that our first Parents fell from that primitive Holiness and Righteousness and so lost the Image of God for after that by the perswasion of the Devil they had entertained a love of themselves contrary to God and to the love of their Creator preferring their own Glory and Delectation before the love and glory of God and desiring to be equal with God himself their understandings were presently overspread with ignorance and blindness instead of Wisdom Their Wills grew Refractory and Disobedient to God and all their affections were perverse irregular and out of order so that now the thoughts of man from his infancy are evil and thus man not only fell from that eternal life for which he was Created but also became obnoxious to eternal Damnation Thirdly 'T is firmly to be believ'd that God took pitty on fallen Mankind and sent his Son to take upon him Humane Flesh and being made Man did by suffering and dying satisfie for us and deliver us from eternal death And did by his Merits relied on by a true Faith again make us Heirs of that blessed life which by our sins we lost and restored in us the decayed image of God and made us his and Sanctified us by his Holy Spirit that we might serve him in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our life From whence it plainly appears who Christ is and what is the duty of a Christian viz. Christ is our Redeemer who reconciled us unto his Father and by his Merits made us his Brethren and Coheirs of his Kingdom when we were enemies to God defiled with sin and deserved to be punished with eternal death And a Christian who derives his name from Christ is one who acknowledges that he was indeed created by God in Righteousness and Holiness but by the Wiles of Satan fell from and rebelled against God and so being polluted by the stains of Original Sin and contaminated with many actual Transgressions he became liable to the wrath of God and everlasting punishment from which he is freed and redeemed by the alone Merits and Righteousness of Christ which by Faith is imputed unto him so that now he is to undertake such a way of living as may be well pleasing not to the Devil but unto God and therefore he is to avoid all sins from which he is redeemed by the pretious Merits of Christ and to serve God alone in an holy and religious life And from hence arises a threefold duty of a Christian The first is to acknowledge himself a sinner and to bewail his sins Secondly To believe Christ to be his Redeemer and to trust only in his Merits Thirdly To obey his Laws to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit not to relapse into sins from which by the death of Christ he is redeemed but to love God above all things and his Neighbour as himself Or to comprize all in a word the life of a Christian is a continual Repentance For since he is defiled with Original Sin and even the Just Man falls seven times Prov. 24.16 He will therefore be always sorrowful for his sins and sly to the Merits of Christ and serve God in true Righteousness and Holiness In sum 't is the Duty of a Christian to believe in Christ and to live holily which if he doth for Christs sake he will be acceptable unto God and shall in the end inherit eternal life But if he shall be deprived of this happiness if he is not in favour with God although he should possess the Riches of the whole World although he were Monarch over all the Earth although he were wiser than the best Philosophers yet would all be in vain and to no purpose Vanity of Vanities Eccles 1. all is Vanity except to serve God and to please him There are indeed many things to be done which are allowed of God but there is one thing necessary None shall be Condemned in the last Day that they were not rich that they were not in high places that they did not enjoy great honours that they were ignorant of many nice Subtilties of Nature But they alone shall be Condemned who do not believe in Christ and who are not the Children of God The Prayer GRant O Lord Jesus Christ that I may never forget those Vows wherewith I have obliged my self unto thee in the Holy Sacrament of Baptism but that renouncing the Devil and all his Works I may obey thy Commandments with my whole Heart and confessing my self to be a Miserable Sinner I may confide in thy Merits and serve Thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life Amen CHAP. XI That we must repent And first of sorrowing for our sins FOR as much as the Christian knows that he is conceiv'd and born in sins and that in this corruption of Humane Nature no body can sufficiently resist the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil that there is no Man which sinneth not 2 Chr. 6.36 Prov. 20.9 for who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my sin and that even the Just man falleth seven times Prov. 24.16 therefore he hates and bewails his sins and confesseth that by them he hath provoked Gods anger against him so that he justly deserveth the eternal pains of Hell But the Christian must bewail his sins seriously and from his heart 2 Cor. 7.10 For that is godly sorrow which worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of that is a true sorrow for sins joyn'd with faith Now this grief and sadness the Holy Ghost excites in us as also doth the Consideration and Meditation of Christs Passion As if a Man considers who he is whom he hath offended who it is that is angry with him and that his sins were the cause of his Saviours Passion For Man from himself is nothing but he is Gods Creature and whatever any one hath he hath it from God But God is the Creator of all things the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Omnipotent Immense most Wise most Good and most Great insomuch that between Man and God there is no proportion And yet Man by his sins rebell'd against God and deliver'd himself up into the Bondage of Satan and so provoked the infinite anger of his God against him Now the Passion of Christ is the Mirrior of the Divine anger And whoever considers with himself the reasons that mov'd the Son of God to become Man to suffer and to die and confesseth that it was the sins of the World which could no other ways be atton'd for than by the Death and Passion of the Son of God himself he who shall consider that Man who is Dust and Ashes fell away from his Creator the great and good God and listed himself under the Devils Banner and so by his sins provoked Gods anger enough to have thrown him headlong into Hell and withal shall confess it to be in part his own fault that the
Son of God underwent such Grief and Torments for others Crimes no doubt but such an one will abhor himself and be amazed at the consideration of his own guilt and if he were left to himself to rely upon his own strength and knew no ways of appeasing the wrath of God he must of necessity be driven to despair The Prayer WO is me O Lord who was conceived and born in sin the thoughts of my heart are inclined unto evil from my Youth Wo is me who have sinned against thee my Creatour and bountiful Lord and have done evil in thy sight But I acknowledge mine iniquity and my sins are ever before me Jet 9.1 Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for my sins whereby I have so often offended thee my Lord and Creatour whether shall I fly who will intercede for me who will deliver me in the day of thy fierce anger that I perish not for ever Alas there is none to save but thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ But forasmuch as faith in him is not our own work but thy gift blessed Lord let thy Holy Spirit excite preserve and daily increase in my heart a true and lively faith Mat. 11.27 O Holy Father since no man knoweth the Son but thou only neither knoweth any man thee save thy Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal thee draw me I beseech thee unto him that he may lead me unto thee least I die in my sins Vouchsafe to strengthen my weak Faith and perfect that good Work which thou hast begun in me Establish in me a firm Faith in my Saviour to the last breath of my life that amongst the many various errors and opinions of this World I may not in the least be perverted from the true faith but may always ask and obtain the remission of my sins from thee through the merits and intercession of the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XII That we are to fly for refuge to the mercies of God and to believe in Christ BUT the Christian is not to despair altho' he must acknowledge himself to be a sinner John 3.16 but for as much as he knows that God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life he therefore puts his whole trust and confidence in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ For the merciful God hath promised pardon of sins to true Penitents this we find in divers places of Scripture Ezek. 33.12 As for the wickedness of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness 2 Pet. 3.9 for God is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live A broken and a contrite heart Psal 51.17 God will not despise Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping Joel 2.13 and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Zechar. 1.3 Turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you Ps 69.33 Mat. 12.20 Seek ye after God and your Soul shall live A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench Act. 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out And therefore the true Penitent may with affiance approach unto God and say Ps 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Father I have sinned against Heaven Luk. 15.21 and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Ps 51.1 But have mercy upon me according to thy loving kindness according unto the multitudes of thy tender mercies Lu. 18.13 And God be merciful unto me a sinner Nor let him in the least doubt of the mercy of God whilst he relies on the merits of Christ Mat. 18.11 1 Joh. 1.7 For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus so that he may rest quiet in the mercies of God and in the merits of Christ as knowing that a full ransom was paid for his sins and that a most absolutely perfect righteousness able to stand before the judgment of God was purchased and obtained for sinners by the most holy Obedience of Christ which he performed to his Father both in his life and death and which the Holy Spirit offers to all the World in the Word and Sacraments desiring them to accept of it And to those who do not resist these means he excites increases and confirms their Faith that they may receive the grace of God purchased by Christ's merits and tender'd unto them in the Divine Word and holy Sacraments so that they may be confident that he who hath begun a good work in them will also perfect it and preserve them in grace unto the end of their lives For saith St. Paul I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height Rom. 8. ult nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Prayer BEhold O Lord I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and I see another law in my members waring against the law of my mind from this corruption of nature it proceeds that I am so disobedient to to thy Laws and Commandments even from my infancy until now I have infinite ways transgressed them in thought word and deed the good things which I ought I have not done and the evil things which I ought not I have committed so great is the number of my sins that I can no longer remember them all O Heavenly Father I am not worthy to be called thy Son but I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Have mercy upon me therefore O God according to thy great goodness and cleanse me from all even my most secret sins enter not into judgment with thy Servant and remember not the sins of my youth Lord despise not a broken and a contrite
God to call him out of it Let not any then despise these counsels and directions as if they belonged only to sick and Dying Men but rather consider that if they daily exercise themselves in the use and practise of them whilst they are in their health and strength they will reap the greater benefit by them when they come to die and will depart this life with a comfortable assurance of God's favour but it is to be feared that they will find themselves very ill prepar'd for an happy departure hence at the time of their dissolution who when they were well us'd all their endeavours to put the thoughts of death out of their minds Be therefore intent and diligent in reading and meditating on Lectures of Mortality and learn to die whilst you live Put on the person of a dying man even now whilst the strength of your mind and body remains perfect and entire in you Do those things now which you would desire to do when you are a dying and then when ever the timâ— draws nigh that you must die indeed you will find all those holy preparations with which you so frequently exercised your self in your life time will be wonderfully helpful and subservient to you in that your last hour All the Divine Comforts and Consolations with which you entertain'd your self during the days of your Pilgrimage here will come afresh into your mind and you will have little more to do than to rejoyce in the reflexions on a well spent life and to commend your Soul into the Hands of God as into the Hands of a faithful Creatour and most Merciful Saviour And when ever any sickness seizeth on you remember that it doth not come by chance but by the hand of God and thank him for his Fatherly Correction towards you Commit your self to his Divine Providence and rely not too much on the Physitians help which we find king Asa reprov'd for in Holy Scripture Yet according to the advice of the Son of Sirach Honour the Physitian and make use of such means as God and Nature offer but let your greatest care be for the health of your Soul For since a dreadful Eternity succeeds the short moment of your life What madness would it be to employ all your Care and Diligence about this vain life which passeth away like a shaddow and to make no provision for your everlasting State in the other World till you are brought to the very confines of it But O Christian if you are wise be every day thinking that you must shortly put off this your Earthly Tabernacle even as the Lord hath shewn you And in any sickness that befalls you first reconcile your self to God and then you may be assured that either he will make the means you use conducive to the health of your Body or else will make your Disease and even Death it self healthful to your Soul A TABLE Of the Chapters in the ensuing Treatise comprizing the Sum of Christian Religion CHAP. I. IT is appointed for all Men once to die p. 1. Chap. II. And at death all things in the World are to be left behind p. 4. Chap. III. But after death there remains another life and death is the passage either to Eternal Happiness or Misery p. 10 Chap. IV. All Men after death must stand before the Judgment Seat of God p. 16. Chap. V. And some shall be Translated into Eternal life abounding with infinite Felicities p. 22. Chap. VI. Whilst others shall be cast headlong into the unspeakable Torments of Hell p. 27. Chap. VII And since they only are partakers of the Blessed life who die well it therefore concerns all Men to be careful how they live and to prepare themselves for a Blessed death as a thing very difficult Now this Preparation is either general and to be exercised every day or particular to be performed when death approaches p. 36. Chap. VIII Towards this general and daily Preparation it is requisite for a Man first to consider the certainty of death the shortness of life and uncertainty of the hour of death p. 38. Chap. IX Secondly Not to fear Death p. 52. Chap. X. Thirdly That he perform the Duty of a Christian p. 61. Chap. II. Now the Duty of a Christian consists chiefly in true Repentance And first in sorrow for sin p. 68. Chap. XII Secondly In an Humble Reliance on the Mercies of God and in Faith in Christ p. 73. Chap. XIII Thirdly In an Holy life p. 79. Chap. XIV And he lives well who loves God above all things p. 85. Chap. XV. And his Neighbour as himself p. 93. Chap. XVI And to this end he is to strive against all Capital and Enormeus sins which are contrary to the love of God and his Neighbour p. 97. Chap. XVII And that the Christian may the better persevere in the exercises of Virtue and Repentante it may be very useful for him to compose a Diary or a daily Form of Devotion p. 118 Chap. XVIII The particular preparation for death consists in two things one whereof concerns the sick Person and the other his Neighbour The first is that the dying Man make his peace with God and fortifie his mind against all those Temptations which usually insinuate themselves at this time The second is that he be in perfect Love and Charity with all Men and rightly dispose of all his Worldly concerns p. 140. IMPRIMATUR Feb. 15. 1693 4. Guil. Lancaster R P D Henrico Epis Lond à Sacris Domesticâ—s ERRATA PAg. 13 line 5. for Theogenis read Theognis p. 45. l. 2. f. neglact r. neglect p. 52. l. 15. f. the r. a. p. 53. l. 28. f. World r. World p. 69. l. 19. f. Mirrior r. Mirroir p. 81. l. 9. f. in r. and. p. 103. l. 23. f. this r. his p. 108. l. 28. f. Languish r. Anguish p. 127. l. 11. f. putrisying r. putrify p. 172. l. 10. f. desire r. deserve p. 173. l. 8. f. make r. maketh Daniel Sennertus HIS MEDITATIONS OF Living holily and dying happily CHAP. I. That all must die WE are taught both by Sacred and Heathen Writers that we must all die whilst they often inculcate that it is appointed unto men once to die Heb. 9.27 Wisd 7.6 1 Kings 2.2 that all-Men have one entrance into Life and the like going out that Death is the way of all the Earth Thus also Ovid speaks Tendimus huc omnes metam properamus ad unam Omnia-sub leges mors vocat atra suas We all pass swiftly on to the same state And all are subject to the Laws of Fate And Horace Lib. 2. Od. 18. Omnes manet una nox calcanda semel via lethi A long dark Night will all the World o're spread And all the rugged paths of Death must tread But much more plainly doth daily experience and the Funerals we continually see go by our doors admonish us of our mortality Sen. Ep. 100. Omnis dies omnis
hora c. Every day every hour shews us we are nothing and by some fresh Arguments puts us in mind of the frailty of our Natures which we too easily forget and forceth us to look on death whilst we are thinking of abiding here for ever There is no man can promise himself an immunity from death by any of those things which are wont to distinguish Men from the rest of Mankind Neither Age nor Sex no condition or state of life neither learning nor honours nor riches nor beauty nor pleasure can defend any one from death Young and Old Kings and Beggars the Wise and the Ignorant the Fair and the Deformed must all die Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas Hor lib. 1. Od 4. Regumque turres Neque ulla est aut magno aut parvo lethi fuga Pale Death goes into all a like Id. Sat. 6. lib. 2. Serm. as well Towers of Princes as the poorest Cell Nor is there any one can flie from Death Thus as there is no difference observable in the birth of men so neither is there in their death The Prayer LOrd let me know my end and the number of my dayes that I may be certified how long I have to live Behold thou hast made my dayes as it were a span long and my age is even as nothing in respect of Thee Verily every man living is altogether Vanity We come up as a flower and are cut down and never continue in one stay Lord so teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdom Grant that I may not be one moment forgetful of my mortality and knowing that I must die let me never think of setting up my rest here CHAP. II. The Consideration of those things which happen at Death THe devout Christian ought not only to be perpetually mindful of his own mortality but also seriously to consider what Death is and what usually befalls men when they are dying and when they are dead Imagine therefore before your eyes a man now on the Confines of Death just ready to give up the Ghost fix this object in your mind and every day revolve it in your thoughts See how he lies dying almost without breath His Body loses all its beauty and comeliness and begins to smell of the Earth from whence it was taken and none of its members perform their functions And yet this is that Body which not long since was so sumptuously fed so delicately cloath'd and nurs'd up with so much care and cost Then a man begins to despise his Gold and Silver his Jewels and Apparel his Riotings and Pastimes when he finds no assistance from them either against his Sickness or his Death he sees all his worldly delights are vanished away and others ready to possess his Honours and Riches and an afflicting thought it is to him to consider that for the obtaining these very things he hath undergone so much toil and labour and hath committed so many sins And hence will arise many conflicts of mind many tormenting thoughts and unquiet hours Sometimes the acuteness of his Disease afflicts him sometimes his Conscience wounds him and Satan sets before his eyes the multitude of his Sins which now appear more vile and heinous than ever before he thought them to be Sometimes he is distracted when he remembers how much time he hath prodigally spent in vanity and folly and that now he must give a strict account of all his thoughts words and actions sometimes his Soul is grieved by the temptations of the Devil driving him to despair and shewing him the direful punishments of Hell-fire Thus also when a man begins to think he can live no longer he then considers he must leave his Wise and Children his Kinsfolks and Friends his Riches and Honours and every thing that was dear to him here and this leads him to consider further that in a short time his Soul must be separated from his Body and that he must pass into another state of Life Then if a man hath not duly prepared himself for Death nor reconciled himself to God with what anguish shall his Soul be tormented when he can expect no help from any of those things which he before so much accounted of To live longer is not permitted him and to die is intolerable Then he calls to mind his former sins which he hath committed and sees the time of his examination and of the divine vengeance is at hand If he looks back upon his past life all the dayes he has spent seems but a moment of time If he looks forward on that infinite space of Eternity which is to come he then grieves that he hath preferr'd such vain delights and of such short continuance before an eternal weight of Glory and Happiness And these things do so disquiet him that no room is left for any comfortable thoughts for Death now approaching he will scarcely have either time or strength to think on any thing for his good to what purpose is it to give wholesome advice to administer profitable Counsels to one whose Senses are impair'd by the violence of his Disease and whose mind and understanding are weakned and disturb'd by the Indisposition of his Body For whilst he is considering that he is not prepar'd for Death as he ought and distracts himself with the thoughts of his sad Condition his Eyes begin to grow dim and his Ears deaf his Tongue falters and his Memory and Reason fail him Do those things therefore now whilst thou art in Health and God alloweth thee Time and Strength which thou canst not but think Reasonable should be done at thy last Hour arm thy self betimes against all those Evils and Temptations which commonly befall Men at the time of Death and seeing that neither Riches nor Honours nor Pleasures nor Friends can prolong our Lives for one hour nor free us from those Cares and Anxieties which are wont to disturb Men when they are dying believe it it is desperate madness to undergo so much labour for the sake of them and contrariwise to neglect those things which would help us toward the attainment of Everlasting Happiness And now O Man think what will become of thee after death As soon as thou art dead every one even thy nearest and best Friends thy Wife and Children and Kinsfolk will fly from thy Corps and will not be able to endure the sight of thee before they were pleased with thy Embraces but now thy very presence is Ghastly and Terrible Here then is the bounds of Worldly Love and Friendship It is therefore very unreasonable to place our Confidence in these things but let us rather put our Trust in those which may be useful to us even after we are dead Think how horrid and noisom the stink of thy Carkass would be even to thy nearest Kindred and yet this is that Body for the indulging whereof thou hast so often offended thy God How
a full Dominion over them But in Hell where the Damned are delivered up by God to be Tormented he useth his own Liberty and Authority and exercises such Cruelty on them as the mind of Man is not capable to conceive Think then O Man how great their Misery shall be who must live in the Society and under the Dominion of Devils and undergo their Rage and Malice to Eternal Ages Think O Man what great Misery it would be to be shut up in a close Room for a Month together with Mad folks or such as are possess'd and from thence you may Conjecture how wretched their condition will be who must be forc'd to live with many Myriads of outragious Devils to all Eternity Oh! How will the Devils Tyrannize not only over the meaner and baser rank of Men but also over Emperours Kings and Princes those of the highest Order and Quality How will the Great Ones of this World be greatly tormented and plagued by the Devils and scoffed at with biting Taunts and Jeers After the same manner will they insult over all ranks of Men and will as much as they can increase their punishments by Revilings Reproaches and Mockings they will laugh at and make a jest of the Damned that they should precipitate themselves into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for trifles for momentary Honours decaying Riches fading Pleasures or vain Joys and that they should sooner believe them who they knew were their sworn Enemies than the great and good God the Maker and Redeemer of Mankind And then lastly there is not only the Society of Devils but also of the Damned which will still farther aggravate their Punishment Nothing will there be seen but the Eternal and Horrid Plagues and Tortures of the Damned Fiends nothing will there be heard but Stripes and Wailings Curses and Accusations of those who by Counsel Admonition or Example were the causes and occasions of their sinning and more remarkable will be the Expostulations of Parents with their Children that for their sakes they were cast into these Torments whilst they endeavoured by all means right or wrong to heap up Riches and Wealth for them and on the other side the Children will accuse their Parents and impute the cause of their Damnation to them that by their Examples or Indulgency they gave them the occasions of Sinning The Prayer OLord Jesus Christ guide and illuminate my mind that I may daily remember and attentively consider what a vast difference there is between the Joys of Eternal Life and the Miseries of Hell And direct me by thy Holy Spirit in the ways of thy Commandments that I may walk in that narrow Path that leadeth unto Life and suffer me not to be seduced by Satan into the broad way of the Wicked which leadeth to Destruction least I fall headlong into that Lake of Fire and Brimstone from which thou hast Redeemed me by thy most precious Blood but by the Efficacy of thy Merits let me live with Thee for ever and ever in Heaven Amen Who amongst us can dwell with the devouring fire Who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings CHAP. VII To die well there is great need of a careful Preparation SInce then there is so great a difference between that Blessed Life above and the Miseries of the Damned that death is the passage either to Eternal Blifs or Punishment and that the everlasting Happiness or Misery of all Men depends on one Moment that blessed are the dead that die in the Lord but for ever miserable are they that die the death of the Wicked And that our Eternal Salvation depends upon an happy death It certainly ought to be our chiefest care and concern to learn to die well and to prepare ourselves aright for an happy departure Now he dies well who hath liv'd well and whom Death doth not find unprovided De discipl Eccl. cap. 2. For as St. Augustin saith Non enim potest male mori qui bone vixerit it is not possible for him to die ill who hath liv'd well But great need there is of preparation for any one to die well For if we never undertake any matter of small importance as the going of a Journey or the like without some provision and often thinking on it before-hand it certainly is much more necessary to be very Solicitous and attentively to consider after what manner we are to demean our selves at the hour of Death that so we may obtain the Felicity of Eternal Life and avoid the Pains and Miseries of Hell Now the preparation for Death is Twofold The one General and to be performed every day The other Special and is necessary when Death approaches The Prayer OLord God and most Merciful Father for as much as my Salvation depends upon an happy death do thou vouchsafe so to direct my mind that I may be always very careful how to secure to my self an happy passage out of this World and so to order my self and all that belongs unto me that at what ever hour thou shalt please to call me hence I may be found ready and through the gate of Death I may be Translated into thy Glorious Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. VIII The general and daily Preparation for Death The first Consideration that Death is certain Life is short and the hour of Death is uncertain THE general and daily Preparation for Death we shall treat of in the following Chapters desiring the devout Christian to consider 1st That death is certain life short and the hour of death uncertain 2ly That death is not to be feared And 3ly the Christian Duties that are daily to be performed by him 1st Then it is fitting for a Man that intends to die well often to ponder in his mind the certainty of Death the shortness of Human Life and the uncertainty of the hour of Death For in the first place the continual Meditation of our Mortality may be a very effectual means to prepare us both to live and to die well nothing can better shew us the way of holy living no exhortation to piety and vertue more prevalent than the remembrance of death nothing more powerfully calls us off from our sins and from a fond desire after worldly things than the serious consideration of the frailty instability and approaching dissolution of our bodies for as that last moment of our lives will take off all the salse colours and disguises from earthly things and represent them clearly to our view as they are in themselves vain and despicable so the frequent premeditation of that hour quickens the sight of our minds more plainly to perceive the same Truths for whilst our minds are full of the thoughts of our mortality those things which follow after death will presently insinuate themselves then will sinners see Hell open before them and the unquenchable fire ready to devour them which will so terrifie their consciences that neither honours nor riches nor pleasures
nor any other worldly thing can any longer please or entice them And as nothing is more profitable for us than the daily meditation of death so on the contrary nothing is more hurtful than our forgetfulness of it and yet this is very common with the rich Men and great Ones of this World who as if they were to live the age of Methusalah lay up Provisions for many years continuance here and in the mean time think little or nothing of the life to come and so when they fancy they have attained to the top of their desires on a sudden with the rich Man in the Gospel they are forced to depart out of this life and too often descend into eternal destruction and forasmuch as the Devil well knows that nothing more powerfully excites men to holiness or better secures their souls from his snares than the meditation of death he therefore employs his greatest care and diligence to put these thoughts out of mens minds which if he can but obtain he easily gets every thing else he has a mind to and takes men captive at his will It is a sign of a mind altogether deprav'd and out of order which doth not care to hear Discourses and Conferences of Death which is sad and uneasie at the thoughts of it and therefore strives to divert it self with witty sayings and merriment with full bowls and all kinds of delight and pastime But on the contrary he who is in favour with God whose Soul is not plunged in sensual pleasures it is his delight to think often and to discourse of death for he knows 't is the only necessary way to everlasting bliss Secondly Towards our preparation for death we are to consider the shortness of our lives for how little time doth God allow us to live here many Infants expire at their very entrance in to life some die in their Childhood others in their Youth fewer arrive to their middle age but very few attain to old age from hence it is that in Holy Scripture our life is compar'd to those things that are most frail and momentary as the trace of a cloud a mist a spark Wisd 2. Job 14.2 Psal 90. Job 5.6.9 a shadow a flower a weavers shuttle a post a swift ship and an eagle that hasteth to his prey This also the Heathen declar'd and therefore Pindar call'd man the dream of a shadow Aeschylus the shadow of smoke M. Varro a bubble and with good reason are these names attributed to man for we die daily and some part of our lives are every day taken from us our whole state is nothing else but a journey a race to death And then Thirdly Consider that in this short life the time of death is uncertain for tho' it is appointed for all to die yet the hour of death is unknown some die in their Infancy some in their Youth and some in their old Age whilst others are overtaken by an unexpected death so that no one can assure himself of to morrow neither is the place or manner of our death known to us which is daily confirm'd to us by the dead Corpses we see carried by For all that die do not keep their Beds afflicted by a long continued sickness for some are taken away suddenly or in a moment lose their Senses by Appoplexies others are choak'd by violent Catarrhs some are kill'd by falls some by the ruins of Houses whilst others are trod under feet by Horses some are drowned in the Water and others are struck with Lightning whilst others unexpectedly fall into the hands of Thieves and Enemies and come to an untimely end which they never were afraid of Now what happens to one may happen to all and what may happen to all every one ought to expect may happen to them For man also knoweth not his time Eccles 9.12 as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them being then men we ought to think that whatever is common to man and does sometimes happen to others may also befal us Now hereby we are admonish'd to be every minute ready and prepar'd for death For God was pleased to let us be ignorant of the time of our death that the uncertainty thereof might be a means of exciting in us a constant practice of vertue and avoiding of sin and a perpetual care and endeavour to secure our eternal wellfare for how dangerous is it to live in such a condition that if a sudden death should surprize us unawares our salvation is utterly to be despair'd of and who can ascertain us that at the end of our lives when death comes on us like an armed man we shall be in so good a disposition as to be able to bewail our sins and implore the grace and mercy of God Indeed were we permitted to die often and return again to life their rashness and security were excusable who so seldom think of death but since 't is appointed unto all men but once to die and that there is no leading of our lives over again 't is manifest what great danger they run whom death overtakes before they are provided for it since it for ever takes away from them all hopes of salvation Let us then be always prepared for death let us fly from sin and not defer our repentance let us not cherish anger and revenge evil affections and a fond desire of living long in this World but let us account every day to be our last and when we go to sleep let us so demean our selves as if we were never to arise again from our beds and when we arise in the morning let us so spend every hour of the day as if we were never to lie down in our beds again let us so use the good things of this World as if we were to leave them every moment let us not vainly promise our selves along continuance here with that rich man in the Gospel who said unto his Soul Luk. 12.19 Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry whereas that very night his Soul was required of him but let us daily pray with holy David Ps 39.5 Lord let me know my end and the number of my days that I may be certified how long I have to live and let us not neglact that wholsom Admonition of our Saviour who saith Mat. 24.46 Vsque ad fin Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall make him Ruler over all his Goods But and if that Evil Servant shall say in his Heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow Servants and to eat and drink with the Drunken The Lord of that Servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for
to so improper so unfit a time it is rightly said that late repentance seldom happens to be true and serious and God by a just judgment oftentimes disregards those when they are dying who thought it grievous to remember God when they were well in health Of these the Divine Wisdom thus speaks Prov. 1.24 c. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation when distress and anguish comeâ—h upon you Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof The Prayer O Most infinite Wisdom thy thoughts are not like our thoughts since then it did not please thee to reveal unto us the hour of our death grant that I may be always prepared for an happy departure hence that at thy coming I may be found watching and ready let not the hour of death surprize me in my sins and let me never spend one day without true repentance Inliven my Soul to be perpetually aspiring after thee and loving thee that so all things that happen to me may work together for good and nothing may be able to separate me from the love of Christ Jesus thy Son our Lord Amen CHAP. IX That Death is not to be fear'd SInce then it is certain that all must die that life is short and the hour of death is uncertain and that therefore it becomes us to be every moment prepared for an happy departure hence unless we will run the hazard of losing our Souls for ever the devout Christian therefore may prepare himself to die well if in the second place he learns not to fear death This then is the second head of those general and daily preparations for a blessed death that we bear the thoughts of death with a couragious mind and that we never be captivated with the false pleasures of life and the fond desire after earthly things for the pleasures of life and the blandishments of this World are chiefly to be reckon'd amongst those things which make death most bitter and formidable to us We know no union more close than that of Soul and Body so that nothing can appear more terrible than death which separates Soul and Body those two intimate companions moreover in this life there are many things we much value and which engage our affections to them such as are magnificent Buildings sumptuous Apparel Vessels of Gold and Silver Riches fruitful Fields delightful Gardens pleasant Vineyards Parents Children Wife and Friends of all which since death bereaves us 't is no wonder if we account it bitter Hence 't is said in Ecclesiasticus Cap. 41.1 O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions unto the man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath prosperity in all things But now a diligent consideration of the miseries and troubles of this life of which we shall speak by and by and of the joys of eternal life of which we have before treated will soon root out of our hearts all fondness and complacency for earthly things for these pleasures are false and counterfeit and under the sweet lies gall and bitterness This made Solomon the wisest of Kings who wanted nothing this Wotld could afford to make his life happy upon his own experience say that all things under the Sun are vain and empty Vanity of Vanities Eccl. 1.2 all is Vanity In this World we live like Strangers and Pilgrims why then do we not desire to return into our own Countrey what ever we leave behind us here shall there be recompenced with far more Excellent and Transcendent Rewards Thus our Saviour adviseth us Mat. 6.19 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon Earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal Altho' many things here are pleasant and grateful to us yet compar'd to Eternal Life they are nothing to be accounted off when we die we do not lose all those faithful Servants of Christ which were here so dear to us they will follow a little after When we die we are gather'd to our people and go unto our Fathers and we shall there have the acquaintance of more and far better Friends Angels and Archangels without number Dan. 7.10 for thousand thousands minister unto God and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him what an unspeakable joy will it be to have a familiar conversation with the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the faithful Servants of Christ And as the pleasures of this life are as nothing if they be weighed in an even ballance with the glories of immortality to which we pass by the gate of death so also death it self is not to be feared by us for though it is called the most terrible of all evils because it separates those two intimate Friends Soul and Body and delivers up the Body which was here so tenderly beloved and provided for to be eaten up by Worms though death consider'd in it self be the punishment of sin and befalls us by the Divine Malediction and though death be to be dreaded by one who is involved in a multiplicity of worldly business and is not provided for his departure out of this life and so is very doubtful of his future state yet forasmuch as by the death of Christ it is made the way and passage to eternal life to a good man who is prepared for an happy death it is not at all to be fear'd that the day of death is better than the day of ones birth Eccl. 7. â— For when we are born we enter into this World which is a scene full of miseries and calamities but when we die we leave them all and are translated into that other blessed life which is replenish'd with all kinds of felicities We are first of all in this World subjected to the slavery of our corruptions and original Sin whilst afterwards the seeds of many lusts spring up in us infidelity ambition covetousness hatred envy uncleanness and such like thus St. Paul complains that he was sold under sin Rom. 7.14 This is the height of misery and to a man enflamed with a desire after an holy life and in whose breast one spark of piety remains nothing can happen more grievous than the corruptions of the flesh of this the Apostle farther complains Ibid. v. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no
good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not v. 24. that I do c. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death None can be wholly freed from this corruption of the flesh in this life but after death we shall be altogether deliver'd from it and they who shall be thought worthy to enter into the blessed life above shall sin no more And farther a great trouble and misery it is to pious Men that they are forc'd to live and sojourn amongst so many wicked Persons Psal 120.5 like Sheep amongst Wolves this made David cry out Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have my Habitation among the Tents of Kedar Besides our Salvation is exposed to the greatest dangers the Devil as a Roaring Lyon 1 Pet. 5.8 walketh about seeking whom he may devour The World is daily exciting us to Sin by evil Examples and fair Promises the Snares wherewith Satan and the World endeavours to intrap us are every where laid for us in Riches in Meat and Drink in our Eyes and in our Ears in our Words and in our Actions now Death wholly frees us from the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil And not only from these but also from all the Calamities and Misfortues which so usually happen to Mankind in this Mortal Life That this Life is full of troubles there needs not many words to prove since both Sacred and Prophane Authors complain of the Miseries of Humane Life Job 14.1 whilst they teach that Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of Trouble And that the very name of Man imports all miseries This truth we all daily experience For how lamentable is our Nativity To how many evils is our Infancy exposed Our youth to how many injuries and dangers is it obnoxious With how many cares is our Manhood distracted And how is our old Age Surrounded with Calamities What reason then we have to fear death which at once frees us from all these miseries which is the only safe Haven to us who sail on this Stormy and Tempestuous Sea Nor doth death only deliver us from Sin and all the Troubles of this World but is also the gate through which we are to pass into Eternal Life wherein the just shall enjoy the most delightful Society of God the Father of Christ our Saviour of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and of all the Angels and Blessed Spirits How great this future Happiness and Beatitude is the mind of Man cannot conceive nor words express And although our Bodies shall rot in the grave or be other ways dissolved yet is there no danger that we shall be separated from Christ to whom we are joyned by the Bond of the Spirit but the dead shall remain united to Christ both in their Bodies and in their Souls and in the last Judgment their Souls and Bodies being made one shall arise together to Eternal Glory Hence in Holy Writ Death is called a Sleep and the Grave a Bed or Dormitory For all these reasons the True Christian is so provided that not only death but sudden death also doth not affright him men indeed do usually not without cause dread sudden death but if we duly consider it a wicked life spent without Repentance is much more to be fear'd than a sudden death nor is a sudden death bad because it is sudden but because for the most part it overtakes Men unprepar'd and impenitent and so casts them headlong into Destruction whereas if it finds us ready a sudden death is not evil but rather a more speedy passage from this to an Happy and Eternal Life The Prayer MOst Merciful Father open and enlighten the Eyes of my Mind to see and rightly consider the Misery and Vanity of this present life that I may not set my affections on the World nor the things in it but may with my whole Heart long after the Joys of Heaven O Lord excite in me an ardent Desire after the Celestial Life and vouchsafe me some fore taste of it by the sweetness whereof the bitterness of death may be so allay'd that I may be daily ready to leave this World and desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ our Lord Amen CHAP. X. The Duty of a Christian THE third Head of the Preparation for a Blessed Death Non potest malè mori qui bene vixerit de discipline christiana cap. 12. was to live holily and to enter into such a course of life as becomes a Christian for as St. Augustin says No Body can die ill that hath liv'd well Now he lives well that performs the Duties of a Christian He therefore who is mindful of his Eternal Salvation must diligently consider what the Duty of a Christian is or what way of living may best conduce towards the attaintment of everlasting life after this For he who would die like a Christian must live as a Christian But he who lives wickedly shall die wickedly and shall arise and be condemned with the Wicked Now although there be many Duties which belong to Christians in common with other Men yet are they not peculiar to a Christian but are ordained for the preservation of Humane Society and honest Behaviour in the World One kind of Duty there is which properly belongs to a Christian which only is needful and which whoever performs it will be well with him hereafter for evermore And what that duty is the very name of a Christian doth sufficiently intimate For whereas the Sects of all Philosophers and Religions have received their Names from their Author and Master whose Precepts Ordinances and Institutions they follow in like manner Christians are so called because they only imitate Christ and as much as in them lies tread in his steps and obey his command and moreover what cannot be said of any other Religion a Christian is one who doth not live himself but Christ liveth in him by Faith Gal. 2.20 so that Christ is the life of Christians who thenceforth manifests himself in all their actions It is then chiefly requisite a Christian should know who Christ is whose Name he bears and to whom he gave up himself in the Sacrament of Baptism what he hath done for our Salvation and what he requires of us to do To this end first we are to remember that Man was Created by God after his own Image Gen. 1. that is as the Apostle explains it Gal. 4.24 in true Holiness and Righteousness so that his understanding was comformable to God and gave to him alone all Honour and Glory Him alone he lov'd reverenced and worshipped and with Him hereafter he should have enjoy'd an immortal eternal and most blessed life Secondly 'T is to be remark'd
advice and Counsel which the Holiest Men have given to such as were ready to depart this life we shall find them all have recourse to that of David Ps 143.2 Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord Ps 130.3 for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified If thou Lord shouldest make iniquities O Lord who shall stand The best Men in the World when they have been in the agonies of Death have begg'd earnestly of God for the Remission of their sins nor could they expect or desire Salvation from any but only from our Lord Jesus Christ for there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved A Man thus seriously reconciled to God will easily struggle with and overcome all the Temptations which are wont to press in upon dying persons For although the remembrance of all the sins of your past life and those too aggravated by the malice of Satan and with all the rigour of the last judgment and the severity of the Judge should come into your mind yet to these Terrours you may oppose the Mercies of God the Father the Merits of Jesus Christ and the most assured promises of forgiveness of sins which as you ought always and in your greatest health to remember as hath been said before so when Death approaches you ought more especially to have them in a readiness the principal whereof are contained in these following Texts of Scripture Isa 1.18 Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Isa 43.25 though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool I even I saith the Lord am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon Zek. 18.32 I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Thou Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious Psal 86.15 Long suffering and plenteous in Mercy and Truth Psal 147.3.11 The Lord healeth the broken in Heart and bindeth up their Wounds The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy 1 Joh. 1.7 Mat. 18.11 The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin The Son of Man came to save that which was lost This is a faithful saying 1 Tim. 1.15 and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief 1 Joh 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole World Whosoever liveth and believeth in him John 11.26 shall never die Eternally John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World Mat. 26.28 He shed his Blood for the Remission of sins Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities He that believeth on him shall not be Condemned Rom. 8.33 c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress c. 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 1 Tim. 2.4 c. He would have all Men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus Who gave himself a Ransom for all You are therefore in no wise to doubt of the Mercies of God and of the forgiveness of your sins for the Mercies of God are infinitely greater than the sins of all Mankind It is an Article of our Christian Faith I believe the forgiveness of sins So that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Our Blessed Saviour invites all sinners unto himself with the kindest expressions saying Matth. 11.28 Joh. 3.16 Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest For God so loved the World that he gives his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 5.24 Verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live Joh. 6.35 c. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out And this is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day My sheep bear my voice and I know them Joh. 10.27 28. and they follow me And I give unto them elernal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand For I am perswadâ—d that neither death nor life nor angels Rom 8. nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor an other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And every one that is grieved for his sin may say to himself as Paul and Silas heretofore said to the Keeper of the Prison at Philippi Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved If it should happen that your mind should be disturb'd with such thoughts as these that though Christ perhaps made satisfaction for some yet sure not for all nor for grievous sins let some of the same consolations be ready at hand As these the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin If any man sin 1 Joh. 1.7 we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.1 2. 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransom for all
best done if instead of thinking any more on Death it self he rather transfers his thoughts and fixes them on the most Happy State of the Heavenly life to which he is hastning Apoc. 14.13 For Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them For although Death be the Wages of Sin yet by the Death of Christ it is changed into a happy passage to a true life by which being set loose from the Prison of this World from the Bondage of Trouble and from the Chains of sin we come unto Christ By the Dissolution of our Corporeal Tabernacle we are Translated from our Earthly Pilgrimage to dwell for ever with the Lord By Death we leave this valley of Tears this Dungeon of Misery and mount up to the Heavenly Jerusalem where there is no crying nor pain nor Death but perpetual Pleasures and rejoycing for evermore Hence the Apostle truly calls Death the gain of the godly for is it not great gain to leave evil things and to possess an infinite good The sick Person may perhaps be sad and melancholly when he thinks that he must now endure a great deal of pain and when he is dead must be left by all his Friends and Travel alone into an unknown Region but to confort him against this let him consider that he enjoys the presence of God and the Divine assistance according to Gods promise that the Blessed Angels will wait on him to Conduct his Soul to the Pallace of the Great King for they are all Ministring Spirits Heb. 1. ult sent forth to Minister unto those who shall be Heirs of Salvation That as no Body is born into the World by chance so doth no body die by chance neither but that Diseases and Death happen to us by Gods appointment And let him Meditate on such Texts of Scripture as these Thus saith the Lord Isa 43.1 â— when thou passest through the Waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee When thou walkest through the fire thou shall not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Call upon me in the day of Trouble Ps 50.15 I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Though I walk through the Valley of the shaddow of Death I will fear no Evil Ps 23.4 for thou art with me Ps 43. ult Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Ps 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee vers 26. My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my portion for ever vers 28. It is good for me to draw near to God I have put my Trust in the Lord God Mat. 10.29 vers 30. vers 31. Joh. 8.51 One Sparrow shall not fall to the ground without your Father and the very hairs of your Head are all numbred Fear ye not therefore Verily verily I say unto you if a Man keep my saying he shall never see Death That is not only he shall not see Eternal Death but also shall not feel the bitterness of the Temporal Death Rom. 8.31 2 Chr. 20.21 If God be for us who can be against us O our God we know not what to do but our Eyes are upon thee 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations Shall we receive good at the hand of God Job 2.10.1.21 Job 13.15 Job 19.25 and shall we not receive evil Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him I know that my Redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be Tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make away to escape that ye may be able to bear it But suppose you should feel some of the cruel pangs of Death yet consider that they befal you by the Will of God to whom the very Hairs of our Head are known and without whose Pleasure nothing in the World happens That they are Tokens of Gods Favour rather than his Anger Heb. 12.6 for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth However these pains are very short and Momentary and by them we have admission into Eternal life Our Nativity is attended with Sorrow and Crying But the sharper these pangs are the sooner they will be over and then succeeds everlasting Joy and Gladness Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not but though our outward Man perish vers 17. yet the inward Man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a Moment encreaseth for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory If we die with him we shall also live with him 2 Tim. 2.11 We must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God and the God of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 who hath called us unto his Eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while will Establish Strengthen and Settle you Chronical Diseases may perhaps be troublesome and painful for some time yet all even the longest are but a moment in respect of Eternity Therefore wait on the Lord Ps 27.14 be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord For though he should seem to hide his face from thee for a Moment Isa 54.8 yet with everlasting kindness will he have Mercy on thee His anger may endure for a Moment Ps 30.5 but in his favour is life weeping may endure for a Night but joy cometh in the Morning If any should be concern'd least in the agony of Death their Ears should be deaf and their Senses fail them and so should be destitute of necessary Consolations let them remember that the Spirit it self will bear witness with our Spirits Rom. 8.16.26 that we are the Children of God Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered He is the true and only Comforter who when our Eyes are darkned inlightens our Heart when our Ears are shut will speak Consolation to our Souls Let them also attentively meditate on what our Saviour said a little before his Passion Now is the Prince of this World judged Joh. 16.11 that is he who brought Death into the World is overcome by my Death and condemned and is deprived
much pains do some Men take how many Difficulties do they Encounter with that they may leave a Rich and Pleasant Inheritance to their Children Tho' many times in the getting of it they do such unjust and wicked Actions as are never to be purg'd away but in the Eternal Flames of Hell And what do they keep to themselves as the reward of all their Labours Nothing but a Despicable Winding-Sheet and a Coffin made up of four Boards this is the Recompence of all their Toil But if something more be spent at thy Funeral it is commonly laid out more for the Fame and Credit of thy Kindred and the Surviving Heir than for thee so that a farthing should not sometimes be bestowed upon the dead Corps if they could but secure their own Honour The Prayer O Merciful Father give me such Courage and Resolution that I may not be affrighted at the ghastly appearance of Death nor faint when I think on my last dying Agonies and that my Body must rot in the Earth But having my mind fix'd on thee and on the Glories of the Eternal State I may put off all fear of Death and depart this Life with Joy and Readiness with a firm hope of a Glorious Resurrection and of enjoying that Bliss and Glory with which both Body and Soul shall be endued in the Celestial and Happy Life And because I came naked into this World let me willingly leave all Worldly things which may retard my flight to Heaven O Lord Jesu who for our sakes didst taste the bitterness of Death and in those Agonies of Mind didst sweat great drops of blood grant that by the Merits of thy Passion I may never feel the bitter pangs of Eternal Death CHAP. III. After Death there remains another Life and Death is the entrance either to Eternal Happiness or Misery ALthough the Body after Death corrupts and putrifies and returns to the Earth from whence it was taken yet for as much as the Soul is immortal and the Body shall arise at the last Day and be again united to the Soul and so the whole Man shall be translated into another State It is therefore requisite that a Christian should not confine his Meditations upon death only but should be very Solicitous that his Life may be happy in the other World Many Men indeed lead such Lives as if they did not believe there were a God nor any other life after this but when they come to dye they will be convinced of these truths by their own Consciences and by those notions which are implanted in the minds of all Men that good Deeds shall be Rewarded and Wickedness punished in the other World and though they should not believe this even when they are dying yet afterwards they will feel it to their unspeakable Sorrow However the immortality of the Soul has been believed by the whole Race of Mankind at all times and if we Consult either Sacred or Heathen Writers we shall find that another life after this hath been asserted by all not to heap up the many Testimonies of Holy Scriptures this one of our Saviour may suffice which Comprehends as it were the Sum of all the rest The Hour is coming Joh. 5.28 in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear the Voice of the Son of God v. 25. And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation And indeed if we consider the lives of those Persons which the Sacred Scriptures affirm to have liv'd devoutly from hence we may have an evident Testimony of a future Life for in all Ages how much Misery have they undergone who have endeavoured to lead Pious Lives and to be conformable to the Divine Will very Remarkable are the Calamities of the Holy Fathers under the Old Testament the Martyrdoms of Christs Apostles under the New and the Tribulations of others who have Worshipp'd God in Spirit and in Truth But if they had look'd no farther than this Life no doubt but they would have follow'd the common way of the World and have indulged themselves in Ease and Pleasures as their Lusts and Appetites bid them Which since they did not do it is a convincing Testimony that they sought a more happy and a better Life after the Miseries of this For as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable Now if we Consult the Heathens as often as we hear them commend Piety and Justice and other Virtues so often we are to think they declare Mans Immortality and a Future Life for to what purpose were it to follow Virtue and suffer Evil if there remain'd no hopes of another life This Doctrine the Wise Men in all Ages taught Zoroaster Hermes Trismagistus Orpheus Phocylides Theogenis Homer Hesiod Pindar Pythagoras Socrates Plato Aristotle Cicero Virgil Horace Ovid Seneca and all the Wise Famous Philosophers and from hence it was that all Nations had a Religion and certain Rites whereby they worshipp'd the Gods and believ'd a Hell and Elysian fields If we run over the whole World we shall find that the most Rude Barbarous and Savage People even those who scarcely seem to have any Humanity in them have all by a common consent embraced this Faith for this Notion was not bred in the Schools of Philosophers and so spread abroad in the World but it is implanted and engraven in the Breast of every Man Rom. 2.14.25 and if some Men have endeavoured to perswade themselves that things are otherwise yet could they never bring their minds firmly to believe so for a wicked Man as that Platonick said would not have his Soul to be Immortal for fear he should suffer the due Punishments of his Crimes but he prevents the Sentence of his Judge and condemns himself to be guilty of Death But there is no need of saying more on this Argument since amongst Christians t is certain and undoubted that after this life there remains another But forasmuch as the future State of Men after this life is not alike but some shall abound with all felicity whilst others shall suffer all kind of miseries hence we see that the success of a Man's happiness depends upon his death and that all our felicity or infelicity happens either from a good or a bad death and that on one moment depends an Eternity either of infinite blessedness or unspeakable misery for in what ever condition death finds and leaves any Man in the very same shall he appear at the last judgment Eccl. 11.3 if the tree fall toward the South or toward the North in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be And thus as every Man dies the same shall he be in the other life for as St. Paul says we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 that every
one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad so that as every one is found at the hour of death such shall he be judged They shall live happily in the other World that die well they miserably that die ill And thus it is that the hour of death separates the good from the wicked at the greatest distance To the good death is the end and determination of all troubles and the beginning of Eternal Felicity and Blessedness but to the wicked death is the privation of all the delights and pleasures and riches of this life and is the beginning of Eternal Misery and never ending Punishment The Prayer O Merciful Father who didst create me for a far more blessed condition then this miserable life which the brute animals enjoy vouchsafe so to direct me in my passage through this World that I may never set my affections on things below but use them with such indifferency that I may at length attain to the joys and glories of the blessed life above and that knowing I have here no continuing City I may with the greater earnestness seek one to come Heb. 13 14. CHAP. IV. The Consideration of the last Judgement AFter Death comes Judgment Think therefore O Man that immediately after Death thy Soul must appear before God Ecc. 12.7 and that at the last Day it shall be joyned again to thy body and then thou shalt be Judged before Gods Tribunal in the presence of all the Angels and Saints Consider that thou must appear before a Judge whose unerring Wildom thou canst by no means deceive whose power thou canst by no ways avoid whose Justice thou canst by no means corrupt A Judge who will enquire into thy vainest words and thy most trivial thoughts who is now present at and beholds all the words and actions of the whole World Who is there so bold so desperately wicked that dares contumaciously violate the Laws and commit Crimes worthy of Death in the presence of his King And yet more than this dare Men do who spightfully break the Commands of God before his face but this Judge who knows all our actions Eccl. 12.14 Rom. 14.12 shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil so that every one of us shall give an account of himself to God For he which is Lord over all Wisd 6.7 shall fear no mans person neither shall he stand in awe of any mans greatness for he hath made the small and great and careth for all alike Let therefore your thoughts be always employ'd in meditating on this severe Judgement in which there will be no more place for pardon nothing shall then be granted either by Prayers or Tears but either this merciful Sentence shall pass on the Righteous Matth. 25.23 Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Ver. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World or on the contrary this terrible Sentence shall be thundred out against the wicked by the most just Judge Ver. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels What can our minds conceive more sweet and pleasant than to hear God saying to us come ye blessed what more sad and dreadful than depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire In this day of Judgement wealth will not help the rich nor power nor honours the great Ones of this World Knowledge will not absolve the wise nor will force preserve the strong This Judge will not be pleased by flatteries nor brib'd by rewards no Prayers will move him no Tears will appease him Psal 9.8 but he shall judge the World in righteousness and shall minister judgement to the People in uprightness Then as 't is said in Wisdom shall the righteous man stand in great boldness Chap. 5.1 c. before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his labours when they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation so far beyond all that they looked for And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves This was he whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach We fools accounted his life madness and his end to be without honour How is he numbred among the Children of God and his lot is among the Saints Consider farther O man who they are that in this future Judgement shall hear this joyful word come ye blessed and shall be made partakers of eternal Glory and on the contrary who they are on whom this dreadful Sentence shall be pronounced depart from me ye cursed and so shall be cast into Hell fire and then give all diligence that you may be found in the number of the blessed and not amongst the miserable Now who both these are the Holy Scriptures do sufficiently declare Our Saviour himself tells us Mat. 13.41 that the Angels shall gather the wicked together and cast them into a furnace of fire John 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.19 And this is the Condemnation that light is come into the World and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil But the fearful and unbelieving Rez 21.8 and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit 1 Cor. 6.9 10. the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with monkind nor thieves nor coveteous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kindom of God Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Gal. 5.19 20 21. adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God On the contrary we are told who they are that shall be sav'd Joh. 3.18 Mark 16.16 Rom. 5.1 He that believeth on the Son of God is
not condemned He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ The Prayer LOrd Jesu Christ guide me by thy Holy Spirit that I may walk in thy ways and always have in my mind this sum of the whole Duty of Man Eccl. 12.13 14. fear God and keep his Commandments For God shall bring every work into Judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil O let every moment that voice sound in mine ears arise ye dead and come to judgement And at the last let me hear thy gracious voice saying come thou blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for thee from the beginning of the World I acknowledge indeed and confess that by my sins I have deserved the pains of Hell but thou by thy Passion Death and Resurrection hast redeemed me from them and merited Heaven for me In thee therefore in thy merits and mercies I put my whole trust and confidence and joyfully expect thy glorious coming Amen Come Lord Jesus Amen Rev. XXII 20. CHAP. V. The Joys of the Life eternal ALthough it cannot be imagin'd much less express'd in words what difference there is between the joys of Heaven and the pains and miseries of the damned yet for as much as many live as if it matter'd little or nothing whether after death they were to be admitted into the blessed Life above or to be cast into the bottomless pit it therefore well becomes a Christian daily to consider how vastly the miseries of Hell differ from the glories of Heaven that so he may be convinced how necessary it is earnestly to endeavour to avoid the one and obtain the other For who is there so void of sence that for the hopes of gaining one Farthing would run the hazard of losing an hundred thousand Crowns and yet this they daily do who defile themselves with sin that they may follow after the riches pleasures and honours of this World for all these things and even the whole World could any man gain it to himself are more vile if they be compared to eternal lise which is utterly lost by sin than the smallest mite compar'd to the greatest sum imaginable Or who is there so desperately wicked that would dare to commit crimes worthy of death in the sight of a Gibbet a drawn Sword or a flaming fire and in the presence of a Judge who he knew would immediately condemn him to these torments and yet this they do who well knowing that the pains of Hell are so plainly set before their eyes in the Holy Scriptures do yet daily commit such sins as justly deserve those infernal plagues Now eternal Happiness consists in these two things In the absence of all evil things and in the enjoyment of every thing that is good Rev. 21.4 For God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of the blessed and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain And as it is written 1 Cor. 2.9 eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him For what greater felicity can there be than to have no calamities to disturb us not to be terrified with the fear of death to behold the face of God to be amongst the Quires of Angels to serve our Creatour with the blessed Spirits and all the Saints and with perpetual Hyms and Praises to magnifie his glorious Name If you value and desire Health there shall be constant soundness and eternal Life If you are delighted with the friendship of good men there you shall have the familiar acquaintance of all the blessed inhabitants above who will all have one Heart and one Soul In short there will be nothing wanting that a man can wish for What saith St. Quid inquit Augustinus hac vita beatius ubi non est paupertatis metus non agritudinis imbectllitas nemo laeditur nemo irascitur nemo invidet cupiditas nulla exardescit nullum cibi desiderium nulla honoris aut potestatis pulsat ambitio nullus Diaboli metus insidia Daemonum nulla terror gehennae pracul mors neque corporis neque animae sed immortalitatis munere jucunda vita Nulla ibi discordia cuncta consona cuncta convenientia Sanctorum omnium una erit concordia Nox ibi nulla nullae tenebrae sed lux summa quoniam Dominus inluminabit civitatem Incerna ejus erit Agnus Sancti fulgebunt sicut stellae sicut splendor firmamenti Dabitur ibi consociare choris Angelorum intueri Patriarchas Prophetas videre Apostolos atque omnes Sanctos Gloriosa sunt hac sed multo glorisius erit D E V M intueri Manual cap. 17. Augustin can be more happy than this life where there is no fear of Poverty nor the weakness of Infirmities no body is hurt no body is angry none envies another no lust inflames them no longing after food no desire of honour and power disquiets them there is no dread of Satan no snares of the Devil no fear of Hell there is neither death of Body or Soul but by the means of immertality a most delightful life there will be no evil no discord but a perfect harmony because there will be a mutual agreement between all the Saints there will be no night nor darkness but the greatest light for the Glory of God will enlighten it Rev. 21.23 and the Lamb will be the light thereof Dan. 12.3 and the Saints shall shine as the Stars and as the brightness of the Firmament there we shall associate with the multitudes of Angels and Archangels and all the Heavenly Powers there we shall behold the Patriarchs and Prophets the Apostles and all the Saints these are glorious things but it will be yet much more glorious to behold GOD himself for the happiness and glory of eternal life doth chiefly consist in the vision and enjoyment of God who will then be all in all But how great this future felicity will be the mind of man is not capable to conceive however we may make some faint conjectures for seeing God is the Creatour and Preserver of all things it must needs be that all the things in the World which to us appear fair and beautiful are in him so much more eminently if therefore the prospect and contemplation of the Creatures be sweet and grateful the Creatour himself must needs be much more ravishing and delightful so that since we shall see God face to face all even the most beautiful things in this World will be surmounted by the transcendent beauty of God He shall be all in all the satisfaction of all desires and the perfect felicity of the Saints Psal 84.4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will always be praising thee Psal 31.19 O
him and in an hour that he is not a ware of And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his Portion with the Hypocrites There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth but let us be wise and faithful Servants that are always ready expecting their Lord for we know not what hour he will come Mark 13.35 whether at even or at midnight or at the Cock crowing or in the morning Least coming suddenly he find us sleeping and unprepared for him St. Augustin tells us In quo enim quemque invenerit suus novissimus dies in hoc eum comprehendit mundi novissimus dies St. Augustin cap. 11.3 that in what ever condition our last day leaves us in the same state will the last day of the World find us For as a Man dies in the one so in the other he shall be judged To this purpose that saying in Ecclesiastes is usually applied if the Tree fall toward the South or toward the North in the place where the Tree falleth Com. Sup. Eccl. cap. 11. there it shall be This St. Hierom thus interprets that as a Tree certainly lies which way soever it salls so when thou art cut off by the stroke of Death thou shalt always remain such whether your last Moment found you Cruel and Unmerciful or Meek and Charitable Could any one tell for certain that he had but one day more to live and evidently knew that he must die to Morrow surely such a Man were extreamly wicked if he could not Abstain from sin for so short a Season and should not employ all that little space of Life in the Exercises of Piety and Virtue when as that Judgment which is passed on us at our Death shall most assuredly always remain firm and unalterable And who is there can warrant himself to morrow Who is there that knows as a thing sure and undoubted that he hath another day nay another hour to live O Man whosoever thou art there will come an Evening whole Morning or a Morning whose Evening thou shalt never see and whether this may not be to day or to morrow thou knowest not So that they are without all manner of reason who are not afraid to defile themselves with deadly sins when they know not whether they shall be allowed the space of one hour of one moment to bewail their Crimes and beg pardon for them at the hands of God God hath indeed promised Pardon to the Penitent but he hath never promised to the Sinner any portion of the time to come Make no tarrying therefore to turn unto the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth Eccl. 5.8 and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed and perish in the day of vengeance This the wiser Heathen well understood insomuch that 't is a shame Christians should be out done by them in this matter For thus Seneca speaks Qui ut bonus sit in senectutem differt apertè astendit se nolle virtuti dare nisi tempus ad alia omnia inidoneum Et alibi Audies plerosque dicentes a quinquagesimo in otium secedam sexagesimus annus ab officiis me dimittet Et quem tandem longioris vitae praedem accipts Quis ita sicuti disponis irae patietur Non pudet te ad reliquias vitae te tibi reservare id selum tempus bonae menti destinare qued in nullam rem conferri possit Quum serum est tunc vivere incipere cum desnendum est Quae tam stulta mortalitatis eblivio in quinquagesitnnm sexagesimum annum differre sana consilia inde velle vitam inchoare quo pauci perduxerunt Seneca de Brev. vitae He who desers being good till old Age shows plainly that he is loath to give up himself to Virtue until he is fit for nothing else And in an other place you shall hear almost every one saying after fifty I shall be at leasure when I am threescore years Old I shall be free from all Offices but what Security have you now for a longer life Who will undertake for you that all things shall go just as you have order'd them are you not asham'd to reserve your self the reliques of your life for your own good and set a part that time only for wisdom and goodness which is worth nothing How late is it then to begin your life when you must be forced to leave it how foolish a forgetfulness of your mortality is it to put off all good counsel till you are fifty or threescore years old and to begin to live at an age to which few arrive What penance it is to leave your Harlots when you are forced to leave them whether you will or no to begin to be temperate when you can no longer taste what you eat or what you drink To this purpose saith St. Maledictus qui florem juventutis diabolo foces Senectutis DEO consecrat Augustin discreetly Cursed be he that dedicates the flour of his youth to the Devil and the dregs of old age to God When once the last moment of our Life is past there is then no longer time for repentance and in a little time a Man will be made sensible of that State which can never be alter'd to all Eternity therefore whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end Eccl. 7. ult and thou shalt never do amiss Let us then every moment be ready to receive the summons of death by preparing our selves for it whilst we are in our health It is a very unseasonable time to begin to fit our selves for another World when we are just on the confines of death and are strugling with the agonies of it for then the lively powers both of mind and body languish and decay then the man is so distracted with pains and other grievances which his sickness occasions that he can never seriously apply himself to die well nay many times a frenzy seizes on the sick person and on a sudden deprives him of the use of all his reason we often see that even good men cannot list up their thoughts unto God as they ought when an acute pain in their teeth or eyes or ears or any other part troubles them but their whole mind is carried thither where their grief is Now if this happens to good men when the disease is not dangerous what can we think shall befal those who never had any serious thoughts of God who know not how to search out or confess their sins who can scarcely tell what repentance means how will they be tormented when the pangs of death are upon them to consider that they are now leaving their dear Wife and Children and that all their riches which they have hoarded up with so much care will now stand them in no stead What madness then is it to defer a business of such weighty consequence on which our eternal salvation depends
desirable soever they may appear and whatever he loves he therefore loves them because they are dear and acceptable unto God but whatever God hates that the Christian is to despise Thus our Saviour teacheth us Luk. 14.26 27. If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wise and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Joh. 12.25 He that loveth his Life shall lose it and he that hateth his Life in this World shall keep it unto Life Eternal That is to say a Christian ought to despise himself and all that he hath and every thing in the World in respect of God to desire nothing to love nothing that may alienate his affections from God however specious it may seem or how much so ever it may tend to the gratification of his pleasure profit fame or glory So that though he studies the practice of Vertue yet he doth it not to advance his own vain Glory and Honour but because no knoweth 't is acceptable to God and so whatsoever he doth he doth all to the glory of God This is truly to die to the World when we can despise Pleasures Riches Honours and all the World enjoys when God is dearer to us than any thing besides and when we dare not do any evil for the love of any Man or thing in the whole World If this seem hard yet is it very just and reasonable For if we love any thing because we find it profitable to us consider that every thing we possess we have from God if we love any other things because they are good God is the chiefest good yea goodness it self If we love Riches all things are Gods he is Lord of Heaven and Earth he filleth the needy with good things and dispenseth Riches to whom he pleaseth If we love Honour what greater Honour can there be than when the Son of Man shall come in great power and glory that they who have loved him and for his sake have left all things in the World should also sit upon seats and Judge the Tribes of Israel All Worldly things are changeable and Momentary and the various vicissitudes of Humane Affairs occasion nothing but Cares Sorrows and Vexations of Soul But the love of God causeth perpetual Peace and Tranquility of Mind according to that of David Ps 73.36 My Flesh and my Heart faileth But God is the strength of my Heart and my portion for ever If for the sake of God we lose our Worldly goods the great God alone is more worth than all and whoever enjoys him hath all things else For in God are all things that we can wish for or desire as saith our Lord Every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren Mat. 19.29 or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Joh. 14.23 And again if a Man love me my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him This may seem hard to Flesh and Blood but Chrisâ—â—â—nity cannot otherwise subsist The true Christian loves nothing better than God and whoever doth prefers the Creature before the Creator In short the Christian doth all to the glory of God he seeks not his own pleasure or profit or honour in any thing but doth all out of love to God and for Gods honour And he that loves God truly and sincerely loves only those things that are dear and acceptable to God and hates all things that God hates This Holy Men in all Ages studiously perform'd especially the Martyrs the World indeed esteemed them as fools but they were the most prudent Men living For is not he the wisest Man that despiseth vile and trifling things and sets a just value upon things that are best and most useful For as our Saviour says Mat. 16.26 what shall it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Virtue it self and good works are not pleasing to God if in them a Man seeks his own glory and not the glory of God alone And from hence it appears how vain the thoughts of Men are they spend many Days and Nights in Labour and Study that they may get Learning and appear renowned in the World but to be made partakers of the Divine Nature to acquire a Blessed and Eternal Life they can scarcely spare so much time from their business as to recite one serious Prayer What troubles do Merchants undergo how many dangers do they run in hopes of being rich And of how little value are the things they gain Nay were they as truly great and pretious as they seem to be yet Death would quickly deprive them of all But on the contrary how great are those good things which God will give in the other life to those that love him Of which we have already treated in the fourth Chapter That life will be void of all evil and replenish'd with all the good and happiness that can be desired there we shall openly behold the Glory and Majesty of God and enjoy Communion with him there we shall not only hear the Hymns and Songs that are sung without intermission in praise of the Eternal King by the Angels Archangels and all the Blessed but shall also assist in their Quire and praise God for ever and ever Oh! How Blessed how beautiful is the Heavenly Jerusalem Very glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God In thee there is no darkness no night no cold nor heat no alteration of Seasons no hunger nor thirst no labour nor weariness no sickness nor death the glory of God shall enlighten thee and the pure immaculate Lamb shall be thy Light Rev. 21.23 There God shall give us meat of which whosoever eateth he shall hunger no more and drink of which whosoever drinketh he shall thirst no more God shall be our strength our health and our life God will there be all in all And now who in his right mind would not despise and loath these vain Worldly things and love God alone above all things else that so after Death when all things here below vanish and disappear he may be made a partaker of this Blessedness wherein God will be all in all The Prayer O Merciful Lord inlighten the Eyes of my mind that I may consider what immense benefits I have received from thee When I was nothing thou didst create me after thine own Image when by my sins I was justly doom'd to the pains of Hell thou didst redeem me there from by the Death of thy Son and hast sanctified me with thy Holy Spirit Lord by how many Bonds am I obliged to love thee my only good How vain and empty are these Transitory things which after this life is ended must all be left behind Grant therefore that I may set my affections on things above
shall be Forgiven The Apostle St. Paul reckons these amongst the works of the Flesh Gal. 5.20 21. Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Envyings and such like and pronounceth that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And St. John saith 1 Joh. 3.14 15. He that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer We have good reason to bear with the infirmities of others because there are many things which others must bear with in us For no one is perfect You see plainly that you are not able to bring your self to live according to those Rules which you could wish and why then should you be angry with others if they do not live just as you would have them Mat. 7.5 first cast out the Beam out of thine own Eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers Eye let us therefore bear one anothers Burthens Gal. 6.2 for there is no body without fault And then farther let us endeavour to keep our selves from Slandering and Calumniating of others by not being too curious in enquiring into the Words and Actions and Lives of our Neighbours for what O Man is it to thee what another says or does Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another Mans Servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth Do thy best to give a good account of thine own Words and Actions to God and he also is obliged to render an account of his to the same God to whom all things are naked and open he sees all things under the Sun and knows what every one thinks and desires and to what end they direct their Actions therefore commit all to him rest contented and do not disquiet thy self with others cares The Prayer O Lord our most Merciful Father who in thy Son Jesus Christ hath called me to Eternal Life and forgiven me all my sins let thy Holy Spirit also direct and rule my heart that I may daily persevere in a true Repentance continually strive against my sins and increase more and more in all vertuous and godly living And for as much as my own strength is not sufficient to contend against so many Enemies and to bring my good purposes to effect do thou O Lord stretch forth thy Right Hand to assist me least I saint in the Warfare and Satan get the Dominion over me Thou O Lord resistest the Proud but givest grace to the Humble The proud in heart is an Abomination to thee vouchsafe me therefore O Lord an humble Spirit devoid of all High-mindedness according to the example of our Blessed Lord who being in the form of God humbled himself even to the Death of the Cross that he might exalt us unto everlasting life Make me to consider that I am but Dust and Ashes and have no reason to lift up my self let me not be proud of those gifts which thou hast bestowed on me and scornfully despise others but confess that what ever good is in me I have received it all from thee O Lord naked came I out of my Mothers Womb but thou hast bountifully given me Meat and Drink Cloathing and Habitation and all things necessary for the preservation of my life Make me to be contented with my Daily Bread that my mind may never be possess'd with Covetousness But may remember that I must go out of this World naked as I came and therefore may lay up my Treasure in Heaven which I may enjoy to all Eternity And because I know that in me dwelleth no good thing and the Flesh always Lusteth against the Spirit and is daily enticing me to the pleasures of this World grant O Lord that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit I may crucifie and mortifie the Flesh with its affections and Lusts and may live soberly righteonsly and godly in this present World and serve thee in pureness of Spirit all the days of my life Grant also that according to thy command and example we may love one another Root out of our Hearts all bitterness and malice that the Sun may never go down upon our Wrath but that we may do good to those that hate us and forgive all that have offended us Lord I beseech thee take from me Pride and give me the Spirit of Humility Extinguish in me the desires of the Flesh and inflame my Heart with the love of thee Cast out of my mind the fury of anger and implant therein the gift of Patience Remove from me the love of Vain-glory the bitterness of Envy and bestow on me the sweetness of Charity and Humility the gift of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in thy sight of great price CHAP. XVII A Diary of the practice of Piety BUT for as much as the Exercises of Piety ought to be every day performed because no body can be certain which shall be that last day when he shall depart out of this life and every day for ought we know may be our last It will therefore be very useful to have both in our view and memory the course of one day regularly dispos'd according to the pattern whereof we may lead our lives that so every day we may be prepared for an happy Death First then O Man when you awake out of sleep in the Morning let your earliest Meditations be on God nor ever let any thing but the thoughts of God first enter into your mind For serious Contemplations of God being once admitted into our minds will keep out all evil Devices think then first that God will easily hereafter raise you from the dead as now you are awaken'd from your sleep Afterwards when with open'd eyes you behold the light of the Sun think with your self how great the Glory and Majesty of the last day will be when so many hundred thousand glorious Bodies shining like the Sun and Stars shall go with Christ their Judge like so many Suns into eternal life and therefore use all diligence that you may appear one of that blessed number Afterwards revolve in your mind that the Devil like a Roaring Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 walketh about seeking whom he may devour That he was not far from you the night past and had a desire to hurt you and could have done it unless God had defended you by the Ministry of his Holy Angels And withal think that the Holy Angels were encamped all night round about you that now you are rising from your Bed they stand by you and therefore take care to behave your self Circumspectly as being placed in the presence of God and the blessed Angels When you put on your Cloaths think that they are the Tokens of guilt with which we cover our shame and nakedness and therefore you have no cause to be proud of them and whilst you cover your Body let not your Soul be naked but put on the wedding Garment even the Righteousness of Christ and think
Holy Name The good of my Neighbour and the Eternal Welfare of my own Soul O let me not dare to sin against thee for the sake of any thing in the World but grant that with a constant resolution of serving and pleasing thee and by a lively Faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I may be always provided for an happy departure out of this life Ah! Merciful Lord let not a sudden death overtake me unawares but â—nable me to War a good Warfare to keep Faith and a good Conscience that so wheresoever or whensoever it shall please thee to call for me out of this World I may follow thee chearfully and without delay and joyfully stand before the Tribunal of my Redeemer Jesus Christ and receive that Crown of Righteousness which is laid up for all those that love his appearing O Father of mercies and God of all Consolation let thy Holy Spirit never depart from me especially when I am yielding up the Ghost but vouchsafe me his Divine help and Assistance to vanquish all the difficulties of this World and all the Temptations of the Flesh and the Devil Grant me grace to fix my mind on nothing but thee thy goodness and mercy and to put my Trust and Confidence in the alone Merits of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ to the last breath of my life and then O Lord receive my Soul Into thy hands I commend my Spirit O Father Son and Holy Ghost O Blessed Trinity O Eternal Unity save and defend me in this life and at the hour of Death O do not leave me nor forsake me CHAP. XVIII Of the more special and particular preparation for Death HAving now treated of the general preparation for Death which is to be performed the whole course of our life even whilst we are young and in our greatest health and vigour We now come to that more special and particular preparation which is necessary to be done when we are worn out with old Age or taken with any sudden and dangerous Disease so that we think the time of our departure is at hand For Death when we look on it at a distance only doth not much affect us but when we find it making its approaches near us we are then very pensive and disturb'd with the thoughts of it When ever therefore O Man any Disease seizeth on you think that sickness is the Harbinger of Death and that you are now admonished from Heaven as Hezechiah once was by the Prophet to set thine House in order Isa 38.2 for thou shalt die And rather look for Death than life For the event of sickness is very uncertain though at first it may seem but a light indisposition and it often happens that the Disease gaining more and more strength doth unexpectedly deprive a Man of the use of his Reason and of all serious Thoughts So that as soon as ever you find your self ill prepare your self for Death for if you should soon be well again yet your Care and Labour would not be in vain but if Death should come upon you before you are provided for it you run the hazard of losing your Soul for ever Heb. 9.27 For it is appointed unto Men once to die but after this the Judgment It is a most false and foolish opinion which hath obtained amongst some that the sick person will most certainly die if he makes his Will and receives the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ This hath no doubt been suggested by the Devil and spread abroad by ill Men that by this means they might frighten Men from fitting themselves for an happy Death Now this pre-paration consists in two parts the first thereof respects the dying Man and the other his Neighbour As to the first the dying Man is to take great care to reconcile himself to God whom he hath offended and to arm himself against all those Temptations which usually happen at that time To this end it will be necessary for him to search into his own Heart and examine over his whole life from the beginning to confess and bewail all his sins to God to pour out most Ardent Prayers and Sighs by the Assistance of the Holy Spirit for the obtaining pardon of his sins and Reconciliation with God in Christ our Saviour Examples of such Prayers may be found in the Penitential Psalms the prayer of Manasses and the like And although the sick Man ought chiefly to conless his sins to God against whom they were committed yet it is fit by the advice of the Apostle St. James James 5.16 that he should confess his faults to his Brethren to the Ministers of the Church and word of God to whom Christ hath committed the keys of binding and absolving Of remitting and retaining sins And chiefly let him confess those Crimes which most trouble his mind and with which Satan most disquiets him such let him repose in their Bosoms who are ready to assist him and to Administer suitable Consolations for sick Mens minds are many times not sedate enough for Divine Thoughts and Meditations and the Devil is very ready to divert those that offer themselves 'T is therefore the part of the Minister of Gods Word and his Friends to pray for the sick person that he may obtain pardon of his sins and not be overcome by the Temptations of the Devil It often happens that when Satan cannot drive Men to despair he then puts on another disguise and puffs them up with an opinion of their Merits This Temptation is diligently to be withstood For Satan exalteth those whom before he could not sink down that so he may cast them headlong with a more grievous fall Therefore O Man if ever such thoughts as these flatter thee consider that it is owing to Gods grace and not to your self if you are innocent from such and such offences and remember how many other ways you have offended him Or if you have been diligent in the performance of many good deeds and these come into your mind say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am it was not I but the grace of God which was with me Ps 115.1 And not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory Remember that Admonition of our Saviour Luk. 17.10 When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable Servants we we have done that which was our duty to do 1 Eph. 1.8 And that of St. John if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us As also that of St. Vae omni laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordiâ eam discutias Domine Cons lib. 9. Cap. 13. Augustin Wo to the most perfect life of Man if thou Lord shouldest lay aside thy mercy and examine it If we read the Histories of dying Men or the
Come unto me all ye that labour Joh. 1.29 and I will give you rest Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world And that your sorrow for your sins may not exclude all hopes of mercy call to mind the examples of many grievous sinners who obtain'd pardon from God 2 Sam. 11. 2 King 21. such were David a Murderer and an Adulterer Manasses a very great sinner Matth. 26. the Apostle Peter who denied Christ Luk. 5. Matthew a publican sitting at the receit of custom Zacheus Luk. 19. Joh. 8. which was the chief among the publicans Mary Magdalen a sinner and an adultress the thief on the cross the Apostle Paul a persecutor of Christ who writes thus of himself This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acception that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting But if you should still be tempted to think that you are a grievous sinner and that therefore your sorrow for your sins cannot be sufficient to obtain your pardon against this temptation consider that the greatness of the Divine Mercy is not founded in your sorrow but in the merits of Christ and remember what our Lord saith Mat. 11.28 29. Come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden and I will resresh you and ye shall find rest unto your souls and Joh. 9 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out To this purpose St. Chrysostome speaks very well Ne suae confidas paenitenti sâ—a namque paenitentia tantaâ—equit peccata delere sâ— sola foret poenitentia jure timeres Sed postquam cum paenitentia commiscetur Dei misericordia conside quontam vicit tuam nequitiam Multum enim est misericors Deus tantum clemens ut neque filio pepercerit ut ingratos servos reaimeret Hom. 8. â—d Popul Do not rely on your own repentance for alas your repentance can never blot out so many sins if you had nothing to trust to but your own repentance you might well be afraid But for as much as the mercy of God is joyn'd to your repentance be of good courage for that hath overcome your wickedness For God is very gracious and so merciful that he hath not spared his own Son that he might Redeem his ungrateful Servants If any objection should disturb you of a partial Redemption or of Gods absolute Decrees let his universal promises confirmed by an Oath comfort you Isa 53 6. Col. 1.19 20. God hath laid on Christ the iniquities of us aâ—l It hath pleased the Father by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself T it 2.14 Joh. 3.16 Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity So God loved the World that whosoever believeth in his Son 1 Joh. 2.2 should not perish He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole World 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is long suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance He would have all Men to be saved There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all Seek then for your Election in Christ and do not frighten your self with any absolute Decrees of Reprobation since the Father with an Oath the Son with Tears and the Holy Ghost by the voice of the Apostles have all testified that they desire the Salvation of all even of those that perish It is your part not to hinder the workings of the Holy Spirit by the Word and Sacraments either by obstinately refusing his grace when it is offer'd you or maliciously casting it away when it is confer'd so shall ye be certain for the future of the love of God towards you through the Merits of Christ received by Faith and cannot doubt of your Election And now do not by any means mistrust the grace of God but confirm and strengthen your Faith by receiving the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ For when you spiritually eat the Body of Christ and drink his Blood you may be assured that you are thereby made a partaker of all the benefits which Christ purchased for you on the Cross by his torn Body and his Blood poured out and that now by the satisfaction of Christ you are in favour with God have your sins pardon'd and have received the earnest of Eternal Life and Salvation This Divine Banquet is the Medicine of Immortality the Antidote against Death the preservative of life in God through Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. 11. ad Eph. Isa 42.3 as Ignatius speaks Nor let the sence of your own unworthiness deter you from partaking of so great a Treasure but rather remember that our Saviour hath promised not to break the bruised Reed nor to quench the smoaking flax That he will receive him that is weak in the Faith Rom. 14.1 And pray with Christs Disciples Lord increase my Faith Luk. 17.5 And with the Father of the Lunatick Mar. 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief And then with a full Trust and Reliance on God say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Lastly When the Devil hath tryed all other Temptations in vain he may perhaps raise doubts in your mind concerning the truth of the Christian Religion and so by ruining the Foundation endeavour to overthrow the whole Superstructure of your Faith Which if Satan doth do not enter into a dispute with him but consider well the weakness of Humane understanding and its ignorance even in natural things And on the other hand the infinite Wisdom and Power of God far exceeding our Apprehensions and his Eternal Truth which cannot deceive nor be deceived Call to mind the Sacred Mysteries of our Religion which were revealed unto us by the Prophets and Apostles and confirmed by Miracles more especially in the life of our Blessed Saviour all which receive with a firm Faith without any doubtfulness and pray unto God that he would please to Aid and Assist the Infirmities of your Faith and assure you by the inward Testimony of his Holy Spirit that the Sacred Scriptures are Divinely inspired by his word which with the Sacraments are a means of begetting and confirming this belief in you After the sick Person is thus Reconciled unto God and by a firm trust in the Mercies of God and the Merits of Christ hath arm'd his mind against sin the Devil and other Temptations it will be fitting farther to strengthen himself against some others which often happen to dying Persons Which will be
of all power of hurting Joh. 10.27 28. As also My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them Eternal life and they shall never perish And therefore he may say with David Ps 27.1.3 the Lord is my light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an Host should encamp against me my Heart shall not fear Yea Ps 23.4 though I walk through the Valley of the shaddow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou art with me It is often a great trouble to Men when they are dying to think that they must leave their Wife and Children their Brethren and Sisters their Relations and Friends But whereas this care proceeds either first from that natural Sympathy which we bear to those we love or else from a fear that our Wife and Children should suffer damage for want of our Advice and Assistance It is therefore fit in the first place to remember what hath been before spoken of Chap. 14. that we are to love God above all things and not to set our Affections upon any Creature more than God Of this our Saviour Admonishes us Luke 14.26 If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Neither are we quite separated from our Friends by Death but we shall be again united to them in the other life and not to them only but we shall also enter into the Society of Angels and Blessed Spirits In the second place it ought to be considered Psa 68.5 that a Father of the Fatherless and a judge of the Widow is God in his Holy Habitation And therefore every one ought to commend their Relations to his Care and Protection God who is your God will be also the God of your Posterity Hear what the Royal Prophet saith Ps 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging bread Ps 112.2 The generation of the upright shall be Blessed Ps 10.18 Thou wilt judge the Fatherless and the Oppressed Ps 146.9 The Lord preserveth the Strangers he relieveth the Fatherless and Widow To this purpose speaketh Moses Deut. 10.17 18. saying the Lord your God is a God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God and mighty He doth execute the Judgment of the Fatherless and Widow and loveth the Stranger in giving him Food and Rayment And by the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 49.11 Thus saith the Lord leave thy Fatherless Children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widows trust in me As to what concerns the Body the sick person ought to take what care he can of his life so long as it lasts For to live or die is not in our own power as saith St. Paul Rom. 14.7 8. None of us liveth to himself and no Man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords So that our life is diligently to be regarded until he that gave it require it of us again and the great Ruler of the World call us hence And therefore those Helps and Provisions which God hath allowed by Physick and Physitians for the preservation of Health are not to be despised Though in the mean time the sick Man ought not to flatter himself with certain hopes of recovering his health nor should his Friends put the thoughts of Death out of his mind and confidently promise him longer life for a Man thus perswaded that his life is not in danger will easily be drawn off from fitting himself for an happy Death and if afterwards it should happen that an unexpected Death should seize on him and notwithstanding his vain hopes and the assurances of his Friends he sees that he must die he would hereby impatiently bear the Hand of God upon him and might run the hazard of his Eternal Welfare It is therefore very requisite for him wholly to commit himself to the Divine Will and Disposal and often revolve in his mind the afore-cited passage of St. Paul Rom. 14.8 Whether we live or whether we die we are the Lords And if his sickness be any thing dubious he ought rather to be solicitous how he may die than how he may recover his health saying with the Apostle This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind Phil. 3.13 and reaching forth unto those things which are before verse 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus We come now to that other Duty which is incumbent on the dying Man and this respects his Neighbour which is twofold the first is that he reconciles himself to all and from his Heart forgives all Injuries and Offences whatsoever that he desires forgiveness from all whom he hath offended and that he doth not so much consider how injuriously he hath been used by this or that Person as how many and grievous things there are which he hath need to beg Pardon at Gods hands for The second is that they who are Magistrates and Governours over others do so dispose their Affairs that the Duties and Offices which God hath committed to them be fully discharged before they die and that they take care as much as in them lies that the peace of the Church be secur'd and that Religion and Justice be preserv'd sound and entire after the Example of Moses Joshua David c. He who is the Master of a Family ought to settle every thing under his Care and think that what Isaiah said to Hezechiah is said also to him Isa 38.1 Set thine House in Order for thou shalt die and not live And therefore let him endeavour what he can to agree things that are to be agreed and to set in order such things as are consus'd But if it should happen that any one should be so involved in a multiplicity of intricate Affairs that he cannot apply his mind to them and take care of his Soul too it will be much better to dispatch his Worldly Business quickly or rather to cast off all care for his Earthly concerns and wholly give up himself to provide for the Eternal good of his Soul According to the advice of our Saviour Seek ye first the Kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 Mat. 8.23 and his Righteousness And. Follow me and let the Dead bury their Dead There will be enough left to order and compose the things of this World but no Man can repair the loss of Eternal Salvation which depends upon a Reconciliation with God But if Worldly Business may be done without any hurt to the Soul in the first place let him dispose of his goods
and if it be needful make his Will which ought to be plain and intelligible comformable to the Law of Nature to the Word of God and to the Laws of the Country wherein he lives that so there may be no occasion given to his Heirs and Executors to have any Litigious Disputes and Law-Suits after his Death and this he ought to do whilst his Mind and Tongue and Hand can perform their Functions and not to defer it till he is not able to make his mind known clearly and distinctly either by word or writing And indeed they do most conveniently and to the purpose who make their Wills whilst they are in perfect health on the contrary they very ill consult their own Affairs who put off the making of their Wills till some dangerous sickness assaults them and then perhaps they are suddenly taken out of the World or the Disease causes a Frenzie and so their minds become utterly indispos'd for the settling of their Worldly concerns If the sick Person remembers that he hath taken any thing away from any Man wrongfully let him restore it again to the right owner or if he be Dead and that cannot well be done let him appoint it to be given to pious uses to the poor of the Church or State For as St. Augustin saith Si res aliena propter quam peccatum est cum reddi possit non redditur non agitur poenitâ—ntia sed fingitur Epist 54. ad Maâ—don A Man is an Hypocrite and not a true Penitent if he doth not restore goods wrongfully taken when it is in his power to do it And let those also who abound in Riches honestly gotten take care that some portion of them be given to good and pious uses and that amongst the rest of their Legacies something be left and assigned to Christ Moreover the sick Person ought to look after such things as concern the Souls of those under his care and to commend unto all his Family that Religion which is contained in the Word of God and diligently to exhort them to a Holy life to the love and service of God Although as it hath been said such things were better to be ordered and provided for when we are well and in good Health because Death takes away many on a sudden and some Diseases are of such a Nature that they presently deprive a Man of the power of thinking on and ordering such things so that it will be most safe and prudent for the sick Person to put off all thoughts of Earthly things and not to distract himself with any cares but to fix his mind wholly upon God and on his happy passage out of this life And now when the sick Man finds his end approaching that the time of his departure is at hand and that he is now to struggle with the pangs of Death laying aside all Worldly cares let him intirely submit himself to Gods Will and in no wise withstand it and say Father thy Will be done whether it be by Life or by Death And then let him endeavour that he may die in the Faith of Christ and rest in the Lord that is let him give himself up wholly to the grace and mercy of God in the Merits of Christ and to the Consolations of the Holy Spirit For since in that last hour this World and all things in it Friends and Relations Riches and Pleasures and whatever else is taking and delightful must be quite abandon'd it is very fitting that his mind should bid farewel to all things here below and by Faith lift up it self to God alone And the Man being thus plac'd as it were out of himself he ought with the most earnest Affections and with the most Ardent Prayers and Fervent Sighs to fly unto the Mercy and Goodness of God and say with David Ps 73.26 My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever In thee O Lord do I put my trust Ps 31.1 let me never be put to Confusion deliver me in thy Righteousness And then at last when he is just going out of the World let him commend his Soul unto God as unto a faithful Creatour and most Merciful Saviour and say with Christ Father Luk. 23.46 into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And with St. Act. 7.59 Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit If any of the foregoing Temptations should be suggested by Satan to the sick Person when he lies under the agonies of Death let him not trouble himself to give an answer but commit himself wholly to Christ and depend only upon him and presevere to the last in pious Prayers and Ejaculations As also those that are present with him ought to do especially when they find his senses begin to fail him For the Prayers of the Righteous avail much and our Lord hath promised that where two or three are gathered together in his Name there will he be in the midst of them and that whatsoever we ask of the Father in his Name he will give it us Now where-ever Christs gracious presence is the Devil of necessity must flee before him Neither can the Devil tempt any Man beyond what God permits him And therefore every one ought not to be admitted to the sick Person when he is at the point of Death but only such who are Religious who by Devout Prayers can commend the departing Soul to God but such are not to be suffered to come to him who may in the least excite in him an hatred against any Man or a love towards any Worldly thing Or if they are permitted to come to him care must be taken that they behave themselves so as not to raise in his mind any evil affection which he had before laid aside and forsaken For a Soul that would depart happily out of this life ought to be inflam'd with the love of God alone and not to be mov'd either by the love or hatred of any Creature whatever And more especially let care be taken that the Dying Man may be visited and assisted by some Minister of Gods Word of good Learning and Judgment that he may know how to speak a word in season to the wearied Soul that he may so govern and temper his Discourse as neither to deceive the departing Soul by too much condescention and flattery nor to drive him to despair by an unseasonable sharpness and severity but may be able to instruct and fortifie him against all the Temptations of Satan with Divine Counsels and Consolations The Prayer O Lord God and my most merciful Father who hast now sent unto me the messenger of death and hast chastised me with sickness I confess my self to be a grievous sinner and that I have oftentimes offended thee even from my very infancy and therefore I acknowledge that this punishment is justly inflicted on me and that I desire death it self but I beseech thee of thine infinite mercies blot
that I may desire thee alone and be inflam'd with the love of thee that after Death I may be translated to the joys and blessedness of thy glorious Kingdom and live with thee for ever and evâ—â— Amen CHAP. XV. That we are to love our Neighbour AFter God our Neighbour is to be beloved whom a Christian ought to love as himself And these two the love of God and of our Neigheour are joyned together by an indissoluble Bond so that the love of God can never be separated from the love of our Neighbour If any one shall say I love God and hate his Brother he is a Lyar. He who is angry with his Brother without cause doth not love God no one can hurt his Brother but at the same time he offends God And therefore amongst the Characters of a Christian this is one of the chief to love our Neighbour A new Commandment saith our Saviour John 13.34 35 I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Although a Christian be endued with all other Vertues yet without Charity they will all profit him nothing Of which St. Paul thus speaks 1 Cor. 13.1 c. Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and have no Charity I am nothing c. In the last Judgment the Faith of Men shall be judged by their Charity Whilst the Just Judge shall say to the Blessed Mat. 25. I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me for as much as ye have done it unto the least of these ye have done it unto me And on the contrary to the wicked he shall say I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not and forasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me By this Christians are distinguished from the Heathen they indeed love their Friends but Christians must love their Enemies as our Saviour teacheth us But I say unto you love your Enemies Mat. 5.44 c. Bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh the Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and and sendeth rain on the Just and on the Vnjust For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect For in this the Eminency and Prerogative of a Christian consists in overcoming the World and the Flesh Accordingly St. Paul thus adviseth us Rom. 12.17 18. Recompence to no Man Evil for Evil Provide things honest in the sight of all Men If it be possible as much as lieth in you vers 19. live peaceably with all Men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves If thine Enemy hunger vers 20. feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of fire on his Head Be not overcome of Evil but overcome Evil with good vers 21. The Prayer LORD Jesus who hast given us a new Commandment that we should love one another and wentest before us by thy Example in doing good and praying for thine Enemies grant that we may bear a brotherly love and kindness to all Men that we may hurt no body but do good to all Men even to our Enemies and commit all Revenge to thee alone Take from us O Lord Anger Hatred Malice and all bitterness of Spirit that the Sun may not go down upon our wrath but that we may forgive those that have Trespassed against us even as we desire thee to forgive us our Trespasses grant unto us kindness and good will that our Faith may work by love and all Men may say that we are thy Disciples indeed CHAP. XVI That we must guard our minds from Capital Sins ALthough a Christian if he loveth God above all and his Neighbour as himself and orders all his Actions by the love of God and of his Neighbour will not easily be tempted to commit any Heinous Crime yet because sins do easily insinuate themselves under the mask of good and the World the Flesh and the Devil do endeavour a thousand ways by allurements by deceits or by force to tempt us from our good purposes and resolutions of living well it therefore behoves a Christian to arm himself against the Assaults of all Capital Sins For as in War he that knows the Enemy is near provideth himself with all necessary Weapons keeps Watches and Sentinels that so he may at all times be in a readiness to oppose the Enemy In like manner it is our Duty to have always our Spiritual Armour at hand with which we may resist the Enemies of our Salvation the World the Flesh and the Devil This is that Warfare by which we overcome the World and our own selves and we ought daily to improve our selves in it Wherefore if Men would but take half the pains in vanquishing their Lusts and implanting Piety in their Minds as they do in getting Riches hunting after Honours and resolving nice and intricate Questions there would be fewer offences in the World and the exercises of Vertue would be much more frequent and vigorous amongst Men. And whereas all that are in the World are the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life or the love of Pleasures Riches and Honours 1 John 2.16 and those Enormous Sins which arise from hence as Pride Covetousness Luxury Envy Anger Enmity and Hatred and the like It is therefore the Duty of a Christian diligently to consider how he may best fortifie himself against these vices And first against Pride The Christian may easily cure himself of this Evil by accustoming himself to Humility and considering how little one Man is better than another We are born all alike one wants Meat and Drink as well as another and all the labour of Man is for his Mouth and yet the Appetite is not filled one is sick as well as another and we all die and return unto the Earth from whence we were taken And indeed this consideration alone that in a short