excellent fruits in the life of man For a worldling surfeted with vanities a proud man in the midst of his aspiring thoughts the couetous man in the dogs-hunger of his auarice the voluptuous man in the fury of his fornication the enuious man in the torment of his malice if they can be so happie as once to prepare themselues for Death in a holy meditation into what amazement will they be brought to consider of their wondrous folly in their dangerous estate Then pride will strike her sailes couetousnes will be satisfied voluptuosnesse more continent and enuie more charitable Gen. 18.27 Iob. 42.6 it will make vs say with Abraham I am but dust and ashes and with the holy man Iob to abhor our selues and to repent in dust and ashes The second dutie in this generall preparation is that euery man must daily indeauor to take away from his owne Death the power and sting thereof Iudg. 16.5 The Philistimes saw by experience that Samson was of great strength and therefore they vsed meanes to know in what part of his body his strength layâ— and when they found it to bee in the haire of his head they neuer ceased practising with Daliah till it was cut off and then they had their will of him In like manner the time will come when we must incounter hand to hand and grapple with cruell death and therefore the best way is before hand while we haue a breathing time to learne where the sting of Death which is his strength doth ly which being once knowne we must with all speed cut off his Samsons locks bereaue him of his power disarme him and make him weake and vnable to destroy vs. Now to finde out the way we neede not vse the counsell of any Dalilah but we haue the oracles and counsels of God which direct vs plainely wherein the strength and sting of Death consists namely in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of Death saith the Apostle is sinne And seeing we now know that the power and force of euery mans death doth lye in his owne sinnes the wages whereof is death as the same Apostle telleth vs and the body is to dy because of sinne Rom. 6 23. Rom. 8.10 wee must therefore indeauour before Death come vpon vs to pull out this sting and take froÌ„ him his power strength by humbling our selues in the time present for all our sinnes past and by turning our selues to God for the time to come and to labour to haue our sinnes pardoned and forgiuen by the pretious death and blood-shedding of our Sauiour Iesus Christ by which meanes and none other the power of Death is much rebated For Christ dyed not to take away Death as yet but to change Death not to overthrow the being of death but to plucke out the sting of Death not quite to stop vp the graue but to remoue and quell the victorie of the graue By which meanes Death cannot now sting them that haue their sinnes forgiuen nor the graue triumph ouer them Death in it selfe is the way to hell vnto the wicked but it is altered and changed vnto the children of God by grace and is become vnto them a portall by which the soule passeth out of the fraile body into heauen In it selfe Death is as a Sergeant to arrest men and bring them to iudgment but to the elect children of God by the Death of Christ it is as the Angell which guided the Apostle Peter out of prison Acts 12. and sets them at liberty and leads them from the vale of teares into the land of righteousnes and by this meanes of a mighty and bloudie enemie is so far forth made tractable and friendly that wee may now with comfort encounter with Death and preuaile seeing now it is become a peece of our happines Exod. 8.8 Acts 8 24. The most notorious wicked person wheÌ„ he is in dying perchance will pray and with Pharaoh desire others â—o pray for him and will promise amendement of life with solemne protestations that if he might liue longer he would become a practiser of all the good duties of faith repentance and reformation of life although God knowes there be too many that after recouery do with Pharaoh breake this promise This therefore is a dutie which you must be carefull to doe euery day Num. 23.10 Wicked Balaam that false Prophet would faine dye the Death of the righteous Let mee saith he dye the death of the righteous and let my last end bee like his buthe by no meanes would liue the life of the righteous But this preparation will bring thee to liue the life of the righteous and then no doubt but thou shalt also dye the death of the righteous The third dutie in our generall preparation is in this life to enter into the first degree of life eternall for eternall life and happines hath three degrees one in this life and that is when a man can truly say with the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I liue and yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by faith in the sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me and this all such can say as doe vnfainedly repent and beleeue and that are iustified from their sinnes sanctified against their sinnes and haue the peace of a good conscience with other good gifts and graces of the holie Spirit being the earnest peny of their saluation The second degree is in the end of this life that is when the bodie goes to the earth from whence it came and the soule returnes to God that gaue it and is carried by the angels into Abrahams bosome The third degree is in the end of the world that is at the resurrection and last iudgement when bodie and soule being reunited together who were ancient louing familiers liuing and suffering together and from their first conuersion did draw together as sweete yoke-fellowes in the Kingdome of grace doe now ioyntly enter together into the Kingdome of glory So that the first of these three degrees is in this life into which we must enter For he that will liue in eternal happinesse must first begin in this life to rise out of the graue of sinne in which by nature he lyes buried and then liue in newnesse of life by grace The fourth dutie in our generall preparation is to exercise and inure our selues in dying by little and little before we come to that point that we must needs die indeed For he that leaues this world before the world leaue him giues Death the hand like a welcome messenger and departs in peace Wherefore as they in open games of actiuitie as running shooting wrestling and such like long before hand breath their bodies and exercise themselues that in the day of triall they may winne the game c. Euen so should wee beginne to die now while we are liuing that we may
will carry the snake in their bosomes without any feare Euen so although we cary death about vs in our mortall bodies yea in our bosomes and bowels yet sinne which was her sting being pulled out by the death of Christ shee can onely hisse and make a stirre and ordinarily looke blacke and grimme but can no wayes annoy vs. Which will be the more manifest if we well weigh how Christ our head and Captaine hath quelled and conquered this mightie Gyant for vs whereby none that are Christs members need stand in feare thereof Death saith the blessed Apostle is swallowed vp in victory and Christ was dead and now liueth 1. Cor. 15.54 Reu. 1.18 and that for euer And he hath the keyes of hell and death as he testifieth of himselfe in the booke of the Reuelation Now he that hath the keyes of a place hath the command of that place It is as much then as if it had been said he had the command of death and power to dispose of it at his pleasure And will Christ then that hath such an enemie at his mercie let him hurt and annoy his deare friends nay his owne members and so in effect himselfe Noe noe he conquered death for vs not for himselfe seeing death had no quarrell to him By his vniust death then hee hath vanquished our iust death as Saint Augustine very excellently saith Death could not be conquered but by death therefore Christ suffered death that an vniust death might ouercome a iust death and that he might deliuer the guiltie iustly by dying for them vniustly Whereunto agreeth that speech The vniust sinneth and the iust is punished the guiltie transgresseth and the innocent is beaten the wicked offendeth and the godly is condemned that which the euill deserueth the good suffereth that which the seruant oweth the master payeth that which man committeth God sustaineth For although because he was man he could die and did so yet because he was iust hee ought not to haue died and hee that had no cause to die for himselfe in reason and equitie should not die for others vnprofitably neither did he surely but to the greatest purpose that the Sonne of God dying for the sonnes of men the sonnes of men might thereby bee made the sonnes of God yea that they of bad seruants might bee made good sonnes And this glorious mystery of our Sauiours Incarnation and Passion must needs bring forth glorious effects this strange and vnspeakable loue of God that his onely Sonne should die for vs that the Lord should dye for disobedient seruants the Creator for the creature God for man this strange loue I say must needs bee of strange operation as it is euen to make of sinners iust men of slaues brethren of captiues fellow-heires and of banished persons Kings and to make of death as it were no death but a very easie passage to eternal life for the death of Christ is the death of our death sith hee died that wee might liue and how can it be but that they should liue for whom life it selfe died Surely Death by vsurping vpon the innocent forfeited her right to the guiltie and while shee deuoured wrongfully shee her selfe was deuoured Yea in that Christ hath vanquished death we may be truely said to vanquish it Rom. 8.37 Ephes 5.30 For in this saith the Apostle we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs he being our head and wee his members and where the head is conqueror the members cannot bee captiues Let vs then reioyce that wee haue alreadie seized on heauen in Christ who hath caried our flesh thither in his owne person as an earnest peny and pledge of the whole summe that in time shal be brought thither Wee may then boldly say that there is somewhat of ours aboue already yea the best part of vs as namely our head from which the members cannot be farre yea we may assure our selues that wee being members of such a head yea bodie to it we are in effect where our head is For S. Augustine saith This bodie cannot be beheaded but if the head triumph for euer the members also must needs triumph for euer And that we haue this benefit by Christs ascension into heauen aforehand for vs Bernard excellently sheweth Be it saith he that only Christ is entred into heauen yet I trow whole Christ must enter and if whole Christ then the body as well as the head yea euery particular member of the bodie For this head is not to be found in the kingdome of heauen without his members In a word the head being aboue water the bodie can neuer be drowned although it bee neuer so much beaten and tossed in this world with waues and tempests Oh but life is sweet and death is fearefull how then may I bee prepared against that houre to vndergoe it in a Christian patience without earthly passions I answer this is indeed the infirmitie of our flesh and the propertie of our corrupt nature that we are more desirous of this life fading then of the life to come that is not flitting and hence comes that feare and terror of death Iohn 10.28 Death in it selfe and out of Christ is as we haue heard very dreadfull and we haue reason to feare it as it is an effect of sinne But we speake not of death considered out of Christ or considered in it selfe but of death altered by the death of Christ for so it is no dreadful thing but much to be desired he is our Pastor we need not feare to be taken out of his hands our Aduocate 1. Iohn 2.1 1. Tim. 2.5 Iohn 8.12 Psal 91.1 Iohn 5.22 therefore we need not dread damnation our Mediator therfore we need not feare the wrath of God our light wee neede not feare darknesse our shadow wee need not feare the heat of hell fire our Iudge we need not feare that sentence shall be denounced against vs our life and therefore wee need not feare death Well may the brute beasts feare to die whose end of life is their end of being well may the Epicure feare and tremble at death who with his life looketh to loose his felicitie well may the faithlesse and impenitent sinner feare and quake whose death is the beginning of their damnation well may the voluptuous worldling whose felicitie consists wholy in the fruition of these transitorie things greatly feare death as that which depriueth him of his pomp and preferment of his honours and high calling robbeth him of his iewels and treasure spoileth him of his pastimes and pleasures exileth him from his friends and country and vtterly bereaueth him of all his expectations solace and delight Which Iesus the sonne of Sirach noting said Eccles 41.1 O death how bitter is thy remembrance to the man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all things yea vnto him that is yet able to receiue
of all is in the pangs of death when friends riches pleasures the outward sences temporall life and all earthly helpes forsake vs. But put thy trust confidence faith in God which neither fadeth nor vanisheth Psal 118.8.9 but abideth continueth for euer Psal 146.3.4 For if thou bee in amity with God the night will bee short and thy sleepe sweete thy graue wil be to thee as a bed of doune there to rest till the day of resurrection thy prayers at that time wil smel as perfume and thy praises sound in thy soule as the harmonie of the heauens where thou shalt raigne for euer and euer And then true faith will make vs to goe wholly out of our selues and to despaire of comfort and saluation in respect of any earthly thing and to rest and rely wholly with all the power and strength of our heart vpon the pure loue and mercies of Iesus Christ When the Israelites in the wildernesse were stung with fiery Serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the brasen Serpent Num. 21.8.9 which was erected for that purpose by Gods owne appointment and then were presently healed euen so when any man feeles death to approach and draw neere with a fiery sting to pierce his heart hee must then presently fixe the eyes of a true and liuely faith vpon Christ his Sauiour exalted lifted vp Iohn 3.14.15 and crucified vpon the Crosse which being done he shall by death enter into eternall life It is recorded by the Author to the Hebrewes Heb. 11.13 that the holy Fathers of the old Testament died in faith and so entred into glory And if wee will looke to be glorified with them then must we follow their steps in dying in the same faith with them And because true faith is no dead thing it must be expressed by speciall actions as namely by the last words which for the most part in them that haue sincerely and truly serued God are very excellent and comfortable and full of grace some choyce examples whereof I will rehearse for instructions sake and for imitation viz. The Last words of Iacob Gen. 49.18 O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation The last words of Moses his most excellent song set downe in Deuteronomy Deut. 32. The last words of Dauid 2. Sam. 23.1.2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue The last words of Zacharias the son of Iehoiada the Priest when he was stoned to death by King Ioash 2. Chro. 24.22 The Lord looke vpon it and require it The last words of the conuerted Theefe vpon the Crosse Luke 23.40.41.44 first rebuking his fellow for railing on Christ then confessing his and his fellowes guiltinesse thirdly his iustification of Christ that he had done nothing amisse and lastly his sweete prayer Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome The last words of our Sauiour Christ himselfe Luk. 23.34.43 when hee was dying vpon the Crosse are most admirable and stored with aboundance of spirituall graces First to his Father concerning his enemies hee saith Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Secondly to the Theefe vpon the Crosse with him Iohn 19.26 I say vnto thee this day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Mat. 27.46 Thirdly to his Mother Woman behold thy Sonne and to Iohn his beloued Disciple Behold thy Mother Iohn 19.28.30 Fourthly in his agonie he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Luke 23.46 Fiftly he earnestly desiring our saluation said I thirst Sixtly when he had made perfect satisfaction for vs he said It is finished And seuenthly when his bodie and soule were parting hee said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and hauing thus said hee gaue vp the ghost Act. 7.56.59.60 The last words of the Martyr Saint Stephen at his stoning First Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of Man standing at the right hand of God Secondly as they were stoning of him hee called vpon God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And thirdly hee kneeled downe and cried with a loud voice saying Lord lay not this sinne to their charge and when he had said this he fell a sleepe By these and such like examples wee see what a blessed thing it is to learne to die well which is to die in faith at which end true wisdome wholly aymeth and he hath not spent his life ill that hath thus learned to die well For the conclusion of our life is the touch-stone of all the actions of our life which made Luther both to thinke and say that men were best Christians in death and Epamynandas one of the wise men of Greece being asked whom of the three he esteemed most viz. himselfe Chabrius or Ephicrates answered Wee must first see all die before we can answere that question for the act of dying well is the science of all sciences the way whereunto is to liue well contentedly and peaceably But what must we thinke if in the time of Death such excellent speeches bee wanting in some of Gods children and in stead thereof idle talke be vsed Answ We must consider the kind of sicknes whereof men dye whether it bee more easie or violent for violent sicknes is vsually accompanied with frenzies or vnseemely motions or gestures which wee are to take in good part in this regard because we our selues may be in the like case and we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by his behauiour in death or in a troubled soule for there are many things in Death which are the effects of the sharp disease he dyeth of no impeachment of the faith he dyeth in and these may depriue his tongue of he of reason but cannot depriue his soule of eternall life One dyeth saith holy Iob in his full strength being whole Iob. 21.23.24.25.26 at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milke and his bones are full of marrow another dyeth in the bitternes of his soule and neuer eateth with pleasure they shall lye downe alike in the dust and the wormes shall couer them Wherefore in this case we must iudge none by the eye nor by their deathes but by their liues The second dutie is to dy in obedience otherwise our death cannot bee acceptable to God because else we seeme to come vnto God vpon feare and constraint as slaues to their Master and not of loue as children to their father And thus to dye in obedience is when a man is ready and willing to goe out of this world without murmuring grudging and repining when it shall please God to call him Death is the feare of rich men the desire of poore men but surely the end of all men to this step man commeth as slowly as hee can trembling at this passage and labouring to settle himselfe here the sole memory of Death
brought backe againe their seruants into their former bondage Ierem. 34.10 So fareth it with these kind of men when God layeth fiege to them by sicknesses or some other pinching affliction then couenants and promises are made concerning the putting away of their sinnes but no sooner doth God begin to depart and slacke his wrath but we returne with the dog to the vomit and with the so we to the wallowing in the mire like Pharaoh that dismissed the Israelites when death entred within his palaces but presently after in all hast makes after them to fetch them back againe Consider therefore how fearefull a reckoning thou hadst made before Gods iudgment seat ere this time if thou hadst died of this sicknes and spend the time remaining in such pleasing sort to thy gracious God that thou mayest be able to make a more cheerefull and ioyfull account of thy life when it must expire indeed Therefore put not farre off the day of thy death though the Lord for thy good if thou vse it well hath put it off for thou knowest not for all this how neere it is at hand and see that thou being so fairely warned be wiser against the next time For if thou bee taken vnprouided againe thy excuse shall bee the lesse and thy iudgement the greater Thy worke is great which thou hast to doe and thy time can be but short and hee who will recompence euery man according to his worke standeth at the doore Thinke how much worke is behind and how slowly thou hast wrought in the time past The vncleane spirit is cast out Mat. 12.43 let him not enter and come in againe with seuen worse then himselfe Thou hast sighed out the grones of contrition thou hast wept the teares of repentance thou art washed in the poole of Bethesda streaming with fiue bloudie wounds Ioh. 5.4 not with a troubling Angel but with the Angel of Gods presence troubled with the wrath due for thy sinnes who descended into hell according to our Creed that is the extreame humiliation and abasement of Christ in his manhood vnder the power of death and of the graue beeing kept there as a prisoner in bonds vntill the third day to restore thee to sauing health and heauen Now therefore returne not with the dog to thy vomit nor like the washed Sow to wallow in the mire againe 2. Pet. 2.22 and the filthy puddle of thy former sinnes left being intangled and ouercome againe with the filthinesse of sinne which now thou hast escaped thy latter end proue much worse vnto thee then thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Sauiour Christ giue the same cautionarie warning to healed sinners Ioh. 5.5.14 The first to the man cured of his eight and thirtie yeeres disease the second to the woman taken in adultery goe and sinne no more Ioh. 8.11 hereby teaching vs how dangerous a relapse and falling againe is into our wonted and accustomed sinnes And for this present mercy and health Luke 17.15 imitate the thankefull Leper in the Gospel and from hence forward tarie thou the Lords leisure because the Lord tarieth thine he tarieth for thee till thou change thy euill life tarie thou for him therefore vntill hee crowne thy good life and remember these two things to thy dying day and thou shaâ—t neuer doe amisse First that there is about thee an all seeing eye and an all-hearing eate He that planted the eare saith the Psalmist shall he not heare Psal 94.9 he that formed the eye shall he not see goest thou out he seeth thee returnest thou home hee seeth thee Psa 139.11.12 doth the candle burne he seeth thee is the candle put out hee seeth thee be it light or darkenesse hee seeth thee hee seeth how thou doest conuerse with thine owne heart and how with other men Therefore in this case the counsell of the Philosopher is good Sic viue cum hominibus quasi Deus audiat sic loquere cum Deo quasi homines videant So conuerse with men as if God heard thee so conferre with God as if men saw thee But suppose that thou desirest to recouer and yet neither thy selfe sees any likelihood nor God sees it good that thou shouldest recouer then if thou hast inured thy selfe to repentance heretofore and to prayer it will be the more familiar with thee now at this time Feruent prayer Psal 6.6 heartie repentance and watering thy couch with teares are most of all necessary at this time that the feare of death may not affright thee but be a welcome guest vnto thee For that being truly penitent at thy departure thou mayest bee sure with Simeon to depart in peace Luk. 2.29 And so God granting not thy will but his will may indeed grant both thy will and his will thy will which is not simply to recouer but if God will and his will which is not to haue thee lye lingering and languishing any longer in this short pilgrimage and warfare but to triumph for euer in heauen Therefore when the pangs of death doe come vpon thee and the wormes of the earth doe waite for thee it God giueth thee then thine vnderstanding say thou then inwardly to thy selfe to thy sicke soule Now my pilgrimage is ended my haruest is inned my iourney is finished my race is run my houre-glasse spent my candle burning in the socket Many of the godly are gone before me and I am now to follow after 2. Tim. 4.7.8 I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence-forth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them also that loue his appearing And O Lord I thanke thee that I am a Christian that I haue liued in a Christian Church that I shall die amongst a Christian people and that I am going to a Christian societie Exod. 33.14.15.16 And whereas the Lord said vnto Moses My presence shall goe with thee and I will giue thee rest let vs at this time pray vnto the Lord as Moses doth and say If thy presence goe not with mee at this time then carry me not vp hence For wherein shall it be knowne heere that I haue found grace in thy sight Is it not in that thou goest with me And if we thus spend the time of our sicknesse in this sort the Lord when he calleth for vs by Death shall finde vs either reading or hearing or meditating or counselling or resisting euill or doing some good or repenting or praying and then wee may bee sure that God will be our guide euen vnto death Psal 48.14 and will also send vs his Angeâ—s to stand at our beds-head Luke 16.22 waiting for vs to carry our soules into Abrahams bosome where we shall see God the Father behold God the Sonne and looke vpon God the holy Ghost where
of a good life but vsed the meanes of flight onely to preuent violent and hastie death till the houre appointed should come that they were to giue their spirit in peace into the hands of him that made it and because such vntimely death was enemy to the good they had to doe and course they were to finish therefore they went aside by flying for some time and till the time of their departure come that they might doe the good to which they were appointed and finish the course for which they were sent For if a remouing or flying for thine ease in this respect may be effected by shifting thy place that may both be desired and vsed without sinne Isaak sent his sonne Iacob away from his brother Esau when Esau in his anger had sworne to slay him Dauid fled from the hand and iauelin of Saul and shifted for himselfe by remouing from place to place and conuayed all his fathers house into the land of Moab from Sauls reach The Lord Iesus oftentimes withdrew himselfe from the rage of the Iewes and he gaue his Disciples a rule for times of persecution saying When they persecute you in this city Mat. 10.23 flie into another And many honest men haue remooued their habitations to auoide euill neighbours and free themselues from beeing troubled by hem But where it is againe alledged that Christ himselfe prayed against the cup of death for the further satisfying of this point I answere further two wayes First that hee prayed without sinne against it seeing that in his supplication of teares and much feare hee submitted to his Fathers will alwayes Mat. 26.39.42 Neuerthelesse said he not as I will but as thou wilt And againe O my Father if this cup may not passe away from me except I drinke it thy will be done Also death was not to him as it is to vs for to vs the sting of it is conquered and the force broken but to him it was in full power he felt the sting of it and wrastled with the force of it in soule and bodie Secondly I say as was said before that it was not meerly a bodily death though vnsubdued saue where himselfe subdued it that he trembled at but by the burthen of our sinnes which he was to vndergoe in which hee beheld the whole There he saw his Fathers countenance turned against him and there knew that he must beare his wrath because he bare our sinnes And besides Christ feared death beeing cloathed with our flesh to shew that he tooke our infirmities Isay 53.4,5,6 and bore our sorrowes and was perfect man And so death may in some case be feared and at sometime prayed against but euer vnder the correction of Gods will For the rod of death turned into a serpent made Moises feare Exod. 4.3 and the best haue moderately declined and shrunke at the stroke of death when it came in some tempest and who doth not dread all Gods terrors whereof death is one and feare that which is the punishment of sinne and curse of sinners and decline that which is the ruine and destruction of humane nature and shrinke at that which hath made the strongest the wisest the greatest the richest to fall downe flat before it Therefore the feare of death thus reproued is not the naturall feare of it which is in all but the seruile feare of it proper to euill doers and common to those who can haue no hope in death because they neuer cared to liue till they were compelled to die The fourth obiection is that those who haue beene reputed to be of the better sort of men haue oftentimes miserable ends for some end their dayes despayring some rauing and blaspheming some strangely tormented It may therefore seeme that the day of death is the day of greatest woe and miserie To this I answer first of all generally that wee must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by outward things whether they be blessings or iudgements whether they fall in life or in death For as the Preacher saith Eccles 9.1.2 No man knoweth either loue or hatred by all things that are before them all things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked and to the good and pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Againe the Preacher saith Eccles 8.14 There is a vanity that is done vpon the earth that there be iust men to whom it hapneth according to the work of the wicked and there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the worke of the righteous Secondly I answere to the particulars which be alleaged in this manner First for despaire it is true that not onely wicked and loose persons despaire in death but also godly and penitent sinners who often in their sicknesse testifie of themselues that beeing aliue and lying in their beds they feele themselues to bee as it were in hell and to apprehend the very pangs and torments of it and I doubt not for all this but that the child of God which is most deare vnto him may through the gulfe of desperation attaine to euerlasting life and happinesse Which appeares to bee so by Gods dealing in the matter of our saluation For all the workes of God are done in and by their contraries In the creation all things were made not of something but of nothing cleane contrary to the course of nature In the worke of redemption God giues life not by life but by death And if we consider aright of Christ vpon the Crosse wee shall see our paradise out of paradise in the midst of hell for out of his own cursed death hee brings vs a blessed life and eternall happinesse Likewise in our effectuall vocation when it pleaseth God to conuert and turne men vnto him he doth it by the meanes of the preaching of the Gospel which in reason should driue men from God for it is as contrary to the nature of man as fire to water and light to darknesse For the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 1.21.22.23.52 After that in the wisdome of God the world by wisedome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue For the Iewes require a signe and the Greekes seeke after wisdome but we preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes a stumbling block and vnto the Greekes foolishnesse And yet for all this though it be thus against the nature and disposition of man it preuailes with him at length and turnes him vnto his God it hee belong vnto him Furthermore when God will send his owne seruants vnto heauen he sends some of them a contrary way euen as it were by the gates of hell For our way to heauen is by compasse euen as the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt into the Land
vnder the burthen therof account that bondage more intollerable and worse subiection then can bee to the most barbarous and cruell tyrant in the world from whose tyrannie hee that should set vs free must needs bee welcome Which death and onely death can doe What great cause haue we then with all willingnesse to embrace death and be greatly comforted when it appproacheth But death doâ—h yet much more for vs then all this for it not onely frees vs from all euills euen sinne but puts vs also into actuall and peaceable possession of all good things and bringeth vs to that good place where if there were any place for any passion we would be offended with Death for not bringing vs thither long before And though the bodie rotte in the graue or bee eaten of wormes or deuoured by beasts or swallowed vp by fishes or burnt to ashes yet that will not be to vs a matter of discomfort not-onely because as wee haue heard before they are at rest and doe sleepe in peace in their beddes till the last day but also if wee doe well consider the ground of all grace as namely our vnion and coniunction with Christ our head it is indeede a spirituall and yet most real coniunction and vnion For we must not imagine that our soules alone are ioyned and vnited to the body or soule of Christ but the whole parson of man both body and soule is vnited and conioyned to whole Christ For we are vnited wholy to whole Christ who is not deuided euen according to both natures 1. Cor. 1.13 1. Cor. 3.21 by which hee is wholy oure but after this good order as first to be vnited to the manhood and then by the manhood vnto the Godhead of Christ And when we are once ioyned and vnited to whole Christ in this mortall life by the bond of the Spirit we shal so abide and remaine eternally ioyned and vnited vnto him And this coniunction and vnion being once truly made can never afterward be dissolued Hence it followes that although the bodie bee seuered from the soule by death yet neither the soule nor body are seuered or sundred from Christ but the very bodie rotting in the graue or howsoeuer else consumed abide still ioyned and vnited vnto Christ and is then as truly a member of Christ as it was before death For looke what was the condition of Christ in death the same or the like is the condition of all his members Now the condition of Christ was this though his body and soule were seuered and sundered for the time the one from the other as farre as heauen and the graue yet neither of them were sundered from the God-head of the Sonne but both did in his Death subsist in his person Euen so though our bodies and soules bee pulled in sunder by naturall or violent death yet neither of them no not the body it selfe shal be pulled or disioyned from Christ the head but by the vertue of this coniunction and vnion shall the dead body howsoeuer it bee wasted and consumed arise at the last day to eternall glory For although the dead bodies of Gods Saints are often mingled with the bodies of beasts foules fishes or other creatures that deuoure them yet as the Goldsmith by his art can feuer mettals and extract one mettall out of another euen so God can and will distinguish these dusts of his Saints at the last day of the glorious resurrection In the winter season the trees remaine without fruit or leaues and being beaten with the winde and weather they appeare to the eye and view of all men as if they were withered and rotten dead trees yet when the spring time comes they become aliue againe and as before doe bring forth their buds blossoms leaues and fruits the reason is because the body grayne and armes of the tree are all ioyned and fastened to the roote where all the sappe and moisture lies in the winter time and from thence by reason of this coniunction it is deriued in the spring to all the parts of the tree Euen so the bodies of men haue their winter also and this iâ— in death in which time they are turned into dust and so remaine for a time dead and rotten Yet in the spring time that is at the last day at the resurrection by meanes of the misticall coniunction and vnion with Christ his diuine quickning vertue shall streame and flow from thence to all the bodies of his elect and chosen members and cause them to liue againe and that to life eternall For the bodies of Gods elect being the members of Christ though they be neuer so much rotten putrified and consumed yet are they still in Gods fauour and in the couenant of grace to which because they haue right being dead they shall not remaine so for euer in their graues but shall arise againe at the last day vnto glory And by reason of this vnion and coniunction with Christ we gaine the prayers of the Saints yet liuing with vs the loue of the Saints glorified before vs the ministrie of Angels working for vs grace in earth and glory in heauen And in Christ our gaine is such as that we shall haue all losses recompenced all wants supplied all curses remoued all crosses sanctified all graces increased all hopes confirmed all promises performed all blessednesse procured Satan conquered death destroyed the graue sweetened corruption abolished sanctification perfected and heauen opened for our happy entrance And as for death it selfe we are to consider that it is chiefely sinne that makes it so terrible vnto vs for in it selfe and by it selfe it is the wages of sinne and the reuenging scourge of the angry God but vnto those that beleeue in Christ it is changed into a most sweete sleepe For although the regenerate those that beleeue in Christ doe as yet carry about the reliques of sinne in their flesh from whence also the bodie is dead that is to say subiect to death Rom. 8.10 for the sinne that dwelleth in it yet the spirit is life for righteousnesse that is because they are iustified from sinne by true faith in Christ and resist the lusts of the flesh through the Spirit therefore that sinne which yet remaineth in the flesh is not imputed vnto them but is couered with the shadow of the grace of God Therefore by death the true and spiritual life of the soule doth not die in them but doth rather begin to which death is constrained to doe as it were the office of a midwife So that now we are deliuered from sinne in Christ that it cannot hurt vs nay it is conuerted to our owne profit and therfore death hauing her strength from sinne is not to bee feared sith sinne the sting of death is ouercome What need wee feare the snake that hath lost her sting shee can only hisse and make a noyse but cannot hurt and therefore wee see that many hauing taken out the sting
there is respect had amongst them and that worthily but when as the comedy shal be ended that is when the day of doome shall come when as the stage of this world shal be pulled downe that is when the earth shal be changed for the earth shal neuer be brought ad non-ens to nothing but onely the corruptiue qualities shal be consumed then there shal be no such respect of persons amongst men Yea it may be that the poore man shal be of greater respect before God then the great rich and mighty Thou camest lately into the world and hast found much that was thy good hap he came lately into the world and found little and yet his hap was not ill nay it may be better then thine And what were it to haue a purple Coate and a polluted conscience a gay gowne and a sicke heart a bed of gold and a diseased minde a full chest and an empty soule a faire face and foule affections to glister in iewels and to be filthy in manners to be in grace with men and in disgrace with God Luk. 16.15 He that hath much worlds wealth and dignity and but a small measure of grace is inferiour to him that hath a great measure of grace and but little or no worlds wealth For spirituall things among themselues admit comparison but betweene things spirituall and earthly there is none at all But tarry a while and nature will take away this ods Iob 1.21 Naked camest thou out of thy mothers wombe and naked shalt thou returne againe to the earth our common mother thou knowest not how soone If thou wert this day as faire as Absolon as sweete and louely as Ionathan as strong as Samson as glorious as Salomon in lesse then an hower Death will reprooue all these things of vanitie Eccl. 1.2 Vanitie of Vanities saith the Preacher all is vanitie A little sicknes a little head-ache one fit of an ague two spoonefull of phlegme distilling out of thy head into thy throate turneth all vpside downe and maketh a strange alteration in thee yea God in a peece of an houre can make as strange an alteration in thee 2 King 9.30 as was in Iesabel that proud painted-faced Queene of Israel who euen now looked out at the window in much brauery painted frizled and curled to please the eyes of Iehu and by and by she became as dung vpon the ground and the dogs did eate her vp And as was Goliah that mighty Giant 1 Sam. 17.51 who hauing challenged and reuiled the host of the liuing God straightway was laid vpon the ground groueling without a head There is nothing that can free any one from Death no not length of daies nor wisdome strength riches beautie nor talnesse of stature For if length of daies could then the auntient Fathers and Patriarches before the floud who liued some seuen some eight some nine hundred yeares and more as before could not haue dyed of all whom the conclusion is still after he had liued so many yeares he dyed If wisdome could then King Salomon the wisest that euer was who knew the nature of all simples from the very hysop to the cedar and therefore if any he surely could haue preserued himselfe from death And yet of him it is said in the end he dyed Iud. 15.15 If strength then Sampson who being indued with extraordinary strength at one time slew a thousand with the Iawe-bone of an Asse had not dyed If talnes of stature Saul higher then any of the people from the shoulders vpward had not dyed 1 Sam. 10.23 If riches Dines if beauty Absolon had not dyed Take a man in all his abundance of riches treasures greatnesse and pleasures flourishing in his greatest felicity brauery and prosperity yea let him be if he will another Policrates of this world what is he of himselfe but a carkasse a caitife a prey to death reioycing and laughing in this world but yet as one that laugheth in his dreame and waketh in his sorrow fraught full of feares and cares of minde not knowing to day what will happen to morrow mortall mutable miserable whose beginning is in trauell standing vncertaine his end corruption his body subiect to sicknesse his soule to temptations his good name to reproaches his honor to blastnesse his goods to losse and his flesh to rottennesse Nabuchadnezzar is but dust Alexander ashes Whereof should we be proud Certaine Philosophers earnestly beholding the Tombe of Alexander said one alas yesterday he did treasure vp gold and to day gold doth treasure vp him Another said Yesterday the world did not suffice him to day ten cubits are too much A third said Yesterday he did command others to day others command him A fourth said Yesterday he deliuered many from the graue to day he cannot free himselfe from Death A fift said Yesterday he led an armie to day an armie conducts him A sixt said Yesterday he did ouer-presse the earth to day the earth suppresseth him A seuenth said Yesterday he made many stand in awe to day not many repute of him The eight said Yesterday he was an enemie to his enemies and a friend to his friends to day he is equall yea all alike to all Then if Monarches be so momentary why should mortalls bee so proud It is true that one writeth wittily of the Grammarian of euery sonne of Adam that being able to decline all other nownes in euery case hee could decline Death in no case There was neuer Orator so eloquent that could perswade Death to spare him neuer Monarch so potent that could withstand him Nexus the faire Thersites the foule Zelyus the cruell Solyman the magnificent Crassus the rich Irus the poore Dametas the pleasant Agamemnon the Prince all fall downe at Deaths feet If he command we must away no teares no prayers no threatnings no intreatings will serue the turne so stiffe so deafe so inexorable is Death There are meanes to tame the most fierce and sauage beasts to breake the hard marble and mollifie the Adamant but not any one thing to mitigate Deathes rage Fire water the sword may bee resisted saith Saint Augustine and Kings and kingdomes may be resisted but when Death commeth who can resist it Death saith Saint Bernard pitieth not the poore regardeth not the rich feareth not the mightie spareth not any It is in mans power indeed to say vnto Death as sometime King Canutus said vnto the Sea when it began to flow Sea I command thee that thou touch not my feete but his command was bootlesse for hee had no sooner spoken the word but the surging waues dashed him so may many say vnto Death when it approacheth I command thee not to come neere mee but Death wil strike him notwithstanding And no more power hath man to keepe backe Death that it strike not then the mightiest King on earth to keepe backe the Sea that it flow not The Sea will haue his fluxe and Death
mournefull funerals and the reading of inscriptions ingrauen on sepulchers doe make the the very haire to stare and stand on end and strike many with an horror and apprehension of it which is a reproofe to those who can see nothing in their owne deaths but what is dreadfull beyond measure and simplie the end of man Such conceiue Death not as it is to the righteous and as Christ hath made him to bee by his glorious death but as fooles iudge of him who behold him through false spectacles as he is in his owne vncorrected nature considered out of Christ Amos 6.3 that is most vgly terrible hideous so did they behold him in Amos who put the euill day of his comming that which they call euill and the godly long for and iudge happie as farre from them as they could by carnall delicacie and wantonnesse So did Baltashar looke vpon him Dan. 5.5.6.30 whose heart would not serue him to read the hand writing of his owne end so neere 1 Sam. 25.37.38 And Nabal who had no heart to dy when hee must needes dye dyed like a stone that is dyed blockishly and so faintly that he was as good as slaine before Death slue him He had no comfort in Death beeing churlish and profane and no maruell for this aduersary Death armed as Goliah 1 Sam. 17.10.11 and vaunting as that proud Giant of Gath commeth stalking toward such in fearefull manner insulting ouer weake dust and daring the world to giue him a man to fight withall Therefore at the sight of him the whole host of worldlings bewray great feare turning their faces and flying backe as men readie to sinke into the earth with abated courages and deiected countenances stayned with the colours of feare and Death trembling like leaues in a storme and striken with the palsie of a sodaine and violent shaking through all the body But the true child of God armed as Dauid with trust in God and expectation of victory by the Death of Christ who by Death ouercame Death as Dauid cut off the head of Goliah with his owne sword dares and doth boldly and obediently incounter with this huge Philistime Death supposed inuincible and seeming great but neither with sword nor speare but in the name of the God of the host of Israel by whose might onely he woundeth and striketh him to the earth trampling vpon him with his feete and reioycing in the returne of his soule to the place from whence it first came he singeth this ioyfull and triumphant song of victory O Death where is thy sting c. 1 Cor. 15.55 he hath the eyes of Stephen to looke vp into heauen and therefore in obedience and a willing minde he dyeth But a wicked man dying may say to Death as Ahab said to Eliah hast thou found me O mine enemie 1 King 21.20 but when it is told the child of God that Death is come within his dores begins to looke him in the face he to shew his courage and obedience may say as Dauid saith of Ahymaaz 2 Sam. 18.27 let him come and welcome for he is my friend and a good man and hee commeth with good tidings so he Death is my friend let him come he is a good man and bringeth good tidings As for the wicked they doe with Felix tremble Acts 24.26 if they doe but heare of death and of iudgment and are like vnto Saul hauing no strength in them but fall into a sound when they heare of death and if they could but see it they would cast a jauelin as Saul at Dauid 1 Sam. 18.11 to slay it But the children of God doe willingly welcome Death as Gods seruant and messenger and applaud it as Iacob applauded the Chariots that Ioseph his sonne sent for the bringing of him out of a Countrey of misery into a land of plenty Gen. 45.27.48 where he should haue food enough the best in the land So the hope and expectation of the Saints is that they shall see God and come to Christ by Death presently in their soules and in their bodies at the last day So they may say of Death as Adoniah said vnto Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar the Priest come in for thou art a valiant man 1 Kings 1.42 and bringest good tidings Cruell and vnmercifull Death makes a league with no man Esay 28.15 and yet the Prophet Esay sayth that the wicked man doth make a league with death how may this be There is no league made indeede but onely in the wicked imagination of man who falsely thinkes that Death will not come neere him though all the world should be destroied And therefore the seperation of the soule from the body will be bitter to the wicked which cannot bee seperated without great griefe woe and lamentation As the Oxe doth commonly lowe and mourne when his yoke-fellow wont to draw with him is taken away so the wicked then mourne when the soule shall be seperated from the body then will the soule and the bodie with teares repeat againe and againe dost thou thus seperate vs bitter Death O Death c. Then griefes follow griefes and sorrow comes vpon sorrow and then what a wound doth the heart of the wicked receiue which loueth this present life When the Physitian saith vnto him thou must from henceforth thinke no more on life but of Death at the hearing of which heauie newes the body shall dye once whether he will or no but the heart shall dye so often as the things and sinnes be in number which he loued Then shall the most cleere light be turned into darkenesse because those things which aforetime were occasions of great ioy shall now become most horrible vexations and torment which will make the wicked set their throates vpon tainter hookes and lift vp their voyces like trumpets and cry out at that time vpon Death as the deuils did vpon Christ in the Gospell saying what haue we to doe with thee O cruell Death Mat. 8.29 Iob 2.4 art thou come hither to torment vs before the time And therefore well said the deuill pellem pro pelle skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will hee giue for his life so that he may enioy that although but for a moment longer As Pharaoh said to Moses depart from among my people so say the vngodly to death bee banished from vs thy presence thy shadow the very remembrance of thee is fearefull to vs to heare Saint Paul speake of Gods terrible iudgment to come is too trembling a doctrine for their delightfull dispositions to heare with Felix they are not at leasure for this is iarring musicke which sounds not arright in the consort of their worldly pleasures to thinke of death is Aceldama saith one euen a field of blood but if any Physition would take vpon him to make men liue euer in this world what a multitude of patients should he haue And
ready and prepared for it O what an excellent thing it is for a man to end his life before his death that at the houre of death he hath nothing to doe but only to be willing to die that he haue no need of time nor of himselfe but sweetly and obediently to depart this life shewing therby his obedience to the ordinance of God for wee must make as much conscience in performing our obedience vnto God in suffering death as wee doe in the whole course of our liues Our Sauiour Christ is a notable example and paterne for vs to follow in this case And therefore the Apostle saith Let this minde be in you Phil. 2.5.6.7.8 which was also in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen vnto the death of the crosse And although the wicked bee ill affected vnto death as we haue alreadie heard and would if it lay in their power most villanously intreate and handle death 2. Sam. 10.4 as Hamon the sonne of Naash King of the Ammonites did the messengers of King Dauid yet let euery good man when Death shall come for him as it may seeme to him vntimely before the threed of his life be halfe spunne out be heere informed to entertaine it kindly Gen. 19.1 as Lot did the Angels who came to fetch him out of Sodom For though he bee pulled from his seate which was to him as the plaine of Sodom seemed to Lot as a pleasant Paradise yet shall hee finde with Lot that hee is taken away from the iudgement to come howsoeuer he be taken away either by the malice of wicked men or by the mercie of God and that he is separated from the sinnes of this world which grieued his soule yea from sinning himselfe and from his owne sinnes which grieued the Lord his so gratious and kinde Father How can it be but that Death should be a welcome guest this a choice blessing which as a gentle guide leades vs to Christ carrieth the soule to her beloued Husband The resolution of Saint Ambrose was neither to loath life nor feare to die but obediently yeeld vnto Death because saith he we haue a good Lord to goe vnto The third duetie is to die in repentance which must bee performed by vs at all times and especially at this time Tertullian saith of himselfe that he is a notorious sinner and borne for nothing but repentance and hee which is borne for repentance must practise repentance as long as he liues in this sinfull world into which hee is borne vpon this condition that hee must leaue it againe and repent at his end also Repentance is a very sore displeasure which a man hath in his heart for his sinnes euen because they are the breach of Gods holy Lawes and Commandements an offence to God his most mercifull and louing Father which ingendreth in him a true hatred against sinne and a setled purpose and holy desire to liue better in time to come ordering his life and death by the will of God reuealed in his holy word Repentance consisteth of foure parts the first of confession by which the Prophet Daniel saith Dan. 9.4 We acknowledge our owne wickednesse and the wickednesse of our fathers for we haue sinned against thee righteousnesse therefore belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs shame and vtter confusion Father saith the prodigall childe I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight Luke 15.21 and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne He that couereth his sinnes saith the Wise-man shall not prosper Prou. 28.13 but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy 1. Iohn 1 9. If we confesse our sinnes saith the Apostle he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Secondly Contrition Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God saith the Prophet are a broken spirit and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not dispise Isa 57.15 For thus saith the high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of the contrite ones For all these things hath my hand made Isa 66.2 and all these things haue beene saith the Lord but to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words So that this contrition is the bruising of a sinners heart as it were to dust and powder through vnfained and deepe griefe conceiued of Gods displeasure for sinne and this is Euangelicall contrition and is a worke of grace the beginning of renewed repentance Therefore the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of The third is faith For without faith neither by repentance nor by any other meanes are we able to please God neither indeede can there bee any true repentance without faith The fourth and last point is amendment To amend is to redresse and reforme faults repentance is as the roote amendment the fruit Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruit saith Saint Iohn meete for repentance or answerable to amendment of life Repent saith the Apostle Paul and turne to God Acts 26.20 and doe works meet for repentance so that first there must be a change of the heart from euill to good by the gift of repentance put into it of God and then will follow amendment of our liues and manners There is no part of Christian religion of that maine importance wherein men doe more voluntarily deceiue themselues then commonly they doe in this dutie of repentance In respect whereof it will not be amisse but very materiall to deliuer certaine infallible signes and vnseparable fruits whereby we may assure our selues that wee haue repented The Apostle Saint Paul nameth seuen fruits which in some measure alwayes follow where true amendment goeth before 2. Cor. 7.11 Behold saith he your godly sorrowes what care 1 it hath wrought in you yea what clearing 2 of your selues yea what indignation 3 yea what feare 4 yea how great desire 5 yea what zeale 6 yea what punishment Those then who are true conuerts who do vnfainedly amend their liues they are not sluggish or secure in sinne but carefull to redresse what is amisse not hiders or excusers of euill but confessors and by humble supplication clearing their offences they are not contented to dwell in wickednesse but vexed in soule and full of indignation against themselues for their sinnes committed they stand in awe and are afraid of Gods iudgments they desire his fauour as
contempt and refusing the time of grace the Lord cast them off and reiect them I deny not but that in respect of vs till God hath manifested his will there is hope but in respect of Gods secret decree the time of Gods mercie may bee out euen during this life therefore when mercie is offered wee must take heed we wilfully cotemne it not lest we prouoke the Lord to be gone and vtterly to reiect vs. One of the most feareful signes of a Cast-away is to delay and put off the Lords gratious offer of mercy as we reade of Pharaoh who when Moses offered himselfe to pray to the Lord for him he put it off till the next morrow Exod. 8.9.10 so he that hath the mercies and graces of God offered him to day and puts them off from his youth to his age and from his old daies till his death-bed may iustly feare an vtter reiection euen then when he hopes for most comfort And as it is most certaine that after death teares are fruitlesse repentance vnprofitable as after death no mercie is to be expected nothing but miserie nothing but wrath so is it doubtfull and very dangerous that our sighes teares and groanes are of little force at the very neere approach of death whether by age extremitie of disease or otherwise For at that time when our powers are distracted or spent when no part is free eyther from the sence or feare of his cruell gripe we may well be said to be in death or at leastwise in such a condition or state that doth lesse participate of life then death And therefore at the least it is doubtfull that at that time we shall not remember God and that our repentance shall come too late What a shame is it that the children of this world are wiser in their kind then the children of light A good husband will repaire his house while the weather is faire and not deferre till winter doth rise A carefull Pilot will furnish his shippe whiles the Seas are calme and not stay vntill tempests doe rage The traveller will take his time in his iourney and will hasten when he sees night approach lest darknesse ouertake him The Smith will strike while the iron is hot lâ—st it coole vpon him and so hee lose his labour The Marriner will not let the tide passe him for as the common prouerbe is the time and tide tary for no man The Lawyer will take the terme because he knoweth that it being ended his clients will be gone So we ought to make euery day the day of our terme and a prouident man will repent him of his sinnes in the seasonable time of health and strength and not protract till hee bee in the very armes and the imbracement of death when many occasions may cut from him either his minde or power or time to repent For we haue iust cause to feare that if we would not when we might we shall not be able when we would and that by our will to do euill we may happily lose the power to doe well Thy very tongue will condemne thee in thy trade if thou trust a man with thy wares thou wilt require a bill or bond saying all men are mortall and at lesse then an houres warning But let the Preacher exhort thee to accept of the gratious time of the Lord and put thee in minde that thy life as a vapour is soone gone yet thou wilt not beleeue him but so lead thy life in sinne as if thou hadst the same in see farme And to thee that callest thy neighbours friends and companions to Cards Dice or any such pastime saying come let vs goe passe the time away Is time so slow that it must be driuen I tell thee there are at this day many thousands in hell who if they had many kingdoms would gladly giue them all for one houre of that time whereof thou hast many not to passe it away or driue it from them but in hope to recouer that which thou dost most gracelessely contemne Alas who dares trust to the broken reed of extreame sicknesse or age bruised by originall but altogether broken by our actuall sinnes We haue good cause not to trust to this deferring of time and late repentance For if Esau could not finde repentance albeit he sought it with teares Heb. 12.17 how may we with good reason suspect our extreame late seeking for repentance Not because true repentance can euer bee too late but because late repentance is seldome true as wee haue alreadie heard Et sera rarò seria that which is late is seldome liuely as proceeding rather from feare then from loue from necessitie then from willingnesse and desire rather outwardly pretended then with the heart intended We all of vs in our iolitie thinke we may doe what wee list and so long as God forbeares to punish we will neuer forbeare to sin but still deferre the time of repentance But God grant we may remember and lay to our hearts what that good Father Saint Augustine saith Nihil est infoelicius c. Nothing is more infortunate then the felicitie of sinners whereby there penall impietie is nourished and their malice strengthened and increased When God doth suffer sinners to prosper then his indignatioÌ„ is the greater toward them saith that Father and when hee leaueth them vnpunished then he punisheth them most of all For the further pressing of this doctrine on our consciences let vs obserue some places of Scripture And first let vs see what the Lord saith to such as despise wisdomes call being of three sorts viz. The first that like fooles content themselues with ignorance The second that scoffe at the Lords offer by his seruants The third which are carried away by their owne lusts Prou. 1.24.28 Because I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and none would regard and then they shall call vpon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke me early but shall not finde me Noting to vs that as they did refuse the time in which he called so they should call in hope of mercy but finde none Esay 23.12.13 The like we reade how the Prophet Esay calling Ierusalem to repentance in sack-cloath and ashes for their sinnes shee fell to sporting and feasting despising the Lords message and offer of grace by his Prophet what came of it You may reade presently that their contempt comming to the Lords eares he doth answere Surely this iniquitie shall not bee purged from you till you die saith the Lord of Hostes giuing them to vnderstand that seeing they set so light by the admonitions of the Prophet there should bee left them no time to repent in till hee had destroyed them But of all the places of Scripture for this purpose let vs see what the Lord saith to Ierusalem by his Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 24.13 Because saith hee I would haue purged thee and thou wast not purged thou
the loue of this world and worldly things and cause mee more and more to settle my conuersation and meditations on heauen and heauenly things And whether thou shalt recouer or not recouer thy former health againe by prayer that belongeth to thy God and resteth altogether in his good will and pleasure For God saith Wisedome hath power of life and death Wisd 16.13 And to God the Lord saith the Psalmist belong the issues of death Psal 68.20 And to speake truth God for the most part seemeth to sleepe that so he might be awakened by our intreaties For God as S. Augustine notes amat nimium vehementes and is so delighted with our prayers as that he doeth many times deny vs our suites that hee might heare vs continue earnest in our prayers And againe if he should vpon euery motion wee make vnto him grant our requests his benefits at last would come to be contemned of vs. For we know it an ordinarie practise amongst men citò data citò vilescunt we account it scarce worth the taking that is not twice worth the asking Therefore before he grant hee would haue vs earnest with him indeed and to awake him with our prayers if perchance he should seeme to vs to be asleepe For God loueth and is especially delighted with an earnest suter and therefore doth many times deny men their requests at the first that hee might find them more feruent and constant in their prayers to him afterwards But if God of his mercie be awakened by thy importunitie and hath at length heard thy prayer or the prayers of others for thee and hath restored thee to thy health againe For the Lord saith Hanna killeth and maketh aliue 1. Sam. 2.6 hee bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp And the Lord himselfe saith in Exodus I am the Lord that healeth thee Exod. 15.26 and againe I kill and giue life I wound and I make whole thou hast thy desire or rather perhaps not thy desire seeing the holiest and best men of all encline neither this way nor that way but wholy resigne themselues as in all other things so especially in this case to Gods good will and pleasure or if they determinately desire any thing it is for the most part with the Apostle to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 which is best of all But suppose thou desirest to recouer and doest recouer indeed consider then with thy selfe that thou hast now receiued from God as it were another life and know that it is but for a short time and therefore spend it to the honour and glory of God that restored it vnto thee and in newnesse of life let thy sinnes die with thy sicknesse but liue thou by grace to holinesse But then as thou obtainest thy desire thou must performe thy promise which thou madest when thy body was grieued with sicknesse and paine euen readie to die and when thy soule was oppressed with heauinesse pensiuenesse and sadnesse Isal 6.6 when thou with the Prophet diddest water thy couch with thy teares And what was that promise namely that if it pleased God to grant thee life and health and adde vnto thy daies some few yeeres more as he did to king Ezechiah 2. King 20.6 then thou wouldest loue him more sincerely serue him more obediently tender his glory more deerely pray vnto him more heartily repent more soundly follow thy calling more faithfully hate sinne more effectually and liue hereafter more warily and religiously then euer thou didst before And if thou hast offended him with pride to humble thy selfe hereafter if with dissolutones to be more sober if with swearing to leaue it if with prophaning of the Sabbaoths to make more conscience in sanctifying it if with vncleannesse to bee chaste and vnblameable it with conuersing with the wicked to abandon their societie and to say vnto them with the Prophet Dauid Depart from mee all yee workers of iniquity Psal 6.8.9 for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receiue my prayer Psal 119.115 and againe Depart from me you euill doers for I will keepe the commandements of my God Remember that thou hast promised and vowed amendement and newnes of life deferre not to performe the same When thou vowest a vow vnto God saith the Preacher defer not to pay it Eccles 5.4.5 for he hath no pleasure in fooles pay that which thou hast vowed for better it is thou shouldest not vow then vow and not pay Againe When thou shalt vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God saith Moses Deut. 23.21 thou shalt not be slacke to pay it for thy Lord thy God will require it of thee and it would be sinne in thee Thus if these and such other like promises and vowes thou wilt most conscionably and constantly performe then in a good houre as we say and in a happy time thou didst recouer And be thou not then the more secure and carelesse in that thou art restored to health neither with the chiefe Butler be thou forgetfull of thy promises Gen. 40.23 nor insult in thy selfe that thou hast escaped death but call thy sinnes and faults to remembrance with the same chiefe Butler Gen. 41.9 and remember rather that God seeing how vnprepared thou wast hath of his infinit mercy spared thee and giuen thee some little longer time and space of breathing and respite that thou mayest performe thy vowes and promises in the amendement of thy sinfull life and in putting thy selfe in a better readines against another time and how soone thou knowest not for though thou hast escaped this dangerous sicknesse which many others haue not and then canst say with the Prophet The Lord hath chastened me sore Psal 118.18 but he hath not giuen me ouer vnto death yet it may be that thou shalt not escape the next It may bee when a ship is come to the mouth of the hauen a blâ—st driueth it backe againe but there it will arriue at the last so must thou at length at the gates of death though thou hast escaped this Too too many there are that when God visits them with sharpe diseases that wakens vp their consciences and then sicke sicke and then if God will repriue them vntill a longer day oh what Christians courses they vow to take God proues them they mend in bodies yeeres in manners no no more then Pharaoh after the plagues remoueall for many in their afflictions and sicknesses looking for death how liberall are they in their promises but afterward how basely niggardly are they in their performances they play childrens play with God they take away a thing assoone as they haue giuen it When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Ierusalem then the Iewes made a solemne couenant with the Lord to set free their seruants but no sooner had the king remooued his siege but they retracted and repealed their vow and
what can come in the whole earth or in hell so that I may enioy Iesus Christ in the end One seeing a martyr so merry and iocund in going to his death Luk. 22.44 did aske him why he was so merry at his death seeing Christ himselfe swet water and bloud before his Passion Christ said the martyr sustained in his bodie all the sorrowes and conflicts with hell and death due vnto vs for our sinnes by whose sorrowes and sufferings saith he we are deliuered from all the sorrowes and feares of hell death and damnation For so plenteous was the passion and redemption of Christ as that faint and cold sweat that is vpon vs in the agonie of our death the same he hath sanctified by the warme and bloudy sweat of his agony and making the graue a quiet withdrawing chamber for our bodies and death which before was so terrible to body soule is now by his meanes become the very doore and entrance into the kingdome of glory And hereof Blessed Hillary who from the fourteenth yeere of his age serued the Lord in singlenes of heart and in sinceritie of life to his liues end spake these words vpon his death-bed Goe forth my soule goe forth why art thou afraid Thou hast serued Christ these seuenty yeeres and art thou now afraid to depart Bishop Ridley the night before he did suffer at his last supper inuited his hostesse the rest at the table with him to his mariage for said he tomorrow I must be married shewing thereby how ioyfull he was to die and how little he feared seeing that hee well knew hee was to goe to Christ his Sauiour So by these examples wee see what great troubles the Saints and seruants and martyrs of God endured and how ioyfull they were as at a royal feast in all those troubles and sufferings of Christ that they might enter vpon that comfortable death of the righteous They were so farre from fearing death as worldlings feare it that they ran gladly vnto it in hope of the Resurrection and reioyced in the welcome day of death as in a day of the greatest good that could befall them Why then should we feare death at all to whom many things happen far more bitter and heauie then death it selfe and yet nothing so bitter and heauie as happened to these Martyrs and Saints of God Therefore when thou commest to die set before thine eyes Christ thy Sauiour in the middest of all his torments vpon the Crosse his body whipped head thorned face spitted vpon his cheekes buffeted his sides goared his bloud spilt his heart pierced and his soule tormented replenished on the crosse with a threefold plenitude as true God true man God and man gloria gratia poena full of glorie and all magnificence because true God full of grace and mercy because God and man and full of paine and miserie because perfect man a paine continuing long various in afflicting and bitter in suffering One saith hee continued in his torments twentie houres at the least others say he was so long in paine on the crosse as Adam was in Paradise with pleasure for it was conuenient that at what time the doore of life was shut against the sinner in the same moment the gate of Paradise should be open to the penitent and at what houre the first Adam brought death into the world by sinne in the same the second Adam should destroy death in the world by the Crosse Others report that Christ slept not for fifteene nights before his Passion in remembrance of the paine yea from the first houre of his birth to the last minute of his death hee did cary the crosse of our redemption In the beholding of which spectacle to thy endlesse ioy and comfort thou shalt see Paradise in the middest of hell God the Father reconciled vnto thee God the Sonne and thy Sauiour reaching forth his hand toward thee for to succour thee and to receiue thy soule vnto himselfe and God the holy Ghost ready to embrace thee and thou shalt see the Crosse of Christ Gen. 28.12 as Iacobs Ladder set vpon the earth and the toppe of it reaching heauen and the Angels of God ascending and descending on it to cary and aduance thy soule to eternall life and glory Then seeing wee are thus graced by God both in our life and at our death be not thou afraid to die And sure it is the will of God Matth. 20.22 that you should drinke of the cup that he hath filled for you and therefore pray that you may suppe it vp with patience and receiue great comfort thereby Againe there be three things that make death tollerable to euery godly Christian The first is the necessitie of dying the second the facilitie of dying the third the felicitie of dying For the first that which cannot be auoided by any power must be endured with all patience Eccles 8.8 There is no man saith the Preacher hath power ouer the spirit to retaine it neither hath he power in the day of death The first age had it and therein may pleade antiquitie the second age felt it and may pleade continuance the last age hath it and may plead propertie in all flesh till sinne and time shall be no more Call it then no new thing that is so ancient nor a strange thing that is so vsuall neither call it an euill properly thine which is so cōmon to all the world Wilt thou feare that to be done which is alwayes in doing I meane thy dying and dost thou feare to die in thy last day when by little and little thou dyest euery day Oh well said the Apostle Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.31 I protest by our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord I dye daily Then I may well say yee are alwayes dying and death is still in doing Remember my iudgement saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach for thine also shall be so yesterday for me Eccles 38.22 and to day for thee Salomon saith All things haue heere their time you to day and I to morrow and so the end of Adams line is soone runne out Death is the Empresse and Lady of all the world it seaseth vpon all flesh without surrender of any till the day of restauration no place no presence no time can backe it there is no priuiledge against the graue Eccles 41.4 there is no inquisition in the graue there is no pitie to bee shewed by the graue there is no pleading with the graue For there is no worke saith the Preacher nor deuise nor knowledge Eccles 9.10 nor wisdome in the graue whither thou goest And therefore antiquitie neuer made altar to Death or deuotion to the graue because it was implacable euer found to be cruell and neuer felt to be kinde And heere from the necessitie of dying wee come to the facilitie of dying which maketh it lesse fearefull and more tollerable for that the sence of
euen against God himselfe I know you will hearken vnto these things Consider saith the Apostle what I say 2. Tim. 2.7 and the Lord giue thee vnderstanding in all these things It is sufficient to waigh these matters with the waights of the Lords Sanctuarie and not needfull to try them by fetching helpes of humane reason Yet to giue them ouer measure that will not rest satisfied with the comforts which the holy Scripture doth affoord let it bee first considered what humane wit and reason hath said in this case And touching this matter which now is mooued I haue read and you may see what Heathens by learning and naturall light haue said to themselues and their friends in such losses but this did I neuer read neither shall you finde that all their comforts haue counteruailed one promise out of Gods booke I confesse the bookes of heathen Writers doe promise comfort in this case but alas they performe it not but are like a brooke that swels in winter when there is no need of it and is dry in Summer when the passenger fainteth and panteth for heat no if we will haue good gold we must goe to Ophir if good balme to Gilead if good wine to Christ at the wedding of Cana and if good tidings to the booke of God They did say well in many things but neuer like this word that is from the Lord. Iohn 7.46 For neuer man spake like this man as the officers told the chiefe Priestes and Pharisies concerning Christ They considered the necessitie of death the miseries of life the examples of great men that had gone before them and such like But what are these to those that the word of God will shew vs our safety in Christ our resurrection in immortality in the presence of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost with such like yet both good vnto a sanctified mind First the necessitie of death is a true comfort against death be it of our selues or of our friends no liuing flesh but must die as we haue heard in the first Diuision What man is hee saith the Psalmist that liueth and shall not see death Psal 89.48 And shall we feare that in our selues or bewaile immoderatly that in our friends which cannot be auoided This were with witlesse wil to disturbe the peace of our whole life and with a seruile dread of the last houre to bereaue of comfort all the rest of our houres that we are to liue in this present euill world which in your iudgment conceiue how fond a thing it were The carefull view of natures course doth shew vs degrees from age to age till we come to a full and a like decrease by step after step till we come to the change againe Youth followeth childhood and age followeth youth by assured necessitie if we liue But when we are children wee feare not to be men neither when we are men to become olde but many rather wish it why then should we either feare in our selues or lament in our friends death to follow age in his course appointed more then age to follow youth as was said before Surely the one must bee receiued as well as the other without choice And whereas Christ said in the Gospel touching man and wife Matth. 19.9 What therefore God hath ioyned together let no man put in sunder it may be more peremptorily said of this What God hath ioyned or coupled together no man can separate nor put asunder And therfore a wise content both in our friends and in our selues shall become vs best Who will not die let him neuer liue for we receiue the one to endure the other when God appointeth and we must all die both friend and foe to wise men necessitie is a comfort and so I hope to you Secondly the miseries of this life is another head from whence heathen men haue deriued comfort against death be it of our selues or of our friends Consider then with your selfe from the first age vnto the last houre the diseases incident to our bodies to vexe vs with woe according to their seuerall natures some more some lesse and yet the least too much All the changes and chances of this most wretched sinfull world whereunto whilst we liue wee must lye open will we nill we from all which our death doth free vs and our friends Therefore how should wee either feare or sorrow for our selues or for our friends for that which doth so befriend vs If we conceiue hereof as we ought we must needs be of the same iudgment with Seneca and in some sort approoue his speech O men most ignorant saith hee of their owne miseries who praise not death as the best inuention that euer nature had which includeth felicity excludeth miserie finisheth the toyles of age preuenteth the perils of youth to many is a remedie to some a wish to all an end and deserueth better of none then them to whom it commeth before it be called Yea we must confesse these things beeing well considered that it befalleth to men concerning death as vnto young children concerning their friends Litle children if their friends bee disguised with some strange shewes they are afraid of them and crying flie from them Exod. 4.3 as some that would hurt them as Moyses fled from his rod of death when it was turned into a Serpent But take off these vizards that their friends may appeare as they are and then by and by they are comforted and reioyce and imbrace them gladly againe euen so it is of death when we are misled it appeareth vnto vs disguised and couered by ignorance of the truth and his approaching maketh vs shrinke but plucke off that vizard of supposed euill and behold it as it is to vs in Christ and it is then but a painted death and we see him then our great friend that cutteth the thrid that we do weaue and then we neither flie nor feare any more but are truely comforted and imbrace him most willingly as we ought and loue him as Ionathan loued his friend Dauid 1. Sam. 18.1 as his owne soule Thirdly the heathen considered againe the famous and worthy men that died before them and what they endured and could not auoid and therevpon thought great shame either to feare or flie to lament in themselues or in their friends The greatest lights that euer were amongst them died all Socrates Demosthenes Plato Pompey Caesar Cicero learned martiall or whatsoeuer yea what wisedome and knowledge what valour and prowesse what act what gouernement soeuer they had all gifts and graces all pompe and power all empire and maiestie were it ouer thousands or thousand thousands yeelded to death death had his place when his time was come and as well these great lights and loftie gallants as the lowest wretches and poorest wormes the high okes as the small shrubs drunke of deaths cuppe when they were inuited and inioyned Shall it not then euen in reason seeme
infinite number of acquaintance expect vs there our parents brethren sisters friends children kindred that are alreadie secure of their owne immortalitie but yet sollicitous for our safetie what ioy will it bee to see to embrace them Conclude then with your heart that you will bee strong against such losses and pray to the giuer of strength that you may be strong and leaue your losses to the Lord your God that hath gained them blessed for them blessed for you with many thankes for euer and euer The end of the sixt Diuision THE SEVENTH DIVISION OF THE CASES WHEREIN IT IS Vnlawfull and wherein Lawfull to desire DEATH TOuching the cases wherein it is vnlawful to desire death they may be reduced principally into three The first is if God can bee more honoured by our life then by our death then in such a case it is altogether vnlawfull to desie death but rather on the contrary we are to desire and pray for life For which purpose wee haue diuers examples in the holy Scriptures to warrant the same as of King Dauid and king Ezechiah Dauid bewayled himselfe in many of his Psalmes that If God tooke him away he should lacke occasion to honour prayse him as he was wont to doe whilest he was amongst men and therefore hee desired longer life that he might set forth the honour of God amongst the people Returne O Lord sayth he Psal 6.4.5 deliuer my Soule O saue mee for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thank Againe Psa 30.8.9.10 I cryed vnto thee O Lord c. When I go down into the pitte shall the dust praise thee c Againe Psal 88 9 10 11 12. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction c. shall the dead rise and praise thee And againe Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but liue and declare the workes of the Lord. Ezechiah bewayled himselfe Esa 38.18.19.20 when hee heard the message of death and praied for longer life knowing therby that God should bee more honoured by his life then by his death And therefore sayth hee The graue cannot prayse thee c. And thus may euery godly Christian desire life and not death to this end onely that God thereby may be glorified But yet in this case although it be vnlawfull to desire death so long as God may bee glorified by our Life yet in praying for life to this end we must referre all to Gods good wil and pleasure Therfore if any wil obiect say I might in my place by mine endeauour such as it is for the time to come further profite the Church of God and greatly honour him for this end therefore I could wish that the space of a longer life might be graunted vnto me Answer As the Lord sayd vnto Dauid 1 King 8.18.19 Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house to my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart Neuerthelesse thou shalt not build the house but thy sonne which shall come forth of thy loynes he shall build the house vnto my name Euen so it may bee sayde to thee that whereas it is in thine heart to glorifie God and to profite his Church and therefore thou couldest wish that the space of a longer life might be granted vnto thee to that end thou doest well that it is in thine heart to doe so Neuerthelesse all this must bee commended to Gods disposing that is how long God wil haue thee to remaine in health and life for his glorie and for the good of his Church For hee that hath furnished thee with the giftes of teaching or exhortation or any other good gift for the glory of God and good of his Church he doth know how to furnish others also with the same when thou art gone and as God would not let Dauid build his Temple but did reserue it to be performed afterward by Salomon so God for some secret cause will not haue that good worke furnished by thee but reserueth it for some other time and some other person Therefore if thou art straightned with the Apostle Philip. 1.23 that thou doest not know which of these thou shouldest chuse hauing a desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ which is better for thee or to abide in the flesh which is more profitable for the church Know that to dye is aduantage vnto thee but to liue is aduantage to the Church No man of vs sayeth the Apostle Rom. 14.7.8 liueth to himselsf and no man dyeth to himselfe for whether we liue wee liue to the Lord to the end that wee may glorifie him and gaine more soules to him in the Church or whether we dye we dye to the Lord that we may obey his Fatherly will calling vs out of our Station Whether therefore we liue or dye we are the Lords that most mighty gentle and mercifull Lord From whose loue neyther life nor death can separate vs. Rom. 8.38.39 Thou hast hitherto obeyed the will of the Lord most faithfully spending thy seruices on the Church militant obey him further most readily embracing his will that calles thee to the society of the Church triumphant Thou art rightly carefull out of charity for the encrease of the church notwithstanding thou oughtest out of faith to commit the care of gouerning teaching and conseruing the same vnto God There is nothing heere more wholesome nothing better nor more conformable to pietie then for a man to resigne himselfe wholy to the will of God and to commend the full power of disposing our life and death to him with godlie prayers And one of these two thinges we may vndoubtedly hope for that eyther hee will giue vs that which wee aske or that which hee knoweth to be more profitable Delight thy selfe in the Lord sayeth the Psalmist Psal 37.4.5 and he shall giue thee the desires of thine heart commit thy way vnto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe Secondly it is altogether vnlawfull to desire death through impatience in that wee cannot haue our owne willes wishes and desires Gen. 31.1 In which case Rachell offended for seeing that shee bare Iacob no children shee enuied her sister Exo. 16.23 and sayde vnto Iacob Giue me children or â—lse I dye In like case also the children of Israel offended who murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wildernesse and said Would to God wee had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt when we sate by the flesh pots did eate bread to the ful Numb 11.10 In this case Moses offeÌ„ded who said vnto the Lord Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy seruant and wherfore haue not I found fauor in thy sight that thou layest all the burden of this people vpon me Whence should I haue flesh to â—iue vnto all this people For they weepe vnto me saying giue vs flesh that
freed from iniquity necessity calamitie and mortality enioying secure quietnesse quiet ioyfulnesse ioyfull blessednesse blessed euerlastingnesse and euerlasting happinesse Where is also certaine assurance perfect deliuerance assured eternity eternall quietnesse quiet happinesse happy pleasure and pleasurable ioy and glorie the happy Trinity and Vnity of Trinitie and Deity of Vnity and blessed sight of Deity this is the Masters ioy oh ioy aboue all ioy besides which there is no ioy And what can we imagine that may delight vs Mat. 13.43 that we shall not haue there in infinite fulnesse Wouldest thou haue sweet musicke there shalt thou enioy the harmonious melody of the heauenly Saints and Angels which sing day and night before the throne Wouldst thou haue beauty and excellencie of body there thou shalt be like to the Angels and shalt shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of thy Father Wouldst thou haue pleasure and delight there thou shalt be abundantly satisfied saith the Psalmist Psal 36.8 with the fatnesse of Gods house and he shall make thee drinke of the riuers of his pleasures Wouldst thou haue wisedome there thou shal enioy the full view and sight of Wisedome it selfe Wouldst thou desire concord vnity and friendship there thou shalt loue God aboue thy selfe and God shal loue thee better then thou canst loue thy selfe and there all the Angels and Saints shall haue but one wil and one mind and shal be of one accord and that shall bee agreeing with Gods will Wouldst thou haue power Luke 19.17 there thou that hast beene here faithful of a litle shalt be made ruler ouer much Wouldest thou haue honour there thou shalt come to honor by inheriting of a kingdome and in this kingdome the Lorâ— will honour thee with his owne attendance Wouldst thou haue blessed company there shalt thou enioy the blessed societie and company of his Saints and Angels and the presence of Christ Psal 17.15 and of God and shalt as the Psalmist saith behold the face of God in righteousnesse and shall bee satisfied with his Image and likenesse Againe euer splendent shall the habitation of Gods Saints be it shal not need Sun for the Lambe is the light of it the Saints that are saued shal walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shâ—ll bring their honor and glory vnto it the gates of it shal not be shut by day for there shall be no night there and the glory both of the Iew and Gentile shall be brought vnto it What should I say more as I coulâ— so haue I told let the heart conceiue the rest yet so as a most pleasant place and most ioyfull presence a most happie estate of blessednes shall be your portion in an endlesse glory I cannot speake as I would and yet my heart is full breake it wil if I may not vent it pardon me therefore a while to beate backe these fearefull passions of your mortalitie with further impression of your eternitie and consider then how great and glorious this change and alteration will be There shall be tranquillitie without storme libertie with out restraint ioy without interruption eternity without cessation yee shall haue eyes without teares hearts without sorrow soules without sinne Your knowledge shall bee without doubting or discourse for yee shall see God and all goodnesse all at once your loue shall leuell at the highest nor shall it faile to fall vpon the lowest of his Saints yee shall haue what you can desire and yee shall desire nothing but what is good for as one hath truely said he is not blessed who inioyeth not all hee will and yet willeth nothing but what is good yee shall heare melodious songs euen the songs of Sion Reuel 5.13.14 Psalmes Hymnes and Prayses more sweete then the harmonie of the heauens when all that celestiall hoast shall fill that holy vault with an Halleluiah to the Almightie Reuel 19.1 and say Honor Glory Maiestie Power Dominion and Might be ascribed to him that sitteth vpon the Throne both now and for euer And heere as the blessed Apostle saith God shall be all in all vnto vs meate to our taste 1. Cor. 15.28 bewtie to our eyes perfumes to our smell musicke to our eares What shall I say more but as the Psalmist saith Psal 87.3 Glorious things are spoken of thee O Citie of God Selah Againe all this and all the former ioyes shall bee for euer and without interruption and of this kingdome saith the Euangelist Luke Luke 1.33 there shall be no end The King hereof is Christ â—he Law is loue the subiects are the Saints Reu. 10.6 and the bounds of this Empire are endlesse tyed to no returne either of terme or time for time shall bee no more Diuines are wont to shadow out Eternitie by the similitude of a little bird drinking vp a drop of water ouâ— of the sea if euery thousand thousand yeares the bird should come and drinke vp but one drop yet the sea might be drie at length But yet this lasting of the sea is nothing in comparison to the lasting of the glory of heauen And for your speedie passage out of this world into that endlesse glorie yee shall goe nay yee shall flye as Saint Augustine saith with as great haste as happinesse Luke 23.47 2. Iohn 2.18 1. Cor. 15.52 This day saith our Sauiour Christ euen now saith Saint Iohn In the twinckling of an eye saith the blessed Apostle Saint Paul all shall be changed at the day of Doome and why not at the day of Death For if the bodie shal be where the minde wil when it is glorified why shall not the soule bee where and when God will when it is deliuered I say Rom. 8.21 deliuered out of the bondage of corruption wherein it is into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God where it should be The silly eye of flesh and bloud may happily demurre vpon the distance and thinke how it can bee possible that the soule should passe with such speed from this earthly house of clay to that high glorious and heauenly habitation dwelling the eight Sphere as some write being distant from the earth euery where twentie thousand Semidiameters which calculated aright and numbred with our miles maketh a million of Germane miles which is one thousand thousand Surely I dare determine of no particuler but say in generall as Balaam did of Israel in the booke of Numbers where he saith Numb 23.10 Who can count the dust of Iacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel So who can tell the distance of the heauens Prou. 25.3 The heauen for height saith the Wise-man and the earth for depth and the hearts of Kings are vnsearchable Howbeit be the distance neuer so great and the roome neuer so close where the partie dieth yet speedie may be the soules passage to this glory when it is done by the power of God Marke 10.27
with whom all things are possible as our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Againe we may roue at the glorious estate of the children of God after death by that high price which was set on theÌ„ Our Sauiour Iesus Christ the Sonne and only Son of God not by adoption but by nature louing and best beloued bought them not with money but with bloud not with the bloud of Goats and Rammes but with his owne bloud and not with the bloud of his head hands or feete but with his owne heart bloud And as he prayed soundly for them himselfe in his last prayer which he made vnto his heauenly Father a little before his suffering as appeareth in the Euangelist Saint Iohn Iohn 17.1 so hath he prised them vnto his friends and children and none can enter into them but by many tribulations Acts 7.59 For we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God They did cost Paul a beheading Peter a crucifying Stephen a stoning millions of Martyrs racking burning torturing tormenting and a thousand other kinds of deathes and our deere Sauiour Christ himselfe a suffering Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things Luke 24.26 and so to enter into his glorie 1. Cor. 10.13 God who is faithfull and true as the Apostle speaketh hath not deceiued his Sonne nor ouer-sold his ioyes vnto his Saints and children and therfore vnspeakable are those ioyes which Christ hath purchased and his children obtained through a world of miseries Againe wee haue a resemblance of these ioyes in Christs transfiguration vpon the Mount Luk. 9.28.29.30.31.32.33 when as the fashion of his countenance was altered and his rayment was white and glistering whereby wee learne what glory our bodies shall haue in the day of the resurrection wheÌ„ as the blessed Apostle Saint Paul telleth vs that as we haue borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heauenly 1. Cor. 15.49 and be like the Sonne of God in glory Againe we may make coniecture of these ioyes by reflecting our eyes vpon those innumerable perils which wee haue heere escaped For if such as are deliuered from the dangers of the sea doe wonderfully reioyce when they come safe on shore much greater then is the ioy of those who hauing beene tossed in the waues of this troublesome world troubled with sinnes with Satan with frailties of the flesh with the feare of hell whose dangers saith Gregorie appeare by the multitude of those that perish are now arriued at heauen for their hauen and are wholly freed from all their calamities and miseries And as Saint Augustine wel speaketh the more dangers escaped the more ioyes encreased as the most doubtfull battell maketh the most ioyfull victorie Againe we doe reade in the booke of Hester Hester 6.6.7.8.9.10.11 that when Haman was by King Ahashuerosh willed to speak what shal be done to the maÌ„ whom the King would honor he supposing that the King had no meaning to honor any but himselfe said this Let them bring forth for him royall apparell which the King vseth to weare and the horse that the King vseth to ride on and that the Crowne Royall may be set vpon his head and that his apparell and horse bee deliuered to one of the Kings most noble Princes that they may array the man withall whom the King delighteth to honor and bring him on horse-back thorow the streetes of the Citie and proclaime before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honor Then the King said to Haman Make haste c. Euen so shall it be done vnto them whom the King of kings and Lord of lords will honor after death First there shal be put vpon them royal apparel Reu. 3.4 5. euen long white roabes which are such as Iesus Christ the King of glory himselfe is described to weare Secondly they shal sit vpon Iesus Christ his owne horse Reu. 19.11 which is said in the booke of the Reuelation to be a white horse for Iohn there saith I saw heauen opened and behold a white horse and hee that sate vpon him was called faithfull and true To him therefore saith the Sonne of God that ouercommeth Reu. 3.21 will I grant to fit with me in my throne euen as I also ouercame and am set on my fathers throne Thirdly the Crowne royall shall bee set vpon their heads Be thou faithfull vnto death saith the Sonne of God and I will giue thee a crowne of life Reu. 2.10 And this is that most excellent glorie which the Saints haue in heauen shadowed out vnto vs by a kingly crowne which of all earthly things is most glorious Fourthly this glorie shal be furthered by the hands of the king of heauens most noble Princes Mat. 24.31 He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather his elect from the foure windes from one end of heauen to the other Fiftly and lastly the Saints shal be entred into the ful fruition of their inheritance with such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of all the Saints and holy Angels as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day when king Solomon sate downe in his father Dauids throne 1. King 1.40 But all that is nothing comparable to this ioy triumph and glorie of Gods Saints And it shal be as it were proclaimed before them Thus shall it bee done vnto them whom the King of glory will honour And this honour saith the Psalmist Psal 149.9 haue all his Saints There is no king on the earth can produce so ancient right to his Crown as the Christian effectually called can to these ioyes of heauen no maÌ„ on the earth can be acknowledged his fathers heire vpoÌ„ such sufficient warraÌ„t as the godly Christian No freeholder so surely infeoffed in his lands hauing so many confirmations of his right as hath the iustified Christian who vpoÌ„ his gift hath receiued the earnest the pledge the seale and the witnesse of the great king of glorie Wee doe reade in the first booke of the Kings that when the queene of Sheba heard of the fame of Salomon 1. King 10.11 concerning the name of the Lord she came from a very farre Countrey to proue him with hard questions and she communed with him of all that was in her heart and Salomon told her all her questions and there was not any thing hid from the king which he told her not And when shee had seene all Salomons wisedome and the house which he had built and the meat of his table and the siâ—ting of his seruants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparell and his Cup-bearers and his ascent by which he went vp into the house of the Lord. It is there said that there was no more spirit in her And she said to the king it was a true report that I