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
in his hundred and sixteenth Psalme that being released we should call vpon him as long as we liue walke before him Psal 116. and pay our vowes vnto him in the presence of all his people which Psalme throughout ought then to be our meditation and our practise For wee doe neglect this and forgetting God and all godlinesse returne againe to our euill wayes wee must expect some greater punishment This the Lord demonstrates vnto vs in his words to the forenamed diseased person To whom because wee should not thinke it sufficient sometimes to appeare in the Temple hee said Sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee That is worse then the sicknesse of eight and thirty yeares continuance which hee had endured before Behold how sorely he is threatned that after his release vngratefully rushes againe into his former sinne God graunt vs a better heart Finall conclusion To conclude all that hath beene said as we in the first part haue shewed that the death of the body is not hurtfull to man and in that respect ought not to be fearefull so we suppose that in this second part wee haue declared by what meanes we may make the same to be very profitable vnto vs and haue shewed in the first place how that wee must settle our house by a decent ordering of our goods that we ought to inure our body to a patient suffering of paine and that we must prepare our soules by a timely preparation to meet death couragiously After that we haue taught how we ought to disarme it and so to strengthen our selues through Christian faith that its sting may not pricke our soule and bring it to the second death And withall we haue endeauoured to establish the wauering soule in this faith and to relieue the troubled consciences with comfortable speeches and examples that may instruct them And lastly wee haue made it apparent that death openeth a dore for our soule to a life truly happy which shee shall receiue with all aduantage honour and perfect ioy from her Sauiour in heauen and shall possesse vnto all eternity Wherefore we iustly conclude that all Christian soules haue great reason to waxe weary of this temporall troublesome and sinfull life and earnestly to say with the holy Apostle Wee desire rather to remoue out of the body Rom. 5. â— and be with Christ Let vs then lift vp our soules to him and heartily entreate him that he would come quickly Yea Lord Iesu come The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with vs all Reu. 22.20 Amen A SHORT PRAYER CONCEIVED BY THE Author for his Seruant that lay a dying An. 1623. O Almighty God and most mercifull Father that hast created and by thy wisdome doest preserue and gouerne all things we poore sinners prostrate our selues at thy feete to powre out our Prayers for a sicke creature whom it hath pleased thee to cast into the snares of death But in doing thus our owne vnworthinesse representeth it selfe to our eyes What are we that we should dare to entreate for one who in thy sight it may be is holier and better then wee our selues are and we consequently haue more neede that some other should pray for vs. Notwithstanding O wise and most mercifull Lord seeing that thou hast commanded vs for to pray one for an other sanctifie wee pray thee our heart and guide our tongue that our weake prayers may be acceptable vnto thee Whereby wee desire of thee that thou wouldest fauourably behold this our brother lying in great distresse Doe not behold in him that corruption which as well by originall sinne as by dayly transgression hee is fallen into But O Lord regard him as thy creature and as the worke of thine owne hands Cast not thine eyes on his owne deformity but on the worke of thy mercy whereby thou hast renewed thine image in him Forgiue vs forgiue him all his sinnes and transgressions for his names sake whom thou hast mercifully appointed to bee a ransome for vs before the foundation of the world and reuealed in due time to wit Iesus Christ who descended from heauen to take on him mans nature and in the same to suffer for vs and by suffering to saue those that beleeue in him Grant him O Father and grant each of vs to bee of that little flocke which through his merrits is elected to saluation Strengthen him in faith that he as a member of Christ may assure himselfe that he is partaker of all his merits We entreat thee for our selues we entreat thee for him as our brother in Christ and especiall for him as one to whom our lone is confirmed by a long continuance of dwelling and liuing together O Lord we pray for him as for our owne soule Be mercifull vnto him Let him tast of thy meekenesse Let him feele in his soule that thou hast quitted him of all his sinnes and turned thy wrath from him Strengthen him in body strengthen him in soule Shew thy power in this wealie flesh of his Touch his tongue that he may call on thee and declare his good hope euen in this his greatest frailty Or at the least O God so infuse thy diuine light into his Spirit that it may driue away all dazeling and darknesse from him Turne away from him all distrust and distresse of minde O Lord be mercifull vnto him And by this example teach vs wisdome that we in our greatest prosperity may flye all vaine arrogancie beholding here what a tender worme man is when thou doest but visite him with sicknes But at this present O Father comfort him that feeles this by experience Strengthen him and mercifully receiue him into thy protection Shield him from the arrowes of that wicked one that still is wandring about but chiefely assaulting vs in our greatest extreamity Set him free O Lord and if it seeme good vnto thee restore vnto him his former health If not send thine Angels vnto him â—hat they in due time may bring his soule into thy bosome Let him with Stephen if not with bodily eyes yet with the eyes of faith see his Sauiour standing in heauen euen ready to receiue his soule This we desire this we begge of thee O Lord for thy Sonne our Sauiours sake euen in that prayer which he hath endited for vs and begunne with that comfortable word Our Father Our Father that art in heauen heare vs whom thou hast vouchsafed to name thy children Hallowed among vs be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen euen in this our weakest brother Giue vs this day our dayly bread not that of our body onely but the Spirituall and necessary foode also of our soules Forgiue him and forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Lead vs not into temptation take compassion on our weakenesse that hardly can resist any thing But deliuer vs all from euill For thine onely O Father is the Kingdome
call the righteous Math. 9.12 13. but sinners to repentance for sayes he the whole neede not the Physitian but they that are sicke Let vs only earnestly runne after him Call on him by faith as did the sick the blinde the lame as St. Mathew hath distinctly set downe and wee may yet be cured with them Yea rather before them for our Sauiour came into the world to heale the sicknesse of the soule and did but heale their bodily diseases thereby to moue them to giue him leaue to take their soules in hand And by these externall things he would haue vs to feele his infinite loue Salomons words indeed befit him well who telleth vs that Lone couereth all sinnes Pro. 10.12 Sinne indeed is so strong that it did hinder man from entring into heauen into which as yet hee neuer had set foote But the loue of God was of farregreater might that caused him to send his onely begotten Sonne into the world out of heauen 1 Ioh. 4.9 where he was in all glory and that to this end that euen the feeblest might liue through him This incomprehensible loue St. Paul termeth the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 These riches then and this infinite treasure of his loue is the true wedding grament Mat. 22.12 that will hide all our sores at the wedding of the King and will richly adorne all wretched and forlorne soules notwithstanding any estate of pouerty or misery that their sin haâ—h brought them to if onely they can sit it vnto themselues by faith Therefore if the deuill assaile vs Iam. 4.7 let vs resist him saith the Apostle and he will flee from vs. If hee doe obiect and testifie against vs that we haue not with Maries zeale chosen the better part Let vs constantly hope that neuerthelesse Ioh. 11.5 seruing Christ with Marthas vprightnesse wee may notwithstaÌ„ding be beloued of him If he shall suggest vnto vs that we must not thinke to see that vnspeakeable ioy of the third heauen which was shewed Paul to that Elect vessell of God Luk. 23.46 yet let vs constantly trust that we shall enioy that blisse in Paradise which was granted to the Thiefe on the Crosse If hee tempt vs with the text of Holy writ that GOD doth not heare the prayers of sinners Mich. 3.4 let vs answere him with Holy writ againe Math. 4.10 Depart from me Sathan God sweares by himselfe Ezech. 33.11 that hee hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked man turne from his way and liue yea there is more ioy in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth Luk. 15.7 then ouer ninety and nine iust persons which neede no repentance Therefore let vs turne our hearts to God Rom. 8.25 hope for that we see not and expect it with patience Doe we not heare from Christ himselfe that Iamentable voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Luk. 23.48 Yet presently after that Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Wee must also know that this our trembling for feare of Gods wrath is a token that wee doe not with worldlings carelesly neglect our sinnes or seeke to hide them from Gods sight But that we feele them with Dauid and doe confesse them vnto him and therefore may hope with him that the Lord forgiueth vs our transgressions Psal 32.5 Wee haue with the Prodigall serued the world and the deuill but now in our pouerty and agonie wee cry out with him Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight Luk. 15.20.21 and am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne wherefore wee must expect that our heauenly Father will be moued with compassion and receiue vs with a kisse This straying Prodigall childe when hee so spake knew not whether his Father would receiue him into fauour againe or not yet hee found good successe with it Wherefore let vs for whose instruction and encouragement this is recorded assuredly hope that if we doe the like God will likewise receiue vs. For to haue compassion on his children is the true nature of a father which that we may assure our selues to finde in God our Lord Iesus Christ to our great comfort puts this name in our mouth in the very beginning of our prayers Let vs then cry out without ceasing Math. 6.9 Our Father forgiue vs our trespasses deliuer vs from euill and wee doubtlesse in him shall finde the right affection and effects of a Father Let vs obserue also the two Disciples that had in a manner lost both faith and hope and trauailing towards Emaus were troubled in their soules concerning the death of Iesus Christ who they had hoped as they complained should haue deliuered Israell Luk. 24.21 but now seemed to haue lost that hope And out of the aboundance of their heart their mouth vttered these things vnto a stranger in the field Now what befell them Did the Lord reiect them because they told him this euen to his face No hee tooke pitty rather on their infidelity and was with them ere they thought on him And so let vs hope beyond hope that our Redeemer mercifully now stands and beholds our perplexity though we see him not And that he in due time will very kindly and assuredly let vs feele his compassion and ayde Yea if God sent the Prophet Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 to that King that priuately by adulterie and murther had sinned against him and if he prepared a crowing Cocke Math. 26.75 for that Apostle that publiquely had denied him and beheld them both with the eye of his compassion before euer they thorowly perceiued their owne sins or euer thought of repentance O may not we then beleeue that he will haue mercy on vs who haue our heart harder prest downe by our sinnes then if a milstone lay on it and lie now sighing to be releast Yea we must beleeue it when the Sauiour of the world himselfe saith it Behold hee is so mercifull vnto those whose hearts are sore opprest with the burthen of their sinnes that he doth not stay till they finde him But hee seekes them and cries out himselfe with a loude voyce Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauie laden Math. 11.28 To what end to oppresse them no certainly I will giue you rest saith he Let a man obserue this well and ruminate priuately on it and his heart shall be forced to powre out secretly before the Lord either these or the like words A comfortable meditation O Lord Iesu Almighty God the onely Sauiour of the world doest thou call mee wilt thou refresh me Thou thy selfe in whose power onely the sauing and condemning of my soule doth consist Doest thou promise me this who art truth it selfe and that because I finde my selfe loaden wiâ—h many sins O Lord what or whom neede I then to feare I come I come I am he whom thou callest Behold I
our comfort delight and refuge Let vs then no longer lye weltring in sorrow lest by ouerlong lamenting wee encrease Gods wrath and prouoke him to correct vs with a heauier crosse If a Father should send one of his children into a farre Country to see and learne fashions and the childes brother in the meane while should neuer linne complaining that hee had lost his play-fellow would not this continuall whining at the last out-weary the Father Surely when his words could not herein preuaile with him hee would at the last better instruct him with a rod and so make him to be quiet Therefore let vs also willingly yeeld our necks vnto the yoake of Gods will and in patience possesse our soules Luk 21.19 that our impatience draw not his wrath downe vpon vs. Wee must not like children still cry and whine nor thinke that our loue due to the dead requires it of vs. They themselues would chide vs if our of heauen they should behold our endlesse lamenting for them True loue should giue vs occasion of ioy If ye loued me Ioh. 14.28 ye would reioyce saith Wisdome it selfe because I said I goe vnto the Father We must then bannish our of our hearts by a manly or rather a Christian courage this discomfort and manifest our strength by our patience For as Salomon sayes Hee that ruleth his Spirit Pro. 16.32 is better then he that taketh a Citie The holy Scipture that sayes Let the dead bury the dead Math. 8.22 whose buriall yet notwithstanding was necessary with more reason ought to perswade vs that wee should let the dead bewaile the dead which is not necessary at al. But why doe we still let our thoughts dwell in the graue whither we haue willingly caused the bodies of our best friends to be caried and there to be left Let vs lift our heads higher Let vs erect our hearts toward heauen whither God hath directed their soules There the best part of them is yet liuing There their soules remaine by the operations whereof their bodies did here delight vs. There I say our friends yet liue This wee may learne of Iob to whom God afterwards as the holy Scripture witnesseth gaue twice as much as hee had before To wit for seauen thousand Iob 1.2 Iob 42.12 hee gaue him foureteene thousand sheepe and so forth But in stead of tenne children he gaue him but tenne againe How then were they doubled his liuelesse Cattell were stone dead His deceased children were aliue still in heauen and the ten more giuen him here made them vp twenty Let vs then obserue hence that although our louing parents husbands wiues and children or friends are departed out of this world yet for all that they be not therefore dead but aliue yea that they may still be called ours And what greater comfort or reason then can wee haue to stay or stop our mourning then this Or if we cannot haile our senses out of the graue let vs at least behold and consider their bodies there with the eyes of the true Apostolique faith and wee shall finde them there constantly expecting the resurrection of the body Sym. Apost and life euerlasting And this is that which the Apostle on good ground charges vs 2 Thes 4.18 to comfort one another withall Calling on God And to conclude though wee haue set downe much comfort and diuers remedies against sorrowes yet except the Lord build the house Psal 127.1 they labour in vaine that build it In vaine doe we take in hand to cure the body In vaine doe we instruct the spirit vnlesse God stretch forth his ayding hand All sorrowfull hearts must then fall downe before him in whom is the fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.11 and call vpon him continually to release them of their sorrow Hee can soone scatter through the light of his spirit all those thick clouds of misery which often euen against our owne will doe compasse vs about Let vs take heed onely that with Martha wee be not too much troubled Luk. 10.39 and let vs with Mary rather set our selues at his feete and willingly embrace his comforts Or if we cannot wholy keepe our selues from sorrowing let vs not weepe ouer the dead but with the daughters of Ierusalem weepe for our selues that yet liue Luk. 23.28 Let vs freely mourne for our cōmon sins that brought death into the world and striue to diminish them daily more more by repentance so shall this religious sorrow be comfortable vnto vs and procure vs an eternall ioy Which we entreat that Comforter to grant vnto vs Ioh. 14.16 which our Sauiour promised to send his Disciples Amen A Prayer for the sicke written by Mr. I. KING Minister of Gods word in London ETernall and omnipotent God most kinde and mercifull Father I thy poore creature dust ashes appeare before thy high diuine Maiesty with a hearty confession of my vilenesse and manifold sinnes wherewith in soule and body I am defiled and so wounded that from the sole of my feere to the top of my head there is nothing sound in me For in my vnderstanding is nothing but blindnesse in my will nothing but obstinacie against thy commandements my heart is a root of all iniquity my externall members are weapons of vnrighteousnesse yea through my disobedience incredulity ingratitude I haue so farre turned aside from thee and strayed from thy wayes that I am become a slaue to sinne and a childe of wrath whereby I haue deserued not only temporall punishments but euen eternall death and damnation if so be thou shouldest enter into iust iudgement with me But seeing that thou O Father of all comfort doest not reiect those that come vnto thee with true repentance of their manifold sins but hast promised to heare those that call on thee with a broken heart and a deiected spirit I now come vnto thee in confidence of thy bottomlesse mercy which thou hast showne and offered vnto me in thy welbeloued Son my Sauiour Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent into to this world to bee a ransome for all my sinnes And entreate thee O faithfull God and Father that thou mercifully wilt heare my prayer which I offer vnto thee in his name being now visited with a heauy sicknesse Grant that I through this thy fatherly chastising may so feele the greatnesse of my sinnes and heauinesse of the same that yet thereby I may not fall into despaire But that rather through this thy fatherly correction I may be moued to flie vnto thee with whom is much forgiuenes that doest not desire the death of a finner but that he repent and liue Thou that strikest and woundest indeede as a seuere Iudge with the sword of thy law but againe as a spirituall Chirurgion bindest vp and healest with the wholesome oyle of thy holy Gospell that bringest indeede thy children to the vttermost extremity as if it were to the torments of hell