Recreation but this is no fault of mine 't is doubt they will want time for other things also but those that will not give themselves the trouble 't is doubt will ere long meet with trouble of another nature Others may think the Book useless because many have treated upon this Subject To these I answer The more shame they are practised no better It was indeed Solons complaint That there were many good Laws made but one was wanting to put all the rest in execution So many good Rules for Life and Death are published but could a Book be published to perswade men to live by these Rules it would be a happy work I am not so vain or simple to think this may prove such a piece yet I know not what better Subject to treat of that is more likely to prevail than a Treatise of Death to perswade men to practise the Rules of Life for those that put far from them the evil day are most like to neglect their daily Duty and what hitherto is written seems too little to effect the work and therefore I have added my Testimony to the rest I know 't is easie for Momus to quarrel and find fault with another mans Tale when perhaps he may tell it worse himself 't is easier to find fault with another than to be free from faults himself Those that have done better or will do better I shall give them their due respect for others I shall not value their censure what I have done hath pleased my self and the work was undertaken for my self and I hope I shall not displease any sober or discreet person but for those that God his Word his Works or his Providences cannot please I neither hope nor desire to please what I have done is intended for a Cordial for those that have Death in their eyes and the Fear of God in their hearts and these usually have better Stomachs than to nauseate their meat because not modishly drest those I mean that have Gods beauty-spots not the Worlds upon them I mean Grace in the heart not Spots on the face to adorn them and make them lovely in the eyes of God and good men 't is these I speak to As for those that take the World for their Portion and therefore are loth to leave it I shall not envy them but pity them their Portion is little worth for Nobleness of Blood Greatness of Birth Crowns and Kingdoms shine not so bright as the Image of God in poor Lazarus at the Gate or Job upon the Dunghil for Grace is better than a thousand Escutcheons for these are but empty badges of Honour I have only two sorts of persons here to speak to The first are poor Desponding Christians that though they have right to and Interest in Christ and Glory yet are under some black and direful apprehensions of Death and though they would willingly live to God and if required dye for God yet are not out of fear of Death To these I have spoke unto most in the Book and and therefore shall say little to them in the Epistle The other sort are such that though they would dye the Death of the Righteous and have the righteous mans reward yet are they loth to live their-lives they would have the wages but none of the work they would dye happily but will not live holily they would land in Heaven but they sail the contrary way they will not go into the Vineyard and yet expect their penny at night such as these haply are afraid of Death and well they may for it will speak no good to them but evil as Ahab said of Micaiah Now I have said but a little to those in the Book for it was not my business and therefore I shall speak the more to them in the Epistle not that I have any comfort for them in this Condition but only this that there is a possibility to get out and therefore would willingly lend them my hand to help them â—ut and therefore I shall reach out some Directions which if they take they will â—e capable of the comfort the Book it self holds forth and the Directions are these that follow 1. Direction If you would look Death in the Face with comfort get your Corruptions mortified and the power of sin abated for til then Death will be an Enemy there is nothing that makes Death terrible but unpardoned unmortified sin an honest man can look the Judge in the face without fear when the Malefactor trembles Paul could triumphantly insult over it 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. Oh Death where is thy sting Oh Grave where is thy Victory the sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ You see sin is the sting of Death and what hurt can the Serpent do that hath no Sting what a bold challenge was this to Death as if Paul had said Death do thy worst I fear thee not In like manner Ambrose could say I am not ashamed to live nor afraid to dye and Ann Askew the Martyr in her Confession 〈◊〉 neither wish for Death neither do I fear it As Christ hath not taken away sin it self but the guilt of it so hath he not takeâ— away Death it self the consequent of sin but the sting of it so that every godly maâ— may say with the Martyr Kill me it may hurt me it cannot the worst it can do is bâ—â— to send me to my Fathers house the sooner but to others the Serpent is dangerous and his sting deadly for if sin dye not the Soul cannot live 't is true some there be that seem to brave Death to his Face but this shews an ignorant mind and a seared Conscience and an hard heart for 't is impossible if the Conscience be awake that a man should look into Hell yea leap into it without horror Death to such if their eyes be open will be terrible yea of all Terribles the most terrible saith a Heathen yea the King of Terrors saith Bildad Job 18.14 yea and as experience tells us the Terror of Kings Nothing can make Death look terrible but unpardoned sin till therefore this Pardon be obtained your condition is damnable till you have assurance of it it will be uncomfortable Now Faith and Repentance have the Promise of Pardon and Eternal Life and the want of this will make you liable to Eternal Death Luk. 16.16 He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be Damned He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find Mercy Leave off therefore lusting after Riches Honours and Pleasures and spend your time in minding your main Interest fight against sin which is your greatest Enemy for if sin dye not before you your Souls must dye 't is not enough to quarrel sâ—â— but you must kill it 't is not enough to coâ—fess it but you
must forsake it 't is 〈◊〉 enough to rail against it but you must haâ—â— it with an irreconcileable hatred aâ— shake hands with it and give it a bill 〈◊〉 Divorce and well you may for it is yâ—â— implacable Enemy and the cause of 〈◊〉 your misery and will be the cause of yoâ— Eternal Damnation if you repent not of 〈◊〉 This is it that arms Death against you 〈◊〉 when 't is mortified and subdued it will 〈◊〉 pardoned and when it is pardoned Deâ— may buzze about your ears like a Dâ—â— Bee but cannot sting you by stinging Châ—â— he lost his sting that he cannot sting 〈◊〉 of Christs faithful people Hence manâ— the Martyrs went as chearfully to dye aâ— dine and accounted their Dying-day tâ—â— Wedding-day as indeed it is to all Belâ—ers for in this life they are betroatheâ— Christ and at their Death the Marâ—â— will be consummate and they shall forâ— enjoy their Beloved and be Eterâ— lodged in his Bosom Oh the madneâ—â— the men of the World who lodge this pent sin in their Bosom which breakâ— match between Christ and the Soul 2. Direct There is another Enemy that must be overcome as well as sin or will not dye chearfully and happily and that is the World for till it be overcome and crucified a man is not fit to dye neither can he be willing to dye Gal. 6.14 for who can willingly part with what he loves By Christ saith the Apostle I am Crucified to the World and the World to me the world and he were at a point there was no love lost the World mattered him not and he mattered the World as little they were each to other as a dead Carkass offensive and unsavoury and though the World should lay many Temptations before him it would signifie no more than if they were presented to a dead man though she draw forth her two breasts of Profit and Pleasure he scorns to suck at such botches he looks upon it as a dead thing and behaves himself as dead to it He had learned to want and to abound and in every Estate to be content and therefore mattered not her Superfluities and for Necessaries he knew he should not want them A prosperous Estate could not make him surfeit nor a wanting Estate repine he was semper idem alwayes the same as Job upon the Throne and upon the Dunghill he still keeps his Integrity he wears the world about him as a loose Garment ready to cast off upon all occasions and he is at a point with all things under the Sun if he may keep them with a good Conscience he is content if not he is content also and it behooves others that would look Death in the face with comfort to learn this lesson for if the affections close with the World 't is impossible Death should be either safe or comfortable safe it cannot be for it makes a man break his peace with God for two such Masters as God and Mammon no man can serve Mat. 6.24 for if he love the one he will despise the other Jam. 4.4 Know you not saith the Apostle that the friendship of the World is Enmity to God Whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World will be an Enemy to God 1 John 2.15 And again Love not the World neither the things that are in the World if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him Those that goe a Whoring from God to the Creature and woe this vile Strumpet the World are very unfit to be received into the bosom of Christ have it we may use it we must as a Traveller doth his Staff so far as 't is helpful but love it we must not if we will not renounce the love of God a man may allow his wife a Servant to wait upon her but not to lodg in her bosom the love of the World is Enmity with the Lord Enmity both active and passive it makes a man both to hate God and to be hated by God he cannot be espoused to the World but he must be divorced from God see this in Judas in Demas in Demetrius in Ahab he will have Naboath's Vineyard or he will have his blood though he lose his Soul for it Col. 3.2 wise therefore was the Apostles Counsel to set our affections on things above and not on the Earth Things on Earth are mutable and momentary subject to vanity or violence when things above are as the dayes of Heaven and run parllael with the Life of God and line of Eternity and as the love of the World makes a man dye unsafely putting him out of a capacity of eternal happiness so it makes him dye uncomfortably also for who can willingly part with a present good for a future uncertainty with a thing he loves for he knows not what If the World seem a Pearl in his eye he will not let it goe if he have no assurance of a better Mat. 19.22 see this in the young man in the Gospel that would not exchange Earth for Heaven nor the Creature for God that parted with Christ whom he pretended to love rather than with his Estate which he did love Oh World how dost thou bewitch thy greatest admirers how dost thou deceive those that trust in thee But could we see the worth of Heaven or had we but a Pisgah-sight of the Heavenly Canaan we should soon make Moses's choice but the blind Moles of the World think God holds it at too dear a rate and if he will not abate he may keep it to himself some indeed while Religion is in credit will follow the Cry yet resolve they will never lose by it as the Young man before mentioned who came to Christ hastily but went away heavily the world breaks many a match between Christ and the Soul by bidding more as they think than God doth but it will fail in the payment but he that forsakes not all for Christ cannot be his Disciple the lesson I know is hard but necessary and there is a great reason it should be so when we look upon the World as our chiefest Jewel we are loth to throw it over-board but when we see the Vanity Emptiness yea Nothingness that is in it and can have recourse to a better Treasure we shall not matter it while we look upon it as our chiefest Treasure we shall be unwilling to part with it but when by the eye of Faith we can see better Treasure beyond Death and observe how little good it can do us at Death or after when we have most need we shall not much value it For indeed it proves like a bush of Thorns the harder we grasp it the more deeply it wounds and when by Experience we find that no Content Satisfaction or Happiness is to be had in the enjoyment we shall not much trouble at the loss In a word while the World is admired Death is hated but when Heaven is
undauntedly this grace will assure a man that life and death will prove advantagious to him and that God and his departing soul are at peace and that the Covenant remains firm even in the Grave it self this makes a man look even beyond death it self and see the Crown of glory the recompence of reward before him and assures him death will do him more good than hurt that it will set an end to his misery and beginning to his happiness and that when death hath struck the stroak the Angels will carry the Soul into Abrahams bosom yea lodge it in the Arms of their dear Redeemer These apprehensions made Paul to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ and the Martyrs to be so willing to dye and so chearfully to go to the stake Love to God also is another grace which much sweetens the very thoughts of death indeed this sweetens the sharpest passage of Providence when we think this is my Fathers will whom I love and who loves me and knows best what is for my good yea death it self shall be welcome when 't is a Messenger from him I love to fetch me home to his bosom what will not a loving Wife suffer to enjoy her beloved Husband love desires the strictest union and most intimate communion with the party beloved but this the Soul cannot obtain but by Death O saith the Soul now I lye under the hatches troubled with a thousand infirmities I can seldom have a glimpse of Christ here well the time is at hand that I shall see him face to face and enjoy him in glory where I shall serve him without distraction and never be troubled more with vain thoughts or roving imaginations or any of Satans temptations Oh when will this time be The other graces of the Spirit are also necessary to this end to sweeten death such as Knowledge Repentance Obedience Humility Self-denial Patience Hope c. of which I shall not speak particularly Now the Promises are made to these graces not only of this life but of that to come among the rest of the good things promised is Heaven and Happiness but what is a carnal man the better for these promises that is not qualified for them but when by Faith we can see this Crown of glory and see our Names written upon it and get a Pisgah-sight of this heavenly Canaan we shall willingly venture over this Jordan and encounter all the Sons of Anak we meet in our way and not fear what Man what Devils what Death can do unto us get these Graces in exercise and you need not fear Fire and Faggot 10 Direction That you may thus empty the heart of sin and wickedness and replenish it with Grace and godliness that so you may be fit to live and fit to dye and fit to live with Christ-for ever 't is fit and necessary you take Gods way for it cannot be done by your own strength Improve therefore all the means which God hath afforded you for this end for those that refuse the means seldom attain the end Improve his Word and Ordinances these are the appointed means however some scorn at them and some think they are above them but those that go not this way seldom come to Heaven In the Word are given Rules how to live and how to dye and how to behave ourselves in all Conditions here is Oyl to be had and those that neglect will be to seek when the Bridegroom comes Those that now neglect the Wedding-garment will want it when they have occasion to use it and so be thrust out of the Bride-chamber This Word of God should be our daily study for here are directions both for life and death and none but those that are bad Husbands for the soul will neglect it here are the precious Promises which are our Fathers Legacy out of which the Soul by Faith sucks sweetness which are special Cordials against fainting fits which bear up the head above water and the heart in all storms and tempests here is direction in Heavens way yea way-marks set up that we should not erre nor wander here you may find what qualifications God requires in his servants and what Evidences for Heaven are good and authentick and what God will own another day and if by the help of the Spirit you can read them in your own hearts as in a counter pane there is no better Evidence for Heaven no greater Cordial in the world to bear up the heart here you may find comforts and consolatious in all your conditions and if you walk in this road you will meet with much help and assistance yea many companions in your Journey here you have the Spirit of God both to direct and comfort you and who can erre that hath such a guide or droop that hath such a comforter here you shall hear a voice behind you saying this is the way walk in it turn not to the right hand or to the left here you have the assistance of Gods Ministers to direct you but take heed of quenching the motions of his Spirit or abusing his Messengers lest his Spirit leave striving with you and God take away his Messengers in his anger here you may find many that have walked the same way met with the same troubles suffered the same afflictions temptations crosses and losses as you do and yet have born it with patience and overcome it with constancy and comfort here you may know the worst that death can do to you is for your advantage if you love God for such death cannot hurt kill you it may hurt you it cannot the worst it can do is but to send you to your Fathers house the sooner Meditate therefore upon this Word of God and also upon the Attributes of God and this must needs support you under sufferings Meditate also upon mans Mortality to quicken you in your pace of the Worlds vanity and emptiness to make you slight it and the fulness of Christ to make you to desire him The Meditation of death will not make you dye sooner but safer and the Promises will yield sweetness even in the pangs of death for death is to the godly but as a Pursivant to fetch them to Heaven and his wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth are Cordials also and will help to keep the heart from fainting and desponding and will shield the Spirits against all crosses and afflictions they shall meet with and by Meditation in the Word you may learn the happiness of the godly and the miseries of the wicked and what will be the end of both yea you may find there what are the pains of Hell and the Joyes of Heaven and these may be used as motives to a holy life Prayer also is an excellent duty to prepare for death by this God is engaged to help at a time of need Christian Conference also is another help wherein one fire-stick helps to inkindle another till all come into a
Interest to make preparation for death yea for the worst of deaths and therefore I did often ask my self this question What if Death should come What if I should be brought to the Stake for Christ what comfort could I find And considering my memory was treacherous being much disabled by my distemper lying much in my head I wrote down the Answer as my mind dictated and when God gave me any lucida intervalla any breathing times I lost few of them but can say with the Philosopher Nulla dies sine linia no day pass'd but I did something and thus in a little time the materials for this Structure were gathered together yet in a rude confused and disorderly Chaos suitable to my distracted Thoughts and disturbed Fancy suited also to my end to have recourse thereto in my necessity But when through Gods blessing upon my endeavour those fogs were a little blown over and my bodily strength a little restored I began to think that the fear of Death was not my distemper alone but an Epidemical disease yea that some and those not of the worser sort through the fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 and considering also the present at state of the Nation which in the eyes 〈◊〉 prudent persons is not free from danger 〈◊〉 Foreign Invasion or Domestick Insurâ—ction I began to think an undertaking of â—is nature might not be unsuitable and to â—any not unwelcome and hereupon I reviewâ—â— my scattered Papers set them in order â—â—d polished them if not as I should yet as â— could presuming a good Stomack and for â—â—ch I write will digest wholsome meat â—â—ough not modishly drest Those that are wilâ—â—ng to live holily as well as dye happily to â—â—ve to the Lord and if cal'd to it to die â—â—r the Lord yet are not without their â—ears and doubts these be they that I would â—nimate but those that esteem the appearance of Vertue better than the Vertue it self I have here nothing to say to them let them also think the appearance of Happiness better than Happiness and Heaven it â—â—lf However my end drawing near as I â—ay without the Spirit of Prophesie foresee I was willing to leave upon record what my present thoughts of death are what I found benefit by when in mine own apprehension I lay upon my death-bed and what I hope may comfort others in the like condition If it be objected that many learned Treatises â—are written by able Divines upon this Subject 't is granted and yet notwithstanding all those great Lamps many are in thâ— dark and who knows but my small Taper may be useful to light some one or other in some dark corner of the house the Lesson is not sufficiently taught that is not sufficiently learnt Those that have no better may make use of this those that have may bestow this upon some one that wants it But you may demand why I prefix your Name to these unpolisht lines Truly those that know you and your worth and know me and my Engagements to you need not wonder that I dedicate a Book to you but rather that I did it no sooner That the present is so mean the reason is I had no better at hand and I hope you will accept the will for the deed and herein imitate God himself Exod. 35.5 6. who accepted of a little Goats hair where there was neither Gold nor Silver to be had 〈◊〉 I was also encouraged hereunto by your ready and thankeful acceptance of some former discourses from me and therefore have imitated herein that which is fabled of Pan the Rural God who coming before Apollo to shew his Art played upon his Oaten Reed and being at first uncontrolled he took courage and plaid louder and louder so it fares with me when one check from you would have spoil'd my Musick But that I present you with a Book of this nature my Answer is ready Discourses of this nature are never â—ut of season Solomon tells us Eccl. 7.2 'T is better go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting for this is the end of all flesh and the living will lay it to heart 'T is true you are in the flower of your age and your bones are full of marrow Job 21.24 yet may you be cut off in your full strength and Solomon adviseth such to remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth Eccles 12.1 11.8 before the evil days come before the dayes of darkness come for they are many My design in this Dedication is not that you should protect it if it be Truth God will protect it if not man cannot do it let it therefore stand or fall accordingly neither desire I hereby to escape the just reproach due to me for the ill handling hereof yet would I desire that those that have death in their eyes as I had and not those upon the Ale-bench that put far from them the evil day may be my Judges Neither is it because I think you have more need of such a discourse than others have that I send it to you I know you too well to have such a conceit but it is to testifie the great respect I have for you and hereby to acknowledge those debts that I cannot pay when I am not able to give you any thing worthy your self I would willingly further you in your great design and put a weapon into your hand against you come to fight against your last enemy Death and yet I send you this as a Tenant doth a present to his Landlord not to relieve his wants but to testifie his dependance and as an earnest of his future service I know you need not with Philip King of Macedonia to have a Monitor to mind you of your Mortality I send it as a bad Debtor when he cannot pay the Stock he payes the Interest or at least acknowledges the debt and begs a longer time of payment so 't is with me Fain would I avoid the title of Ingratefull which sounded so harshly in the ears of the Heathen that they thought it to be the worst of sins Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris I look upon you to be well skill'd in those mortifying Meditations and as deeply learned in self-resignation of your will to Gods as most are The ground of my confidence is this when God in a little time had made you both Fatherless a loss which Thousands in England have cause to bewail and as if this cup had not been bitter enough took away about the same time your only Son which might have been the staff of your age the stay of your Family and the preserver of your Name though you were deeply sensible of this great breach God had made upon you yet carried your selves with so much moderation Christian Fortitude Discretion and Patience without the least murmuring repining or shew of discontent but with chearful submission to the â—ill of
in our eye Death looks more lovely If ever therefore you would dye Happily and Comfortably beware of letting out your affections upon the World for you will never be willing to leave what you love nor to pay so dear for Christ and Heaven till you affect them better 3 Direct If you would dye happily then redeeem your Time carefully make preparation for a dying time and take heed of losing time and spending it in vain he that would win the Race will set out with the first and hold on to the last and take all the advantages that are offered in the way he that hath much work to do and that of great concern must not lose the Morning or if he do must ply it hard the rest of the day You will find all your time that is allotted you little enough for the work you have to do and not an hour to spare to spend in idleness for delays and Idleness are the two Gulphs wherein many Souls are drown'd Many when they are young depending upon and trusting to their Youth their health and strength send Repentance thirty years before and 't is odds they never overtake it many young men go to Hell that thought to repent when they were old and many old men that thought they might have lived a little longer Many are resolved to spend their youthful dayes in the Devils service and then stop Gods mouth with the Blind and the Lame but he seldom takes up with a death-bed Repentance from those that purposely put him off to the last he usually reckons with such mispenders of time for the Talents he hath lent them and payes them off not with a Penny but a Prison for he expects what he hath given us to glorifie him should be that way improved upon this little inch of time Eternity doth depend our Everlasting well or ill being and therefore 't is too precious to be spent in vanity and folly and how then dare you spend a day an hour vainly in an Ale-house or other Vanity and not know whether you have another hour or day to live I have read of a Gentlewoman that usually spent her time in Cards and Dice and other unnecessary Recreations and coming from her Sport late in the night found her Maid reading for she was godly and casting her eye upon the Book reproved her thus Thou poor melancholy Soul what alwayes reading and spending thy time thus wilt thou take no comfort in thy life And so passing into her Chamber went to bed but could not sleep but sigh and groan her Maid lying in the room with her demanded the reason of it and whether she was well Fox Time and the End of Time p. 70. She replyed She had read the word Eternity in her Book which had so pierced her heart that she believed she should never sleep more till she had some better assurance of her Eternal condition And if this word Eternity were but well considered it might send our time-wasting Gallants trembling home from their Sports but God hath hid these things from their eyes There are more than those guilty though few more guilty there is many a man that is a good Husband for the World and careless in nothing but in matters relating to his Soul he can observe Times and Seasons for Plowing and Manuring of his ground Seed-time and Harvest shall not be neglected not the meanest Beast but shall be heeded his Garden Orchard c. shall be fenced pruned manured weeded and preserved his House well furnished and Provision prepared and yet his Soul altogether neglected and neither Food nor Raiment prepared for it for this life he is carefull that neither he nor his Posterity shall want and yet hath no care for the Life to come he can go from Fair to Market to prepare for the Body and matters not the Harvest Season or Market-day for the Soul The Mariners that observe the Wind and Tide yet neglect the sweet gales of the Spirit of God when they blow upon the Soul and would waft them Heavenward and help them forward to their Journeys end to the desired Port. The Devil by his diligence condemns us for where his work is Latimer 1 Pet. 5.8 there is he he is no Non-resident but alwayes in his Diocess He goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour And shall we not be as vigilant to save our Souls as he to destroy them if he find us idle he will soon imploy us The heart of man is a Mill that will be alwayes grinding if not Gods Wheat then the Devils Tares If the Devil spend all his time to deceive us we should spend all our time to prevent him All the time we have is little enough and there is none to spare and what is past is irrecoverably gone though we could give a world of Treasure for an inch of time Now if you would redeem time beware of those great devourers of Time which usually steal away a great part such as vain and idle Thoughts how much of our time is this way consumed many an hour which might have been better spent viz. in the Contemplation of God of Christ of Heaven of Glory is spent in roving vain imaginations which bring no profit do no good and tend to no benefit Yea worldly thoughts and cares take up also a great part of our time 't is true the World must have some of our thoughts and time but most men make a bad division between God and it they let the World run away with his part as well as their own yea much of that Sacred time set a part for a better use yea many times amidst our Religious duties the heart is stole away by the World Idleness also consumes much many enter not into the Vineyard till the eleventh hour and then mind not their work but their Wages vain and unprofitable Discourse also is a Thief and steals away much of our time and many idle and unnecessary Visits also and when all this is deducted 't is no wonder there is but little left for our grand business to these may be added immoderate lying in Bed vain and time spending Dressings and Attirings the whole Mornings work to our Female Gallants immoderate and unnecessary Recreations which some make all the Calling they follow Drinking Tipling and what not but if these in this their idle expence of time should ask themselves this question Which of the Eternities lye before them and to which of them they are going it might spoil their sport for when Death hath struck his stroak the Soul is in a stated condition which Eternity it self cannot alter and seriously 't is one of the saddest sights in the World to a man apprehensive of the danger to see an unconverted man fetch his last breath and lanching forth into an infinite Ocean of boiling Lead and burning Brimstone for the avoiding of that take time while time serves and lose not that Prodigally
flame Now those that are constant and faithful in these and the rest of the Ordinances and means God hath appointed to this end are likelyest to have the qualifications before mentioned and those thus qualified need not fear death those that walk evenly with God in Prosperity are most like to hold out in Adversity Heb. 2.14 and need not fear death nor him that hath the power of death the Devil The more faithful and constant any one is in the Trade of Godliness the more Assurance he may have of a happy death and joyful Resurrection and what hinders then but a chearful resigning our selves to death when God calls a man will not willingly resign up his old Lease till he have assurance of a better but who will not leave a Cottage for a Palace or exchange an old Suit for a new Rags for Robes when assurance of Heaven is got no wonder if earth be contemned for who will not change a Temporal Life for Life Eternal And thus Courteous Reader if thou art prepared I have spoken to thee in the Book if not in the Epistle wherein I have given thee some direction how thou maist be prepared and how thou maist come to be fit to live and fit to dye and fit to lye in the Arms of Christ for ever What effect the Book will have upon the one or the Directions on the other I know not but my desire is and my Prayer shall be that it may be beneficial both to the one and to the other This will be your own advantage but the comfort of him who subscribes himself Yours for your Souls good Edward Bury Eaton Octob. 23. 1680. Books printed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers Chappel SErmons on the whole Epistle of Saint Paul to the Collossians by Mr. J. Daille translated into English by F. S. An Exposition of Christs Temptation on Matth. 4. and Peters Sermons to Cornelius and circumspect walking by Tho. Taylor D. D. A practical Exposition on the third Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly mans choice on Psal 4. vers 6 7. by Anthony Bargess Christianographia or a description of the multitudes and sundry sorts of Christians in the world not subject to the Pope by Eph. Pagit Dr. Donns 40 Sermons being his 3 Volumes Forty six Sermons upon the whole Eighth Chapter of the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans by Tho. Horton D. D. late Minister of St. Hellens An Analytical Exposition of Genesis and of 23 Chapters of Exodus by George Hughes D. D. The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration by George Swinnock M. A. An Exposition on the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with useful Observations thereupon by William Greenhill Gods holy Mind touching matters Moral which he uttered in ten Commandments Also an Exposition on the Lords Prayer by Edward Eston B. D. The Fiery Jesuit or an Historical Collection of the rise encrease doctrines and deeds of the Jesuits Horologiographia optica Dyaling universal and particular speculative and practical together with a description of the Court of Arts by a new Method by Sylvanus Morgan A seasonable Apology for Religion by Matthew Pool Separation no Schism in Answer to a Sermon preached before the Lord Maior by J. S. An Exercitation on a question in Divinity and Case of Conscience viz. Whether it be lawful for any person to act contrary to the opinion of his own conscience formed from arguments that to him appear very probable though not necessary or demonstrative The Creatures goodness as they came out of Gods hand and the good mans mercy to the bruit-Creatures in two Sermons by Tho. Hodges B. D. Certain considerations tending to promote Peace and Unity amongst Protestants Mediocria or the most plain and natural apprehensions which the Scripture offers concerning the great Doctrines of the Christian Religion of Election Redemption the Covenant the Law and Gospel and Perfection A Soveraign Antidote AGAINST THE FEAR of DEATH OR A Cordial for a Dying Christian being Ten Meditations suited to that End MEDITAT I. What Death is to a Believer and to an Vnbeliever WHY art thou cast down Psal 42.11 O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God What is it that thus amazeth and terrifieth thee Why art thou so distracted in thy duties and so full of anxious fears and doubts is it the apprehension of death that so disquiets thee Why man didst thou never look Death in the face till now didst never behold his grisly looks and grim face yea thou hast many a time and art thou yet afraid is this the fruit of all thy prayers and thy mortifying Meditations hast not thou instructed many Job 13.4 c. and strengthned the weak hands thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees but now it is come upon thee dost thou faint and when it toucheth thee art thou troubled Is a disease now more terrible than formerly Or the apprehensions of death than in times past or is it bad News that terrifies thee and makes thee afraid Some Papist plotting to take away thy life Psal 112.7 among others the Psalmist tells thee he shall not be afraid of evil tidings whose heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Suppose they seek thy life and thirst after thy blood hast thou no hiding place no City of refuge to fly to till the storm be over Hast thou no interest in God no Friend in the Court to make thy complaint to Prov. 14.32 No comfort in time of need But dye thou must well yet the righteous hath hope in his death and doth thy hope and thy happiness then expire with thy life Come let us reason the case and see if there be so much cause of desponding as thou pretendest Art thou from under the protecting hand of God Ps 59.1 Or is his hand shortned that he cannot save Isa 50. or his ear heavy that he cannot hear Where is the bill of divorce that he hath given thee Or hath the Lord put thy life into thine own hands and dost thou think it will be wrested out by violence Art thou thine own keeper and dost mistrust thy strength Or is thy life put into thy Enemies hand and by whom Or can they take it away without a Commission God usually keeps the Keyes of Life and Death at his own girdle Or if thy Life be gone is thy Happiness at an end if not what need all this consternation this is more than thy Enemies can do without leave and if they could what a great matter is it for a man an Old man to dye but 't is him whom thou callest thy Father Numb 16.22 that can kill and make alive and brings to the
him that is able to receive meat Oh Death how acceptable is thy Judgment to the needy and to him whose strength faileth him c. The best and holiest men have dyed for Innocency it self is no Target against it otherwise Christ had not dyed in whose mouth was found no guile The stoutest and strongest cannot resist death Sampson himself must yield him the victory The wisest cannot preserve himself alive Solomon himself that had studied the nature of all Vegetables 1 King 4.33 from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hyssop that grows upon the wall yet found out none that could cure the dint of Death contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis The worst of men also are subjected to his power those that would sell their Souls to save their lives cannot do it there is no power can resist it at one time it prevail'd against almost all the world as in the Flood against populous Cities as Sodom and Gomorrah c. against Potent Princes and great Armies as over Pharaoh and his Host Senacherib's Army where an hundred fourscore and. five thousand were slain in one Night thus good and bad pass through the same Gate but then their way soon turns the Godly to the right and the Wicked to the left hand the one to Heaven and the other to Hell for as death is an outlet to let us out of the World so 't is an inlet to let us in to Eternity to the Godly an inlet to Eternal Bliss and to the wicked into Eternal misery Then will a difference be made between the Good and the Bad as wide as between Heaven and Hell Death is a debt we owe to nature and pay it we must and t is not much matter whether it be sooner or later or whether we dye a natural or violent Death they both signifie the same thing should'st thou turn every stone and use all means direct or indirect thou canst not long preserve thy life possibly if thou deny payment of this debt when God requires it thou maist preserve it a little longer and but a little for God will ere long distrain for the Debt and then cast thee into an Eternal Prison Gods determinate counsel is upon thee and he knows eventually when thy death shall be he hath determined thy bounds that thou canst not pass God commanded Abraham to Sacrifice his Son and it was his Duty so to do and his sin if he refused though God determined eventually it should not be done yet if he had refused it he had miss'd of the Blessing Thy appointed time is with God but unknown to thee 't is his revealed will that is thy duty thou must look after not eventually what shall come to pass secret things belong to God Deu. 29.29 but things revealed unto us if God and his truth his Gospel and his cause call thee to lay down thy life and seal thy doctrine with thy blood thou must carry thy life in thy hand and lay it down at his feet If God command thee to lose thy life 't is thy duty to dye and if by denying Christ life be prolonged 't is a hard bargain and 't is no less thy sin though God eventually determined thy life to be prolonged There are many that hasten their death by their intemperance and sacrifice their lives to Bacchus and Venus to drunkenness and lust and so become a Victim to the Devil himself yet are not Gods decrees altered for though many hasten their death or use unlawful means to preserve their lives and so both the one and the other become Guilty yet Gods decrees are not altered If thou devote thy life to God and fully resolvest to lose it for his sake if he require it though he never call thee forth to suffer thou wilt not lose thy reward and if thou resolvest thou wilt part with Christ and kick up thy profession rather than suffer for him if he never put thee upon the trial God will take the will for the deed whether thou wilt or no dye thou must for death will not be bribed Crowns and Kingdoms will not prolong their owners lives thou maist say of death as Paul of preaching A necessity is laid upon me will I nill I dye I must if willing I have a reward if against my will I cannot help it death will not be corrupted with bribes won with promises nor terrified with threats When the time will be 't is not so much thy concern to know as thy duty to prepare for it thou maist lose thy self but canst not preserve thy life one day beyond the appointed time if thou deny God a temporal life he will deny thee eternal life I have read of one in persecuting times being called to suffer for the truth he had professed cryes out The fire is hot I cannot burn but within a short space he was burnt in his own house and we have cause to fear he finds the fire of Hell incomparably hotter than the flames he was burnt in which yet he could not evade Death triumphs over all ranks and Estates of men from the King upon his Throne to his meanest Subject Mors pauperum tabernas regumque turres aequo pulsat pede Death makes no difference ere long the grizly hand of Death will with a winding sheet cover those naked Breasts and spotted Faces which have been the Looking-glasses of lust And worms will ere long make their nest between those Breasts which are now exposed to sight and sale and eat out those wanton windows of love and messengers of lust death will then cool the courage of the stoutest hot-spur Crowns and Scepters are the spoils taken by this Conqueror as trophies of his victories Job 14.7 man that is born of a woman is of short life and full of trouble Inward corruption disposeth us to Death as well as open violence thy body is an earthen pitcher ready to break at every knock this earthly tabernacle must be repaired with food or Physick or both daily or it will soon fall about thy ears many are the harbingers of death many are the sensible decayes in nature which tell thee thy end is approaching the weakness of thy sight the dulness of thy hearing the rottenness of thy â—eeth the wrinkles in thy face and thy gray hairs mind thee that this crazy Pitcher will not long come home from the water unbroken The contrary Elements whereof thy body is compounded the disagreeing qualities within thee of cold and heat drought and moisture will at length quarrel for the upper hand and work the destruction of the compositum were there no external cause of thy dissolution these will effect what thy greatest enemy can but do though haply not so soon The fruit when 't is once ripe will fall if it be not gathered the Rose will wither if not pluckt the sturdiest Oak or Elm or Cedar will at length yield to time Methusalems glass will run out and these
and troubles sorrows dangers and temptations and what not and is any poor prisoner lying in his fetters or Gally-slave chained to his oars unwilling of his liberty nay would they not endure a little pain for their liberty and is there but a little pain between thee and eternal happiness and dost stick at that when wicked men indure as much in the road to Hell dost thou prize glory at so low a rate wilt thou suffer pains and labour and cark and care for worldly vanities and wilt thou suffer nothing to enjoy bliss and happiness the Physitian cures thee not without pain thou takest bitter pills and unsavoury potions when Sugred with the hopes of Health thou wouldst suffer the Surgeon to dress thy sores though he hurt thee and if need require to cut lance the flesh yea to cut off a limb or joynt to save the rest which is greater pain than many feel even in the pangs of death and yet thou must pay them for their pains and shall only the physitian Death which will cure thee of all thy pain and misery be disrespected and abhorred and lookt upon as the worst of enemies and all because he puts thee to a little pain which ends in eternal glory when many times the pains in dying is not so much as the raging pain of an aking tooth but imagine it to be the worst thou canst what proportion doth it bear to the succeeding joy not so much as is between a Flea-biting and an earthly Crown and who would not indure much more for a Kingdom what pain wouldst thou indure for an hour to be freed from the Stone or Gout all thy life if thou wert under the racking pain of it or what pain would a poor man indure one day to have a Knights or Lords estate at night Oh death if thy pangs be grievous they are but short but what are the pains of Hell which must be indured by those that deny their Redeemer for Lifes sake If thy Supper be sharp thy rest will be sweet this consideration made death it self welcom to the Martyrs who for the joy that was set before them indured the cross and despised the shame and now are set down with Christ in his Kingdom of glory Torments and tortures to them were Jocularia matters of sport The soul that sees the Crown heeds not the weight of the Cross and were there no other way to Heaven but by the gates nay through the flames of Hell the believing soul would through Luther would rather be with God in Hell than without him in Heaven but much more would they go through the gates of death what though the passage be dark a believer by the perspective of Faith can see light at the other end A Souldier that fights but for a temporary reward yet with what violence doth he press through the thickest of his enemies and carries his life in his hand and all for a thing of nought call'd Honour and doth not a crown of glory shine as bright in thy eye as popular applause doth in his dost thou believe eternal glory is offered to thee and that thou maist have it for the suffering a little pain and dost thou stick at the price and let God bestow his favours where he pleaseth thou wilt not have Heaven at so dear a rate thou art well worthy then to lose it If these outward enjoyments will give thee content then the Atheist the Epicure the beastly belly-God the Drunkard the Adulterer hath more pleasure than thee the beast of the field the fouls of the air the fish in the sea that have neither carking care nor fretting fear and many of them free from labours and pains are in a happier condition than poor Man is if this be his all and Believers then are of all men the most miserable If this be the summ of thy hopes why dost thou fast and pray and deny thy self these carnal pleasures which others take if their reward will give thee content why dost not swear with the Swearer and drink with the Drunkard and debauch thy self with the Adulterer if thy portion and theirs be alike why dost not run into the same excess of riot with them Psal 58.11 But there is a reward for the righteous surely there is a God that judgeth the earth and art thou afraid to receive the righteous mans reward wilt thou after all thy profession content thy self with the Epicures portion and lose all the pains thou hast taken in Heavens way let them be loth to dye that are loth to be with Christ or loth to be happy Is God willing to glorifie thee and art not thou willing to be glorified is he willing to bestow Heaven upon thee and art thou unwilling to take it because 't is up Hill take heed lest for murmuring at the tearms God swears thou shalt never enter into his rest as he resolved those that made light of his Supper should never tast of it Mat. 22.8 If thou make light of Christ and glory so as to put them into the one end of the Scales and a little pain in the other and make this weigh down all the rest Christ will make as light of thee and resolve thou shalt never have him if thou art unwilling to leave Earth for Heaven and the Creature for God and to enter the purchased Inheritance in the way he hath appointed God may justly give thee thy Portion elsewhere 'T is the Devils grand design to keep thee from God from Christ from Glory and art thou as willing as he to stay thence thou wilt do him the greatest courtesie and thy self the greatest mischief imaginable O my Soul look well about thee Heaven and Hell are before thee if thou like not Heaven upon the offered terms Hell is like to be thy portion those that murmured at the land of Canaan by reason of some difficulty in the way perished in the Wilderness The way to Heaven and Hell is both by the Gates of Death if thou give up thy life to Gods dispose Heaven will be thine if not Hell is thy reward Oh my God I believe help my unbelief I know I must dye I know 't is my duty to dye for thee if thou requirest thou gavest me my life and hast most reason to dispose of it Lord my Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak I cannot stand by my own Strength Lord I can do all things through thee that strengthenest me let my resolves be for Heaven which way soever thou commandest me to come to thee though through a Sea of Blood or in a fiery Chariot let me glorifie thee by my Life and by my Death that I may be glorified by thee after my Death MEDITAT III. God determines every ones Death with the Time and Manner of it O My Soul art thou afraid of a sudden Death why no Death is sudden to a prepared man but 't is a violent Death thou fearest to fall into
true it wounds thy body but thy Soul is safe but it destroyes them both in body and soul and it brings more profit to the soul than dammage to the body 't is but as the prick of a pin to a dangerous Ulcer which were it not prickt would prove mortal it will put an end to thy pains and a beginning to thy Joyes for when thy life expires sin also dyes and sin and sorrow are breathed out with thy life and from this day thy Lease in Heaven bears date which shall never expire Rouse up thy self O my Soul be not dejected God minds thee no hurt Death will not cannot hurt thee Kill me they may saith the Martyr hurt me they cannot the worst they can do is but to send me to my Fathers house the sooner Many a warning thou hast had many a Corps thou hast interred many a Funeral Sermon thou hast Preached for shame say not thou hadst not sufficient warning wast thou so mad as to think of going to Heaven another way or that thou wast immortal when thou sawest so many about thee dye daily or that thou shouldst live to old age when thou sawest so many dye young and felt so many sensible Symptoms of thy approaching death thou hast as thou didst suppose some grounded hopes that thou hadst a part in the first Resurrection and that therefore the second death on thee had no power and why then is death so terrible Many have more distempers in their Souls than in their Bodies 't is true this is thy case yet thou hast hoped thine are not mortal the malignity of the disease is over when many others have Plague-Sores running upon them these may expect death and have cause to fear it it will but heal thy distempers but inrage theirs thou hast had many meditations of death and many discourses with death and you did seem pretty well agreed thou hast looked death in the face and is he now become more terrible or art thou more timerous that when he comes to thy Bed-side draws thy Curtains and shakes thee by the hand thou tremblest hath Christ done thee no good by his passion by subduing Death disarming him pulling out the sting and trampling him under foot yea laying him prostrate at thy feet hath all the pains thou hast taken in heavens way workt no more upon thee set thee up no higher where now is thy promised obedience and thy prayers Thy will be done when thou art ready to resist Gods Will when 't is manifested and preferrest thine own before it why dost call thy Father the only wise God when thou thinkest thy own wit best and that thou knowest best when 't is best for thee to dye and wilt not submit to his will and that if thou wouldst speak out thy mind is to indent with Christ this thou wilt do or Suffer but not that this sin thou wilt leave but that thou wilt not thou wouldst pick and choose thy duties and take the easiest part of it and leave the difficult dangerous and costly part undone and wilt not have heaven at so dear a rate Thou pretendest a desire to be happy and who doth not Balaam desires the death of the righteous and that his end may be like his but they will not live the righteous mans life and thou art not willing to dye his death for he is conformable to the will of God both in life and death which is that thou dost dislike O my Soul some great thing is amiss with thee thy corruptions are as strong fetters to hold thee in the Devils Slavery thy grace is weak and cannot procure thy freedom the Devil is too cunning for thee the world subtil and thy own heart deceitful to betray thee into Satans hands Oh my God this is my condition this is the estate of my Soul here lyes my distemper the world lyes too close to my heart and Christ lyes at too great a distance my corrupt deceitful heart is ever and anon puting me on to choose this for my happiness a little Grace I see will not carry me through the temptations that lye before me but Lord speak the word and grace will flourish and corruption will dye thou hast said and I believe it that thou wilt not break the bruised reed Mat. 12.20 nor quench the smoaking flax till thou bring forth Judgment unto victory Lord I believe help my unbelief and let not my little grace be lost in the great heap of the rubbish of my corruptions Lord if thou open mine eyes to see the emptiness of the creature and the fulness of Christ then shall I love the one and despise the other Psal 119.32 and shall run the ways of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart I see no reason why I should be exempted from obeying thy Will even to the laying down of my life and though flesh and blood will not yield willing obedience to it yet 't is my resolution thus to do Lord strengthen my resolution I know my fears are the result of my Infidelity Lord strengthen my faith that I may overcome them for by thy strength I shall stand and without thy assisting grace I shall Apostatize and fall back Leave me not to my self for then I shall undo my self dishonour my God scandalize Religion bring a reproach upon the Gospel wound my Conscience break my Peace with my God and undo my Soul Luk. 9.62 Let me not O Lord now I have put my hand to the Plow look back again Nor when I have begun in the Spirit Gal. 3.3 end in the flesh Rev. 2.10 Lord make me faithful to the death and then give me a Crown of Life MEDITAT V. The World is not desirable to a Christian OH my Soul why art thou desirous to stay in the World and why so unwilling to go to thy Father The time was when thou wast otherwise minded thou lookedst upon it as Bochim a place of tears a Golgotha an unlovely habitation thou wast not willing to dwell in Meseck and in the tents of Kedar thy affections did like fire mount upward and what Load-stone hast now to draw thee back thou wast at a point with all things under the Sun and didst wear the World about thee as a loose garment ready to cast off upon all occasions and dost now spit upon thy hands and take better hold dost now set up thy Staff and with Peter say 't is good being here Art now beginning to build Tabernacles here and slight that house not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens thou didst conclude with Solomon Eccles 1.14 All is Vanity and vexation of spirit and now at last hast found some solidity 2 Pet. 2.22 art thou now returnining with the dog to his Vomit and the washed Sow to her wallowing in the Mire are the Scales of ignorance now fallen from thine eyes and dost thou see some excellency in the worlds enjoyments that before
Moses shall come and bring it into the Heavenly Canaan and though Death in it self be a Punishment yea a curse threatned upon the fall and remains so still to wicked men to whom it is an inlet into eternal misery yet to the godly the curse is taken away by the death of Christ who for us was made a Curse and dyed that cursed death upon the Cross to take away the Malignity of it who by his death disarmed Death and took away his weapons wherein he trusted yea took away his sting that now thou maist put the Serpent into thy bosom and now Death is so far from putting an end to Believers happiness that it puts an end to their sorrows and is the very Gate to eternal Life and at the very stroak of Death in that moment of time their Joyes commence and their sorrows end death to the Wicked is a Pursivant sent from Hell to fetch them thither to the Godly a Messenger sent from their Father to bring them home 't is to the body but a quiet sleep free from hurtful dreams or fearful Visions The Grave is but a Bed of Roses perfumed by the Body of Christ a resting Chamber a Repository where God lays up his Jewels wherein thy dust will be kept as in a Cabinet and not one grain of it shall be lost Rev. 20.13 but the Earth the Sea the Grave and Hell shall then give up their dead and then both Body and Soul shall be received into the City of Pearl where no dirty Dog shall trample upon the Pavement when that Death hath done his Office the Angels shall do theirs and carry the Soul into Abrahams bosom and lodge it for ever in the arms of Christ and at the Resurrection when the Soul and Body shall be reunited they shall both be glorified for ever and freed from all mutation and change and all things else that may be called Evil when Death hath broken the Cage the Bird will be at liberty and sing sweetly when the prison Walls are pull'd down the prisoner will be free and is this that which thou fearest how many thousand deaths would a miscarrying Soul endure for Heaven at last yea if Eternity were spent in the continual feeling the very pangs of Death it would be much easier for a damned Soul if it felt no more than now it is and art thou so nice that thou canst not endure it for one Hour for one moment upon the promise of Eternal life Death brings in the Harvest of thy hopes the fruit of thy Prayers the reward of thy pains and of all the losses and sufferings thou hast had for Christ God is now sending for thee to make thee a King and wilt thou now withdraw thy self like Saul and hide thy self as he did when they sought him to make him King here lyes the perfection and end of thy Faith and of thy Hope the Salvation of thy Soul for these Graces as well as others are imperfect here here is the only place where happiness is to be had the only soil where hearts-ease grows and yet must God needs whip thee home or thou wilt not matter it well if now thou refuse to come at his call when thou call'st he may give thee no answer and when thou knockest he may not open but sure some root of bitterness lyes at the bottom either thou dost not believe there is such a happiness or that it is not thine or hast placed thine affections elsewhere and canst not remove them and made some other choice which thou wilt not leave Didst thou stedfastly believe that there was a reward for the Righteous and that thou art one of those that shall receive it how can this be reconciled with thy fears would any wise man take a great deal of pains for an Inheritance and then lose it all for want of taking possession thou hast in thy life-time 't is very like suffered a hundred times as much pain as thou art like to do at thy death and shall this dismay thee more than all the rest the day of Death is not so gloomy as 't is thought to be Solomon when he was upon his Throne in the midst of his Jollity commends his Cosfin Better saith he is the day of Death than the day wherein a man is born Eccles 7.1 Many of the wiser Heathens were of the same mind they wept and mourned at the birth of their Children to consider the troubles they were like to meet with in this troublesome World when they feasted and rejoyced at the death of their friends because their troubles were over and their rest was come and surely Believers have better ground of rejoycing than they had a more sure foundation for Faith and Hope to build upon Oh Death how pleasant is thy face to those acquainted with thee thou art black but comely to those that know thee thou art indeed attended with a little pain but with endless bliss the one makes makes thee feared the other beloved Oh my Soul let us draw a little nearer and take a more exact view of Death and see what is the worst hurt he can do us the best good he will bring us and compare the one with the other and compute the odds and see whether we can make a savers bargain of it and if so how little cause of fear we have It may be thou thinkest thou must part with all thy carnal Joys and worldly delights thy sensual pleasures thy merry Company and bid farewell to all thy merry meetings and pleasant Jokes with all thy Recreations Pastimes and pleasant Sports and be Buried in silence and laid in the dust and must bid thy pleasures adieu and poor Soul is this thy trouble and the cause of thy fear hast thou not better in exchange for them are there not more and more lasting Joyes in the presence of God Psal 16.11 Rivers of pleasures without bank or bottom at the right hand of God for evermore unknown Pleasures unseen Delights which no eye hath seen nor ear hath heard of neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of such as no stranger shall ever meddle with Pro. 5.14 and will not those make thee amends Let the Epicures of the Age that choose pleasures for their portion plead this argument let the Drunkard howl when the new Wine faileth Joel 1.5 or when the Cup is snatched from his mouth Alas thou hast met with little Joyes and those mixed and the greatest part Wormwood and Gall a litttle Honey and many Stings a little bitter-sweet pleasure that ends in pain yea short and transitory in the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is Heaviness but what are those to the Joyes unspeakable and full of Glory that is in Heaven 'T is true there are some that are the Sons and Daughters of pleasure Psal 73.5 That are not in trouble as other men neither are
of France in Hungary Germany Savoy Piedmont England Scotland and especially of Ireland where two or three hundred thousand have perished in a sew weeks for since the fiery Jesuits became an Order having their Name rather from Judas than Jefus the Christian world hath been in a flame yea the poor Indians have tasted of their cruelty wherever they set their foot like Saul they make havock of the Church and many hundred thousands have been cut off by their bloody hands and all along thou maist trace the Church in blood and tears and dost thou think much to be one of those that shall cry Rev. 6.19 How long Lord holy and true before thou avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial 1 Pet. 4.12 as if some strange thing happened to thee for this is no temptation but what is common to man When such great Commanders and old Souldiers lead thee the way thou needest not be ashamed or afraid to follow them dost think to escape drowning in a common deluge The Apostle was sure of nothing but of bonds and imprisonment and was ready not only to be bound but to dye for Christ If thou go to suffering thou treadest not in an untrodden path for the Captain of thy salvation was made perfect by suffering A few daies and thou wilt be even with the greatest Kings and Emperours Job 21.23 For death is a perfect Leveller and if dye thou must as well as others dispute not the case with God what death it must be or who is fittest to determine it In one of these late years death slew an hundred thousand in our chief City and two or some say three hundred thousand more by the hand of cruelty in one Kingdom in Ireland and sometimes many thousands in one battel A death thou owest and a death thou must pay and whether in thy Bed or on a Tree or at the Stake if thy cause be good 't is not much matter whether thy life be ended by the course of nature or by violent hands whether thy lamp be burnt out or put out whether the Rose be gathered or withered if the latter even so Father for so it seemed good to thee Death is an enemy that cannot be resisted the only way to conquer it is to fall under it so Christ our chief Captain did we shall never conquer till we be overcome and never be victors till we are conquered and then both death and the fear of death and and he that hath the power of death the Devil shall be subdued for when he hath separated the soul from the body he hath done his worst and spit his venom and like a Ree that hath lost his sting can do no more mischief and then thy Conquest is fully obtained and the last enemy is subdued for then death and bell shall be cast into the lake of fiâ—e yea there shall be no more death thou shalt then be for ever freed from the dread and danger of it death pricks that ulcer that would never be cured while thou livest when Corn is ripe and cut 't is fit for use the conquest of death is made easie by the death of Christ that now Believers may triumphantly sing O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 56. O grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ It cannot now sting thee but strike thee and the very wound it gives is the way to heal thee it seals up thy salvation to thee and makes it sure out of a possibility to lose it seals up wicked mens damnation and puts them into an irrecoverable condition Christ which was made a Curse for us hath taken away the curse of death and by hanging on a tree which was threatned as a curse Gal. 3.13 he hath sanctified that death also to Believers who suffer for him and for the testimony of a good conscience and their condition is also happy for they rest from their labours and their works follow them All Saints dye but all are not Martyrs all have crowns but not all the crown of Martyrdom but only those that love not their lives to the death all shall have white robes Rev. 7.11 c. but these shall have long white robes and palms in their hands and shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes If thou canst get the qualifications fit for a dying man thou needest not fear death nor the manner of it to such deaths black Vizor is taken off and there are few wrinkles seen in his forehead thy death is decreed and the manner of it and though thou knowest not what eventually will happen yet observe what is Gods will of command and so thou wilt know what is thy duty secret things belong to God but things revealed to us thou hast no promise to be freed from the Prison the Stake the Sword or the Halter and promise not thy self greater freedom than God hath promised he hath promised indeed all shall work together for thy good and this promise is sufficient for why shouldest thou desire freedom if it be not good for thee he hath promised that if thou art faithful to the death Rev. 2.10 thou shalt have a Crown of life that he will never leave thee nor forsake thee and that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against thee And these promises he will assuredly keep if thou break not with him There is no death which a malefactor may dye but it may be a Believers lot and then why not thine God hath accounted thee worthy to preach the Gospel and to dispense the Mystery thereof and if he account thee worthy also to suffer for him and to seal thy doctrine with thy blood it is a double honour yea such as the Apostles gloried in for to dye for the Truth if cal'd to it is both a Duty and a Dignity if thou suffer with him you will be glorified together Pass on therefore out of this Egypt out of this house of bondage couragiously though through the red Sea yea a sea of blood to this heavenly Canaan yea though thy way lye through a wilderness of troubles for thine Inheritance will make thee amends murmur not for thou shalt have no cause to repent there is enough in God to give thee content and to pay thee for thy pains if thou think there is not stir not a step further if there be never faint in the way never leave Heavens road for a piece of foul way or for the Cross that lyes in it go on towards Heaven yea though thy way lye by the gates of Hell nay thorow the very flames of it much more though it lye thorow the pangs of death haply thou maist be burnt for an Heretick this is no new thing hundreds of thousands
a rate will be required of thee and God will send such a messenger that shall not be resisted Isa 5.11 and notwithstanding all thy shifts and evasions thou must obey and notwithstanding all the sparks of thine own kindling thou must lye down in sorrow And whatsoever bait it was the Devil took thee with and perswaded thee by it to make such a foolish bargain this will be gone also if it were thy Estate that thou wast loth to leave leave it thou must and if thy Relations tempted thee to stay stay thou canst not with them when thy time is come nor stay them with thee when God commands them hence Nay the world it self to thee shall be no more Nay the time is coming the World and all the works therein shall be burnt up And where is thy happiness then Thou must at death and that is not far off bid an everlasting farewell to all earthly enjoyments never more to solace thy self in any earthly enjoyment But were this the worst both the good and bad would fare alike but here lyes the difference the one parts with what he can well spare the other with all his portion the wicked at death part with all that is really as well as imaginarily good not only temporals but spirituals also Thou must bid farewell to all the Holy Angels and glorified Saints never more to enjoy their society They will be ashamed of those that are ashamed of Christ yea and rejoyce in thy destruction Thou must then bid farewell to all thy carnal delights to all thy merry company and Jovial companions and to all the things thou tookest delight in here below yea to all the pleasures delights and Joyes at the right hand of God for evermore those rivers of unmixed Joyes and delights which eye hath not seen ear heard tell of neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of to these thou must bid an eternal adieu and in the room of them thou must have eternal misery wo and alas for evermore And instead of this blessed company and holy society and these Celestial Joyes be hurried with the Devil and the damned into the Lake of fire and brimstone out of which is no hope of redemption and these shall be thy tormenting and tormented companions The place whither thou art to go is not any lightsome dwelling but a dark dungeon a dismal prison the tongue of man cannot describe it Jovim 'T is reported that Actiolinus a tyrant of Padua had a prison wherein the prisoners were laden with irons starved with hunger eaten with vermin and poysoned with stench for the dead bodies lay rotting among the living Here death might come in without knocking and those were most miserable that lived longest and those best that dyed first but this was a Paradice compared to hell The others punishment was short this to eternity that reacht only the body this the soul also death quickly enters into the one but cannot enter into the other for they shall be tormented for evermore Oh gulph full of horror and despair Oh eternity of torments the very thoughts thereof may make the stoutest spirit quake and tremble Here Dives lodgeth in flames of fire instead of his soft bed he is scalded with thirst and his sweet cups are taken from him and his food is new fire and brimstone and for his insulting joy he hath now gnashing of teeth In hell there are no Holy-dayes no Festivals no set times in which the fire shall cease burning Here thou must for ever swim naked to all eternity in this lake of fire and brimstone where thou canst find neither bank nor bottom here the wicked as tares shall be bundled together Drunkards with Drunkards Swearers with Swearers and one Apostate with another But the greatest loss which the damned have yea the very top of their misery is the loss of God himself blessed for ever in whose favour there is light and his loving kindness is better than life if thou miscarry thou shalt lose Father Son and Holy Ghost the beatifical vision wherein consists a believers happiness thou shalt never see his face in glory but shalt be everlastingly separated from him thou shalt never come into his presence never enter into his Courts never tread upon that pavement where the Angels and glorified Saints do inhabit there is a vast gulph fixed between you Luk. 16.26 that thou canst not pass thou wilt never enjoy one smile from the face of God or one kiss from the mouth of Christ but must go from him with a curse and not a blessing Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 together with the Devil and his Angels Oh fearful sentence a thousand thousand rentings of the soul from the body is not so bad as one renting of the soul from God which is the life of it The loss of God will prove the greatest loss the loss of life is but a flea-biting in camparison of it for with him the soul is lost also yea the body which hath put thee upon so many temptations and for whose sake thou denyest Christ shall then be lost also and both soul and body to thy eternal horror shall be made capable of these hellish and eternal torments For there shall be pain of sense as well as pain of loss 'T is true Divines do think the former is the worst the loss of God and all that good is this sets the worm of conscience a gnawing which will never dye but there is also fire which will never out there is pain of sence as well as pain of loss And this is another part of Hell let me lead thee a little by the hand and let 's take a view of this part also let us look a little beyond death at the dangers that follow it and consider when this earthly habitation shall moulder into dust where thy dwelling shall be for ever Let us take a view of Hell which thou art to have into the bargain when thou soldest thy soul to save thy life and with Judas and Demas chosest the world instead of Christ let us view this region of the shadow of death which is thrown in to thy bargain But had I the tongue of men and Angels I were never able to describe the misery of the damned in Hell for no words in humane language can set it forth the Devil himself whose portion it is and the damned that feel it cannot do it they cannot fully discover the worst of a miscarrying souls condition If I could describe eternity I might do something to it and yet I should be at a loss as to the torments themselves yet perhaps I may lead thee by the hand and shew thee enough to convince thee that thou hast made a foolish bargain when thou denyedst Christ to save thy life and lost thy soul to gain a little longer time in the world and that this time thus gained was bought at a very great
A SOVERAIGN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE FEAR of DEATH OR A CORDIAL FOR A DYING CHRISTIAN BEING Ten Select MEDITATIONS wherein a Christians Objections are Answered and his Doubts and Fears Removed and many convincing Motives and Arguments are laid down to perswade him to a willing Submission to Gods Will whether he be sent for by a Natural or a Violent Death By EDWARD BVRY formerly Minister of Great Bolas in Shropshire For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1.21 I am willing not only to be bound but to dye for Christ Act. 21.13 For I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is better c. Phil. 1.23 London Printed by J. A. for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1681. To the Worshipful PHILIP FOLEY of Prestwood Esquire One of the Members of the present PARLIAMENT AND TO THE Vertuous and truely Religious The Lady PENELOPE Daughter to the Right Honourable the Lord Paget his pious Consort E. B. wisheth increase of Grace here and Glory hereafter Worshipful and Right Honourable I Have made bold here to present you with a Discourse of Death or rather with a Discourse with my self concerning Death I am not ignorant that 't is an unpleasing Theam to declaim upon before many of the great ones of the times who fear Death more than Hell it self as believing it to be a Reality when God and Devil Heaven and Hell they would believe are Fictions The apprehension of Death puts them into a cold sweat it makes them tremble not much unlike to Belshazzars hand-writing upon the wall Dan. 5.5 6. Mat. 8.29 and whosoever minds them of it doth but torment them before the time but such as wink and then conceit Death doth not see them will ere long find their mistake But had I imagined you had been of this Gang I should not have prefixt your Name to these Papers They are intended for a Cordial against the fear of Death but such as those should be perswaded to fear it more But the Image of God and those divine qualifications which accompany salvation appearing in you I thought these Meditations nay nor Death it self would not startle you For let me tell you without flattery that there are some qualifications in you that draw the eyes of the world after you yea draw out their affections to you such as Justice Temperance Prudence Charity c. These as they are rare in our times in persons of your rank so they are lovely but there are other qualifications such as Piety and Holiness the Image of God and the Graces of his Spirit that make you lovely both to God and good men these the World take no notice of at least love not in you for they â—â—eem Grace and Holiness no better than â—â—renzie or Madness But the time is coming â—e greatest Gallants would be glad to be â—und in this Garb which now is grown so â—uch out of fashion they are now like Daâ—ocles sporting themselves amidst their â—inties and priding themselves in their â—incely Attendants but forget the Sword â—â—at hangs over their heads ready every moâ—â—nt to end their dayes together with their â—â—ner But though God hath given you â—â—ndance of these outward things beyond â—ny others yet you take them not as they â—e for your portion but say of them as â—ther of the Cardinals Hat when offered the Pope God shall not put me off with â—h poor triffes or as Galeacius that â—lian Marquess when offered great riches forsake his Religion Let their Money â—ish with them that hold all the Wealth â—he world worth one dayes communion â—h Christ You seek after better Riches 〈◊〉 as Solomon found out by Experience Eccles 1.14 at all was Vanity and Vexation of spiâ—â—â— so you can write a Probatum est upon 〈◊〉 I know you lye under great Temptatiâ—â— but I hope Gods grace to you as it was the Apostle will be sufficient 2 Cor. 12.9 and 't is small measure of Grace will make you digest Prosperity without a surfeit I speaâ— not these things to lay a stumbling-block oâ— pride before you I stand in my own apprehensions too near the brink of Eternity to bâ— guilty of this folly and can say 't is your Humility that makes you lovely in my eyes 〈◊〉 know the way to throw you down is to lifâ— you up and whosoever brings fuel to thâ— fire is your Enemy and not your Friendâ— but seeing your works praise you in thâ— gates Pro. 31.31 as Solomon saith of the good Houâ—â— wife why should not I and others praise yoâ— for them as he doth her that God may 〈◊〉 glorified your hands strengthened and otheâ— encouraged by your Example to do the likâ— hoping you will shine more and more unto tâ—â— perfect day Pro. 4.18 untill you come to shine as tâ—â— Sun in the Kingdom of your Father Mat. 13.4 Now there are two or three things whiâ—â— you may desire to be satisfied in in order 〈◊〉 this Dedication As first Why I write upâ—â— this Subject And to this I answer That Discourse of this nature can never be out season for as soon as we are born we aâ—â— subject to die And as 't is suitable for 〈◊〉 Times so also for all Persons none 〈◊〉 exempted and we have no greater work doe than to prepare for Death 'T is gâ— therefore for us 1 Cor. 15.31 with the Apostle to dâ— daily that is every day be expecting Deaâ—â— and preparing for it But more particularly God was pleased to exercise me for a long â—ime together with various distempers insomuch that I despaired of life and received in my self the sentence of death and was disabled for other concerns and although my distempers were not so violent as to â—hreaten a sudden dissolution yet being so complicated and continuing so long without check notwithstanding all the means that were used and I felt Nature so fast decay that I thought God had spoken by this Providence to me as sometime to Hezekiah 2 King 20.1 Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live And it being my Clymasterical year I thought it would prove fatal to me as it had done to many old persons and these apprehensions were much heightned by the continued rumors we then had and still have of Popish Plots and â—ur intended Massacre and a little fastened also by Melancholy Conceits so that between the one and the other I raised this Conclusion My dayes were cut off and my life drew near to a period but whether a natural disease or a violent hand would do my work I was at a loss Sometimes I concluded for the one and sometime for the other according as my disease or our weekly News prevailed However this put me on to have more serious thoughts of Death and Judgment than I usually have had and I thought it my