and it will reuiue thee it can heale all leprosie of sinne and remooue all maladies from a sin-sick soule it is the nectar of our saluation and the Lethe of our iniquines tast but once of this breade of life thou shalt euer after loath the sugered cares and bewitching damties of lustfull affections looke daily vppon this bread of life and thou shalt euer after hide thine eyes and stop thine eares which are now captiued vassailes to behold and heare the legerdemaine of humaine iugling desires all siren songes of carnall concupisence and vices loue-lines which now are imprinted in thy brest shall be quight cancelled out after thou hast once digested inwardly and thy soule hath had an happy concoction of this bread of life it purgeth all the hidden corruption of mans folly giueth working pills to vomit vp originall transgressions it is the present remedie for a body which lieth in a consumption of grace to tast of this bread of life with in a short space by the vnspeakeable hidden operation will make a blessed recouerie for this languishing creature If thy soule bee hungry or thirsty behold two sacramentall riuers flowing out of the Paradise of Christs body in the one thou shalt find this bread of life in the other this water of life tast either of them and thou shalt neuer hunger or thirst more yea the power of this bread cannot bee sufficiently declared by the tongue of the worthiest Orator VVherefore let vs only satisfie our soules with this bread of life whose power and efficacie our daily Orator Christ Iesus hath declared vnto vs in these words Hee that cōmeth to me shall not hunger and he that belieueth in me shall neuer thirst Wherefore to drawe to a conclusion let vs from the bottome of our hearts desire Christ Iesus euermore to giue vs of this bread that when the glasse of our life is runne out and with the Phenix wee may discerne the terme of our dayes and with the Swanne discouer our fatall end that it would please him to feed our hungry soules with this spirituall foode this bread of life and place them at his heauenly table to satisfie themselues with this celestiall banquet yea whē our breath vanisheth our eyes waxe dim and wee turned out of the houseroome of this transitory world repayre vnto our doomesday house where the wormes the dead mens lawyers shall take their fees out of vs their graue-clients and our bodies shall be their bread to satiate their hunger yet thou O Iesus would vouchsafe to giue vs thy body the only breade of life for to nourish our hungry soules that by the winges of a liuely faith wee may fly vp to the heauens and inioy that age of vnspeakeable pleasures the eternall father through the merrits of his deerest sonne by the scepter of his holy spirit so rule our hearts that wee being righteous as Elias and our prayers feruent as those of Elias they may peirce the clouds and open heauen and thence bring downe this bread of life this dew of diuine grace vppon vs and satisfie our soules with this misticall banquet of Christs body O Lord inflame our tongues with the zeale of deuotion that our prayers may bee feruent and may make a sweete incense to pacifie thy wrath that thou blotting out all our vnworthinesse out of thy memory maist graciously hearken to our petitions and maist grant vs this inestimable treasure the price and raunsom of our soules redemption if the Lyons seeke their meate of God if the Oxe knowe his owner and the Asse his maisters crib graunt vnto vs a most carefull desire to craue this meate of our soules and to waite and seeke for this bread of life that we which were created by a consultation of the Dietie redeemed with the pretious bloud of Christ sanctified by the holy Ghost may be partakers of this blessed bread of life and in the end and without all end sit at his heauenly table raigning together with the Trinity in the Kingdome of heauen to which bee all glory power praise and dominion both now and for euermore FINIS A SHORT AND necessary Treatise entituled Deaths welcome By Sa Garey AT LONDON Printed by I. R. for Ieffery Charleton 1605. ⧠To the most puissant Emperor and Conquerer of all the vvorld Death greeting LIfe saith the Philosopher is but a borrowed dreame of pleasure a vision of delight a pageant of transitory happinesse and Death is a Harbinger of eternitie a bringer of felicitie a Messenger of glory it is a pyrat of life and yet a pilot to life a conductor to the heauenly hauen of blisse the Angell to keepe Paradise wherein none enters but by the entrance of his fatall sword Sith therefore ô Death thou art the Groome-porter to let out life and let in life the remoouer as Aeschilus calleth thee of worldly sorrows the deliuerer as Cicero saith of troubled mindes the laylor which art content with the fees of our life to set our Soules at libertie I heere inuite and welcome thee to the loathsome banquet of my body fat thy pale cheekes with the cates of my life and glut thy hungry appetite with my vitall spirits onely doe me this fauour that I may say my Grace at this last supper and then sit downe vpon my dying bed and drinke vp the sweet drop of sower life and the scraps and dead bones of my body and carkasse of my flesh take away and keepe thē in the doomsday house vntil my Soule by the liuely wings of faith descending frō heauen at the generall resurrection be vnited one to another and there enioy an endlesse age of pleasures to the which ô Death soone bring mee that I may say to the VVorldes misery which I say to thee farewell Your louing and vntill you come liuing friend Sa. Garey Tu nil rescribas attamen ipse veni ⧠A Treatise entituled Deaths welcome THE principall motiue vvhich doth encourage a man to welcome and imbrace death is the assured hope of the future life and of those ioyes which hee shall enioy in the neuer fading kingdome Therefore S. Paule saith Vnlesse the dead be raised againe what aduantageth it me to haue fought with beasts at Ephesus For vnlesse there were a resurrection of the dead and an immortall life to be obtained after this our pilgrimage why should we liue in ieopardy euery howre suffer such persecution in this world not rather follow the rules of the Epicures eate drinke for to morrow we shall die and vppon our graues engraue the Epitaph of Sardanapalus which hee writ a little before his death Cum te mortalem noris presentibus exple Delicijs animū post mortem nulla voluptas Et venere et plumis et caenis Sardanapali This I say were the best pleasing life to eate with the Epicure sleepe with Endimion carouse with Alexander with the rich man in the scripture to flatter our selues saying Soule thou hast much goods layde vp
bellie Gods whō the trencher doth make friendes to Christ like vnto him which when he sweat ouer his trencher yet cryed out O quanta patimur pro amore Christi Lorde what suffer we for the loue of Christ Iesus therfore reprehendeth these men saying Verily verily I say vnto you yee seeke mee not because yee sawe the miracles but because yee cate the loanes and were filled Yet they obstinatly aunswered him VVhat miracles hast thou done hast thou commaunded the Sun and the Moone to stand still as Iosua did hast thou reuiued the widdowes son as Elias did hast thou made yron to swim as Eliza did hast thou reuiued the dead bones as Ezechiell did hast thou been in the VVhales belly with Ionas or parted the redde sea with Moses Our Fathers did eate Manna in the VVildernesse Moses gaue them bread from heauen to eate but marke I pray you how Iesus did aunswere them Nay saith hee Moses gaue you not bread from Heauen but my Father gyueth you the true Breade from Heauen For the breade of GOD is hee vvhich commeth downe from Heauen and giueth life vnto the world Then sayde they vnto him Lorde euermore giue vs this Breade And Iesus sayde I am the Breade of life hee that commeth to me shall not hunger he that belieueth in me shall neuer thirst And thus much for the cohaerence and occasion of our Sauiour Christs wordes now particularly as they lie in order first who is this Breade VVhich is Christ persona loquens signified in this word I. Secondly what is this breade It is the breade of life Thirdly the powerfull efficacie and effect of this bread declared in these wordes Hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and hee that belieueth in mee shall neuer thirst And first vvho is this Breade which is Christ I am the liuing Breade vvhich came downe from heauen saith Christ Ego sum panis vitae et fons aquae viuae I am the bread of life and sountaine of liuing water Omnia nobis est Christus sayth Ambrose si esuris ipse est panis si sitis ipse est fons aquae viua si carus es ipse est lumen si infirmus es ipse medicus si mortuus ipse vita gratiae et gloriae Christ is all things to vs if thou beest hungry he is bread if thou beest thirsty he is the fountaine of liuing water if thou beest blind he is the light hee is the health of a feauered soule light of thy life life of thy desire heauen of the minde guide to thy wandring feete succorer in necessity helper in aduersitie yea hee is all things to thee I am the liuing bread sayth Christ The bread which I giue is my flesh and the drinke which I giue is my blood my flesh is meate indeede and my blood is drinke indeede Hee that cateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the latter day O blessed meate O celestiall food O heauenly Manna it farre excelleth the Poets Ambrosia would to God that all of vs daily might eate of this Manna would to God that all of vs which trauell in the Wildernesse of this world might lodge at such an Inne where God the father is the host the holy Ghost the hostesse the Church the Inne the crosse the signe and Christ the meate and drinke Aristotell must dine when it pleaseth Phillip but heere thou maist haue store of spirituall foode for the repast of thy soule and take it when it please thy selfe Say but thy grace before this blessed banquet and then sit downe and satisfie thy hunger The more thou eatest the more it encreaseth like to Iupiters nectar the more it is drunke of the more it ouerfloweth Neither needst thou vse the counsaile of Lysander which hee perscribed to his Daughters to drinke with a drop of wine a spunful of water Thou maist drinke as much of this pretious wine as thou wilt neither canst thou infuse any mixture of water but of the water of eternall life This meate is of the like quality with the stone of Thracia which whosoeuer findeth is neuer after troubled so whosoeuer eateth of this meate is neuer after grieued labour therefore to get this meate which endureth to euerlasting life No water was so good as that which came out of the Rocke no meate so delicate as Manna which came from heauen no wine so wholesome as that which Christ made of water at the marriage of Cana no oyle so pretious as that which the Samaritan had no robe so costly as that which the father gaue to the prodigall son no bread no foode no meate so profitable as this meate of the soule which endureth to euerlasting life This meate is water to refresh vs and wine to cheare vs this is bread to strengthen vs and Manna to nourish vs it is a treasure to inrich vs and a pearle to adorne vs it is a fire to purge vs and salt to pouder vs it is a trumpet to call vs and wisedome to instruct vs it is a way to direct vs and life to reuine vs it is a Lanterne to guide vs and a buckler to shield vs it is phisicke to recure vs and a salue to heale vs if wee haue this meate this Manna this bread we shall haue no neede of Elizens to increase our oyle no neede to begge at the gluttons gate or to send vnto Naball the churle for foode if wee haue this treasure wee shall not neede to rob the Egiptians if we haue this pearle we shall not neede the golde of Ophire if we haue this water wee neede not drawe water at Iacobs well Naaman needes not wash his feete seauen times in Iordan the sicke needes not to goe to the poole of Bethesda for this pretious meate and inestimable Manna will purge vs from all leprosie of sinne So that we shall loath to drinke of the slumbering cup of the deuills sorceries to bewitch vs to sinne this bread is Homers Moly and Plinies Centauria against all lustfull inchauntments for this bread this spirituall foode will so clense our mindes and purifie our harts that we will alwaies detest the eye-pleasing baits of carnall desires and wholly delight our selues with this inestimable treasure carnall voluptuousnes is transitorie and fading the minuts that lackey at the heeles of time runne not faster away then doe those pleasures but this spirituall foode this breade of life is not like palate-pleasing dainties whose sugered sweetenesse once rellisht is presently gone but it yieldeth the hungry soule an euerlasting fruition of most rauishing pleasantnesse labour therfore for this bread which bringeth to euerlasting life The Bees doe labour to get a little hony Mella stipant et dulci distendunt nectare cellas But this bread is sweeter then honie or the hony-combe Our forefathers did eate of the Acorns of the Oakes and thought them pleasant meate And we which by Ceres huswifrie haue learned to bury the
reuiuing graine doe thinke that Bread most delicate foode O foolish Caterers let vs rather learne to bury in our harts this reuiuing graine that in this generall famine of true Christian foode we may with Ioseph prouide aboundance of this bread of life for the benefit of our soules thē should we not haue such spirituall penurie and dearth of religion if our hearts were made fertill to bring forth the seedes of our soules nourishment and sustenance Labor not therefore for the bread that perrisheth but for this bread which remaineth vnto euerlasting life Ay but will some say where shall we find this spirituall food this bread of life I tell thee Christ is this bread of life Ay but will he perhaps reply how shal I come to Christ to get this foode I bidde thee goe to the scriptures Christs treasury where thou shalt finde this Manna this Bread of life there is plentifull store take and satisfie thy selfe neyther needst thou goe farre to seeke it as Dauid did the Arke of GOD or as Iosias did the Booke of the Lawe Neither canst thou desire with the Glutton that one frō the dead might arise to teach thee how to finde this bread of life for now adayes thanks be giuen to GOD for it the dispencers of this bread of life be plentifull who may without feare or perril shew thee the compendious way to seek this bread of life Now Obadia neede not feare Queene Iezabell to bide an hundred Prophets in a Caue Moses need not feare King Pharao and say I haue a stuttering tongue Ieremy need not feare the Iewes and say I am a child for now the Ministers of Gods word are maintained and preserued and may freely without danger boldly without feare dispence of this bread of life Yea enery one of Christes faithful children although he be not an heade in the misticall body of Christ or an eye or a legge yea if he be but an hand yet he may gather of this bread of life if he be but an eare he may heare of this bread of life or a tongue he may praise this bread of life or a mouth he may receiue this bread of life Labour therefore for this bread which endureth to euerlasting life I am the Breade of lyfe O Iesus art thou the bread which giuest life Thou art a guide to our waies a gardian to our persons a counseller in our doubts a comforter in misery a patron in necessity and wilt thou be bread also Thou art our keeper our sheepheard our defender our Sauiour wilt thou be bread also O Iesus thou art light vnto our eies musick to our eares contentment to our soules wilt thou be bread also O louing Iesus O mercifull redeemer O blessed Emanuell O Iesu we giue thee our bodies our soules our substance our wealth our honor our friends our Children our life and all that is ours Iesus wee are not our own but thine claime vs as thy right keepe vs as thy charge loue vs as thy children Iesus fight for vs when sathan commeth heale vs if he woundeth reuiue vs if hee killeth receiue vs if we flie into thy merciful bosom protect vs when he approcheth detect vs when he cōmeth Iesus thou art our foode in the day thou shalt also be our repose in the night Iesus make vs pliable to thy will resigned wholy to thy pleasure Iesus forsake vs not least wee perrish leaue vs not least we bee ouercome Iesus direct our intentions correct our follies erect our cogitations protect our endeuors Iesus grant vs sorrow for our sinnes feare for thy iudgements loue of thy mercies thankfulnesse for this bread of life I am the breade of life that is I am the bread of an immortall heauenly life not of this mortall and earthly life for else Christ might rather haue saide I am the bread of death and not of life for this life is a liuing death and a dying life But Christ is not bread of such a life But he is the bread of an immortall and neuer fading life Happy therefore is hee which is at this hanquet tasteth of this breade of life Neither is this an imaginarie fruition or a painted banquet resembling the hungry cheere which the birds had that fedde themselues with Zeuxis painted grapes vntill with picking at shaddowes they waxt so leane that they were glad with Esops Cocke to scrape for a Barley corne But with this bread of life thy foule shall be so cherrished with this Manna thou shalt be so wonderfully delighted that euer after thou shalt loath the flesh pots of Egipt Hic panis est corpus meum this bread is my body and therefore thou canst not mislike it O you Ministers the faithful dispencers of this hallowed bread of life feede duly Christs flock with this bread of life Christ said to Peter Pasce pasce pasce feede feede feede Feede with this bread of life vvith your doctrine with your almes Feede first with this bread of life for it is the bread of saluation Secondly feed with your wholsome doctrine that Christs sheep do not surfet with vice and so neede the corsiue of his correction to amend them Thirdly feede with almes but what shall I presse you to that Nay I must in cōscience spare you for the case nowe so stands that you are liker to liue of almes then bee able to giue almes and therfore till happier times come wherein your diuine function may more bounteously be rewarded I will spare you for that poynt for necessitie hath no law In meane while feede with this bread of life spend your breath happily in the fires of deuotion crying alarum spiritual gainst soule vice and all wickednesse so at last you hauing not defrauded Christes children of this bread of life may haue a most bountifull remuneration for your painfull labours and enioy all heauenly happinesse and celestiall ioyes tasting this bread of life which is prepared for all Gods faithful children And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of the first parcell of my text I am the bread of life Nowe it followeth that I should briefly speake of the powerfull efficacie and effect of this bread of life VVhich by the tongues of Angels cannot be so wel declared as by these our Sauiours words He that commeth to me shall not hunger and hee that belieueth in me shall neuer thirst After a man hath tasted of all manner of delicate meats yea although hee hath caroused new grapes in Alexanders cup and plentifully payd that dailie Tribute to the stomacke which the lawe of our nature exacteth yet that foode will not satiate him for euer so that hee shall neuer hunger or thirst after But this bread this breade of life hath another power and effect for he that eateth of this breade shall neuer hunger or thirst more VVe read in the fourth chapter of Mathewe that man liueth not by bread onely but I say man onely liueth by this bread for
the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of almightie GOD The righteous shal neither hunger nor thirst heate nor sunne shall not hurt them for he that fauoureth them shal lead them and giue them drinke of the springing wells they shal eate drinke and be merry for very quietnes of hart yea their gladnes and theyr ioy shall continue for euer and euer The wise saith Daniell shall glister as the shining of heauen and be like the starres worlde without end My people saith God shal dwell in pleasant peace and safe holds shal haue continuall rest without disturbance Therefore when the Psalmograph did consider the excellent things that are spoken of the Citty of God and of the great Citty holy Ierusalem he cryed out O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lorde of Hosts my soule hath a desire longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord. My hart my flesh reioyce in the liuing God for who can be delighted with the kennell of this life when he shall read what the diuine Egle the Egle of Diuines hath spoken of this cittie that it is pure golde like vnto cleare glasse that the streets are pure golde as shining glasse that the shining is like vnto a stone most precious as a Iasper stone cleere as Christall that the foundations of the wall are garnished with all manner of precious stones that the twelue gates bee 12. pearles that the keepers of the 12. gates be 12. Angels that the light is the gloty of God the lambe that the temple is the Lord God almightie and the lambe that the inhabitants be pure and that no vncleane thing entereth therein that the Records be the booke of Life that the water is a water of Life that the tree is a tree of Life and of the mimunities of the Cittizens that there shall be no more curse no night no need of candle nor light of Sun and that the estate of the Cittizens is this that they shall raigne for euermore Oh who would not willingly diue into the whitlpoole of deuouring Death and desire that the twisted feeble threds of our life would euery houre vntwine so that we might be receiued into this heauenly foeietie after the ioyfull diuorcement of Soule bodie Balaam wished that his soule might die the death of the righteous and that his last end might bee like vnto theirs the Prophet Dauid wished rather to bee a doore keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of the vngodly one day in thy Courts is better then a thousand blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will alwaies be praysing of thee These ioyes might allure vs to raise our thoughts aboue the ordinarie leuell of this world and to say with Poule I desire to be loosed from this body of sinne and to bee with Christ no musicke should bee so sweete vnto our eares as the remembrance of death for death is our faithful conductor to this Ierusalem I haue oft wondered at the folly of our nature which doe so abhorre to heare the mention of our death yea euen aged men whose spring was past whose summer spent and euen arriued at the fall of the leafe and winter cullours had stayned their hoary head whose tired ship did beginne to leake and grate vppon the grauell of their graue yet how timerously they were amazed when they perceiued that the trumpet of death beganne to giue his last sound O foolish imbecillitie who would not willingly bee luiled in deaths slumbering fits and close vp the day of his life that from a mortall day hee may come to an euerlasting morrow It is they will say themselues the greatest delight and pleasure in this world to heare the Nightingales recount their tunes with daintie variety to see Valleis compassed about with siluer Riuers To see medowes enameled with eye pleasing flowers to see Gardens bedecked with roses and lillies and pleasant shades Or to heare the Lambs craue their Dams comfort with their bleting oratorie yet these be trifles from heauen you shall heare the Angells singing Alleluia which will surpasse the musicke of Nightingalls there is the Eden of content the Paradise of pleasure Will you haue pastures to pastime in Marke what Saint Gregorie saith pasma electorum sunt vultus Dei vbi erit perpetua latitia et securitas Dost thou delight in shepheard Lambs there is our watchfull shepheard Christ there is the Lambe of God crauing day and night for the comfort of our soules yet I will saile a little further into the broad Sea of these celestiall ioyes It will bee no small ioye vnto vs when our soules shall bee presented before the Throne of the most blessed Trinitie by the hands of the Angells and they placing them before the Tribunall seate of almightie God shall declare our good workes our almes deedes our prayers our fastings our innocencie of life our temperance in diet our crosses our tribulations torments iniuries and afflictions we haue suffered for Gods sake Saint Luke writeth that when holy Tabitha the great almes giuer was dead all the widdowes and poore people came about the Apostle Saint Peter showing him the coates and garments she had giuen them wherewith the Apostle being mooued made his prayer to almightie God for that so mercifull a woman and by his prayers he raised her againe to life Now what a ioy and gladnesse will it be to vs when the Angells shall rehearse our vertues and good deedes which wee haue performed in our lise Then shall wee fully perceiue the value of vertue there the obedient man shall talke of victories there shall the Kings come loaden with the spoiles of honor There shall the valiant men enter with triumphe which haue conquered sathan and all his deuises There shall the innocent Virgines enter which haue liued chastly in the world adorned with Garlands of Lillies and Roses There shall the whole Court of heauen imbrace with kisses religious bishops which haue beene watchfull shepheards ouer the whole flocke of Christ There shal the constant Martirs bee receiued which haue suffered martirdome for the Gospell There shal the aged men enter which haue with discretion and wisedome passed their daies on earth There shall the vertuous young men receiue there reward There vertue shal be honored according to her merrit Oh how sweete and sauorie shall the fruite of vertue then bee Sweet is the fountaine to the weary traueller sweete is rest to the tyred seruaunt sweet is the cold euening after a hote sunny day yet much more sweeter will it be to the faithfull seruaunts of almightie GOD and Saints of the heauenly Cittie to haue peace after warre continuall quietnesse after paynes ioy after trouble securitie after danger Then shal not the childrē of Israel neede to feare Pharao Then Mardocheus neede not feare proude ambitious Haman Then Iosephs feete shal not be pinched and hurt in the stocks Then the VViddowe of
Sarepta may cast away her cruse and her meale for shee shal be satisfied vvith heauenly manna Then may the blessed Father Saint Ierome take his rest who in his watchings made no difference betweene dayes and nights beating his breast in his deuour prayers and fighting against the violence of the old serpent Then Ieremy need not renew his tragicall note in his prophecie saying O that my head were a well of vvater and my eye-lidds fountaines of teares that I might weepe day night for the slaine of the Dangliters of my people Then may the stout harted Souldiers lay downe theyr swords and spears for there is a region of peace and a place of tranquilitie for euery one in that Cittie enioy the fruite of sweet peace That Citty is situated aboue all the Elements where no cloudes can arise no stormy winds can blow no tempetuous waues can come There is the lambe of God Christ Iesus embracing his deere spouse the Church saying My sister my spouse how fayre how pleasant art thou ô my Loue in pleasures thy lippes my spouse drop as honny combes Hony and milke is vnder thy tongue my spouse is as a Garden enclosed with Roses and Lillies ô Paradise of Gardens ô well of liuing waters ô my vvel-beloued thou art the fairest among women O ioyfull time when we shall see face to face Christ Iesus and heare the sweet communication betweene him and the Church his beloued Spouse Blessed are they saith holy Tobias that loue thee and enioy thy peace VVherefore Bernard might well say If any man should tast in his heart howe great the pleasantnesse of the heauenly reward is then euery thing in the earth will seeme bitter euerie comly thing shamefull and all ioy sorrowfulnes Also in another place he saith In comparison of heauenly ioy all pleasure is griefe all delights sorrow all sweetnes bitternesse and all honor horriblenesse VVherfore I will exhort all godly Christians with the graue sentence of blessed S. Augustine where he saith O man be feruent in the loue desire of Eternall life where euery action is without labor rest without idlenes praise without disdaine life without defect where there is no want but all superfluitie where there is no good hidden and no euill present Oh into what an Ocean of ioyes my ioyfull tongue leades me my eyes waxe dim at the sunne-shine of this glory my penne begins to tyre and yet I will not like a badde Historian speake of the meanest ioyet and cut of the course of the greatest happinesse Therefore my tongue mine eyes my penne each of them shall sing a part to make vp the harmonie of this excessiue felicitie It is an vnspeakable pleasure to a christian whē he shall arriue at this blessed hauen shall turne back and looke vpon the course of his nauigation wherein he hath sailed in the tempestuous sea of his former life whē he shall remember the waues where-with hee hath been tossed the rocks which he hath escaped the Pyrats namely the deuill and his Angels whom hee hath happily auoyded VVhen he shal cōsider this transitory world to be but a dungeon of sinners where the growth of Vertue is poysoned with the puddle water of penurie where rancor despight chiefely raigneth and all goodnes is ouer-whelmed in malice where vertue is a handmaide to sugred hypocrisie smooth malice hidden ambition smiling enuie wicked tyranny Besides when he shall behold so many thousand soules descending into hell and that it hath pleased the omnipotent King among so many millions of damned persons thou shalt be one of that predestinated companie which should obtaine such vnexpressable felicitie and glory Yea what a glorious sight will it bee to thee to see so many persons hauing on their heads golden Crownes and to see the Kingly seats of heauen filled vp and that Citty builded and the noble Ierusalem repayred againe Yea what a ioy will it bee to thee to see Archangells Angells the soules of Saints the companie of Martirs the Sunne the Moone the glistering Starres and all other things each one of them in their course and qualitie showe themselues obedient to his will giuing veneration glory and praise singing this sweete song praise and honor and power and glory bee vnto him that sitteth vppon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Is not this a glorious companie a ioyfull countrey a happy life who shall be these so fortunate and so happy that are elected for thee Happy shall I be if the remnant of my posteritie might come to see the clearenes of this Ierusalem To behold her gates wrought with Emeraldes and Zaphires and all the circuit of her walls built with precious stones her streetes paued with polished marble and in all her parts shall be sung Alleluia It seemeth a presumption to desire thee and yet I will not liue without the desire of thee for by the grace of God which grace I hope in Christ shall more and more daily abound in mee I purpose to refuse no labours paines and trauels so that at the end of my naturall life my soule may rest with my Redeemer Let tribulations afflict me let diseases molest mee let my daies be consumed with weeping and teares alwaies runne downe by my cheekes let mee alwaies drinke the bitter wormewoode water of aduersitie let lamentation and mourning alwaies accompanie me let me be persecuted with captiuitie Nay let my head be cut off with Iohn Baptist or let mee be stoned to death with Stephen yea let my eies be pulled out of my head or my flesh be torced with pincers let vexations poure downe as thicke as haile so that all that passe by may behold and see if there bee any sorrowe like vnto my sorrowe Yet all these griefes would I willingly sustaine if it would please my God that when pal◠death shall shut vp the eies of my body that my eies of my soule might still behold and looke vpō my Red emer And that when I shall bee stripped out of this mortall weede and turned both out of the seruice and houseroome of this world yet at last I may arriue at that blessed Hauen the celestiall Ierusalem there to be placed among the glorious company of the holy Angells and Saints receiue an immortall incorruptible crowne of glory For what will it grieue a man to haue a troublesome-night so that ioy commeth in the morning The Mariner will not regard a short tempest so that presently after the storm there followeth a quiet calme euen so should it seeme to vs. Although for a short season we suffer sorrowe in this world yet for that short sorrowe wee shall reape euerlasting ioy Therefore let vs constantly endure to the end of our sorrowes for he that endureth to the end shall be saued Would we not esteeme him a foolish man who would refuse to suffer patiētly the tortures of one moment so that after hee should inioy perpetuall happinesse VVell saith S. Augustine So
great is the fairenes and pleasure of Eternall light that if one might not liue there longer then one day for thys onely innumerable yeeres full of the delights of this life and aboundance of temporall goods he might rightly worthily be cōtented For in heauen we shal haue light without end brightnesse without comprehension peace without inuasion In this world our sences are benummed frozen with the extremitie of miseries coldnesse but in heauen there shal such vnexpected blisse shine vppon vs that all the parts of our body and soule shal be miraculously cherished with the lightning of selicitie In this world if the whole worthinesse of all humane creatures vvere comprised in the globe of one mans breast yet were not that one man so happy as the least Saint in Heauen In this world wee are but as it vvere ships without a Pylot tumbling vp and downe in vncertaine waues till we runne vpon the rocks of selfe deuision or bee ouerthrowne by the stormie winde of forraine inuasion In this VVorld we are but as it were tenisbals tossed by the racked of iniurious fortune but in heauen vve need not feare the tempests of aduersitie for there wee shall dwell vvith Saints vnited in perfection there we shall tast the golden fruite of blessed soules there wee shal haue Christ a guide vnto our waies and a Gardian to our persons there Christ shall be light vnto our eyes musick vnto our eares sweetnes to our tast contentment to our soules The state of the Church militant heere in this world is like the Arke floting vpon waters like a lilly growing among thornes like Christs ship in the 8 of Mathew couered vvith waues and yet not drowned But in the second worlde it shall be triumphant where it shal gloriously raigne for euermore Man in this world is but an Anatomy of misery or a spectacle of a dolorous ending tragedie but in the world to come he shall be a paragon of glory and a patterne of endlesse happinesse Therefore sith the reward of our godly endeuours shal be so well recompenced in the future life let vs abandon all vicious pleasures neuer be recalled to the vomit of carnall desires Let vs fight manfully vnder the banner of our grand captaine Christ vntill we vanquish all his enemies the denill his angels and for that good seruice performed in Christes quarrell we shall receiue at his handes a large pay namely an euerlasting life and an immortall crowne of glory Now therefore sith I haue as it were lighted a candle to the glorious sun-shine of this heauenly glorie which cannot any way be better shadowed out with the best pensil then by couering it ouer with the vaile of silence I will speake but verie little more concerning this happines but will onely compare the torments of hell to the ioyes of heauen For as beautie seemes more excellent when it is paralelled with deformitie so wil heauen show more glorious when it is compared to hell For as it is an axiome with the Logicians Of contrarie things the reason is contrarie so in this contrarietie in heauen and in hell hee which doth perceiue the ioyes in heauen may easily coniecture at the torments in hell If the ioyes in heauen cannot bee expressed by the tongues of Angells then the torments of hell cannot be declared by the best Orator For as those two places be distant in qualitie so their ioyes and paines be equall in quantitie If that the ioyes of heauen be infinite the paines of hel must consequently followe to be infinite Now then sith these two opposite places bee distinguished with such a contrarietie the ioyes of the one euery man would gladly enioy the paines of the other euery man would willingly eschewe it followeth that this is the greatest impediment for a man not willingly to welcome death because he is wonderfully afraid least he should bee punnished for his sinnes in these hellish torments these torments doe ingender such a feare in a man that hee horridly quaketh at the mention of death For when a man shall recount with himselfe that he offered the May crop of his life to the deuill that hee sacrificed his blooming yeares to the seruice of the deuill and that now the flowers of his youth are blasted the fruite perrish the body of the Tree groweth to decay then hee shall thinke with himselfe that hee being voyde of the sap of good fruites shall become fuell for hell fire When he shall lie on his departing bed burdened with the heauy loade of his trespasses and vexed with the worme of conscience and feeling the crampe of death wresting his harts strings and ready inpathed in his finally voyage and not farre from the period of his daies Oh how hee shall be distracted in his senses when he should make a free gift of his body and soule to God and by bequeathment to dispach the whole menage of all eternitie and of the treasures of heauen Oh how shall he bee mazed when he shall consider how the morning pleasures of his youth lulled him a sleepe in sinne how the violent heat of the noone of his age did prouoke and excite sinfull affections and therefore in the coole and calme of his euening how can hee hope to retire to a Christian rest and close vp the day of his life with a cleare sunset wanting the light of grace without which euery one shall abide in euerlasting darkenesse These considerations I say will make a man tremble at the mention of death for peccati stipendium mors the reward of sinne is death and these torments in hell fire therefore when hee shall thinke with himselfe that the most vertuous can scarce attaine to heauen in mountenance of yeares whose liues were died in the beautifull graine of vertue how then shall hee wretched sinner hope to obtaine heauen since all his life time hee hath perseuered in sinne that now death hauing taken away abilitie in sinning and left him to the lees of his dying daies how shall he beleiue to be infranchised in that heauenly Citty which is not so penurious of friends that it should bee made salable for the refuse and reuersion of euery sinners life A King which hath liued like an Epicure heere vppon earth and in nothing tooke delight but like a Nero to oppresse the innocent shall not inioy the heauenly happinesse For as Bernard saith It is impossible to ioyne present and future delights And as the same father in another place addeth He that is fed with earthly pleasures is counted vnworthy of eternall ioyes The shining title of worldly glory shall nothing helpe to the happines of that life they be like bladders which are puffed vp with the winde of prosperitie and only doe affect the smoke of vaine glory they doe not obserue the precept giuen by Moses vnto Princes Princes must reade the Lawe all the daies of their liues and as Iosua let not the booke of this Lawe depart out of
they make the lawes and statutes limetwiggs to catch the simple which should bee as it were Sea-markes to auoyde shipwracke for ignorant passengers they studdie for to inuent pollicie how to palliate committed disorders The Iudges imitate Samuels songs which did not walke in their fathers waies but tooke bribes and rewards to peruert right The widdowes complaine the Orphans are wronged the poore are not regarded And as Isidorus saith through the loue of desire lawes are of no force hee that hath to giue hath also to gouerne And as Saint Augustine saith a fat Hen doth more preuaile with Iudges then iustice and money more then innocencie They will not regard any plea vnlesse the euidence containes golden eloquence But there is another commaundement giuen them in Deutronomie Wrest not the law nor know any person neither take any rewards for giftes blind the wise and peruert the words of the righteous as there is a common axiom among the Canonists Ni nire non debet esse acceptio personarum the Iudges and Lawyers should not regard the great men more then the poore nor the plaintifes bagges more then the defendants in forma pauperis Woe be vnto them that make vnrighteous lawes whereby the poore are oppressed Woe vnto that abominable Cittie whose Rulers are as roaring Lyons whose Iudges are as Wolues in the Eucning these threatnings out of the Scripture will make the Lawyers timerous to die when they shall recount with themselues how oft they haue trangressed these diuine lawes how many bribes they haue receiued to giue vniust sentence how oft they haue stopt their eares against the crie of the needie how oft they haue heard the accuser would not hearken to the accused Reiecting Alexanders graue iudgement who did alwaies stop one of his eares when any one did complaine againe another saying this care I lend the accuser the other I reserue for the excuser When I say they shall record their publicke and priuate iniuries their conniuence at manifest faults and too much seueritie at small crimes their vnlawfull condemnations and their partiall absolutions I say these committed offences will so examinate them and strike such a terror into them when the streame of their life runneth at a low ebbe and the date of their life heere in this world is expired and they entering into the kalends of death then they will sit quiuering for feare and knocke at the doore of their conscience and there summon a quest of inquirie for their sinnes and when they shall come to appeare at the Bar of consideration and there be arrained they shall answere as prisoners at the Barre guiltie guiltie And this is the reason why they are so vnwillingly to depart out of this life in like manner the Tradesmen who are customers to the world who haue gotten false ware sutable to the shoppe of such Marchants whose traficke is to toile whose wealth trash whose gaine miserie they I say are vnwilling to depart this life because by their fraudulent dealings they haue purchased an ill conscience which doth make them sleepe like the Nightingalls who alwaies sleepe with a prickt against their brest so doe they sleepe or rather slumber hauing a pricking conscience It alwaies registreth their misdeedes showing them their offences and so they haue no confident perswasiion that their election is sure Also the husbandmen who haue long time tilled the earth and by the sweat of their labours haue increased their worldly possessions now perceiue by the infirmitie of their body they bee not able any more to endure the churlish entertainment of the world or to prolong the tedious line of life and recount with themselues what infinite paines they haue vndergone for to obtaine worldly riches and neuer laboured one houre in the field of Gods Church to possesse beauenly treasures sowing the seedes of repentant sorrowe and watering them with the teares of contrition that they might reape a more beneficiall haruest and gather the fruits of endlesse comfort Then they will thinke with them selues that it is an vnseasonable time to alter the course of their vnthriuing husbandry when in the Aprill of theyr yeeres they might haue brought foorth the flowers fruites of saluation and these be the causes why they be vnwilling to depart out of this life and dare not say with father Simeon O Lord cōmaund that my Soule may depart in peace Nor dare not cry out with Dauid the pyller of mother Sion who liued in the child-hood of the Church when the clowde of the Law did ouershadow the appearance of the Sun in fulnesse of comfort before Christ had opened the store-house of ioy and yet he beeing wearie of his life and the burden of his body cryed out Oh howe long shall I liue in this prison And Paule the notable organ of the holy Ghost singeth the same long with Dauid saying ô wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne So did Father Ieremie wish that the wombe had serued for his tombe And so did Esay be waile his birth and murmured against the knees that held him vp the breasts that gaue him sucke For they knew that the worlde was but a sea of sorrow and our life like vnto a new ship put into the sea fleeting to the bottomlesse swallow where as the tempestuous winds and waues of this world doe beate vppon and alwaies threaten a drowning of life but whē this fraile mortall life seemes to haue brokē her wings by the force of death then presently as immortall shee taketh her flight and lands at a good port VVhy therefore should wee desire to adde more feathers to the wings of time sith after our dissolution we shal be made liuely members fully knit in our body Christ Iesus Ay but a man will say if I were fully perswaded that I should bee made partaker of this beauenlie life I would willingly desire to die and wish that the feeble threds of my life would euery howre vntwine But now my guiltie conscience doth accuse mee my ill ledde life doth terrifie me and all my wicked deedes doe so molest my mind that I am afraide to die Sure this serious consideration of our former offences dooth much amaze a good grounded christian when hee lies vppon his dying bed wayting for the rufull diuorcement of his body and soule hauing a fettered conscience which alwaies will assure him that he hauing been a sluggish drone in the hiue of Christes Church shall not tast the sweetnes of pleasure nor the hony combe of comfort in the heauenly Citty but hee shall bee glutted with the sower grape of persecution of Gods wrath and these hellish torments that he hauing been a carelesse Marriner in this world and alwaies the shippe of his body remaining in the scope of the wicked wind and vveather of this world the Pirate the deuill shall make shipwracke of his saluation and so hee perrish vppon the rocks of eternall ruine But
against all these desperable considerations the saying of Saint Augustine is the best remedy If thou feare iudgement to come rebuke thy conscience In the whole course of thy life so liue that thou maist haue a secure conscience for thou must liue here for a time in such sort that thou dying godly maist liue for euer VVe must die that wee may liue and wee must liue that wee may die well If thou liuest well thou shalt die vvell and thou shalt liue wel if thou doost follow the holy course which Saint Hierome obserued VVhether I eate or drinke saith hee or what soeuer els I doe alwaies that same terrible trumpet soundeth in mine eares Arise you that be dead and come to iudgement For as the same Father saith in another place He easily contemneth all things that doth alwaies thinke that he shall die For he that alwaies takes the memory of death for his vnseparable spouse and bitter sighs for his chyldren and holy compunction for his mother to depure him from his filthynesse he which hateth the world perfectly fauoreth godlinesse zealously endeuoreth to amend his life seriously obeieth his superiors gladly and beareth Christs crosse patiently showeth good tokens that hee will die a good Christian such a man needs not feare the mention of death nor neede his soule weepe in secret nor his eies drop downe teares for hee may bee certaine that he is one of that perdestinated company which shall raigne for euermore But as for a man that hath liued dissolutely through the whole course of his life hath beene a notorious sinner yet for all that hee needs not dispaire for Christ was not surprised with a rauing feuer when in the tragedie of his passion he made his body as a Cloude to resolue in showres of innocent bloud and suffered his decrest vaines to be launced to giue a full issue for the price of our soules redemption Hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance O yee sinners behold the Lambe bleeding and shedding his precious blood to clense you from sinne and to saue you from sathan drinke vp in faith the droppings of his blood and moisten your soules therewith eate him and chew him for he is the bread of life which whosoeuer eateth shall neuer hunger more Say with Christestome Omnis mea salus in passione Christi est posita For whatsoeuer doth belong to my saluation paratum est per Christi mortem as the same father saith his death hath made a sufficient ransome for my sinnes It is the Lambe of God which doth purge mee from all my sinnes I fully beleiue that therefore all my sinnes shall be forgiuen me not for my merrits but for Christs death not for my righteousnesse but for Gods mercies which doth extend to thousands and tenne thousands whose sinnes in respect of Gods mercies are but as Augustine saith one droppe in respect of the whole Sea And as Bernard saith the mercie of God is greater then any miserie of ours Hold vp thine eies to heauen behold the God of all consolation and mercy craue of him to poure downe the influences of his comfort to helpe thy vnbeliefe to confirme thy faith to strengthen thee with a stedfast assurance of his heauenly Kingdome Wast away thy wickednesse in the Fountaine of repentance and the leprosie of thy sinne in the streaming Riuers of penitent teares For this heauenly dew of repentance neuer falls but the Sun of righteousnesse drawes it vp for it was sweetly vttered by a Diuine of sweetest vtterance that repentant eies are the Cellars of Angells and penitent teares the sweetest wines which the sauour of life perfumeth the tast of grace sweetneth and the purest cullours of returning innocency highly beautifieth Oh that our harts were euermore such a limbecke distilling so pure a quintessence of godlinesse drawne from the weedes of our offences by the fire of true contrition heauen would mourne at the absence of so precious waters and earth lament the losse of so fruitfull showres Sure till death close vp those fountaines they should neuer faile running which if they did alwaies runne we neede not doubt of our saluation but that GOD would wash away all our sinnes The world saith Bernard had not perrished with the flood if they had betaken themselues to repentance And as it is in Ieremie If wee repent of our wickednesse God will repent of his wickednesse deuised against vs and as it is in Ezechiell If the vngodly will turne away from all his sinnes that he hath done doubtlesse he shall liue and not die And againe bee conuerted and turne you cleane from your wickednesse so shall there do sinne doe you harme So when the Niniuites did repent mourning in Sack-cloath and ashes he repented on the euill which he said he would doe vnto them and did it not Examples of repentant sinners who obtained remission for their offences be Paule the sinfull woman Dauid Manasses Peter the theife this day on the crosse this night in Paradise For Iesus is like an Euangelicall henne neuer ceaseth clocking to gather thee vnder his winges like a Chicken for it pleased Iesus of vnmerrited goodnesse to leaue the nintie nine mist sheepe the societie of blessed Angells to seeke the straying sheepe the groate that lost the royall stampe of pure nature man this lost sheepe thou soughtest O Iesus thou foundest sweete Iesus by death thou foundest him by bleeding paines thou foundest him by nayled hands and boared feete thou foundest him by a thornie Crowne by drinking vineger by sweating droppes of bloud by suffering the violent death on the crosse thou foundest him O louing Iesus and tender harted Samaritan that of a sicke hast salued of a grieuous sinner hast saued him of a wicked creature hast washed him in the streame of thy inestimable mercie Therfore I confidently beleiue although the flower of my age is faded the grasse withered and my whole life as a vanishing vapoure is passed away yet when I shail be dissolued I assuredly hope to be ioyned fully to Iesus my head and onely Vine wherein I liue although the purseuant sicknesse must visit this body of sin and death must rowe mee ouer the Seas of this world yet I hope in the barke of faith and merrits of Christ Iesus and by the Ancor of Gods couenaunts made to the house of David I shall arriue at that blessed Hauen from whence I shall neuer more hoise vp sailes or lanch into the deepe of miserie but shall sit imparadised in heauen with fulnesse of grace till the day of thy great visitation shal com whē meeting thee in the cloudes I shall enter into the store house of ioyes there for euermore to raigne If a sinner could thus absolutely confirme himself not distrust Gods mercy and clemencie without all doubt he would not feare to die but withall hee must haue a setled determination to mortifie his bodie to abandon vices with the trumpet of a Christian life to
sound a retraite froÌ„ sin alwaies remembring Christ crucified For as Bernard saith The remembrance of Christ crucified crucifieth sinne And as S. Augustine saith Then Christ dooth sleepe in thee when thou hast forgot his passion The readiest way direct path to goe to Heauen is to swim through the red sea of Christes blood The droppes of Christs precious blood raigning downe from the clowdes of his mercie must queÌ„ch the angry flame of Gods wrath which wee cannot extinguish by the vertuous water of any merrit It is the oyle of Grace which must purge our defiled harts It is the dewe of heauen which will make vs florish beeing ingrafted into the true Oliue It is the welspring of our saluation it is the heauenly manna which all of vs should gather vp in the wildernes of this world Loue this good thing in which all goodnes is it is enough for thee yea obserue but this short lesson which Augustine giueth thou art a good Christian Ama deum et amices in deum et inimicos propter deuÌ„ et beatus es Loue Christ who loueth thee loue his friends that loue Christ and thee loue Christes enemies that hate Christ and thee then thou shalt be beloued of Christ for louing him thou shalt bee beloued of Christ for louing theÌ„ that hate Christ thee the haters shall perrish yet thou louing shalt be beloued Loue GOD without measure theÌ„ shalt thou be happy without measure Loue God withal thy hart whoÌ„ thou shalt behold without end loue without pride praise with out wearines Therfore if men did but obserue this briefe lesson wee need not feare death but welcome him vvith a thousand kisses for that messenger doth bring vs gladde tidings for by him we change transitory mortall and corruptible things for certaine immortall and incorruptible treasures earth for heauen sin for godlines darknes for light feare for security trauell for quietnesse sicknesse for health death for life the company of men for the companie of the omnipotent God and heauenly angels the vile pleasures of this world for the inestimable ioyes of heauen Oh therefore let vs hartily wish to be losoned froÌ„ this life that we may come to appeare before the presence of God let vs say with Dauid Like as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee ô God O GOD thou art my God early will I seek thee my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is Let vs say with Iob It grieueth my soule to liue longer in this mortall body Let vs say with holy Toby O Lord deale with me according to thy will and command my spirit to be receiued in peace For wheÌ„ the liuely threds of our life vntie the spindle vndoe the web riue and our naturall life endeth yet the spirituall and essentiall part namely the soule shall be receiued with Angels carried to heauen most louingly as a precious relique into the kingdome of heauen It shal be like a Doue carried on the wings of Angels into this heauenly Palace For as Augustine saith It is the office of Angels to carry soules to the company of the blessed Now therefore when Death shal breake vp your mortall house imprint this lesson in the forefront of your languishing flesh yea euen when you are halfe berest of life that you remember Christ crucified remember him to be the onely Sauiour remember God the Father to bee a most mercifull Father Fixe the eyes of your faith on Iesus Christ on his merrits on his passion death on his blessed body breaking and his most precious blood shedding on his triumph and victory ouer fathan and his hellish army Forget not that all your sinnes are washed away in Christes blood that by vertue of his death and passion you are made beyre of euerlasting saluation Fight a good fight be not discouraged by the paines of death neuer shrink in Deaths battell call vppon Iesus for no baulme will be more comfortable to a wound theÌ„ the name of Iesus to deaths wound Put on the Helmet of saluation the brest-plate of righteousnes the girdle of truth the shield of faith the sworde of the spirit and your feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Feare not stand fast quit your selues like men for in this spirituall battell you sight vnder the banner of the mighty victorious Emperor Iesus Christ onely continue with these weapons the day is yours If sathan tempt you you may with hartie prayers good Orators for your saluation inchant that Dragon that hee may sleep while your soule is translated to tast of the golden fruite of blessed soules perseuere in this battell which is the true complement of vertue The paine of the battel is small the glorie of the triumph shall abide for euer euer For so saith the scripture To him that ouercoÌ„mmeth I will giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of Paradice be faithful vnto the death and I wil giue thee a crowne of life Hee that ouercommeth I wil make a piller in the temple of my God and hee shall go no more out yea to him that ouercoÌ„math wil I grant to sit with me in my seate These precious promises rewards may make vs couragious against death folow your captaine Christ you cannot erre for he is the way belieue christ you cannot be deceiued for hee is the truth abide and remaine in Christ and you cannot die the death euerlasting for he is the life wherfore cleaue with strong faith to Christ and say with that wise man My minde is rooted and built in Christ and then you neede not feare when death shall giue your soule the winges of true libertie to depart out of your fraile flesh and to flie vp to heauen and rest within Abrahams bosome for theÌ„ you shal rest from your labors trauels For so saith the scripture the soules of the righteous are in thy haÌ„d ô God the paine of death shall not touch them In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die but they are in peace they are as the Angells of God they are clad with white garmeÌ„ts haue golden crownes vpon their heads They doe stand day night before his Maiesty there they haue all ioy solace and harts contentments By death we passe from earth to heauen from men to Angells from warre to peace from paine to pleasure from griefe to gladnesse from miserie to perpetuall felicitie we passe by death from this life which is like a bubble in the water like a weauers Shettell like a smoake like a vapoure like a shaddowe like a flower that fadeth like grasse that withereth it is but a span-long it is a warfare it is like a ruinous house euer readie to fall it is like a cloude in the element whereof wee are vncertaine where and when it falleth This cloude sometimes melteth in the cradle sometimes in the chaire Death is like the Sunne whensoeuer it shineth it melteth our cloudie life be the cloude thereof neuer so thicke or thin in yeares this life is like an vncertaine wethercocke which turnech at euery blast like a Waue that mounteth at euery storme like a reede that boweth at euery whistling wind This world is an exile a vale of miserie a wildernesse of sorrowes a dungeon of sinners a sea of miseries where wee passe away the wauering daies of this vncertaine life sayling as Pilgrims on the waters of this world tossed by the tempests of aduersitie and oppressed by sundry Pyrats the flesh sin and the deuill and yet by the Barke of a liuely faith and by the Marriner death wee shall bee transported from the flesh pots of Egipt to eate of comfortable Manna not in the wildernesse but in new Ierusalem Therefore hast ô good God to deliuer me froÌ„ this painfull life to that glorious life from this wretched mansion to that excellent tabernacle from this stormie worlde to the calme country of heauen where I shall haue liberty without imprisonment health without sicknes ioy without sorrowe pleasure without paine in such securitie eternitie and perpetuitie as passeth all thoughts Come therefore Death thou art welcome thou art thrice welcome death For when the Tree of my life shall fall downe heere vpon earth and I shall see my father dust my mother ashes yer my soule shall be carried into Abrahams bosome Adiew vile life farewell life sinfull life adiewe and welcome Death the Embassador from my louing Sauiour for by thee my misery shall end So that O Death thou art welcome VVelcome sicknes for my Lord Iesus hath nowe sent thee to fetch mee from this prison to his Pallace from a strange pilgrimage to dwell in the restfull Country of Canaan from these teares and mourning to the day of mariage sweet Iesus to bee espoused to thee in thy merrits for euermore where I shall liue like a Demie-god hauing the sight of the glorious Trinitie and the companie of holie Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martirs and blessed Saints inherite such ioyes as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hart euer conceiued Therefore welcome death welcome sweet death for thou shalt remooue me out of this prison deliuer me froÌ„ this body of sinne to enter into the amiable tabernacles of my Lord where one day is better then a thousand else-where I shal no more weep by the waters of Babilon when I shal remember thee ô Sion for now I shall be in Sion and dwell there for euermore Come therfore ô death to mee at thy pleasure for it is a pleasure for me to die com death ô my ioy for it is a ioy for mee to enioy thee VVelcome death the beginning of ioy the first fruite of pleasure when thou commesâ—â—ar well sorowes adiew miseries death is the Prince of delights Arise therfore make hast ô my beloued my delight my comfort for at thy comming my winter is past and the tempestuous waters of miseries are ceased thou art ioâ—es messenger and gladde tidings bringer ô life thou art my death ô death thou art my life this life is a coÌ„tintiaÌ„ll death but after this death hath ceased vpon my body theÌ„ shal my soule go vnto her life Adiew therfore ô myserable liâ—e welcome thrice welcome death farewell also ô death welcome immortall life Laus Deo FINIS