how confounding art thou to the workers of Iniquity but how amiable and delightful are the thoughts of thee to the godly for they have Eternity added to their Happiness the other to their Misery Oh what a long Lease will this be of Heavens glory that shall never expire the want of duration makes the worlds glory of little worth but Eternity makes Hells torments so Tormenting and Heavens Joy so desirable these shall never wax old nor know end Here thou â—eedest not weary thy self in Counting he fleeting hours or the return of weeks or months or years here is neither Clock nor Watch nor Dial to observe Time by nor Sun nor Moon nor Stars to distinguish Day from Night or Summer from Winter for Time shall be no more it will be swallowed up of Eternity one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day God reckons not time as we do their Sun shall know no Eclipse nor their Moon no Change When death opens the door for the soul to enter into Eternity it shall not float there but be immediately posted into glory the Spirit shall return to God that gave it where it shall enjoy for ever those good things which it hath laboured for and thirsted after and reap the fruit of all the pains it hath taken for Heaven Oh my soul Eternity will be the very Crown of thy Crown and the Crown of Heaven it self for if thou didst certainly know thy Joyes would expire Heaven would be filled with sad thoughts and sowre sawce to thy sweet meat and spoil all thy mirth Oh my soul thou hast noâ— a price put into thy hands the Lord give thee a heart to get wisdom let not the thoughts of a short trouble or a little pain make thee loâ—e the race and mis the prize but rather suffer any temporal pain than eternal and suffer any loss rather than the loss of thy soul the loss of thy God thy Heaven and thy happiness Thou hast seen what death is both to the godly and wicked that it is common to both but no enemy to a Believer that there is nothing in the world of equal value with celestial Treasures that Death can do thee no hurt but much good in freeing thee from evil and putting thee into the possession of all that is really good thou hast seen the reward of Obedience and the punishment of denying Christ what is thy resolution Wilt thou be faithful to the death then here is offered a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 If thou wilt prove an Apostate thou must have thy portion with Judas and go down to thy place Heaven and Hell Life and Death are set before thee choose which thou wilt Oh my God I see reason sufficient why I should give up my Life to thy dispose I am convinc'd that it is my Duty and my Interest Lord suffer not this treacherous heart to deceive me let me consult with Faith and not with Sence let me never trust in my own strength neither distrust thine Lord through thy strength I can do all things but without thee I can do nothing Lord I believe help my unbelief let me honour thee both by my life and by my death if thou wilt thou canst let this Cup pass from me yet not my will but thine be done Lord fit the back before thou lay on the burden enable me to obey and then command what thou wilt if it be thy will I shall be sacrificed Lord accept of the Sacrifice and thy will be done let thy strength be seen in my weakness and Lord Jesus receive my Spirit FINIS ERRATA PAge 24. line 25. add some P. 36. l. 24. for may r. many P. 79. l. 6 blot out to P. 114. l. 30. blot out the p. 117. l. 9. add or p. 145. l. 22. for they were r. thou wert p. 147. l. 24. add out p. 188. l. 28. blot out from p. 195. l. 22. for defirmity r. deformity p. 212. l. 27. for stench r. stink p. 214. l. 22. for him r. it p. 229. l. 29. add he p. 236. l. 23. no comma after in p. 241. for transfigurati r. transfiguration p. 254. l. 20. blot out have a p. 267. l. 10. for it r. thee p. 268. l. 23. blot out nay l. 27. for be r. by p. 282. l. 19. for ignotus r. ignotis EPISTLE DEDICATORY Page 3. line 18. for triffs r. trifles p. 10. l. 16. add si p. 17. l. 10. for nescit r. scivit TO THE READER Page 15. line 12. for parllael r. parallel p. 23. l. 10. for iguotus r. ignotis Books Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers Chappel DAille on the Colossians Taylor on Christs Temptations Burgess on the Third Chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians Pareus on the Revelations One hundred select Sermons By Dr. Horton Quarto Scandret against Quakerism Bulkly on the Covenant Elton on the Commandements The Fiery Jesuit Morgan of Dialling Separation no Schism Dr. Collings upon an Opining Conscience Hodges's Creatures Goodness Considerations for Peace By the same Author Mr. Janeways Funeral Sermon The Morning Exercise against Popery Four useful Discourses By Mr. Burroughs Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks Brightman on the Revelations Large Octavo Heywoods Sure Mercies of David Cobbet on Prayer Polwheils Quenching of the Spirit Sober Singularity Heaven taken by Storm Lye's Spelling Book Aesops Fables Doolitels Catechise Whitakers 18 Sermons Dr. Stauntons Life Venning of Sin Normans Cases of Conscience Swinnock on the Attributes Hurst of Grace Calamy's Art of Meditation Shepperdice Spiritualized Wadsworths Remains Lewis's Grammar A POEM wherein is set forth the Vanity Frailty and Brevity of Mans Life as also the Certainty of Death with the Benefit of it to Believers THE Life we live resembles much a Play Where each man acts his part and so away The best act Comedies which Joyfully end Most Tragedies which to confusion tend Men are the Actors and the World 's the Stage Whereon appears persons of every age The good the bad the noble and the base Both Males and Females even all Adams race None are exempt each have some part to play Yet some have lesser some have more to say Some Childrens parts do play they cry and then March off when others act the parts of Men. Some on the Stage do fetch a turn or two Some look about them and no more adoe Some act their own and some anothers part In a disguise they 're honest Knaves in heart The worst in Royal Robes sometimes do dress them Those that their inside view have cause to bless them In their disguise like painted Tombs they shine They 're fair without but foul enough within In Silks and Sattins many men are clad When Dunghill-rakers are not half so bad But when Death comes in their own shape we find them Their borrowed Robes they then must leave behind them Some act in thred-bare Coats
conceptions can a brute beast have of a Rational being no better can we have of celestial things which are so far out of the reach of sense Kings are the highest degree of honour and dignity among men and therefore all the Saints are said to be Kings Kings wear Crowns and so do they but these Crowns are not made of gold but of Glory but what that glory is we yet know not God is the Sun of righteousness that casteth abroad his beams and the Angels and glorified Saints are as the Moon that are inlightned with his rayes and by reflexion become light and shine as the Stars in the Firmament by their borrowed light and how many millions of Suns then will appear at once in this Horizon which shall never set again Oh the wonderful love and mercy of God! that this body of clay shall then shine as the Sun and be made like unto the glorified body of the Lord Christ this is the place where sin and sorrow shall be no more they shall never enter these gates or ever reach the heart of any Believer no painful pang no hard labour no sickness no sorrow nothing that bespeaks evil shall ever enter but everlaststing Joy and endless triumph those that believe this and believe that they have a have a part in this they may well say with Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ If Cleombeotus hearing Plato's discourse of the Immortality of the soul hastened his own death that he might have the pleasure of another world well may a Christian though not lay violent hands upon himself yet wait every day when his appointed time come and cry out Come Lord Jesus come quickly Thus thou seest the place is glorious and the company delightful and adding more lustre to the place and more happiness to one another Here upon earth as thou art among sorrows and troubles so in a bad Neighbourhood even among men spiritually dead most thou conversest with are so and who but mad men would live among the tombes every family have some most families have all thus dead in trespasses and sins nay not only dead but infectious also every one hath some plague-sore or other running upon him and thou art apt to take the infection nay many are infected to the danger of the life of the soul and who would live in such an infected air in such a pest-house thou livest also amongst enemies some open some secret the latter many times worst of all some seek thy Estate by unjust dealing some would rob thee of thy good Name by detraction and reproaches by lyes and slanders others of thy liberty by persecution and some of thy life but the greatest enemies seek the destruction of both body and soul and all these lay snares in thy way to intrap thee many wait for thy halting and for an occasion to do thee a mischief but in heaven here is a good neighbourhood good society the inhabitants there are free from guile free from corruption self seeking every one loving another as himself and God better than all here both the Saints and Angels are perfect in Holiness without spot or stain without sin or sinful inclination here thou shalt sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of thy Father and have no worse company than the Spirits of just men made perfect It was Socrates the wisest of the Philosophers comfort when he was to dye that he should after death converse with Homer Hesiod and other excellent men in another world It was Cato's comfort against the pains of death that now he was to leave the Colluvies as he calls them that filthy sordid base unworthy company with which he was forc'd to converse those beastly belly-gods and that he should converse with the Souls of wise men departed But of all men in the world believers may comfort themselves that they shall in Heaven enjoy the company of Saints and Angels yea with God himself and come to the City of the great King Heb. 12.23 the Heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven for if the Society of the Saints were so delightful here when yet they had their Sins and Imperfections what will they be there when they shall be there when they shall be healed of all their corruptions if here they were Comely though black what will they be when they are without Spot or wrinkle here on Earth they are like fire-sticks setting one another on a flame of love provoking each other to love and to good works building each other up in their most holy faith exciting each others zeal for Gods glory and the common good watching over each other sympathizing each with other and helping to bear each others aflictions but oh how sweet then wilâ— their Society be when all imperfections shall be done away and they shall be perfect in holiness when nothing will appear but perfect Love Unity and Amity one with another when all shall be of one mind and every one shall speak the same thing and there shall be nothing to interrupt their joy or break their peace or frustrate their hopes or cross their wills Oh blessed Society between whom is no strife no contention no difference in judgment no discontent can arise where there is no hypocrite dissembler or hollow-hearted person among them but all mind all pursue the same thing the praise of their dear Redeemer when there is no Error in Judgment no disorder in the affections no disobedience in their wills no trouble in the conscience no defect in the memory Oh happy day when will it come when I shall enjoy those miriads of Angels and glorified Saints in glory here the Saints are tossed to and fro in the world as if they were not fit to live in it but there they come to their resting place this is their center where they are as firm as mount Sion and shall not be moved here is their work but there is their wages here is their suffering there is their Reward here is their pilgrimage there is their Country here they are subject to infirmities there they are made perfect in holiness here are those nimble Posts of Heaven Gen. 28.12 which Jacob saw ascending and descending upon the Ladder in his Vision these are Gods Army these are Believers Guardians and in Heaven they shall be their fellow Brethren here are the Noble Army of Martyrs that loved not their lives to the death whose garments were dyed red with their own blood Rev. 14. and now are made white in the blood of the Lamb here are the hundred forty four thousand John saw with harps in their hands which follow the Lamb which way soever he goes singing Halelujahs Salvation honour power and glory be unto our God here are the innumerable company which he saw out of all Nations and Countries and Languages which no man
full of trouble Yet many wish their dayes were three times double The Captive Slaves that in the Gallies lye To end their Bondage yet are loth to dye They flee from death although he be their friend For when he stops their Breath their Sorrows end Life is a warfare Death doth stint the strife We leave not fighting till we leave our life We fight against our sins the world and Devils At death we fully Vanquish all those evils To heavenly Joyes Death opens us the door Where sin and sorrow they shall be no more There 's no Corruption shall molest us there There 's no Temptation that we need to fear Why fear we Death then he this Boon will give Our Enemies shall dye but we shall live Life is the day wherein we labour hard Death is the night and then comes our reward Now we with Tempests on the Seas are driven Death is the Wind that blows us to our Haven Is he less happy that a brisker Gale Drives to the Shore or he that 's under Sail Whom fierce tempestuous winds as yet are driving Who with a thousand dangers yet are striving In life we in the raging Surges be Death comes and lands us in Eternity In life the Saints are Heirs but under age When death comes they receive their Heritage Heaven is our Kingdom but to come thereat There is no other way but through this Gate Life is our Journey Death our Journeys end Life is our Enemy and Death our Friend Death like a Pilot guides us to the Shoar He is the Porter that must ope ' the door We cannot serve our God or Christ enjoy Without distraction till our dying day Death 's but a quiet sleep when wearied 'T is but put off our Cloaths and go to bed Death is Gods pursivant and will compell Gods Friends to go to Heaven his Foes to Hell He is his Messenger none can prevent him None can resist him or the Lord that sent him Both Prince and Peasant drink of the same cup When he invites them home with him to Sup. All men must pledge the health Abel began There 's none exempt the Master nor the man The greatest Potentate cannot escape The way to Heaven and Hell lye through this Gate The high the low the rich and eke the poor When he doth knock must open him the door Nor fear nor favour makes him turn aside He will not be perverted with a Bribe What though some have their lives drawn out at length And we cut down by Death in our full strength What Hurt to us if we receive our pay For one Hours work as much as for a day What dammage to us if Commandment come When others work till night to leave at Noon The weary labourer pants and longs for rest And when he 's in his bed he thinks he 's best The Bed of Death to th' weary will give ease Our sleep's not broken there by worms nor fleas No fearfull Dreams nor Visions of the night Disturb our Fancies there or minds affright Within Death's Sheets the Grave we rest secure Free from oppression and tyrannick Power Our Souls like Captive Birds in Cages sing Death breaks the Cage and then the Birds take wing The world 's a Pest-house sin doth us infect Death 's our Physitian shall we him reject The Soul 's infected with sins foul disease And naught but Death can give us our release The world 's a Prison and we Captives be And only Death our Champion sets us free We mortal are when Death of life bereaves us We dye no more Death doth immortal leave us A thousand Maladies do each day attend us We 're sick to Death and none but Death can mend us In life we languish Death can make us well He 's like Achilles Spear can wound and heal Poor and in want we up and down do wander Death makes us all as rich as Alexander Death levels all both rich and poor do stand On equal ground none serve nor none command When Death hath done his work there 's no man can Discern between the Master and the man The Princes Skull no more than other men Bears the impression of a Diadem 'T is true of terrors Death is call'd the King And well he may while he retains his Sting But to Believers he no hurt can do For he hath lost his Sting and Poyson too In Stinging Christ this Serpent lost his Sting He that brought terror then doth comfort bring Christ conquer'd him and shall we fear to meet A Vanquisht Foe lying prostrate at our Feet For since that he was overcome and foil'd He is no Enemy but reconcil'd To good and bad he shews not the same face He 's Foe to Nature but a Friend to Grace We are poor mortals life is our disease Death our Physitian that can give us ease We groan for pain yet would not be set free We love our Bondage hate our Liberty Rather than over Jordans streams we 'l venture We 'l dye i' th' Wilderness or Egypt enter This Son of Anak Death more terror brings Than all the fiery Serpents with their Stings And though Egyptian Bondage doth torment us Flesh Pots and Leeks and Onions here content us At Death 't is true we must to Ashes turn But God will keep those Ashes in his Urn. And when the all-awakening trump shall sound The smallest Atoms of it shall be found And then by vertue of a new Indenture The Soul into her new-built house shall enter God shall with robes of honour then invest her And sin and sorrow shall no more molest her She shall by Christ her Judge be then acquitted And all her sins and trespasses remitted She shall in glory Halelujah's sing Unto the mighty God the worlds great King And wedded be to Christ in endless Joy And in her Husbands Bosom lye for aye Sorrow and Sighing then shall fly away And Tears shall swallowed be in endless Joy Then set thy House in order for thou must Within a little time return to Dust Lord make me then to know my later end How long the number of my dayes extend That I may know how frail I am before I go from hence and shall be seen no more When will this Joyfull Marriage be oh when Oh come Lord Jesus quickly come Amen Edward Bury FINIS The Author hath in the Press a. Book on the Subject these Poems are of Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside
neither Money nor Moneys-worth worth with thee as a Dowry yet will he make thee the largest Joynture his Covenants will be only to carry thy self to him as a loving and obedient Wife ought to do to her Husband to love him above all to obey all his Commands and to submit thy self to his dispose leave the Sin he forbids do the Duties he commands and forsake all others for his sake resolve thus to do give up thy self thus to him and thou needest not fear death for it cannot hurt thee for 't is but his Pursivant he sends to fetch thee home to his Fathers house where all things are made ready for thy Marriage with the Lamb when thou canst say Cant. 6.3 My beloved is mine and I am his thou art fit to Live and fit to Dye and not till then such a man that hath gotten a full gripe of Christ is sure that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities Rom. 8.38 nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to seperate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 for he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit As truely one as those members are one Body that are animated by the same Soul or as Husband and Wife are one flesh All that I am and have saith the Soul is his and all he hath is mine he that hath this full assurance of Faith looks death undauntedly in the face and goes gallantly to Heaven 5 Direct If you would Dye well your way is to Live well for a holy life alwayes ends in an happy death Heb. 12.14 and a sinfull life if true repentance prevent not alwayes hath a Tragical end for without holiness no man shall see God and how can such a man think then to come to Heaven when the beatifical vision of God is Heaven it self but no unclean thing Rev. 21.27 1 Cor. 6.10 no unrighteouss person shall ever enter there no dirty Dog shall tread upon that pavement As the tree falleth so it lyeth Eccles 11.3 and as death leaves us so Judgment shall find us Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap Gal. 6.7 for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting He that sails towards Hell is not like to land in the Port of Heaven if he change not his course the way of Sin is the direct road to Hell and those that follow the broad Way will ere long enter the wide Gate but the way to Heaven is narrow and the gate strait he that swims down the stream is not like to find the fountain-head and he that goes down the hill is not like to come to the top but most men like dead Fish swim down the stream even into the dead Sea of Eternal perdition Exo. 23.2 Take heed therefore of following a multitude to do evil for the way to Hell is Broad and well trodden beware of evil Company lest thou learn to swear with Joseph to curse with Peter but be couragious for Heaven and valiant for the Truth 'T is better go to Heaven alone than to Hell with company to be with Noah in the Ark than with all the World in the Flood the way of Holiness I know is not in fashion but 't is never the more to be shunned for the small company that walks in it nor is the way of wickedness the more eligible because 't is thronged the way of Holiness haply may seem rugged and perplexed by reason of the stumbling-blocks laid in it 1 Sam. 14.4 13. like unto that of Jonathans and his Armor-bearers way that had sharp rocks on either side that they were forced to go upon hands and feet yet consider it leads to Happiness and who will not take pains for profit Sic petitur Coelum sed facilis descensus averni Heaven is got by pains and patience but a man may wink and go to Hell To come to Heaven Opus est pulveris non pulvinaris as one saith those that trade in Righteousness and Holiness are most likely to treasure up Happiness those that live uprightly to men holily to God and walk as Zachary saith Lu. 1.75 in Righteousness and Holiness before him all the dayes of their lives men may befool them but God will never condemn them these men never need to fear Death or any Messenger God sends Act. 23.1 24.16 the that hath made his peace with God and with Paul keeps a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men though he may meet with troubles in his life he shall meet with Comfort at death when those that think to dance with the Devil all day and Sup with Christ at night to do the Devils work and to receive Gods wages that will not enter into the Vineyard and yet expect the penny will find themselves under a great mistake for his servants you are to whom you obey and from him you work for you may expect wages you will find at last that a Lord have mercy upon you will not serve turn Mat. 7.21 22. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity The like we see by the foolish Virgins that cried Lord Lord open to us but the door was shut against them and they kept out such mens hope will prove like the Spiders-web or the giving up the Ghost and but serve them as Absaloms Mule did him bring them to destruction and there leave them yet many verbal Professors we have that if Heaven will be had for fair words will have it but this is their best bid as Epictetus complained in his time That many would be Philosophers as far as a few good words would go but no further but it be those and those alone that make Christianity their daily trade and to please God their great design that are worthy the name of Christians when the heart is upright God accepts the Sacrifice as he did Abels when the heart is rotten he disowns it as he did Cains Those fly-blown Sacrifices such as the Pharisees offered will not down with God But when the chief design is to glorifie God Mat. 6.1 c. and that with a perfect heart like Josiahs with such Sacrifices God is well pleased such a man though he may lose something for Christ will never lose any thing by Christ death which sets a period
as it did Corah Dathan and Abiram Or whatsoever other judgments have befaln the Enemies of God may be thy portion for Apostacy is a most dangerous sin some creature or other may well distrain of thee in Gods name when thou denyest the debt Hadst thou been the first that ever tasted of death as Abel was thou mightest have been afraid had never any before thee entred into deaths darksome Cell or gone through that dark and narrow entry it were something but when ten thousand times ten thousand have gone before thee what need this fear and seeing will we nill we all of us must dance after deaths pipe why wilt thou not do it willingly God loves a chearful giver he loves a free-will Offering and loves not grumbling Servants millions of the Saints are now in Heaven that have travailed this road yet none of them repent they came there too soon Many of them have been taken out of the world by the hand of violence and now have the crown of Martyrdome upon their heads Rev. 12.11 they loved not their lives to the death and now have received a crown of life and if thou be faithful to the death this will be thy reward when thou comest to thy Juorneys end thou wilt be among the souls of just men made perfect singing Halelujahs to God for ever and for ever then wilt thou bid adieu to a vain miserable cheating and deceitful world But haply thou maist say Here I am acquainted but there I am a stranger and what comfort can I have in the removing Art thou a stranger the more shame for thee other Saints were strangers and pilgrims in this world and made hast home into their own country if thou hadst been well acquainted with the Word thou wouldst have seen the vanity and emptiness of all earthly felicity and that there was nothing in the world worth thy love and hadst thou had thy conversation in Heaven as thou hast pretended thou wouldst not have been such a stranger there as thou seemest to be But stay hast thou not many friends and relations there is not almighty God there whom thou callest Father and art thou a stranger in thy Fathers house hast had no communion no trading with him in his Ordinances what is then become of all thy prayers and other duties are those all lost 't is true thou never fawest his face neither canst see it and live but hast not seen him in his Word in his Ordinances in his promises threatnings providences and Attributes Blessed is he that hath not seen Gal. 4.26 and yet believeth and is not Jerusalem that is above the mother of as all and is not the Lord Jesus Christ him whom thou callest thy Lord and thy God and thy Husband and thy elder Brother yea thy Head and is a loving wife a stranger to her beloved husband and is not the Holy Ghost there from whom thou hast received such sweet consolations in thy sinking fits and are not the holy Angels there beholding thy Fathers face in glory who are now thy guardians that rejoyced at thy conversion and will rejoyce at thy Coronation 'T is true thou seest them not thou knowest them not they are invisible but they see and know thee and then thou wilt be able to see and know them for they shall be thy constant companions and thy fellow brethren And are there not millions of glorified Saints which are thy Spiritual kindred fellow members of Christs body yea brethren in Christ yea are there not some that thou knewest in the dayes of their flesh whose company thou so much desiredst and whose death thou so much lamentedst nay are there not some that were related to thee in the flesh gone before thee of whom thou hast comfortable hopes that they are with the Lord and will not their company be now as comfortable as it was on earth yea thou wilt know more there than ever thou didst here for I question not but the Saints shall know each other for shall we sit with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and not know them All the Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles Martyrs and glorified Saints are here and is not thine Inheritance thy Crown thy Mansion-house here and art thou yet a stranger is not this thy countrey which thou pretendest to be seeking and all this while art thou a stranger to it yea dost not live upon heavenly allowance and hast thy meat and thy drink and thy cloathes for thy soul from hence Or is it death that thou art a stranger to why didst thou not know that thou wast mortal why then didst not acquaint thy self with death thou knewest all must dye why didst not consider of it and among the rest of thy own death didst not believe God when he said Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Heb. 9.27 or when he saith 'T is appointed unto all men once to dye and after death the judgment and when he told thee that all flesh is grass and the flower thereof as the flower of the field But if thou hadst not believed God couldst not believe thy own eyes and ears dost not dayly see younger and stronger than thee go before thee dost not hear of many round about thee strucken by death many suddenly many by a violent death and many by diseases Dost not remember a hundred thousand slain in London in one year two or three hundred thousand in Ireland in a few weeks bloodily Massacred hast thou not many Lectures of mortality read to thee many Monitors of mortality within thee doth not the dimness of thy eyes mind thee the very Spectacles thou lookest through tell thee of the decayes in Nature and canst expect greater warning or hast any more considerable work to do than to provide for death and is death yet a stranger hast thou not visited many a sick bed and been with many a departing soul and received their last breath into thy bosom and yet hast not sufficient warning God never ingaged to give thee so much thou art his listed souldier and hast taken press-money and thou art ingaged to be in a continual readiness yet God hath given thee many a particular warning to prepare for death thou hast many a time look't death in the face and God hath often pluckt thee by the shoulders and shewed thee grim death before thee and thou hast several times received the sentence of death within thee and God hath in effect said to thee Set thy house in order for thou must dye nay not only so but God hath imployed thee to warn others yet he hath forborn thee above sixty years and every year given thee many warnings and what wouldst thou have more and yet art unacquainted with thy main work What if he had taken thee hence thirty or forty years ago as he did many that were companions with thee in vanity what had been thy condition that yet pretendest thou art not
and troubles sorrows dangers and temptations and what not and is any poor prisoner lying in his fetters or Gally-slave chained to his oars unwilling of his liberty nay would they not endure a little pain for their liberty and is there but a little pain between thee and eternal happiness and dost stick at that when wicked men indure as much in the road to Hell dost thou prize glory at so low a rate wilt thou suffer pains and labour and cark and care for worldly vanities and wilt thou suffer nothing to enjoy bliss and happiness the Physitian cures thee not without pain thou takest bitter pills and unsavoury potions when Sugred with the hopes of Health thou wouldst suffer the Surgeon to dress thy sores though he hurt thee and if need require to cut lance the flesh yea to cut off a limb or joynt to save the rest which is greater pain than many feel even in the pangs of death and yet thou must pay them for their pains and shall only the physitian Death which will cure thee of all thy pain and misery be disrespected and abhorred and lookt upon as the worst of enemies and all because he puts thee to a little pain which ends in eternal glory when many times the pains in dying is not so much as the raging pain of an aking tooth but imagine it to be the worst thou canst what proportion doth it bear to the succeeding joy not so much as is between a Flea-biting and an earthly Crown and who would not indure much more for a Kingdom what pain wouldst thou indure for an hour to be freed from the Stone or Gout all thy life if thou wert under the racking pain of it or what pain would a poor man indure one day to have a Knights or Lords estate at night Oh death if thy pangs be grievous they are but short but what are the pains of Hell which must be indured by those that deny their Redeemer for Lifes sake If thy Supper be sharp thy rest will be sweet this consideration made death it self welcom to the Martyrs who for the joy that was set before them indured the cross and despised the shame and now are set down with Christ in his Kingdom of glory Torments and tortures to them were Jocularia matters of sport The soul that sees the Crown heeds not the weight of the Cross and were there no other way to Heaven but by the gates nay through the flames of Hell the believing soul would through Luther would rather be with God in Hell than without him in Heaven but much more would they go through the gates of death what though the passage be dark a believer by the perspective of Faith can see light at the other end A Souldier that fights but for a temporary reward yet with what violence doth he press through the thickest of his enemies and carries his life in his hand and all for a thing of nought call'd Honour and doth not a crown of glory shine as bright in thy eye as popular applause doth in his dost thou believe eternal glory is offered to thee and that thou maist have it for the suffering a little pain and dost thou stick at the price and let God bestow his favours where he pleaseth thou wilt not have Heaven at so dear a rate thou art well worthy then to lose it If these outward enjoyments will give thee content then the Atheist the Epicure the beastly belly-God the Drunkard the Adulterer hath more pleasure than thee the beast of the field the fouls of the air the fish in the sea that have neither carking care nor fretting fear and many of them free from labours and pains are in a happier condition than poor Man is if this be his all and Believers then are of all men the most miserable If this be the summ of thy hopes why dost thou fast and pray and deny thy self these carnal pleasures which others take if their reward will give thee content why dost not swear with the Swearer and drink with the Drunkard and debauch thy self with the Adulterer if thy portion and theirs be alike why dost not run into the same excess of riot with them Psal 58.11 But there is a reward for the righteous surely there is a God that judgeth the earth and art thou afraid to receive the righteous mans reward wilt thou after all thy profession content thy self with the Epicures portion and lose all the pains thou hast taken in Heavens way let them be loth to dye that are loth to be with Christ or loth to be happy Is God willing to glorifie thee and art not thou willing to be glorified is he willing to bestow Heaven upon thee and art thou unwilling to take it because 't is up Hill take heed lest for murmuring at the tearms God swears thou shalt never enter into his rest as he resolved those that made light of his Supper should never tast of it Mat. 22.8 If thou make light of Christ and glory so as to put them into the one end of the Scales and a little pain in the other and make this weigh down all the rest Christ will make as light of thee and resolve thou shalt never have him if thou art unwilling to leave Earth for Heaven and the Creature for God and to enter the purchased Inheritance in the way he hath appointed God may justly give thee thy Portion elsewhere 'T is the Devils grand design to keep thee from God from Christ from Glory and art thou as willing as he to stay thence thou wilt do him the greatest courtesie and thy self the greatest mischief imaginable O my Soul look well about thee Heaven and Hell are before thee if thou like not Heaven upon the offered terms Hell is like to be thy portion those that murmured at the land of Canaan by reason of some difficulty in the way perished in the Wilderness The way to Heaven and Hell is both by the Gates of Death if thou give up thy life to Gods dispose Heaven will be thine if not Hell is thy reward Oh my God I believe help my unbelief I know I must dye I know 't is my duty to dye for thee if thou requirest thou gavest me my life and hast most reason to dispose of it Lord my Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak I cannot stand by my own Strength Lord I can do all things through thee that strengthenest me let my resolves be for Heaven which way soever thou commandest me to come to thee though through a Sea of Blood or in a fiery Chariot let me glorifie thee by my Life and by my Death that I may be glorified by thee after my Death MEDITAT III. God determines every ones Death with the Time and Manner of it O My Soul art thou afraid of a sudden Death why no Death is sudden to a prepared man but 't is a violent Death thou fearest to fall into
could number here are the Prophets and Apostles Martyrs and Professors who together with the Holy Angels the heavenly hoast make up that Heavenly Quire that day and night chaunt out the praises of God Rev. 5.11 Oh blessed God that such an earthly Tabernacle such a house of clay as my body is should dwell for ever among those incorporeal Spirits those blessed Angels even so Lord for so it seems good to thy godly wisdom Christ himself in his humane Nature is there and where he is his Servants shall be also If the Eastern wise men rejoyced so much to see him in the Manger in that low degree of his humiliation oh how glorious a sight will it be to see him on his Throne on the right hand of God the highest degree of his Exaltation when all his enemies shall lye prostrate at his feet and shall such a poor worm as I sear a little trouble a little pain a few wrinkles in the face of death to see such a sight yea to enjoy it for ever God forbid â—uch a sight seen by the eye of Faith will make a Believer breathe out longing desires Psal 42. When shall I come and appear before God! when will that happy day be come Lord Jesus come quickly when wilt thou send for me in thy triumphant Chariot and fetch me into thy bosom and land me safe at the port of rest and put me out of the reach of all these storms and tempests which now I suffer Psal 42.12 If Davids heart so panted after the presence of God in his Ordinances how will a believing soul thirst after the enjoyment of him in Heaven where he shall see him face to face the beholding of whom ravisheth the Angels themselves who then can long to dwell in Meshech Psal 87.3 or to sojourn in the tents of Kedar Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God in thee is no fear in thee is no sorrow Psal 38.8.9 whatsoever a man can wish for is there present God will abundantly satisfie them with the fatness of his house and make them drink the Rivers of his pleasures for in him is the Fountain of light and in his light they shall see light Oh my Soul here thou shalt receive great things for small and eternal things for temporal God himself is he that fills the empty soul the sight and enjoyment of all the rest how glorious soever would not satisfie it but Union and Communion with God will do it this is the adequate object of our happiness all other glory which heaven affords falls short of this like the Moon they all shine by a borrowed light when the Sun of Righteousness shines upon them they are glorious if not they suffer an Eclipse Job 25.5 behold to the Moon and it shineth not and the Stars are not clean in his sight ten thousand Suns will vanish at his presence as the lesser Stars withdraw at the Suns approach some few glimpses of him we have here which yield some refreshing but then we shall not only with Moses see his back-parts but his face and enjoy him for ever and be filled and satisfyed with his glory 'T is true we cannot comprehend him for can an infinite God be comprehended by a finite Creature and we shall be no other we shall be like Vessels cast into the Sea every one shall be full yet the Sea is not emptied we shall have enough to satisfie and give us content we shall then see him but it must be by his own light as we see the Sun by the light of the Sun we see something of him by Scripture light but then we shall have a clearer vision we see him now as in a glass then face 〈◊〉 face every power and faculty shall be filled with him and know no want nor desire more for a desire of more implyes want and imperfection but in him are all variety of delights in his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand pleasure for evermore Hence Luther saith he had rather be in Hell with God than in Heaven without him for his presence is the Heaven of Heavens and were God specially present in Hell it would be no Hell and Heaven would not be Heaven if he were absent If thou go not with us saith Moses carry us not hence Exod. 33.15 1 Joh 3.2 here it is that Moses may behold Gods face and live and see his glory here we shall fully understand those deep mysteries that now we only can admire and see reason for them as that of the Trinity of the Incarnation of Christ the Decrees of Election and Reprobation the whole design and work of the Redemption and why the Angels that fell were not redeemed as well as man and all those dark and mysterious Prophesies and Providences we now understand not and how all these work together for Gods glory and his Churches good all scales of ignorance will then fail from our eyes and truth and error will then be known which now so puzzles Gods people and so rents and tears the Church in pieces here the soul as it enjoyes God whom to know is life eternal so it shall burn in love to God and nothing can withdraw its affection for nothing but ignorance can stave off our affections from him now but there ignorance cannot enter and God will love his image in us and no vicious quality will be left in us to alienate him from us and this love of God is enough if there were no more for his loving kindness is better than life Oh what wise man is there but would be contented to be rent out of the Arms of a beloved Wife and be separated from Father and Mother Wife and Children Brethren and Sisters and nearest Relations and dearest Friends to come to Christ when he calls and forsake all other lovers to lye in Christs bosom and be made partaker of this endless bliss this celestial glory If the foretastes of it be so sweet that made Galeacius the Italian Marquess to say Let their money perish with them that hold all the wealth in the world worth one daies communion with Christ Oh what is the full enjoyment of him if the shadow be so delightful what is the substance when we shall be capacitated to know him and enjoy him without intermission without fear or interruption Oh my Soul thou feest the company is not less glorious than the place nay much more glorious for God himself is the glory of the place here thou shalt have no guilt upon thy spirit thou shalt not need with Adam and Eve to hide thy self when God calls thee if thou part with thy friends here thou shalt receive them again with advantage when their natures are changed and their corruptions done away here the Angels which now cannot be beheld by poor mortals shall be our fellow Citizens Rev. 22.9 Lu. 15.10 our fellow brethren they that delighted in our
of the souls happiness Now all earthly delights to these heavenly Joyes are but a shadow a very dream the very dream of a shadow to what is there enjoyed where the glorified Souls shall be Kings and Priests for ever of the most high God they wear Crowns upon their heads and palms in their hands which they cast down at the feet of him that liveth for ever These little flashes of spiritual Joy and indeed it is no more will be blown up into a flame here no fumes of Melancholy shall disturb the Fancy or interrupt the Joy Malignant Saturn cannot send any influence into these superiour Orbs but here is that far more and eternal weight of Glory to be enjoyed O my soul hadst thou had but such a glimpse of Glory as Stephen had thou wouldst not have feared to have faln asleep with him Now thou art in the body and absent from God but when death hath closed thine eyes and covered thy face with a winding-sheet thou shalt not only see God but be present with him and behold his glory Now thy glimpses of him are like a flash of lightning soon gone much like a man that gazeth at a Star through an Optick-glass held with a palsy hand now and then thou catchest a sight but quickly losest it again but there he will alwayes be before thine eyes thou shalt behold his face there and not his back parts only whether with bodily eyes or otherwise is not well known nor much material 't is probable it may and the eye capacitated to behold the Object though here 't is dazled with a weaker glory we find Job seems to be of that mind Job 19.52 c. I know saith he that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold him and not another though my reins be consumed within me When this mortal hath put on immortality and this body which is sown a natural body become spiritual we know not but these Organs of our eyes may be capacitated to behold spiritual objects as well as our understandings be enabled to know him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 This we know God will make himself known and that is sufficient to us whether the one way or the other let us not anxiously trouble our selves about the manner of it this know if God do not enlarge and capacitate our powers and faculties of the soul we can neither know him see him nor enjoy him as he is which he hath promifed we shall do and he that believeth in him and hath not yet seen him shall see him on whom he hath believed 't is Christs prayer John 17.24 that those that are given to him may be where he is to behold his glory and if those eyes were blessed that saw him in his misery how much more those that behold him in glory if the dawning of the day be so glorious how much more glorious will it be when the Sun shines in his full strength and all the shadows are fled away If those that bear his Image here and they are more excellent than their neighbours be so lovely what will they be when this Image of God is perfectly restored and they freed from all corruption here they have sung forth his praises then shall sing continual Halelujahs for ever how will they run the wayes of Gods commandments when all the clogs of corruption are taken off and their feet are inlarged Now their labour shall be turned into leisure to praise him when they have nothing else to do yea nothing which they delight more to do than that Now 't is death and death alone that can put us into the possession of this glory where we shall have fulness of Joy and Glory and be Heirs yea Coheirs with Christ and would any wise man deny to take possession Oh my soul wilt thou yet hang back and plead Nonage art thou afraid of Eternity when Joy and Happiness is added to it couldst thou wish the worm of time were at the root to make it wither art thou come to the door and thou makest a halt at the threshold and art willing another should take thy Crown and wouldst thou surrender thy interest when Paul looks through the Perspective glass of Faith and sees happiness at the end he was willing to dye and be with Christ thou knowest whom thou hast believed and darest not trust thy Redeemer with thy life that lost his own for thy sake whatever thou losest whatever thou sufferest for him it will never repent thee when thou art in Heaven it will reward thee for all thy cost and charges Christ tells thee an hundred fold and I may well say a thousand one day in Gods Courts here on earth was better to Davîd than a thousand elsewhere and one day in Heaven is much better than that yea but if thy life be cut off for his sake for one day thou loosest upon earth thou shalt have a thousand in Heaven for it he will make thee Eagle-eyed that thou shalt behold the Sun of righteousness in his splendour and the Organ not offended If Paul and Silas could sing in the Prison what will they do when they come into this heavenly Quire Isa 15.5 Here the eyes of the blind shall be opened the ears of the deaf unstopped the lame man shall leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing this is the marriage of the Lamb and his wife hath made her self ready and who will not rejoyce upon the wedding-Wedding-day when the Bridegrooms voice is heard Now the marriage shall be solemnized that was so long ago contracted between Christ and the Soul this is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it this is thy pay-day when thou art to receive thy wages the harvest of thy hopes when thou shalt receive a plentiful crop of glory that which was sown in tears shall now be reaped with joy now thy desires thy longings and thy pantings shall be satisfied now is the time when the Crown of Martyrdom shall be put upon the head of the Martyr and a Crown of Righteousness upon the Just mans head now is the time that Sincerity will be discerned from Hypocrisie let it be spun with never so fine a thred and true Gold from counterfeit now is the time that those that have Oyl in their Vessels as well as Lamps in their hands shall go in with the Bridegroom to the Marriage and those that have not shall be shut out now he that hath a wedding-garment shall be a welcom Guest Mat. 22.12 and he that hath none shall be cast into utter darkness now is the time that those that have forsaken any thing for Christ shall receive an hundred fold and those that have lost their lives
have no right conceptions what God is or what it is to enjoy him and if we should form the highest conceptions imaginable it would fall far short for how can a finite creature conceive of what is infinite or a bruit beast of a rational Soul Mahomet proves himself a fool in fancying to himself and his followers a sensual happiness in Heaven as the enjoyment of beautiful women and other sensual delights and though Believers far outgo him yet still shoot short when they aim at the description of Heavens Glory and no wonder we that know so little of Spirits of their nature and properties must needs be in the dark when we discourse of God the Father of Spirits and the Creator of Angels while we are in the flesh we know little of the nature and Original of our own souls how then can we speak of those glorious spirits or know what their enjoyments in Heaven are if we consult with things below and search Natures Garden from end to end we may find work enough to do nay the least of creatures hath something in it to puzzle Natures best Secretaries the Gnat the Bee those poor Insects are not without their wonders and what then if we consider Gods greatest works the Sun Moon and Stars and all the host of Heaven and if we understand not earthly things about which we are daily conversant how shall we understand heavenly things so far above our reach if we understand not things visible and those subjected to our senses what shall we say of invisibles so remote from us If the footmen have wearied us how shall we contend with horses If we cannot wade a small Rivulet what shall we do with the Ocean what conceptions can a poor worm have of an Angel or a rational soul and proportionably must we have of the great God what conceptions can a man born blind have of Colours or of the Sun it self or what conceptions can a man born deaf have of sounds or of Musick such like imperfect conceptions can we have of God of Heaven or heavenly Joyes the proportion is greater between God and the best of men than between that man and the meanest Worm that crawls under his feet nay between a worm and an Angel these are fellow-Creatures made by the same hand but what proportion between the Pot and the Pot-maker all light is in this Sun all the water of consolation is in this Sea and all the lines of goodness here concenter his power his wisdom his goodness are infinite but what Infinite is we cannot tell we shall enjoy all happiness in him and with him but what this Happiness is we know not That which eye hath not seen ear hath not heard of neither hath it entred into mans heart to conceive of What can we say of it the eye of man hath seen much the ear hath heard of more but the heart of man may conceive more than this but all this falls yet short for this joy is unconceivable and if we could reach a conception we cannot frame an expression the Apostle saw things unutterable no word in humane Language can express the language of this Country the Scripture holds out to us that there is a relative Union between Christ and the believing soul which is sometimes set forth by the union between the Head and the Members the Vine and the branches the Husband and the Wife c. but wherein this union doth consist is not easie to demonstrate yet it may suffice us that there is such a Union and shall we not be willing to come to him when he calls us to make us happy unless we fully know what the Joyes of Heaven are and the utmost extent of it when yet we know 't is beyond our desert shall a Beggar refuse an Alms if he must not know before how much it will be Oh my Soul thou speakest hardly of the world as if thou hadst wrong done thee and dost think God wrongs thee also if he call thee hence thou railest upon sin and yet art loth to leave it thou complainest of thy suffering and yet dost fear nothing more than deliverance Oh what dissembling is this with God and Man thou spendest many hours in preaching praying hearing reading studying meditating c. and all to learn a way thou art not willing to walk in and travellest in a road thou art not willing to find thy journeys end wilt thou run a race and wilt not lay hold on the prize and fight a Battel and not be glad of the Victory what hypocrisie is this to lye upon thy knees hour after hour to pray to be rid of that thou art not willing to leave to get a plaister for a sore thou art not willing to have healed thou pretendest thou believest everlasting Happiness to be the reward of faithfull Obedience thou professest hope that thou hast a share in it and darest not trust God with the conduct of thy soul to this happiness who only knows the way Well I have but one thing more to offer thee and that is this That as the Place is magnificent and stately the Company glorious and Royal the enjoyments excellent and unspeakable so is the Happiness eternal and shall never know end or diminution so long as there is a Heaven which will be while there is a God Thy Joyes shall never end but run parallel with the longest line of Eternity when that Vanity is writ upon all earthly enjoyments and this one Epithite spoils all the sport and marres the splendour of all sublunary things and disgraces all the worlds pomp and glory that 't is mortal fading transitory and endureth not were it not for the Eternity of them Heavens Glory were not so desirable nor Hells Torments so dreadful for if after a hundred thousand millions of years the glorified Saints should leave their Habitation and the damned Spirits their Prison this would be a Corrosive to the one and a Comfort to the other that after a long tract of time an end would come Nay if after the Revolution of this long time they should exchange places those in Heaven would have infinitely the worser bargain but this will not be so otherwise the Reversion of Heaven would be better than the present possession and the Reversion of Hell worse The Sun of the wicked mans comforts sets at Noon but in Heaven the godly mans comforts shall never set Isa 60.20 nor go behind a Cloud For there shall be no night Thy Sun shall no more go down saith God neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting Light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land for ever Well may I say Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee he hath delivered my soul from death my eyes from tears and my feet from falling Oh Eternity how amazing
yet you may find Under that sordid Vest a gallant Mind Though these are scorned by our Gallants gay Yet these do act their parts as well as they Some act Religious parts but most prophane The Hypocrite he is for either Game For he hath Vizards if he please enow To make him seem prophane and holy too For he can one way look and row another In a disguise he 'l cozen his own Brother Where Interest or the Devil drives he 'l goe And shifts his Sails still as the wind doth blow He 'l act you any part Noble or Base With his Apparel he can change his Face Each day like to the Moon his Face is new With the Chameleon he can change his hue Ape-like he 'l imitate whate're he see Proteus never had more shapes than he Like Mercury with Good he 'l seem the best If found with Bad he will exceed the rest Religion is his stalking-horse and he Doth only use it for to take his prey So long as he can get by 't he will use it But if he lose by 't he will soon refuse it Him of his borrowed Robes Death will divest He 'l dye in Earnest though he liv'd in Jest Some more ingeniously shew what they are Rotten they are at heart and so appear Taverns they haunt their Names not States to raise And those in Hell do go for roaring Boyes In Venus Courts some live but most of these Come lamely off or die of her disease Some few stay Natures time most run before Bacchus or Venus opens them the door Some cheat some steal some lye some swear and curse And most though bad enough grow worse and worse But when their part is acted Death will come And clear the Stage and then the Play is done Most are hiss'd off the Stage few get applause For few of acting well observe the Laws Some few to Wisdoms Rules their hearts apply And these know how to live and how to dye Some mind their business most time idly spend Some love their way but few their Journeys end For Riches Honours Pleasures most men strive But to get wisdom is the way to thrive Some court fair Ladies whose bewitching Spells Ruines the State and sinks the Souls to Hell Some few improve their time while God doth lend it When others study vainly how to spend it How for to live most men their thoughts apply But wise is he that studies how to dye The heav'nly Loadstone Grace having toucht the Soul Makes her unsettled till she finds the Pole This World will not suffice for her abode She 's restless here her Polar Starre is God This Heaven-born Eagle mounts and soars too high To feed on Carrion that in Ditches lye This World she hath conquer'd and with Philips Son She 'd weep if there were not more worlds than one This Pilgrim cares not where she lays her head She sleeps securely if God make her bed In a cold Prison she can lye and ease her With Jacobs Visions Jacobs Stone will please her Most men 't is true complain of grief and trouble But few of sin which makes their sorrows double Troubles arise from sin the World and Devil God makes our dayes so few we make them evil The world much like an Inne serves for a day Some only break their fast and so away Some dine some sup and some are richly treated But those that eat most Meals are most indebted If any suffer hardship 't is the best The worse the man the better is the Guest Some feast some drink some game some drab and whore But when they come to pay their reck'ning's more The World 's to bad men as the Earth to weeds She 'l cherish those but choak the better seeds And Stepdame-like she will Gods children serve She 'l feed her own but suffer them to sterve For entertainment she 's much like to Jael She offers Milk when she intends the Nail Who trusteth to her smiles doth quite mistake her The wisest men they be that quite forsake her Well though the way be rough let 's mend our pace Our Journey 's short and then we shall have ease Life 's but a shadow which is alwayes flying For from the Cradle we are alwayes dying 'T is but an Hour-glass and the sands are sins Brimm'd up by Nature turn'd when Life begins Which still is running as each day doth come And when the last fins dropt our life is done Our labour 's near an end our death is hasting And good or bad rewards are everlasting We reach not Nestors dayes with our short span Nor number years with old Methusalem Men lived then five hundred years or more Not one of twenty now can reach Threescore No no our Measure 's cut it well appears Our Fathers Months were longer than our Years The Hart the Stagg the Raven the Eagle free May boast they are long-liv'd so cannot we The withering Grass a Shadow Emblems be That fitly sets forth our Mortalitie A Rose a Blossom or a Flower in May Or Jonah's Gourd that lasted but a day A Dream a Shadow if you will a Span Is long enough to mete the Life of Man For like a Pear or Plumb when ripe we fall Into our Mothers lap for so do all Mans Life is of a thought much like the Dream A Weavers Shuttle or the gliding Stream Or like a hasty Post that swiftly flies For man that 's born to day to morrow dies Life's like a Bubble that 's soon prickt by Death For Man is but a Bladder fill'd with Breath Life hasteth like a Ship that 's under Sails Death cometh like the Tide that never fails Our Time like Lightning full quick doth goe Death hastneth like an Arrow from a Bowe Such is the Life of Man for in a day Man springs and withers like a Flower in May The Sun ne're runs his race in this our age But sees ten thousand marching off the Stage The Life we live is but an inch of time Last day my Fathers was and this day mine The next belongs to the succeeding age Thus one doth thrust another off the Stage My Predecessors they are dead and rotten And I in little time shall be forgotten Great Caesar's Bones Death did to Ashes turn And Alexander's bounded in his Urn. The fair the foul the Holy the Prophane The Rich the Poor are worsted at Death's Game To Mighty Sampson Death did give a Fall Wise Solomon did dye and so must all Though in thy hand all Peru's Gold thou have Death will thee make a Tenant to the Grave Death makes no difference between Poor and Rich The Worm feeds sweetly on no matter which The Fairest Lady and the foulest Slave Death can both wed and bed in the same Grave To God a thousand years is but a day Our life 's then but an Hour that fleets away And of this Hour so many sharers be O Lord how small a part belongs to thee Though life seems long because 't is