as you passe by cast your eye vpon Ierusalem that virgin Daughter Sion And if you please reflexe vpon proud Troy renowned Carthage famous Constantinople learned Athens rich Thebes warrelike Numantia populous Samaria ancient Rome old Antwerpe and when you haue viewed them all in the Map of your retyred Meditations tell these renowned places these wonders of the vvorld that sinne hath sackt them that pride hath beene their period that their faults haue caused their fals that they haue beene miserable because vnmindfull of God and of themselues that they with their inhabitants because they haue wanted grace haue wanted peace But if these be to generall for thy application descend into particulars runne ouer Histories read the Tragicke parts that wicked men haue acted vpon the Stage of this world and marke their ends when Death hath struck them Non-plus Leaue all other sinnes and sinners looke on these that eyther haue broached errours Heretically or resisted or persecuted the truth obstinately and cruelly and you shall see them dying horribly you shall see blasphemous Cerinthus killed with the ruines of an house as he was sitting in a Bath at Ephesus Manes the Father of the Manichees exposed to the teeth of Dogs with his skinne flaine off by the command of a Persian King Arius that hellish patrone of the Arians voyding out his bowels with his excrements Olimpius strucke with Thunder by a three-fold Dart from Heauen for his blasphemies against the Trinitie Nestorius perished in Aegypt by the rotting of that tongue of his which denyed Christs humanitie Tandemus that Gygantean and profane contemner of the Word and Sacraments clouen to the braine by a sailing Priest Michael Sernetus burned at Geneua Maximinian the Tyrant smit with a sodaine plague from GOD his eyes swelling his whole body burning so dyed Cruell Domitian the next persecuter after Nero slaine by his Wife and Seruants and buryed like a Dogge Lucius Verus cut off by an Apoplexie the eleauenth yeere of his cruell raigne Maximinus the Thracian murthered by his Souldiers Decius drowned in a puddle Valerian King Sapors slaue after his persecutions had his skinne pluckt off his rotten carkasse Dioclesian with his Collenge butchering seauenteene thousand Christians in thirty dayes consumed miserably in his Frenzie by a lingring disease and his fellow hanged himselfe Valeâ—s the Arrian Emperour burned in his Inne by his pursuing enemies What neede I giue Coale-worts twice sod and set before you againe those dishes that haue beene cooked by all authentâ—cke Ecclesiasticall Authors that are of credit concerning the miserable death of Iulian the apostate whose bloud his owne hands threw into the ayre of Aurelian smit with a Thunderbolt Commoduâ— strangled of Paulinus possessed with a Diuell after hee had martyred Martinian and Processus with diuers others in which the Antichristian Popes as they haue acted the chiefe parts in filthinesse blood-guiltinesse and superstition so if wee obserue their ends as they are recorded by Platina Onuphrius c. and their owne Writers wee shall see they haue dyed fearefully and desperately as they haue liued damnably as may be instanced in Siluester the second Alexander the sixt Heldibrand c. and others all which instances with all other examples that Iewes or Gentiles the Christian or Pagan world afford vnto vs are nothing else but comments vpon that Maxime which S. Augustine drawes from his owne experience when hee saith Nunquam memini male mortuum c. I neuer remembred any to haue dyed ill that haue liued well and hardly doth hee dye well that hath liued ill Therefore to extract another Vse from these premisses Is it so that onely the Seruants of God the Lords Simeons dye in peace and none else then the madnesse of those men is to be mourned as Samuel mourned for Saul and their ignorance or obstinacie is to be pittied that flatter their owne soules and secure themselues they shall dye happily when they haue no care nor conscience to liue holily Faine would they with Balaam dye the death of the righteous but they will not liue the life of the righteous they would act Simeons part in death but they will not labour for Simeons Spirit they would dye like Iude but liue like Iudas dye like the Sonnes of God liue like the sonnes of Belial dye like Saints liue like sinners dye like Dauid but liue like Diues in chambering and wantonnesse in surfetting and drunkennesse in delights and dalliance in pleasures and pompe they would be vvith Christ on Mount Sion but they will not follow him to Mount Caluarie they will not be crucified with him nay they will not crucifie one lust nor sacrifice one sinne nor mortifie one member for the loue of Christ for the loue of their owne soules they will not plucke out their right eies cut off their right hands throw away those sinnes that are as deare to them as eyther eyes or hands for gaining of God for purchase of Paradise for conquest of a crowne nay they will rather carrie both their eyes and both their feete all their deare and darling sinnes whither Iudas carryed his Hypocrisie and Herod his Lust euen to death with them euen to the graue with them euen to Iudgement with them then cast them off as the wilde Beast hunted casts away his stones for which hee is pursued to saue their life by dying nay to saue their soules by dying to sinne Doe these men beleeue the Scripture that tels them as they sow so they shall reape Nay doe they beleeue Experience that in euery Garden Field and Seede-plat shewes it Doe they credit the holy Oracles that if they liue after the flesh they shall dye but if they mortifie the deedes of the flesh by the Spirit they shall liue Rom. 8.13 And doe they nay dare they then goe on in sinne and thinke notwithstanding to reape saluation Are they but dead men all their life euen dead in sinne and trespasses without the quickning Spirit Ephes 2.1 ver 5. and doe they thinke to be liuing men in death Doe men vse to gather grapes of Thornes and figs of Thistles they know to the contrary and thinke they that a good death will grow of a bad life let them neuer hope it I aske such men as Iezabel asked Iehu 2 Kings 9.31 Iehu Iehu did Zimri prosper that slew his Master I trow no. So I aske euery licentious loose sinner Did euer any sinner dye well without repenting that offended God his heauenly Master by treasonable sinning Apply all these precedent examples to thine owne soule and make them thy presidents read them ouer againe and remember them and paralell thy selfe with them Art thou a Theefe looke how Achan dyed that was a Theefe Iosh 7. Art thou a Whore-master looke how the Sodomites dyed how Er and Onan dyed Hophni and Phinees that were vncleane A Whore looke how whorish Iezabel dyed A Swearer looke how blasphemous Rabsakeh
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
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
nor cannot long be deferred nor delayed for as rauening Time this old deuouring Saturne hath already swallowed downe all former ages so he comes with as swift a foote to deuoure vs and all the earths children in his gurmundizing iawes Swiftly indeede for as an Arrow out of a Bow as a ship on the Sea as a Bird in the Ayre nay as our thoughts so swift is our time and how euer wee runne on in sinne yet euery day runnes on with vs to our graues marching vehemently with Iehu our life sliding away whether wee eate drinke walke or talke like the Ship that sailes how euer the Passengers perceiue not nay Tune quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit euen when wee grow and increase then our life doth decrease Yea so mortall are wee and so momentanie our life that euen whilst vvee liue wee may be said to be dead not onely potentially dead as hee that is poysoned or the theefe condemned is said to be but a dead man though the one be yet wrastling for life and the other vnexecuted because the one is potentially the other ciuilly dead in Law euen so wee are dead in Law as Adam and Eue were because wee haue sinned like them but vve are for the greatest part euen actually dead For let vs take the life of man as it is diuided into seauen parts Infancie Childe-hood Adolescencie Youth Man-hood Old age and the Decrepit olde age Now in these successiue ages what is the latter alwayes saue the death of the former as both Inchinus and Seneca haue wittily noted What is Childe-hood but the abolition and death of Infancie what Adolescencie but the death of Childe hood Youth of Adolescencie Man-hood of Youth Old age of Man-hood and Decrepit age of Old age and of Decrepit age Death it selfe is the Death Which truth though our eyes be blinde to see and our hearts dead to ponder yet our tongues like Caiaphas his prophecying against our wils confesse it For I pray you when an old man or a man of middle yeeres findes an vnaptnesse and vnablenesse in himselfe to performe that which in his youth he did and delighted to doe what is his phrase Oh saith he that whorld is past with me intimating that he is dead and departed from the world in respect of that age Oh then how had euen the very Childe neede to prepare for his finall departure since one part of his life is dead already his Infancie how the youthfull Ephebus that hath two parts dead and but fiue at furthest to liue how the youth that hath three parts dead in him and but foure to liue how the lusty man that hath foure parts of time spent certainely and hath but three parts to liue and those vncertaine how the old man chiefely that hath acted fiue parts of his life already and hath but two to act vncertaine by reason of his faultring tongue and dryed braine whether hee can act these or no before Death strike him non plus But chiefely the Decrepit gray-headed man who is dead sixe times and now hath but one age vpon his weake and wearyed backe about to rest him in his graue How should these premeditations excite our preparations that as we are compared to fruit in the Scripture being called the fruit of the wombe the fruit of the loynes c. so betimes to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance ere we fall like mellow fruit from the tree of life If wee haue past some ages wee are dead to those euen as in fruit the flower is the death of the bud and the fruit is the death of the flower Therefore let vs be fruitfull in doing good ere vvee be pluckt away and be no more Oh how soone fruit perisheth How soone doth it ripen how soone rot How doe the Wormes that breede of it and in it consume it The North and East winde blasts it the Mill dew infects it Caterpillers spoyle it now by violence it is pluckt from the tree now rotten-ripe it fals and so festers So it is with all the seede of man the fruit of woman wee haue all one manner of grafting and of growing but a thousand different wayes of decreasing and decaying Omnibus est eadem laethi via noâ— tamen vnus Est vitae cunctis exitijque modus All haue one way to life one way to death Yet many wayes doth stint our vitall breath Moe wayes lead to the Sepulcher then to any Princely Palace Molle patent adiâ—us c. Meanders Labyrinth had not so many windings as Death hath wayes Hos Bellâ— hos aequora poscunt c. Warres waters fancies frenzies loue mad lust Besides diseases doe dissolue our dust As Seneca and Silius once sung as pithily as Poetically Histories of all times places and persons Sacred and Humane consort and confirme this experienced truth The old World wee know was drowned so was Pharaoh with his Aegyptians Sodome and Gomorrah Ziglah the two Captaines and Companies of fifties that came against Elias Nadab and Abihu Achan and his familie burned Herod eaten with wormes Daniels accusers deuoured with Lyons the mocking children vvith shee Beares the Philistines smit with Emerods the Israelites cut off many thousands in the dayes of Moses and Dauid by Plague and Pestilence Bethlems Children and the Sichemites butchered by the Sword Ierusalem and Samaria by the sword and Famine Er and Onan killed by the Diuine power Ananias and Saphira throwne downe dead by an Apostolicall Spirit Simon Magus his necke broke by Peters Prayers Iulian killed with a Dart by the Prayers of the Church If wee would wade into Heathenish Stories vvee might adde to the Catalogue vvithout number such as haue perished by vvater as Hylas in his Colchos voyage Orontes Lucaspis Palinurus Iearus Laeander Sappho Menander c. whom Virgil and Ouid so oft mention by fire as Sardanapalus Empedocles in Aetna Phaeton Dido in the Poet. Some destroyed by wilde beasts as many Martyres in the Primitiue persecution as Saturâ—einus by a Bull Ignarius Policarpus by a Lyon Felicitas by Leopards Milo the wrastler by a Wolfe Baâ—ilâ—ns slaine by a Hart Hatto the Bishop of Mentz eaten with Mice louely Adonis cunning Dedalur prophecying Idmon torne in pieces by Bores Some by Dogs as Euripides the Poet dogged Diogenes weeping Heraclitus Philosophers apostate Lucian c. How many haue beene strangled vpon the Crosse not onely Martyres as Andrew Peter Gorgonius Simeon the Son of Cleophas Peter Aulanus c. following their head Christ but euen many Kings as Policrates the Spartan Leonides Sindualdus Arnulphus Hanno of Carthage c. Besides Malefactors such as Helen the Graecian Whore Daphitas the Grammarian c. and such as haue hanged themselues as Iudas Achitophell Phillis Erigone Biblis Some haue beene stoned to death by others or shot with arrowes as Achillis by Paris Procris by Cephalus Acron by Romulus Hyrene by Sisinnius yea a stone from a wall as vpon Abemelech out of a
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
Lords Tribunall vvhither it is approaching that so as it is said of the Doue and the Eagle that when they haue plunged their vvings in the water they are better fitted for their flight thou plunging thy selfe into the troubled Bethesda poole of thy repentant teares distilling from the Limbecke of a remorcefull heart thy soule may take the wings of a Doue and flye out of the Cage and Coate of thy body to her eternall rest in Abrahams bosome Now with Simeons heart sing Simeons Song now awaken all thy powers to praise the Lord so as in singing wee ascend to higher notes thy soule leauing the earth of thy body shall with the Larke mount still higher and higher nay it shall be carryed vp on the wings of wayting Angels till it be transcendent amongst the Quires of those heauenly Hierarchies that sing continuall Halleluiah's vnto the once incarnate now deified Lambe euen Simeons Lord that sits vpon the throne To whom with the Father and the eternall Spiriâ— a Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie as his due and our duty from the ground of our hearts and soules be ascribed all Honour Glory Power Maiestie and Mercy of vs and all Churches now and for euermore Amen Necessary Incouragements and Comforts against the grieuances of seuerall Crosses Because that many are too much deiected and disconsolate at the death of their friends Parents for Children Children for Parents Husbands for Wiues and Wiues for Husbands Brother for Brother and Friend for Friend mourning like Rachel for her Children and will not be comforted let these Motiues moue thee to take truce with thy teares and not to sorrow as did the Heathens without hope 1 KNOW and acknowledge that it is GOD that hath taken away thy friend the pleasure of thine eyes thy Wife or the like therefore as God said to Ezekiel in the like case Mourne not nor weepe neyther let thy teares runne downe cease from sighing and make no mourning for the dead Ezek. 24.16.17 Murmure not as did the rebellious Israelites when their Brethren were taken away Numb 16.41 Kicke not against the pricke Act. 9.5 resist not God with a stiffe and vncircumcised heart Act. 7.51 but like an obedient childe imbrace the stroke of thy Father and kisse the rod. 2. The Saints of God haue beene patient spectators of the deaths of as neare and deare friends as any thou hast parted withall whose Patience in this crosse I propound vnto thee to imitate as Iames propounds Iobs Patience to be imitated in euery crosse Iames 5.11 Thus Adam and Euâ— saw the death of their sonne Abel Gen. 4. Noah the destruction of the whole world by the Deluge Gen. 7. Abraham of Terah his Father Gen. 11.32 so of his deare Wife Sarah Gen. 23.2 Lâ—t of his Wife Gen. 19 26. Isaack of his Mother and of Abraham his tender Parents Gâ—n 25.8.9 Iacob of his Father Isaack Gen. 35.29 of his beautifull and beloued Rachel Gen. 35.19 Thus when Aaron saw his two sonnes Nadab and Abihu deuoured with fire from the Lord hee held his peace Leuit. 10.2.3 Iob blessed God as well when his Children were slaine as his goods imbezeled Iob 1.21.22 for Eli lamented the losse of the Arke rather then the slaughter of Hophni and Phinees for which his Daughter in-Law also was more moued then for the death of her Husband 1 Sam. 4. v. 18.19.20.21.22 Dauid more bewayled the spirituall death of the soules of Ammon and Absolon then the corporall deaths of their bodies thy dying in their sinnes of Incest and Treason 2 Sam. 14.14 Lastly the Virgin Mary and Iohn the Disciple stood by the Crosse of Christ in his Passion onely with compassion without that outward lamentation which Christ condemned in the Daughters of Ierusalem and in them immoderate mourning in all Mat. 27.56 Luke 23.28 which particulars chiefely the last as Ambrose applyed them in his Funerall Oration of Valentinian the Emperour so they must be laid to heart in our application and imitation in euery Funerall 3 If hee dyed in the Faith of Christ hee is translated like Enoch from this life to a better from this vaile of misery to eternall glory hee is a Citizen of Heauen an inheritor of a Kingdome Sorrow not for his triumph he is gone to possesse a Crowne in Glorification which was granted him in Predestination promised him in Vocation 4 Hee is blessed being dead in the Lord Apoc. 14. 5 Hee is returned home to his Fathers house hee is gone to his better friends euen to the companie of innumerable Saints and Angels and to the Spirits of the iust Heb. 12.22.23 Mat. 22.30 Reu. 15.11 Mat. 8.11 1 Thes 4.17 6 Hee is inseperably vnited vnto GOD the chiefe and perfect Good first whom to see is Tranquillitie secondly whom to rest in is Securitie thirdly to enioy is Felicitie Being incorporated into that Citie first whose King is Veritie secondly the Lawes Charitie thirdly the Dignities Equitie fourthly the Life Eternitie in which hee shall be sempeternally blessed ioying in and inioying first a certaine Securitie secondly a secure Tranquillitie thirdly a safe Iocunditie fourthly happy eternitie fiftly an eternall felicitie 7 He is now married vnto his Bridegroome CHRIST to whom his soule was contracted in earth and the Marriage-feast is now solemnized in Heauen now thy mirth not thy mourning becomes a Marriage Hos 2.19 Mat. 22. Phil. 1.23 Iohn 12.26 17.24 Luke 33.43.46 Reu. 7.17 8 Consider that his warre-fare is now at an end his iourney is finished and his worke is accomplished if GOD had had any more worke for him to haue done hee should haue liued longer for as God sweepes away the wicked when they are at the height of sinne as hee did Er and Onan Gen. 38. the Sodomites Hophni Phinees and Absolon so the godly in the height of Grace 9 He was here a Pilgrime and a stranger as were the Patriarkes Abraham Isaack Iacob Dauid and the rest now he hath hoyst vp sailes hee is gone home into his owne Country therefore why shouldest thou grieue at his happy voyage and safe arriuall 10 Thou hast not lost him but left him hee is not dead but departed nay as Christ said of Iairus his Daughter and Lazarus thy Friend thy Damzâ—ll thy Daughter be it hee or shee is not dead but sleepeth and as Martha beleeued there shall be a time when they shall waken Now what mother grieues that her vnquiet childe sleepes and takes the rest many weepe because their Children will not or cannot sleepe few because they doe sleepe 11 Hee shall be restored vnto thee againe at the Resurrection of the iust euen in his body Psal 17.15 Iob 19.25 Iohn 5.29 as his soule is now immediately gone to God as did the soule of Lazarus Luke 16.22 of Stephen Acts 7.69 of the penitent Theefe Luke 23.43 yea of CHRIST himselfe verse 46. where it remaines in ioy Mat. 25. v. 21. 23.