of the second Act thinking in it to stirre up more delight and liking in the people On a sudden there fell such a violent storme that the people could not stand to heare him at that time but he promised the people that on the next day they should heare it all finished So on the next day there was a mighty company of people assembled every one strove to place himselfe in the fitted seat either for sight or hearing they that came something late beckned to their friends to make roome for them they that came last were mainly streightned for room The whole Theatre was cram'd with Auditors and there was a wonderfull throng their discourse was divers some talked of what had bin acted the day before others that knew not the former action came to behold the sequell Nothing now was expected but Philemon well the time past on yeâ— no Philemon appeared some blamed his stay others excused it but when as most did thinke they had stayed longer then was fit and yet so no appearance of the actor they sent some speedy Messengers to call him but they that went found all their expectations frustrated for Philemon was dead in his bed and stiffe and lay in his bed as if hee had bin meditating his part with his hand on his Book but his soule was fled out and so his Auditory failed The Messengers that entred were struck at first with astonishment of this sudden alteration yet wondred much to see how comely hee was laid In his bed Well they returned to the people and told them that Philemon who should have acted a fained part had acted at home a true Play for hee had to all worldly things given his farewell and Plaudite Whereupon divers did grieve amd lament the showre the day before was now seconded with a showre of teares and the Comoedian was now turned Tragoedian If wee looke onely on our present life a then Death will be wished for and that man dyes well who dyes without the feare of Death but yet happier by far is he that is found of Death so doing and who dyes in his worke So that Death it self shal find him busie St. Cyprian the Martyr wisht Hippo. 4. Septemb. p. 920. that hee might be offered to God by Death as he was in preaching he is worthy of prayse whom never the Devill or Death cuts off in their idlenesse § 41. We must watch and pray BEcuse yee know not the time in which the Sonne of man will come The Romans watched in their Armes though sometimes without their shieid because they would have nothing to leane upon because they would prevent sleep Thou must watch oh man and it is profitable to watch with the armour of God upon thy soule the ardent prayers of Christians are their Armour of proof Hope of long life is the leaning stocke that too many sleep upon The usual words of the Romans when they watched were these Vigila vigila Mars vigila Marc. 13.33 35 37. i. e. Watch oh souldier watch By the usuall termes they stirr'd up one another to watch By the same words oh my soule doth God incite thee to watâ—hfulnesse The very heaven it self by his incessant motion and constant course night and day adviseth thee to rouze up thy selfe Wilt thou grow deafe to such a Lecturer and give thy selfe to sleep heare Christ himselfe saying Watch and pray as Saint Marke testifies Christ at the end of one Sermon did thrice repeat this clause in these words 1 Goe to watch and pray 2 Therefore watch and pray for you know not when the Lord will come in the Evening or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or in the Morning Lest if when he should come suddenly be should find you sleeping 3 What therefore I say to you I say unto all watch S. Matthew often speaks the same Mat. 24.42 25.13 c. 26.41 Watch therefore for ye know not what houre the Lord will come And repeats it againe Watch therefore for yee neither know the day nor the houre And our Saviour inculcates the same at the Mount of Olives Watch and pray that yee enter not into tentation Hee publisheth the same by Saint Luke Watch therefore and continue in prayers Luke 21.36 that same very word Watch how often is it doubled by Saint Paul all these is thunder-claps may serve to rowze up our drowzie souls Wee are deafe nay dead if we startle not at all these quickning voyces Who ever thou art if thou hast bin lulled asleep in thy sins awaken Awake thou that sleepest arise and stand up and Christ shall give thee light Knowest thou that fatall blow of Egypt in the middle of the night the destroying Angell smote all Egypt Remember the Lot of the ten Virgins There was at midnight a great cry made and those Virgins which were ready were admitted into the Bride-chamber but those that slept were excluded Canst thou but remember that gluttonous abusive servaÌ„t Did not his Lord come in a time that he looked not for and in an houre that he dream't not off Canst thou but consider that good Master of the Family He watched at all houres lest at any houre the Thief should enter and spoyle his goods Canst thou oh canst thou but think on thy Saviour Was not he borne in the middle of the night The same as many think will about the same time come at the time of the general judgment Watch therefore oh watch and thinke every day to be thy Exit from hence § 42. Eight Verses out of the Psalmes of David selected by Saint Bernard which he himself used for the time of Death COnsider and heare me ô Lord my God lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleepe of death Lest mine Enemies say I have prevailed against him Psal 13.3 4. Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed mee ô Lord God of truth Psal 31.5 Then spake I with my tongue Lord make mee to know mine End and the measure of my days What it is that I may know what time I have here Psal 39 3 4. Shew me a token for good that they which hate me my see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted mee Psal 86.17 Thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord. Psal 116.17 Refuge failed me no man cared for my soul I cryed unto thee ô Lord I said Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living Psal 142.4 5. A Prayer for an happy departure out of this life O Almighâ—y and Everlasting God who didst give unto thy servant King Ezechiah length of days when as hee in teares besought thy goodnesse Grant I beseech thee to mee thy unworthy servant before my death such a space and time in which I may heartily deplore and lament all my sins and that for them all I may by thy infinite mercies
scales and fleeces Shee defends stocks and trees sometimes with a double barke from the cold or heat but she only casts out man naked into the world in the day of his nativity to cryings and waylings but deales not so with any other creature in the world After this manner produc'd is this creature call'd MAN with crying and his hands and feet swathed and yet this vveakling comes to have the soveraignty of all Oh great Commander vvho beginneth his life with punishment wretched even in this that he is borne Oh the the madnes of those who esteeme themselves gotten to pride by such weake beginnings The first hope of his strength and the first gift of time makes him like to the beasts How long is it before hee can goe or speake or eat any solid food How long is it before his head leaves panting the onely and infallible signe of weakenesse Suddenly how many diseases assaile him What various medicines are then fought out for his remedy and those also subject to alterations upon new advises We see other creatures presently to performe actions arguing strength according to their natures Some swim some goe some flie and others creepe but man unlesse he be taught can neither speak nor goe nor eat nor doe any thing of himselfe but cry Some creatures are addicted to heavinesse some to luxurie others to ambition some to covetousnesse another to superstition another to desire of long life but to none hath nature afforded a more fraile life a greater or greedier lust a more confused feare or sharper cruelty To conclude all other creatures live in quiet vvith those of their owne kinde Wee see them goe in companies and Heards lovingly together and to withstand their enemies The fiercenesse of Lyons is not exercised upon their owne kinde Serpents bite not serpents nay the fishes doe not devoure but their adversaries Only from man are all evills to man §. 11. What Man is IF we will beleeve the Ancients Man is Fortunes Tennis-ball Aristot Trismâ— Plant. Sophoc Pindar the image of inconstancie corruptions looking-glasse the spoyle of Time the prisoner of Death a moving Sepulchre a fraile shadow a vaine image the dreame of a shadow a breathing carkasse or a living death If you ask Seneca what man is he answereth Man is a weake fraile body borne naked unable to help himselfe standing in need of others help cast forth to the reproach of Fortune fodder for wilde beasts any enemies sacrifice If wee consult with the sacred Writers we shall heare them calling man the bait of wormes an heap of dung the laughing stock of calamity the copie of Infirmity an hasty messenger a ship passing away a bird taking her flight vanishing smoake a thin froth the ballance of envy a drop of a bucket the nothing in a ballance a drop of the morning deaw a guest for one day a flower grasse hay altogether vanity dust and ashes an empty Cask in a word He is nothing In the meane time see what names and sirnames men wear to set forth their glorious specious titles if wee weigh but with what Hyperbolicall Epâ—thetes they interlace them wee shall perceive what vaine proud wretches they are they wound our eares with these and the like Most magnificent most illustrious happy pious most potent Imperiall most victorious the best of men the greatest of Princes c. Let us heare the titles of Sapoâ—es King of Persia which in his letter sent to Constantine the Emperour begins thus Sapor King of Kings Confederate with the Stars Brother of the Sun and Moone to Constantine our brother much health c. or if you will see a Catalogue of lofty titles take them from the King of Bisnag who is saluted thus Husband of good fortune God of the great Provinces King of mightiest Kings Lord of all that ride in Chariots or on Horses the Master and Doctor of the Dumbe the Grand Emperour over three Emperours the Getter of all he sees the Conserver of all hee gets whom eight parts of the World stand in awe off A Knight without an equall the Conquerour of all Valiants the Hunter of Elephants the Emperour of the East South North and West Seas These vaunting Titles are recorded by Petrus Jarricus Are not here termes large enough Let us adde to these the Titles that the Soldan sent in his letters Almighty Salmander set down before Carthage the Lord of Iordan Lord of the East of Bethlehem and of Paradise the Ruler of Hell the mighty Emperour of Constantinople Lord of the dry fig Emperour of all the Sun and Moon passeth through Protector of Presbyter Iohn an absolute Emperour King of Kings Lord of Christians Iews and Turks the Cousin of the Gods c. And like to this was that Letter which Solyman sent to the Emperour To Charles the fifth Emperour of Germany the great Solyman sprung out of the most unconquer'd and victorious house of Ottoman Emperour of the Turks King of Kings and Loâ—d of Lords the Emperour of Trapezund and Constantinople the Conquerour of the World and the Tamer of the earth c. What can you heare more Oh victorious map of misery Oh vanity of vanities It 's the most grossest ignorance for a man to forget that he is man §. 12. To the Haters of Funerals and Burials DEpart from hence therefore not men but ravenous Kites who though yee bee greedy and hungerstarv'd yet never snatch any food from the Graves You as you are in other things curious so you like not to touch or taste any thing that savours of embalming or of Hears-cloaths you desire not to be Guests to Church-yards you doe as much as you can to put off all thought and care of the Grave You do not frequent the places of Ew-trees or Cypresse-trees you seldome feast under these these are not places for your delightfull bowers but see here how far you are mistaken and how vainly yee dote the holy Scripture admonisheth yee otherwise It is better to goe to the house of mourning Eccles c. 7. v. 2. than to goe to the house of feasting but you had rather doe any thing than mourne and repent and remember death Lectures of this nature please not but take heed Ye Wantons lest while yee shun mourning here yee be cast into eternall mourning hereafter §. 13. That our life is nothing but teares and weeping EVery one as Saint Cyprian testifies as soone as he is borne Cypr. Serm. of Patience and entertained for a guest into this world begins his journey in teares every man may thus say of himselfe In teares I did begin in teares I end I did in nothing else my short dayes spend Our Cradle's full of teares and soc's our Hearse Our life beginâ— ends as a mournfull verse Happicâ—s that man who here doth mourn and weep Because hee shall not when he wakes from sleep Serar in rebus Mogun p. 947 Daniel 97 Epis 57. Archiepisc 41. Elector Mogun Will
with his mouth open which partly upheld one of the Pillars Hereupon hee with jesting and laughter told his dreame to his fellows Behold saith hee this is the Lion that kild mee in my dreame with that saying Hee put his hand into the hollow place of the stone-lions mouth and said Oh fierce Lion here is thy enemy shut thy mouth if thou beest able and bite off my hand hee had scarce made an end of speaking but hee received his fatall blow for in the bottome of that hollow place lay hid a Scorpion which feeling his hand put forth her sting touch'd him and he forthwith fell downe dead Is it so that stones can sting and poyson lurke in a Lion of stone Where may wee then not justly feare deaths stroke in the like manner did Hylas perish whom a lurking Viper in the chops of a Beare of stone did kill which is express'd by Martiall in his third Book and nineteenth Epigram What need I to mention the young man who was kild as hee was going into an house by an Icesicle which fell upon his head from the House-eaves Whom Martiall laments in his Epigrams Lib. 4. Ep. 18. So that you see many are the passages that Death hath to set upon us and usually he is then nearest when we least think of him §. 21. An Antidote against sudden Death GOod Reader here is annexed a short Prayer that I propose unto thee as a pattern for thee to use daily to entreat the Lord JESUS CHRIST to preserve thee from sudden death It is at thine owne liberty whether thou wilt use that or some other every day I made it that thou mightst on thy knees beg this great blessing of thy Saviour and know thus much such is the danger and so common that no man can be too wary or carefull over himself A Prayer O Most loving and bountifull Lord Iesus my Lord and my GOD I most ardently dâ—sire thee by thy most precious bloud shedding by thy last words upon the Crosse when thou cryedst My God my Godâ— why hast thou forsaken mee by those bl ssed words of thine when thou saidst Father into thy hands I commend my spirit that thou wouldst not take mee away by violent death Thy hands oh blessed Redeemer made me and fashioned mee oh give me understanding and I shall live oh make not so soon aâ—end of me give me I beseech thee time of Repentance grant that I may end in thy favour that I may love thee with all my heart and prayse and blesse thy Name for ever AMEN NEverthelesse all things good Lord are in thy disposing neither is there any that can resist thy will my life depends upon thy good pleasure neither doe I will as I please but resigne my wil to thy most godly governance in what place time or by what sicknesse thou wilt strike mee Thy will be done I doe commend all these to thy fatherly goodnesse and providence I except no place no time no disease though bitter and grievous because Thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused mee to be troubled onely this one thing do I crave of Thee not to take me away in my sins by some hastie Messenger but how ever not my will but thine O Lord be done if it seemes good to thy heavenly wisdome quickly to make an end of mee I submit thy will Oh God be done in all things For even then I hope through thy tender mercies to depart in peace and in thy favour in which though I do die by the hand of sudden death yet nothing shall separate thy love from my soul The just though taken away by death goes but to his rest Sap. 4.7 Death is not sudden to him that is alwayes provided Which if there be not a longer space and time left to me in which I may commend my soule to thee which is onely knowne to thee behold then now I doe it and doe ardently and heartily call unto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice and let my cry come unto thee Have mercy upon me O Lord according to thy infinite mercies Let thy will be done in earth as it is heaven Into thy hands O Lord doe I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord God of truth All things living prayse and blesse thee O God In thee O Lord have I put my trust let mee not be put to confusion §. 22. That our days are few and evill HOw old art thou Sixty how many yeeres aged art thou seventy tell mee also oh man how old art thou fourescore Alas good men where are these yeeres where are thy sixty where hast thou left thy threescore and ten and where oh man wilt thou find thy fourescore why number yee those that are lost and spent Elegantly said Laelius that wise man to a man that said I have sixty yeeres in hold thou doest said he reckon that which thou hast not neither those that are past nor what is to come is thine wee depend upon a moment of fleeting time and even a little time is of great consequence Gen. 47.8 9. Pharaoh the Egyptian King asking the Patriarch Iacob how old hee was old Iacob answer'd The dayes of the yeeres of thy servants pilgrimage are few and evill Hearken you earthly Tantalussâ—s which so eagerly thirst after the extended yeeres of a perishing life Know that you are strangers here not inhabitants passengers not dwellers travellers not natives nor are you travellers in a long continuing journey your way as it is evill so it is short short it is perhaps to be ended before the conclusion of the next houre which you divide with death evill any knows it to be that are in it It offers more braâ—bles than Roses to go upon Miserable and vaine that we are what advantage is it for a stranger to load himselfe with pâ—bbles and fading flowers and for them to lose his heavenly inheritance what hinderance or losse is it to leave these if we get immortalitie and glory to labour in the way to provoke to good workes to sweat in them to endure any troubles or molestation is to bee counted gaine The more harsh our banishment is the more welcome will our Country be §. 23. That a young man may die old AS old men at length become as children so there may be many young may be said to be old men Old Balaam a man of threescore yeers and ten answered Josaphat the King asking him how old he was that hee was fortie and five and told the King wâ—ndring at his woâ—ds that hee had beene quiet at his study twenty five yeeres as for the rest which hee had spent upon worldly vanities hee did verily believe all those to be utterly lost so one Similius which was as it were buried in Court affaires had rather liv'd for his Emperour than for himself caused this to be engraved upon his Sepulchre Here lyes buried Similius an old man of seven yeeres of age
in their eyes So ô Father even so c. There is no feare of that mans perishing who so effectually can reconcile himselfe with the Judge § 2. How to recover time ill spent and lost WHosoever desires earnestly to redeem lost time let him turn away himselfe from all vanities and seriously meditate upon Eternity in which he shall see God and in Him all things are to be fâ—und and recovered that are lost here let him fix his thoughts and expresse himselfe to God in these or the like terms O my eternall God! I do heartily wish that from the day of my birth to the day of my dea h I had lived before thee in purenâ—sse obedience and holinesse ô would to God! I had lived as all those men did who by following the practice of grace and vertue did please God in all their trials and troubles ô that I could for thy love weep my self into teares and be always helpful to the poore and needy ô that I could afford comfort to the comfortlesse and love thee with that ardencie that all thy blessed Saints and Angels doe for it is fit and due that all prayses should be given to thee And now ô my God have mercy upon mee according to thy infinite wisdome and good pleasure Of such the Psalmist hath pronounced that they shal die ful of days now as Gregory saith They die in a full age who doe that worke in this passing and fleeting time which will never fade or passe away Hee hath recovered and repaired time that was lost who hath truly sorrowed that he hath lost it § 3. How a short life is to be made long A Well minded man must look not how long he can live but how long he ought to live the Wise man saiâ—h Wisd 4.13 Hee being made perfect in a short time fulfilled a long time Well may hee say hee hath liv'd long which comprehends all perfection for he hath finished his course which passeth to Eternity he lives long who hath lived religiously wee are not to reckon long life by the number of yeers but by the number of vertues he may worthily be said to have finished his time which at no time would lose or leave his piety his goodnesse therefore an unwearied care and study of profiting and going on in goodn sse and a daily indeavour to perfection is reputed and esteemed perfection it self § 4. There is an end of all things buâ— Eterniâ—y is endlesse WHy may wee not be cheerfull and sing some Elegies to or before a sick man especially if it be the custome of the place Iacoponus an holy man of life wriâ— certain merry Verses in which very pleasantly he hath described the vanities of the world and the precipices of Death and I have here Englished them 1 Cur Mundus militat sub vana gloriâ— Cujus prosperitas est transiâ—oria Tam citò labitur ejus potentia Quam vâ—sa figuli quae sunt fragilia Englished Why wars and strives the World for such vain glory Whose great prosperity is transitorie So soone and sooner doth her power decay Then Potters vessels or frail things of clay 2 Dic ubi Salomon olìm tà m nobilis Vel ubi Sampson dux invincibilis Vel pulcher Absalon vultu mirabilis Vel dulcis Jonathan multùm amabilis Englished Tell me where 's Solomon that King so wise Or where now that stout Champion Sampson lies Or where is Absalon so faire to th' sight Or where is Ionathan so lovely bright 3 Quo Caesar abâ—it Celsus Imperio Vel Dives Epulo totus in prandio Dic ubi Tullius claus elâ—quio Vel Aristoteles summus ingenio Englished Where is that lofty royall Caesar gone Or where that purpled rich high fed Glutton Where 's Tully who in Eloquence did abound Or Aristotle for his wit renown'd 4 Tot clari Proceres tot rerum spatia Tot ora Praesulum tot Regna fortia Tot mundi Principes tanta potentia In ictu oculi clauduntur omnia Englished So many high born Nobles so greaâ— things So many Clergiemen so many Kings So many Princes so great Powers so high Are all shut up in th'twinckling of an eye 5 Quà m breve festum est haec mundi gloria Vt umbra hominis sunt ejus gaudia Quae semper subtrahunt aeterna praemia In ictu oculi clauduntur omnia Englished How short's the Feast of worldly glory found Our joys are but as shadows on the ground They doe substract from our reward on high And are shut up in th' twinkling of an eye All these are true and most true is that that they are all so soone concluded and shut up It is the saying of Saint Gregory All the length of the time of this present life is but a point being it is terminated with an end And hee confirmes it again saying Whatsoever hath a period is but little and short For that cannot seem to us to be long that goes on with the course of time till it be not which while it goes on by minutes is driven on by them to its end and may be decern'd from whence it may be hâ—ld but is driven thither where it cannot be held Saint Augustine most cleerly All the time I speak not of this present unto the end of the World but even of that from Adam to the end of the World is but as a little drop compared to Eternity All things have an Ex t but Eternity hath none none aâ— all In the World there is no hâ—ng whose end is not neere Banquets and Dances end all sports and laughters end but never Eternity In a moment Vessels and Ships where they were but even now becalm'd and safe at Anchor presently after are sunke and perish The swarming Theatres for pastimes doe suddenly fall In a trice all pleasures have their vanishings In a minute all things shall have a grave Why doe wee therefore follow and pursue such short vanities That cannot delight a noble spirit which is not durable all things are concluded in the twinkling of an eye Whatsoever had beginning shall have end Onely Eteâ—niâ—y is void of a period § 5. The consideration of a dying Man JOb that Mâ—ster of patience saith The waters wear the stones Iob â—4 19 â—0 and as the earth is washed away by the flouds so shalt thou destroy man Thou strengthenest him by little and little and so hee passeth away for ever Thou changest his beauty and sendest him away What a few Ceremonies doth God use when he sends men out of this World into another He doth but change his beauty and so hee is commanded to be gone elswhere Then certainly when Death cals the beauty is wholly chang'd and as Hippocrates in his book of Prenotations observes Man is alter'd as it were cleane contrary to what hee was his Nose is sharpe his Eyes are hollow and sunke into his Head his Temples are falne his Eares are drawne together the ends of them turn'd backwards the skin