an awfull reuerence of Gods Maiestie for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths and for the sincere preaching of the Gospell of Christ Iesus It is my comfort to see such a happy and friendly aspect of so many principall Planets together in one place so many Gentlemen and Magistrates Giue me leaue I beseech you to wash my hands in innoceny to free mine owne soule in the sight of God and to speake a few words to stirre vp your minds and to quicken your affections in the behalfe of the Lords worship and seruice Think not your dwellings safe enough without the house of God sing not at home with your owne Muses absent not your selues from the Lords sanctuary as though Iorden lay between you and the Church say not as the women did in Esay We will eate our owne bread and we are our owne garments The Sabbath day is the sanctified day of the Lords rest If you haue any loue to that hidden Manna which perisheth not If you haue any desire to those fruits of the tree of life in the midest of the Paradise of God If you haue any sincere affection to those white garments washt in the blood of Christ If you desire to shine hereafter as the stars in the firmament rather then to be but as a Glow-worme in this world then helpe to bring the Lords Sabbaths to rest they are shamefullie troubled disquieted the common daies of the weeke are happier in their seasons then the Lords Sabbaths The sanctifying of the Sabbath is one of those vnchangeable lawes which God himselfe wrote with his owne finger Resolue therefore as this Gentleman did to keepe it holy God did not ordeine it for carnall pleasures or that we should giue liberty on that day to our sensuall affections But if you will not regard and obey this then behold the dispersion and dissipation of your posterity vpon the face of the earth behold the ruine vastation and desolation of your houses behold the detestation of your names behold the hissing clapping at your death and departure among your neighbours The want of the word of God is the want of your credit and prosperity the want of the word of God is the want of your true comfort peace and happinesse the want of the word of God will be the want of your saluation if in this open and free time of the Gospel you depriue your selues through wilfull neglect of that benefit which others receiue by it Thus you haue heard of this Gentlemans life I must now speak a word or two of the maner of his death When the shadow of death was vpon his eies his senses began to faint and faile yet this was obserueable that in the time of prayer his senses were quickned and againe reuiued so that he was able to lift vp his hands and his eies at euery Petition and to say Amen to euery conclusion This was also worthy regard that the last words he spake were these O Lord Iesus haue mercy vpon me forgiue me my sins O Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And presently after his breath and his spirit departed So that I may say of him as Ierome reporteth of Nepotians quiet and peaceable departure from this life Non intelligeres illum emorâ— sed emigrare Thou wouldst not thinke he died but rather that hee walked forth And this was the manner of his death I must not be tedious in regard of the present businesse Time at this time must haue power ouer â—y words I will therfore conclude and make an end as I did begin O Lord teach vs to number our daies tâ—at wee may apply our hearts vnto wisedome Amen FINIS
taught in the Temple and no man laid hands on him for his houre was not yet come Doct. 3 The third conclusion now followeth to be discussed Mans time is short in this world Moses speaketh of daies not of yeeres nor of months nor of weeks but vseth the shortest diuision in nature There are as many little skuls in Golgotha as there bee great ones Parents doe as often mourne for the death of their children as children doe for the death of their Parents Iacob when Pharaoh asked him how old he Gen. 47. 9. was answered that his daies had beene both few and euill The Hebrewes were wont to reckon their life thus first they did deduct the time of their sleep so that if our dayes bee threescore and ten by this reckoning fiue and thirtie are stricken off at one blow because we spend halfe our time in sleepe Secondly from the remainder they tooke away the time of youth which Salomon saith is vanitie as Eccl. 11. 10. though it were not worthy to be called life but vanitie Thirdly they did subtract the daies of sorrow because all that time a man findeth no sweetnesse in life but is still ready to propound Iobs question Why Iob 3. 20. is light giuen to him that is in miserie and life to them that haue heauie hearts So then these three being â—ducted to what a smal epitome is mans life brought â—oses may well speake of daies and of numbring them â—o for by this time Iacobs proposition will be found â—â—e that the daies of our pilgrimage are but few Daâ—d it seemes was well acquainted with this manner of â—ckoning when he tooke so short a mete wand to measure his life by a cubit is too long a span is enough Behold thou hast made my daies as an hand Psal 39. 5. breadth and mine age is nothing in respect of thee Psal 39. 5. There are foure reasons why God hath appointed mans time to be so short The Rauen the Eagle the Elephant the Lion the Hart fulfill their hundreds But man dieth before his eye be satisfied with seeing or before his eare be satisfied with hearing Reason 1 First lest they should deferre to do good as our manner is vpon hope of long life Reason 2 Secondly to withdraw our hearts from the loue of this world Reason 3 Thirdly because so long as we liue in this world we â—e absent from the Lord. 2. Cor. 5. â— Reason 4 Fourthly because this world is full of miseries Iob â—4 1. The pleasures of this world are but the painted â—â—ce of Iezabel euen but an outside of pleasure Indeed the wicked seeme to liue a pleasant life none like them but there is a worme that gripeth and gnaweth them inwardly they haue many times a trembling heart and the King of feare doth almost kill them in their secret chambers The pleasure of this world is but like lightning simul oritur moritur it suddenly appeareth suddenly againe vanisheth away It is sweete but withall short like hunting and hauking much cost â—nd care for a little sport Vse 1 Our conuersation then must be in heauen euen while we liue heere on earth and we must vse this world as though we vsed it not There is but one way of comming into the world Vnus introitus but a thousand waies of going out of the world Mille exitus Our life is full of holes and weâ— are readie to take let in water at a thousand breaches Ferro peste fame vinclis algore calore Mille modâ—â— miseros mors rapit vna viros Our time slippeth away with great velocitie It was a worthy answere of Artabanus to Xerxes that mightie Emperour of Persia when the Emperor had viewed his great armie athousand thousand drinking riuers dry as they went hee fell a weeping because it came into his mind that within the space of an hundred yeeres not one of that goodlie companie should be left aliue I would that were the worst said Artabanus It would grieue a man viewing at this present so great a congregation of so many worthy and worshipfull persons so many of our good friends and honest neighbours to consider that within an hundred yeeres peraduenture fourescore or threescore and tenne for the Psalmist saith Mans age Psal 90. 10. is therabout to consider I say that not one in this assembly shall be left aliue but another Preacher in this Pulpit and other hearers in those pewes and seates sitting and treading vpon your dead bodies where you now you sit and tread vpon others but I would that were the worst Vse 2 Secondly because our time is short we must worke and walke while wee haue the light the night commeth Iohn 9. 4. wherein no man can worke we haue a great taske and a short time allowed we had need to listen to the clocke and to count the houres your life is short and the art of saluation is long in learning The way to heauen cannot be trodden in a short time Astronomers say that the space betweene heauen and earth is nine hundred thousand miles some speake of much more The ascent then will aske both time and labour ease and delay neuer brought any thither Our Sauiour when he found his Disciples sleeping said vnâ—o Math. 26. 4â— them What could ye not watch one houre So may â— say Can you not be contented to feare God to heare his word and to pray vnto him for a few dayes It may bee thou hast yet twentie yeeres longer to liue in this world and wilt thou not bee contented to serue God as a Christian for twenty yeeres that thou maist liue as an Angell for a thousand It may bee thou hast but ten yeeres to continue in this world and wilt thou not addict thy selfe to the honourable seruice of God for ten yeeres that thou mayst liue and raigne for euer with Christ in his presence Thou wouldst for a worldly preferment serue tenne yeeres and canst thou so far vndervalue eternall glorie as to thinke that any thing on earth deserues more cost and paines in the seeking and obtaining then the ioyes of heauen do But it may be thou art an old man hast one foote in the graue already then I say as Bias one of the seauen wise men of Greece said of a Mariner Nec inter viuos â—ec inter mortuos Thou art not to be reckoned among them that liue nor among them that be dead And as Paul speaketh of a widdow liuing in pleasure that she 1. Tim. 5. 6. â—â— dead while she liueth When wil ye begin to abound and to be rich in good workes Is it not time to begin to be religious when the pillars of your house begin to shake when your windowes begin to bee darke doe you meane to goe away in a sleepe and shall your life passe away like a dreame Came ye naked of goodnesse from your mothers wombe and will ye goe backe againe naked brought
God appointed a time when his Sonne should come into the world Dan. 9. and he came at the same time God appointed a time when his blessings should come vpon Ioseph and Gal. 4. 4. when the appointed time was come he was exalted Psal 105. 19. Therefore saith Christ My time is not yet come Ioh. 7. 8. Reason 2 Secondly the prouidence of God hath two parts to wit Gouernment and Knowledge God is not a retchlesse carelesse and improuident God Oh no he is not a God by halues and in part not onely in the Mountaines not onely in great imployments but also in the vallies and in the least matters Hee gouerneth all the world as one that sits in a chaire at ease his prouidence is seene in the least things In Pulice et in Culice as Saint Augustine saith in Flies and August in Psal 148. in Gnats He is Curiosus et plenus negotii Deus A curious God exquisite in all things and full of businesse saith Tullie against the Atheists and Epicures of his De natura deorum time he examineth the least moments and titles in the world that can be imagined a handfull of meale a Cruise of Oyle in a poore Widdowes house the caluing of Hindes the feeding of young Lyons and Rauens the falling of Sparrowes to the ground he numbreth the haires of our heads he feedeth the Fowles of the heauen and cloatheth the flowres of Math. 6. â—6 the field And if so then sure this wise and prouident God who holds the whole Globe of the world in his hand and ordereth all things therein who keepeth a perfect Kalender of all times and seasons hath also prefined the yeere the moneth the weeke nay the very day of our departure Obiect But it may be obiected If this be true that a man must liue so long and no longer and if a mans time be set then it is in vaine to keepe a good dyet or to take Phisicke Answer To which I answer God hath not ordained the end without the meanes but the meanes as well as the end If God haue appointed a man to die in his youth hee hath appointed a meanes to shorten his life as he did Absolons If God haue appointed a man â— Sam. 18. 6. to liue long he hath also appointed a meanes to preserue his life as Ioseph nourished and cherished his Gen. 47. 12. father when he was old But a good mind will neuer quarrell about these things Vse 1 It is not in the power of Physitians though they vse the best of their skill to preserue their sicke patients any longer then the time that God hath set and determined let the Physitian doe his dutie with an vpright and faithfull heart but let him not lie to his patients making them beleeue he can preserue life and health and so drawing them into errour as though death were farre off when the sicknesse iâ— incorporate into them when peraduenture the sicke man and his sicknesse are Duo in corpore vno as it were two in one flesh There is no remedy when the time appointed is come our last garment which is our skinne must be pulled off if God call vs away and say as he said to Abraham Exi de terratua Come out of thy Countrey wherein thou wast borne If he call Gen. 12. 1. to our Spirits Come out of your houses of Clay wherein you haue long dwelt there is no Balme at Gilead there is no Physition there that can preserue vs. All the Phisitions that were about Asa King of 3. Chron. 16. 12. Iuda could not recouer him of the Gout in his feete If a man should spend all his substance vpon Phisitions as the woman did that had a bloody issue twelue yeeres yet when the appointed houre is Luke 8. 43. come the learnedst Phisition will faile all meanes to prolong life shall be in vaine Mistake mee not I denie not the lawfull vse of lawfull meanes I know well a man is bound to further Gods prouidence in what hee may But to place our confidence in the outward meanes and to neglect the Lord to whom only the issues of life death belong is the common sinne of these faithlesse times Trust not therefore in Physicke trust not in thy strength trust not in any kinde of dyet for thy time is set thy daies numbred and it is not in mans power to passe his bounds Vse 2 Secondly the consideration hereof offers vs matter of much comfort for that our life is in Gods hand The aduersaries of the righteous increase daily and Psal 3. 1. many rise against them many pits are digged and much mischiefe imagined against the godly But when all is done vnles they can get Gods leaue they doe but weary themselues in vaine for the elect dwel Psal 91. 3 in the secret and shadow of the Almightie and are so safely shrouded vnder his wings that without his permission nothing can touch them Why then are men so fearefull as that they dare not stirre one finger without trembling surely such men either know not or remember not that God hath limited their daies and that their life is in his keeping When the Pharisies said to our Sauiour Depart and goe hence for Herod will kill thee he answered them Go ye and tell that foxe Behold I cast out diuels and will heale still to day and to morrow and the third day I shall Luke 13. 32. he perfected This the Apostles likewise acknowledged Doubtlesse against thine holy Son Iesus whom Acts 4. 27. thou hadst annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles people of Israel gathered themselues together to do whatsoeuer thy hand counsell had determined before to be done When Pilate the lieutenant of the Romanes had said vnto Christ knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee Iohn 19. 10. and haue power to loose thee Iesus answered Thou â—ouldst haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue The furie and malice of the wicked is stinted and restrained as with a bit and bridle they cannot satisfie their lusts nor accomâ—lish their designes The rage of men and of the diâ—els themselues is stopped and all the power of darkâ—esse curbed The tyranny of bloudy spirits is bound vp and compassed within the listes of the power of God and inclosed within the circle of his iurisdiction They cannot annoy such as are created after the Image of God and redeemed with the blood of Christ without the diuine permission their power is imprisoned they can goe no further then the chaine in the which the Lord doth hold them Behold a great comfort in all our troubles and sufferings there is a barre laid in the way of the wicked Consider the strong hand of God the yeeres and daies the very moments and minuts of time are determined These things spake Iesus in the treasurie Ioh. 8. 20. as he
ye nothing into the world with you of the best and blessedst riches and will you cary nothing out A great many of you heere present are brought to the eleuenth houre of the day and there is but a twelfth a few minutes between you and iudgement what do you tarry to be started with the shrillest Trumpet that euer blew or to be awakened with the fearefullest voice that euer sounded The night is comming wherein no man can worke Then there will be euerlasting throbbings and throwes of the heart for endlesse miseries then the eies will labour for teares which shall euer runne downe and then the teeth will grinde one another without ceasing Oh saith our Sauiour that you had knowne in this your day and thus Luke 19. 42. much for the shortnesse of mans life Doct. 4 The fourth doctrine that is remarkable is this that man is more apt to forget death then any thing else Moses was willing to remember death but still his mind did turne from it and it did slip out of his mind Solomon bids vs remember that we must come to iudgment Eccle. 11. 9. and yet the wicked pleade against it saith S. Peter It is a strange kind of Arithmeticke that no man 2. Pet. 3. 4. can learne it except God be the schoolemaster and teach it Men can number their Coine their Cattell their corne and their land But no man without the assistance of Gods Spirit can number his dayes as though our daies were infinite This prayer of Moses may seeme strange Men are able by art to measure the Globe of the earth and the Spheares of heauen the quantitie of the Starres with their longitudes latitudes altitudes motions and distances from the earth Flectere per varios docuit qui nomina Casus Heu cadit hunc casum flectere non potuit The Grammarian that declineth all Nounes and euery case cannot decline death in any case It is a hard matter to remember Death and we striue to forget it Teach vs to number our dayes Oh no! hold your peace wee may not remember Amos 6. 10. Teach vs to number our dayes Amos. 6. 10. nay teach vs to multiply our dayes Teach vs to remember Death nay teach vs to forget death to prolong life is the common language of our times Men cannot abide to thinke of death they are sicke to â—eare the name of it they say to death as Pharaoh said Exod. 10. 28. â—o Moses Get thee out of my sight There are two reasons why we ought to remember â—eath and there are foure reasons why we do forget it Reason 1 The first reason why we should remember it is beâ—ause when death comes the greatest matter that did â—â—er concerne vs will then be in question to wit the â—erlasting Saluation or else the euerlasting condemâ—ation of our soules Reason 2 Secondly then it will bee too late to repent to aâ—end to pray and to obtaine pardon The rich man â—ryed Oh Father Abraham send Lazarus to lip the tâ—â— Luke 16. 42. of his finger in water to coole my tongue Desideraâ—â—t guttam saith Saint Austin qui non dedit micam â—â—e deâ—ired a droppe of water that would not giue a â—â—um of bread but it was too late Hee should haue beene picifull repented and prayed in his life time before his death For in death there is no remembrance Psal 6. 5. of thee saith Dauid and in the graue who shell praise thee Reason 1 The first reason why many doe forget Death is because Death commeth oftentimes like a â—aylour to â—ale to prison Reason 2 Secondlie the remembrance of death maketh a man sinne fearefully and taketh away the pleasure of sinne Reason 3 Thirdly Death is against nature a dissolution of nature and therefore no man naturally can delight in it Reason 4 Lastly the diuell gaines much by forgetfulnesse in this kinde and therefore will be sure if by any meanes he can to put that conceit out of mens heads They are hence to be reprooued that will not suffer this meditation to settle in their hearts Behold you despisers and wonder at the hand of God you â—hat are in league with death make a couenant and truce with the graue you that say to your soules Takâ— your ease and liue at rest for many yeares your lifâ— Luke 12. 19. Amos 6. 3. hangeth by a small thread Put not the euill day farrâ— from you which the ordinance of God hath put so neare walke not alwaies with your faces towards the East sometimes haue an eye to the West where the Sunne goeth downe sit not alwaies in the prow of thâ— shippe sometimes goe to the sterne stand in your watch towers as the creature doth in the 8. to the Romanes and waite for the time of your deliuerance Rom. 8. 19. your bodies are not brasse your strength is not the strength of stones The earth is the wombe thaâ— hath bred you and the earth is the wombe that will againe receiue you Searecloathes spices Balme the Immuring stone or lead or a timber coffin cannot so closely hide you but the earth will challenge you for her naturall children and say You are my bowels the earth I say your naturall mother will know you againe and receiue you into her possession Remember 2. Tim. 3. 4. your mortalitie you that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 louers of pleasure more then louers of God when Adam and Eue became subiect to death because of their Gen. 3. 2â— sin God cloathed them with the skins of dead beasts So that the cloathes we weare vpon our backes and the graues vnder our feete and the meate which goeth into our bodiesies crie vnto vs that we must die like the fishes fowles and beasts which a little before were liuing in their elements and are now dead in our dishes Vse 2 Let vs pray as Moses did That God will giue vs grace to meditate vpon our last end Though we forget other things though we forget our owne names and to eate our bread yet our memorie doth sufficiently stand vs in stead if we can remember our last end Sathan perswaded our first parents that they shold Gen. 3. 4. not die at all Now though he cannot make vs beleeue that yet he perswades many that they shall not die â—t yea though they be at the brinke of the graue and â—t a steppe betweene them and death Many there be â—â—t are condemned in hell and there doe suffer the â—ngeance of eternall fire who would giue the whole â—orld if it were in their power for one day or houre in â—is world that they might repent and turne vnto God What they wold do if they might let vs do while wâ— may their glasse is already runne and ours stands â—â—t still yet a little while and the time of hope grace and mercy will be past Let vs not then be so much our oâ—ne enemies as to forget what belongs to our peace
the wages doth the worke as God threatned Gen. Gen. 2. 17. 2. 17. And the Apostle Rom. 5. 15 By one man sinne Rom. 5. 12. entred into the word and death by sinne And so death went ouer all men in whom all men haue sinned Vse 1 There shall be no difference betweene the rich the poore in the graue there is a great difference in their life time in respect of honours and houses laÌ„ds and liuings duties and dignities and such like externall priuiledges and prerogatiues But in the end we see that wise men and likewise the ignorant and foolish Psal 49. 10. perish Zenacherib in his Ruffe for a time made proud challenges Where is the king of Hamah where Esay 37. 13. is the king of Arpad where is the king of Hena kings which he had destroyed And haue the Gods of the nations deliuered their Clients and orators out of my hands But a man might soone haue asked him Where is the king of Ashur And hath Nisroch the God of Assiria deliuered Zenacherib himselfe Looke into the graue and shew me where is Diues where is Lazarus where is Alexander that conquered the whole world and Zerxes that could not number his armie for multitude where is Nimri that built his rest in the clouds and Antiochus that sealed vpon the Mountaines where is Edom that exalted himselfe like an eagle in the skies and said in the swelling of his heart Who shall bring me down Where is Paper the king of Persia that wrote himselfe Rex regum fratersolis et lunae parâ—ceps siderum king of kings brother to the sunne and moone and partner with the starrs where is SamsoÌ„ that slew an armie with the law bone ludg 15. 15. of an asse what is become of all those great Roman Lords Nero Caligula Vespasian Titus Domitiam and the rest Haue they not all felt and bin foyled by the stroake of this all conquering death who would haue Acts 12. 23. a Kings 9. 35. thought that Herod who was honoured as a God should haue bin deuoured of wormes That Iezabel should haue bin eateÌ„ of dogs what would he thinke that should haue seene Solomon in his glory and Royaltie to see him now lying in the clay Yesterday the tallest Cedar in Libanus to day or to morrow a broken stick trodden vnder foot when death comes no difference The bones of Agamemnon that renowned Captaine among the Grecians and of Thirsites that ill fauoured and deformed souldier shal be mngled together The bones of Vashti the most beautifull queene and the blackest Egiptian bond-woman shall not be found asunder looke into the graue there I say is no difference but Putidum et putridum Cadauer a rotten and a stinking Carkas Vse 2 Men of excellent eminent places must learne to liue religiously vprightly for they must go the way of all the earth and depart hence when it shall be said Priora transierunt Former things are passed away and it wil be said Come giue an account of thy stewardship The thriuing of the wicked in the bookes of Iob of the Psalmes wanteth not a learned oratour Luke 16. 2. Iob 21. 7. Psal 73. 3. to set it forth at large But as in the burning of a candle when it hath long giuen light Extremum occupat fumus et caligo The end is in smoake and in a stinking sauour so falleth it out with the candle of the wicked In puncto descendunt in infernum In the stirring of an eye they goe downe to hell where if there be not famus caligo smoke and darknesse and the blackenesse of darkenesse and a stinking sauour and much worse there is no hell at all Lift not vp your Psal 75. 5. borne on high speake not with a stiffe necke for in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red of the colour of bloud My brethren let not the pompe of the world deceiue you whether it stand in authoritie in opulencie or voluptuousnesse of life I say let it not deceiue you for as all the fresh riuers runne into the salt sea so shall all the honours of the world end in basenesse all the pleasures of the world in bitternesse all the treasures of the world in emptinesse all the garments of the world in nakednesse and all the dainties and delicates of the world in loathsomnesse and rottennesse Take heede of too large an indulgence least God giue you a rent that hath giuen you a garment and cloath you with worser then leprosie that hitherto hath couered you with glory worship and dignitie Vse 3 Let vs prepare for death that we may haue oyle in our lampes when the bridegroome commeth Let vs prepare and prouide for the day of our dissolution Let vs prepare for a Nunc dimittis Oh be not like the foolish virgins that knocked at the gate when it was shut and too late Oh be not like the vnprepared Math. 25. 12. Math. 22. 13. guest that came to the wedding without his wedding garment Great Iupiter was carelesse of his death Visuntur magniparua sepulchra Iouis Great Iupiâ—er had but a little tombe And Alexander the Monarch of the world prepared nothing at all for his death he had all other things sauing onely a sepulcher to burie him in when he was dead But Abraham prouided for his death for he bought a field to Gen. 23. 17. burie his dead in So did Ioseph of Aramathea for he Gen. 23. 17. Math. 27. 60. made his tombe in his life time in his garden to put him in remembrance of death Oh imitate these latter prouide and prepare for your last end and still looke vp to death as the wisemen looked vnto the starre which stood ouer Bethlem Qui gloriatur viribus corporis gloriatur viribus carceris He that glorieth in the strength of his bodie glorieth in the strength of his prison Plato spake wittily to one of his schollers when he saw him too curious in pampering his belly and his body Why doest thou said he make thy prison so strong Doct. 2 I will proceede now to the second conclusion to wit that mans time is set and his bounds appointed which he cannot passe It was said to Belshazzar Dan. 5. 25. Mene mene God hath numbred thy kingdome So it may be said Mene mene God hath numbred the daies of our life To this Iob beareth witnesse Are not his Iob 14. 5. daies determined thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe And the Prophet Ieremie saith The Egyptians could not stand because the Ierem. 46. 21. day of their destruction was come and the time of their visitation Reason 1 A certaine time is appointed for all other things The day of birth the day of marriage the day of honour the day of deliuerance and the day of death must not bee excluded God hath determined Dan. 1 1 36. all things saith the Prophet