Moses that they vnderstood this that they would consider their latter end or that wee did conceiue the happinesse and felicitie of our end and this we should doe if we would thus meditate in this sort on our end When Salomon hath spoken of all the vanities of man at last he opposeth this Memorandum as a coūterpoyse against them all Eccle. 11.9 Remember that for all these things thou shalt come to iudgement As if he should haue said men would neuer speak as they speake thinke as they thinke nor doe as they doe if they were perswaded that their thoughts words and deeds should come to iudgement For surely if a man could perswade himselfe that this day were his last day as God knoweth it may bee hee would not deferre this meditation on Death If he could thinke that the meate now in eating is his last meat or his drinke now in drinking his last drinke he would not surfet nor be drunke therewith If he could beleeue that the words which he speakes this day shall bee the last that euer he shall speake Psal 39.1 he would with the Prophet take heed to his wayes that he offend not with his tongue in lying swearing rayling and blaspheming Pambus one without learning came to a certaine man to be taught a Psalme who when he had heard this first verse of the 39. Psalme would not suffer the next verse to bee read saying this verse is enough if I could practise it and when his teacher blamed him because hee saw him not in sixe moneths after he answered that hee had not yet done that verse And one that knew him many yeeres after asked him whether he had yet learned the verse I am saith he fortie yeeres old and haue not yet learned to fulfill it Now then the harder it is to rule the tongue the more care is to be had therein especially seeing the words wee speake may be the last words for ought wee know that euer wee shall speake If he were or would be perswaded that this were the last lesson admonition or sermon that euer God would afford him for his conuersion hee would heare it with more care diligence and profit then euer he had done before Let vs therefore remember our selues whilest it is called to day Psal 95.7.8 lest our meditation on Death come too late For which of vs all can assure himselfe of life till to morrow or what if he should liue one two three foure or fiue yeeres longer or what if twentie yeeres longer who would not liue like a godly Christian so many yeeres for to liue in heauen with Christ for euer Wee can be content to liue seuen yeeres Apprentise with great labour and toile to bee instructed in some trade that we may liue the more easily the rest of our dayes and about this we spend our thoughts and meditations and cannot we then be well contented to labour a little while in the matters of our saluatiō spend our thoughts endeauours and meditations therein that we may rest from all our labours for euer after in heauen Matth. 26.40 Our Sauiour Christ said vnto his Disciples when he had found them sleeping What could yee not watch one houre And so I say vnto all men What can you not meditate on Death some few houres Which meditation on Death we must not make a naked discourse or bare reading onely but a vehement application of the minde to the thing it selfe with an inward sence and feeling of the heart all the distractions of our thoughts being abandoned For meditation is an action or worke of the soule bending it selfe often earnestly and orderly to think vpon a thing and it is either of Gods word or works and Death is one of Gods workes euen a worke of mercy to his elect and chosen children but a work of iustice to the vngodly and reprobate Therefore that thou mayest meditate profitably on Death whereby it may proue a worke of Gods mercie vnto thee put thy selfe humbly in the sight of God who beholdeth thee in all thy actions and thus present begge of him that all thy thoughts words and works yea and all thy meditations may wholly be guided and directed to his glory and thy owne saluation and intreate thy God with heartie affections to giue thee grace that thou mayest take profit by the consideration and the meditation of thy last end And let vs not imitate foolish men who looke and thinke vpon present things only but let vs meditate on things to come and so by the grace of God we shall bring to passe that the same houre which to others that are inconsiderate is the beginning of sorrowes and miseries to vs shall be the entrance into all ioy and happinesse The end of the second Diuision THE THIRD DIVISION OF THE PREPARATION FOR DEATH NOw by way of preparation vnto death let vs obserue that the greatest worke we haue to finish in this world is to die well they which die well die not to die but to liue eternally That man doth finish his daies in his best sort that euery day esteemeth the last day of his life to be present or neere at hand and that a man may die well Gods word requireth a preparation for Death The Preparation for death is an action of a repentant sinner whereby he makes himselfe fit and ready euery day to leaue this life and to die well And it is a dutie very necessarie and of great waight and importance to which we are tied and bound by Gods Commandement and therefore it can in no wise bee omitted of him that desires to make a happie and blessed end Wherefore this preparation is two-fold Generall and particular Generall preparation is that whereby a man prepares himselfe to die through the whole course of his life The reasons are these viz. First Death which is certaine is most vncertaine I say it is certaine because no man can auoid it and it is vncertaine three wayes First in regard of the time for no man doth know when he shall die Secondly in regard of the place because no man knoweth where he shall die and thirdly in regard of the kind of death for that no man knowes whether he shall die of an ordinary or extraordinary death whether of a lingring or sodaine death whether easie or violent Therefore from thence it followes that we should euery day and in all places prepare our selues for death Indeede if wee could know when where and how wee should dye the case were otherwise but seeing we know none of all these but are ignorant therof therfore it stands vs greatly in hand to looke about vs to prepare our selues for our latter end A second reason seruing further to perswade vs to the performing of this duety is this that the most dangerous thing in all the world to the hazard of our soules is to neglect this preparation It must not be put off till sicknesse for then it
Christ it ceaseth to bee a plague or punishment and of a curse is made vnto vs a blessing and become vnto vs a friend and a passage or middle way betweene this life and eternall life and is become as it were a little wicket entrance or doore whereby we passe out of this world into heauen And then in this respect this saying of the Preacher is most true for in the day of birth men are brought forth and borne into the vale of misery but afterward when the children of God goe hence hauing death altered vnto them by the death of Christ they enter into eternall life and happinesse The third obiection is taken from the example of most worthy men who as it should seeme haue made their prayers against death Mat. 26.39 as our Sauiour Christ We reade when our Sauiour Christ was borne it was a ioyfull time at whose birth there was great ioy and mirth Simeon and Anna Luke 2.10.13.28.38 Luke 19.41 Marke 16.10 Luke 23.28.45 Matth. 27.51 yea and the Angels of heauen did sing and they bid the Shepheards sing because they brought them glad tidings of great ioy which should be vnto all the people But when our Sauiour Christ suffered death then it seemed that it was a dolefull time for then there was as much lamentation and weeping Our Sauiour Christ himselfe wept whom we reade to haue wept three times at the destruction of Ierusalem Iohn 11.35 at the raising of Lazarus and in his agony the disciples wept the daughters of Ierusalem wept Heb. 5.7 the Sunne was darkened the vaile of the Temple was rent the stones were clouen in sunder Yea all these and all sencelesse creatures in their kind did weepe and lament the death and passion of their maker And so it should seeme that our Sauiour Christ prayed against death on this manner Psal 6.4.5 Father if it be thy will let this cup passe from me Wee reade also that the Prophet Dauid prayed against death Returne O Lord saith he deliuer my soule O saue me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thankes Againe Esay 38.1 wee reade that King Ezechiah prayed against death for when the Prophet brought him word from the Lord that hee should die and not liue this good king at this newes wept very sore and prayed for further life Now by the examples of these most worthy men yea by the example of the Sonne of God himselfe it should seeme that this should not be true which the Preacher doth heere auouch That the day of death should bee better then the day of birth but rather that the day of death should be the most dolefull and terrible day of all Answ We are heere to vnderstand that when our Sauiour Christ prayed in this sort as we haue heard he was in his agonie and he then as our Redeemer stood in our roome and stead to suffer and endure all things which wee our selues should haue suffered in our own persons for our sins if he himselfe had not vouchsafed to suffer for vs and therefore hee did not pray simply against the bodily or naturall death but against the cursed death of the Crosse for he feared not death it selfe which is the separating of soule and bodie but the curse of the Law which went with death as namely the vnspeakeable wrath and iudgement of God which was due for our sinnes The first death troubled him not but the first and second ioyned together Therefore the Author to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 5.7 That Christ in the daies of his flesh wheâ— he had offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death that he was heard in that he feared By which place it appeareth that Christ did not pray simply against the naturall death but against the cursed death of the Crosse which was the second death Concerning Dauids praying against death we are to vnderstand that when he made that sixt Psalme hee was not onely sicke in bodie but also perplexed with the greatest temptation of all in that hee wrastled in conscience against the wrath of God as appeares by his owne words For hee there saith Psal 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger c. Wherein wee may see that he prayed not simply against death but against death at that instant when hee was in that grieuous temptation for at other times he had no such feare of death And therefore in another Psalme he saith Psal 23.4 Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I wil feare none ill c. Wherefore he prayed against death onely in that sixt Psalm as it was ioyned with apprehension of Gods wrath as our Sauiour Christ did Lastly touching king Hezekiah wee are to vnderstand that he prayed against death not onely because hee desired to liue and to doe seruice to God in his kingdome but also it was vpon a further and more special regard because when the Prophet brought him this message of death he was then without issue hauing none of his owne body to succeede him in his kingdome But then it wil be obiected What warrant he had to pray against death for this cause Answ His warrant was good for God had made a particular promise vnto Dauid and his posteritie after him 1. King 2.4 that as long as they feared him and walked in his commandements with all their heart and with all their soule there shal not faile thee saith he a man on the throne of Israel Now this good king Hezekiah at the time of the Prophets message of death remembring what promise God had made to Dauid and to his seed and how that he for his part in some poore and weake measure had kept the condition in that he had walked before God with an vpright heart and had done that which was well pleasing and acceptable in his sight as he himselfe saith in the same place Isay 38 3. therefore hee prayed against death not for that he feared it but he desired to haue issue of his own to succeed him according to the Lords promise to his seruant Dauid Which prayer of his was so well accepted of God that hee gaue him his request and added vnto his daies fifteene yeeres and three yeeres after God gaue him Manasses Isay 38.5 Againe beside these examples it will be further obiected that the godly haue feared death 1. Kings 19.30 or esse why did Eliah flie from it in the persecution of Iezabel and Christ teach his to flie it in the persecutions of men Mat. 10.23 and Christ himselfe as we haue alreadie heard did pray against the bitter cup of it in his agonie Mat. 26.39 and before his apprehension Answ Those Saints did not nor were to flie from death as it is the end of life and a most blessed end
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
will haue his course they both keepe their old wont Since the first diuision of waters the Sea hath beene accustomed to ebbe and flow who hath euer hindered it And since the first corruption of Nature Death hath beene accustomed to slay and destroy who hath resisted it Other customes haue and may be abolished a King may command and it is done but what Monarch so absolute what Emperour so potent that can abrogate within his Dominions this custome of dying Nay there is no priuiledge no not spirituall neither can that grace and excellent gift of holinesse and pietie preserue a man from a naturall death viz. the first death out of no Court or Church can a man fetch a writ of protection against this Sergeant no place will preserue no person can bee priuiledged from it Esay 57.1 For heere the holy and good man the righteous and religious man is taken from the earth and dieth Iames 1.18 For if any should be spared he that is begotten againe of Gods owne will by the word of truth he that is borne againe of water and of the Spirit Iohn 3.5 and so borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh Ioh. 1.13 nor of the will of man but of God He that is borne a new not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God 1. Pet. 1.23 which liueth and endureth for euer A man I say would thinke that such if any should not die and yet behold the whole generation of Gods children they all die in their appointed time and vndergoe death not as a punishment but as a tribute as Seneca the Heathen man speakes which euery man must pay for his life The foole dies the wise-man the subiect the Soueraigne I haue said saith the Psalmist yee are gods Psal 49.10 Psal 82.6.7 and yee all are children of the most high but yee shall die as a man and yee Princes shall fall like others and so also the Prophets and holy men of God Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart and yet he died Moses saw God face to face and yet he died Zach. 1.5 The Prophets were indued with a great measure of sanctification yet the Prophet Zachary ioynes them all together in one state of mortalitie Your Fathers where are they And doe the Prophets liue for euer What say I the Prophets Nay Christ Iesus himselfe the Sonne of God the onely Sonne the Sonne in whom he was well pleased more faithfull then Abraham more righteous then Iob more wise then Salomon more mightie then Samson more holy then Dauid and all the Prophets though hee knew no sinne in himselfe yet for taking on him the burthen of our sinnes became subiect to the same condition of mortalitie with vs and he died also Examples of other times experience of our owne teach vs that all of all sorts die and are gathered to their fathers yea the dumbe and dead bodies cry this aloud vnto vs. As Basil of Seleucia saith of Noah he preached without words of Preaching for euery stroake vpon the Arke was a reall Sermon of repentance so euery corpse that wee follow and accompany to the graue preacheth really this truth vnto vs. All the worthiest of the first times and whomsoeuer else the word of God hath well reported of where are they Are they not all dead Doe they not all see corruption our Sauiour Christ excepted Are they not all gone downe into the slimie valley Haue they not long since made their bed in the darke None of them all our Sauiour Christ excepted was able to deliuer his life from the power of the graue Art thou better then Dauid and wiser then Salomon Nay art thou greater then our Father Abraham who is dead and the Prophets which are dead Whom makest thou thy selfe If thou thinkest thou shouldest not die Then surely if the holiest begotten and borne of man doe die then all must die And if holinesse must yeeld then prophanenesse cannot stand out And therfore whether holy or prophane Iew or Greeke bond or free male or female all must die If the tender harted woman that wept for Christ then the stony hearted men that scoffed at Christ If those that imbalmed him then those that buffeted him If shee that powred oyntment on his head then he that spat in his face If Iohn his beloued Apostle then Iudas that betrayed him Man is a little world the world a great man if the great man must die how shall the little one escape We must not thinke much to vndergoe that which all are enioyned vnto necessarily Equalitie is the chiefe ground-worke of equitie and who can complaine to be comprehended where all are contained For there is not a sonne of man in the cluster of mankinde but Eodem modo nodo vinctus victus is liable to that common and equal law of Death And although they die not one death for time and manner yet for the matter and end one death is infallible to all the sonnes of men Lift vp your eyes to the heauens saith the Lord and looke vpon the earth beneath Esay 51.6 for the heauens shal vanish away like smoake and the earth shall waxe old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner But if any shall obiect that Enoch and Elias died not Gen. 23.24 Hebr. 11.6 2. King 2.11 I answere We know not I rather thinke they did and that Elias in his fiery Chariot had his body burnt and Enoch who in his yeares matched the dayes of the Sunne 365. was without paine dissolued when God tooke his soule to heauen or if they died not yet as Origen saith the generall is not therefore false because God hath dispenced in some particulers though one or two died not yet this is an vniuersall truth of all men to be receiued and duely pondered Heb. 9.21 It is appointed vnto all men that they shall once die from which there is no auoidance For the Lord of life and death hath so decreed it the decree was made in the beginning Gen. 3.19 For dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne If it be his decree it must needs haue a certaine effect The decree is certaine the euent is ineuitable Our God saith the Psalmist Psal 115.3 is in heauen and hee doth whatsoeuer hee will Gods will is the deede as saith Saint Cyprian if he hath once willed it it is as good as wrought If he haue decreed it it is as certaine as if it were done It is heauens decree and it cannot be reuoked Dan. 6.1 I haue beene somewhat too tedious in this first Diuision which is somwhat contrarie to the common prouerbe that he should not be tedious that reades a Lecture of mortality but because this is on the one side a matter worthy to be obserued and on the otherside a matter too too much neglected I haue beene somewhat the bolder to
but we our selues by our wicked mindes of our owne accord we haue drawne it on our selues which God did not at all forbid lest it should keepe in vs an immortall disease For he that made heauen and earth ayre and fire Sun and Moone all elements all creatures good surely would not make him euill for whom all these good things were made How comes he then thus bad The words of our royall Preacher teach vs to say This onely haue I found Eccl. 7.29 that God hath made man vpright but hee hath sought out many inuentions Man was created happie but he found out trickes to make himselfe miserable Theophrastus Aristotle wrangled with Nature her selfe as if in a malignant humor shee brought forth men borne to great affaires to be snatched away in a moment whereas to Rauens and Harts shee granteth many ages which can neither prize nor vse their time But the truth is our selues doe shorten our liues with ryot idlenesse dissolutenesse and excesse Kingly treasures committed to euill husbands are quickly wasted Life is short onely to the prodigall of good houres For to speake as the truth is and as the matter deserueth we liue not but linger out a few dolorous daies So much time only wee doe liue as is vertuously bestowed and no more And as Epiphanius brings in Methodius disputing with Produs the Originist saith God as the true Physitian hath appointed Death to be a physical purgation for the vtter rooting out and putting away of sinne that wee may be made faultlesse and innocent and that as a goodly golden image saith he sightly and seemely in all things and all parts if it be broken and defaced must bee new cast and framed againe for the taking away of the blemishes and disgraces of it euen so man the Image of God being maimed and disgraced by sinne for the putting away of the disgraces and repairing his ruines and decayes must by the meditation on death be renewed by weakning of sinne which is the cause of death in vs. As for example if the couetous man would seriously take a view of himselfe in this glasse of the meditation on Death then would hâ—e not so miserably torment himselfe with carking and caring moiling and toiling in the world by falshood deceit and oppression grinding the faces of the poor and all to get a handful of feathers or to catch at a little smoake of vanitie being euery houre in danger to heare this voice of the Lord. Luke 12.20 Thou foole this night they will fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast thus scraped and gathered together Then would they consider that death will depriue them of all their treasures their houses which they haue builded by fraud their rents for which they haue made shipwracke of their soules their fields which they haue gotten by deceit their siluer and gold which they haue gotten by vsury and oppression their life which they haue so lewdly and vnprofitably spent making their pleasures their Paradise and their gold their god Then shall they perceiue their error that they haue chosen drosse for gold grasse for grace rust for siluer losse for gain shame for honor paine for rest yea for heauen hell Come also to this schoole of the meditation on Death you drunkards swearers whore-mongers blasphemers swaggerers prophaners of Gods Sabbathes and all carnall riotous and vngodly liuers small pleasures would you take in these vices nay soone would yee leaue and forsake them if you would giue your selues to this meditation The ancient Egyptians well knew the force of this medicine who in the middest of their mirth at their solemne Feasts were wont to haue the image of Death brought in and laid before them with these words Hoc intuens epulare beholding this Image eate and drinke but within the bounds of temperance for you must all be as this dead carcasse is wheresoeuer yee goe But if we carry not with vs the vglie picture of Death yet let vs carry in our hearts the true picture of our Death and then this meditation will correct and amend these vices in vs. It is written of those Philosophers called Brackmani that they were so much giuen to thinke vpon their end that they had their graues alwaies open before their gates that both going out and comming in they might alwaies be mindfull of their Death and latter end Dionysius the tyrant caused his notable flatterer Damocles who affirmed the life of a King to be most happie to be set in his regall Throne in stately robes and all Princely cheere and dainty fare before him and a naked sword tyed but with a horse-haire to hang ouer his head menacing him Death Could this Parasite thinke you take any delight in this princely fare and pompe No verily but as if he had sat amongst the greatest hagges of hell he durst not once touch the dainty dishes before him and shall not the meditation on Death either present or hard at hand and the sword of the wrathfull Iudge drawne and hanging ouer thine head restraine thee from immoderate and superfluous eating and drinking It is recorded also of a certaine King whose minde was so fixed in the deepe meditation on Death that thereby hee became more sober and modest in all his actions who being incited by his Iester or Parasite to be merry banquet and carowse hee commanded his Parasite to be set on a seate made with rotten wood fire to be put vnder and a sword to hang ouer his head and also princely dishes to be set before him and willed him to eate drinke and be merry but this stomacke would not serue him so much as to tast one of thefe dainty dishes and wilt thou O drunkard or glutton sinne in excesse and make thy belly thy God who sittest vpon a rotten body with the fire of naturall heat continually deuouring within it which the fire of the elementarie qualities on euery side disturbeth hauing the Etna of hell beneath and the sword of Gods wrath aboue Euen thus standeth our case a certaine diuine writer vseth this comparison A poore traueller pursued by an Vnicorne by chance in his flight slippes or falles into the side of a deepe pit or dungeon which is full of cruell serpents and in his fall catcheth hold by one small twig of the arme of a tree As hee thus hangeth looking downeward hee seeth two wormes gnawing at the roote of the tree and looking vpward he sees an hiue of sweete hony which makes him to climbe vp vnto it and to sit and feede vpon it While he thus feedeth himselfe and becommeth secure and carelesse of what may come the Vnicorne being hunger-bitten and byting and brusing on other boughes is each moment ready to crop of the twigge whereon this wretched man sitteth Now in what wofull plight is this distressed creature Then after this the two wormes gnawe in sunder the roote of the tree which falling downe
be the better prepared for it when it shall come indeed But some may heere obiect say how can this be done The Apostle Saint Paul doth answere it in giuing vs direction by his owne example when he saith 1. Cor. 15.31 By our reioycing which wee haue in Christ Iesus our Lord I die daily And doutlesse this Apostle died daily not only because he was often in danger of death by reason of his calling but also because in all his dangers and troubles hee inured himselfe to die For when men doe make the right vse of their afflictions and doe with their might endeauour to beare them patiently humbling themselues as vnder the Lords chastisement and correction then they are said to begin to die well And he that would mortifie his greatest sinnes must first begin to doe it in his smallest sinnes which being once reformed he shall with more ease be able to ouercome his master sinnes For this is the way to keepe sinne from raigning in our mortall bodies So likewise he that would bee able to beare the crosse of all crosses as namely death which is the end of all crosses must first of all learne to beare small crosses as sicknesses diseases troubles losses pouertie and the like which may fitly be tearmed little deathes and the beginnings of the greater death with which little deaths we must first acquaint our selues before wee can be able to incounter with great Death For as one well saith Death after the crosse is the lesse The world is set vnto vs as a house wherein we are but tenants at will out of which the Lord by sicknesse and crosses giueth vs warning and by death determineth his will and requireth it againe at our hands and willeth vs thereby to prepare our selues for a better house and the new house for which we are to prepare our selues is most pleasant and not so fraile ruinous and weake as our worldly house for the tiles doe sometimes fall off this house the walles doe reele the roofe doth drop the pillars doe leane the foundation doth sinke And what are these but so many warnings of the Lord to vs to depart hence and prepare for a better place Therfore when thou dost perceiue thy falling haires thy watering eyes thy trembling hands thy weake knees and thy stooping bodie what are these but onely the citations of Death which seemes to warne thee to prepare to packe vp that thou maist with more ease be able to goe out of this ruinous house of thine It is a fable but it hath a good mortall A certaine man did couenant with Death that he should neuer surprize him at vnawares or sodainly before that he had first sent a messenger to him to giue him warning that shortly hee would arrest him to which Death assented that though he could not alwaies forbeare him yet before hee did strike him hee would giue him warning Vpon Deaths promise thus past this man liued secure spending his time in all maner of riot and excesse and when he thoughtfull little of Death then came Death to take him away with whom this man expostulating for breach of promise Death in discharging of his fidelitie replied that with none no not those that violate all promises had he broken promise for saith he I haue sent many messenger vnto you from time to time to giue you warning of my comming thou wast sixe yeares since taken with a grieuous Feuer within these two yeeres sore troubled with Rhumes and distillations since that taken with the cough and paine in the head then troubled with the consumption of the Lungs And did I not lately send my brother Germaine vnto thee the drousie sleeping disease veturnosum soporem in which thou didst lye for a while like a dead man All these were fore-runners of my comming to warne thee to make thy selfe ready for mee who was neere at hand Is there any amongst vs that is not sometimes admonished of Deathes approaching by some of these his Apparators that hee must shortly depart The Poet saith truely Mille modis lethi miseros mors vna fatigat A thousand kinds yet but one death Hath death to take away our breath From whence let all men learne that haue care of their saluation what they ought to doe and be warie to prepare themselues for Death before Death doth end their life Often we ought to prepare for Death and doe not at last wee die indeed and would then and cannot Therefore while our feete are at liberty and before we be bound hand and foote let vs runne the way of the Lords Commandements and while we haue tongues and before we become speechlesse let vs vse our tongues well and not suffer them to sinne Mat. 22.12.13 And while we haue hands and armes and before our armes not from our shoulders Ephes 4.28 let vs worke with our hands the things that are good and procure things honest in the sight of all men Psal 150.6 and while wee haue breath before God stop our breath let vs praise the Lord. And while we haue eares Eccl. 12.4 before these daughters of singing bee abased let vs lift vp our eares to heare the word of God and not to vanitie Gal. 6 10. All we therefore saith the Apostle haue opportunitie to doe good vnto all men especially to them that are of the houshold of faith All this is a good preparation for death and by our patience in suffering afflictions it will make Death when it comes the easier for vs and the lesse able to afflict vs. For he that dyeth saith one before hee die shall not dye when he doth die In a temporall building the stones must be broken cut hewen and squared ere they be fit to make vp the worke The corne must bee cut downe bound vp carried into the barne threshed winnowed clensed and grinded before it be ready for good bread And the whirlewinde must first blow 2. King 2.11 before Eliah be rapt vp into heauen And wee must be cut hewen and squared with a number of Deathes messengers before wee can bee made fit for the Lords building We must be tossed with the winde and weather before wee can arriue in the hauen of heauen The very victualls which wee eate must first from life be brought to the fire and bee cleane altered in losing their propertie from the fire to the table from the table to the mouth so to the stomacke and there be concocted and disgested before they can nourish and worke their perfection in vs. Euen so Gods children must be mangled and defaced in this world which is the mill to grinde vs the kitchin to receiue vs and the fire to boyle roast and bake vs to alter the propertie from that wee were at the first that we thereby may bee made fitte to be brought to the Lords table For as raw flesh is wholesome meate for men so vnmortified men bee no creatures fit for God By
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
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
we shall enioy the fellowship of the Angels the societie and company of the Saints and where wee shall liue eternally obey God perfectly and raigne with him triumphantly And besides all this if we spend the time of our health of our sicknesse and of our death in this sort we shall leaue a good name and report behinde vs Eccles 7.1 which is better saith the Preacher then pretious oyntment and is rather to be chosen saith the Wiseman then great riches Prou. 22.1 and it will be like the coates and garments which Dorcas made Acts 9.36 that will remaine behinde vs after that wee are dead and gone for the good example and incouragement of all others which are to follow vs. The end of the fourth Diuision THE FIFTH DIVISION THE COMFORT AT OVR OWNE DEATH THe Preacher saith Eccles 7.1 That the day of our death is better then the day of our birth In which parcel of holy Scripture for our comfort at death three points are to be considered First what is death that is heere mentioned Secondly how it can be truely that is heere mentioned said that the day of our death is better then the day of our birth Thirdly in what respect it is better For the first Death is a priuation of life as a punishment ordained of God and imposed on man for his sinne It is a priuation of life because the very nature of death is an absence or defect of that life which God vouchsafed man by his creation I adde further that death is a punishment more especially to intimate the nature and qualitie of death and to shew that it was ordained as the meanes of the execution of Gods iudgement and iustice Furthermore in euery punishment there bee three workers the ordainer of it the procurer and the executioner The ordainer of this punishment is God in the estate of mans innocēcy by a solemne law then made in these words In the day that thou eatest thereof Gen. 2.17 thou shalt die the death The Executioner of this punishmēt is also God himselfe as himselfe testifieth in the Prophet Esay in these words I make peace and create euill And this is materiall or naturall euill Esay 45.7 to the latter of which Death is to be referred which is the destruction and abolishment of mans nature created The procurer of this punishment is not God but man himselfe in that man by sinne and disobedience did put vpon himselfe this punishment Therfore the Lord in the Prophet Osea saith O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe Hosea 13.9 but in me is thy helpe Against this it may be obiected that man was mortall in the estate of his innocencie before the fall Answere The frame and composition of mans body considered in it selfe was mortall because it was made of water and earth and other elements which are of themselues alterable and changeable yet if we respect the grace and blessing which God did vouchsafe mans bodie in his creation it was vnchangeable and immortal and so by the same blessing should haue continued if man had not fallen and man by his fall depriuing himselfe of this gift and the blessing became euery way mortall And hereof it is that the Preacher saith Loe this onely haue I found that God made man vpright Eccles 7.29 but they haue sought out many inuentions Againe before the fall mans bodie was but subiect to death and could not then be said to be dead but after the fall it was then not only subiect to death but might also be said to bee dead And therefore now in this respect the Apostle saith Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sinne Againe mans bodie in his innocencie was like vnto the bodie of Christ when he was vpon the earth that is onely subiect vnto death for he could not be said to bee dead because in him there was no sinne and this was mans case in his innocencie before his fall Thus it appeares in part what death is And yet for the better clearing of this point wee are to consider the difference betweene the death of a man and a beast The death of a beast is the totall and finall abolishment of the whole creature for the body is resolued to the first matter and the soule rising frō the temperature of the body is but a breath and vanisheth to nothing But in the death of a man it is otherwise For though the bodie for a time be resolued and turned into dust out of which it came yet it must rise againe at the last day and become immortall but the soule subsisteth by it selfe out of the body and is immortall The reason of which difference is for that the soule of man is a spirit or spirituall substance whereas the soule of a beast is no substance but a naturall vigour or qualitie and hath no being in it selfe without the body on which it wholly dependeth The soule of a man contrariwise being created of nothing Gen. 2.7 it is said God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and then man became a liuing soule and so as well subsisting forth of it as in it But when God made the beasts of the earth he breathed not such matter into them but their bloud is as their soule Leuit. 17.14 and their life for the life of all flesh is the bloud thereof Psal 49.20 So that when beasts die they perish as the Psalmist saith and that is their end and their spirit goeth downeward to the earth Eccles 3.21 but the spirit of man goeth vpward saith the Preacher Saint Ambrose takes occasion by this difference from the shape of mans bodie to aduertise our minde what our affections should be It is well ordained saith he that man hath onely two feete with birds and not foure feete with beasts for by this he may learne to flye aloft with the birds and not with beastes encline and decline to the grosser and earthly things of this world Heere then we see that since the fall of man man is not only subiect to death but also may be said a dead man because he shall as surely die as if he were dead already whereas notwithstanding he hath a forme and shew of immortalitie Other things so long as they retaine their forme so long they doe remaine A house falleth not all the time that his forme and fashion lasteth the brute beast dieth not except he first forgoe his life which is his forme but man hath a forme which neuer is dissolued as namely a minde endued with reason and yet he liueth now but a very short time in respect that his bodie by reason of sinne and disobedience is become mortall whereby man is the procuter of his owne death and punishment Therefore it is a true saying of Saint Gregory Man is the worke of God sinne is the worke of man let vs therefore discerne what God hath made and what man hath
done and neither for the error committed by man let vs hate man whom God made nor for the man that is Gods worke loue the sinne that man hath committed And againe here note we must hate none in respect of his creation but in respect he peruerteth the vse of his creation for they beare the Image of God which is louely but they deface and scratch it out to their owne damnation so that we must hate not virum but vitium the wickednesse of the man and not the wicked as he is man The kinds of death as we haue heard in the first Diuision are three-fold Naturall Spirituall Eternall but they may be reduced into two only as the kinds of life are that is bodily and spirituall Bodily death is nothing else but the separation of the soule from the body as bodily life is the coniunction of body and soule And this death is called the first because in respect of time it goes before the second Spirituall death is the separation of the whole man both in bodie and soule from the gratious and glorious fellowship of God Of these two the first is but an entrance to death and the second is the accomplishment of it for as the soule is the life of the bodie so God is the life of the soule and his Spirit is the soule of our soules Againe this spirituall death hath three distiâ—ct and seuerall degrees The first is when it is aliue in respect of temporall life and yet it lies dead in sinne Of this degree the Apostle speakes when he saith 1. Tim. 5.6 Shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth and this is the estate of all men by nature who are said to be dead in sinne Ephes 2.5 The second degree is in the very end of this life when the bodie is laid into the earth then the soule descends into the place of torments Luk. 16.22.23 as the soule of the rich man in the Gospell The third degree is in the day of Iudgement when the body and soule at the resurrection of the last day meete together againe and shal goe to the place of the damned there to bee tormented for euer And this is called by the name of the second death Mat. 25.41 which doth belong onely to the Reprobate Hauing thus found the nature differences and kinds of death it is more then manifest that that place of the Preacher is to be vnderstood not of the spirituall death but of the bodily death because it is opposed to the natiuitie and birth of man The words then must carry this sence The time of bodily death in which there is a separa ion of the soule of man from the body either naturall or violent being called a bodily or worldly death is better to the childe of God then the time in which one is borne and brought into the world Now followeth the second point and that is how this can bee true which the Preacher saith That the day of ones death is better then the day of birth I make not this question to call the Scriptures into controuersie which are the truth it selfe but I doe it to this end and purpose that we might without doubting or wauering bee resolued of the truth of this which the Preacher heere auoucheth for the comfort of all the children of God at their death For there may be sundrie reasons brought to the contrary of this which the Preacher heere auoucheth Therefore let vs now handle the questions reasons and obiections which may be alledged to the contrary which all may be reduced vnto sixe heads The first is taken from the opinion of wise men who thinke it the best thing of all neuer to bee borne And the next best to die quickly as soone as he is borne For Cicero an Heathen man and renowned for his eloquence and learning complaines that nature hath brought man forth into the world not as a mother but as a stepmother with a body naked weake and sickly and with a minde distracted with cares deiected with feares faint with labours and addicted to lusts and pleasures And hence grew this coÌ„mon speech amongst the Gentiles related by Aristotle repeated by Cicero and Plutarch and fathered vpon Sylemus by all three That the best thing in the world was not to be borne at all and the next best to die soonest Now if it be the best thing in the world not to be borne at all then it is the worst thing that can be to die after a man is once borne Answ There be two sorts of men the one that liue and die in their fins the other that doe vnfainedly repent and beleeue in Christ the one goates the other sheepe the one good the other euill Now this sentence and speech of those Heathen men may be truely applied auouched to the first sort of whom we may say as our Sauiour Christ said of Iudas Mat. 26.24 It had beene good for that man that he had neuer beene borne But the saying applied to the second sort is most false For to them that in this life turne to God by true and vnfained repentance the best thing of all is to be borne because their birth is a degree of preparation vnto all ioy and happinesse and the next best for them is to die quickly because by death they doe enter into the possession and fruition of the same ioy and happinesse for their birth is an entrance into it and their death the accomplishment of the same And this was the cause that made Baalam so desirous to die the death of the righteous and to wish that his last end might be like theirs Num. 23.10 And therefore in this respect the Preacher in this place preferres the day of death before the day of birth vnderstanding thereby that death which is ioyned coupled and accompanied with a godly life and this is called the death of the righteous The second obiection is taken from the testimonies of the holy Scriptures and namely these Rom. 6.20 1. Cor. 15.26 Death saith the Apostle is the wages of sinne Death is an enemie of Christ Death is the curse of the Law Gal. 3 13. Hence it seemes to follow that in and by death men receiue their wages and payment for their sinnes and so thereby the day of death is become the dolefull day in which the enemie preuailes against vs for that he which dieth is cursed Answ We must distinguish heere of death it must be considered two wayes first as it is in it selfe in his owne nature secondly as it is altered and changed by the death of Christ Now death by it selfe considered is indeed the wages of sinne the enemie of Christ and of all his members and the curse of the law yea the verie suburbs and gates of hell and so it is still vnto the wicked yet in the second respect it is not so for by the vertue of the death of
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
saith the Wise man hath hope in his death Againe that sudden death is not euill in all respects is apparant For it is not euill because it is sudden but commonly it takes men vnprepared and therefore euill and so makes the day of death a blacke day and as it were a speedie downefall to the gulfe of hell otherwise if a man be readie and prepared to die as he ought alwaies to bee then sudden death is in effect no death but a quicke easie and speedie passage and entrance vnto eternall life and happinesse For why shouldest thou being the child of God vnwillingly suffer a short death that will bring thee to the fruition of life eternall and all happinesse Rather perswade thy selfe that if thou liue in the feare of God thou shalt doe well and so liuing though thou die neuer so suddenly thou shalt doe better and that the worst hurt that sudden death can doe thee if this may be called hurt is to send thee but a little sooner then peraduenture thy fraile flesh would be willing Ioh. 14.2.3 to thy Sauiour Iesus Christ who is gone but a little before thee through great and manifold dangers and temptations to prepare a place as he himselfe saith for thee and to receiue thee vnto himselfe that where he is there thou mayest be also and remember that that worst is thy best hope The worst therfore of sudden death is rather a helpe then a harme Now all these obiections being thus answered at large it doth appeare plainly to be a manifest truth which the Preacher here saith That the day of death is better then the day of ones birth Now I come to the third point in which the reasons and respects are to be considered that make the day of death to surpasse the day of ones birth and they may all be reduced to this one namely that the birth day is an entrance into all woe and miserie whereas the day of death ioyned and accompanied with a godly and reformed life is an entrance and degree to eternall life and glory Which appeareth thus viz. Eternall life hath three degrees one in this life and that is when a man can truly say with the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee And this all such can say as truely repent and beleeue and that are iustified sanctified and haue the peace of a good conscience and are furnished with the giftes and graces of Gods holy Spirit which is the earnest of their saluation The second degree is in the end of this life when the bodie goes to the earth from whence it came and the soule returnes to God that gaue it The third degree is in the end of this world at the last iudgement when bodie and soule being re-vnited do ioyntly enter into the kingdome of heauen Now of these three degrees death it selfe being coupled with the feare of God is the second in as much as death is as it were the hand of God to sort and single out all those that are the seruants of God from amongst the wicked of this wretched world So that death is a freedome from all miseries which haue their end in death and which is the first benefit that comes by death and the first step to eternall life and glory And the second benefit that comes by death is that it giues an entrance to the soule and makes way for it and doth as it were vsher it into the glorious presence of the euerlasting God of Christ of the holy Angels and the rest of Gods Saints in heauen And this is a notable comfort against death for as all other euils of paine are to a godly Christian changed into another nature and of punishments are become fauours and benefits so is it also in this of death for now it is not a token of Gods wrath for sinne but an argument of his loue mercie and fauour to his children It is not properly death but as it were a bridge by which we passe to a better life from corruption to incorruption from mortalitie to immortalitie from earth to heauen that is in a word from vanity and miserie to perfect ioy and felicitie and a way thereby made for the resurrection Now who would not willingly passe ouer this bridge that is so easie whereby he goeth from all cares and sorrowes to all delight and pleasure leauing all miseries behind him and hauing all contentation and happinesse before him The gentiles taking it for granted that either after death we should be happie or not be at all concluded that at least death would free vs from all euill and miserie and thereupon did willingly embrace death as a rich treasure The Egyptians also builded gorgeous Sepulchres but meane houses because the one was to them but an Inne the other as they did thinke an eternall habitation which freed them from all misery And Seneca again exclaimes that our whole life is a penance which the Thracians confirmed by their practise celebrating their childrens birth with weeping and lamentation but their death with great ioy and mirth as diuers ancient Writers record whereby insinuating that our life is nothing but miserie and death the end of miserie But they haue beene all greatly mistaken therin for it is the godly Christian only which enioyeth these benefits by death as namely the exemption and freedome from all cares troubles and miseries For which cause the death of the godly is called in the Scriptures by the names of Bed and Peace Esay 57.2 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds saith the Prophet It is called by the name of Rest Reu. 14.13 They shall rest from their labours saith the Sonne of God And the Author to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God Againe the Scripture entitles death by the name of sleep and speaketh of the dead as of such as are asleepe and therfore the Prophet Daniel saith Dan. 12.2 Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting shame and contempt And our Sauiour Christ speaking of Iairus daughter which was dead seeing all the people weepe and lament her said vnto them Weepe not Luke 8.52 shee is not dead but sleepeth Iohn 11.11.12.13 Act. 7.60 And touching Lazarus death our Sauiour saith Our friend Lazarus sleepeth And touching Stephens death it is said He fell asleepe For this cause our forefathers called the place allotted for the buriall of the dead Dormitorium a bed-chamber wherein their bodies rest expecting the ioyfull resurrection Homer calleth sleepe fratrem mortis the brother of death Diogenes awaked out of a deepe sleepe by the Physitian and asked how hee did answered Rectè nam frater fratrem amplectitur Well quoth he for one brother embraceth another The like is reported of Gorgias Leontinus and
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
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
vniust and vnequall if any of lesse merit yea of no merit in comparison of such men shall grieue for themselues or any friend of theirs to indure that which these indured Surely not onely to grieue but not most willingly to welcome what all these men imbraced is tendernesse intolerable folly vnfitting and a fault no way to bee excused Yea the fault is so much the greater by how much either you or your friend are inferiour to these men in seruice and vse vnto the common state Thus did the heathens seek to salue the sore which grew by death of any and to this end many things of like perswasion they heaped vp which I passe ouer as hastening to the word of God without all comparison the fountaine of all comfort This onely I say and pray you to obserue concerning the mention made of the heathen that it is meant only to shew that they were ashamed to feare death in themselues or immoderately bewaile it in any friend and will you faile of the strength of an heathen shall they fight better against foolish affections by the light of nature then you by the power of grace and the most bright Sunshine of Gods word God forbid and as you tender your credit to be iudged truly a souldier that answereth the promise made in baptisme that you would fight manfully vnder Christes banner and not yeeld to your foe and Gods enemy and yours let not Sathan ouercome you in this to make you worse then an heathhen more passionate more impatient more subiect to wil and lesse subiect to reason nay more disobedient to God and of lesse reputation before men for gouernment of your mind then they were You know more performe not lesse then they did you haue seene a light that they neuer saw nor many other worthy men Luke 10.23.24 Blessed are the eyes saith our Sauiour which see the things which ye see for I tell you that many Prophets and Kings haue desired to see those things which ye see and haue not seene them and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them Walk therfore in that light as a child of light that you may bee more comforted for the death of your friends then the very heathen were Seneca saith He that laments that a man is dead laments that he was a man And now to come to the word of God to the Law Isay 8.20 and to the testimony saith the Prophet euen to the sweet fountaine of Israel that cooles indeede the scorching heat of all sorrowes and by name of this when God taketh away any of our friends by death if Moyses and the Prophets will not comfort vs in this case then as Abraham told Diues in another case nothing can perswade Luke 16.31 nor preuaile with vs. Many are the places of holy Scriptures when comfort arise and flow if they be wel and duly considered but meaning onely to giue you a taste some few shall serue at this time to which may be added by your owne diligence some more at your best leisure Iob 1.21.22 The Lord gaue saith Iob and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Where I pray you consider well what Iob lost when he said thus and consider what you haue lost now at this time and you shall finde your caâ—es farre differing Iob had his Oxen and Asses taken away by strangers and his seruants slaine with the edge of the sword This was his first newes The fire of God fell downe from heauen and burnt vp his sheepe and his seruants and consumed them This was the second newes His Camels were taken by the Chaldeans and his seruants slaine This the third newes all of them bitter and grieuous to happen at once You will confesse this was sore and any one of them falling by it selfe alone vpoÌ„ many of vs in these daies would plunge vs very sore Yet see farre greater his fourth and last newes was that his sonnes and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house and there came a great winde from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and the house fell vpon them and they all died yea all and all at once by this sudden meanes to the vtter amazing and astonishing of all that should see or think of it Yet for all this saith the holy Ghost Iob did not sin to wit by rauing and railing impatiently nor did he charge God foolishly as dealing vniustly or cruelly with him but considered with himselfe who had giuen and who had taken and weighed with himselfe that they were Gods and not his and should he forbid the Lord to doe with his owne what was his good pleasure Is it not lawfull saith our Sauiour Christ in another case for me to doe what I will with mine owne Mat. 20.15 Therefore sweetly and meekely patiently and peaceably he cast vp his eyes his heart his soule his minde his affections and all vnto the Lord and said Blessed be the name of the Lord of which Lord surely of this Lord that had thus dealt with him and taken away all that euer he had God hath not dealt thus with you by many and many degrees with you at this time and will you then take on and as it were bid battell to the Lord by weepings and wailings by sobbings and sighings by groanings and crying by mutterings and murmurings and by such like testimonies of a discontented and offended minde aboue that which can stand with a dutifull childes behauiour to his heauenly Father If your losses were as great as Iobs was yet you see what he did and this was Gods Spirit in him much more in a farre lesse losse must you doe it if you bee endued with the same spirit Thinke with your selfe as you see Iob did what estate you had in this friend of yours that now you haue lost you held him not in fee but for a terme and what terme no certaine terme but during the Lords good will and pleasure Now your terme is out and the Lord will haue his owne againe Grieue not for the losse then but be thankfull for the loane so long Againe I warrant you Iob did carefully ponder with himselfe what the Heathen and strangers to religion about him would say If he should be impatient and outragious they would say see euen thus the man that feared God and was so religious that he taught others and rebuked many when they did offend that spake so much of the Lord and had his will so euer in his mouth that gaue such testimonies sundry wayes to the shew of man of a reformed life now where is all become Now see this mans practise how it answereth his speeches before he was tried what doe we see now in him more then in many others that made not halfe the shew Is there but so much in him as in many Heathen that knew not his religion Haue they not
and earth Maiestie and basenesse Excellency and pouerty hee hath matched together What is higher then the Spirit of life what baser then the slime of the earth his soule it was infused into him the Spirit of life his body was made of the dust of the earth This was that which made Gregorie Nazianzen to breake into that exclamation of himselfe What great and wonderfull Miracle was within himselfe I am little sayeth he and yet I am great I am humble and yet exalted I am mortall and yet immortall I am earthly and yet heauenly little in body but great in soule humble as being earth and yet exalted aboue the earth mortal as hee that must dye and immortall as he that shall rise againe earthly as whose body was taken from the earth heauenly as whose soule was breathed from aboue Nay more then this sayeth the Prophet Dauid in one of his Psalmes Ps 8.4.5 6.7.8.9 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels and hast crowned him with glorie and honour thou madest him to haue dominion ouer the workes of thy hands c. Therfore no man no beast can destroy this excellent Creature in this fashion framed and bee innocent before God It belongeth onely to him that gaue life to take it away Where hee takes it away none can restore it nor ought to take it away being giuen but only by him that gaue it So that the whole rule of life must remaine in the hands of the Lord of Life who of himselfe sayth I kill and giue life except thou canst doe both Deut. 32.39 doe not attempt to doe eyther First make a liuing man if thou canst and then kill him to whom thou gauest life thou shalt then herein hurt no worke but the worke of thine owne hands but if thou canst not giue life presume not to take away life thou shalt therein violate the worke of another And if thou mayest not kill another thou mayest much lesse kill thy selfe One God made thee them and if thou shalt bee guilty of bloud in killing thy neighbour thou shalt bee guilty of bloud in killing thy neerest neighbour thy selfe When Elias was weary of his life being persecuted by Iezabel he sayde vnto God It is inough O Lord take my Soule for I am no better then my Fathers 1 King 19,4 He was wearie of his trauels and dangers and desired to be out of this vvorld but hee did not lay violent hands vpon himselfe or let out his owne Soule Hee remembreth that God had placed his soule in this earthly Tabernacle and he intreateth God to set his Soule at liberty He held his hands howsoeuer his heart was affected So hold thou thy hands from any fact of violence lifting them vp with thy heart vnto God in heauen desiring him to take thy soule when he thinks good When Saint Paul was in a straight betweene two Phil. 1 23. and vvist not vvhether he should desire life or death because his life should bee profitable to the Church but death gainefull to himselfe he expressed the inclination of his heart to death for his owne aduantage in these vvordes desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all His reward was in heauen vvhich he desired to obtaine his Redeemer in Heauen with vvhom hee vvished to be And because he could not come to enioy the same except by death he should passe out of this world hee was vvilling to depart and for that end to bee loosed and set at liberty from his flesh but did hee encline to set himselfe at liberty to loose the bondes of his owne life by which his soule was tyed and fast bound to the fellowshippe of his body No hee desired to bee a Patient not an Agent a Sufferer not a Doer in this businesse his vvords are desiring to be loosed not desiring to loose my selfe this he longed for and in time obtained it In these men behold and see how to craue and how to demeane thy selfe Learne of Eliah and Paul to feare God and not of Saul and â—udas Learne not of wicked men that went astray in their doings And tell mee if at any time thy life were so vile in thy sight and the glorie of God so deare vnto thee that thou wert desirous or content to giue thy life vnto God and to put it in hazard for his name and for his truthes sake Where hast thou despised the threatnings of Tyrants Where hast thou contemned the sword the fire or any other death hast thou been cast into the fierie furnace or into the Lyons denne or imprisoned or stoned or suffered rebuke or losse of goods for the name of Christ as diuers the Saintes of God haue done before thee In these cases if thy life had been vile in thy sight it had beene honourable and Christian-like because thou dost not take it thy selfe but yeeld it vp for his sake that gaue it Wherein thou hast the Prophets of God and Apostles of Iesus Christ to bee thy Paterne who were euer ready and willing to lay down and loose their liues in the seruice of God but did not kill themselues to bee deliuered from the furie of Tyrants but they yeelded themselus to the cruell will of Tyrants as Ieremie tolde them that went about to kill him for preaching Ierem. 26.14 as God had commaÌ„ded him As for mee behold I am in your hand doe with mee as you thinke good and right It was all one to him and equally welcome to dye or liue so that hee might faithfully doe his office Of the like mind was Saint Paul saying to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20.22 Behold I goe bound in the spirit to Ierusalem and know not what things shal come vnto me there saue that the Holy Ghost witnesseth that in euery City bondes and afflictions abide mee but I passe not at all neyther is my life deere vnto me so that I may fulfill my course with ioy c. Heere was a most godly contempt of frayle life If thou hadst resolution in any like quarrell to yeeld thy life when there should bee any attempt to take it thou hast the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Christ thine example and thou hast also the promise of the Lord Iesus to recompence that losse of life with the gaine of eternal life saying Hee that will saue his life shall loose it Math. 10.39 and hee that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it That is if any shall to saue his life deny to confesse mee before men his life shall be taken from him by some such iudgement of God as that hee shall haue no comfort in the losse of it but shall dye eternally but if any constantly confesse me putting his life in danger eyther God shall most miraculously deliuer him and saue his life in this
were reprobate or saued Of which matter saith he it is not for me to determine Our Iudge is his Iudge who will lay all thinges open when the time commeth This in the meane time is certaine that the deede of the man ought in no wise to bee allowed If wittingly I discommend his reason if in a phrenzie as one out of his wit then doe I greatly lament and pitty his case Yet notwithstanding seeing Gods iudgements be secret and wee be likewise in doubt vpon what intent he did thus punish himselfe nor any man can be certaine whether he repented or not before the last breath I think their opinion herein is more indifferent who doe rather disallow the example of the dead then despayre any way of his saluation Otherwise if we will adiudge all these to hell that haue departed the World after this sort how many examples haue we in the first persecutions of the Church of those men and women who being registred in the Works of worthy Writers haue notwithstanding their prayse and commendation For what shall wee thinke of those young men who being sought for to doe sacrifice to heathen Idols did cast down themselues headlong and brake their neckes to auoyde such horrible pollution of themselues What shall I say of those Virgins of Antioch who to the end they might not defile themselues with vncleannesse and with Idolatrie through the perswasion of their mother casting themselues headlong into a riuer together with their mother did for doe themselues though not in the same water yet after the same manner of drowning as this M. Hales did What shall I say of other two sisters which for the selfe same quarrell did violently throw themselues headlong into the Sea as Eusebius doth recorde In whom though perchance there was lesse confidence to beare out the paines that should be ministred of the wicked vnto them yet that their good desire to keepe their faith and religion vnspotted was commended and praysed Another like example of death is mentioned by Nicephorus in another Virgin likewise whose name is expressed in Ierome to bee Braessila Diraehima who to keepe her Virginity fayned her selfe to be a Witch and so conuenting with the yong man which went about to deflowre her pretended that shee would giue him an hearbe which should preserue him from all kind of weapons and so to proue it in her selfe layde the hearbe vpon her owne throat bidding him smite wherby shee was slain so by the losse of her life saued her Virginity Hereunto may bee ioyned the like death of Sophronia a Matron of Rome who when shee was required of Maxentius the Tyrant to be defiled and saw her husband more slacke then he ought to haue been in sauing her honesty bidding them that were sent for her to tarry a while till she made her ready went into her Chamber and with a weapon thrust her selfe through the breast and so dyed Likewise Achetes biting off his owne tongue did spit it in the face of the harlot Which examples sayth M. Fox I doe not here alledge as going about to excuse or mainetaine the hainous fact of M. Hales which I would wish rather by silence might bee drowned in obliuion But yet notwithstaÌ„ding as touching the person of the man what soeuer his fact was because we are not sure whether hee at the last breath repented againe for that wee doe not know nor are able to comprehend the bottomles depth of the graces and mercyes of God which are in Christ Iesus our Sauiour Wee will therefore leaue the finall iudgement of him to the determination of him who is appointed the onely Iudge of the quicke and dead And thus far M. Fox Touching the Cases wherein it is lawfull to desire death they may bee reduced principally into fiue The first is that if God can bee more honoured and glorified by our death then by our life then in such a case it is lawfull to desire death Iudg. 16.28.29.30 In which case Sampson desired death knowing wel therby that he should slay more of the vncircumcised Philistines the enemies of God at his death then he slue in his life In this case Moses the seruant of God desired to dye yea he went further for hee desired not a temporall but an eternall death for the glory of God in the saluation of his people For when Moses perceyued that the Lord was greatly offended with the people for making and worshipping the golden Calfe and that the Lords wrath waxed hote against them and that hee meant to consume them for the same Exod 32.31.32.33 It is sayd that Moses returned to the Lord and sayde Oh this people haue sinned a great sin and haue made them Gods of gold yet now if thou wilt forgiue their sinne and if not blot mee I pray thee out of the booke which thou hast written Also in this case the Apostle Saint Paul went as farre as Moses in desiring the same death for the like cause as Moses did which was for the glory of God in the saluation of his people Who being exceeding much sorrowfull for the Lords reiecting and casting off the Iewes sayth Rom. 9.1.2.3.4 I say the truth I â—…e not my Conscience also bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauinesse and continâ—al sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my selfe were accursed or separated from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsemen according to the flesh who are Israelites to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law and the seruice of God and the promises whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came Who is ouer all God blessed for euer Amne In this case also the holy Martyres greatly longed after and desired death and ranne most ioyfully and gladly vnto it Well knowing with Sampson that they should slay more at their death then they slue in their Life as first that they should slay their last enemie by death which is not slaine but by dying And secondly that by dying they should kill the spawne of all enmitie sinne that causeth death and thirdly they knew that God should be more glorified and honoured by their death then hee could be by their life in that it would thereby bee an occasion of daunting his enemies and of the increasing and flourishing of his Church and Children For the death of the Martyrs was the seed of Gods Church Acts and Monuments 113. In which respect M. Foxe in his Acts and Monuments sayth that in old time Martyrdome was more desired then Bishoprickes be now Secondly it is lawfull to desire death in respect of the wicked through zeale to Gods glory to the end that wee may bee freede from their society whereby wee might not bee eye-witnesses nor eare-witnesses of theyr dayly blaspheming and dishonouring of God In which case Rebecka desired death Gen. 26.34.35 for when Esau had taken
the world vnited together if it were possible into one and that which the Apostle calleth the glory which shall bee shewed hereafter Better it is with a kinde of silent astonishment to admire it then to take on vs eyther to discribe it or to comprehend it in particular Yet giue me leaue to set before you for the furtherance of your priuate meditations a little shadow or glympse thereof euen as it were but the backe-parts thereof which Moses was permitted to see betwixt which and it notwithstanding there is as much difference Exod. 33.23 as betweene one droppe of water and the maine Ocean sea A word fitly spoken sayth the Wiseman is like apples of gold and pictures of siluer Prou. 25.11 Wee reade in the booke of Deutronomy that when Moses went vp from the playnes of Moab vnto the mountaine of Nebo Deut. 34.1.2.3.4 to the toppe of Pisgah that is ouer against Iericho that there the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead vnto Dan and all Nepthacy and all the land of Ephraim and Manasses and all the land of Iudah vnto the vtmost sea and the South and the playne of the land of Iericho the Citie of Palme trees vnto Zoar. And this is the land which I sware sayth the Lord vnto Abraham and vnto Isaacke and vnto Iacob saying I will giue vnto thy seed and I haue caused thee to see it with thine eyes And this was that earthly Canaan euen that promised land which is so much commended in the holy Scriptures Euen so if we will take a little paines to goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde which the Prophet Esay speaketh of Esa 2.2 then there in in some small measure may we take a sight and view not of the glory of the earthly Canaan but of the glory of the heauenly Canaan and where the Deuill as it is sayd in the Gospell tooke Iesus vp into an exceeding high mountaine Mat. 4.8 and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them Here vpon this mountaine of the Lord there is shewed vnto vs the Kingdome of God and the glory of the same All which the Lord will giue vs being the right owner thereof if we feare serue and worship him and wee neede not with Moses to clime vp to any earthly mountaine to see and behold the Kingdom of God and the glory therof Deut. 30.12.13.14 It is not in heauen sayth Moses in another case that thou shouldest say Who shall goe vp to heauen for vs and bring it vnto vs that wee may heare it and doe it neyther is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it vnto vs that we may heare it and doe it But the word is verie nigh vnto thee in thy mouth and in thine heart and there we may behold this glory Search the Scriptures sayth our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell of Saint Iohn for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee Iohn 5.39 And we may adde further also that they are they which testifie of this glorious estate of the children of God after death Ioseph gaue his brethren prouision for the way but the full sackes were kept in store vntill they came to their Fathers house God giues vs here a taste and assay of his goodnesse but the maine sea of his bounty and store is hoorded vp in the kingdom of heauen It is an vsuall thing in the Scripture to represent spirituall and heauenly things by bodily and earthly things that therein as in glasses we may behold heauenly thinges although obscurely which notwithstanding we cannot otherwise perceiue and see immediatly being too glorious and vehement obiects for our eyes Therefore as we can not behold the light of the Sunne in the Sunne but by reflection thereof in the Moone in the Starres in the water or other bright body or else by refraction thereof in the mistie ayre so the soule while it is in the body heareth seeth vnderstandeth imagineth with the body and in a bodily manner and therefore is not capable of such hearing seeing vnderstanding imagining as it shall bee when it is separate from the body hence it is that the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 13.12 Wee now see through a glasse darkely Wee conceyue of heauen by a Citty whose walles pauements and mansions are of gold pearle Christall Emeralds as it is described in the booke of the Reuelation Reuel 21.10 which wee shall afterwards heare more at large And to beginne first of all with the comfortes and benefites of this life euen they although miserable doe argue that a far better estate is reserued for vs in heauen We see that God euen here vpon earth notwithstanding our manifold sinnes wherby we dayly offend him and which may iustly cause him as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 5.25 to withhold good things from vs yet he in great mercy vouchsafeth vs many pleasures and furnisheth vs not onely with matters of necessity who dayly sayeth the Psalmist Psal 68.19 loadeth vs with benefites but also of delights There is a whole Psalme spent onely in this matter which is the 104. Psalme Psal 104. a Psalme worthy to bee written in letters of gold and as Moses speaketh in Deuteronomy Deut. 11.20 vpon the dore postes of thine house and vpon the gates yea vpon the Table of thine heart as the Wise-man speaketh Pro. 7.3 for the admirable excellency thereof God causeth sayth Saint Ciprian the Sunne to rise and set in order the seasons to obey vs the elements to serue vs the windes to blow the spring to flow the corn to grow Ps 147.18 the fruites to shew the gardens and orchardes to fructifie the woods to rastle with leaues the meadowes to shine with varietie of grasse and flowers And Chrysostowe very excellently handling the same point with Cyprian further shewes that God hath in a sorte made the night more beautifull then the day by infinite varietie of bright and glittering starres and that hee hath beene more mindfull and mercifull then man would haue bin of himselfe who through the greedinesse of the World would haue ouertoyled himselfe but that God made the night of purpose for his repose and rest In a word hee sayes and that truly euen of these earthly benefites and commodities that although we were neuer so vertuous nay if wee should dye a thousand deathes wee should not be worthie of them And the very heathen Poet considering this could not choose but breake out into an admiration saying O how many things hath God created for mans delight heaped ioyes vpon him with a bountifull hand Nay the Prophet Dauid considering this could not chuse but breake out into this wonderful admiration Psal 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest accoūt of him And al this hath
with his left hand hee imbraceth them Psal 41.3 yea the Lord saith the Psalmist will strengthen them vpon the bed of languishing and he will make all their beds in their sicknesse The third meanes of Gods presence is the ministerie of his good Angells whom he hath appointed as keepers and nurses for his seruants Psal 91.11 12. to hold them vp and to beare them in their armes as nurses doe their young infants and babes and to be as a strong guard vnto them against the diuell and his wicked Angels And all this is obserued especially in the time of sicknes at which time the holy Angells are not onely present with the children of God to succor theÌ„ but they are ready aâ—so to receiue their soules at their last gaspe and carry them into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.22 And thus much of the first dutie of a sicke man and the meanes to arme him against the feare of Death Now followeth the second dutie concerning the body and that is that all sick persons must be carefull to preserue health and life till God doe wholy take it away Therefore we must referre our life and our death to the goodwill and pleasure of the Lord. And touching this temporall life it is a pretious iewell and as the common saying is life is very sweete being giuen to man to this end that he might haue some space of time wherein he might prepare himselfe for his happie end and vse all good meanes to attaine vnto eternall life In the preseruation of life two things must be considered the meanes and the right vse of the meanes The meanes is good and wholesome physick which must be esteemed as an ordinance and blessing of God We read that King Asa is blamed for seeking to the Physitians in the extremitie of his sicknes 2 Cor. 16.12 Whereupon a question may rise whether it be lawfull when necessitie of sicknes constraineth to fly to the remedies of Physick whereunto the answere is easie Asa is not here blamed for seeking the ordinary meanes of physick but because he sought not the Lord in his disease but onely to the Physitians Iam 5.14 Is any sicke amongst you saith Saint Iames let him call for the elders of the Chu ch and let them pray ouer him and that is in the very first place bfore all other helpe be sought Whâ—re the diuine ends thâ—re the Physitian must begin and it is a very preposterous course that the Diuine should there begin where the Physitian makes an end for vntill helpe be had for the soule and sinne which is the roote of sicknesse be cured Physick for the body is nothing worth therefore it is a thing much to be misliked that in all places almost the Physitian is first sent for and comes in the beginning of the sicknes the Minister coÌ„es when a man is halfe dead and is then sent for oftentimes when the sick partie lyes drawing on and gasping for breath as though Ministers of the Gospell in these dayes were able to worke miracles The art of Physick therefore nor the Physitian is here disallowed but ouer much confidence in Physick and in the Physitian without relying vpon God the soueraigne Physitian without whose blessing no Physick nor potion can be auaileable to the curing of any maladie or disease neither can the Physitian any wayes profit the sick and diseased patient except the Lord in mercy giueth a powerfull working and operation to the medicine against the disease to predominate ouer it for the curing of the same The doctrine then from hence is that the helps of physick are not to be despised not too much to be depended on but our chiefest hope is to bee fixed vpon God who as hee onely puts the soule into the body so he onely can take it away againe when it pleaseth him Yea these ordinary meanes which God hath appoynted are not to be contemned or neglected lest we seeme thereby to tempt God especially in dangerous diseases Eccle. 38.1.2.3.4.56.78.9.12.13.14 Hereof Iesus the son of Sirach saith Honor a Physitian with the honor due vnto him for the vses which you may haue of him for the Lord created him for of the most high commeth healing and he shall receiue honor of the King the skill of the Physitian shall lift vp his head and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth and he that is wise will not abhorre them Was not the water made sweete with wood that the vertue thereof might be knowne and he hath giuen men skill that he might be honored in his meruellous workes With such doth he heale men and taketh away their paines of such doth the Apothecary make a confection and of his workes there is no end and from him is peace ouer all the earth My sonne in thy sicknes be not negligent but pray vnto the Lord he will make thee whole then giue place to the Physitian for the Lord hath created him let him not goe from thee for thou hast neede of him There is a time when in their hands there is good successe for they shall also pray vnto the Lord that he would prosper that which they giue for ease remedy to prolong life And hereof also Iesus the son of God saith they that bee whole neede not the Physitian but they that are sicke which speach of our blessed Sauiour commendeth that art Matth. 9.12 and the good seruice done thereby This commendaâ—ion aâ—so the Prince of Poets giueth to the Physitian The Physitian alone saith hee is to be equalled with many other in honor Gen. 17.12 Againe whereas God did not command circumcision of children before the eight day hee followed a rule of physick obserued in all ages that the life of the childe is very vncertaine till the first seuen dayes be expired And vpon the very same ground the Heathen men vsed not to name their children before the eight day 2. Sam. 12.18 And that Physiâ—k may be wel applied to the maintenance of health speciall care must be had for the choosing of such Physitians as are knowne to be well learned and men of experience as also of a good conscience of sound religion in the profession of the Gospell of Christ and of vpright life and conuersation Now touching the manner of vsing the means these rules must be followed First of all he that is to take physick must not onely prepare his bodie as Physitians doe commonly prescribe but he must also prepare his soule by humbling himselfe vnder the mercifull hand of God in his sicknesse for his sinnes and making earnest prayers vnto him for pardon before any medicine come in his body The second rule is 1. Tim. 4.5 that when wee haue prepared our selues and are about to vse the physick we must sanctifie it as wee doe our meate and drinke by the word of God and prayer The
third rule is that wee must carry in minde the right and proper end of Physicke lest we deceiue our selues We must not therefore thinke that Physicke serueth to preuent old age or death it selfe for that is impossible neither doe we eate drinke and sleepe that we may neuer die but that we may prolong our lâ—fe for a few dayes and to spend those dayes in the seruice of God preparing our selues to die For life câ—nsists in a certaine temperature and proportion of naturall heate and radicall moisture which moisture being once consumed by the heate is not by all arte reparable and therefore Death must needs follow But the true end of physicke is to continue and lengthen our life to his full natural period which is when nature which hath beene long preserued by aâ—l possible meanes is now wholly spent Now this period though it cannot be lengthened by any art of man yet may it easily be shortened by intemperance in dyet by gluttony by drunkennesse by violent diseases and such like But care must be had to auoide all these euils and the like that the little lampe of corporall life may burne till it goe out of it selfe by Gods appoyntment and vntill God hath fulfilled the number of our dayes Exod. 23.26 And this very space of time is the day of grace and saluation And whereas God in his iustice might haue cut vs off and vtterly destroyed vs long before this day yet in his great mercie he doth giue vs thus much time that we might prepare our selues for our end Which time when it is once spent which may be neerer then we are aware if a man would redeeme it with the price of ten thousand worlds Mat. 16.26 it caÌ„not be obtained For what is a man profited saith our Sauiour if he shall gaine the whole world and lose his soule And hauing thus seene what bee the duties of the sicke man to himselfe now let vs see what be the duties which he oweth to his neighbour And they are two First the dutie of reconciliation whereby hee is freely to forgiue all men and to desire to bee forgiuen by all In the old Testament when a man was to offer a Bullocke or a Lambe in sacrifice to God Matth. 5.23.24 He must leaue his offering at the Altar and first goe and be reconciled to his brother if he had ought against him and then come and offer his gift much more then must this bee done when wee are dying to offer vp our selues soules and bodies as an acceptable and reasonable seruice and sacrifice to God in forgiuing of all men And if the partie bee absent or will not bee reconciled yet the sicke partie by forgiuing hath discharged his owne conscience and God will accept his will for the deede in such a case For if yee forgiue men their trespasses saith our Sauiour your heauenly Father will also forgiue you Matth. 6.14.15 but if yee forgiue not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgiue you The second dutie is that those which are Rulers and Gouernours of others must haue great care that they which be committed to their charge and gouernment may be left in good estate after their death wherein are three duties to be handled the first of the Magistrate the second of the Minister of the Gospell and the third of the Master or Gouernour of the family The Magistrates dutie before his death is to prouide as farre forth as he can for the godly and peaceable state and gouernment of all such as are vnder his charge and gouernment and that is done partly by procuring the maintenance of pietie godlinesse and sound religion and partly by establishing of good and wholesome lawes for their safetie peace and quietnesse Whereof there are examples of the practise of these duties in Gods word Deut. 31.1 When Moses was an hundred and twentie yeeres old and was not longer able to goe in and out before the people he called them before him and signified that the time of his departure was at hand and therefore he tooke order for their welfare after his death And first of all hee placed Iosua ouer them in his stead to be their guide to the promised Land Secondly he gaue speciall charge to all the people to be valiant and couragious against all their enemies and to obey the Commandements of their God And Ioshua followes the same course Ioshua 24.1 for he called the people together and telles them that the time of his death is at hand and giues them a charge to bee couragious and to worshippe the true God which being done he ends his dayes as a worthy Captaine of the Lord. And so when King Dauid was to go the way of all flesh 2. King 1.1 and lay sicke on his death-bed he placed his owne sonne Salomon vpon his throne and gaue him charge both for the maintenance of true religion and for the execution of ciuill iustice Touching the dutie of Ministers of the Gospell when they are going out of the world they must cast about and prouide as much as in them lies that the Church of God ouer which God hath made them ouerseers may flourish after they are gone An example whereof we haue in Saint Paul Take heede therefore saith he vnto your selues Acts 20.28.29.30.31 and to all the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud For I know this that after my departure shall grieuous wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke Also of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw away disciples after them Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares If this dutie had been well obserued and performed there could not haue beene such abundance of errors and heresies in the Church of God as hath beene and are at this day But because men haue had more care to maintaine personall succession then the right succession which stands and consists in the wholesome word and doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles therefore Wolues and vnprofitable teachers haue come into the places and roomes of faithfull and painfull Pastors and teachers not sparing the flocke of Christ but haue made hauocke of the same the Apostacie whereof hath ouerspread the face of the Church Thirdly housholders and masters of families must haue great care to set their houshold and family in good order before they die Which dutie the Lord himselfe by his Prophet Esay doth command that good King Ezechiah to performe Isa 38.1 Thus saith the Lord set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue And for the procuring good order in the family after death two things are to be done The first concerning this life and that is touching the ordering and disposing of lands and goods And that
not in the fadom of mans head to tell or heart to know how neere or farre off the day is onely God knoweth and Christ as God in what yeare month day and moment this frame shall goe downe In an age long since the day was neere now the houre is neere but curiositie is to be auoided in a coÌ„cealed matter in this forbidden tree of knowledge For secret things saith Moses Deut. 29.29 belong vnto the Lord our God Many men beate their heades about friuolous matters some saith Chrysostome being more busie to know where hell is then to auoide the paines of it others pleasing themselues in pelting and needlesse questions as this is to seeme singular amongst men neglecting in the meane time this dutie of their preparation for their end and such necessary things But when they come to their departing they shall finde that they haue beaten their braines about fruitlesse matters and wearied themselues in vaine It is sufficient for vs therefore to know that such a day will come and it shall bee wisdome in vs alwaies to bee readie for it that it come not vpon vs as the snare vpon the bird vnlooked for Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith Luk. 12.34.35 take heede to your selues lest at any time your hearts be ouercharged with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life and so that day come vpon you vnawares for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth Thirdly if wee knew the day houre or certaine time of our death wee would put off all tiâ—l the comming of that day and it would giue vs too great boldnes and incouragement to wallow in all manner of sinne till that time or houre came The whorish woman because shee knew the iust time when her husband would returne who went into a farre Countrey did the more liberally power out her soule to sinne and wantonnesse Pro. 7.19.20 For the good man saith shee is not at home hee is gone along iourney hee hath taken a bagge of money with him and will come home at the day appoynted Fourthly and lastly It is therefore vnknowne to vs when wee shall dye to the end that all the dayes of our appoynted time wee may waite for this day and all our time looke for this last time and prepare our selues for it Argus as is fained had his head inuironed with an hundred watching eies signifiing thus much vnto vs that he was euery way indued with great wisedome prouidence and singular discretion Therefore if a pagan and Heathen man so excelled in wisedome and prouidence how much rather ought a Christian man to be well furnished with wisedome circumspection for his latter end Be thou therfore an other Argus nay more wary then he more wise and prouident then he more watchfull circumspect then hee that thou mayst learne to know to vnderstand and finally to prouide for thy last end Gregory vpon the watches mentioned by our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell of Marke in these words Mark 13.35.36.37 Watch yee therefore for yee know not when the Master of the house commeth at euen or at midnight or at the cock-crowing or in the morning lest comming suddenly he finde you sleeping and what I say vnto you I say vnto all watch he saith that there be foure watches in a mans whole life wherein it behoueth him to be vigilant and carefull and as a wakefull and warie watchman to keepe his watch and so prepare himselfe for his end The first is childhood the second youth the third manhood the fourth old age In all which ages he must prepare himselfe for death but he which remissâ—ly passeth ouer his childhood without this preparation and watchfulnesse let him be more carefull of his watch in his youth and pray as it is in Ieremie Ier. 3.4 My father be thou the guide of my youth If he hath passed his youth dissolutely let him be more carefull of his watch in his manhood And if hee hath passed ouer his manhood carelessely let him in any case looke to his last watch of his old age Nay if we prepare not for death before we come to this last watch of old age to which verie few doe attaine it is so fraile weake and feeble and decayed by the custome of sinne that it is an age not so fit for this preparation and watchfulnesse For at such an age men for the most part are like to the Idols of the Heathen Psal 115.4.5.6.7 which haue mouthes but speake not eyes but see not eares but heare not c. Therefore put not off this preparation and watchfulnesse to thy old age which is thy dotage but be thou watchfull and prepared in thy childhood youth manhood Eccl. 12.1 Remember now thy Creator saith the Preacher in the daies of thy youth while the euill dayes come not nor the yeares draw nigh when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Wherfore not without cause our Sauiour Christ crieth so often in the Gospell Matth. 24.42 Mar. 13.32.33 Take yee heed watch and pray because yee know not the day nor the houre nor when the time is the which is as much as if he had more plainely said because yee know not that yeere watch every yeere because yee know not that moneth watch euery moneth because yee know not that day watch euery day and because yee know not that houre watch euery houre That is to say watch continually yeares moneths dayes houres yea all your life if you haue a care of euerlasting life And let your loynes saith our Sauiour Christ be girded about and your lights burning Luke 12 35.36.37.38 and yee your selues like vnto men that waite for their Lord when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open to him immediately Blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde watching Verily I say vnto you that hee shall girde himselfe and make them to sit downe to meate and will come forth and serue them And if he shall come in the second watch or in the third and finde them so blessed are those seruants Prou. 19.20 Therefore heare my counsell and receiue instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end The end of the third Diuision THE FOVRTH DIVISION OF THE RIGHT BEHAVIOVR IN DEATH THis behauiour is nothing else but a religious and holy behauiour especially toward God when we are in or neere the agonie and pangs of death Which behauiour containes foure especiall duties The first is to die in or by faith And to die by faith is when a man in the time of death doth with all his heart wholly rely himselfe on Gods especiall loue fauour mercie in Christ as it is reuealed in his holy word And though there be no part of mans life void of iust occasions whereby he may put faith in practise yet the speciall time