often meditation of death dying often we may in end die both easily and well Cicero sayeth that the whole life of wise men is the meditation of death Somnium Scip. And it is recorded of the Macedonian King that he commanded his Page once everie day to come and say to him Remember thou art mortall That holy man Hieronimus had alwayes in his studie besides him a dead mans skull and running glasse to keepe him in mynd of shortnesse of his life and certaintie of his death Secondly the often meditation of death is necessare and profitable to make vs liue and die well because it is a strong bitte and bridle against sinne Remember thy death sayeth Ierome and thou shall not sinne and GOD speaking by Moses of his people Israell sayeth Deuter. 32.29 O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this they would consider their latter end and IEREMIE Lament 1.9 Her filthinesse is in her skirts she remembered not her last end Eccles 11.9 and SALOMON scorning the folly of youth sayeth Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thine youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes then he addeth as water to their wyne but know thou that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgement Thirdly often meditation of death causeth vs to contemne this short vaine life wherein all is vanitie and vexation of Spirit which is like to a dreame a shaddow a vapour like to the way of a ship in the sea or like to an arrow shot foorth of a bow which both when they are past their trace is no more seene and man in this life is like the flower of the field which sor a tyme is greene but afterwards withereth and falleth downe so I may say with one Vita quid est hominum nisi vallis plena malorum Principio medio fine dolenda suo That is to say What is mans life a valley full of ill Beginning mids and end lamenting still And with an other What if a day or a month or a yeare Crowne thy delights with a thousand wisht contentings Essex lament Can not the chaunce of a night or an houre Crosse thy delights with as many sad tormentings Finally this often meditation of death prepareth vs for it and armeth vs against it so that it commeth not to vs vnawars as a thiefe in the night but wee looke for it wee watch and pray for strength and comfort in the houre of it and when it commeth will say with old Simeon Now LORD thou lettest thy servant depart in peace and also with David and CHRIST In thy hands O LORD I commend my Spirit and with the first Christian Martyre Stephen LORD IESUS receaue my Spirit The second Chapter What death is and of the causes of naturall death IN holy Scripture death is taken in diverse senses as first and most properly for the dissolution of soule and body Secondly for the separation of soule from GOD his grace and favour Thirdly for the separation both of bodie and soule from GOD his grace and glorie eternallie Death then beeing taken into the first sense is commoun to all mankynd since the fall of Adam and Evah our first Parents as witnesseth the Apostle saying As by one man sinne entered in the world Rom. 5.12 and by sinne death and so death went over all men for all men haue sinned In the second sense death since the fall of our first Parents is also common to all mankind vntill they be quickned againe by the Spirit of regeneration as testifieth this same Apostle saying And you hath he quickned who were dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 In the third sense Death is only proper to the Reprobate and it is called in holy Scripture the second death as posterior to the first which wee call naturall death from this death there is a promise of GOD that all such shall bee delivered Revel 20 6 who are partakers of the first resurrection that is of true faith and repentance Now in order of time death in finne is first that is to say the separation of soule and body from GOD his grace and favour Naturall death which is the separation of soule and body is next Everlasting death which is the separation of both soule and body from the grace and glory of GOD for ever last The first sort of death is verie fearefull but the feare of it apprehended by few because it floweth from the wrath of GOD and is a death in sinne a spirituall death yet it is not desperate for Christ died for vs Rom. 4.25 and rose againe to justifie and sanctifie vs And GOD for his sake freely forgiues our sinne who beleeue in his Sonne his Spirit is given vs with his word and Sacraments to regenerate and quicken and at last to perfectly sanctifie vs. 2 Cor. 3.18 The second sort of death is also fearefull because in the owne nature of it it is the punishment of sinne Also because in this dissolution of soule and body that haue beene straitly and long joyned together and acquaint one with other as two neare and deare friends they are loath to sunder So nature abhorreth and feareth this very naturall death but faith and grace overcommeth this horror and feare and maketh the true Christians to triumph over death As witnesseth the Apostle when hee said O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death Rom. 7 24.25 I thanke GOD through Iesus Christ And in an other place O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. â—5 55.56.57 The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But ihanks bee to GOD who giveth vs the victorie through our LORD IESVS CHRIST The third sort of death is most terrible because from it there is no redemption nor delyverie if once wee bee plunged therein It is therefore called the second death the wrath to come everlasting fire everlasting paine everlasting destruction from the which both living and dying wee should labour and pray to bee delivered seeing wee are warned to flie from the wrath to come Math. 37 And IESUS CHRIST hath delivered all true Christians from thence This much of the diverse sorts of death 1 Thess 1.10 whereof the holy Scripture maketh mention Now I minde chiefly to speake of naturall death which I define The dissolution of soule and body The causes there of are these following First the efficient cause of death is sinne for if man and woman had not sinned they should not haue died Thus GOD did signifie to our first Parents by the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evill which grew in the midst of the Garden in Eden The first was to him a Sacrament or signe that so long as they continued in GODS obedience they should liue happily The
of it argues want of fortitude And this much of the feare of death which proceeds of ignorance Now follow remedies and comforts against the feare of death which proceede from infidelitie or despaire Let such as feare death through infidelitie or despaire imitate the counsell following Acknowledge all good helpe comfort to come from GOD Repent and be sorie for all thy sinnes in geuerall and for everie one in particulare as thou canst remember them confesse them to GOD and forsake them Pro 28.19 Psal 32.5 Isa 28.17 then shall thou sind mercie Bee oft and earnest in prayer to GOD for mercie and comfort and desist not albeit thou get no answere but rather insist the more Luke 18 remembering the doctrine of CHRIST by parables that we should doe so Iames. 5 Desire the counsell and prayers of the faithfull aboue all things studie to know CHRIST and the power of his resurrection Philip. 3.10 and the fellowship of his sufferings for CHRIST hath swallowed vp death in victorie Isa 25 8 so that after this digestion of death it hath lost the sting of it against all true Christians yea CHRIST changed the name of death and called it a sleepe to teach vs that the nature of death is changed to those that beleeue in him Iohn 11.11 saying to his Disciples Lazarus our friend sleepeth In the true knowledge of CHRIST is our comfort Iohn 17.3 Act. 4.12 both in life and death The two Cherubims looked to the Mercie-seare the two Testaments looked vnto CHRIST Hee is the propitiatorie that covereth the Law the Pillar of fire to giue light in darknesse the clowde to comfort and refresh in all temptations Rely vpon the mercie of GOD in IESUS CHRIST and resolue to say with IOB in thy greatest terrours Iob. 13.15 Though he slay mee yet will I trust in him Reade often the holy Scripture and meditate therevpon Bee never idle not too solitarie If melancholie trouble thee take physicke from a skilfull and godly physitian reade and meditate vpon GODS promises of mercie to penitent sinners and consider his dealing with them how many sinners hee hath made righteous and enemies friends oft read and meditate vpon these places of Scripture Exod. 34 4. Deuter. 4.31 Proverb 28.3 2 Chron. 7.14 Isaiah 1.18.19.20 Ezek. 18.27 Hosea 14.3.4.5 Psal 103.13 Math. 5 6. and 11.28 Iohn 3.14 Rom. 5.20 2 Cor. 12.9 Rom. 16.20 1. Timoth. 2.4 Meditate likewayes vpon the mercie of GOD to penitent sinners as Moses Aaron Iob David Salomon Manasses Hezekiah Iosiah Marie Magdalene the forlorne sonne Peter the thiefe vpon the Crosse with CHRIST Paul for these examples may serue to teach vs though wee sinne yet not to goe on still and proceede in wickednesse also not to despaire of GODS mercie more than they Rom. 10.12 for the LORD is rich over all that call vpon him and repent therefore no man ought to despaire for this is a true saying and by all meanes worthie to bee receaved 1 Tim. 1 15.16 that CHRTST IESUS came in the world to saue sinners whereby many haue obtained mercie Math. 9.15 vnto the example of them which shall in tyme to come belieue in him vnto eternall lyfe Mark 2.17 If Sathan or thy owne conscience trouble thee with these doubts and objections following answere thus Object 1. My sinne is so great that it can not bee pardoned Answere No sinne in it selfe is so great but it is pardonable to everie one that can repent No cryme so great but GODS mercie is greater yea the sinne against the holy Ghost can not bee forgiven only because these that fall therein can not repent Hebr. 6. Object 2. I sinne dayly and often fall in one and the selfe same sinne Answere If thou sinne dayly repent dayly if thou sinne once twise 100 1000 tymes repent as oft He who said if thy brother offend thee seventie tymes seven tymes forgiue him will forgiue thee all thy sinnes if thou repent Object 3. I can not repent my heart is so hard An. GOD calleth all men to repentance so long as they liue in this world so doeth he thee and so long as thou livest if thou despise not his bountifulnesse and patience hee will giue thee repentance before thou die As for the hardnesse of thine heart because thou feelest it it is an argument of spirituall lyfe for death corporall or spirituall maketh vs losse all feeling Object 4. I can neither belieue repent nor cease from sinne albeit I would gladly Answere Pray with the man spoken of in the Ghospell LORD helpe my vnbeliefe Know also that thy desire is acceptable to GOD if it be vnfeined and constant Object 5. I am forced now and then to thinke evill thoughts and blasphemies against GOD even against my will Answere These are not from thee but from Sathan they are his sinnes but thy crosses thou shall bee forgiven hee shall be rebuked and punished for them Object 6. I can not be perswaded that I am one of these whom GOD hath chosen to life Answere Farre lesse can thou bee assured that thou art a reprobate for GOD may giue thee assurance of thine election at thy last houre and wee liue more by faith than feeling therefore say with JOR Though hee slay mee yet will I trust in him The sixth Chapter Of the desire of death and how that wee may die both peaceablie and likewayes well THere bee only two causes for the which wee may lawfully desire to die The first is a longing to bee with IESUS CHRIST our Saviour this cause moved Paul to desire to die Philip. 3.23 when hee said I desire to depart and that I may bee with CHRIST The other causes why wee may lawfully desire to die is that wee may cease altogether from sinning against GOD which we can not doe so long as we are in this body of sinne and of death This also moved Paul to desire to die when hee said Rom. 7.24 O miserable man that I am who shall delyver me from this body of death All desire of death flowing from other causes as griefe trouble paine povertie miscontentment c. are all vnlawfull for GOD hath put vs in a warrefare and hath appointed everie one of vs a station which wee should keepe as obedient Souldiers vntill GOD our great Captaine and commander call vpon vs and remoue vs. Wherefore are wee to follow the example of Elias 1 King 19.14 who out of great griefe said Now LORD take away my life Nor the example of Ionas when he said It is better to mee to die than to liue Ion 4.6 But rather the example of David Psal 101.2 who said I will behaue my selfe wisely in a perfect way vntill thou come to mee And aboue al we should follow the example of CHRIST our Saviour Heb. 12 Who for the joy so set before him indured the crosse despised the shame and is set at
death As testifieth the Apostle saying CHRIST Hee also tooke part of the same flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him Hebr. 2 14.15 that had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through feare of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage The feare of death that commeth of desperation of all sorts of feare of death is worst for there is no remedie against it if it bee totall And finall yea it is a haynous sinne for it denyeth both Gods power and mercie to saue a sinner and the trueth of his promises thereanent And it is a foolish feare for oft times men and women giving place to this feare for feare of death and Hell precipitate themselfe in both as the examples of Saul Achitophel Iudas and many others proue The fourth Chapter Remedies and comforts against the feare of naturall death ALbeit as I haue said in the former chapter there bee a sort of feare of death which may bee without sinne yet there is no sort of feare of death with out paine and trouble to the patient as witnesseth the Apostle Iohn 1 Iohn 4.18 saying indefinitly or generally of feare feare hath torment Therefore consolations and remedies are to bee sought against all sorts of feare of death Consolations and remedies against that feare of death which I called naturall wherevnto all mankynd haue beene or shall be subject CHRIST IESUS our LORD not excepted are these following The first and most soveraine remedie against the naturall feare of death is to haue faith and confidence in GODS loue mercie and trueth according to his promises Thus did David comfort himselfe against this sort of feare of death when hee said Though I should walke though the valey of the shadow of death Psal 23.4 I will feare no evill for thou art with mee thy rode and thy staffe they comfort mee So did Simeon comfort himselfe when hee said LORD now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2 29.30 according to thy word For mine eyes haue seene thy salvation So did CHRIST IESUS our LORD Luke 22 42 when hee said Not my will but thy will be done And Father in thy hands I commend my spirit which prayers of his the Apostle expoundeth thus In the dayes of his flesh he offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying teares vnto him Heb. 5 7 that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which hee feared The second comfort and remedie against the feare of death naturall is to meditate First That the day of death is better nor the day of birth as Salomon sayeth For by death sinne is abolished Eccles 7.10 and after it wee shall sinne no more But by birth wee enter into a sinfull life and by death the body is fred from all sense of miserie and is no more an instrument actiue or passiue of sinne but by birth our bodies are subject to the sense of many miseries and the members thereof made weapons of vnrighteousnesse to serue sin Rom. 6.13 By death our soule entereth vnto an happie and eternall life by birth it entereth vnto a miserable and mortall life therefore death not only is not to be feared by a Christian but in some respects is rather to bee wished and hoped for with joy for by death wee goe out of this pilgrimage home to our father in Heaven from banishment vnto a Kingdome from prison to a palace from darknesse to light from death to life from dangers vnto securitie from labour to rest from all manner of miserie to everlasting felicitie Next we should meditate that it is as great folly to feare death as to feare old age for as old age followeth after youth so death followeth after old age and the failed tabernacle of the bodie falleth therefore as they who dwell in ruinous houses studie not so much vpon the falling of the house as how with diligence to get out so we should be alwayes readie to die and not stand amazed with the feare of death If therefore we will feare death wee must ever feare it for there is nothing more certaine than that once wee shall die and nothing more vncertaine than how where or when we shall die so it is a great folly to vs to hold our selues in the continuall torment of the feare of death Things doubtfull are to be feared but things certaine as death to bee exspected Thirdly we should meditate that our life is like vnto a ship in voyage by sea wherein when wee haue outsailed our bairne-age our youth our old yeares and the best yeares of old age then the commoun end of all flesh beginneth to kyth which is death we take it to bee a rock to make shipwrack vpon wee are deceaved it is not so but a most quyet port harborough or haven therefore he that dyeth soonest hath no more cause to complaine then he who hath soone plyed his voyage yea he should rejoyce for hee dyeth young whom God loveth sayeth Meander and the Prophet sayeth 〈◊〉 57.1 Now consider that righteous men are taken away from the evill to come Fourthly wee should meditate that the day of death is the birth day of eternall life In our first birth our mother with great paine and preasing put vs foorth to this life and wee did cry and weepe no mervaile then though in this second birth of death we haue griefe and paine but feare we neede not more than wee did at our first birth Fiftlie we should meditate that death is commoun to all Heb. 9 2 It is appointed to all once to die and the Poet sayeth Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede Pauperum tabernas regumque turres That is to say With equall foote death knocks at doores Of poore mens shoppes and Princes towres Why then should wee grudge when death comes to our doore Why should wee seeke a priviledge to our selues that is granted to none Nay rather wee should consider that death after old age is the gathering of ripe fruite falling or ripe corne Iob 5.26 vnto the barne first and then to the girnall of God I goe out of this life as out of an Inne De senect saith Cicero not as out of my house for it was given me to abide in not to dwell in By death our soule goeth out of prison to liberty In epist sayeth Seneca and whatsoever we leaue behind vs after death is as the Pilgrims baggage left behind him when hee hasteneth home Finaly Wee should meditate vpon the resurrection of our bodies So did Iob comfort himselfe against the feare of death Iob. 19.26 when hee said Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see GOD in my flesh And the Martyres were tormented Heb. 11 and would not bee delivered from death that they might obtaine a better resurrection Then shall wee sing that song of triumph O death where
is thy sting O graue 2 Cor. 15.55 where is thy vistorie Seneca also comforteth vs against the feare of death by this same argument taken from the resurrection saying The day shall come againe which shall repone vs in light and the Apostle Paul saying IESVS CHRIST shall change our vile bodies Philip. 3 that it may bee fashioned lyke vnto his glorious bodie The fifth Chapter Remedies and comforts against the feare of death proceeding from ignorance infidelity or despaire ADrian the Emperour of whom I spake in the second Chapter was affrayed of death because he knew not what should become of his soule after death Clement the seventh of that name when hee was dying said In speculo Pontifie Hee should shortly try that which all his lyfetime he doubted off whether there were any life after this doubtlesse this doubting was joyned with feare proceeding from ignorance if not from worse Salomon speaking in the person of the Atheist according to the judgement of a naturall man said Who hath marked the Spirit of man which hath ascended vp and the Spirit of the beast Eccles 3.21 which hath descended beneath the earth And a little before hee sayeth As the one dyeth so dyeth the other This ignorance in a man dying must bee joyned with feare the remedies of this feare is the certaine persuasion of that which is revealed to vs in holy Scripture namely that the soule of man is immortall and eternall and that the soules of good men goe to Heaven that is so namely first that the soule is immortall these holy places of Scripture testifie Genes 1.27 So GOD created man in his owne image in the image of GOD created he him which words put a difference betweene mankynd and all living creatures mentioned created before as more excellent than they because of this immortall soule in their comelie bodyes which even the Ethnick Poet acknowledgeth when that hee sayeth Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae Deerat adhuc quod dominari in caetera posset That is to say A creature living more holy than the rest More capable also of a higher mynd Was wanting yet even one to rule the rest And againe hee sayeth Pronaque cum spectent animantia caetera terram Os homini sublime dedit Coelumque tueri Iussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus That is to say While other living hang downe their head to dust To man hee gaue high countenance and said Looke vp to Heaven where once abide thou must Behold the Starres aboue which I haue made And GOD said to Abraham Thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace Gen. 15.15 that is to say Thy Spirit shall goe to the company of the Spirits of the faithfull thy forbears when it departs from thy body by death In that same booke it is said after And Abraham gaue vp the ghost Gen. 25.8 and died and was gathered to his people this must bee vnderstood of his soule for his body was not buried among his forbears but in the buriall place which he bought in the land of Canaan and so this speach in holy Scripture spoken of godly men that when they died they were gathered to their fathers is to be vnderstood David sayeth Psal 16.10 Psal 26.9 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue And in an other place Gather not my soule with sinners And in an other place Psal 31.6 Into thy hands I commit my spirit And in an other Psal 49 15 GOD will redeeme my soule from the power of the graue for hee shall receiue mee Salomon speaking of death Eccles 12.7 sayeth Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it Mat. 10.28 CHRIST sayeth Feare not them who kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule And in an other place citing this place of Scripture I am the God of Abraham of Isaac Math. 22.32 and of Iacob subjoyneth these words GOD is not the God of the dead but of the living which words import that although the bodies of these Patriarchs were dead buried yet their soules were living And it is said Lazarus soule when hee dyed Luke 16 was caried by Angels to Abrahams bosome And CHRIST said to the penitent Thiefe crucified with him Luke 23 33 To day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise And a little after hee Himselfe dying said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Stephen dying said Act 5.59 Philip. 1.23 LORD IESVS receaue my spirit And Paul said I desire to bee dissolved and bee with CHRIST And it is said Heb. 12 33 Yee are come to the spirits of just men and perfect these Scriptures and others proue the soules of men and women to bee immortall The immortalitie of the soule verie Ethnicks did acknowledge Numb 23 10. with Balaam when hee said Let my soule die the death of the righteous and my latter end bee as his Socrates being condemned to die Vita Socra before his death disputed much and well of the immortalitie of the soule amongst his speaches this was one to his friends My children GOD will care for who gaue them to me when I shall goe hence I shall finde friends before mee like vnto you or better When Crito his friend asked him after hee had drunk his poison if hee desired to bee buried Hee answered Alas what labour haue I lost that could not persuade Crito that I shall flee away from hence all whole Plato wrote a booke of the immortality of the soule And hee believed that after this world ended mens soules should returne to their owne bodies The Stoickes said this should bee after the consummation of the world by fire Cleombrotus when he had read over Plato his booke of the immortalitie of the soule Cicero Tusculan quaest lib. 1 precipitated himselfe into the sea being filled with the desire of that better life after this Plut. in vita Catonis which Plato described Cato being resolved to slay himselfe red all the day night before that same booke of Plato Epist 103 Seneca in one of his Epistles hath many notable speaches concerning the immortalitie of the soule amongst the which the feare I shall leaue the body where I found it I shall deliver my selfe to GOD A great and generous thing to the soule of man it can suffer no bounds to bee prescribed to it but with GOD. When Socrates had drunke the poyson forced vpon him and had delivered his garment to his servant as readie to die jesting with cry to his friend said I pray thee remember to sacrifice a cocke to Aesculapius which was then vsuall when a man had drunke a wholesome drinke thereby there was in him no feare of death Christians then should bee ashamed to feare death through ignorance What shall become of the soule after death seing death is inevitable the feare