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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17397	The marrovv of the oracles of God. Or, diuers treatises containing directions about sixe of the waightiest things can concerne a Christian in this life. by N. Bifield, late preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Beginning of the doctrine of Christ. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Spirituall touchstone. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Signes of the wicked man. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Promises. aut; Rules of a holy life. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Cure of the feare of death. aut	1630 (1630)	STC 4222; ESTC S120511	234,877	800

the diligent Christian. In death they rest in their beds from the hand labours of this life Esay 38. Reuel 14. 13. And was euer the wearie labourer afraid of the time when hee must lie downe and take his rest 3. The day of Death is the day of receiuing wages wherin God payes to euery godly man his penny And doth not the hireling long for the time wherein hee shall receiue wages for his worke Iob 7. 2. And the rather should wee long for this time because we shall receiue wages infinitely aboue our worke such wages as was neuer giuen by man nor can be if all this visible world were giuen vs. 4. In death the seruant comes to his freedome and the heire is at his full age and it is such a liberty as is glorious neuer such a freedome in the world Rom. 8. 21. Shall the heire desire to bee still vnder age and so still vnder Tutors and Gouernours or shall the seruant feare the day of his freedome 5. In death the banished returne and the Pilgrims enter into their Fathers house In this life we are exiled men banished from Paradise and Pilgrims and Strangers in a farre countrey absent from God and heauen In death wee are receiued to Paradise and settled at home in those euerlasting habitations in our Fathers house Luk. 17. Ioh. 14. 2. Hebrewes 11. 13. And can we be so senslesse as to bee afraid of this 6. Death is our birth-day we say falsly when wee call Death the last day For it is indeed the beginning of an euerlasting day and is there any grieuance in that 7. Death is the funerall of our vices the resurrection of our graces Death was the daughter of Sinne and in death shall that be fulfilled The daughter shall destroy the mother We shall neuer more be infected with sinne nor troubled with ill natures nor be terrified for offending Death shall deliuer vs perfectly whole of all our diseases that were impossible to bee cured in this life and so shall there bee at that day a glorious resurrection of graces Our gifts shall shine as the Stars in the firmament And can wee bee so sottish as still to bee afraid of death 8. In death the soule is deliuered out of prison For the body in this life is but a loathsome and darke prison of restraint I say the soule is restrained as it were in a prison while it is in the body because it cannot bee free to the exercise of it selfe either in naturall or supernaturall things For the body so rules by senses and it is so fiercely carried by appetites that the soule is compelled to giue a way to the satisfying of the body and cannot freely follow the light either of Nature or Religion The truth as the Apostle saith is with-held or shut vp through vnrighteousnesse Romanes 1. 28. I say it is a loathsome prison because the soule is annoyed with so many loathsome smels of sin and filthinesse which by the body are committed And it is a darke prison For the soule looking through the bodie can see but by little holes or small casements The body shuts vp the light of the soule as a darke Cloud doth hide the light of the Sunne or as the interposition of the earth doth make it night Now death doth nothing but as it were a strong wind dissolue this cloud that the Sunne may shine clearely and puls downe the walles of the prison that the soule may come into the open light 9. The liberty of the soule in death may be set out by another similitude The world is the Sea our liues are like to many Gallies at Sea tost with continuall Tides or Stormes our bodies are Gally-slaues put to hard seruice by the great Turke the Diuell who tyrannically and by vsurpation doth forcibly command hard things Now the soule within like the heart of some ingenious Gally-slaue may be free so as to loath that seruitude and inwardly de●…est that tyran●… but yet so long as it is tyed to the body it cannot get away Now death comes like an vnresistable Gyant and carries the Gallies to the shore and dissolues them and sets the prisoners free And shall this glorious libertie of the soule be a matter of terror vnto vs Had we rather be in captiuitie still 10. In this life wee are cloathed with rotten ragged foule garments Now the Apostle shewes that death doth nothing else but pull off those ragged garments cloath vs with the glorious robes of saluation more rich then the robes of the greatest Monarch 2. Cor. 5. 2 3. It is true that the godly haue some kinde of desire to bee cloathed vpon They would haue those new garments without putting off their old but that is not decent for a Prince to weare without gorgeous attire and vnderneath base ragges To desire to goe to heauen and not to die is to desire to put on our new cloathes without putting off our old And is it any grieuance to shift vs by laying aside our old cloathes to put on such rich garments We are iust like such slothfull persons that loue well to haue good cloathes and cleane linnen but they are so sluggish they are loth to put off their old cloathes or foule linnen 11. In the same place the Apostle compares our bodies to an old mud-walled house and to a rotten tent and our estate and heauen to a most glorious and Princely palace made by the most curious workman that euer was and it is such a building too as will neuer bee out of repaire Now for a godly man to die is but to remoue from a rotten old house ready to fall on his head to a sumptuous palace 2. Cor. 5. 1. Doth that Landlord doe his Tenant wrong or offer him hard measure that will haue him out of his base cottage and bestow vpon him his own Mansion house No other thing doth God to vs when by death he remoues vs out of this earthly Tabernacle of our bodies to settle vs in those euerlasting habitations euen into that building made without hands in heauen Ioh. 14. 2. Luk. 17. 12. A man that had neuer seene the experience of it perhaps would haue thought that the seed cast into the ground had beene spoiled because it would rot there but Nature hauing shewed the returne of that graine with aduantage a man can easily be cured of that folly The Husbandman is neuer so simple as to pitty himselfe or his seede he saies not Alas is it not pitty to throw away and marre this good seed Why brethren what are your bodies but like the best graine The bodies of the Saints are Gods choisest corne And what doth death m●… vnto Gods graine then cast it into the earth Doe we not beleeue our bodies shall rise like the graine better then euer they were sowed and are we still afraid 13. Paul saith he would be

the Gospell as accounting them the happy companions of this life Psal. 16. 3. 3 Iohn 8. Phil. 1. 5. 4. He hath a fellow feeling of their miseries he is in some measure affectioned to weepe with them that weepe and reioyce with them that reioyce especially he is glad when their soules prosper Rom. 12. 15 16. 3 Ioh. 3. 5. His desire is to walke inoffensiuely as being loth any way to be an occasion of stumbling or scandall to any Christian 1 Ioh. 2. 10. 6. He can beare their infirmities take things in the best sense suffer long and is not easily prouoked hee hopeth all things and boasts not himselfe nor enuies not them nor will receiue an euill report against them 1 Pet. 3. 8. 1. Cor. 13. 4 5 6. but rather makes apologie for them 7. Hee easily praiseth them in all places for their grace or obedience Rom. 16. 19. 3 Iohn 6. Psal. 15. 4. 1 Thess. 1. 8. 8. His wel-doing extends it selfe to them to his power he is bountifull pitifull and tender hee hath bowels of mercy according to the occasion of mercy either corporall or spirituall He gladly receiueth them and with a ready mind communicates to their necessities Philemon 7. 1 Pet. 3. 8. 4. 8. 1 Iohn 3. 17. 3 Iohn 5. 9. He loues all the brethren He hath not the glorious faith of Christ in respect of persons Iames 2. 1 2. Ephes. 1. 15. Col. 1. 4. Hee can make himselfe equall to them of the lower sort Rom. 12. 16. 10. Lastly hee loues them at all times euen when they are in aduersitie disgrace sicknesse or any other miserie Hitherto of the godly mans triall by his gifts CHAP. VII The triall of the godly man by his workes of obedience THE fourth way to trie him is by his workes or by his obedience in his life and conuersation and so his workes excell all the workes of vnregenerate men many wayes as 1. Because what he doth riseth out of the loue he beares to God and goodnesse and therefore hee doth good heartily and not by constraint or with repining or delay yea he is so stirred vp with the sense of Gods goodnesse to him that hee is much humbled when he hath done his best that hee cannot bring more glory to God Deut. 30. 20. Ios. 22. 5. Math. 4. 19 20. Rom 6. 17. 2. In doing good he hath respect vnto all Gods Commandements there is no part of an holy life but he desires to practise it and therefore he will obey Gods will in some cases when it is against his profit credit ease or the liking of carnall friends preferrings God 's commandements aboue all things yea life it selfe Ier. 35. Heb. 11. 8. Gen. 22. 12. Prou. 7. 2. Act. 5. 29. Mat. 16. 25. Exod. 15. 26. 1 King 9. 4. Ierem. 11. 4. Iohn 15. 14. 3. He will do good at all times and not for a fit making conscience of his wayes in all companies as well as any absent as well as present before meane Christians as well as before the best at home as well as abroad Philip. 2. 12. Gal. 5. 7. 2 Kings 28. 6. Psal. 106. 3. 4. Hee makes conscience of the least commandement as well as the greatest Mat. 5. 19. Iames 2. 10. 5. He comes to the light that his deeds might be manifest that they are wrought in God Iohn 3. 21. Hee is desirous in all things to bee guided by the warrant of the Word of God 6. He exerciseth his faith in the very discharge of the duties of his outward conuersation Hee liues by the faith in the Sonne of God and commits his way to God and trusteth vpon the Name of the Lord Gal. 2. 20. 7. Hee knoweth that his obedience is right because God heareth his prayers and entertaines him gratiously when he calls vpon him in secret whereas God heareth not sinners and if wickednesse were in his heart God would not regard his prayers Iohn 9. 31. Psalme 66. 18. And thus of his workes CHAP. VIII His tryall by the entertainment hee hath from God THe fifth way by which hee may bee tryed is by the entertainement that God vouchsafeth him in this life which hee neuer vouchsafeth to wicked men There are diuers specialties of fauour which God sheweth to him and not to any vnregenerate man As 1. His election in time is a manifest token of Gods election of him before time the Lord shews ●…hat hee hath chosen him from enerlasting when by the power of the Gospel hee seizeth vpon him particularly and effectually perswades him to leaue the world and the sinfull society hee liued in and to deuote himselfe as a liuing sacrifice vnto God 2. He is baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire the baptisme by fire is onely proper to Gods Elect the Holy Ghost at some times falls vpon him sets him all on a fire on a fire I say both of sudden and violent indignation at sinne as it is sinne as also the fire of holy affections with which from God hee frequently and on a sudden is enslamed while he stands before the Lord. For besides the affection which a godly man bringeth with him to Gods worship he doth feele his heart oftentimes on a sudden surprised with strange impressions sometimes of sorrow sometimes of feare and awefull dread of God sometimes of feruent desires after God sometimes of strong resolutions of holy duties to be done by him and the like Matthew 3. 11. 3. He feeles at sometimes in the vse of Gods ordinances a maruellous work of the Holy Ghost in respect of much assurance and strange establishment of his heart both in the certaine perswasion of Gods loue and the infallible beliefe of the truth so as at that time no danger of death could amaze him but hee could willingly witnesse his confidence by vndergoing any thing could befall him 1. Thessalonians 1. 5. 4. He feeles at some times the vnspeakeable and glorious ioyes of the Holy Ghost which are differing from the carnall ioyes or illusions may bee found in wicked men because they are such ioyes as hee feeles onely in the vse of some ordinances of God and such as by effect make him more humble and vile in his owne eies and doe inflame him to an high degree of the loue of God and goodnesse which illusions can neuer doe 5. The sanctification of his afflictions is another infallible signe of Gods loue to him For God makes his crosses to become blessings vnto him and worke his good so as hee may plainely see that it was good for him to be afflicted and besides God giues him many times the experience of his goodn●…sse both by vnexpected consolation in his distresses and gratious deliuerance out of them Rom. 8. 28. Psal. 119. 6. Lastly To this place I may referre Gods hearing and answering of his prayers whereas God doth not heare sinners as was shewed in the end of the former Chapter CHAP. IX His

age or absence in a place so far remote for my earnest trust is that God will adde yet many yeres to your happy life on earth and besides I haue had heretofore occasion to know how little you were afraid to dye when the Lord did seeme to summon you by sicknes That GOD which hath ennobled your heart with heauenly gifts and so made you an instrument of so much good and contentment vnto that most excellent Princesse with whom you now liue and towards whom you haue shewed so much faithfull obseruance and dearenesse of affection and carefulnesse of attendance euen the Father of mercie and God of all consolations encrease in you all spirituall blessings and multiply the ioy of your heart and make you still to grow in acceptation and all well-doing Humbly crauing pardon for my boldnesse herein I commit your Honor to God and to the Word of his Grace which will build you vp to eternall life resting Your Honors in all humble obseruance N. BIFIELD Isleworth July 14. 1618. The chiefe Contents of this Booke THE drift is to shew how wee may be freed from the feare of Death pag. 6. 35 First it is prooued by eight apparent Arguments that it may be attained to pag. 655. to 660 Secondly it is shewed by fifteene Considerations how shamefull and vncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be afraid to die pag. 660. to 670. Thirdly the way how this feare may be remooued is shewed where may be noted An exhortation to regard the directions p. 670 671 Two wayes of Cure the one by Meditation the other by Practice p. 671. 1. The Contemplations either serue to make vs to like Death or else to bee lesse in loue with life pag. 672. Seuenteene Priuiledges of a Christian in death pag. 670. to 685. The contemplations that shew vs the misery of life are of two sorts for either they shew vs the miseries of the life of nature or else the miseries that doe vnauoidably accompanie the very life of grace p. 685. c. The miseries of the life of nature from p. 8●… to 693. The mi●…eries of a godly mans life are two-fold which appeares both in the things he wants and in the things hee hath while he lives pag. 693. c. Sixe things which euery godly man wants while he liues p. 694. to 698. What should make a godly man wearie of life in respect of God pag. 698. to 704. And what in respect of euill angels p. 704. c. And what in respect of the World p. 706. c. And what in respect of himselfe p. 721. c. Eight aggrauations of Gods corrections in this life p. 702. Eight apparent miseries from the world p. 706. c. Fifteene manifest defects and blemishes in the greatest seeming felicities of the world p. 712. to 721. Many aggrauations of our miserie in respect of corruption of nature in this life p. 721. c. The remainders of the first punishments yet vpon vs. p. 725. The remoouall of the Obiections men make about death from whence their feare ariseth and these Obiections are answered p. 7●…7 1. About the paine of dying where are ten answers p. 721. c. 2. About the condition of the body in death p. 733. 3. About the desire to liue longer yet p. 736. 4. About the pretence of desire to liue long to doe good p. 740. 5. About casting away of ones selfe p. 472. 6. About parting with friends p. 745. c. 7. About parting with wife and children p. 747. 8. About leauing the pleasures of life p. 748. 9. About leauing their honours of life p. 750. 10. About leauing their riches p. 753. c. 11. About the kind of death p. 756. The second way of curing the feare of death is by practice where seuen directions are giuen from p. 757. to the end THE CVRE OF THE FEARE OF DEATH CHAP. I. Shewing the Scope and parts of this Treatise THat which I intend in this Treatise is to shew how a godly man might order himselfe against the feare of Death or what course hee should take to liue so as not to be afraid to die This is a maine point and exceeding necessary Life is throughly sweet when death is not feared A mans heart is then like Mount Sion that cannot be moued He can feare no enemie that doth not feare death As death is the last enemy so it workes the longest and last feares and to dye happily is to dye willingly The maine worke of preparation is effected when our hearts are perswaded to be willing to dye Now in the explication of this point I would distinctly handle three things First I will proue that to liue without feare of death is a thing may bee obtained one may be deliuered from it as certainly as a sicke man may be cured of an ordinary disease S●…condly I will shew how vncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be afraid of death that so wee may be stirred vp the more to seeke the cure for this disease Thirdly I will shew by what m●…anes wee may bee deliuered from the feare of death if we vse them Of the two first more briefly and of the last at large CHAP. II. Prouing that we may be cured of the feare of Death FOr the first That the feare of death may be remoued and that we may attaine to that resolution to be willing to dye without lothnesse is apparent diuers wayes First it is euident Christ dyed to deliuer vs not onely from the hurt of death and from the diuell as the executioner but also from the feare of death too Now Christ may attaine to the end of his death vnlesse we will deny the vertue of Christ and his death and thinke that notwithstanding it cannot be obtained Heb. 2. 14 15. And the more apparent in this because in that place he shews that there is vertue in the death of Christ to cure this feare of death in any of the Elect if they wil vse the meanes For as our sins will not be mortified though there be power in the death of Christ to kill them vnlesse we vse the meanes to extract this vertue out of the death of Christ so is it true that the feare of death may be in some of Gods elect but it is not because Christ cannot deliuer them but because they are sluggish and will not take the course to bee rid of those feares The Physician is able to cure them and vsually doth cure the same disease but they will not take his Receipts Secondly the Apostle intreating of the desire of death saith That God hath wrought vs vnto the selfe same thing 2 Cor. 5. 5. We are againe created of God that we might in our selues aspire vnto immortality and are set in such an estate as if we answered the end of his workmanship we should neuer be well till we be possessed of the happinesse in another world which hee

shewes in those words of being absent from the body and present with the Lord verse 8. Thirdly the prophesies haue runne on this point For it was long since fore-told that Christians knowing the victory of Christ ouer death should bee so farre from fearing death that they should tread vpon him and insult ouer him O death where is thy sting c. Esay 25. 8. Hosea 13. 14. 2 Corinthians 15. 54 55. Fourthly it is a condition that Christ puts in when he first admits Disciples that they must deny their owne liues and not only be content to take vp their crosse in other things but their liues must not bee deare vnto them when he calls for it Luke 14. 26. Fifthly We are taught in the Lords Prayer to pray That Gods kingdome may come And by this kingdome he meanes the kingdome of Glory as well as the kingdome of Grace Now in that wee are taught to pray for the kingdome it shewes wee should desire it and that by praier we should be more and more heated in our desires Sixtly wee are borne againe to a liuely hope of our inheritance Now if we be afraid of the time of our translation thither how doe we hope for it after a liuely manner A desire of going to heauen is a part of that Seed cast into our hearts in our regeneration 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Seuenthly we haue the example of diuers men in particular who haue desired to die were out of feare in that respect Gen. 49. 18. Iacob waited for Gods saluation and Paul resolues that to dy and to be with Christ is best of all for him Phil. 1. 21 23. yea in Romans 7. 24. hee is vehement O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of Death Sim●…on prayes God to let him dye Luke 2 29. And the Prophet in the name of the godly said long before Christ O that the saluation of Israel were come out of Sion Psalme 14. 7. And we haue the example of the Martyrs in all ages that accounted it a singular glory to die And in 2. Corinth 5. 2 7. the godly are said to fight for it that they might be absent from his body and present with the Lord and so doe the first fruits of the holy Ghost those eminent Christians mentioned Rom. 8. 23. Lastly not onely some particular godly men haue attained to this but the whole Church is brought in in the 12. Chapter of Reuelation praying for the comming of Christ and desiring too that hee would come quickely And 2. Timothy 4. 8. The loue of the appearing of Christ is the Periphrasis of the childe of God Thus of the first point CHAP. III. Shewing how vncomely it is to feare Death FOr the second how vncomely a thing it is in Christians to feare death may appeare many waies 1. By the feare of death we shame our Religion while we professe it in our words we deny it in our workes Let Papists tremble at death who are taught that no man ordinarily can be sure he shall go to heauen when he dies But for vs that professe the knowledge of saluation to bee astonished at the passage to it shewes at least a great weakenesse of faith and doth outwardly giue occasion of disgrace to our Religion 2. By that which went before we may see how vncomely it is to be afraid of death For thereby we disable the death of Christ wee frustrate the end of Gods workemanship we stop the execution of the Prophesies we renounce our first agreement with Christ we mocke God in praying that his kingdome may come we obscure the euidence of our owne regeneration and wee transgresse against the example of the godly in all ages 3. Many of the Pagans greatly settled their hearts against the feare of death by this very reason because there was no being after death and therefore they could no more feele misery then then before they were borne And shall wee Christians that heare euery day of the glorious saluation we haue by Christ be more fearefull then they were Let them feare death that know not a better life Shall we be like wicked men Their death is compelled shall ours be so too They by their good wils would not lose their bodies in this life nor haue their bodies in the next life but since God hath made vs vnlike them in the issues of death shall wee make our selues like them in the lothnesse to dye Let Felix tremble at the doctrine of death and iudgement Acts 24. 25. but let all the godly hold vp their heads because the day of their redemption draweth nigh Mathew 24. c. 5. Shall we be afraid of a shadow The separation of the soule frō God that is death if we speake exactly but the separation of the soule from the body is but the shaddow of death When see we men trembling for feare of spirituall death which is called the First Death and yet this is farre more woefull then that we call the bodily death But as if the death of the body were nothing the Scripture cals damnation The second death neuer putting the other into the number 6. This feare is called a bondage here in this text And shall wee voluntarily make our selues vassals Or shall we be like slaues that dare not come in our Masters sight 7. If we loue long life why are wee not much more in loue with eternall life where the duration is longer and the estate happier Are wee not extremely insatuated that when God will doe better for vs then wee desire yet wee will be afraid of him 8. Shall wee bee worse then children or mad men Neither of them feare death and shall simplicity or Ideotisme doe more with them then reason or Religion can doe with vs 9. Do not all that reade the storie of the Israelites in their passion desiring to bee againe in Egypt and violently murmuring at the promise of going into the Land of Canaan condemne them of vile ingratitude to God and folly in respect of themselues For what was it for them to liue in Egypt but to serue cruell Taske-masters about bricke and clay And was not Canaan the place of their rest and a Land that floweth with milke and hony Euen such is the condition of all that wish life and are afraid to dye What is this world but Aegypt and what is to liue in this world but to serue about bricke and clay Yea the Church that is separate from the world can find it no better then a barren wildernesse And what is Heauen but a spirituall Canaan And what can death bee more then to passe ouer Iordan and victoriously ouercomming all enemies to bee possessed of a place of matchlesse rest of more pleasures then Milke or Hony can shadow out 10. Adam might haue had more reason to feare Death that neuer saw a man die an

to passe through the gate of death to attaine such a life What Prince would liue vncrowned if hee could helpe it and might possesse it without wrong or danger and what great heire would be grieued at the tydings that all his lands were fallen vnto him CHAP. VII The miseries of a Christian in respect of God in this life THus of what hee wants in this life Secondly he ought to be as much troubled to think what hee hath and cannot auoide while he li●…es and thus his life is distressed and made vnlouely either if he respect God or the euill angels or the world or himselfe For first if he respect God there are two things should marre the taste of life and make it out of liking The first is the danger of displeasing of God who would liue to offend God or grieue his H. Spirit or any way to make hi●… angry Th●…gh this reason will mooue little in the hearts of wicked men yet it is of singular force in the heart of an humble Christian who as he accounts Gods louing kindnesse better then life so he findes nothing more bitter then that he should displease God that God I say who is so great in maiestie and hath shewed himselfe so aboun●…nt in mercy to him It would lie as an heauy load vpon our hearts to 〈◊〉 of the displeasing of our best friend specially if hee were a 〈◊〉 person or a Prince How much more should wee desi●… to bee 〈◊〉 of tha●… condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may displease our good God and to be there where wee are sure neuer to anger him more Th●… second thing ●…hat should 〈◊〉 looke with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God ●…oth con●…ally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of this life The Lord doth of purpose so watch vs that when hee sees vs settle any contentment in life he drops in some thing that makes all extremely bitter And those correctiōs of God should be the more noted if we consider but diuers aggrauations about them as 1. That God will correct euery sonne whom he loueth none can escape Heb. 12. 7. 2. That a man is vsually most opposed and crossed in that ●…ee loues best 3. That a man shall euer want what he wisheth euen in such things as other men doe not w●… There is a secret vexatiō cleaues vnto mans estate that their hearts runne vpon such thing●… which cannot be had but in the callings of other men The countryman praiseth the Citizens life and the Citizen is full of the praises of the Countrey and so is there in all men a liking of the callings of other men with a dislike of their owne Eccles. 6. 4. That there is no discharge in that warre but that a man must euery day looke for crosses Euery day hath his griefe Eccles. 8. 8. Luke 9. 24. Ma●… 6. vlt. 5. That God will not l●…t vs know the times of our corrections but executeth them according to the vnchangeable purpose of his owne counsell so as they come vpon vs as a snare vp●…n a bird For this reason Salomon saith That the misery of man is great vpon him because there is 〈◊〉 time for euery purpose which cannot be auoided nor can man know before ha●…d that which shall bee for who can tell him when it shall bee Eccles. 8. 6 7 8. and 9. 12. 6. That no man knoweth either loue or hatred by all that is before him A godly man can haue no such blessings outwardly but a wicked man may haue them in as great abundance as hee nor doth there any misery fall vpon the wicked in outward crosses but the like may be●…all the godly All things come alike to all there is one euent to the righteous and to the wicked to the cleane and vnclean●… to him that swe●…eth and to him that 〈◊〉 an ●…ath as is the good so is the 〈◊〉 This saith Salomon is an euill among all things that ●…e done vnder the Sunne that there is one ●…uent vnto all Eccles. 9. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. This bitternesse is increased because God will not dispose of things according to the meanes or likelihoods of mans estate The race is not to the swi●… nor the battell to the strong nor yet br●…ad to the wise nor riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet ●…our to men of skill but time and chance hapneth to them all Eccles. 9. 11. 8. That besides the present miseries there are many miseries to come so as it is an argument to proue the happines of the dead that they are Esay●…57 ●…57 1 2. Which should likewise mooue vs to loue life the lesse because we know not what fearefull alterations may come either in our outward estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ters of Religion What 〈◊〉 were we in if war should come vpon vs with all the desolation●… and terrors that accompany it What if the 〈◊〉 should come againe or wee be l●…t in the hands of the violent or God fight against our estates by 〈◊〉 or inundations or the like Who can tell what fearefull alterations may bee●…in Religion And is it no●… best to bee in heauen and then are we safe Besides the miseries may fall vpon our owne bodies or our children or friends c. And these things should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life as we ●…espect God CHAP. VIII The miseries of life in respect of euill angels NOw secondly let vs turne our eyes to the euill angels and then these things may affright vs. 1. That they are euery where vp and downe the world in the earth ayre seas no place free Those fiery serpents are euery where in the wildernesse of the world Wee lead our liues here in the midst of innumerable dragons yea they are in the most heauenly places in this life the Church is not free from them A man can stand no where before the Lord but one diuell or other is at his right hand Eph. 2. 2. and 6. 12. Zac. 3. 1. Iob 1. And sure it should make vs like the place the worse where such foule spirits are the earth is a kind of hell in that very respect Secondly it should more trouble vs that we must of necessity enter into the Conflict with the diuels and their temptations and to bee buffeted and gored by them A man that knew he must goe into the field to answer a challenge will be at no great rest in himselfe But alas it is more easie a thousand fold to wrest●… with flesh and blood then with these Principalities and Powers and spirituall wickednesses and great Rulers of the world Ephes. 6. 12. Thirdly besides it addes vnto the distresse of life to consider of the subtiltie and cruelty of these diuels who are therefore like the crooked Serpent and Leuiathan and Dragons and roaring Lyons seeking whom they may deuo●…re Though these things will little moue the hearts of wicked men yet vnto the godly minde the temptations of life are a grieuous burthen Thus much of euill angels CHAP.

mournest because thou canst not liue an hundred yeeres hence 7. Thou hast no power of the morrow to make it happy to thee If thou die young thou art like one that hath lost a Die with which he might as well haue lost as wonne 8. Consider the proportion of time thou desirest to thy selfe reckon what will bee spent in sleepe care disgrace sickenesse trouble wearinesse emptinesse feare and vnto all this adde sinne and then thinke how smal a portion is left of this time and how small good it will doe thee What can that aduantage thee with such mixtures of euill It is certaine to liue long is but to be long troubled and to die quickly is quickly to be at rest 9. Lastly if there were nothing else to be said yet this may suffice that there is no comparison betweene time and eternity What is that space of time to eternity If thou loue life why doest thou not loue eternall life as was said before CHAP. XV. Of them that would liue to doe good BVt I would liue long to doe good and to doe God seruice and to benefit others by mine example Sol. First search thine owne heart it may be this pretence of doing good to others is pleaded onely because thou wouldest further thine owne good Thou wouldst not seeke the publike but to finde thine owne particular 2. God that set thee to do his worke knowes how long it is fit for thee to be at the same hee knowes how to make vse of the labors of his workmen He will not call thee from thy work till it bee prouided to dispatch his businesse without thee 3. It may be if thou be long at thy worke thou wouldst marre all thy last workes would not bee so good as thy first it is best to giue ouer while thou doest w●…ll c. 4. If God will pay thee as much for halfe a day as for the whole art thou not so much the more to praise him 5. It is true that the best comfort of our life here is a religious conuersation but thy Religion is not hindered by going to heauen but perfected There is no comparison betweene thy goodnesse on earth and that in heauen For though thou mayest doe much good here yet it is certaine thou doest much euill heere too 6. Whereas thou perswadest thy selfe that by example thou maiest mend others thou art much mistaken A thousand men may sooner catch the plague in an infected Towne then one be healed It is but to tempt God to desire continuance in this infectious world longer then our time for the best way is to get farre from the contagion I●… diuers fresh waters fal into the sea what doth that to take away the saltnesse of the sea No more can two or three Lots reforme a world of Sodomites CHAP. XVI Why men may not make away themselues to be rid of the miseries of life Ob. 5. BVt then it seemes by this that it were a mans best course to take away life seeing so much euill is in life and so much good to bee had in death Sol. 1. I thinke the most of vs may bee trusted of that danger For though the soule aspire to the good to come yet the body tends vnto the earth and like an heauie clog weighs men downewards 2. That is not the course we must cast the world out of our hearts not cast our selues out of the world It is both vnseemely and extremely vnlawfull It is vnseemely for it is true we ought willingly to depart out of this world but it is monstrous base like cowards to runne away out of the battell Thou art Gods souldier and appointed to thy standing and it is a miserable shame to runne out of thy place When Christ the great Captaine sounds a retrait then it is honorable for thee to giue place Besides thou art Gods tenant and doest hold thy selfe as a tenant at will the Landlord may take it from thee but thou canst not without disgrace surrender at thy pleasure and it is extre●…me slothfulnesse to hate life onely for the toyles that are in it Secondly and as it is vnseemely so it is vnlawfull yea damnable It is vnlawfull for the souldier that runnes away from his Captaine offends highly so doth the Christian that makes away himselfe and therefore the commandement is not onely Thou shalt not kill other men but generally Thou shalt not kill meaning neither thy selfe nor other men Besides wee haue no example in Scripture of any that did so but such as were notorious wicked men as Sa●…l Achitophel Iudas and the like Yea it is damnable for hee that leaueth his worke before God calls him loseth it and besides incurres eternall death As the souldier that runneth away dyeth for it when he is taken so the Christian that murdereth himselfe perisheth I say that murdereth himselfe being himselfe CHAP. XVII Why we should not bee troubled to part with our friends MIght some other say I could more willingly dye but mee thinkes it is grieuous vnto mee to part with friends and acquaintance I cannot willingly goe from my kind●…ed and my familiars life is sweete in respect of their presence and loue and societie Sol. It is true that vnto some mindes this is the greatest contentment of life of any thing but yet many things must bee considered For First amongst an 100. men scarce one can by good reason pleade that I meane cannot say that hee hath so much as one sound friend in the whole world worthy to be reckoned as the stay of his life Secondly those that can plead felicitie in their friends yet what is it one pleasing dreame hath more in it then a moneths contentment which can bee reaped from thy friends Alas it is not the thousandth part of thy life which is satisfied with delight from them 3. Thou s●…st thy friend●… drop away from thee from day to day for either they dye or they are so farre remoo●…d from thee that they are as it w●…e dead to thee and sith they are gone who would not long to go after them 4. The friends that are left are not sure to thee men are mutable as well as mortall they may turne t●… be thy foes that now are dearest vnto thee or if they fall not into tearmes of flat enmitie they 〈◊〉 grow full and wea●…e of thee and so carelesse of thee 5. If none of these would satisfie thee yet what are thy friends on earth to thy friends thou shalt finde in heauen This is an answer beyond all exception 6. Lastly by death thou doest not lose thy friends neither for thou shalt finde them and enioy them in another world to all eternity and therefore thou hast no reason forthy friends sake to be loth to dye 7. But might some one say All my griefe is to part with my wife and children and to leaue them especially in an vnsettled estate 1. Hast