and the ancient Patriarkes with Dauid Iosias Ezekias c. and all religious Kings with Samuel Esay Ieremie Iohn Baptist and all the holy Prophets with Peter Andrew Phillip and all the blessed Apostles with Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the sincere Euangelists with Paul Steuen Peter and Iames and all the constant Martyres zealous Confessors and Professers of the Truth yea and all the rest of the faithfull whom we shall know to the increase of our ioy especially those whom wee haue here knowne and seene euen as Adam knew Eue in the Creation and Peter knew Moses and Elias in Christs Transfiguration a type of our Glorification whom before they had neuer seene To conclude therefore now is the time when in the Church triumphant all that haue beene within the Couenant of Grace and vnder the Gospell in the Church militant shall come to the Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Assembly and congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Heb. 12.22.23.24 Now what great harme is there in going to our friends especially such friends as these be who in knowledge and wisedome in glory and excellencie in loue and amitie doe farre surpasse all friends vpon earth 6 Consider the fruit and happy effect of Death in freeing thee from sinne and all miseries the punishments of sinne that stroke that kils thee will kill also a monstrous Mother and a wretched Daughter Sinne and Sorrow for as Death is the death of the body so it is the disseuering of sinne from the body Sinne that brought forth Death is destroyed by Death euen as the Viper kils the damme that bred him and as Nero murthered Agrippina that bore him that which puls downe the house of the body destroyes Sinne the troublesome and vnruly Tenant that dwelt in this house Now is it not a ioy to thee to be rid by any meanes of such an vnworthy and vnwelcome guest as Sinne which is alwayes quarrelling with thy best friends as the Spirit and the Grace of GOD within thee Art thou not glad to be freed from such a Make-baite as this body of sinne this old Adam which is alwayes stirring vp ciuill broyles and combats within this little world of thy selfe alwayes plotting and contriuing the ruine and destruction of thy better part thy Soule Art thou not glad to haue such a fire quenched as thy burning lusts and rebelling concupiscences the worst burning Feuer that euer came to man Art thou not glad to be rid of a sloathfull luxurious riotous vaine wanton vicious rebellious Seruant which is alwayes grieuing and offending thee prouoking thee to euill hindering thee from good sluggish to doe well forward to all euill such a guest such a quarreller such a fire such a rebell such a seruant is thy Flesh dull and dead and lumpish slow and sluggish to euery good dutie priuate and publique prone and propense to euery sinne alwayes solliciting importuning trying and tempting thee with as great importunitie as Potiphars Wife did Ioseph to abase and abuse thy soule and body in euery filthy pollution to commit spirituall whoredome with the world and the flesh still grieuing thy God and offending his maiestie abusing his mercy crucifying Christ turning his grace into wantonnesse vexing his Spirit quenching the motions and hindering the operations of his Grace taking part with Sathan thy forraine enemie like an inmate traytor and domesticall conspirator Now Death dislodgeth this guest quels this quarreller hangs vp this Achitophel quencheth this lustfull fire executes this rebell cashiers this seruant for euen as the Iuie dyes that twines about the Oake when the Oake is cut downe so the cutting downe of the body is the curbing and curing the sinne in the body which sinne liues and dyes hath his birth and death with the subiect wherein it is resident for he that is dead is freed from sinne Rom. 6.7 Therefore Mors metuenda non est quia est finis peccatorum Ambrose Now as it frees thee from sinne so the cause ceasing the effect ceaseth also it frees thee from all the miseries that grow as fruits from this cursed Tree euen all the paynes and labours of body and vexations of spirit that are incident to this mortall condition This made the Wise-man praise those that were dead before those that are liuing Eccle. 4. and to preferre the day of death before the day of life Eccles 7. And made some of the Philosophers in their Heathenish Paradoxes affirme that it was best for a man neuer to be borne the next best to dye soone because in respect of the many miseries of this life which they saw into with their naturall eyes they thought Nature was a Mother vnto all other Creatures and a Step-dame vnto man therefore Iob that drunke as deepe in this cup of common afflictions incident to humane nature as euer any meere man in this respect desired death Euen as the Servant desired the shadow and as the Hireling looked for the end of his worke Iob 7.2 7 Consider that God doth not onely deliuer thee from the euill of sinne and the euill of punishment present but by taking thee now away hee hath a purpose to free thee from future temporall euils which perhaps hee purposeth to bring vpon that place and people amongst whom thou art for indeede this is the Lords ordinary proceeding to deliuer his Seruants from the euils to come whilest the wicked are chained in earth and reserued for further plagues Thus hee tooke away good Augustine ere the Gothes and Vandals ouer-ranne Hippo where hee vvas Bishop this the Lord promised as a speciall mercy to good Iosias that before hee vvould accomplish his threat against Iudah he should be put into his graue in peace and that his eyes should not behold the euill 2 Kin. 22.20 And thus hee saith of the mercifull men and righteous that they are taken away from the euils to come that Peace shall be vpon them and they shall rest in their beds when the Witches Children the seede of Adulterers and Whores a rebellious people shall perish and consume Esay 57.1.2.3 Apply this fauour of God to thine owne particulars for the strengthening of thy faith as also inlarge it by the meditation of these euils which are fore-told in these last times Mat. 24.4 v. 24. c. Luke 21.25 1 Tim. 4.1.2 2 Pet. 2.1.2.3 8. Remember this corporall death thou art to vndergoe puts a period to a most perillous and dangerous fight with which in this life thou wast continually exercised in which fight thou diddest often faint was often soyled often wounded more often put to fight euen to flye to Heauen for help succour and refuge then euer the Israelites were occasioned to flye and cry vnto
deliuer others from death could they free themselues Besides where are now more then two hundrâ—d of Romaine Bishops and triple Mitred Popes some of whose roaring Buls made once all Christendome quake and shake Where are now the twelue Gregories the nine Bonifaces eight nocently Innocents the seauen Clements the sixe Alexanders sixe Vrbans sixe Adrians twelue Benidicts the fiue Celestines the fiue Nicholasses the foure Sixtusses the foure Sergij the foure Anastaâ—ij the foure Foelixes the foure Eugenij the three Siluesters the three Victors the three Lucij the three Iulij's with the rest Doe they not all know now that which some of them Atheistically in words in writings and in life haue denyed that their bodies were mortall their soules immortall that there is a Heauen for the godly a Hell for the vvicked but no Purgatory passage to eyther the one place or other for eyther sort Besides where shall wee seâ—ke but amongst the dead for all the Romane Caesars the Aegyptian Ptolomies the Latine Murrhanes the Albane Siluies the Syrian Antiochusses the Arabian Arabarcques the Argiue Abantiades the Persian Achaminedes the Theban Labdacides the Lybian Lybiarcques and all the rest of those renowned Kings which had such diuers denominations from their worthy Predecessors and from those Countries ouer which they ruled Nay to come nearer home where are all our English Kings that haue awfully swayed the Brittaine Scepter since the Conquest Where are the two Conquering couragious Williams our three Richards our sixe Edwards our eight Henries Hath not Death made a Conquest of them Haue we any remnants of them sauing their Westminster Monuments their Ensignes their Vertues Could their Scepters Crownes Coulours Honours Miters Power or pompe of these Potentates resist Deaths all-subduing all-subiecting rod which brings vnder moe then Mercuries charming wand in the Poet No verily Non ducis imperium non regia Mitra coronae Pontificis summi c. Both conquering Dukes and Princely Crownes The mitred Popes proud Cardinals Imperiall Scepters Prelates Gownes Death vassalizeth and inthrals So if wee should continue in this Quere and demand what is become of all those worthy Generals Ioshuah Gideon c. Achilles Hector Aiax Melciades the Gracchies Camillies Fabians Asdrubal Hannibal c. Or those tryumphing Conquerours Cyrus Alexander Scylla Marius Cassius Scipio Metellius Valerius Pompey Caesars Antonie Octauian Claudian Aurelius Death hath carryed them in tryumph as they others Abstulit c. For speedy Death stopt stout Achilles breath So where are those huge and vast Gyants the Sonnes of Anack the Nimrods of the world Tipheus Anteus Enceladus Titius Polypheme Atlas Hercules Cacus Orestes c. as terrible in their times as Goliah was to the Israelites Now it is a wonder no terrour to see their ashes and their bones now fearefull Hares leape ouer dead Lyons as the Grecians scoft at dead Hector So if wee should reflexe vpon these learned Lights and Lampes in Diuinitie or Humane Learning the Fathers of the Greeke and Latine Church graue Tertullian learned Origen wittie Bernard eloquent Chrysostome zealous Augustine iudicious Ierome and the rest Or vpon these wise Heathens deepe Philosophers Aristippus Empedocles Democles Zenocrates Anaxagoras Pithagoras Diogenes Socrates Plato Aristotle the seauen Grecian Sages c. Or vpon these famous Orators Pericles Isocrates Alcibiades Gorgias Pollio Lucius Crassus Zenophon Hortensius Demosthenes Cato Cicero Quintillian Or vpon these Laureate Poets Eschilus Pindar Euripides Aristarchus Hesiod Menander Simonides Sophocles Anacraeon Eunius Statius Persius Claudian Varro Plautus Lucan Homer Terence Ouid Virgil c. Or vpon these famous Legifers and Law-giuers Mercurie amongst the Aegyptians Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians Solon amongst the Athenians Numa amongst the Romanes as also vpon Androdamus Philolaus Beceorus Carneades c. Or vpon these profound and famous Lawyers Vlpian Iason Drusus Bartolus Baldus Iustinian Dâ—cius Or vpon these expert Physitians Hermogenes Disippus Celsus Nicomachus Eschulapius Hippocrates Auicen Galen c. Skilfull Astronomers Astrologers and deepe Mathematicians Thales Manethes Promethius Eudosius Protagoras Berosus Archites Zoroaster Ptolomie Anaximander c. Or subtill Geometricians Polemon Pausanius Marinus Theodorus Diâ—aearchus Nicephorus Euclides Or these accurate and faithfull Historiographers Thucidides Iosephus Herodotus Diodorus Egisippus Isodore Eutropius Liuie Salust Plutarch Appian Plinie Suetonius â—'ossiâ—onius Orosius Eusebius Tacitus Iustin c. Or these exquisite Musitians Zenophocles Himenaeus Amphion Chiron Arion Linus Philades Orpheus c. Or these famous Painters and Caruers Timantes Aristarchus Timagoras Pirasius Zeuxis Apelles Phidias our English Michael and Raphael with infinite moe of worthy spirits eyther inuenters or perfecters of Arts and Sciences whether Liberall or Mechanicall such as haue beene Eupaters well-willers and Benefactors to humane Societies which Antiquitie hath dignified liuing as more then men accounting them as Heroes and Semidians and Deified as Gods are they not all dead like men Haue they not gone the way of all flesh as Dauid saith of himselfe 2 King 2. Yea though some of them were Metaphoricall and terrestiall Gods as Dauid prophesieth of all Princes they are dead like men their honour is laid in the dust an Epitaph writ vpon a marble stone a Monument or Statue erected to them or for them an Enchomiasticque Verse in the numericall lines of some Poet or a narration vvhat they haue beene or what they haue done good or euill in the workes of some Historian is all which is left of them euen as a linnen shirt was that remained of that victorious Saladine yea these whom wee haue deseruedly called worthy spirits as Alexander Tamberlaine Iulius Caesar Prince Arthur in former times as also the rest of those nine Worthies amongst the Heathens and those other nine amongst Christians in former times as also that Noble Sidney that ingenious Picus Mirandula that subtill Scaliger in our times haue now their earthly tabernacles the lodges and organs of such purified spirits and heauenly inspired soules dissolued their bodies descending as their better part ascending and so it shall be with vs and with all of vs. Tendimus huc omnes â—etam properamus ad vnam c. Th' Earth is our common Hauen thither saile we Deaths bonds to breake alas how small preuaile we That which was said to Adam is said to euery one of vs Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3.19 Michael Glyeas amplifies it thus as hee is alledged by Bramamiâ—lerus the Germane Puluis es ex puluere es c. Dust thou art of dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne As if one should say of the congealed Ice Aqua es ex aqua es in aquam redibâ— water thou art of water thou art and into water thou shalt be resolued for the Ice is an excellent embleme of our bodies which are more brittle then Ice Neyther is it any otherwayes vvith our terrestriall bodies in some proportion then with the celestiall For as all the Starres how euer glistering and glorious
conuerse or commerse with such more then with bruit Beasts and wicked Spirits that commit such sinnes as Intemperance and Luxurie and Drunkennesse which beasts and Diuels commit not Now ponder well Deaths lenitie in this corasiue Death stops thine eares from hearing the Blasphemies of the multitude wherewith they blaspheme Death hoodwinckes thine eyes from beholding such vaine and filthy obiects as made the Heathen Democritus plucke out his eyes that hee might not behold Death chaines thy tongue from talking with or talking of such obsceane subiects Death Gods Messenger pluckes thee away as the Angell did Lot out of the Sodome of this world and carries thee to Zoar a Citie of refuge the new and true Ierusalem from whence thou shalt come againe with thy Sauiour in the clouds to see these wicked ones cast into burnings Mat. 25.41 but neuer to heare them more blaspheming from vvhich Iudgement thy soule shall returne to heauen againe with her old companion the body now awakened out of the dust and glorified where thou shalt alwayes after to eternitie heare the Quires and Melodies of Angels and heauenly Spirits carrolling out their new Songs and Haleluiahs to the glory of the Lambe Apoc. 5.9 10 As Death frees thee from the conuersation so from the corruptions of wicked men which as it is not the least safetie so it should not be the least ioy and tranquillitie to a Christian and the rather because the danger of infection by them is here so imminent as fearefull If any thinke himselfe safe and sound and on a sure ground in this kinde as too many are too bold let him know that it is as safe for sound Apples to lye amongst the rotten for sound Sheepe to feede amongst the scabbed for cleare eyes to looke earnestly on those that haue sore eyes for a healthfull body to conuerse with the infected in the Pest-house as for thee to liue and conuerse with the wicked and not to learne wickednesse with the froward without frowardnesse nay it is as easie to touch pitch and not be defiled the experience of Gods Saints leaue it recorded that when the Saints are amongst sinners first eyther by Imitation of them secondly or compulsion by them thirdly being brought into straites by their wiles fourthly by their temptations and seductions fiftly in extremities amongst them sixtly by the ouer-swaying of their owne humane passions or by some such meanes they are infected with them these things occasioned Ioseph to sweare by the life of Pharaoh amongst the Aegyptians Abraham twise to vse simulation dissimulation or aequiuocation in two prophane Courts Dauid to faine madnesse in the Court of Achish 1 Sam. 21.13 Peter to deny his Master amongst the high Priests Seruants Mat. 26.74 the true Prophet to eate bread with the false Prophet 1 Kings 13.15.16 the Children of Israel to commit Adultery and Idolatry with the Daughters of Moab Numb 25. All these haue failed or fallen for company as one breach brings downe another amongst wicked men which is thy case now and hath beene Now Death deliuers thee from euer conuersing much more from corrupting by wicked men 11 Let another of Deaths commodities comfort thee in that it very much doth priuiledge thee from the madnesse and malice of the maleuolent Monsters of the vvorld thou art now secure from the pushing hornes of the Buls of Bashan from the sword of iniustice from the arme of tyranny Though mad Saul send for deuout Dauid to kill him in his sickenesse 1 Sam. 14.15 yet none can harme the body of a dead man first it may by kept vnburied for a time as great Alexanders was secondly arrested for debt into which a good Christian may fall in life 2 Kin. 4.1 thirdly be wounded and mangled as Hectors was by the Grecians liuing Hares may leape ouer a dead Lyon fourthly digged vp againe as Pope Formosus body was by Stephanus his successor and as Bucers was by the Papists an act more befitting Swine then men yet it cannot be hurt or harmed because it is insensible of paine and therefore neede not feare Phalaris his Bull nor the Persecutors wilde beasts nor the Papists fire and Fagot and burning chamber nor the most exquisite tortures of the greatest Tyrants for thy spirit it returnes to the Father of spirits thy soule to God that gaue it euen as the beames of the Sunne reflect vpward againe towards the Sunne from whence they came 12 Besides thy good name that especially is cleared by death for wee oftentimes see that by the aemulation of aequals the enuy of inferiours the hatred of superiours and the wickednesse that is in the hearts of all good men in their life time by Gods permission for causes best knowne some secret some reuealed haue beene vvondrously abased and abused censured calumniated and scorched by the malicious and maleuolent tongues of such as haue beene set on fire by Hell oftentimes to the very eclipsing of their good name for a time being poysoned and besmeared with their Aspish venome vvhose good names it pleaseth God to restore againe vnto them at or after the houre of death making the lustre and splendor of their graces then to breake out like the light at the noone-day dispersing all the clouds of scandall which haue in their vapours ascended from the foggie and filthy Quagmires and Marrish of ignorance and Malice Who eyther denies or doubts of this may see it in the Glasse of the Word and obserue it in the experience of other ages and our owne What oppositions had Moses the meekest man on earth the faithfull Seruant of GOD in his life time in the place of his Magistracy amongst a rebellious people though hee discharged the greatest function that euer was committed to any meere man the best that euer any did that was but flesh and bloud yet how was hee vpbrayded scandalized and slandered his Commission from God contradicted hee vvas thought to take too much vpon him accused as a destroyer or at least a deluder of the Lords people concerning the promised Canaan yet the same Moses had beene worshipped as a God of these ancient Idolaters after his death if the Diuell could haue had his purpose in exposing his dead body vnto them being resisted by the Angell Iude 1. v. 9. So was Dauid not a little disgraced by the mockings of his wife Michol 2 Sam. 6.20 the raylings of Shemei 2 Sam. 16.5 the calumnies of his tyrannous enemies by whom hee was esteemed as a foole reuiled as a murtherer verse 6. accounted as an Hypocrite and vile man ver 7. yea euen the drunkards made songs of him in his life time now Dauid is esteemed as the sweet Singer of Israel as the man after Gods owne heart after his death So in our times what broyles and turmoyles had that worthy Caluin zealous Luther reuerent Beza iudicious Zanchy moderate Melancthon learned Peter Martyr Oecolampadius and others in forraine Countries
comfortable end made Abraham Iob old Simeon Moses and other of the Saints in the old and new Testament The like wee read of Ambrose whose conclusion in his death-bed was that hee was neyther ashamed to liue nor fearefull to dye because he had a good Lord. Bernards death was grounded vpon the sure hope and Anchor of Gods mercy though hee liued in corrupt times Oecolampadius told his visitors newes in the last speech hee vttered namely that hee should shortly be with the LORD IESVS Mr. Caluin with Dauids heart repeating Dauids Psalmes mourning in the Spirit for his sinnes his soule was sent out of his body like Noahs Doue out of the Arke Melancthon in his last farewell to life professed he was exceeding willing to dye because it was the Lords will praying for a happy and ioyfull departure hee had his desire presently sealed Peter Martyr gaue a comfortable farewell to his brethren and deare friends acknowledging saluation onely in Christ the Redeemer in which faith as he liued so he dyed That halfe miraculous man Luther in his death abounded as with prayer so with praises and thankesgiuings that the Lord had reuealed Christ vnto him and made him an instrument to discouer Antichrist and to oppose him Annas Burgius cryed in her last cryes Lord forsake not mee least I forsake thee Mauritius the Emperour in his last fainting gaue glory vnto GOD that was righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes Saint Augustine wept vpon his sicke couch for many dayes together and so was his soule ferryed to Christ in a floud of teares as Peter walked to Christ on the Sea of waters I might giue your meditations matter enough to worke vpon in reflexing vpon infinite examples related by Authors to which euery faithfull Minister that vseth to performe this dutie of visiting the sicke like a spirituall Physitian discerning the estate of the soule addes his Probatum est in ioyfull experience of many whose dying hath beene suted and sorted to their liuing both gracious both glorious Why then shouldest thou feare for to the righteous there shall be peace at the last Esay 57.2 therefore liue by Faith beleeue the Promises and apply them and be comforted in Gods mercy to others but as for the wicked it is not so with them they shall bee like the chaffe scattered in the winde for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esa 57.21 the prolong of their wicked life ends in a fearefull Tragedie in death for though in respect of the body and the outward man there is the same condition to the vvise and the foolish to Nabal and Salomon godly Ionathan perishing in the field as well as wicked Saul 1 Sam. 31.2.3 Ezekias strucke with the plagues boyle Esay 38.21 Asa goutie in his feete nay euen good Iosias wounded in the Battell and the rest of the godly being afflicted in sickenesse as pittiously and dying oft times as painefully whether in a naturall or a violent death euen as the wicked as appeares in the exquisite torments of the Martyres in the Primitiue Church in the crucifying of Peter and Paul with their heads downewards c. yea euen in the very Passion of Christ himselfe yet in respect of the inward man and dispositions of their soules in death there is as great difference betwixt them as there was in their carriage and conuersation in life And therefore as you haue heard the godly praying or praysing and blessing GOD speaking graciously sending out their spirits ioyfully and dying comfortably so prophane men dye eyther carelesly and blockishly for the most part their hearts being frozen and their consciences benummed and scared without any touch in soule or remorse for sinne which kinde of dying though our sottish silly common people commend as the most happy and blessed death when they goe away quietly like Lambes as their stupiditie and blindnesse thinke yet indeede they dye like Beasts and Dogs without any life of grace or feeling of the Spirit in the power or comfort of it nay senslesly like stockes and stones as is said of Nabal whose heart was like a stone within him 1 Sam. 25.37.38 or else desperately and ragingly impatiently as impenitently belching out blasphemies against both the Maiestie and the Mercy of God Thus Iudas cryes hee hath sinned in betraying the innocent bloud but hath no Faith to apply that bloud to the washing away of his bloody treason Thus Antiochus Epiphanes dying is tormented inwardly with the gripes and conuulsions of conscience as with the rage of his sickenesse so Iulian the Apostate in his last act of life from his infected lungs sent out venome against Christ calling him in dirision victorious Galilean Thus Eccius dyes execrating his Popish on-setters in frustrating his golden hopes when they had clapt their hands to animate him to barke at Luther and the Protestanrs The like end made Latomus Hoff-maister Spira and other Antichristian Champions being not vnlike in their sinne Thus Gardiner dyes confessing that hee had sinned with Peter but could not repent vvith Peter Cornelius Agrippa cursing his attending Spirit that stood by him in the forme of a blacke dog Others paralel in the like sinnes making like proportioned ends vnlesse it be in some particulers as once in the Scripture in the Theefe vpon the crosse that a theeuish and licentious life should haue the promise of Paradise in Death which as it was first the conclusion of Christs life secondly the present magnifying of the power of his Passion so it is not to be vrged nor peremptorily pleaded 1. in defence of ill liuers 2. nor imitated in deferring repentance 3. nor presumed vpon no more then a man ought to presume to be a Traytor a Witch a murtherer in hope for a pardon when he is to be turned off the Ladder because some one man in an age hath by Gods prouidence this priuiledge to be repriued and released from these facts committed For in place of one example that hath had his inueterate old sores cured his crying treasons pardoned at the last houre like Gregories good theefe that begd heauen wee haue millions that haue perished rot and consumed in body and soule in the last exigent of life as they haue not spared GOD liuing God hath not giuen them any tokens of his fauour but rather of his wrath and indignation dying forgetting them dying as in their life they forgat him turning away his eare from hearing of their prayers though they houle vpon their sicke-beds like Wolues Ose 7.14 because in their health and prosperitie they haue like deafe Adders stopped their eares in not hearing his Law and Word and in not considering the cryes of the poore Prou. 28.9 Prou. 21.13 Prou. 15.8 Therefore for thy present instruction and future consolation worke thou out betimes thy saluation with feare and trembling Giue all diligence to make thy Election sure Breake off all thy sinnes by
death is most welcome that changeth his Mâ—ra to Naomi his bitternesse into beauty which deliuers him from dangers and dolours as the Angell did Lot from the fire and the three Children from the flames and Daniel from the Lions death like Zerobabel deliuers the Lords Israel out of Babilon Zach. 4.6 therefore death must needs be welcomed like a day of deliuerance a yeere of Iubilie which brings Ioseph out of Prison Iacob out of seruitude and Iob from the dung-hill Mors enim malâ—râ—m remedium portus humanis tempestaâ—ibus Plutarch de consol ad Apol. Fourthly in respect of their sinnes which cleaue so fast on which they cannot shake off Sinne with which they are at opposition and deadly feud dogs them at the heeles like a Serieant waytes on them like a Catchpole insinuates into them like a claw-backe creepes into their bosomes as a Serpent stings them at the heart like an Adder followes them as their shadow stickes close to them like their shirt vpon their skinne their skinne vpon their flesh and their flesh vpon their bones insomuch that it burnes and frets them as Dianiraes poysoned shirt did Hercules and as the Ticke vexeth the Oxe which makes them crye out in the anguish of their soules vvith Paul and the faithfull Rom. 7. Oâ— miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of sinne They complaine of the strife of the Flesh and the Spirit as Rebeccah of the strugling betwixt Iacob and Esau Now death comes and rescues and makes thy baile and playes the Mid-wife and ends the broyle therefore welcome to the well disposed Fiftly they are here Pilgrimes and strangers 1 Pet. 2.11 as was Dauid and the rest in their ages they are here exuls and banished men as Children put forth to nurse from their Mothers as Schollers and Pupils sent to forraine Schooles and to farre Vniuersities and therefore their returning home to their owne Country their restitution to their prouided Kingdome their fetching home to their Father and friends their retyring to their Fathers house though it be through the shadow of death must needes be acceptable Sixtly they know that the day of their death is better then the day of life Eccles 7.3 because they dye prepared their soules purged their hearts by Faith purified As they haue entered into the first degree of eternall life in this life when they beleeued and receiued the gifts of the Spirit the earnest of their Saluation so they enter into the second degree in death when their soules are carryed into heauen and they dye in assurance of the third degree when body and soule shall be re-vnited to participate of happinesse as they haue liued together in holinesse Seauenthly they dye as with a desire so in an expectation to see and behold the face of Christ of which with Steuen they haue some glimmering in their deaths and therefore death to the godly so farre as regeneration rules is no more burthensome then the stripping off the cloathes vnto a louing Spouse to goe into the Marriage-bed of her contracted Bridegrome Hos 2.19 Eightly they haue kept a good Conscience with God and man like Paul Acts 24. And therefore they feare not iudgement no more then a true man feares to looke the Iudge in the face Ninthly wherein they haue offended God they haue their sinnes remitted and therefore feare not to hold vp their hand at the barre since they are quit before by Proclamation of all the promises in the Gospell and haue the Kings Pardon sealed them in the Sacraments Tenthly they haue oft in life invred themselues to thinke speake record and meditate of death euen as did Christ their head and his Seruants Iacob Moses and Paul as appeares in the Word and therefore Deaths dart foreseene wounds them lesse being fore-warned of it they are fore-armed for it Euen as the Souldier that hath beene long trayned and in many skirmishes is more couragious in the maine Battell and as hee that hath long exercised himselfe in foyles is more hardy to fight with sharpe so the petty conflicts that the godly haue had in their owne breasts vvith Deaths feare make them more hardy to encounter Deaths force Eleuenthly they entertaine it as a reward for their worke as a rest from their labour as willingly as the hired labourer receiues his hire and reposeth his wearied limbes Dan 12. Esay 57.2 Twelfthly they are perswaded and haue their Faith grounded in an happy and blessed change they expect a Metamorphosis and an alteration a comfortable transmutation of Earth for Heauen of the Sea for the Hauen of Griefe for Glory of the outward Court for the Sanctum Sanctorum of a Mortall for an Immortall body of Enon for Salem Sodome for Segor Aegypt for Canaan the Wildernesse of Sin for the Land of Promise of a House of day terrestriall for a House celestiall aboue the Clouds 2 Cor. 5.1 And therefore they are as willing to make this exchange as a poore begger would be to exchange his poore rags for some Princes robes or some poore man to leaue his smoaky rainy Cottage for a pompous Pauilion and decked Chamber in the Court. To reape the Vintage of this discourse the vse to vs is first of examination in that it is an argument of a good man to be willing to dye as here was Simeon Lay thou thy hand on thine heart and search in thy soule what propensitie and disposition thou findest in thy selfe to dye Many arguments there are in the Word and tryals both of a holy and a happy man both affirmatiue in shewing what hee doth and negatiue in shewing what he auoids Dauid points at him in the first Psalme as also in the 32. Psalme verse 1.2 as also in the 15. Psalme So doth our Sauiour Christ in the first eight Verses of the fift of Mathew So the Apostle Paul in the 2. of Cor. ch 7. ver 11. with other such places as namely delighting in the Word meeknesse mourning for sinne hunger after righteousnesse c. care to please God Feare Zâ—ale Indignation against sinne not letting Mony to Vsury and the like yet sure there is no greater euidence of an honest and holy heart then so to walke vprightly with God in life as alwayes to be willing to imbrace the strictest Summons of death to be as ready to depart out of this world as the Israelites were to depart out of Aegypt Againe it is most vsually a note of a soule eyther altogether soyled in corruption or indued with a smaller measure of Sanctification to be violently possessed with a continuated feare of death and therefore in this particular finde out thy selfe and trye in what case thou standest for the more vnwilling thou art to dye commonly the more Nature rules in thee the more earthly fleshly and carnall thou art the more willing commonly the more Grace raignes the more thou art holy heauenly and spirituall in
his Shield painted God and the Diuell with this Motto If thou oh God wilt none of mee here it one will offering himselfe to him who was not a little glad of him the vnkinde kinde Dâ—uell who retaines and giues Liueries to all commers yea and wages to such as himselfe hath the world in shew but fire and brimstone in substance Esa 30.33 Oh consider this you that forget both God and your selues his seruice your owne soules you that make your members weapons of vnrighteousnesse to fight against God wounding him with his owne weapons the strength of your bodies and the powers of your soules which you haue receiued from him now at last offer vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of him Rom. 12 1. Giue vp your members as weapons of righteousnes vnto God Rom. 6. vers 12. These eyes of yours that haue beene full of adultery Iudâ— 7 2 Pet. 2.14 hautie and proud Pro. 6 17. mocking and scornefull Pro. 30.7 wandering Esay 3.16 Now let them be Doues eyes chaste eyes like Dauids eyes lowly and humble Cast away the abhomination of your eyes Ezek. 20.7 Let them not regard vanitie Iob 31.1 Shut them vp from seeing euill Esay 33.15 Make a couenant with them as Iob did Let them not looke vpon a woman but let them looke vp to the Holy One of Israell euen as a Seruant lookes to his Master Psal 123.2 Set no wicked thing before thine eyes Psal 101.1 but set the Lord alwayes before thine eyes to doe the thing that is right Psal 16.8 That Tongue of thine which hath beene a principall seruitor of Sathans being set on fire by Hell Iames 3 6 the flame breaking out by 1. lying 2. swearing 3. forswearing 4. filthy 5. cursed 6. guilefull speaking 7. vaine words 8 idle babbling 9. profane ieasting 10. corrupt communication 11. slanders 1â— reuilings with such other enormities in the whole course of thy life and conuersation to the dishonour of God and the pollution of the good name and chastitie of thy neighbour Now let it forsake the old Masters seruice in these sinnes set a watch before thy mouth and keepe the dore of thy lips Psal 14.3 Lye not Iames 4.11 Let thy lips speake no guile Psal 34.13 but speake the truth to thy neighbour Zach. 8.16 So thou shalt shew thy selfe a righteous man Prou. 13.5 Sweare not neyther by Heauen nor by Earth c. Iames 5.15 but Let thy communication be yea yea nay nay for what is more commeth of euill Math. 5.17 Put away filthy speeches Col. 3.8 Neyther name fornication nor filthinesse nor foolish talking nor ieasting which are not comely Ephes 5.3 But corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 Now also Put away from thee a froward mouth Pro. 4.24 and cursed speaking Col. 3.8 Auoid also idle and vaine words for which thou must giue an account Mat. 5. Be as flow to speake as swift to heare Iames 1.19 since thou hast two cares but one tongue for in many words there cannot want sinne Prou. 10.19 Therefore auoid vaine repetitions and babblings Mat. 6.7 In speaking eyther to God or man speake no vaine words Esay 58.13 Thus keepe thy mouth hereafter brideled that thou sinne not with thy tongue Psal 39.1 Neyther is it sufficient that thou now purpose that thy mouth shall not offend in these and such like sinnes Psal 17.3 But as thou hast beene tongue-tyed heretofore and mute in speaking ought which was good to Gods glory or thy neighbours good now it is most consonant to that end and office which thou hadst the vse of speech giuen thee let thy tongue be a consonant to serue God to sound out his prayses continually Psal 34. Sing to the Lord all thy life and prayse him whilst thou liuest Ps 104.33 Yea if thou praise him before the morning-watch as did that holy-hearted Dauid Psal 119.147 yea if at mid-night thou rise to giue thankes vnto him Psal 119.12 If seauen times a day thou prayse him v. 164. yea if thy mouth daily rehearse his righteousnesse and saluation Psal 7.15 yea if all the dayes of thy life thou prayse thy God Psal 146.2 and make his Statutes thy Songs in the house of thy pilgrimage Psal 119.54 yea not onely praising him but praying to him earely in the morning Psal 5.3 Iob 8.6 yea at euening and at morning and at noone day so oft as thou eatest thou dost but tâ—at seruice for which thy tongue was created it is Gods due and thy dutie so let thy tongue also serue man Gods-Image in God and for God Let thy words be good and to the vse of edifying that they may minister grace to the hearers Let thy speech be alway gratious and pondered with Salt Col. 4 6. Let thy tongue spread abroad knowledge Pro. 15.7 that it may be as the well-spring of life Proâ— 10.11 Vtter the words of grace Eccles 10.12 that thy lips may feede many Prou. 10.21 If God haue inriched thee with knowledge minister a word in season to him that is weary Esay 50.4 confirming him that is ready to fall and strengthening the weake knees Iob 44. So thy tongue shall glorifie God thus imployed Psal 50. be a testimonie of the sinceritie of thy heart Mat. 16. and it shall asswage the sorrow of the afflicted Iob 16.15 So for the other members of thy body thy Eares if thou hast not serued thy God in and by them now beginne hast thou serued Sathan with them eyther in hearing what thou shouldest not haue heard profane Enterludes and Stage-playes filthy Songs scurrulous talke whereby thou hast opened those two dores to let in sinne into thy soule or hast thou refused to heare what thou shouldest haue heard hast thou turned away thine eare from hearing the Law Prou 28. Hast thou had heauy and vncircumcised eares Ier. 6.10 Psal 40.8 Hast thou beene an Idoll with eares and heard not Ezek. 13.2 A deafe Adder stopping thine eares at the voyce of the Charmer Psal 58.4 now serue God with that little part of thy body now stop thine eares at the hearing of sinne Esay 33.15 and open them to heare what the Spirit saith Rex 2. Cause thine eare to heare wisedome Prou. 2.2 Giue eare to vnderstanding Prou. 14. Heare counsell and receiue instruction that thou maist be wise now in the latter end Prou. 19.20 Be wise and hearken to the corrections of life Prou. 15.3 Heare the Word of God Sit at Christs feete with Mary Luke 10.39 Heare with heede taking Luke 8.18 Heare with an honest heart vers 15. Heare and forget not Iames 1.24 Heare and practise vers 22. so thou shalt serue God with thy hearing Moreouer for thine Hands if with them thou hast not serued God working vvicked works to prouoke the eye of the Lords glory Esay 3.8 eyther in committing euill 1. stealing from thy neighbour 2. taking Bribes in thy place 3. Idlenesse in thy
calling or in omitting good duties first eyther of Pietie to God in stretching out thy hands in Prayer secondly or of charitie to man in closing them towards the poore Now keepe thy hands from doing euill and consecrate them vnto the Lord in doing good so thou shalt be blessed Esay 56.2 Exod. 32.29 If iniquitie be in thine hand put it farre away Iob 11.14 If thou hast stolne steale no more but worke with thine owne hands Ephes 4.28 Keepe them innocent and pure Psal 24.41 Shake thine hands from taking any gifts Esay 33.15 Let no blot or stain cleaue vnto them Iâ—b 31.7 Strengthen them to doe good workes Nehem. 2.18 Open thy hand to thy brother to the poore to the needy Deut. 15.11 Stretch thy hand out of the increase that God giues thee Prou. 31. And stretch out thy hands also to the Lord. Psal 143. yea in euery place lift vp thy heart with the hand to God in heauen 1 Tim. 2. Lament 3.4 So shall thy hands serue God For thy Feete if they haue declined and made haste to deceit Iob 23.11 if they carryed thee with lewd company out of the way of Gods Commandements to vanities or to vices to filthinesse or to follies to Playes or to Brothell-houses now remoue thy foote from euill Prou. 4.26 Make straight steps to thy feete Heb. 12. Refraine thy feete from the pathes of the wicked Prou. 1.15 And keepe the way of the righteous Prou. 2.20 So shalt thou serue God and keepe thy soule Prou. 16.17 Walke not in vanities Iob 31.5 nor in the counsell of the wicked Psal 1.1 but run the wayes of Gods Commandements Imploy them to carry thee to the house of God to the holy Exercises of Religion where God is serued Delight to stand in the gates of Ierusalem Psal 122.2 looking narrowly to thy foote when thou enterest into the house of God Eccles 4.17 Thus did those two good Anna's in Samuel and Luke a mother and a widdow as also good Dauid and here old Simeon rightly and religiously vse their feete in Gods seruice in visiting so frequently so constantly so zealously the house of Prayer where they met with God with Christ and with a blessing vpon their seeking and seruing God And so must thou if thou set thy selfe with thy heart and soule and strength and spirit and minde and body to serue the Lord as they did consecrating these and the rest of thy members parts and powers externall and internall to Gods seruice which that thou maist more willingly performe let these Motiues for conclusion of this Vse adde Spurres vnto thee to runne along with old Simeon to the seruice of this best Master to whom I recommend thee First thou wast created for Gods seruice as the Apostle instanceth in one sinne so I may in all the body was not made for fornication nor vncleannesse nor adultery nor drunkennesse nor for any other workes of the flesh which are recited Gal. 5.19 but for the Lord 1 Cor. 6.23 and the Lord for the body Therefore Dauid makes this an argument that wee should fall downe and worship the Lord because wee are the Sheepe of his pasture and the worke of his hands hee hath made vs not we our selues Doth any man keepe sheepe but hee will eate of the milke of the flocke and be cloathed with the wooll Doth any man build a Palace a Castle or a sumptuous house for his enemie to dwell in Did the Lord thinkest thou oh vaine man that seruest thy lusts thy pleasures the World the Diuell forme and frame this excellent Fabricke and composure of thy body more sumptuous artificiall magnificent then the Aegyptian Pyramides then Salomons Temple then all splendent and glorious buildings vnder the Sunne that are made of Lime Stone Lead Wood Glasse Mettals and the like and did infuse as it were inward proportionable furniture such an vnderstanding spirit an immortall soule into this externall structure and building of the body for the Diuell his mortall enemie to dwell in to take possession and keepe habitation by his eldest Sonne Sinne Will any earthly Monarch suffer a Traitor a Tyrant an Vsurper to intrude vpon his Territories to dwell in his fortified Cities to possesse his Crowne and vsurpe his Throne I trow not And will the King of Kings suffer it Can a meane man indure another man which means to abuse him to inioy his Table his Bed his Wife chiefely that shee to whom hee is betroathed and wedded should prostitute her selfe to his enemie And will the Lord that is as a zealous so a iealous God suffer thy spirituall whoredomes and fornications with the triple enemies of thy soule the deceiuing Flesh deluding World and destroying Diuell Will he endure his Sanctuary to be polluted his Temple abused the holy Vessels profaned Thy body is the Temple of the holy Ghost thy members called Vessels now if thou suffer this great Temple-spoyler this Dionisius the Diuell to abuse thy vessels by offering them to him by vncleannesse to pollute this Temple this body of thine by sinne he that thus destroyes the Temple of God him will God destroy as hee threatneth seuerally twise together Take heede therefore that thou suffer not any sinnes to take vp the best roomes in this earthly Tabernacle and Temple least by hardening thy heart corrupting thy conscience deprauing thy will blinding thy minde ecclipsing thy reason dulling thy memory disordering thy affections spoyling and defiling thy whole man giuing ouer that body of thine which God made for himselfe to be sinnes Brothell-house and the Diuels Play-house wherein all sinnes are acted least the Lord burne thee downe sticke and slower eyther with fire from heauen as hee did Sodome or with fire in hell as hee did Diues Prepare thy body and soule therefore betimes dresse it and sweepe and garnish it as a Chamber for Christ to keepe his Passe-ouer in that the destroying Angell may passe ouer thee vvhen hee comes in Iudgement I might adde secondly how fitly by Creation thou art made in euery part as an Organ and Instrument to Gods seruice with a body vpwards to heauen whereas all other Creatures looke low and groueling vpon the earth with eyes to looke vp to the Hils and to the heauens from whence commeth thy helpe and downe vpon the fragrant and verdant earth fit to behold how euery creature Celestiall and Sublunarie in their kinde as it were in a dumbe Oratorie tels thee there is a God and a God to be serued beginning and continuing the Quire vnto thee to sing and ring forth his prayses thy tongue fitted to speake Magnalia Dei the wonderfull workes of God and to confesse to Gods glory as Ioshuah tels Achan Iosh 7. those numerous and haynous sinnes of thine wherewith thou hast offended God more then all the vnreasonable creatures how euer the ill Angell eyther strikes thee dumbe as the good did Zachary or if thou speakest Sathan oyles the Clocke of thy tongue
to strike after his setting and moue after his motion Thy head abounding with moisture more then the heads of many Birds and Beasts ready to distill into thine eyes that thou mightest weepe for thy sinnes more then the rest as hauing moe and more monstrous sinnes to weepe for then all the rest of the other Creatures and so I might speake of all other parts of thy body and faculties of thy soule superiour and inferiour as Will Reason Memory Vnderstanding Phantasie the Heart with the Affections thereof all fitted for Gods Seruice in the same symetrie and proportion From considering thy Creation thinke of Gods great largesse and bountie towards thee in thy Preseruation GOD hauing fed fostered educated nourished cloathed thee from thy first forming in the wombe till this present minute and moment of time wherein thou liuest a rebellious sinner against thy God of protecting thee euen in thy Infancie Childe-hood Youth in the weakenesse of the first forwardnesse of the second and rashnesse of the third from many eminent dangers to which thou wast subiect and reseruing thee vntill this present houre in health and strength from the fury and force of the Elements Fire and Water c. From the might of the Creatures the claw of the Lion paw of the Beare horne of the Bullocke tuske of the Bore tooth of the Dogge venome of the Viper sting of the Serpent all which thy sinnes haue armed against thee disarming thy selfe as also from the malice of the Diuell and his substitute infernall Spirits who without Gods restraint would haue torne thee in pieces and carryed thy soule as they will doe the sinners in Judgement in triumph to hell Now doe not all these constant and continuated mercies of thy Protection Preseruation Reseruation so long so louing so large with the addition and multiplication of so many and manifold vndeserued positiue blessings Doe not all these I say call for vrge require plead for yea preuaile for thy heart thy obedience thy seruice to such so good so great a Maister Sure if thou giuest it not him now franckly freely willingly heartily desiringly thou art a monster of men without grace or good nature but especially if thou payest the Lord euill for good sinnes for fauours and seruest Sathan for him thou art an vngratefull Viper and condemned of the very Heathens Neyther will God be so abused Make it thine owne case thou takest a desolate Infant as Pharaohs Daughter did Moses and bringest him vp or thou entertainest a Seruant giuest him meate drinke and cloath wages countenance house and harbour c. wouldest thou take it well if this thy adopted fostered childe this thy so much fauoured Seruant should reiect thee thou still out of thy loue continuing his meanes and maintenance and serue thy mortall enemie Now make Application thus thou dealest with God in seruing notwithstanding all his fauours to thee temporall and spirituall him who is the professed enemy of God of Christ of the Gospell of the Church of man of thee and of thy saluation the Diuell Thirdly consider thy Vocation thou art called from darknesse to light The grace of God hath appeared vnto thee teaching to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godlily in this present world Tit. 2.11 Therefore as an obedient Childe to thy Father as a dutifull Seruant to thy Master fashion not thy selfe to the former lusts of thine ignorance but as he that hath called thee is holy be thou holy in all manner of conuersation 1 Pet. 1.14 The night is past and the day is come cast away therefore the workes of darknes and put on the armour of light Walke honestly as in the day not in chambering and wantonnesse not in gluttony or drunkennesse not in strife and enuy but putting off these as a man puts off an old garment when hee puts on a new put on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 I pray you let vs ponder that what arguments the inspired Apostle Paul vseth to the Romanes Philippians Thessalonians Ephesians to incite them to the sincere seruice of GOD the same may be vrged and pressed vpon vs in this Land yea vpon all the Christians in Europe or else-where for as wee now are paralell with them in the knowledge of God and of Christ by the preaching and reuelation of the Gospell of Christ so wee were once nuzled and blinded with them in the same cloud and mist of ignorance and vnbeleefe sinners of the Gentiles without God in Christ And therfore since God hath called vs whether by the Ministerie of Paul or of Ioseph of Aramathea or of Simon Zelotes or who else it skils not to the knowledge of his truth and to his seruice by the voyce and sound of the Gospell let our conuersation be such as becommeth the Gospell Phil. 1.27 God might haue placed thee oh sinfull secure man amongst the Iewes Turkes or Pagans or thou mightst haue continued with thy fore-fathers wrapped and enueloped in the Aegyptian darknesse of Popery where the light of his Truth should haue beene hid from thee but now that his wayes are reuealed to Iacob and his saluation to Israell since thou hast heard his Word if thou wilt not fall downe and worship him and worke his will CHRIST the obiect of the Gospell as a stone which thou stumblest at and a rocke of offence shall fall vpon thee and dash thee to pieces better thou hadst neuer heard of Christ then now vvith Herod to mocke him when with the Childe-murthering Herod thou pretending to worship and serue him thou dost but serue thy selfe and thine owne ends by all lewd courses sinfull and sinister meanes whatsoeuer Fourthly this is the end of thy Redemption from the slauery and bondage of thy spirituall enemies from the power of darknesse of Sinne and sinnes punishment the second death euen to serue God so runne all the streames of the waters of the Well of life so Zachary prophesieth Luke 1.74.75 so Paul perswades the Corinthians that being bought with a price they should glorifie God in their bodies and their spirits which were Gods So Peter presseth the same vpon the dispersed Iewes commenting as it were vpon and inlarging Pauls price that was paid for mans redemption shewing first negatiuely what it was not not any of these corruptible things as gold and siluer the earths redundance not pearles precious stones the treasures of the Land and Sea the Indians store and the Fishes hidden vertues c. then affirmatiuely it was a bloudy bootie that bought vs and not euery kinde of bloud not the bloud of Goates or Bullockes of Men or of Angels but the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot and the end of all this great Misterie greater Mercy in redeeming man from his greatest misery what other was it as also of our Vocation Sure nothing else but 1.
therefore the soules of Abraham Isaack and Iacob are liuing stil though they be dead themselues Secondly was not Enoch translated that he should not see death Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.17 then Enochs soule still liues Thirdly had not Daniels prayer beene an ignorant and friuolous wish as some note praying for Nabuchadnezzar Oh King liue for euer Dan. 2.4 If the life of his soule had not beene the obiect of his wish Fourthly doth not Elias pray that the soule of his Hostesse Childe may returne againe into him therefore it was not dead and extinct it is no matter where it was it is as absurd to say that it was in Limbo puerorum as Papists doe as that the soule of Lazarus and Iairus Daughter was in Purgatorie suppose it were in heauen it was liuing where euer it was euen as the soules of Moses and Elias were liuing and gaue motion to their bodies being vpon the Mount with Christ Fiftly Christ promiseth Paradise to the penitent Theefe Luke 23. the very day of his dissolution of which hee had liuery and seasure and present possession in his liuing soule for his dead body hung all that day vpon the Crosse Sixtly Lazarus dying was carryed into Abrahams bosome what was carryed his Soule Luke 16.22 as the wicked Angels fetcht the soule of the secure Churle to Hell Luke 12. verse 20. Seauenthly Iohn saw the soules of those vnder the Altar that were killed for the Word of Christ Reu. 5.6.9 All which with infinite moe being so many Arrowes shot against Atheisme doe euince that the soule is immortall and that the spirits of the iust here with old Simeons after their departure from the body returne to God that gaue them Eccles 12.7 A truth that the very Heathen saw by the light of Nature as appeares by their Writings by Antiochus his Epistle to Lisius wherein hee thinkes his dead Father translated to the Gods 2 Mach. 11. ver 23. Plato in his Timeo Tully in his Diuinations and in his Booke of the sleepe of Saeipio Pithagoras and the Pithagoreans Thales Milesius Hermes Euripides in his Tragedies Plutarch in his Consolatory Epistles Seneca in his Booke of immature death yea the Poets in their fictions of the Elizean fields and the like ayme all at this more like Christians at least Christian Philosophers and Poets that the Heauens are aeterna animaruÌ„ domicilia the eternall mansions of good soules departed Let vs beleeue this by the light of the Word which they saw by the poore sparke of Nature and let the thought of it still encourage thee which is the Naile that I driue at in all this discourse to looke Death boldly in the face since to the godly it is but Titulus sine re a bare title without any subsisting a bare name a blancke without a Seale good saith Bernard to the good in regard of rest better in regard of securitie best of all as the way to life and immortalitie being as Ambrose cals it alledged by Pontanus the birth day of thy eternitie the repayrer of thy lifes ruines not abolishing but establishing thy best being Therefore Summum nec mâ—tâ—â—as diem c. Feare not thy last fate rather desire it with Paul because it is but thy dissolution be thankfull for it with Simeon because it is but thy departure waite for it with Iob because it is thy changing then feare it or fret at it with the naturall and morrall men of the world For why should that eyther feare thee or fret thee that cannot hurt the best the greatest part of thee If the gold be saued who regards the losse of a rotten purse If the Pearles within be preserued who cares for the breaking of an old chest If the costly Marchandize and loading of the ship be safe what Marchant respects the ruines of a rotten Barge If the liuing soules be not indangered nor the best of the stuffe endammaged wee care not so much for the burning of an old house wee respect not the losse of the Cradle if the childe be safe the mangling of the cloaths if the body be vnwounded Now that which the Gold is to the Purse the Pearles to the Châ—st the Wares to the Ship the good Wines to the Caske the Honie to the Hiue the Housholder to the House the Childe to the Cradle the Body to the Garments that is the Soule to the Body as much more eminent and excellent as the thing contained exceedes the continent If death doe fetter the Body and free the Soule where is the losse what is the crosse Secondly is the Soule immortall and the Body mortall then execrable is the folly of the multitude and lamentable is the dotage of all sorts from the highest to the lowest that spend misspend their yeeres dayes strength vvit vvealth and all their Tallents in pleasing contenting satisfying and fulfilling the desires of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof in decking adorning feeding and pampering this sluggish Asse this rotten Carrion the body which perhaps shall take vp his Inne in the earth to morrow and be meate for wormes in the meane space neglecting and not regarding the soule which is to liue for euer Oh how many millions of men and women to euen amongst common Christians may be arraigned accused and conuicted of this folly and dottage that in other things are politique Galliâ—'s and plotting Iezabel's yet in this are witty fooles in preferring the Purse before the Gold the Caske before the Wine the Hiue before the Hony the Body before the Soule How many spend yeeres and moneths nay all their precious time in hawking hunting whoring carding dicing c. in scraping and gathering yealow dust together in doing workes morrall or sinfull their owne workes or the Diuels how many in doing nothing or doing euill or as good as nothing How many women spend many dayes and houres in tricking and trimming the painted sepulchers of their soules I meane their bodies in a Glasse who neuer considering how the glasse of their time runnes spend not a moneth in a yeere a weeke in a moneth a day in a weeke an houre in a day in the publique or priuate worship of GOD in looking into the Glasse of Gods word prayer meditation c. How many Citizens and Countrimen of all sorts spend the vvhole sixe dayes in catering and purueying for the body who grudge God his Sabbaths for the prouision of their soules such men eyther they thinke they haue no soules or that their soules shal die with their bodies like the beasts liuing like Libertines and Epicures as their faith is like the Saduces which denied any Spirit or Resurrection or soules immortalitie as Iosephus testifies of them Oh we had need cry to such deluded franticke men and tell them that they haue soules and soules immortall to raigne with GOD or to be plagued with the Diuels after their departing out of the body His hoped Pacification In these words In peace
their deaths they must be catechized as Christ did Nicodemus and Philip the Eunuch euen in the maine doctrines of Faith and Repentance like as some new conuerted Pagans were in the Primitiue Church There be few Ministers acquainted vvith visiting the sicke but they shall finde that men that haue beene vnder the meanes twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres doe at the end of all beginne to inquire as the Iewes of Peter Acts 2. and the Iaylor of Paâ—l Acts 16. what they should doe to be saued not yet knowing the meanes and the way to saluation which argues the great securitie of our age and contempt of God oh take thou heede betimes vse all good meanes before-hand that thou maist be able in sickenesse to put in practise these spirituall exercises of Repentance and Inuocation The second branch of the sicke mans preparation concernes himselfe and that eyther his soule or his body for the soule First the sicke partie must arme himselfe against the feare of death and feeling of sicknesse Death is very fearefull to all men euen to the godly as one obserues well in Dauid for all who though hee were neyther daunted with Sauls malice nor the Philistines hatred nor Absolons Treason nor Achitophels treachery nor in grapling with a Lyon nor in fighting with a Beare nor incountring Goliah yet when Death beganne to close vvith him and lay holde on him then hee cryes out Oh I am troubled aboue maesure Oh spare mee a little Psal 6.3 39.13 Therefore thus incourage thy present feeling and greater feare First that sicknesse and so death is the rod of a Father not the whip of a Iudge the correction not destruction of a Sonne Heb. 12.6 Secondly since it is the Lord say with Eli Lâ—t him doe what seemes good 1 Sam. 3.18 His will be done on mee in mee and by mee on me in suffering in me by his grace working by me in obeying Thirdly Christ thy high Priest and Intercessor is euen touched with a fellow-feeling of all thine infirmitiâ—s Heb. 4.15 Fourthly against deaths feare 1. consider the estate of thy life which life is but a vanishing Vapour Iames 4.14 a Weather-cocke which turnes at euery blast a Waue which surgeth at euery storme a Reede blowne vvith euery winde a Warfare as doubtfull as dangerous feare not the vanishing of a Vapour the turning of a Weather-cocke 2. Consider thy body as a body of sinne Rom. 7.24 the soules prison the mindes iayle the spirits cage no Bocardo dungeon sincke puddle pit is so noysome to the body as it selfe is to the heauenly inspired soule Now since death is the leauing of this body of sinne as Augustine cals it it is not to be eschewed but imbraced saith Chrisostome Other incouragements I leaue to their due places The second dutie which concernes the soule is this thou must set in order thy soule reconciling and recommending vnto God this desolate darling of thine after the manner afore said for as the sickenesse of the body oft comes from the sinne of the soule so the curing of the one oft procures the health of the other but if thy sicknesse be to death by this course 1. thou shalt dye more quietly 2. more comfortably 3. giue good example to thy visitors 4. leaue a comfort to thy suruiuing Friends Now for the performance of these things the better others ought to assist thee as others brought the sicke of the Palsie to CHRIST Marke 2. Iames tels thee that the Elders of the Church must be sent for Iam. 5.14 which Elders were not onely Apostles but auncient men endued with the spirit of Prayer and gift of Miracles a gift which not onely many Parents had but euen Christian Souldiers saith Tertullian de corona militis c. 11. In these times S. Iames his rule still holds though then those gifts cease yet make thou choyse of such Christians as haue the spirit of Admonition Exhortation Prayer c. for to their prayers for thee a blessing is promised Iames 5.15 their prayers if they be feruent may preuaile for the restoring of thy spirituall life or corporall health as the prayers of Elias Elizeus Paul and our Sauiour Christ preuailed for whom they prayed but chiefely send for thy Minister or some faithfull Preacher for hee will play the part of a spirituall Physitian 1. hee can vnrip thy vlcers search thy sores better then thou thy selfe 2. set before thee thy sinnes 3. cast thee downe by the Law 4. raise thee vp by the Gospell 5. comfort 6. direct 7. instruct thee 8. speake a word to thee in due season from God 9. be thy mouth to speake from thee and for thee to God 10. pronounce thy pardon on earth vvhich shall be ratified in heauen vpon tryall of thy Repentance Iohn 20.23 The practise of the world and worldlings is condemnable in this case for alas instead of sending for knowing and zealous men which could comfort them with such consolations wherewith they themselues haue beene comforted 2 Cor. 1.4 and in some measure restore them Gal. 6.1 they send for their carnall friends entertaine and welcome profane men that come to visit them from whom they receiue as much comfort as Iudas did of the Scribes and Pharisies when hee was in despayre Mat. 27.3.4 First eyther they say nothing to them like Iobs friends that were silent seauen dayes Iob 2.13 and in silence looke vpon them like a Deere at gaze Secondly or else they speake to little or no purpose saying to the sicke partie they are sorry to see him in such a case they would haue him take that which themselues want a good heart and be of good courage and comfort but wherein and by what meanes they cannot tell Others more vainely and profanely that they doubt not but hee shall doe well enough and recouer and that they shall be merry and drinke and carouse together as they haue done before c. and they will pray for them if they will when alas all their prayers are nothing else but the Apostles Creede or the tenne Commandements and the Lords Prayer vttered without Faith Feeling and Vnderstanding and this is the common comfort that sicke men get of their neighbours and friends when they come to visite them alas we may say as Iob of his friends miserable comforters be they all Secondly herein many men are also culpable 1. that they eyther send not for a Minister at all 2. or else for such a one as is as good as none a cloud without raine a dry pit without water such a one as wants the tongue of the learned to speake to him or the heart of the humble to pray for him vnlesse in saying as they say some set prayers which good Sir Iohn is as farre from truely praying as the sicke Patient is from profiting by them Or thirdly if they send for a Minister it is preposterously when it is too late in some maine exigent
Angels Arch-angels Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and all the holy company of Heauen our fathers our mothers our sisters and brothers our friends and deare ones that are gone before vs O glorious sight O inestimable comfort worthy to make vs cry with the Apostle I desire to be loosed and to be there Come Lord Iesus come quickely Death is an end of all misery and the beginning of all blisse an eternall dwelling with God againe and an aduantage as the Apostle nameth it a sweet sleepe a comfortable rest Vitae via the way of life saith Ambrose Nomen tantum fidelibus death is onely a bare name and no death indeed to the faithfull saith Chrisostome Nemo timet mortem nisi qui non sperat viuere post mortem No man feareth death but hee that hopeth not to liue after death the Lord gaue and the Lord taketh away life as well as goods and shall not wee say with Iob Blessed be the Name of the Lord. If wee hold for tearmes of yeeres or at the will of the Lord must not we be content to relinquish it when our tearme is expired Wee our selues doe looke for it at the hands of our Tenants and would be much offended if they should be disobedient shall wee not performe to God what wee looke for at men Grudge not at the losse but be thankfull for the Ioane wee are Gods Tenants and we ought to giue him his owne when it is due to him Would you keepe a pledge from the true owner that committed it to you for a time Our life is Gods pledge hee hath left it with vs now so long he euer entended to call for it againe and will you not restore it gladly and willingly without murmuring and repining thinke how you would like that at mans hands to keepe your pledge Heathens haue beene strong and shall Christians be weake The Swan is said to sing most sweetly when shee must die and shall Gods Children weepe Blessed blessed are the dead that die in the Lord saith the holy Ghost Reu. 14.13 and will we not beleeue him O ignaros malorum suoruÌ„ c. O ignorant men of the miseries of this life that doe not esteeme and prayse death as the best inuention of nature yea let vs say rather it is the great mercy and goodnesse of God towards man for first it expelleth calamitie secondly it includeth felicâ—tie thirdly it preuenteth the perils of youth fourthly it finisheth the toyles of age Omnibus finis multis remedium nonnullis votum to all an end to many a remedie to some a wish deseruing better of none then of them to whom hee commeth before hee be called for As children feare their friends when they are disguised but when their vizards are plucked off are glad of them so of death Ignorance makes feare and Knowledge ioy Cleambrotus saith Cicero after hee had read Platoes Booke of the happy estate of the dead cast himselfe head-long off from a wall into the Sea that hee might come to that happinesse the same Author speaketh of another Philosopher that so disputed of the contempt of death that many willingly killed themselues whereupon Ptolomy the King forbad him any more to speake of that matter in his Schoole Now alacke what comparisons be betwixt Philosophicall Comforts and Diuine out of the Treasure of Gods owne Wisdome taken from his written Word Shall wee then with our light feare that which they in their darknesse so little regarded God forbid The day of our birth wee neuer feare and The day of death saith God that is euer true is better then the day that one is borne Eccles 7.3 That resemblance of death to sleepe in Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.51 is most fit if you marke it and full of pleasure for 1 As no man can euer wake but of necessitie must sometimes sleepe so no man can euer liue but must needes haue a time to die 2 Be a man neuer so strong sleepe will tame him and so will death as it did Goliah Sampson Milo and others 3 As sleepe maketh vs put off our cloaths and Iewels and that willingly that we may take our rest so dealeth death with vs it taketh away all our pompe and port and layeth vs downe in our beds till the waking time to arise 4 As sleepe commeth of eating so came death also to our first Parents by intemperancie in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 2.17 5 As our dayes doings be our nights troubles by the working of the phantasie so are our lifes sinnes our deaths griefes by the gnawing of the Conscience as appeareth in Iudas Antiochus and Francis Spira 6 Sleepers haue no stormes nor dead men know the worlds woes for Abraham is ignorant of and Israel knowes not the Iewes woes the first things being past c. Reu. 21.4 7 Some fall sodainely or quickely into sleepe and some are long according to the moistnesse or drynesse of their braines euen so some dye sooner as young Iosias and some later as olde Methusalem according to the temper of their radicall moysture as it pleaseth God 8 Some sleepe in their owne houses and some in other mens as did Sisera in Iaels some in the fields some at Sea some here some there in sundry places so doe wee dye some at home and some abroad some by land and some by Sea as God appointeth 9 No man can tell the very time that hee falleth asleepe but onely feeleth it comming and his body disposed to it so no man can tell the very moment of his death but onely feeleth his body faint and his spirits drawing to an end 10 Suanius dormiunt qui relinquunt c. They sleepe much better saith one that leaue all their cares in their shooes which they put off and goe to rest with a quiet minde euen so doe they dye better that haue disposed of all their worldly matters by Will or otherwise whereby they are not troubled or distracted by them 11 They sleepe well againe that haue laboured and taken paines all the day time and so they die well that in their vocation haue not beene idle but imployed both body and minde to doe good 12 As Assuerus when he could not sleepe called for the Chronicles of his kingdom to be read vnto him so assuredly whilst wee wake in this world and the sleepe of death commeth not vpon vs it shall be a most profitable thing to reade or cause to be read vnto vs the chronicle of GOD the sacred and holy Scriptures the treasures of all Comfort and good instructions 13 When the body sleepeth the soule sleepeth not no more dyeth the soule when the body dyeth 14 No man goeth to bed to sleepe but with a certaine hope and purpose to wake and rise againe so must wee dye in assurance of that great and generall Resurrection 15 And as our voyce and calling vpon men awake them so shall that sounding Trumpet doe in that day Our Bed saith another is the Image of
Iesus Christ Mors Christs mors mortis meae The death of Christ is the death of my death saith Bernard O Death I will be thy Death saith hee by the Prophet And Hierome vpon it Illius morte tâ— mortua es c. By his death thou art dead by his death wee liue thou hast deuoured and art deuoured thy selfe oh Death Death maketh dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit to returne to God that gaue it saith the word of God and shall not wee be glad of this Shall it grieue vs to returne to God to haue the Spirit goe from whence it came to walke with God to enter into life to goe to the Marriage of the Lambe Is the brute Oxe grieued to be vnyoaked Were Abraham Isacc and Iacob holy men or holy women euer vnwilling Wherefore if men desire naturall sleepe in regard of the good that commeth by it so doe you death and cherefully from your heart say with olde Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace according to thy Word c. Luke 2.29 Sect. 4. The fourth Consideration Note 4 A Fourth cause making men willing without feare to sleepe naturally is that assured hope which they haue to awake and arise againe and shall not you arise from the sleepe of death why then should we shrinke more at the one then at the other wee shall rise againe for Christ our Head is risen and the Members must follow If the dead be not raised then is Christ not risen c. as you read in that singular Chapter 1 Cor. 15.20 The Sunne riseth and setteth againe the Moone waineth groweth againe Of the ashes of the olde Phoenix commeth another the leafe falleth and the sappe descendeth yet both sappe and leafe returne againe Sarahs wombe though dead yet beareth a Sonne when the Lord will so shall the resurrection be of dead bodies The hand of the Lord was vpon mee saith the Prophet and carried mee out in the Spirit of the Lord and set mee downe in the midst of the field which was full of bones And hee led me round about by them and behold there were very many in the open field and loe they were very dry And hee said vnto mee Sonne of man can these bones liue And I answered O Lord God thou knowest Againe hee said vnto mee Prophesie vpon these bones and say vnto them O yee dry bones heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God vnto these bones behold I will cause breath to enter into you and yee shall liue And I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh grow vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath into you that yee may liue and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noyse and behold there was a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone And when I beheld loe the sinewes and the flesh grew vpon them and aboue the skinne couered them but there was no breath in them Then said hee vnto mee Prophesie vnto the wind prophesie sonne of man and say to the winde Thus saith the Lord God Come from the foure windes O breath and breathe vpon these slaine that they may liue So I prophesied as hee had commanded mee and the breath came into them and they liued and stood vp vpon their feet an exceeding great armie Such another excellent place is that in the Apocalypse And I saw a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and the heauen and their place was no more found And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the Booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the Bookes according to their workes And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and Death and Hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes Thus you see that as from our naturall sleepe so from death wee shall awake againe and therefore no cause to feare the one more then the other Resurrectio mortuorum spes Christianorum The Resurrection of the dead is the hope of the Christians Faith So Tertullian meaning their ioyfull hope that wipeth away all teares and vnwillingnesse to dye Credo Resurrectionem carnis I beleeue the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Therefore care away Though I dye yet I dye not but onely sleepe in my Graue as in my Chamber till my GOD send his Angels to awake me with his Trumpet that I may enter into ioy that nâ—uer shall haue an end till which time I rest free from all sorrow and paine not troubled with any of the worlds woes but as a man in his bed fast asleepe most free from all offences and vexations Yea euen the selfe same body shall arise to our vnspeakable comforts teach the Scriptures Iob 19.25 Iohn 5.29 1 Cor. 15.42.43 and many other places euen as Christs body arose the same that it was before the same eyes mouth feet hands c. Dixeâ—â—nt tactis corproibus c. They said saith Tertullian of auncient Christians touching or laying their hands vpon the bodies wee beleeue the resurrection of this body this body that I touch and lay my hands vpon for the goodnesse of God will giue glory to that body that hath giuen glory to him the selfe-same eye the selfe-same mouth the selfe-same eare feet hands c. What an encouragement is this to doe well if you marke it and what an argument to make vs willing to dye being assured of this as weare Sect. 5. The last Consideration The bodyes freedome and the soules Glorification Note 5 THE fift and last cause that maketh vs willing to goe to our naturall rest without feare muttering or any discontent is the chearefulnesse and liuelinesse of body and minde that vseth to follow after sleepe both to body and minde being refreshed thereby so greatly let the same cause make vs willing to dye for there is no comparison betweene the comfort and refreshing that naturall sleepe worketh and that which followeth after death when Christ shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie If that small glimpse which the Disciples saw made them wish for three Tabernacles and an eternall being there Mat. 17.4 O how shall the whole glory of heauen and heauens blisse rauish vs and make vs glad that wee haue attained to it O no such refreshing can come from our earthly beds and naturall sleepe here Wherefore with ioy let vs welcome the houre
of death and blesse God for it tenne thousand times following the foot-steps of worthy Fathers and Saints in the Church whose feeling of this point God hath directed them to leaue behinde them in their writings O tu vita quam praeparauit Dexs ijs qui diligunt eum vita vitalis vita beata vita secura vita tranquilla c. O thou life saith Augustine prepared of God for them that loue him thou liuing life thou blessed life thou secure life thou quiet life thou beautifull life thou life that knowest no death thou life that knowest no sadnesse thou life without blot without sorrow without care without corruption without perturbation without any varietie or change Would God that laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into thy ioyes O quam fortunatus ero si audiuero c. O how happy shall I be if I might heare those sweet Songs of thy Citizens and those honey sweet verses but O more happy if I my selfe may finde grace and fauour to sing a song vnto the Lord Iesus Christ of the sweet Songs of Sion O verè foelices qui de Pilago c. O truely happy they that come out of the Sea of the World to the Hauen of Heauen out of Banishment to their owne Country and out of a foule Prison to a glorious Palace O Coelestis domus luminosa ad te suspirat c. O Heauenly House full of glorious light to thee tendeth my pilgrimage that he may possesse mee in thee that made both mee and thee Inter Brachia Seruatoris mei viuere volo mori cupio In the Armes of my Sauiour I wish to liue and desire to dye Many such feeling speeches I could repeate from the auncient militant warriours in this mortalitie whom we call Fathers when they went to the Father of Spirits shewing how farre they were from any vnwillingnesse to die which if wee make vse of as wee ought assuredly they will vvorke in vs through the blessing of God the same effect To shut vp this the godly cry come Lord Iesus come quickely Now they are in the world then they shall come to their owne now they are in the skirmish then shall they be in their victory now in the tempestuous Sea then in the quiet Hauen now in the heate of the day then in rest and coole euening now in place absent from Christ then with him following wheresoeuer hee goeth Now their life is hid with Christ but then shall they appeare with him in glory and that glory for euer and euer without change or end 1 Iohn 4.2 Comforts against the feare of Death by which the Christian Soule may be made willing to her Dissâ—lution CHAP. V. THE feare of death is not one of the least temptations to a weake Christian for Death is not onely fearefull to a naturall man whose hope is in this world being in it owne nature the most terrible of all terribles as Heathen men haue tearmed it for which cause wicked men are agast at the apprehension of it as appeares in the example of Bâ—ltazar of Hamon and others being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare vnto the Stake and the Swine vnto the Shambles but euen the godly themselues haue some combats and conflicts in this kinde as had our Sauiour Christ himselfe Ezekias and Dauid c. by reason that Nature abhorres her owne abolishion and feares the dissolution of the soule and body which are naturally as vnwilling to be seuered and sundered as two friends that haue beene borne and bred and brought vp together are loath to depart and to take their long leaue eyther of other therefore to make that easie and facile vnto thee which of it selfe is harsh and difficult that thou maist submit thy selfe willingly to that which all flesh haue vndergone and must vndergoe of necessitie Arme Grace against Nature and the Spirit against the Flesh with these comfortable considerations 1 Consider that by corporall death God onely cals againe for that soule which at the first hee created and infused into the body to informe and animate it and that this Soule of thine flits not out of her terrestriall tabernacle by chance or hap-hazard or casualtie or fortune or by the Climactericall yeere the reuolution of seauens and nines or by the position of the Heauens or course of the Starres or by thy disease or sicknesse occasioned by bad dyet superfluities of meates or drinkes ouer-great heates or taking of cold or the like accidents which are but meere instruments of thy mortalitie but looke at the superiour Agent GOD himselfe who hath now determined and disposed thy death Hab. 9.27 who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy limits who turnes thy dust into his dust Gen. 3.19 thou being a Sonne of Adam and cals for thy Spirit to returne to him that gaue it Psal 90.3 Eccles 12.7 And therefore seeing it is the Lord that cals be thou as willing to sleepe with thy Fathers as Samuel was to awake out of his naturall sleepe at Gods call 1 Sam. 3.10 Thinke that thy Soule is giuen vnto thee as a precious pledge to be safely kept and therefore grudge not to returne thy holy pawne to God the chiefe owner when hee requires it but commit it to him as into the hands of a faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer Why should the Tenant at will stand out with his Land-lord for an old rotten Cottage when he would remoue him to a better Mansion why should the Souldier be refractorie to leaue his station and place to be otherwaies disposed of by his Generall and Commander Now thou art here but a Tenant at will thou hast no fee-simple of thy life thou art a war-faring Souldier professed in Baptisme therefore like the Centurions Souldiers be willing to goe when thy Captaine bids thee goe Mat. 8.9 2 Let this comfort thee that thy sinnes the cause of thy death is taken away by the Messias Christ in whom thou beleeuest by whom thy sinnes being pardoned thou art blessed Psal 32.1 his death being the death of Sin and the conquest of Hell Hos 13. 1 Cor. 15. And therefore comfort thy selfe with Dauids holy Meditations encouraging thy soule to returne vnto her rest because the Lord hath beene bountifull vnto thee since he hath deliuered thy Soule from death euen the second death thine eyes from teares and thy feete from falling and since thou shalt walke before the Lord euen with the foure and twentie Elders in long white roabes in the Land of the liuing Psal 116.7.8.9 For all thy bitter griefe in corporall death which yet is sweetened to the Elect the Lord will deliuer thy soule from the pit of corruption for hee hath cast all thy sinnes behinde his backe as hee did Ezekiahs Esay 38.17 And therefore as there is no danger in handling an Adder or Viper or any other Serpent when her sting is taken away so there is no perill in Death since Sinne which is
GOD against the Amorites Amonites Amalekites Aegiptians Philistines or any of their mortall enemies Thou canst tell well what these enemies were the deceitfull World deluding Flesh and deceiuing Diuell 1 Tim. 6.4.18 Ephe. 6.12 1 Pet. 5.8 1 Iohn 2.13 The lust of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life 1 Iohn 1.16 How oft haue they soiled how oft haue they foyled thee What burnings hast thou had from thine owne boyling concupiscence within and from Sathans fiery darts without What bloody bickerings hast thou had with thine owne rebellious heart What ciuill broyles betwixt Grace and Nature two armed Champions strugling within thee like Iacob and Esau in Rebeccahs wombe What combats hast thou had with thine owne corruptions thine owne flesh rising against thee as Absolon against Dauid incouraged and counselled by that Serpentinely politique Achiâ—phel the Diuell how to dispossesse thee of a better kingdome then any earthly Monarch euer gaue euen the Kingdome of Heauen driuing thee from the Castle of Grace and preuenting thee from the Throne of Glory What troupes of lusts out of thine owne bosome and breeding like the blacke guard of Ruffians and Swash-bucklers haue ioyned issue with the Flesh against thee the Diuell being the grand Generall of those slauish and sinfull Legions What vvounds and wrackes hast thou receiued from Pride Luxurie Worldlinesse Carnalitie Ambition Anger Aemulation Malice Couetousnesse sensuall Delights carnall Desires c. the skars whereof are yet remaining though their rancour be cured by repentance how haue these successiuely and oft successefully set vpon thee one after another like the Lion after the Beare and Goliah after the Lion against Dauid oft-times all together What oppositions hast thou had with Luxurie when Couetousnesse hath beene conquered how hath Ambition lift vp his head when Lust hath beene bet downe with the Hammer of Mortification If Ambition hath beene quenched how hath Anger boyled how hath Pride puft vp Wrath inflamed Enuy gnawed thy distracted and distempered heart how haue pestilent Passions like Hydra's heads cut off risen vp one after another nay like the heads of the Serpent Amphisbena one against another all against thy peace Now when Death comes it is the death of all these thy deadly enemies thy rest in the graue is a rest from all these perturbations the bearers of thy Hearse carry thee like the Romane Worthies in a triumphant Chariot then thou hast the Conquest after these tumultuous and various conflicts therefore lift vp thy head and reioyce in thy death-bed for now thy warre-fare is at an end and thy reward which thou shalt now possesse amongst the blessed conquering Spirits in glory shall neuer haue end Now thy soule like the Aeagle shall mount aloft singing vpward with the little Larke taking the wings of a Doue it shall flye out of this inclosing house of the body and be at rest safe and secure from the snares of the hellish Fowler free from the snares of the world neuer to be besmeared nor intangled againe with the lime-twigs of the catching and intrapping flesh Sugar and sweeten the bitter cup of thy death with this Meditation and if thou truely hate sinne loue the Lord detest thy corruptions and fight against thy spirituall temptations this triple peace which thou shalt enioy first from thine enemies secondly in thy Soule thirdly with thy GOD the God of peace amongst the Angels of peace in the Kingdome of peace will be thy dying peace 9 Thou maist inlarge this Meditation by pondering the griefes and vexations that thy soule hath beene pinched with here not onely for thine owne personall sinnes Originall and Actuall of Omission and Commission but for the sinnes of others of this wicked world in which thou liuest and of wicked and vngodly men amongst whom thou liuest which now thou shalt be freed from for alas what man hath any feare of God any sparke of Grace liuing trading trafficking amongst vngodly vngracious and prophane men as Noah liued amongst the Worldlings Lot amongst the Sodomites Ioseph and Daniel amongst Idolaters as Esay Ieremie and Ezekiel amongst a sinfull beastly hard-hearted and rebellious people seeing their abhominations hearing their fearefull and horrid blasphemies when like Dogs they set their mouthes to barke against heauen that hurts them not like Toades and Serpents spitting daily and deadly poyson in their deuillish oathes euen in the very face of God vpon no occasion without any temptation but onely of custome gracelesnesse madnesse and malice against the Lord himselfe besides other harsh sounds comming from their worldly luxurious and carnall hearts with a thousand such like impieties and horrid villanies amongst professed Christians more enormious then haue beene or now are amongst the very Turkes Iewes and Pagans nay amongst the Beasts themselues who I say hearing and seeing these things can haue any ioy or comfort in this life in the few and euill dayes of his Pilgrimage Who could be contented to liue in a Pallace in pompe where hee should euery day heare his deare Parents his Father and Mother railed vpon and reuiled his Brethren traduced his owne Country and country-men vilified this were a racke and torture Oh what ioy haue we then to liue in this worlds Prison where daily and hourely wee heare God our Father the Father of Spirits Iesus Christ our elder Brother blasphemed his Name abused his glory eclipsed and his children calumniated our Brethren Saints by calling Cittizens of the Celestiall Hierusalem vsed as the off-scourings of the world mocked at by the mocking Michols and rayled vpon by the Satanicall Shemeis of our age being meere subiects of sport as CHRIST vvas to the Iewes and Sampson to the Philistines to the Diuels Apes prophane men in their Pest-house-Play-houses and in their deuillish and drunken merriments in Tauernes Ale-houses Tobacco-shops and Brothell-houses who vnlesse hee haue an heart of flint hardned like the nether-Milstone can be freed from remorse diuision diuulsion who vnlesse a Myrmidon or hewen out of Caucasus as was once fained can temper from teares who can be otherwayes if hee be Gods then a mourning Doue an howling Ostrich and a solitary Pellican in this worlds wildernesse and Desart of sinne for all the sinnes of the sonnes of men who can but mourne with the holy Saints in former times for all the abhominations of the Citie Ezek. 9 4. Whose heart is not vexed with Lots for the vncleane conuersation of millions amongst vs vvhose workes of darkenesse in these dayes of light shall iustifie the Sodomites in iudgement 2 Pet. 2.7.8 who cryes not Woe is me with Dauid that is constrained to liue here in Meseck and to dwell in the tents of Kedar Who prayes not with Samuel for a sinfull people 1 Sam. 12.23 Whose soule is not wounded with the sinnes of the times that breake out in such abundance Who could not be content to be free from the smell stinckes and infection of them What comfort is there to haue any
repentance Dan. 4.24 Turne to the Lord with all thine heart in fasting weeping and mourning Ioel 2.12 Turne from the wickednesse thou hast committed with the Niniuites Ionah 3.7.8 Wash thee and make thee cleane Esay 1.16 Cleanse thy heart from euill thoughts Ier. 4.14 Leaue thy formalitie in Religion and worship the Lord in truth and spirit Iohn 4.24 Get faith and learne to liue by faith Hab. 2.4 and to dye by faith Be a Nathaniel in thy dealings with men let thy heart be vpright as thy hand Ioh. 1.47 Remember the poore and needy then the Lord will remember thee in the day of thy sicknesse Christ will visite thee as hee did Iairus Daughter and Peters wiues Mother he shall be thy Physitian when the simples of Nature and the arme of Flesh faile his Angels shall pitch their tents about thee and carry thy flitting soule as they did Lazarus his into the seates of the blessed Make vse of this and the LORD giue thee vnderstanding in all things 16 As the examples of the Saints of God that hauing liued conscionably and dyed comfortably must comfort thee in this houre so their willingnesse to dye must encourage thee willingly to drinke of that cup which the Lord offers thee without resisting or relucting Looke vpon old Simeon singing that Swan-like song prophecying his death Lord now leâ—tâ—st thou thy Seruant depart in peace Luke 2.29 But especially of Saint Paul vveary of this mortalitie desirouâ— to be disburdened of the burthen of his corruptions to be deliuered from the body of sinne Rom. 7. to be present with the Lord to be dissolued and to be with CHRIST 2 Cor. 5. Phil. 1. But the best president that wee haue in life and death as the best comfort is the practise of Christ who although hee feared death as man desiring conditionally the passing of that bitter cup yet neuerthelesse wee shall see in him a great alacritie chearefulnesse propensitie and willingnesse to dye for besides his often conference with his Disciples about his death the frequent nomination of it vpon all occasions which shewes how vehemently hee was affected towards it the tongue speaking from the hearts abundance all his words and acts declare it for to shew his desire to dye hee counts it but a Baptisme or as it were a sprinkling of cooling water Mat. 20.22 nay it is meate and drinke to him to doe his Fathers will which was that hee should dye hee counts it a Iourney to goe which hee was willing to vnder-goe nay hee was euen payned vntill it was past when it came to the push that his houre was come hee seekes death as it seekes him hee goes forth to meete and welcome it as his friend as Abraham and Lot to meete and entertaine the Angels hee offers himselfe to the instruments of his death his backe to the smiters and finally his soule is not taken from him compulsorie but as hee commended it so hee resigned and gaue it vp to his Father willingly hee gaue vp the ghost hauing power to lay downe his life sending out his spirit as Noah did the Doue out of the Arke which after three dayes returned againe to quicken the body from heauen from whence also Lazarus his soule returned after foure dayes Now apply this to thine owne particular art not thou a Christian so denominated of CHRIST then euery one of Christs actions ought to be thy instruction chiefely in his death all whose dying gestures are worthy to be writ in thy heart in letters of Gold Did hee then vnder-goe such an extraordinary vnnaturall painefull shamefull cursed death the worst that euer was for therefore Christ dyed the worst death that euer was both for the ignominie of it and the exquisite tortures in it that a Christian should not feare any death since euery death is sanctified vnto him in the death of Christ Did Christ not onely indure his pangs and paines in death so patiently as a Lambe before the shearer but was euen desirous of this bitter pill for the ioy that was set before him and the loue hee bore to redeeme thy enthralled soule and art thou scrupulous and timerous of a naturall and an ordinary passage from life to life through this dead Sea Wilt thou mutter and murmure and shew thy selfe refractory to come to the Kings Court when thou art so gently summoned by such a sweet messenger as a lingring sickenesse Hast thou so little longing to goe to him by the rupture of a weake thread of life who was so desirous to come to thee from heauen to earth from the earth to the Crosse from the Crosse to the Graue euen through a red Sea of blood thorow Pikes and Speares and nayles and thornes being dieted in this his bloody march with the bread of affliction and the water of teares with gall vinegar oh hast thou so little delight in him so little desire towards him so small liking of him so little loue to him that thou list not step ouer the narrow bridge of this life to meete him to greete him and to inioy him Expostulate with thy soule how it comes to be so dull so dead so lumpish so leaden how it is that thou professest thy selfe to be a Spouse of Christ a member of Christ a branch of Christ which thou must beleeue and professe if thou hast any part in him and yet hast no desire to put off the outward mantle of this bodies couering to be inseparably imbraced in the armes of this Bridegroome not to leane with Iohn but for euer to rest in his bosome to be ioyned to thy Head to be fixed in this vnion But if Christs loue and desire to dye and to dye for thee be too high a pitch for thee to soare to which yet ought to be aymed at yet imitate the desires and the patience of the Saints in this kinde so farre as the Apostle speakes of himselfe as they imitate Christ for as the examples of the wicked are recorded for our detestation 1 Cor. 6.10 so the examples of the godly are written for our comfort and consolation Rom. 15.4 You haue heard saith Iames of the patience of Iob and what end God made with him You haue heard of the desires of Paul and Simeon of the graces that appeared in Dauid Iacob Steuen c. Ambrose Augustine c. Caluin Luther c. and vvhat ends they made vvith God Then thou vsing the same meanes that they did euen Faith and Repentance why shouldest thou demurre or be vnwilling to goe that Iourney vvhich they haue gone 17 Yet if examples and presidents of others as of Christ and Christians set not an edge on thy desires to dye yet let the mutabilitie breuitie and vncertaintie of life with the certaintie of death cause thee to make a vertue of necessitie as Esay said from God to Ezâ—kias thou must dye and as God to Moses thou
heate of their persecutions being refreshed with the vision of that incarnate Babe Prince of peace branch of Iesse eternall Counsellor which they did preach and of whom they did prophesie In Christ reioyced the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn yea Paul himselfe in the midst of stripes whips and imprisonment In Christ reioyced the ancient Martyres Policarpus Ignatius Cyprian euen like the three Children in the middest of the fire In Christ reioyced the ancient Fathers Augustine Ierome Bernard c. witnesse their words works and writings amongst the rest of him that could say Deus meus omnia my Christ and all things Wife Childe Friend Father ioy sufficient efficient in life and death Nay lastly as with Christ so in Christ and for Christ reioyced the Angels in earth and in heauen be glad then oh yee righteous and reioyce ye that feare the Lord as the Angels to the Shepheards as Esay to the Church For vnto vs a childe is borne and a Sonne is giuen For to vs is borne a Sauiour in the Citie of Dauid which shall deliuer all his Israel from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 Luke 19.10 Many and manifold are the ioyes of the sonnes of men as dangerous as diuers few with those sonnes of God by Creation and Adoption Angels and Saints reioyce in or for Christ but sinners according to the diuersities of their darling sinnes solace their soules in such contents as I may call meerely Antichristian and against Christ and the Lords annoynted in which they please themselues and displease him content their flesh but crucifie CHRIST and grieue his Spirit Nabal and Baltazar the Epicure and Drunkard hath ioy enough in his feasts and festiuals the colour of the wine delights his sight the relish his deuouring sense like a base Bagge-pipe hee makes such Musicke as the Diuell daunceth at when hee is full The Vsurer the worldling and the miserable able miser hath his heart rauished when his eye reflexeth vpon his glittering Idoll and golden God the Calfe that this beast bowes too The impure Onan filthy Fornicator and inexcusable Adulterer which like to Salomons foole goes into the harlots house and like Ieremies neighing horse without vnderstanding runnes after his neighbours wife like the Oxe to the slaughter to his owne destruction delights himselfe as the Swine in the miâ—e as the Toade in the puddle as the Panther with excrements as the Scarabean Flye with ordure and filth as the Diuell his Father amongst filthy Hogs with his vncleane courses and discourses feeding his appetite with strange flesh as the lusting Israelites with loued and loathed Quayles v as the Italian Pselli and Mersi feede on poyson his chiefe ioy is to touch and taste Sodomes Apples and the forbidden fruit his onely Paradise the ioying in and inioying here which hee dreames of hereafter a Turkish Heauen a Mahumetaine portion of Wine and Women as for Christ hee hauing no heart at all Hosea 4.11 can haue no heart to him neyther in delighting in him or desiring him no more then the very Diuels themselues who quaked and trembled and made out cryes and exclamations at the very sight of him Luke 8.28.29 so all other Libertines amongst vs haue some Herodias or other some one beloued sinne which they more loue and like and ioy in then in the worlds Sauiour As some in their carnall companions and vvicked associates vvith whose dispositions and conuersations as they receiue as much infection in their soule as their bodyes from a Pest-house so they haue their refections as Baltazzar and Sardanapalus had with their Queenes and Concubines and so in the rest Well these carnall and common Christians which haue as much zeale to Christ and loue for Christ as common women plainely demonstrate that they haue the spirit of Sathan and not the Spirit of GOD as had Simeon And therefore as they ioy not in Christ neyther doth he ioy in them no more then a chaste Bridegrome in a whorish Spouse as they desire not him he desires not them nor their company in his Chamber no more then hee did the foolish Virgins as they delight not in him he delights not in them no more then a man delights in his crucifier and tormenter as they loue not him so hee loues not them no more then he doth Cain and Esau whom the LORD hated As Peter said to Simon Magus so I say to them They and their money perish together they and their lustfull pleasures perish together as did Zâ—mri and Cosbee they and their Gold perish together as did Achan and his wedge they and their Idols perish together as did the Israelites and their Calfe they and their sinnes perish together as did the murmuring Rebels in the Wildernesse they and their companions perish together as did Corah and his complices cursed be their sinnes and their Societies like Simâ—on and Leui brethren in iniquitie So let them perish Lord that are thine enemies like the vntimely fruit of a woman If any loue not the Lord Iesus let them be accursed Anathema Maranatha If any reioyce not at the birth of a Sauiour here with Simeon let the Sunne of all their carnall ioyes sâ—t and be eclipsed in the cloud of death Secondly as wee must ioy in Christ so wee must ioy and reioyce and be thankefull for Christ yea for all the blessings and the benefits that wee receiue in and from Christ temporall and spirituall externall internall or eternall so was Simeon here his song is Eucharisticall and gratulatory for the reuelation of Christ hee blesseth God that hee liues to see the conduit and the fountaine of all blessings to his Church Christ the Messias And since his Deuotion is our Instruction Christians must be thankefull for Christ Thus all the faithfull and beleeuers when Christ was borne offered vp their tributarie prayses the sacrifices of their soules breaking out into holy Hymnes and Songs The Angel did caroll out Glory be to God on high so the Easterne Magi the zealous Shepheards glorifie God the blessed Virgin magnifies the Lord Elizabeth and the prophecying Babe within her wombe leape and reioyce Anna Zachary and Simeon are not behinde with their parts in continuing their prayses and so must wee with our best hearts and affections make vp the Quire since wee haue no lesse interest in nor no fewer priuiledges by Christ then they The Reasons to inforce this duety are these First if the Saints of God in the old Testament were so thankefull for their temporall protection preseruation and redemption from their outward enemies the Egyptians Amalekites Canaanites Ammonites Moabites Philistines c. by temporall Sauiours Moses Ioshua Gideon Iaphte Sampson Dauid c. as may be seene in the spirituall Songs of Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Deborah and Baruch
and all profane men account of the Gospell euen meere foolishnesse and therefore they so blatter and blaspheme and like bruite beasts speake euill of those things and those persons which they know not but I will assure thee how ere thou thinke the poore and penitent Christian the sincere and zealous to raue as the Iewes thought of Ieremy to be distract or mad or besides himselfe as Festus thought Paul as Christs Country-men thought of our Sauiour to bee simple men and fooles c. yet neuerthelesse they know with Dauid that it is better to be a doore-keeper in Gods house nay to suffer affliction with Moses and Gods people then to inioy the pleasures of sinne then to inioy all the priuiledges in Pharaohs Court then to reioyce here for a while with Diues and Salomons young man and then to quake in Iudgement and be damned in hell yea they euen in this vaile of teares haue more ioy in their fasting then thou in feasting more in praying then thou in playing more in sighing then thou in singing for euen in the midst of mirth the heart of the vvicked is heauy vvhen GOD strikes and Conscience gnawes but the godly are merry in prison are comforted in persecution reioyce after stripes prayse God in the deepe and in the Whales belly blesse GOD after hee hath smit them and exult in Spirit in their old yeeres as did Simeon Besides thy ioyes are vaine vile carnall sensuall like thy selfe like the Horse and Oxe that delights onely in a good fat pasture though the Pinfold and the slaughter-house be the next dish but theirs are pure chaste sincere heauenly eternall like that God that sends them like that Spirit that workes them therefore get thine eyes opened to see thy miserie and ioyne thy selfe to them whom now thou despisest as Rahab and Ruth did to the true Church that thou maist finde mercy Secondly whereas Simeon is now willing to depart hauing seene Christ and so reioyceth in this expected obiect it is obseruable that the Patriarkes all of them in their times and ages expected CHRIST euer since the promise of this Messias was made vnto our Protoplasts our first Parents Adam and Eue Simeon lookes for him here in his generation so did the Church of Ierusalem so did the rest in their generations Eue thought he was then come when shee bore Caine confessing that shee had receiued a man from the Lord Gen. 4.1 Abraham desired to see his day Iacob wayted for his saluation Gen. 48.18 Moses desired GOD to send him to deliuer Israel out of Aegypt Exod. 4.13 Iob vvas comforted in this expected Redeemer Iob 19.25 Yea many Prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which wee see euen the Maiestie of God clothed with flesh as a man is shod with Sandals on his feete And sure the Ancients for this cause much extenuate the Polygamie and multiplicitie of wiues of the Patriarkes as of Iacob c. as also in taking their Maides as Concubines which they say was done non propter libidinem sed propter prolem not for lust but for multiplying a holy seede euery one in their dayes desiring to propagate the promised Seede of the woman In which wee see Gods great mercy to vs now vnder the Gospell more then to those vnder the Law for then came into the world the great Physitian of the world to cure the great Patient which was the world which so long did languish when we stood in most need of him The former ages had but a glimpse of this light of the world they saw him but darkely and obscurely tanquam in speculo tanquaÌ„ in anigmate as it were in a cloud in a glasse in Leuiticall shadowes but wee see him clearely euen fully as the Sunne at noone day perspicuously in the Gospell euen as the Wise-men saw him in the Stable as Simeon and Anna in the Temple wee haue an happier vision of him then they euen as the Angels more then wee hee came indeede to the beleeuers comfortably powerfully Typically but wee receiue him as Simeon did personally hee came to Adam with the promise in the time of despayre to Abraham with supply in time of Sacrifice to Isaac with reliefe in time of famine in time of exile with honour to Ioseph in time of persecution vvith comfort to Elias in time of battell with an hand on Gideons hilt with an eye to the stone from Dauids fling in time of inuasion with triumph to Ezekias alwayes hopefully helpfully to his Church For which cause hee is called The Starre of Iacob The Lyon of Iudah The Rod of Isaack c. Typically hee came in Circumcision Rom. 3. in the Paschall Lambe Iohn 1. in Manna Iohn 6. in the brazen Serpent Iohn 3. in the Arke and on the Altar c. Hee came figuratiuely as our rest in Noah our increase in Ioseph our loue in Dauid our peace in Salomon our saluation in Ioshuah c. But now hee is come to vs personally in the assuming our nature in the fulnesse of time saith Paul Gal. 4.4 to free vs from all time saith Bernard Note his mercy hee came to vs voluntarily non compulsu Patris sed consensu sui not by compulsion from his Father but by his owne consent Non ex necessitate mandantis sed ex voluntate venientis saith Chrisostome Yea Vltro venit sponte se videndum attâ—lit occidendum obtulit Greg. Of his owne accord yeelding himselfe to be seene of men to be slaine for men Yea Prepria benignitas inuitauit misericordia traxit veritas compulit His benignitie to vs inuited him his mercy drew him his truth compelled him Basil Here is his Mercy for our Consolation Vse 2 Oh let vs walke worthy of this grace and Mercy for an vse of Instruction let vs runne after the sweetnesse of his odours let vs follow his footings since hee came to leade vs let vs worke out our saluation with feare and trembling since hee came to saue vs 1 Tim. 4.9 Luke 19.10 Let vs returne to the Bishop of our soules since hee came to finde vs as lost sheepe let vs be no more the slaues of the Diuell since hee came to dissolue the workes of the Diuell 1 Iohn 3. let vs entertaine him as did Zacheus and retayne him as did Iacob when hee would not let him goe till hee blest him let vs feast him as did Mathew wash his feete with our teares as did Mary seeke him sorrowing as did his Mother prepare for him an vpper lodging to eate his Passeouer in as did his Disciples euen our bodies and soules the Temples of his Spirit let vs walke nearer to Sion in this our light since the Sun is come so neere vs nay euen to vs then the Patriarkes did in their darkenesse vnder the vayle and cloud of the Law Vse 3 Let vs
Apollo I would trauell farre on my feete to finde such a Phoenix For the other sort that liue eyther in no calling or in a sensuall sinfull calling such as riotous Prodigoes profane Esau's vaine Gentlemen gull Gallants retchlesse Ruffians licentious Lechers gracelesse Gamesters filthy Brothellers Queanes Curtizans and beastly Bawdes with all the rest of that restlesse and retchlesse crew alas what good doe they in the world what ayme they at but like Swine to feede like the rich Churle to goe brauely and faire deliciously with the Sabarites and Sardanapalus to inuent and wallow in polluting pleasures to feede their fancy please their owne humours content themselues delight the flesh and damne the soule liuing to eate eating to liue the life of sinne doing as much good to others as the Moath to the garment the Caterpiller to the fruit the Cantharides to the Oyntment spoyling and infecting like plaguy people vvhom thy liue amongst Therefore these and all these as they are vnprofitable burthens to the earth they shall be swept away from the earth like Iabin and Sisera and the Sodomites euen into hell Psal 9.17 As they glorifie not God which was the end of their Creation and Redemption which thy forget so God will neuer glorifie them Therefore let vs all both men with Simeon and women with Lidia Dorcas and Deborah c. doe good here in life that wee may receiue good in and after death liue and desire to liue onely to God and for God here that vvee may liue vvith God for euer hereafter Fourthly and lastly here wee are to take notice of that which wee haue obserued in Moses before namely that Simeon is willing to dye for the whole Text imports and carries it that there was in him no vnwillingnes to dye not so much as in show but a great willingnesse propensitie and disposition to his dissolution whether wee take his vvords here as Optatiue Oh that thou wouldest let thy Seruant depart as some doe or Indicatiue Now thou dost let c. or Precatory Lord now let c. or plainely as they are here all import perspicuously that hee dyed voluntarily From whence note that a good Christian is willing to dye wee may see this as in Simeon so in Paul Phil. 1.23 who desired to be dissolued and to be with CHRIST The like might be instanced in the death of Moses who at Gods command went as voluntarily vp to the Mount to dye and to be sacrificed himselfe as Abraham went to sacrifice his Sonne So if wee consider the death of the Patriarkes of Abraham himselfe of Iacob of Dauid c. that dyed naturally as also of Saint Steuâ—n of our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the Scripture as also of blessed Martyres that were put to death violently we shall finde that they went vnto their deaths and into the Graue as voluntarily as Noah into the Arke taking Gods stroke vpon themselues as patiently as Aaron did when God smote his two Sonnes Nahab and Abihu and as Eli did Samuels report of his houses ruine 1 Sam. 3 The Saints very last words being of the same straine and Dialect with Simeons import so much as wee may see Moses Deut. 32. with this good old man here concluding his life with a Swan-like Song So also Dauid 2 Sam. 23. So Babilas the Martyr feared not that his soule should returne vnto her rest neyther did Ignatius care when hee dyed or of what kinde of death hee should dye nay though hee were grinded by the teeth of Lyons because hee was the Lords Manchet and must be made cleane bread for Christ So Melancthon almost in the same words with Simeon If it be the will of God I am willing to dye and I beseech him to grant mee a ioyfull departure With many moe Now the Reasons which make the childe of God so willing to die are many the principall are these First because hee findes no good in this life no ioy no content more then a Prisoner in his bonds a bird in the snare or a beast in the ginne his ioyes being imperfect and mixed with a thousand sorrowes hauing for one Sunny day a hundred tempestuous stormes his best dayes being like Iacobs few and euill his worst many and miserable Secondly because there is nothing in this life which giues true and sollid satisfaction to his soule finding with Salomon all Sublunarie things to be vanitie and vexation of spirit as Honours riches wisedome vvealth knowledge Babels building Moses and Daniels Aegyptian and Caldean learning Cressus and Crassus his wealth Midas his gold Policrates good successe Ezekias his Treasure Nero's Musicke all other things which should doe good to the nature of man or delight the minde of man giuing him no more content then ayre and winde to an empty stomacke for as a Quadrangle cannot fill a Triangle but some corner will be capable of more so the whole circuit of this round Orbe this Quadrangular world cannot content the heart of man which Anatomists say is Triangular in the forme God onely Christ and his Spirit the blessed Trinitie that made the soule can fill it with true delights and fulfill the true desires In which respect the Christian to whom all things else are bitter but Christ is not quieted till hee inioy Christ no more then the animate or inanimate creatures are at peace till they haue their rest in that centre whitherto they moue his heart still trembling till it be with God like the Needle touched with an Adamant still quiuering and shaking till it looke directly to the North Pole and therefore as Noahs Doue sent out of the Arke found no rest to the sole of her foote till shee returned into the Arke againe so the true Christians the Lords mournefull Doues finde no resting place here till their soules returne to the Arke of their strength that God that sent them out into their bodies euen as the Iewish Tabernacle had no rest but was carryed from place to place till it entred into Canaan Exod. 26.1 33.7 Thirdly because of the crosses and afflictions which are incident vnto him in this life for as the whole humane nature is subiected to the Crosse so chiefely the Christian The world which is a Paradise to the carnall is a Purgatory to the Christian Many are the troubles of the righteous all that will liue godly in Christ must suffer affliction euery Disciple must take vp one crosse or other if hee vvill follow Christ which crosse-way is the way to heauen euery childe of God is corrected ere hee be receiued the purest Gold must be in the furnace the Lords owne Wheate is thrashed winnowed and grinded and Gods trees must be pruned Vt vnda vndam as waue succeedes waue so crosse succeedes crosse as Dauids Lyon succeedes his Beare 1 Sam. 17.37 and Goliah the Lyon 1 Sam. 18.27 and the Philistines Goliah and Saul the Philistines 1 Sam. 21. Now the Christians
that God who by our prouoking sinnes may iustly deale with vs as he hath done with them in giuing vs ouer to Sathan and our selues But aboue all things let vs feare to commit sinnes or liue in sinnes against conscience for the rage of conscience the effect of witting willing vnconscionable and customarie sinnes is the blatrant beast that kils so many in selfe-murthers The spirit of a man may beare his infirmitie but a wounded conscience who can indure saith hee that was once no doubt touched in conscience for the sinnes with which his soule was soiled Lastly let vs take heede of Cainâ— sinne despayre of mercy least it worke that effect in vs that it did in him and Iudas both who offended GOD more in this sinne chiefely the last in effusing his owne bloud then in shedding the bloud of Abel or of Christ himselfe Apply the promises to thy soule by faith fons vincit sitientem there is a fountaine of Grace and a Well of the water of life alwayes open to the thirsty sinner which Fountaine is greater then the puddle of sinne and hath a stronger mundifying vertue and abstersiue power to cleanse the soule then Iordan to purge and purifie Naamans Leprous body I might prosecute another vse against those who by a continuated custome of sinne are indirectly and effectiuely though not intentionally for euery man in sinne commits it sub specie boni vnder the shew of some deluding good as our first Parents did a truth which euen Philosophers saw but I say in respect of the effect selfe-murtherers for there is no sinne wherein a man practically and actually liues but as it is damnable to the soule so it is preiudiciall and dangerous to the body the death of both and that if wee consider it in his causes and effects whether naturall or supernaturall Naturall instance in some doth not fond lust cause dry bones doth it not consume the moysture dry vp that radicall humour which is the nurse and fountaine of life doth it not inflame the bloud cause burning Feauers c. To speake no worse in bringing such diseases that euen modestie suffers me not to name as that French or Neopolitan disease that Anthonies fire vvhich burnes to the consumption of the body and confusion of the soule Doth not Drunkennesse cause Dropsies doth not strong drinkes ouer-heate the bloud For to whom is woe to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whom is murmuring to whom are wounds and to whom is the rednesse of eyes Euen to them that tarry long at the Wine to them that seeke mixt Wine which Wine though it be pleasant both in the colour and the taste yet at last it bites like a Serpent and hurts like a Cockatrice Pro. 23. v. 29.30.31.32 The like may be said of all other intemperancies in meates by the immoderate excessiue abuse whereof many haue laid their stall-fed pampered carkasses vntimely in the dust Insomuch that Physitians considering the innumerable diseases that flow from that vncleane sincke of Epicurisme and gluttonizing haue set it downe at an Axiome Plures gula quam gladio that the insatiable belly hath slaine moe then the Blade What should I speake of Auarice and Couetousnesse which wastes and consumes the spirits by a mad and eager pursuit after the world euery crosse and losse whereof goes to the hart of the wretched worldling like a dart or a dagger Of Enuy which frets the heart as the Moath the Garment and eates into it as the rust into the Iron with the destroying and deadly effects of other such sinnes I might be large in the causes supernaturall in confirming that Diuinitie which not onely Protestants commenting but Papists alledging that place in the Apocalypse chap. 3. vers 3. If thou watch not I will come on thee as a theefe c. haue taught and affirmed that GOD accustometh for the punishment of carelesse and negligent sinners to cut off time from them and to shorten their liues for their misimploying and mispending the same in omitting all good duties and committing outragious sinnes God taking from them that which they haue or at least seeme to haue which is Time a Iewell so precious that as zealous Bernardine de sena oft acknowledgeth if the traffique and marchandize of it might be carryed to hell to be sold for one onely halfe houre there would be giuen a thousand worlds if the damned had them Hence it is that wee see many murtherers riotous persons malefactors swearers swash-bucklers cut off by the Sword of the Magistrate or of the enemie in warre or priuate quarrels or by Gods sword the deuouring Plague or such meanes euen in their youth and strength when by the course of Nature they might haue liued longer according to the threat of the Psalmist that bloudy and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 And that Propheticall threat of Iob that the sinfull man shall die ere hee accomplish his dayes and that his hand shall be cut off like a Vine in the bud euen when hee is young and tender in the blade ere hee come to any ripenesse or maturitie To which God himselfe hath reference in the fift Commandement which at it annexeth the promises of long life to children that are obedient to their Parents how euer some are taken away soone as was Iosias whose short life on earth is rewarded with life eternall in heauen so it intimates the curse of abbreuiating and shortening the life of those that are immorigerous and refractory to their Parents and Fathers vvhether naturall ciuill spirituall or heauenly illustrated in that vvhether fiction or true Historie vvhich the Papists relate of a young man in the Village of Catalunna neare Valentia who being disobedient to his Parents and withall a theefe being deseruedly hanged about the yeeres of eighteene a prettie while after his death hee hanging on the Gallowes his beard beganne to sprout his browes vvaxed wrinckled his hayres gray like a man of nintie yeeres at which all being astonished it was reuealed to the Bishop of the place how that same young man after the course of Nature might haue vndoubtedly liued nintie yeeres and so should haue done but for his disobedience and other sinnes the LORD by a violent death cut off from his life so many yeeres as are from eighteene to nintie Whereupon Saint Ierome well obserues that as shortnesse of life is a punishment and iudgement against sinners so from the beginning of the vvorld a sinne hath increased in seuerall ages God hath shortened the yeeres of sinners more and more Which is plaine if wee compare our dayes with former times Hence it is that as Haimo and others note if God had called Ezekias then vvhen hee threatned him it had beene Sinnes desert not Natures course and vvhen at his teares and prayers fifteene yeeres were added to his dayes then his sinne vvas pardoned and hee permitted to
and thy bed with weeping Where didst thou mourne like Ezekias 2 Kings 20.3 Alas thy dry eyes and stony heart polluted soule and guiltie conscience tels thee this part of Gods Seruice is yet omitted Moreouer where didst thou volly out thy broken sighes for thy Sodomitish and crying sinnes What times morning euening day or night What place what Chamber Closet Gallery Garden Groue Wood Field can witnesse thee smiting vpon thy breast with Ephraim Ier. 31.19 ashamed of thy sinnes with the Princes and Iudges of Israel like a Theefe taken in the manner Ier. 2.26 casting downe thine eyes and knocking vpon thy breast with the penitent Publican Luke 18.13 mourning like a Doue in the Desart and a Pellican in the Wildernesse for thy transgressions and enormities this part of Gods seruice is pretermitted When didst thou commune with thine owne heart in thy priuate Chamber searching the secret sinnes of thy soule with the light of the word finding out thy present corruptions and recounting the by-past follies of thy youth in the bitternesse of thy soule confessing them vnto God with the repenting Prodigall laying open the wounds Leprosies and ruptures of thy soule to Christ thy Pihsitian I doubt this sacrifice of a wounded soule a broken hart and a contrite spirit is eyther not at all or very coursorily performed this seruice and sacrifice pleaseth God too well Psal 51.17 for the Diuell to suffer it to passe without long delayes many interruptions and in too many absolute omissions But lastly tell mee seriously how oft hast thou poured out thy soule before the Lord in Prayer for the pardon and remission of sinnes for a new heart a renued soule for conuersion and turning to God for increase of Faith for the holy Ghost for the gifts of Grace Wisedome Chastitie and the like as Dauid the Apostles and Disciples of Christ Paul and other of the Saints haue done hast thou done this I aske thee not whether thou hast oft babbled or not like the Heathen and our ignorant Papists in pattring ouer thy Lords Prayer as they doe their Pater Nosters and their Auees without Faith or feeling without heart and affection with that lip-labour that Christ condemned in the Gentiles and God in the Iewes Neither doe I aske thee if Parrat-like thou hast said ouer thy Creed and thy tenne Commandements sometimes when thou didst rise and goe to bed which are as far from being Prayers as the Diuell is from truth or as ignorance is from knowledge that tels thee they are Prayers which are none With these Heathenish and Idolatrous Seruices perhaps thou had lodened the Lord as the Iewes once ouer-wearied him with the like vanities Esay 1.11.12.13 But I aske thee how oft thou hast indeede prayed how oft indeede with a Sacrifice of Prayer kindled with zeale inflamed with the fire of the spirit heated with feruency directed with knowledge grounded on Faith in the Promises prosecuted with Humilitie and Reuerence attending with Constancie and Perseuerance accompanyed with Repentance for sinne and her hand-maides Contrition and Confession how oft I say with such a qualified Prayer hast thou approached the Throne of Grace put vp thy petitions to heauen knocked at the gate of Grace for graces to be giuen sinnes forgiuen how oft with such Incense hast thou visited the Lords Altar Seauen times a day with Dauid nay three times with Daniel nay once nay none in many dayes vvill thy heart tell thee if it continue not still hypocriticall deceiuing thee as Sathan hath deceiued it Well and yet thou thinkest to be saued But vpon what grounds rotten God knowes Indeede euery one that cals vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued so saith the Prophet so the Apostle Ioel 2.32 but thou callest not on the name of the Lord saith thy heart at least not as thou oughtest to doe which makes thy prayer an abhominable sacrifice therefore thou thus continuing shalt not be saued But let mee goe further with thee Dost thou pray in priuate that 's well but dost thou pray for with and amongst thy family in thine owne house as did Abraham Ioshuah and the faithfull in their dayes here thou art mute and thy heart giues the negatiue It is apparent God is as frequently and as feruently serued in the Houses Tents Tabernacles and Campes of many sauage and Scythian Souldiers as in thy house Mahomet hath better seruice in most families of the Turkes and the Diuell of the Virginians then God hath in thy house For Prayer is such an excellent part of Gods worship that it is oft vsed for the whole seruice of God as Gen. 4.26 and else-where being a dutie whereby as man is profited so wherewith God is wonderfully pleased and his name glorified Psal 50.15 euen in all his Attributes both 1. in his Wisedome in acknowledging that hee is infinitely vvise in knowing our wants 2. in his Power in that hee is able 3. in his Mercy in that he is willing 4. in his Omnipotencie and his Omnipresence that hee is alwayes ready and present to heare and helpe his Church and children 5. as also in his Knowledge in that wee confesse him by Prayer to be the sâ—archer of the hart and the onely Intelligencer of the desires of man Now where this principall part of Gods Seruice and Worship is omitted or but slubbered ouer as Elies Sonnes did the Sacrifices in publike or priuate how can a iealous and a zealous God indure it When thou omittest neglectest despitest or despisest this whole Seruice of God how shall the Lord be pleased with thee thou depriuing God of the principall part of his Glory hee will frustrate thee of thy hoped glory for who euer are glorified of the Lord in heauen must glorifie him in some measure on earth I might also examine in this Quere how thou performest other parts of Gods seruice namely those which are Eucharisticall and Gratulatory in praysing God for his blessings temporall and spirituall as did Dauid in his Generation with others Psal 100. Psal 130. A dutie though commanded by God Psal 50.15 and as a part of his Seruice so of his Glory Psal 50.23 yet neglected as frequently as fouly as it was of the nine cleansed Lepers Luke 17.17 and of Ezekias 2 Chron. 22.25 vvhereby Gods vvrath is kindled against many a man and his seede and posteritie as it was against Iudah and Ierusalem Secondly they are both depriued of former blessings for their ingratitude and Gods hand shut from pouring out any new mercies into the riuen dishes of such vnthankfull soules Many moe parts of Gods seruice omitted by an vngratious and vngratefull vvorld might be prosecuted whereby it plainely appeares that there are great troupes and swarmes of profane and godlesse men amongst vs that haue not God in all their thoughts like the Hypocrites in Iob 27.10 that haue no delight in God such Atheists as Dauid describes in the Psalmist Psal 14. Psal 53. and as Zephanie Ieremie
then I blame the Calling of the Apostles for that Iudas was a traitor yet I cannot but bewayle the great forgetfulnesse of God and neglect of his worship amongst vs in this our outward prosperitie beautified with the marueilous and miraculous continuated light of the Gospell Thus did Israell as wee now as appeares by the reiterated phrases in the Psalmist and else-where that in their prosperitie they forgat God The Lord hath laboured to excite and waken vs as hee did them by plague pestilence and other Iudgements from the Heauens and all the Elements yet our heads are still heauie and our hearts are asleepe Let vs feare the rod of Ashur the inuasion of forraine powers let vs not prouoke him to procure out cryes and oâ— seruice by giuing vs ouer into the hands of Chaldeans and Assyrians If euer Israell be carryed captiue which God forbid and be oppressed with a Spanish or a Romish yoake we shall then wish that wee had drawne neare vnto God in the Sunnie day of peace ere we had beene humbled like Manasses Dauid and Israell by pressures and afflictions A third part of this vse extends it selfe to those that running into a further degree of sinne and measure of iniquitie as indeed sinne like ill fame still growes greater in his progresse and swels more vast and poysonous like the Dragon that hath eaten the Serpent after once one sinne be retained doe not onely in their owne particulars and with those that depend vpon them neglect reiect and refuse the seruice of God though they weare the Liuery and Cognizance of their Master being called Christians but they maligne calumniate and storme at others that are more zealous and forward then themselues aemulating as it is said of the Grey-hound that thinkes much that any thing should out-runne him that any shoud outstrip them in the sinceritie or measure of grace or out-runne them in the course of Christianitie accounting with politique Gallio Religion to be but Ceremonies and circumstances quirkes and quiddities 〈◊〉 the Lords true Nathaniels that serue him in truth in whose spirit is no guile Psal 31.2 to be but foolish and froathy fellowes more precise then wise Gods followers Gods fooles as Michâ—l thought Dauid nay mad distracted rauing men as the Iewes Christs Kinsmen and Festus esteemed CHRIST Ieremie and Paul yea Gods faithfull Seruants as they haue alwayes beene so still are as signes and wonders in Israell in this our blinded age Esay 8.18 Yea monsters euen to the great men of the world as Dauid was Psal 71.7 Yea a scorne reproach and dirision to them that are round about them Psal 79.4 accounted as men of an odde fashion and carriage from all others Wisd 2.15 nicknamed Precissians singularists humorists factious hypocriticall and the like which censures they vndergoe from naturall and carnall men but chiefely from those that haue in them some morrall goodnesse as Iulian himselfe had for our ciuill honest men and formall hypocrits contenting themselues with meere externall showes and shadowes in the Seruice of GOD without any sinceritie of heart or life of Religion flattering and securing themselues in that dangerous and damnable estate wherein they feed their soules with a vaine an ayrie hope that they are as safe as the best thinke whatsoeuer is more in Gods Seruants then they finde in themselues to be precisenesse and affected singularitie as needlesse as fruitlesse in their friuolous conceits And hence ariseth their Ismaelitish scoffes and tongue-persecutions against those that are more aeminent and transcendent then themselues in many graces because the conscionable carriage and gratious deportment of the Seruants of God doth swart censure and condemne their outwardnesse and formalitie at which they are as oft gauled and grieued and fretted at the very hart as they compare their tinckling Cymbals with the others holinesse But leauing those whited wals and painted Sepulchers to his Iustice or Mercie that sees their rottennesse and guilded rubbish there are another sort of men if I may call them men forgetting what the very composure of their body and the instinct of Nature tels them which being void of all grace and emptie of goodnesse neyther knowing nor willing nor working what is pleasing and acceptable to the Almightie deriding and detesting good men and disliking good dutyes with the former sort as neither fearing God nor caring for his worship nor furthering his seruice nor fauouring his seruants casting behinde their backes all thought of God and their owne saluation they serue themselues and their owne end their lusts their darling sinnes and consequently the Diuell Gods and their mortall enemie And of this sort there are not so few but they may brag as the Spirits in the Gospell of their number their name is Legion All places professions trades callings conditions estates sexes and sorts and ages from youth to gray hayres afford trained Souldiers in these sinfull seruices marching to hell vnder the conduct of the Prince of darknesse the God of the world and worldlings that rules in and ouer those children of disobedience Alas how many be there of couetous Mammonists churlish Nabals that as truely as Dauid and Simeon professed and confessed to the Soueraigne Creator Lord I am thy Seruant so they say to Mammon to the Wedge of Gold to their Siluer Shrine their Mettall-Idoll Lord I am thy Seruant How many Epicures Drunkards and riotous persons whose belly is their God and their end damnation say to the deuouring gulph of their vnsatiable guts I am thy Seruant How many lustfull liuers and lasciuious louers offering the sacrifice of their vncleane bodies to bewitching women say to Asmodius the vncleane Spirit Lord I am thy Seruant How many proud aspiring spirite in Court and Country flying in their thoughts faster then Pegasus or Mercurie vpon the wings of high hopes plumed with the feathers of their selfe-conceited worth making greatnesse not goodnes the marke of their mounting may say to the high climbing Lucifer Lord I am thy Seruant How many such saying desperately with that Nation which once was called stubborne and crooked Surely we will walke after our owne imaginations and doe euery man after the stubbornnesse of his owne wicked heart Ier. 18.12 forsaking the Rocke of the field and the Cedar of Lebanus for the cursed Thistle the fountaine of waters for broken pits the liuing for the dead the great Iehouah for Belzebub and the God of Eckron the God of Abraham for the Gods of Nations the seruice of God for the seruice of Sinne and Sathan the Diuell may iustly claime and challenge them in death plead and preuaile to haue them in Iudgement since they haue by an explicite or implicite couâ—nant as it were sold themselues like Ahab and Ieroboam to worke wickednesse in their life time as wittingly and willingly dedicating and consecrating themselues to his seruice as did once desperate Raffus who as is reported vpon the two sides of
away that was a suror to him Witnesse thou Salomon when thou didst pray for Wisedome thou Paul when for strength against Sathans buffets thou Ezekias and Dauid when you called for deliuerance from enemies you Israelites when you cryed in bondage thou Moses for preseruation at a dead lift thou Prodigo thou Publican thou penitent Theefe thou Manasses thou mourning Mary when you prayed and sued with teares for mercy thou Anna thou Isaack thou Zachary with thy Wife Elizabeth intreating for Children nay lastly let the experience of all Gods Seruants for this fiue thousand yeeres speake and speake thou mine owne Soule in thy young yet true experience what thou hast found and felt and declared in the great congregation if euer petition were put vp from a sorrowful soule a beleeuing and a touched heart a zealous spirit that receiued not a gracious answere in euery request concerning body or soule that concerned eyther Gods glory to giue or his seruants good to receiue For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous thou wilt shine vpon him with the light of thy countenance and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield Psal 6.12 For Mirth the Lords Seruants shall reioyce and sing for ioy of heart Esay 65.14 they shall reioyce vvith ioy vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1.8 and their ioy shall no man take from them Iohn 16.22 For Pleasures though they be not fatted with the carrion of the world like the Diuels Crowes nor taste not of this bitter Ratsbanes sweet-sower poyson of Sinne which at last stings like a Cockatrice yet they haue pure and perfect pleasures such as the worlds swine neuer tasted they are fed with hidden Manna they keepe a constant Iubilie and a perpetuall Christmas feasting Christ as feasted by him in that communion they haue with him in the Word the Sacraments Prayer c. In vvhich they are satisfied with the fatnesse of Gods House and drinke abundantly out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal 36.9 These wages with many moe are as the earnest penny and the Hirelings entring penny with vs called the Gods penny which God giues as assurance and part of greater and better payment hereafter being but a little portion and pittance of that which they shall haue hereafter but as the Prologue to the Comedie as a Beauer to a Banquet as a Mite to a mountaine of Gold as the Candle light to the Sunne For hereafter indeede is the great reward Mat. 5.12 so great so shining that as it hath dazeled the Aegles eyes of the dearest of Gods Seruants when they haue set themselues to behold it as of Augustine and others so I can but shew it you a-farre off as Moses was shewed Canaan a type of Heauen Then for the comfort of those that haue imployed their bodies and their soules in Gods seruice here to prouoke others now to sacrifice their bodies to God as is most reason as the Apostle cals it a reasonable seruice Rom. 12.1 let them know these bodies shall then be like the Angels in heauen Mat. 22.30 they shall shine as Starres Dan. 12.3 yea at the Sunne in the Kingdome of the Father Mat. 13.46 For their Soules they shall be glorious without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.17 they shall behold the face of God in righteousnesse and haue fulnesse of ioy in Gods presence Psal 16.11 For their estate they shall be Kings and raigne with God and Priests to sing Haleluiahs vnto him Reu. 1.6 for as they haue serued Christ on earth so they shall serue him in glory Reu. 22.3 yea and they shall be Iudges to to sit vpon thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell Mat. 19.28 I could tell you further of their ioyes out of the Scripture in their eminencie excellencie fulnesse glorious greatnesse and perpetuitie Psal 36.8 Mat. 25.11 Esay 21.11 1 Cor. 2.20 how incorruptible the Crowne is how stedfast the Kingdome how constant the ioy how euerlasting the feast how secure the rest how endlesse and infinite the pleasure is which is prouided for Gods seruants after their departure out of this vaile of misery 1 Pet. 5.4 Reu. 21.6 2 Thes 3.7 Iohn 16.22 Heb. 12.28 c. with all the accruments and additions and amplifications incident to this poynt eyther in respect of the place the highest heauens or the company innumerable Angels the congregation of the first borne God the Iudge Christ the Râ—deemer Heb. 12.22 c. but I contract my sailes and leaue the rest to your search and meditation and to the spirit to make application onely desiring euery soule that is as yet a slaue to his vsurping sinnes to consider as Hell that hee gaines so the gaine that hee looseth that is Heauen thinke of it seriously and betimes least thou thinke of thy gaining losse thou getst by sinne when thou must for euer stand to the bargaine as the rich Diues did in Hell when he saw Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Luke 1.6 when his bad and base choise was repented but not redressed Lastly if these blessings here and hereafter moue thee not yet lend mee thy patience a while to peruse and ponder the curses and plagues and euils that thou shalt auoid by being Gods Seruant Many a man thou knowest is exempted from many common calamities by the countenance of some great man to whom he retaines as from being a common Souldiour in the time of warre and the like so in any common plague or iudgement the Lord knowes how to deliuer his yea though thousands fall on their right hand And surely this is a wondrous priuiledge that the Saints haue first that as God blesseth oft the wicked for their sakes as hee did Laban for Iacobs cause and Potiphar and Pharaoh for Iosephs cause his blessings being not onely vpon the houses and families but vpon whole Nations Countries and Cities for the cause of his Seruants euen as heathenish Empyres amongst the Babilonians prospered for Daniels cause and so Cyrus Artaxerxes and Darius for the cause of Ezra Nehemias and other captiue Iewes that serued the true God and the Heathenish Romanes for the persecuted Christians causes as Histories manifest and as it is a further priuiledge that God oft not onely preserues from dangers but saues from destruction sinfull Sodomitish and profane places and persons for their cause to as hee did those in the indangered ship for Pauls cause and Noahs kindred for Noahs cause and would haue spared Sodome for Abrahams and the righteous sake if they could haue beene found so it is a wonderfull prerogative to that when the Lord by the prouocation of the vnrighteous is minded to bring destruction vpon a Land or Country hee first deliuers his Seruants 1. eyther by death as hee did Iosias and good Augustine before the sacking of Hippo by the Vandales 2. Or by conueying them to some other place as he did Lot when Sodome was burned 3. Or by providing some meanes for their escape as the Arke for Noah
What is the estate of these that liue merrily as they say like Pope Iohn in corporeall and spirituall pollutions like Pope Ioahn these must trie experimentally vvhat that cursed Pope once ieasted at Atheistically that there are long paines in another life for these that misspend their golden dayes in gracelesse impurities and impieties in this short life these they both make this their short life shorter by their sinnes both as euery sinne wastes the body as it wounds the soule as also in that they prouoke God to cut them off short eyther by his owne hand as hee did Absolon Er Onan and the Sonnes of Heli or else by the sword of the Magistrate And they hasten and prolong their plagues and paines perpetuall They leade their liues in ioy saith Iob Ch. 20. and sodainly they goe downe to Hell Oh they goe like theeues laughing to the Gallowes and like traytors dancing to execution Oh how sodainely is their candle put out Let me speake to such in the conclusion of this Vse in Gods feare let them consider that this life is called a valley of teares here therefore they must sow in teares if they will reape in ioy they must haue a wet Seede-time if they expect a blessed Haruest Let them ponder what Christ saith Blessed are they that mourne Mat. 5. As also Woe be to you that laugh let them thinke what Christ did wept oft laught neuer his Prophets and Apostles seldome or neuer Let them know further that God cals to weeping and mourning and baldnesse and sack-cloath Esay 22. which call they haue not yet answered for behold Ioy and exultation vpbrayding God and brauing his command euen to his face with their hellish Prouerbes as Hang sorrow Cast away care As long liues the merry man as the sory Let vs be merry wee know not how long wee haue to liue like the scoffing Atheists amongst the Iewes Let vs eate and drinke to morrow wee shall dye Oh thou knowest not how long thou hast to liue therefore retort that temptation backe againe to Sathan thus Therefore I will be sorie for my former sinnes I will be if at all soberly and mortifiedly merry therefore I will set my soule in order and the house of my heart in order like Ezekias otherwayes I shall be worse then Achitophel that set his house in order ere hoe hanged himselfe To morrow it may be I shall dye therefore I will not eate and drinke inordinately least I be taken away to hell as was the rich Churle and Baltasser in the midst of my cursed cates and drunken cups I will not any more serue the Diuell and my belly in chambering and wantonnesse in surfetting and drunkennesse but I will put on the Lord Iesus Christ It is now time that I should awake from the sleepe of sinne ere I sleepe in death I will arise vp that Christ may giue mee light Oh alas what fruit haue I had in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse whereof I am now ashamed Lastly thinke with thy selfe how small cause thou hast of this thy irreligious profanenes carnall securitie and besotting sensualitie Hath a Traueller any cause to be merry when hee is farre out of his way hath few friends nothing to spend stormy weather aboue his head Pyrates lying in waite to rob him night approaching and vncertaine whether euer he get to his iournyes end Thou art in this world a pilgrime and a stranger Heauen is thy country from thence came thy soule thou art out of the way that leades thither thou art in the broad way to hell thou hast few friends God Angels Diuels Man and the Creatures are against thee thou hast little to spend thy good Tallents and stocke of Grace is already gone and spent like the Prodigoes on thy lusts Lukâ— 15. thou hast no moe meanes to helpe thy selfe then the wounded man that trauelled to Ierico that had not two-pence there is a storme ouer thy head Gods wrath hangs ouer thee in a cloud of vengeance Pirates the infernall Spirits lye in waite for thy soule the night of thy death is neare and thou art vncertaine of saluation nay the word excludes thee and such as thou from apprehension of any comfort from that since thou walkest in the shadow of death in the way to damnation Consider againe what occasion of sports and merriments and sensuall sollaces a man can haue in prison in colde irons Did Manlius and Râ—gulus and Musius Scaeâ—olâ— take delight in their prisons and pressures Now here thou art as it were in prison like Ioseph in the stockes like Manasses in fetters and in tribulation the world it selfe is but a prison in respect of Heauens pallace and thou in this prison liuing in securitie like the old Worldlings art enthralled to thine owne lusts and so a slaue to Sathan who plots thy destruction as Achitophel did Dauids Therefore heare counsell and receiue instruction since thou art here in a strange Land like Israel in Babel sit downe by the Riuers of water and weepe hang vp thy Harpes and Instruments vse not carnall company that cause thy carelesse securitie and thy forgetfulnesse of God and thine owne soule remember whence thou art where thou art and whither thou art going make that vse of thy time that Ioseph did of the seauen yeeres of plentie prouide against famine agree with thine aduersary whilst thou art in the way ere thou come before the Iudge as Catâ— counsels to doe something in youth worth thy relation and remembrance in age and as trauellers vse to performe some exploit in their trauels worthy their thoughts and discourse when they come at home so treasure vp those graces in life which may stand thee in stead after life prouide against a rainy day gather now honie from the flowers of vertuous actions into the Hiue of grace worke whilst it is day ere the night come doe good to all whilst thou hast time Gal. 6. waite at all times with Iob vntill thy changing come euen as thou waitest for the times and seasons in Winter for the Spring in the Spring for Summer in Summer for Autumne thou canst not enioy thy sinnes long thou must leaue them or they thee violently therefore breake them off as Daniel counselled Nabuchadnezzar voluntarily by Repentance and Almes-deedes get a certaintie to thy soule conclude something like Ambassadours that goe to forraine Courts and haue but a short abode allotted that may make for thy eternall peace hereafter when thou commest before thy Prince make something certaine here ere thou goest hence in euery thing thou vndertakest thou louest a certaintie if thou iourney thou wouldest rather goe by Land then Sea because more certaine dost thou purchase thou wouldest make sure worke of Lands or Tenements dost thou walke on Ice thou poysest euery foot-step ere thou set thy foote ere thou venter thy body so in euery thing thou wouldest be sure Oh make sure worke for thy soule that as Ezekias
prayed for peace and righteousnesse all his dayes so there may be peace to thy soule after thy dayes Oh make vse of that precious time that is allotted thee take it by the fore-top it is bald behinde Goe to the Pismire thou sluggard learne of the Beasts the Ant sees it will not alway be Summer the Crane and Storke thinke it will be another season the Birds take the Spring prime to build their nests store thou vp faith with her fruits chiefely Repentance from dead workes Now beginne Ars longa vita breuis Life is short but the Art of well liuing and well dying which is the Art of Arts euen that vvhich the best Master taught in the best Chaire Christ vpon the Crosse that is long therefore Nulla dies sine linea Euery day learne some line take out some lesson in this Art sing not out thy time here with the foolish Grashopper loyter not with the idle men of Belial least thou incurre Christs checke play not the fat bellyed Monke and Epicurish Abbey-lubber least thou smart for it as the Cloysterers once did in this Land in the day of the Lords visitation Learne to liue the life of grace that thy death may be gracious and precious in the sight of GOD as one of his Saints that so thou maist dye not onely naturally like a man as thou must but Christianly like a Christian man as thou oughtest which that thou maist the better doe as in other things thou contriuest how to doe well that which thou purposest to doe as thou forecasts thy building ere thou build thy iourney ere thou trauell So oft remember how thou maist dye well since thou must die and that is by liuing well whilest thou here runnest the short race of thy life A good man like a good Tree brings forth fruit tempore suo in his due time and season this Life time is tempus tuum thy time Death is tempus suum Gods time therefore begin to mend the ship of thy soule in the hauen in thy health not in the tempest of sickenesse not in the Sea of death I end my counsell as I begun this life is as short as sinfull therefore spend it well Point 2 Secondly in that Simeon here desires his departing the nature of the word signifying a loosing or an vnyoaking being a Metaphor taken from Oxen loosed out of the yoke after labour or from Prisoners set at libertie may well and warrantably administer vnto vs the consideration of the nature of that life which wee leade to be as miserable as mortall as laborious to the body as dolorous to the minde as also it may open our eyes to see something more clearely into the nature of death vvith his bounties and benefits in that it is not onely a curber of Sinne but a curer of Crosses an vnlooser from labours For the first that whether you call it a curse or a command which was imposed on the first man that in the sweate of his browes hee should eate his bread till hee returned to his earth from whence hee came Gen. 3.19 all mans seede since in their seuerall generations haue beene exposed to Doe wee not feele yet the smart of the forbidden fruit Are not our teeth set on edge by it Are not all things vnder the Sunne full of labour Are not the workes of Grace the workes of Nature painefull the actions of the body the actions of the minde the operations of the soule and spirit laborious Is it not a paine to pray a paine to repent a paine to study to contemplate to discusse to discourse to number to diuide Is it not painefull to write to indite to preach to counsell to exhort to perswade disswade vrge moue Let euery knowing man and experienced spirit speake Are not workes manuall and mechanicall painefull euen as the Arts liberall are Is it not paine to plow delue digge sow mow to work in Goale works Mettall-mines in brick and clay is an Aegyptian bondage Nay is there not onus as well as honoâ— a labour as well as an honour in euery Calling Are not Princes and superiour Magistrates Gouernours in houses Colledges and Corporations like the heauenly Bodies as much in motion and labour as in veneration Vertues vices pleasures profits riches pouertie vvanton youth couetous old age all haue their burthens What callings without their crosses from the Scepter to the Sheepe-hooke what sexe without his sorrow Whither shall a man flye 1. from Sathan tempting 2. from the vanitie of his owne heart 3. from the bitings of venemous tongues 4. and from the crosses of the world I haue oft thought if there were any place in the foure parts of the world to auoid these foure thither to flye but there it no Asilum or Sanctuarie from them or any of them vnder the Cope of Heauen These alwayes follow as the shadow the body and like proud Tâ—rquin in Rome challenge a perpetuall Dictatorship in the whole life of man What day sets ouer our head without his euill eyther of Sinne or Punishment Adam must eate his bread in his browes sweate Cunctis diebus all his dayes in heat and sweat toyling and moyling man must wearie his body and weaken his spirits till hee keepe his eternall Sabbath in Heauen Bring me the man that hath not yet drunke of the common cup of humane calamities incident to life and I shall more admire him then the Graecians did Achilles that could not be wounded I neuer read of any but Policrates who was thought to be without the Gunshotte of Fortune by the deluded Heathens yet his death was as dolorous as his life prosperous I am sure mitred Popes crowned Kings inuested Emperours tryumphant Conquerours haue seene the turning of Sesostris wheele and haue experienced so many miseries that they haue cryed out some of them Miserum est fuisse foelicem it is a miserie to haue beene happy others solus viues Vacia that the priuate life of Vacia the Romane was farre safer then their publique guilded guilefull pompe others with Cyrus and Augustus haue thought the Regall Crowne not vvorth stooping for others haue left voluntarily their Courts and Palaces for secure and penitent Cels. If wee had no moe examples of the miseries of greatnesse eyther by birth bloud command or desart then in Nabuchadnezzers deiection amongst Beasts being one of the greatest of men in Manasses his imprisonment in Sampsons grinding in the Mill in Agag hewed in peices in Adonizebecks eating crummes like a Dogge vnder his enemies Table in Alexander poysoned and left vnburied in Caesar stabbed by his pretended friends in Bellizarius a blinde Beggar after his Conquests in Baiazets Iron Cage in Socrates and Seneca's poysoning in Cleopatra's Iezabel's Agrippina's and other infamously famous Queenes and Queanes perishing to omit all the rest in this kinde it might verifie the Paradoxe that Humana vita non est vita sed calamitas Mans life is no life Vita vix
Village Tradesmen or the like when their businesse is well dispatcht saith Chrisostome returne into the Citie with ioy againe so the Christian soule that comes from the new Ierusalem the heauenly Citie to traffique here in the low Countryes of this earth by the Organs of the body if it haue well executed the duties of Pietie Charitie and Christianitie to GOD and man may with ioy returne like a Ship Royall loaden with precious Marchandize from whence it came for such a man dyes not but departs From whence we slide into the third point briefely concerning the Epithite which Simeon here giues to death hee cals it a Departure From whence we may see partly into the nature of that which wee call Death it is onely a Departure a going or transmigration from one place to another Therefore vvhen Abraham speakes of his barrennesse he vseth this phrase Ego vadā absque liberis I depart this life or goe away without Children Chrysostome notes his phrase and thereupon implies Ecce iustus ille vt philosophatur c. That Abraham doth truely in that word going away philosophize and dispute of death which Basil applying to the auncient Martyres cals Migratio quaedam ad meliora c. A migration to a better habitation Philosophy cals it The priuation of all heate so Plutarch or Priuatio vitae the priuation of life so Sealiger Exercit. 307. Sect. 23. All which titles and tearmes may still hearten the Christian to confront it in the very face couragiously according to Bernards counsell Volo mortem si non effugere c. That since they cannot flye it they should not feare it Iustus mortem etsi non caue◠c. since the iust man is not cautelous to preuent it let him not be too timerous to encounter it nay rather let him enter the lists as the Persians went to battell ioyfully and with a shout since it is but a Bugbeare or a shadow without substance a Serpent without a sting a superficies no positiue thing of it selfe but the corruption of the subiect that God and Nature subiects vnto it at the worst to the worst an Executioner of a Rebell good to the godly a rewarder of a faithfull Seruant Iosephs Chariot to bring good Iacob from the Land of penurie to the Land of plentie Et qu◠non ad meliora festinet saith Cyprian in his Sermon vpon death Who will not hasten to exchange for the better Lastly me thinkes here is notably implyed the immortalitie of the Soule for what is it which departs but the soule out of the body which flyes out when Death opens the doore that held it in like a Bird out of the Cage liuing else where in pleasure or in paine in act◠seperato in a seperated act as also the Resurrection of the body may not vnfitly be concluded for in a departure betwixt man and wife friend and friend there is a constant hope of meeting againe so these two friends which liue and loue together like Ionathan and Dauid the soule and body shall meete together at the Resurrection both which poynts of Christianitie as Simeon beleeued and taught his Schollers being a great Rabbi and a Master in Israel so hee seemes to mee to allude here vnto both and to professe his faith in both To beginne with the baser part the body that it shall rise againe howeuer it be a Mysterie scoffed at because vnknowne of the Iewish Saduces scoffing Athenians Braine-sicke Philosophers stupid Stoickes hoggish Epicures disputing Peripaticians howeuer denyed by all the rabblement of these Hereticall Valentinians Simonians Carpocratians Cerdonians Seuerians Basilidians Hierarchites and all the Libertines yet it was the faith of all the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles from the first houre that by reuelation of the Spirit or by the Word it was manifested to the Church of God it was the faith of Dauid of Daniel of of Ezekiel of Esay Iob Paul Martha Iohn the Diuine of all the Saints and so of Simeon Let these Arguments confirme thine first Christ thy head is risen hee is the first fruits of them that sleepe and the pawne that thou shalt rise being a member of his 1 Cor. 15.20 where my flesh and bloud is there shall I be saith Cassiodorus our Ioseph is in Aegypt before vs. Secondly the redemption by Christ extends to thy body as to thy soule vvhich body must rise againe else Christs Passion were fruitlesse and forcelesse Thirdly the body which like Simeon and Leui was brother here in sinning vvith the soule must in Gods equall remunerating Iustice be raised to suffer in an equall measure and proportion as it hath sinned Fourthly Gods promises which hee hath signed with the finger of his Spirit sealed with the bloud of the Lambe to the Elect of peace and Immortalitie cannot be of vigour and vertue vnlesse their bodies rise Fiftly the inseperable vnion twixt Christ and his Church should be disioyned if the body rise not Sixtly many absurdities vvould follow which Paul addes 1 Cor. 15.14.15.16.17 whither I referre you as that all preaching professing and practise of Christianitie vvere else in vaine Seauenthly if in other cases witnesses be to be beleeued then those fiue hundred Brethren mentioned 1 Cor. 15.5.6.7.8 Cephas and the twelue Iames and the Apostles Mary Magdalene Paul that testifie Christs resurrection by necessary consequence confirme ours Rom. 8.13 which depends vpon Christs Eightly these that haue beene brought to life againe after their departure eyther by the Prophets as the widdow of Sarepta's Son by Elias 1 Kings 17.22 or the Shunamites Childe by Elizeus 2 Kings 4.35 And the dead Souldier by touching Elisha's bones 2 Kings 13.21 or by the Apostles as Dorcas by Peter Acts 3.40 Eutichus by Paul Acts 20.10 or by Christ himselfe as the widdow of Naims Son Luke 7.15 Iairus Daughter Mat. 9.29 Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary Iohn 11.44 and those which appeared in the holy Citie when Christ rose and ascended vp to heauen with him as Augustine thinkes are all Praeludia Resurrectionis types and figures of our resurrection Ninthly we haue many resemblances both in the great Booke of Nature and the little Booke of Grace in the word and in the world Isaacks suruiuing in sacrificing whom Abraham receiued in a figure Heb. 11.19 Aarons dry Rod that budded and blossomed Numb 17.8 Ezekiels dry bones that came together bone to bone flesh to flesh Ezek. 37.8.9.10 Ionas deliuery out of the Whales belly are instances in the Word In Nature the Summer liuing of Trees Hearbs Plants c. yea of Corne it selfe in their seeming Winters death when their sap is in the route these beasts as some Beares and Mice c. which sleepe all Winter and seeme to reuiue in the Spring Swallowes Bats Flyes Gnats c. which by the Sunnes heate seeme to reuiue out of their cold sowne the Arabian
Phoenix which by her selfe-burning preserues the indiuiduum of her kinde the Sea-Vrchin that rejoynes after her rending in pieces after she tastes the salt water Serpents that are renued by casting their old skinnes the Sea-Lobsters by casting their old shels the Eagle by casting her old bill Mechanicall men that renue many things that are old Image-makers that make againe their brassie pictures by marring them Bell founders that mend their mettall-worke by melting the Silke-worme that liues in the preseruation of her kinde by inclosing her selfe in her Clue and dying nay man himselfe that in his generation receiues life into his flesh bones sinewes and vitall powers from a little liquid seede that in his preseruation oft liues againe out of sownes and â—â—ances seemingly depriued of breath and life that in his augmentation eating and by naturall heate concocting and digesting the dead flesh of Goates Sheepe and Bullockes makes them his owne liuing flesh All these speake vnto my vnderstanding and confirme my Faith that though Death swallow vs that are now liuing as the Whale did Ionas binde vs as the Philistines did Sampson lay vs in our sepulchers and roule a great stone vpon vs as the Iewes did vpon Christ yet we shall come to shore againe breake these bonds as the bird the snare and we shall be deliuered vve shall flourish like Noahs Oliue tree after wee haue beene vnder the water yea these bodyes of ours subiect to diseases crushed crazed bruized distempered payned the head with Megrim the lungs with suffocations the ioynts with Gouts the stronger parts themselues with shrinking in of the sinewes these bodyes which haue borne the burthen of the day shall once with the Angels sing Haleluiah these bodies of ours I say shall rise besides these mentioned wee haue many grounds of it as first the will of God that will haue it so Iohn 6.39.40 Secondly the oath of God that it must needes be so Heb. 6.13 Thirdly we haue double Hostage for it 1 the soules of the Saints lodgers vnder the Altar Reu. 6.9.10.11 2. Their bodies lodgers in the graues as our pledges till all things be restored when they and wee shall be perfected together Heb 11.40 Fourthly the pawne of the Spirit within vs Rom. 8.11 All vvhich are so many nayles in the Sanctuary to fasten our hope Neyther shall wee onely rise but rise the same bodies for substance though altered for qualitie to our further perfection Wee shall come againe I say the same bodies in which wee haue departed hence the same bones bloud arteries skinne flesh veynes sinewes parts members Iob 19.25 Howeuer I cannot say in the same age for there shall be neyther childe nor old man saith the Prophet that is neyther weakenesse of youth nor infirmitie of age but all shall be flourishing and perfect like Adam and Eue in their Creation some say from Ephes 4 13. The consideration of our returne after our departure and of our resuscitation at the generall Resurrection for before that time none are or shall be glorified in their bodyes neyther the Virgin Mary whose Assumption is but a fiction nor Enoch nor Elias nor the body of Lazarus nor of those that rose vvith CHRIST Mat. 27.52 as Mr. Leigh proues pithily against all Papists It is a matter of singular comfort it is the Anchor of our hope the life of our Religion vvherein it differs from Paganisme and Turcisme the hand that holds vp our drooping soules in the Agonies of death Fiducia Christianoâ—um resurrectio mortuorum saith Tertullian This made the auncient Martyres goe to the stake and burning place as wee goe to our beds this is that redemption of our bodies vvhich Paul mentions Rom. 8.23 the time of our refreshing which Peter magnifies Acts 3.19 the time of our Iubilie and reioycing vyhich Esay fore-sees in the Spirit and exulteth Esay 26.19 vvhen the hungry shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 when mourners shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 when there shall be no more griefe nor sorrow nor paine when there shall be a yeere of Iubilie an end of our iourney an accomplishing of our warrefare a cessation from labour a wiping away of teares Reu. 17. verse 17. Chap. 21.4 a putting off this mortall and a putting on of this immortall 1 Cor. 15.42 A change of our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious body Phil. 3.22 Oh be glad of this yee Saints reioyce and sing euen as the little Birds are glad when Winter casts off her rugged mantle and Summer brings his flowrie Spring as Beggars vvould be glad to put off their ragges and be clad with Regall Robes Let these comfort themselues in hope of this change and renouation whose bodies are subiected to infirmities weaknesses and maladies for then it shall cast away neuer to resume all infirmities impurities deformities tardities saith Augustine Asa shall not be gouty nor Moses stammer nor Mephibosheth lame c. let Cripples Lazars Beggars Bedlams lame Souldiers Hospitall men Spitlers and all other impotent distressed diseased persons apprehend this comfort being conuerted Christians and beleeuers Let all weake and wearyed wights vse this Meditation of the Resurrection as Iacobs staffe to rest and relye on in their passage ouer this worlds Iordan as the clifts of the rockes to the Doues and the stonie rockes to the Conies to shelter them from the feare of death the hunting Nimrod of the world for here is Medicamenâ—um vulneris c. a precious Cordiall in all thy crosses whether publique or priuate of body or minde nay Aqua vitae to reuiue thee when thou art dead sicke or sicke to death to know that the minute or the moment of thy afflictions here shall be succeeded nay exceeded with an eternall waight of glory hereafter at the resurrection of the iust 2 Cor. 4.17.18 Thus the godly Dauid Iob nay Christ himselfe the afflicted Primitiue Christians that vnder Antiochus were racked and tormented sollaced their soules in the midst of their anxeties with this melodious Meditation of the Resurrection Psal 16.9 Iob 19.25 Acts 2.26 Heb. 11.35 Which onely apprehension puls off the vizard from Death pluckes off his Lyon skinne exposeth him as an Hobgoblin or meere scarre-Crow to the godlies dirisiou Let Atheists and Epicures feare him that haue their portion in this life let Infidels and vnbeleeuers feare him vvhose hopes of any better estate are languishing and faint and perish with their soules let his name be as terrible to carelesse impenitent worldlings as the name of Tamberlaine and Zisca once to Cowards which like guiltie fellons feare the face of the Iudge but let those that haue learned Christ better and know in whom they haue beleeued entertaine it as Cornelius did Peter as the Galathians did Paul as Peter did the Angell that brought him out of Prison as that which makes the happiest exchange of a Mansion terrestiall for a Citie coelestiall a vaile of teares for mount Sion a region of death
for the land of the liuing an earthly tabernacle for an house eternall in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5.1 For who is so improuident or imprudent that desires to stay in an old smoakie decayed Cottage ready euery day to fall on his head when the Land-lord offers to reedifie it and to make it better since euen Mise Rats by Natures instinct flye from an house that is inclining to fall Now this clayie Cottage of thy body which is vpheld by the weake prop of breath and vapour is euery day declining blesse the prouidence of the Worlds great Architect that when it fals by resuscitation will raise the frame and the fabricke a thousand times both fairer and firmer then the first Secondly let the thought of the Resurrection be as a consolation to thy heart so a direction to thy life Must body and soule meete together and eyther be blessed together or else for euer burne together after their departure and doth their euerlasting weale or woe blisse or bane depend vpon thy good or euill life here Oh then spinne the short thread of thy abridged life well and worthily that so it may tye a blessed peace to thy soule runne thy short race here well that thou maist obtaine an eternall Crowne hereafter passe the time of thy dwelling here with feare think as once S. Ierome that zealous spirit thought Quoties commedo c. as oft as I eate or drinke or walke or talke or rise vp or lye downe I alwayes heare the Trumpe sounding Surgite mortui c. Arise yee dead and come to Iudgement Thinke of dying and liuing againe of departing and returning of reuiuing and strict vnpartiall iudging which thoughts let them not perish like abortiue fruit but fixe them by these effects First euery day awake out of the sleepe of some sinne ere the darke night of death come now in this lifes light that God lends thee Secondly let it be a spurre to pricke thee to all good and gratious actions Thirdly a bridle to restraine thee from sin both in the action and affection Fourthly let them be meanes to rouze thee from the bed of securitie and to set thee on thy feete as the Angell did Elias in thy iourney toward heauen Fiftly as water poured out to coole the furnace of thy furious affections euen in thy youthfull and burning bloud Sixtly a Diall or watch to direct thee how to spend thy time well Seauenthly as a Fanne to winnow thee from the chaffe of sinne Eightly as a winde to scatter and disperse thy inordinate passions Ninthly as paile or Parke to keepe thee within thy limits and bounds Tenthly as a Counseller to redeeme thy time Lastly a holy director as if was to Paul himselfe to cause thee in euery thing to endeuour to keepe a good conscience towards God and man Acts 24.15.16 Thus wee haue seene that the body must returne to take part with the soule after the dissolution the same foundation vvill beare this truth that the soule is dissolued it dyes not for which cause Paul cals his death a dissolution Phil. 1.23 it departs it dyes not therefore Simeon cals death onely a Departing and in the mouth of these two witnesses it is euicted that the soule is immortall Death kils not the soule but onely lets it out as Noahs Doue was let out of the Arke at a man is let out of prison and fetters for Plato cals the body Ergastulum animae the Prison of the Soule as Luther cals it the Asse of the Soule and Erasmus Sepulchrum animae the sepulcher of the Soule Now death onely breakes open this prison doore vnties the fetters of the senses vnlooseth this Asse roules away the stone from this Sepulcher le ts out the soule sends graue deâ—rsum leue sursum the grosse body downeward the soaring soule vpward the soule is put here in saccis vilibus in a base sacke as Ioseph put his golden Cup and siluer treasure in Beniamins sacke Now Death like Iosephs Steward opens the sacke naturally or rips it vp violently takes out the treasure vntoucht if any thing perish the sacke is vnripped the body destroyed the soule is as safe as Iosephs siluer for it cannot die being vnmateriall and a forme abiding in it selfe which forme cannot be taken away like roundnesse or squarenesse from a Table because it subsists not in the matter but in it selfe Secondly the soule is impenitrable insufferable it suffers not of any externall agent from the fires heate or ayres coldnesse it receiues no hurt from the frozen Ice of Norway or the scorching Sands of Affricke therefore receiuing nothing whereby it should decay it cannot corrupt or marre or dye since nothing in the whole world is contrary to it Thirdly man is desirous of immortalitie Now how could hee desire it and discusse of it how should man so labour and seeke for immortalitie some by skill and policie some by martiall exploits as Hercules Thesus c. some by Soueraigntie as Alexander and Caesar some by Bookes nay some by villanies as the burners of Diana's Temple vnlesse mans soule were immortall for Ignoti nulla cupido Fourthly God by creation infusing it or by infusing creating it gaue vnto it in the first originall the gift of immortalitie Fiftly the rage of conscience in the wicked their soules accusing them of secret sinnes as Caine and Nero and Herod of their murthers Iudas of his Treason c. their inward horrour appearing by their pale faces trembling ioynts deiected lookes as was seene in Baltazzar and Felix Dan. 5.6 Acts 24.25 their consciences like Magistrates commanding them to execute themselues shewes they are more then mortall Sixtly the effects of the soule in numbring diuiding discussing discoursing remembring affecting knowledge desire of blessednesse respect to glory c. shew it immortall Seauenthly if the Soule were not immortall man should not resemble GOD neyther in Creation or Regeneration haue any part or participation of the Image of God or any reuelations from God or communications with the Spirit of God and our spirit Eightly else there should be no difference betwixt vs and Beasts whose soules are in their bloud Gen. 9.4.6 Ninthly else there should be no vse of Iudgement of the day of doome or of Christs second comming Tenthly else were the godly of all men most miserable if their hope were onely in this life 1 Cor. 15.19 the Sonnes of Belial whose portion is oft greater in this world then the Lords owne Saints as Dauid Iob Ieremie in their times haue complained should else be in better case then they But since the Sunne of this truth shines clearely in the Scriptures why should I giue any moe Reasons which are infinite both in Philosophy and Diuinitie so adding light to the Sunne and water to the Sea First is not the argument that our Sauiour Christ vsed against the Sadduces from Exod. 3.6 authentique against Atheisme God is the God of Abraham Isaack and Iacob
Persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Acts 7.60 Last words reuealed of the Theefe on the Crosse that bonus Latro good Theefe that so happily stole Paradise were Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome Luke 23. The seauen last words that Christ spoke vpon the Crosse to the Daughters of Ierusalem to his virgin-Mother to his beloued Disciple Iohn to God his Father to the penitent Theefe as recorded by the Euangelists explained by Ferus Nahumius and Gueuarra these and all these of holy men in the sacred Cannon and of Christ himselfe as one speakes of Cyprians Epistles referunt pectus ardore plenum shew their deaths were full of peace as their liues were full of grace If I should instance in all the rest of this kinde and set downe at large the gracious words like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Siluer that haue proceeded out of the mouthes of Saints euen when they lay vpon their sicke couches drawing their last breath testifying their faith in Christ their hope of Heauen their zeale for Gods glory their sorrow for sinne their sealed pardon Or when they were to be martyred and sacrificed by fire as they are collected and recorded by Ecclesiasticall Authors Eusebius Nicephorus the tripartite History the Centuries Mr. Foxe his Martyrologie Grineus Mr. Perkins and others to whom I referre you It would easily appeare that where the Premisses are Grace in Life the Conclusion will be Peace in Death Let vs chew the cudde in the Meditation of some particulars The last words of Peter in his crucifying death were thus to his wife O Coniux memento Domini Oh Wife remember the Lord Iesus Of Polycarpus were prayses and prayers Of Cyprian Salus mea virtus mea Christus Dominus Christ the Lord is my strength and my saluation Of Ambrose Nec pudet viuere nec piget mori c. I neyther am ashamed to liue nor grudge to dye because I haue a good Iesus both in life and death Of Augustine It is no great matter that wood and stones fall and ruine or that mortall men dye vsing that sentence of Dauids Psalmes which also Mauritius the Emperour vsed when hee was slaine by Phocas his Centurion Iust is the Lord and righteous is his iudgement Zwinglius thus when hee was wounded in the wars mortally Well goe to they may kill my body my soule they cannot Erasmus dying in the house of Ierome Strobenius breathed out his soule crying thus Chare Deus c. Deare God oh God my mercy deliuer me make an end oh Christ and saue mee Peter Martyr saith Simler and Bullinger that were present at his departure confessed his faith acknowledged Christ his Sauiour expounded and applyed Scriptures exhorted his Brethren and in his death was wholy diuine So was Oecolampadius that burning Lampe in Gods house who supplyed with the oyle of grace gaue a wondrous light euen in his death as appeares by Grineus his Epistles to Fabritius Capito and others Luthers death resounds ioyfull prayses for Gods reuelation of the truth vnto him and victory ouer the Romish Antichrist Caluin as Beza reports that heard him with Dauids heart dyes not speaking but sighing out Dauids Psalmes Ridley Latimer Hooper Saunders with many moe constant Professors dyed desirous of the fire saluting the Stake professing their Faith confirming their Brethren and calling vpon God If I should ascend a little higher and looke into the sicke Couches of Emperours Kings Queenes Dukes Earles Nobles which like those Bereans Acts 17. were truely noble indeed I should occasion you to magnifie Gods mercies in calling some great ones vvho by their workes and words as liuing so dying testified that their Graces did equalize their Greatnesse I might instance in Charles the fift in Theodosius the great in Maximilian the second in Stephen King of Poland in Fredericke the third Prince Elector in Ferdinand in Queene Anne Bullen in Ioahn Gray the Duke of Suffolks Daughter with diuers others To omit the last words of Chrysostome dying in his exile of deuout Bernard of Ignatius the Martyr of these Belgicke Lights Phillip Melancthon Tremellius Musculus c. with mamy moe some whereof thankefully recording the benefits they had receiued from God in life spirituall and temporall some powring out their soules for the good of the Church which they haue bequeathed vnto Christ some discoursing of the vanities of this life of the fruits of sinne of the miseries of man some reioycing in the Spirit for the mitigation of their paines the consolations vvhich they felt from the Spirit their vnion vvith Christ their happy passage into Paradise their transmigration vnto their Sauiour exulting at the ioyes of Heauen which then they haue seene as Moses saw Canaan and in part tasted nay some as it were by a Propheticall Spirit illuminating them as it did Iacob and Ioseph fore seeing and fore-telling what should happen after their deaths as Iohn Husse and Ierome of Praige did concerning the Papacie haue all of them here with Simeon departed in peace And though some amongst the Heathens as Cyrus Caesar Augustus Titus Tratan Seuerus Adrian Pompey as also some of their Philosophers and Poets as Aratus Socrates Aristotle Anacharsis Antisthenes Theophrastus with others haue spoke to admiration concerning the necessitie of dying the miseries of life the exprobration of Tyranny the soules immortalitie the true God which they called The thing of things to whom they haue called and committed their Children as their Apothegmes and speeches are recorded by Plutarch Zenophon Laertius and others yet they haue come so farre short of Christians eyther in their ciuill acts and morrall workes liuing or their words dying that it is as easie to discerne betwixt them the strength of Nature and the fruits of the Spirit as betwixt conduit water and Aqua vitae by the taste Now the Reasons why the godly depart in peace are these First the Promise of God which must needes be acccomplished that Peace shall come that they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before the Lord Esay 57.2 which promise as it was verified in Enoch and Elias that vvalked vvith GOD so it shall be in all the faithfull Secondly they haue peace with God with whom they are reconciled by Christ which is their peace and therefore they must needes haue peace in God going out of the world to God who haue had peace with God in the world from whom they haue beene absent in the body Thirdly they haue that peace of God in their owne conscience which passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. which setteth them in an assured perswasion of the loue of God to them in his Christ the Lord shining in their hearts with the beames of his Spirit and the memory of all their well done deedes then reflexing vpon their vpright consciences fill them euen full of hidden ioy and inward peace These Reasons might be amplified
betwixt Christ and their soules their sinnes being washt away in the bloud of the Lambe the Lord at that day may freely accept them and seeing no iniquitie in Iacob nor transgression in Israel may couer their offences and not impute their sinnes to their deserued condemnation In omitting or pretermitting of which dutie wee may iustly blame and exclaime against wicked and secure worldlings that neuer thinke of this waightie worke till by sicknesse they be summoned to their dissolution then with the vnrighteous Steward they beginne to shuffle and bussle a little to make all straight in some superficiall and hypocriticall Repentance like Ahab Which preparation of theirs for their Passe-ouer out of this world is at that time very preposterous because then all the senses and powers of the body are occupyed about the paines and troubles of the disease Besides Physitians to be consulted with Friends to be conferred with Houshold affayres to be set in order a Will to be made order taken how debts must be eyther paid or receiued neighbours comming to visit oh how doe they diuide how distract the sicke party Is that a fit time of this preparation When so many Irons are in the fire it is likely this great one will coole much lesse is it conuenient to deferre it till the houre of death as is the practise of carnall and carelesse men imagining that if they haue but time to say God forgiue me Lord haue mercy on mee with the Publican but especially to runne ouer the Lords Prayer and the Creede which they vse in ignorance and superstition as Popish Charmes without any faith feruencie and feeling they holde themselues cocke-sure of saluation though their preparation be not so good as the Iewes for their Passeouer as a Christians is or ought to be for his ordinary hearing the Word and receiuing the Sacrament Doe not these men presumptuously thinke like blinde Bayards that they haue God and his Grace and his Mercie at commaund that they can repent when they list the contrary experience whereof improues their folly discouers their delusions and shewes that they build on the sand and rest on a broken staffe for was there not a time when Esau sought the blessing with teares and found it not Would not Iudas faine haue repented as appeares by his hypocriticall confession Mat. 27.3.4.5 and yet a Halter was all the comfort he got Would not Antiâ—chus Epiphanes had mercy when notwithstanding his expired life ended in miserie Would not the foolish Virgins haue entered the Bridegroomes Chamber when it was past time but were excluded And doth not the Lord threaten that many shall seeke to enter in at the straite gate but shall not be able Why so Because they seeke too looke when the time of grace is past And indeede it is iust with God to reiect them in aduersitie that haue reiected him in prosperitie not to heare when they call though they howle on their beds like Wolues that would not heare when hee called by his Word and the motions of his Spirit to forget them in death that would not remember him in life to harden those that would not be softned Consider with thy selfe what reason there is to the contrary is it reason that God should accept the Winter of thy life thy barren and frozen soule when thou hast offered vp the Spring Summer and Autumne of thy yeeres to Sathan that he should receiue the euening Sacrifice when Mammon or Lust hath had the morning that he should be pleased with thy lees and dregs when thou hast giuen the best wine of thy bloud to the Diuell will hee pledge Sathan in such a cup will he take the refuse and offals and leauings of Sinne It is possible hee may I doe not limit the vnbounded Ocean of his mercy but it is not probable hee will Make it thine owne case wouldest thou entertaine an old decrepit Seruant that is able to doe thee little or no seruice and giue him great wages that hath spent his youth and strength in the seruice of thine enemie I trow not Will any Generall admit of a lame Souldier past seruice that hath serued all his life against him in his enemies Campe will God admit thee into his seruice entertaine thee into his Campe receiue thee into his House reward thee in his Kingdome when thou hast spent the prime of thy yeeres in the seruice nay in the seruitude and slauery of Sathan I say as Augustine said to such a deferrer as thou Non dico saluabitur non dico damnabitur I will not say thou shalt be saued I dare not determine thou shalt be damned I leaue thee in the hands of God that hath thee as the Potter hath the Clay as the Smith his Iron as the Carpenter his Wood as the Creator his Creature to harden or soften thee to make thee a vessell of honour or dishonour to glorifie himselfe in his Mercy in thy conuersion or in his Iustice in thy confusion But thy heart tels thee and Sathan tels thy heart that thou maist repent at thy last houre Thou maist indeed if God will but to driue thee from this false holde it is not likely thou shalt repent truly and sincerely It is said Iudas repented in his death so the Word is Mat. 27. verse 3. hee had a Legall sorrow in him yet hee is called a reprobate for all that it is too true that Poenitentia sera raro vera late Repentance is seldome true Repentance It is commonly as sicke and weake as is the partie it is not voluntarie and free as that is which brings saluation 2 Cor. 7.10 but vsually constrained and extorted by the feare of hell and other Iudgements of God for crosses and afflictions and sicknesse will cause the grossest Hypocrite that euer was to stoope and buckle vnder the hand of God as did Pharaoh twise and to dissemble Faith and Repentance and euery other Grace of God as did Ahab as though they had Gods graces as fully as any of Gods Seruants whereas they are altogether destitute of them naked and blinde like the Laodiceans And that such repenters commonly counterfeite it appeares by this demonstration True Repentance is a turning to God so the Word cals it Ioel 2.12 an auersion from sinne which is his Terminus à quo a conuersion to God Terminus ad quem so most Diuines hold it Now where is the turning from sinne in such repenters They forsake not sinne but sinne forsakes them they leaue their euill wayes because they must leaue the world they leaue sinne in action but hugge it still in affection if they had a new Lease of their liues they would beginne new sinnes Nay Si nunquam morirentur nunquam peccare desinerent If they should neuer dye they would neuer desist from sinne as appeares in the practise of these pretended repenters for if God doe recouer them from their sicke-beds and take his hand off them doe
28. â—9 comforts them with the promised Comforter Iohn 16.7 Thus Peter endeuoured that those to whom hee writ and preached should haue remembrance of what hee taught them euen after his departure 1 Peter 1.15 If Peters pretended Successors stood not so much on their personall succession as they should in the right of succession labouring to imitate the doctrine of Peter of the Prophets and Apostles nay if this care of doctrinall succession were in the Ministers of the reformed Religion wee should not haue here so much blindnesse and ignorance where once was light there so many Schismes Errours and Heresies where once was an vnitie in veritie else-where so many Wolues come into the roomes of faithfull Pastors Acts. 20 ver 29. Thirdly if thou beest a Master of a Familie thou must set thine house in order as the Prophet from God commands Ezekias Esa 38.1 Now for as much as all Scripture is from God 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20 and all examples are for our learning Rom. 15.4 what vvas said to Ezekias is said to euery man Set thine house in ordrr For Order saith Nazianzen is the mother and preseruer of all things Now for the procuring this order in thy Familie doe two things 1. concernes the temporall 2. the spirituall estate of thy Familie For the first make thy Will and Testament thou shouldest make it in thy health as Abraham did who in his health makes a Will and giues Legacies but chiefely in thy sickenesse as did Isaack and Iacob in that propheticall Testament of his Gen. 49. So some thus set downe Christs Will on the Crosse he giues his Soule to his Father his louing Mother to his beloued Disciple Iohn his body to Ioseph of Aramathia to the penitent Theefe Paradise to the Iewes his heartiest desires when hee prayes for them c. Now it is not a matter of indifferencie but a thing that conscience bindes thee to euen to make a Will and to distribute thine inheritance as Siracides counsels Syr. 33.22 for thus discharging a good conscience thou maist more freely depart in peace as a man takes his iourney more freely when hee hath set his house in order Secondly so thou cuttest off many contentions and stayest many suites in Law Thirdly thou takest away scandall and offence and so preuentest a woe threatned Mat. 18.7 Fourthly thou shalt be thought a wise man and not dye like a Nabal and a foole in setting all at sixe and seauen and so shalt leaue behinde thee a good name as a precious Oyntment Eccles 7.3 Fiftly thou shalt in this imitate God vvho is the God of order and not of confusion Now in the manner of making thy Will let the Rules be 1. the Law of GOD 2. of Nature 3. of that Nation whereof thou art a member 4. of common equitie If thy will be against any of these rules it is culpable First then it is Gods will to preferre thine owne bloud in disposing of thy estate before others as GOD tels Abraham that Eliazer a stranger shall not be his heyre but his owne Sonne Gen. 15.4 The like God commaunds the Israelites that if any man dye his Sonne shall be his heyre if hee haue no Sonne his Daughter if no Daughter his Brethren so descending still to the next of kinne Numb 27.8.17 It is a fault then for any man to alienate his goods or lands wholy from his bloud and posteritie the light of Grace and of Nature to condemnes it euen the very Schooles of Plato and Aristotle Secondly those are culpable that giue all to the eldest and little or nothing to the rest or all to Sonnes nothing to Daughters for though it be equall that the eldest haue more then the rest First because he is the eldest the Reâ—ben and first strength of the Father Secondly because Stockes and Families are preserued in their persons Thirdly that they may doe speciall seruices to the Common-wealth yet it is exceeding vnequall to giue so much to the eldest as though he should be my young Master and a Gentleman and the younger borne to beare the wallet as though he onely were a Son and the rest Illegitimate Fourthly in the Lawes of equitie remember him with something or her in thy Will that haue beene trusty and faithfull Seruants to thee gratifie in thy death their loues labours and strength spent for thee deale not with them as the Spaniell with the water shake them not off when thou hast no more vse of them Secondly allot some Legacies to thy friends as memorials of thy lasting loue Thirdly as thou art able remember the Chruch of God and those that are in it poore Ministers or poore Members Fourthly such Societies in the Common-wealth as thou hast liued in Now concerning the spirituall estate of thy Family teach instruct exhort admonish and pray for euery particular person in thy Familie In this reade and imitate the example of Dauid 1 Kings 2. the whole Chapter Exhort thy Wife to be the Spouse of CHRIST thy Children Gods Children thy Friends Gods Friends thy Seruants Gods Seruants so shall God and Gods Spirit giue that testimonie of thee that hee did of Abraham Gen. 18.19 euen for instructing thy Familie after thee The practise of these Precepts concernes thy peace both in sicknesse and in death Lastly when thou feelest Death approaching comming neare to the Agonie and pangs of it then vvith the Marriners stearne aright to get into the Hauen there is the greatest danger and if recouered the greatest ioy Now labour as thou hast liued so to dye by Faith Now apply the Promise to thy Soule trust in it let it quicken thee as it did Dauid Psal 119.49 Comfort thy selfe as that persecuted Patriarke did when Death was before him euen in the Lord thy God 1 Sam. 30.6 Now let God be the strength of thy heart euen vvhen thy flesh fayles and thy heart also Psal 73.26 Now vvith the Israelites looke to him vvith the eye of Faith of whom the brazen Serpent was a figure euen when the Serpent Death imbraceth thee to sting thee Iohn 3.14 Now call to minde all the former mercies of thy God to thy soule and suck spirituall sweetnesse from them Now vvith Moses cry vnto God euen when thou seest the dead Sea as hee the red Sea before thee Exod. 14. Now pray with all thy powers and spirits loue the Lord vvith all thy heart and affections reioyce that thou art going to meete thy Bridegroome now mourne and weepe more then euer that thou hast offended so good so gracious and so louing a GOD Now with Ezekias remember thy former sinnes in the bitternesse of thy soule turne thy selfe to the wall and weepe in the secret silence of thy Soule Esay 38.3 that so thou vvashing thy soule with penitent teares thy CHRIST may at that instant vvash away the pollutions of it vvith his bloud that so it may be presented spotlesse before the
NOW followes the last part of this holy Hymne Simeons Quletâ—s est or his Pacification God suffering him to depart in peace Caluin and Bucer renders Simeons minde thus Nunc libenter sedato quieto animo moriar Lord now I depart willingly with an appeased heart and a setled soule since I haue seene thy Christ From whence I gather that a good man that liues piously alwayes dyes peaceably It appeares here in Simeon so in the rest of the Saints as in Abraham to whom it was promised Gen. 15.15 that hee should goe vnto his Fathers in peace and should be buryed in a good age which promise was plentiously performed to Abraham for he yeelded the spirit dyed in a good age an old man and of great yeeres Gen. 25.8 So Isaack the Sonne of Promise gaue vp the ghost and dyed peaceably being old and full of daies Gen. 35.29 Neither was the death of good Iacob that preuailing Israel discrepant to his holy life for he dyed quietly making an end of his charge vnto his Sonnes hee pluckt vp his feete into his bed and gaue vp the ghost Gen. 49.33 After the like manner was the death of chaste and mercifull Ioseph Gen. 50.26 of penitent and patient Iob after hee had seene his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes euen foure generations Iob 42.16 Of zealous and sincere Dauid 1 Kings 2. after hee had counselled and charged his Sonne Salomon to walke in the wayes and Statutes of the Almightie Of Moses the faithfull Seruant of the Lord who dyed when his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated though he were an hundred and twentie yeeres old God himselfe being present at his death and buriall So Ioshuah that couragious Leader of Israel Iosh 24.29 Aaron the Lords Priest who dyed before the Lord in the Mount Hor Numb 20.28 Eleazar Aarons Sonne Iosh 24.33 Samuel the Lords Prophet 1 Sam. 25.1 with all the rest of Gods Children Patriarkes Prophets Iudges Kings Martyres Confessors the learned Lights of the Church such as Ambrose Augustine c. as they haue liued holily they haue dyed happily of which in their seuerall Histories they haue giuen demonstrations most of them if not all in these three particulars First that they were gathered to their Fathers in a mature and full age full of yeeres reaped like a Ricke of ripe Corne into the Lords Barne taken like mellow Apples from the Tree of life in which full age Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioshuah Iob with the rest before mentioned as also the Patriarkes before the Floud which out-liued them with others of the faithfull did blessedly yeeld their spirits and quietly slept in the Lord which blessing of long life being the promise annexed to that fift Commandement of Obedience is peculiarly incident to the godly rather then the wicked whose sinnes as the Iuie kils the Oake ordinarily abbreuiate their dayes or if any of the faithfull dye young or in their middle age before they haue attained to the yeeres of their Fathers eyther by a naturall dissolution as Iosias or by a violent death as the auncient and moderne Martyres eyther they are taken away from the euill to come as Augustine was immediately before the siege of Hippo by the Gothes and Vandals or else because they are ripened already in grace and come to that maturitie which GOD in his fore-seeing wisedome knowes they would or could attaine to and so are fitted for glory or else they testifie the truth here to others confirmation Gods glory and their owne consolation Secondly the Elect vsually haue their wishes and the fruition of their desires ere their departure to the great satisfaction of their soules the contentation of their hearts the corroberation of their faith and the sealing pledge of Gods speciall loue vnto them thus Simeon ere his death had CHRIST in his armes which was the desire and longing of his heart So Abraham saw Christs day before his death in the spirit and reioyced what did old Israel so long after in the whole world except the sight of Shiloh the Messias in the flesh as to see his darling Ioseph which longing of his the Lord satisfied at the full ere his death for his dying eyes did not onely see Iosephs face but his seede Ephraim and Manasses Gen. 48.11 What did Moses desire more then the fruition of Canaan the promised Land Now euen before the Lord shut his dying eyes the Lord tooke him vp into a mount and as a rellish and a taste of his fauour gaue him a sight of Canaan Deut. 34. ver 1.4 In what could Dauids heart be more setled then to see his Throne setled in Salomon his Sonne which his desire was accordingly accomplished for his eyes did see what his heart desired for which hee blessed God 1 Kings 1.48 And the like ordinarily fals out as many aged Christians at this very day can bring in their experienced probatum est as many that are fallen a-sleepe before them could haue testified how the Lord hath heard their requests and granted the desires of their soules in these and these particulars before their deaths Thirdly the godly expresse the hidden ioy and inward peace which they finde within their soules by their seasoned and sanctified words of grace which they breathe out as a sweet Perfume from holy hearts to the refreshing of others vpon their sicke beds with which they vsually winde vp the thread of their life words so good so gracious that they are worthy to be writ in Letters of Gold and for euer to be remembred as they are recorded in the sacred Cannon and collected by holy men from the Saints of latter times For example vvhat a sweet gratulatory speech is this of Simeons in his farewell to the world Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. Euery word hauing his waight and Emphasis Ponder the last Sermons that Moses and Ioshuah and Samuel these faithfull Seruants of the Lord made immediately before their deaths vnto the Israelites Gods chosen people how zealously they perswade to the seruice of the true God disswade from Idolatrie and false Gods enumerate Gods speciall mercies exhort to obedience dehort from rebellion against God and their Superiours proclaime the promises to the obedient pronounce mercies to allure denounce iudgements to terrifie the disobedient blessing GOD by gratulatory Songs for his benefits and blessing the people in their Tribes Deut. 32. ch 33. Iosh 12. 1 Sam. 12. and a man shall see the peace they had in their hearts by the grace of their lips The last words of Iacob were blessings and prophecies Of Ioseph were admonitions and cautions the one to his Sonnes the other to his Brethren Gen. 49. Gen. 50. The last words of Dauid were his charge to Salomon his Son concerning Gods worship and the gouernement of his Kingdome 1 Kings 2. vers 3.4.5.6 c. The last words of Steuen the first Martyr after CHRIST were prayers for his
1 Kings 16.9.10 Iezabel argues well Can Traitors haue peace looke to it Iehu thou art a Traytor against Ahab sure Traytors seldome or neuer dye in peace Witnesse Absolon Sheba Adoniah our English Traytors Romanized Semenaries treacherous Conspirators Lopus Squire Titchburne Babington Parry c. our late Powder-plotting Pioners the French Rauillack millions moe which being like Ioab men of bloud haue come to their ends as is said of Tyrants cum caede sanguine with bloud and slaughter Oh then how canst thou a worme of the earth a wretched man because a vvicked man liuing in treasonable sinnes with a heart as hard as the neather-Milstone rebelling against so great so glorious so potent so powerfull a God once hope that euer thy gray haires shall come to the graue in peace or that thy soule after her flitting shall rest in Abrahams bosome the place of peace Can a man haue peace in Rome and be opposed against the Pope the vsurping Herod that supposed earthly God as his flattering Parasites call him oh then canst thou dust and ashes be opposed on earth against the mightie Iehouah the God of heauen Christ that opened the eyes of the blinde open thine eyes to see and thy heart to beleeue as hee did Lydia's Acts 16.14 and giue thee at last a resolution to breake off thy sinnes by repentance Dan. 4.84 the enemies of thy peace least God breake thee like a Potters vessell and teare thee in pieces whilst there is none to deliuer thee Psal 50.22 Oh sue for pardon for thy sinnes seeke for peace to him which is the Prince of peace Esay 9.6 seeke for peace by him and his merits which was ordained to be thy peace and to worke thy reconciliation Câ—l 1.20 so thou shalt shut vp the last period of thy life vvith inward peace and goe to keepe an eternall Sabbath with him that is the God of peace Thirdly that thou maist die peaceably invre thy selfe to dye daily and that after this manner First euery day mortifie some sinne nip some Serpent in the head crucifie euery day some corruption set vpon thy lesser sinnes and so get ground of thy greater sinnes as in particular leaue thy dangerous and damnable custome of swearing and blaspheming by these degrees first breake off thy Ciuill Oathes as in swearing by thy Faith Troth Christendome c. Secondly then set vpon thy Ridiculous and Childish Oathes as by Fay Fakins Trokins Bodikins Slid Sounds Cocke and Pye with the like whereby thou seekest to mocke and deceiue God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. Thirdly then invre thy selfe to leaue thy Superstitious Oathes as by the Masse Rood Crosse by our Lady and by Popish Saints c. Fourthly so proceede against thy Heathenish and Idolatrous Oathes in swearing by the Creatures as Laban and Iezabel by their Idols Gen. 31.53 1 Kings 19 verse 2. as by men by S. Peter and by S. Iohn c. by the Heauens the Earth by Fire Sunne the Light Meate Drinke Money c. or by the parts of thy body as Hands or the like or by thy Soule all condemned Mat. 5. ver 34. Iames 5.12 And so with a courage set vpon thy impious horrible fearefull damnable blasphemous Oathes as by the Lord by God the eternall God by Christ by Iesus and such like or by the parts and adiuncts of Christ by tearing his Humanitie as the Iewes did his body by diuiding him as the Souldiers did his garments Mat. 27.35 in blasphemie by his Death Passion Life Soule Bloud Flesh Heart Wounds Bones Sides Guts Armes Foote Nayles c. of all which I tremble and quake to thinke write and speake though thou makest no more scruple of such Hell-bred Oathes then of thy ordinary words so deale with all other sinnes of which thy soule is as full as a Serpent is full of venome and a Toade of poyson Crucifie them by degrees and dye to them daily else thou dyest for euer if thou dye 〈◊〉 in them By this course thou shalt take away the sting of Death which is Sinne for the strength of Death is Sinne 1 Cor. 15. euen as the strength of Sampson laid in his hayre Iudg. 16.17 which sinne when it is subdued Death it selfe is as easily conquered as weakened Sampson was by the Philistines verse 21. yea it can doe thee no more harme then a Dragon Viper or angry Waspe which haue lost their stings Secondly dye daily to the world loue it not nor the things of it that so thou maist more happily dye out of the world and more hopefully entertaine thoughts of a better world And in this case doe as Runners vse who oft runne ouer the Race before they runne for the Wager that so they may be better invred and acquainted when they come to try their abilitie or as is said of Belney the Martyr that being to suffer by fire many dayes before he would hold his hand a pretty while in the flame so to prepare himselfe to sustaine the paines of Martyrdome which he was to vnder-goe Thirdly dye daily by invring thy selfe to take Crosses and Afflictions patiently as sickenesses in body troubles in minde losse of goods of friends and of good name c. which indeede are little deaths euen pettie deaths not onely Prologues of death but Preparatiues to death for which cause GOD sends them to his children more then to the wicked euen to weane them from the world and prepare them for death as the Nurse weanes the Childe from the Teate by doing bitter Aloes vpon it and sure he that beares Crosses most patiently is well prepared to dye peaceably as appeares by S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 who by making good vse of afflictions dyed daily it holding commonly that Mors post crucem minor est Death is lesse dolorous after the crosse Fourthly pray seriously for a peaceable departure it is confirmed by examples of all ages and experience of all Gods Seruants that hee that prayes well speedes well Iacob and Abrahams Seruant had Gods blessings vpon their Iourneyes as an effect of their Prayers Gen. 24. Gen. 27. Thou shalt finde Gods presence euen in that houre of the last iourneying of thy soule from her earthly Mansion to her heauenly Country if thou pray for this grace particularly and effectually therefore as thou oughtest to pray continually for other things so euen in health and prosperitie pray frequently and feruently 1. That God would make this backeward repugnant and nilling nature of thine willing to her dissolution 2. Prepare thy vnprepared soule 3. Subdue thy corruptions 4. Purge out the drosse of thy sinnes 5. Giue the patience to kisse his correcting Rod when hee whips by sicknesse or diseases 6. Succour thee in thy last and greatest conflict 7. Support thy weaknes 8. Aide thee against Sathans force and fraud 9. Strengthen thy Faith 10. Renew thy decayed graces 11. Giue thee the power and comfort of his owne Spirit 12. Not
to visit thy sinnes in Iustice but in Mercy 13. To preserue thy soule from the Hunter and thy darling from the Lyon 14. To giue his Angels charge ouer thee in thy extremitie 15. To keepe thee from 1. Impatiencie 2. Frenzie 3. Distraction 4. Idle fancies 5. Rauing 6. Raging 7. Blaspheming c. least thy death be scandalous 16. To touch thy tongue with a coale from the Altar that thou maist speake 1. to Gods glory 2. and to Edification 17. To dye the death of the righteous 18. Lastly to receiue thy soule into that new Ierusalem which is aboue Such Prayers we haue vpon record in holy Writ as of Dauid Psal 39. and Moses Psal 90. true patternes of our Prayers in this kinde And sure who euer approacheth oft to the throne of Grace and supplicates to a pittifull God from faith and feeling in these and the like petitions he shall be sure to finde an answere from God euen when hee lyes vpon his sicke-bed as the fruit of his formâ—r desires Besides that his former acquaintance with God in speaking to him and talking as it were with him oft-times in life by Prayer will increase in the sicke Patient euen a holy boldnesse in a filiall feare to come to that God as one friend to another in extremitie with whom he hath so oft conuersed and conferred with by the Word and Prayer in health and prosperitie Fiftly that thou maist depart in peace make sure to thy soule the inheritance of life eternall euen here in this thy life naturall for as worldlings are something at quiet vvhen they haue made sure such houses lands leases and purchases as they haue long gaped after so assurance of life eternall is the onely pacification to the spirituall man this is the lot the portion and inheritance that his soule longs after the estate that hee preferres before all the flesh-pots of Aegypt or the Iewels of Aegypt Now for the purchase of a fixed place in the heauenly Canaan thou must prouide these treasures 1. sauing Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Sanctification of more price vvith God then Gold Pearle and precious Stones with men For the first there is no traffique with God or purchase from heauen vvithout it Iohn 17.3 This is life eternall to know God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ For Faith the Truth affirmes it with asseueration Verily verily hee that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath eternall life Iohn 5.24 Iohn 3.16 For Sanctification whosoeuer submits their hearts and liues to the regiment of the Spirit of Christ they are the children of God Rom. 8.14 Now God hath an heauenly inheritance for all his Children get therefore these graces and saluation instantly comes to thy heart as it did to Zacheus house Luke 19. Sixtly it will make much for thy dying peace to doe all the good thou canst in life to all men in generall to the Church the Saints and houshold of Faith in special by thy 1. Wit 2. Wealth 3. Power 4. Place 5. Authoritie 6. Credit with great men as Nehemias and Mardocheus did to the Iewes or by any other meanes whatsoeuer Therefore hath God put it into thy heart to build an Hospitall for the distressed to giue some annuall contribution to the poore to mend some common wayes for a publike ease to erect or repayre some Grammer-Schoole for the trayning vp of youth to found some Fellowships or Schollerships in some Colledge as a furtherance to learning to plant some Library for a help to good Letters like that famoused BODLEY the Phoenix in this kinde of our time or to erect and maintaine in some barren place a preaching Ministerie the best worke of all because conuersant about the best obiect the sauing of soules or any the like Oh then strike whilst the Iron is hot goe about this worke speedily euen as speedily as Dauid went about the building of Gods house vvho would not haue giuen any rest to the temples of his head till hee had finished what hee intended had not God staid his resolution And here I cannot but take notice of the preposterous charitie of some that doe little or no good liuing vnlesse to themselues and those to whom Nature tyes them yet after their death they doe some good by their Deputies and Assignes and Executors which oft-times ayming at their owne ends by some quiâ—ques and euasions proue executioners of the desires of the deceased rather then Executors yet suppose the Will be Legally performed what may be censured of thine intent that hast beene close-handed in life and now art seemingly open-hearted at thy death First that thou giuest what thou canst no longer retaine Secondly or thou giuest to good vses what thou hast got by ill meanes or thirdly that conscience accusing thee thou wouldest stop the mouth of it by this sop cast to that barking Cerberus within thee as Iudas did by casting away his thirtie pieces of siluer the price of bloud Mat. 27. Fourthly or else from some opinion of satisfaction for by-past sinnes or present merit with our blinded Papists but chiefely the censorious Criticall world will iudge that if thou hadst not parted with the world thou hadst not departed with thy bewitching wealth therefore All that thine hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power Eccles 9.10 For there is neyther worke nor inuention nor knowledge in the place whither thou goest to Salomons counsell I ioyne Pauls Doe good to all whilst thou hast time Gal. 6.10 Doe what seruice thou canst to Gods Church to the Common-wealth to euery particular man chiefely to the poore members of CHRIST Oh what a comfort will it be to thee if thou hast beene bountifull and beneficiall to the distressed when thou canst say on thy sicke Couch with Nehemias in another case Lord remember mee concerning this good worke and concerning that good worke Nehem. 13.22 Oh blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble the Lord will strengthen him â—pon his bed of sorrow thou hast turned all his bed in his sicknesse saith the Psalmist Psal 41. ver 1.3 Seauenthly keepe a good conscience with God and man that it may be a continuated comforter vnto thee as in life so in the agonies of death as it was to Paul in all his pressures Acts 24.16 and as it is to the Saints in all their sorrowes a continuall feast Prou. 15.15 a perpetuall Christ-tide a Iubilee in the iawes of death a peace passing all vnderstanding Phil. 2. For as the want of this is the Racke and Gybbet vnto the wicked the greatest heauinesse and plague Sirach 25.15 as the Wiseman tearmes it a plague of plagues an euill which goes beyond all euill that tongue can speake as euen Plautus and Seneca haue thought it the greatest wound and griefe that can be sustained as Salomon determines it Prou. 18.14 nay the very flashes and Prologue to hell as Iudas