Which liuing soule keepes by force as it were these elements together But when the same by mâ—anes of the departure of the soule haue reobteined their former freedome then our body returnes to dust whence it was taken Gen. 3.19 according to Gods word and ordinance So that whatsoeuer in our composition we likewise had borrowed from the water ayre and fire returnes each to his owne element where it is well at rest and at home The Resurrection of the body But at the last day shall God cause the elements to surrender again the maâ—ter of our bodies and then as many as lye in the earth and sleepe Dan. 12.6 shall awake saith the Prophet not onely those that bâ—o predestinated to eternall life but euen those also which are ordained to eternall shame And although wee cannot comprehend how God shall finde distinguish and reforme our bodies yet neede wee not to doubt of his word Wee see dayly before our eyes many things come to passe incredible before they are expounded vnto vs. Would it not seeme vnpossible to any of vs to finde a man in a wood or way where no body euer had seene him walking Yet put but on a Beagle or Blood-hound and he by the sent onely will follow and finde his Master Againe shew the Copies of a hundred schoole boyes vnto al the wisest Philosophers in the world it will bee vnpossible for them to distinguish them Shewe them but vnto their Schoole-Master hee at the first sight will know euery ones proper hand In like manner let a golden bowle be cast amongst a hundred pound of melting brasse and as it will be equally disperced and mingled with the same will it not seeme vn o vs that haue no insight in that Art vnpossible to recouer the Cup againe out of the whole masse Giue it but an Alchymist he will soone extract your gold giue that then to the Goldsmith and you shall haue your Cup new cast as it was before If so be then that a skilfull man yea a beast can bring things o passe in this world which seeme vnpossible to the greater and wiser sort of men yea if wee our selues can transforme the dust of the earth sand and ashes into a goodly transparent glassie body Wee must needes expect more from God with whom all things are possible Math. 19.26 Hee that hath created the earth of nothing and vs of the earth who meeteth out heauen as Esay speaketh with his spanne Esay 40.12 within which our bodies remaine whether they be in the earth in the water or in the entrayles of beasts will easily finde know and re-establish all that which he once made and yet containes in the palme of his hand Let vs then freely be confident that the houre shall come Iob 5.29 in the which all that are in the graues shall come forth vnto the resurrection And as death is termed a sleepe so is the resurrection by the forenamed Prophet Dan. 12.2 fitly called an awaking Yet this resurrection will farre surpasse our dayly awaking out of sleepe for now we awake with a body that falls a sleepe againe but hereafter we shall rise with a body that neuer can dye any more for then sayes St. Paul the dead shall bee raised incorruptible 1 Cor. 15.51 So that wee may obserue that our bodies doe profit by death For first wee obtaine a long lasting ease and secondly an euerlasting life Whence it followeth that in regard of our bodies wee haue no cause at all to shunne death 2. Obseruation concerning the soule Secondly some feare that some damage may befall their soule by death which is altogether against reason The soule is not composed of such matter that is subiect vnto the power of death She is as a liuing spirit by God breathed into vs. And as the breaâ—h which men blowe out though it be no essentiall part of their lungs or members yet notwithstanding it retaineth a sauour of that breast that it came fâ—om Euen so doth our soule retaine that from the image of him who infused it in the body that it is thereby become an immortall spirit For of the immortality of it neuer was there doubt made by any liuing vnlesse by fooles By them sayes the booke of Wisedome the soules seeme to dye Wisd 3 2 4. and their departure is taken for miserie but their hope it full of immoâ—tality Yea the very soules of the vn beleeuers are not subiect to mortality as is manifested vnto vs by the soule of the rich man in the Gospell Luke 16.23 Eccl 12.7 This body sayes Salomon shall returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it to receiue his sentence either of reward or of punishment For otherwise if the reasonable soule perished with the body then should the most godly men who commonly must refraine the pleasures of this world and suffer for Gods cause contempt at the hand of Reprobates of all men become the most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 Which could neither agree with Gods Mercy toward the good nor with his Iustice to the bad The soule therefore is to expect hereafter a day of account wherin oppressors shal be recoÌ„penced with tribulation 2 Thes 1.6 and to them that are troubled shall be a refreshing and rest For indeede the soule is the principall part of man Deut. 10.12 and therefore as well by Moses in the old Testament 1 Pet. 3.20 as by Peter in the new it is taken for the whole man But being seperated from this body will it be able to doe any thing This wee may in some sort conceiue in this life The soules selfe-consisting For when a mans spirit is busâ—ed in its owne worke that is in some kinde of meditation wee may presently perceiue that the lesse the bodily members yea his fiue senses are occupied the more earnester hee withdrawes himselfe to his cogitations Yea oft he will shut his very eyes that the receiuing of their obiects may not disturbe him We read that Archimedes his minde was so busied about humane Art Val. Max. 8.7 that the very Citie of Siraciâ—sa where he then abode was taken and he himselfe by the Enemie surprised before hee perceiued the least rumour thereof And St. Paul when the heauenly visions were reuealed vnto him hee was so farre from needing his bodily members thereunto 2 Cor 12.2 that he himselfe knew not whether he was in the body or out of the body And long time before this when God would teach Iacob Gen. 18.10 Abimelech Salomon Gen. 20.2 Ioseph and others 1 Reg 3.5 some matters of great moment Math. 2.13 did he not first let their bodies fall a sleepe Hee knew well enough that thine best helpe would but haue beene a hinderance to spirituall matters Doth not this shew vnto vs that the body is but to the soule as a clogge
in his hundred and sixteenth Psalme that being released we should call vpon him as long as we liue walke before him Psal 116. and pay our vowes vnto him in the presence of all his people which Psalme throughout ought then to be our meditation and our practise For wee doe neglect this and forgetting God and all godlinesse returne againe to our euill wayes wee must expect some greater punishment This the Lord demonstrates vnto vs in his words to the forenamed diseased person To whom because wee should not thinke it sufficient sometimes to appeare in the Temple hee said Sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee That is worse then the sicknesse of eight and thirty yeares continuance which hee had endured before Behold how sorely he is threatned that after his release vngratefully rushes againe into his former sinne God graunt vs a better heart Finall conclusion To conclude all that hath beene said as we in the first part haue shewed that the death of the body is not hurtfull to man and in that respect ought not to be fearefull so we suppose that in this second part wee haue declared by what meanes we may make the same to be very profitable vnto vs and haue shewed in the first place how that wee must settle our house by a decent ordering of our goods that we ought to inure our body to a patient suffering of paine and that we must prepare our soules by a timely preparation to meet death couragiously After that we haue taught how we ought to disarme it and so to strengthen our selues through Christian faith that its sting may not pricke our soule and bring it to the second death And withall we haue endeauoured to establish the wauering soule in this faith and to relieue the troubled consciences with comfortable speeches and examples that may instruct them And lastly wee haue made it apparent that death openeth a dore for our soule to a life truly happy which shee shall receiue with all aduantage honour and perfect ioy from her Sauiour in heauen and shall possesse vnto all eternity Wherefore we iustly conclude that all Christian soules haue great reason to waxe weary of this temporall troublesome and sinfull life and earnestly to say with the holy Apostle Wee desire rather to remoue out of the body Rom. 5. â— and be with Christ Let vs then lift vp our soules to him and heartily entreate him that he would come quickly Yea Lord Iesu come The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with vs all Reu. 22.20 Amen A SHORT PRAYER CONCEIVED BY THE Author for his Seruant that lay a dying An. 1623. O Almighty God and most mercifull Father that hast created and by thy wisdome doest preserue and gouerne all things we poore sinners prostrate our selues at thy feete to powre out our Prayers for a sicke creature whom it hath pleased thee to cast into the snares of death But in doing thus our owne vnworthinesse representeth it selfe to our eyes What are we that we should dare to entreate for one who in thy sight it may be is holier and better then wee our selues are and we consequently haue more neede that some other should pray for vs. Notwithstanding O wise and most mercifull Lord seeing that thou hast commanded vs for to pray one for an other sanctifie wee pray thee our heart and guide our tongue that our weake prayers may be acceptable vnto thee Whereby wee desire of thee that thou wouldest fauourably behold this our brother lying in great distresse Doe not behold in him that corruption which as well by originall sinne as by dayly transgression hee is fallen into But O Lord regard him as thy creature and as the worke of thine owne hands Cast not thine eyes on his owne deformity but on the worke of thy mercy whereby thou hast renewed thine image in him Forgiue vs forgiue him all his sinnes and transgressions for his names sake whom thou hast mercifully appointed to bee a ransome for vs before the foundation of the world and reuealed in due time to wit Iesus Christ who descended from heauen to take on him mans nature and in the same to suffer for vs and by suffering to saue those that beleeue in him Grant him O Father and grant each of vs to bee of that little flocke which through his merrits is elected to saluation Strengthen him in faith that he as a member of Christ may assure himselfe that he is partaker of all his merits We entreat thee for our selues we entreat thee for him as our brother in Christ and especiall for him as one to whom our lone is confirmed by a long continuance of dwelling and liuing together O Lord we pray for him as for our owne soule Be mercifull vnto him Let him tast of thy meekenesse Let him feele in his soule that thou hast quitted him of all his sinnes and turned thy wrath from him Strengthen him in body strengthen him in soule Shew thy power in this wealie flesh of his Touch his tongue that he may call on thee and declare his good hope euen in this his greatest frailty Or at the least O God so infuse thy diuine light into his Spirit that it may driue away all dazeling and darknesse from him Turne away from him all distrust and distresse of minde O Lord be mercifull vnto him And by this example teach vs wisdome that we in our greatest prosperity may flye all vaine arrogancie beholding here what a tender worme man is when thou doest but visite him with sicknes But at this present O Father comfort him that feeles this by experience Strengthen him and mercifully receiue him into thy protection Shield him from the arrowes of that wicked one that still is wandring about but chiefely assaulting vs in our greatest extreamity Set him free O Lord and if it seeme good vnto thee restore vnto him his former health If not send thine Angels vnto him â—hat they in due time may bring his soule into thy bosome Let him with Stephen if not with bodily eyes yet with the eyes of faith see his Sauiour standing in heauen euen ready to receiue his soule This we desire this we begge of thee O Lord for thy Sonne our Sauiours sake euen in that prayer which he hath endited for vs and begunne with that comfortable word Our Father Our Father that art in heauen heare vs whom thou hast vouchsafed to name thy children Hallowed among vs be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen euen in this our weakest brother Giue vs this day our dayly bread not that of our body onely but the Spirituall and necessary foode also of our soules Forgiue him and forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Lead vs not into temptation take compassion on our weakenesse that hardly can resist any thing But deliuer vs all from euill For thine onely O Father is the Kingdome
And follow thus through death his fore-runne trace Then shall our end be happy for they will Direct vs through this dale to Sions bill Vt terror Mortis tibi sit victoria larvam Aspicias intus Moâ—s fera vita placens Abr. Bush Art Mag. A DESCRIPTION OF DEATH TO euery thing there is a set time Eccle. 3.1 a time to bee borne and a time to die saith Salomon And betweene the time of birth and of death there passed in the first ages sixe eight or perhaps ten hundreth yeares But since the time that mans sinne drew the deluge ouer the whole world Man borne of a woman hath but a short time saith Iob. Iob 14.1 Iacob said that his dayes were an hundreth and thirty yeares Gen. 47.9 and that hee had not attained to the dayes of his Fathers But our dayes saith Moses comming after him Psal 90.10 are but threescore yeares and tenne and at the highest fourescore Yet not one among fourescore times fourescore attaine vnto that age 2 Sam. 12.18 Dauids beloued childe neuer saw the eight day yea the life of some is ended before they bee borne But how well so euer we are deliuered out of our mothers wombe yet hauing taken shipping in this world we still sayle towards our end And whether wee be fewe or many dayes by the way death is our last port vnto it we are all bound and at it must euery one arriue Now what man doth euer commit himselfe to Sea and doth not first furnish himselfe with necessary prouision against all vnexpected tempests How much the more then ought we to furnish our selues against the stormes of death which euery one of vs must certainly looke for hee that intends but a iourney by land enquires for the most commodious way And doe wee thinke to performe our iourney from Heauen to earth without any trouble or forecast at all This is a lamentable carelesnesse For whosoeuer doth then first goe about to prepare himselfe to dye well when he feeles sicknesse vpon him or seeth death before his eyes is like to a Souldier that beginneth then to forge his weapons when hee beholds his enemies on the wall Wee ought to spend the whole course of our life on the meditation of death for hee certainly hath liued well who hath learned well to dye Prouident Ioseph gathered in the seauen yeares of plenty that which fed him and those that were with him in the seauen yeares of famine Gen. 41.43 In like manner ought wee in our youth and health to make prouision of that Spirituall foode that may cherish vs towards our end when wee may chance to bee weake both in body and in minde Hee that is Lord of life and death open the eyes of our vnderstandings and endue vs with his Holy Spirit that hee may lighten and conduct our soules in and thorow the darknesse of death Hee I say that hath by dying ouercome death graunt that we may know it throughly to withstand it valiantly and hereafter as Souldiers vnder his banner happily vanquish it To treate hereof orderly The originall of Death we are first to know that God created not death Hee created the first man immortall in soule and body Zanch de Var. qual 4.1 so that hee might haue liued eternally had hee but obserued the will of his Creator Yet neuerthelesse hee also created him mortall so that hee might dye whensoeuer hee should transgresse the law of his Creator This appeares vnto vs by the words wherein GOD threatneth him on this manner In the day that thou eatest thereof Gen. 2.17 thou shalt surely die speaking of the forbidden tree of knowledge Wherefore Iesus the sonne of Sirach sayes that God himselfe made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his owne counsell Eccl. 1â— 14.17 He set before him life and death sayes he and which hee liketh shall bee giuen him Now when Adam through the Serpents subtilty slighted this diuine warning hee straightwayes became lyable to death both in respect of his body which was dust Gen. 3.19 and shall returne to dust againe as also of his soule for through this sinne was hee adiudged to condemnation Rom. 5.16 And not hee onely but also all his posterity who all died in Adam 1 Cor. 15.22 as the Apostle teacheth So then this death as we may say was begot of the deuill brought into the world by sinne borne in Paradise the Mid-wife Eue the Nurse Adam It hath an abominable mother that mainely doth resist God It is lamentable of it selfe in respect that it is the fruit of our transgression It is ignominious because it is vnto vs as a brand of Gods wrath Yet is it not so abominable as the mother of it sinne it selfe because it doth execute Gods iust iudgement on vs slaying vs three manner of wayes whence it also may bee termed three-fold Death threefold First it killeth the body in separating the same from the spirit which is the life of it for the body without the spirit is dead saith Iames. This kinde of death is common vnto all men It assailes vs out of our owne nature or may be inflicted on vs by others And from this shall all men be freed at the generall resurrection Secondly it slayeth the soule by with-drawing the same from God her Creator Psal 36.9 who is the fountaine of life and from God her Redeemer Pro. 3.22 who is the life of our soule and the word of life This manner of death is also common vnto all those that walke as yet in Vanity and Blindnesse of heart Ioh. 1.11 It befalleth vs by meanes of our sinnes and trespasses Ephes 4.17 Ephes 2.1 And from this in this present life as many are freed Col. 2.13 as Christ hath quickned together with him and hath forgiuen them all their trespasses as the Apostle speaketh And this it is that Saint Iohn termes the first resurrection Thirdly it kills soule and body both together by excluding them both from the blisse of eternall life And of this kinde of death Christ saith If a man keepe my saying Ioh. 8.31 hee shall neuer see death Whereby the contrary is proued to wit that vnto them that do reiect the word of God this death shall befall and will come vpon them by the iust sentence which at the last day God shall pronounce against them Nor shall any of those whom it befalleth euer be released neither in this nor in the world to come These three sorts of dying are all comprehended by Christ in a speech of his where he saith Feare not them which kill the body Iohn 10.28 but are not able to kill the soule but feare him rather who is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Death twofold This hell Saint Iohn in his Reuelation at the last sees throwne into a lake of fire Reu. 20.15 and calls it
our comfort delight and refuge Let vs then no longer lye weltring in sorrow lest by ouerlong lamenting wee encrease Gods wrath and prouoke him to correct vs with a heauier crosse If a Father should send one of his children into a farre Country to see and learne fashions and the childes brother in the meane while should neuer linne complaining that hee had lost his play-fellow would not this continuall whining at the last out-weary the Father Surely when his words could not herein preuaile with him hee would at the last better instruct him with a rod and so make him to be quiet Therefore let vs also willingly yeeld our necks vnto the yoake of Gods will and in patience possesse our soules Luk 21.19 that our impatience draw not his wrath downe vpon vs. Wee must not like children still cry and whine nor thinke that our loue due to the dead requires it of vs. They themselues would chide vs if our of heauen they should behold our endlesse lamenting for them True loue should giue vs occasion of ioy If ye loued me Ioh. 14.28 ye would reioyce saith Wisdome it selfe because I said I goe vnto the Father We must then bannish our of our hearts by a manly or rather a Christian courage this discomfort and manifest our strength by our patience For as Salomon sayes Hee that ruleth his Spirit Pro. 16.32 is better then he that taketh a Citie The holy Scipture that sayes Let the dead bury the dead Math. 8.22 whose buriall yet notwithstanding was necessary with more reason ought to perswade vs that wee should let the dead bewaile the dead which is not necessary at al. But why doe we still let our thoughts dwell in the graue whither we haue willingly caused the bodies of our best friends to be caried and there to be left Let vs lift our heads higher Let vs erect our hearts toward heauen whither God hath directed their soules There the best part of them is yet liuing There their soules remaine by the operations whereof their bodies did here delight vs. There I say our friends yet liue This wee may learne of Iob to whom God afterwards as the holy Scripture witnesseth gaue twice as much as hee had before To wit for seauen thousand Iob 1.2 Iob 42.12 hee gaue him foureteene thousand sheepe and so forth But in stead of tenne children he gaue him but tenne againe How then were they doubled his liuelesse Cattell were stone dead His deceased children were aliue still in heauen and the ten more giuen him here made them vp twenty Let vs then obserue hence that although our louing parents husbands wiues and children or friends are departed out of this world yet for all that they be not therefore dead but aliue yea that they may still be called ours And what greater comfort or reason then can wee haue to stay or stop our mourning then this Or if we cannot haile our senses out of the graue let vs at least behold and consider their bodies there with the eyes of the true Apostolique faith and wee shall finde them there constantly expecting the resurrection of the body Sym. Apost and life euerlasting And this is that which the Apostle on good ground charges vs 2 Thes 4.18 to comfort one another withall Calling on God And to conclude though wee haue set downe much comfort and diuers remedies against sorrowes yet except the Lord build the house Psal 127.1 they labour in vaine that build it In vaine doe we take in hand to cure the body In vaine doe we instruct the spirit vnlesse God stretch forth his ayding hand All sorrowfull hearts must then fall downe before him in whom is the fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.11 and call vpon him continually to release them of their sorrow Hee can soone scatter through the light of his spirit all those thick clouds of misery which often euen against our owne will doe compasse vs about Let vs take heed onely that with Martha wee be not too much troubled Luk. 10.39 and let vs with Mary rather set our selues at his feete and willingly embrace his comforts Or if we cannot wholy keepe our selues from sorrowing let vs not weepe ouer the dead but with the daughters of Ierusalem weepe for our selues that yet liue Luk. 23.28 Let vs freely mourne for our cōmon sins that brought death into the world and striue to diminish them daily more more by repentance so shall this religious sorrow be comfortable vnto vs and procure vs an eternall ioy Which we entreat that Comforter to grant vnto vs Ioh. 14.16 which our Sauiour promised to send his Disciples Amen A Prayer for the sicke written by Mr. I. KING Minister of Gods word in London ETernall and omnipotent God most kinde and mercifull Father I thy poore creature dust ashes appeare before thy high diuine Maiesty with a hearty confession of my vilenesse and manifold sinnes wherewith in soule and body I am defiled and so wounded that from the sole of my feere to the top of my head there is nothing sound in me For in my vnderstanding is nothing but blindnesse in my will nothing but obstinacie against thy commandements my heart is a root of all iniquity my externall members are weapons of vnrighteousnesse yea through my disobedience incredulity ingratitude I haue so farre turned aside from thee and strayed from thy wayes that I am become a slaue to sinne and a childe of wrath whereby I haue deserued not only temporall punishments but euen eternall death and damnation if so be thou shouldest enter into iust iudgement with me But seeing that thou O Father of all comfort doest not reiect those that come vnto thee with true repentance of their manifold sins but hast promised to heare those that call on thee with a broken heart and a deiected spirit I now come vnto thee in confidence of thy bottomlesse mercy which thou hast showne and offered vnto me in thy welbeloued Son my Sauiour Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent into to this world to bee a ransome for all my sinnes And entreate thee O faithfull God and Father that thou mercifully wilt heare my prayer which I offer vnto thee in his name being now visited with a heauy sicknesse Grant that I through this thy fatherly chastising may so feele the greatnesse of my sinnes and heauinesse of the same that yet thereby I may not fall into despaire But that rather through this thy fatherly correction I may be moued to flie vnto thee with whom is much forgiuenes that doest not desire the death of a finner but that he repent and liue Thou that strikest and woundest indeede as a seuere Iudge with the sword of thy law but againe as a spirituall Chirurgion bindest vp and healest with the wholesome oyle of thy holy Gospell that bringest indeede thy children to the vttermost extremity as if it were to the torments of hell