by the Chaldeans and his seruants slaine This the third newes all of them bitter and grieuous to happen at once You will confesse this was sore and any one of them falling by it selfe alone vpoÌ„ many of vs in these daies would plunge vs very sore Yet see farre greater his fourth and last newes was that his sonnes and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house and there came a great winde from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and the house fell vpon them and they all died yea all and all at once by this sudden meanes to the vtter amazing and astonishing of all that should see or think of it Yet for all this saith the holy Ghost Iob did not sin to wit by rauing and railing impatiently nor did he charge God foolishly as dealing vniustly or cruelly with him but considered with himselfe who had giuen and who had taken and weighed with himselfe that they were Gods and not his and should he forbid the Lord to doe with his owne what was his good pleasure Is it not lawfull saith our Sauiour Christ in another case for me to doe what I will with mine owne Mat. 20.15 Therefore sweetly and meekely patiently and peaceably he cast vp his eyes his heart his soule his minde his affections and all vnto the Lord and said Blessed be the name of the Lord of which Lord surely of this Lord that had thus dealt with him and taken away all that euer he had God hath not dealt thus with you by many and many degrees with you at this time and will you then take on and as it were bid battell to the Lord by weepings and wailings by sobbings and sighings by groanings and crying by mutterings and murmurings and by such like testimonies of a discontented and offended minde aboue that which can stand with a dutifull childes behauiour to his heauenly Father If your losses were as great as Iobs was yet you see what he did and this was Gods Spirit in him much more in a farre lesse losse must you doe it if you bee endued with the same spirit Thinke with your selfe as you see Iob did what estate you had in this friend of yours that now you haue lost you held him not in fee but for a terme and what terme no certaine terme but during the Lords good will and pleasure Now your terme is out and the Lord will haue his owne againe Grieue not for the losse then but be thankfull for the loane so long Againe I warrant you Iob did carefully ponder with himselfe what the Heathen and strangers to religion about him would say If he should be impatient and outragious they would say see euen thus the man that feared God and was so religious that he taught others and rebuked many when they did offend that spake so much of the Lord and had his will so euer in his mouth that gaue such testimonies sundry wayes to the shew of man of a reformed life now where is all become Now see this mans practise how it answereth his speeches before he was tried what doe we see now in him more then in many others that made not halfe the shew Is there but so much in him as in many Heathen that knew not his religion Haue they not
were reprobate or saued Of which matter saith he it is not for me to determine Our Iudge is his Iudge who will lay all thinges open when the time commeth This in the meane time is certaine that the deede of the man ought in no wise to bee allowed If wittingly I discommend his reason if in a phrenzie as one out of his wit then doe I greatly lament and pitty his case Yet notwithstanding seeing Gods iudgements be secret and wee be likewise in doubt vpon what intent he did thus punish himselfe nor any man can be certaine whether he repented or not before the last breath I think their opinion herein is more indifferent who doe rather disallow the example of the dead then despayre any way of his saluation Otherwise if we will adiudge all these to hell that haue departed the World after this sort how many examples haue we in the first persecutions of the Church of those men and women who being registred in the Works of worthy Writers haue notwithstanding their prayse and commendation For what shall wee thinke of those young men who being sought for to doe sacrifice to heathen Idols did cast down themselues headlong and brake their neckes to auoyde such horrible pollution of themselues What shall I say of those Virgins of Antioch who to the end they might not defile themselues with vncleannesse and with Idolatrie through the perswasion of their mother casting themselues headlong into a riuer together with their mother did for doe themselues though not in the same water yet after the same manner of drowning as this M. Hales did What shall I say of other two sisters which for the selfe same quarrell did violently throw themselues headlong into the Sea as Eusebius doth recorde In whom though perchance there was lesse confidence to beare out the paines that should be ministred of the wicked vnto them yet that their good desire to keepe their faith and religion vnspotted was commended and praysed Another like example of death is mentioned by Nicephorus in another Virgin likewise whose name is expressed in Ierome to bee Braessila Diraehima who to keepe her Virginity fayned her selfe to be a Witch and so conuenting with the yong man which went about to deflowre her pretended that shee would giue him an hearbe which should preserue him from all kind of weapons and so to proue it in her selfe layde the hearbe vpon her owne throat bidding him smite wherby shee was slain so by the losse of her life saued her Virginity Hereunto may bee ioyned the like death of Sophronia a Matron of Rome who when shee was required of Maxentius the Tyrant to be defiled and saw her husband more slacke then he ought to haue been in sauing her honesty bidding them that were sent for her to tarry a while till she made her ready went into her Chamber and with a weapon thrust her selfe through the breast and so dyed Likewise Achetes biting off his owne tongue did spit it in the face of the harlot Which examples sayth M. Fox I doe not here alledge as going about to excuse or mainetaine the hainous fact of M. Hales which I would wish rather by silence might bee drowned in obliuion But yet notwithstaÌ„ding as touching the person of the man what soeuer his fact was because we are not sure whether hee at the last breath repented againe for that wee doe not know nor are able to comprehend the bottomles depth of the graces and mercyes of God which are in Christ Iesus our Sauiour Wee will therefore leaue the finall iudgement of him to the determination of him who is appointed the onely Iudge of the quicke and dead And thus far M. Fox Touching the Cases wherein it is lawfull to desire death they may bee reduced principally into fiue The first is that if God can bee more honoured and glorified by our death then by our life then in such a case it is lawfull to desire death Iudg. 16.28.29.30 In which case Sampson desired death knowing wel therby that he should slay more of the vncircumcised Philistines the enemies of God at his death then he slue in his life In this case Moses the seruant of God desired to dye yea he went further for hee desired not a temporall but an eternall death for the glory of God in the saluation of his people For when Moses perceyued that the Lord was greatly offended with the people for making and worshipping the golden Calfe and that the Lords wrath waxed hote against them and that hee meant to consume them for the same Exod 32.31.32.33 It is sayd that Moses returned to the Lord and sayde Oh this people haue sinned a great sin and haue made them Gods of gold yet now if thou wilt forgiue their sinne and if not blot mee I pray thee out of the booke which thou hast written Also in this case the Apostle Saint Paul went as farre as Moses in desiring the same death for the like cause as Moses did which was for the glory of God in the saluation of his people Who being exceeding much sorrowfull for the Lords reiecting and casting off the Iewes sayth Rom. 9.1.2.3.4 I say the truth I â—…e not my Conscience also bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauinesse and continâ—al sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my selfe were accursed or separated from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsemen according to the flesh who are Israelites to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law and the seruice of God and the promises whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came Who is ouer all God blessed for euer Amne In this case also the holy Martyres greatly longed after and desired death and ranne most ioyfully and gladly vnto it Well knowing with Sampson that they should slay more at their death then they slue in their Life as first that they should slay their last enemie by death which is not slaine but by dying And secondly that by dying they should kill the spawne of all enmitie sinne that causeth death and thirdly they knew that God should be more glorified and honoured by their death then hee could be by their life in that it would thereby bee an occasion of daunting his enemies and of the increasing and flourishing of his Church and Children For the death of the Martyrs was the seed of Gods Church Acts and Monuments 113. In which respect M. Foxe in his Acts and Monuments sayth that in old time Martyrdome was more desired then Bishoprickes be now Secondly it is lawfull to desire death in respect of the wicked through zeale to Gods glory to the end that wee may bee freede from their society whereby wee might not bee eye-witnesses nor eare-witnesses of theyr dayly blaspheming and dishonouring of God In which case Rebecka desired death Gen. 26.34.35 for when Esau had taken