of all is in the pangs of death when friends riches pleasures the outward sences temporall life and all earthly helpes forsake vs. But put thy trust confidence faith in God which neither fadeth nor vanisheth Psal 118.8.9 but abideth continueth for euer Psal 146.3.4 For if thou bee in amity with God the night will bee short and thy sleepe sweete thy graue wil be to thee as a bed of doune there to rest till the day of resurrection thy prayers at that time wil smel as perfume and thy praises sound in thy soule as the harmonie of the heauens where thou shalt raigne for euer and euer And then true faith will make vs to goe wholly out of our selues and to despaire of comfort and saluation in respect of any earthly thing and to rest and rely wholly with all the power and strength of our heart vpon the pure loue and mercies of Iesus Christ When the Israelites in the wildernesse were stung with fiery Serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the brasen Serpent Num. 21.8.9 which was erected for that purpose by Gods owne appointment and then were presently healed euen so when any man feeles death to approach and draw neere with a fiery sting to pierce his heart hee must then presently fixe the eyes of a true and liuely faith vpon Christ his Sauiour exalted lifted vp Iohn 3.14.15 and crucified vpon the Crosse which being done he shall by death enter into eternall life It is recorded by the Author to the Hebrewes Heb. 11.13 that the holy Fathers of the old Testament died in faith and so entred into glory And if wee will looke to be glorified with them then must we follow their steps in dying in the same faith with them And because true faith is no dead thing it must be expressed by speciall actions as namely by the last words which for the most part in them that haue sincerely and truly serued God are very excellent and comfortable and full of grace some choyce examples whereof I will rehearse for instructions sake and for imitation viz. The Last words of Iacob Gen. 49.18 O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation The last words of Moses his most excellent song set downe in Deuteronomy Deut. 32. The last words of Dauid 2. Sam. 23.1.2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue The last words of Zacharias the son of Iehoiada the Priest when he was stoned to death by King Ioash 2. Chro. 24.22 The Lord looke vpon it and require it The last words of the conuerted Theefe vpon the Crosse Luke 23.40.41.44 first rebuking his fellow for railing on Christ then confessing his and his fellowes guiltinesse thirdly his iustification of Christ that he had done nothing amisse and lastly his sweete prayer Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome The last words of our Sauiour Christ himselfe Luk. 23.34.43 when hee was dying vpon the Crosse are most admirable and stored with aboundance of spirituall graces First to his Father concerning his enemies hee saith Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Secondly to the Theefe vpon the Crosse with him Iohn 19.26 I say vnto thee this day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Mat. 27.46 Thirdly to his Mother Woman behold thy Sonne and to Iohn his beloued Disciple Behold thy Mother Iohn 19.28.30 Fourthly in his agonie he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Luke 23.46 Fiftly he earnestly desiring our saluation said I thirst Sixtly when he had made perfect satisfaction for vs he said It is finished And seuenthly when his bodie and soule were parting hee said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and hauing thus said hee gaue vp the ghost Act. 7.56.59.60 The last words of the Martyr Saint Stephen at his stoning First Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of Man standing at the right hand of God Secondly as they were stoning of him hee called vpon God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And thirdly hee kneeled downe and cried with a loud voice saying Lord lay not this sinne to their charge and when he had said this he fell a sleepe By these and such like examples wee see what a blessed thing it is to learne to die well which is to die in faith at which end true wisdome wholly aymeth and he hath not spent his life ill that hath thus learned to die well For the conclusion of our life is the touch-stone of all the actions of our life which made Luther both to thinke and say that men were best Christians in death and Epamynandas one of the wise men of Greece being asked whom of the three he esteemed most viz. himselfe Chabrius or Ephicrates answered Wee must first see all die before we can answere that question for the act of dying well is the science of all sciences the way whereunto is to liue well contentedly and peaceably But what must we thinke if in the time of Death such excellent speeches bee wanting in some of Gods children and in stead thereof idle talke be vsed Answ We must consider the kind of sicknes whereof men dye whether it bee more easie or violent for violent sicknes is vsually accompanied with frenzies or vnseemely motions or gestures which wee are to take in good part in this regard because we our selues may be in the like case and we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by his behauiour in death or in a troubled soule for there are many things in Death which are the effects of the sharp disease he dyeth of no impeachment of the faith he dyeth in and these may depriue his tongue of he of reason but cannot depriue his soule of eternall life One dyeth saith holy Iob in his full strength being whole Iob. 21.23.24.25.26 at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milke and his bones are full of marrow another dyeth in the bitternes of his soule and neuer eateth with pleasure they shall lye downe alike in the dust and the wormes shall couer them Wherefore in this case we must iudge none by the eye nor by their deathes but by their liues The second dutie is to dy in obedience otherwise our death cannot bee acceptable to God because else we seeme to come vnto God vpon feare and constraint as slaues to their Master and not of loue as children to their father And thus to dye in obedience is when a man is ready and willing to goe out of this world without murmuring grudging and repining when it shall please God to call him Death is the feare of rich men the desire of poore men but surely the end of all men to this step man commeth as slowly as hee can trembling at this passage and labouring to settle himselfe here the sole memory of Death
how deckt with stars as with sparkling Diamonds What would wee say if wee could see into it Mat. 17.1 and behold though with Peter Iames and Iohn at a glance or blush superficially the goodly pauement of heauen within whose floore is of gold and wall about it garnished with precious stones Mat. 4.8 And what is a kingdome here where all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them were shewed in the twinkling of an eye Luke 4 5. as it is in the Gospel if there were not hope of a better kingdome where all shall be kings and reigne with Christ eternallly And they which here haue reigned as kings vpon the earth shall lose nothing but gaine immeasurably by the change yea kings and queenes which haue beene nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church of God as the Prophet speaketh when they come thither Isay 49.23 shall cast away their Crownes as Elias 2. King 2.13 when hee went vp by a whirlewind into heauen let his cloake or mantle fall from him and they shal repent nothing there saue that they came no sooner thither and when they shall compare their earthly and heauenly kingdomes together they shall say as S. Peter said of the mount Mat. 17.4 bonum est esse hic It is good to be here in heauen but for the earth they shall bee as loth to looke backe vnto it as Moyses to goe backe into the land of Egypt For their pallaces shall then seeme prisons their golden chaines golden fetters their crownes crosses and all their earthly honors but burdens and vexations But when they shall looke vpon the face of God they shall say to him with triumph as it is in the Psalme With thee is the well of life Psal 16.11 in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Thirdly if Adams paradise and garden was so delightsome and pleasant how pleasant and glorious is Gods owne seat of his owne residence He spake it with a wondring tongue whose heart could not comprehend so infinite an excellencie in saying as we haue heard before How glorious things are spoken of thee O thou city of God! Psal 87.3 For though in the letter this worthy Prophet spake of that earthly heauen which he confessed to be in the material tabernacle because of Gods presence and the godly exercises of Gods people performed there yet his meaning was vnder the cloud of the phrase to direct Gods children to a higher tabernacle and house of greater glory then that which was earthly and vnder the doome of time Againe saith the blessed Apostle 2. Cor. 3,7,8,9,10,11 If the ministration of death written and ingrauen in the stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to bee done away how shall not the ministration of the spirit bee rather glorious For if the ministration of condemnation be glorious much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glorie For euen that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glorie that excelleth For if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious And if the preaching of the Gospel whereby God giueth his quickening spirit working the life of grace in his elect be glorious then much more shall the true professors of the Gospel be made partakers of farre greater glorie in the kingdome of heauen Againe wee doe reade in the first booke of Samuel 1. Sam. 18.23 that when Dauid was perswaded by Saul by the meanes of his seruant to become the Kings sonne in law it is there said by Dauid Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the Kings sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and lightly esteemed Then if it be accounted a great honor and glory to be a sonne and childe to an earthly King much more honorable and glorious it is to be the sonne and childe of the King of heauen Behold saith Saint Iohn what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs 1. Iohn 3.1 that wee should bee called the sonnes of God Which glorie all the tongues of men and Angels as wee haue heard before can in no wise expresse as witnesseth the blessed and glorious Apostle Saint Paul himselfe who was in it 2. Cor. 12.1,2,3,4,5 and saw it and therefore he saith I knew a man in Christ aboue foureteene yeeres agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the bodie I cannot tell God knoweth such a one caught vp into the third heauen and heard vnspeakable words which it is not lawfull or possible for a man to vtter So great and infinite are the glory and ioyes of the kingdome of God as they cannot enter into vs and therefore it is appointed that we must enter into them Therefore it is said Matth. 25.21 Well done thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer a few things I will make thee ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord. Now if the Queene of Sheba as we heard before pronounced the seruants of King Salomon happie 1. King 10.8 for that they stood continually before him and heard his wisdome then much more happy are the Saints and seruants of God who doe continually with his holy Angels stand and behold the glorious presence of one which is greater then King Salomon Matth. 18.10 euen the God of glory himselfe In which respect Saint Ambrose on his death bed said We are happie in this that we serue so good a Master Yea happie is the people saith the Psalmist that is in such a case Psal 144.15 yea happie is that people whose God is the Lord. Yea blessed and happie are all those which so liue in this world that departing hence they may be assured to come into so glorious a place and presence Wee see by experience when a Country-man hath beene trained vp sometime in the Court he forgetteth his clownish kinde of life and becommeth a Courtier let vs therefore leaue the speeches habite fashion and manners of this wicked world wherein we liue and inure our selues with the customes and course of the Court of heauen let all our thoughts words and communication testifie that in spirit wee are alreadie there Let my minde saith Augustine muse of it let my tongue talke of it let my heart loue it and my whole soule neuer cease to hunger and thirst after it In the meane time till thou come into this glorious place and presence aske of God by heartie and faithfull prayer to giue thee grace entirely and from the bottome of thy heart both to vnderstand and desire the ioyes and glory thereof and so to be affected and rauished with the delight thereof that euer and euery where thou mayest be stirred vp to serue
a thousand in an houre a life of nothing this Prophet measureth it with a short span Behold saith he Psal 39.15 thou hast made my dayes as a hand-breadth The valiant Captaine Iosua being now resolued to die Ioshua 23.14 calleth death the path that all must treade Behold saith he this day I enter into the way of all the world So holy Dauid being readie to die calleth death the way of all the earth Experience taught the very Heathen thus much 1. King 2.2 One night tarrieth for all men and wee must all tread the path of death This present transitorie life is called a pilgrimage Gen. 47.9 a path a trauell and a way because it continually plieth to an end for as they which are carried in coaches Eccle. 40 1. or saile in shippes finish their voyage Psal 1.1 though they sit still and sleepe euen so euery one of vs albeit we be busied about other matters and perceiue not how the course of our life passeth away being sometime at rest sometime idle and sometime in sport and daliance yet our life alwaies wasteth and wee in posting speed hasten toward our end The way faring man trauelleth apace and leaueth many things behinde him in his way He seeth stately towers and buildings he beholdeth and admireth them a while and so passeth from them afterward he seeth goodly fields meadowes flourishing pastures and pleasant vineyards vpon these also he looketh a while he wondereth at the sight and so passeth by then hee meeteth with fruitfull orchards greene forrests sweete riuers with siluer streames and behaueth himselfe as before At the length he meeteth with deserts hard rough and vnpleasant wayes foule and ouergrowne with thornes and bryers heere also he is inforced for a time to stay he laboureth sweateth and is grieued but when he hath trauailed a while hee ouercommeth all these difficulties and remembreth no more the former griefes but alwaies he is trauelling till hee comes to his iourneyes end euen so it fareth with vs one while wee meete in our way with pleasant and delightfull things another while with sorrowes and griefes but they all in a moment passe away Furthermore in high waies and foot-pathes this commonly we see that where one hath set his foote there soone after another taketh his steppe a third defaceth the print of his predecessors foote and then another doth the like Neither is there any who for any long time holdeth or continueth his place And is not mans life such Aske saith Basil the fields and possessions how many names they haue now changed In former ages they were said to be such a mans then his afterwards anothers now they are said to bee this mans and in short time to come they shall be called I cannot tell whose possessions and why so Because mans life is a certaine way wherein one succeedeth and expelleth another Behold the seates of States and Potentates of Emperors and Kings how many in euery age haue aspired vnto these dignities and degrees and when they haue attained them after much trauell labour and waiting in short time they are compelled to giue way to their successors before they haue well warmed their seats Yesterday one raigned to day he is dead another possesseth his roome and throne to morrow this man shall die and another shall sit in his seat None as yet could therein sit fast they all play this part as on a stage they ascend they sit they salute they descend and sodainly are gone The Apostle Paul in respect of the celeritie and swiftnesse of life compareth it to a race What is our life 1. Cor. 9.24 saith Saint Augustine but a certaine running to death Our life while it increaseth decreaseth our life is dying our death is liuing The traueller the longer he goeth on his iourney the nigher he is to his iourneyes end the children of Israel the longer they wandred from Egypt the nigher they were to the promised land so euery mortall man the longer he liueth the nigher he is to his iourneyes end Death Time and Tide stay for no man No bridle so strong that can keepe in our galopping daies He that runneth in a race neuer stayeth til he come at the end therof so euery mortall wight will he nill he neuer stayeth till death the end of his race stayeth him Iob 9.25 Iob 7.6 Iob 9.26 The mirrour of patience Iob by name compareth the race of man to the swift daies of a poste saying My dayes are swifter then a poste yea swifter then a weauers shittle they are as the motion of the swiftest shippe in the sea and as the Eagle that flieth fast to her prey 2. Pet. 1.14 The Apostle Peter compareth our time to a Tent or Tabernacle pitched in the field soone vp Psal 90.9.10 soone downe Our yeares are spent saith the Psalmist as a tale that is told yea our life is quickely cut off and wee are soone gone 1. Chro. 29.15 Dauid a little before his death offering with his Princes for the building of the Temple freely confesseth that they were strangers vpon earth as all their forefathers were their daies like a shadow and that heere was no abiding for them Isa 40.6.7 The Prophet Esay rebuking and checking mans forgetfulnesse doth crie out and say All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth vpon it surely the people is grasse the yong grasse as the olde and flourishing as a flower Grasse growes soone and soone decayes The poore who in respect of their base condition in this world are compared to the grasse the noble and rich in respect of their fresh and flourishing shew are resembled vnto the flower to both which sorts noble and ignoble rich and poore there is no difference in death vnlesse as Ambrose saith the body of the rich being pampered with ryot and varietie of meates shall yeeld the more loathsomâ— smell The grasse and the flower are made by many meanes to wither and wee by many more meanes are brought to our end The flower of the field may bee by such as passe by willingly plucked vp or negligently troden on an hungrie beast may deuoure it a worme may eat it or make it to wither as it did the goard of Ionas Ion. 4.7 The winde may blow it downe the lightning may burne it the Sunne may scortch it or at least-wise the nipping winter will marre it The like may be said of vs hunger may famish vs abundance of meat and drinke may quench our naturall heate with surfetting and drunkennesse the ayre can infect vs the water can poison vs the fire can burne vs the beasts can deuoure vs wars can dispatch vs plagues can consume vs diseases can kill vs and a thousand other things can destroy vs. For Alexander the Great was poisoned by his owne Taster Antiochus of
and considered the shortnesse of their life so fraile so inconstant and transitorie and vpon Death so black and vgly how soone would they let fall their proud plumes forsake their arrogancy and change their purposes their manners their mindes their liues In that they tend and hasten as fast as they can to death some at one miles end some at two some at three and some when they haue gone a little further And thus it commeth to passe that some are taken out of this life sooner and some tarry a little longer Abhorre therefore thy haughtines auoid thy vanities leaue off thy lusts amend thy life For he that is godly wise vieweth his death present and by the meditation and remembrance thereof he armeth himselfe to amend If the greatest man in the world doe in a holy meditation strip himselfe out of his robes and ornaments of state and haue the scanning of this one poynt often in his minde hence I must as great as I am and whether then Like men who trauelling no sooner come to their lodging but they are talking of their next Inne the debating of this question in the minde would bring forth most excellent fruite and so likewise if euery man would thus meditate and reason I must remoue and whither then Hell is my desert how shall I escape it Heauen is the onely place I desire to goe to how shall I come to it And thus one good meditation and thought would make way for another and so lead vs on by degrees vnto the kingdome of God Marke the life and behauiour of the wicked to auoid their steps and of the godly to prouoke thy selfe to a holy imitation of the like course as a thing best pleasing to God It is one way whereby wee honor those that are departed in the faith when wee resemble them in those heauenly graces which like the stars of heauen did shine within them while they were aliue Mark also their death with like diligence think seriously vpon thy owne death how thou must shortly dye and lie downe in the dust and part with whatsoeuer delight thou doest here enioy that this may breede in thee a contempt of the world and a longing after a better life Gregory said that the life of a wise man must be a continuall meditation on Death and he onely is euer carefull to doe well who is euer thinking on his last end It were good that Christians which tender their saluation would among so many houres of the day as they mispend in idle vaine and wandring thoughts talke play or fruitlesse exercise imploy but an houre of the day after the example of a holy man in reading meditating and pondering of one little booke trium foliorum but of three leaues which I wil commit to your Christian cōsideration I haue read of a certaine holy man who at first had led a dissolute life and chancing on a time into the company of an honest godly man he in short time so wrought by his holy perswasions with his affections such is the force of godly societie that he vtterly renounced his former course of life and gaue himselfe to a more priuate austere moderate and secluse kinde of liuing the cause whereof being demanded by one of his former companions who would haue drawne him such is the nature of euill company to his vsuall riot hee answered that as yet he was so busied in reading and meditating on a little booke which was but of three leaues that he had no leisure so much as to think of any other businesse and being asked againe a long time after whether hee had read ouer these three leaues he did reply that these three leaues were of three seuerall colours red white and black which contained so many misteries that the more he meditated thereon the more sweetnesse he alwayes found so that he had deuoted himselfe to reade therein all the daies of his life In the first leafe which is red I meditate quoth he on the Passion of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and of his precious bloud shed for a ransome of my sinnes and the sinnes of all his Elect without which we had been all bondslaues to Satan and fewell for hell fire In the white leafe I cheere vp my spirit with the comfortable consideration of the vnspeakable ioyes of the heauenly Kingdome purchased by the bloud of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ a great motiue of thankfulnesse In the third leafe which is blacke I meditatate vpon the horrible and perpetuall torments of Hell for the wicked and reprobate prouided and kept in store who if they behold the heauens from thence they are iustly banished for their sinnes If they looke vpon the earth there are they imprisoned on the right hand they haue the Saints whose steps they haue not rightly followed on the left hand the wicked whose course they haue ensued before them they haue Death ready to arrest them behind them their wicked life ready to accuse them aboue them Gods iustice ready to condemne them and vnder them Hell-fire readie to deuoure them From which the godly are freed by the death of Iesus Christ This booke of three leaues if we would alwayes carrie in our hearts and meditate often therein assuredly great would be the benefit which we should make thereby to restraine our thoughts words and actions within the bounds and limits of the feare of God 1. Sam. 24.10.11 But we are on the other side so busied like Nabal about white earth and red earth and blacke earth in gathering and scraping of transitory trash and in vncharitablenesse and so deuoted vnto fleshly pleasures and deceitful vanities and spending our houres like Domitian in hunting of flyes others like little children in catching of Butterflies and playing with feathers the rest like fooles in toyes and leasings that we haue not leasure at all to reade and meditate on that booke of three leaues nor to thinke on death And so on the sudden the sunne of our pleasure setteth the day of our life doth end the night of our death commeth and we chop into the earth before we be aware like a man walking in a greene field couered with snow not seeing the way runneth on and suddenly falles into a pit Lam. 1.9 When the Prophet Ieremie had remembred all the calamities and sinnes of the Iewes at the last he imputed all to this Shee remembred not her end so if I may iudge why naturall and carnall men care for nothing but their pompe their honor and dignitie why couetous men care not for any thing but their golden gaine why voluptuous Epicures care for nothing but their pleasures and Delicates whose posie is that Death hath nothing to do with them I may say with Ieremiah They remember not their end And with Esay Thou diddest not lay these things to thy heart Esay 47.7 nor diddest remember the latter end of it Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise saith
how well would they reward him But the children of God reioyce at the newes of Death to shew their obedience to it and their ioy is according to the ioy of haruest as the Prophet speaketh and as men reioyce when they deuide the spoyle Isa 9.3 And they may say of Death when it commeth as the people triumphantly somtime spoke of the day of King Dauids coronation Psal 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will reioyce and be glad in it And they may call Death as Iacob did the place where he came Mahanaim because there the Angels of God met him when hee was to meete with his cruell brother Esau Gen. 32.1.2 euen so when the children of God are to meete with cruell Death the Lord will send his holy Angels Hebr. 1.14 who are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation to carrie them into Abrahams bosome Tell one of our gallants in his sicknesse that Death is come for him 2. King 9.20 and that his driuing is like the driuing of Iehu comming furiously toward him he hath the Athenian question presently ready What will this babler say Acts 17.18 But this newes comming to the childe of God in his sicknesse hee may be talked withall for he hath learned with Samuel to say Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth 1. Sam. 3.10.18 and to say with Ely It is the Lord let him doe as seemeth good to him and with Dauid to say Heere am I let him doe to mee 2. Sam. 15.26 as seemeth good to him Now the reason of this great difference betwixt the wicked and the godly why they are thus diuersly affected vnto Death is this the wicked enioy their haue-best in this life but the godly looke for their good and are walking toward it And if it should be demanded when a wicked man is at his best the answere is the best is euill enough and that his best is when he comes first into the world for then his sins are fewest his iudgements easiest they goe astray as soone as they are borne saith the Psalmist Psal 58.3 It had beene good for him therefore that the knees had not preuented him but that he had died in the birth Nay it had beene good for him Iob 3.11.12 as our Sauiour Christ said of Iudas which betrayed him if he had neuer beene borne Mat. 26.24 For as a Riuer which is smallest at the beginning increaseth as it proceeds by the accession of other waters into it till at length it be swallowed vp in the deepe So the wicked the longer he liueth he waxeth euer worse and worse 2. Tim. 3.13 deceiuing and being deceiued saith the Apostle proceeding from euill to worse saith Ieremy till at length he be swallowed vp in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Ierem. 9.3 Reuel 19.20 And this the Apostle expresseth most significantly when he compares the wicked men to one gathering treasure wherein he heapes and treasureth vp wrath to himselfe against the day of wrath and the reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God For euen as the worldling who euery day casteth in a peece of money into his treasure in few yeeres multiplies such a summe the particulers wherof he himselfe is not able to keepe in minde but when hee breaks vp his chest then he finds it in sundry sorts of coyne whereof he had no remembrance Euen so and worse it is with thee O impenitent sinner who not only euery day but euery houre and minute of time multiplyest thy transgressions and defilest thy conscience hoording vp one euill work vpon another To what a reckoning thinkest thou shall thy sins amount in the end though thou forgettest them as thou dost cōmit them Rom. 2.5 yet the Apostle telleth thee that thou hast laid them vp in a treasury and not only so but that with euery sinne thou hast gathered a portion of wrath proportionable to thy sinne which thou shal◠perfectly know in that day Psal 50.21 wherein the Lord shall breake vp thy treasure and open the booke of thy conscience and set thy sinnes in order before thee But if you wil aske when the children of God are at their best I answere praised be God our worst is away our good is begun Iohn 7.6 our best is at hand As our Sauiour said to his kinsmen so may we say to the worldlings Your time is alwayes but my time is not yet come the children of God are not at their best now it is in the working onely wee were at our worst before our conuersion For our whole life till then was a walking with the children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to damnation and then were wee at the worst when wee had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse because then we were furthest from God Our best began in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his word and holy Spirit called vpon vs and made vs turne our backes vpon Satan and our face toward the Lord and caused vs to part company with the children of disobedience amongst whom wee had our conuersation before then we came home with the penitent forlorne to our Fathers family but they went forward in their sins to iudgement That was a day of diuision betwixt vs and our sinnes in that day with Israel we entred into the borders of Canaan into Gilgal and there we were circumcised Iosua 5.9 and the shame of Egypt was taken from us euen our sinne which is our shame indeed and which we haue borne from our mothers wombe The Lord grant that wee may keepe it for euer in thankfull remembrance and that we may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egypt to serue the Prince of darknesse in bricke and clay that is to haue fellowship any more with the vnfruitful workes of darknes but that like the redeemed of the Lord Psal 84.7 we may walke from strength to strength till wee appeare before the face of our God in Sion For heere wee are not at our best but our best is to come Now our life is hid with the Lord and wee know not yet what we shall be 1. Iohn 3.2 but wee know when hee shall appeare we shall be like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercy and bring vs in his strength to his holy habitation hee shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance Exod. 15.13 euen the place which he hath prepared Isa 35.10 and the Sanctuary which he hath established Then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our heads and sorrow and mourning shall fly away from vs for euer Therefore for this cause we must first indeuour that our death be voluntary for to die well is to die willingly Secondly we must labour that our sinnes die before vs. And thirdly that wee bee alwayes
ready and prepared for it O what an excellent thing it is for a man to end his life before his death that at the houre of death he hath nothing to doe but only to be willing to die that he haue no need of time nor of himselfe but sweetly and obediently to depart this life shewing therby his obedience to the ordinance of God for wee must make as much conscience in performing our obedience vnto God in suffering death as wee doe in the whole course of our liues Our Sauiour Christ is a notable example and paterne for vs to follow in this case And therefore the Apostle saith Let this minde be in you Phil. 2.5.6.7.8 which was also in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen vnto the death of the crosse And although the wicked bee ill affected vnto death as we haue alreadie heard and would if it lay in their power most villanously intreate and handle death 2. Sam. 10.4 as Hamon the sonne of Naash King of the Ammonites did the messengers of King Dauid yet let euery good man when Death shall come for him as it may seeme to him vntimely before the threed of his life be halfe spunne out be heere informed to entertaine it kindly Gen. 19.1 as Lot did the Angels who came to fetch him out of Sodom For though he bee pulled from his seate which was to him as the plaine of Sodom seemed to Lot as a pleasant Paradise yet shall hee finde with Lot that hee is taken away from the iudgement to come howsoeuer he be taken away either by the malice of wicked men or by the mercie of God and that he is separated from the sinnes of this world which grieued his soule yea from sinning himselfe and from his owne sinnes which grieued the Lord his so gratious and kinde Father How can it be but that Death should be a welcome guest this a choice blessing which as a gentle guide leades vs to Christ carrieth the soule to her beloued Husband The resolution of Saint Ambrose was neither to loath life nor feare to die but obediently yeeld vnto Death because saith he we haue a good Lord to goe vnto The third duetie is to die in repentance which must bee performed by vs at all times and especially at this time Tertullian saith of himselfe that he is a notorious sinner and borne for nothing but repentance and hee which is borne for repentance must practise repentance as long as he liues in this sinfull world into which hee is borne vpon this condition that hee must leaue it againe and repent at his end also Repentance is a very sore displeasure which a man hath in his heart for his sinnes euen because they are the breach of Gods holy Lawes and Commandements an offence to God his most mercifull and louing Father which ingendreth in him a true hatred against sinne and a setled purpose and holy desire to liue better in time to come ordering his life and death by the will of God reuealed in his holy word Repentance consisteth of foure parts the first of confession by which the Prophet Daniel saith Dan. 9.4 We acknowledge our owne wickednesse and the wickednesse of our fathers for we haue sinned against thee righteousnesse therefore belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs shame and vtter confusion Father saith the prodigall childe I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight Luke 15.21 and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne He that couereth his sinnes saith the Wise-man shall not prosper Prou. 28.13 but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy 1. Iohn 1 9. If we confesse our sinnes saith the Apostle he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Secondly Contrition Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God saith the Prophet are a broken spirit and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not dispise Isa 57.15 For thus saith the high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of the contrite ones For all these things hath my hand made Isa 66.2 and all these things haue beene saith the Lord but to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words So that this contrition is the bruising of a sinners heart as it were to dust and powder through vnfained and deepe griefe conceiued of Gods displeasure for sinne and this is Euangelicall contrition and is a worke of grace the beginning of renewed repentance Therefore the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of The third is faith For without faith neither by repentance nor by any other meanes are we able to please God neither indeede can there bee any true repentance without faith The fourth and last point is amendment To amend is to redresse and reforme faults repentance is as the roote amendment the fruit Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruit saith Saint Iohn meete for repentance or answerable to amendment of life Repent saith the Apostle Paul and turne to God Acts 26.20 and doe works meet for repentance so that first there must be a change of the heart from euill to good by the gift of repentance put into it of God and then will follow amendment of our liues and manners There is no part of Christian religion of that maine importance wherein men doe more voluntarily deceiue themselues then commonly they doe in this dutie of repentance In respect whereof it will not be amisse but very materiall to deliuer certaine infallible signes and vnseparable fruits whereby we may assure our selues that wee haue repented The Apostle Saint Paul nameth seuen fruits which in some measure alwayes follow where true amendment goeth before 2. Cor. 7.11 Behold saith he your godly sorrowes what care 1 it hath wrought in you yea what clearing 2 of your selues yea what indignation 3 yea what feare 4 yea how great desire 5 yea what zeale 6 yea what punishment Those then who are true conuerts who do vnfainedly amend their liues they are not sluggish or secure in sinne but carefull to redresse what is amisse not hiders or excusers of euill but confessors and by humble supplication clearing their offences they are not contented to dwell in wickednesse but vexed in soule and full of indignation against themselues for their sinnes committed they stand in awe and are afraid of Gods iudgments they desire his fauour as
the Hart desireth the water-brookes Psal 42.1 they labour by religious zeale to approue their liues to God and good men and they are so farre from fauoring their faults as that they seuerely punish them vpon themselues Must then amendement of life yeeld such worthy works and fruits Is care clearing indignation feare desire zeale and punishment required thereunto O then to repent can bee no light matter nor trifling labour which a man may haue at commandement or performe when he listeth no no for much toile and trauell belongeth vnto it Sinne cannot bee cast off as an vpper garment the hearts of sinners must suffer an earth-quake within them and tremble and rend like the vaile of the Temple Mat. 27.51 which was rent in twaine from the top to the bottom and like the earth which did quake and like the rocks which rent at the yeelding vp of the host of our Sauiour Christ for our sinnes so that must torment vs at the heart which delighteh vs in our bodies that must bee soure to our soules which was sweete in our liues wee must chaunge our vices into so many vertues and so turne to our gracious God as if neuer more wee would returne vnto sinne For mourning is in vaine saith Saint Augustin if we sinne againe Great sinnes saith Saint Ambrose craue great weeping lamentation the Angels in heauen sing at this lamentation neither doth the earth afford any so sweete musick in the eares of God And if wee will purge our selues from the filthines of our sinnes wee must often rince our selues with teares wee must vndergoe the agonie of repentance mingle our drinke with weeping water our couches with teares Psal 6.6 yea the very bloud as it were of our soules must gush out of our eyes O that our head saith the Prophet were waters Ierem. 9.1 and our eyes a fountaine of teares that we might weepe day and night for our sinnes Psal 119.136 O that riuers of waters saith the Psalmist would run downe our eyes because we keepe not the law of God Wee must be greeued because wee cannot alwaies be greeued Repentance is a baptisime of teares the greater that our fall hath bin the greater must bee the terrent of our teares It is naturall to men that their lamentation bee in some sort answerable to their losse Naamans bodie must bee seuen times washed in water and our soules seuentie times seuen times purified by repentance Will examples moue vs to the performance of this dutie Looke vpon repenting Dauid and behold there are ashes vpon his head and sack-cloth vpon his backe hee did not braue it in attire nor lye streaking vpon his bed with a bare Lord helpe me in his mouth Looke vpon the repenting Nineuites Luk. 7.37 and behold King and people are strangely humbled men and beasts fast and drinke water they sat not belching at their bordes saying pardon Sir and so post it ouer Looke vpon repenting Magdalen and behold saith Gregory so many pleasures as she found in her selfe she had abused so many sacrifices shee made of her selfe shee had abused her eyes to wanton lookes and therefore now she caused them to ouer-flow with teares she had made her lips the weapons of lasciuiousnesse and gates of vanitie and therefore now shee caused them to kisse her Sauiours feete her haire once set out and frizled after the newest fashion doth shee now make serue in stead of a napkin her pretious oyntment that was her wonted perfume shee now powred vpon Christs feete which her eyes had watred her haire wiped her mouth had kissed so many sinnes so many sacrifices such sinnes such sacrifices notable examples to teach all their duties Haue you delighted in pride of attire Put on sackc-loth haue you offended in surfeting and drunkennes Fast and drinke water Hath your mirth bin immoderate Weepe and strangle that sinne with the streame of teares Haue you robbed oppressed and wronged your brethren Make restitution with Zacheus No restitution no attonement Nay further Luke 19.8 reuenge that sinne vpon your selues by giuing somewhat of your owne Haue you beene vncleane and fleshly liuers Chastise your bodies with Paul and keepe it vnder and br◅g it in subiection by all meanes possible 1. Cor. 9.27 auoid vncleannesse which commonly driueth two at once to the Diuell together Psal 38.8 Roare with Dauid for very griefe of heart and not for one sinne alone but for all Christ cast not six diuils only Luk. 8.2.30 out of the woman but the seuenth also he left not one of a whole legion We are not freed till we be freed from all We must not slay Amaleck onely which is a master-sin 1. Sam. 15.3 but likewise all his cattell euen all our beloued sinnes and say vnto the diuell as Moses said vnto Pharaoh 2. King 5.18 Exo. 10.26 wee will not leaue a hoofe behind which may cause desire of returning into Egipt It is not sufficient to pluck out the arrow but we must apply a plaister to the wound We must leaue off the rotten ragges of Adam and be wholy renued turne vnto our God with a setled purpose euer whilst we liue more and more to amend our liues Hast thou failed in thy faith and repented Luke 22.61 Behold Gods mercy to repenting Peter Hast thou robbed thy neighbour and repented Luk. 23.40 Behold Gods mercy to the repenting theefe Hast thou couetously gained and repented Luke 19.8 Behold Gods mercy to repenting Zacheus Hast thou burned in vncleane lust and repented Luke 7.37 Behold Gods mercy to repenting Magdalen Hast thou committed adulterie and repented 2. Sam. 12.13 Psal 136.2 Behold Gods mercy to repenting Dauid Vnto the repenting person hee giueth a soft heart for his mercy endureth for euer He sendeth the comfort of his holy spirit for his mercie endureth for euer He gi◅h peace of conscience for his mercy endureth And bestoweth on them the ioyes of Heauen for his mercy endureth for euer We must repēt instantly continually without any delay God wil not permit vs to giue the prime daies to the diuell the dog-dayes to him to poure out our wine to the world and to serue him with the dregges Wee may not repent by quauers and starts but goe through stitch We must follow repentance as the widdow in the Gospell did her suite Luke 18.40 and keepe our hold as Iacob did in wrestling Gen. 32.26 Amend to day amend to morrow runne on not for a time but euen our whole time with a continued act immoderately at the first time constantly in the midst and cheerefully to the end All the trees in Gods orchard must bee Palmes and Cedars Palmes which bring forth fruit betimes and Cedars whose fruit lasteth very long And let vs consider well the manifold dangers which follow the want either of speede or continuance in repentance First our liues of all things are most vncertaine as we
vniust and vnequall if any of lesse merit yea of no merit in comparison of such men shall grieue for themselues or any friend of theirs to indure that which these indured Surely not onely to grieue but not most willingly to welcome what all these men imbraced is tendernesse intolerable folly vnfitting and a fault no way to bee excused Yea the fault is so much the greater by how much either you or your friend are inferiour to these men in seruice and vse vnto the common state Thus did the heathens seek to salue the sore which grew by death of any and to this end many things of like perswasion they heaped vp which I passe ouer as hastening to the word of God without all comparison the fountaine of all comfort This onely I say and pray you to obserue concerning the mention made of the heathen that it is meant only to shew that they were ashamed to feare death in themselues or immoderately bewaile it in any friend and will you faile of the strength of an heathen shall they fight better against foolish affections by the light of nature then you by the power of grace and the most bright Sunshine of Gods word God forbid and as you tender your credit to be iudged truly a souldier that answereth the promise made in baptisme that you would fight manfully vnder Christes banner and not yeeld to your foe and Gods enemy and yours let not Sathan ouercome you in this to make you worse then an heathhen more passionate more impatient more subiect to wil and lesse subiect to reason nay more disobedient to God and of lesse reputation before men for gouernment of your mind then they were You know more performe not lesse then they did you haue seene a light that they neuer saw nor many other worthy men Luke 10.23.24 Blessed are the eyes saith our Sauiour which see the things which ye see for I tell you that many Prophets and Kings haue desired to see those things which ye see and haue not seene them and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them Walk therfore in that light as a child of light that you may bee more comforted for the death of your friends then the very heathen were Seneca saith He that laments that a man is dead laments that he was a man And now to come to the word of God to the Law Isay 8.20 and to the testimony saith the Prophet euen to the sweet fountaine of Israel that cooles indeede the scorching heat of all sorrowes and by name of this when God taketh away any of our friends by death if Moyses and the Prophets will not comfort vs in this case then as Abraham told Diues in another case nothing can perswade Luke 16.31 nor preuaile with vs. Many are the places of holy Scriptures when comfort arise and flow if they be wel and duly considered but meaning onely to giue you a taste some few shall serue at this time to which may be added by your owne diligence some more at your best leisure Iob 1.21.22 The Lord gaue saith Iob and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Where I pray you consider well what Iob lost when he said thus and consider what you haue lost now at this time and you shall finde your caâ—es farre differing Iob had his Oxen and Asses taken away by strangers and his seruants slaine with the edge of the sword This was his first newes The fire of God fell downe from heauen and burnt vp his sheepe and his seruants and consumed them This was the second newes His Camels were taken by the Chaldeans and his seruants slaine This the third newes all of them bitter and grieuous to happen at once You will confesse this was sore and any one of them falling by it selfe alone vpoÌ„ many of vs in these daies would plunge vs very sore Yet see farre greater his fourth and last newes was that his sonnes and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house and there came a great winde from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and the house fell vpon them and they all died yea all and all at once by this sudden meanes to the vtter amazing and astonishing of all that should see or think of it Yet for all this saith the holy Ghost Iob did not sin to wit by rauing and railing impatiently nor did he charge God foolishly as dealing vniustly or cruelly with him but considered with himselfe who had giuen and who had taken and weighed with himselfe that they were Gods and not his and should he forbid the Lord to doe with his owne what was his good pleasure Is it not lawfull saith our Sauiour Christ in another case for me to doe what I will with mine owne Mat. 20.15 Therefore sweetly and meekely patiently and peaceably he cast vp his eyes his heart his soule his minde his affections and all vnto the Lord and said Blessed be the name of the Lord of which Lord surely of this Lord that had thus dealt with him and taken away all that euer he had God hath not dealt thus with you by many and many degrees with you at this time and will you then take on and as it were bid battell to the Lord by weepings and wailings by sobbings and sighings by groanings and crying by mutterings and murmurings and by such like testimonies of a discontented and offended minde aboue that which can stand with a dutifull childes behauiour to his heauenly Father If your losses were as great as Iobs was yet you see what he did and this was Gods Spirit in him much more in a farre lesse losse must you doe it if you bee endued with the same spirit Thinke with your selfe as you see Iob did what estate you had in this friend of yours that now you haue lost you held him not in fee but for a terme and what terme no certaine terme but during the Lords good will and pleasure Now your terme is out and the Lord will haue his owne againe Grieue not for the losse then but be thankfull for the loane so long Againe I warrant you Iob did carefully ponder with himselfe what the Heathen and strangers to religion about him would say If he should be impatient and outragious they would say see euen thus the man that feared God and was so religious that he taught others and rebuked many when they did offend that spake so much of the Lord and had his will so euer in his mouth that gaue such testimonies sundry wayes to the shew of man of a reformed life now where is all become Now see this mans practise how it answereth his speeches before he was tried what doe we see now in him more then in many others that made not halfe the shew Is there but so much in him as in many Heathen that knew not his religion Haue they not
saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes follow them Your friend is dead in the Lord and therefore blessed will you then weepe and lament for him his workes follow him and the Lord in mercie hath crowned his obedience according to his promise and will you looke awry at it God forbid Againe consider with your selfe that your friends walk with God and are gone to their heauenly Father in peace they are gathered vnto their people they are not dead but sleepe and their flesh resteth in hope they are gone the way of all flesh and doe now behold the face of God in heauen and what cause of sorrow is this to any friend that loueth them If your friend were discharged and released out of prison and miserie and preferred to the palace of an earthly prince and to his Court to his great and exceeding ioy and content would you shewe your loue and contentment toward him in bewailing the same how much lesse then should you lament his preferment into Gods euerlasting Court and kingdome to his vnspeakable ioy and comfort Thus may you gather many places of holy Scripture and on this sort meditate on them For sweet is the word of God against all sorrowes and griefes and by name against this But it may happily be obiected it is your child that is dead and it died before it could well be baptized this grieueth me more then otherwise it would and so you feare your childs estate Answ God forbid that we should either speake or think so seeing the Lord neuer said so but contrariwise the Scripture witnesseth that they are in the Couenant of God and so in state of saluation so soone as they are borne and Baptisme doth not make them Christians that were none before but is the Sacrament the seale the signe the badge of them that are Christians before Besides it is not the want of the Sacrament that depriueth a man of Gods fauour for the children of the Israelites were not circumcised all those fortie yeeres which they liued in the wildernesse the reason whereof was because they were euer to remoue and iourney whensoeuer the pillar of the cloud that was their guide ascended and went forward Numb 9.18 c. so that they were alwaies to attend vpon the cloude both night and day not knowing when it would remooue and therefore could not circumcise their children in the wildernesse as yee may read Iosh 5.2 c. but it is the contemning or despising of the Sacrament that depriueth men of Gods fauour when they make no more account of it then Esau did of his birth-right Gen. 25.32 then Ahaz did of the Lords helpe Esay 7. and it is also the neglecting of it when God offereth time and opportunitie that we might haue it Againe the Lord neuer said that whosoeuer died vncircumcised or vnbaptized should be wiped out of the booke of life but hee hath said Gen. 17.12.14 that whosoeuer contemneth or carelesly neglecteth the Sacraments shal be cut off from among his people And so read you the notes vpon that seuenteenth chapter of Genesis and I hope they shall content you for this matter God is not tyed to the Sacrament nor euer was The contempt hurteth but not the want when it is against your will Obiect Happily your child was of ripe yeeres and withall so toward that it could not be but that he should come to some great place and preferment if he had liued both for the good of himself and his friends and that he in his youth and the flower of his age should thus bee taken away is a great losse say you Answer True it is that the losse is great in respect of the world but what is that if we consider God God is also able to supplie all that some other way if we take it well This is apparant that what good or preferment could haue come to him any way or to his friends if he had liued the Lord for some purpose as yet happily hidden hath preuented but yet his arme is not shortened as I said to doe vs good some other way but it might perhaps prooue otherwise contrarie to our expectation if he had liued longer and then it would haue beene a great griefe vnto vs. But admit that it would haue beene as you hope if he had liued longer yet he is more highly preferred euen to the highest heauens and to the presence of God and this no earthly preferment can match And except we be wholy earthly our selues we cannot but sauour this and not let his youth grieue vs for no youth nor age is too good for God when he is pleased to take them A foole or a child seeing a goodly cluster of grapes thinketh it pitie to put them into the presse to deface them but he that is wise knoweth that thereby the liquour which is in them is preserued and that this timely gathering is a meanes to keepe them from corruption So we thinke sometime Oh it is great pitie such a one should die so soone so towardly a youth so good a creature can hardly be spared but God in his wisedome knoweth it to be good And if he cut off the life of that good and godly king Iosiah as it were in the middle of the stemme 2. Kings 22.20 doubtlesse it is for this cause that his eies may not see the manifold euils to come If you will be ruled to weigh things with reason you may well see mercie euen in this timely death for many are the perils both of bodie and soule that young men auoid when they are taken hence false doctrine heresies errours and many grieuous sinnes wounding the very conscience with a biting worme that euer gnaweth publike calamities and ruine of state many priuate miseries great and grieuous which no man can thinke of beforehand more bitter to good men then any death from all which this happie deliuerance in time of youth doth free your child and set him safe that you shall neuer mourne with him nor for him that way And herein we haue Dauid an example of godly fortitude who hauing a child sicke did while it liued afflict his soule besought God for the child and fasted and wen◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lay all night vpon the earth and would not be comforted Thus while there was hope of remedie he gaue way to the sorrow of his heart 2. Sam. 12.16 but when Dauid perceiued that the child was dead then he arose from the earth and washed and anointed himselfe and changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and after came to his owne house and bad that they should set bread before him and he did eate His sorrow ended when he once saw there was no hope of enioying any longer the companie of his child Now this course seemed vnto
and earth Maiestie and basenesse Excellency and pouerty hee hath matched together What is higher then the Spirit of life what baser then the slime of the earth his soule it was infused into him the Spirit of life his body was made of the dust of the earth This was that which made Gregorie Nazianzen to breake into that exclamation of himselfe What great and wonderfull Miracle was within himselfe I am little sayeth he and yet I am great I am humble and yet exalted I am mortall and yet immortall I am earthly and yet heauenly little in body but great in soule humble as being earth and yet exalted aboue the earth mortal as hee that must dye and immortall as he that shall rise againe earthly as whose body was taken from the earth heauenly as whose soule was breathed from aboue Nay more then this sayeth the Prophet Dauid in one of his Psalmes Ps 8.4.5 6.7.8.9 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels and hast crowned him with glorie and honour thou madest him to haue dominion ouer the workes of thy hands c. Therfore no man no beast can destroy this excellent Creature in this fashion framed and bee innocent before God It belongeth onely to him that gaue life to take it away Where hee takes it away none can restore it nor ought to take it away being giuen but only by him that gaue it So that the whole rule of life must remaine in the hands of the Lord of Life who of himselfe sayth I kill and giue life except thou canst doe both Deut. 32.39 doe not attempt to doe eyther First make a liuing man if thou canst and then kill him to whom thou gauest life thou shalt then herein hurt no worke but the worke of thine owne hands but if thou canst not giue life presume not to take away life thou shalt therein violate the worke of another And if thou mayest not kill another thou mayest much lesse kill thy selfe One God made thee them and if thou shalt bee guilty of bloud in killing thy neighbour thou shalt bee guilty of bloud in killing thy neerest neighbour thy selfe When Elias was weary of his life being persecuted by Iezabel he sayde vnto God It is inough O Lord take my Soule for I am no better then my Fathers 1 King 19,4 He was wearie of his trauels and dangers and desired to be out of this vvorld but hee did not lay violent hands vpon himselfe or let out his owne Soule Hee remembreth that God had placed his soule in this earthly Tabernacle and he intreateth God to set his Soule at liberty He held his hands howsoeuer his heart was affected So hold thou thy hands from any fact of violence lifting them vp with thy heart vnto God in heauen desiring him to take thy soule when he thinks good When Saint Paul was in a straight betweene two Phil. 1 23. and vvist not vvhether he should desire life or death because his life should bee profitable to the Church but death gainefull to himselfe he expressed the inclination of his heart to death for his owne aduantage in these vvordes desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all His reward was in heauen vvhich he desired to obtaine his Redeemer in Heauen with vvhom hee vvished to be And because he could not come to enioy the same except by death he should passe out of this world hee was vvilling to depart and for that end to bee loosed and set at liberty from his flesh but did hee encline to set himselfe at liberty to loose the bondes of his owne life by which his soule was tyed and fast bound to the fellowshippe of his body No hee desired to bee a Patient not an Agent a Sufferer not a Doer in this businesse his vvords are desiring to be loosed not desiring to loose my selfe this he longed for and in time obtained it In these men behold and see how to craue and how to demeane thy selfe Learne of Eliah and Paul to feare God and not of Saul and â—udas Learne not of wicked men that went astray in their doings And tell mee if at any time thy life were so vile in thy sight and the glorie of God so deare vnto thee that thou wert desirous or content to giue thy life vnto God and to put it in hazard for his name and for his truthes sake Where hast thou despised the threatnings of Tyrants Where hast thou contemned the sword the fire or any other death hast thou been cast into the fierie furnace or into the Lyons denne or imprisoned or stoned or suffered rebuke or losse of goods for the name of Christ as diuers the Saintes of God haue done before thee In these cases if thy life had been vile in thy sight it had beene honourable and Christian-like because thou dost not take it thy selfe but yeeld it vp for his sake that gaue it Wherein thou hast the Prophets of God and Apostles of Iesus Christ to bee thy Paterne who were euer ready and willing to lay down and loose their liues in the seruice of God but did not kill themselues to bee deliuered from the furie of Tyrants but they yeelded themselus to the cruell will of Tyrants as Ieremie tolde them that went about to kill him for preaching Ierem. 26.14 as God had commaÌ„ded him As for mee behold I am in your hand doe with mee as you thinke good and right It was all one to him and equally welcome to dye or liue so that hee might faithfully doe his office Of the like mind was Saint Paul saying to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20.22 Behold I goe bound in the spirit to Ierusalem and know not what things shal come vnto me there saue that the Holy Ghost witnesseth that in euery City bondes and afflictions abide mee but I passe not at all neyther is my life deere vnto me so that I may fulfill my course with ioy c. Heere was a most godly contempt of frayle life If thou hadst resolution in any like quarrell to yeeld thy life when there should bee any attempt to take it thou hast the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Christ thine example and thou hast also the promise of the Lord Iesus to recompence that losse of life with the gaine of eternal life saying Hee that will saue his life shall loose it Math. 10.39 and hee that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it That is if any shall to saue his life deny to confesse mee before men his life shall be taken from him by some such iudgement of God as that hee shall haue no comfort in the losse of it but shall dye eternally but if any constantly confesse me putting his life in danger eyther God shall most miraculously deliuer him and saue his life in this
persecutions into desarts mountaines and holes of the earth But they were worthy and had farre better company hauing a kind of fellowship with Christ and all the Saints that were gone before them So for the faithfull that now liue if the wicked and vngodly make no more of them then of the filth of the World and as of the of scouring of all things as the Apostles speaketh it is because they are too good to liue amongst them and too precious to be cast before swine 1 Cor. 4 13. that so treade and trample them vnder their feet And where they say away with such fellowes from the earth Math. 7.6 for it is not fitte that they should liue Christ will in his due time take them from the earth by a blessed and most sweet death Act. 22.22 to haue the company and fellowship with him his Angels and Saints and with all the holy company of Heauen and then they shall haue their desire Thirdly it is lawfull to desire death in respect of our sinnes to the end we might not offend God any more by sinning And what a miserie and bondage it is to bee in subiection to sin may appeare by the most earnest and feruent prayer of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul vvho feeling the waight and heauie burden thereof 2 Cor. 12.7.8.9 he desired God with earnest zeale and feruencie and with deepe sighes and groanes that hee might be deliuered from it And againe after the long and lamentable complaint that the Apostle made of the Law that was in his members striuing against the law of the Spirit and leading him captiue into the law of sinne hee breaketh forth into this most patheticall exclamation O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death or this body of death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 7.24.25 The Prophet Dauid also feeling the heauy waight of his sinnes maketh his grieuous complaint and mone thereof vnto God saying There is no soundnesse in my flesh Psal 38.34 because of thine anger neyther is there any rest in my bones because of my sinnes for mine iniquities are gone ouer my head as a heauie burthen they are too heauy for me If a man would inuent a torment for such as feare God and desire to walke in newnesse of life and to haue part in the first resurrection hee cannot deuise a greater torment then to be disquieted with this tyranny of sinne and with this vnquiet vnhappy Iebusite euen the rebellion and corruption of our owne flesh and this heauie weight of sinne that doth cleaue and hang so fast vpon vs. O happy therefore and blessed death that dischargeth and freeth vs from so sore combersome and cruell bondage and from further offending of him who dyed for our sins So that death freeth vs from the necessity of sinning also brings vs to bee with Christ And to desire death in this case is not a loathing to liue but a loathnesse to sinne In which case Iob desired death because of his sinnes that he might not offend â—od any more and therefore hee sayth Iob. 6.8.9 10. O that I might haue my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for euen that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off then should I yet haue comfort Now in the meane while till we can haue our desire in this case accomplished Rom. 6.12 wee must resist and striue against our sinnes that they may not raigne in our mortall bodies and let all our endeauor and care increase against our sins that the force of them may be dayly weakened their number lessened and all occasions of sinning auoyded Fourthly it is lawfull to desire death in respect of the miseries calamities and troubles of this life and for the preuenting of the miseries to come And yet this holy desire must not be simple and absolute but it must bee restrained with certain respects and with these reseruations First it must bee desired so farre forth as it is a meanes to put an end to all our miseries to all the dangers of this life to all the corruption of nature and to the necessity of sinning Secondly as it is a gate by which wee enter into the immediate fellowship with Christ and of God And our desire also for these endes must keepe it selfe within these limits wherein two Caueats must bee obserued First it must not bee immoderate exceeding the golden meane Secondly it must alwayes be with a reseruation of Gods good pleasure and with an humble submission and subiection of our willes to the will of God For if eyther of these be wanting the desire of death is defectiue faulty and dangerous Death frees vs from the miseries and perils of this world abolisheth all present and preuents all future dangers and brings vs to be with Christ What man wearied with labour desires not rest what Mariner tossed vpon the seas wisheth not to come into safe harbour What traueller toiled with a tedious and perilous iorney would not willingly come to his wayes end what sicke maÌ„ accepts not health what slaue imbraceth not freedome what prisoner doth not entertaine inlargement what captiue would not welcome liberty what husbandman would be euer toyling and not at length receiue the fruit of his labour what marchant is content to liue euer in danger by sea and by land amongst Pyrats and robbers not to come at last safe home with his wealth And lastly what man hauing the reuersion of a goodly kingdome would be loath to receyue the possession of it And sure wee are all in this case by reason of the manifold miseries incident to vs in this world that wee haue good cause to wish with a holy desire to be loosed from al these miseries and to be with our Sauiour Christ and in the meane time Luk. 21.19 till we can haue our desire in this case Let patience possesse our soules Fifthly and lastly it is lawfull to desire death for the perfecting and full accomplishment of that coniunction and vnion which wee haue in Christ Iesus our head that wee might be where he is to enioy his presence For we are saith the Apostle members of his body of his flesh Eph. 5.30 and of his bones that is we are most straightly coupled to Christ by the spirituall band of our faith which vnion is most admirable For first wee are vnited to his Godhead that is not by transfusion of the diuine substaÌ„ce but by effectual working by the manhood and secondly wee are one with his manhood that is really and substantially Ioh. 15.5 as appeareth by those Similitudes by which this vnion is expressed in holy Scriptures as namely First of the Vine and branches Ioh. 3.29 Rom. 11.18 Eph. 2.20 Eph. 1.23 Secondly of the Bridegroome and the Bride Thirdly of the Oliue tree and the
heauenly habitation Augustine writing vpon Genesis sayth That the blessed shall haue a three-fold sight of God in heauen To wit they shall first haue a spirituall or they shall see the blessed spirits Angels next a body or corporall sight of the blessed redeemer And thirdly a supernatural or intellectuall sight and a fourth may be added that they shall likewise see the holy Chost For the first their spirites and soules shall behold and see with great comfort and ioy the blessed Angels and Spirites of all the faithfull departed They shall see the bright Court of Angels Math. 18.10 Cherubins Seraphins alwaies beholding the face of our father which is in heauen attending the Dyetie and euer pressing to doe his will faithfully speedily willingly neuer wearie of watching because they are neuer wearie of well-doing They shall see the faire assembly of the Saints of God the Patriarckes Prophets and Apostles Luk. 13.28 with Abraham Isaacke and Iacob in his glorious Kingdome they shall bee tyed vp with them in the bundell of liuing 1 Sam. 25.29 neuer to bee loosed any more As they before them haue done so shall they returne into their rest as into a retiring Campe after the day of battell This is the greatest ioy vpon the first sight And if as Chrysostome sayth to see the Deuill and euill Spirits bee a horrible punishment and a kind of hell then to see good Angels and good Spirites must be a great ioy and the beginning and entrance into heauen Psal 45.1 The second is that corporall and bodily beholding of our Sauiour Iesus Christ standing at the right hand of God the Father 1 Pet. 1.12 and his comfortable face and countenance fayrer then the sonnes of men and whome the very angells desire to behold and whereby in their Spirites the Saintes doe presenly see the naturall and humane bodie of Christ Iesus at the right hand of God the Father from whose glorious sight doth arise a greater measure and degree of comfort and ioy Cant. 3.11 Then come the godly to see in substance that which was spoken of the type by Salomon Math. 12.42 Come foorth O yee daughters of Sion and behold the King Salomon with the Crowne To see then this true Salomon more great then Salomon euen our Redeemer thus standing crowned in glory and haue accesse to him must needes bee a second and higher measure of ioy to the beholders It is sayd when Salomon was crowned 1 Kin 1.40 the people reioiced exceedingly that the earth rent with the sound of thē Oh what ioy and greater ioy is it then to see Christ Iesus thus crowned with glory in Gods Kingdome at home When the Wise-men came a farre iourney seeking Christ anst found him new borne lying most meanely basely in a Cratch amongst the beasts yet did they reioice seeing him in the Cratch and did offer to him Oh how much shall yee reioyce Math. 2.10,12 seeing him that was in the Cratch cloathed with great glory and wearing an immortall Crowne The third sight is that intellectuall and glorious sight supernaturall of Gods essence face to face as Paul nameth it yea God himselfe of so great Maiesty might beauty goodnesse mercy and loue 1. Cor. 13.12 as if a man were filled with all other blessings temporall and eternall and yet without this as Plotin sayth all were but misery and accursednes And this is such a sight in such a manner and after such a measure which notwithstanding shall be infinite as is or can bee possible for the glorified Creatures to beholde the glorious Creator And as the Apostle Saint Peter sayeth to bee made partakers of Gods diuine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 farre beyond that sight of Moyses or Peters when being clogged with mortality they yet did see that was glorious to behold Of this sight of God Iob. 19.23.24,25,26.27 the holy man speaketh in his Booke Oh sayeth he That my wordes were now written O that they were printed in a Booke that they were grauen with an yron penne and layde in the Rocke for euer For I know that my Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand at the latter day vpon the earth and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see GOD whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my raines be consumed within me Yet this sight shall exceed and goe beyond that of our Forefathers before the fall or that of the Apostle Pauls for it is sayde by him that we shall see him face to face And by the Apostle Peter being made partakers of his diuine nature more then euer man could haue dreamed off then shall the Elect see so◠as they shall bee with him for euer yea and serue him continually in singing praises vnto him Which sight is called the spirituall life not in respect of substance but qualities in so farre that after those sightes the elect shall spiritually liue and that without any naturall or bodily helpes or meanes as in this present transitory life In that Life shall bee no neede of meate drinke light artificiall or naturall Candle Starres Sunne or Moone For God shall bee all in all By which sight and supernaturall knowledge it shall come to passe That Philip. 3,21 these our mortall bodies shall bee like to his glorious body Dan 12,3 and shall shine like the Sunne in the firmament and be made like Angels Fulgentius speaking of this most glorious and supernaturall sight sayth thus In a looking glasse wee may see three different things the glasse our selues and what is neere vs So by the glasse of Gods diuine clearenes wee shall see him our selues Angels and saints beside vs yea we shall see God face to face not as now through the glasse of his word but we shal know him as we are known of his Maiesty As a man standing vpon the shore of the Sea seeth not the bredth or depth of it so the Angels in Heauen and the elect on earth may see God really and yet not comprehend the depth of his greatnes nor the height of his euerlasting essence The fourth sight is that we shall likewise see the Holy Ghost proceeding from them both and breathing vpon our saued soules like a gentle soft ayre vpon a garden and more sweet then all the trees of Incense Againe the Apostle sayeth Now I know in part 1 Cor 13,12 but then shall I know euen as I am knowne The Apostle is bolde here to say that all the knowledge wee haue here is as the knowledge and stuttering of a young child yea that his owne knowledge too was such although he were an Apostle and a principall Apostle and thereby hee insinuateth that our knowledge here is as farre inferiour to the knowledge we shall haue there as the knowledge of a childe that stuttereth and stammereth and yet cannot speake plaine is to the
heard Yea God hath told thee as we haue said before Because I haue called and you refused you shall call vpon me Prou. 1.24.28 and I will not answere you A dolefull and heauie doome for a dying man It is too late to sow when thy fruite should be in and no time to leaue sinne when sin must leaue thee Luke 16.24 Heb. 12.17 Mat. 25.11.12 Diues prayed but was not heard Esau wept but was not pitied The foolish Virgins knocked but were denied By which fearefull examples it appeareth that it will be too late to call for mercie after this life when the gates of mercie will be shut vp and repentance comes too late For if wee through our negligence and carelessenesse ouerslip this opportunitie which the Lord in mercie offereth vs we cannot recouer it afterward although wee seeke it with teares which we find truely verified by the fore-alledged fearefull examples Esay 59.2 For your iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that hee will not heare It is therefore the surest and safest way and better by many degrees for the saluation of our soules to leaue our sinnes now in our youth and now to repent in our health then hereafter alas when it may be too late The holy Ghost in the Scriptures pointeth vs to the present time and exhorteth vs to make that the time of our repentance and vpon this Theme many of the holy men of God spent their Sermons Looke in Esay Ieremie and the rest and you shall euer finde that they beate vpon this present time Esay 55. Ier. 35. Heb. 3. Psal 95. Ioel. 2. Now turne vnto the Lord now whiles it is called to day to day if yee will heare his voice this is the accepted time and therefore wee may not come for it many yeeres hence being promised to day Iniquitie did then abound as now it doth and procrastination was euer dangerous and therefore they iudged no doctrine so fitte as often to vrge repentance without all delay So that now euen now is the time of repentance euen now whilst he calleth now whilest he speaketh now whilst hee knocketh now let vs take vp this day and make it the ioyfull day of our repentance For ioy shall be in heauen saith our Sauiour in the Gospell Luke 15.7 ouer one sinner that repenteth Therefore let vs now say this shal be my day of repentance I will deferre it no longer and so let vs repent from day to day euen to our dying day and then whosoeuer shall continue so repenting to the end hee shall surely and vndoubtedly be saued Mat. 24.13 Now for conclusion of this duetie of repentance marke heere how happily we fall vpon repentance God grant repentance to fall vpon vs. It is a grace when it fals vpon a sinfull soule that makes the Diuels murmure Luke 15. and vex themselues in hell and the good Angels reioyce in heauen This is that which makes the eternall Wisdome content to forget our iniquities and to remember them no more then if they had neuer beene and this is Magnaspongia as Saint Augustine calles it the great spunge that wipes them all away out of the sight of God this speakes to mercy to seperate our sinnes from the face of God to binde them vp in bundles and drowne them in the sea of obliuion this is that mourning Master that is neuer without good attendants teares of contrition prayers for remission and purposes of a mended life This makes Mary Magdalen of a sinner a Saint Zacheus of an extortioner charitable and of persecuting Saul a professing Paul Repentance is the Supersedeas that dischargeth all bonds of sinne Behold the office of repentance shee standeth at the doore and offers her louing seruice entertaine mee and I will vnloade thy heart of that euill poyson and returne it to thee emptie though it were full to the brimme Peccasti poenitere millies peccasti millies poenitere millies poenitet adhuc etiam poenitere Hast thou sinned repent hast thou a thousand times sinned why then a thousand times repent hast thou repented a thousand times I say despaire not but still betake thy selfe to repentance If you welcome repentance knocking at your dore from God it shall knocke at Gods doore of mercy for you It askes of you amendment of God forgiuenesse Receiue it therefore and imbrace it The fourth dutie is to die in prayer for when it shall please God in the weaknesse of our bodies to giue vs a remembrance of our mortality and our end let vs pray to God for grace that we may spend the time of our sicknesse in reading Gods word and comfortable bookes in godly conference in holy meditation and in feruent prayer to the Lord first for patience in thy sicknesse secondly for comfort in Christ Iesus thirdly for strength in his mercy and fourthly for deliuerance at his good pleasure yea endeuour as much as thou canst to die praying For when thou art in the depthes of miseries and at it were at the gates of death there is a depth of Gods mercie who is readie to heare and helpe thee for misery must call vpon mercie and Prayer is the chiefest thing that a man may present God withall For by prayer we are oftentimes in spirit with the blessed Apostle rapt vp into the third heauens 2. Cor. 12.2 where we that are otherwise but wormes walke with the blessed Angels and euen contâ—nually to our very end talke familiarly with our God And hence it is that holy men and women in former times could neuer haue enough of this exercise Nazianzen in his Epitaph for his sister Gorgonia writeth that shee was so giuen to prayer that her kneâ—s seemed to cleaue vnto the earth and to grow to the very ground by reason of her continuance in prayer Gregorie in his Dialogues writeth that his Aunt Trasilla being dead was found to haue her elbowes as hard as horne which hardnesse shee gate by leaning to a deske on which shee vsed to pray Eusebius in his Historie writeth that Iames the brother of our Lord had knees as hard as Camels knees benummed and bereaued of all sence and feeling by reason of his continuall kneeling in prayer Hierom in the life of Paul the Ermite writeth that he was found dead kneeling vpon his knees holding vp his hands lifting vp his eyes so that the very dead corps seemed yet to liue and by a kinde of religious gesture to pray still vnto God O how blessed was that soule without the body when as that bodie without the soule seemed so deuout O would to God that we likewise might be so happie so blessed as this holy man was that wee might depart hence in such sort as he did nay in such sort as our Sauiour Christ did who died in prayer Luke 23.46 Father saith he into thy hands I commend my spirit and in such sort as Stephen
died for when Death had seased his bodie he died in prayer Acts 7.59 Lord Iesus saith he receiue my spirit And in such sort as Iacob died who in the seasure of death vpon his bodie raised vp himselfe and turning his face toward his beds head leaned on the top of his staffe by reason of his feeblenesse and so prayed vnto God Which prayer of his at his death was an excellent fruit of his faith For by faith Iacob Heb. 1.21 when hee was in dying blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph and worshipped leauing vpon the top of his staffe God grant when he commeth that he may finde vs so doing that when we shall lye vpon our death-beds gasping for breath readie to giue vp the ghost that then the precious soule of euery one of vs redeemed with the most precious bloud of our sweete Sauiour Christ Iesus may passe away in a prayer in a secret and sweet prayer may passe I say out of Adams body into Abrahams bosome But heere it may be obiected that in the pangs of death men want their sences and conuenient vtterance and therefore are vnable to pray Answere The very sighes sobbes and groanes of a penitent and bleeding heart are prayers before God at such a time euen as effectuall as if they were vttered by the best voyce in the world For prayer standeth in the affection of the heart whereof the voice is but an outward messenger For God at such a time especially lookes not vpon the speech and voice but vpon the heart And therefore the Psalmist saith Psal 10.17 Psal 145.19 That God heares the desire of the humble the Lord will fulfill the desire of them that feare him What prayer maketh the little infant to his mother He weepeth and cryeth not being able to expresse what he lacketh the mother offers him the breast or giueth him some other thing Psal 38.9 Matth. 7.11 such as shee thinketh his necessitie requireth much more then the heauenly Father heedeth the desires sighes groanes and teares of his children and doing the office of a Father hee heareth them and prouideth for them Exod. 14.15 Wee reade in the booke of Exodus that the Lord said vnto Moses Wherefore cryest thou vnto me and yet as it is there said there was no voice heard Wee reade also in the first booke of Samuel 1. Sam. 1.12.13 that Hannah continued praying before the Lord that shee spake in heart onely her lippes mooued but her voice was not heard and yet the Lord heard her heartie prayer and granted her request Yea the very teares of the children of God are loud and sounding Prayers in his eares who will as the Psalmist saith put them into his bottle Psal 56.8 and register them in his booke yea the very bloud of his Saints are crying prayers vnto him And therefore the Lord said vnto Cain Gen. 4.10 when he had slaine his brother Abel What hast thou done the voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto mee from the ground If thou canst not pray distinctly and orderly lifting vp thine eyes on high with Hezekiah chatter like the Swallow mourne like the Done For the sorrow of his heart did so oppresse his soule that though he remembred God and looked vp vnto him and had all his desires waiting vpon the hand of God yet he was not able to pray to God in any distinct manner like a well aduised man his praying was all out of order it was more like the mourning of a Done and the chattering of a swallow then like the holy and orderly prayers of a wise and godly man as wee may reade in the Prophecie of Esay Esa 38.14 Luke 22.62 Wee reade not in what words Peter prayed but onely that he wept bitterly let thy teares flow likewise when thy words can find no free passage Which teares of sinners S. Bernard cals the wine of Angels And as concerning the true vigor of praying S. Augustine in one place sayeth It stands more in teares then in words for instructing a certaine rich widow how to pray vnto God among other words hee hath this saying Plerumque hoc negotium plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus fletu quà m afflatu This businesse of prayer for the most part is performed rather with groaning then with words with weeping then with speech Let God heare thy sighes and grones let him see thy teares when thou canst not shew him thy desire in words Psal 6.6 Water thy couch with teares as did the Prophet and God will gather vp and put euery drop into his bottle Thus doing when thou thinkest thou hast not prayed thou hast prayed most powerfully For as Saint Ierome saith Oratio Deum lenit lachryma cogit prayer greatly moueth God teares forceably compell him he is allured and wonne with the words of prayer to heare vs but with the teares of a contrite heart he is drawne and inforced to heare and helpe where otherwise hee would not And in this case wee must remember that God accepts affecting for effecting willing for working desires for deeds purposes for performances pence for pounds S. Chrysostome saith That prayer is the soule of our soules and in this affliction growing in thy soule because thou knowest not how to pray heare a notable comfort that the Apostle giues thee saying The spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 for we know not how to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot bee expressed Where thine owne strength and wisedome faileth in this seruice of prayer vnto God there the wisedome and power of Gods spirit kindleth in thee strong desires and earnest longing after mercie and the meanings of those desires and longings God perfectly vnderstandeth and needes not be informed by thy words So that though thou canst not pray as thou oughtst to doe yet that seruice goeth forward wel while heartily thou desirest Gods fauour Esay 65.24 And it shall come to passe saith the Lord that before they call to me for ayde that is in our purpose of prayer I will answere and whiles they are yet speaking I will heare Remember that many goe to bed and neuer rise againe till they be raised vp and wakened by the sound of the last trumpet 1. Thess 4.16 If therefore thou desire to sleepe safely and securely whether in health or sicknesse goe to bed with a reuerence of Gods Maiestie and a consideration of thine owne weaknes frailty and miserie which thou mayest imprint in thy heart in some poore measure and pray thou thus and say If it bee thy blessed will to call for mee in my sleepe O Lord for Christ Iesus sake haue mercy vpon me forgiue me all my sinnes and receiue my parting soule into the heauenly kingdome But if it be thy blessed wil and pleasure to adde more dayes vnto my life then good Lord adde more amendement to my dayes and weane my mind from