may be spoken here as the holy Ghost hath vttered in the word and that I wil reduce to certaine rules The first is that the will must be made according to the law of nature and the written word of God and the good and wholesome positiue lawes of that kingdom or cuntry wherof a man is a member The will of God must be the rule of mans will And therefore the will that is made against any of these is faultie The second is that if goods euill gotten be not restored before they must euen then be restored by will or by some other way It is the practise of couetous mē to bequeath their soules when they die to God withall to bequeath their goods euill gotten to their children friends which in all equitie should bee restored to them to whom they belong Quest. Howe if a mans conscience tell him that his goods be euill gotten and he knowes not where or to whome to make restitution Ans. The case is common the answer is this When he is known whom thou hast wronged restore to him particularly if the partie be vnknown or dead restore to his executors or assignes or to his next kin if there be none yet keepe not goods euill gotten to thy selfe but restore to God that is in way of recompence and ciuil satisfaction bestow them on the Church or common-wealth The third rule is that heads of families must principally bestowe their goods on their owne children and them that be of their kindred This man saith God to Abraham of Eleazar a straunger shall not be thine heire but the son which shal come of thy loynes And this was Gods commaundemēt to the Israelites that when any man dies his sonne should be his heire if he haue no sonne then his daughter if he haue no daughter then his brethren and if he haue no brethren then his fathers brethren and if that there be none then the next of the kinne whosoeuer And Paul saith If ye be sonnes then also heires and againe He that prouides not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold is worse then an infidell Therefore it is a fault of any man to alienate his goods or lands wholly finally from his blood and posteritie It is a thing which the very law of nature it selfe hath condemned Againe it is a fault to giue all to the eldest and nothing in respect to the rest as though the eldest were borne to be gentlemen yonger brethren borne to beare the wallet Yet in equitie the eldest must haue more then any euen because he is the eldest because stocks and families in their persons are to be maintained and because there must alwaies be some that must be fitte to doe speciall seruice in the peace of the common weale or in the time of warre which could not be if goods should be equally parted to al. The fourth and last rule is that no Will is of force till the testatour be dead for so long as he is aliue he may alter and change it These rules must be remembred because they are recorded in Scripture the opening of other points circumstances belongeth to the profession of the law The second dutie of the master of the familie concerneth the soules of such as be vnder his gouernment and that is to giue charge to them that they learne beleeue and obey the true religion that is the doctrine of Saluation set downe in the writings of the Prophets Apostles The Lord himselfe cōmends Abraham for this I knowe Abraham saith he that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnes and iudgement And Dauid giues Salomon on his death-bed a most notable solemne charge the summe and substance whereof is to know the God of his fathers and to serue him which beeing done he further commends him to God by prayer for which purpose the 72. psal was made This practise of his is to be followed of all Thus gouernours when they shall carefully dispose of their goods and giue charge to their posteritie touching the worship of God shall greatly honour God dying as well as liuing Hitherto I haue intreated of the two-fold preparatiō which is to goe before death now follows the second part of Dying-well namely the disposition in death This disposition is nothing els but a religious and holy behauiour specially towards God when we are in or neare the agonie and pang of death This behauiour containes three speciall duties The first is to die in or by faith To die by faith is whē a man in the time of death doth with all his heart rely himselfe wholly on Gods speciall loue and fauoure and mercie in Christ as it is reuealed in the word And though there be no part of mans life void of iust occasions whereby we may put faith in practise yet the speciall time of all is the pang of death when friends and riches and pleasures and the outward senses temporall life all earthly helpes forsake vs. For then true faith maketh vs to go wholly out of our selues and to despaire of comfort and saluation in respect of an earthly thing with all the power strength of the heart to rest on the pure mercie of God This made Luther both thinke and say that men were best Christians in death An example of this faith we haue in Dauid who when he sawe nothing before his eies but present death the people intending to stone him comforted him at that very instant as the text saith in the Lord his God And this comfort he reaped in that by faith he applied vnto his own soule the mercifull promises of God as he testifieth of himselfe Remember saith he the promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust It is my comfort in trouble for thy promise hath quickned me Againe My flesh failed and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Now looke what Dauid here did the same must euery one of vs do in the like case When the Israelites in the wildernes were stung with fierie serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the brasen serpent which was erected by the appointment of God and were presently healed euen so when any man feeles death to drawe neere his fierie sting to pierce the heart he must fixe the eye of a true and liuely faith vpon Christ exalted and crucified on the crosse which beeing done he shal by death enter into eternall life Now because true faith is no dead thing it must be expressed by especiall actions the principall whereof is inuocation wherby either praier or thanksgiuing is directed vnto God When death had seazed vpon the body of Iacob he raised vp himselfe and turning his face towards the beddes head
sicknes wil cause the grosses◠hypocrite that euer was to stoope and buckle vnder the hand of God and to dissemble faith and repentance and euery grace of God as though he had them as fully as any of the true seruants of God wheras indeed he wants thē altogether Wherfore such repentance commonly is but counterfeit For in true sound repentance men must forsake their sinnes but in this the sinne forsakes the man who leaues all his euill waies onely vpon this that he is constrained to leaue the world Wherefore it is a thing greatly to be wished that men would repent prepare themselues to die in the time of health before the day of death or sicknesse come Lastly it is alleadged that one of the theeues repented vpon the crosse Ans. The thiefe was called after the eleuenth houre at the point of the twelfth when he was now dying and drawing on Therefore his conuersion was altogether miraculous and extraordinarie and there was a speciall reasō why Christ would haue him to be called then that while he was in suffering he might shew forth the vertue of his passion that all which saw the one might also acknowledge the other Now it is not good for men to make an ordinarie rule of an extraordinarie example Thus then this point beeing manifest that a generall preparation must be made let vs now see in what manner it must be done And for the right doing of it fiue duties must be practised in the course of our liues The first is the meditation of death in the life time for the life of a Christian is nothing els but a meditatiō of death A notable practise hereof we haue in the example of Ioseph of Arimathea who made his tombe in his life time in the middest of his garden no doubt for this ende to put himself in mind of death and that in the midst of his delight and pleasures Heathen Philosophers that neuer knew Christ had many excellent meditations of death though not comfortable in regard of life euerlasting Now wee that haue knowne and beleeued in Christ must goe beyond them in this point considering with our selues such things as they neuer thought of namely the cause of death our sinne the remedie thereof the cursed death of Christ cursed I say in regard of the kinde of death and punishment laid vpon him but blessed in regard of vs. Thirdly we must often meditate of the presence of death which wee doe when by Gods grace we make an account of euery present day as if it were the day of our death reckon with our selues when we goe to bed as though we should neuer rise againe and when we rise as though wee should neuer lie downe againe This meditation of death is of speciall vse and brings forth many fruits in the life of man And first of al it serues to humble vs vnder the hand of God Example we haue of Abraham who said Behold I haue begunne now to speake to my Lord and I am but dust and ashes Marke here how the consideration of his mortality made him to abase cast downe himselfe in the sight of God and thus if we could reckon of euery day as of the last day it would pull down our peacocks feathers and make vs with Iob to abhorre our selues in dust and ashes Secondly this meditation is a meanes to further repentance When Ionas came to Niniuie cried Yet fourty daies and Niniue shall bee destroyed the whole citie repented in sackecloath and ashes When Elias came to Ahab and tolde him that the dogges should eate Iesabel by the wall of Iesreel him also of Ahabs stocke that died in the citie c. it made him to humble himself so as the lord saith to Elias Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me Now if the remēbrance of death was of such force in him that was but an hypocrite how excellent a meanes of grace will it be in them that truely repent Thirdly this meditatiō seems to stirre vp contentation in euery estate and condition of life that shall befall vs. Righteous Iob in the midst of his afflictions comforts himself with this consideration Naked saith he cam I forth of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne againe c blessed bee the name of the Lord. And surely the often meditation of this that a man of al his aboundance can carrie nothing with him but either a coffin or a winding sheete or both should bee a forcible meanes to represse the vnsatiable desire of riches the loue of this world Thus we see what an effectuall meanes this meditation is to encrease and further the grace of God in the hearts of men Now I commend this first duty to your Christian considerations desiring the practice of it in your liues which practise that it may take place two things must be performed 1. labour to plucke out of your hearts a wicked erroneous imagination whereby euery man naturally blesseth himselfe and thinkes highly of himselfe and though he had one foote in the graue yet he perswades himselfe that he shall not die yet There is no man almost so olde but by the corruptiō of his hart he thinks that he shall liue one yeare longer Cruell vnmerciful death makes league with no man and yet the Prophet Esai saith that the wicked man makes a league with death How can this bee there is no league made indeed but onely in the wicked imaginatiō of man who falsly thinkes that death will not come neere him though al the world should be destroied See an example in the parable of the rich mā that hauing stored vp abundance of wealth for many years said vnto his own soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime wheras his soule was fetched away presētly And seeing this natural corruption is in euery mans hart we must daily fight against it and labour by al might maine that it take no place in vs for so long as it shall preuaile we shall be vtterly vnfit to make any preparation to death We ought rather to indeauour to attaine to the mind and meditation of S. Hierome who testifieth of himself on this manner Whether I wake or sleepe or whatsoeuer I doe me thinkes I heare the sound of the trumpet rise ye dead and come to iudgement The second thing which we are to practise that wee may come to a serious meditation of our owne ends is to make praier vnto God that we might bee inabled to resolue our selues of death continually Thus Dauid praied Lord make me to knowe mine ende and the measure of my daies let mee knowe how long I haue to liue And Moses Lord teach me to number my daies that I may apply mine heart vnto wisedom It may be said What need mē pray to God that they may be able to number their daies can not they of
themselues to beleeue bee able in the pang of death to rest vpon the mercie of God Againe he that would die in obedience must first of all leade his life in obedience hee that hath liued in disobedience can not willingly and in obedience appeare before the iudge when hee is cited by death the sergeant of the Lord he dies indeed but that is vpon necessitie because he must yeeld to the order and course of nature as other creatures doe Thirdly hee that would surrender his soule into the hands of God must bee resolued of two things the one is that god can the other is that God will receiue his soule into heauen and there preserue it till the last iudgement And none can be resolued of this except he haue the spirit of God to certifie his conscience that he is redeemed iustified sanctified by Christ and shall bee glorified Hee that is not thus perswaded dare not render vp and present his soule vnto God When Dauid said Lord into thy handes I commend my spirit what was the reason of this boldnesse in him surely nothing else but the perswasion of faith as the next wordes import for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth And thus it is manifest that no man ordinarily can performe these duties dying that hath not performed them liuing This beeing so I doe againe renew my former exhortation beseeching you that ye would practise the duties of preparation in the course of your liues leading them daily in faith and obedience and from time to time commending your selues into the hand of God and casting all your workes vpon his prouidence They which haue done this haue made most happie and blessed endes Enoch by faith walked with God as one that was alwaies in his presence leading an vpright and godly life and the Lord tooke him away that he should not see death And this which befell Enoch shall after a sort befall them also that liue in faith and obedience because death shal be no death but a sleepe vnto them and no enemie but a friend to bodie and soule On the contrary let vs consider the wretched miserable endes of them that haue spent their daies in their sinnes without keeping faith a good conscience The people of the old world were drowned in the flood the filthy Sodomites and Gomorrheans were destroyed with fire from heauen Dathan and Abiram with the company of Core were swallowed vp of the earth Core himselfe as it seemes by the text being burnt with fire wicked Saul and Achitophel and Iudas destroy themselues Herod is eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost Iulian the Apostata smitten with a dart in the field died casting vp his blood into the ayre blaspheming the name of Christ. Arius the hereticke died vpon the stoole scouring forth his very entralls And this very age affoards store of like examples Hoffemeister a great Papist as he was going to the councill of Ralisbone to dispute against the defēders of the Gospel was suddenly in his iourney preuented by the hand of God and miserably died with horrible roaring and crying out In the Vniuersitie of Louaine Guarlacus a learned Papist falling sicke when he perceiued no way with him but death he fell into miserable agonie and perturbation of spirit crying out of his sinnes how miserably he had liued and that hee was not able to abide the iudgement of God so casting out words of miserable desperation saide his sins were greater then they could be pardoned and in that desperation ended his daies Iacobus Latromus of the same vniuersitie of Louaine after that he had beene at Bruxels and there thinking to doe a great acte against Luther and his fellowes made an oration before the Emperour so foolishly and ridiculously that he was laughed to scorne almost of the whole court then returning frō thence to Louaine againe in his publike lecture he fell into open madnesse vttering such wordes of desperatiō and blasphemous impietie that other Diuines which were present were faine to carie him away as he was rauing and to shut him into a close chamber From that time to his very last breath he had neuer any thing else in his mouth but that he was damned and reiected of God and that there was no hope of saluation for him because that wittingly and against his knowledge he withstood the manifest truth of Gods word Crescentius the Popes Legat and Vicegerent in the councell of Trent was sitting all the day long vntill darke night in writing of letters to the Pope after his labour when night was come thinking to refresh himselfe he began to rise and at his rising behold there appeared to him a mightie blacke dogge of an huge bignesse his eyes flaming with fire his eares hanging low downe well neare to the grounde which beganne to enter in and straight to come towardes him and so to couch vnder the boord The Cardinall not a little amazed at the sight thereof somewhat recouering himselfe called immediately to his seruants which were in the outward chamber next by to bring in a candle and to seeke for the dogge But when the dogge could not be found there nor in any other chamber about the Cardinall thereupon stricken with a sudden conceit of minde immediately fel into such a sicknesse whereof his Physitians which he had about him could not with all their industrie and cunning cure him and thereupon he died Steuen Gardiner when a certaine Bishop came vnto him and put him in minde of Peter denying his master answered againe that he had denied with Peter but neuer repented with Peter and so to vse M. Foxes words stinkingly and vnrepentantly died More examples might be added but these shall suffice Againe that we may be further induced to the practise of these duties let vs call to minde the vncertentie of our daies though we now liue yet who can say that he shall be aliue the next day or the next houre No man hath a lease of his life Now marke as death leaues a man so shall the last iudgement finde him and therefore if death take him away vnprepared eternall damnation followes without recouerie If a thiefe be brought from prison either to the barre to bee arraigned before the iudge or to the place of execution he will bewaile his misdemeanour past and promise all reformation of life so be it he might be deliuered though he be the most arrant thiefe that euer was In this case we are as fellons or theeues for we are euery day going to the barre of Gods iudgement there is no stay or standing in the way euen as the ship in the sea continues on his course day night whether the marriners be sleeping or waking therefore let vs all prepare our selues and amende our liues betime that in death wee may make a blessed ende Ministers of the Gospel doe daily call for the performance of this dutie but where