whereby he may be shielded from the bloodie blowes of a most cruell aduersarie Put on him Lord the compleate armour of God that hee may bee able to with-stand in this euill houre and hauing done all to stand Before this Battell end make him with stomacke and courage to runne all his enemies throgh with the two edged sword of thy Spirit Haue now Lord a speciall care of him Hemme in all his thoughts within the compasse of thy will Possesse him so with the fulnes of thy presence that in him there be found no roome for any ill motions Furnish him with the supplie of all these graces which thou knowest to bee wanting into him Let thy Spirit make residence in his heart as in an house of God Now Lord while it is time to saue saue the Soule of thy Seruant which is now readie to remoue Open vnto it that euer-flowing fountaine promised to the penitent of the house of Dauid for to tak away sinne and vncleannesse O Fountaine of Grace wash him and wash him throughlie with the blessed Blood of thy satisfaction After that thou hast made him perfectly cleane hold out thy succouring helpful armes vnto this Soule and take it into thy bosome Let it there taste of the honie of thy Compassions In this time of gloummines darknesse of death inlighten his Soule with the light of thy countenance Turne thy face now vnto it Hitherto it could see nothing but the Back-parts of Thee that Great IEHOVAH which bringeth joye but in parte From such parts now bring him vnto the fulnesse Turne thy selfe vnto this Soule that it may fullie see thy face wherein is fulnesse of joye And seeing no man can see thy face liue let this thy Seruant now see thy face and die that after death hee may liue with thee for euer in the Heauens Let neither the loue of life nor the feare of death turne his eyes from the prize of the high calling of God Make him now with a long steppe from the earth to the heauens to step in into immortalitie Now Lord engraue deepelie this Soule into the palmes of thine hands Set it as a seale on thine heart Wrap it within the Mantle of thy mercie warâ—…e it within the bowels of thy loue lappe it in thy bosome with that vnspeakable joye which Christ hath purchased with vnspeakable paine euen through the bloodie merites of his most bitter passions His wordes now are failed Square thou all his thoughts by the rule of thy Spirit of grace Lord make these our weake prayers to mount vp lik Pillars of smoke parfumed with the mercifull merites of thine onelie Sonne To him with thee his Father and with the Spirit of Grace be all Glorie Praise Power and Dominion for euer AMEN The spirituall Friend O deare Friende whome I haue seene a sorrow beaten sinner Rejoyce now in your Sauiour whose mercies haue beene the Bane of all your sinfull miseries Cleaue still fast vnto your Sauiour Let not him goe whom your soule loueth till ye come to Peniel where yee shall see him face to face The Lord refresh your wearied soule with the soft sweete breath of his Spirit The Lord kned into your heart these spirituall meditations which are of the purest straine O Father of mercies giue vnto this soule a most sure Infefâ—…ment of heauen by the hand of thy Spirit Make some drops of thy Myrrhe to enter in by some litle creuice of his heart Put in thine hand by the keye hole of the doore that his bowels may bee moued for thee Let such a strength now repare from thee vnto him that the world may see that thy strength is made perfect in weaknesse It shall bee expedient that nowe yee his Pastour in a short prayer recommend him to God againe Behold him now at the last gaspes his eye stringes are broken The water of death trickleth downe ouer his cheekes His life is now drawen to an haire O Lord while bodilie sight and senses faile make spirituall sight and sense succeede in a greater perfection Make a spaite of thy grace with a mightie streame to carrie him to glorie O deare Friend vp with your heart to your God Nowe all your sins shall die with your sicknesse The Rocke of your Saluation Iesus hath shiuered them in pieces There is 〈◊〉 condemnation to these that are in Christ who out of the pangs of loue suffered that paines of hell for mans RedeÌ„ption His Angels Sir are heere waiting vpon your Soule for to carrie it to pleasures for euermore Yet a little while and loe yee shall bee at the vpshotte of all your woe Yee are nowe vtterlie out of the reach of all the powers of hell euen vpon the borders of euerlasting pleasures vnmixed pleasures which shall turne all your teares into triumphes The Pastour Now Sir Gird vp the loynes of your minde make haste to your God who shortlie shall put into your haÌ„d the palme of victorie Sathan is chained vp now for doing you anie more harme The night of your trouble is past Christ that blessed Day spring hath brought a morning mercie vnto your Soule His graces in you hath shined more and more and so shall doe vntill the perfect day euen vntill your Soule carried on Eagles winges reach the hight of Heauen where without teares or tediousnesse are pleasures for euermore Though your tongue now faile you Sir let your heart be busie with God in prayer hee will hearten and encourage you in all the businesse Your taske is at an end Heaue vp your heart to Christ crucified with vs and that with sighes and sobbes the groanings of his owne Spirit Though your bodie now be cold the Spirit of Iesus shall by a free and vitall operation maintaine the heate and vigour of your Soule The Spirit of comfort conueye vnto your soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let vs pray The last prayer for the sicke Man in the verie jawes of death O LORD whose mercies are aboue all thy workes it was neuer thy custome to send away a broken heart without comfort Now heare the secret gâ—…oanes and sighes of thy seruant whose soule is ready in this gasping agonie to come out of its Tabernacle for to coÌ„peare before thee Thou who hast giuen him thy Son for a ransome giue him thy Spirit for a pledge Furnish him with force for to fight and finish this Battell in victory As thou hast bene at the beginning of his beeing euen the beginner of his beeing so now bee thou the ende at which hee aimes euen the ende of all his woes And seeing hee is now in the narrow throat of death helpe him by thy power till hee hath past this passage Put now into him a fresh liâ—…e that in a strong vigour hee may runne with the feete of the Hinde till hee come to thee in eteâ—…nitie Make him now supple and nimble
anima mea egredere quid dubitas Egredere quid times His multis annis Christo Domino servisti ad huc mortem timebis O anima insignita Dei imagine decorata similitudine desponsata in fide dotata in spiritu redempta sanguine deputata cum Angelis capax beatitudinis haeres bonitatis rationis particeps quid tibi cum carne qua haud aliud vilius sterquilinium invenisti Augustin Vita haec misera est mors incerta si subito obrepat quo hinc exibimus Et ubi nobis discenda sunt quae hic negleximus Annon potius hujus negligentiae supplicia luenda sunt TEMPVS IN OPVS CVM VIventibus tum Morientibus vtilissimum A. D. ZACHARIA BODIO Glasguensis Ecclesiae Pastore adornatum AD LECTOREM Epigramma FOElix qui sancte potuit traducere vitam Et tandem extremum Sanctè obijsse diem Haec duo qui didicisse cupis tibi pandit vtrumque Hic Liber hunc animo volue revolue tuo Ad Authorem Libri distichon ejusdem Qui calamo qui voce doces vitaque perennè Vivore in aeternum vivito ZACHARIA IOHANNES BELVS Glasguensis Ecclesiae Pastor Academiae RECTOR AD VIRVM PIETATE Et eruditione praestantem D. ZACHARIAM BODIVM GLASGVENSIS Ecclesiae Pastorem de praeparatione ad mortem postquam ex deplorato morbo convaluisset Scribentem ERGO te nuper mortis de faucibus atrae Ereptum nobis reddidit Omnipotens Vt Doctus moriendi artem expertusque doceres Qua datur aetheream transitus adpatriam Qui bene vivendi toties praecepta dedisti Doctrinae reserans horrea plena sacrae Foelix Zacharia Doctor Sanctisima cuius Vox pariter Scripta consona vita docent IOHANNES STRANGIVS S. S. Theologiae D. Accademiae Glasguensis Praefectus IN DIVINA INTEGERrimi viri D. ZACHARIAE BODII Ecclesiastae non è multis meditamenta cum è desperatâ valetudine ad pristinam salutem revaluâ—…rat FRustra veternum sollicitas meum Bodi Thaliae ad munta barbitos Obmutet exurdante nostras Voce Scholae strâ—…perâ Camoenas Iam colligendas sarcinulas monet Quae vulsit aurem Mors modo pallida Laureta Cyrrhae Musicasque Thespiadum fugito choreas Tu perge Homeri carminis alite Laudande quò te mens ammi vocat Qui baccare lauro revinctos Castalio lavis amne crines Fatalis ex quo crudâ Hecates manu Attonsa pene est caesaries tibi Fato superstes reditusque Incolumis renovas duellum De morte partam appendis adoream Vtque Hydra secto corpore fortior Crevit revîxti ter triumpho Clarior spolijs opimis Qualis Caystri fluminis accola Morti propinquus dulciter incinit Melos supremum talis ista Naenia quâ superos remulces Macte indole istâ macte faventiâ Excude fructus uberis ingenî O aureum vere libellum Melle sacro sale temperatum Hoc amoris ergò scribebat Io. Rayus ludi publici litterarii Móderator Edinburgi THE LAST BATTELL of the Soule in death diuided into eight seuerall Conferences The first dayes conference Of carnall and worldlie temptations The sicke man MY Bodie is sicke my Soule is wounded Gods wrath is fearefull it burneth to the bottome of Hell The heate thereof already maketh my Soule to sweate I can find no Skrine or Sconce to set betweene mee and this fire Oh in all appearance I shall shortlieâ—…ee dissolued for to be brought before that great Tribunall Alas what terrours are these Sinne Sicknesse Death the Graue and an vnprepared Soule I tremble all like Belshazzar Mine heart is entangled with feares my knees shiuer and smite one against another Mine heart is pricked while I remember mine euill spent life While I had time to doe good I was of the frozen Generation Nowe Gods glowmes like Boanarges Sonnes of Thunder armed with fierie furie make heart and Soule to melt and to fall downe in droppes within my bowles Oh for a drop of water for to coole the boyling heate oâ—… mine heart Is there no man heere that can affoord me a word of comfort for to vphold mine heart into this heauie houre A spirituall Friend Sir I thinke it expedient that ye send for your Pastour the man of God that beareth the keyes of â—…he Kingdome of heauen It may bee that the good God shall put some words of comfort into his mouth whereby your wearied Soule shall bee refreshed* while the chosen Servants of God speake his words to the fainte heart the Lord putteth foorth a power to enable them to doe all that wherfore they are spoken So soone as S. Peter had spoken to the lamed man his feete and ancle bones receiued strength Though miracles cease now yet this shall bee true so long as the world standeth The effectuall feruent prayer of a rightcous man auaileth much Will it please you Sir that I goe for to fetch him The sicke Man Hee shall bee welcome vnto mee But alas while I might I frequented him too little I haunted rather the coÌ„panie of these that delighted mee with sportes and jests whereof now I haue no comfort Because I thought I could repent heereafter I did that whereof I may now repent and whereof indeed as I feare I shall repent but too late â—… This now puts my Soule into the dumps now al my foolish laughters are turned into mourning for I feare exceedinglie to die I tremble and tosse within this bed GOD alone knoweth what shall bee the end of this lingring tryall Goe Sir I pray you and desire the man of God to come and visite a bruised reede and a smoaking flaxe A spirituall Friend I goe for him presentlie I hope before hee leaue you yee shall find this tempest of temptations to growcalme In the meane-time till hee come I pray you to remember that all your paines are but a crosse sent before to crucifie the loue of the world In your greatest distresse striue to bee a Disciple of Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joye that was set before him endured the crosse Bee not discouraged in your greatest smarts For reproofes of instruction are the way of life In your greatest feare remember the joy that is set before you The Pastour Sir hauing knowne of your disease by your godlie friend I am come to see you and to impart vnto you some spirituall comforts While the Soule is sore troubled thereis danger in delay A bruised Spiritis like a bone out of joynt the longer it be let alone the hardlier it is set If I had knowne of your sickenesse sooner I would haue visited you ere now The Sicke Man I rejoyce Sir to see you my Soule euer loued you But alas not as I should haue done If God should but at this time spare my life with the helpe of my God yee should see mee at once a farre changed man The Pastour Come Death come Life God maketh all
brought me out of an horrible pitte out of the myrrie clay and set my feete vpon a Rocke and established my goings He hath put a new song into my mouth euen praise vnto our God many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lord. O that I had breath for the setting foorth of his praise Happie is he who while he may vtter words praiseth God continuallie Blessed is that man who may call his tongue his Glorie O my Soule I charge thee by the Roes and by the Hindes of the fielde that thou cease not to praise his Might his Mercie and his Majestie O my Soule take heede and listen vnto his voyce O Iesus the great Deputie of mercie sent by the Father forsake mee not in this heauie houre Now I sore sicken so that all naturall force faileth me My words now so weaâ—…ie mee that I thinke ere it be long this bodie shall bee lodged in the place of silence But let mee intreate you Sir so long as ye shall perceiue life to bee in mee let it please you to continue in some good purpose concerning the world to come By some holie discourse rouse vp my drousie Spirit hold mine heart vpon an edge Let me not die like a senselesse Nabal of whom it is written that his heart died within him so that hee became like a stone Manie blindlie and boldlie rush into hell I beseech you Sir to waite well vpon mee till yee see the ende I thinke that ere it bee long my Soule shall bee at the farthest tryst O Lord warme my frozen Soule with the sense of the kindled compassions of the bowels of thy loue Inlighten my mistie minde cleare it with thy countenance Bee thou the comforter of my Conscience vntil the day break and the shadows flie away Take now Sir my Soule into the armes of your prayers lift it vp and lay it into that blessed bosome of my Lordes mercies Bend yet againe your knees before God in prayer that hee for his mercies sake would receiue mee into my Masters joye O but my Soule fluttereth fast within mee for to bee at my God Let it please you to bee feruent in prayer for mee that I may foile vnder my feete the Deuill Death and all the powers of hell The Deuill in death will not faile to giue mee a furious assault at the chiefest fortresse of my Saluation for to batter it downe to the ground Intreate the Lord that his mercie may bee a strong rempart and a blessed Bul-wark against all the Engines of hell which are readie bent to waste and hauock all Gods graces within mee O Lord campe thine Angels about mee Place thy Pauilions of war betweene mee and mine enemies Refresh mee more and more with thy comforts Giue mee the earnest of these joyes which passe all vnderstanding Possesse mee with the Spirit of gladnesse for that thou in mercie hast forgiuen mee my sinnes Continue so vnto the end that in the heauens for euer this may be the burden of my song For his mercie indureth for euer Let it please you Sir on whome God hath vouchsafed the Spirit of Prayer in a good and great measure to assist mee with your comforts and prayers lest by temptations I should beginne to slacke off my care and watchfulnesse The Pastour Hold fast your eye vpon Christ your Redeemer Follow him thorow the valey of death for hee hath not onelie pointed out our path but as Captaine of our Saluation hath troden euery steppe before vs Yee may well sticke a little in the narrow throate of Death but that one steppe being past yee enter into Rehoboth a place of roome farre from the reekie smoke vaine shadowes and dreames of earthlie vanitie and perishing pleasures Bee glad Sir to flit from this barren moorish ground and muddie mortalitie for to goe to a paradise a Palace a place of pleasures for euermore According to your desire wee shall returne to God by prayer A Prayer for the sicke man drawing neare to the doores of death O Father of mercies and God of all comforts in whom all goodnesse and graces are treasured let it please thee fauourablie to regard the soule of this thy seruant here whose heart panteth after thee as the wearied Hart panteth after the water brookes Refresh his Soule with the diuine dew of thy grace till it bee entered in at the gates of Glorie Powre into his hearte the sweete streames of thy loue Settle his soule in a right and vpright course so long as it remaineth in this mistie muddie mortalitie send out thy light and guide it by thy Grace till it hath passed the straites of Death for to enter into the Land of vprightnes O Father of mercies perswade him by thy Spirit that the comming of Death shall bee to him a time of discharge a time of freedome from sicknes of bodie anguish of Spirit trouble of Conscience and from all possibilitie of sinning anie more Let him know that while hee is going to the Graue hee is going to a bedde of ease where most quietlie he shall rest from all his toylesome labours Turne all feare of Death into a chearefull expectation and longing for the houre of dissolution Make quiet his Conscience that he may die with comfort O thou Sauiour of mankind whose boweles are filled with mercifull compassions spreade the wing of thy righteous garment ouer this Soule of thy seruant Thou hast shaken him with thy terrours in diuerse assaults Thou hast broght him low for to make him a fitte passenger for the little doore which leadeth vnto Glorie Leaue him not now Lord in his greatest neede Make thine Angels camped about him powerfully to assist him against al the last assaults of that euill one Thou who hast heard all his groanes registrat thou his sighs and put all his teares into thy bottels suffer not thy kindled zeale to coole in him In an holie despaire of his owne worth make him whollie to relye vpon thy meere mercies in Christe the onelie salue for sicke Soules and remeed for broken bones While hee is weakest work with thy Spirit feelinglie and powerfullie into his hearte Subdue euerie euill motion that may arise therein for the troubling of his soule Draw vp his desire aboue the pitch of all natural knowledge Banish all earthlie thinges cleane out of his minde and make all his thoughts to attend vpon thee In thy diuine might rebuke Sathan that hee interrupt not thy comforts Let him not bee able by his secret craft and vyles to steale from him the pledges of thy loue O Sonne of GOD O Sunne of Righteousnes send a quickning heate with a shining light into his sillie Soule Make thy blessed Beames to strik on his heart for to warme it with thy loue Set all his desires a floate from the moode of sinful mortalitie Thou at diuerse times hast affrighted him fearefullie with
hardlie thinke of buriall A morning mementomori is not able to waken vs so fast are wee lulled asleepe in carnall securitie euen while the dead Bell soundeth wee forget o◅ niortalitie The House of mourning is become an house of drinking of snuffing and of sneuelling with Tobacca Though wee bee warned wee are not wiser In Solomons dayes the liuing in such places laid such thinges to their heart But alas euen while in the thoughts of the gastlie visage of death we are carrying others to the graue our hearts are not molten and liquified for sinne the cause of our mortalitie While wee put our hand to the Beire wee may get some light sudden flashes of deuotion but anone we forget that within a short time as wee doe to others so shall bee done to vs Euen while wee walke with the dead to the Graue wee dreame of immortalitie forgetting our borrowed dayes If there bee any heate of zeale in our hearts how soone is it cooled Mans heart is like water which as the Learned obserue becommeth more cold after the heating than it was before Such heate because it is not naturall and kindlie but forced by fire it cannot continue but must bee foorth-with extinguished Man is like an Horse that naturallie ◅rots though by industrie hee bee broken and made to ◅mble for a space yet euer and anone hee preaseth to goe out of his amble for to enter into his trot While we are at the Beire and the dead corp◅ in sight an ambling sorrow for a space may make the bowels of our bellie to wamble But haue wee once turned our backe vpon the Graue and wee anone to the olde trot of our former folies While wee should learne to die wee plant our selues in the face and glorie of the world Wee are so troubled with Marthas many things that wee forget Maries best par◅ Many come to their death-bed before that they had euer earnestlie thought of their life They die euen then whē they thought to begin to amend their life Thus as ye see they die deceiued in their delayes they die before they know wherfore they liued Their Sunne setteth while they are entering on the journey The euening of their life is the morning of their task By by base respects their mind◅ are caried on the by Foolish fancie◅ creepe in by stealth slilie insinuate and winde in themselues into their heartes wherein beeing once fast cogged they keepe the minde musing on vanitie till the Sunne of their life bee set While their time is thus spent they can doe nothing but lament the losse of that which they cannot recouer Vitae summa brevis spem Nos vetat in choare longam A short life is not for long and large projects Poore man is sent vnto this world for a great businesse to bee done in a short time Hee must first of all glorifie his God and in that doing hee must worke out the great worke of his Saluation All the time alloted to this businesse is but threescore and ten yeares or foure score at the most But alas most men sleepe both the morning and noone of their life And yet which is worse euen while they see their Sunne going downe and posting to the west they haue no care to redeeme the time At the comming of death their assigned businesse is scarchlie well begunne Most men are so miserablie muffled that they cannot see the sand of their houre glasse in a continuall course Oh that we were wise to bee forearmed for death whereof wee are forewarned As the Cananitish woman picked comfort out of the reproachful name of Dogge so out of all thinges should wee without daintie nicenesse bee storing vp comforts for to vphold vs in our last and most heauie houre But Oh where is the man who in time is carefull to redeeme his euill idly spent houres O foolish man fye vpon thee shall the sickle follie of an houre cost thee the lose of that glorious immortalitie Wilt thou not thinke in time that grimme Death shall come at last like an armed man for to bereaue thee of thy Soule thou neither can tell how when nor where Happie is that man whose journey time businesse and breath are finished together Happie shall that t◅yst be when these foure shall finish in immortalitie It is good that in time wee set all the powers of our Soule vpon Christ that out of his Sacred person wee may suck the influence of his goodnesse whereby wee may bee saued from the traines treasons of the Deuill He is euer readie to strik fyre with his frezell and his flint if wee will find him tinder Oh that our hearts continuallie could minde things that are aboue All things below are vnconstant as water they sl◅d away but Gods fauour is more fixed than Mount Syon What an heart-scald should this bee vnto vs that wee haue so long neglected this best part not remembering our latter end Let vs now therefore consider in time that wee are all into this world but Tenants at will Prince people great and small all must leaue this Cottage of clay at the first warning Pale Death at its first approach will anone change the copie of their countenance Stat sua cuique dies Euerie mans day is set None can transgresse his appointed houre God absolutelie at Death must bee obeyed None by force or fauour may sit his summonds Wee by the death of others are all lawfullie forewarned to flit remoue All things aboue vs beneath vs about vs cry vnto vs that wee must shortly leaue this world for to goe sleepe in slime No contentment of man below can out-last the date of foure score year◅s O Lord open our eyes that we may see how the sickle figure of this world passeth away Happie and thrise happie is hee who after the bitter and bloodie Battell of this life is with olde Simeon departed in peace As the life of the godlie is gracious so is their death precious This wee learne in Scripture Precious to the Lord is the death of his Sainctes But as for all the wicked who while they liued did justle out of their hearts all feare of God they shall be so wrapped in his wrath that their hearts shall bee slitted with sorrow While the godlie with Elias shall bee princelie carried into Gods royall Coach vnto heauen the wicked Ahab shall be sent into a bloodie Charet vnto hell depriued of all these comforts which they on earth did most eagerlie desire All their princelie pleasures shall be followed with pinching paines Such will boast boldlie before death come but at the slight and light touch of a Feuer or Fluxe they quickelie plucke in their snailes hornes like Ahab lowring in sacke-cloth When sicknesse beginneth to lay siege to their noble parts they weakly waile womanly lament Then know they but too late that