the World Therefore watch and believe every day thy last Sect. 47. VVe are to trust in God HE whom God assists though in the midst of the Waves of the enraged Sea he shall be able to withstand the Storm with a Couragious Heart Let Troubles surround him let Sorrows overwhelm him let the Devil roar and grin a Soul that trusts in God need never be afraid Though Hell be moved and the World tumble fearless he shall behold the Ruins he shall rise a Victor and like the Marpesian Rocks contemn the vain threats of the Ocean Thus Job thus David behaved themselves Job speaking to God with a firm Confidence in him Set me saith he by thy side and let the hand of whomsoever fight against me He provokes and Challenges the Camp of the Enemies of God let come who will he is ready to meet them But saith David though I walk through the midst of the shadow of Death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Behold a strong Faith Though I am in the extremity of danger though wrapt in the horrid darkness of Eternal Night and that Death stood nearer than the shadow to the Body trusting only in the presence of God I will despise all those Terrors Most certain I am that in his presence there is a most safe and impregnable Refuge For because the Lord is my Aid I will not fear what Man can do unto me The Lord is my Light and my Health Whom shalt thou fear If Armies were Encamped against me my Heart shall not be afraid Though I were to withstand the power of a whole Battel my Confidence should be in God VVe are to trust in God so much the more by how much the less we can trust to our selves He ranges his Army under the Enemies VValls who trusts in God To trust in God is to be above all Enemies Sect. 48. VVhen it shall please God TO a Blessed Life a long Series of years contributes nothing neither is Life to be reckoned by years or wrinkles but by just performances But that When disgusts the most part of Mortals They know they are to die and are willing to die but not yet They are willing to pay Nature her Debt but not yet They desire to be loos'd from the Chains of the Body but not yet So ingeniously do we poor Mortals rave We desire an end of our Miseries but not yet we would be Blessed and Happy but not yet We would and we would not die We are unjust to complain at the same time that we are miserable and that our Miseries are at an end There is no reason to grieve or weep when we cease to be what we were unwilling to be Is it because thou wouldst have many steps to thy Death that thou buildest thy self so high a Gibbet and is it because thou wouldst take a slow prospect of thy Funeral that thou desirest so many years Alas thou art to go either to day or to morrow Tobias the worthy Son of a most worthy old Man but old himself attain'd to the Ninety ninth year of his Age. Yet when Ninety nine years were expir'd in the fear of God they Buried him with joy Could Tobias in our judgment Expostulate with God or complain Why Lord dost thou now break off my Life Why didst not thou permit me to make up the full hundred What other Answer would God return It so pleas'd me Now die and reckon all thy past years as clear gain Therefore we must die when it pleases God not when it pleases Tobias Raguel or Ananias But I know what deceives many When Death knocks we believe the Exactor comes before his time Fools then 't is time when it pleases God Wherefore do ye delay Wherefore do ye pretend immature Age Wherefore do ye expect a Truce Wherefore do ye think upon delay Thou wert ripe for Death long before But grant thee thy own time thou wilt be never the more ready or the more prepar'd After all thou wilt desire delay the more thou stay'st perhaps the less prepar'd Delay has made many the worse 'T is a bad preparation for Death to be unwilling to die He has perform'd half of the Act who now is willing The desire of Death is to be shaken off and thou art to learn that it matters not when thou sufferest whatever it behoves thee to suffer How well thou hast lived is the main business not how long and often it happens well when there is no delay Therefore lay all hankering thoughts aside and thus resolve with thy self whatever God pleases let that be done Sect. 49. VVe must have recourse to God in all things ALas poor miserable Creatures alas insipid Fools When we are ill we take cur flight over the whole Orb with the wings of our Thoughts We beg petty Comforts from things Created with an ignominious Beggery VVe call Friends and Enemies to our aid we implore the help of all only God we pass by or at least apply our selves to him last of all VVhat madness is this to desire help from those that cannot afford it not to desire it from him who alone can give it us Therefore whenever and as often as thou art ill let thy first Groans thy first Prayers thy first Complaints be put up to God Open thy Cause to God declare to him all thy Sufferings VVhere dost thou fly about the VVorld and beg at the Cottages of Beggars VVherefore dost thou bow in vain to every Coach that whirls by thee Throw thy self at the Door of that only Rich Person who can free thy Soul from its necessities Thus did Moses who in all Cases of Doubt and Extremity had recourse to the Tabernacle where he consulted God himself Thus was Joshua deceived by the Gibeonites because he would not consult God before-hand Apply thy self to God in thy Afflictions and upon all other occasions The Woman that was troubled with an Issue of Blood for twelve years and had suffered many things of many Physicians at length came to the Physician of Physicians from whom alone she obtain'd that Cure which she could not have from many in twelve years It is a main matter to know from whom thou expectest a kindness It is an Argument of extream Poverty to beg from Beggars Sect. 50. VVE have said that recourse must be had to God in every thing Therefore a happy end is so desired from none but God Of which I will annex a short Example First Prayer Eight Verses chosen out of the Psalms of David by St. Bernard which he is reported to have repeated every Day for a Happy Hour of Death ENlighten my Eyes that I sleep not in death lest my Enemies say I have prevailed against him Psal 12. v. 3 4. Into thy hands I recommend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth Psal 31. v. 6. At last I spake with my Tongue Lord let me know my end and the number of my days that I
and since my God as I undoubtedly believe hath been pleased to crown my brother with glory I will beseech him to comfort me here with his grace I will not immoderately weep lest I injure my self I will not weep without hope lest I offend my Maker but that I may weep as I should and hope as I ought and live as I am required I will humble my self at the feet of him to whom my brother is gone Put on Mourning Apparel Sermon III. ECCLES 7. 2. It is better to go to the House of Mourning then to the House of feasting for that is the end of all Men and the living will lay it to his heart IT is evident that in this Verse that I have now read to you the Wise man speaks of such a mourning as is occasioned by the Death of friends And he saith of that Mourning that it is better than to be in the House of Feasting That he speaks of such a mourning appears by that which followeth First he saith that this is the end of all men he speaks therefore of such a mourning as is upon the end of men upon the departure of men out of this World And Secondly he saith the living will lay it to his heart He speaks of such an end of Men as is opposite to the life of Men. In a word By the House of mourning he meaneth a house wherein some one is dead which giveth occasion to the parties that dwell there of sorrow and mourning for their departed friend It is better to go to such a house By the House of feasting he meaneth not only such a house wherein there is feasting but also all manner of abundance As commonly Men shew their wealth in Feasting By the end of all men he meaneth such an end of a man as that he ceaseth to be as he was upon earth and ceaseth to do as he did upon Earth By laying to heart he meaneth such a serious considering and pondering and discussing of every thing as they may bring it to some use may draw some Fruit and benefit out of it to themselves So that the sum and substance of the words is thus much It is a better thing for a Man to be conversant about the thoughts of death and to take hold of all occasions that may bring the serious consideration thereof into his heart than to delight himself in those worldly pleasures and sensual delights wherein for the most part men spend their lives The words consist of a Proposition And a proof or confirmation of that Proposition The Proposition It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to go to the house of Feasting The Confirmation or proof of it is double First Because this is the end of all Men Secondly Because the living will lay it to his heart In the former he calleth the House wherein any one dies the House of Mourning It is better to go to the House of Mourning Where you see That the Death of Men with 〈…〉 live is a just occasion of Mourning to 〈…〉 〈…〉 holy Ghost would not have described 〈…〉 â—ouse wherein a man dies in this manner 〈…〉 were not some equity and justice in mâ—…ing upon such an occasion For he speaks nâ—â— here as I conceive â—nly with reference and â—espect to the common Custom of natural and worldly Men but with respect to the natural disposition and affection that is in the heart of man and the equity of the thing There should be visible signs of Mourning and there is in it a just occasion when men are taken away by death When Sarah died the text saith that Abraham came to Mourn for Sarah and to weep for her Gen. 23. 2. And Esau when he speaks of the death of his Father Isaac he calleth the time of his death the time of Mourning the days of Mourning for my Father are at hand Gen. 27. 41. So Joseph when his Father was dead it is said that he mourned for his Father seven days Gen. 50. 10. When Samuel was dead all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him 2 Sam. 25. 1. When Iosiah was dead there was such a great lamentation for him that it became a pattern of excessive mourning In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadriâ—â—on in the Valley of Megiddon Zach. 12. 10 Our Saviour Christ when he looked upon Lazarus he wept because he was dead And those Ephesians this was it that broke their hearts they sorrowed most of all for the words which St. Pâ—â—l spake that they should see his face no more Acts 20 38 We come now to the proof of the point why going to the House of Mourning taking these occasions to affect our hearts is better than to go to the House of Feasting than to take occasions of delighting our selves in outward things What 's the reason It is double First This is the end of all men What is the end of all men The House of Mourning That which he meaneth by the House of Mourning here is that which he calleth the end of all men that which putteth an end to all men and to their actions upon earth and that is Death So that the main point that in this place the wise man intendeth is but thus much I will deliver it in the very words of the Text we need not vary from them at all Death is the end of all Men. But here it will be objected We find some men that did not die It is said of Enoch that he was translated that he should not see death Heb. 11. 5. And of Elijah that he went up by a whirl-wind into heaven in a chariot of fire 2 King 2. 11. These men did not die To this I answer briefly Particular and extraordinary examples do not frustrate general rules God may sometimes dispense with some particular men and yet the rule remain firm I say it may be so But secondly we answer They had that that was in stead of Death to them some change though they did not die after the manner of other men So at the end of the world it is said that those that are alive shall be caught up and changed in the twinkling of an eye there shall be a sudden and almost undiscernable unperceivable change which shall be to them in stead of death But it will be objected further There is a promise made in Joh. 11. That those that believe shall never die To this I answer with that common distinction There is a twofold death which the Scripture calleth the first and the second death The first death is the death of the body that ariseth from a disjunction and separation of the body from the soul And there is a second death that ariseth from the dis-junction and separation of the soul from God The first death is no death properly the second Death is that which is truly Death And so they shall not die A man may have
Will AS there is nothing more easie for the healthy for the sick or for dying persons to do so there is nothing more profitable than to will what God will This is to be practised Day and Night Morning Noon and Evening perpetually constantly by Sick and Healthy and by all Men. Epictetus was a most wise Doctor in this by the bare instructions of Nature I think that better saith he what God will have done than what I my self I wait upon him as a Servant I desire what he desires I wish for what he wishes Whatever his will is that is mine And that he may shew the manner how in all Humane Affairs the will of God is to be followed adding this Moreover Always faith he I chuse to will that which is done For whatever is done sin excepted is done by the will of God For which reason this most wise Philosopher admonishing every Man never require that those things which are done should be done according to thy Disposal But if thou art wise be content that things are done as they are He that accommodates himself to necessity is wise and is privy to the Humane Mysteries Epictetus discoursing more affirmatively of conforming the will of Man to the Divine Will I should desire saith he to be seized by death employed in no other business than in curing my will that being free from trouble and impediment I might say to Godâ— Have I ever violated thy Precepts Have I misapplied the parts which thou gavest me Have I ever accused thee Have I ever found fault with thy Government I fell sick because it was thy will Others fell sick but I willingly It was thy will I should be poor I was content I never was in command because it was thy Will I never for that reason coveted or sought after Honour Didst thou ever see me the sadder for this Did I ever approach thee with a Countenance chearful Prepared to obey whatever thou commandest Wouldest thou have me abandon the Gaiety of Masks I am gon And I return thee most hearty thanks that thou wiâ—t be pleased to admit me to thy Enterludes to behold thy Works and understand thy manner and order of Government Let such a Death as this seize upon me either Thinking VVriting or Reading O Heavens How like a Christian how like a Wise Man how like a Divine Person What do we do O Christians What shame possesses us if we blush not at these things We are Brute Beasts yea Stones and Rocks if our Sences return not to us upon this bright and resplendent Information of Nature But let the Rebels to Divine Will hearken let them hear and answer to Epictetus requiring from them nothing but what is â—ust Shew me saith he any one who is sick and happy in danger and happy that dies and is blessed Shew me saith he a Mind that is of Gods Mind one that never acouses God nor Men finds fault with nothing that befalls him who is in wrath with no Man who envies no Man then shew me the person who of a Man desires to become a God Certainly it may be done by this Conjunction of wills Therefore let not the sick person refuse to be wise with the same Epictetus And let him say Carry me O God and thy Divine Will whither I am by thee appointed For I will follow cheerfully For if I obstinately and wickedly hang back I shall be compelled to follow Therefore if it be the will of God let it be done Therefore let us in all things in Sickness in Death submit to the Will of God or let us confess our Antipathy and Aversion against all that is good and right He desires to be wicked who for the nonce refused to be good Sect. 28. Despair to be prevented THere is nothing more dangerous than despair nor can the Enemy of Salvation find out any thing worse for Man For all other things are mitigated by their own Cures This is the chiefest and the last of Mischiess so that when it oppresses the Departing Soul there is no room for any remedy Therefore is it always especially in the end more vehemently to be withstood because it then presses on with greater force and there is no delaying such Councils as are fit to be taken for thy Salvation The neglect of the last Hour is altogether irreparable He shall never rise again whose fall is deadly there Therefore at length awake O sick Man 't is better never wake till the Evening What is ill delayed is worse omitted Lift up thy Eyes to Heaven the Breast of thy Crucified Lord is always open his Embraces always expanded his Wounds always prepared to health Neither is there any necessity of long Prayers Repent that thou hast been in an Error and thy desire possibly is granted Say from thy Heart I have sinned Thou maist hope God is propitious to thee Promise amendment and thou maist obtain pardon There is no sin of Man so great but the Mercy of God is above it Hope for this Hope maketh nâ—t ashâ—med The Lord is loving unto every Man and his Mercy is over all his Works Here the Lord himself Is my hand shortened that it might not help or have I not power to deliver But we are for the most part altogether deceived Fervent in sin after sin committed cold We exult in sin despair when we remember our sins Many sin out of hopes of pardon Both bad but this latter far worse Therefore cast away that fatal burthen of sin There is one who being sought to will take it from thy Shoulders who has taken greater burthens from others to whom there is nothing hard or difficult Only do thou make no delay And though there be no excuse for a slothful delay yet a late amendment is not without commendation It is better to repent late than never Therefore take to thy self Courage and Breath a few Tears will extinguish the Flames of Hell An humble and a contrite Heart God will not despise Sect. 29. The hope of better Life mitigates our Miseries VVIth Seneca I demand of thee O my sick Friend why dost thou wonder at thy Miseries Thou art Born therefore that thou shouldst lose that thou shouldst perish that thou shouldst hope that thou shouldst fear that thou shouldst disquiet others and thy self too that thou shouldst fear and wish for death and which is more that thou shouldst never know thy condition nor when thou wert safe Besides that every thing of future is uncertain only that we are certain to decay for the worse the Journey to Heaven is more easie when we have dismissed our Thoughts from worldly Conversation For so they become lighter and freer from Dregs Great Genius's never covet a long stay in the Body they long to be gone they hardly brook these narrow they desire to wander through sublimity and take a prospect from above of things below Therefore it is that Plato cries out The Soul of a wise Man always
Grave but as a Victorious Captain breaking the Bonds of Death he led Captivity Captive in spite of the Malice of his Enemies who set a Guard upon him for as we have it Matth. 28. 1 2 3 4 5 6. In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre and behold there was a great Earthquake for the Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled away the Stone from the door and sat upon it his Countenance was like Lightning and his Raiment white as Snow and for fear of him the Keepers did tremble and became as dead men and the Angel answered and said unto the women fear ye not for I know that ye seek Jesus that was crucified he is not here but is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay The Death of St. PETER WHen he was at Rome he Prophesied the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation by Vespasian But about that time the Persecution growing hot against the Christians especially upon Nero's return from Achaia in great Pomp he at that time resolving to glut himself with Innocent Blood caused several thousands of the Christians to be shut up in Prisons and amongâ—â— the rest St. Peter for whose Preservation the Prayers of the Christians were still put up to Heaven many of the chief of them who could gain Acceâ—â— perswading him earnestly to make his escape alledging that the preservation of his Life would be very useful to the Church The which after many denials he attempted by getting over the Wall which being effected and coming to the City Gate is there said to meet our Lord who was entring the City when knowing him he asked him Lord whither art thou going from whom he received this Answer I am come to Rome to be Crucified a second time By which Answer St. Peter apprehending himself to be reproved for endeavouring to fly that Death which was allotted him and that our Saviour meant he was to be Crucified in his Servant he returned again to Prison and delivered himself to the Keekper and so continued till the Day of his Execution with great chearfulness Having Saluted his Brethren and especially St. Paul who was at that time his Fellow-Prisoner he was led to the top of the Vatican Mountain near the River Tiber about three Furlongs without the City and there Crucified with his Head downwards it being his own desire so to die alledging that he was unworthy to suffer after the same manner that his Lord and Master had suffered and so having run the race that was set before him he undoubtedly obtained the reward laied up for him in the Highest Heavens The Death of St. PAUL HOW long St. Paul continued in Prison after he had received Sentence to die is uncertain but the Day of his Execution soon came but what his preparatory Treatment was whether he was Scourged as Malefactors were wont in order to their Death is not known As a Roman Citizen by the Valerian and Porcian Law he was exempted from any such Ignominious and Infamous Punishment though by the Law of the Twelve Tables Notorious Malefactors Condemned by the Centuriate Assemblies were first to be Scourged and then put to Death And as Baronius informs us That in the Church of St. Mary beyond the Bridge in Rome two Pillars are yet to be seen to which St. Peter and St. Paul were Bound and Scourged before their Executions As our Apostle was led to Execution he is said to have Converted three of the Souldiers who Guarded him which the Emperour hearing commanded that they should be put to death St. Paul being come to the place appointed for his Execution which was near the Aquae Salviae three Miles from Rome after he had exhorted such as came â—o see his Tragedy to Repentance and recommended his Spirit into the hands of his blessed Lord and Master he kneeling down had his Head stricken off with a Sword St. Chrysostom declares That his chearful submitting to Death and his constant Courage till the last was a means not only to Convert his Executioner but several others who afterwards suffered Martyrdom for the Faith of Christ He was Executed as far as can be gathered in the Sixty eighth Year of his Age. And thus the great Apostle after he had Preached the Gospel to the Gentiles and either in Person or by his Epistles visited most of the known World and as Theodoret tells us in the Isles of the Sea whereby he undoubtedly means Britain he received first the Crown of Martyrdom He was Buried in via Oâ—â—iensis about two Miles from Rome Over whose Grave about 318 Years after Constantine the Great at the request of Pope Sylvester built a stately Church and endowed it with many rich Gifts and Priviledges The Death of St. ANDREW VVHen he was Condemned the Pro-Consul ordered him to be Scourged and as he was going to be Crucified the People cried out He was a just and good man yet he was fastned upon the Cross with Ropes that he might be the longer dying the Cross being two Beams set in the fashion of the Letter X. From this Cross after he was fastned to it he Preached to the People for the space of two Days and by his admirable Patience Courage and Perseverance Converted many to the Faith During his hanging there great sute was made to the Pro-Consul for his Life but our Apostle desired them not to Intercede for him For that he was greatly desirous to be dissolved and to be with Christ Praying earnestly to Heaven that he might at that time finish his Race and be crowned with Martyrdom And so it happened for he there gave up the Ghost After which his Body being taken down was Embalmed at the Command of Maximilia whom he had Converted and afterwards laied in a stately Tomb prepared for that purpose where it continued till the time of Constantine the Great and was at his command brought to Constantinople and buried there in the great Church which he had founded to the Honour of the Apostles The Scots for many Ages past have had such Veneration for him that they Stiled him the Patron of their Country bearing his Cross in their Standard The Death of St. JAMES A Short time after his Imprisonment Sentence of Death was passed upon him and as he was led to the Place of Execution according to Clemens Alexandrinus the Souldier or Officer who Guarded him to the place of his Martyrdom or as Suidas will have it his Accuser being Convinced by the Courage and Bravery of the Apostle in his chearfully going to his Death came and fell down before him asking Pardon for what he had done upon which the blessed man raised him from the Ground embraced and kissed him saying Peace my Son peace be to thee and a pardon of thy faults Whereupon before all the Assembly he openly confessed
and wrote many Books against them What time he could spare from his Ministerial Function he employed in writing Commentaries and Histories until the year of his Death which was Anno 1552. The Death of Oswald Myconius AFter the Death of Oecolampadius he was made chief Pastor in Basil where voluntarily laying down his Divinity Lectures upon some grudges the University had against him he inclining to Luther's Opinion about the real presence in the Sacrament he wholly applied himself to his Pastoral Office He died Anno 1552. aged 64. The Death of George Prince of Anhalt HE was a great Divine Learned in the Law and skilful in Physick he conferred with Camerariâ—â— about the mutation of Empires their Period and Causes about Heavenly Motions and the effects of the Stars The last Act of this Prince his Life expressed his Piety using frequent Prayer for himself and all the Princes of that Family he often pondered upon these Texts God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. No Man shall take my Sheep out of my Hands Come unto â—â— all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest He died Anno 1557. aged 47. The Death of Justus Jonas HE employed himself much in Disputations about Religion in defence of the Truth and in School Divinity Several Churches were reformed by him and committed to his charge He was a Man of an excellent Wit great Industry and Integrity of Life joined with Piety and one whom Luther and most of the famous Men of that Age highly esteemed He died Anno 1555. aged 63. The Death of John Rogers HE was hurried to Newgate On the fourth of Febraary the Keeper told him he must prepare for Execution at which not being at all concerned said Then if it be so I need not tie my points Before he went to the Flames he was carried before Bonner Bishop of London who earnestly persuaded him to recant and live but he utterly refused life upon such conditions exhorting such as stood about him to repent and cleave fast to Christ As he came out his Wife with Nine small Children about her and one sucking at her Breast waited to see him of which he took his leave bidding them trust in the Lord and he would plentifully provide for them After which he went couragiously to the Stake and with admirable patience embtaced the Flames being the first that sealed his Testimony with his Blood during the Reign of that bloody Queen suffering Martyrdom Anno Christi 1555. The Death of Laurence Saunders During his Imprisonment he wrote to his Wife and Friends in this manner ` I am merry and I trust I shall be so maugre the Teeth of all the Devils in Hell Riches I have none to bestow amongst you but that Treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry Consciences whereof I thank my Saviour I do feel part that I bequeath to you and to the rest of my Beloved in the Lord. They offered to release him if he would Recant to which he replied That he did confess Life and Liberty were things desirable but that he would not murther his Conscience to save his life but by God's Grace said he I will abide the worst Extremity that Man can do against me rather than do any thing against my Conscience And when Gardiner threatned him with Death he said Welcom be it whatsoever the Will of the Lord be either life or death and I tell you truly I have learned to die but I exhort you to be ware of shedding innocent blood for truly it will cry aloud against you After a Year aud three Months Imprisonment he was brought to the Stake which he embraced and afterwards kissing said Welcom Cross of Christ welcom everlasting life The Fire by the malice of his Enemies being made of green wood put him to exquisite Torments but he endured them with a Christian patience as being well assured when his fiery Tryal was at an end he should receive a Crown of Life that fadeth not away One thing I shall not think amiss to insert When the Nation was in fear of Queen Mary's bringing in Popery Mr. Saunder's being in company with Doctor Pedleton and seeming to be much dejected Pedleton said What man there is much more cause for me to fear than for you forasmuch as I have a big and fat Body yet will I see the utmost drop of this Grease of mine melted away and this Flesh consumed with Fire before I will fo sake Jesus Christ and his Truth which I have professed Yet when Queen Mary came to the Crown he turned Apostate The Death of John Hooper BEing come to the County of Gloucester where he suffered he was received by the Sheriff who with a strong Guard conveyed him to the place of Execution being met by thousands of people who bewailed his Condition and sent up their Prayers to Heaven that he might be enabled to bear his Sufferings patiently many of them weeping to see so Reverend a Person fall into such misery but he comforted them and told them That he was unworthy who refused to suffer reproach or death for the sake of the Lord Jesus who refused not for our sakes to suffer a shameful and ignominious death upon the Cross And hereupon he began to exhort them to be stedfast in their Faith but the Popish Varlets would not suffer him to proceed Then he addressed himself to the Sheriff saying Sir my request to you is that I may have a quick Fire which may soon dispatch me and I will be as obedient as you would wish I might have had my life with grrat advancement as to temporal things but I am willing to offer my life for the Testimony of the Truth and trust to die a faithful Servant to God and a trué Subject to the Queen Then kneeling down he continued iâ—â—â—ervent Prayer for the space of half an Hour with an exalted and chearful Countenance and then rising up suffered them to fasten him to the Stake where such was the malice of his Enemies that they had prepared green Wood yet before the Fire was kindled a Pardon was offered if he would Recant but he cried out with a Christian Zeal If you love my Soul away with it and then three Iron â—oops being brought to fasten him to the Stake he said If you had brought none of these I would have stood patiently and thereupon he took one of them and put it about his middle When the Reeds were set up he embraced and kissed them putting them under his Arms where he had two Bags of Gunpowder The Fire being kindled he continued three quarters of an Hour in praying and crying out O Jesus thou Son of David heve mercy upon my Soul Thus fell this blessed Martyr in the bloody Persecution under Queen Mary Anno Christi 1555. The Death of Rowland Taylor THE Night before his being carried to Hadly to be burned his Wife Children and Servants
may know how long I have to life Psal 39. v. 4 5. Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Psal 86. v. 17. Thou hast broken my Bands in sunder I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upâ—n the Name of the Lord Psâ—l 116. v. 14 15. I had no place to fly to and no Man car'd for my Soul I cry'd unto thee O Lord and said Thou art my Hope and my Portion in the Land of the Living Psal 142. v. 5 6. Omnipotent Sempiternal God who didst prolong the Life of Hezekiah miserably imploring thee grant me thy unworthy Servant before the day of my Death so much time to live that I may be able to deplore all my Sins and may obtain from thy Compassion Pardon and Favour Omnipotent Gracious and Merciful God I most humbly beseech thee by the Death of thy Son grant me a happy and a blessed Hour when my Soul shall depart out of my Body Lord Jesu Crucified Christ by the Bitterness of the Death which thou didst suffer for me upon the Cross chiefly when thy Soul departed from thy Body have Mercy on my Soul at the last Hour who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and for ever Amen The Second Prayer For a Happy Departure MOST Merciful Lord Jesu if this be the Condition of a Dying Man if in such Dangers and Extremities my Spirit must depart out of this Life whither shall I fly but unto thee Oh my God Do thou take care of my Soul that it may not perish in that dreadful Hour Grant me I beseech thee according to the multitude of thy Mercies and by that servent Love and Grief wherewith thou who art Life it self didst die for me that I may have the Combat of Corporal Death always before my Eyes and that living I may so do as dying I would desire to have done and that I may expend my time and study in nothing more than that I may Spiritually die to my self and may mortifie all the Passions of my Sences that so after this Life I may live with thee Happy and Blessed to all Eternity The Conclusion of the first Chapter To the Reader DO this meditate upon this O Man and while thou art well learn to be sick learn to die To do both is a rare piece of Art which whether thou knowest or no it is not lawful for thee to try but when thou canst not err without the loss of Eternal Felicity We err but once in dying but that Error is never to be amended to all Eternity Therefore to abide as being still to depart But for the most part abide within thy self and search every cranny of thy Conscience Whatever thou enjoyest look upon it as the Lumber of a place where there is no Habitation Thou art not suffered to carry out any more than thou broughtest in with thee Therefore act and bestir thy self Approve thy self right in the sight of God Thou art to go hence Believe that thou standest always at the Gate of Eternity Eternity is that we must look after Pleasure is short Punishment Eternal The labour is Easie the reward Everlasting Therefore we have given wholesom Instruction we have taught that Death is to be contemn'd but the thoughts of it never to be laid aside Now we will give the same Admonitions to the Sick CHAP. II. The Remembrance of Death is Recommended to the Sick Sect. 1. The Introduction and whether Sickness be an Evil CAnnus is a Town in Caria in a Pestilent Air and unwholesom for the Inhabitant These People when Stratonious the Musician and wiâ—ty Man beheld he recited the Verse in Homer to them Like as the Leaves just so the People are Thereby he taunted their Icterical Yellowish and Wan Complexions But when the Caunians had given him a very rugged Entertainment for defaming their City as sickly and unwholesom Stratonicus return'd upon them again Must I not dare said he to call that a sickly place where the dead walk More wittily and more smartly than before But why do we deny and lift up our Noses We are most like to Leaves Very plainly Job Wilt thou break a Leaf saith he driven to and fro As if he had said When I am but a Leaf liable to all the Inconveniences of Life afraid of every Gust wilt thou hasten me with the wind of thy indignation I shall fall of my self without any constraint of thine Are not Men Leaves whom Sickness like dry Leaves and juiceless Flowers tosles to and fro and variously sports with Clement of Alexandria being of the same Opinion Go to said he Men of an obscure Life like the Generation of Leaves infirm Creatures Images of Waâ— things like shadows frail unfledg'd living but the Life of one day Certainly we are Leaves shaken by every puff of wind Sometimes a little Fever what do I say Nay a little Cough a little drop falling upon the little wicket of the Throat mortifies this Leaf and throws it into the Grave But whether or no is Sickness a Benefit and Death an Evil No Mortal no it is not saith Epictetus Health well us'd is a good thing ill us'd a mischief And therefore we may reap Benefit by Sickness What dost thou say of Sickness I wil shew thee its Nature then I shall be quiet I shall think my self well dealt with I shall not flatter the Physician I shall not wish for Death What wouldst thou more Whatever thou shalt give me that will I make happy prosperous honourable to be desir'd But there are some that deny this and say Take heed of being sick 't is an ill thing To them Epictetus again That is as much as to say saith he Take heed that thou dost not feign three to be four 't is an ill thing How evil If we so think of it as we ought What harm will it do me Rather will it not do me good If therefore I so think of Poverty Sick or Troubles of Church or State as I ought is not that enough to me will it not be profitable Truth Love thee O Epictetus How agreeable are all these things to Christian Doctrine This Foundation being laid we shall here teâ—ch ye to be mindful of Death in Sickness and not to be afraid of his coming Sect. 2. The sick Person to his Friends To Sickness To the beginning of a Mortal Disease To Death To Christ our Lord. To his Friends Hence with your unseasonable mourning This is not a place for Wailing but for Prayer But I depart early from you Early take heed ye mistake not I was ripe for death as soon as I was born yea before I was born What I was when born I know a weak frail body liable to all Reproach the Food of Sickness the Victim of Death Behold who e're thou art take Hope or Substance to