of the Years but Man is meerly a Tenant at will is put out of Possession at less than an Hours warning Wherefore now while it is said to day set your Houses in order seeing that you must die and not lâ—vâ— It is not sufficient at the last Hour of Death to say Lord have mercy on me or Lord into thy hands I commend my Soul But even in all our Life-time yea and especially in our youth we must strive ever to set our Houses in order for we shall die and not live Samson was very strong Solomon very wise and Methusalem lived many years yet at last they with many more were brought to Mother Earth If it seem pleasant unto you at the present to let your rotten and ruinous Houses stand out of order yet with all remember what the Prophet saith The day of Destruction is at hand and the times of perdition make haste to come on Art thou a young Man in the April of thine Age and hast thou thy Breasts full of Millâ— and doth thy Bones run full of Marrow as Job speaks and thereupon dost promise to thy self length of days yet thou must know also that a man even at the highest pitch of health when he hath that same Fencer-like kind of strength is nearest danger in the Judgment of the best Physicians remember with all that observation of Seneca Young Men saith he have Death behind them Old Men have Death before them and all men have Death not far from them we may in a manner complain already that the great God of Battle threatens an utter ruin to all the World the Earth hath trembled the Lights of Heaven have been often darkned Rebellions have been raised Treasons have not long since been practised Plagues of late have been dispersed Winds have blustered Waters have raged and what wants there now but those two Arrows of God even Sword and Fire from Heaven for us to be consumed Is it now think you a time to buy to sell to eat to drink and to live securely in sin as they did in the days of Noah and think of nothing else is it now a time to say unto Almighty God as the Nigard doth unto his Neighbour come again to me to morrow as that drousie Sluggard doth Prov. 6. 10. Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little foulding of the hands to sleep The foolish Virgins supposed that the Bridegroom would not have come like an Owl or a Batt in the night there is time enough said they what needs all this haste but poor Fools they were excluded Oh! I cannot forbear my very Heart even bleeds within me to think of it yea all the faculties of my Soul and Body are strucken with horrour and amazement while I declare unto you how that many Thousands now are doubtless in Hell who purposed in time to have set their Houses in order but being prevented by Death are for ever condemned O here I could heartily wish with Jeremy that I had in the Wilderness a Cottage Yeâ— I could wish with Job that I were a Brother to the Dragons and a Companion to the Ostriches whilst I think of that wish I am now uttering nay I could willingly desire with the Princely Prophet David that my Heart were full of Water and that mine Eyes were a Fountain of tears that I might weep Day and Night for the too too common Sins of this our Age in every kind Now you are in your preparations for Eternity and therefore had need to be very watchful over your selves to see that you set your Houses in order for you shall die and not live And this brings me now unto the very last thing observable in my Text and that is of the reason Negative and shalt not live set thy House c. Chrysostom prying into the base Nature of Man and finding him ever out of order teacheth him a seven-fold consideration of himself First What he is by nature what he is in himself Dust and Ashes Gen. 18. 2. Secondly What is within him much sin Thirdly What is before him a burning Lakâ— which is spoken of Isai 30. 33. Fourthly What is above him an offended Justice Deut. 32. 16. Fifthly What is against him Satan and Sin two notorious and deadly Eâ—… Sixthly What is before him 〈…〉 and worldly vanities And then seventhly and lastly He desires man seriously to consider what is behind him inâ—â—llable Death for semel aut bis morimur omnes Some once some twice we must all die and not live You cannot like Enocâ— Hâ—b 11. â—5 be translated but must suffer Death as well as other Men being common to all Whatsoever thou dost affect whatsoever thou dost project so do and so project all at once who for any thing thou knowest may at this very present depart out of this Life Hypocrates although he could not cure till Death came upon him Heraclitus who writ many natural Tracts concerning the last and general consolation of the World could not find out a Remedy or a Medicine for his Distemper but died out of hand Thus you may see how that God spares none but sends one thing or other to bring us to our long home And thus far concerning the Death of the Body shall suffice which was the Death good King Hezekiah was forewarned of Wherefore now I shall but only speak a word or two of the Soul and likewise of the Death of the Soul and Body and so conclude First as there is a Natural Death viz. the Death of the Body so likewise there is a Spiritual Death viz. of the Soul when it is deprived of those Graces which formerly God did bestow upon it for as the Soul is the light and life of the Body even so Almighty God is the light and life of the Soul When he takes his holy Spirit from us then we walk in the shadow of Death this Death is an ill Fruit of Sin therefore let us set our Houses in order But secondly As there is a natural Death and a spiritual Death so likewise there is an eternal Death called in the Ornament of Grace the second Death This Death as well as the Death of the poor Soul is lamented by God Esay 59. 2. As I live saith the Lord I desire not the Death of a Sinner but rather that he may turn from his Wickedness and live I might now likewise add a fourth Death and that is a civil Death an undoing of our Credit and honest Reputation which many Men die but this I shall leave to your consideration and so conclude O my dearly beloved Friends consider what you are all by nature What is within you What is above you What is below you What is against you What is before you What is behind you and that is infallible Death For here is not one here amongst you be he never so strong never so healthly but that within the Revolution of a few years shall be brought in spight of his
may know how long I have to life Psal 39. v. 4 5. Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Psal 86. v. 17. Thou hast broken my Bands in sunder I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upâ—n the Name of the Lord Psâ—l 116. v. 14 15. I had no place to fly to and no Man car'd for my Soul I cry'd unto thee O Lord and said Thou art my Hope and my Portion in the Land of the Living Psal 142. v. 5 6. Omnipotent Sempiternal God who didst prolong the Life of Hezekiah miserably imploring thee grant me thy unworthy Servant before the day of my Death so much time to live that I may be able to deplore all my Sins and may obtain from thy Compassion Pardon and Favour Omnipotent Gracious and Merciful God I most humbly beseech thee by the Death of thy Son grant me a happy and a blessed Hour when my Soul shall depart out of my Body Lord Jesu Crucified Christ by the Bitterness of the Death which thou didst suffer for me upon the Cross chiefly when thy Soul departed from thy Body have Mercy on my Soul at the last Hour who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and for ever Amen The Second Prayer For a Happy Departure MOST Merciful Lord Jesu if this be the Condition of a Dying Man if in such Dangers and Extremities my Spirit must depart out of this Life whither shall I fly but unto thee Oh my God Do thou take care of my Soul that it may not perish in that dreadful Hour Grant me I beseech thee according to the multitude of thy Mercies and by that servent Love and Grief wherewith thou who art Life it self didst die for me that I may have the Combat of Corporal Death always before my Eyes and that living I may so do as dying I would desire to have done and that I may expend my time and study in nothing more than that I may Spiritually die to my self and may mortifie all the Passions of my Sences that so after this Life I may live with thee Happy and Blessed to all Eternity The Conclusion of the first Chapter To the Reader DO this meditate upon this O Man and while thou art well learn to be sick learn to die To do both is a rare piece of Art which whether thou knowest or no it is not lawful for thee to try but when thou canst not err without the loss of Eternal Felicity We err but once in dying but that Error is never to be amended to all Eternity Therefore to abide as being still to depart But for the most part abide within thy self and search every cranny of thy Conscience Whatever thou enjoyest look upon it as the Lumber of a place where there is no Habitation Thou art not suffered to carry out any more than thou broughtest in with thee Therefore act and bestir thy self Approve thy self right in the sight of God Thou art to go hence Believe that thou standest always at the Gate of Eternity Eternity is that we must look after Pleasure is short Punishment Eternal The labour is Easie the reward Everlasting Therefore we have given wholesom Instruction we have taught that Death is to be contemn'd but the thoughts of it never to be laid aside Now we will give the same Admonitions to the Sick CHAP. II. The Remembrance of Death is Recommended to the Sick Sect. 1. The Introduction and whether Sickness be an Evil CAnnus is a Town in Caria in a Pestilent Air and unwholesom for the Inhabitant These People when Stratonious the Musician and wiâ—ty Man beheld he recited the Verse in Homer to them Like as the Leaves just so the People are Thereby he taunted their Icterical Yellowish and Wan Complexions But when the Caunians had given him a very rugged Entertainment for defaming their City as sickly and unwholesom Stratonicus return'd upon them again Must I not dare said he to call that a sickly place where the dead walk More wittily and more smartly than before But why do we deny and lift up our Noses We are most like to Leaves Very plainly Job Wilt thou break a Leaf saith he driven to and fro As if he had said When I am but a Leaf liable to all the Inconveniences of Life afraid of every Gust wilt thou hasten me with the wind of thy indignation I shall fall of my self without any constraint of thine Are not Men Leaves whom Sickness like dry Leaves and juiceless Flowers tosles to and fro and variously sports with Clement of Alexandria being of the same Opinion Go to said he Men of an obscure Life like the Generation of Leaves infirm Creatures Images of Waâ— things like shadows frail unfledg'd living but the Life of one day Certainly we are Leaves shaken by every puff of wind Sometimes a little Fever what do I say Nay a little Cough a little drop falling upon the little wicket of the Throat mortifies this Leaf and throws it into the Grave But whether or no is Sickness a Benefit and Death an Evil No Mortal no it is not saith Epictetus Health well us'd is a good thing ill us'd a mischief And therefore we may reap Benefit by Sickness What dost thou say of Sickness I wil shew thee its Nature then I shall be quiet I shall think my self well dealt with I shall not flatter the Physician I shall not wish for Death What wouldst thou more Whatever thou shalt give me that will I make happy prosperous honourable to be desir'd But there are some that deny this and say Take heed of being sick 't is an ill thing To them Epictetus again That is as much as to say saith he Take heed that thou dost not feign three to be four 't is an ill thing How evil If we so think of it as we ought What harm will it do me Rather will it not do me good If therefore I so think of Poverty Sick or Troubles of Church or State as I ought is not that enough to me will it not be profitable Truth Love thee O Epictetus How agreeable are all these things to Christian Doctrine This Foundation being laid we shall here teâ—ch ye to be mindful of Death in Sickness and not to be afraid of his coming Sect. 2. The sick Person to his Friends To Sickness To the beginning of a Mortal Disease To Death To Christ our Lord. To his Friends Hence with your unseasonable mourning This is not a place for Wailing but for Prayer But I depart early from you Early take heed ye mistake not I was ripe for death as soon as I was born yea before I was born What I was when born I know a weak frail body liable to all Reproach the Food of Sickness the Victim of Death Behold who e're thou art take Hope or Substance to
are Surely I come quickly Our answer is Amen Even so come Lord Jesus c. I have but small acquaintance with the future State but this I 'm sure there will be no change that will be so surprizing to me as that By Death It is a thing of which I know but little and none of the millions of Souls that have past into the invisible World have come again to tell me how it is I. It must be done my Soul but 't is a strange A dismal and Mysterious change When thou shalt leave this Tenement of Clay And to an unknown somewhere wing away When Time shall be Eternity and thou Shalt be thou know'st not what and live thou know'st not how II. Amazing State no wonder that we dread To think of Death or view the Dead Thou' rt all wrapt up in the Clouds as if to thee Our very knowledge had Antipathy Death could not a more sad retinue find Sickness and pain before and darkness all behind III. Some courteous Ghost tell this great Secrecy What 't is you are and we must be You warn us of approaching Death and why May we not know from you what 't is to dye But you having shot the Gulph delight to see Succeeding Souls plunge in with like uncertainty IV. When Life 's close knot by writ from Destiny Disease shall cut or age unty When after some delays some dying strife The Soul stands shivering on the ridge of Life With what a dreadful Curiosity Does she launch out into the Sea of vast Eternity V. So when the spacious Globe was delug'd o're And lower holds could save no more On th' utmost Bough th' astonish'd Sinners stood And view'd th' Advances of th' encroaching Flood O're topp'd at length by th' Elements encrease With horror they resign'd to the untry`d Abyss It is very desirable to know in what condition our Souls will be when they leave the Body and what is the Nature of that abode into which we must go but which we never saw into and through what Regions we must then take our flight and after what manner this will be done 'T is certain my Soul will then preserve the faculties that are natural to it viz. to understand to will to remember as 't is represented to us under the Parable of Dives and Lazarus But alas we little know how the People of the disembodied Societies act and will and understand and communicate their thoughts to one another and therefore I long to know it What conception can I have of a separated Soul says a late Writer but that 't is all Thought I firmly think when a mans body is taken from him hy Death he is turned into all Thought and Spirit How great will be his Thought when it is without any hinderance from these material Organs that now obstruct its Operations In that Eternity as one expresses it the whole power of the Soul runs together one and the same way In Eternity the Soul is united in its Motions which way one faculty goes all go and the Thoughts are all concentred as in one whole Thought of Joy or Torment These things have occasioned great variety of Thoughts in me and my Soul when it looks towards the other World and thinks it self near it can no more cease to be inquisitive about it than it can cease to be a Soul Tears FOR A Dead Husband WHen Mary came where Jesus was and saw him she fell down at his feet saying unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Jo. 11. 32. She wept indeed yet it was but for a Brother and the Jews also wept vers 33. yet it was but for a common Friend But what was all that to the death of a Husband O my Husband my Husband That very name of Husband methinks would flatter me with comfort as if I might imagin that he could hear me But oh he is dead he is dead He cannot hear me he cannot behold me he cannot answer me His Ears are locked up his Eyes are closed his mouth is sealed his Soul is gone O what shall I do for my head my guide my heart my Husband Were my Saviour upon Earth again I could send one to him as Mary did who should say Lord behold he whom thou lovest is dead Dead say Iâ— O dead dead he is gone he is departed and can never be recalled But why Why can he not be called back again Did not my Jesus cause Lazarus to arise when he had been four days dead ver 39. Yes he did But what then I neither love my Saviour so well as Mary did nor I fear doth he love me so well as he did Mary or if both were so yet since Miracles are ceased I cannot so much as hope that he will call back the Spirit of my Lord my Husband Oh could he be wooed by the Tears of a sinful Woman never did any mourn so much as I would But nothing will perswade I seek but the disturbance of him whom I mourn for if I desire to call him from his eternal rest When Sarah died in Kirjath-Arba Abraham stood up from before his deceased Wife and spake unto the Sons of Heth saying I am a stranger and a Sojourner with you Give me a Possession and a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23. 3 4. Though he so tenderly affected her whilst she was living yet he would not look too long on her when she was dead It is a duty as full of humanity to interr with decency the Bodies of the dead as it is of Religion to love the Persons when they are alive Yet vain is man in this affection if he fixeth his love only on the beauty of the body This flesh which is so tender this skin which I strive to preserve both smooth and white must one day be a banquet for the loathed Worms No greater priviledge belongeth to me than did to my Husband for the time will come when I shall follow him to the Earth Had I loved only his outward form my love should now either be quite forgotten or else I should fondly desire to deny it interment But it was his body enlivened with a rich and excellent Soul which drew mine affection and commanded my desires Had that Soul and body continued their Society I had been freed from my laments but they have bid farewell till the general Resurrection and hence am I enforced to utter my complaints I weep for my loss because we are divorced But oh what conflicts then can I imagin that he had when he was not only to part from his indeared Wife but likewise his Soul was to leave this chillowed Earth Oh for him for him for my loss of him do I pay the tribute of these watering Eyes Yet these tears must not flow in too great abundance lest by them I should seem to envy his happiness Even when his body shall be
said not to be When we come to the Court of Heaven as the Queen of the South to Solomons Court and there behold how much God is beyond and above all that we have hitherto heard of him here at home in our own Country we shall be rapt up into admiration and there shall be indeed no more of this low and narrow Spirit in us for ever All these conceptions about and interpretations of the Text are pious and profitable but that which I rather take to be the proper meaning of these words Mine Eye shall behold and not another is this Job as was touched in giving the analysis of these two Verses speaks here of the Identity of his flesh in the Resurrection I shall see him I shall see him for my self mine Eyes shall behold him and not another That is I the Man who stand here before you the same who Job now speaketh I the very same numerical Person shall see God in this very flesh and with these eyes they shall be indeed new dressed and dyed trimmed and made fit to come into the presence of the great and glorious God yet it shall be even this flesh and these Eyes in which I shall come into the Presence of God and and behold my Redeemer I shall be altered from what I was but I shall not be another than I was I shall be changed into a better condition but I shall not be changed into another person My qualities shall have a perfective alteration but I shall retain the same matter and be the same man A man raised glorious and immotal is what he was except his Morality and hath no more than he had except his Glory The Philosopher acknowledgeth there may be a specificial but not a numerical Restauration of that which is corrupted But Job's Faith was clearer than Aristotle's reason He believed a Personal Resurrection Mine Eye shall behold and not another I shall not be changed into another Person whatever changes I undergo I shall be Job still the same Job Hence observe Every Man at the Resurrection shall receive the same Body that now he hath and be the same Mâ—n which now he is One of the Antients hath a large Discourse upon this subject wherein he discovers some who tho' they granted the Soul immortal yet denied the Resurrection of the same Body Such were the Marcionites Basilidians and Valentinians These saith he went halves with the Sadduces in their opinion The Sadduces denied Spirits Hence Act 23. 6. Paul perceiving that the Assembly was mixed of Sadduces and Pharisees and wisely considering that if he did but mind them of their differences between themselves they would not so strongly agree and combine against him he made his advantage of it by professing openly that he was a Pharisee And the sacred Historian tells us what the peculiar tenents of the Sadduces were v. 8. The Sadduces say there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit they denied both but the Pharisees confess both They held that there were immortal Spirits or Souls united to the bodies of Men that those bodies should arise and be reunited to the Soul They also confessed that there were Angels who are Spirits subsisting properly without Bodies Now as the Sadduces denied the Resurrection of the Body so others denied the Resurrection of the same Body These he calleth sharers or halvers in the Sadduces Opinion though not so grosly as they yet too too grosly departing from the Faith And indeed they who deny the Resurrection of the same body do by implication altogether deny the Resurrection of the body For if the same numerical Body should not rise it could not be called a Resurrection Resurrection is the rising of that which fell and the taking up of that which was before laid down So that it would be the Creation of a new Body not the Resurrection of the old if it were not the same Body And it conduceth much to the comfort of Saints and may be the terrour of wicked Men to keep close to the Faith of this Article The Apostle seems to touch it 2 Cor. 5. 10. We shall all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things he hath done in his Body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad That hand which hath been doing for Christ that very Tongue which hath been speaking for Christ that whole Body which hath been moved and acted for Jesus Christ as an instrument of his Glory that shall receive the Reward As also that Hand that Eye that Tongue that Foot which hath moved and stirred against Christ that also shall be punished and receive according to the evil committed in the Body Judgment would not be exact unless as there hath been a copartnership between Soul and Body in their works so also they should be co-Partners both in reward and punishment If it be objected how can the same numerical Body rise again especially in such cases when thousands of Carcasses are mingled and their Dust promiscuously heapead together or scattered abroad When the Bodies of Men are devoured by wild Beasts and digested into the substance of Fowls and Fishes especially when the Bodies of Men are eaten and concocted into the Bodies of other Men How can these numerical Bodies rise I answer first if we will not rest in matters of Faith till we have a clear rational account of them our Faith may quickly be at a stand I answer secondly that as it is easie to make Objections against Faith so Faith hath one answer as easie as these Objections The Apostle gives it and into that all such doubts must be resolved Phil. 3. 20. For having shewed the present condition or disposition of the Spirit of Saints in the former Verse Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ He presently shewes what the future condition of the Saints Bodies shall be Who shall change our â—ile Bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body How is this Who puts this vile Body into such a Glorioâ—i fashion Trouble not your selves for that there is power enough to do it it is done according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself This is an answer to the hardest Objections Christ can subdue all things therefore those which are hardest There is no difficulty to Omnipotency You ask how the same Body can be restored I ask how the first body was Created Tell me how God Created Heaven and Earth out of nothing So that as the Apostle speaks Heb 11. 3. Things which are seen were not made of things which do appear How were these things done If you argue by reason you will be pos'd and gravel'd in these as wall as in that other yea you will be at a Wall and notable to answer above that which is ordinary and every day done and shall continue to be done in all the
satisfaction we received in communing with him for we shall enjoy no more of it for ever Oh! surely this cannot but cut deep in a generous Soul this cannot but greatly wound a spirit whose thoughts are drained from the dross of Plebeian Conversation that has any esteem at all for the advantages of a rational Life Upon this account it was that the old Prophet in Bethel lamented over the man of God which came from Judah who was slain by a Lion as he rode upon an Ass in the High-way He bitterly bewailed and mourned for his Death crying out Alas my Brother As if he had said I have been extreamly refreshed by thy company in hearing the Word of the Lord from thy mouth concerning the destruction of the Priests that burn Incense upon the Altar and the pulling down the House of Jeroboam Oh! How have I been strengthned in my Courage confirmed in my Faith and the more resolved in the Ways of God by this thy Prophecy But now thou art gone I shall never have any more of this profitable and spiritual Discourse with thee This made him weep over his torn Carcass and bitterly lament his untimely Fall and to give a solemn Charge to his Sons that when he was dead they should bury him in the Sepulchre wherein this man of God was buryed and lay his Bones close by the Bones of this Prophet When Death parts us from a Friend we shall never see him more he vanishes as it were out of our sight and we are never more to behold him or cast our Eyes upon him He is both actively and passively in an invisible State So Job mournfully speaks of himself chap. 7. ver 7 8. Oh! remember that my life is wind my eyes shall no more â—â—e good The Eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more thy Eyes are upon me and I am not What more cutting Expression what more sadning Inculcation what more provoking Incitation to Monrning can there be than the Sense of this that we shall behold the Face of our beloved Friend after his departure from us no more Were Man to Return though after never so many Years absence from his home or continuance in the Grave Were he to visit his habitation again and become the objective delight of his poor Mourning Friends and Relations it might be some alleviation to their Grief when he takes his journey to his Long home But Oh! What a prick to the heart what a stab to the Soul what a deadning to the Spirits what an inundation of Sorrow like the opening of Pandora's Box is this lamentable Thought to an ingenuous Man that he must never never never more behold the Face of this or that Relation in this Region of Mortality nor have any converse with him on this side the Bank of Eternity What Husband can think so of his Wife and not melt what Wife can have such a thought of her Husband and not faint what Parent can consider this with respect to his Child and not mourn what Child can reflect upon the impossibility of ever seeing his Father or Mother more and not be overwhelmed with grief In a word What Friend or Relation can ponder on such an eternal Farewel as is then given and not be dissolved into Tears It is the opinion of Divines That the chiefest of Saints happiness consists in Vision or in the use of the visive faculty which will then be enlarged and made glorious to perfection for they shall see the Face of God in Righteousness and be satisfied with his likeness they shall be for ever with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Sure I am the Saints greatest comfort in this World consists in Vision or beholding God's Image in his People and that not only the work of his Power in their comly Features but the work of his Grace in the divine Characters of Wisdom engraven in their Souls and immediatly reflected upon in all their Actions Therefore it cannot but cause Mourning when such delightful Objects are removed out of sight and never more to be beheld And so much the more still if consider the great change and alteration Death makes in the place of the Deceased the great Vacuum there is when Man is removed and carried away to his Long home Concerning which Job excellently speaks chap. 7. v. 9 10 11. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the Grave shall come up no more He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more Therefore I will not resrain my Mouth I Will speak in the anguish of my Spirit I will complain in the bitterness of my Soul Oh! It is very sad to consider what a great change one stroke of Death may make A Wife Husbandless poor Children Fatherless Servants Masterless and many Friends Comfortless And so great is the alteration in the Family that the whole House resents it and seems silently to Mourn for it There is as it were a Face of sadness in every place he was wont to be conversant in Look in his Parlour where he used to sit with his Wife and Children about him and there is nothing but a profound silence his voice is not to be heard Look at his Table where he used to sit with chearfulness eating his Bread with joy among his Relations and the dull demeanor and sorrowful posture of all the assessors do plainly yet dolefully speak Behold he is not here Look in his Shop where he used to be about his occasions and the disorder and confusion there proclaims aloud his being gone and not to be heard of In a word Look in every place where he us'd to be and you will find one mourning circumstance or other a legible Historian of his departure and being no more among them So that if you seek him you will not find him if you ask for him you will hear no news Now surely methinks the very miss of a Man in his Family the want of him in his place the great change immediately following his Departure in his Relations and in all his affairs and Concerns should be cause enough to enforce a Mourning from his Survivors if there were no other consideration and cause 'em to prepare for their own Deaths For How many have we known that were of as healthful and vigorous a Constitution as we are that by a Surfeit or an acute Feaver have in a few days been snatch'd away How many that were travelling on the same Road with us a while ago are now at their long Home lying in the Grave and should not we by their early departure learn to die It would not be tedious to us in this sense to live in Golgotha or to dwell among the Tombs when we have in them seen the End of all Men Eccles 7.
Circumstances 1. What became of his Body being dead It was Honourably Buried because of his great Substance 2. What became of his Soul It went to Hell He being in torments lift up his Eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom Of these successively And first in the life of the Rich man we noted what this Rich Man was whether there was indeed any such man or no Wherefore here may a Question arise whether this be a Parable or History The Writers hereof do not agree Marlorat saith Quanquam quibusquam haec simplex Parabola esse videtur tamen quia his Lazari nomen exprimitur rem gestam narrari probabile Some are of that mind that this is a Parable yet because saith he Christ twice expresseth the name of Lazarus it argueth that he spake of a thing that was so done indeed Likewise saith Franciscus Lambertus Credendum magis esse historiam exemplum verum quà m Parabolam It must be believed that this is rather a History and a true Example than a Parable But Theophilactus is of a contrary opinion who saith Parabola haec est non vera historia This is a Parable and no History Erasmus also saith that it is but a Parable whereby Rich Men may learn to be merciful to their poor Brethren that they may speak for them in the day of Vengeance and Wrath. Many Writers there are also that rather aiming at the Arguments and Observations herein have not set down their Judgments whether it be a Parable or History Therefore it might seem Wisdom in me to suspend my judgment also herein especially since Marlorat saith Paruâ— reâ—ert ut tam sit Parabola an Historia modo summam doctrinam teneant lectores It greatly skilleth not whether it be a Parable or History so that we duly consider the Doctrine herein But because it is requisite that I also shew my Opinion I will return my Verdict according to my Evidence And therefore in naked truth I find and hold that it is a Parable And my Reasons are these two First because our Saviour in the beginning of this Chapter doth relate a Parable of the Rich Man that had a Steward c. therefore he continueth in this Chapter to open his mouth in Parables according to the Prophet I will open my mouth in Parables and shew dark sentences of old time Secondly because the Rich Man cryed out of Hell unto Abraham and Abraham answered the Rich man which needs must be understood Parabolically For the Damned in Hell cannot see nor hear the Saints that are in Heaven neither by reason of the distance of place and also because of many Sphears and Orbs that are betwixt Heaven and Hell neither shall they see nor know what is done there And again Abraham's throat is dry and cleaveth to the Roof of his Mouth Therefore he cannot speak so loud as to be heard out of Heaven into Hell Therefore it is but a Parable Secondly let us consider what his Apparel was Purple and fine white as some will have But we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although some take it for fine Flax yet let it here be understood of Silk There was a very great difference betwixt the Apparel of John the Baptist and this Man John's Rayment was Camels Hair with a Leathern Girdle about his Loins which did Argue Repentance and Mortification in him but this Rich Mans Apparel was Purple and fine Silk whose outward Apparel did argue the Pride at his Heart The outward Habit for the most part resembles the inward Habit and condition of the Mind Pride as saith one is grounded in the Heart of Man a Vice most loathsom to God hateful to Men and hurtful to the Soul But let us consider the third Circumstance in the Life of the Rich Man to wit what his Dyet was Deliciously every day And here we see what the Children of this World delight in namely in fulness of Meat who neglecting the serving of God have given themselves to serve Bacchus and Venus Hence one noteth A gluttonous Person eateth more for Pleasure than Necessity So did the Rich Man so did our first Parents it was not through need or necessity that they did eat of the forbidden Tree but through Wantonness Pleasure and Idleness Gluttony is a flattering Devil and a pleasant sin and a sweet Poyson which whoso useth hath not the use of himself which who so hath not hath no sin for he is all sin it self Besides it hath an especial effect for it doth as Gregory saith generate Lust To be short it was Gluttony that caused our Parents to transgress It was Gluttony that caused Lâ—t to commit Incest It was Gluttony that made Esau to sell his Birth-right It was Gluttony and Drunkenness that caused Nabal's Death It was Gluttony that lost Belshasars Kingdom Be not thou desirous of dainty meats saith Solomon For he that loveth Banqueting shall be Poor and he that delighteth in Wine shall not be Rich. But let us a while leave this Rich Man and consider the second that which is the Life of the Beggar There was also a certain Beggar named Lazarus c. And here observe these things 1. That the Saints of God are a poor contemptible People There was a certain Beggar If you understand the word Beggar to hold forth outward Poverty or scarcity in outward things such are Saints of the Lord for they are for the most part a poor despised contemptible People but if you Allegorize and Interpret it thus they are such as beg earnestly for Heavenly food this is also the spirit of the Children of God and it may be and is a truth in this sense though not so Naturally gathered from this Scripture 2. That he was laid at his Gate full of Sores These words hold forth the Distempers of Believers saying he was full of Sores which may signifie the many Troubles Temptations Persecutions and afflictions in Body and Spirit which they meet withal while they are in the World And also the Entertainments they find at the hands of those ungodly ones who Live upon the Earth Whereas it is said he was laid at his Gate full of Sores Mark he was laid at his Gate not in his House that was thought too good for him but he was laid at his Gate full of Sores From whence Observe that the Ungodly World do not desire to entertain and receive the poor Saints of God into their Houses If they must needs be somewhere near unto them yet they shall not come into their Houses Shut them out of Doors if they will needs be near us let them be at the Gate And he was laid at the Gate full of Sores 2. Observe that the World are not at all touched with the afflictions of God's Children for all they are full of Sores a despised afflicted tempted persecuted people the World doth not pity no but rather labour to aggravate their Trouble
should remain unknown unto my self for the old word is a true one Neither things read or understood profit him at all who does not both read and know himself I there applyed my self Ad meum novissimum to my last thing what man liveth and shall not see death And if after death The Righteous shall scarcely be saved we may well be fearful and had need be careful that we be not taken unprepared When I was a young Man saith Seneca my care was to live well I then practised the art of well living When age came upon me I then studied the Artem bene vivendi art of dying well how to Artem bene moriendi die well It is true The journey of Life appears not to busie men until the end Yet when I was most busie of all I delighted my self with this comfort that a time would come wherein I might live to my self hoping to have sweet leisure to enjoy my self at last And this I am now come to by disposing not by changing my self Lord let me be found in this posture when I come to die In the courses of my Life I have had interchanges The World it self stands upon vicissitudes God hath interwoven my life with adversity and prosperity When I first took me to a Gown I put on this thought I desire a Fortune like my Gown not long but fit fit for my condition finding by others that a contented kind of obscurity keeps a Man free from Envy Although any kind of Superiority be a mark of envy yet Not to be so high as to provoke an ill eye nor so low as to be trodden on was the height of my Ambition But I must confess I have since had a greater portion of the World's favour than I looked for Nevertheless I never gave trust to fortune although she seemed to be at peace with me To check repining at those above me I always looked at those below me nor did any preferments so delight me or abuse me as to make me neglect preparing for my dying day And now I thank God I can say O Lord my heart is ready This I have considered that Life flows away by Hours and days as it were by drops Careful Martha was full busie about many things but was well advised by Christ There was only one thing necessary One thing have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in his House for ever This was David's unum his one thing and God willing shall be mine Amidst these thoughts I had these things in contemplation 1. What Death was and the kinds of Death 2. Secondly What fears or joys death brings 3. Thirdly When Death is to be prepared for and How 4. Fourthly Death approaching what our last thoughts should be Of these things I thus believed That Death was but a fall which came by a Fall Our first-framed Father Adam falling in him we all fell It was not the Man but mankind Body and Soul parting BVt Oh how bitter at that time will be the parting of Soul and Body We see old acquaintance cannot part without tears What shall such intimate familiar friends do as the Soul and Body are which have lived together from the Womb with so much delight In that hour every man will make Balaam's suit O that I might die the death of the Righteous We all desire to shut up our last scene of Life with In manus tuas Domine Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit At this Hour What would a man give to secure his Soul Quid dabis pro animâ tuâ tunc qui nunc pro nihilo das illam What wilt thou give then for thy Soul to save it who dost so prodigally throw it away now for nothing This thou canst not leave behind thee that will tell thee whether thou goest and what thou shalt look for Tunc quasi loquentia tua Opera dicent Tu nos egisti Tua opera sumus Te non deseremus sed tecum ibimus ad Judicium Then shall thy doings even speaking aloud say unto thee Thou hast done us we are thy works we will not leave thee but will go with thee to judgment In that day shall come into mens minds by the Divine Power in the twinkling of an Eye all their past good or evil Works Memory the Magazine of the Soul will then recount all that thou hast done said or thought all thy life long For there needs no other Art of memory for sin but misery Man is a great flatterer of himself but Conscience is always just and will never chide thee wrongfully it always takes part with God against a man's self It is a domestick Magistrate that will tell what you do at home It is well termed the pulse of the Soul therefore if you would know the true state of your Body or Soul feel how this beats that will tell you Yet take heed you make not an Idol of your Conscience neither think as some do that it is a crime to make a Conscience of our Actions At point of death if a man will take his aim by the best men that ever lived or died that of David Ezekias yea and of Christ himself as he was man is able to amaze any man when as our Saviour Christ not many hours before he suffered said My soul is troubled and what shall I say and at the very point of Death said Father if it be thy will let this Cup pass from me When David said Save Lord for thy mercies sake For in Death there is no remembrance of thee And Ezekias wept sore when he was bid Put thy house in order for thou must die If the Patriarâ—â—s if the Prophets if the Apostles if the Martyrs if Christ himself was thus troubled at the hour of Death Wretched man that I am what shall I do We were all to seek but that Christ bids us Be of good chear for I have overcome Death Caesar Borgiâ—s being sick to death said When I lived I provided for every thing but death now I must die and am unprovided to die Previous preparation becomes a wise man But we are all deceived with this Error that we think none but old men approach to death neither experience nor age can work upon us so death that it may more easily surprise us shrowds it self under the very name of life He that sees the Basilisk before he be seen of it avoids the poyson See Death before it comes you shall not feel it when it comes We pray daily Lord Give us this day our daily Bread whilst it is called to day We should remember Life is but a day 't is but a day not an age Wherefore saith Solomon Talk not of to morrow for thou knowest not what to morrow will bring forth A man saith Luther lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool and by that time he sees his folly his Life is finished So men die before they begin
to live To die well is too busie a work to be done well on a sudden Deferring as well as presuming makes many men implicite Atheists It was a sweet Speech and might well have become an Elder Body which a young innocent Child of my own used in extremity of sickness Mother what shall I do I shall die before I know what death is I beseech you tell me what is Death and how I should die Now of the way to die well HE that would end his days well must spend them well 'T is no great matter to live all do as much but few die well But Death falls sad and heavy upon such Are little known at home abroad too much Man is ready to die before he lives but therefore he liveth a time in the world that he may die betime to the world His Years come to an end as a Tale that is told His days deceive him for they pass as a shadow by moon-shine then appearing longest when they draw nearest to an end Job saith My days are swifter than a Post they flee away and see no good The art of dying well is better learnt by Practice than by Precept Unto dying well three Things are most requisite First To be often meditating upon Death Secondly To be dying daily Thirdly To die by little and little The first step of dying well OFten meditation of Death brings a man to die in ease for it alleviates pains expels fear eases cares cures sins corrects death it self The very Thought of Eternity will make easie and pleasant all things we suffer in a miserable Life How can we be said not to die when we live among the dead We live with so many deaths about us as we cannot but often think of dying Every Humour in us engenders Diseases enough to kill us so that our Bodies are but living Graves and we die not because we are sick but because we live And when we recover from sickness we escape not sickness but the disease All this life is but a death of an hour Familiarity with Death a soveraign Cordial against Death THerefore be acquainted with Death betimes for through acquaintance death will lose his horror like unto an ill Face though it be as formidable as a monster yet often viewing will make it familiar and free it from distaste walk every day with Joseph a turn or two in thy Garden with death and thou shalt be well acquainted with the face of death but shalt never feel the sting of death Death is black but comely Philostrates lived seven years in his Tomb that he might be acquainted with it against his bones came to lye in it Some Philosophers have been so wrapt in this contemplation of Death and Immortality that they discourse so familiarly and pleasingly of it as if a fair death were to be preferred before a pleasant life This is well for Nature's part and Moralists think this enough for their part to conceive so But Christians must go farther and search deeper They must try where the power of death lyes They shall find that the power of every man's death lyes in his own sin That death never hurts a man but with his own weapons It always turns upon us some sin it finds in us The sting of Death is sin Pluck out the sting death cannot hurt us The way to die well is to die often Let a man often and seriously think of dying then let him sin if he can said Picus Mirandula In Sardis there grew an Herb called Appium Sardis that would make a Man lie laughing when he was deadly sick Such is the operation of sin Beware therefore of this Risus Sardonicus laughter of Sardis We count it a fearful thing for a man to be author of his own death but a sinful life slays the soul and so while we live we kill or lose our better life The Commandment that says Thou shalt not kill especially forbids the murthering of our own Souls And herein is our happiness though we live in sin yet we die without sin Therefore to me Death is welcome not as an end of troubles but of sin Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth The Second Step To be dying daily THE second step to dying-well is to die daily Methinks O my Soul it is but yesterday since we met and now we are upon parting neither shall we I hope be unwilling to take our leaves for what advantage can it be to us to hold out longer together Are we not assured that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Why therefore O my Soul shouldst thou be loth to part upon fair terms Thou O my Soul to the possession of that happy Mansion which thy dear Saviour hath from all Eternity prepared for thee in his Father's house and thou O my body to that quiet repository of the grave till ye both shall happily meet in the blessed Resurrection of the Just I die that I may not die I die daily saith Saint Paul So many days as thou livest reckon so many lives for he that disposeth all his days as one life can neither wish nor fear to morrow The old saying is a good saying Do that every day which thou wouldst do the same day that thou diest 'T is an excellent thing to make all we can of life before Death To die by little and little the third step THE third step to dying well is to die by little and little Naturally we are every day dying by degrees the faculties of our minds the strength of our bodies our common senses are every day decaying by little and little every sin is more than a disease and a wicked life makes a continual death Impiè vivere est diu mori To live wickedly is to be long a dying Therefore saith the good Man We are killed all the day long He that useth this course every day To die by little and little to him let Death come when it will it can neither be terrible nor sudden If we keep a Courser to run a Race we lead him daily over the place to acquaint him by degrees with all things in the way that when he comes upon his speed he do not start or turn aside for any thing he sees So let us inure our souls and then we shall run with boldness the race that is set before us looking to Jesus the Author and finisher of our salvation To die by little and little is first to mortifie our lesser sins and not to say with Lot Is it not a little one There be also a sort of little deaths sickness of body loss of Friends and the like Use these in their kind and you may make them kindly helps to dying well Every change is a certain imitation of Death Let a man go out as he came into the World
Body and the Arms of the Tree they are joyned to the Root where the Sap lies all the Winter and by means of this conjunction the Root it conveys life unto all the parts of the Tree And the Bodies of Believers they have the Winter to when as they are turned into the Dust but their Life it is hid with Christ at last they are revived and raised up into Glory Now here you may observe the great difference of Tempters according to the various Complexions of Mens Spirits the Atheist he dares not die for fear of being put out of his being and the prosane Person he dares not die for fear of exchanging his present bad being for a worse â—ut the Believer he earnestly desires to die that besides this present temporal being he might enjoy a future eternal well-being Indeed to a wicked Man the best had been not â—o have been and this next best were to live long â— was ill with him that ever he was born and worse A Carnal Mans continual cry is this Dum Spiro Spero I love to live for my present hope is my only help for indeed such an one hath only help in this Life but a Christians common Expression is this Dum Exspiro Spero Expiration is my Expectation for such an one hath hope in the Life to come when a wicked Man dies he thinks he shall live worse but a Christian when he dies he knows he shall live better he cries with the holy Apostle for one to live is Christ and to die is gain Job 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth and he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Thirdly Death was never intended to be as a privation of good but as a priviledge for good to the Believer and it is attended with these several Priviledges First Corporal and Temporal Death it serves to set out the Beauty and Excellency of eternal Life It is Gods usual method to set out one contrary by another Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescurt In War God commends Peace to us In Adversity Prosperity in Sickness Health and in Death he commends eternal Life to us As the Limner lays the Foundation of a curioâ— Picture in a Dark Ground-work so God doth ofte times lay the foundation of our sweetest Mercies iâ— the greatest miseries and this he doth that â—â— Mercies may appear more lovely in our eyes aâ— thus he sets off the joys of Heaven by the troublâ— we meet with on the Earth It is said of Zeno thâ— he was wont to eat bitter things that he might tâ—â— better taste sweet and he would say sweet thinâ— were nothing worth if they were not so commenâ—ed to us And so bitter Death it is but an Eâ—gine devised by infinite Wisdom and for â—â— set out the Unspeakable sweetness of Everlasting Joys God could as easily have received all his redeemed ones into the immediate imbraces of Divine Love and Glory without letting them know what it was to be tempted to be afflicted or to die but only for the better sweetning and endearing fulness of Glory to them Secondly Deaths mortal Wound it is but preparatory to an immortal weight of Glory Death it is the midnight of all troubles and sorrows which is in Travel with a morning of everlasting Joy and Comfort Death it is the Saturday or last day of our Weekly labours which ushers in a Sabbath of eternal rest Rev. 14. 13. And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their VVorks follow after them Here the Believer hath labour without rest but in Heaven he shall have rest without Labour Death tends indeed to a Believers perfect everlasting reign and rest The Believer Afflictions upon Earth they are fore-runners of Deliverances they are as throws to the Birth of future Comforts The Whale which swallowed up Jonah God appointed as the means of bringing himself to the Shore And so the trouble which we often times think may swallow us up it brings us to our harbour Death it lands us safely upon Glory One excellency sets out the state of a dying Christian in these Words Per Augusta ad Augusta per Spinas ad rosas per Procellas ad Portum per Mortem ad Vitam migramus Lastly Death it is as a Bridge that all Saints must walk over to the everlasting Hill of endless Peace to the perfection of Grace to the participation oâ— Glory to the full possession of Christ 1. Death it leads us to the perfection of Grace the believer would live that he might be more perfect but when he dies he is perfect indeed a dying life that is a dying to sin it frees us from a living Death well doing fits us for dying Holiness frames us for Happiness 2. Death it leads us to a participation of Glory the consummation of Grace is the incoation of Glory Grace that puts the Soul into a capacity of enjoying glimps of God as in a Glass darkly but glory brings the Soul ad visionem beaâ—ificam into an immediate converse with God face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a Glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as I am known 3. Death it leads us into a full possession of Christ Luke 23 43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise so saith Paul Then shall we be ever with the Lord comfort comfort ye one another with these words to be always with Christ will be very comfortable indeed Death that deprives us of commerce with men yet it delivers us up into an immediate communion with God and Christ and the blessed Angels Saints in Heaven shall be as the Angels nay saith John now are we the Soâ—s of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be we know that when he shall appear we shall â—e like him for we shall see him as he is Death speaks the sad disjunction of the Soul from the Body and the sure and sweet Conjunction of the Soul with Christ and therefore saith Paul and every Christian when he is in a right temper I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all And thus I have endeavoured to lay open before you those Soul supporting and Soul encouraging Arguments the consideration of which makes the believing Soul so willingly and so boldly to look Death in the Face to invade Death in its own Quarters which is indeed but as a Passage or Bridg whereby the Soul is carried over unto the Mountains of Mirrh and unto the Hill of Frankincense where it shall lie down with Christ on his Green Bed of Love which is perfumed all over with the fulness of increated Glory And thus having shewed you many Arguments the Consideration of
lay sinues upon you and will cause flesh to grow upon you and will cover you with skin Mr. Gualter saith that Nulla Consolatio â—nta est quanta mortuorum Resurrectio â—here is not any Consolation of a Christian â—o great in his life as the Resurrection â—f the dead And therefore it cannot be â—ut that it must needs be a most singular comfort to know that one day there shall be a Resurrection Now that there shall be a Resurrection of the flesh again at the last day is a matter most clear and manifest for the Argument of the Resurrection follows a Majori â—d minus from the greater unto the less Did God make Bodies again when they are turned into Dust which is a less matter Mans Estate in this life is unsetled All the miseries calamities troubles and vexations of this life as they have their Recessus so have they their Accessus also As they have a departure so have they a return But after the Resurrection there shall be no sorrow any more nor vexation or anguish God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes so all grief from the hearts and sorrow from the souls of such as are his even in the Kingdom of Salvation I hope there is no mist before your eye-sight but that in my Text as in a most clean glass you may behold all this which I do tell you For herein is presented unto your view a most perfect proof oâ— the Resurrection to come and how you may behold the persons that shall appear at the Resurrection most lively and excellently described unto you Thy dead Men shall live c. See here are many Members make the whole Body nay the whole Body of my Text is but as one Member I find a repetition and reiteration of the same things again As the whole Sea is but water and the east drop thereof is water so the whole bulk of my Text is but Resurrection and every small limb and lineament every part and member thereof that 's Resurrection also For first thy dead Men shall live with â—y dead both shall they arise What 's all this but a manifest proof of the Resurrection Secondly Awake and sing Who with the dead nay dead carkasses You that dwell in dust under-earth Citisens This â—s a Resurrection also Thirdly The earth shall cast up What why the dead which is a probability and necessity of the Resurrection what â—hen is here but a manifest evident and â—pparent truth of the Resurrection But â—et though every part of my Text seems to be a proof of the Resurrection Yet as it is said of Bees that they are not so like but there is some accident by which they may be known one from another so although all those members of my Text be alike yet they have some discrepancy by which they may be known one from another Shall any demand when the elect and chosen people of God have a dissolution of Soul and Body Whether their hope of rising any more dyeth with them I answer no The dead shall live I but they will reply They shall live that is true their spirit shall live but as for their Body that shall never rise at all But I tell you in the second place they shall have Corpora resurrecta with their Body shall they rise But they will further ask by whose authority shall they rise who shall be the Author of that Resurrection I telâ— them here is an Awakc the voice of the Lorâ— shall cause it with the sound of the Trumpet they shall be raised But yet one may further object graâ— they shall arise and with their Body anâ— awake better is it for them not to arise and awake than to rise and be raised to misery But I answer they have Arise and sing the Resurrection then shall be a joyful end But yet perhaps they will say shew some probability shew us some sign Why behold the herbs and flowers in the garden shew it The dew is as the dew of herbs If you shall ask me how they shall arise Why The Earth shall cast them out The first proposition then shews the entity of those that rise at the last day The dead shall live The second is an Exposition of the former With my Body shall they arise The third is a Confirmation Awake Shewing by whose means they shall rise The fourth is a Congratulation at their arising shewing the quality of those that shall arise They shall sing The fifth is brought in as an illustration or probability shewing the Resurrection It shall be â—s the springing up of herbs by the dew The sixth shews the necessity of the Resurrection as the conclusion of all The Earth shall cast out her dead Thy dead Men shall live These words shew the Entity and Restauration of life that shall be unto the dead at the general Resurrection at the last day The Dead shall live sayeth my Text Yea I say these Subjects these Dead these Carkasses this Dust inveterate Dust these under-earth Citisens as I said before they shall live they shall rise again Though these Bodies have lain a long time putrefying in the earth yet this shall not hinder Gods divine power but he will raise them up again For shall the Potter do what he will with his clay and shall not God do what he will But it may be objected First that these seem to imply a main opposition or rather impossibility that Death and life should be coupled together For what is Death but a privation of life a separation of the Soul from the Body and yet not only Dead but even twice Dead as I may say shall live shall rise again Another objection or doubt that may arise is this Walk but some paâ—es back look but to the fourteenth verse of this present Chap. and you shall find that thâ— Dead shall not live they shall not rise again Why how can this be what doth the holy Ghost say yea and nay can sweet and bitter water come from the same fountain Can sweet and sower fruit come from the same tree Shall they live and not live again and yet both true For the better clearing of this doubt and the reconciling of these places we must distinguish of Life and Resurrection for there is a Resurrection unto glory and there is a Resurrection unto condemnation We must also put a difference betwixt the Dead for by Dead we may understand either the wicked which are Dead â—n sins and trespasses or the Godly which are Christs Dead That saying in the fourteenth verse that the Dead shall not live neither shall rise â—s to be understood of the wicked who as he Just which are meant in my Text â—hall never rise that is to glory But when it is said in my Text Thy â—ad Men shall live by Dead we must â—nderstand the Godly which are proâ—erly said to be Christs Dead And thus by â—hrists Dead we may understand first all those which are dead
be perswaded that it is impossible that the Earth should hold down man God commanding it to cast up and therefore though the ship and the ship-master the Wagganer and the Waggan I mean the Soul the governour of the body and the body the receptable of the Soul may be severed and parted for a time by death yet they shall one day meet the one shall return to the other these whom the Almighty hath put assunder these can he joyn again at his pleasure For if he hath done the greater then need we not doubt but that he is able so do the less He which hath made the body of nothing doubtless is of power sufficient to raise it out of the dust at the last day To come then to some use Here then first of all is matrer of great consolation to the Children of God in that the Love will raise them up again to Glory at the last day The consideration whereof may comfort us exceedingly under the Cross For so many are the troubles and afflictions that the Children of God are subject unto in this life that if they did not call to mind and remember that there shall be a Resurrection that a time of refreshing shall come when they shall be freed of these miseries and these tears shall be wiped from their eyes they would never be able to hold out For if the Children of God had hope only in this Life they were of all men most miserable but here is there comfort that though they have their Hell in this life they shall have their Heaven hereafter all which is most lively set forth in this Text. When Rachel had born six sons to Jacob she said God hath endowed me now with an exccllent Dowry now will my husband dwell with me because I have born him six sons Beloved could we not be content to live yea to dye with this sentence which hath born and brought unto us these six places of consolation suerly it is a sentence much to be embraced for it offers exceedingly great comfort unto us Wherefore let us often meditate of it let us often have recourse unto it yea let it be as a Sanctuary or place of refuge for our troubled Souls to fly and resort unto when as we shall be pressed with any miserie or affliction whatsoever The EJACULATION Good Lord if it be true that at the last day the Earth shall Cast up all that ever it received into her cold imbraces and if it be likewise true that all the wicked shall then be doom'd down to Eternal Torment let us then be preparing our selves for that day that we may be able to receive it with joy when it comes and that we may hold up our heads with comfort to think that our Redemption draweth nigh Let not Death find us out of our way because such a surprize would be attended at last with a miserable Resurrection Let our conversation be in Heaven from whence we expect that our Saviour should come that he may change our vile Bodies into the likeness of his own most Glorious Body Good Lord let our hearts and souls be there now where we hope our Bodys and Souls shall be for ever hereafter and let our choicest Affection and chiefest Meditations be set early set and earnestly set upon that state which will be our Eternal State that so we may be everlastingly happy both in body and soul when our bodies shall arise to Judgment at the last day SERMON VII A Glorious Resurrection for them that sleep in Jesus ROM viii xi He that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you THese words Beloved are a most comfortable Conclusion shewing and declaring the certainty of the Resurrection of the Bodies of the Saints to an Immortal glorious happy life at the last day wherin we may more particularly note First The Action Quicken Secondly the Object or rather if ye will the Subject that shall be Quickned your mortal Bodis Thirthly the Author or Efficient Cause God deled by an effect the raising up of Christ Fourthly the means whereby God shall quicken them by his Spirit Lastly the Condition of the Persons whose mortal Bodies shall be quickened And they are such as have the Spirit of God dwelling in them as appear by the last words By his Spirit that dwelleth in you The Text thus opened and the sense thereof being made clear and manifest the main Point that offers it self to our considerations is this Doct. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Bodies of the Saints at the last day This for the general And this is a matter very comfortable to the people of God that there shall be a Resurrection Nulla consolatio tanta est quanta mortuorum Resurrectio saith Mr. Gualter There is no consolation of a Christian so great in this life as is the Resurrection of the Dead and therefore Tertullian calls it the Christian's hope and so it is indeed For if in this life only the Christian had hope he were of all Men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. Tolle spem Resurrectionis c. resoluta erat observantia nimis pietatis Take away the hope of the Resurrection saith Chrysostome and you take away all care of Piety and Godliness out of the World And indeed what makes the Husbandman to take such pains in tilling manuring and sowing of his ground but the Hope of a joyfull harvest wherein he shall reap the fruits of his labours What makes the Labourer to subject himself to so much pains and labour all the day long but that he hopes for a time of rest wherein he may be refreshed What makes the liberal and charitable Man disperse his wealth unto the Poor but that he looks for a day of payment wherein he shall be sure that what he hath laid out shall be payed him again Prov. 19. 17. But all this is the Resurrection unto the Sants of God For first it is as the Christians Harvest For though he have Sowen in tears all his life time by reason of the continual afflictions thereof yet he shall be sure to reap in joy at the Resurrection And this did animate and encourage them to undergo any torture of the Body rather than they would be subject to the rack of an evil Conscience And this may serve as a strong ground of Comfort unto us if God at any time should call us to suffer for his Name for as yet we have not resisted unto bloud This is an honour that God doth not vouchsafe to all his Saints say this may serve as a notable means to support us in our sufferings that though Tyrants may rage never so much and Persecuters may wrack their malice upon the Bodies of the Saints as they did in the Primitive Church for they cast the Bodies of the Christians to be devoured of wild bests nay they threw them into Rodanus thinking thereby to hinder
their Resurrection yet I say let them do their worst and yet they can by no means disapoint the Christian of his hope of a glorious Resurrection So that a Christian in the midst of his sufferrings may say of his tormentor as once Socrates speak of his Accuser occidere me potest ledere vero non potest Well may he kill me but he shall never ill me For though Persecuters kill the body yet they cannot berieve a Christian of that Happiness and Glory that God hath given unto the Souls in the day of the Resurrection This is to be thought on as a means to support our languishing Spirit Then it will be unto him a day of sweet rest wherein he shall be refreshed after all his painful labours and travails taken in the service of God which will be no less comfortable unto him than the gladsome morning to a sick man which hath tossed and turned up and down wearily all the night long And it shall be the Christians pay day also so our Saviour calls it Luk. 14. 14. because then he having his reward with him will come forth of every ones debt and reward their goodness with glory And such a day Beloved there shall be unto all the Elect and dear Children of God As they have had a day of Death so shall they have a day of Resurrection All the people of God that have died from the beginning of the World or shall die to the end of it hereafter are but as the seed sowen in the ground they must endure rottenness for a while But being fowen in dishonour they shall rise in honour being sown in corruption they shall rise in glory All the mysteries they endured in this Life they were but mortis praeludia the tokens and forerunners of Death but let them hope yea let them know assuredly that there will come a day of Refreshing as St. Peter calls it Act. 3. 19. when God shall say unto these dry Bones I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live and will lay sinews upon you and will cause flesh to grow upon you and will cover you with skin That there shall be a Resurrection even things in nature probably do shew it And therefore St. Paul sends the Atheist to learn this lesson from the seed that is sowen in the ground O Fool saith he that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die 1 Cor. 15. 36. And the Ancient Fathers send us to the Phoenix of Arabia out of whose Cinders when she is dead another bird springeth up to learn the self same thing And indeed the Phoenix is a notable Embleme of the Resurrection and we want not ressemblance thereof daily before our eyes considerer but the trees of the forrest the flowers of the garden and the Herbs of the field We see that the Tres in winter being despoiled of their Leaves the Garden of the Flowers and the Fields of the Grass do seem utterly to die and to perish But when the spring time comes they putting on their green Carpets and particoulered Garments like Joseph they all wax as fresh and flourishing as ever they were before So the Body which during the Winter of many Ages is deprived of her beauty and turned to rottenness doth at the Spring time of the Resurrection not only recover its former Beauty but obtaineth a far more excellent Glory Nay the mutual vicissitude and entercourse of things the setting and rising of one and the same Sun sleep and waking labour and rest night and day the day that dies into the night and yet revives again and is with his former brighteness revived to the whole World all these are probable Proofs of the Resurrection But besides these we have infallible testimonis and Arguments proving the certainty of it For first this was shadowed in holy Scripture by sundry Types and Figures So God shewed this in a vision to Ezechias when he saw a field full of dry Bones receiving at Gods Comandment Flesh and Nerves and Fire See Ezech. 37. to the 12. For this was not only a Prediction of the Deliverance of Israel out of Babel but also a typical confirmation of the Resurrection of our Bodies So Jonas being restored alive out of the Wales belly wherein he had lain three days and three nights was a type of the Resurrection Secondly that we should not doubt of the certainity of it God hath given us examples of many particular Persons raised already from Death to Life both in the Old and New Testament As of the Widows Son of Sarepta raised up by Elias 1 Kings 17. 22. Of the Shunamitish womans Son raised by Elisha 2 Kings 4 34 35. And of a certain man at the touching of Elishas bones lying in the Sepulchre 13. 21. These in the Old Testament And in the New Testament we find not only that our Saviour Christ did raise himself by his own power never to die any more but that he raised others also as the Rulers Daughter the Widow of Naim's Son and Lazarus of Bethania when he had lain four days putrifying in the Grave yea many also at his Death not that they might die any more as Lazarus and the rest But rather as some think that they might accompany him into Life eternal by whose power they had risen that they might be undoubted Testimonis of his quickning power and why then should any think it impossible for God to raise all the Bodies of the Saints to Life at the last day Thirdly we have divine Testimonies in in the Scripture proving the necessity of it Thy dead Men shall live saith the Prophet even with my Body shall they rise Awake and sing ye that dwell in Dust For thy deaw is as the deaw of hearbs and the earth shall cast out the Dead Isa 26. 9. See also concerning this matter Dan. 12. 2. Job 19. 25 26. So our Saviour also in the fifth of John 28. 29. speaks plainly to this purpose The hour shall come saith he in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice and they shall come forth that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life but they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of condemnation Fourthly the faith of the Resurrection is grounded on the power of God who is omnipotent with Whom is possible that which with Men is impossible Who calleth those things which are not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. With Whom nothing is impossible Luk. 1. 37. And the Argument drawn from Gods power it follows A majori ad minus from the greater unto the lesser For did God make our Bodies of the Dust and cannot he think you repair our Bodies again when they are turned into Dust which is a less matter Qui potuit id quod non erat producere ut aliquid esset id quod jam est cum ceciderit restituere non potuerit saith Cyril He that could bring out that which was not and make
it to be something shall we think that he cannot raise up again that which now is after that it hath fallen Far be it from us Beloved to think so but rather let us stedfastly believe that he that made us of nothing is as able to restore us from nothing For what though this may seem strange unto us as indeed it is a matter very wonderfull the Budding of Arons Rod Numb 17. 8. was very admirable but the raising of our Bodies is more wonderfull yet let us remember that it is God that doth this Consider the Author saith Augustine and take away the doubt Fifthly the Justice of God requireth that it should be so For it is a special part of Gods glory to shew forth his mercy on the godly and his Justice upon â—he wicked in rewarding them according to their works as the Apostle saith God will reward every man according to his works to them that by continuance in welldoing seek glory and honour and immortality Life eternal but unto them that disobey the truth that be contentiouss and obey unrighteousness shall be indignation and wrath Rom. 2. 6. But in this Life God rewardeth not men according to their doings and therefore Solomon speaking of the estate of all men in this world â—aith All things come alike unto all and here is the same condition to the Just and Unjust c Ecclesiast 9. 2. Nay which is more here the Wicked flourish and the Godly are afflicted The Ungodly have hearts ease and all things at will whereas the Godly are oppressed with all kind of miseries and are as sheep appointed for the slaughter It remaineth therefore that here must needs be a Resurrection after this Life that the righteous man obtain a reward of Gods free mercy and the wicked Man be justly condemned â—â— everlasting pain and misery Lastly it is apparent from the Resurrection of Christ For he arose not fâ— himself as a private man but in our rooâ— and steed and for us and if he the heaâ— be risen then the members also muâ—â— needs rise again For we are united kint unto him by the bond of his spirit and his Resurrectioâ— is a sure pledg of our Resurrection â— being risen as the first fruits of them thâ— sleep see 1 Cor. 15. 20. â—o come then â—â— some use and application The first Use of Confutation This may serve in the first place â—â— confute the Adversary and gainsayer â— this Truth and Doctrine The Atheist scoff at the Resurrectioâ— to come esteeming death to be the lâ—â— end of all things The Philosophers couâ—â—ed it a strange thing and hard to â—â— believed Let Paul preach of the Resuâ—rection to come and he shall be countâ—â— but a babler for his pains see Acts. 1â— 18. he shall be esteemed and reputed â—â— Festus no better than a madman see Acâ— 26. 24. The Saduses they denyed the Râ—surrection to come Hymenaeus and â—hilaetus not discerning the spiritual Reâ—â—rrection from the body said The Resurâ—ection was past already see 2 Tim. 2. 18. The Thiliasts abusing that place Rev. â—0 5. Dream of a Resurrection but for a â—â—ousand years During which time they â—magin that Christ shall raign with the â—aints here on earth in great pleasure and â—elights All which are justly confuted â—â—om this very place The second Use of Instruction Secondly this should teach us not to â—ourn immoderately for the dead as men â—ithout hope since when Christ comes again â—e will bring them with him see 1 Thess 4. â—4 This should teach us also to strengthen â—ur faith in this Article of Christianity â—ere being nothing that seems more imâ—robable to the eye of humane reason â—en that the body should be raised again â— life after it hath lain along time rotten â—nd putrified in the grave 3. And that we may be fully assured â—ereof we must do three things 1st We â—ust pray to God for his spirit as the pledg â—it 2dly We must labour for a true and lively faith in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life and in whom whosoever believeth he shall not dye John 11 26. 3dly We must be sure of the firsâ— Resurrection that the Body be dead iâ— respect of sin and the Soul be raised up tâ— a lively care of newness of life Shall we believe that they will raise our bodies anâ— shall we doubt whether he will give us fooâ— and rayment and bring us out of danger and distresses far be it from us Buâ— rather let us believe his promiss though there be never so greâ—t unlikelyhood oâ— the accomplishment in respect of outward means and apearance Thus diâ— Abraham the Father of the faithful Rom 4. 18. and so must we also if we would bâ— reputed the true children of Abraham The third Use of Consolation Thirdly this may serve to comfort uâ— against the natural fear of Death for â—â— there be a Resurrection of our bodies aâ—ter this life then Death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternaâ— life If a begger should be commanded tâ— put off his old rags that he might be cloathed with rich and costly garments would â—e be sorry because he should stand naked â— while till he were wholy to be stript â—f his rags No suerly Well thus doth â—od when he calls a man to death he â—ds him put his old rags off him and â—orruption and be cloathed with the rich â—obe of Christs righteousness and imâ—ortal glory 2. Cor. 5. 1. Your mortal Bodies Doct. 2. In that the Apostle sayth â—at the Lord shall quicken our morâ—al bodies that is the same that now â—â—e mortal by reason of sin I note in the â—ext place to our comfort That the same â—odies that now we carry about with us shall â—â— raised up and none other for them the â—â—me I say in substance and the same in â—umber Sim. For as the wheels of a Clock being â—ken in sunder and the joynts thereof â—ade clean when it is joyned and set â—ogether again is the same in number so â—â—all the Essence and substance of mans â—ody be all one which though disolved â—â—all again be joyned together of God â—nd shall rise again the infermities thereof â—eing done away The Lord keepeth all the bones of the Saint saith David there shall not one of them bâ— broken Psal 34. 20. And the holy man Job is bold to say my self shall see him and mine eyes shaâ— behold him aud none other for me Job 1â— 27. see also concerning this Matter iâ— 1 Cor. 15. 25. Reas 1. Because God hath consecrateâ— bodies of the faithful to be temples untâ— himself 1 Cor. 3. 17. 2 Because Christ whose members wâ— are and to whose body our bodies shalâ— be conformed recieved again that body which he carried about with him Johâ— 2. 19. 3 Because every one shall bear in hiâ— body that which he hath done be it gooâ— or evil 2 Cor. 5. 10. 4 The justice of God requireth it shoulâ— be
the Comfort to his soul that one day he should rise again in which he should enjoy the glorious presence of his Redeemer See Job 19. 26. Secondly it may Comfort the Saints of God against the persecutions of the body yea and death it self We read of the Saints of God in the days of Antiochus that they were racked and would not be delivered and why so because they looked for a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 35. No doubt but they counted the Redemption from the rack a thing much to be desired yet they knew that the Redemption from Hell and the Resurrection to eternal life was much more to be sought for without which condition they would not be delivered and no marvel for what though the rack might rend their flesh and disjoint their Lims yet they knew well enough and were fully assured that at the Resurrection all should be conjoined and perfected again The EJACULATION GOod Lord let us when we die sleep in Jesus that we may obtain a Glorious Resurrection when this World shall have an end for though we are as we have heard but enlivened Dust gilded peices of Clay sinking Bubbles and dying shadows yet these dying Bodies of outs shall at the last day when the Trumpet shall sound arise ye Dead enter into Eternal Glory or Everlasting Peace Oh let us consider how glorious a Creature man was when he first came cut of his Creators hand for thou didst make him but a little lower than the Angels thou didst crown him with Glory and Honour thou didst make him the very Summons and Epitomy of the whole World he was made the very Master-peice of all thy works the very Flower and Miracle of Nature he was even then a small draught of the divine Nature and a bright Beam of the increated light But how Glorious indeed will he be when he shall be raised at the Resurrection and shall shine as a resplendent Sun in the Firmament of Glory Good Lord therefore let us not be strangers to the relish of Heavenly things but let us live as those who hope to be Heirs of Eternal Joys when this World shall have an end Let us look up to God and let us look out to Eternity let us consider that our hastening Time will soon have an end and we shall never more be trusted with another space of Time to prepare us for Heavens Glory Oh let us not therefore set our affections upon any things which we can carry no further with us then the Grave but let us live in a daily serious beleif and in a joyfull expectation of that endlest Glory and that Glorious Resurrection which will be the Portion of all those who live in the Love and die in the Faith of our Lord Jesus for thou hast promised a Glorious Resurrection to them that sleep in Jesus AN ELEGY Upon the Reverend Mr. John Dunton Author of the House of Weeping LIKE a bright Lamp whose mounting Flame aspires To its Original those Heavenly Fires Till the fomenting Oyl consume it turns Twinckling to Ashes and no longer burns So his Divineâ— Soul though clos'd within An interwoven case of flesh and sin Mounts to its pure Original and strives By lighting others to amend their lives 'Till nature quite extinct with fixt desires Of Heavens Enjoyments his blest Soul expires Farewel dear Sir had powerful art a Charm To snatch your Life from Deaths surprising Arm We would not fail to re-imbarque your Spirit Gon to possess what Glorious Souls Inherit In highest bliss that sweet Christaline Iste Where God and Saints for ever ever Smile T is lovely to be Humble Faithful Kind This was the Emblem of the Authors mind Who 's soar'd aloft leaving Earths dusty Round Where sweetest Joys in one ill hap are drown'd To those Harmonious Orbs where now he sings Melodious Anthems to the King of Kings Where in the glit'ring Rank of Angels bright He took his place with radiant Sons of light His race was long and nimbly he did run To reach Heavens Glory by that Setting Sun Which guilds the Spheres which garnisheth and braves The lower World which scores us out our Graves And being gon to th'place his heart design'd He here hath left a Weeping House behind Which dolefully like a loud Passing-bell Rings out to th' World the Authors last Farewel O. O. An EPITAPH upon the Author of this Book Mr. John Dunton who was Interred in the Chancel at Aston-Clinton Novemb. 9th 1676. IN spight o' th' Grave bright Saint thou shalt survive Our grateful Age will keep thy name alive Heav'ns great Ambassador on Earth thou 'st lain The League being struck Heav'n call'd thee home again Yet Death hath left of thee Great Soul behind So much that we our loss shan't quickly find Nor can thy Name a dull Oblivion know Thy Works will an Eternity bestow O're Time and Fate thou l't an Ovation have And now dost Triumph over Death and Grave S. A. FINIS Death-Bed THOUGHTS The PROEMIUM BVT Oh my Soul What ails thee to be thus suddenly backward and fearful no Friend hath more freely discours'd of Death in speculation no Tongue hath more extolled it in absence And now that it is come to thy Bed-side and hath drawn thy Curtains and takes thee by the hand and offers thee service thou shrinkest inward and by the paleness of thy Face and wildness of thine Eye bewrayest an amazement at the presence of such a Guest That Face which was so familiar to thy Thoughts is now unwelcome to thine Eye I am ashamed of this weak irresalution Whitherto have tended all thy serious Meditations What hath Christianity done to thee if thy fears be still Heathenish Is this thy Imitation of so many worthy Saints of God whom thou hast seen entertain the violentest Death with Smiles and Songs Is this the fruit of thy long and frequent Instruction Didâ—â— thou think Death would have been content with words Didst thou hope it would suffer thee to talk while all others suffer Where is thy Fath Shall Hereticks and Pagans give Death a better welcome than thee Hath God with this Serjeant of his sent his Angels to fetch thee and art thou loath to go Rouse up thy self for shame O my Soul and if ever thou hast truly believed shoke off this Vnchristian diffidence and address thy self joyfully for thy glory All motions tend to rest Return then to thy rest O my Soul for God hath dealt bountifully with thee But Lord spare me a little before I go hence and be seen no more that my DEATH-BED THOUGHTS may be all imployed in the Contemplating of that Eternity into which I am now a launching Sect. 1. The Daily Remembrance of Death HAppy is he who always and in every place so lives as to spend his every last moment of Light as if day were never to return Epictetur most wisely teaching this Death saith he and Banishment and all that we look upon as Evils let them be daily set before
from his Childhood to his Infancy being afflicted with the Palsie so that he could not lift his Hand to his Mouth yet by hearing could remember all the Bible by Heart and while he lay all that time a dying continually had in his Mouth that one Sentence Thanks be to God To him all the Calamitous Days of his Sickness seemed nothing to Eternity The blessed Lydwick a Virgin of Schiedam lay sick eight and thirty Years contesting with â— strange variety of all sorts of Maladies In those eight and thirty Years she scarce eat so much Bread as would suffice as strong Man for three Days and hardly took the rest of three Nights Yet in this croud of Miseries her continual Prayer was O kind Jesu have mercy upon me Coleta another Virgin had sustained an incredible burthen of Pain and Misery for above fifty Years she hardly slept one Hour in eight Days Upon Festivals and Sundays her Pains augmented and sometimes she laboured under Distempers of Mind as well as Sickness of Body Yet in the midst of all she would still cry out I desire to be a Theatre and Stage for all sorts of Diseases to play their parts that so I may become a grateful Spectacle to God and Angels She might have said with St. Bernard My Labour is but the labour of one Hour in respect of Eternity yet if more I value it not through my extream love Therefore my sick Friend if thou numberest the Days and Years of thy Sickness call them a Moment If thy Patience and Constancy out-vye them hope for the Eternity of the blessed The Labour is small the Pain short the Recompence eternal Sect. 52. THat as well the Healthy as the Sick may put inpractice and bring forth what they have determined in their Minds we have added the following Prayers 1. Prayer To be said by the Healthy the Sick and them that lie a dying OH my sweetest Lord Jesu Christ in the Union of that Charity whereby thou didst offer thy self to the Father to die I offer thee my Heart that thy good Will and Pleasure may be satisfied upon me and by me Sweet Jesu I make choice of and desire thy good Pleasure though Adversity Sickness and Death press hard upon me and commit myself entirely to thy most faithful Providence and thy most holy Will For I hope and beseech thee that thou wilt direct me and what-ever belongs to me to thy Glory and the Salvation of my Soul 2. Prayer For the preservation of Conformity with the Divine Will LOrd Jesu Christ who for thy Glory and our Salvation dost intermix Joy and Sadness and permittest for our profits Prosperity and Adversity I return thanks to thy Goodness that thou wert mindful of me and hast visited thy unprofitable Servant with this small Affliction I implore thy Favour that I may reap the Fruit and Advantage of this Visitation of thine and that I may not be hindred by my Impatience or Ingratitude What thou art able to do I humbly beg of thee to remove this present bitter and troublesom Cup from me as thou didst listen to the Tears of King Hezechia and didst miraculously raise him from his Bed of Sickness Yet not my will but thine which is just and holy be done In thy Hands is all the Authority of Judging and Determining concerning thy Children Neither is there any one that better knows than thee what Physick is most convenient for the cure of our Diseases O my most loving Father Reprehend Chastise and Afflict me here that thou mayst spare me hereafter I know thy Rod doth profit many when thou dost Chastise thy beloved Children and that then dost purge and try thy Elect before thou dost Crown them My Heart is prepared O God my Heart is prepared when and how thou pleasest to submit to thy Paternal Rod and that my Patience should be tried by Affliction In thee have I put my trust O Lord let me never be confounded I submit and commit my self entirely to thy most holy Will Though thou slayest me yet will I not cease to hope in thee thou Fountain of Life My desire is in thy hands 3. Prayer For Patience MOst Omnipotent God thou knowest how vile and frail this work of thy Hands is how it is shaken by the least blast of Wind and vanishes again into dust so that there is nothing wherein I can trust to my own strength who in the Contest of the Flesh against the Spirit feel so many Commotions of Anger Impatience Pusillanimity Diffidence and Mistrust upon the slightest Assault of Sickness Therefore I implore thy Help most Heavenly Physician thy Divine Physick which is Patience For Patience is the chief of Consolation in the most bitter of Sicknesses Grant me I beseech thee O Lord with a present and contented Mind I may be able to endure Joy and Sorrow sweet and sowre as proceeding only from thy Paternal Providence because thou directest all things for the tryal and profit of thy Children Let thy Spirit I beseech thee teach me through whose Comfort and Assistance there is nothing too hard for us to perform that I may know how to possess my Soul in Patience till Death Thou art a God who considerest the stings of Affliction under which we labour Yet I though I have not yet resisted to the shedding of my Blood yet against my will I have had the Experience of the weakness of the Flesh and force of contending Nature Therefore Lord help my imperfection so much the more that both my strength may be perfected in Infirmity and that I may be able sincerely to testifie that thy Rod and thy Staff they have Comforted me 4. Prayer Containing a Resignation of a Mans Self to the Will of God OLove ineffable O most sweet Jesu my God and Christ shouldst promise me the best of worldly favours or what I my self would desire I would beg of thee the utmost of what I now suffer This I beg a thousand times over that thy will may be fulfilled and satisfied upon me and by me in all things 5. Prayer After Receiving of the Sacrament GLory be to thee O Christ who out of thy goodness hast been pleased to visit and refresh my sick Soul Now let thy Servant O Lord depart in peace according to thy Word Now I hold thee O Divine Love nor will I any more let thee go Now to the World and all worldly things I bid adieu Now rejoicing I come to thee O God Nothing O sweet Jesu nothing shall separate me from thee For I am united with thee O Christ In thee will I live in thee will I die and in thee if it be thy pleasure will I remain to all Eternity No more do I live now but Christ liveth in me My Soul is weary of this Life I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ and to die a Gainer Now will I fear no evil walking in the shadow of Life because thou O Lord art with me As
desirest thou Wouldst thou live And wouldst thou not die So live then that thou mayst once live happy For to live and not to live happily is a kind of death or the way to death In Heaven thou shalt live never to die Therefore thou shalt live happily for thou neither shalt nor canst suffer pain because there is none there There thou shalt enjoy thy Wishes nor canst thou be put out of possession Eat O ye Friends drink and be merry O ye beloved This Banquet has no end St. Austin cries out O sempiternal Life and tempiternally blessed where joy without sorrow rest without labour dignity without fear health without sickness life without death happiness without calamity where all good things perfect in charity The Gates of Jerusalem shall be built of Saphyrs and Smarayds aud of precious Stones the whole Circuit of her Walls The Streets of the City shall be pure Gold transparent as Glass and through her Villages shall Allelujahs be sung Therefore blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be alwaies praising thee I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Sect. 30. Sighs to Heaven SHew me thy Glory Shew me all thy Good Isa 61. 3. When wilt thou give unto them that mourn beauty in stead of ashes joyful Ointment for sighing pleasant rayment for a heavy mind Job 6. 8 9. 10. O that I might have my desire and that God would grant me the thing that I long for O that God would begin to smite me That he would let his band go and take me clean away Then should I have some comfort yea I would defie him in my pâ—iâ— that he would not spare for I will not deny the words of the Holy One. Job 7. 2. For as a bond-servant desireth the shadow and as the hireling would sain have the reward of his work Psalm 15. 1. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy place Psalm 27. 45. One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will perform even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple Psalm 42. 1 2. Like as the Hart desireth the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God My Soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God When shall I come to appear before the presence of God Now when I think thereupon I pour out my heart by my self I went by with the multitude and brought them forth to the house of God Psalm 55. â— O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest Psalm 60. 9. Who will lead me into the strong City Ps 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and receivest unto thee he shall dwell in thy Court. Ps 73. 1. Truly God is loving unto Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Vers 24. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee Vers 25. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psalm 84. 1. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts Vers 2. My Soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord V. 10. For one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand years Psalm 116. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living Psalm 120. 5. My Soul hath long dwelt among them that be Enemies to peace Psalm 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 138. 1. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and weptâ— when we remembred thee O Sion Ver. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand finger forget her cunning Ps 142. 9. Bring my Soul out of prison that I may give thanks unto thy Name Which thing if thou wilt grant me then shall the righteous resort unto my company I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ Sect. 31. An Abstract of the Comforts against Death FIrst Death kills our familiar Enemy the Body There is no mischief more pestilential than a Bosom-Enemy The Flesh lusteth contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit contrary to the Flesh Gal. â— 1â— These are contrary one to another 2ly Death breaks the Door of the Prison wherein we are lockt up But as old Prisoners many times long acquaintance with the place detains us not unwilling in the midst of our Fetters and Suffferings But the best of Kings desired to be delivered out of Custody 3ly Death eases us of a vast Burthen for why a corruptible Body is heavy to the Soul and the Earthy Mansion keepeth down that Understanding that museth upon many things No man can swim with this Burthen 4ly Death puts an end to our Pilgrimage What is Mortal Life saith St. Gregory but a way Consider my Friends what it is to be aweary upon the way Our present Life is full of pain a perpetual sirugling and yet we cannot forsake it without Tears 5ly Death brings us out of all Danger The most Fortunate Man that lives is subject to many Dangers and Danger is hardly avoided without danger He has only escaped all Dangers who is out of this Life 6ly The necessity of Death Nobly said the wise Roman There is no greater comfort in Death than Death it self He would not live that would not die Death carries with it an impartial and unvanquishable Necessity For the first part of Impartiality is Equality 7ly The Death of Christ To the Contemplation of this St. Paul exhorts us Let us saith he run with patience unto the Heb. 12. Battel that is set before us Looking unto 1. 2. Jesus the Captain and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him erdured the Cross To the Members of this Head this is the greatest Consolation For that the Members should not fear Death the Head endured the utmost violence of Death The Author of Life by dying set open the Gates of Heaven Why do we fear to die 8ly The Hope of Resurrection Wherefore do we expostulate with Death He does not deprive us but introduces us into Life The Day will shine that will recal us from our Graves We shall all rise Which sundry Arguments demonstrate unto us as has been already shewed 9ly Immortality it self Death is the end and passage the end of Calamity the passage to Calamity Hence the death of the Just is called their Birth-day Hence also that other Saying Death is but a Sport to a true Christian And that no man might fear this Sport Prudentius in his Hymns has these Lines That which you see believe me is no pain And but a minute dâ—th prolong its raign Nor doth it silly
Lord Jesu Christ remember not our old Sins but have mercy upon us and that soon for we are come to great misery Psal 79. 8. Sweet Lord Jesu Christ for thy glories sake and for the Effectual Vertues sake of thy Sufferings cause me to be written down among the number of thy Elect. Enter not into judgment with thy Servant O Lord for there is no Man righteous in thy sight I worship thee O Christ I bless thee because thou hast redeemed the World by thy Sufferings Saviour of the World save me who by thy Cross and Blood hast redeemed me O most merciful Jesu I beseech thee that with thy precious Blood which thou didst shed for Sinners that thou wouldst wash away all my iniquities O Blood of Christ purifie me let the Body of Christ save me let the Water from Christs side wash me let the Passion of Christ comfort me O kind Jesu hear me hide me between thy Wounds Permit me not O merciful Jesu to be separated from thee in this my Hour of death call me command me to come to thee that I together with thy Saints may praise thee to all Eternity Cast me not from thy Countenance nor take thy Holy Spirit from me Sect. 40. At the Moment of Death NOW Lord according to thy good pleasure deal mercifully by me and command my Spirit to be received in peace Sound into the Ears of my Mind those sweet words this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Now let thy Servant depart in peace because mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation O Jesu Jesu Jesu permit me to enter into the number of thy Elect. O Jesu Son of David have mercy upon me O Lord Jesu make haste to help me O Lord Jesu receive my Soul Sect. 41. The true Confidence of a Dying Person in God HEre I confidently aver with St. Bernard Let another pretend to Merit let him boast of enduring the heat and burthen of the day my desire is to adhere to God and to put my hope in the Lord. And though I am conscious to my self that such was the naughtiness of my pass'd Lise that I deserve to be forsaken of God yet will I not cease to relye upon his Immense Goodness and to hope that as hitherto his most Holy Grace has afforded me strength to endure all things so the same will still uphold me and enable me to finish my course Therefore this one thing I beg of thee O God that thou wilt never suffer me to distrust of thy Goodness though I know my self to be weak and miserable Yea though I should perceive my self in that Terror and Consternation ready to fail like St. Peter upon one blast of Wind let me remember him let me call upon Christ Lord make me whole Then O then shalt thou stretch for h thy Hand and save me stom sinking But if thou sufferest me to go farther yet with Peter to run headlong into denial then such is my hope that thou wilt look upon me with an Eye of Mercy and Compassion as thou lookest upon Peter and grant me a new Confirmation of Eternity This I am certain of that unless the fault be mine the Lord will not forsake me I acknowledge that saying of St. Austin God may save some without good works because he is Good but he condemns none but for their evil works because he is Just And therefore I commit my self to him with a full hope and confidence in him If he suffer me to perish for my Sins yet his Justice shall be magnified in me Yet I hope and most certainly hope that his most merciful Goodness will most faithfully preserve my Soul so that his Mercy rather than his Justice shall be praised in me Nothing can happen to me against the will of God Whatever he pleases to whom ever it seem ill is still the best to me VVhatever pleases thee that will I that will I O God Sect. 42. The Last Words of Dying Persons AVgustus the Emperor dy'd with these words in his Mouth Live mindful of our Nuptial Knot and so farewel How much more holilv would these Christians do that direct their last words to the Beginning and Creator of all things Dyonisius the Areopagite being condemned to lose his Head with a Christian Generosity contemning the Reproaches of the Spectators Let the last words of my Lord upon the Cross said he be mine in this World Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Basil the Great lying at the last period of Life after he had piously instructed his own Friends breathed out his Soul with these last words Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit St. Bernard upon his Death-bed Oh Christian said he despair not of this Infirmity Christ has taught thee what thou oughtest to say in all the dangers of death whom to fly to whom to invoke in whom to hope Therefore do thou so behave thy self that at the hour of death thou maist be able to say In thee Lord have I trusted let me not be confounded to Eternity Therefore let the last words of a dying Person be directed to God All his Prayers Wishes Desires and last Hopes must ever tend to him Let the dying Person say from the bottom of his Heart To thee Lord I turn my face to thee I direct my Eyes Sect. 46. Let the dying Person imitate the Penitent Thief in Golgotha Lord remenber me when thou comest into thy Kingdom Happy Thief who in the School of Christ had learnt more in three Hours than the Unhappy Iscariot in three years Lord God! How great is the Abyss of thy Judgments Thy Friends and Kindred are silent thy Disciples forsake thee the Angels appear noâ— Where are those thousands fed by this Crucified Lord Who of all that multitude speaks one word for so great a Benefactor Yet the Thief against his Companion pleads the Cause of Christ and justifies his Innocency take off all Scandals from him and convicts the Multitude of Murther Nor was the Son of God asham'd of such an Advocate but rather applauded him Nor was the happy Rhetorician wanting in his Cause But we truly said he are righteously punished for we receive according to our deeds but this Man hath done nothing amiss Oh how truely may I say the same of my self I justly now dye I receive according to my Deeds but my God and my Lord did nothing that he should dye and dye in so much Torment And therefore may I truely use this Prayer Lord remember me because thou art come into thy Kingdom And because thou art now in thy Kingdom look upon me weeping in this Exile and admit me going hence into thy Kingdom This I beg of thee for the sake of thy Scourgings thy Thorns thy Cross and through thy Torments and thy Death Therefore what remains but for me to throw my Soul into his Bosom who alone considers its Pains and Sufferings He knows what conduces to the Salvation of Souls I wait for thy Salvation
or as others will have it 64. The manner of his Death is uncertain though Dorotheus reports he was Martyr'd at Sebestople near the Temple of the Sun past doubt for reproving their Idolatrous Worship in Adoring the Creature instead of the Creator and was buried there Another account we have that he was seized by the Jews as a Blasphemer and after being stoned was beheaded When as the Greek Offices seconded by several Breviaries relate that he was hanged upon a Cross And farther 't is said that his Body was for a long time kept at Jerusalem and conveyed thence to Rome by Aelen Mother to Constantine the Great where some Bones said to be his are shewed with great Veneration to this day The Death of St. MARK WHilst St. Mark was intent at Divine Worship the barbarous Multitude broke in upon him and fastning Cords about his Feet dragged him through the Streets in a most inhumane manner so that his Flesh was torn off by the Cragginess of the way not being satisfied with this they cast him into a Prison near the Sea where he was comforted in his Agony by a Divine Apparition The next Morning they drew him forth till by the extream effusion of Blood his Spirits failed and he gave up the Ghost after which as Metaprastus adds they kindled a large Fire and burnt his Body the remains of which being preserved by such as he had Converted to the Christian Faith were deposited in the place where he was wont to Preach and such part of him as remained was afterward carried to Venice and there kept in a Church built to the Honour of that Evangelist being one of the stateliest Piles now extant in Europe The Death of St. LUKE SOme there are that say he died a Natural Death but Nasianzen and Polinus Bishop of Nola with some others affirm that he received the Crown of Martyrdom Nicephorus gives us this following account viz That Saint Luke coming into Greece successfully Preached the Gospel Baptizing many Converts into the Christian Faith and working many Miracles till at last a party of Infidels encouraged by their Priests whose Idolatrous Worship the Evangelist sharply reproved fell at unawares upon him and sorcibly dragged him to the place of Execution where not having a Cross in readiness they hanged him upon an Olive-Tree in the 80th Year of his Age. But certain it is that he was put to Death some affirm that his Body was at the Command of Constanâ—ine the Great or his Son Constantius brought to Constantinople and there solemnly Interred in the great Church Founded there to the Honour of the Apostles THE DEATHS OF THE Primitive Fathers The Death of IGNATIUS IGnatius was born Twelve Years before the Crucifixion of our Saviour having with his Eyes beheld him in the Flesh he being as many think one of those little Ones that our Saviour commanded his Disciples to suffer to come unto him Nay some affirm that it was he whom our Blessed Lord set in the midst of his Disciples when they contended about Superiority However he was indued with a more than ordinary Portion of the Divine Spirit and succeeded St. Peter in the Pastorship of the Church of Antioch where he laboured diligently in the Ministry of the Gospel Converting and Confirming many to the Christian Faith being a great opposer of the Heresies or Erroneous Opinions that had sprung up in the Church When the day of his Martyrdom came he chearfully said I am Gods Corn when the wild Beasts have ground me to powder with their Teeth I shall be his white Bread He suffered Martyrdom the 11th year of Trajan being as many of the Ancients affirm Torn to pieces by wild Beasts in the Theatre to make the Tyrant sport And thus ended the Life of this good Man who upon many occasions was wont to say My Love is Crucified meaning either Christ the Object of his Love or that his darling Sins and Affections to the World were Crucified and in another place he declares that he beheld the Lord after his Resurrection before he Ascended He used to say That there is nothing better than the peace of a good Conscience Of Patience Other Graces are but parts of a Christians Armour as the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit c. But Patience is the Panoply or whole Armour of the Man of God The Death of POLYCARP HIS Enemies thirsted after his Blood and there upon desired the Proconsul that he might be thrown to the Beasts but he alledging the time for the Game of Beasts was past they prayed that he might be exposed to the Flames to which last he consented and thereupon the multitude led him away crying This is the Doctor of Asia the Father of the Christians the Overthrower of our Gods who hath taught many that our Gods are not to be Adored Every one of them fetching Wood from their Shops and Houses When the Pile was reared the Holy Man put off his Apparel being assisted therein by the Faithful Christians that came to take their last Farewel of him striving to touch his Body as accounting it no small Honour VVhen he was naked the Infidels offered to nail him to the Stake but he desired them to forbear saying Suffer me even as I am for he that has given me strength to come to this Fire will give me patience likewise to persevere therein without your fastening me with Nails He died Anno Christi 170. In the midst of the Fire he said this Prayer O God the Father of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ through whom we have received the Knowledge of thee O God the Creator of all things upon thee I call thee I confess to be the true God Thee I glorifie O Lord receive me and make me a Companion of the Resurrection of thy Saints through the Merits of our great High-Priest thy beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and God the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for ever Amen The Death of DIONYSIUS AREOPAGITA HE was Condemned to be Beheaded the which to put him to greater Torment was done with a blunted Sword on the top of the Mount without the City where kneeling he said with an Audible Voice O Lord God almighty thou only begotten Son and Holy Spirit O Sacred Trinity which art without beginning and in whom there is no division receive the Soul of thy Servant in peace who is put to death for thy Cause and Gospel After which he submitted his Head to the stroaks of the Executioner Suffering Anno Christi 96 and of his Age 110. The Death of JUSTIN Martyr AFter his having painfully preached the Gospel in many Countreys he came to Rome where he had many Contests with the Philosophers and Sages and was at last by the procurement of one Crescens Condemned and accordingly Beheaded Anno Christi 139. and as Epipharius has it under the Reign of Adrian some time before he Prognosticated his death So sell this Faithful
help I may bear and suffer this Ignominious Death whereunto I am Condemned for the preaching thy most Holy Gospel As they were binding him to the Stake with a Chain he said with a merry Countenance That he would embrace that Chain for Christ's sake who for his sake had been bound with a far worse When the Fire was kindled he began to sing with a loud Voice Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God have mercy upon me The which after he had repeated three times the flame stopped his Breath his Heart being afterwards found they roasted it upon a Stake and gathering up his Ashes they cast them into the Rhine He suffered Martyrdom Anno Christi 1415. The Death of Hierom of Prague HIS Enemies passed Sentence upon him after which they put a Paper about him painted with red Devils to make him odious to the People as likewise a Paper Mitre on his Head which he took very patiently saying Our Lord Jesus Christ when he suffered Death for me did wear a Crown of Thorns upon his Head and for his sake I will wear this Cap. As he went to the place of Execution he sung Psalms and coming to the place whâ—re John Huss was Burned he upon his Knees put up his Prayers to Heaven after a while they bound him to the Imáge of John Huss Carved in Wood which they had set up instead of a Stake and there with admirable patience he sustained the sury of the Flames when at the giving up the Ghost he with an Audible Voice said This Soul of mine in flames of Fire set free O! Christ my Saviour now I offer thee The Death of Martin Luther FAlling Sick he soon grew exceeding weak yet putting his trust in God he supported himself to Comfort his Friends beyond measure Insomuch that the day before his Death he dined and supped with Melancthene and the rest of his Accomplices But after Supper his Pain increasing he retired to pray and then went to Bed and slept till Midnight but being awakened by the Pain and perceiving his Life near at an end he called his Friends about him and said I pray God to preserve the Doctrine of the Gospel amongst us for the Pope and the Council of Trent have grievous things in hand After which he prayed and earnestly desired of God that he would defend his Church against the Pope and all his Adherents When he was about to die Justus Jonas and Caelius bid him be constant and persevere in the Faith he had taught and held to the last To which he answered Yea and soon after gave up the Ghost dying Anno Christi 1546. He was a Man of great Temperance and Abstenence oftentimes had the Papists hired Ruffians to kill him but they had never the power to do it the Devil one time appeared to him as he was walking in his Garden in the shape of a huge Boar but he so flouâ—ed him that he soon vauished He was wont to say God would give Peace to Germany during his Life but woe to them that should live after him The Death of Zuinglius ZVinglius being the soutâ—h time run in with a Spear he fell down upon his Knees and said Well they can kill the Body but cannot kill the Soul When the Soldiers came to strip the slain Zuinglius was fonnd alive lying upon his Back with his Eyes up to Heaven whereupon they asked him if he would have a Priest to Confess him to which he answered No they then bid him call upon the Virgin Mary which he refusing they thrust him in with a Sword and so expired without setching a Groan as soon as they knew it to be him they cut his Body in four pieces and burnt it the next day his Heart was sound unperished by the Fire tho' the rest of his Body was consumed Before this Battel a Comet appeared which he said Prognosticated his Death and declared it openly in his Sermons Fourteen days before he fell in Battel He was slain in the year 1531. The Death of Oecolampadius AN Ulcer broke cut in his Os Sacrum that he was forced to keep his Bed and though all means was used for his Cure he told 'em his Disease was Mortal and said I shall be presently with the Lord. Then putting his hand to his heart said Here is abundance of Light Next Morning he repeated the 51 Psalm and presently after said O Christ save me and so fell asleep in the Lord Anno 1531. aged 51. The Death of John Frith HE was condemned to be burnt as an Heretick When â—e came into Smithfield he with an undaunted Courage went to the Stake no sooner fastened but the fire was kindled He continued till the last with such Constancy and Patience thâ—t many were converted and began to pray to God to receive his Soul but Dr. Cook forbidding them saying They ought to pray for him no more than they would for a Dog which uncharitable Expression made many blame him He suffered Martyrdom Aano Christi 1531. He wrote many Treatises some were burnt during the Reigns of King Henry the Eight and Queen Mary and some were saved by Providence for on Midsummer-Eve Anno 1626. A Cod-Fish being brought into Cambridge Market when it was cut up these Writings of John Frith were found in its Belly wrapt in Canvas which were afterwards Printed to the rejoicing of all good Christians viz. A Preparation for Death A Preparation to the Cross The Treasure of Knowledge A Mirror to know your self A Brief Instruction to teach one willingly to die and not to fear Death Which Treatises preserved Providence have no doubt prâ— The Death of Thomas Bilney HE Preached the Gospel till the Bishop of Norwich imprisoned him who would have persuaded him from his stedfastness but upon refusal he received Sentence of Condemnation The day before his Execution eating heartily he said I imitate those who have a ruinous House to dwell in yet bestow cost as long as they may to hold it up Then discoursing about Fire he â—ut his Finger in the Candle and said I find by Experience that Fire is hot yet I believe though the Stubble of my Body be wasted my Soul will be purged At his Execution the fire being kindled he lift up his Hands crying Lord I believe â—o yielded up his Spirit unto God Anno 1531. The Death of William Tyndal THE English Merchants at Antwerp hearing of his Imprisonment became suitors for his Deliverance but Philips with his Money prevailed beyond their Entreaties Being at last brought to his Answer although his Enemies could lay nothing to his Charge yet the Attorney proceeded to condemn him and delivered him to the Magistrates to execute him When brought to the Stake he cried with an audible voice Lord open the Eyes of the King of England then being strangled fire was sâ—t to the Wood and he consumed to Ashes Anno Christi 1536. Within a short time after the Judgment of God overtook Phillips who betrayed
were permitted to come to him with whom he prayed very servently and gave them all his Benediction The next Morning the Sherist received him and by the way he was greatly solicited by the Sheriff of Essex to Recant To which he only answered Well I perceive that I now have been deceived my self and shall deceive many in Hadly of their Expectations At which the Sheriff told him It was a gracious Saying and desired him to explain it hoping he intended to Recant Why said Doctor Taylor I did propose to my self once that I should have been buried in Hadly Church-yard in which I now see I shall be deceived and as for my deceiving of others of their Expectations is that I being a man of a Corpulent Body might have fed many Worms who now must be content without me Bing come within two Miles of Hadly a great number of people came to meet him greatly lamenting the state into which he was fallen but he comforted them saying Be patient as for me I thank God I am almost at home and have not past two Miles more to go over before I come to my Father's House When the Fire was kindled he extended his Arms toward Heaven and with a Voice ravished with Joy continued saying Most merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake receive my Soul into thy Hands till one with a Halbert beat out his Brains Thus died this blessed Martyr Anno 1555. The Death of John Bradford VVHhen he came to Newgate several came to visit him to whom he gave Ghostly Consolation and the next Morning the Sheriff came and conveyed him together with a Youth of about 18 years of Age to Smithfield where the Stake was prepared When he came at the Stake he kissed it as likewise a Faggot that he took up and then falling flat upon his Face in token of Humility he prayed for a good space till the Sheriff ordered him to rise putting off his Raiment he was together with the Youth fastned to the Stake when as he cried with a loud Voice Repent O England of thy Sins beware of Idolatry beware of false Antichrists take heed they do not deceive thee Then turning to the young Man who was an Apprentice to a Merchant in London he said Be of good comfort Bothers for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord this Night And then embracing the Reeds he said Strait is the Way and narrow is the Gate that leadeth unto everlasting life aud few there be that find it The Fire being kindled he held his Hands in the Flames and with a Christian patience suffered the burning without so much as stirring the Body dying a Glorious Martyr in the Bloody Year Anno 1555. The Death of Nicholas Ridley AFter his Degradation he was delivered in order to his Execution At Supper-time his Keepers Wife weeping to think he must suffer the the next day he comforted her saying I pray be patient and chearful as I am for by this Grief you express 't is plain you love me not and with a chearful Countenance invited them all to his Wedding saying To Morrow I shall be married And when some offered to watch with him he refused their kindness saying That he should sleep as well that Night as ever he did in his life When the Morning was come the Sheriff and others came with a great Guard to convey him to the place of Execution also Dr. Latimer who was Condemned with him Dr. Ridley dressed himself in his Episcopal Garments and shaved himself as if he had been going to an Earthly Wedding Upon his way he looking behind him espied Dr. Latimer coming after and called to him with a chearful Voice saying O Brother are you there Yes said Dr. Latimer I have after you as fast as I can Then turning to Dr. Latimer at the place of Execution he embraced him and bid him be of good comfort For said he ` God will either asswage the heat of the Fire or give us strength to endure its Fury with patience And so going to the Stake he kissed it then kneeled down and prayed for a good space when rising up and being about to speak to the people the Popish Locust run and stopped his Mouth When the Smith was knocking in the Staple that fastned the Chains he said I pray thee good Fellow drive it in fast for the Flesh will have its course The Fire being kindled he stood in the Flame a long while before he died by reason of the ill making of the Fire and then saying Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord receive my Soul he gave up the ghost suffering Martyrdom Anno Christi 1555. One thing is worthy of Note and may be counted a Prophecy which was this Dr. Ridley then Bishop of London long before King Edward's death as he was crossing the Thames in a Boat the Wind arose so high that all that were with him were in fear of present drowning but he comforted them saying Fear not for this Boat carries a Bishop that must be burned and not drowned The Death of Hugh Latimer WHen he was brought to the Stake he looked with a chearful Countenance not being dismaied at the approach of Death After he had prayed awhile he unstripped himself and said to Bishop Ridley Brother be of good comfort and play the Man for I trust by God's Grace we shall this Day light such a Candle in England as shall never be put out adding That he knew God was Faithful and would not suffer him to be tempted above what he was able to bear Then embracing Dr. Ridley he was bound to the Stake and the Fire kindled then he cried with a loud Voice O Father of Heaven receive my Soul and stroaking his Face with his Hand he gave up the ghost dying a glorious Martyr at Oxford Anno Christi 1555. The Death of John Philpot. WHen he came to Newgate he was put into a place by himself and had word brought him the next Morning that he must suffer when with a cheerful Countenance he replied I am ready God grant me strength and a joyful Resurrection And after having retired awhile to pray he came forth and was conveyed into Smithfield where he no sooner came But he â—e'l on his Knees and with a loud Voice cried I will pay my Vâ—ws in thee O Smithfield then rising up he kisled and embraced the Stake saying Shall I disdain to suffer at this Stake when my Lord and Saviour refused not to suffer a most vile Death for me Having poured out his Soul to God he suffered himself to be bound with the Chain and when the Fire was kindled he commended his Spirit into the Hands of the Father of all Spirits and patiently gave up the ghost suffering Martyrdom Anno Christi 1555 and of his Age about Forty Nine The Death of Thomas Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury THE Popish Doctors frequently visited him in Prison and used all the Arguments
they could to persuade him to a Recantation but he absolutely resolved for a considerable time but at last through humane Frailty and desire of Life he did subscribe to a Recantation The good Bishop being soon greatly afflicted and troubled in his Conscience for what he had done burst out into a flood of Tears and after his Speech came to him he lifted up his Hands towards Heaven saying O Lord forgive me this great Sin against thy Holy Name which through the weakness of the Flesh I have unadvisedly committed And then addressing himself to the People he desired them for Jesus Christ sake to pray for him that God would pardon his Sins and especially that of his Recantation But said he This right hand that signed so wicked an Instrument shall first perish in the Flames Then they pulled him down and hurried him away to the Fire which was made in the same place where Ridley and Latimer had suffered stopping his Mouth lest he should any more speak to the People who were not a little grieved to see the Primate of England cast down from all his Honours and in the end so barbarously mis-used When he came to the Stake he fell on his Knees and Prayed but was interrupted by the Papists who followed him with his Recantation saying Have you not signed it Have you not signed it Then he was tied to the Stake his Cloaths being first put off and the Fire being kindled to him some time before it came at his Body he stretehed forth his right Hand and held it in the Flames till it fell off without any more than once drawing it back And after having recommended his Spirit into the hands of our merciful Redeemer the Lord Jesus he died like a Lamb ending his Life with the same Meekness as he had lived suffering Martyrdom for the sake of the everlasting Gospel Anno Christi 1556 and of his Age 72. The Death of Conrade Pellican HE was born in Suevia and educated at Zurick He was a candid sincere and upright Man free from Falshood and Ostentation He departed this Life upon Easter-day Anno 1556. aged 78. The Death of John Bugenhagius HE was born at Julin near Stetin in Pomeâ—ania being well educated in Grammar Musick and other liberal Sciences He used great diligence and industry in converting many to the Truth drawing near to his end he often repeated this Portion of Scripture This is life eternal to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent He died Anno Christi 1558. aged 73. The Death of Philip Melancthone HE was sent for by the Elector of Saxony to Lipsich to examine those that were maintained by the Elector to study Divinity In which he used great Diligence and after he returned to VVitterberg and fell sick of a Fever of which he died Sickness daily increased yet he so far strove against the power of his Disease that he would often rise to his Study The last Words he spake were to his Son-in-Law Doctor Pucer who when he asked him what he would have he replied Nothing but Heaven therefore trouble me no more with speaking to me After this he lying silent whilst the Ministers prayed by him he gave up the Ghost Anno Christi 1560. and in the sixty third year of his Age having been a constant Preacher of the Gospel for the space of 42 years The Death of John Laseus HE was a man of an excellent Wit and Judgment and took great pains to have composed that difference in the Churches about Christ's presence in the Sacrament though it did not succeed The King of Poland had such an esteem for him that he used his Adâ—ice in Affairs of great importance He died Anno 1560. The Death of Augustine Marlorat MArlorat was taken and carried before the Constable of France who after several Examinations condemned him of High Treason which was to be drawn upon a Sledge and to be hanged upon a Gibbet before our Ladies Church in Roan his Head to be stricken from his Body and set upon a Pole on the Bridge of the said City which Sentence was accordingly executed Anno 1562. aged 56. The Death of Peter Martyr BEing worn out with Travel and daily Study he after a while fell sick when calling together the principal Pastors of the Chtrch he made to them an excellent Confession of his Faith concluding This is my Faith and they that teach otherwise to the withdrawing Men from God God will destroy them And so taking his Leave of all his Friends after having made his Will he gave up the Ghost Anno Christi 1562. and of his Age Sixty-two The Death of Amsdorfius HE was born in Misnia of noble Parents and educated at Wittemberg He was recommended by Luther to instruct several Churches at Maegdeburg Gosâ—aria and Naumberg where he carried on the great Work of Reformation He having attained to 80 years of Age died Anno 1563. The Death of Wolfangus Musculus MVsculus being destitute at Strasburg some Fortifications were mending where he hired himself a Labourer to work by the Day comforting himself with this Dystich A God there is whose Providence doth take Care for his Saints whom he will not forsake Much Popish Malice he met with but God delivered him from their Revenge At length being seized with a violent Fever he died Anno 1563. and of his Age 66. The Death of Hyperius HE was born at Ipres in Flanders of noble Parents and was well educated His Care was great in reforming the Church and abolishing the Popish Fooleries out of the Service of God and and to establish a holy Scriptural and Ecclesiastical Discipline And in these Employments having worn out himself a Catarrh and Cough seized him complaining also of pains of the head breast and sides which often were so great as made him sweat as if he had been seized wish a Fever He died Anno 1564. aged 53. The Death of John Calvin CAlvin being settled in pastoral Charge of Geneva he continued to Confute Hereticks Papists and stirrers up of Sedition to heal Breaches and Division being Couragious even in the worst of times and as an Undaunted Champion of Christ not to follow his Standard till Death who Conquers all Conquered him for having made his Will he received the Sacrament and earnestly prayed for the Churches He on the Seventh of May Anno Christi 1562. yielded up his Spirit into the hands of his Maker dying in the 55 Year of his Age. His Funeral Solemnities were personned at the Charge of the Senate almost all the City being present He being Buried as himself desired in the Church-Yard where a stately Tomb was erected to his Memory The Death of William Farellus WHere ever he came Romish Malice attended him being so powerful in Prayer and Preaching that he gained thereby no small Congregations When he heard of Calvin's Sickness he could not satisfie himself though he was seventy years old but he must go to Geneva to
Sun in the World nor but one Righteousness and one Communion of Saints if I were the most excellent of all Creatures in the World if I were equal in Righteousness to Abraham Isaac and Jacob yet had I reason to consess my self to be a Sinner and that I could expect no Salvation but in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ for we all stand in need of the Grace of God and as for my Death I bless God I feel and find so much inward Joy and Comfort in my Soul that if I were put to my Choice whether to die or live I would a thousand times rather chuse Death than Life if it may stand with the Holy Will of God He dyed Anno 1576. The Death of Peter Boquinus THE Popish Party being incensed against him sought all means to destroy him so that he was forced to fly to Heidelberg where upon a Lord's Day visiting of a Sick Friend he found his Spirits fail and said Lord receive my Soul and so quietly departed Anno 1582. The Death of Abraham Bucholtzer HE was full of Self denial Humble and an Enemy to Contentions He used often to meditate upon Death and used this Expression it hath always formerly been my Care in what Corner soever I have been to be ready when God called to say with Abraham Behold my Lord here I am but now above all other things I should be most willing so to answer if he would please to call me out of this miserable Life into his Glorious Kingdom for truely I desire nothing so much as the happy and blessed Hour of Death He dyed Anno 1584. Aged Fifty Five The Death of Gasper Olevian AMortal Sickness seized upon him and preparing himself for Death he expressed to a Friend That by that Sickness he had learned to know the greatness of Sin and the greatness of God's Majesty more than ever he did before The next Day he told John Piscator That the day before for four Hours together he was filled with ineffable Joy so that he wondered why his Wife should ask him whether he were not something better whereas indeed he could never be better For said he I thought I was in a most pleasant Meadow in which as I walked up and down me thought that I was besprinkled with a Heavenly Dew and that not sparingly but plentifully poured down whereby both my Body and Soul were filled with ineffable Joy To whom Piscator said That good Shepherd Jesus Christ led thee into fresh Pastures Yea said Olevian to the Springs of Living Waters Then repeating some Sentences out of Psalm 42. Isa 9. Matth. 11. c. he said I would not have my Journey to God long deferred I desire to be dissolved and to be with my Christ In his Agony of Death Alstedius asked him Whether he was sure of his Salvation in Christ c. He answered Most sure and so gave up the Ghost Anno 1587. Aged 51. The Death of John Wigandus HIS strength decaying he fell sick and preparing for Death he made his own Epitaph In Christ I liv'd and dy'd through him I live again What 's bad to Death I give my Soul with Christ shall reign So praying he resigned up his Spirit to God who gave it Anno 1587. Aged 64. The Death of John Fox MR. Fox together with his Wife and some others went to Antwerp and so to Basil which was then a place of free reception of poor distressed Fugitives who were forced to leave their Countreys for the sake of the Lord Jesus and his Everlasting Gospel And here he undertook to correct the Press and at such leisure times as he could spare he wrote part of the Acts and Monuments of the Church a Work Famous to all Posterity And in this station he continued till the death of Queen MARY whose death he had a little before foretold Upon certain notice of which he with several Pious and Learned Men returned into England and were kindly received by Queen Elizabeth where Mr. Fox prosecuted his Work begun at Basil and so laboured therein that he soon brought it to a period He finishing this great Work in Eleven years space searching all the Records himself He now growing in years and by reason of his former Hardships his great Study Travel and Labour he was reduced to a very weak Condition he laid down the troublesome Cares of the World to prepare himself for Death He resigned up his Spirit into the Hands of the Father of all Spirits dying Anno Christi 1587. in the 70th year of his Age. The Death of George Sohnius HE was full of Humility Piety and Patience falling sick he bore it with much Patience and with fervent Prayer often repeated O Christ thou art my Redeemer and I know that thou hast redeemed me I wholly depend upon thy Providence and Mercy from the very bottom of my Heart I commend my Spirit into thy hands and so dyed Anno 1589. Aged 38. The Death of James Andreas THE year before his death he would say He should not live long That he was weary of â—his Life and much desired to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ which was best of all Falling sick he sent for James Heerbrand saying I expect that after my death many Adversaries will rise up to asperse me and therefore I sent for thee to hear the Confession of my Faith that so thou mayest testifie for me when I am dead and gone that I dyed in the true Faith The night before he dyed he slept partly in his Bed and partly in his Chair The Clock striking Six in the Morning he said My Hour draws near When he was ready to depart he said Lord into by hands I commend my Spirit He dyed Anno 1590. Aged 61. The Death of Hierom Zanchius ZAnchy being grown old had a liberal Stipend setled upon him by Prince Cassimir and â—oing to Heidleberg to visit his Friends he fell sick â—nd quietly departed in the Lord Anno 1590. â—ged 75. The Death of Anthony Sadeel HE sell Sick of a Plâ—urisie which he Prophetically said would be Mortal and withdrawing himself from the World he wholly conversed with â—od He dyed Anno 1591. Aged 57. The Death of William Whitaker FAlling Sick of a Fever a Friend asking him how he did he replyed O happy â—ight I have not taken so sweet a sleep since my disease seizâ—… upon me But being in a cold Sweat his Frieâ—… told him That Symptoms of Death appeared 〈…〉 him to whom he answered Life or Death is wâ—… come to me which God pleaseth for Death shall bâ—… advantage to me for I desire not to live but only far as I may do God and his Church Service He dâ—…d Anno 1595. Aged 47. The Death of Robert Rollock HE said I bless God I have all my Senses entiâ—… but my Heart is in Heaven and Lord Jesâ—… Why should'st thou not have it It hath been my Câ—… all my life long to dedicate it to thee I pray
and take me amongst thy Câ—osen howbeit not my VVill but thy VVill be done Lord I commit my Soul to thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Health that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy Chosen People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and my People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake Then turning his Face and seeing some by he said Are you so nigh I thought you had been further off Many servent Prayers he made but his last Words were these I am faint Lord have Mercy upon me and take my Spirit and so committed his Pious Soul into the hands of his Heavenly Father He died July 6. 1553. in the Seventeenth Year of his Age. He Reigned Six Years Five Months and Eight Days he was the one and Fortieth Sole Monarch of England and was Buried at VVestminster The Death of Queen Mary HER Husbands absence and the disappointment of proving with Child brought her into a Sickness whereof she died November 17. 1558. having Reigneâ—â— 5 Years and 4 Months Cardinal Pool dying the day before but sometime before she declared to him That if when she were dead they would look into her Heart rhey would find Callis her great Distemper In her Reign there suffered 5 Bishops 21 Divines and in all 277 Persons The Death of Queen Elizabeth Lopez a Jew Physitian to the Queen was Executed for attempting to Poyson her In 1600. the Earl of Essex having incurr'd the Queens Displeasure in Ireland and more by scandalous Speeches and a kind of open Rebellion at his House in London being condemned by his Peers is Beheaded On the 24th of March 1602. died Queen Elizabeth having Reigned above 44 Years in as Troublesome times as any yet full of Honour and most happy in the Love of her People She was Interred in Henry the Seventh's Chappel at VVestminister The Death of King James the First THis King was Interred at VVestminster with great Solemnity his Queen was Ann Daughter of Frederick the Second King of Denmark by whom he had two Sons Henry and Charles and three Daughters Elizabeth Mary and Sophia the two last dyed young The Death of King Charles the First HE was led through the Park to the Scaffold before VVhite-Hall where having declared that he died a Martyr for the Laws and Liberties of his People he made a Confession of his Faith asserting that he died a true Son of the Church of England then he betook himself to his private Devotions and so patiently submitted his Royal Head to Martyrdom from the hand of a disguised Executioner His Body was put into a Black Velvet Coffin and afterwards wrapt in Lead was on the 7th of Feb. following Interred at St. George's Chappel at VVindsor in the same Vault with King Henry the 8th in presence of the Duke of Richmond Dr. Juxon and others but the manner appointed in the Liturgy could not be obtained to be used nor had he any Epitaph affixed but only on the Sheet of Lead on a thin Plate fastned on the Breast this plain Inscription King Chaâ—les 1648. The Death of King Charles the Second ON Monday Feb. 2. 1684. the King was seiz'd with a violent Fit of an Apoplexy which deprived him of his Senses but upon speedy Application of Remedies he returned to such a Condition as gave some Symptoms of his Recovery till VVednesday Night and then the Disease was so violent that he lay in a languishing Condition until Friday Feb. 6. and then expired He had Reigned Thirty six Years and Seven Days and was in the 55th Year of his Age. He was Interred in Henry the Seventh's Chappel being the Forty-sixth Sole Monarch of England The Death of Old Mr. Eliot of New-England WHILE he was making his Retreat ouâ— of this evil World his Discourses from time to time ran upon The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ It was the Theme which he still had Recourse unto and we were sure to have something of this whatever other Subject he were upon On this he talk'd of this he pray'd for this he long'd and especially when any bad News arriv'd his usual Reflection thereupon would be Behold some of the Clouds in which we must look for the coming of the Son of Man At last his Lord sor whom he had been long wishing Lord come I have been a great while ready for thy coming At last I say his Lord came and fetched him away into the Joy of his Lord. He fell into some Languishments attended with a Fever which in a few days brought him into the Pangs may I say or Joys of Death And while he lay in these Mr. Walter coming to him he said unto him Brother Thou art welcome to my very Soul Pray retire to my Study for me and give me leave to be gone meaning thar he should not by Petitions to Heaven for his Life detain him here It was in these Languishments that speaking about the work of the Gospel among the Indians he did after this Heavenly manner express himself There is a Cloud said he a dark Cloud upon the Work of the Gospel among the poor Indians The Lord revive and prosper that Work and grant it may live when I am dead It is a work which I have been Doing much and long about But what was the word I spoke last I recal that word My Doings Alas they have been poor and small and lean Doings and I 'll be the Man that shall throw the first Stone at them all It has been observed that they who have spoke many considerable things in their Lives usually speak few at their Deaths But it was otherwise with our Eliot who after much Speech of and for God in his Life-time uttered some things little short of Oracles on his Death-bed which 't is a thousand pities they were not more exactly regarded and recorded Those Authors that have taken the pains to Collect Apophthegmata Morentium have not therein been unserviceable to the Living but the Apophthegms of a Dying Eliot must have had in them a Grace and a Strain truly extraordinary and indeed the vulgar Error of the signal sweetness in the Song of a Dying Swan was a very Truth in our expiring Eliot his last Breath smelt strong of Heaven and was Articled into none but very gracious Notes one of the last whereof was Welcome Joy And at last it went away calling upon the standers by to Pray pray pray which was the thing in which so vast a portion of it had been before Employ'd This was the peace in the end of this Perfect and Vpright Man thus was there anoâ—her Star ferched away to be placed among the rest that the third Heaven is now enriched with He had once I think a pleasant Fear that