feare of death O Lord Father of mercy and God of all consolation heare me thy distressed creature the feare of death is fallen vpon mee I feare I faint Lord be thou my helper I find that death is dreadfull to nature shield mee vnder the shadow of thy wings strengthen my weakenesse by thy power my wauering by thy promises which art wont to heare and help them that call vpon thee in the day of trouble the day of trouble and heauinesse is come vpon mee to thee I call in thee I trust though fraile flesh begin to shrinke yet grant most mercifull Lord that faith in thy most blessed Passion may neuer decay in me that hope may neuer faile me but that the comfortable expectation of a better life to come may reuiue raise vp my pensiue soule when strength faileth mee and the light of mine eyes is gone grant Lord that my heart may call vpon thee and say Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit which liuest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen CHAP. 24. A Prayer for the sicke O Eternall God and most gracious and mercifull Father I humbly beseech thee to looke vpon this thy seruant with the eyes of mercy shew him thy mercy and grant him thy saluation gâ—â—â— him comfort and confidence in thee and in thy Word stablish his heart that his trust may be euer in thee impute not vnto him his former sinnes and offences but couer his iniquities with the righteousnesse of thy deare Sonne defend and strengthen his soule against al the assaults and deadly subtilties of our restlesse enemie deliuer him from his tyrannie and keepe him in thy protection sauegard draw nigh vnto his soule and saue it shew him the light of thy countenance and bee mercifull vnto him and saue him for thy mercies sake and since O heauenly Father thou diddest in thy loue towards vs euen when wee were thine enemies giue thy most dearely beloued Sonne to the Death to redeeme vs powre into his heart I humbly beseech thee a true liuely faith whereby he may take hold vpon our perfect righteousnes which is in Christ and so bee made partaker of the merit of his Death and Resurrection suffer not the apprehension of death to discourage him but giue him grace and courage cheerefully to attend his death willingly to obey thy will and patiently to indure this thy visitation that after this painefull life ended hee may dwell with thee in life euerlasting through the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and Redeemer Amen CHAP. 25. A forme of leauing the sicke to Gods protection PSalme 20.1 The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee send thee helpe from his Sanctuarie and strengthen thee out of Sion grant thee thy hearts desire and fulfill all thy minde Saue Lord and heare vs O King of Heauen when wee call vpon thee Iesus the Son of the liuing God put his Passion betweene thy sinnes and the Iudgement to come Amen CHAP. 26. The manner of commending the sicke into the hands of God at the houre of Death GOd the Father who hath created thee preserue and keepe thee God the Sonne who hath redeemed thee aide and strengthen thee God the Holy Ghost who hath sanctified thee assist thee in all thy tryals and lead thee the way into euerlasting peace Amen Christ that dyed for thee keep thee froÌ„ all euill Christ that redeemed thee strengthen thee in all temptations Christ Iesus that rose from the dead raise thy body and soule in the resurrection of the iust Christ that sitteth at the right hand of God in heauen bring thee into euerlasting ioy Amen CHAP. 27. A Prayer for the sick at his departing out of this life MOst merciful Father we commend vnto thee this thy Seruant the work of thine own hands wee commend vnto thee his soule in the merits of Christ Iesus his Redeemer accept O Lord thine owne creature forgiue wee beseech thee whatsoeuer hath bin committed by humane frailety and command thine Angels to conduct him to the land of euerlasting peace preserue O Lord the soule of thy seruant as thou diddest Lot from the fire of Sodome preserue O Lord the soule of thy seruant as thou diddest Daniel from the mouth of the Lyons Into thy mercifull hands O heauenly Father we commend the soule of thy seruant now departing acknowledge him we beseech thee for a Sheepe of thine owne fold and for a Lambe of thine owne flocke receiue him into the armes of thy mercy knowing that the thing cannot perish which is committed to thy charge O most mercifull Iesu receiue we beseech thee his Spirit in peace Amen CHAP. 28. The blessing of the sicke when hee is giuing vp the Ghost CHrist Iesus absolue thee from all thy sins Christ Iesus remit all the euill that thou hast any wayes committed Christ Iesus that dyed for thee blot out all thy offences Christ Iesus that now calleth thee receiue thee into his heauenly Kingdome The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee the Lord lift vp his countenance ouer thee and giue thee a ioyfull Resurrection Amen Depart O Christian Soule in the name of God the Father who created thee of God the Sonne who redeemed thee of God the Holy Ghost who sanctified thee one liuing and immortall God to whom bee all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen CHAP. 29. A Prayer to bee vsed by the assembly after the sicke mans departure O Almighty and euerlasting God seeing it hath pleased thee to take this thy seruant out of the miseries of a sinfull world vnto thy heauenly Kingdome blessed bee thy name both now and euermore and wee beseech thee O Lord make vs that yet remaine to bee mindfull of our mortalitie that wee may walke before thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of our life and when the time of our departure shall come wee may rest in thee as our hope is that this thy seruant now doth and that we with him and al others departed in the faith of thy holy Name may reioyce together in thy eternall and euerlasting Kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. 30. Consolation against immoderate griefe for the losse of friends TO sorrow for the death of friends is a dutie by which wee giue testimonie of our naturall affection which dutie both Christianitie doth allow and examples in holy Scripture doe approue Abraham mourned for Sara his wife all Israel for Samuel the Prophet the people in the Wildernes for Aaron their High Priest the inhabitants of Bethulia for Iudith that Honourable Widdow Martha and Mary for Lazarus the twelue Patriarkes for Iacob their aged Father Dauid for Ionathan his trustie and faithfull friend Christ himselfe saith Ieremy went not to his Sepulchre without weeping eyes so that to mourne for the dead is a thing naturall but not
LIFE AFTER DEATH CONTAINING many religious instructions and godly exhortations for all those that meane to liue holy and dye blessedly With the manner of disposing ones selfe to God before and at the time of his departure out of this world With many Prayers for the same purpose By FRANCIS RODES LONDON Printed for THOMAS DEVVE in St Dunstanes Churchyard in Fleetstreet 1622. To the Reader IT is a common custome to intreat fauour from courteous Readers If the matter bee good or the men courteous the suite of fauour will bee easily granted if otherwise it is but a needlesse shame to beg a commendation where none is deserued And therefore I leaue to euery man the libertie of his iudgement and doe expose this Tract to generall censure F.R. A Table of the chiefe points contained in this Treatise CHAP. 1. THE seuerall sorts of Death CHAP. 2 To learne to die well ought to bee the chiefe study of our life CHAP. 3 Why men do so seldome enter into a serious remembrance of their end CHAP. 4 The necessity of our continuall meditating vpon Death CHAP. 5. Necessary obseruations in our meditating of Death CHAP. 6. Against the feare of Death CHAP. 7 How to carry our selues concerning Death CHAP. 8 This life is but a prison a pilgrimage c. CHAP. 9 The vulgar remedy against Death CHAP. 10 Grieuances and excuses of fearfull men to couer their complaints of Death CHAP. 11 How Death is to bee desired CHAP. 12 The miserable state and condition of this present life CHAP. 13 Against the loue of the world CHAP. 14 Against procrastination CHAP. 15 Against mistrust in Gods mercy CHAP. 16 Gods promises to sinners that repent are manifold absolute vniuersall CHAP. 17 How one should demeane himselfe when sicknes beginneth CHAP. 18 How the sicke should dispose his worldly goods CHAP. 19 How hee is to apply himselfe to Prayer and Meditation CHAP. 20 Whom the duty of visiting the sicke specially concernes CHAP. 21 A Prayer at the first visiting of the Sicke CHAP. 22 A confession to be vsed of the sicke by himselfe CHAP. 23 A Prayer of the sick party against the feare of death CHAP. 24 A Prayer for the sick CHAP. 25 A forme of leauing the sicke to Gods protection CHAP. 26 The manner of commending the sicke into the hands of God at the houre of Death CHAP. 27 A Prayer for the sick at his departing out of this life CHAP. 28 The blessing of the sicke when hee is giuing vp the ghost CHAP. 29 A Prayer to bee vsed by the assembly after the sicke party departed CHAP. 30 Consolation against immoderate griefe for the losse of friends CHAP. 31 The custom of Funerals A TREATISE OF LIFE AND DEATH CHAP. 1. THere are three sorts of Death The first is a dying in sinne that is 1. Dying in Sinne. when we doe giue our selues ouer to the delights and pleasures of this life and doe neuer think of death till it comes and when it is come wee doe then recoyle and draw back as beeing vnwilling to dye thereby making our departure vnhappy because none dyes well that dies vnwillingly neither can any hope for Heauen that approches thereunto only by compulsion 2. Dying to sinne The second is a dying to Sin that is when our sins die before our selues namely when wee doe retire our selues from sinne and from the desires and allurements of the world and doe die to all carnall delights as that Apostle did which said The world is crucified to mee and I vnto the world thus to die to sinne is to be deliuered from sinne and to liue with Christ The third is 3. A naturall dying which is the dissolution of the Soule from the body the loosing of the Soule frō the body which is implyed by Saint Paul saying I desire to bee dissolued namely by the dis-iunction of the body from the Soule This dissolution is a deliuerie out of the prison of this life with the stinke and filth wherof we are infected defiled but by death the bands are loosed and the prison set open where out wee flye freely vnto Heauen where we are receiued pure and cleane washen by the bloud of the immaculate Lambe and beeing cloathed vvith his white garment of innocency wee are filled with delights and with the fruition of the light inaccessible CHAP. 2. To learne to die well ought to be the chiefe study and labour of our life LIfe is a debt to Death and Death a debt to Nature or rather natures seruant for if death vvere not what complaints and murmurings would there be against Nature if here against our willes wee should still liue and not haue our liues freed by death If death were quite taken from vs no doubt wee should more desire it then now we feare it and thirst more after it then after life it selfe Of all lessons and of all learnings none is more weighty none more diuine then to learne to die well which is to die willingly and to die in the faith feare and fauour of God In learning to dye well consisteth our eternall welfare To learne to die well is the chiefest thing and dutie of life and a lesson worthy our best and chiefest labours for therein consisteth our eternall welfare Therfore there is nothing that ought so often and so much to bee thought vpon as Death insomuch as if it were possible the the whole moments of our life should bee nothing else but a learning or taking out of some new lesson of death What is it with the Historian to know what others haue done and to neglect the true knowledge of our selues with the Lawyer to learne the common Lawes of the Realme and to forget the common Law of Nature which is that all must die What is it for the greatest Politicians by their reaching wits to compasse great and high matters and in the end to die like simple men True wisedome is to be wise vnto a mans own soule True wisedome is to bee wise vnto a mans owne soule and they onely are wise and they only liue which finde time and leasure wherein to learne to die well for no part of our life is worthy the name of a life but what is spent in the study of wisedome and the greatest part of true wisdome is to learne to die well The perfection of our knowledge is to know God and our selues our selues we best know when we doe well consider our mortall being for man is neuer so diuine as when he considereth well of his mortall nature and conceiues hee was borne to die As men wee die naturally as Christians we die religiously By mortifying the old man we endeuour to die to the world By a vertuous disposing of our selues for the day of our departure wee learne to die in the world By our dying to the world Christ is said to come and liue in vs By our dying in the world wee are said to goe and
by day by night at home and abroad and neuer missing let all estates at all times and in all places be alwayes ready armed against the assaults of Death CHAP. 6. Against the feare of Death DEath is the ineuitable Law of nature therefore to feare that which cannot bee auoyded is meere folly But our feare of death proceedes from doubt and doubt from vnbeliefe and our vnbeliefe chiefly from ignorance because wee know not the good that is elsewhere and doe not beleeue that our part is in it so that true knowledge and true faith driues away all feare of death Assurance of heauenly things makes vs willing to part with earthly Hee cannot contemne this life that knowes not the other and he is not worthy to liue in the other that is vnwilling to die in this to despise this life is to thinke of heauen and not to feare Death is to thinke of that glorious life that followes it If we can endure pain for health much more ought wee at our last to abide a few pangs that cannot last for an euerlasting glory How fondly doe wee feare a vanquisht enemie ouer whom Christ hath already triumphed by whose death death is swallowed vp in victory and we thereby deliuered from the tyranny thereof It is enough to vs that Christ died for vs who had not died neither but that wee might die the more willingly and with greater safety Death is necessarily annexed to nature and life is giuen vs with a condition to die and our Creator in his mercy continues the vse of our life to this end onely that we may learne rightly to die There is but one common rode to all flesh and there are no by-paths of any fayrer or neerer way no not for Princes Haue we bin at so many graues and so oft seene our selues die in our friends and doe wee shrinke when our course commeth Imagine thou wert exempt from the common Law of mankinde yet assure thy selfe death is not now so fearefull as thy life would then be wearisome Thinke not so much what Death is as from whom he comes and for what Wee receiue euen homely Messengers from great persons not without respect to their Masters and what matters it who he be so he bring vs good newes and what better newes can there be then this That God sends for thee to take possession of a Kingdome Let them then feare Death that knowes not Death to bee the messenger of Gods iustice and mercy To die is a thing naturall necessary and reasonable Naturall Naturall for it is the generall Law of the whole world that all must die and our very essence is equally parted into life and death for the first day of our birth sets vs as well in the way to death as to life Death is the condition of our creation and life is giuen vs with an exception of death to die therfore is as naturall as to be borne and as foolish is hee that feareth to die as to be old To be vnwilling to die is to be vnwilling to be a man for all men are mortall Death being then a thing so naturall why should it be feared The feare of griefe and paine is naturall but not of death Children and mad men feare not death why should not reason then be as able to furnish vs with security as they are fortified by their simplicity idiotisme Beasts feare not death therefore it is not nature that teacheth vs to feare death but rather to attend and receiue it as sent by her whose seruant it is Fooles feare death and wise men attend it It is folly to grieue at that which cannot be amended therfore when Dauid vnderstood of the death of his child he ceased to sorrow any longer for him saying While he liued there was hope but being dead there was no remedy and so his care ended Death is a debt of nature which must be payd whensoeuer it is demanded It is no taking day with God when his will is to call for it Therefore it is in vaine to flie from that which wee cannot shunne and those things which of necessity must be performed of vs ought to be done cheerefully not by compulsion as Chrysostome saith Let vs make that voluntarie which is necessarie and yeeld it to God as a gift which we stand bound to pay as a due debt Death is a happines to the faithfull because it is a deliuerance both of soule and body from all misery and sinne By death the world was redeemed to such therefore as doe beleeue in Christ their Redeemer death is to them an aduantage and a thing rather to be desired then feared for they onely are affrighted and daunted with the feare of death that are destitute of faith and hope If thou beleeuest in God why art thou not forward to goe to Christ who died for thee There cannot be a more happy thing then deuoutly to render thy life into his hands who to spare thee spared not himselfe but gaue his life for thee Christ saith Saint Paul is gaine to me both in life and death holding it for a wonderfull gaine to be no more subiect to sinne It is a more grieuous thing to liue in sinne then to die for as long as a wicked man liues his iniquity increaseth if he die his sinne ceaseth the euill therefore of death is only in sinne Necessarie Death brings an equall and an ineuitable necessitie ouer all therfore did nature make that common to all which commonly was feared of all to the end that such an equality might asswage the rigour and seuerity of death and that none might iustly complaine of death from which none was euer exempted 1 Two causes that lets men from dying willingly Lacke of faith But one chiefe cause that lets vs from dying willingly is lacke of faith for had we faith we would night and day desire this messenger of the Lords Iustice and Mercy to deliuer vs out of this miserable life that wee might enter into the fruition of eternall felicity for hauing confidence in GOD wee shall finde death to be as a guide to bring vs to our euerlasting home 2 Loue of the world Another cause of the feare of death is the loue of the world for they feare death most that most loues the world and giues themselues most to the pleasures and delights of this life which they feare to be depriued of by death To feare death is for a man to be enemie to himselfe and to his owne life for he can neuer liue at ease and contentedly that feareth to die therefore to contemne death is a thing one should learne betimes for without this meditation none cā haue any repose in minde seeing it is most certaine that die we must not knowing when and it may be at the very instant of our thought how then can any enioy a peaceable soule who feares death Improuidence ads terror vnto death which threatens
him euery minute of this life There is not a more dangerous enemie against a mans selfe then himselfe by his follies his fantasies his vanities his surfetting and excesse his lust his anger his feares and the rest of his affections whereof within his breast he fosters a Forrest full That man is onely a free man which feares not death and contrarily life is but a slauerie if it were not made free by death for death is the onely stay of our libertie and the common and readie remedy against all euils and the onely meane to all good It is then a misery and miserable are all that doe it to trouble their liues with the feare of death and their death with the desire of life For a man to torment himselfe with the feare of death is great weakenesse and cowardlinesse for there is no passion in the minde of man so weake but can master the feare of Death and therefore death is no such enemie when a man hath so many followers about him that can conquer him reuenge triumphs ouer death loue esteemes it not honour aspireth to it deliuery frō ignominie chuseth it griefe flyeth to it feare preoccupyeth it what an extreme madnes is it then for a man to torment himselfe for nothing and that willingly Scienter frustrà niti extremae dementiae est Death beeing then so necessarie and ineuitable it is to no purpose to feare it for such things as are certain as Death we must attend and in things past remedy we must be resolute therefore making of necessity a vertue we must welcome it and receiue it kindely for where there is not vertue and willingnesse to death life is but a seruitude and to bee truely free from the feare of death is to thinke continually on death so shall wee thereby bee the more couragious against the necessitie of our departure Reasonable and iust To dye is a thing reasonable and iust for it is but reason that we giue place to others since others haue giuen place to vs and since we haue enioyed the places offices and heritages of them that were before vs it is but equall that those that doe come after vs should likewise possesse thē accordingly It is a thing generall and common to al to die Why should then any feare to goe whither all the world goeth where so many millions haue gone before and so many millions are to follow after They whom wee suppose to be dead do not perish but precede they are only sent before whom we must presently follow after in which meane time notwithstanding there is no long time betweene their meeting and ours for euery moment of this life is the death of the other the time past is lost and gone death is already possessed thereof onely the time present we haue share with death so that euery day we die by little and little why then should any feare that once which is acted euery day The death which wee so much feare and flye takes not from vs life but only giues it a truce and intermission for a little time and as for our bodies they haue no more damage by death then hath the seed for hauing a little earth harrowed ouer it Let euery one therefore indeuour to make euery day as it were his last day for to spurne against death is to striue against nature against our faith against all dutie Yet euery one hurries on his life and trauels in the desire of future things and wearinesse of present times but hee which bestowes his whole time to learne how to die well neither desires nor feares what may happen the day after for vvhat can hee iustly feare that hopes to die according to that answere of the Lacedemonians vnto Antipater who threatned them cruelly if they yeelded not to his demand It is not said they in thy power O Antipater to threaten vs with any thing that is worse then death death is welcome to vs. CHAP. 7. How to carry our selues concerning Death TO feare and flye death as an euill is a thing not approoued by men of vnderstanding though by the greater partie it be practised to desire death argues we are out of charitie with the world to contemne life is vnthankfulnesse to nature to attend death is good but to flie and feare death is against nature reason iustice and all dutie If wee consider death as in it selfe then naturally wee feare it but if we consider it as a meane to bring vs to Christ then ought wee to imbrace it The feare of death in contemplation of the cause of it and the issue of it is religious but the feare of it for it selfe is a testimonie of great weakenesse Men feare death as children feare to goe in the darke and as that naturall feare in children is increased with tales so is the other There is not a thing that men feare more then death and there is nothing that hath lesse occasion or matter of feare then death or that contrarily yeeldeth greater reasons to perswade vs with resolution to accept of it for if it bee an euill it is of all euils the least euill and the euill that doth least harme nay it is so farre from beeing an euill that it is the onely remedie against all euils for in this life euils and dangers attend vs continually whereas by death our life is exempted from all euils and filled vvith eternall ioyes Moreouer if it bee an enemy it is of all enemies the least or rather of all friends the best for he brings vs out of all danger of enemies into the protection and safegard of our best and most assured friend for euer Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and Redeemer Wee must then thinke that it is a meere opinion and a vulgar errour that hath wonne the world to conceit so hardly of death It is not death it selfe that men are afraid of but the opinion and apprehension of death that onely terrifies now this terrible apprehension is grounded vpon a precedent opinion of our infirmitie and contrarie to truth for veritie incourageth opinion danteth vs. Opinion bands it selfe against reason and seekes to deface her with the maske of death it may bee the spectacle of death displeaseth because they that die looke gastly but this is not death but the maske of death that which is hid vnder it is beautifull for death hath nothing in it that is fearefull Death then in it selfe is not euill therefore not to be feared CHAP. 8. This life is but a prison a pilgrimage a warfare and as a voyage vpon a tempestuous Sea DEath is the soueraign good of Nature and the onely pillar of our libertie whereas this life is but a prison a pilgrimage a warfare as a voyage vpon a tempestuous Sea In this life wee are alwayes in prison and our Soule inclosed in the body as in a prison which desires releasement as the thirsty doe coole fresh waters Our life is but a
to mourne at all is against Nature against Christianitie against all dutie When the Apostle forbade the Thessalonians to sorrow hee did not absolutely forbid all sorrow but sorrowing after the manner of the Gentiles saying Brethren I would not haue you ignorant concerning those that sleepe to the end you may not lament like those that haue no hope To sorrow as men without hope is farre from the rule of Faith Which teacheth vs that if we beleeue that Iesus Christ dyed and was raised againe in like manner they that sleepe in Iesus God will bring them vnto him Saint Augustine saith Contristamur sed non sicut caetert in deed we are sorrowfull but not as others without hope Non culpamus affectum saith S. Bernard sed excessum wee blame not the affection it selfe but the excesse or want of moderation and Christians of all others who beleeue the Resurrection vnto a better life should raise vp themselues from ouer-dolefull passions Our Sauiour before his passion seeing his Disciples sorrowfull for his departure saith vnto them If you loued mee you would reioyce because I said I goe vnto the Father Ioh. 14.29 So it may be said to those that mourne for the misse of their friends let not your minds be too much troubled or plunged in sorrow because they are dead for whom you thus lament God hath taken them vnto himselfe they are gone vnto their mercifull Redeemer Therefore as in all other things so in this a moderation should be had yet in the best of Gods Children mourning hath not beene a light passion onely for great was the lamentatiō that Iacob made at the supposed death of his Sonne Ioseph when he said I will go vnto the graue to my Sonne sorrowing Gen. 50.14 Great was the lamentation that Dauid made when newes was brought him of Absaloms end saying O Absalom Absalom my sonne Absalom I would to God I had dyed for thee 2. Sam. 1.17 Therefore he that said My sonne powre forth thy teares ouer the dead said also Comfort thy selfe Doth God onely lend vs one another and shall we grudge when hee cals for his owne shall wee thinke much to follow the example of our Sauiour who dyed and dyed for vs Who can be a Christian and would not bee like him or who can bee like him that would not dye after him Can wee loue our friend and not wish he might be happy and can he be happy and not dye Nature knowes not what she would haue we can neither abide our friends miserable in their stay nor happy in their departure wee loue our selues so well that we cannot be cōtent they should gaine by our losse If their gaine exceede our losse then our mourning for them shewes that we did onely loue our selues in them whereby our loue proues iniurious That death is neuer to bee deplored that is seconded by immortalitie Since God then hath taken them vnto himselfe with whom they are now happy let him haue thē with cheerefulnesse so shall wee happily with them enioy God also in glory CHAP. 31. The custome of Funerals THe custome of Funerals as it is ancient so is it commendable Abraham the father of our faith purchased a piece of ground to bury his dead in and in that place hee himselfe Sara Isaac Iacob and Ioseph were buried with great solemnitie and much mourning Tobias is commended for burying the dead so is Mary Magdalen for preparing of ointment for the burying of our Sauiour so is Ioseph and Nichodemus for the care that they had about Christs Funerall My Sonne saith the Wiseman powre forth thy teares ouer the dead and neglect not his buriall Whence we may gather that Funerall Rites decent interring of the corps exequies and seemely mourning are with decencie to bee performed as the last duties of loue in this world amongst friends The causes of solemnizing of Funerals are three Three causes of Funerals First it is the office of humanity the duty of charitie decently to commit the dead corps to the earth out of which it was taken this charitable dutie is commended in Toby and others and religiously obserued of the very heathen Secondly it is a thing very seemely and conuenient with reuerence to lay the corps in graue because our bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which at the Day of Doome shall bee changed into a condition of glorie and by which as by liuely instruments both God hath been glorified and his people haue receiued good that then which hath beene so notable an instrument ought not to be vnreuerently intreated though dead Thirdly our Faith is hereby confirmed touching the Article of our Resurrection for we lay down the body in the earth vnder hope that this mortall must put on immortality 1. Cor. 15. But Funerals are not to be vsed thereby to relieue or benefit the the dead for they are rather comforts to the liuing then helpes to the dead There commeth no part of blessednes to the dead by Funerals but blessed are they that die in the Lord. Lazarus wanted his Funerall but the want thereof bereaued him not of his happy estate hee dyed in the Lord and so was blessed Let vs therefore liue as we will dye and dye as they that hope to rise againe liue with Christ hereafter for after this life there is no helpe remaining to the dead to the liuing there is mercy offered but to the dead there remaineth only iudgement FINIS