he printed An Herne standing vpon on foote vpon a dead mans tombe or a Crosiers staffe or sheephooke with a stone in the other clawe spying about and ready to fling it if he spied any enemy with this Impresse vnder a Bishop aluding to his owne name which signified so much intimating that a Bishop or Minister must as the Herne bee a continuall watchman ready to encounter with euery aduersarie of Gods truth and euer ouerseeing his charge remembring that a man with one foote in his graue he must die and render account of his stewardship but seeing I my selfe haue more neede to bee instructed of them and who of their owne accord are so wakefull and watchfull ouer their charges seuerally that for want of sleepe their eyes bee almost sunke in their heads and for want of rest their bloud and strength is out worne that few of them liue to the yeeres of the life of their fathers so few and euill their daies be for that they good men voluntarily take more weight vpon them then their weake nature is able to sustaine in so much that the image of death appeareth not only vnder their feete as to the Herne but in their faces also aboue all othermen Thus dying to the world and to all the comforts thereof and liuing to God The Lord God of heauen strengthen them lengthen their daies increase his graces in them blesse their labours and their flockes and make vs euer thankfull to God for them and obedient to their healthful admonitions and instructions And euer blessed bee the Lords holy name who hath multiplied the number of learned zealous Ministers in these our daies and countrey and that in greater aboundance then in any age before vs and those two men of singular hope full of Gods Spirit graced with most excellent gifts whose vertues and holy life in their yong yeeres doe shine farre aboue the gray heires of their forefathers would God we were but halfe thankfull ynough for so admirable blessings The ioy of the whole earth and the gladnesse of all the world that is the blessed hope of the Gospel shineth not a little in their gracious contenances the Lord encrease them a thousand thousand fold and giue them double and triple his spirit that they may be greater then all his enemies and abide euer faithfull that through them the King may reioyce the Magistrates be glad their fellow Ministers be backed and encouraged the people edified sinne abolished Idolatrie rooted out Antichrist ouerthrowne Satan troden vnder foote hell confounded the Gospell highly farre and wide flourish righteousnesse shineth God haue all the glory So be it and the Lord say so too and ratifie it Another vse serues for reproofe of a contrarie generation who in Scripture be also called watchmen but full sleepie and snorting euen at noone-day and therefore may as well be called watchmen of waking ouer their flockes as mountaines of moouing they are blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogges they cannot barke they lie and sleepe and delight in sleeping and these greedie dogges can neuer haue innough and these shepheards cannot vnderstand for they all looke to their owne way euery one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Isa. 56. 10 11. They eate the fat they cloth them with the wooll they kill them that are fed but they feede not the sheepe c. Ezech. 34. 3 4. And whereas the watchmen of Ephraim should bee with my God the Prophet is a snare of the fowler in all his waies and hatred in the house of God Hos. 9. 8. That is they should bring men to God and not to be a snare to catch and pul them from God which is abominable and what more lamentable then to see them so hard hearted that though the children crie for bread yet no man breaketh it vnto them nor affoord them on graine of salt to eate with their meate and yet as they bee improperly I grant called watchmen so are they caâ—led the salt of the earth Math 5. 13. And therefore should season the carnall and vnsauory soules of their people else they themselues are no better then vnsauorie salt If a Gentlemans table be laid and ouercouered with aboundance of meate and varitie of dishes yet if the meate be fresh and no salt vpon the table to what vse serueth all that prouision but to cast it to dogs salt is it that seasoneth all things so if a Minister come I will not say to Church and season not the soules of the people with the salt of the word but if he come to a Gentlemans house and sit at table if hee season not the company with the 〈…〉 rie salt of his diuine knowledge what is hee but the shame and disgrace of the company and contemned yea cast out and troden vnder foote as vnsauorie salt Whereas he ought both at Church and at home and else-where with this spirituall salt couer and cure the putrifactions and diseases of the people For heare it fareth with men liuing as with beasts dying which anone putrifies scrawle with wormes stinke and serue not for mans vse vnlesse in due time they be wisely and carefully salted so man when by sinning he looseth the life of God and becommeth wholly earthly minded hee forthwith begins to stinke and to scrawle with the wormes of carnall lusts and sensualitie with beastly and diuellish affection which not only fill the heart and soule but withall most fearefully come out at the mouth in scurilous filthie talke horrible and blâ—sphemous oathes and cursings and at the hands feete and whole body in most vngodly gestures actions and behauiour Whereby hee is vnsit for the table of his heauenly Father vnlesse the faithfull Minister forthwith steppe in and ouercouer it with his salt and so sweeten and purifie it againe else will all whoope at this vnskilfull cooke that spoileth all his Masters prouision for want of salting it in due time and who if he saw a Goliah come to a towne with full intent to murther and kill all the people therein would not rise against him but this is a murthering of the soules of a whole Parists if the Lord giue them not the more grace to prouide for themselues What more treacherous then to set a man a watchman ouer a citie who for a bribe will open the gate at first to the enemie to slay and spoile all and doe not these by their sleepie silence open for sinne and Satan to seaze vpon Christs inheritance regarding nothing but their priuate commoditie thinking when they enter vpon a liuing they enter vpon a farme to liue vpon or a flock of sheepe and yet watch not herein not so well as the shepheard of Bethlem did ouer their sheepe Luk. 2. 8. And who seeth not how foolish and dangerous it is to set vpon the walles of a citie besieged by the enemie a drowsie sleepie and sluggish watchman who can but snort all night in the
India as is in Sozomenus lib. 2. cap. 23. And a prisoner woman conuerted the Iberians Sozomenus lib. 2. cap. 6. And the king of Bulgaries sister conuerted that countrey saith Zonaras Athanasius but a child would reason with his plar-fellowes of the mysteries of religion Ruff. lib. 1. cap. 14. So the children of Samosata when Lucius an Arrian Bishop as they were at Ball-play had with his foote touched their ball they would not play with it vntill they had drawne it thorow the fire Crying their Ball was defiled by the heretiques foote Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 15. And no lesse worthy to bee remembred are the children of Merindoll in France who were so expert in the principles of religion that questioning one with another before the Bishop of Cauaillon with such grace and grauitie as was maruellous to heare thereupon a religious man come lately out of Paris said to the Bishop I must needs confesse that I haue often beene at the common schooles of Sorbone in Paris where I haue hard the disputations of the diuines but yet I neuer learned so much as I haue done by hearing these yong children according to Matth. 11. 25. Act Mon. pag. 868. Thus we see how Gods children watched ouer their babes from their infancie and what good effects it brought forth in and by them and so would with vs if we did the like the Lord open our hearts and make vs see how many millions of babes and infants come to fearefull designements by reason of parents sleepinesse and securitie in this behalfe Wherefore my next vse shall be to admonish and in Christ Iesus to entreat all parents to pittie their infants and while they be yong to nurture them in the feare and knowledge of God and that for these reasons among others 1. Because God commandeth it Deut. 6. 6. c. Eccles. 12. 1. Lam. 3. 27. Psal. 78. 4. 2. All the godly in all ages performed this dutie whose examples we should follow and further know that as the Iewes children were after the circumcision so soone as might be instructed in the Lords waies so should wee after Baptisme be in the lawes of Christ. 3. It is necessary for vs so to doe for all men know and confesse that Sathan spits and beares an implacable hatred to young babes and infants because they be the seede of the Church and therefore labours to draw and keepe them in all prophanenesse as he caused the Iewes by an Apish imitation of Abrahams offering of Isaack to sacrifice their children to Moloch contrarily Leuit. 18. 21. and 20. 2. So in Popery be Priests Monkes and Nunnes kept from lawfull marriage beget children and in the birth stifle them witnesse Huldericke Bishop of Ausbrough who in an Epistle to Pope Nicholas the first relateth how Pope Gregrorie the first vpon a certaine day sent vnto his fish pond for fish and aboue 6000 infants heads were brought vnto him which were taken out of that pond or moat whereupon he confessed his restraint of Priests marriage to be the cause thereof and if this was in one pond what was in euery place and at all times 4. Euery man is so full of originall as actuall sinne that vnlesse we be sanctified and from our cradles seperated to pietie wee shall neuer or very hardly be saued for looke what licour the new caske taketh it longest tasteth thereof and we reade how the figge tree was cursed though the time of figs was not yet Mark 11. 13. To teach vs to watch that at all periods of our liues we should be fruitfull in good workes and holy life and we see how the Beares tare in peeces 42. little children at Bethel that mocked Elisha their littlenesse excused them not 2. King 2. 23 24. 5. The yonger they bee in glorifying God the greater blessing of God shall light vpon them for admit they wote not what they say yet God who heareth the spirit speaking in them woateth and accepteth of their words as if they vnderstood them as we see in Math. 21. 15. Mark 10. 14. c. Psal. 8. 2. And we see how fearefull it is to heare a little childe sweare curse or name the diuell though he knoweth not what he speaketh all will presage that hee will approoue an vngratious childe and is of an vncleane spirit Let parents then as the Eagle and Pellican build their nests on high that the olde Serpent come not nigh their yong and know that the best in heritance they can prouide for and bequeath their children is pictie And heare would I willingly for comfort and ease in this long Watch for long a breeding but soone done away to parents giue some poore direction and open my mouth for the dumbe Prouerbs 31. 8. And speake with a stammering tongue precept vpon precept line vnto line there a little and there a little Else how will babes be taught knowledge Isa. 28. 9 10 11. Wherefore for the right institution of a childe I presuppose the parents to be religious and not of that number who wil laugh when their children sinne but weepe if they be godly addicted I would haue the mother who is the nurse else is no better then an Ostridge and worse then the Dragons which draw out the brests and giue sucke to their yong Iob 39. 17. Lament 4. 3. So to frame if she can her childes speech that the first word hee speaketh should bee God to perfume and sanctifie the rest of his words and meete this should be so for shee nurceth now the sonne of God and therefore should be taught to name and call vpon his heauenly father then to this word adde blesse me next Iesu saue me and blessed Spirit of God sanctifie me 2. As his vtterance encreaseth teach him at his vprising to say I praise God for my sleepe Lord keepe and blesse me this day and likewise to thanke God for his foode going to bedde to commit himselfe to the Lord euer being carefull that no vncleane thing nor person nor any of the children of the wicked corrupt him in word nor deede 3. Then in this progresse as wit and discretion with plainnes of speech commeth teach him by rote the Lords prayer then the beleefe after the Decalogue and so pithie questions and answers concerning the principles of Religion then some short graces which he is before and after his meals to say with some short prayers for morning and euening to say vpon his knees which will be all he can do the two first yeeres after he begin to speake that is vntill he be full fiue yeares old 4. Then to learne by heart some parts of the Bible as he groweth capable thereof And to this worke must the father likewise reatch his helping hand and if there be more children of riper yeeres in the house whom he vseth as his play-fellowes let them in their sports teach on another the elder the yonger and so their recreations
kill vs neither booteth it vs to waste our goods on Physitians to keepe vs froÌ„ it for albeit they promise faire yet they their babes die as soon as others our Lawers cannot in this book-case plead no not for their owne liues no King so welthy no Sampson so stout no horse so swift no spear so long no armor of proof so sure but as the Behemoth Leuiathan he scorneth all Therefore to preuent all the hurts harms that accoÌ„pany Death such as die vnprepared I gather this doctrine All Gods children must whilest they liue heere seeing they know they must die bee exceeding carefull to watch and wake for Deaths comming whensoeuer it be least it come suddenly vpon them and so surprise and take them away vnawares and vnprepared the proofes be in Isa. 38. 1. The Lord said to Hezekiah by Isaiah Put thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue And this did all the godly Fathers before their death as Abraham disposed and prouided for his children before his death Gen 25. 5. 6. Isaak Iacob blessed their children Gen. 27. and 48. and 49. so did Moses blesse the twelue Tribes exhorting them also to serue the Lord and the like did Ioshua Deutr. 33. Iosh 23. and 24. and Dauid did the like prouiding further for the Temple and the functions thereof 1. Chron. 22. to the end of that booke that God might bee serued after his death better then while he liued Abraham Iacob and Ioseph had an holy care for their buriall Gen. 23. and 49. and 50. Simon and Paul desired to die in peace and bee with Christ our Sauiour and Steuen commended their soules to God forgaue and prayed for their enemies c. Then Moses desired God to teach him to number his dayes that he might apply his heart to wisedome Psal. 90. 12â— This also by a voyce from heauen is confirmed to be a blessed thing as Reu. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labors and their works follow them And contrarily how fearefull it is to die vnprepared we see in that Corne hoorder who when hee made most account to eat drinke take his ease and be merry that night his soule was taken from him Luk. 12. 15. to 23. Reasons ratifie this truth likewise 1. All our former watchings ouer all our life is lost labour if in this point we become sleepy and secure 2. To die is one of the greatest works and most dangerous roâ—kes mans life is subiect vnto if heere wee make shippewracke wee are vndone for euer for what auaileth it to liue godly and die wickedly not one iot as Ezech. 18. 24. 3. At our death time Satan is most subtle busie and fierce to ouerthrow our faith for if now hee preuaileth against vs he hath gotten his wished desire but if now he be vanquished he is out of hope euer to preuaile and so layeth downe the bucklers at our feete for euer therefore stands it vs much on hand to watch and for want hereof many goe meerely to the pit of perdition 4. Death by this premeditation and preparation will be more welcome vnto vs for dangers foreseene are lesse greeuous 5. I shall more easily contemne this world by often thinking that I am a stranger in it and abstaine from many sinnes which otherwise I would commit and will repent of all my sins committed and omitted and the rather because all Gods Elect did so and were saued and so shall I. 6. God commands vs to watch for commanding vs to watch for the day of iudgement he will haue vs make a godly death for as wee die so shall wee be iudged and therefore must bee watchfull and pray much for a godly end 7. If we performe this duty many commodities accompany it if not vndoubted damnation to all that die in sin vnrepented for death in it selfe is the way to hell to the wicked but to the godly a portall by which the soule passeth out of the fraile body to heauen or is as the Angell that guided Peter out of prison and sets them at liberty Acts 12. 8. 9. whereas to the wicked it is a cruell Sergeant to arest and cast them into prison The first vse serues for instruction for my vigilant Christian how hee is to watch generall and speciall for death The first generall care whereof is in leading a godly life and then shall hee be sure of a godly and blessed death for eternall life hath three degrees one in this life when a man leades a new sanctified heauenly life and can say truely that now hee liues not but Christ liueth in him Galath 2. 20. and this all such can say as doe vnfainedly repent beleeue and obey iustified from and sanctified against their sinnes and haue the peace of Conscience with other good gifts graces of the holy spirit which are the earnest penny of their saluation The second degree is in the end of this life at our death when the body goeth to the earth and soule to God the third at the last iudgement when body and soule revnited doe ioyntly enter into eternall blisse and of this first watch I haue spoken in the first part before Then secondly we must watch and be in readinesse for the second degree of eternall life euen for death for man goeth to the house of his age as Eccles. 12. 5. that is towards his graue and therefore must prepare for it and labour to pluck out of our hearts that erroneous imagination wherewith euery man naturally blesseth himselfe thinking so highly of himselfe that though hee had one foot in the graue yet beleeues hee shall not yet die and what a folly is it for man to stumble thus at the threshold ere they be aware of the house many charge and chide olde age to come vpon them vnexpected but who compelleth them thus falsly to conclude So if any complaine of Deaths vnlooked-for approach wee may answer Who bade them bee so foolish as not to looke for him Cruell and vnmercifull Death makes league with no man though as Isai saith chap. 28. 15. 18. The wicked make a league with Death that is in the fond imagination thinking that Death will not come neere them though all the world should be destroyed and seeing this naturall corruption is in euery mans heart we must daily fight against it and expell it out for so long as it preuailes we shall be vtterly vnfit to make any preparation for death but will bee like the foolish debtor that keepes no account of his debt and then maruells how the Creditor should remember to demand it thou hast owed this debt euer since thou wast borne and before thou wast borne and is it strange that now after some yeares past thou art called vpon for it what if the day of payment be not
vaine when we haue done all we are so weake and corrupt yea and ignorant of this way by Deaths doore to Heauen but if the Lord assist vs with his holy spirit wee shall not misse of a prosperous voyage for if God be with vs who can be against vs and questionlesse he will be with vs if wee carefully keepe this watch and though wee know not the way further then with our eyes we see it yet he knowes it and euery balke and temptation and stumbling stone and will both put in our hearts how to answere euery temptation and as Peter out of prison will lead vs safely that nothing shall let vs for his owne Names sake And therefore let vs confidently sticke vnto the Lord and he will sticke vnto vs for hee hath said I will not faile thee neyther forsake thee Iosh. 1. 9. Heb. 13. 5. Luk. 22. 43. The second Vse serues to put vs in minde of Death for seeing it is thus conuenient profitable for vs to watch against Death and so dangerous and pernitious to forget death vntill it sodainly taketh vs away vnprepared we must subscribe to the iudgement of the godly and also of Heathen writers who would haue mans life to be but a meditation of Death because it meeteth both young old at euery stile and for that nothing is more dangerous nor comfortlesse to any then at an vnawares full of sinne and full of the world to be arrested by Death for if thou look about thee thou shalt finde Death painted in euery place and worke thou doest And therefore thinke vpon it not as thou wouldest of a thing that were to come or some deuised figment but euen as Gods messenger now present and withall not as a thing appertaining onely to others but belonging to thy selfe The Indian Gymnosophists called Brachmanes were so carefull to make their liues a continuall meditation of Death that they had their graues alwaies open before the gates of their houses to the end that at their going out and comming in they might euer be mindfull of their passage to death and this house of earth to wit our graues is the schoole of true wisedome where God teacheth those that be his the misery and vanity of this life and whereas the world considereth no more but the painted face of Iezabel shining gaily at a window and not the miserable and extreame parts of her which after her body was eaten vp of dogges God would haue to remaine whole that thereby as in a figure vvee might see that the world is another manner of thing indeed then it appeareth in shew and that we should in such wise consider the face of it as also to be mindfull also of the extreame griefes sorrowes wherein the glory of it endeth 2. King 9. 30. 1. Let vs then preuent this misery and thinke on our death for this will first make the proudest Peacocke â—ay downe his fairer feathers so often as hee thinketh vpon it though hee pricke them vp againe when hee draweth his eye from this glasse 2. It will make vs serue God sincerely the feare of whom is the beginning of wisedome Marriners while they saile peaceably giue themselues to all riot and disordered excesse but when the tempest beateth into their shippe and death is before their eyes they cry mightily to God so we rocked in the cradle of security as in a ship glutte the forbidden fruit but stricken in aduersity loath this life and labor for a better 3. The memory of Death causeth vs to know that none of these things can be called ours which wee cannot carry with vs out of this world and therfore while we haue time wee should doe all good with them we can 4. In what calling soeuer a man bee hee cannot choose but deale vprightlie in most things if he doe but remember hee must die for what ambitious man would be proud of his honour and offices seeing he must die when all honor wealth and glory shall forsake him and another shall step in his roome as proud as he and when his glasse is runne out another shall succeed him c. vntill Death catch all as fish in his nette and to what purpose should I hoord money or purchase Lands c. seeing that Nakednesse shall be my last end Iob 1. 21. Of the want of this consideration arise all errors deceits for vvho vvouâ—d haue a sparke of presumption to sinne that knevv his end shortly to bee dust and ashes or would make his belly his God that were sure shortly his belly should become worms meat or would bestow one penny in building that were perswaded the graue should become his Pallace or braue himselfe in braueries considering hee shall be turned hee knowes not how soone out of all yea out of house and home in a poore winding sheet Therefore beloued let vs adhorre all vanities which doe but make vs vnwilling to die and open the gates of our soules to all our spirituall enemies a rule in policy it is to vvatch and ward that City which is beseeged round about and such as vvould keepe their cities in flourishing estate must euer be watchfull as if their enemies were at the gates so our Sauiour seeing that wee haue enemies on euery side and that Death the terriblest enemie knocketh at our gates foreseeing the danger might come of our sleepie security commendeth to his Church and commandeth watchfulnesse and therefore let vs not bee wanting to our own saluation but euer desire the Lord to grant vs this grace to number our daies aright and aboue all to perswade our faithlesse hearts that wee cannot heere long continue but must die The next Vse serues for comfort against the feare of Death for 1. If against the comming of Death wee be watchfull and euery way prepared as is aboue said then need wee not feare Death for then we shall die in the Lord and the Angell and Gods Spirit pronounceth from Heauen that such are blessed as is Reucl. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them If then it be a blessed thing to die in the Lord we need not feare it for all manner of seare presupposeth some euill and danger for we are not afraid of a good thing but affect it offered vs and receiue it cheerefully If then wee be not in danger of the second death as none that die in the Lord are it is folly to dread it seeing it is a blessed thing If a towne be well furnished with victualls as was Babilon which was prouided for twenty yeares as writ Xenophen and Herodotus though the towne be besieged the people within are secure but being vnstored quaketh for fear whence we may iudge of what importance it is to preuent dangers and be well prepared in time for that which astonisheth many at their death