OF DEATH A TRVE DESCRIPTION And against it A good Preparation Together with A sweet Consolation for the suruiuing Mourners By IAMES COLE Merchant Printed at London by A. M. 1629. TO THE RIGHT Worthy his much respected friends Mr. Iohn Milleward Esquire one of the Captaines of this famous Cittie Mr. Iohn Awbrey Mr. Edmond Page Mâ— William Gillie Mr William Middelton and Mr Iohn Bludworth D. H. Merchant wisheth all happinesse in soule and body in this worâ—d and eteâ—nâ—ll glory and blisse in the world to come EXcuse mee I pray which am now the hand of my deceased friend that I commend these his Religious Instructions vnto your Patronages and Embracements The long time of your acquaintance honest mutuall traffique and former pious conuersation may iustly challenge it both of the Author and my selfe Yee often haue taken and built your credit on his word in your bought Wares which the effect hath confirmed to your profit Once more beleeue him and buy these his MeditatioÌ„s on his word the price is but your acceptance reading and application And if thus you will vse and trie these his last Marchandizes they will prooue vnto you of infinite worth and price for by them you shall obtaine that precious Pearle and hidden treasure of which the Gospell mentions It was your charitable Christian loue that accompanied his mortall body to his last home and it was his louing care here to direct those that followed him and others to the graue lest they should too long make their aboade with the Gaderenian among the tombes The graue is but a passage not a dwelling place It doth but preserue the pledge of our bodies vntill the day of resurrection Therefore those that truly follow deceased Christians follow them not onely vnto the dore of death and entrance of the graue but through death vnto life through the graue vnto heauen And lest death the way to life should seeme too terrible and rather affright from the way then inuite vnto it This our friend and charitable Author shewes and proues here that in respect of the body the soule the world the last Iudgement it properly is not to be feared And further to embolden the weake faith of a trembling Christian hee vnmaskes and vnarmes death hee so describes her and prepares our bodies to embrace her that death is no more death but victory no more the obiect of feare but desire Wherefore hauing thus farre set in a word the description of her description before you I dare no longer detaine you from the victory of her If you please but to follow either the prescription or example of this our louing friend through death vnto life through the graue vnto heauen J dare promise that you will attaine my wish all happinesse here and eternall glory hereafter Jn confidence whereof I rest London this 10. of Iune 1629. Your well-wishing friend DIERICK HOSTE In commendation of the Author and his Booke NOthing more sure to vs then once pale death to see Why then are we so blinde not once to thinke thereon What more vncertaine then when this our chance may be Why then goe we on still as if shee should touch none In seasonable time this Bookâ— is come to light To driue out of our hearts deaths feare and anguish still It is a Christian part t' instruct vs in the right How we may arme our selues against that feared ill For though at euery one grim death ne're leaues to ayme Yet in this Treatise small from her quite taken is Her sting Which iustly makes to tremble without blame But to vs that are Christs she brings eternall bliss O worthy Israelite thou hast spied out full well That this great Anakim cannot hinder at all To winne that Canaan of heau'n and there to dwell For IESVS CHRIST hath wrought that Giants great downefall How can we now reward thy loue O Author kinde Who in thy life time shun'dst mens praise from laud didst flie Thy pious vertuous life wee 'll euer beare in minde Which now the Lord hath crown'd with blisse eternally D. H. Of the zealous Author his much respected Vnkle and his comfortable Description SHall I reioyce because his Penne doth teach Vs how die and heauenly blisse to reach Or shall I mourne because to be our guide His worthy selfe he hath to vs denâ—â—d Longer on earth His words perswade beliefe Farther confirmance but augments our griefe His Booke suffu'd that pointing Mercurie He needed not to guid vs and to die His life wee wanted more that could vs tell That hee that liued godly should die well Yet what it was I dare not well set downe For feare his ashes modesty shâ—uld frowne But let them speake that comment on his name A man of pious learned vpright fame Whose words and deedes did so concurre in one That what he said t' was true t' was sure t was done Whose vertuous presence was so pretious deere That most did wish he still might haue beene heere But loe his liberall charity If thus His company was gratefull vnto vs He shewes vs how we may enioy it still And striues our wishes happier to fulfill Then we conceiue He cann't descend againe We must ascend and there by him remaine Thus while we enter his societie Ours will be Saints and Angels companie But lest wee should vnskilfull Pilgrims stray Not knowing how to goe which is the way Lest that our eyes waxe dim'd by sinfull slime That we perceiu'd not which way he did clime Behold in this good legacie of his He shewes vs the true way through death to blisse Lest we should feare th'aff ighting face of death And quake to heare the fare-well of our breath To his olde Mate he doth vnmaske the fiend Shewes her sting forcelesse prooues our foe our friend So that we bold mâ—y gaze her in the face And that we fear'd so much with ioy embrace She is no euill thing but naturall According to Gods will common to all The bodie 's but a sleepe it feeles no paine The soule dies not but mounts vnto the traine Of heauenly Saints Why should earths vanities Detaine vs from these happy glorious skies Or feare of iudgement by it we receiue A ioy which mortall minde cannot conceiue Therefore when sicknesse pale doth enter in By Gods command vsherd by in-bred sinne That messenger of death thy house befit Thy body soule and all to welcome it Thy selfe striue well to arme death to vnarme By shunning sinne with faith and feare no harme Repent and pray and to thy heauenly peace And certaine comfort will thy faith encrease So that death shall thy soule not terrifie But be to thee a wished victorie Which brings thee to a ioyfull Paradise Before the Lambe aboue the starrie skies There is our Author now and there doth shine Like a cleare starre our once Marchant-diuine There he 's in his reward If we desire To beare a pâ—rt in that celestiall quire Let vs these his directions embrace
And follow thus through death his fore-runne trace Then shall our end be happy for they will Direct vs through this dale to Sions bill Vt terror Mortis tibi sit victoria larvam Aspicias intus Moâ—s fera vita placens Abr. Bush Art Mag. A DESCRIPTION OF DEATH TO euery thing there is a set time Eccle. 3.1 a time to bee borne and a time to die saith Salomon And betweene the time of birth and of death there passed in the first ages sixe eight or perhaps ten hundreth yeares But since the time that mans sinne drew the deluge ouer the whole world Man borne of a woman hath but a short time saith Iob. Iob 14.1 Iacob said that his dayes were an hundreth and thirty yeares Gen. 47.9 and that hee had not attained to the dayes of his Fathers But our dayes saith Moses comming after him Psal 90.10 are but threescore yeares and tenne and at the highest fourescore Yet not one among fourescore times fourescore attaine vnto that age 2 Sam. 12.18 Dauids beloued childe neuer saw the eight day yea the life of some is ended before they bee borne But how well so euer we are deliuered out of our mothers wombe yet hauing taken shipping in this world we still sayle towards our end And whether wee be fewe or many dayes by the way death is our last port vnto it we are all bound and at it must euery one arriue Now what man doth euer commit himselfe to Sea and doth not first furnish himselfe with necessary prouision against all vnexpected tempests How much the more then ought we to furnish our selues against the stormes of death which euery one of vs must certainly looke for hee that intends but a iourney by land enquires for the most commodious way And doe wee thinke to performe our iourney from Heauen to earth without any trouble or forecast at all This is a lamentable carelesnesse For whosoeuer doth then first goe about to prepare himselfe to dye well when he feeles sicknesse vpon him or seeth death before his eyes is like to a Souldier that beginneth then to forge his weapons when hee beholds his enemies on the wall Wee ought to spend the whole course of our life on the meditation of death for hee certainly hath liued well who hath learned well to dye Prouident Ioseph gathered in the seauen yeares of plenty that which fed him and those that were with him in the seauen yeares of famine Gen. 41.43 In like manner ought wee in our youth and health to make prouision of that Spirituall foode that may cherish vs towards our end when wee may chance to bee weake both in body and in minde Hee that is Lord of life and death open the eyes of our vnderstandings and endue vs with his Holy Spirit that hee may lighten and conduct our soules in and thorow the darknesse of death Hee I say that hath by dying ouercome death graunt that we may know it throughly to withstand it valiantly and hereafter as Souldiers vnder his banner happily vanquish it To treate hereof orderly The originall of Death we are first to know that God created not death Hee created the first man immortall in soule and body Zanch de Var. qual 4.1 so that hee might haue liued eternally had hee but obserued the will of his Creator Yet neuerthelesse hee also created him mortall so that hee might dye whensoeuer hee should transgresse the law of his Creator This appeares vnto vs by the words wherein GOD threatneth him on this manner In the day that thou eatest thereof Gen. 2.17 thou shalt surely die speaking of the forbidden tree of knowledge Wherefore Iesus the sonne of Sirach sayes that God himselfe made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his owne counsell Eccl. 1â— 14.17 He set before him life and death sayes he and which hee liketh shall bee giuen him Now when Adam through the Serpents subtilty slighted this diuine warning hee straightwayes became lyable to death both in respect of his body which was dust Gen. 3.19 and shall returne to dust againe as also of his soule for through this sinne was hee adiudged to condemnation Rom. 5.16 And not hee onely but also all his posterity who all died in Adam 1 Cor. 15.22 as the Apostle teacheth So then this death as we may say was begot of the deuill brought into the world by sinne borne in Paradise the Mid-wife Eue the Nurse Adam It hath an abominable mother that mainely doth resist God It is lamentable of it selfe in respect that it is the fruit of our transgression It is ignominious because it is vnto vs as a brand of Gods wrath Yet is it not so abominable as the mother of it sinne it selfe because it doth execute Gods iust iudgement on vs slaying vs three manner of wayes whence it also may bee termed three-fold Death threefold First it killeth the body in separating the same from the spirit which is the life of it for the body without the spirit is dead saith Iames. This kinde of death is common vnto all men It assailes vs out of our owne nature or may be inflicted on vs by others And from this shall all men be freed at the generall resurrection Secondly it slayeth the soule by with-drawing the same from God her Creator Psal 36.9 who is the fountaine of life and from God her Redeemer Pro. 3.22 who is the life of our soule and the word of life This manner of death is also common vnto all those that walke as yet in Vanity and Blindnesse of heart Ioh. 1.11 It befalleth vs by meanes of our sinnes and trespasses Ephes 4.17 Ephes 2.1 And from this in this present life as many are freed Col. 2.13 as Christ hath quickned together with him and hath forgiuen them all their trespasses as the Apostle speaketh And this it is that Saint Iohn termes the first resurrection Thirdly it kills soule and body both together by excluding them both from the blisse of eternall life And of this kinde of death Christ saith If a man keepe my saying Ioh. 8.31 hee shall neuer see death Whereby the contrary is proued to wit that vnto them that do reiect the word of God this death shall befall and will come vpon them by the iust sentence which at the last day God shall pronounce against them Nor shall any of those whom it befalleth euer be released neither in this nor in the world to come These three sorts of dying are all comprehended by Christ in a speech of his where he saith Feare not them which kill the body Iohn 10.28 but are not able to kill the soule but feare him rather who is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Death twofold This hell Saint Iohn in his Reuelation at the last sees throwne into a lake of fire Reu. 20.15 and calls it
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
with all the Inhabitants Annâ— 14â—1 A flood drowned in Holland threescore and twelue Villages with whole housholds inhabiâ—ing the same And shall we then for our selues bee so grieued whereas each of vs is but one silly man And yet aboue all 4 Reason Death is Gods will we haue no reason to disturbe our selues in that which is Gods will and pleasure Hee hath set a law to all his creatures which they must obay Psal 148.6 Immediatly after the Creation he spake to man and said Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne Gen. 3.9 Therefore well saith Salomon All liuing know that they shall dye Eccl. 9.5 When God onely saith Returne yee children of men singeth Moses they are carried away as with a flood Psal 90.3.5 as a sleepe and as grasse that is withered Feare not death saith the sonne of Sirach for remember that this is the sentence of the Lord ouer all flesh Eccl. 41.5 of them that goe before thee and of them that come after And why art thou against the pleasure of the most high Let it suffice vs to know that it is Gods commandement and that he is alwayes entirely good 1 Sam. 15.22 and that obedience to him is better then Sacrifice This is the fourth reason why wee ought not to shunne death Especially because though wee neuer so much shunne it yet cannot we escape it but must some time or other will we â—ill wee fall into its clawes If there be then a necessity what folly is it to wrastle against God and his ordinance It must needes bee easier quietly to walke towards our end then to suffer our selues to bee dragged to it by force And although we see the yeares of antient folkes sometimes prolonged and of the younger sort shortned or by misfortune as it may seeme cut off yet must we not therefore wrangle with our Creator about it as if it were contrary to reason and nature But say with Christ when hee thanked his father that hee reuealed to children that which he kept secret from the wise and prudent which seemes both to oppose nature and humane reason Euen so Father because it seemed good in thy sight Luk. 10.21 That then which is pleasing vnto him who is onely wise and good and our father also must needes seeme good vnto vs. He that hath brought vs into this world Selfe murther is vnlawfull not when it seemed good vnto us but when it pleased him hath also good reason to take vs from hence when it shall be so pleasing vnto him We are all his creatures and belong vnto him and euery one from him possesseth his body as a needfull and pretious pledge of his loue committed on trust vnto him for a while And although we must alwayes be ready to restore the same when the owner shall please to demand it yet in the meane while ought we not either carelesly to loose or vnthankfully to cast away this creature of God Although the Stoical Philosophers doe terme a mans killing of himselfe the opening of a doore through which euery one may freely out-runne the miseries of this life Lib. 3. Yet did Aristotle better consider this matter who shewes that the murthering of a mans selfe to eschew any calamity or sorrow doth not argue any valour but cowardise rather If God by many trialls here will haue vs trained to fortitude let vs then not resemble peeuish children who as soone as they are but chidden in their first Schoole runne presently whining out of dores Wee must shew our selues men and as valiant Souldiers stand on our guard in this world against all dangers As also continue constant in cold heat hunger thirst as long as it shall please our Generall to place vs there None of vs saith the Apostle liueth to himselfe Rom. 14.7 therefore whether wee liue or dye we are the Lords If all of vs then are the Lords it is a point of great iniustice for any of vs according to our owne will to kill himselfe Which sinne is therefore iustly deemed the more damnable for that the man that murdereth himselfe after the committing of the sin hath not any time of repentance It is our duty therefore wholy to referre the length of our life and did meanes of our death to the will of God that so in both wee may alwayes with a good conscience say vnto him Math. 6.10 Our Father thy will be done Yet many doe not shunne death in respect of dying but in respect of the condition wherevnto death bringeth them Let vs likewise therefore consider this their future estate foure manner of wayes and ponder each of them seuerally 1. Obseruation concerning the body First some feare the future misery of their body when it shal be separated from the soule We must to this purpose vnderstand that the dead in holy Writ are sometimes said to sleepe and sometimes to rest The one seemes to be in respect of the body the other of the soule Iob ioyneth them together wheÌ„ he wisheth that his mothers wombe had bin his tombe For now should I saith hee haue luine still Iob 3.13 and bene quiet I should haue slept then should I haue beene at rest And very fitly is the death of the body compared to sleepe for euen as man at euery finishing of the Sunnes compasse is subiect to this short sleepe euen so when his life hath compassed his course the long sleepe of death scases on him And as our bodies perceiue no vnquietnesse in the dayly sleepe in like manner shall they feele none in this long and last sleepe Hence Cato said very well Dist Cat. that sleepe is the image of death Apoph Eras Diogenes learned of Homer to call sleepe and death brothers If then they bee like the one to the other wee haue no reason to shunne the one more then the other And whosoeuer vnwillingly doth forgoe this body may well bee resembled vnto little children that are very loath to be vndrest that they might bee had to bed by times but being easily laide downe soone fall into a sweet sleepe If sleepe then be sweet to the body while wee sleepe and if a man sleâ—ping counts no time nor tells any houres but those wherein hee commit himselfe to sleepe and those wherein her doth awake what neede he to care how much â—â—n he spend in sleeping whether they he shall sleepe seauen houres in his bâ—d or seauen ages in his graue And whilest hee thus counes no time there remaines for him betweene death and sleepe no difference at all Wherfore then should he abhorre the one more then the other Now concâ—rning the corruption of our body it is an old saying the corruption of one thing Aristotle is the generation of another Our body is but changed againe into the same elements whereof it was at first created by GOD when by him a liuing breath was blowne into it
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
tied to the legge Seneca hath well obserued how tedious this flesh is to our soule Sen. Now saith he doth the belly ake then the stomacke then the throat Now to there too much blood anon too little And the soule is in this body not as at home in her owne house but as a trauailer in an Inne The soule then is created to a higher degree to wit to liue at ease on high in her owne proper dwelling place Wherefore Maximus Tyrius saith very well Serm. 23. That which men call death is the beginning of immortality and the birth of a future life To wit when their bodies at their appointed time fall away and the soules ascend to their proper place and to their proper life So that this body is to the soule as the egge-shell is to the bird it must breake through it before it can flye into the open ayre Yea Cyrus the great Monarch could say that he alwayes beleeued Cic. desen That the soule being freed from the body then became both purt and wise And although we seeme vnwilling to for sake this body yet that must not breed any ill suspition in vs. At our birth wee seemed likewise loath to reâ—â—one out of our mothers wombe where we were weld and warme Yet now being borne and vsing all our members in the spations world who of vs would be willing to creepe into his mothers wombe againe In like in â—nner the soule once being sâ—â—d out of the cumbersome prison of the body will not desire to returne to the same againe For God hath so appointed three dwelling places for euery one of vs that a man by the two first may in some sort conceiue the third For as while he is in his mothers wombe hee hath nothing neere so much strength comelinesse pleasure and time there to remaine as after his birth he enioyeth on the face of the earth so cannot he obtaine or enioy that here on earth that may in any wise be compared son glory blisse and continuance to that which hee shall enioy when borne againe out of his owne body his soule shall be fetled on high in the heauens That which the most ancient Philosopher Hermes Trismegistus well conceiued Fr. Patr. Trismeg who dying could speake thus As yet haue I liued here as a stranger and one banished now I returne againe in health to my owne Country And when I presently being released from these fleshie bonds shall depart from you take heede you doe not mourne as if I were dead for I returne to the best and happiest Citie whither all Citizens shall come by the meanes of death God is there alone the highest Prince who will fill his Citizens with an infinite delight In respect whereof this that most account life may rather be called death then life If a Heathen could speake thus all Christians certainly must needes be voide of vnderstanding and euen dead while they liue that call in question the future life of the soule Yea this happy estate of the soule did so immeasurably possesse and strangely transport Cleombrotus Cicer. Tuse 1. after that hee had read somewhat concerning the same in Plato that to enioy the same as soone as possible might be he cast himselfe headlong into the Sea But zeale here conquered wisedome and by misusing good things brought forth bad effects Howbeit by this example well may wee shame those that without reason feare exceedingly the day of death whereas the day of our birth is but the beginning of a temporall life but our dying day is the beginning of an euerlasting life so that in respect of the soule death ought not to seeme terrible vnto vs. 3. Obseruation concerning carthly pleasures Some also shunne death because shee bereaues vs of all our earthly pleasures They are vnwilling to part with their honours riches delights their faithfull wife and deare friends as fearing that the want of them will be greeuous vnto them But let vs weigh this also in the ballance of reason Whosoeuer doth so esteeme earthly pleasures which Salomon proclaimed to be vanity of vanities that hee would rather chuse to stay here Eccl. 1.1 and liue in the same then remoue to enioy the heauenly may well be compared to one who because sometimes hee dreameth of pleasant things would rather sleepe continually then awake and enioy reall pleasures For it is certaine that as farre as the reall pleasures of this life excell those that appeare vnto vs in our dreames so much are the eternall future ioyes to bee preferred before the temporall and present The wisest Astronomers perswade vs Som. Scip. that if from the highest heauen wee should behold the Globe of the earth it would seeme no greater vnto vs then a starre now doth and we should esteeme it but as a point And shall we in this point yea in the very least corner of this point to wit that which wee inhabite take such pleasure and bee so fond of it that for the loue of it wee should forsake heauen and the pleasures thereof This world indeed was created for the vse of man but it is the proper habitation of beasts They haue no other home whether they liue or dye but it Whereas man is here with Iacob but as a Soiourner Gen. 47.9 Though hee possessed here with Dauid a whole Kingdome yet with him should he be termed but a stranger here Psal 119.19 Heauen is his Country that is prepared for him and the Angels to be their eternall dwelling place Phil. 3.10 There is his conuersation saith St. Paul Is it not then a direct beastlinesse so to be enamoured on these terrestriall things that for the loue of them we would rather remaine in the habitation of bruit beasts then remoue vnto the habitations of Angels Axiochus though he were an Heathen could before his death be instructed by Platoes reason Ar. Plat. that he did not depart out of this life vnto a death where he should be depriued of all things but toward that place where hee should enioy true goods and where hee should haue pleasures not mixed with this mortall body but pure and such as iustly deserue the name of Pleasures And is it not possible that this should be perswaded vnto vs who will beare the name of true beleeuers to the end that wee might long for it The forgetting of Pleasure But grant this earth to haue as many pleasures as is possible or as faithfull friends as wee could wish Yet shall wee not misse nor desire these things when we are dead Let vs not thinke that our bodies can dye and yet then liue Being dead we shall not haue any members nor eyes nor smell nor taste to vse these things nor any minde to desire them What discommodity then will it be to be without those things which we know not neede not nor wish not for Our wife and children will then moue vs no more then if wee
sowed whether it be corruption Gal. 6.7 or euerlasting life If so be then that any one feares that heauenly Iudge by whom the dead are Iudged according to their workes Apoc. 2â— 1â— what is this to death To sowe and to worke are properties of life not of death and therefore ought euery one to tremble at his life not at his death Yet may some say it is naturall with Adam in Paradise for a man to hide himselfe so long as he can from Gods voyce It may be naturall but it is not auaileable For first we cannot by running so out-runne death but that it will ouer-take vs. Secondly though wee could here on earth prolong our life some fourty or fifty yeares yet it were but to small purpose Though a man liue sayes Syrachs sonne a hundred yeares Ecclus. 18.6 it is but as a drop of water vnto the sea and a grauell stone in comparison of the sand so are a thousand yeares to the day of eternity Therefore Iacob called his dayes of a hundred and thirty yeares Gen. 47. fewe and euill Thirdly the longer a worldling who chiefly dreads death with vexation shunnes it he doth not onely the longer liue here in paine but the more also he encreaseth the number of his sins and consequently drawes on him the fearefuller Iudgement Yea the burthen of dayly sinnes doth so graciously ouer-load the consciences of godly men that it euen makes them weary of this life and causeth them with St. Paul to cry out Miserable man that I am Rom. 7.14 who shall release me of this body of death But if any man shunne death and feareth the Iudgement as desirous of further time to amend his life hereafter let such an one know that he that deferres his amendment may as well growe worse aâ— better The first world obtain'd of God a hundred and twenty yeares toward their conuersion yet it nothing auayled them they were almost all drowned in the floud Gen. 6.3 Yea Enoch in the meane while he walked before God Gen. 5.24 God tooke him and hee was seene no more saith Moses lest that wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding or deceit beguile his soule sayes the booke of Wisedome So that the taking away of Enoch out of this world was a more certaine way for him to auoyde the fiercenesse of Gods Iudgement then if he had liued longer in danger of being misled Thus wee see then that death cannot be any hinderance vnto vs at the day of Iudgement and that in that respect wee haue no reason to feare it Seeing then that death is naturall and generall Conclusion and according to the will of God seeing that of its owne nature it can hurt vs neither in soule nor in body nor will suffer vs to long after terrestriall things nor shall be any hinderance vnto vs at the day of Iudgement We suppose that it is hereby sufficiently demonstrated that by nature it is not euill nor can any way preiudice vs. Therefore ought wee more to shunne the feare of death then death it selfe For once more and for the last to vse the words of a Philosopher commonly when we feare the death of the body and by all meanes shunne the same wee neglect altogether the death of the soule I conclude therefore with the fore-named words of Christ our Sauiour Feare not those that kill the body How our time is ordained by God and accomplished by man With which couragious speech we would faine here conclude but being that death doth assaile vs diuers manner of wayes and that it is a question ready almost in euery mans mouth whether a man can shorten his life or dye before his time wee will touch this in a word or two as an addition vnto our former discourse We say then with Iob Man hath his appointed time Iob 14.5 the number of his moneths is with God He hath set a limit that he must attaine and that he must not passe This diuine decree and immutable will is hid from mens eyes yet remaines constant and comes to passe at his due time Sometimes publiquely by the reuealed hand of GOD. Whereby he prolonged Lots Gen. 16.19 and his daughters liues by withdrawing them out of the Citie which he meant to consume with fire Sometimes by that which wee call chance though the hand of God be in it too For thus an arrowe shot at a uenture by a Syrian 1 Reg. 22.34 lighted betweene the ioynts of his harnesse and shortned the life of that King Of whom GOD had fore-told that hee should not returne home aliue Commonly through mans nature that causeth the weake in their youth to dye by sicknesse 2 Sam. 22.15 and sustaines the life of the strong till like a sheafe of corne they come into the barne in their season Iob 5.26 And likewise by diuers other meanes Sometimes God doth effect his secret decree by a publique prolonging or else a contracting of time When he granted time to the corrupt men of the first world which he would bring to naught of an hundred and twenty yeares Gen. 6.3 then this prolonging of time brought them to the vniuersall flood as it was before appointed by God Againe if for the Elects sake the dayes shall be shortned as many doe conceiue then shall this shortning bring the world to the vniuersall fire appointed by God Math. 24.22 And according to this reckoning of time man himselfe may sometimes be the meanes of prolonging his life Doth not God speake by Moses and to Salomon also Deut. 5.23 If you walke in my wayes so that you keepe my commandement 1 Reg 3.14 I will giue you long life Yea God puts the meanes of prolonging our life in our owne hands This was apparent in the wildernesse by the fierie Serpents whereas they were only saued and healed of their venomous bites that beheld the brazen Serpent The King Ezekias likewise obtained by his prayers and teares Numb 21.8 that God added vnto his dayes fifteene yeares 2 Reg. 20.6 Was not then his last day certainly preordained of God Yea but it was also his immutable good pleasure that the King should euen thus entreat and begge of him these last fifteene yeares And now also whosoeuer he be that through prayers Physick is releas'd of any sore disease hee ought not foolishly to boast that he should haue liued out his time that was appointed for him though he had not vsed the meanes but he ought rather freely to acknowledge that by these meanes his life hath beene prâ—serued Secondly man is sometimes also occasion of the shortning his dayes Hence it is that the Kingly Prophet said Bloudie and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 And who will not say Sam. 31.4 that Saul and his Armour-bearer who stabbed themselues were an occasion of shortning their owne liues As also that whosoeuer after Moses had
Amos asketh the question If there shall be any euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 Yet this generall working of God neither maketh God guilty nor excuseth man of any euill It is with God in some sort as it is with a man that throâ—gh the bellowes blowes the winde in the Organ pipes Hee causes false strokes when a bungler is at the keyes as well to sound as the musicall notes when the skilfull Organist playes For without this winde can no bungler either heare his owne vnskilfulnesse or manifest it to others Yet is not he that blowes in fault the bungler vnskilfully abuseth the sound of a good Organ In like manner all the force that our soule hath to moue it selfe or our members to stirre themselues comes onely from God But the peruerting of these to the plotting or acting of euill proceedes from our selues Againe Comfort out of Gods Prouidence is the knowledge then of Gods prouidence and predestination vnprofitable vnto vs This is the onely comfort of wise and godly men For these doe endeauour to obey the reuealed will of God and with great content of minde commit the euent vnto him both of this life and of all their actions in the same Yea they proceede farther If here they enioy a happy life or if they receiue any kinde of benefit or delight here on earth they are the more thankfull because they know it befalls them through the prouidence of the Almighty and reioyce in his fauour If their life chance to be crossed or shortned any kinde of way though they see it lights on them by the hatred of men Yet the more willingly they endure it because they know it is the secret will of their God and louing Father who is onely good and perfectly wise And it sufficeth them that the Lord harkeneth Mal. 3.16 and heareth them Hence also it commeth to passe that in all troubles of life and death in all blindnesse of minde in all weakenesse of faith in all anguishes of spirit they are wont to cast theÌ„selues submisly into the sweet and fatherly armes of this diuine prouidence and so commit their wayes vnto the Lord their God with a stedfast confidencâ— Psal 37.5 that hee will effect all things for their good THE SECOND PART CONCERNING DEATH WHich we intend now to produce endeauoureth to shew that Death is not only not preiudiciall but euen profitable vnto Gods Elect and that therfore it ought to be welcome vnto them For vnto them it is a passage to eternall blisse The which can onely be taught and declared vnto vs by the prescript of Gods word which now must be our onely guide But seeing that sicknesse is commonly a fore-runner of death we will first endeauour to shew how both before and at the time of the approach thereof wee ought to prepare our house our body and our soule Secondly we will enquire how wee may disarme Death of its sting and so arme our selues that it shall not be able to hurt our soules Thirdly wee shall seeke to strengthen the feeble in faith and to comfort the troubled consciences in their assaults And lastly we hope to make it manifest that we ought to long for the end of this life by reason of sundry honours and ioyes that expect vs after it Which foure points wee purpose in order as they follow to discusse Sicknesse from God Whether then sicknesse doe fasten on vs through an externall bad ayre or some internall distemper of blood by the sword or by the infection of other men or the sting or furie of wilde beasts by dead palsies by miscarryings or vnfortunate childe-birthes or by any other meanes or mischance whatsoeuer wee must vnderstand that God maketh these and all other manifested meanes his seruants to execute on vs his secret will Sicknesse through sin The cause for which diseases are sent is our sinne as it is set downe at large in the fifâ— booke of Moses Deut. 28. and is confirmed by St. Paul where he saith to the Corinthians For this cause many are weake and sickly among you 1 Cor. 11.29 because they take the Lords supper vnworthily Yet is it not thus alwayes For the blindnesse of that man that Christ gaue sight vnto befell him not either for his owne or his Parents sinne Ioh. 9.3 but that the workes of God should be made manifest in him But generally he that sinneth before his Maker must fall into the hands of the Phisitian saith Ecclesiasticus Ecclus. 3â— 15. But what ought wee to doe when sicknesse assaileth vs 1 Point Preparation of our house Yea what ought wee at all times to doe that Death may not be hurtfull vnto vs We must prepare our selues well against the same This did Ezechias the King learne of that Prophet that said vnto him Es 38.1 Set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue If so be that God commanded him for to set his house in order who had yet fifteene yeares to liue we can by no meanes procrastinate it without great danger who each houre may expect to heare with the rich man in the Gospell Luk. 12.20 This night shall thy soule be required of thee Wherefore to conceiue this aright we must vnderstand that this preparation is three-fold to wit of our houshold and earthly possessions of our body principally of our soule Touching our houshold or heires wee are not onely bound in duty to keepe them in good order and peace while we liue but likewise so to fore-cast all things that we may leaue peace with them after our departure If any prouide not for those of his owne house saith St. Paul he is worse then an Infidell 1. Tim. 5.8 Therefore is euery one of vs bound at all times but especially in the time of sicknesse to striue to end all quarrells and suites with his aduersaries to reueale all doubtfull things to his friends and besides to make a plaine and lawfull partition of his goods by his last will And he must not deferre this till hee waxe olde Gen. 2â— 1 as Isaac did who stayed till he was blinde and so at the instant could not perceiue the deceit of his wife And much lesse till he be sicke or at deaths dore For this last time will busie a sicke man enough in reconciling his soule to God Hee that first goes about to take leaue of his friends when the ship is putting off doth oftentimes loose his vovage by it And hee that at the last paspe is encombred with the world stands in danger of forgetting heauen The woman that was carefull for Sodome when shee could walke to the place of her safety Gen. 29.26 remained standing by the way And that Achitophel 2 Sam. 17.23 who set his house in order but iust before the houre of his death as the Scripture telleth vs had no great leasure to thinke on
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
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
some growe so is the generation of flesh and blood One commeth to an end and another is borne Euery worke rotteth and consumeth away Yea to what end doth the corne spring vp into eares but to bee reaped And doth not euery lowe ebbe make way to a new flood Doth not euery day by declining giue time vnto the approaching night The same course of enterchange is likewise among men the precedent giues place vnto the future The Elements and all things composed of them are subiect vnto mutation yea the heauens themselues shall be dissolued and renewed 2 Pet 3.12 How then can a mortall body for euer remaine Being but a house of clay that is soone broke downe It comes vp like a flower and is soone cut downe Iob 14.2 Yea what is the life of this body 1 Chron 29.15 A shadow a winde Iob 7 7. a vapour that appeareth for a little Ioh. 4.14 and then vanisheth away saith holy writ As an arrowe once being shot continually flyeâ—h to the place where it must be fixed So man once being borne passeth without intermission vnto that end where hee must rest Yea we our selues if we obserue it are continually dying from the first day of our birth Our childhood dyed in vs when we became youthes Our youthfull age when wee grew to bee men The day present destroyeth the day past and euery present houre yea moment slayes that that is newly past yet doth not the absence of the time past hurt vs nor doe we bewaile it though euen now we want time Much lesse then if death at this instant should hurry vs away Should the want of the present time then procure any losse to vs when as the time of this world in no wise further can auaile vs. So that there is not any naturall reason why death should affright vs. No reason I say which is hence also apparent in that the antienter sort doe oftentimes more abhorre death then the younger where as reason rather requireth the contrary This desire therefore of delay in olde men springs onely out of an habituated loâ—e of these two friends soule and body the coniunction of the which the longer it lasteth the closer is their amity knit together to wit so long till they be sufficiently enformed that their separation can be no losse vnto them and no longer Yea nature it selfe directs all things to their end The fairest blosomes shee causeth freely to shed their pleasant leaues that the following cods may finde place These doth she also cause to shrinke together and split that the seede may fall out of them into the lap of the earth where it ought to be Wee our selues also haue a continuall naturall longing towards our end and wish though wee doe not obserue it that our dayes might hasten their course What is it else when as children long to be great those of middle growth to be married the married to see their children come to age yet is it certaine that how much the more we obtaine of thâ—se our wishes we approach the neerer to our end and yet we wish for it Yea farther who knowes not that fire at the last shall bring this world to an end yet is it so farre from terrifying vs that in signe of publique and generall ioy we are accustomed to kindle extraordinary great bonfires We haue also farre more desire to see mens decease then their birth No body râ—nnes forth for pleasure to see a woman in labour you will say the reason is because there is nothing therein but calamity and paine And what is there else where two fighting hurt one the other and yet who desires not to be a spectator Or if any by the Magistrates command must suffer a painefull deaâ—h what running is there to see it And who among vs would not take great delight if he could but securely behold it out of a windowe to see some-where a battell fought in the field The Romane Emperors who in foretimes knew well enough how to entice the people and to get their fauour did on feastiuall dayes present them with certaine hundred paires of Fencers which freely sported till that commonly one of each couple couered his standing with his dead body And on this sport for so they called it did the people sit gazing whole dayes without showe of wearinesse Yea it seemes that the same was first brought in by the Israelites when Abner and Ioah caused their Souldiers to sport together on this wisâ— 2 Sam. 2.14 Behold then how farre man euen beyond all decencie taketh pleasure in seeing the death of others when hee suffereth himselfe to be led by his naturall inclination So that to dye is not onely naturall but it seemes there is also a secret desire to behold the Tragedy of it Thirdly 3 Reason Death vniuersaâ—l to whom can any thing seeme terrible that presents it selfe dayly before his eyes What is more common among vs then Christnings and Burialls Haue euer any beene knowne of all that haue beene borne not to haue dyed Old young rich poore honest dishonest all â—read that path Gen. 4.8 Abel it may bee was slaine in his youth Gen. â— 27 and Methusalah liued welnigh a thousand yeares yet hee died also Exod. 14.8 The impious Egyptians were drowned in the red sea Gods people perished in the wildernes Poore Lazarus died Luk. 16.22 the rich man died also saith St. Luke Yea that mighty Ahasueros Est 1.1 who raigned ouer a hundred and seauen and twenty Prouinces that great Alexander the valiant Iulius Caesar who conquered the whole world haue all bin conquered by this death All things that are created as fire ayre water earth and all things compounded and ingendred of them are able to inflict death on vs. Anacreon the Poet was choaked with a grape kernell Pope Adrian the fourth with a flye Yea in our selues doth not the least disturbance of our blood oft end our liues Anger heat colde a fright doe the same I spare to speake of a plague which in the space of seauen or eight moneths hath deuoured in one Citie of London eight and thirty thousand Or a siedge which without and within the Towne of O oslend hath swept away more then a hundred thousand men in lesse then three yeares This we see and this we heare dayly and such like accidents fill the greater part of leaues in all manner of Chronicles and this will bee common as long as men shall inhabit the world Haue we not theÌ„ great reason so to accustome our selues to these common chances that we may not be affrighted by them But what doe I number men we see whole Cities destroyed That mighty Citie of Troy now giueth the Plow-man leaue to fâ—rrowe her Holy Ierusalem can hardly shew one stone on the other The Maiestie of Rome must now be guessed out of her Ruines Gen. 19.23 Yea a fire kindled in Canaan and burnt foure Cities together
God appeared by his wicked end which is set downe for our instruction and admonition Preparation of the body Touching our body the care of the same is also committed vnto vs yea enioyned vs. And leaprous Naaman teacheth vs that he that is diligent in enquiry 1 Reg. 2.1 may oft finde remedy for his disease And in this respect Lazarus his sisters are much to bee commended who presently sent to Christ to come and heale their brothers corporall disease Ioh. 11.3 Wee also in our weake and languishing estate ought to prouide for our body needfull meanes according as our weaknesse shall require and our ability may afford For God hath created many things to releeue our infirmity withall This St. Paul manifests vnto vs 1 Tim. 5.23 where he charges Timothy to vse a little wine for his stomacks sake We must also send for the Physitian Maâ— 2.17 for the sicke haue neede of him as Christ witnesseth For God that inflicts sicknesse oft by externall meanes vseth also to release vs thereof by externall remedies So Esay commanded Plaisters of figges to be made for King Ezechias Es 38.21 and layde vpon the boyle that he might recouer We ought then to take care of our sicke members and not to trouble or ouer-loade our weake head too much with the molestations of trade or worldly affaires Ecclus. 30.16 For a sound body is better then much riches Nor yet too too much to grieue our languishing heart with discomfort in regard of that our present affliction but we must doe good to our selues comfort our heart and remooue sorrow farre from vs Ecclus. 30.23 and commend the euent vnto our heauenly Father The enduring of anguishes And although in the meane while our paines almost intollerably doe grieue vs yet we must know certainly that wee receiue them all from the hands of that good God who heretofore hath afforded vs many more ioyfull dayes of health consequently we may therefore say with Iob Haue we receiued good at the hands of God Iob 2.10 and shall we not receiue euill And yet this chastisement is not euill No chastening for the present seemeth to be ioyous Heb. 12.10 but grieuous We read to the Hebrewes Howbeit afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth Heb. 12.6 and scourgeth euery sonne whom hee receiueth If then wee will assure our selues that wee are Gods deare children and spirituall members of one head that in this world with much anguish was crucified wee must following the command example of Christ take vp our crosse and follow him Mar. 10.21 He doth not command vs to assume that Crosse which euery one would chuse himselfe but that which the diuine Prouidence doth make ours And vnder the same wee must not heartlesly lye downe but couragiously beare it and not beare it onely for this euen the reprobates doe against their wills but take it vp as from Gods hand and for his sake patiently endure it But how farre and how long must we doe this Christ commands vs to follow him Whither did he beare his vnto his death Euen so farre also must we beare ours if it please him so long to loade vs therewith Yet by the way let our soule cast her eye on the Crosse of Christ and we shall behold one Simon a Cyrenean Luke 23.26 who carrying it a while followes him If so be then that our Sauiour who was God was by a man refreshed in bearing his Crosse farre more hope may we that are silly mortalls haue that we shall be eased in bearing our Crosse But what was the vse of this his Crosse On the same he gaue vp his soule into the â—ands of his heauenly Father and finished the worke of our reconciliation And St. Paul as a spirituall member of Christ his body filled vp in his sufferings that which was behinde of the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 So also must we hope and wish that our affliction may be vnto vs as a conuenient meanes of presenting our bodies a liuing Rom. 12.1 holy and through Christ an acceptable sacrifice vnto God which we commonly better performe in misery then in a pleasure For in trouble doe wee seeke God saith Esay Esay 26.16 If therefore it please God for a long time to visite vs with his common rods of agues lamenesse the gowt the stone or other sore grieuances let vs not be discomforted much lesse be rebellious Iob 1.21 Let vs also with Iob take heede wee doe not sinne through impatience Let vs be especially instructed by the blessed Thiefe that could say in the midst of his paine Luk. 23.4 Wee receiue the due reward of our deedes and consider that our Sauiour hath suffered farre greater torments in soule and body though as the same party sayes hee himselfe had done nothing amisse Hence we also in our anguish haue great reason to thanke God that it hath pleased him to lay the heauie punishments which wee deserued on his Sonne and by this his fatherly chastisement to withdraw vs from the world and to call vs home vnto him Let vs also freely hope that he that hath smitten vs will binde our sores vp againe Hos 6.1 Yea it may bee that hee comes now with stripes to heale vs if not the body yet the soule which is more infected then the body and requires more curing then our selues can conceiue Let Salomon teach vs that faithfull are the wounds of friends Pro. 27.6 but the kisses of an enemie are deceitfull Hence ought we more to reioyce in this visitation of God then if the deuill came and flaâ—tered vs with the whole worlds prosperity The apostle also termeth that maÌ„ blessed Iam. 1.12 that endureth temptation For saith he when he is tried he shal receiue the crown of life Let this then moue vs to patience and let it be our greatest comfort in our sorest griefe But may some heere say though it be true indeede The difference of the wicked and the good in corrections that God chastens those children whom he makes his owne yet it followeth not that therefore he makes all those his whom he chasteneth For wee reade that God doth rebuke and destroy the heathens through many plagues Psal 9.6 How then shall I know whether this heauenly Sheepheard strike at me with his Crooke as at a straying Sheepe which he driueth home to the Sheepe-fold or as at a Woolfe which hee frights away This a man may perceiue by himselfe according as hee receiues and makes vse of the blowe Gods stroke is somewhat what like the Pills which Physitians vse to prescribe Vnruly men turne and chewe them in their mouth till the bitternesse of them doth make them euen to loath them and at the last with great anguish though no benefit speâ— them out againe But the
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
And to receiue and enioy this glory there is no other way but by death Death onely fetches vs and brings vs thither Now as a young Prince liuing some-where in banishment would exceedingly reioyce to see a messenger sent by the King his father to fetch him home and to set him on his Throne Euen so ought a childe of God to reioyce when God sends vnto him his Messenger Death to fetch him vnto his eternall kingdome Yea so much the more then such a Prince by how much the more the Kingdome of heauen doth excell all the Kingdomes of the world For it is better to be one day in the Palace of heauen sayes Dauid then else-where a thousand Psal 84.11 Priuiledge of the life to come For what haue we on the face of the earth that should make vs desire to stay here If we giue ouer this life which is but temporall and full of miserie and trouble wee obtaine a life on high where there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying Reu. 21.4 neither shall there be any more paine If heere wee depart from our earthly parents we are entertained there of our heauenly Father Math. 5.45 If heere wee leaue our chiefest friends and kindred wee meete there with our brethren in Christ cloathed in long white garments Reu. 7.9 If heere wee loose our Gardens and faire Pallaces wee finde our selues there in Paradise where the tree of life is continually growing If heere we remoue out of a famous Citie wee become there Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 Or if here we forgoe our Princely honours there we are named children of the most high Luk. 6.35 Yea if here we forsake euen an earthly Kingdome we possesse there a heauenly Kingdome Luk. 1.33 whereof there shall be no end The seeing of God When further wee proceede and consider that we are promised there to see God and that we shall see him as he is Math. 5.8 how can wee but hope to see the holy Trinity with full satisfaction 1 Ioh. 3 2. Wee shall see him in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.11 and who shall say then vnto vs Enter into thy masters ioy Math. 25.21 O what an vnexpressable ioy will this bee What can our mindes imagine or hearts wish more If the Queene of Seba cryed out that those men were happy which stoode before Salomon to heare his wisedome 1 Reg. 10.8 how happy will those be that shall stand before Iesus who is the wisedome of his heauenly Father And if Iohn the Baptist leaped for very ioy at the presence of Christ Luk. 1.44 while he was yet in his mothers wombe And Simeon was satisfied when hee had but seene the childe in the Temple Luk. 2.30 what ioy and satiety will those receiue that shall see him sit at the right hand of his Father in eternall glory The three Apostles of our Lord when they had but a very small resemblance therof in that short transfiguration of Christ how soone did they forget set light by the world with all her appurtenances cried out Master it is good for vs to be here Luk. 9.33 and let vs heere build vs tabernacles What doe those Apostles now feele Or what doe they say now with all those that perfectly behold his glory and dwell in it The honour of our soules When we farther yet consider that we our selues shall obtaine there the Crowne of glory 1 Pet. 5.4 that fadeth not away as Peter speakes And that Gods children being by Christ iustified shall shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Math. â—3 43 and be as the Angels of God in heauen Math. 22. â—0 yea are there to raigne for euer and euer Reu. 22.5 What heart what soule can chuse but long exceedingly to forgoe this world and to attaine to the presence of God Dauid cries out As the Hart panteth after the water brookes Psal 42.1 so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God Now that which he longed for euery true beleeuer after this life once ended shall for euer enjoy The meeting of the body and sâ—ule together But whosoeuer farther will cast his eyes on the generall resurrection of the dead may finde yet farther matter of ioy and comfort Euery one may in some sort conceiue how vnspeakeably these two old friends soule and body will reioyce when after many ages they shall meete againe and perceiue that each of them is in a happy estate 1 Cor. 15.45 But chiefly when this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortality and bee partaker with the soule of heauenly delight Yea the Lord Iesus shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 What is there in heauen or in earth more excellent or what can bee imagined that deserues rather to be desired Yea with our corporall eyes we shall behold Christ This it was euen this I say was it wherewith Iob comforted himselfe in his long continued miserie and which did releeue him in his greatest agony I know sayes he that my Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand at the latter day vpon earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Iob 19.26 whoâ— I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another Stephen the Martyr had assurance hereof in this life for hee being full of the holy Ghost sayes the Scripture looked vp stedfastly into heauen Acts 7.55 and sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God With this firâ—t Martyr of Christ let vs then coÌ„tinually cast our harts eies of faith towards heauen and fixe them wholly on Christ crying out with him Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Yea when wee can neither crie nor speake any more Let vs all with Hanna 1 Sam. 1.15 powre out our soules before him And the Spirit will make intercession for vs Rom. 8.26 with groaning which cannot be vttered and wee doubtlesse with the afore-said Stephen shall see heauen open and when our time comes with him dye in the Lord. Yet if it shall please God after all our good preparation An appendix to lift vs as he did the fore-mentioned Ezechias from our bâ—d againe and to restore vs to health let vs take good heede that we doe not neglect likewise with the same King Es 38.20 to sing songs in the house of the Lord all the dayes of our life that is euermore to be thankfull vnto him to serue him and to praise him So the diseased person whom Iesus had healed at Ierusalem was presently found in the Temple Ioh. 5.14 The Prophet Dauid teacheth vs
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
but bringest them out againe Cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Drowne them in the depth of the Sea neuer to remember them againe Nayle them on the Crosse of thy Sonne my Sauiour wash them in his blood Couer them with his righteousnesse that they neuer may appeare in account before thee Grant me also that fauour that I hartily may forgiue my neigbour that I may by a true loue witnesse that I am a true Disciple of Christ and borne of GOD. Let me feele O mercifull God and Father that this my weakenesse is no signe of thy wrath my sinnes but rather a testimonie of thy mercy that thou correctest me as a Father that I may not run into perdition with the wicked world Moderate O Lord my paines and mercifully release me out of the same that I may haue fresh matter to praise and giue thankes to thy holy name and to walke before thee in vprightnesse of heart in true holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life Grant that my life may be nothing else but a mortification of the olde man and viuification of the new that I dayly considering that man borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and besides is full of sorrow that his life is but a shaddowe and his dayes bee vanity that he fades away as a flower in the field and continueth not at any stay may withdraw my heart and cogitations from the vanity of this world Grant O Lord that I may number my dayes that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome that I may mortifie the lust and euill concupiscences of the flesh and may by little and little bee renewed and become conformable to the image of thy Sonne Separate O Lord my sinnes from mee before they separate me from thee Grant that this my life may be nothing else but a longing for my Sauiour that I beholding him with the eyes of faith may say with the ancient Simeon Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Yet if it be thy good will to try me any longer with this thy fatherly rod grant that I may submit my selfe in all obedience vnto thy holy will being confident that thou that art faithfull in thy mercifull promises wilt lay no more on me then thou knowest that my weakenesse is able to beare But if it be thy fatherly will to call me away out of this troublesome life Grant mee grace to be willing and ready to forsake this earthly Tabernacle worke in mee a true faith whereby I being fastned vnto Christ my head as one of his members I may be assured that as I am partaker of his person being flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone so shall I also bee partaker of all his benefits so that I may say with St. Paul Christ hath loued me and hath giuen himselfe for me Arme me also with the same faith as with a strong shield against all temptations that I may couragiously fight against the world my own flesh yea against the deuill himselfe being assured that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ And that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to seperate me from the loue of GOD in Iesus Christ my Lord O mercifull God in whose hand is life and death assist me constantly in this conflict Though the flesh be weake and could be content to say Father if it be possible let this cup passe away from me Yet let the Spirit be willing and say not my will but thy will be done Helpe mee to conquer the terrours and panges of death which through Christ is become vnto me a passage to eternall life say vnto my soule I am thy saluation strengthen mee in the stedfast hope of the glorious resurrection wherein my humbled body shall bee made like vnto the glorified body of Christ Turne my paines and anguish into that eternall ioy that shall be in the blessed vision of thy face receiue my soule vnto thee remoue her out of this vale of misery to the company of holy Angels and to the congregation of thy Elect. Come Lord Iesu come quickly All these necessaries that I stand in neede of I begge and entreate of thee O most mercifull God and Father in the name of my onely Sauiour concluding my petition with that absolute prayer that Iesus Christ himself hath taught his Disciples and all the faithfull saying Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen c. FINIS