assault of this death that we through the same may not passe into the second and euerlasting death But if so be that those which spent their time in buying and selling and other lawfull affaires were so consumed in GODS wrath what may others expect that spend euen their whole time in things vtterly vnlawfull If those missed the right way how shall these enter into that gate which leades vnto eternall life which is so straight Math. 7.13 that fewe there be that finde it Or doth a man in his extreamity thinke to find some precious thing which in his strong health hee neuer looked after Doth hee thinke after his departure Royally to be entertained by that King with whom in his life time hee neuer sought to be acquainted This is somewhat too late and chanceth very seldome Let no man therefore continue in his impietie in hope to conuert himselfe to God on his death-bed This presumption is the most dangerous poyson that the deuill can minister to any man We must learne out of the holy Scripture that he that all his life-time hath beene a thorne-Bush or a Thistle doth not vsually afterwards bring foorth Figges or Grapes And that the tree that bringeth not forth good fruits Math. 7.16.19 is hewen downe and cast into the fire Therefore let vs with Iesus Syrachs sonne while wee are yet young ere euer we goe astray Ecclus. 51.13 desire wisedom openly in our prayers Humble thy selfe saith hee also before thou be sicke and in the time of sinnes shew repentance Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vowes in due time and deferre not vntill death to be iustified Before thou prayest Ecclus. 18.21 c. prepare thy selfe and be not as one that tempteth the Lord. For it will not auaile a man afterwards with Balaam to wish to dye the death of the Righteous Num. 25.10 who hath not before with Iacob endeauoured to leade the life of the righteous Therefore Isaiah warnes vs and sayes Seeke you the Lord while he may be found Isaiah 55.6 For that words be but winde is here a true prouerbe Not euery one saith the Iudge himselfe that saith vnto me Math. 7.21 Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen Wherefore it seemes we may sooner in Christian charity feare the end of a carelesse man that onely calls and prayes to GOD at his last houre then of a godly man who in his extreamity by reason of a burning Feauer dyeth in a raging phrensie But is there no hope then of a sinfull mans repentance towards the last period of his life Yes certainly and that out of the very words of the afore-named Iudge Hee doth not shut out all those that haue not done his Fathers will as if it were too late to doe it at the last houre but those onely which doe not the will of the Father which is in heauen pointing as with his gracious finger to this that it is neuer too late to doe his Fathers will And this is his will that the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts Isaiah 55.7 and that hee returne vnto the Lord. That is that by earnest repentance hee continually striue to attaine vnto sincere conuersion which consisteth in an vnfained loathing of our deparauâ—d nature and hatred of all our transgressions and euill lustes And withall an earnest longing to be by Christ our onely Sauiour receiued sanctified and iustified And lastly to haue a constant purpose to vse all meanes throughout the whole course of our life though it yet should last-an hundred yeares to obserue all occasions for keeping Gods commandements And that not for feare of that punishment which shall befall all transgressours but out of that meere loue and affection which like good children wee beare vnto our heauenly Father And then saith the Prophet Will God be mercifull vnto vs Ier. 1â— â— for with him is much forgiuenesse We must then follow the example of the valiant Champions and wrastlers in olde time who for many dayes together before hand caused their bodies to be rubbed annointed and exercised yea tyed themselues to a certaine strict course of dyet and then they presented themselues so prepared in the famous Olympian games to fight or wrastle in open view for honour In like manner must wee long afore prepare our soules couragiously to fight with Death at the appointed time that when it assaile vs it may not hurt vs. 2 Point The armes or sting of death But how may we secure our selues against it By two manner of meanes Wee must disarme it and arme our selues We must diligently enquire wherewithall it can hurt vs and hauing found it out seeke to bereaue it thereof The Philistims were subtill enough to giue Sampson no rest till they had vnderstood wherein his great strength consisted As soone as his Philistine darling heard that it consisted in his haire she presently plaid the Barber and cut it off Then was Sampson weake as another man saith the Scripture Iudg. 16.17 Now wherein the power of Death consisteth the Apostle hath shewed to vs to wit in the sting this is the dart wherewithall Death peirceth our soules 1 Cor. 15.56 And this sting faith he are our sinnes Whosoeuer then will deale prudently and prouidently must endeauour to bereaue Death of this sting Not when it comes to struggle with him and when hee lyes on his death-bed for then it stingeth too deepe But hee must doe this before it comes to assaile him The ancient Poets faigned Faith in Christ that Pallas the Goddesse of wisedome bore a shield that turned all those that gazed on it into stone But wee know that the holy Apostle Paul who was a seruant of the Sonne of God the true wisedome of his heauenly Father hath shewed vs the true shield Eph. 6.16 wherewith wee may bee able to quench all the fierie darts of the wicked to wit in trusting in Iesus Christ This faith then is termed and is really the right shield against which the force of the hellish sting of death shall not bee able to preuaile though it assaile vs with as much fury as may bee For to commence at the beginning when the first man through infidelity did transgresse his Creators ordinance hee with all his future Progenie lost the right of being termed the Sonne of God And so cast himselfe and vs all who resemble him in dayly disobedience out of Gods mercy into his eternall wrath Wherein we should also haue remained for euer had not the diuine wisedome otherwise prouided This alone hath deuised a remedie and hath ordained that the eternall Sonne of God as the fittest person in Trinity to restore man vnto his lost title of a Sonne should assume humane nature And this not onely that therein hee might yeeld perfect obedience vnto God but for this end chiefly that he
the second death And so he makes death but two-fold one corporall in this world the other spirituall in the other world whose diuision we also willingly embrace The death of the body That death then whereof we meane to treate is the first or corporall death to wit that which doth separate the soule from the body and is euery where vsually knowne by the name of death For whatsoeuer we speake or reade of dying as well in the diuine bookes of the Bible as in humane Writers it is for the most part to be vnderstood of this kinde of death This death is also chiefly feared of men and causeth them to bee troubled maketh them faint-hearted and vnconstant and vpon occasion of any euill rumour fearefull Yea that wise Naturalist Aristotle was of opinion Eth. 3. that of all things there is nothing more terrible then death The aduantage of them that doe not feare death If then this death be the most terrible thing in the world how happy is he that is released from the feare of it Yea verily wherwith can the world make him to tremble that contemnes the very vttermost of her power If hee liue in a Citie infected with the plague if hee dwell in a Country flaming with warre if he trauell in danger of theeues or if a tempest at sea ouertake him his spirits are not daunted nor his senses benum'd Hee hath the more rest and yet neuer the more danger Yea rather the lesse because a man that is affrighted by his very frights may bring some sicknesse vpon himselfe and so consequently death But such a resolute man is certaine that come the worst nothing can be exacted of him beyond his life which hee oweth and is willing to surrender where and when it shall please God If hee be called of God to a Souldier condition he fighteth boldly for the defence of his Country Yea certainely hee that oft-times through a cowardly feare would loose the field by this his couragious resolution putteth his enemie to flight Thus is euen our life sometimes lengthened by this willingnesse to dye Besides if such a one liue by enuious persons or vnder tyrannizing Princes he shall not neede to flatter nor to faine against his conscience He is not astonisht though they threaten to slay his body for hee knowes that it must dye whether they threaten him or no. Yea if they put him to death he knowes that they euen then bereaue themselues of power to torment him any farther And is not this a great liberty and worthy to be sought after whereas on the contrary how miserable is that man that is continually encumbred with feare and that not for some thing that hee may hope or chance to escape but for that which vndoubtedly may yea must sometime befall him Truly such a one walkes throughout the course of his life in a continuall flight farre worse then death it selfe The diuision of the Treatise Well then for the better ouercomming of this feare wee will assay for to vnmaske death and disrobe it of all terrible apparition that so wee may behold it naked and in his owne nature And first wee shall endeauour by foure naturall reasons and then by foure other obseruations to demonstrate that it hath nothing in it selfe that should be terrible vnto vs. And secondly proceeding we hope likewise in a foure-fold discourse manifestly to shew that to those that know how to arme themselues against it death is altogether profitable and consequently worthy to bee desired This death then 1 Reason though it be one of the twinnes which together by sin entred into the world Death is not bad Rom. 5.12 yet doth it in no manner of wayes resemble in iniquity the spirituall death its sister For though this death doe vtterly slay the body and the other doth not kill the soule but casts it into a miserable life yet is it better to dye by the first then to liue in the second Yea by meanes of this obtaine wee this benefit and profit that at the last it doth free vs from this toyle-some life to which God since the fall of man hath heere on earth condemned all mankinde In the which were it not that this death preuenteth it wee should continually remaine For this cause then as also for that God doth send it as well to his children whom he loueth as to his enemies whom he hateth it cannot in its owne nature be euill Howbeit God doth diuersly addresse it vnto vs. For the wicked hee consumes in his wrath Eccl. 45.19 as vnworthy of this temporall life But the godly hee takes away in his mercy and peace as esteeming them worthy of a better life 2 Reg. 22.20 And thus is death vnto the Reprobates a passage vnto eternall misery but to the Righteous vnto eternall life Ioh. 5.24 Euen as a Master thrusteth his disobedient seruant out of dores to deliuer him vnto the Iaylor and le ts forth his obedient to set him at liberty for euer Yet is it one and the same doore that both passe thorow Who then will terme this doore or this death euill If death in it selfe be not euill then from it directly no euill can bee expected Let this then be the first reason wherefore we neede not feare death But some may heere object that it is the occasion of this euill that wee by meanes of it loose this temporall life which is sweet to euery one But in sooth for vs to pay that we owe may not bee termed any losse vnto vs. And who knoweth not the condition of this life All things which by birth haue a beginning haue an end by death Whosoeuer therefore feareth the end must not desire the beginning Our life is like vnto a candle if wee desire it to giue light in lightning it must burne and burning draw and come to an end If the Sunne would not descend it must not ascend For the same course that causeth it to ascend causeth it to descend euen so doth this life conduct vs to death And who then can say this life is good and death euill Certainly whatsoeuer is spoken against death opposes life which is the cause of death Epictetus his saying is good Death saith hee is not frightfull but the feare of death Ar. 2. â— and to dye is not ill but to dye shamefully Hence Socrates 2 Reason Death Naturall when tydings was brought vnto him that the Gouernours of Athens had condemned him to dye And so hath Nature them A poph Eras 4. said hee without any farther alteration He knew well that it was no lesse naturall to dye then to liue And this shall be the second reason wherfore death is not to be feared All flesh we read in Ecclesiasticus waxeth old as a garment Eccl. 14.18 for the decree from the beginning is thou shalt dye the death As of the greene leaues vpon a thicke tree some fall and
Which liuing soule keepes by force as it were these elements together But when the same by mâ—anes of the departure of the soule haue reobteined their former freedome then our body returnes to dust whence it was taken Gen. 3.19 according to Gods word and ordinance So that whatsoeuer in our composition we likewise had borrowed from the water ayre and fire returnes each to his owne element where it is well at rest and at home The Resurrection of the body But at the last day shall God cause the elements to surrender again the maâ—ter of our bodies and then as many as lye in the earth and sleepe Dan. 12.6 shall awake saith the Prophet not onely those that bâ—o predestinated to eternall life but euen those also which are ordained to eternall shame And although wee cannot comprehend how God shall finde distinguish and reforme our bodies yet neede wee not to doubt of his word Wee see dayly before our eyes many things come to passe incredible before they are expounded vnto vs. Would it not seeme vnpossible to any of vs to finde a man in a wood or way where no body euer had seene him walking Yet put but on a Beagle or Blood-hound and he by the sent onely will follow and finde his Master Againe shew the Copies of a hundred schoole boyes vnto al the wisest Philosophers in the world it will bee vnpossible for them to distinguish them Shewe them but vnto their Schoole-Master hee at the first sight will know euery ones proper hand In like manner let a golden bowle be cast amongst a hundred pound of melting brasse and as it will be equally disperced and mingled with the same will it not seeme vn o vs that haue no insight in that Art vnpossible to recouer the Cup againe out of the whole masse Giue it but an Alchymist he will soone extract your gold giue that then to the Goldsmith and you shall haue your Cup new cast as it was before If so be then that a skilfull man yea a beast can bring things o passe in this world which seeme vnpossible to the greater and wiser sort of men yea if wee our selues can transforme the dust of the earth sand and ashes into a goodly transparent glassie body Wee must needes expect more from God with whom all things are possible Math. 19.26 Hee that hath created the earth of nothing and vs of the earth who meeteth out heauen as Esay speaketh with his spanne Esay 40.12 within which our bodies remaine whether they be in the earth in the water or in the entrayles of beasts will easily finde know and re-establish all that which he once made and yet containes in the palme of his hand Let vs then freely be confident that the houre shall come Iob 5.29 in the which all that are in the graues shall come forth vnto the resurrection And as death is termed a sleepe so is the resurrection by the forenamed Prophet Dan. 12.2 fitly called an awaking Yet this resurrection will farre surpasse our dayly awaking out of sleepe for now we awake with a body that falls a sleepe againe but hereafter we shall rise with a body that neuer can dye any more for then sayes St. Paul the dead shall bee raised incorruptible 1 Cor. 15.51 So that wee may obserue that our bodies doe profit by death For first wee obtaine a long lasting ease and secondly an euerlasting life Whence it followeth that in regard of our bodies wee haue no cause at all to shunne death 2. Obseruation concerning the soule Secondly some feare that some damage may befall their soule by death which is altogether against reason The soule is not composed of such matter that is subiect vnto the power of death She is as a liuing spirit by God breathed into vs. And as the breaâ—h which men blowe out though it be no essentiall part of their lungs or members yet notwithstanding it retaineth a sauour of that breast that it came fâ—om Euen so doth our soule retaine that from the image of him who infused it in the body that it is thereby become an immortall spirit For of the immortality of it neuer was there doubt made by any liuing vnlesse by fooles By them sayes the booke of Wisedome the soules seeme to dye Wisd 3 2 4. and their departure is taken for miserie but their hope it full of immoâ—tality Yea the very soules of the vn beleeuers are not subiect to mortality as is manifested vnto vs by the soule of the rich man in the Gospell Luke 16.23 Eccl 12.7 This body sayes Salomon shall returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it to receiue his sentence either of reward or of punishment For otherwise if the reasonable soule perished with the body then should the most godly men who commonly must refraine the pleasures of this world and suffer for Gods cause contempt at the hand of Reprobates of all men become the most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 Which could neither agree with Gods Mercy toward the good nor with his Iustice to the bad The soule therefore is to expect hereafter a day of account wherin oppressors shal be recoÌ„penced with tribulation 2 Thes 1.6 and to them that are troubled shall be a refreshing and rest For indeede the soule is the principall part of man Deut. 10.12 and therefore as well by Moses in the old Testament 1 Pet. 3.20 as by Peter in the new it is taken for the whole man But being seperated from this body will it be able to doe any thing This wee may in some sort conceiue in this life The soules selfe-consisting For when a mans spirit is busâ—ed in its owne worke that is in some kinde of meditation wee may presently perceiue that the lesse the bodily members yea his fiue senses are occupied the more earnester hee withdrawes himselfe to his cogitations Yea oft he will shut his very eyes that the receiuing of their obiects may not disturbe him We read that Archimedes his minde was so busied about humane Art Val. Max. 8.7 that the very Citie of Siraciâ—sa where he then abode was taken and he himselfe by the Enemie surprised before hee perceiued the least rumour thereof And St. Paul when the heauenly visions were reuealed vnto him hee was so farre from needing his bodily members thereunto 2 Cor 12.2 that he himselfe knew not whether he was in the body or out of the body And long time before this when God would teach Iacob Gen. 18.10 Abimelech Salomon Gen. 20.2 Ioseph and others 1 Reg 3.5 some matters of great moment Math. 2.13 did he not first let their bodies fall a sleepe Hee knew well enough that thine best helpe would but haue beene a hinderance to spirituall matters Doth not this shew vnto vs that the body is but to the soule as a clogge
giuen warning of it should touch Mount Sinai Exod. 19.4 while the Lord was on it should cast himselfe into the mouth of death Euen as now if any man of set purpose commits some haynous offence lyable to punishment of death by the lawes of the land is it not his owne fault that hee is bereaued of life Hee can accuse no body for it but himselfe And therefore the holy Scripture so oft repeates it His blood be vpon his owne head 2 Sam. 1.16 that is to say the fault is his owne and it is good reason hee should suffer for it Wherefore also God doth not iudge or examine our workes whether they be good or bad by that his secret counsell which hee hath not reuealed vnto vs. But his Iustice requires that hee should reward the well-doers and punish the offenders according to that law and that his good pleasure which hee hath reuealed vnto vs all Hee hath manifestly commanded Exod. 20.15 Thou shalt not kill According to which law he wills also that who so slayes a man Deut. 27.24.25 shall be put to death And withall he causeth him to be accursed that takes reward to slay an innocent person If God then cause the murtherer to be executed as guilty of another mans death who dares oppose and say that Gods decree of the dead mans time could suffer him to liue no longer Should wee not rather say that he is pittifully deceased before his time Not before that time which the omniscient GOD in his secret counsell hath appointed for euery one in particular but before that time which hee hath ordained for humane nature in generall Which time was before intimated vnto vs out of the ninetieth Psalme Hence that Iesus Syrachs sonne dares say Ecclus. 50.24 That enuie and wrath shorten the life and carefulnesse bringeth old age before the time Thus also was it told Iob that wicked men are cut downe out of time Iob 14.5 though hee himselfe was certaine that God had appointed man his bounds But it is not for vs saith the Apostle to know the times and seasons Act. 1.7 which the Father hath put in his owne power For indeed to speake properly according to the nature of God his de-vnitie hath no partition of times Wee must behold one yeare after another and when wee haue attained to the second the first is fled away from vs. But all our times and all things that are done in euery one of them stand and abide perpetually together in Gods sight So that betweene his ordering and our accomplishing there is before him no succession nor starting away of any time With him there is neither yesterday nor to morrow but eternally to day Yet will we not here deale further with these mysteries but learne of Moses Deut. 27.29 That the things that are reuealed belong vnto vs and our children And it is fitting that wee submisly containe our time-accounts within the limits of our owne apprehension Our Lord Iesus when the Romane Gouernour told him that he had power to crucifie him and power to release him Ioh. 19.11 did not oppose him but in his answer confessed that this power was giuen him from aboue All this then being pondered wee must iudge according to Gods law and freely conclude that a man may sometimes prolong or shorten his owne or another mans life And in that respect following the phrase of Iob Dauid and the sonne of Syrach we may well say that such a man is departed before his time If the our life and death be in our power and if affections haue thus their free course how is Gods decree then fulfilled at his appointed time Surely most precisely and euen by our owne deedes though oftentimes without our knowledge yea sometimes against our will Whereupon the Euangelist sayes after the rehearsall of the slaughter of the Infants at Bethleem that then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Lord. Math. 2.17 And as touching this matter it is with vs euen as with a streame that retaines his naturall and free course though by the Miller it be vsed to driue his Mill which hee conueniently grindes his wheat by which within dores he hath thereunto ordered Yea if any body should wickedly pâ—wre out a deale of stinking water into this streame or should altogether poyson the same this offence deserues punishment yet the naturall descent of this durtie and poysoned water will grinde the Millers corne and not infect his meale with any kinde of pollution Euen so doth God vse and steere all our both good and bad actions to his preordained though in respect of vs concealed from vs intents Gods prouidence doth not excuse mans wickednesse But doth not this preordination of God then patronize all mans misdeedes God forbid Gods prouidence is no cloake for mans iniquity If a Fencer should finde his skilfull Scholler at his weapon with some vnskilfull Clowne he soone could perceiue that hee would be the death of him Yea he sees the stroke falling as wee may say and therefore he sharply prohibits and threatens his Scholler Howbeit the Scholler notwithstanding waâ—ching for his best opportunity findes it and giues the other his mortall wound Shall this make him guiltlesse to his Master if hee tell him that this of necessity must so chance because hee vndoubtedly foresawe it Yea moreouer if hee vpbraide his Master that it was in his power to haue laide him fast in fetters and so if it had pleased him to haue hindred that murther might not his Master deseruedly answer him thus If thou hadst beene a beast I would haue curbed thy body with chaines but I would vse thee like a man that ought to keepe his Spiriâ— in orderly subiection and to this intent haue I vsed all manner of conuenient meanes with thee as by entreaties by lawes by threatnings Hast thou neglected all those and wilt â—hou not be ruled vnlesse thou be curbed as a wilde Beare I will lay hands then on thee and punish thee as a beast Should not this young Fencer be faine to confesse that he had deserued this fierce vsage Indeede much lesse can any man excuse his misdeeds by laying the fault on GODS prouidence or conuinencie Or say that God out of our euill can extract good yet is man forbidden Rom. 3.2 to doe euill that good may come thereof For behold though the enuie of the Pharises the betraying of Iudas and the iniustice of Pilate were meanes of bringing to passe by the cruell death that they put Christ vnto mans reconciliation in such a manner and at such a time Act. 4.28 as Gods counsell had before determined it should bee done Yet doth our Sauiour neuerthelesse cry Mar. 14.21 Woe vnto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed He was not onely punished according to his deserts but was also most miserably his owne executioner But was not this also Gods worke It was and
come burâ—hened and so ouer-laden wiâ—h all my sinnes that I cannot appeare before thee standing vpright but fall downe at thy foote Thou onely O Lord refresh refresh mee yea Lord I am confident that thou wilt Thy word is thy deede yea thou doest it already and I feele it My soule is releeued and refreshed with a rest with a peace that surpasseth all the worlds treasure And thy Spirit beareth witnesse with my Spirit Rom. 8.16 euen in this my greatest affliction that I am one of thy children Therefore doe I most thankfully say Blessed be thy name for euer and euer He that meditates hereon 4 Point A longing for death and as he ought comforts himselfe with the same may not he freely say with Simon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace Luk. 2.29 for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation May he not sing with Dauid Psal 27. The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraide And so consequently proceede to the end of that comfortable Psalme applying the same to himselfe against all his Spirituall temptations May hee not with St. Paul be assured that neither death nor life Rom. 8.38 nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate him from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea he will reioyce that he may follow his Lord euen at the heeles passing through the same dore of death which hee went through before him And will willingly setting light by this life and all what so euer hee hath in the world crie out with Salomon Eccles. 7.1 the day of death is better then the day of birth because it is a meanes to bring him vnto an vnexpressable ioy which will then especially quicken his heart when he shall consider what entertainment hee is then and there to expect The place of the soule If now wee enquire of the place of the blessed soules wee know that heauen is made ouer to them by promise Not the ayre that the cloudes and fowles houer in Math. 5.3.4 26.26 which sometimes is called heauen This is too narrow and subiect to dayly corruption nor that heauen neither or firmament that the starres glister in though it be somewhat more spacious and more permanent For euen this also at the last day shall be shaken and the starres shall fall downe Math. 24.29 It is a farre other thing that God hath prouided for his Elect. It is the third heauen which that chosen vessell Paul was caught vp into 2 Cor. 12.2 It is the vppermost heauen compassing all the heauens Eph. 4.10 whither Christ is ascended Ioh. 14.2 where is roome enough for many mansions Ioh. 14.3 This is stedfast and permanent vnto all eternity Wis 3.1 Hither Christ hath promised to take all his members vnto him Luk. 23.43 that they may bee where he is There be the righteous soules in the hand of God There is the penitent Thiefe in Paradise There is Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.23 There St. Iohn sawe them that were marked Reuel 7.9 before the Throne and before the Lambe One onely place set foorth by diuers names What a glorious comfort then is this for vs that our soule as soone as shee forsakes this earth shall bee receiued into so stately an habitation Concerning a mid way mansion or fiery prison which some haue endeauoured to settle by the way there to purge and purifie the blessed soules some certaine yeares before their ascention into heauen wee finde nothing at all in holy writ thereof set downe nor yet declared by the examples of any Saints deceased For euen as in this life there are but two kindes of conuersations set before vs to walke in light or darknesse 1 Ioh. 1. 〈◊〉 but two wayes through the narrowe or the wide gate so we read in the future life but of two hands of God Math. 7.13 the right and the left but of two kinde of men comprehended vnder the name of sheepe and goates Math. 25.32 and by consequence then but of two places heauen and hell Therefore when we are dying let vs fixe firmely the eyes of saith on the blood of Iesus Christ 1 Ioh. 1.7 which as his beloued Disciple speakes cleanseth vs from all sinnes and we shall directly ascend to that heauen Act. 7.56 which the first Martyr Stephen euen when hee was yet on earth sawe opened vnto him On what maner our soules get thither we may obserue by the fore-named Lazarus Luk. 16.22 who was carried thither by the ministrie of Angels Reu. 7.10 To St. Iohn it is also reuealed what they doe there to wit that they praise God hee saith farther Reu. 14.13 that they rest from their labours that is as well from the paines and diseases of the body which sicknesse did here bring on them and the troubles wherewith the wicked did oppresse them as from the labour and continuall warfare which they had against their owne concupiscences Concerning which the booke of Wisedome sayes very well Sap. 9.3 that they are at peace And principally at continuall peace with God and exempted from that trouble of minde whereby they feared to fall into Gods wrath And are not infinitely said to rest vnder an Altar in respect of Christ his onely sacrifice Reu. 6.9 whereby our soules are reconciled vnto God Ornaments of heauen As for the glory of this heauenly place no man can conceiue it Yet whosoeuer doth but obserue how glorious how comely God hath created this world which is but a temporall habitation as well of the wicked as of the good and what diuersity of delights he hath prepared for all kinde of men in the same he may in some sort guesse how louely how comely how full of pleasure that place must needs be which hee hath prepared to bee an habitation for his children whom hee hath elected to eternall blisse before the foundation of the world Saint Iohn when he faine would reueale some part thereof vnto vs writes that hee saw a Citie Reu. 21. A holy Ierusalem of pure gold whose walls were of Iasper stone and her foundations of most precious stone things that we here chiefely esteeme of and yet not to bee gotten in such quantity that thereof wee may build the least part of a Citie And yet all this is nothing in respect of the incomprehensible excellencie of this heauenly mansion Diuine Paul had a tast of this heauenly ioy but hee could not finde any termes wherewith to expresse the same But could onely say 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene eare hath not heard neither haue there entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him
the power and the glory for euer and euer Amen A Consolation or Remedie against the Mourning that may befall vs by the decease of our friends IT is a commendable custome that after any buriall the neerest friends returne to the Funerall house to comfort those that suruiue Wee in like manner hauing giuen some admonitions to the departing would faine heere minister some comfort to the liuing Not that we can imitate those prouident comforters who like Spirituall Physitians first diligently feele the pulse of their Patient and as by it they discerne and finde the disease prescribe accordingly some remedies for we know no mans disease in particular But wee will onely endeauour as faithfull Apothecaries to prepare some good matter out of the which the afflicted may chuse what they suppose most needfull for themselues Lamentation ouer the dead First then I say that it is neither vnseemely nor vngodly to be sorrowfull at any ones departure and to lament for the same Wee haue the examples of our Fore-fathers Gen. 23.2 Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept for her Iacob put on sackcloath Gen. 37.35 and mourned for his sonne many dayes when hee supposed his Ioseph had beene dead 2 Sam. 2.32 King Dauid and all the people wept at the Graue of Abner Yea Israell penned mournfull Ditties 2 Chro. 35.25 at the death of their Kings And among the first Christians the deuout men made great lamentation for the death of Stephen Acts 1.2 Euen the Sonne of God whether the death of Lazarus moued him Ioh. 11.35 or rather his sisters sorrowes wept with the weeping Rom. 2.15 Wee reade likewise Num. 20.29 that the lamenting for Moses and Aaron lasted each of them thirty dayes Deut. 34.8 On the embalming of Iacob they beslowed fourty dayes Gen. 50.3 Yea the Egyptians mourned threescore and tenne dayes And very fitly doth a man take the time of certaine dayâ—s to ease his heart of the burthen of griefe it surchargeth it by lamenting and weeping For this disease hauing so passed the worst is then the easier to be cured The sorrowfull finding himselfe wearied out by ouerlong mourning giues way the more willingly to comfort Which indeed ought not in due time be neglected but willingly accepted For though the first grâ—efe be not condemnable yet is the continuance thereof hurtfull For of heauinesse commeth death Ecclus 38.18 and the heauinesse of the heart breaketh strength sayes Iesus Syrachs sonne Remedies against sorrow The Remedies to bee vsed against this are either externall or internall The externall are foure-fold To wit a new ioy as Isaac after the death of his moâ—her conceiued at the fiâ—st approaching of his bride Rebecca Gen. 24.64 Or otherwise greater vnexpected sorrowes as when a woman doth lament the decease of a childe and presently after is bereaued of her dearely beloued husband Where neither of these two fall out there at last is all sorrow by time it selfe at length consumed or at the last vndoubtedly by death which is a sure Physitian for all diseases But these things are not within our power or reach And therefore the internall remedies are most profitable for vs which are two-fold to wit humane reason and the word of God The one teacheth vs not to be amazed at the losse of any kinde of thing which we knew could bee taken from vs at any time The other witnesses vnto vs that we say dayly and ought to say contentedly Our Father thy will be done Math. 6.10 This will of our heauenly Father if so be we be his children must bee the guide and gouernour of all our affections Wee must consider that whatsoeuer pleases him is best for his childrens welfare He hath appointed for each one his Mare in wedlocke his louing Parents his deare children his comfortable friends his trusty seruants and hath linked them in loue together But when when hee knew that it was needfull for them For how long time for so long as it was conuenient for them both And he that hath created all continueth Lord of all Hee giueth not his right to man euen in the smallest creature Hee doth but lend vs one to another Whensoeuer therefore hee shall demand his owne whether it bee wife childe or friend wee ought as to the owner willingly to surrender it vnto him againe And if we haue on them so set our affection which ought to be limited by Gods appoinâ—ed time as to things perpetually to continue wee ought to lament not any mans departure but our owne misreckoning Doe wee not know that Gods verdict Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 and vnto dust thou shalt returne must stand firme and be made good vpon Adam and all his posterity If any body should take great delight in the greene boughes and flourishing fruit of his Orchard would wee not esteeme him a very simple and silly person if he should vexe and pine away for griefe when the Winters frost came and destroyed them How then can hee be deemed very wise that troubles himselfe when he sees this earthly flesh which as the Prophet cries out is all but grasse Esay 40.6 to wither away This is the only difference of the Winters frost the certaine time is knowne where of Deathes approach the certaintie is well knowne but not the time When it pleaseth GOD but to call and say Returne Psal 90.3 we must on and finish our course in this world Wee then that heare and see this and also know that although the body wither yet the soule of the faithfull enters into eternall blisse ought to take heede we sorrow not 1 Thes 4.13 euen as others doe which haue no hope But considering that we haue beside this woâ—ted sorrow many other particular occasions also of griefe and sorrow and that euery one doth iudge his owne the greatest we will in briefe touch some of them and endeauour withall to finde out some special remedies for them Especiall occasions of sorrow The occasion then of our mourning is two-fold to wit either in respect of the deceased or in respect of our selues In respect of the deceased we sorrow for three reasons either because hee dyed in his childhood or because hee was taken away and brought vnto his end by some mischance or thirdly because we feare he dyed in his sinnes That which respecteth our selues hath also three reasons To wit either because his company was deare vnto vs Or because his helpe was very necessary vnto vs Or lastly because we had not sufficiently reconciled our selues vnto him First 1 Occasion wee bewaile our children as fruites not yet ripe too soone plucked from the tree as though this did not agree with Gods ordinance Yet we know that our Gardners doe not set all plants to the intent they should all bring their fruites to maturitie neither is it fitting they should so doe They let the Mustard and the Fennell stalke produce