but bringest them out againe Cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Drowne them in the depth of the Sea neuer to remember them againe Nayle them on the Crosse of thy Sonne my Sauiour wash them in his blood Couer them with his righteousnesse that they neuer may appeare in account before thee Grant me also that fauour that I hartily may forgiue my neigbour that I may by a true loue witnesse that I am a true Disciple of Christ and borne of GOD. Let me feele O mercifull God and Father that this my weakenesse is no signe of thy wrath my sinnes but rather a testimonie of thy mercy that thou correctest me as a Father that I may not run into perdition with the wicked world Moderate O Lord my paines and mercifully release me out of the same that I may haue fresh matter to praise and giue thankes to thy holy name and to walke before thee in vprightnesse of heart in true holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life Grant that my life may be nothing else but a mortification of the olde man and viuification of the new that I dayly considering that man borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and besides is full of sorrow that his life is but a shaddowe and his dayes bee vanity that he fades away as a flower in the field and continueth not at any stay may withdraw my heart and cogitations from the vanity of this world Grant O Lord that I may number my dayes that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome that I may mortifie the lust and euill concupiscences of the flesh and may by little and little bee renewed and become conformable to the image of thy Sonne Separate O Lord my sinnes from mee before they separate me from thee Grant that this my life may be nothing else but a longing for my Sauiour that I beholding him with the eyes of faith may say with the ancient Simeon Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Yet if it be thy good will to try me any longer with this thy fatherly rod grant that I may submit my selfe in all obedience vnto thy holy will being confident that thou that art faithfull in thy mercifull promises wilt lay no more on me then thou knowest that my weakenesse is able to beare But if it be thy fatherly will to call me away out of this troublesome life Grant mee grace to be willing and ready to forsake this earthly Tabernacle worke in mee a true faith whereby I being fastned vnto Christ my head as one of his members I may be assured that as I am partaker of his person being flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone so shall I also bee partaker of all his benefits so that I may say with St. Paul Christ hath loued me and hath giuen himselfe for me Arme me also with the same faith as with a strong shield against all temptations that I may couragiously fight against the world my own flesh yea against the deuill himselfe being assured that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ And that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to seperate me from the loue of GOD in Iesus Christ my Lord O mercifull God in whose hand is life and death assist me constantly in this conflict Though the flesh be weake and could be content to say Father if it be possible let this cup passe away from me Yet let the Spirit be willing and say not my will but thy will be done Helpe mee to conquer the terrours and panges of death which through Christ is become vnto me a passage to eternall life say vnto my soule I am thy saluation strengthen mee in the stedfast hope of the glorious resurrection wherein my humbled body shall bee made like vnto the glorified body of Christ Turne my paines and anguish into that eternall ioy that shall be in the blessed vision of thy face receiue my soule vnto thee remoue her out of this vale of misery to the company of holy Angels and to the congregation of thy Elect. Come Lord Iesu come quickly All these necessaries that I stand in neede of I begge and entreate of thee O most mercifull God and Father in the name of my onely Sauiour concluding my petition with that absolute prayer that Iesus Christ himself hath taught his Disciples and all the faithfull saying Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen c. FINIS
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
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
And to receiue and enioy this glory there is no other way but by death Death onely fetches vs and brings vs thither Now as a young Prince liuing some-where in banishment would exceedingly reioyce to see a messenger sent by the King his father to fetch him home and to set him on his Throne Euen so ought a childe of God to reioyce when God sends vnto him his Messenger Death to fetch him vnto his eternall kingdome Yea so much the more then such a Prince by how much the more the Kingdome of heauen doth excell all the Kingdomes of the world For it is better to be one day in the Palace of heauen sayes Dauid then else-where a thousand Psal 84.11 Priuiledge of the life to come For what haue we on the face of the earth that should make vs desire to stay here If we giue ouer this life which is but temporall and full of miserie and trouble wee obtaine a life on high where there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying Reu. 21.4 neither shall there be any more paine If heere wee depart from our earthly parents we are entertained there of our heauenly Father Math. 5.45 If heere wee leaue our chiefest friends and kindred wee meete there with our brethren in Christ cloathed in long white garments Reu. 7.9 If heere wee loose our Gardens and faire Pallaces wee finde our selues there in Paradise where the tree of life is continually growing If heere we remoue out of a famous Citie wee become there Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 Or if here we forgoe our Princely honours there we are named children of the most high Luk. 6.35 Yea if here we forsake euen an earthly Kingdome we possesse there a heauenly Kingdome Luk. 1.33 whereof there shall be no end The seeing of God When further wee proceede and consider that we are promised there to see God and that we shall see him as he is Math. 5.8 how can wee but hope to see the holy Trinity with full satisfaction 1 Ioh. 3 2. Wee shall see him in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.11 and who shall say then vnto vs Enter into thy masters ioy Math. 25.21 O what an vnexpressable ioy will this bee What can our mindes imagine or hearts wish more If the Queene of Seba cryed out that those men were happy which stoode before Salomon to heare his wisedome 1 Reg. 10.8 how happy will those be that shall stand before Iesus who is the wisedome of his heauenly Father And if Iohn the Baptist leaped for very ioy at the presence of Christ Luk. 1.44 while he was yet in his mothers wombe And Simeon was satisfied when hee had but seene the childe in the Temple Luk. 2.30 what ioy and satiety will those receiue that shall see him sit at the right hand of his Father in eternall glory The three Apostles of our Lord when they had but a very small resemblance therof in that short transfiguration of Christ how soone did they forget set light by the world with all her appurtenances cried out Master it is good for vs to be here Luk. 9.33 and let vs heere build vs tabernacles What doe those Apostles now feele Or what doe they say now with all those that perfectly behold his glory and dwell in it The honour of our soules When we farther yet consider that we our selues shall obtaine there the Crowne of glory 1 Pet. 5.4 that fadeth not away as Peter speakes And that Gods children being by Christ iustified shall shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Math. â—3 43 and be as the Angels of God in heauen Math. 22. â—0 yea are there to raigne for euer and euer Reu. 22.5 What heart what soule can chuse but long exceedingly to forgoe this world and to attaine to the presence of God Dauid cries out As the Hart panteth after the water brookes Psal 42.1 so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God Now that which he longed for euery true beleeuer after this life once ended shall for euer enjoy The meeting of the body and sâ—ule together But whosoeuer farther will cast his eyes on the generall resurrection of the dead may finde yet farther matter of ioy and comfort Euery one may in some sort conceiue how vnspeakeably these two old friends soule and body will reioyce when after many ages they shall meete againe and perceiue that each of them is in a happy estate 1 Cor. 15.45 But chiefly when this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortality and bee partaker with the soule of heauenly delight Yea the Lord Iesus shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 What is there in heauen or in earth more excellent or what can bee imagined that deserues rather to be desired Yea with our corporall eyes we shall behold Christ This it was euen this I say was it wherewith Iob comforted himselfe in his long continued miserie and which did releeue him in his greatest agony I know sayes he that my Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand at the latter day vpon earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Iob 19.26 whoâ— I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another Stephen the Martyr had assurance hereof in this life for hee being full of the holy Ghost sayes the Scripture looked vp stedfastly into heauen Acts 7.55 and sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God With this firâ—t Martyr of Christ let vs then coÌ„tinually cast our harts eies of faith towards heauen and fixe them wholly on Christ crying out with him Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Yea when wee can neither crie nor speake any more Let vs all with Hanna 1 Sam. 1.15 powre out our soules before him And the Spirit will make intercession for vs Rom. 8.26 with groaning which cannot be vttered and wee doubtlesse with the afore-said Stephen shall see heauen open and when our time comes with him dye in the Lord. Yet if it shall please God after all our good preparation An appendix to lift vs as he did the fore-mentioned Ezechias from our bâ—d againe and to restore vs to health let vs take good heede that we doe not neglect likewise with the same King Es 38.20 to sing songs in the house of the Lord all the dayes of our life that is euermore to be thankfull vnto him to serue him and to praise him So the diseased person whom Iesus had healed at Ierusalem was presently found in the Temple Ioh. 5.14 The Prophet Dauid teacheth vs