generatio alterius the dying of the seed is the life of the corne that springs from it Thou foole saith th' Apostle that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die Thus we see there is still happinesse in death The grave may be likened to the Gold-smiths Forge in it our bodies are refined and polished by Gods Almighty hand and by the power of Christs Resurrection and they are made of corruptible incorruptible and of mortall immortall and so that comes to passe which we have Rom. 8. 28. That all things worke together for good to them that love God it is true of afflictions which are the fore-runners of death and true of death it selfe and therefore the Apostle tells us that whether it bee life or death things present or things to come all are ours and well saith Saint Bernard Bona mors quae vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius O happy death that deprives us not of life but changes this for a farre better Dies mortis saith Seneca quem tanquam extremum formidas aeterni natalis est How art thou deceived in thy thoughts of death the day of thy death which thou so much fearest as thy last day to thee is the Birth day of eternity and Euripides answerably vivere mori est mori autem vivere to live is to die and to die is to live viz. eternally But now another block lies in our way another Objection which must also bee answered How blessed by that may some man say which is a curse and punishment for sinne that which God hath armed against us as was said before for the execution of that doome In the day that thou eatest thou shalt die the death To this I say first that the Apostle answers it 1 Cor. 15. 54 55. the most hurtfull creatures if once they bee disarmed and weakned cannot hurt us much lesse when they are overcome and slaine for us and to our hand as we say so is death Christ hath taken away the sting of it and conquer'd it and all adverse power that might stop our passage to Heaven And as when Goliah was overcome by David this victory made all the people of Israel for whom hee fought Conquerours and freed them from the power of the enemie so our David having overcome and conquered death we are safe being all more then Conquerours by and in him Now the second point followes which I proposed for the answering of this last accusation that Old-age is a neere neighbour to death viz. that other ages are as liable to it as this and many times as neere It is observed by one that there are three messengers of death casuality sicknesse and Old-age Casualities and the unhappy accidents that doe befall men and shorten their lives are indeed many somewhere whole Cities have beene overthrowne by earthquakes others burnt up by lightnings some by fire whole regions swallowedup by the earths gaping for them many men and places destroyed by the inundations of the sea and many other casualities happen daily a haire drunke in milke a stone in a grape a small bone in a fish have beene meanes of choaking some have dyed with suddaine joy Warres and the Pestilence how many thousands doe they devoure a multitude of such accidents there are but no age is more free from these messengers then this we speake of and that for these reasons First because this is an age of the best temper and greatest moderation and circumspection whereby divers of those dangers are avoided Secondly because it is not so much in bodily action as the rest Thirdly for that it mooves lesse stirres lesse abroad giving it selfe to retirednesse Fourthly it is not prest to the warres where death compasses men about and is daily and hourely expected Besides it is free from quarrells and lesse subject to surfettings to breaking and disjoynting of limbs or to deadly wounds c. Touching the second messenger of death Bodily diseases they are in other ages moe more sharpe and more incurable every man will grant it If it be said that though these two messengers should passe by Old-men yet their age it selfe will stand ready every houre to arrest them I answer that neither is that so for the Schooleman tells us that OLD-AGE sometimes equals all the other in yeeres and durance and whereas of the rest there is a certaine set period and end of this there is none for no man knowes when an Old-man shall die and cease to be an Old-man Saint Ierome tells us that Nemotam fractis viribus decrepitae senectutis est quin non se putet unum adhuc annum esse victurum that there is not any in strength so decayed and in age so decrepit as not to thinke he shall live yet one yeere longer Further we know that the yongest hath no lease no certainty of the number of his daies and therefore must still be in expectation of death as well as the aged for it behooves him that hath no set day for his debt to be at all times solvendo ready for payment Socrates was wont to say that to Old-men death stands before them continually in their sight but to young men hee lurks behind that unawares he may come upon them as an enemy that lies in ambush The third part of my answer remaines which retorts the fault if it be one of Old-ages being so neere to death upon the true cause of it viz. mens intemperance and disorder in the former part of their life I will briefly passe through the particular foregoing ages In Infancy many times the milke in the nursing or food when it hath left the brest is unholsome whereby an ill foundation is laid for the bodily constitution And heere by the way I cannot but blame the indiscreet peremptorinesse of some who doubt not to make this a generall rule or Maxim that God never makes the wombe fruitfull and the brest barren and thereupon stick not to conclude that no woman may put forth her childe to nurse true not of nicenesse and to shunne the paines and trouble of it Yet it cannot be denied that there are many cases in which the mother not onely may refuse this office which in it selfe is most naturall I confesse and lies neerely upon her but is a cruell mother to her child to say nothing of her selfe if shee doe otherwise for what weaknesse and how many deseases may bee derived from a mother in some cases I say and of some constitutions to the child to its utter overthrow and undoing and besides it is not true that the mothers breasts are never dry nor that there can be no other thing that may justly excuse her refusing to be a nurse But I leave the digression having but occasionally and by the way fallen upon it And now further I say that often through want of attendance the poore infant falls into many
every thing and likewise his mind is fraught with vertues of all kindes Neither is he a storer this way only for the perfection of inward indowments but rich also in things outward as children his joy and comfort in whom hee shall live after death honour wealth yea and health also if youth have not played the prodigall and beene a waster of them And heere now I thinke of the Analogie or correspondency that is betweene the seasons of the yeere and the ages of mans life The Spring-time resembles child-hood the Summer and therein the growth of the fruits of the earth youth the Autumne or harvest the ripe-age the beginning of the Winter when all the profits arising from the husband-mans labours and charges are come into his barnes and store-houses the age we heere speake of As therfore at this time of the yeere the barne is full of corne the hive of honey and waxe as then the fleece is laid up ready for warme winter cloathing and all the other provision by the thriving Pater-familias is stored up for the necessary use of the house and as then the Ants heape is growne great for succour and food so to Old-men all the forenamed good things come in and crowne this age with all manner of blessings If I say the foregoing times have not beene slothfull and unprofitable servants to their Master for whom they were all set a worke So tenderly is the eye of Gods providence cast on the Old-Man that hee takes order for his being plentifully furnished with all necessaries before he brings him to this infirme bodily estate As at the Creation man was not made till God had in a readinesse for him the whole worlds provision But soft will some man say let not the Old-man vaunt too much of the good hee receives from the times past and gone they store up evill to him as well as good they daily set him on the score and he must pay all when the reckoning comes in A disorderly impenitent fore-led life brings heapes of wrath upon him and the heavie burden of sin then when he is least able to beare it to say nothing of other distresses in his temporall estate I answer It is true too true The person of the Old-man oft-times feeles the smart of those discomforts but it is no disparagement to the age that incurres no blame by it and it is the age so much disregarded that is heere pleaded for Now when wee see innocency suffer how will it affect us with contempt or commiseration surely if OLD-AGE be in any man so happy in some by Gods gracious working it is as to make a Comedy of that which was in danger to prove a Tragedy by concluding whatsoever hath passed in the doubtfull Acts and Scenes of it in a joyfull Catastrophe who will be so envious as not to grace it with an answerable Plaudite CHAP. II. Touching OLD-AGES second priviledge viz. meanes for a greater measure of grace THis my claime for OLD-AGE maintaines not an uncapablenesse of it either in Infancy when God is pleased gratiously to worke it or in childhood or the other two ages but this That many yeares and long life is no small help this way and that in divers respects First in regard of the time it gives for it Secondly in respect of the nature of grace which is to grow the more certainely the more time it hath Thirdly because God the best and richest the bountifullest master doth give the greatest reward to them that have served him longest Concerning the first Time and place fit and convenient must be granted to every thing As it was said by the grand Enginer Archimedes Da ubi consistam movebo terram set mee in a fit place and I will move the earth so saith the skilfull and industrious man give me time and I will worke wonders Time it is by which being and increase is given to every creature Six daies God tooke for the Creating of the world and all things in it that short time hee allotted to that worke and the rest of time he hath appointed for his providence in governing whatsoever he hath made for his preserving ordering and blessing with growth and increase every creature and each good thing hee hath bestowed on it From hence it will follow that the men to whom God hath granted a long time and many yeeres have by it the better meanes and helps for adding still more and more to the grace they have received As to insist in some particulars they may attaine to more knowledge then others and a riper judgement Heb. 5. the Apostle compares the Word of God to food and the hearers learners of it he distinguishes according to the severall kinds of food The Word hath milk the first principles easiest parts of it and that is for children and babes in Christ. It hath also stronger meate points of doctrine more hard to bee understood this is for men of riper age in Christianity such as through custome have their wits exercised to discerne betweene good and evill as in that place ver 12. the difference there is in the time Concerning the time saith the Apostle yee ought to be teachers c. The light in the dawning of the day is not so cleere as when the Sun is risen above our Horizon so neither is the new-borne babe so inlightned in his tender yeares as when time hath affoorded him more growth As it is in knowledge so in faith For the experience a Christian hath by long continuance in this estate of Gods mercifull dealing with him in things temporall and spirituall gives strength to his assurance as it did to David after his triall of Gods assistance in his overcomming and slaying the Lyon and the Beare In repentance likewise for by the daily renewing of it throughout a mans life it is still more and more perfected and so in the rest The corne-ground which hath for two Summers and two Winters felt the comfortable heate of the Sunne and the chastening frosty-cold and hath beene plowed oftener then ordinary and so passed through many seasons thereby becomes the more fruitfull so the man on whom the comfortable reviving rayes of the Sonne of Righteousnesse and the bitter nipps of afflictions outward and inward have wrought a long time is by it abundantly increased in all grace and goodnesse Why because he hath had more time for the breaking up of his fallow-ground and preventing thereby his sowing among the thornes and this is the Old-mans case for many yeares give him time and opportunity for it The mysteries of salvation in the Old Testament were indeed mysteries being delivered in Types and figures unto the people which were but as infants and children but in the New Testament and the last times the Old-Age of the world they were made more plaine and evident The Apostles of our Saviour in their minority there
It is this that yee must be so farre from the common sinne of casting a scornefull eye on Old-men as to thinke your selves never so well sorted as when yee are in their company And this counsell yee shall take not from me but from Saint Ierom Difficilibus ac morosis senibus aures libenter praebeto qui proverbiorum sententijs adolescentes ad recta studia cohortantur Lend thy attentive eare willingly to Old-men seeme they to you never so froward and hard to please for by their wise speeches and counsels young-men are brought into a right course of life And with him also agrees Saint Bernard Aequalium usuâ—… dulcior senum tutior hap'ly saith he thy converse with thy equalls who are ready to humour thee may bee more pleasing to thee but thy safest and most profitable way is to be conversant with thy betters and elders so much as thou maist Resolve therefore as one did Quoad possitis liceat a senis latere nunquam discedâ—…re never to depart from the side of the Old-man with whom thou maist have leave to converse And heere it may fitly be remembred that the young-men which gave Rehoboam bad counsell were such as had growne up with him 1 King 12. 8. Now to men of mature or middle-age thus much This is your Autumne the yeare of your life is whirl'd about and now come towards the period Have yee hitherto beene unthrifts hath your child-hood and youth brought in little or nothing O then how must you now bestirre you Yee have neglected the first spring of your yeere the latter is now come and that is your next season though not so hopefull as the other Yet now at last awake and begin to looke about you Repent you of your former failings and presse now hard towards the marke the harder because formerly ye have lost much time and that which remaines to you is but short On the contrary have yee thrived by your endeavours and Gods blessing upon them in times past are yee now increased both in outward and inward riches and become great among them with whom yee live O then let your neighbours bee the better for it Let there bee to them ali quid boni propter vicinum bonum Let not your greatnesse make others little either in themselves or in your esteeme Let not your wealth bee their woe and poverty your honour their disgrace and abasement Bee not like the tall Cedars that overtop the the lowly shrubs If yee be wise and know much let others light their candle at your lampes Know that whatsoever you have or are you have received it and not for your selves alone but that others may have from you as freely as you from the great DONOR Lastly to my selfe and my coetanei all that are farre gone in yeares Let us now being neere the end of our journey of our travaile towards the heavenly Canaan and having passed through the dangerous and trouble some wildernesse of our life imagine our selves to bee on some high mountaine on Pisgah the top of Nebo if you please where Moses was being of the age of 120 when he had finished his course and his many his 42. wearisome journeyes were at an end and from thence let us looke back to the sundry passages of our life past as hap'ly Moses did to his and the peoples wandring in the wildernesse though hee ascended the Mount to another end calling to mind how God hath dealt with us least wee fall into the unthankfullnesse of that people how God hath preserved and kept us continually in the wombe and in our comming into the world as forth of our prison in Egypt in our infancy childhood and riper age And on the other side that wee may see and acknowledge that Gods patience hath still gone along with his mercies and bounty towards us Let us cast up so neere as wee can all the particular failings and errors of our life How wee have wandred up and downe in the daies of our pilgrimage towards heaven How wee have as the Israelites in our journeyes gone crookedly sometimes forward otherwhile backward now neere to our Canaan anon further off never making straight steps to our feet And chiefly let our greatest sinnes stand ever before us as Davids did Psal. 51. 3. and be laid to heart and that now while it is a time accepted and the day of salvation While it is our day this certainely is ours whether the morrow will be our day we know not That which often deceives younger men the blind hope that they shall live yet many yeares and that therefore there is no hast of their repentance or amendment cannot have the least colour for our deferring Our very yeeres besides the sense of our frailty daily and hourely call upon us to prepare for death by making up our last account To conclude all because in the precedent Tract something hath beene said in the defence and praise of our despised age for admonition therefore least we should deceive our selves in our particulars let the following Distick bee ever remembred by us Qui laudat quasi jam facias quae non â—…acis ille Laudando wonet quae sacâ—…enda noâ—…at Art thou heere prais'd unworthily Then to be worthy learne thereby Imprimatur THO WYKES R P. Ep. Lond. Cap. Domest An Alphabeticall Table A ACtions nor all nor the best in bodily strength Page 23. Man casting up his Account a weighty worke Page 47. Old men fittest to cast up their Accounts Page 48. Afflictions are to weane us from pleasures Page 7â—… Agamemnon preferred old Nestor before the Worthies of Greece Page 83. Age increaseth learning Page 26. Every Age hath proper imployments P. 53 God laies no more on any Age then what it is able to beare Page 53. All Ages subject to casualties Page 148. Every Age hath a more certaine period then Old-Age Page 150. Resemblances betwixt the seasons of the yeare and Ages of man Page 165. Agesilaus his hardinesse Page 15. Apostles most excellent in their elder yeares Page 174. B Bodies abilities common to wicked and beasts Page 20. Body not destroyed by death Page 131. C Casualties befall all Ages page 148. Cato Major learned the Grecke tongue in his Old-Age page 16. Child-hoods infirmities page 91. Childrens yoke page 92. Contemplation an Old-mans joy page 192. Contemplation commended page 186. Contemplation sweet pag. 190. Correction of children page 93. Children in what cases they may be put out to nurse page 152. Children happy if well seasoned page 196. Causes of death in Child-hood page 154. Complaints should be against ones selfe p. 8. Corporall pleasures See Pleasures Corruption the way to generation page 130. D Death what makes it most greevous to good men page 126. Mens rashnesse in speaking against Death page 127. Death wherein terrible page 128. Death remedy against it page 128. Death a blessing page 130. Death destroyes
justly observed that the defects which befall OLD-AGE are occasioned for the most part if not altogether by the disorder of younger yeares Yea the distemper of younger yeares is to speake according to the course of nature an especiall cause that so few even of those who grow bearded attaine an hoary head which as the Wise-man hath well observed is a crowne of glory if it be found in the way of righteousnesse He therefore that wrote much in commendation of OLD-AGE put in this proviso Remember that I praise that OLD-AGE which is setled upon the foundations of youth meaning that youth which hath beene well passed over For as an ancient Father long since said and that upon his owne experience The OLD-AGE of them who have furnished their youth with sciences is made by continuance the more learned by use the more ready by processe of time the more prudent and reapeth the most sweet fruits of former studies It much resteth in men by well ordering their tender and flexible age yea and their more stable and setled yeares following thereupon both to attaine unto OLD-AGE and also to make that OLD-AGE whereunto they attaine more joyous and glorious It is said of a wicked man Iob. 21. 21. The number of his daies is cut off in the midst And to like purpose Psal. 55. 23. Bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their daies For some by gluttony drunkennesse whoredome and such kinde of distempers bring mortall diseases upon themselves and thereby hasten death others doe the like by immoderate passions as love griefe feare and such like others by too much carking watching fasting paines-taking and other such excesses destroy nature others by quarrells and duells cause themselves to be cut off before their time others by casting themselves upon desperate attempts shorten their daies others by capitall crimes bring themselves under the Magistrates sword which cuts them off others by laying violent hands upon themselves prevent the time which otherwise they might have lived others by notorious sinnes provoke the Divine Justice to take them away by an extraordinary judgement In these and other like respects wicked men may be said dimidiare dies suos to cut off their time in the midst or not to live halfe their daies namely which they might otherwise have lived according to the course of nature if they had not fallen into such exorbitant courses Thus many keepe themselves from OLD-AGE Yet it cannot be denied but that sundry wicked ones attaine thereto Experience demonstrates as much For howsoever OLD-AGE be promised as a blessing onely to the Righteous yet it is permitted to wicked ones but as a curse through their abuse thereof A curse I say both to others and to themselves To others in that the longer they live the more mischiefe they doe To themselves in this world and in the world to come In this world every day they multiply and aggravate sinne and so make themselves the more odious to God Angells and good men whence it commeth to passe that their name rots it is like a rotten puâ—…rified carrion the longer it lieth above ground the more noisome and stinking â—…avour it sendeth forth In the world to come their torment shall be increased according to the multitude and hainousnesse of their sinnes Old wicked ones after their heardnesse and impenitent heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Such Old-Men are like to the old Serpent OLD-AGE as spoken of in the ensuing Treatise is proper to the Righteous It is the observation of sundry of the ancient Fathers that Abraham the father of the faithfuil is the first that in sacred Scripture is called an Old-Man To him it was promised as a blessing Gen. 15. 15. and in that respect his OLD-AGE is stiled a good Old-Age Gen. 25. 8. Thus to take OLD-AGE seperated from the accidentall imperfections thereof such as arise not simply from OLD-AGE but from the former and present wickednesse of evill old-men OLD-AGE is one of the pillars wherewith politiâ—…s are supported Who knowes not that a Senate or Counsell of State is a principall stay of a State Now a Senat useth to consist for the most part of Old-Men who by reason of their age and place are called Seniores Elders In the Law we reade that Levites having served in the house of God till they were fiftie yeares old at which time OLD AGE beginneth were to goe to their Cities there to dwell as Iudges The Jewes had their Senat or Counsell whereunto Christ alludeth Mat. 5. 22. in this phrase shall be in danger of the Counsell This Counsell consisted of Old-Men called Elders of whome some were Priests some Levits some Nobles most of them if not all of them Old-Men So the Romans and others had their Senate of such Hereupon the Oratour makes this inference If counsell reason and judgement were not in Old-Men our Ancestours would not have called the highest counsell a Senate Yet further to prove that the Ancient are a staffe and stay to a State the Prophet Isa. 1. 2. putteth them into the ranke of such staies as in judgement are taken away and upon the taking away of whom a state falls to ruine as a Tent falls slat downe if the pole by which it is supported be taken away See the difference betwixt the counsell of Old-Men and Young-men in Rehoboams case Not without cause therefore is it said that one hearty Old-Man is of better use then many Young-men For as another Poet said of an Old-Man He knoweth many and those ancient things too On this and other like grounds OLD-AGE hath in all ages beene much honoured So it was among the Heathen so much more ought it to be among Gods people The Lord himselfe giveth this charge Lev. 19. 32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary-head and honour the face of the Old-Man and feare thy God This last clause and feare thy God sheweth that our feare of God who is invisible is testified by our reverence to those that visibly beare his Image as Old-Men doe For God himselfe is stiled Dan. 7. 9. the Ancient of daies and the haire of his head is said to be like pure wooll that is white not spotted not stained not soiled such as the haire of Old-men useth to be In allusion hereunto S. Hierom saith that the haire of the Ancient of daies is described to bee white that length of daies may be declared thereby So pithily and plentifully hath the Author of this Treatise here presented to thee handled this point both Vindicatively in freeing OLD-AGE from all undue imputations against it and also Encomiastically by setting out the comelinesse and excellency thereof as to speake any more thereabout would bee actum agere to preach over the same Sermon againe yea as it is in the proverb to set â—…ole-worts twice soâ—… before you
of great joy and a multitude of the heavenly host joyned with him in a joyfull praising of God Glory be to God on high c. then Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy Salvation After againe when Iohn Baptist had prepared the way and wone Disciples to Christ how rejoyced they at the sight of the Lamb of God Andrew to his brother Simon we have found the Messias and Philip to Nathaniel we have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write Both Iohn and Christ himselfe for the increase of their joy that heard them made this the summe of their preaching Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand yet to bring it now home to our purpose all this was but the Kingdome of grace and if when that was at hand there was cause of so great joy as indeed there was then how much greater cause is there when the Kingdome of GLORIE is at hand and even come unto us how great joy and happinesse must there needs bee The truth is every mans death is suiting to his life if he be blessed in his life he is more so in his death which followes a good life In a word if thou shrink and draw back at the thought of thy death which is a common infirmity Tantam habet vim carnis animae dulce consortium of so great force in the sweet society betweene the body and the soule in case it be thus with thee it is because death comes not into thy frequent cogitations because thou diest not daily because thou receivest not the sentence of death in thy selfe Mortem effice familiarem saith Seneca ut si ita sors tulerit possis illi obviam ire be well acquainted with death that when he comes thou maist meet him as a friend and entertaine him with joy Facilè contemnit omnia qui semper cogitat se esse moriturum saith S. Ierom hee that continually thinkes of death easily tramples upon whatsoever may dismay him Or it is for that thou hast not yet learned of Saint Chrysostome Offeramus Deo promunere quod pro debito tenemur reddere be free in offering up thy selfe to God as a gift which wee are bound to yeeld to him as a debt Or because thy life hath beene vitious Mala mors putanda non est saith Saint Austin quam bona vita preces sit that death may not be counted evill which is foregon by a good life Thou art loth to die wherefore thou hast lived ill and so art unprepared for death know that the reason of this want of preparation is because thou art not throughly perswaded and resolved that thou shalt die nor dost truly beleeve it hap'ly thou canst say from a generall swimming thought of death that we are all mortall or the like but a firme and constant beleefe of it is farre from thee for otherwise thou wouldest live in continuall expectation of thy dissolution and prepare thy selfe for that day that houre knowing that then instantly thou art brought to judgement If newes be brought to a City that the enemie is comming against it and ready to besiege it shall we thinke they beleeve it when they make no preparation for defence Quotidiè morimur quotidie mutamur tamen aeternos nos esse credimus saith Saint Ierom we die daily and every day are we changed and yet we dreame of eternity even here in this life Or hap'ly the reason of thy feare of death is thou art fast glued to thy earthly portion thy riches thy pleasures thy honours thy friends Shake hand at least in contentment with these and all will bee well forsake them now while thou livest and then thou canst not in regard of them thinke death thine enemie or that it takes either thee from them or them from thee if thou have thy treasure in Heaven there thy heart will be and from thy heart and treasure thou wilt not be contentedly but wilt love and embrace the messenger and guide which conducts thee to them namely thy death But will some man say how can there bee happinesse in that which all men yea all the other creatures doe shunne for they all naturally desire to preserve their estate of being what they are and by all meanes avoid their being dissolved I answer first Death and dissolution is two waies to be considered either simply as it is an abolishing of a present estate or as it is a passage to a future better condition as it is the former naturally it is abhor'd but as it tends to perfection it is both in it selfe desirable and by the creatures desired and longed for before it comes and when it presents it selfe right welcome and embraced so was it by th' Apostle Phil. 1. 23 he desired to depart or as some translate it to be dissolved Why not in respect of death it selfe but because by this death he should passe to a better life he should live with Christ hee should bee deliver'd from his claiey house as that word dissolved imports or dismissed as Beza reads it and our newest translation that is set free from imprisonment in the body and from the miseries of this life and hence it is that the Apostle there professes that he shall gaine by death ver 21. he shall gaine Christ by it enjoy him fully and with him glory even the crowne which he aspires unto 2 Tim. 4. hence it is also that death is longed for and earnestly groned after as 2 Cor. 5. neither is this true which hath beene said onely of the faithfull among men but of the other creatures also with earnest expectation they grone and travaile in paine for the day of their renovation Rom. 8. 19 22. So then it is plaine that death though it be not simply and in it selfe good and desirable yet for that which commeth of it it is And this may be further manifested by similitudes with which the same Apostle doth furnish us First in the place afore-named 2 Cor. 5. 1. the body our earthly mansion is compared to a tabercacle a weake and moveable house or dwelling our heavenly habitation to a firme building not made with hands but eternall in the heavens and 1 Cor. 15. our interred bodies are likened to the seed which is cast into the ground and is there corrupted and dies I will apply these comparisons to our present purpose True indeed an old weake decayed house is not in this happy that it is taken downe better to be in that meane estate in which it was before then not at all to be but herein consists the happinesse of its demolishment that thereby it becomes a new faire building farre more glorious in it selfe and more profitable for use then before So againe the seed is not in that happy that it is corrupted and rotted in the earth but that corruptio unius is